Tuesday, March 12, 2013

KILOH WEIGHS UP HIS FUTURE MOVE TO AMERICAN COLLEGE

FROM THE PRESS AND JOURNAL
By DANNY LAW
Sam Kiloh took up golf only after suffering a broken leg playing football but the Portlethen teenager looks set to have a bright future in his second-choice sport.
The 18-year-old, who won last year's Paul Lawrie Foundation North-east boys' stroke-play championship at Auchmill, has set his sights on moving to America by accepting a golf scholarship from a leading university over there.
Astonishin to think that Kiloh, who has +1 of a handicap, only decided to give golf a go after suffering a bad injury at football.
"This is only my fifth year since I took up golf. I did play a lot of football before that but then I broke a leg in a primary schools match.
"I was out of action for quite a while and when I came back I wasn't enjoying football as much as I once had. I didn't feel I was as good a footballer as I had been before the injury.
"My dad played golf so I thought I would give it a go and I hae enjoyed it ever since."
Kiloh, last year's North-east District boys' order or merit winner, plays off a +1 handicap at Portlethen GC. However, the sixth year Portlethen Academy pupil has decided to postpone going to America until next year while he mulls over which college to attend.
He said: "I was meant to be going to the States this August, having had offers from Florida, North Carolina and Georgia universities, but I have decided I don't want to go until next year instead.
"In the meantime, I'm going to get a job and focus on playing in more men's open competitions to make sure I'm ready for it.  I don't feel that I am quite ready yet to play on the US college circuit and I also want to find out more information before choosing which college would be the right one for me."
Kiloh will be wanting to make full use of home course advantage when he takes part in the North-east District youths championship at Portlethen in August.
"That is going to be one of the season's big events for me," said Sam, "particularly as it is my home course.
"I have managed to play in quite a few North-east Alliance midweek competitions during their winter season to keep me ticking over. I've been lucky in that I have only one school class on Wednesdays, so it has worked out quite well.
           


Labels:

2013 PGA EuroPro Tour dates and venues

1. Motocaddy Masters @ Wensum Valley
(View Website) April 30-May 2

2. Astbury Hall
(View Website) 15-17 May

3. Kerry London Championship @ Burhill
(View Website) 30 May - 1 June

4. PDC and World Snooker Open @ Collingtree Park
(View Website) 19-21 June

5. Buildbase Open @ Frilford Heath
(View Website) 28-30 June

6. The Grant Property Investment Championship @ Moray Golf
Club, Lossiemouth.
(View Website) 10 – 12 July

7. The Kingspan Open @ Concra Wood, Ireland.
(View Website) 24-26 July

8. Rowallan Castle, Ayrshire
(View Website) 31 July - 2 August

9. Mar Hall, Bishopton (to west of Glasgow)
(View Website) 7 – 9 August

10. SweetSpot Classic @ Longhirst Hall
(View Website) 14 - 16 August

11. Dale Hill
(View Website) 21-23 August

12. The Oxfordshire
(View Website) 28-30 August

13. The Eagle Orchid Scottish Masters @ Montrose Golf Links
(View Website) 10-12 September

14. Moor Allerton
(View Website) 25-27 September

15. Prince's (Sandwich)
(View Website) 15-17 October


Tour Championship to be announced shortly.

Labels:

SCOTS NICOLSON, STEWART TOIL IN MOROCCO

Greg Nicolson and Duncan Stewart toiled for scores of 78 and 80 respectively in the first round of the MENA Tour's Royal Golf Dar Es Salam Open at Rabat, Morocco today.
Mortonhall's Nicolson had halves of 37-41 to be in joint 24th place behind the leader by five shots, Zane Scotland (England) with a 67.
Stewart, from Grantown on Spey, had double bogeys at the long fifth, short ninth and par-4 11th in halves of 41-39. 

ROYAL GOLF DAR ES SALAM OPEN
Rabat, Morocco

LEADING FIRST-ROUND SCORES
67 Z Scotland (Eng)
72 D Marmion (Eng), S Dodd (Wal), Y El Hassani (Mor).

