MICKELSON LEADS PHOENIX OPEN BY SIX SHOTS AFTER ROUND 3

Phil Mickelson leads the Phoenix Open field into Sunday's final round with a healthy six-shot lead.
The left-hander has shot 60-65-64 so far for 24-under-par 189 and leads from Brandt Snedeker who has scored 64-66-65 for 195.
Padraig Harrington got in the low scoring act at the Scottsdale, Arizona venue with a third-round 63 (following earlier 64-70 scores) to climb up into a tie for third place on 197 with Ryan Moore.

THIRD-ROUND LEADERBOARD
Par 213 (3x71)
189 Phil Mickelson 60 65 64
195 Brandt Snedeker 64 66 65
197 Padraig Harrington (Ireland) 64 70 63, Ryan Moore 66 66 65 
198 Troy Matteson 67 65 66
199 Brendon Steele 69 65 65, Bill Haas 65 64 70
200 Scott Piercy 70 66 64, Brendon de Jonge (South Africa) 66 67 67, Gary Woodland 67 66 67, Roberto Castro 65 68 67
201 Hunter Mahan 67 67 67, Bryce Molder 67 67 67, Billy Herschel 69 68 64, Ted Potter junior 64 69 68, John Rollins 66 66 69, Matt Every 65 67 69, Robert Garrigus 66 66 69, Angel Cabrera (Argentina) 66 65 70

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LAW FINISHES WITH A 68 TO GET PLACE IN TURKEY TOP TEN

David Law salvaged a top 10 finish with a six-birdie closing round of 68 in the German PGA's Pro Golf Tour (formerly the EPD Tour) event, the Sueno Pines Classic, at Belek in Turkey.
The Aberdonian's second-round 76 virtually killed off his prospects of back-to-back victories in Turkey but he came back to form on the third day with birdies at the first, sixth, ninth, 15th, 16th and 18th.
Two bogeys - at the third and 17th - deprived him of joint third position.
Law finished in joint ninth position on four-under 212, five shots behind the winner of the 5,000 Euros first prize, Ken Benz from Switzerland. Benz shot 64, 71 and 72 for nine-under 207.
Law collected 747 Euros and, with a total of 6,077 Euros, is second Benz (6,875) in the Pro Golf Tour Order of Merit.

SUENO PINES CLASSIC
Belek, Turkey
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 216 (3x72)
207 Ken Benz (Switzerland) 64 71 72 (5,000 Euros)
208 Fernand Osther (Netherlands) 69 72 67 (3,000 Euros)
210 Philipp Fendt (Austria) 68 74 68, Christoph Peau (Austria) 71 69 70, Sebastian Heisele (Germany) 69 70 71, Bjorn Stromsky (Germany) 68 68 74 (1,515 Euros each).

SELECTED TOTAL
212 David Law (Scotland) 68 76 68 (T9) (747 Euros).

USGA TO TAKE A LEAF OUT OF THE LGU PACE-OF-PLAY BOOK

FROM THE ESPN.COM NEWS WEBSITE
The United States Golf Association announced today that it will focus its efforts on combatting slow play by turning its resources this year towards ending what's considered by many as a major threat to the game in modern times.
At its annual meeting in San Diego, USGA president Glen D Nager outlined a five-prong approach with the goal of speeding up play at both the professional and amateur levels.
"The cry that pace of play has become one of the most significant threats to the game's health has become only louder over the last year," Nager said in a statement. 
"Industry research clearly shows that slow play and the amount of time it takes to play a round of golf detract from the overall experience and threaten to drive players away from the game. This problem touches every golfer, from the professional to the elite amateur to the collegiate player to the millions of recreational golfers at both public and private facilities."
The plan includes: Analysing key factors known to influence pace of play, developing a pace-of-play model based on quantifiable data, improvements to the USGA pace rating system, on-site assistance at golf courses to help assess and improve pace of play and creating player education programs.
Just last week on the US PGA Tour, a Monday finish due to fog took the final group nearly three hours to complete just 11 holes.
USGA executive director Mike Davis also weighed in on the issue.
"It is appropriate for the USGA to examine pace of play issues in part because we experience them at our own championships," Davis said in a statement. 
"Six-hour rounds are just not good for the players, our championships or the game. Slow play is also incompatible with our modern society, in which our personal time for recreation is compressed. This is an issue that demands our complete attention."
EDITOR'S NOTE: The Ladies Golf Union has employed a vigorous anti-slow play policy in tournaments under its auspices for at least two or three years. Roving referees keep a time check on all groups and will tell them to get a move on if they have not kept up to the time by which they should have been through certain points on the course. 
An Irish player was penalised for slow play in the British women's amateur championship.

