Saturday, March 30, 2013

LEE WESTWOOD ONLY TWO SHOTS BEHIND SHELL HOUSTON OPEN JOINT LEADERS CINK AND HAAS

FROM THE US PGA TOUR WEBSITE
HUMBLE, Texas -- Seven players within four shots of the lead at the Shell Houston Open have never won on the US PGA Tour. Twelve of them still aren't in the field for the Masters. One of them is a journeyman who had to qualify Monday just to get a tee time at Redstone Golf Club.

In a tournament loaded with so many possibilities, one of the big surprises is a major champion.
Stewart Cink has not been heard from very much since that summer day at Turnberry in 2009 when he beat Tom Watson to win the British Open. His highest finish since then was third, and that was in the four-man field at the PGA Grand Slam of Golf. In 81 starts since becoming a major champion, he has missed the cut 30 percent of the time. He has plunged to No. 272 in the world ranking.
Cink finished off another solid round Saturday by saving par form the bunker on the 18th hole for a 4-under 68, giving him a share of the lead with Bill Haas.
"Tomorrow is a great learning opportunity for me to get out there and be nervous and perform and try to stay in the moment and let it happen," Cink said. "I can't wait."
Indeed, there will be a sense of urgency in this tournament.
Haas, the co-leader after 36 holes at Bay Hill last week, made seven birdies over his last 13 holes for a 67 and joined Cink at 11-under 205.
Now comes the hard part, 20 players separated by four shots on a course where birdies are available, but the slightest miss can prove costly.
"Tomorrow you're going to have to play very well," Haas said. "You can't just hang on and hope everybody else will fall back."
Steve Wheatcroft, who only got into this tournament through a Monday qualifier, got off to a good start and fell back with an embarrassing finish. Wheatcroft was tied for the lead when he shanked a shot from the greenside bunker on the 18th, the ball coming out at a 45-degree angle, over the green and almost into the gallery. He made a 15-foot putt to salvage bogey for a 72.
Wheatcroft still was only one shot out of the lead, along with Ben Crane (67), D.A. Points (71) and Jason Kokrak (71).
"If you don't catch it perfectly, it runs across the green into the water," Wheatcroft said about his bunker shot. "I opened the club face just trying to hit a high soft one and obviously I missed most of the club face."
Nine players were only two shots behind, a group that included former British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen (65), former world No. 1 Lee Westwood (67), former PGA champion Keegan Bradley (67) two-time major champion Angel Cabrera (69) and former PLAYERS champion Henrik Stenson (68), who is one round away from playing his way into the Masters through being top 50 in the world.Phil Mickelson finished his round of 67 before the leaders teed off, and he closed with a wedge into 6 feet for birdie. He wound up five shots out of the lead, still within range of trying to add another win before heading to Augusta for the Masters.
"I feel like I've got a low round in me tomorrow," Mickelson said before leaving to meet with former president George H.W. Bush, who attended the tournament Saturday.
Rory McIlroy had a chance to join the mix. Swinging more freely, the world's No. 2 player was poised to reach 6 under for the tournament with a superb bunker shot to 5 feet for birdie on the 13th hole. 
He missed the putt, and then missed the 3-footer he had left and wound up with a bogey. McIlroy short-sided himself on the next hole for bogey, and dropped another shot on the 18th with a tee shot into the water. He had to settle for a 71 and was at 214, nine shots behind.
"It's the best I've hit it on the golf course this week," McIlroy said.
Wheatcroft and Kokrak are among seven players within four shots of the lead who have never won on the PGA Tour, and Wheatcroft still has high hopes of winning to get a two-year exemption in the big leagues. He would be the first Monday qualifier to win since Arjun Atwal in August 2010 at the Wyndham Championship.
He would be the ultimately long shot, especially after the tweet he posted upon learning McIlroy had signed up for the Texas Open next week. Wheatcroft wanted everyone to know he signed up for the Texas Open qualifier on Monday, though a top-10 would get him into the field at San Antonio. A win would allow him to play two majors and two World Golf Championships this year, and just about anywhere he wanted on tour for the next two years.
Cink is going after his seventh tour win, though he made it sound like he was trying for his first.
"I'll be nervous and I definitely will not be ignoring the fact that I'll feel a little bit nervous tomorrow," he said. "But that's just natural human behavior and I'm looking forward to it. To get back in the hunt is what you play golf for when you're out on the PGA Tour. It's a lot of fun and hard work, but I can't wait."
Cink can only hope he hasn't forgotten how to finish, though experience could play a big factor.
Oosthuizen was the 54-hole leader in the Houston Open last year. Bradley was relieved to finally see some putts go in the hole. Westwood has started slowly this year, but he feels his game is rounding into shape at Augusta.
"There isn't a lot of experience at the top of the leaderboard," Westwood said. "There are some tough shots out there. Few birdie chances if you're hitting it well."
Lee Westwood, after a 67 for 207, is the leading British player, one ahead of Brian Davis and two ahead of Greg Owen, two of the lesser known Englishmen on the US Tour. 

