DOAK AND HENRY CLAIM EUROPEAN TOUR CARDS

  FROM EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS

The European Tour will have at least two more Scottish players next year after Chris Doak and Scott Henry both clinched their cards for The 2013 Race to Dubai at the European Challenge Tour’s season-ending Apulia San Domenico Grand Final.

Both managed to finish in the top 11 in the Rankings, which receive a more favourable category for The European Tour next year, with Henry dropping to 11th and Doak remaining in tenth place.

Doak finished with a flourish in the season finale at San Domenico Golf inPuglia, Italy, carding three birdies on the back nine to sign for a two under par 69 to share seventh place on 13 under par.

It brings to an end a superb season for the Greenock man, who claimed his first victory at the ALLIANZ Open de Lyon, and he is now looking forward to returning to The European Tour a much better player than in 2009.

“I was confident going into the final round,” said the 34 year old. “I got off to a good start and birdied the second, and then the rain came in. It affected the whole group but I managed to get around that one over, and then three under on the back nine.

“I can’t ask for more that than. It has been a really pleasing year. It’s taken me a few years to get my card back and I have learned a lot in those four years, working with Bob Torrance all the way through and I put it all down to him.

“I’m definitely a better player now and I feel like I can compete. My first year on The European Tour I was a little bit wet behind the ears but I am looking forward to next year.”

Henry, meanwhile, was disappointed with his performance in Italy after a three over par 74 left him tied 39th, but it was still enough to hang on to a top 11 spot.

“I'm really looking forward to next year, whatever happened this week,” said the 25 year old Glasgow man, whose win at the lucrative Kazakhstan Open was crucial in his Rankings position. “To be competing against the best players is a very exciting thing for me.

“It is good to back up the fact that I know I can finish well under pressure. At the time in Kazakhstan I didn’t feel like there was pressure because I just wanted to do my best but winninghas given me a lot of confidence for the next time I get into that situation in any tournament.

“To be honest I'm glad to be finished playing now for the week,” he continued. “On the course it has not been much fun because I haven’t played well.

“It was almost lethargic golf today. I was hitting some great shots and then hitting some nothing shots. I have not really putted well, and you need to do that here because there are so many chances and the scoring was going to be low.

“My putting is one of the things I'm going to have to work on next year. I have to see how I can get more out of my game. I need to become a more consistent putter.

“I have a strong game. I drive well and if you do that you can almost overpower difficult courses on The European Tour.

“That is a big advantage but I know the things I have to work on. I am looking forward to having some time off and then working hard on building my game fornext season.”

Raymond Russell, meanwhile, suffered the disappointment of missing out on a card by just one place as he ended the season in 22nd spot in the Rankings.

The 40 year old rallied with four birdies in the back nine to card a two under par 69, but that was not enough as he finished tied 14th for the tournament.

 

FINAL TOTALS

Par 284 (4x71)

265 E Kofstad (Nor) 65 66 67 67,

 266 J Hansen  (Den) 67 62 67 70, J Busby (Eng) 66 67 67 66,

 267 E De La Riva  (Esp) 66 66 67 68,

 270 J Walters (RSA) 71 67 65 67, S Benson (Eng) 68 69 65 68,

 271 A Hartø  (Den) 72 70 66 63, C Doak (Sco) 69 66 67 69, K Broberg (Swe) 69 67 67 68, M Kieffer (Ger) 68 66 69 68, E Pepperell (Eng) 70 67 69 65,

 272 M Korhonen (Fin) 66 71 67 68, P Uihlein  (USA) 69 67 66 70,

 273 W Besseling  (Ned) 65 68 69 71, R Russell (Sco) 66 68 70 69, G Lockerbie  (Eng) 66 68 68 71,

 274 M Carlsson  (Swe) 71 65 69 69, M Crespi  (Ita) 64 68 67 75,

 275 N Dougherty  (Eng) 70 66 69 70, R Kakko  (Fin) 69 67 67 72, J Parry (Eng) 68 69 69 69, A Tadini (Ita) 69 66 71 69,

 276 H Bacher (Aut) 66 68 70 72,

 277 S Walker (Eng) 72 68 68 69, A Levy (Fra) 69 66 70 72,

 278 C Aguilar  (Esp) 69 65 71 73, M Delpodio  (Ita) 65 72 67 74, S Wakefield (Eng) 71 69 69 69, C Lloyd (Eng) 65 66 71 76, C Paisley  (Eng) 71 66 72 69,

