US PGA GRAND SLAM OF GOLF TO STAY AT BERMUDA VENUE FOR NEXT TWO YEARS

FROM THE GOLF.COM WEBSITE
(Reuters) - The end-of-season US PGA Grand Slam of Golf, which brings together the winners of the four majors, will return to the island of Bermuda for the next two years, organizers said today.
The 36-hole stroke-play event has been staged in Bermuda since 2007, with Ireland's Padraig Harrington clinching the 2012 edition by one shot at Port Royal Golf Course in Southampton last month.
Harrington was a late addition to the field, replacing  Open champion Ernie Els of South Africa who withdrew because of an ankle injury.
"Bermuda has embraced the PGA Grand Slam of Golf, serving as an exemplary host the past six years and delivering unmatched hospitality and community support for the game's elite foursome," PGA of America president Ted Bishop said in a statement.
The $1.35 million PGA Grand Slam of Golf will be held at Port Royal from October 15-16 next year.
The elite four-man tournament, billed as "the most exclusive tournament in golf", was held in Hawaii from 1991 to 2006 before moving to Bermuda in 2007.

NEIL RAYMOND TOPS ENGLAND MEN'S ORDER OF MERIT

Neil Raymond (Corhampton GC, Hampshire), Brabazon Trophy winner for the past two years and an England international for the same period, has won the Titleist/FootJoy England Golf Men’s order of merit for 2012.
Raymond (Image © Tom Ward) 26, topped the list with 609.09 points, less than three ahead of his international team-mate Craig Hinton (The Oxfordshire) but over 60 clear of third placed Edward Richardson (Hemsted Forest, Kent).
“I’m delighted to win the order of merit and to see my name among the previous winners,” he said. “This caps off my season nicely and I’m grateful to Titleist and FootJoy for their sponsorship.
“My season has been good and the highlight was winning the Brabazon Trophy again. Some of the other performances were not what I was looking for and I was disappointed not to win the English Amateur. It would have been nice to do ‘the double’.
“But it doesn’t always go as planned so I’ll keep working hard over the winter and hopefully I’ll get to where I want to be next year.”
Jonathan Dowdell, Titleist Golf Ball Product & Marketing Manager, commented: "As the #1 ball in golf, Titleist is delighted to have once again supported the order of merit and there can be no doubt that the title has gone to a truly worthy winner. We would like to congratulate Neil on claiming the order of merit title which is just reward for a season of great quality and consistency."
Most of Raymond’s points were gained when he successfully defended the Brabazon Trophy at Walton Heath following his initial success at Burnham and Berrow in 2011.
That was his only major victory of the season although he also won the New South Wales Medal in a playoff while in Australia at the start of the year. However, he reached the quarter finals of the English Amateur Championship at Silloth-on-Solway.
The bulk of Hinton’s points were gained from his victory in the Welsh Open Stroke Play while the 24 year old also finished equal fourth in the St Andrews Links Trophy.
Richardson, 44, has made a successful return to top level amateur golf after battling with serious illness. An international between 2005 and 2008, he won the Hong Kong Amateur Championship last week and has enjoyed top ten finishes in at least six tournaments.
For the complete Titleist/FootJoy order of merit go to www.englandgolf.org
Lynne Fraser
ENGLAND GOLF
Marketing and PR Manager
Email: pr@englandgolf.org

RORY McILROY WINS HONG KONG ROOF TOPS PAR-3 COMPETITION

FROM EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS

On the eve of his defence of the UBS Hong Kong Open title, Rory McIlroy won the ‘Urban Golf Challenge’ against his Ryder Cup team-mate Paul Lawrie, their inspirational Captain José María Olazábal, the World Number 17 Matt Kuchar and amateur starlet Steven Lam.

Surrounded by Hong Kong’s iconic skyline, the quintet took turns to try their luck at achieving a hole in one at the specially-designed Urban Golf Challenge par three, set in Chater Garden, in the heart of the city’s Central District.

