CARLY'S MIXED Q SCHOOL FEELINGS

There was good and bad news today  for Ladies European Tour starlet Carly Booth from Comrie, Perthshire at the halfway stage of the six-round European Tour Qualifying School Final Stage at PGA Catalunya, Girona near Barcelona in North-east Spain.  Her boyfriend - and sometimes caddie - Tano Goya from the Argentine continues to make every yard of the running in what is reckoned to be one of the most gruelling tests, mentally and physically, on the golf calendar.  The bad news for Carly is that her older brother Wallace is sharing 118th place in the field of 156 and is unlikly to survive the fourth-round cut to the leading 70 players and ties for the final two rounds over the longer and tougher, Stadium Course.  Wallace has had rounds of 77, 71 and 73 and is seven over par on the 221 mark. Fortunately for the Aberdonian's son, his good form earlier in the season guaranteed him a place on the Challenge Tour next season.Anybody on the 213-214 mark after three rounds faced a sleepless night as they are on the golfing tightrope without a safety net. Miss the cut and they are, more or less, in golfing limbo as a tour pro.  Former PGA championship winner Scott Drummond is one of those on 214, mainly because he started with a 76 on Saturday.For Andrew McArthur (218) and Raymond Russell (220), the prospects are bleak. Like Drummond, McArthur saddled himself with a colossal burden on the first day, an eight-over-par 80. He has played well since then with a 67 and 71 but the damage has been done and he is joint 84th.  Russell just has not got his teeth into the task in hand with rounds of 73-72-75 for a share of 102nd place.  Up at the sharp end of the scoreboard, Goya repeated his first-day, six-under-par 64 over the shorter Tour Course and he is on 13-under-par 199, two shots ahead of Italy's Matteo Delpodio and Sweden's Mikael Lundberg, both of whom shot 65 in the third round.  That's the kind of scoring a player has to produce as this level of cut-throat golf.   Helensburgh's Gary Orr, at 45, has been round the houses more than once and knows what it takes to survive. He is leading the Scots in joint eighth place on eight-under 204 after a 68 on the Tour Course.  George Murray from Anstruther is sharing 17th place on 207 after a level-par 70 at the venue. Orr and Murray just need to continue in the same vein to make the leading 25 who will gain playing rights on the European Tour at the end of the sixth round on Thursday.  For Tulliallan's Callum Macaulay, Alastair Forsyth from Paisley and Edinburgh-based Jamie McLeary, the chips are down. They should beat the fourth-round cut but need to look longer term than that and find the form that moves them up into the top 25.  Macaulay looks to be up for it. He had a four-under 66 today for four-under 208, the same total as Forsyth who had a encouraging 68. They are joint 26th. McLeary broke 70 for the second time in three days but even a one-under 69 for 210 leads him well off the required schedule in joint 45th place.

CARLY BOOTH'S BOYFRIEND CONTINUES TO MAKE ALL THE RUNNING AT Q SCHOOL

REPORT BY NEIL AHERN

European Tour Press Officer 

Estanislao Goya - Carly Booth's boyfriend from the Argentine - continued his relentless form at the Qualifying School Final Stage with a flying finish capping a flawless 64 on Monday to stretch his lead to two as the marathon examination reached its halfway point at PGA Catalunya Resort.

Playing the more straightforward Tour Course after an overnight re-draw, Goya found close to his best form in the third round to stay clear of a number of challengers throughout the day, including Sweden’s Mikael Lundberg and Italy’s Matteo Delpodio, who both shot five under par 65. Mikko Korhonen and Moritz Lampert are a shot further back, and all four challengers led at some stage on what was an intriguing day in northern Spain.

With conditions predicted to deteriorate from Tuesday onwards before the field is cut to 70 and ties after the fourth round, all 156 competitors knew that a low score on Monday could prove crucial, and Goya, the 2009 Madeira Islands Open Champion and leader by one overnight, set about his task with focus and resolve despite not reaping much early reward.

