RENFREWSHIRE GOLF UNION PRESS RELEASE

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Jack Currie is crowned RGU Boys Stroke Play Champion

Jack Currie of Greenock Golf Club has become the second 14 year old player in a row to win the Renfrewshire Golf Union Stroke Play Championship. He won the Caven Trophy, sponsored this year by Paisley based family run company STRATHAND SECURITY in blustery conditions at Whitecraigs Golf Club. 

In the morning round he scored 73 which was matched by Stephen Wilson – Greenock Whinhill with their nearest challengers scoring 76.

In the afternoon Jack held his composure well despite being 5 over par after 6 holes following a bit of a disastrous start. However he completed the remainder of the course in level par to finish with a 75 for a total of 148. Stephen Wilson was his nearest challenger but faded a bit after lunch and scored 78 for a total of 151 which put him in runner up position. Third place went to another 14 year old Matthew Dalrymple – Lochwinnoch Golf Club with a total of 153 with Anthony McAuley - Greenock Whinhill a further stroke back on 154.

The sixteen leading qualifiers now compete for the Freedman Trophy over Kilmacolm Golf Club where Stephen Wilson – Greenock Whinhill will be looking to retain his title of RGU Boys Match Play Champion.

The courtesy of Whitecraigs Golf Club given to the Renfrewshire Golf Union was much appreciated by all who took part.

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RORY McILROY ACCEPTS ONLY TOP OF THE RANGE SPONSORSHIP

  FROM THE BELFAST TELEGRAPH
Golf superstar Rory McIlroy is extremely choosy about who he does business with, it has been revealed.
The Co Down native might just have turned 24 but he is rapidly garnering a reputation as a canny businessman, skilled at maximising his sponsorship stake from a small number of carefully selected and internationally recognisable names.
Preserving the clean-cut image appears to be as much of a priority as the figure on the cheque -- "I don't want a lot of sponsors. I want a few quality ones," he has said.
McIlroy is also on record as declaring that endorsements cannot be allowed to cut too deeply into his practice schedule -- "I have to remember what got me this far". 
He admits he says no to 95pc of the companies who approach him and those he chooses, together with management company Horizon, must fit the McIlroy persona.
He is currently the third highest earner among golfers, behind Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, a ranking achieved largely through the eye-watering fee he managed to command from Nike, estimated to be worth $20m a year.
In the past four months, McIlroy has added Swiss watchmaker Omega, the official timepiece of James Bond and the Olympics, a brand synonymous with excellence and style. Other celebrity ambassadors include George Clooney and Nicole Kidman.
His other endorsements are the high-quality audio equipment company Bose and Santander Bank.
Before McIlroy signed with the watch company, he discussed his decision with his self-confessed "role model", the tennis superstar Roger Federer, according to 'The New York Times'.
Federer is another sports celebrity who has managed to preserve his own personality, grace and integrity, in the whirlpool of sponsorship offers and endorsement deals.
In his choices, McIlroy is keenly guided by two Irishmen, Conor Ridge and Colin Morrissey, who founded the Dublin-based Horizon Sports in 2005.
Horizon has said that there will be no endorsements unless they reflect McIlroy's combination of authenticity and approachability.
And, of course, the golfer himself, who is renowned for his wilful nature and his tendency to be honest to a fault, has the final say.
One issue Rory is adamant about -- he will never endorse an alcoholic beverage.
Instead, the precious free space on his golf bag carries the name of a different children's charity every week and the bag is auctioned at the end of a tournament.

TOLEDO FIRST MEXICAN WINNER IN CHAMPIONS TOUR HISTORY

FROM THE US CHAMPIONS TOUR WEBSITE
THE WOODLANDS, Texas -- Esteban Toledo celebrated Cinco de Mayo by becoming the first Mexican winner in Champions Tour history, beating Mike Goodes with a par on the third hole of a three-man playoff Sunday in the Insperity Championship.
The 50-year-old Toledo, making his ninth start on the 50-and-over tour, eagled the opening hole and finished with a 5-under 67 to match Goodes and Gene Sauers at 6-under 210 at The Woodlands Country Club.