 ALL THE THIRD-ROUND TOTALS
Par 216 (3x72)
205 Stewart Cink    71    66    68        
205 Bill Haas    68    70    67        
206 Ben Crane    69    70    67        
206 D.A. Points    64    71    71        
206 Steve Wheatcroft 67    67    72        
206 Jason Kokrak    66    69    71        
207 Bud Cauley    68    74    65        
207 Louis Oosthuizen 70    72    65        
207 Lee Westwood    68    72    67        
207 Billy Horschel    68    72    67        
207 Keegan Bradley 70    70    67        
207 Kevin Chappell    70    70    67   
207 Henrik Stenson    69    70    68        
207 Angel Cabrera    66    72    69        
207 Cameron Tringale 65    73    69        
208 Brian Davis    67    70    71        
209 Greg Owen    68    73    68        
209 John Merrick    68    72    69        
209 Charley Hoffman 68    71    70   
209 Dustin Johnson     69    70    70        
210 Phil Mickelson    72    71    67        
210 Chez Reavie    72    70    68        
210 Graham DeLaet     71    71    68   
210 Josh Teater    74    67    69        
210 Scott Verplank    72    68    70        
210 John Rollins    65    74    71   
211 D H Lee    72    71    68        
211 James Hahn    74    69    68        
211 Tim Herron    69    73    69        
211 Matt Jones    68    73    70        
211 Charles Howell III 69    72    70        
211 Jeff Overton    67    73    71        
211 Brendon de Jonge 71    68    72        
212 Steven Bowditch   73    70    69        
212 Jin Park    69    74    69        
212 Daniel Summerhays 72    71    69        
212 Kevin Stadler    70    73    69        
212 Brandt Jobe    69    73    70        
212 Brendan Steele    70    71    71        
212 Robert Streb    70    71    71        
212 Steve Stricker    73    68    71        
212 Scott Stallings    70    69    73        
213 Justin Leonard    71    72    70        
213 Charlie Beljan    71    72    70        
213 Pat Perez         72    71    70        
213 Chris Kirk    71    70    72        
213 Aaron Baddeley 70    71    72        
214 Nicholas Thompson 70    73    71        
214 Chris Stroud    71    72    71        
214 Cameron Percy    73    70    71        
214 Rory McIlroy    73    70    71        
214 David Lynn    72    70    72        
214 Kelly Kraft    70    72    72        
214 Ross Fisher    73    69    72        
214 Doug LaBelle II 71    71    72        
214 Nick Watney    71    71    72        
214 Ricky Barnes    73    68    73        
214 Bob Estes    71    69    74        
214 Hunter Haas    69    71    74        
214 Boo Weekley    70    69    75        
215 George Coetzee 72    71    72        
215 Henrik Norlander 74    68    73        
215 Gary Woodland     72    70    73        
215 Troy Matteson    71    71    73        
216 Harris English    69    74    73                 

216 Jordan Spieth    72    70    74        
216 Wes Short, Jr.    71    70    75        
216 Carl Pettersson    74    69    74        
217 Chad Campbell    72    71    74        
217 Jimmy Walker  68    71    78        
218 Jerry Kelly    71    72    75

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AYRSHIRE WINTER GOLF ASSOCIATION SCOREBOARD

PRO AM
GLASGOW GOLF CLUB


Professionals/Trainees
Score
1st P.McKechnie Braid Hills Golf Cntre 68 Pro
Jt 2nd G.Fox Rowallan 71 Trainee
Jt 2nd J.Mackay Gailes Driving Range 71 Trainee
Jt 2nd D.Addison Barassie 71 Trainee
Jt 2nd I.Colquhoun Dundonald 71 Pro
Team Winners
SCORE
1st P. Wilson  A.Connell F.Craig G.Clark 59 acb
2nd P.McKechnie A.Paterson J.McBREARTY D.Robertson 59
3rd G.Fox J.Jones A.Erskine N.Brown 61 acb
4th S.Garrett D.Wordsworth C.McLATCHIE J.Mathewman 61 acb
5th M.Paterson J.Devlin Craig Wright A.Waugh 61