 

After starting with a birdie at the par five tenth hole – his first – Goya stayed patient as ten straight pars preceded a storming finish in which the 24 year old made a second gain at the par four third, while four birdies in his last five holes helped the Cordoba man reach 13 under par for the tournament.

 

“I played very well again, especially on the front nine, which was my back nine,” said Goya, who has only dropped three shots all week. “I started a bit slowly and the first nine holes were a little frustrating. I was hitting greens but not really close enough and wasn’t making putts.

 

“I started to play really well after the turn and the birdie at the third – my 12^th – gave me a big boost. Then I finished with four birdies in the last five holes which was excellent. I’m really pleased with how I finished.”

 

The majority of those in contention will take on the more demanding Stadium Course in Tuesday’s fourth round, before 36 final nail-biting holes on the 7,333-yard layout will determine the fate of the 25 cards on offer for The 2013 European Tour International Schedule.

 

THIRD-ROUND TOTALS
+Field to be cut to leading 70 and ties

after fourth round.

 

199 E Goya (Arg) 64 71 64;

 201 M Lundberg (Swe) 68 68 65; M Delpodio  (Ita) 67 69 65;

 202 M Korhonen (Fin) 74 62 66; M Lampert (am) (Ger) 70 67 65;

 203 A Sullivan (Eng) 71 67 65; R McEvoy  (Eng) 67 72 64;

 204 A Snobeck  (Fra) 69 67 68; G Orr (Sco) 67 69 68; J Lagergren (Swe) 71 66 67;

 205 P Hedblom (Swe) 70 69 66; P Erofejeff (Fin) 72 67 66; D Higgins (Irl) 73 64 68; S Little (Eng) 70 68 67; E De La Riva  (Esp) 70 70 65;

 206 J Parry (Eng) 71 71 64;

 207 M Southgate  (Eng) 72 70 65; G Murray  (Sco) 66 71 70; O Floren  (Swe) 71 66 70; S Arnold  (Aus) 67 73 67; J Lima  (Por) 76 67 64; M Glauert (Ger) 73 70 64; J Hugo  (RSA) 71 72 64; M Nixon (Eng) 68 72 67; B An (Kor) 69 72 66;

 208 C Kim (USA) 73 66 69; S Strange (Aus) 75 67 66; B Åkesson (Swe) 70 72 66; A Forsyth (Sco) 75 65 68; H Bacher (Aut) 74 68 66; C Macaulay  (Sco) 71 71 66; D Im (USA) 72 66 70; M Madsen  (Den) 78 66 64;

 209 D Griffiths  (Eng) 67 72 70; J Glennemo (Swe) 72 69 68; L Jensen (Den) 70 74 65; C Del Moral (Esp) 70 71 68; C Brazillier  (Fra) 69 74 66; A Domingo (Esp) 70 70 69; J Timmis (Eng) 74 69 66; M Jonzon (Swe) 74 69 66; F Calmels  (Fra) 72 72 65; M Sell  (Eng) 74 67 68; A Marshall (Eng) 75 67 67;

 210 J McLeary  (Sco) 69 72 69; C Lloyd (Eng) 73 69 68; T Van Der Walt (RSA) 71 69 70; R Davies (Wal) 68 74 68; J Ruth  (Eng) 70 71 69; B Ritthammer (Ger) 69 71 70; D Gaunt (Aus) 74 68 68; T Murray (Eng) 68 72 70;

 211 M Crespi  (Ita) 72 68 71; D Vancsik (Arg) 75 68 68; S Norris  (RSA) 68 72 71; T Remkes (Ned) 71 72 68; A Johnansson (Swe) 76 67 68; A Levy (Fra) 68 72 71; J Howarth (Eng) 75 67 69; T Fisher Jnr (RSA) 69 71 71; Å Nilsson (Swe) 74 69 68;

 212 W Besseling  (Ned) 69 73 70; S Benson (Eng) 75 70 67;

 213 M Brier (Aut) 71 69 73; L Goddard  (Eng) 72 71 70; N Ravano (Ita) 74 70 69; S Tiley (Eng) 77 67 69; D Perrier (Fra) 73 71 69;

