SCOTTISH JUNIOR GOLF TOUR AT LONGNIDDRY

Irvine Bogside's Stuart Easton had the best score of 71 in today's Scottish Junior Golf Tour level 5 event at Longniddry Golf Club. Results: UNDER-18 years 71 Stuart Easton (Irvine Bogside). 73 Fraser Davren (Williamwood), Willem Kerr (Craigielaw). 75 Chris McLean (Clydebank), Alan Waugh (Cowglen) 76 Colin Edgar (Cochrane Castle), Innes Ferguson (Drumpellier) 77 Jack McCluskey (Belleisle)

HENRIK STENSON WINS SOUTH AFRICAN OPEN

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Henrik Stenson ended a five-year wait for a European Tour title by capturing the South African Open Championship at the Serengeti Golf and Wildlife Estate.
The Swede saw off a spirited charge from George Coetzee, who was bidding to secure a maiden win with his national title, to finish on 17 under par and triumph by three shots.
Stenson, who also secured his spot at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai by coming out on top, moved to the leaderboard’s summit after the second round and retained his three shot lead coming into today.
Yet it was far from straightforward for the 36 year old, particularly when he landed a tee shot into the water at the ninth to hand Coetzee a share of the lead.
However, Stenson made gains at the tenth, 16th and 17th to fend off his playing partner, who was unable to replicate the magic he produced when he recorded nine birdies and an eagle in his penultimate round of 63.
Stenson made the long trip to Africa from his home in the United States knowing he needed a good performance to remain in the top 60 in The Race to Dubai standings for next week’s lucrative showpiece.
He was ranked 59th and that pressure clearly inspired the Swede as he finally ended a barren spell without a tournament victory.
“I've had to fight hard the last few years on the golf course and I'm very pleased to pick up this win,” he said.
“When it takes that long between wins you wonder if there will be another. You've just got to fight hard and put the work in. In this game you need to put a lot of effort in to get something back. I'm very relieved to have won this one.”
The Swede got just that and paid tribute to his playing partner Coetzee - who continued to play the role of always the bridesmaid, never the bride, with his eighth top ten finish of the season.
"I played aggressively coming in and made the birdies, and luckily George didn't,” Stenson added. “But George played well and will get that win sooner or later.”
The champion also reserved praise for his temporary caddy this week Solomon Soli on a course which continued to perplex players with its difficult to read greens.
“He was very solid,” added Stenson. “Solid Soli!”
Hennie Otto, who Stenson succeeds as the tournament’s victor, fired a course record 62 in the morning to better Coetzee’s round from yesterday and show the late starters that low scores were possible in the swirling wind.
That was further highlighted by 2011 Masters Tournament champion Charl Schwartzel’s front nine 32 with Stenson et al no doubt looking over their shoulder at the former green jacket winner.
Ryder Cup hero Martin Kaymer was also trying to make a late charge akin to Europe’s last day surge at the Medinah Country Club in late September, which set up the German’s historic moment.
Coetzee was the first to apply real pressure, though, when his eagle putt off the front of the third green ran up the hill and into the hole.
However, Stenson managed birdie and back-to-back bogeys followed for his nearest pursuer.
The landscape shifted totally when the leader pushed his tee shot into a watery grave on the ninth and there was nothing to separate the two until the 15th as Coetzee dropped a shot he would ultimately not recover.
Stenson finished with a flourish, recording a birdie on the 17th after finding a favourable lie in a greenside bunker, to seal the deal.
The day’s other big winner was Tommy Fleetwood as the Englishman booked his place on The 2013 European Tour International Schedule for next season.
Fleetwood came to the Rainbow Nation in 124th place in the rankings and required a leap of five places to retain his card.
The final day’s play in South Africa began after the culmination of the UBS Hong Kong Open so the 21 year old, 13th overnight, knew he had to remain inside the top 27 to return to the Tour next term.
He did so with ease, belying his tender years to produce a performance of real maturity as he signed for a three under 69, which left him tied sixth for the event.
“It feels better than a win pretty much,” Fleetwood admitted.
“I'm absolutely made up, honestly. It's unbelievable.”
Of those in danger of dropping out of the 119, Gareth Maybin, Maarten Lafeber and Craig Lee all did enough to remain inside of the cut off point. However, Estanislao Goya, James Kingston and Scot Lloyd Saltman, who found himself in the upper reaches of the leaderboard at one point yesterday and finished on six-under-par 282, missed out.

LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4x72)
271 Henrik Stenson (Sweden) 66 65 69 71
274 George Coetzee (South Africa) 70 70 63 71
275 Thomas Aiken (South Africa) 73 66 69 67, Martin Kaymer (Germany) 70 70 68 67 
277 Charl Schwartzel (South Africa) 68 68 74 67
  
SCOTS' TOTALS
282 Lloyd Saltman 70 66 75 71 (T13)
283 Marc Warren 70 69 71 73 (T17)
285 Peter Whiteford 69 69 72 75 (28th)
287 Craig Lee 67 70 77 73 (T33)
288 Alastair Forysth 71 72 73 72 (T42).
291 David Drysdale 69 72 74 76     

FOTHERINGHAM FIRST IN ALLIANCE AT NAIRN DUNBAR

 REPORT BY ALAN COWIE

Bryan Fotheringham repeated his round of 69 which scored in last season's championship  to win Saturday's North Scottish Golfers' Alliance fixture over a shorter but not easier Nairn Dunbar course. Birdies were recorded against the card at the 1st, 6th, 10th, 16th and last to counter the bogeys at the 9th, & 11th. Several players came a cropper on the much faster greens which were extremely quick for the time of year.

 NORTH SCOTTISH ALLIANCE
Nairn Dunbar
LEADING SCRATCH
Par 72
69 B R Fotheringham (Inverness)

70 R A L Cameron (Fortrose and Rosemarkie), S Dingwall (Grantown), N McWilliam (Elgin)

72 J Simpson (Forres)

73 J L Milne (Elgin)

74 G Mackenzie (Moray), S Wilson (Inverness), R Harrower (Boat of Garten)

75 D Ramsay (Elgin), S Chisholm (Nairn), H M Bunker (Nairn Dunbar)

76 A W Mair (Moray), J S D Campbell (Grantown), R Mckerron (Forres)

77 C Dixon (Moray), A Hutchison (Torvean), D D Bunker (Nairn Dunbar), K Barnett (Torvean)

78 J A Grant (Grantown), T Dingwall (Nairn Dunbar), D Thom (Grantown), G S Macdonald (Torvean)

79 K Stables (Elgin), I Murray (Boat of Garten), B Rennie (Inverness)

80 R Stewart (Nairn Dunbar), S Glen (Boat of Garten), R H Stewart (Torvean)

81 D F Sharp (Boat of Garten), L Duncan (Elgin), F Mackellar (Grantown)

82 A Boxx (Boat of Garten), S Mullen (Elgin), D Hector (Elgin), P Masson (Rothes), P Matheson (Grantown)

83 J R Ingram (Boat of Garten), J K England (Moray), I Hamilton (Elgin), C Falconer (Forres)

 LEADING HANDICAP
Class 1 - H M Bunker (Nairn Dunbar) (6) 69; J Simpson (Forres) (2) 70; A Hutchison (Torvean) (6), S Wilson (Inverness) (3), G Mackenzie (Moray) (3) 71.
Class 2 - A Kennedy (Forres) (14) 70; S Glen (Boat of Garten) (9), B Rennie (Inverness) (8), D Spence (Fortrose and Rosemarkie) (14) 71; A Boxx (Boat of Garten) (10), G Leonard (Fortrose and Rosemarkie) (12), F Mackellar (Grantown) (9), L Duncan (Elgin) (9) 72.