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DEATH OF RETIRED GLASGOW GOLF WRITER JACK ROBERTSON

FROM THE ASSOCIATION OF GOLF WRITERS
WEBSITE
By JOCK MacVICAR 
Golf writers north of the border and beyond have lost a great friend and colleague in Jack Robertson, who recently passed away at the age of 78 after a lengthy spell of ill health.
Jack was a gentleman journalist, a thorough professional who never shirked an issue, but who was never abusive in print on a personal level, as sometimes is the case these days.
He was the golf and rugby correspondent for the Evening Times in Glasgow for many years, joining the AGW in 1964, the year “Champagne” Tony Lema won the Open at St Andrews.
Those of us who worked alongside Jack thoroughly enjoyed his company.  He had a dry sense of humour, and, sometimes on the surface at least, he could be quite acerbic.  But he never meant it, his face breaking into a broad smile within seconds of delivering a withering comment.
In the old days I was fortunate enough to travel quite a lot with Jack, mostly to faraway places for the likes of the Northern Open, and the Scottish Professional and Amateur Championships.
We took turns at using our car, and Jack, who had an old Mazda at the time, was very unfortunate in that almost every time he went on the road he had a puncture.
We became so proficient at changing wheels that on one occasion on the way to Dornoch, we were heartily applauded by a gang of roadmen.  Had we continued this routine for much longer we might have been recruited by Stirling Moss.
Although retiring in the mid-1990s, Jack did not shut himself off.  He continued to run the Evening Times Foursomes – now sadly gone – and met up regularly with his old mates at the Evening Times for lunch, liquid or otherwise.
He was also enthusiastic about the occasional “Old Farts” lunches we have in Glasgow and Edinburgh, where he was often at his acerbic best, cutting down to size the likes of Raymond Jacobs, Ian Wood, Renton Laidlaw, Ian Paul and myself.
His life was shattered, however, in 2003 when his wife, Mary, died after a long illness, during which he cared for her at their home in Stepps, just outside Glasgow.
It was a terrible blow to him, but he was supported wonderfully by his two sons, Euan and David, as he and Mary had supported them in their childhood.
Although, I don’t think quite getting over it, Jack never showed it when with friends and always claimed that he was “fine” when asked how he was.
In his day Jack was more than a decent golfer.  A single-figure handicap member at Lenzie, he once won two championships inside a matter of days, first the AGW Championship, and then, of all things, the Kilkeel Open in Northern Ireland.
The reason he won the Kilkeel Open was that in a desperate effort to have a game of golf on the Saturday while over for a tournament, he drove to Kilkeel and was told that his only chance of 18 holes was to enter the championship. 
He did, and he won, returning, slightly embarrassed, to our hotel that evening with Dixon Blackstock in a lather as he needed money to pay for the night’s celebrations. We all made a contribution, which Jack rapidly repaid as he was always first at the bar.
Thereafter he was known to those of us in the know as “Grand Slam Jack”
Most of his friends and former newspaper colleagues attended the Funeral Ceremony at Daldowie Crematorium in Uddingston, together with representatives from various golf unions and organisations.
It was a fine send-off for a friend none of us will ever forget.  It was bitterly cold, but during the ceremony the sun made a fleeting appearance.  It was as if Jack had ordered it. '
 
Jock MacVicar



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MARCEL SIEM FOUR SHOTS CLEAR, CRAIG LEE IN TOP TEN

NEWS RELEASE FROM EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS
Marcel Siem continued his dominance of the Trophée Hassan II after a third round of three under par 69 saw him stretch his lead to four strokes heading into the final round at the Golf du Palais Royal at Agadir on Morocco's western Atlantic coastline.
The German has led the tournament since the opening morning on Thursday and could yet win a place in the Masters if he collects a third European Tour career win on Sunday evening to barge his way into the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking from his current position of 72nd. 
Siem’s third round effort saw him post a 15 under par total aggregate of 201 to move him four strokes clear of Englishman David Horsey, Spain’s Pablo Larrazabal and the Finn Miko Ilonen.
With his three closest challengers all closing the gap during round three, Siem made a crucial run of four birdies between the seventh and 12th holes. 
“That was important because the pressure was on, especially from Mika at the beginning,” said Siem.
“He made the start that I was hoping for and then Pablo and David were coming at me as well. There was pressure there so it was great to make a few putts and pick up four in six holes. 
“It is very nice to have the gap back for the start of the final round tomorrow. I am pretty confident at the moment so I know the swing is there when I trust it and just let it go. That will be very important tomorrow.”
Siem is playing with the same level of confidence he displayed en route to the victory in the French Open last year, and he credits that victory for restoring his self-belief. 
“It helped me a lot to realise that I could win again and it gave me a lot of belief,” he confirmed.
“To do what I did there, in such a big tournament and on a golf course like Le Golf National with such a tough finish was really important. Hopefully can get me through tomorrow.”
SCOTSWATCH:
Craig Lee is hanging on in there in sixth place after a gritty 70 for 208 - seven shots off Siem's cracking pace but only three behind the trio on 205, so the runner-up spot is still in the Scot's sights.
Richie Ramsay had a 69 for 212 and joint 13th position with a round to go.
A shot behind on 213 are David Drysdale and Stephen Gallacher. Drysdale had his best round yet, a 67, while Gallacher had a 70.
Scott Henry had a nightmare day, an error-strewn 80 knocking him back to joint last of the qualifiers on 223. 
   