 214 S Drummond (Sco) 76 68 70; S Whiffin (Eng) 75 70 69; W Bennett (Eng) 77 67 70; F Bergamaschi (Ita) 76 68 70;

 215 S Hutsby  (Eng) 74 68 73; G Clark (Eng) 78 67 70; O Wilson (Eng) 75 68 72; C Monasterio (Arg) 72 72 71; C Devlin (Nir) 71 73 71; S Dodd (Wal) 77 70 68;

 216 A Rota (Ita) 74 69 73; D Brooks (Eng) 71 74 71; B Henson (USA) 76 68 72; O Bekker (RSA) 73 72 71; O Lieser (Cze) 74 70 72;

 217 B Dredge (Wal) 70 75 72; T Haylock  (Eng) 74 72 71; B Koepka  (USA) 73 71 73;

 218 N Floren (Swe) 80 67 71; L Kennedy  (Eng) 73 71 74; A McArthur  (Sco) 80 67 71; S Garcia Rodriguez (Esp) 73 70 75; J Huldahl (Den) 76 70 72; S Hong (Kor) 71 74 73; R McGowan  (Eng) 77 71 70; P Edberg (Swe) 72 75 71; S Thornton (Irl) 71 75 72;

 219 N Kearney (Irl) 73 72 74; G Boyd  (Eng) 76 70 73; L Bond (Wal) 76 69 74; M Haastrup  (Den) 72 75 72; T Pilkadaris (Aus) 75 73 71; D Dixon (Eng) 72 74 73; G Cambis  (Fra) 73 78 68; D Kemmer (USA) 79 66 74;

 220 A Hansen  (Den) 71 74 75; A Otaegui  (Esp) 77 70 73; D Frittelli (RSA) 76 70 74; R Russell (Sco) 73 72 75; R Hjelm (Den) 77 71 72; K Pratt (Aus) 72 75 73; R Kakko  (Fin) 74 70 76; S Jeppesen  (Swe) 78 71 71; D Huizing (Ned) 70 81 69; J Barnes (Eng) 77 69 74; R Karlberg  (Swe) 75 73 72; J Watts (Eng) 77 68 75; R Blizard (Aus) 75 69 76; Z Scotland  (Eng) 76 72 72;

 221 J Scrivener (Aus) 77 69 75; C Suneson (Esp) 74 75 72; W Booth  (Sco) 77 71 73; M Zions (Aus) 74 73 74; P Broadhurst (Eng) 74 74 73; M Siddikur  (Ban) 75 73 73;

 222 P Uihlein  (USA) 75 77 70; J Harding  (RSA) 74 74 74; S Kim (Kor) 78 67 77; J Bäckström (Swe) 77 72 73; K Borsheim  (Nor) 78 71 73; P Maddy (Eng) 78 72 72; A Saddier (am) (Fra) 80 65 77;

 223 M Tunnicliff (Eng) 74 72 77; K Ferrie (Eng) 80 71 72; S Fallon (Eng) 73 72 78; J Sandelin (Swe) 75 72 76; N Schietekat (RSA) 70 75 78; M Lorenzo-Vera  (Fra) 74 74 75; P O'Keefe (Ire) 81 65 77; T Sluiter  (Ned) 81 68 74;

 224 G Stal  (Fra) 81 70 73;

 225 C Aguilar  (Esp) 77 71 77; S Walker (Eng) 74 73 78;

 226 J Grillon  (Fra) 72 77 77; I Pyman (Eng) 76 71 79; J Lerchedahl (Den) 76 75 75; J Jeong (Kor) 80 66 80;

 227 P Archer (Eng) 80 72 75; O Henningsson  (Swe) 79 74 74; P Martin  (Esp) 81 69 77;

 228 G Shaw (Nir) 81 73 74; M Grönberg (Swe) 75 75 78;

 229 J Gallegos (am) (Esp) 80 76 73;

 230 A Haig (RSA) 76 72 82; N Dougherty  (Eng) 80 73 77; C Aronsen  (Nor) 74 80 76;

 231 O Rozner (am) (Fra) 74 76 81;

 236 D Wuensche  (Ger) 86 76 74;

 