SELECTED SCORES
74 W Harrold (Eng), I Keenan (Eng)
78 G Nicolson (Sco).
80 D Stewart (Sco).   

Labels:

DAVID MOIR'S RANKING SYSTEM FOR CLUB GOLFERS




PRESS RELEASE



A UNIQUE ranking system for club golfers is set to be launched worldwide after being tested successfully in Scotland last year.

'My Golf Ranking' was adopted by Fife Golfing Association and 32 of its affiliated clubs for the 2012 golf season. 

A trial also involved 11 other clubs, namely Aberdour Ladies, Alyth, Blairgowrie, Kingsknowe, Leven Golfing Society Ladies, Lothianburn, Lundin Ladies, Prestonfield, Swanston New, Windyhill and Windyhill Ladies.

Now its creator, former Scottish Golf Union president David Moir (pictured above when he was in office), is set to roll out the system to a wider audience through the system's website which was re-launched last week, www.MyGolfRanking.net

"Golfers by definition are competitive animals," said Moir, who devised the World Amateur Golf Ranking for both men and women when he worked for the R&A. 

"Our vision is to have My Golf Ranking adopted around the world as the truly global golfing social network and we're getting there.

"My Golf Ranking had 12,000 ranked golfers at the end of 2012. We hope to have ranked 200,000 by the end of 2013 and 1,000,000 by the end of 2014." 

The system creates ranking leagues at local, regional, national and international level, and Moir and his team have agreements with leading club management systems in place for the 2013 club season.

"My Golf Ranking is free for golf clubs and their members to join and provides players at participating golf clubs with a ranking based on their handicap performance in counting events nominated by their club," he added. 

"The men's and ladies' sections of each participating club will have their own My Golf Ranking page on the MGR website, and I am pleased to announce that, in these days of austerity, participating MGR golf clubs will stand to benefit financially from any commercial success achieved."

Club Manager at Swanston New Golf Club, Colin McClung, who, with Wendy Nicholson of Broomieknowe, is handling sponsorship and visitors for the recently announced Edinburgh golf initiative, added: 
Well run Ranking competitions are great for clubs and members as they boost participation levels right across the whole season. With the growth of internet use, and TV coverage of events like the Race to Dubai and Fedex Cup, there is a real demand for similar events at a club level. 
"Until now the ability to compare yourself against golfers at other clubs has been limited to team players, county or national squad ‘plus’ handicap golfers but, with MyGolfRanking, this is now available to club golfers of any ability. 
"At Swanston, we’re considering replacing our own internal Order of Merit competitions with MyGolfRanking tables, which are automatically updated each time we publish our results to our own website, reducing administration at our end to a simple click of a button once one of our competitions is completed.”



For further information, contact David Moir, Managing Director, in League with Golf Ltd