ALL THE THIRD-ROUND TOTALS
Par 216 (3x72) 
201 M Siem  (Ger) 64 68 69
205 D Horsey (Eng) 68 67 70; P Larrazábal (Esp) 72 64 69; M Ilonen  (Fin) 69 66 70
207 B Wiesberger  (Aut) 72 66 69
208 C Lee (Sco) 69 69 70
210 M Lundberg (Swe) 73 69 68; A Velasco (Esp) 67 74 69; M Baldwin (Eng) 72 70 68
211 S Wakefield (Eng) 68 72 71; J Luiten (Ned) 70 69 72; A Hartø  (Den) 71 67 73
212 O Fisher  (Eng) 73 69 70; R Ramsay  (Sco) 74 69 69; S Arnold  (Aus) 71 71 70
213 D Howell (Eng) 71 70 72; D Drysdale (Sco) 74 72 67; S Gallacher (Sco) 75 68 70; E Grillo (Arg) 74 70 69
214 G Mulroy (RSA) 73 67 74; J Quesne  (Fra) 71 72 71; P Waring  (Eng) 71 72 71; A Snobeck  (Fra) 75 67 72; G Lockerbie  (Eng) 69 76 69; F Molinari (Ita) 73 71 70; R Green (Aus) 75 71 68
215 C Paisley  (Eng) 73 67 75; S Webster (Eng) 74 72 69; D Popovic (Aus) 72 72 71; C Lloyd (Eng) 72 68 75
216 L Gagli  (Ita) 74 73 69; I Garrido (Esp) 77 69 70; J Hansen  (Den) 73 73 70; R McEvoy  (Eng) 71 70 75; J Parry (Eng) 73 73 70; J Elson  (Eng) 77 69 70; R Coles (Eng) 76 70 70; A Marshall (Eng) 73 71 72
217 M Wiegele  (Aut) 75 69 73; L Slattery (Eng) 74 71 72; A Levy (Fra) 73 74 70; J Lara (Esp) 72 71 74; D Brooks (Eng) 72 70 75; M Hoey  (Nir) 74 69 74; P Erofejeff (Fin) 76 69 72; E Kofstad (Nor) 74 73 70
218 G Storm  (Eng) 68 77 73; J Campillo (Esp) 72 74 72; K Horne (RSA) 77 69 72; B Ritthammer (Ger) 73 73 72; G Havret  (Fra) 70 71 77; M Lafeber (Ned) 77 67 74; A Cañizares  (Esp) 73 73 72
219 J Sjöholm (Swe) 78 69 72; M Southgate  (Eng) 72 75 72
220 E Molinari  (Ita) 81 66 73; C Del Moral (Esp) 78 68 74; M Korhonen (Fin) 76 71 73; F Andersson Hed (Swe) 75 72 73
221 S Luna (Esp) 72 73 76; J Walters (RSA) 71 71 79; S Dodd (Wal) 74 70 77
222 M Delpodio  (Ita) 74 70 78
223 A Tadini (Ita) 72 74 77; S Henry  (Sco) 72 71 80; M Madsen  (Den) 78 69 76
 
EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS

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RHYS DAVIES PLAYS ON WEST FLORIDA TOUR





Former Walker Cup and European Tour player Rhys Davies turned up on the Tony Jacklin West Florida Tour this past week.
To see how he fared and view the results:

CLICK HERE

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EWAN SCOTT FAVOURITE TO GO ONE BETTER IN NEXT WEEK'S SCOTTISH BOYS' CHAMPIONSHIP

NEWS RELEASE FROM THE SCOTTISH GOLF UNION
By ED HODGE

Some 10 days before the world’s best meet at Augusta for the first Major of the year, the US Masters at Augusta, the cream of Scotland’s young players will gather at Monifieth Golf Links on Monday (1 April) for the traditional curtain-raiser to the domestic season.

While Sandy Lyle will toast the 25th anniversary of his famous triumph at Augusta, the Angus links of Monifieth enjoys the privilege of hosting the prestigious Scottish boys' match-play championship  for the first time. 

The week-long Under-18 event, this year supported by TaylorMade-adidas Golf, is one of the most coveted events on the Scottish amateur calendar. Past winners include Dean Robertson, Andrew Coltart and Steven O’Hara and, more recently, European Tour rookie Scott Henry, who won back to back titles in 2004-05.


First played in 1935 at North Berwick, Monifieth will host the 72nd staging of the championship as a field of 255 players representing more than 130 different clubs bid to emulate last year’s champion from Peebles, Craig Howie.