LUKE DONALD TO HAVE OPERATION TO SORT SINUSES

FROM THE SKYSPORTS.COM WEBSITE
Luke Donald is to have surgery to cure a long-standing problem with his sinuses.
The world No 2 admits he is suffering with his nose at present and claims it affected him again during the final two rounds in Dubai over the weekend when he finished in a tie-for-third at the World Tour Championship.
The Chicago-based Englishman had teed-off on Sunday holding a share of the lead with Rory McIlroywho went on to win the tournament - five shots clear of Donald.
The 34-year-old said: "My sinuses are all completely clogged up and every time I get a little bit run down they turn into infections.
"Hopefully, the surgery will fix it. It's a pretty quick and easy operation.
"I don't like to make excuses but the last couple of days I've had the sinus issue again.
"I felt a little bit flat and unfortunately I couldn't get things going on Sunday."

MCILROY BREATH OF FRESH AIR FOR GOLF

By Lewine Mair at the Global Golf Post

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES | Some bemoaned the fact that there was not a tighter finish to the Race to Dubai; rather more saw the week of the DP World Championship as a celebration of a thrilling young talent.

On or off the course, the 23-year-old Rory Mcllroy is never dull. His every round is lit with a couple of believe-it-or-not recoveries while, when it comes to his press conferences, he always laces diplomacy with a delicious - if inadvertent - touch of the unexpected.

In which connection, his proud father, Gerry, will tell you that not too much has changed. While watching his offspring last week, he recalled one of those precious Sundays of 15 or so years ago when he would take a rest from juggling the three jobs which helped him to fund Rory's golfing sorties.

On the Sabbath in question, he had played his usual nine holes with the child and accompanied him to the driving range before finally slumping in his chair. That was when Rory approached and insisted they return to the range - he had more work to do.

“No, Rory,” protested Gerry. “We've done enough.” To which Rory hit back with an unanswerable, “Don't you want me to get better?”

Mcllroy's coach, Michael Bannon, threw in a favourite old story of his own. It concerned how, when he handed Rory a scorecard for one of his first nine-hole children's competitions at Holywood GC, he noticed that the little lad had labelled himself “Rory Nick Faldo Mcllroy.”

Bannon, the Holywood professional for 15 years before moving on to Bangor GC, mentioned in passing that any jealousy towards Mcllroy in those early days was short-lived; the culprits recognised almost at once that they were not in his league. “The jealousy would switch to awe,” he remembers.

It has been much the same across Mcllroy's triumphant first five years on the European Tour. Listen to Anders Hansen on the subject: “If anyone feels anything in the way of resentment after what Rory's done forthe Tour, they would have to be mad,” suggested the Dane.

Everything about Mcllroy startled Hansen at the outset. “I first saw this curly-haired kid on the putting green at a British Masters and didn't have a clue whether it was a boy or a girl,” he began. “Long before I saw Rory hit a shot, I could see he was something special. Everything came so naturally to him.

“What makes him even more admirable,” he continued, “is that he's one of the nicest guys out here. I wouldn't say that of a lot of them but he really is that nice. Where he has it over Tiger is that he's more approachable. He's a good boy who carries his stardom better than anyone I know in any sport. I can't think of anyone who comes close.”

Mcllroy interacts with spectators during his practice rounds - and always they return for the tournament days. Again, he is friendly with the photographers. They can snap him and he never snaps back.

Dave Cannon, the supremo among cameramen, cites a day at the Open when his state-of-the-art-camera went off on its own on the 18th tee as Mcllroy was about to hit. Mcllroy pulled out of his drive and waited patiently for him to sort things out. “Are you ready now, Dave?” he asked.

Matthew Harris, another photographer par excellence, said that Mcllroy passes the ultimate test: “Even if he's had a 76, he'll stick with arrangements. Others, after a bad round, will give you a brief ‘Not today’ at best.”

When, at the start of last week, George O'Grady awarded Mcllroy - a five-times winner this season - his gold money-clip for 2013, no-one could have responded more graciously. “I'll always be loyal to the European Tour,” he promised.

