RUSSELL WEIR LEADING SCOT IN SENIOR PGA PRO CHAMPIONSHIP

FROM THE PGA WEBSITE
 Former champion John Lower turned back the clock to set the early pace at the Senior PGA Professional Championship at a damp and chilly Northants County.
The 64-year-old Wollaton Park professional, who captured the title in 2003, carded an impressive one-under-par 69 on the opening day of the 54-hole championship.
A shot further back on level par are Richard Masters (Baildon), Brian Sharrock (BFS Trading Ltd) and two-time PGA Cup player and past PGA professional champion Paul Carman.
Decked out in kit more akin to a winter medal in December than the early shoots of summer, it was Lower’s putting that was red hot as he sank four birdies to offset three bogeys.
He capitalised on both par fives, the second and 18^th, with other gains at the third and 14^th. His dropped shots came at the seventh, 10^th and 16^th.
Lower, who also claimed the Super 60s title in 2008, said: “I putted well and that was the key to my game today.
“I drove it pretty decent but it was the putting as I made some good saves as well as a few birdies.
“In general, it wasn’t a remarkable round of golf but the best I have putted for a number of years.
“I’m 65 in August so it was very pleasing to do that. I come here with a positive attitude and who knows what may happen. I don’t expect to win it but I don’t write it off.”
His round was even more remarkable, given the conditions faced by the field.
“The conditions were very tough but the course played extremely well and was in excellent condition, which given the winter we have had is a credit to the club.
“It’s been winter hats and winter mitts…in May. We were lucky with the weather though as I thought it was going to get worse so we had a let off.”
Lower sat atop of the leaderboard for the majority of the day, fleetingly knocked off by Murray White (Penfold Park Golf Club) and Simon Wood (Staplehurst Golf Centre). However both saw their challenges fade over the back nine.
But Masters, Carman and Sharrock came through the barrage, with bright sunshine the order of the day for the late finishers.
Masters, who tied ninth last year, had a real mixed card of five birdies, including a closing pair, and five bogeys for his level par 70.
Carman eagled the par five second but dropped a shot at the next. Ten pars followed before going bogey-birdie-bogey from the 14^th.
Sharrock recovered from opening with a double bogey on the first with instant birdies at the next two holes. After the turn, he dropped shots at the 10^th and 13^th with gains at 12 and 14.

A cut will be made after the second round with the top 40 players and ties battling it out for a share of the £35,000 prize fund, while the top 20 will qualify for next month’s ISPS HANDA PGA Senior Championship at De Vere Mottram Hall, Cheshire.
PGA Cup captain Russell Weir (pictured) from Cowal was the leading Scot at the end of the first day, in joint fifth place with a one-over 71.
Fraser Mann (Musselburgh) had a  72 to scrape into the top 10.

LEADERBOARD
Par 70
69 John Lower (Wollaton Park)
70 Richard Masters (Baildon), Paul Carman, Brian Sharrock.
SCOTS' SCORES
71 Russell Weir (Cowal) (T5)
72 Fraser Mann (Musselburgh) (T9).
73 Bill Lockie (North Gailes), Stephen Craig (Weinberg), Murray White (Penfold Park) (T13).
74 Alastair Webster (Edzell), Martin Gray (T28)
75 Peter Smith (Deeside), Kyle Kelsall (T39)
77 Iain Clark, Campbell Elliott (Haggs Castle), John Chillas (T68).
78 Albert Mackenzie (Saunton), Garry Harvey (Kinross), John Heggarty (Royal Liverpool), Iain Parker (Royal North Devon) (T80).
79 Alan Hemsley (Barnham Broom) (T93).
80 Henry Arnott, John McTear, Duncan Williamson(Kirkhill) (T97).
81 Robert Hunter (Malden) (T111)
82 Keith Baxter (Buchanan Castle) (T117)
83 Jim Christine (Worplesdon),Gordon Goldie (Chingford GR) (T124).   
84 Robert Webster (T135)
Retired - Jim Farmer (R and A).      

TOM LEWIS FEELS AT HOME FOR MADEIRA ISLANDS OPEN

NEWS RELEASE FROM EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS

The spectacular venue for the Madeira Islands Open is approximately 600 miles from the south coast of mainland Portugal, where Tom Lewis claimed a famous win in 2011, but a sense of familiarity has filled the Englishman with confidence this week. 