A putting masterclass from Howie saw him enter the history books as the first Borders player to win the coveted match-play title for Under-18s. In the 36-hole final at Murcar Links, Howie swept aside St Andrews’ Ewan Scott (pictured above) in the afternoon session for a convincing 7 and 6 win.


With Howie now too old to play in the championship, Scott will seek to go one better than last year when the number one seed begins his campaign on Tuesday (April 2). 

The 17-year-old, who claimed his first national title at the Golf Data Lab Scottish Youths Championship last year en route to winning the Scottish Hydro Boys’ Order of Merit, has already been in impressive form across the globe this year, shining in Australia, South Africa and China.


Together with Blairgowrie’s Bradley Neil, the second seed at Monifieth, Scott won a gold medal with Team GB at the Australian Youth Olympic Festival, reached the semi-finals of the South African Amateur Championship and then won his section at the Faldo Series Asia Grand Final. 

“I’m playing good golf and confident enough,” said Scott, like Neil a member of the SGU Boys Performance Squad. “I’m going to Monifieth to win, but its matchplay – you can play well and lose or play badly and win. I’ll take one round at a time and see what happens.


“I’m pretty tired so I’ve been resting, but I’ll be ready for Tuesday. It would be nice to win another national title again after winning the Youths last year.” 

Ahead of going to university in America in late August, Scott is focusing solely on his golf this year and said of his experiences so far in 2013: “China was brilliant. Mission Hills was fantastic, a different course and culture, so it was good experience.


“I played well with the SGU Men’s Squad in South Africa and, again, it was a really good experience for me to be away from home for a long time.” 

Bradley Neil, meanwhile, is keen to make amends for last year’s quarter-final defeat to Scott at the 18th. The Great Britain and Ireland cap, who recently represented Scotland at the Boys Quadrangular in France, said: “Ewan and I have known each other for a long time, playing together for Scotland in the Boys’ Home Internationals and at the European Boys for example.


“It was great to see Ewan do well among the Men in South Africa, he has set an example for the Boys, performing so well on the international stage.


“There is a friendly rivalry between us. We’ve got a good friendship off the course. We have a laugh about the golf, but it’s about winning on the course and the Scottish Boys is a big event.”


“I know Monifieth pretty well, as does Ewan, given the Junior Tour has been there before,” added Neil, also 17.
"I’ve been fortunate to have played quite a lot of golf there. It’s a good match-play course.”


Number three seed Ewen Ferguson (Bearsden), who has been performing well while studying in America, along with other top-five seeds George Burns (Williamwood) and Cowglen’s Alan Waugh, a beaten semi-finalist last year, will also hope to shine at Monifieth. 

Connor Syme from Dumfries and County, Robert MacIntyre (Glencruitten) and Calum Hill of Tantallon complete the seeds, while other names to look out for could be Connar Cook from Caird Park, who reached the semi-finals last year, Lothians’ Murray Naysmith from Marriot Dalmahoy and Glenbervie’s Ben Craggs, son of Kevin, the Scottish Ladies’ Golfing Association National Coach.


Deeside duo Craig and Michael Lawrie, the sons of Ryder Cup hero Paul, will also hope to impress, with Paul set to follow the teenagers in action before making his journey to Augusta.



 

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YOKOO GOES CLEAR IN JAKARTA PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