He carried on saying all the right things and it was only when someone hit on the theme of how his wrapping up of The Race to Dubai had stripped the tail-end of the season of its excitement that he slipped up a tad. Asked if he would find it tough to get motivated for the week, he came up with an engagingly truthful, if rather too forthright, explanation as to why that would not apply.

“Obviously, I've got to hang on till the end (to collect his Race to Dubai winner's loot) so I might as well make the tournament count by winning a second trophy.”

Another moment to savour came when he was asked about his switch - allegedly for $250 million over ten years - to Nike. Was he at all wary of changing clubs?

The answer was in the negative.

“Today's clubs,” he began, “are all much the same and they're mostly all made up at the same factories.”

Warming to his theme, he added that he could probably get by with a hockey stick and an orange.

You had to feel for those Nike club-makers who might even then have been working on the finishing touches to the world No. 1 ‘s new set. Mind you, the chances are that they would have given a knowing nod to what the young man was saying.

He is that gifted.


Read more at www.globalgolfpost.com

RORY DID NOT SET AN ALL-TIME ONE-SEASON MONEY RECORD

FROM THE GOLF CHANNEL WEBSITE
By RYAN LAVNER
Rory McIlroy may have just completed one of the best seasons of the past decade, but it wasn't as lucrative as some believe.
The Northern Irishman’s victory Sunday at the DP World Tour Championship pushed his official tournament earnings on the 2012 European Tour to €4,738,026.
When the Race to Dubai was initiated in 2009, however, the European Tour began factoring in money from that bonus pool into players’ earnings, so the tour recognises McIlroy as having earned a single-season record €5,519,117 -- a little more than $7 million (the US PGA Tour does not lump FedExCup bonus money in its money tallies). Fair enough.
But when he stormed back to win in Dubai on Sunday, it was reported that McIlroy had earned a combined $11.9 million to become the all-time leading single-season money earner after combining both PGA and European tour earnings.
Not quite true.
For a fair comparison, FedExCup payouts would have to be included. As figures shown below from the Golf Channel Research Unit indicate, doing that would leave McIlroy more than $6 million shy of Tiger Woods' mark in 2007. Even if you take away the bonus money from both tours and focus only on tournament earnings, McIlroy's gross take-home pay on the two circuits still ranks only fifth all-time.
In fact, the world No. 1 also did not win the most money in a season on the world money list or even the most tournament prize money in a season on the European Tour (not counting bonus-pool money). 

Most money won in a season, combining PGA and European tours (includes season-ending bonus money)
Tiger Woods 2007: $21,002,706
Tiger Woods 2009: $20,948,054
Vijay Singh 2008: $16,846,707
Brandt Snedeker, 2012: $15,203,943
Rory McIlroy, 2012: $14,947,402
Jim Furyk 2010: $14,809,622

---

Most money won in a year, combining PGA and European tours (tournament earnings only)
Tiger Woods, 2005: $11,183,574
Vijay Singh, 2004: $11,104,892
Tiger Woods, 2007: $11,002,706
Tiger Woods, 2006: $10,951,972
Rory McIlroy, 2012: $10,947,402
Tiger Woods, 2009: $10,698,163

---

Highest earnings on world money list last 10 years (combined money won in tournaments on the official world tours)
Tiger Woods, 2005: $11,515,939
Tiger Woods, 2006: $11,141,827
Vijay Singh, 2004: $11,104,892
Tiger Woods, 2007: $11,002,706
Tiger Woods, 2009: $10,948,054
Rory McIlroy, 2012: $10,947,402

---

Most money won in a season in European Tour events (does not include Race to Dubai bonus pool money)
Tiger Woods, 2000: €5,426,715
Tiger Woods, 2006: €5,264,383
Tiger Woods, 2005: €5,022,798
Ernie Els, 2004: €4,924,715
Rory McIlroy, 2012: €4,738,026

GUAN TIANLANG (14) CHOSEN FOR NISSAN CUP MATCH

NEWS RELEASE
SHENZHEN - China is taking a gamble on the next generation by including 14-year-old amateur Guan Tianlang in the team to take on the Asia-Pacific side at the Dongfeng Nissan Cup this week, but the teenager has already proved he can mix it with the professionals.