E  inleaguewithgolf@mail.com    M  07899 373216

Labels: ,

EUROPEAN RYDER CUP SQUAD NAMED WORLD TEAM OF 2012

NEWS RELEASE
RIO DE JANEIRO -- Usain Bolt was honored as the sportsman of the year at the Laureus Sports Awards on Monday night, and Europe's Ryder Cup golfers were selected the best team.
Bolt won his third Laureus Award after another dominant Olympic performance on the track at London, winning gold medals in the 100, 200 and 400 relay.
"This last season was a tough year," said Bolt, who also won the award in 2009 and 2010.
The European Ryder Cup team was honoured for its comeback victory over the United States at Medinah.
British heptathlete Jessica Ennis was chosen the sportswoman of 2012, Andy Murray was selected the top breakthrough athlete, and Felix Sanchez the main comeback athlete.
Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner was the winner in the action category after becoming the first skydiver to go faster than the speed of sound. Brazil's Daniel Dias won the disability award.
Michael Phelps won a special Laureus Academy award as the most decorated Olympian ever with 18 gold, two silver and two bronze medals, and former Olympian and London Games organizer Sebastian Coe won the Laureus' lifetime achievement award.
"The most honoured and sincere awards that can ever be given are those by your peers," Coe said. "This is an extraordinary honour. You only have to look at the good people you are surrounded by."
The winners of the annual awards were chosen by nearly 50 members of the Laureus sports academy.
Bolt, who said through his video remarks that he will "definitely" be back in Rio for the 2016 Games, was contending against Phelps, Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins, Formula One champion Sebastian Vettel, double Olympic champion Mo Farah and four-time FIFA world player of the year Lionel Messi, who scored a record 91 goals last year to cement his status as the world's top soccer player.
Novak Djokovic won the men's award last year and Rafael Nadal was the winner in 2011.
The European Ryder Cup team, captained by Jose Maria Olazabal and inspired by the late Seve Ballesteros, got the team honor. It trailed the U.S. 10-6 entering the final day but pulled off a series of epic singles victories to win the gold trophy.
"This is truly special, it means an awful lot to us," Ian Poulter said in a recorded message.
Other nominees for the team award were the U.S. Olympic basketball squad, the Spanish football team, the Miami Heat, Red Bull's Formula One team and the Chinese table tennis squad which won all possible medals in London.
Ennis, one of the faces of the British track team that thrived in London, had a strong performance at the hepthlaton, beginning with an impressive win at the 100 hurdles.
"It's so surreal to stand here," Ennis said. "It's an incredible feeling."
She was contending with Americans Serena Williams, Lindsey Vonn, Missy Franklin and Allyson Felix, as well as Jamaican sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. Vonn won the award in 2011.
Murray won the breakthrough prize after capturing the Olympic singles gold and his first Grand Slam title at the U.S. Open.
"Without a doubt it was the best year of my career," he said.
Sanchez got the comeback award after winning gold in the 400 hurdles eight years after his victory in Athens in 2004.
"After eight years without winning, it was difficult," he said. "To comeback and cross the line and win my second gold medal was obviously a special achievement for me."
Dias, who won six individual gold medals with world-record times at the Paralympic Games in London, was up against former F1 driver Alex Zanardi, who won two hand-cycling golds. Oscar Pistorius won the disability award last year.
Among the voting members in the Laureus academy are Jack Nicklaus, Boris Becker, Cathy Freeman, Dan Marino, Edwin Moses, Martina Navratilova, Franz Beckenbauer, Bobby Charlton, Steve Redgrave and Emerson Fittipaldi.


Labels:

GAVIN HAY SCORES FIRST USA WIN IN FINAL YEAR

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
 Colin@scottishgolfview.com
Gavin Hay, a 21-year-old member at both Grantown-on-Spey and Whitecraigs, Glasgow golf clubs and a fourth-year student at Carson-Newman University, Tennessee, has scored his first win on the US college circuit - only five days after he finished second in another tournament.
Hay shot rounds of 67 and 70 for a five-under-par total of 137 to head a field of 96 players by two strokes in the Tusculum Invitational at Link Hills Country Club, Greeneville, Tennessee.

Hay won the Grantown on Spey four-day open last summer and  previously won the North of Scotland and West of Scotland boys' match-play titles in the same year. He was a member of the North District team of four who won the Scottish area boys' championship.
His father Gordon, a well-known competition in North events over the years, said:
"Gavin is undecided about whether to return to Scotland or stay out in the States after he completes his four years at Carson-Newman University this spring but he is considering the EuroPro Tour as an option, if sponsorship is available to get him started."
Hay's victory in the Tusculum Invitational was the first by a Carson-Newman student since 2009 and his two-round total of 137 is the second lowest in the university's golf programme history, one behind the 136 record set by Matthew Cram-Smith in 2002.
Head coach John Minor said he's thrilled about Gavin's first college tournament win. 
"Gavin played a solid two days of golf and had a great attitude that helped to grab that win," Minor said. 
"It is not easy to win an individual golf tournament; most college golfers go through their career and never can get a win, so congratulations Gavin."
Hay is certainly getting a lot of competitive golf. He will be back in action on Monday at the Bobcat Invitational in Eatonton, Georgia.