McARTHUR NOW TRAILS BY FOUR SHOTS IN INDIA

CHALLENGE TOUR REPORT FROM

NEIL AHERN, European Tour Press Officer 

A six-shot swing at the top of the leaderboard left Andrew McArthur four shots behind India’s Shiv Kapur going into the final day of the Gujarat Kensville Challenge, but the Glaswegian still retains hope of a second European Challenge Tour title.

Kapur produced a master-class on home soil as he carded a course record seven under par 65 to take a healthy lead into Championship Sunday while McArthur could only sign for a one under par 71 to move to nine under for the tournament.

McArthur, pictured, who was two shots clear after day two, was not too despondent after a steady day which yielded three birdies and two bogeys but he knows that he will need something special if he is to stand any chance of preventing a second home victory in three years at the €200,000 event.

“I actually played really well,” said the 33 year old from Windyhill, Glasgow. “I definitely didn’t putt as well as previous days and had three three putts from the fringe, so that was disappointing.

“I seemed to get really tired out there but I played good golf for the most part. Shiv just played great. He had a couple of unbelievable up and downs which kept it ticking for him.

“I just need to get off to a quick start now, do the same as I did on the first day, when I got a few 30 footers and hit it a few right at the pin. You want to be within a couple going into the back nine to get amongst it.

“Shiv didn’t miss a chance today and I just left too many out there but tomorrow is another day.”

After making the perfect start with a birdie at the first, Kapur rolled in a 25 foot putt at the third to pick up another shot before a truly world class approach at the fourth, where he shaped a seven iron around a tree to two feet before converting, earned him a third birdie in the opening four holes.

Two more birdies at the front nine’s two par fives, the sixth and ninth, took the New Delhi man to the turn in five under before another at the tenth handed him a four shot lead.

The 30 year old was steady all the way in and a stunning up and down at the 14^th hole for birdie, after his second shot landed close to a wall, took him to seven under before four successive pars earned him a new course record and moved him to 13 under for the tournament.

“I can’t complain with a course record,” said Kapur, twice a runner-up on The European Tour. “I got off to a good start today and that set the tone for the day. I made a few putts early in my round and I just didn’t look back after that.

“Today I needed to take the tournament by the scruff of the neck and I think I managed to do that.”

England’s Philip Archer was a shot further back from McArthur on eight under par and he briefly held the joint clubhouse lead thanks to a six under par 66, as he chases a fourth Challenge Tour title.

  THIRD-ROUND SCOREBOARD

   Par

203 S Kapur (Ind) 67 71 65,

207 A McArthur  (Sco) 67 69 71,

208 P Archer (Eng) 73 69 66,

209 T Sluiter  (Ned) 70 69 70,

211 A Domingo (Esp) 66 73 72, D Vancsik (Arg) 72 72 67, D Im (USA) 73 68 70, J Lima  (Por) 70 73 68,

212 M Kumar (Ind) 73 71 68, P Uihlein  (USA) 71 72 69,

213 H Rai (Ind) 71 74 68, V Riu  (Fra) 68 72 73, R Enoch  (Wal) 71 72 70, M Perera (Sri) 69 77 67,

214 G Murray  (Sco) 69 73 72, G Bhullar (Ind) 71 70 73, W Booth  (Sco) 68 71 75, S O'Hara  (Sco) 71 72 71, B An (Kor) 73 69 72,

