NORTH-EAST ALLIANCE TEE TIMES FOR BUCKPOOL NEXT WEDNESDAY

08:00 Watson, Keith/ Harper, Brian/ Cassie, Charlie

08:07 Campbell, Andrew/ Campbell, Chris/ Mackay, David

08:14 Munro, Gordon/ Macandrew, Donald/ Clarke, Fraser

08:21 Smith, Albert/ Morrison, Phil

08:28 

08:35 
08:42
08:49 Dillon, Stephen
08:56 Morgan, Lewis/ Brown, David/ Borthwick, John

09:03 Hamilton, John/ Roger, Leslie/ Paterson, George

09:10 Lamb, Christopher/ Lamb, Robert/Merchant, Manson

09:17 Kennedy, Euan/ Wilson, Jamie/ McBain, Greg

09:24 McKay, David/ Finnie, Stewart

 

09:31 Dalgarno, John/ Prouse, Claire/ Prouse, Lawrence

09:38 Forrest, Jackie/ Stewart, Norman 

09:45 Chisholm, Neish/ Brown, Mike/ Brown, Raymond

09:52 Winton, Mike/ Thomson, Stuart

09:59 Emslie, Jim/ Fowler, Les/ Fleming, David

10:06 Beveridge, Keil/ Nelson, David/ Murray, Laura

10:13 Leech, Peter/ Adams, Eric/ McNaughton, Hamish

10:20 Wright, Dick/ Cheyne, Peter/ Lawrie, Donald

10:27 Forster, Martin/ Grant, Ian/ Smith, Mike

10:34 Nicolson, Brian/ Nicolson, John/ Cornfield, Paul

10:41 Mann, Steven/ Dunn, Stephen/ Mackie, Scott

10:48 Jessiman, John/ Petrie, Alister/ Rogers, Mike

10:55 Randall, Derek/ Murray, Jim/ Bisset, David

11:02 Leslie, David/ Homer, Gary/ Shaw, Willie

11:09 Hutcheon, Greig/ Brindley, Chris/ Hopwood, Joel

11:16 Duff, John/ Dunton, Adam/ Duncan, Kevin

11:23 Nicol, Kris/ Findlay, Jordan/ O'Donnell, Robert

11:30 Duncan, Jim/ Milne, Gordon/ Mitchell, Bruce

11:37 Lafferty, Gavin/ Collie, Tommy/ Lawrie, Mark

11:44 Gall, Alan/ Vannet, Lee/ Taylor, Ian

11:51 Parker, Nigel/ Guthrie, Peter

11:58 Wilson, David  

12.06

REMEMBER THERE WILL BE LESS DAYLIGHT NEXT WEDNESDAY THAN THERE WAS AT NEWBURGH A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO.

JOINT ALLIANCE SECRETARY DAVID WILSON REPEATS HIS PLEA FOR COMPETITORS TO PLAY AT A BRISK PACE SO THAT THOSE AT THE END OF THE FIELD DO NOT HAVE TO PLAY THE LAST FEW HOLES IN DARKNESS

+ If your name is not listed above and you want to fill one of the vacant tee times, call David Wilson on the Alliance phone - 
07801 819746
on Monday or Tuesday