And it was McIlroy who took the honours after hitting nearest the pin. "I've won four tournaments this year but this was the biggest one of the lot!" he joked as he collected his champagne. "I was nervous at The Ryder Cup but nothing compared to this!"

Kuchar, Lawrie and McIlroy had all appeared at a press conference at The Peak Tower on Tuesday afternoon, but on this occasion they let their clubs do the talking as they sought bragging rights ahead of this week’s US$2million tournament.

Recently-crowned Race to Dubai champion McIlroy boasts a formidable record in the event, having won last year and finished runner-up in 2008 and 2009.

The World Number One counts Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Golf Club amongst his favourite cities and courses in the world, and was undoubtedly the star attraction of the Urban Golf Challenge.

Olazábal, the man who masterminded the ‘Miracle of Medinah’, is also a former winner, having won the UBS Hong Kong Open the first year it joined The European Tour International Schedule, in 2002.

Lawrie was, of course, a member of Europe’s triumphant Ryder Cup Team as well as McIlroy, and the Scot’s aim in Hong Kong this week is to consolidate his position in the top ten of The Race to Dubai, and so secure a slice of the Bonus Pool at the end of the season.

UBS Hong Kong Open debutant Kuchar has been impressed with the city so far, and the American was hoping to gain a measure of revenge in the Challenge over his European counterparts, having been powerless to prevent Olazábal’s men from staging a remarkable final day comeback in Illinois.    

Lam, meanwhile, is one of Hong Kong’s brightest young golfing prospects, and the 19 year old – whose amateur achievements include victory in the 2009 Faldo Series Hong Kong Championship – tried his best to upstage his more celebrated rivals.

The real action gets underway at the Hong Kong Golf Club on Thursday, when McIlroy starts the defence of his title at 12pm in the company of Matteo Manassero, winner in Singapore last week, and their fellow European Tour champion Liang Wen-chong.

 

STEWART FIVE BEHIND AT WOBURN

Duncan Stewart's bogey-free, four-birdie round of 68 has pushed him up to third place with one round to go in the PGA EuroPro Tour championship over the Marquess Course, Woburn. But the Grantown-on-Spey man will need more of the same plus a dramatic slump by four-stroke leader Paul Maddy (Gof Magog) (69-65 for 10-under 134) if he is to win the £15,000 first prize. Stewart has already won himself a place on next season's Challenge Tour through his success on the EuroPro Tour this season. He birdied the first, long second, fourth and short 14th for a two-round tally 139, one shot behind the second-placed James Watts (East Herts) (71-67). Elliot Saltman (Archerfield Links) and Comrie's Wallace Booth are sharing eighth place on 143 after both had par-matching 72s in the second round. Saltman birdied the first, third and 17th but bogeyed the short eighth , 13th and 18th. Booth had five birdies but just as many bogeys in erratic halves of 33-39. Paul Doherty dropped down to a share of 15th place on 144 after a 74 in which he started with a hat-trick of bogeys. Chris Kelly is sharing 25th place on 146 after a 74. PGA EUROPEAN TOUR Marquess course, Woburn GC LEADING SECOND-ROUND TOTALS Par 144 (2x72) 134 Paul Maddy (Gog Magog) 69 64 138 James Watts (East Herts) 71 67 139 Duncan Stewart (Grantown on Spey) 71 68 140 Lee Clarke (Eng) 72 68 OTHER SCOTS' SCOTS 143 Elliot Saltman (Archerfield Links) 71 72, Wallace Booth (Comrie) 71 72 (T8) 144 Paul Doherty (Vale Hotel) 70 74 (T15) 146 Chris Kelly (Cawder) 72 74 (T25). ends