215 R Gangjee (Ind) 72 69 74, T Pilkadaris (Aus) 71 71 73, J Barnes (Eng) 73 72 70, R Ali Mollah (Ind) 76 70 69, S Tiley (Eng) 70 73 72, F McGuirk  (Eng) 69 75 71,

216 A Bernadet  (Fra) 74 71 71, S Das (Ind) 73 71 72, O Chouhan (Ind) 70 74 72, K Bhasin (Aus) 76 70 70, S Hutsby  (Eng) 73 71 72, L Jensen (Den) 71 75 70,

217 A Malik (Ind) 70 73 74, T Hatton (Eng) 73 71 73, J Dantorp (Swe) 69 73 75, M Glauert (Ger) 76 70 71, J Glennemo (Swe) 68 75 74, C Aguilar  (Esp) 77 70 70,

218 A Velasco (Esp) 76 69 73, A Pavan (Ita) 69 71 78, S Barr (Aus) 72 71 75, V Kumar (Ind) 75 71 72,

219 B Parker  (Eng) 72 75 72, R Sharma (Ind) 72 74 73, D Singh        (Ind) 73 73 73, S Chikkarangappa (Ind) 74 73 72, R Murthy (Ind) 72 75 72, R Beem (USA) 73 73 73,

220 B Koepka  (USA) 70 72 78, D Brooks (Eng) 74 73 73, F Praegant (Aut) 70 74 76,

221 S Sharma (Ind) 75 72 74, A Sandhu (Ind) 73 72 76, V Singh (Ind) 70 75 76, A Sher (Ind) 73 73 75, F Colombo (Ita) 71 74 76,

222 C Kim (USA) 73 74 75, A Singh Chauhan (Ind) 74 73 75, R Russell (Sco) 76 70 76,

224 D Kemmer (USA) 72 74 78, G Shaw (Nir) 72 72 80,

225 R Davies (Wal) 75 71 79, D Wuensche  (Ger) 72 75 78,

226 J Garcia Pinto (Esp) 73 74 79,

 

 

STEPHEN GALLACHR LEADS DUBAI CLASSIC BY THREE SHOTS

                            STEPHEN GALLACHER IN ACTION IN DUBAI TODAY
                                       Picture by courtesy of Getty Images(c)

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Stephen Gallacher holed an audacious bunker shot for eagle on the last hole of the third round of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic to seal a superb 10-under-par 62 and take a three-shot lead into the final day.

The Linlithgow-based 38-year-old 1995 Walker Cup player from Bathgate - Scottish amateur champion in 1992 - had just 20 putts as he racked up six birdies and two eagles on an uncharacteristically wet day at Emirates Golf Club to leapfrog South African Richard Sterne at the top of the leaderboard.

Gallacher's  21 under par 54-hole total of 195 (63-70-62) is the lowest in the event’s history, beating by one the record set by Tiger Woods in 2001. 
He has only one European Tour victory to his credit - the Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews in 2004.

Sterne was no slouch either, birdieing the last for a six under par 66, while young Dane Thorbjørn Olesen had a 67 to lie third, another two shots back on 16 under, and Englishman Lee Westwood signed for a 66 to move to 12 under.

Gallacher, 6ft 2in and a nephew of former Ryder Cup captain Bernard Gallacher, said of his stunning finish: “With my second shot I was right on the limit for a rescue club, so I decided to hit a three wood into the trap behind the green. When I hit the bunker shot I knew it was either stiff or in. It was a brilliant way to finish.

“I putted really well today and drove the ball very well. My driver cracked last week so I’ve been working really hard with the new one and it’s paying off. I’m hitting more fairways, and you’ve got to play these courses from the fairways.

“I was just trying to get as many birdies as I could. I’m very familiar with the course as I come here on holiday a lot with the family. I know where to hit it and how to read the lines.”

Sterne, who also had a 62 in the opening round, said: “I’ve shot 66 and I’m three behind, which unfortunately can happen in this game. I've given myself a chance going into tomorrow, and hopefully it will be a lot of fun and I can put some good scores in to put some pressure on Stephen.