MORE ON THE TUSCULUM INVITATIONAL
Jamie Chapman (Lincoln Memorial University) finished joint ninth behind Gavin Hay with scores of 74 and 69. Jamie hails from Sussex.
Jamie Reid, also a LMU student, from Peterhead, Aberdeenshire  finished T79 on 158 with scores of 74-84. Jamie is a freshman at Lincoln Memorial who won the team title with a total of 574.
Runners-up were Milligan College (579) with Tusculum College (580) third and Carson-Newman (581) fourth of 16 teams.   

Labels:

GOLF REPORT FROM NEWBURGH ON YTHAN GOLF CLUB

Newburgh on Ythan Golf Club lived up to its reputation as the North-east's Green Oasis of Golf again on Monday when the Seniors defied the weekend's blizzards to complete their Stableford Competition on clear but frosty ground.
John Stewart prevailed in the closest of finishes. His excellent 42 points was equalled by Fred Watson and Gordon Chalmers, but a better inward half gave John first place. He continues to lead the Seniors Winter Points League with 19 place points after 20 individual competitions.
Ally Howitt is 5 behind in second while Graeme Watson and Dave Mithen share third place on 12 points.

Leading Scores, Seniors Stableford

Monday, March 11
John Stewart (13) 42 pts; Fred Watson (25) 42; Gordon Chalmers (28) 42; Bobby Smith (20) 41; Graeme Watson (13) 39; Stan Hepburn (13) 38; Bobby McClymont(22) 38.

Seniors Winter Points League

After 20 Individual RoundsJohn Stewart 19; Ally Howitt 14; Graeme Watson 12; Dave Mithen 12.

Robert McClymont
Seniors Convener
Newburgh on Ythan Golf Club
01358723869

t

Labels:

GRAY, RONALD IN TARTAN TOUR 1-2 AT PGA CATALUNYA

Hayston's Stephen Gray won the Golfbreaks.com PGA pro-am individual competition's first prize of £794 at PGA Catalunya, North-east Spain  this week with scores of 72, 69 and 75 for a level par aggregate of 216.
In a Tartan Tour 1-2, Craig Ronald (Carluke) was runner-up with a total of 219 (74-69-76) and earned £529.
Scots-born Freddy Valenti (Poulton Park) was fourth on 224 and Paul Wardell (Whitekirk) fifth on 232

GOLFBREAKS.COM PGA PRO-AM
PGA Catalunya, Girona, NE Spain
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 216 (3x72)
215 Stephen Gray (Hayston) 71 69 75 (£794)
219 Craig Ronald (Carluke) 74 69 76 (£529)
220 Chris Hall (Rushcliffe)  72 76 72 (£397)
224 Freddy Valenti (Poulton Park) 72 74 77 (£357)
226 Frederic Grosset-Grange (unatt) 75 76 75 (£317)
232 Paul Wardell (Whitekirk) 73 74 85 (£291)


Labels:

NORTH-EAST ALLIANCE AT BANFF POSTPONED

Tomorrow's North-east Golfers' Alliance championship first-round competition at Duff House Royal has been postponed because of an inch of snow on the Banff course and the forecast of more to come on Wednesday.
The first round of the championship will now be played at Montrose Links a week tomorrow (Wednesday, March 20) with the Duff House Royal fixture rescheduled to become the second and final round on Wednesday, March 27.
The tee times arranged for tomorrow's postponed competition will be carried over to the Montrose Links fixture.
The NE Alliance scratch and handicap pro-am competitions will be played as listed at Murcar Links on Thursday and Friday, March 28 and 29. 