CHINESE 14-YEAR-OLD LEADS ASIA-PACIFIC AMATEUR BY FIVE

FROM THE ESPN.COM WEBSITE
China's Guan Tianlang, who turned 14 last week, collected nine birdies en route to an eight-under-par 64 to stretch his lead to five strokes at the halfway stage of the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in Bangkok.
The winner of the tournament earns a spot in the 2013 Masters and a placed in the international final qualifying for the Open Championship at Muirfield. The runner-up also is exempt into final qualifying for the Open.
Thai Prin Sirisommai led the local charge by moving to nine-under following a 65, after setting a championship nine-hole record with a 29. Australian Oliver Goss, a U.S. Amateur Championship quarter-finalist, later carded a bogey-free 65 to share the second spot at Amata Spring Country Club in Chonburi.
Top Thai amateur Natipong Srithong, winner of last year's Southeast Asia Games, was three shots back after a second 69.
Nathan Holman of Australia shot a 64 to share fifth at five-under with Lee Soo-min of Korea, last year's runner-up, who carded a 70. Hideki Matsuyama, who has made the cut in the past two Masters, continued his bid for a third straight title with a 69 that left the Japanese star 4-under and 10 strokes off the lead.
Guan, the first-round leader with a 66, moved to 14-under after the second day of play. 
Starting on the back nine, he birdied his first two holes before picking up further shots on 15 and 17. On the front nine, he hit three straight birdies, including a chip-in on the third, and he added two more birdies at six and seven, the latter with his second chip-in of the day.
However, on his last hole, the 464-yard par-four ninth, Guan hooked his three-wood approach, chipped to eight feet and lipped out with his first putt for his only bogey in a sensational round.
"My feeling with the putter is fantastic and that's why I've got a low score. I think I had 25 putts yesterday and maybe it was a little lower today, perhaps 22, as I had two chip-ins," said Guan, who won by 11 shots in his age division (11-12) last summer at the junior world golf championships in San Diego.
"I had two birdies in the first two holes and felt very comfortable after that. I just kept going and I'm happy I only made one bogey," said Guan, who was the youngest-ever winner of the China Amateur Open last November.
Goss, a Perth (West Australia) -based 18-year-old who heads to the University of Tennessee next year, joined the front of the chasing pack with a flawless round that included an eagle at the par-five second, where he sank an 80-foot putt from a few feet off the green.
The tournament is run by the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation, along with the Masters tournament and the R and A.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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TALENT DRAIN FROM EUROPEAN TOUR TO UNITED STATES

FROM THE DAILY TELEGRAPH WEBSITE
By JAMES CORRIGAN  
The European Tour has the Ryder Cup in its possession, but next season it seems likely the US Tour will have all but one of the 24 Ryder Cup players on its books. 
 Little wonder, therefore, that Luke Donald, pictured, says his home continent’s golf circuit “should be a bit worried”.

Nicolas Colsaerts and Peter Hanson are the latest to express their intentions to take up their US Tour cards, with Martin Kaymer and Francesco Molinari seriously considering joining this blue-and-gold exodus across the Atlantic. 
 In truth, this trend means they should more than “a bit” concerned down at Wentworth HQ.

Consider the following. In the season after the 2010 Ryder Cup, only four of Colin Montgomerie’s victorious side held US PGA Tour cards, with the likes of Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood resisting the pull of the dollar. 
In 2013, Paul Lawrie could well be the only player dedicated entirely to Europe. Hence Donald’s realism.

“If I was the European Tour I would be a bit worried, with a lot of the guys suggesting they are going to play their minimum [number of events] in Europe and concentrate mainly on the US PGA Tour,” said the world No 3. 
“I think that as a top player if you don’t at least try it for a year or two you’re going to have regrets.”

Donald, who has lived in America since college, spelt out the lure of Stateside. The strength of field is one plus, as, of course, is the prize money boosted by the end-of-season FedEx Cup extravaganza. 
And with so many tournaments falling by the wayside in cash-strapped Europe, the practical positives are also persuasive.

“Geographically wise it’s easier,” said Donald. “You’re not flying country to country, the tournaments are a lot closer together, and you can travel with your family. It’s a very attractive tour. I’m sure the European Tour are watchful about these guys leaving, but there’s probably not much they can do.”
The evidence backs up Donald. Not only are the Ryder Cup heroes planning on decamping, but there are players on the next rungs down such as Pablo Martin, Oliver Fisher and Romain Wattel trying out for America. 
Twenty-three Europeans entered the first stage of US PGA Tour Q-School recently; an unprecedented number.
So how should the European Tour act? In Donald’s opinion it must merely seek to ensure the cash-cow that is the Ryder Cup remains competitive. 
“If it was me, I wouldn’t be thinking this with a ‘European Tour versus US Tour’ mentality,” he said.
“The European Tour just wants to cultivate the good players and continue obviously to be strong in the Ryder Cup. I do understand, though, if you’re losing some of the top players it’s going to be tougher to sign big sponsors to events.”
With four tournaments lost on the continent to the recession this season, and with fears of more to follow, that already seems an implausible challenge.
Donald speaks for all when expressing the hope “that the economy will turn around and we’ll get more events in Europe”.
Otherwise the European Tour must ensure that it retains a strong start - centred around the Middle East - and a strong ending - centred around the Far East - on its calendar. Yet as Donald noted “the US Tour is looking to come over here more”.
“That’s just the way it’s trending,” he added.
Next season this week's tournament - the WGC-HSBC Champions Tournament in Shenzhen - will become an official event on the US PGA Tour’s schedule, as will the CIMB Classic in Malaysia.
There are also rumours of another US PGA Tour event being set up in Beijing. That would be alarming news for the European Tour, which at the moment can pride itself on being the biggest golfing power in Asia.
On a personal basis, South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen was claiming rights to that moniker at the halfway point of the HSBC. There are five par-fives on the Olazabal Course at Mission Hills and, astonishingly, the 2010 Open champion was 11-under for these long holes after two rounds, having birdied nine of them and eagled the other.
Friday’s 63 helped Oosthuizen to 16-under and into a five-shot lead over Adam Scott and Ernie Els in second, with Donald three strokes further behind in a tie for eighth.
In fourth, on 10-under, came the 25-year-old Shane Lowry. The Irishman, who won last month’s Portugal Masters, is another with plans to focus on America next year.
The talent drain is in danger of becoming a flood.