“As Stephen showed today, a low score is out there.”

 THIRD-ROUND SCOREBOARD
Par 216 (3x72)

195 S Gallacher (Sco) 63 70 62,

198 R Sterne  (RSA) 62 70 66,

201 T Olesen (Den) 67 66 67,

202 T Fleetwood  (Eng) 65 68 69, F Aguilar (Chi) 68 68 66, J Singh (Ind) 68 67 67,

203 S Webster (Eng) 69 69 65, M Kieffer (Ger) 66 68 69,

204 L Westwood (Eng) 67 71 66,

205 S Noh (SKor) 66 72 67, R Rock (Eng) 70 68 67, A Hartø  (Den) 67 67 71, C Doak (Sco) 65 69 71, G Maybin (Nir) 69 67 69, J Walters (RSA) 68 70 67, J Kruger (RSA) 70 66 69, M Fraser (Aus) 67 69 69, A Sullivan (Eng) 69 67 69,

206 S Garcia  (Esp) 68 67 71, R Santos  (Por) 66 71 69, F Andersson Hed (Swe) 67 71 68, A Noren  (Swe) 68 71 67, R Wattel  (Fra) 68 67 71, R Jacquelin (Fra) 70 68 68,

207 I Garrido (Esp) 69 68 70, G Mulroy (RSA) 71 70 66, R Cabrera-Bello (Esp) 69 69 69, M Manassero (Ita) 66 71 70, P Lawrie (Irl) 66 70 71, S Jamieson  (Sco) 65 72 70,

208 M Siem  (Ger) 68 72 68, J Donaldson (Wal) 67 73 68, T Hamilton (USA) 70 68 70, J Olazábal (Esp) 70 67 71, A Wall (Eng) 68 72 68, D Drysdale (Sco) 69 70 69, L Gagli  (Ita) 68 71 69,

209 G Bourdy (Fra) 67 71 71, T Jaidee (Tha) 68 68 73, L Slattery (Eng) 69 70 70, J Campillo (Esp) 69 71 69, P Casey  (Eng) 66 70 73, G Lockerbie  (Eng) 68 70 71, H Stenson (Swe) 69 69 71, G Havret  (Fra) 70 67 72, R Derksen (Ned) 68 72 69,

210 C Lee (Sco) 69 70 71, M Ilonen  (Fin) 71 70 69, M Warren (Sco) 67 72 71, R Gonzalez (Arg) 71 70 69, C Wood  (Eng) 68 68 74, D Howell (Eng) 70 68 72, E Pepperell (Eng) 68 70 72,

211 R Coles (Eng) 73 68 70, D Horsey (Eng) 75 66 70, S Khan (Eng) 68 73 70, M Lafeber (Ned) 69 71 71, M Nixon (Eng) 69 69 73,

212 M O'Meara (USA) 67 74 71, A Tadini (Ita) 70 71 71, P Larrazábal (Esp) 71 70 71, B Wiesberger  (Aut) 71 68 73,

213 D McGrane (Irl) 68 72 73, S Chowrasia (Ind) 69 70 74, J Van Zyl (RSA) 69 71 73, J Gonnet  (Fra) 72 68 73, K Horne (RSA) 68 71 74,