MICHAEL STEWART IN MONEY AT LAST

Ayrshire's Michael Stewart won the biggest prize of his fledgling tour pro golf career in Turkey on Saturday when he finished joint fifth in the PGAs of Europe's Beko Classic at the Cornelia Golf Club, Antalya. Stewart, 22, a member of the winning GB and I Walker Cup team at Royal Aberdeen in September 2011, shot 68, 71 and 72 for a five-under-par total of 211 - five shots behind the winner of the £9,000 first prize, Welshman Simon Edwards (66-72-68). Stewart had a roller-coaster final round in which he had a triple bogey 8 at the long second and a double bogey 6 at the fourth but also birdied the first, seventh, 11th, 13th and 18th In his first-round 68, Stewart had seven birdies and a double bogey. Stewart's cash reward was £3,375, an overdue and welcome change of luck for the 2010 Scottish amateur champion and 2008 Scottish boys title-winner for whom little has gone right since he turned professional. Former Ryder Cup Scot Andrew Coltart earned £2,500 for a joint ninth place finish after he followed scores of 75 and 72 with a brilliant final round of seven-under-par 65 (31-34) in which he had and eagle and six birdies plus a bogey at the last hole. There were two more Scots in the field of 31 players for the event which had generous prizemoney of £90,000 . Raymond Russell finished joint 17th on 214 with scores of 76, 68 and 70 and earned £1,700. Scott Drummond finished 22nd on 217 (71-74-72) and earned £1,400. PGAs OF EUROPE BEKO CLASSIC Cornelia Golf Club, Antalya, Turkey LEADING FINAL TOTALS Par 216 (3x72) 206 Simon Edwards (Wal) 66 72 68 (£9,000) 207 Garry Houston (Wal) 70 70 67 (£7,500). 208 Jamie Little (Eng) 69 71 68 (£6,250) 210 Rhys Enoch (Wal) 71 66 73 (£5,250) SELECTED TOTALS 211 Michael Stewart (Sco) 68 71 72 (T5) (£3,375) 212 Andrew Coltart (Sco) 75 72 65 (T9) (£2,500) 213 Darren Clarke (NIre) 74 70 69 (T12) (£2,100) 214 Raymond Russell (Sco) 76 68 70 (T17) (£1,700) 217 Scott Drummond (Sco) 71 74 72 (22bd) (£1,400). ends

JAPAN VICTORY HOISTS LUKE DONALD BACK TO WORLD No. 2

Luke Donald is back ahead of Tiger Woods as World Number Two after a five stroke victory at the Dunlop Phoenix tournament in Japan today.
Donald fired a closing 68 to finish the week 16 under par, with Japan's Hideki Matsuyama second after a 67 and compatriot Koumei Oda's 64 lifting him to third spot.
Four clear with a round to go, Donald's first win since the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club in May never looked in doubt after he birdied the fourth, eagled the seventh and birdied the next.
He did bogey the next two, but then came seven pars and a birdie on the long 18th.
Afterwards Donald told his twitter followers: “Loved my week here in Japan - the Dunlop Phoenix is a great event, on a great course, great food, great beer....it's just great!”

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McILROY VICTORY WOULD MAKE HIM GOLF'S ALL-TIME ONE-SEASON MONEY-EARNER