JAKARTA, Indonesia - Japan's Kaname Yokoo birdied the last for a five-under-par 67 on Saturday to burst away from a crowded leaderboard after three rounds of the Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia PGA Championship.
The 40-year-old Yokoo, who has won five times on the Japan Tour, is 15 under for the tournament -- a stroke ahead of six others around the rolling 7,198-metre (6,581-yard) Arnold Palmer-designed Emeralda Golf Club course. 
The tournament is sanctioned by both OneAsia and the Japan Golf Tour Organisation, bringing together one of the most powerful Asia-Pacific fields ever assembled. Earnings count towards both money lists, and a win at Emeralda gives the champion status on both tours.
Yokoo, who plays without a glove despite the sweltering conditions, has been something of a golfing globetrotter in his 18-year career, having also spent time on the U.S. PGA Tour where his best finish was joint second at the 2002 Phoenix Open. 
He also enjoyed a brief spell in the limelight in 2005 when he lost a playoff at the Dunlop Phoenix Open on the Japan Tour to Tiger Woods.
Still, he remains modest about his chances in the final round on Sunday.
"I have no pressure and I'm not nervous because I don't think I will be able to win this tournament," he said. 
"My shots are sometimes good and sometimes bad. Tomorrow I'll just try to keep up as my target was actually top 20."
Yokoo knows he will have to be at his best on Sunday to stay ahead of a leaderboard as jammed as Jakarta's notorious traffic, although a holiday weekend and clear blue skies have made it a breeze for spectators.
Leading the challenge will be 10-time Japan Tour winner Yuta Ikeda (67) and countryman Toshinori Muto (70) who has won five times in the Land of the Rising Sun. They share second place with Australians Scott Strange (67) and Aaron Townsend (70) and the Korean duo of Choi Ho-sung (65) and Lee Kyoung-hoon (66). 
Overnight leader Song Young-han (72) is one of four players on 13 under, while defending champion Andre Stolz (74) is seven shots off the space in the middle of the field.
Strange in particular, winner of OneAsia's first Order of Merit in 2009, has hit a rich vein of form and finished runner up in his last two tournaments -- including the season-opening Thailand Open a fortnight ago. 
"Thailand was Thailand, I felt I should have won that," said the Perth native, whose last win on OneAsia was the Volvo China Open in 2009.
"I have not played as well this week, but I am in with a chance so that is a positive." 
The dapper Choi, winless since 2011, is also keen to get his hands on the U.S. $180,000 winner's cheque -- the biggest prize in Asian golf this week.
"It wasn't quite as hot today so that suited my game," he said. "If it stays the same tomorrow, I am really hoping for a good round. I am very anxious to do well."
A host of star players are still in the hunt including Asian Tour reigning Order of Merit champion Thaworn Wiratchant,  whose decision to skip a tournament in his native Thailand this week and play on OneAsia was rewarded with a third-round 66 for an 11 under par total and share of 14th place.
China's Liang Wenchong, winner of the Order of Merit on both Asian circuits and a four-time OneAsia champion is 12 under after shooting 69 on Saturday.  Countryman Wu Ashun, the first player from the mainland to win on the Japan Tour, is a stroke behind.
Other notables include England's Simon Dyson, nine under after shooting 68, and India's Jeev Milkha Singh (70) three shots further behind.

THIRD ROUND TOTALS
Par 216 (3x72) Yardage 7,198

201 Kaname YOKOO (JPN) 68-66-67.
202 CHOI Ho-sung (KOR) 67-70-65, LEE Kyoung-hoon (KOR) 65-71-66, Yuta IKEDA (JPN) 67-68-67, Scott STRANGE (AUS) 68-67-67, Aaron TOWNSEND (AUS) 69-63-70, Toshinori MUTO (JPN) 67-65-70.
203 Azuma YANO (JPN) 67-69-67, Yusaku MIYAZATO (JPN) 68-66-69, Yoshinori FUJIMOTO (JPN) 66-66-71, SONG Young-han (KOR) 65-66-72.
204 LIANG Wen-chong (CHN) 66-69-69, Hideto TANIHARA (JPN) 66-68-70.
205 Thaworn WIRATCHANT (THA) 71-68-66, WU Ashun (CHN) 70-68-67, Juvic PAGUNSAN (PHI) 69-71-65, LEE Sang-hee (KOR) 70-70-65, Gareth PADDISON (NZL) 68-73-64, Shingo KATAYAMA (JPN) 65-69-71.
206 JOO Heung-chol (KOR) 72-67-67, Yosuke ASAJI (JPN) 71-68-67, Richard T LEE (CAN) 65-71-70, Stephen DARTNALL (AUS) 69-72-65.
207 YANG Ji-ho (KOR) 70-69-68, Simon DYSON (ENG) 69-70-68, LI Xin-yang (CHN) 71-67-69, KIM Kyung-tae (KOR) 68-70-69, LEE Han (USA) 70-68-69, Jason NORRIS (AUS) 70-66-71, Katsumasa MIYAMOTO (JPN) 65-70-72.
208 Matthew GRIFFIN (AUS) 69-70-69, Michael HENDRY (NZL) 69-70-69, David OH (USA) 69-70-69, Nick CULLEN (AUS) 68-70-70, Kazuhiro YAMASHITA (JPN) 65-72-71, Ted OH (KOR) 69-68-71, KIM Dae-sub (KOR) 71-69-68, Andre STOLZ (AUS) 67-67-74.
209 LEE Tae-hee (KOR) 69-70-70, Kurt BARNES (AUS) 71-67-71, Kunihiro KAMII (JPN) 69-71-69, Koichiro KAWANO (JPN) 69-71-69, KIM Hyung-sung (KOR) 70-67-72, Mark BROWN (NZL) 69-72-68, PARK Sang-hyun (KOR) 67-69-73, Terry PILKADARIS (AUS) 70-71-68.
210 PARK Jun-won (KOR) 69-70-71, Yosuke TSUKADA (JPN) 69-70-71, HUR In-hoi (KOR) 68-70-72, Jeev Milkha SINGH (IND) 70-70-70, Jay CHOI (USA) 69-68-73, LI Hao-tong (CHN) 71-70-69, Andik MAULUDIN (INA) 70-71-69.
211 S K HO (KOR) 70-71-70, RYU Hyun-woo (KOR) 76-65-70, Stephen LEANEY (AUS) 70-71-70, KIM Do-hoon 753 (KOR) 73-68-70, David McKENZIE (AUS) 69-72-70.
212 Lucas LEE (BRA) 70-69-73, Masamichi UEHIRA (JPN) 69-72-71.
213 LEE Jung-hwan (KOR) 69-71-73, Tadahiro TAKAYAMA (JPN) 67-73-73, JANG Dong-kyu (KOR) 68-73-72.
214 Paul SHEEHAN (AUS) 71-69-74.
215 Akinori TANI (JPN) 66-73-76, Matthew MILLAR (AUS) 67-74-74.
216 PARK Eun-shin (KOR) 68-71-77, Naomi OHTA (JPN) 69-72-75.
217 Kim FELTON (AUS) 72-69-76.
 