Lewis launched himself into the limelight when, aged 20, he landed a fairytale victory at the Portugal Masters, just three months after carding the lowest ever round by an amateur at The 2011 Open Championship - a five under par first round 65 which handed him a share of the overnight lead.

The 22 year old, pictured, makes his Madeira Islands Open debut this week at Clube de Golf do Santo da Serra and he is enjoying being back on Portuguese soil. 

“It’s my first time here and it’s a really nice place,” said the 2011 Walker Cup team winner. “My family are out and it’s a lovely place to come so I'm looking forward to it and hopefully the weather will hold out for the week.

“A lot of players have had success in certain areas and I love Europe, personally. There are a lot of different culture changes in certain tournaments on The European Tour but in Europe the atmosphere is great, especially in places like Portugal – you get really nice people and lovely food and I feel comfortable with everything.” 

Lewis arrives in Madeira on the back of three consecutive missed cuts but he believes he is at a crucial juncture in his career, where hard work and determination are imperative if he is to repeat the success of the 2011 Portugal Masters.

“I’m not unhappy with where I am at the moment,” he said. “It has been a steep learning curve for me since 2011. Most people usually come up to The European Tour in stages and then when they’re ready, they make the step up. 

“For me, I was just lucky that I played well in that one week and got that first win so early. I played well through all four rounds and I haven’t done that quite as well since.

“The hard work is now and I need to get my head down and if I work harder than everyone else then the results will come and if I don’t I won’t be able to compete.” 

Ricardo Santos, meanwhile, will defend the title he won last year, a victory which helped earn him the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year award. The Vilamoura native became the first Portuguese to win on home soil and is sure to receive a hero’s reception on his return this year.

Tano Goya (2009), Alastair Forsyth (2008), Daniel Vancsik (2007), Robert-Jan Derksen (2005), Bradley Dredge (2003), Niclas Fasth (2000), Jarmo Sandelin (1996) and Santiago Luna (1995) are the other former champions who will be looking to add to their trophy haul at Clube de Golf do Santo da Serra.

Former Ryder Cup players in the field include Frenchman Thomas Levet, Denmark’s Søren Hansen and Oliver Wilson of England, while multiple European Tour winners Nick Dougherty, Robert Rock and Grégory Bourdy will also feature.

  

EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS

  ­­ 

McDOWELL IMPRESSED BY BULGARIAN VENUE FOR MATCH-PLAY

 NEWS RELEASE FROM EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS

Graeme McDowell is hoping the Volvo World Match-Play Championship’s pioneering visit to Bulgaria will inspire him to go one better than last year when he finished runner-up to Nicolas Colsaerts.

McDowell was suitably impressed by the quite stunning Thracian Cliffs and Beach Resort ahead of his first-round matches against Stephen Gallacher and Chris Wood in the Seve Ballesteros group, with the top two going through to the weekend knock-out rounds. 

Bulgaria is the 40^th different country to stage a European Tour event, and 2010 US Open Champion McDowell cites that great variety as the tour’s unique selling point.

“This tournament is what The European Tour is all about really,” said McDowell. “We have certainly been taking tournaments to new countries and destinations around the world and really pioneering the professional game. 

“I think the Tour has been a huge influence in Asia and other amazing places around the world. It's cool to be able to come to a place like Bulgaria, somewhere I've never been before, and experience a new culture.  We are introducing this country to golf in many ways and that's what's great about The European Tour.

“The US PGA Tour can be a little one dimensional, great conditions every week; same conditions every week, weather and hotels and restaurants and I think what's great about The European Tour is all new cultures and new environments and new places that we play.  You've got to adapt your game and you've got to dig in there sometimes.

“And the camaraderie that this tour creates is all because of the way we travel, I think that it's what's very unique and it's what's great about this tour and why we are certainly trying to get behind it and try and put it back on the map again as far as getting more sponsors like Volvo in golf

who are really looking to grow the game globally.” 

McDowell, a winner on the PGA Tour just two weeks ago, is hoping to take his winning form to Bulgaria.