HUTCHEON'S THIRD ALLIANCE WIN IN FOUR WEEKS AT CRAIBSTONE

By COLIN FARQUHARSON Colin@scottishgolfview.com    Greig Hutcheon must be wishing the PGA Play-offs in Turkey were next week instead of next month. His form is currently at a high level - he won the North-east Alliance today for the third time in the past four weeks. The Banchory tour pro, pictured, won the £140 top cash prize with a four-under-par 65 on a wet Craibstone course, heading a field of 88 by two shots from Ryan Fitzpatrick (Inchmarlo) and David Law (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre). John Duff (Newmachar) was the leading amateur in joint fourth place on 68 alongside Kris Nicol who has also won three times on the NE Alliance in recent weeks. "I played rather well in the wet conditions," said Hutcheon. "I  stayed out of trouble off the tee and the 12-footer I sank for a 2 at the short sixth was about my longest putt. I didn't have anything higher than a 4 on my card." Hutcheon birdied the long fourth, long fifth, short sixth and two par-4s after the turn, the 14th and 16th. His only bogey came at the short 10th in halves of 32 (three under) and 33 (one under). Early starter Fitzpatrick set the clubhouse target of 67 with birdies at the second, third and 16th with only one bogey, at the 10th in halves of 33-34. Law was out in 32 and was stlll three under par with six holes to play. Even though he birdied the 14th, 16th and 18th, David finished only two under as he had a double bogey 6 (lost ball off tee with drive too far left) at the 13th and three-putted both the 15th and 17th. ALLIANCE SNIPPETS  SHORT BUT TRICKY Craibstone is a short course but that doesn't make it any easier. The figure 8 was a common occurrence on many cards and Stuart Thomson (Caley) was going well, out in 38, until he had a 10 at the 13th. THAT'S THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY Former P and J editor and one time Scottish tennis champion Harry Roulston (Stonehaven) had 45 putts in his 83. SERVICE WITH A SMILE Possibly the only minister playing Alliance golf in Scotland, the Rev Manson Merchant (Newmachar) had a creditable 78. GOLF MONTHLY FOCUS ON ALLIANCE Look out soon for a feature about the North-east Alliance in the Golf Monthly magazine. It helps that one of their writers, Fergus Bisset (Banchory), is an alliance regular. Fergus and a Golf Monthly photographer will be focusing on the forthcoming fixture at Fraserburgh. AZERBAIJAN DEBUTANT  Kamran Zeynlove (Portlethen) - born in Azerbaijan - made his debut in the NE Alliance today. Unfortunately he had a No Return. TRAHAN DEBUT AS A PRO Callum Trahan (Meldrum House), who had a +handicap as an amateur, made his debut as a pro at Craibstone today.   JOHN DID NOT MISS A GREEN John Duff (Newmachar) hit every green in regulation today - and finished leading amateur with a 68  CRAIG CONTINUES LAWRIE TRADITION Paul Lawrie cut his competitive teeth on the NE Alliance when an assistant pro at Banchory. Elder son Craig played at Craibstone today and had a 76.   