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PRAYAD GOES FIVE SHOTS CLEAR IN THAILAND

NEWS RELEASE FROM ASIAN TOUR
Chiangmai, Thailand: Thai veteran star Prayad Marksaeng fired a majestic six-under-par 66 to open up a commanding five-shot lead over countryman Thongchai Jaidee and Australia’s Matthew Stieger after the third round of the inaugural US$750,000 Chiangmai Golf Classic today.
The 47-year-old Prayad, who led by two overnight, went out with a flawless 31 at the Alpine Golf Resort-Chiangmai before shooting three more birdies against two bogeys to put some daylight between him and the chasing pack with a 18-under-par 198 total.
Thongchai, a three-time Asian Tour number one, battled to a 69 for tied second place but conceded he needed a miracle to topple the runaway leader for a win which he needs to break into the world’s top-50 and earn a place at the Masters Tournament in two weeks’ time.
Newcomer Stieger shot a fine 68 as he remained bogey-free for the week while Asia’s first Major winner Y.E. Yang of Korea carded a 67 for a share of fourth place on 204 with South African Anton Haig (66), Kiradech Aphibarnrat of Thailand (66), Indian Digvijay Singh (70) and Australian duo Marcus Both (65) and Scott Hend (67).
Four-time Major champion Ernie Els of South Africa fired his lowest round of the season with a 66 to move up to tied 15th place, eight shots behind the leader.
In-form Prayad, who has won three times at home this year including his national Open a fortnight ago, is chasing his seventh Asian Tour title but his first in nearly six years on the region’s premier Tour, which is celebrating its milestone 10th season in 2013. A chip-in eagle on seven proved to be the highlight of his day as he held on to the lead for the third straight day.
“I have a five-shot lead now and I will play steadily and not be aggressive. I think the pressure is on those chasing me. They need to have a good front nine or else they won’t be able to catch up with me,” said Prayad.
The smooth-swinger felt the effects of the heat and humidity over Alpine and stumbled briefly with bogeys on 15 and 16 before bouncing back with a birdie on 17. “I made mistakes but it doesn’t matter. I was careless on 16 but I still think I have a very strong advantage,” said Prayad. “I felt tired because it was quite hot. But I feel very comfortable on this golf course because I like the landscape a lot. I like playing on golf courses with nice scenery.”
Thongchai, who needs a win on Sunday to have a chance of qualifying for the Masters, sank five birdies against two bogeys to keep alive his slim hopes of lifting a 14th Asian Tour victory. “I think the problem was my putting and reading the lines,” said the three-time Asian number one, who needed 30 putts.
“I hit a lot of good shots but the greens are killing (me). They are tough to read. Prayad played so well. He dropped a couple of shots but he came back. He likes the course and he’s in form. He’s got a good chance. I’ll try my best but I’ll need luck tomorrow,” added Thongchai, who is ranked 59th in the world.
Stieger, playing in his rookie season on the Asian Tour, was delighted to keep the bogeys off his card at the Chiangmai Golf Classic, the first Asian Tour event in the northern city of Chiangmai.
“I’m pretty amazed I’m through 54 holes without any bogeys ….touch wood! Hopefully we can keep that going. The last three days, I’ve stayed really patient and had some good chances,” said 22-year-old.
Like Thongchai, the powerfully-built Yang, who is an Asian Tour honorary member, was also mystified by the tricky Alpine greens, needing 28 putts for his round. “I could have scored lower. I missed a lot of short putts which will probably haunt me,” said Yang, who won the U.S. PGA Championship in 2009.
“It’s confusing some times. Some greens look like it’s going right but it doesn’t necessary mean so.  I’ll try to get to four or five under on the front nine tomorrow, try to put some pressure on Prayad. Sometimes, a six-shot difference can change very easily.”
Both, a two-time Asian Tour champion, produced the joint low round of the day as he stormed home with an eagle and three birdies over his closing five holes. “I’m not going to be disappointed with a 65 but I was playing with Pariya (Junhasavasdikul) and he reminded me that I should have been a few better! I’m sure I’ve got a bit of work tomorrow (to catch Prayad),” said the 33-year-old Aussie.
James Byrne had a couple of 6s over the space of three holes in reurning a 72 for 214 and a share of 59th place.
He bogeyed the long seventh and then double-ogeyed the par-4 ninth. 
 