Leaderboard Results Highlights

Toledo gave a lot of credit to caddie Larry Dittman.
"Yeah, Larry Dittman really helped me in the playoff to stay focused on the game and kept telling me to finish your swing," Toledo said. "Obviously, I've been working with my coach but my caddie really, really got me in the game."
Goodes shot a 72, and Sauers -- eliminated on the second playoff hole with a double bogey -- had a 74.
Cinco de Mayo marks the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, when Mexican troops defeated a French army of Napoleon III, then considered the mightiest military in the world.
Toledo, seven strokes behind Sauers entering the round, earned $270,000 for his second victory in a PGA TOUR-sanctioned event. He also won the Web.com Tour's 2005 Lake Erie Charity Classic.
The three players parred the first extra hole on the par-4 18th. Sauers dropped out on the second playoff hole -- also on the 18th -- after hitting his second shot into the water behind the green.
Toledo and Goodes went to the par-4 17th, and Toledo won with a tap-in par after Goodes missed a 5-footer.
"I played really good today," Goodes said. "I made four bogeys and never hit a bad shot."
Sauers had a triple bogey on the par-5 15th, the easiest hole in the tournament and one that he birdied in the first two rounds.
"I hit a bad chip shot and three-putted," Sauers said. "I gave the greens a little too much respect, thinking they were really fast, gave them too much respect and left it way short."
The three-time PGA TOUR winner rebounded with a birdie on the par-3 16th to regain a share of the lead.
Toledo had a chance to pull ahead on the final hole, but his 20-foot birdie putt curved away at the last instant.
Mark Calcavecchia and Loren Roberts tied for fourth at 3 under. Calcavecchia shot 69, and Roberts had a 72.
Bernhard Langer kept the top spot in the Charles Schwab Cup points race. He closed with a 72 to tie for 25th at 5 over. Fred Funk, the 2012 winner, also finished 5 over after a 70. 

LEADING FINAL TOTALS
 Par 216 (3x72)
210 Esteban Toledo (Mexico) 72 71 67 ($270,000), Mike Goodes (US) 69 69 72 ($144,000), Gene Sauers (US) 70 66 74 ($144,000).
Toledo won sudden death play-off.
213 Mark Calcavecchia (US) 75 69  69, Loren Roberts (US) 72 69 72 ($96,300 each).
215 Barry Lane (England) 77 67 71, Jay Haas (US) 73 75 67 ($68,400 each).

SELECTED TOTALS
222 Roger Chapman (England) 78 74 70 (T31) ($12,420).
227 Sandy Lyle (Scotland) 76 75 76 (T53) ($4,320)

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BRENDON TODD THE WINNER AFTER RAIN WASHES OUT WEB.COM TOUR FINAL ROUND

               SINGING IN THE RAIN  .. tournament winner Brendon Todd

FROM THE WEB.COM TOUR WEBSITE

By Joe Chemycz, Web.com Tour staff
ATHENS, Georgia – Brendon Todd earned his second career title Sunday when steady rains forced the cancellation of the final round of the Stadion Classic at the University of Georgia golf course and the tournament reverted back to the 54-hole standings.

Final results Full coverage

Todd’s 2-under 69 on Saturday moved him to 8-under 205, one stroke better than playing partner Tim Wilkinson and two in front of Nick Rousey.
Brazil’s Alex Rocha holed out his second shot for an eagle at the par-4 18^th Saturday to finish at 5 under and in fourth place.
The Course was deemed unplayable by tournament officials after more than 2 ½ inches of rain fell in the Athens area in a 24-hour period.
“I was ready to play today,” said Todd, who had not arrived at the course when he was notified of the results. “With all the rain we had and the water on the course it didn’t seem feasible that we would play. This is sweet. I don’t really care how I win.”
Todd, a 2007 UGA grad and former All-American, becomes the third consecutive Bulldog to win on the UGA course. He joins Russell Henley (2011) and Hudson Swafford (2012) as tournament champions.
“I think it has something to do with being comfortable out here,” said Todd, who helped the Bulldogs to the NCAA title in 2005. “You still have to hit all the shots but sometimes the shots are just more comfortable. I’m excited because I wanted to put my name on that list. It just makes it more special to get it done out here.”
Saturday’s third round was played in cold and rain and Todd had a feeling that Sunday’s round was in jeopardy if the rain persisted.
“I tried to treat it like a one-day shootout,” he said following play. “I knew there wouldn’t be anything bad that could come from leading after today (Saturday).”
Todd’s winning putt turned out to be an 18-foot birdie on the par-5, 17^th. Wilkinson had a chance to tie with a 12-footer but missed.
Todd opened the door on the 488-yard, 18^th hole when he three-putted for bogey, missing a 6-footer for par but Wilkinson failed to get up-and-down for par, missing his own putt from about 5 feet to tie.
“Missing that par putt was a bummer,” Todd said. “Tim had pretty much made every putt all day and I figured he’d make both of those putts. I figured I’d still be tied for the lead.”
The decision to cancel the final round came mid-morning, with light rain still falling in northeast Georgia.
“This was not a difficult decision,” said Web.com Tour Tournament Director Jim Duncan. “The course is completely unplayable. When you get a long, soaking rain like this on the clay, it basically becomes mush. There is not a tee on the golf course right now that’s playable, anywhere.”
Maintenance crews were doing their best to get the course ready but the rain proved too difficult to overcome.
“There are probably six to eight fairways that are really bad and there would be no relief,” said Duncan. “The guys would have to play it out of the water or drop it on a cart path.”
Duncan added that extending the tournament into Monday was not an option.
“The Web.com Tour regulations make it pretty clear what you can and what you can’t do,” he said. “We can’t purposely go into Monday on this Tour. You have to be able to start the round and finish it today.”
Notes & Quotes:
-- Todd earned his second career title in his 70th career start. He also won the 2008 Utah Championship.
-- Todd picked up a check for $108,000 and increased his season total to $143,528.
-- With the win Todd moved from No. 37 to No. 4 on the money list.
-- Todd’s statistics for the week: 28 of 42 fairways T24; 38 of 54 greens T13; 82 putts 6th
-- Todd becomes the second University of Georgia player from the 2005 NCAA Championship team to win on Tour this year. Former teammate Kevin Kisner won the Chile Classic in early March.
-- Runner-up Wilkinson matched his career-best finish this week. The only other time he finished second came at the 2005 Oregon Classic, which was also cut short to 54 holes because of rain on the final day. Wilkinson tied for second that week, three behind winner Jeff Gove.
-- Rocha’s solo fourth place this week gives him three top-5 finishes this season. He was T4 at the Colombia Championship and T5 at last week’s South Georgia Classic. Rocha, 35, jumped four spots on the list to No. 15.
-- Michael Putnam’s T5 finish this week gives him four top-10s in his last five starts. Putnam was T6 at the Chitimacha Louisiana Open, T10 at the Brasil Classic and T2 at last week’s South Georgia Classic. He moved up one spot on the money list to No. 9.
-- Edward Loar finished T18 this week and increased his lead on the money list. Loar’s season total is now $199,583, well in front of No. 2 Benjamin Alvarado’s total of $150,100. Alvarado missed the cut this week.
Russell Knox, tournament leader in the early rounds, subsided to a final placing of joint 13th and earned $10,920 for scores of 69, 66 and 76 for a total of 205.

TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES AND PRIZE MONEY

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HUGH HUNTER'S CLACKMANNAN COUNTY NEWS ROUND-UP

COUNTY FOURS UNDERWAY

The 2013 Clackmannan County Foursomes started last week at Tulliallan in cold conditions.  Each club is represented by three couples who play 18 holes foursomes golf and the aggregate of the three matches decides the winner.

 In the first match, Dollar took on Alva. Te match was pretty even over the opening nine, but Dollar just took the edge on the inward half, and finished 3 holes up

  MATCH RESULTS (Dollar names first)

S Borrowman/D Hulston 3 up on E Richardson/S McIvor

K Christie/R Watson junior all square with M Graham /A Aitken

V Allan/S McPherson 1 up on M Robertson/P Davidson 

  DOLLAR WIN 3 UP.

The second match in Round 1 set the 2012 holders of the trophy Braehead against Tillicoultry.  On the outward nine Braehead held a good lead, but coming back, Tillicoultry made a fight back in the second match.

Tillicoultry fought back from two down at the turn to take the tie on the last green by one hole, thanks to a good approach by John Gullen and an 8 ft putt from Scott Baird. 

  MATCH RESULTS (Braehead names first)

Ross Benvie/Allan Watson 6 up on Andy Anderson/Mark Walker

Rikky Alexander/Scott McChristie 1 down to John Gullen/Scott Baird

Jim Muir/David Finlayson all square with Colin Johnstone/Blair Paterson

  BRAEHEAD WIN 5 UP

    In the semi-finals, Dollar play Tulliallan and Braehead play Alloa.

  COUNTY SENIORS OPEN THE SEASON.

  The opening meeting of the Scottish Seniors Golfing Society took place at Powfoot recently, and featured three Tulliallan golfers in the two round event.  Best placed was top County senior golfer Bob Stewart on 145 (75,77). Phil Dempsey 153  was next best with  Ian Peddie a bit further back  

 David Miller from Kilmarnock Barassie won the event with 145 (73,72).

  SUCCESSFUL START FOR LAWRENCE

It's just over three months since Alva’s Lawrence Allan started his American University course at South East Louisiana.  He has had a good start, featuring in many of the golf teams which are of a very high standard, and has achieved some very good results. 

His academic studies are also going well, and he will return soon to the Scottish season where his first event will be the prestigious Scottish Stroke Play event at Southerness from the 31st May to 2nd June. 

It’s almost an all plus handicap field. The best listing is a + 5.3!  

Other locals competing are Alloa’s Jamie Aitken and Dollar’s Scott Borrowman.

  

 SCOTT FEATURES IN LYTHAM TROPHY

The Lytham Trophy was the first amateur “major” of the 2013 season, and 23 Scots made the journey south to the Open Championship course at Royal Lytham and St Annes.  

In the 140 strong field, only six Scots made the cut. Dollar’s Scott Borrowman finished right on the cut mark at 151, and finished the 72 holes with two 76s to put him in 33rd equal position  (77,74,76,76) at 23 over par.  

 The winner recorded a 7 over par aggregate in the difficult conditions.

This week, Scott is over at Royal Dublin golf course playing in the Irish stroke play event.  These events are closely watched by the Walker Cup selectors for the  GB and I match against America later in the year.

 CALLUM MAKES CUT IN ITALY

After missing the cut in Madrid a couple of weeks ago,  Tulliallan’s Callum Macaulay bounced back in Italy making the cut  (only three of the ten Scots playing made it).
He finished a bit down the field (70, 68, 70, 73), but must gain some confidence for the European Tour events coming up.