KELLETT STRUGGLES TO A 78 IN FRANCE

Ross Kellett had six-over-par 78 - one of his worst rounds of the Alps Tour season - in the final event of the year, the Masters 13 Allianz at Pont-Royal Golf Club, near Marseille, France. Kellett, pictured, had two 7s in an inward half of 41 - a double bogey at the long 14th and a triple bogey at the par-4 17th. The Motherwell man is joint 43rd on 151 - 12 shots behind the two Frenchmen sharing the lead, Adrien Bernadet (69-70) and Nicolas Joakimedes (68-71). Northern Ireland's Gareth Shaw is joint fourth with 72 and 70 for 142. LEADING SECOND-ROUND TOTALS Par 144 (2x72) 139 Adrien Bernadet (Fra) 69 70, Nicolas Joakimedes (Fra) 68 71 141 Carlos Simarro (Spa) 72 69. SELECTED SCORES 142 Gareth Shaw (NIr) 72 70 (T4) 145 Steven Brown (Eng) 73 72 (T14). 146 Jason Palmer (Eng) 74 71, Jack Senior (Eng) 71 75 (T18). 150 Brendan McCarroll (Ire) 79 71, Tom Sherreard (Eng) 71 79 (T38). 151 Ross Kellett (Sco) 73 78 (T43) 155 Andrew Cooley (Eng) 78 77 (T54). ends

PAUL LAWRIE BOOK - SIGNING SESSION IN ABERDEEN

Paul Lawrie, meantime in China, will return for the launch of his biography - "The Paul Lawrie Story" - at Waterstones, Union Bridge, Aberdeen from 6.30pm next Thursday (November 8).
Publication of the book was delayed to include a chapter about Paul's part in the amazing Ryder Cup victory over the Americans at Medinah.
Golf writer John Huggan - he beat Kevin Stables 2 and 1 in the final of the 1978 Scottish boys championship at Dunbar - interviewed Paul many times over an extended period to produce the book which is published by DB and has a cover price of £16.99.  
Copies of the book will be on sale at the Paul Lawrie Golf Centre at Ardoe on the South Deeside Road from next Wednesday morning.
 
  

BOAT OF GARTEN ALLIANCE FROSTED OFF

Saturday's scheduled North Scottish Golfers' Alliance fixture at Boat of Garten has been cancelled because of a forecast of frost overnight.

SANDY LYLE TO BE HONOURED AT SCOTTISH GOLF AWARDS NIGHT

NEWS RELEASE FROM SCOTTISH GOLF UNION

Two-time Major champion Sandy Lyle, one of Europe’s most notable golfers, will appropriately collect a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2013 Scottish Golf Awards – 25 years after he won The Masters at Augusta.

On what is set to be another wonderful night at the annual awards showpiece, Lyle will reflect on becoming the first-ever Briton to claim the coveted Green Jacket and look back on a truly exceptional career before a likely sell-out crowd.

A celebration of Scottish Golf’s achievements over the past 12 months, the prestigious event takes place on Friday 1 March 2013, at the new venue of the Hilton Glasgow, with all proceeds from the Awards going towards the development of young golfers in Scotland.

Lyle will take centre stage, going down memory lane to recall his famous fairway bunker shot that set up his Augusta triumph and his jig of delight on the final green. 
The 54-year-old will also look back on his 1985 Open triumph at Royal St George’s and his five Ryder Cup appearances, including team victories in 1985 and 1987.

Lyle will mingle with fellow guests, notable golfers – amateur and professional – and other stars from across the Scottish sporting spectrum on what will truly be an evening to remember, one jointly-organised by the Scottish Golf Union, the Scottish Ladies’ Golfing Association and ClubGolf.