“My form is really good,” he continued. “My game is ticking over nicely, taking some nice form, and it’s nice to be back in Europe for a couple weeks.

“This match-play format is obviously a little fickle so you just have to take each game as it comes. You certainly can't take anybody lightly this weekend.

“Chris Wood obviously won earlier in the year at Qatar, good player; I like the way he plays, and Stephen Gallacher is one of those streaky players - when he gets going, he's hard to beat, he's long and strikes it great. 

“There are no easy matches this week, there really isn't. It’s just a case of getting out there and hoping you can get the job done. I don't think there's such a thing as an easy group looking down the list, so just have to put my head down Thursday and Friday and hope for the best really.”

  PROGRAMME OF MATCHES
 

 Thursday                                                           

                                                               

Gonzalo FERNANDEZ-CASTANO v Jamie DONALDSON

Thorbjorn OLESEN v Carl PETTERSSON

Henrik STENSON v Francesco MOLINARI

Branden GRACE v Nicolas COLSAERTS

Bo VAN PELT v  Richard STERNE

Peter HANSON v George COETZEE

Ian POULTER v Thongchai JAIDEE

Graeme McDOWELL v Chris WOOD

                                                               

Friday                                                   

Morning                                                          

DONALDSON v Brett RUMFORD

PETTERSSON v Scott JAMIESON

MOLINARI v Felipe AGUILAR

COLSAERTS v Kiradech APHIBARNRAT

STERNE v Geoff OGILVY

COETZEE v Shane LOWRY

JAIDEE v Thomas AIKEN

WOOD v Stephen GALLACHER

 Afternoon                                                              

FERNANDEZ-CASTANO v RUMFORD

OLESEN v JAMIESON

STENSON v AGUILAR

GRACE v APHIBARNRAT

VAN PELT v OGILVY

HANSON v LOWRY

POULTER v AIKEN

McDOWELL v GALLACHER

 

GOOD START BY ELLIOT SALTMAN IN EUROPRO TOUR EVENT

Elliot Saltman has made a good start to this week's PGA EuroPro Tour event, the

Astbury Hall Classic.

He shot a three-under par 67 to end the day one behind leader Dan Waite (Wisley).

Starting on the tenth, Saltman made eight pars and a birdie at 17 before turning home to hit successive par breakers at the first, second and third. 

A bogey 4 on the short fifth denied him a share of the lead but Saltman, who only just missed out on a top-five finish on the 2012 888poker.com PGA EuroPro Tour Order of Merit, is well placed going into Thursday’s second round.

Limerick’s Rice shot five birdies and three bogeys as he signed for a two-under 68, a score matched by Cian Curley with four birdies and two bogeys.

Mark Kerr (Marriott Dalmahoy) in joint fifth place with a 69.

Greig Hutcheon (Banchory) shot a 70 to be joint 12th with two rounds to go.

The Astbury Hall Classic is a 54-hole strokeplay event with a field of 168 golfers. All the players will play a second round on Thursday

before a cut to the top 50 players plus ties is made ahead of a final 18 holes on Friday.

Spectator entry to the event is free throughout and live scoring is available at www.europrotour.com

A two-hour highlights package of The Astbury Hall Classic will be broadcast on Sky Sports on Wednesday, May 29.