 279 A Kaleka  (Fra) 72 71 69 67, B Koepka  (USA) 71 68 71 69, M Lorenzo-Vera  (Fra) 64 74 72 69,

 280 S Kim (Kor) 69 72 69 70, A McArthur  (Sco) 72 71 67 70, M Tullo (Chi) 67 72 69 72,

 282 L Jensen (Den) 68 65 78 71,

 283 J Huldahl (Den) 69 70 67 77,

 284 S Henry  (Sco) 70 68 72 74, D Vancsik (Arg) 65 68 79 72,

 285 B Åkesson (Swe) 71 71 71 72, G Stal  (Fra) 67 72 73 73,

 287 P Archer (Eng) 71 74 67 75,

 288 D Brooks (Eng) 74 69 71 74, M Madsen  (Den) 71 70 75 72,

 

EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS

NICK WATNEY WINS AT KUALA LUMPUR

NEWS RELEASE FROM ASIAN TOUR

Kuala Lumpur: American Nick Watney fired a scintillating 10-under-par 61 to win the US$6.1 million CIMB Classic by one shot from title holder Bo Van Pelt and Robert Garrigus today.

In a thrilling final round shootout, 14-time Major champion Tiger Woods was on the prowl at the Mines Resort and Golf Club, shooting a brilliant 63 which proved a little too late as he settled for tied fourth place, three back, in the co-sanctioned Asian Tour and US PGA Tour tournament.

South African Jbe Kruger emerged as the leading Asian Tour performer in eighth position after a 68 while India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar took a share of 10^th place after signing for a 67. Thai star Thaworn Wiratchant, currently leading the Asian Tour Order of Merit, fired a 66 for tied 16^th spot.

Watney’s triumph, courtesy of a 22-under-par 262 aggregate, was his second of the season and the world number 22 did it in style to pick up the winner’s cheque of US$1.3 million.

“The round sort of built momentum and things just kept getting better and better.  I'm thrilled to have come away with a win,” said Watney, who has five previous triumphs on the PGA Tour.

Starting the final day four back, the 31-year-old charged out with an outward 30 and then ran off six more birdies on his homeward stretch to give himself a chance of shooting golf’s magical 59 playing the last hole.

However, the tall American bogeyed the 18^th which gave last year’s champion Van Pelt a chance to force a play-off. However, Van Pelt could only make par in front of 13,500 spectators.

Watney said the thought of shooting the first ever 59 in Asia crossed his mind when he sank his 11^th  birdie of the day on the 17^th hole. However, his approach shot from a divot ended any hopes as he dropped a bogey.

“Well, you know, I was more concerned with just winning the tournament. I hit a decent drive, and it plugged in the left rough, and I took a drop. And the ball went into a divot in the rough. So 59 kind of went out the window right there. Winning the tournament was more important than 59 for me,” he said.

“I really enjoyed beating Tiger. Any time that you can play in this era, I think everybody would agree these last 15 years, he is been by far the biggest attraction in our sport, so I think it's great for every tournament that he comes to.”

 

Van Pelt, who arrived for his CIMB Classic defence in top form after winning the Perth International last week, saluted Watney’s final round heroics. “You've got to tip your cap; a guy goes out and shoots 10 under, he just wins the golf tournament. Big congratulations to Nick. He's a great player, and he just went out and won the tournament,” said Van Pelt.

           

“I'll probably look back at the two doubles I made during the week without a penalty shot that probably ended up costing me in the end. But all in all, it was a great week.”

 

Woods had the large galleries following his match in raptures with five birdies in his opening seven holes before managing only one birdie in mid-round. Two birdies on 16 and 17 eventually left him a few shots shy of his target of getting to 20-under.

 

“My goal was to get to 20-plus,” said the world number two. “That's the only chance I had. It ended up not being much of a chance. Yesterday's last nine holes (where he shot 39), that put me in a spot where I really couldn't win the championship.”

 

Kruger was delighted with his finish which saw him pick up a cheque worth US$175,000. Starting the day two back, he started strongly with a birdie and eagle on the second and third holes before his putter went cold.

 

“I think I actually played the best I played all week, just couldn't get a putt in. They always say the guy that makes the most putts is going to win. I think I had probably 34, 35 putts,” said Kruger, who won the Avantha Masters in India earlier this year.

 

“It's never the winnings, it's always about the experience.  You can't buy experience.”

 

Scores after round 4 of the 2012 CIMB Classic being played at the par 71, 6,909 Yards Mines Resort Golf Club course (a- denotes amateur):

262 - Nick WATNEY (USA) 71-65-65-61.

263 - Robert GARRIGUS (USA) 64-64-69-66, Bo VAN PELT (USA) 70-65-62-66.

265 - Tiger WOODS (USA) 66-67-69-63, Brendon de JONGE (ZIM) 68-65-66-66, Chris KIRK (USA) 69-66-63-67.

266 - Carl PETTERSSON (SWE) 69-67-68-62.

267 - Jbe' KRUGER (RSA) 66-64-69-68.

268 - Pat PEREZ (USA) 67-68-68-65.