214 O Fisher  (Eng) 69 72 73, S Dyson  (Eng) 70 71 73,

215 T Lewis (Eng) 69 72 74, T Levet (Fra) 68 70 77,

WHITSETT AND CARON SET PACE AT JONES CUP

• FROM THE GOLFWEEK WEBSITE
• by Sean Martin

 SEA ISLAND, Georgia – Ocean Forest is about as tough as they come. No player has shot under par for 54 holes in the past four Jones Cups. That may explain why the first-round co-leaders used a rare feat en route to 68s.
Alabama’s Cory Whitsett and Florida State’s Rowin Caron, the Netherlands’ top-ranked amateur, each made eagle Friday by holing out from more than 100 yards. They’re two shots ahead of the field. Georgia’s T.J. Mitchell shot 70, while North Florida’s Sean Dale and Pacific’s Alex Edfort are another shot back. 
The field averaged 76.5 strokes per round Friday. Defending champion Justin Thomas shot 78.
Caron’s eagle came at the par-5 sixth. He had 162 yards remaining for his third shot after a conservative lay-up from the rough. “I just hit a little knock-down 7-iron. It landed about 8 feet short of the hole and rolled in,” he said. 
Caron made the turn in 5-under 31 and reached 6 under with birdie at the 13th, but bogeyed two of the final three holes. Whitsett holed out from 105 yards on the par-4 13th to reach 4 under par. He bogeyed the par-3 17th, but rebounded with birdie on the final hole.
“I just hit it really well,” Whitsett said. “I was in the fairway a lot. I hit every fairway on the back nine. That’s the key out here. It’s a pretty manageable golf course if you’re in the right spots. If you get out of play, that’s where people get into trouble.”
Whitsett, an Alabama University junior (third year) student, has had plenty of success in the time between college golf’s fall and spring seasons. He won the Western Refining College Golf All-America Classic and the Patriot All-America in 2011, and was third at the Western Refining in November.
“I’m refreshed. I’m excited about playing golf,” Whitsett said about his midseason success. “I just go out and play.”
Whitsett has been working with Sea Island-based instructor Todd Anderson for about a year. They’ve developed a three-quarter shot that Whitsett hit “maybe every iron shot” in Friday’s wind. “That’s the key to just controlling my ball better,” Whitsett said. 
He also played Ocean Forest in December with PGA Tour players Zach Johnson and Chris Kirk. “This course isn’t that easy for those guys either,” Whitsett said. “It showed me a lot.”
Caron is a Florida State freshman by way of the Netherlands. He played in just two events this fall because of starts at the World Amateur Team Championship and the European Tour’s KLM Open. He didn’t think he was going to attend college but changed his mind after visiting Tallahassee. He’s making his Jones Cup debut.
“It’s a tough course. You have to place the ball really well,” Caron said. “I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. I just wanted to enjoy myself.”
Holing an iron shot for eagle always helps that cause. His co-leader, Whitsett, can relate.
British and Irish scores:
73 Kevin Phelan (Ireland) (T13)
74 Jack Hiluta (England) (T18)
75 Liam Johnston (Scotland) (T25)
76 Ben Westgate (Wales), Jason Shufflebotham (Wales) (T37)
78 Gregory Eason (England) (T55).
79 Ben Taylor (England) (T66)
81 Richard James (Wales) (T78)
Field of 90 players

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GARRIGUS CRITICISES "Amateurs making rules for a professinal game"

FROM THE ESPN.COM WEBSITE
When the United States Golf Association and the Royal and Ancient Golf Club proposed banning the anchoring of strokes on Nov. 28, they said there would be a 90-day comment period. At least one US PGA Tour player is taking them up on their offer.
After Round 2 of the Waste Management Phoenix Open on Friday, Robert Garrigus told ESPN.com's Michael Collins about his question-and-answer session with USGA executive director Mike Davis.
During a US PGA Tour players meeting last week at the Farmers Insurance Open, Garrigus said he wanted to know how many of the board members who are enacting this potential rule change have ever struck a shot in competition.
"Zero," Garrigus said Davis told him.
The 35-year-old winner of the 2010 Children's Miracle Network Classic didn't stop there.
"They are amateurs who are making rules for a professional game," Garrigus said.
"It's unfortunate that they are trying to ban it because the guys that are using the putter are good dudes. They're not cheating. It's within the rules right now. And it's never an advantage."
In his career, Garrigus has used a long putter anchored against his body.
"It's just unfortunate they've got to try to say that it's overwhelming the game. And I think that's ridiculous."

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JAMES BYRNE WINS PUTRA MASTERS IN MALAYSIA

                    JAMES BYRNE WITH TROPHY IN MALAYSIA

NEWS RELEASE FROM ASIAN TOUR

Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia: James Byrne from Banchory, Scotland sensationally won his first Asian Development Tour title at the PGM CCM Rahman Putra Masters with a sizzling five-under-par 67 today.