LEADING FIRST ROUND SCORES

Par 70

66 Dan Waite (Wisley).

67 Elliot Saltman (Archerfield Links)

68 Tim Rice (Limerick), Cian Curley.

OTHER SCOTS' SCORES

69 Mark Kerr (T5)

70 Greig Hutcheon (T12)

71 Graeme Brown (T28)

72 Jordan Findlay, Neil Fenwick (T42).

73 Duncan Stewart, Zack Saltman (T61)

74 Malcolm Isaacs, Paul McKechnie (T76)

75 Jack Doherty, Wallace Booth, Scott Drummond (T90).

76 John Gallagher, Gavin Dear (T108).

77 Callum Trahan, Paul Shields (T134)

78 Paul Drake, Paul Doherty 

80 Mark Rae.

WHEN JOHNNY MILLER AND THE US COLLEGE STARS PLAYED AT BALGOWNIE

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
It's late July, 1965 and the Brigham Young University team from Utah are touring Scotland playing matches.
Although he had still to win the US Open (1973 at Oakmont) and the Open (Royal Birkdale, 1976), Johnny Miller was the BYU star player - the American junior champion of the previous year - among a team of talented players.
They beat a reinforced Aberdeen University team 8-2 at Royal Aberdeen  after winning the foursomes 3-0 at Balgownie on July 26.
The Press and Journal report of the day says:
"The men who prevented a whitewash defeat for the home team were former rugby blue Francis Clark and Bobby Haldon.
Clark, three up at the turn against Kean Ridd, putted in great style and with an inward half which started 3 4 3 3 3, he polished off his opponent by 6 and 4.
"There were some powerful finishes by the Americans in the singles. Coach Karl Tucker, one down to Colin Webster with two to play, holed out from a bunker for a 2 at the short 17th and then sank a putt for a birdie 3 to win on the last green.
"Nicol Stephen, an old blue, was one up with three to play against John Miller, the US junior champion last year, but lost the last three holes.
"John Hamilton, two up with four to play against Craig Ridd, was shaken by his opponent's 3 3 3 4 finish, which turned the deficit into a one-hole US victory."
Results (Aberdeen players first)

FOURSOMES (0-3)
R A N Stephen and J P Grant lost to J Miller and M Taylor 4 and 3.
F Clark and J Hamilton lost to B Allin and C Ridd  4 and 3.
R A Haldon and C J Webster lost to K Ridd and B Difioure 5 and 3.

SINGLES (2-5)
Stephen lost to Miller 2 holes.
N B Manson lost to Taylor 3 and 2.
Grant lost to Allin 4 and 3.
Hamilton lost to C Ridd 1 hole.
Clark bt K Ridd  6 and 4.
Webster lost to K Tucker 1 hole.
Halton bt Difioure 4 and 3.    

+The Brigham Young University team, who were in the UK primarily to compete in the 1965 British youths championship - a tournament scrapped by the R and A  years later, went north from Aberdeen to play a North District team at Nairn and then at Dornoch where Brora's Jimmy Miller scored a famous victory over Johnny Miller.
 
Murcar Links GC member John Hamilton, who played in the Balgownie match, has fond memories.

"I recall playing in the match vividly as we drafted in some graduates like Dr Francis Clark, Nicol Stephen, J P Grant. Also memorable, of course, was the presence in the Brigham Young team of Johnny Miller.
"My own match, which ended on the last green, was also very memorably as I recall Craig saying: " Gee, John. I think maybe a half might have been a fairer result."
"His finish of 3 3 3 was truly awesome. He went on to acquit himself well in the British youths championship at Newcastle before going home to win the Utah State amateur championship, thus following in his father Jack's footseps.
"My other opponent, in the foursomes, Bud Allin, was even more successful in later years. He won five US PGA Tour events and one US PGA Senior tournament before succumbing to ill health. He died at the age of 62, having been a decorated Vietnam War veteran.

"The good old days! I sometimes wish I had had the opportunity of a golf scholarship at college in the United States. That sort of chance was in its infancy back then in the 1960s."
John Hamilton, pictured right as a young man, is a retired bank manager. He plays regularly on the North-east Alliance circuit. As a youngster, he won the North-east boys' championship and the top 
picture shows him with that trophy
after it was won by David Law a few years back. 
   

EDZELL GOLF CLUB REDEVELOP COURSE WITH £150,000 FACELIFT

                    Edzell Golf Club, six miles north of Brechin. A picturesque inland course

NEWS RELEASE FROM EDZELL GOLF CLUB
The Edzell Golf Club membership approved plans for the course redevelopment at the AGM in March, so the revisions will only begin this season, with a scheduled completion date of end-2015.  The contingency plan however, allows us to take one more year if it's required.
Quite simply, the redesign was felt to be necessary because on the one hand, we should always be considering where the current offering might be improved and on the other, advances in technology in golfing equipment mean that changes may be required to maintain the challenge.
Edzell's 18-hole par 71 course was originally laid out in 1895 by the Carnoustie-based architect, Bob Simpson.  It was amended some 39 years later in line with recommendations from James Braid. 
Indeed, even before any amendments, Edzell has just been named by the Golf Yearbook online as the UK's James Braid Course of the Year for 2013.  Incidentally, in 2001, the original course was complemented by a driving range and the nine-hole West Water course, designed by Graeme Webster.
The total cost of the changes are expected to be over £150k, once the club's own labour costs are taken into account.  The main changes can be summarised as:

1 A new fourth green.
 
2 Four new tees at the fifth, ninth, 11th and 18th holes.  The ninth and 18th are the two par 5s on the course, which will be made more challenging as a result.
 