269 - Scott PIERCY (USA) 75-68-64-62, Gaganjeet BHULLAR (IND) 65-72-65-67, Kevin NA (USA) 67-66-69-67, Brian HARMAN (USA) 64-70-66-69.

270 - NOH Seung-Yul (KOR) 71-66-67-66, Ben CRANE (USA) 68-66-68-68.

271 - Thaworn WIRATCHANT (THA) 72-65-68-66, John SENDEN (AUS) 72-66-66-67, Jason DUFNER (USA) 68-72-64-67, Bill HAAS (USA) 70-65-68-68, Jeff OVERTON (USA) 64-70-68-69, Greg CHALMERS (AUS) 66-66-69-70.

272 - J.B. HOLMES (USA) 66-70-68-68, Ricky BARNES (USA) 66-71-66-69.

273 - Charlie WI (KOR) 69-66-71-67, Marcus FRASER (AUS) 70-70-65-68.

274 - Masanori KOBAYASHI (JPN) 69-71-66-68, John HUH (USA) 70-68-68-68, Anirban LAHIRI (IND) 71-66-68-69, Martin LAIRD (SCO) 68-67-69-70, Tom GILLIS (USA) 65-70-66-73.

275 - Kevin STADLER (USA) 67-68-76-64, Trevor IMMELMAN (RSA) 72-63-68-72.

276 - Cameron TRINGALE (USA) 71-69-70-66, Bob ESTES (USA) 69-68-70-69, Johnson WAGNER (USA) 70-69-67-70, Troy MATTESON (USA) 63-69-73-71.

277 - Prom MEESAWAT (THA) 70-69-68-70, Sean O'HAIR (USA) 69-72-65-71, Ryan PALMER (USA) 69-68-70-70.

278 - Marc LEISHMAN (AUS) 75-67-66-70.

279 - Kyle STANLEY (USA) 69-70-74-66, Jimmy WALKER (USA) 69-68-71-71.

281 - Danny CHIA (MAS) 66-75-73-67.

282 - William MCGIRT (USA) 70-70-73-69, David LIPSKY (USA) 68-73-71-70.

284 - SIDDIKUR  (BAN) 73-74-69-68.

285 - Shaaban HUSSIN (MAS) 74-73-70-68.

287 - Scott HEND (AUS) 70-77-70-70.

 

BLAIRGOWRIE FIFTH BEST IN EUROPE

Blairgowrie finished a creditable fifth in a field of 25 teams behind winners France in the European club team golf championship at Minthis Hills Golf Club, Tasada, Cyprus at the weekend. Blairgowrie, winners of the Scottish title and represented by Stuart Graham, Glenn Campbell, Bradley Neil and Alan Colquhoun, totalled three-under-par 423 over the 54 holes with the teams' best two from four individual scores counting daily. France (399) won from Germany (403) with Switzerland (417) third and Spain (421) fourth. Graham finished joint 15th in the individual standings with scores of 70, 73 and 70 for level par 213. Campbell shot 70, 69 and 75 for 214. Neil had rounds of 75, 72 and 72 for 219. Colquhoun finished on 264 with scores of 91, 86 and 87. TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES ON THE CHAMPIONSHIP WEBSITE CLICK HERE

BAN ON LONG PUTTERS TO BE INTRODUCED SOONER RATHER THAN LATER

FROM THE DAILY TELEGRAPH WEBSITE 
By JAMES CORRIGAN
Europe’s top golfers will be briefed over the next two weeks on the banning of long putters as the governing bodies of the game prepare to make an announcement next month. 

The R and A and USGA are understandably declining to reveal any details of the review into the prospective rule change outlawing the anchoring of clubs, but it is understood an official will make presentations to the professionals at this week’s HSBC WGC Champions event in Shenzhen and then at next week’s Barclays Singapore Open.

Mike Davis, the chief executive of the USGA, has already held such a seminar with US PGA Tour players as the executive decide how quickly to implement a ban. 
Three of the last five major winners used belly-putters. 
They might even decide to bring in a ban in professional competition from the start of 2013, although it is probable they will take a formal vote in March.

The decision then would be whether to wait until the end of the current rules cycle which runs through December 2015, or work with golf’s professional tours to eradicate this method of putting immediately, before introducing a general ban throughout the amateur game as well.

Davis Love, the US Ryder Cup captain, attended the meeting with the USGA representative in Georgia and expressed the view that whatever path the powers-that-be choose to take, they should seek to do so with haste.

“If they said today: ‘We met with the Tour [and] we’re going to change putters’, Keegan Bradley is going to get himself a confirming putter and he’s still going to be a really good putter,” said Love. 
“He’s just going to have to make a change, but you’d rather not talk about it for three years and have it be a distraction.”