Labels:

TIGER WOODS BELIEVES HE WILL SOON BE AS GOOD AS EVER

FROM THE DAILY TELEGRAPH WEBSITE
By JAMES CORRIGAN 
World number two Tiger Woods believes his second win of the year points to sustained progress back to his best form. The 37-year-old made it two victories in four starts on the US PGA Tour as he registered his biggest triumph since 2009 with success in the WGC-Cadillac Championship in Miami.
He now heads to Bay Hill to defend his Arnold Palmer Invitational later this month before setting his sights on the Masters as he seeks to add to his 14-major haul for the first time since 2008.
On all but one of the seven occasions Woods has recorded multiple wins in a season, he has won a major, and the American believes his game is back on an upward curve.
''I felt towards the end of last year that I was heading that direction where things were becoming better,'' said Woods who, having gone more than two years without a victory, now has five in the last 12 months.
''I look at the three venues that I won last year, they were all three very good golf courses and I think winning at Torrey (Pines - in the Farmers Insurance Open in January) and then winning in Miami I've been on some pretty tough tracks.
''Bay Hill can play easy but we didn't have it easy on Sunday (last year); it was more like a US Open in Orlando.
''That gave me so much confidence heading into the off-season that I was heading in the right direction.
''I just keep going, keep plugging along, keep working with the things that Sean (Foley, his coach) wants me to do, and lo and behold, I've had two really good weeks this year.
''Any time I can win prior to Augusta it always feels good. I've been able to do it a few times throughout my career, which is nice.''
Woods benefited from an impromptu putting lesson from Steve Stricker - who regularly leads the stats on the greens - on the eve of the WGC tournament and as a result had just 100 putts in 72 holes.
''I've been putting at home and just still hadn't felt right,'' admitted the Ryder Cup star.
''I was still a little bit off but to have Stricks help me out like that, just like he always does, he's a great friend.
''We tend to help each other out with our putting. He basically got me in the same position that I was at Torrey so once he put me in there I felt comfortable.
''I said 'Well, this is not too foreign, this is what I was a month or so ago' and I started rolling it and it felt really good and I just basically carried it through the entire week.''

Labels:

PGA IN SCOTLAND REPEAT 36-HOLE CHALLENGE SERIES

PRESS RELEASE FROM THE PGA IN SCOTLAND

The PGA in Scotland are delighted to announce that they will run a “36 Hole Challenge Series” in 2013, again allowing non-PGA Professionals and members of the SGU Elite Amateur programme the opportunity to compete against the top Tartan Tour players.
The five Challenge Series tournaments will form a major part of the PGA in Scotland’s Order of Merit in 2013, adding to the The Gleneagles Scottish Championships, The Northern Open and 36 hole Pro-Am’s at Dumfries & Galloway and Deer Park Golf Clubs, to make a total of nine OOM events.
Although the series does not currently have a Title Sponsor, the first two events at Spey Valley and Cardrona are being supported by Macdonald Hotels, who, in addition to providing the venues are offering preferential room rates for competitors at their hotels in Aviemore and Peebles for the duration of the tournaments.
The series will return to Duddingston GC in Edinburgh in July and will once again conclude in the Highlands, with Brora and Tain sharing the hosting duties for the final event. One further event will be added to the schedule in July.
Full Series Schedule
30 Apr- 1 May                   Spey Valley
28 – 29 May                      Cardrona
2-3 July                            Duddingston
15 -16 or 22-23 July           TBC
24-25 September               Brora & Tain

Michael MacDougall, Secretary of the PGA in Scotland “These tournaments proved to be very popular last year, with over 30 non-PGA members competing alongside our talented Professionals over the course of the season.”
“We’re grateful to Macdonald Hotels for their support of our opening two events, although we are still seeking sponsorship, either for the overall series or in support of the individual events.”
“Last year, three of the four players who competed in the play-off at Spey Valley went on to gain their full European Tour card at the end of the season, so it’s easy to see the benefits of these type of tournaments. Not only that, but with Spey hosting the Scottish Challenge again this year, it offers domestic players the chance of competitive practice on the course.”






Labels:

Copyright © Colin Farquharson

If you can't find what you are looking for.... please check the Archive List or search this site with Google