3 Reshaping of several fairways, including the second, fourth and 15th, as well as the driving range.
 
4 Realignment of several fairways, including the first, ninth and 18th.
 
5 Removal of a tree plantation, returning the course to its more natural state and improving the views in the already picturesque location at the 13th, 14th and 15th holes.
 
6.  Filling in several 'redundant' bunkers and adding more relevant new ones.

Generally, the intention has not been to make the course into a significantly greater challenge than it already is, we are merely looking to evolve and ensure that the course is more suited to the present (geographic and technological) environment. 
In the meantime, there will be no great disruption to the facility that members and visitors alike can enjoy, with no closures required and most of the work undertaken in the winter months.

Andrew Turnbull
Managing Secretary
Edzell Golf Club


EDITOR'S NOTE: In 1982 Edzell Golf Club hosted the Girls' Home Internationals (won by England) and the British girls' open amateur championship (won by Claire Wait who beat Carnoustie's Mary Mackie, now Summers, in the final). Switch over to www.kirkwoodgolf.co.uk to recall the players who took part in the Girls' Home Internationals of 31 years ago.

SEAN LAWRIE TAMES THE LONG, LONG HOLES IN TEXAS

         SEAN LAWRIE ...  Six shots off the pace in Texas. Picture by Cal Carson Golf Agency.       

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
Portlethen GC member Sean Lawrie, a nephew of Paul Lawrie and a student at Midland College, Texas, is lying T27 in a field of 124 players after the first round of the NJCAA Men's National Championship over The Rawls Curse, Lubbock in Texas.
Sean had an unpromising start with bogeys at the first, second, third and fourth and he reached the turn in three-over-par 39.
But his one-under 35 home was highlighted by his performances at two very long holes on a very long course (7,349yd).
Sean birdied the par-5 eighth which measures 630 yards.
Later he got an eagle 3 at the par-5 11th which is a 521yd hole.
He did drop a late shot to par, a bogey at the 17th, but a 74 leaves him "only" six shots behind the leader by one, Chandler McDonald (USC Lancaster).    
Another North-east student - Daniel Thompsett from Aboyne, a student at Rocky Mountain College, Billings in Montana - did not do so well in the NAIA Men's Championship first round at Creekside Golf Club, Salem in Oregon.
Over a par-72, 6887yd course, former NE boys champion Daniel shot a 78 to be T79 in a field of 154 players at the end of Day 1. 
He is 10 shots behind the leader by one, Anthony Marchesani (Oklahoma City). 
But the tournament does not entil until Friday so plenty of time for Thompsett to close the gap.

NICK FALDO TO PLAY AT MUIRFIELD WHERE HE WON IN 1987 AND 1992

FROM THE GOLF CHANNEL WEBSITE
 By RYAN LAVNER
 After a two-year break from links golf, Nick Faldo has announced  he will tee it up at the 2013 Open Championship at Muirfield.
That’s where the six-time major winner captured the first (1987) and third (’92) of his three claret jugs.
“I’ve got just over two months to go to get myself to pretend that I’m a golfer,” he told CNN.
The lead analyst for CBS Sports, Faldo, 55, hasn’t played competitively since he missed the cut at the 2010 Open at St. Andrews, where he shot 72-81.
Ultimately, the former world No. 1 couldn’t resist another chance to take on Muirfield.
“I’ve been fighting it for years,” he said. “I was in the gym (last) Monday, and it suddenly just hit me. I thought, ‘Come on, this is one more walk,’ and I’ll probably never get another  chance to walk at Muirfield.”

Content with his gig at CBS Sports, three-time Masters champion Nick Faldo said he likely would never play at Augusta again.