FROM THE CBS SPORTS.COM WEBSITE
HONG KONG (AP) -World No. 1 Rory McIlroy faces the goal of needing to capture the European Tour season ending DP World Tour Championship to become golf's leading all-time money earner ever in a single season.
Five years ago, former long-time World No. 1 Tiger Woods amassed a record combined US PGA and European Tour earnings high of $US 11,557,729.
Woods won seven regular Tour events in 2007 including his 17th Major title, the PGA Championship along with two WGC victories while he also competed in two regular European Tour events.
McIlroy heads into this week's final Tour tournament already having amassed official combined 2012 European and PGA Tour prize money of $US 9,620,300 from his 22 tournaments on either side of the Atlantic.
The 23-year old Northern Irishman will add $1m to that amount as a guarantee for simply teeing up on Thursday in Dubai.
That's the top prize from a $3.75m `bonus pool' for Europe's top-10 place getters this year and with McIlroy already assured the money in wrapping up the Race to Dubai by finishing third in the recent Barclays Singapore Open.
It still puts McIlroy $937,429 adrift of Woods' 2007 historic season high.
However if McIlroy were to end his fifth full season in the pro ranks claiming the $US 1,333, 300 first prize cheque in Dubai he would surpass Woods 2007 high by $US 395,857.
But while McIlroy sets his sights on a fifth victory to end his year former GB and Walker Cup colleague, Rhys Davies faces an uncertain future.
Davies, 27 arrived in Hong Kong lying 119th on the money list and right on the cut-off mark to retain full 2013 European Tour membership.
The 2009 Hassan II Trophy winner ended the Hong Kong Open with a one over par tally but will have to wait to the close of the South African Open later today to know whether he's done enough to retain his Tour card.
"I'm hopeless at working out the various scenarios but at this stage it looks unlikely that I've done enough to hold onto my card," said Davies.
"I didn't even try at the start of the week to work out what I had to do.
"But my gut instinct is that I may just fall short which would be disappointing considering I play well here in Hong Kong for the four days.
"Unfortunately, something like this is unavoidable and it's now out of my hands until the South African Open finishes later today."
Davies' biggest concern is England's Tommy Fleetwood lying 124th on the money list and heading into the final round in South Africa sharing 13th place.
Davies should collect around Euro 7,000 for his Hong Kong Open effort and while Fleetwood is Euro 2,786 adrift of Davies, he would knock the Welshman out of the top-119 by finishing in the top-20 in South Africa.

RORY McILROY SAYS HE WILL
CUT BACK SCHEDULE IN 2013
  
+It could be Rory McIlroy's last chance to top Tiger's one-season earnings record as the Ulsterman has vowed to cut back his competitive schedule next year after the disappointment of missing the cut in his defence of the Hong Kong Open.
Before leaving Hong Kong for Dubai and the season-ending World Tour Championship, McIlroy said he's learned a further lesson and will spend the coming weeks working out where he'll compete in 2013.
"Of course, you're going to miss cuts in your career, but it's not nice and it's a tough pill to swallow when you're the defending champion in a tournament," the Northern Irishman said.
"While there's a part of me that perhaps wished my year had ended as soon as I wrapped up the Race to Dubai, I now look back over the last couple of years wondering why did I stretch myself so much," he added.
"I've probably played an extra couple of tournaments too much and I have learnt from the last few years, so that's why I'm cutting back my schedule even further from next year."
Counting next week's European Tour closing event, McIlroy will have played in 24 tournaments this season as well as the Ryder Cup and teeing up in two exhibition tournaments -- the Turkish Airlines World Golf Final and the recent showdown against Tiger Woods in the `Duel at Lake Jinsha'.
McIlroy arrived in Hong Kong sounding tired after wrapping up the European Tour Race to Dubai money title a week earlier with his third place finish at the Singapore Open.
And his well-being was reflected in his lethargic manner over the two days in Hong Kong.

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George Coetzee and Henrik Stenson level in the lead with five holes to play.