The 2011 Walker Cup star and Scottish Northern Open champion took advantage of a hot start where he was five-under through seven holes to finish the day two shots ahead of playing partner Quincy Quek of Singapore, who posted a 70 at the RM200,000 (approximately US$65,000) Asian Development Tour (ADT) event.

Lam Chih Bing of Singapore and co-overnight leader Malcolm Kokocinski of Sweden settled for tied third following a 68 and 72 respectively at the event which is the first ADT tournament to receive Official World Golf Ranking points this season.

Following a successful Asian Tour Qualifying School campaign last week, where he earned playing rights on the established Tour, Byrne took advantage of his fine form as he overcame a two-shot deficit with a hot putter and acute iron play to win his second professional title.

“I’m feeling good. I’ve been playing well in the last couple of weeks. I carried on the confidence from the Asian Tour Qualifying School even though I had a bad last day. I tried to take the positives from it and was able to take some confidence into this week,” said Byrne, who totalled 11-under-par 277 and won US$11,375.

“I remember last year Mardan (Mamat) won the first ADT event and he won pretty soon after that on the Asian Tour. I’m not putting any pressure on myself  to win again but every time you win, it is a good feeling because you can take confidence from that,” smiled the 24-year-old who played the US college circuit for four years as an Arizona State University student.

After his hot start, Byrne dropped two shots on the eighth hole but he steadied ship with a 20-foot birdie putt on nine before adding three further birdies against two bogeys.

“I knew I could contend at this level and if I played well I would be up there. I got off to a really good start. I was five-under after seven holes. From that point I was already in a good position and knew I could play it a little bit safer coming in. I did double bogey the eighth hole but I came back with three other birdies. I didn’t let the double bogey get to me and I stayed positive,” said Byrne.

The 25-year-old Quek rued the missed opportunity of winning his second ADT title but was delighted with his runner-up finish in his first tournament of the year.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better start to the year after coming off cold from not playing for a month. James (Byrne) played great. He was pretty much in the lead after nine holes. He was burning the course,” said Quek.

“I was feeling a bit down until the 14th hole because nothing was happening. I was hitting it good and giving myself realistic chances but not making the birdies. Then I hit it close to 14 and had a birdie there. Saved par on 16th and birdied again on 17 from close range. It is nice to finish off that way after a day that was kind of mundane,” he added.

Nachimuthu, the 2011 PGM Tour number one, finished as the best placed Malaysian. He was two-under at the turn but returned two shots on his homeward nine as his putter turned cold.

“My putting was horrible but my hitting was okay. Overall my putter let me down I feel that I’ve been doing okay. I could have done slightly better but overall I’m still happy,” said Nachimuthu.

LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4x72)

277 - James BYRNE (SCO) 71-71-68-67         

279 - Quincy QUEK (SIN) 71-68-7070

280 - LAM Chih Bing (SIN) 69-70-73-68, Malcolm KOKOCINSKI (SWE) 71-68-69-72           

281 - Grant JACKSON (ENG) 69-72-73-67, R. Nachimuthu (MAS) 67-70-72-72,

Zaw MOE (MYN) 72-69-67-73           

282 - Edward REYES (PHI) 69-74-69-70, Mitsuhiko HASHIZUME (JPN) 69-67-72-74

283 - S. Murthy (MAS) 68-74-72-69, Mardan MAMAT (SIN) 67-74-71-71   

284 - Nicholas FUNG (MAS) 73-70-70-71, Rory HIE (INA) 71-69-72-72        

285 - Shaaban HUSSIN (MAS) 70-71-72-72, Nick REDFERN (ENG) 68-74-69-74, Iain STEEL (MAS) 68-68-74-75     

286 - Greg MOSS (USA) 71-75-68-72, Wolmer MURILLO (VEN) 68-72-76-70, Masaru TAKAHASHI (JPN) 73-68-71-74

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