Webb Simpson, the US Open champion, revealed he has already started practising with a short putter in readiness of a rule change. That is not to say he agrees with it, however. Simpson first switched to a belly putter in 2004 and in this time has heard the likes of Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus calling for a ban. Now the officials are ready to act.
“I’m friends with a lot of the R and A and the USGA guys and I know they are trying to do it for the betterment of the game,” Simpson said. 
“But I don’t think it’s a good decision. If you look look at the stats, last year there was no one in the top 20 of the ‘strokes gained’ category who anchored a putter. 
"So you have to throw out the argument of ‘it’s an advantage’ right there. There’s a bunch of arguments going around but I haven’t heard a good one yet.”
Sources say the ban will focus on the stroke rather than the club, meaning those players who use long-putters but don’t “anchor” them against a part of the body – such as Matt Kuchar – will be free to continue.
Rory McIlroy will miss the WGC event at Mission Hills as he travels to Bulgaria to watch his girlfriend, Caroline Wozniacki, compete in the WTA’s season-ending championships. He will fly to Sofia after an 18-hole exhibition match with Tiger Woods at Lake Jinsha in Beijing. Woods is also skipping Mission Hills. 

PETER HANSON WINS BMW MASTERS IN CHINA FROM RORY McILROY

 FROM THE DAILY TELEGRAPH WEBSITE
Just a month after failing to win a point at the Ryder Cup – and being left on the sidelines for three of the five sessions – Peter Hanson had the sweetest win of his career. 

The 35-year-old Swede just held off world No 1 Rory McIlroy to take the BMW Masters title in Shanghai against a field that also included nine more of his European team-mates from Medinah.

With Luke Donald coming third and Ian Poulter fourth it was a week dominated by members of Jose Maria Olazabal's side, but Hanson was the one to come out on top.

By claiming a first prize of over £720,000 he has also given himself a chance to deny McIlroy the same European and US PGA Tour money list double achieved by Donald last season.

With four more weeks to go he leaps from seventh to second in the standings, and although the Northern Irishman's runner-up finish means he still has a lead of more than £650,000, the winner's cheque is more than that in this week's World Championship event at Mission Hills in Shenzhen – and McIlroy is not playing.

"I'm going to try to keep this form going," Hanson said after a closing bogey gave him a one-stroke victory on a smoggy day when both of the front two shot five-under-par rounds of 67.

He was five clear after a hat-trick of birdies from the 11th, but McIlroy also made four on the long 13th, eagled the 15th from 18 feet – Hanson birdied – and then cut the difference to two with a five-foot putt at the next.
World No 25 Hanson's par save from 15 feet preserved the gap, but there was still a possibility of a play-off when Hanson's approach to the 471-yard last came down in rough above a bunker.
He thought he might be entitled to a free drop because of a plugged lie, but was refused it and after doing well to chip to 10 feet he breathed a sigh of relief when McIlroy's 15-foot birdie attempt just missed.
That left Hanson with two putts for his sixth European Tour win – the last came with a closing eagle in Holland last month – and he took them.
"Rory made a tremendous effort and put quite a bit of pressure on me – his second to the 15th was true class," Hanson added.
"He gave me a bit of a cushion early on (McIlroy missed two four-foot par putts) and I was maybe a little too defensive at the end, but it all worked out.
"My short game used to be my weak part, but I've been working on it and my putting has really improved."
In Chicago Hanson was angry to be left out all day Saturday and he said the following week that he might not be sending captain Olazabal "that many Christmas cards".
But the pair chatted last week and are back on good terms.
"I was a bit disappointed," Hanson said, "but there's no feeling of revenge or wanting to show everyone now. It's a team effort and we ended up winning it."
McIlroy is staying in China, but only for a one-day head-to-head against Tiger Woods – joint fourth in Malaysia after a closing 63.
The rest of the week is being spent with his tennis star girlfriend Caroline Wozniacki in Bulgaria – she is playing a tournament there – but he returns to Asia for the Singapore Open and his defence of the Hong Kong Open.
Those events will give the 23-year-old the opportunity to clinch the money list double before the race-ending World Tour Championship in Dubai on November 22-25.
"I'm happy with how I played, but a little disappointed," McIlroy said. "I missed a few opportunities on the front nine and it was too little, too late.
"I wanted to make him work for it and it would have been nice to hole the putt on the last, but it wasn't to be and Peter deserved it."
A closing birdie by Donald for a 66 enabled him to deny Poulter, who had a 65, a share of third place, while there were no fewer than nine of the Ryder Cup side in the top 15.
Justin Rose, now down to third on the 'Race to Dubai', tied for sixth, Martin Kaymer and Graeme McDowell were joint 11th and Lee Westwood and Nicolas Colsaerts finished in joint 14th.
"It just shows we had a strong team," Donald said.
Poulter added: "The board is full of Ryder Cup players, which you would expect.
"The guys are still on a high – and rightly so." 

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