MIGUEL ANGEL JIMENEZ WINS HONG KONG OPEN FOR THIRD TIME

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Miguel Angel Jiménez became the oldest winner in European Tour history as the Spaniard produced a masterclass in approach play to capture the UBS Hong Kong Open for the third time.
A five under par round of 65, which might have been even lower had his putter got going, gave him a 15 under par total at Hong Kong Golf Club and one shot victory over Fredrik Andersson Hed.
At aged 48 years and 318 days, Jimenez becomes the  beats the previous European Tour winner age record of Des Smyth who was 48 years and 34 days at the 2001 Madeira Islands Open.
The victory was Jiménez’ 19th on The European Tour and 12th since turning 40 – two of which also came in Fanling, Hong Kong  in 2005 and 2008.
“It’s very nice - I hope it’s not the last one,” joked the Spaniard, who was an assistant Captain at The Ryder Cup in Medinah.
“I really love this place. I love the golf course – it’s a great golf course where you have to control the ball very well, it’s not a matter of distance.”
Jiménez went to the turn in a brilliant four under par 30 despite not holing a putt longer than eight feet – the highlight a brilliant five wood approach to two feet at the ninth.
He then sank a 12 footer at the tenth, and parred his way in for victory.
The 40 year old Andersson Hed, who made 14 trips to Qualifying School before winning his first European Tour title in Italy two years ago, birdied the second, two-putted the long third, then hit a fine approach to three feet at the next in an early charge.
He then had a hat-trick of birdies from the 11th and 12th, but a 12 foot birdie putt at the last lipped out in what proved to be a decisive moment.
Australian Marcus Fraser was third and joint fourth came Ireland's Peter Lawrie – sealing his place at the DP World Tour Championship in the process - Scot Stephen Gallacher and 19 year old Italian Matteo Manassero, last week's Barclays Singapore Open champion.
New Zealander Michael Campbell, joint overnight leader with Jiménez, fell away to joint eighth with a closing round of two-over-par 72.
Paul Lawrie broke par with every round and finished T10 on 273, the same total as England's Chris Wood whose final round of seven-under 63 was the lowest score of the tournament.
In the race for places on The 2013 European Tour International Schedule, Australian Andrew Dodt produced a remarkable comeback to keep his hopes alive.
Five over par at the turn, the former Avantha Masters winner looked unlikely to climb from 122nd in The Race to Dubai into the all-important top 119.
He came home in a three under 33, however, and a tie for 37th saw him edge ahead of Richard Bland, Tjaart Van Der Weld, Rhys Davies and Gary Boyd to 117th.
While Dodt looks safe, Bland and Van Der Weld face a nervous afternoon to see if Tommy Fleetwood and Tano Goya can earn enough at the South African Open Championship to edge them out.
And former winner Davies and England’s Boyd now join the likes of Bradley Dredge, Shiv Kapur, Oliver Wilson and Christian Nilsson in returning to Qualifying School next week.

FINAL TOTALS
Par 280 (4x70) Yardage 6,699 
265 Miguel Angel JIMENEZ (ESP) 65-67-68-65 (260,638).

266 Fredrik ANDERSSON HED (SWE) 66-66-70-64 (173,759) 
268 Marcus FRASER (AUS) 67-69-68-64 (97,897)

269 Stephen GALLACHER (SCO) 68-68-68-65, Peter LAWRIE (IRL) 68-68-67-66, Matteo MANASSERO (ITA) 67-70-64-68 (46,915).

271 Matt KUCHAR (USA) 69-69-66-67 (46,915).

272 Pablo LARRAZABAL (ESP) 69-70-65-68, Michael CAMPBELL (NZL) 67-64-69-72 (37,663).

273 Chris WOOD (ENG) 72-70-68-63, Mark FOSTER (ENG) 69-68-68-68, Paul LAWRIE (SCO) 69-69-67-68, Thongchai JAIDEE (THA) 72-66-67-68, Anders HANSEN (DEN) 69-64-70-70 (27,211).

274 Ricardo SANTOS (POR) 71-65-73-65, David HORSEY (ENG) 67-70-71-66, Jose Maria OLAZABAL (ESP) 66-71-69-68, ZHANG Lian-wei (CHN) 66-66-69-73.

STREB IS SINGING IN THE RAIN AT PEBBLE BEACH, CALIFORNIA

PEBBLE BEACH, California -- Robert Streb shot a 3-under 69 in rainy conditions Saturday at Del Monte to take a one-stroke lead over Billy Horschel after the third round in the Pebble Beach Invitational.
The 25-year-old Streb had a 10-under 206 total. He won the Web.com Tour's Mylan Classic in September and finished seventh on the tour's money list to earn a PGA Tour card.
Horschel had a 68, also at Del Monte, as the field of 81 played in light morning rain and soft conditions in the tournament that features PGA, LPGA, Champion and Web.com tour players.
"I'm very excited," said Streb, who turned pro in 2009. "I didn't know what to expect coming out here. The greens were very soft and the ball wasn't travelling. In those conditions, you're just trying to get by."
Streb, who began the third round trailing the lead by two strokes, had four birdies and one bogey.
"I had no idea whether I'd play worth a darn of not," Streb said. "But it turned out to be pretty good."
James Hahn had a 66 at Syglass Hill to join Tommy Gainey at 8 under. Gainey shot a 70 at Pebble Beach.
Champions Tour players Russ Cochran and Kirk Triplett faltered after sharing the second-round lead. Cochran had a 74 at Spyglass to join William McGirt at 7 under. Triplett had a 75, also at Spyglass, and was 6 under.
"It was just too much of a day with the weather," said Cochran, the leader among the 11 Champions Tour entrants. "But I played OK. It was just kind of an uneventful day."
Cheyenne Woods, the niece of Tiger Woods, shot a 73 at Del Monte to finish at 1 under -- the best of the three women who made the cut for the final round Sunday at Pebble Beach.
Hall of famer Annika Sorentam had an 81 at Pebble, leaving her at 4 over. Juli Inkster, who in 1990 became the only woman to win the event, also was 4 over after a 75 at Spyglass.
The winner will earn $60,000 from the $300,000 purse. 