Lyle, who follows Sam Torrance, Colin Montgomerie and Paul Lawrie into the ‘Hall of Fame’ will fly back from his American base, where he is competing on the Champions Tour in 2013, to collect his award in Glasgow.

“It is an honour to receive such a prestigious award from the Scottish golfing public,” said Sandy, who has claimed 30 professional wins and was a member of Europe’s ‘Big Five’ in the 1980s.

“I can’t believe it’s been 25 years since I won at Augusta and I’m looking forward to recalling that victory, as well as my other highlights, on the night. I have enjoyed a great career and hope for further success in the years ahead in Europe and America.”

Lyle, the only living Scot to have been inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in May 2012, added: “I know the awards recognise the achievements of golfers and golf clubs from all levels of the game in Scotland so it will be great meeting all of the other winners, from our leading amateurs to our dedicated volunteers.

“I’ve heard the event is now one of the highlights of the Scottish golfing calendar and I’m looking forward to attending at the Hilton Glasgow on 1 March next year.”

Together with Lyle’s accolade, Scotland’s leading male and female amateurs from 2012 will be presented with their awards, while the work of clubs at community level will be recognised with the RBS Junior Club and Volunteer of the Year Awards.

The ‘Player of the Year’, a forthcoming on-line vote for golf fans via the Scottish Golf Union website at www.scottishgolf.org, will also be a hotly contested competition, with numerous Scottish success stories throughout 2012.

The likes of Ryder Cup hero Paul Lawrie, top-ranked Catriona Matthew, Omega European Masters champion Richie Ramsay, two-time Ladies European Tour winner Carly Booth and European Tour graduate Scott Henry will all be in the running, with all on-line voters entered into a free prize draw to win a free pair of tickets for the event.

Open to all golf fans, tickets are now on sale for the glittering evening of champagne and champions priced at £85 per person or £800 for a table of 10.

The package includes a four-course meal, wine and glass of champagne on arrival, an abundance of entertainment and the opportunity to have your photo taken with golf’s most iconic trophies, while some unique prizes will also be up for grabs in the fundraising auction and raffle.

Tickets for the evening can be purchased on-line via the Scottish Golf Shop at www.scottishgolf.org or by calling the Ticket Hotline on 01334 466 477.

The latest news on the 2013 Scottish Golf Awards will also be available on Twitter @SGUGolf and via the SGU’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ScottishGolfUnion

 

 

BLAKE SETS PACE IN FINAL EVENT OF US SENIORS TOUR 2012

Don Blake leads at the end of the first round of the final event on the US Champions (Seniors) Tour for the year.