Guan burst onto the world stage at OneAsia's co-sanctioned Volvo China Open in April when at 13 he became the youngest player ever to tee it up in a men's professional tournament. He missed the cut after rounds of 77 and 79, but impressed with his maturity and composure on such a big stage.

Next year he will be the youngest player ever to compete in the U.S. Masters, having won the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in Thailand last month to secure his place in golf's most exclusive Major. 

The previous record was established by Matteo Manassero when the then 16-year-old Italian earned an invitation to Augusta in 2010 after winning the British Amateur Championship.

"I only knew last week that I would be playing and so I am delighted," Guan said of the second edition of the Ryder Cup-style Dongfeng Nissan Cup at the CTS Tycoon Club in Shenzhen, China, from November 30 to December 2.

"It will be my first time to play matchplay with professionals, but I like matchplay -- it's more fun and interesting." 

Held under the OneAsia umbrella, the tournament pits 12 of China's best golfers against an Asia-Pacific select side. The visitors won 12 1/2 to 11 1/2 on a gripping final day of singles last year after the teams were level at 3-3 following the four-ball matches and

 6-6 following the foursomes.

While many players have been marked as "the next Tiger Woods" over the years, Guan looks to be a genuine contender who has  been beating players three times his age -- and size -- since he first took up the game as a four-year-old.

"Guan Tianlang is young but has created history in China golf and world golf," said Wang Jun, captain of Team China for the Dongfeng Nissan Cup.

"We want to provide him the chance to play with the best professionals from Asia-Pacific. It will be good for him and will inspire other youngsters  to get to know golf and love this game -- and help promote golf in the country."

Guan has not played in any professional tournaments since his debut at the Volvo China Open, concentrating instead on training and all-important schoolwork.

"I still have to go to school and I played some junior golf in America during the summer holidays," he said, explaining that he studies from around seven in the morning to late afternoon before hitting the range."

Guan is smart enough to use the Dongfeng Nissan Cup as a learning opportunity.

"They are all excellent players," Guan said of the Asia-Pacific side to be captained by legendary Australian Peter Thomson for a second time.

"Whoever I play against will be good experience for me. I would like to learn from them."

Guan has no hesitation in saying who he would like to be paired with during this week's tournament.

"I would very much to play with Liang Wenchong," he said.

Liang, winner of OneAsia's Nanshan China Masters last month, heads a star-studded Team China that includes veteran Zhang Lianwei, considered the father of professional golf in the world's most populous country.

A four-time winner on OneAsia since the tour's formation in 2009, Liang also won the Order of Merit in 2010.

Reigning Order of Merit champion Andre Stolz of Australia leads a talented Asia-Pacifc side that includes Kiwi Mark Brown, who finished fourth in the New Zealand Open at the weekend after letting an overnight lead slip in the final round.

Guan will also be playing in OneAsia's Emirates Australian Open next week, courtesy of winning the Aaron Baddeley Junior Golf  Championship earlier this year. 

"I am looking forward to it," he said. "I also played in the Australian Amateur Championship earlier this year and will play again in 2013."

  GIAN ... PLAYING IN 2013 MASTERS

Teams

China: Liang Wenchong, Zhang Lianwei, Zhang Xinjun, Yuan Hao, Han Ren, Wu Weihuang, Jin Daxing, Zhou Guowu, Ouyang Zheng, Yuan Tian, Wu Kangchun, Guan Tianlang (A)

 

Asia-Pacific:  Scott Laycock and Andre Stolz (Australia), Michael Long and Mark Brown (New Zealand), Soushi Tajima and Yosuke Tsukada (Japan), Jason Kang and Choi Jin-ho (Korea), Wisut Artjanawat (Thailand), Rory Hie (Indonesia), Nicholas Fung (Malaysia), Choo Tze Huang (Singapore)