SCRATCH SCORES Par 69 Yardage: 5,708 65 G Hutcheon (Banchory) 32-33 67 R Fitzpatrick (Inchmarlo) 33-34, D Law (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) 32-35 68 John Duff (Newmachar) 35-33, K Nicol (Fraserburgh) 35-33 70 S Finnie (Caledonian) 36-34, P McLean (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) 35-35 71 D Macandrew (Royal Aberdeen) 38-33, G Mitchell sen (Braemar) 36-35, Justin Duff (Fraserburgh) 37-34 72 L Morgan (Kemnay) 34-38 73 G Mitchell jun (Braemar) 39-34, D Leslie (Northern) 37-36, J Hopwood (Royal Aberdeen) 39-34 74 G Munro (Fraserburgh) 37-37, J Emslie (Royal Aberdeen) 36-38, G Paterson (Northern) 37-37 75 C Nelson (Mackenzie Shop) 36-39, B Mitchell (McDonald Ellon) 37-38, J Findlay (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) 40-35, A Stuart (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) 37-38 76 C Cassie (Nigg Bay) 41-35, C Dempster (Inchmarlo) 36-40, J Duncan (Newburgh) 35-41, C Trahan (Meldrum House) 37-39, C Lamb (Newmachar) 37-39, L Fowler (Royal Aberdeen) 40-36, J Nicolson (Auchmill) 41-35, G Lafferty (McDonald Ellon) 38-38, W Skene (Deeside) 37-39, C Lawrie (Deeside) 38-38, S Dunn (Deeside) 37-39. 77 G Watson (Meldrum House) 40-37, T Collie (Kemnay) 40-37 78 F Clarke (Newmachar) 40-38, G Milne (Newburgh) 42-36, R Lamb (Newmachar) 39-39, M Merchant (Newmachar) 42-36, Laura Murray (Alford) 41-37, K Beveridge (Inchmarlo) 40-38. 79 A Gall (Deeside) 43-36 80 K Watson (Deeside) 44-36, M Forster (Cruden Bay) 41-39, S Mackie (Auchmill). 82 J M Hamilton (Murcar Links), S Thomson (Caledonian) 83 H Roulston (Stonehaven), D Fleming (Portlethen), M Smith (Inverurie), J Forrest (Northern) 84 B Harper (Newburgh), N Stewart (Northern), G Homer (Northern), D Nelson (Aboyne), A Petrie (Oldmeldrum), J Murray (Banchory), D Bisset (Banchory) 85 R Brown (Newburgh), L Roger (Royal Aberdeen), M Booth (Kemnay), P Cornfield (Auchmill) 86 R Orr (Kemnay), J Borthwick (Craibstone) 87 A Graham (Aboyne) 88 M Winton (Caledonian), I D Smith (Hazlehead), H McNaughton (Cruden Bay) 89 P Cheyne (Northern), Graham Allan (Newmachar), A Clark (Newmachar) 90 I Taylor (Inchmarlo), D McKay (Caledonian), W Shaw (Banchory), J Jessima (Oldmeldrum) 91 N K Parker (Murcar Links) 92 D Randall (Banchory), C Brindley (Banchory) 93 D Wright (Northern), I Grant (Huntly) 97 P Leech (Oldmeldrum) 101 S Dillon (Kemnay) HANDICAP PRIZEWINNERS Class 1 - G Mitchell sen (Braemar) (4) 67; W Skene (Deeside) (8) 68; S Finnie (Caledonian) (1), D Leslie (Northern) (4, G Lafferty (McDonald Ellon) (7) 69.Class 2 - T Collie (Kemnay) (12) 65; P Cornfield (Auchmill) (15), M Smith (Inverurie) (13) 70; N Stewart (Northern) (13), S Thompson (Auchmill) (11) 71 CRAIBSTONE PAR SCORECARD OUT 4-3-4-5-5-3-3-4-4: 35.     IN 3-4-3-4-4-4-4-4-4: 34 GREIG HUTCHEON 65 OUT: 4-3-4-4-4-2-3-4-4:32   IN: 4-4-3-4-3-4-3-4-4:33  DAVID LAW 67 OUT: 4-3-4-5-4-3-3-3-3: 32   IN: 3-4-3-6-3-5-3-5-3: 35 RYAN FITZPATRICK 67 OUT: 4-2-3-5-5-3-3-4-4: 33   IN: 4-4-3-4-4-4-3-4-4: 34 JOHN DUFF 68 OUT: 4-3-4-5-5-3-3-4-4: 35   IN: 3-4-3-4-3-4-4-4-4: 33   KRIS NICOL 68 OUT: 3-4-4-4-5-3-3-5-4: 35     IN: 3-5-3-4-3-4-4-4-3: 33  STEWART FINNIE 70 OUT: 4-3-4-5-4-3-2-5-6: 36    IN: 4-4-3-4-3-4-4-4-4: 34