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OOSTHUIZEN TAKES CONTROL AT MISSION HILLS, CHINA

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE

COURSE-RECORD 63 PUTS HIM FIVE SHOTS CLEAR

Louis Oosthuizen finds himself in familiar territory at the halfway stage of the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions.
The 30 year old won the 2010 Open Championship from five shots clear after two rounds at St Andrews, and a course record 63 at Mission Hills saw the South African establish another huge halfway lead.
The Masters Tournament runner-up’s nine under par round – matched an hour later by compatriot Ernie Els – took him to 16 under in Shenzhen.
Els and first round joint-leader Adam Scott are his nearest challengers, but Oosthuizen is not taking anything for granted heading into the weekend.
“Scoreboard-wise, it's probably the same [as St Andrews] said the World Number 11. “Looking at the leaderboard, there's so many great players up there. Like I said, it's far from over. It was probably the same at The Open.”
“With this tournament I'm in a great position to win it, but it's not even crossed my mind at the moment. There's still a lot of golf to be played, and I need to put myself in a great position going down the back nine on Sunday.”
Starting the day level with Australian Scott, Oosthuizen picked up six shots in five holes around the turn to take control of the event.
Having initially dropped back with a bogey at the second, birdies at the third and fifth steadied the ship before the five-time European Tour winner’s putter caught fire; a 50 footer for eagle at the seventh and 30 foot birdie effort at the next both dropping.
Oosthuizen birdied the long ninth and followed that with a 35 foot effort at the tenth, before tapping in for another gain at the long 11th and picking up further shots with six foot putts at the 15th and 16th.
“I played the par fives really well, and I think I was six under on them today,” he added.
“The rest was down to putting really well. I gave myself a lot of opportunities for birdie, and hitting fairways, hitting greens, and if you make the putts, you shoot a low number.
“The par fives, I think I can reach all of them, which makes it easy; if you're hitting it well just get yourself around the green. I really didn't make a lot of eagle putts - I just was really close to the green, which led to getting up-and-down and I hit really good chips on a few today for some tap ins for birdie.
“You get those days where if you hit it well, you leave yourself in a decent spot for a chip-and-putt for a birdie on the par fives.”
This year’s Open runner-up Scott added a 68 and was joined in second place when the man who pipped him to the Claret Jug matched his compatriot's course record.
Making his return from an ankle injury that forced him out of last week's PGA Grand Slam in Bermuda - replacement Padraig Harrington won it - Els threatened to go even lower when he turned in a seven under 29.
The 43 year old added further birdies at the 12th and 14th, hitting approaches to within two feet of the flag, and kept a bogey off his card for the second day running.
“I obviously had a good start and all of that, but I wish I can always play like that,” said Els.
“I'm just glad to be here; after going down on the tennis court two weeks ago to stand here and shoot 63 is quite a bonus.”
Scott was keeping pace early on with five birdies in the first 11 holes, but he bogeyed the next two and after coming back with two more birdies he came up short of the green at the 197 yard 17th and dropped another shot.
That was not as bad as the finishes of Phil Mickelson or Masters Tournament Champion Bubba Watson, however.
After eagles at the third and seventh - and three birdies - Mickelson was alongside Scott, but then came a missed four foot putt at the 14th and after that bogey worse was to come on the last.
Twice winner of the title in Shanghai, Mickelson pushed his second to the last into the hazard and in attempting to hack it out from amongst the rocks moved the ball only a matter of inches.
The next found the green, but a double bogey six meant a 69 and dropped him to sixth place.
Joint fourth are Ireland's Shane Lowry, bidding for a second win in three starts and a place in the Official World Golf Ranking's top 50 for the first time, and American Ryder Cup player Jason Dufner, but they are six strokes behind.
Watson, who beat Oosthuizen in a play-off at Augusta in April, was in a tie for seventh until he put two balls in the water for a triple bogey eight at the reachable 15th.
Last week's winner Peter Hanson fell back as well in a blow to his hopes of a victory that would take him ahead of Rory McIlroy at the top of The Race to Dubai.
The Swede double-bogeyed the 12th after seeing a chip come back down a bank at the front of the green and let another shot go at the 14th in a 71 that left him nine back.
Lowry said: "I didn't birdie two easy par fives and made a bad bogey on the sixth, but other than that I played lovely all day and gave myself a lot of chances.
"What's not to enjoy? I'm playing a World Golf Championship and I'm up there in the top five going into the weekend."

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MOLINARI BROTHERS BACK IN BUSINESS AT SINGAPORE OPEN

NEWS RELEASE FROM ASIAN TOUR

Singapore: Tiger-tamer Francesco Molinari will be looking to put the icing on the cake of a tremendous season with victory at next week's US$6 million Barclays Singapore Open.

His brother Edoardo, on the comeback trail after a three-month injury lay-off, will join him in the stellar field at Sentosa Golf Club from November 8-11.

The siblings, who teamed up to win the World Cup of Golf for Italy in 2009, face a formidable challenge with world number one and Race to Dubai leader Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland, three-times winner Adam Scott of Australia and American great Phil Mickelson the main drawcards in Asia's richest National Open.

Francesco Molinari was the last man out for Europe in the Ryder Cup singles at Medinah and halved his match with Tiger Woods to give his team outright victory over the United States by 14 ½ - 13 ½.

He clinched his place in the team after a good run of form on the European Tour including victory at the Reale Seguros Open de Espana in May and runner-up finishes in the Alstom Open de France and Scottish Open.

Currently lying sixth on the Race to Dubai with earnings of 1,816,113 Euros, Francesco Molinari can close the gap on leader McIlroy by lifting the US$1 million (773,926 Euros) winner's purse at the Barclays Singapore Open.

Edoardo is trying to get his season back on track after a wrist surgery and will be keen to repeat his form of last year when he finished fifth.

A sizzling 62 over the Tanjong Course saw him share the first round lead with James Morrison and he was joint second heading into the weekend after a 68 on the Serapong Course.

A level par 71 in the final round of the rain-shortened 54-hole tournament took him level with Joost Luiten and Danny Lee in fifth place, two shots behind eventual winner Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano of Spain who pipped Filipino Juvic Pagunsan in a play-off after both finished on 14-under 199.

Eight-time European Tour number one Colin Montgomerie, who missed the cut by a shot last year, is also coming back for another shot at the title in the 49th staging of the Singapore Open which is co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and European Tour.