THIRD ROUND TOTALS
Par 216 (3x72) Yardage 7,471
198 Prayad MARKSAENG (THA) 65-67-66.
203 Matthew STIEGER (AUS) 68-67-68, Thongchai JAIDEE (THA) 69-65-69.
204 Marcus BOTH (AUS) 71-68-65, Anton HAIG (RSA) 72-66-66, Kiradech APHIBARNRAT (THA) 71-67-66, Scott HEND (AUS) 68-69-67, Y. E. YANG (KOR) 69-68-67, Digvijay SINGH (IND) 67-67-70
205 Gaganjeet BHULLAR (IND) 70-70-65, Boonchu RUANGKIT (THA) 70-68-67, Zaw MOE (MYN) 70-67-68, SIDDIKUR  (BAN) 69-67-69, HU Mu (CHN) 66-69-70.
206 Ernie ELS (RSA) 69-71-66, Thitiphun CHUAYPRAKONG (THA) 68-70-68, BAEK Seuk-hyun (KOR) 69-69-68, Jason KNUTZON (USA) 67-69-70, Pawin INGKHAPRADIT (THA) 67-68-71.
207 Wade ORMSBY (AUS) 70-70-67, Jaakko MAKITALO (FIN) 72-66-69, Jake HIGGINBOTTOM (AUS) 70-68-69, Mithun PERERA (SRI) 70-66-71, Bryce EASTON (RSA) 68-67-72, Jonathan MOORE (USA) 66-68-73
  
SELECTED SCORE
214 James Byrne (Scotland) 73 69 72 (T59)

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NIDDRY CASTLE GOLF CLUB HAVE TO PAY £320,000 TO GOLFER WHO LOST AN EYE AFTER BEING HIT BY A BALL

FROM THE HERALD.COM WEBSITE

These are turbulent times for golf clubs across the country and, amid the myriad economic challenges brought on by dwindling memberships, the threat of court action has added another layer of menace.
Earlier this month, appeal court judges announced that the Niddry Castle club in West Lothian would have to pay a substantially higher proportion of damages than had been originally ruled after a golfer lost an eye when he was hit by a ball in 2007.
The club were ordered to pay 30% of the £400,000 claim because of a lack of warning signs on the course, after Anthony Phee was struck by James Gordon's tee shot.
However, the later ruling said the club were responsible for the "lion's share of blame" and ordered Niddry Castle to pay 80% of the total damages, nearly £320,000, with Gordon and his insurers picking up the rest.
The case has made club secretaries across the country sit up and take notice and Garry Ferguson, a partner in the Glasgow-based legal firm BTO solicitors, urged clubs to take swift action in these increasingly fraught times of "risk assessment".
Whether we get to a point when we're all handed a hard hat and goggles along with our scorecard and some complimentary tees by the starter on the first remains to be seen.
However, there is no denying legal procedures involving incidents on the golf course are on the rise. Gavin Dear, the former Walker Cup player, was hauled to court recently to contest a case in which a ball spotter was seeking £50,000 in damages. He lost sight in one eye after being struck by Dear's ball during an amateur event in 2009. 
Editor's note: The judge has yet to deliver his ruling on that case.
"These types of cases are becoming more common. It's the society we live in now and the way legislation is drafted," Ferguson said. "If you don't advise people of the risks then you are exposing yourself to potential claims.
"In the Niddry Castle case, the club were found liable as occupiers of the course and occupiers owe a duty of care to anyone entering on to the premises.
"If there was a sign saying you could be hit by a ball then that would have drawn it to the attention of the players and if they had carried on and taken that risk then it was down to them. Insurers will be looking at this very closely now.
"When it comes to renewal policies, they will asking clubs 'have you done this and that?' in relation to risk assessment. It could have a huge impact on the premiums."
Ferguson says decisive and relatively straightforward action from clubs now could save them considerable anguish down the line.
"In theory, it sounds onerous but in reality it's probably not," he said. "The courts are not saying don't play, they are saying look at the extent of the risk and whether it can be reduced.
"Where are the risky bits? Where do you walk from one hole to the next? If there is a risk, stick a sign there and in the court's view that would probably be enough."

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