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ADAM SCOTT OVERPOWERS POULTER TO WIN AUSSIE MASTERS

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Adam Scott edged out playing partner Ian Poulter in a final day shoot-out to break a 15-month tournament drought and claim his first gold jacket at the Australian Masters in Melbourne.
Scott, pictured above after the prizegiving, took on one of the fiercest competitors in world golf and beat him at Kingston Heath, with the World Number Five overturning a one shot deficit on the final day to win by four strokes at 17 under par.
The Australian's final round score of 67 was five shots better than Poulter's, with the pair finishing well clear of the rest of the field.
New Zealanders Gareth Paddison and Mark Brown had a close battle for third place, but had to settle for a share of the spoils some eight shots behind Scott.
Scott and Poulter went shot for shot over the first 11 holes, but the Englishman made bad mistakes on the two par fives on the way home that ultimately led to his downfall.
Poulter opted for a hybrid out of a fairway bunker at the 12th and could only move the ball forward 20 metres into more sand, before finding a greenside trap with his approach shot and settling for a bogey.
That put him two behind Scott and when he shot over the back and failed to get up-and-down at the 14th, the Australian's advantage was out to three.
Scott only had to make pars over the concluding stages to hold on and he did so with relative ease, before holing a birdie putt on the last to hammer the final nail into Poulter's coffin.
He did receive a minor scare when his playing partner birdied the tough par four 16th to get back within two, but Poulter missed a two-foot putt on the 17th green to give that shot back and put the result beyond doubt.
Such an anti-climatic finish seemed nigh-on impossible earlier in the day as the duo battled back and forth for supremacy over the front nine in a final-round pairing that felt more like a match-play event.
Scott made a brilliant birdie-birdie start to go from one behind Poulter to one in front, but the Englishman fought straight back.
His approach at the third was stone-dead as he tapped in for birdie to tie it up, before edging one clear yet again when Scott failed to get up-and-down from a tough bunker at the fourth.
Scott then made three consecutive birdies starting at the sixth, with the pick of those coming at the par four seventh when he rolled in a long putt for three to match Poulter's tap-in birdie and then cheekily mocked the Englishman's reaction from yesterday when he did the same thing to the Australian.
The pair shared birdies at the short par three eighth and, as the wind increased later in the day, so did their scores.
However, Scott remained steady on the way home, with Poulter's meltdown on the two longest holes on the course proving the difference between the two players.
Queenslander Adam Crawford shot the best round of the day, with his 65 catapulting him up the leaderboard to finish in fifth at six under, while Peter Senior and Michael Hendry were a further two shots back in a share of sixth.
There were no final-round heroics from Graeme McDowell, as the Northern Irishman and third-highest ranked player in the field could only close with a 71.
That was good enough for him to share eighth spot with David Bransdon at two under.

LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4x72)
Players from Australia unless stated otherwise
271 Adam Scott 67 70 67 67
275 Ian Poulter (England) 67 72 64 72
279 Gareth Paddison (NZ) 71 71 69 68, Mark Brown (NZ) 72 71 67 69
282 Adam Crawford 72 76 69 75
284 Peter Senior 74 74 68 68, Michael Hendry 67 69 79 69
286 Graeme McDowell (Northern Ireland) 71 77 67 71, David Crawford 71 69 74 72

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