RORY McILROY NAMED PLAYER OF YEAR BY PGA OF AMERICA

 
FROM THE BELFAST TELEGRAPH WEBSITE
Awards are coming thick and fast for Rory McIlroy, who has been named Player of the Year by the PGA of America — yet his competitive edge won't be blunted by the accolades or his stellar achievements in 2012.
Though he copper-fastened the Race to Dubai title in Singapore, McIlroy, 23, believes there's important business still to be done, not least the defence of the UBS Hong Kong Open title he won in spectacular fashion last year.
The DP World Championship, next week's season finale in Dubai, offers an ample $8m purse and enough prestige to keep even the most world-weary of Europe's golfing millionaires interested.
By comparison, the field in Hong Kong plays for a fraction of that amount, just $1.56m, while this year's $260,638 winner's cheque is $81,000 lower than the first prize collected by McIlroy last November.
That's irrelevant to McIlroy, however, and not because he and other front-rank players, Padraig Harrington, Paul Lawrie, YE Yang and American guest star Matt Kuchar are unlikely to have travelled at their own expense, if you get the drift.
The Holywood star fell in love with this atmospheric venue from the moment he first played it during the 2005 Faldo Series and it has inspired him to play some fabulous golf since then.
“That first visit was a wonderful experience. We actually stayed in the clubhouse,” he said, adding: “There's always a great buzz coming to Hong Kong and the course here is one of my favourite on Tour.”
Those words are backed up by McIlroy's results at Fanling, where he went within a whisker of notching his first win as a professional in 2008, losing out only in a thrilling three-way play-off to China's Wen-Tang Lin.
The Ulsterman finished second to Gregory Bourdy on his next visit, then sixth behind Ian Poulter in 2010, before crowning last year's victory by chipping in for birdie from a greenside bunker at 18 for a fabulous 65.
McIlroy bravely defied a suspected dose of Dengue fever on that occasion, yet he expects to be in top shape this week, having grappled with an uncomfortable head cold as he finished third in Singapore behind Italian teenager Matteo Manassero. By beating Louis Oosthuizen on the third hole of sudden death, Manassero ensured McIlroy would win the Harry Vardon Trophy, which since 1937 has been awarded to the winner of Europe's Order of Merit.
Confusingly, it's the second Harry Vardon Trophy McIlroy has collected this winter.
He's also won the PGA of America's version, which (also since 1937) goes to the golfer with the best adjusted scoring average over a minimum 60 rounds — McIlroy's adjusted average in 2012 was 68.87.
Frankly, he's going to receive a bamboozling alphabet soup of honours this winter.

MICHAEL HOEY PULLS OUT OF HONG KONG OPEN

 

FROM THE BBCSPORTS.COM WEBSITE

Belfast player Michael Hoey has withdrawn from the Hong Kong Open because of an ear infection.

Hoey, who played at last week's Singapore Open, had hoped the problem would clear up in time for him to compete at the Fanling course.
However, world number one Rory McIlroy, having already won the Race to Dubai, is back at one of his favourite venues aiming for his fifth win of the season.
McIlroy is the defending champion and has fond memories of Hong Kong.
"I have had some great experiences as a player, taking part in one of the best ever play-offs against Lin Wen-tang in 2008 and then finally putting my name on the trophy last year," said the 23-year-old from Northern Ireland.
"I was not feeling well on the Saturday and went into the final round three behind but shot a 65, holing a bunker shot at the last, to win by two."
The Hong Kong tournament will see the final places in the Race to Dubai money list decided.
England's Paul Casey is among those competing in Hong Kong in an attempt to leap into the top 60 and secure a place at next week's season-ending TP World Tour Championship.
Casey is currently 74th and is joined in this week's field by another former European Ryder Cup star, David Howell who is 61st.
The final positions on Sunday will also decide which players retain their European Tour cards for 2013, with the top 119 players on the money list keeping their privileges for at least another season.

WHY NOT CONSIDER A GOLFING HOLIDAY WITH A DIFFERENCE

                          
          FEBRUARY 9 to 16, BASED AT HAMMAMET

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LIVE SCORING FROM EUROPRO TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP DAY 2

LIVE SCORING FROM THE SECOND ROUND OF THE PGA EUROPRO TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP AT WOBURN

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MIKE HARWOOD LEADS AUSSIE PGA SENIORS

FROM THE PGA TOUR OF AUSTRALIA WEBSITE
Michael Harwood leads the Australian PGA Seniors Championship at Gordon Golf Club, New South Wales after an opening round of three under par. Harwood holds a one shot lead over Mike Zilko and David Merriman.
Harwood recorded a bogey free round of 62 around the tight Gordon lay-out and was a model of consistency with 15 pars and three birdies to hold the outright lead.
Only four players were able to break par on round one with Garry Merrick holding outright fourth position with a one-under par round of 64.
Other notable scores include Rodger Davis (66), Wayne Grady (66) and resident club professional Peter Criss (68).
The final round of the Australian PGA Seniors Championship concludes tomorrow with the leading group of Harwood, Zilko and Merriman teeing off at 10:30am local time.

TOUGH FOR SHIELDS, SMOOTH FOR GUNN IN ARIZONA

Scottish amateur cap Paul Shields (Kirkhill) who has been playing like a seasoned professional - which he isn't! - over the past two or three weeks on the All-American Professional Tour in Arizona, had a change of luck in the first round of this week's event at Vista Verde Golf Club, Rio Verde. Paul, who has made the 36-hole cut with ease twice in a row and achieved a top-10 finish last week, faces an uphill battle to make it through to the final day this week. He shot a four-over-par 76, which is not a disastrous score in amateur terms but, in the world of tour pro golf, it is. Paul is lying joint 65th in a field of 100. But if Shields is finding it hard going this week, Dornoch exile Jimmy Gunn has made his seasonal debut this week as though he had never been away. Gunn shot a three-under 69 to be three shots behind the American leader, Matt Miller.

ADAM SCOTT SAYS LONG-HANDLED PUTTERS ARE NOT GOLF'S BIGGEST PROBLEM

 FROM THE AGE.COM.AU WEBSITE
 The glass half-empty view of Adam Scott's year is he's winless, blew a great major victory chance and will be hurt by a likely rule change to outlaw the long putter.
That's not how the Australian world No.5 sees it.
Scott is intent on breaking his 2012 winning duck at the Australian Masters, which starts on Thursday at Melbourne's Kingston Heath, the subsequent Australian Open at the Lakes in Sydney, or perhaps claiming both.
He regards July's British Open - where he faltered over the final four holes to relinquish a four-stroke lead, letting South Africa's Ernie Els pounce - as a significant step forward.
And if the long putter that has aided him for two years gets banned, he has no qualms about reverting to the shorter stick.
Not that he thinks he should have to.
While fellow Australian Stuart Appleby added his voice this week to calls for a ban, Scott said golf's ruling bodies should be more worried about the technology-aided rise in hitting length.
"I don't think putting is the biggest problem in the game of golf at the moment," Scott told reporters at Kingston Heath.
"The holes haven't been made smaller or greens changed because of people putting with longer putters.
"Yet tees are moved a long way back and courses made obsolete."
He also noted that unlike long putter-wielding recent major winners Keegan Bradley and Webb Simpson, he has previously succeeded with a conventional putter and can again, if needed, although he did not expect any ban to take effect until 2016.
A more immediate focus is Scott's desperation for a year-ending win.
"I've always kind of prided myself on the fact that I've won a couple of tournaments every year and I'm a consistent winner," he said.
"It's a habit. You've got to get in it, and this is why I'm working hard still late in the year on my game, to get a win or hopefully two."
He came desperately close at the British Open, but Scott said leading into the home stretch was an important achievement in itself.
"I just take so many positives from what I did right that week," he said.
"Obviously, the result was not what I was expecting with an hour or so to play.
"But there's always going to be a lesson to be learned from that.
"I look forward to getting back in that position again next year and hopefully the result goes my way."
Scott will partner fellow Masters drawcard Irishman Graeme McDowell in Thursday's opening round, starting at 7.40am local time
English defending champion Ian Poulter has a 12.10pm start, grouped with Australians Appleby and Richard Green.

LINK TO US PGA TOUR WIN IN THREE-TOUR CHALLENGE

THE US PGA Tour beat the LPGA Tour and the Champions Tour in the annual Three-Tour Challenge at a Nevada venue.
But it was close ...
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