MARC WARRENLEADING SCOT WITH A FIRST-ROUND 69 IN IRISH OPEN

FROM EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS

Swede Oscar Floren posted a flawless six under par 66 to take the first round lead in the Irish Open, edging a shot clear of the clubhouse target set earlier in the day by Carton House‘s Tour Professional Shane Lowry.
Floren, who is yet to finish better than 25th in a European Tour event this season, notched four birdies and an eagle on the par four 13^th hole  - his fourth after starting on the tenth - for his best round of the year to date.

“I played great today and it was nice to get off to a good start again,” he said. “I've had good starts the last couple of weeks but this was very good.

“It was very, very solid and that's the way I like to play, to hit a lot of fairways, a lot of greens, and eventually some putts are going to drop.”

It was Irishman Lowry who had initially set the pace, using his local knowledge of the Montgomerie Course to his advantage for an opening 67, a score which was then matched by
Dutchman Joost Luiten, American Peter Uihlein, Frenchman Jean-Baptiste Gonnet and Northern Ireland’s Michael Hoey.

Despite starting his round with a bogey after teeing off the tenth hole, Lowry went on to card six birdies as he attempts to win the Irish Open for a second time, following his success as an amateur in 2009.

“I got off to a shaky enough start, which wasn't ideal, but I knew my golf was good enough coming into the week and I was really happy with the way I followed that up.
“I was kind of chomping at the bit to get out there and I was just trying to play my way into the tournament. On this golf course you shoot 75 out there in the blink of an eye by not doing too much wrong.          So I was just trying to play my way into it and not start playing my way out of it.”

Dane Thomas Björn, champion the last time the Irish Open was played at Carton House in 2006 and runner up in last week’s BMW International Open in Germany, is a further shot back on four under, amongst a group of five players that also includes Irishman Cian McNamara, Englishman Paul Casey and 2012 Ryder Cup Captain José María Olazábal.

Graeme McDowell and Padraig Harrington both opened with one under par rounds of 71, while World Number Two Rory McIlroy signed for a two over par 74.

ALL THE FIRST ROUND SCORES
Par 72 

66 O Floren  (Swe) 

67 J Luiten (Ned) , S Lowry  (Irl) , M Hoey  (Nir) , P Uihlein  (USA) , J Gonnet  (Fra) 

68 M Lundberg (Swe) , P Casey  (Eng) , A Dodt (Aus) , T Björn (Den) , J Olazábal (Esp) , C McNamara (Irl) 

69 J Donaldson (Wal) , G Storm  (Eng) , S Thornton (Irl) , C Paisley  (Eng) , M Warren (Sco) , R Cabrera-Bello (Esp) , R Jacquelin (Fra) , R Rock (Eng) , E Goya (Arg) , P Larrazábal (Esp), A Hansen (Den) , G Mulroy (RSA) , S Power  (Irl) ,

70 F Andersson Hed (Swe) , M Kieffer (Ger) , A Hartø  (Den) , A Dunbar (Nir) , M Ilonen  (Fin) , P McGinley (Irl) , B Åkesson (Swe) , D Howell (Eng) ,

71 A Snobeck  (Fra) , S Hansen (Den) , J Lagergren (Swe) , S Little (Eng) , S Kjeldsen (Den) , O Fisher  (Eng) , P Harrington (Irl) , P Lawrie (Sco) , R Santos  (Por) , S Dodd (Wal) , E Kofstad (Nor) , G Maybin (Nir) , M Baldwin (Eng) , T Levet (Fra) , J Lara (Esp) , E Pepperell (Eng) , R Finch  (Eng) , N Fasth (Swe) , D Gaunt (Aus) , P Whiteford (Sco) , A Cañizares  (Esp) , R Bland (Eng) , I Garrido (Esp) , G McDowell  (Nir) ,

72 L Jensen (Den) , J Campillo (Esp) , D Drysdale (Sco) , F Aguilar (Chi) , A Sullivan (Eng) , D Fichardt (RSA) , P Lawrie (Irl), A Tadini (Ita) , J Parry (Eng) , C Lloyd (Eng) , C Del Moral (Esp) , A Kaleka  (Fra) , A Quiros  (Esp) , M Lampert (Ger) , L Gagli  (Ita) , B McGovern (Irl) , J Walters (RSA) , G Stal  (Fra) , M Foster (Eng) , B Rumford (Aus) , S Gallacher (Sco) , K Phelan (am) (Irl) 

73 R Derksen (Ned) , M Lafeber (Ned) , R Davies (Wal) , G Shaw (Nir) , S Webster (Eng) , P Hedblom (Swe) , R Fisher (Eng) , J Morrison  (Eng) , E De La Riva  (Esp) , P Waring  (Eng) , P Sjöland (Swe) , F Zanotti (Par) , L Slattery (Eng) , R Gonzalez (Arg) , S Benson (Eng) , F Molinari (Ita) , C Macaulay  (Sco) , T Fleetwood  (Eng) , D Willett  (Eng) , R Sterne  (RSA) , E Grillo (Arg) , G Moynihan (am) (Irl) , R Pugh (am) (Wal) ,

 74 G Havret  (Fra) , M Staunton (Irl) , K Broberg (Swe) , D Brooks (Eng) , R Wattel  (Fra) , R McIlroy  (Nir) , R Green (Aus) , J Van Zyl (RSA) , M Carlsson  (Swe) , D Mooney (Nir) , J Edfors (Swe) , T Lewis (Eng) , J Kruger (RSA) , R Coles (Eng) , V Dubuisson  (Fra) , S Henry  (Sco) , A Levy (Fra) , M Murphy  (Irl)

 75 D McGrane (Irl) , S Arnold  (Aus) , J Hansen  (Den) , J Singh (Ind) , M Jonzon (Swe) , D Clarke (Nir) , M Nixon (Eng) , M Delpodio  (Ita) , S Chowrasia (Ind) , B Stone (RSA) , P Price (Wal), S Wakefield (Eng) , S Dyson  (Eng) , M Campbell (Nzl) ,

76 C Doak (Sco) , S Khan (Eng) , S Jamieson  (Sco) , R Whitson (am) (Nir) ,

77 H Otto (RSA) , D Higgins (Irl) , G Lockerbie  (Eng) , M Southgate  (Eng) , D Van Der Walt (RSA) , T McCumber (USA) , J Sjöholm (Swe) , H Wen-Yi (Chn) ,

78 M Tullo (Chi) , R McEvoy  (Eng) , C Lee (Sco) , M Wiegele  (Aut) , K Horne (RSA) 

 79 D Ryan (Irl) , C Cévaër (Fra) , B Trainor  (Irl) ,

 81 J Kelly (Irl) 

 82 D Gleeson (Irl) ,

 

 

EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS

LLOYD SALTMAN SIZZLES WITH AN EIGHT-UNDER 63 IN AUSTRIA

REPORT FROM EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS

A brilliant first round of eight under par 63 Lloyd Saltman soar into the lead at the European Challenge Tour’s Kärnten Golf Open presented by Mazda.

The Scot made a perfect start to the week by birdieing the first three holes of the Jacques Lemans Golf Club in St. Veit-Längsee in southern Austria, to set-up “one of those days where you very much enjoy being on a golf course”. 

Of the 156 players in the field, Saltman certainly had the most enjoyable day but he was not the only one.

Home hero Florian Praegant delighted the watching crowds with a fine 64 that saw him move to within one stroke of Saltman’s lead. 

American Dodge Kemmer and Denmark’s Mark F Haastrup also took full advantage of the fine conditions and some pristine putting surfaces as both posted opening efforts of six under par 65, while the home challenge was further boosted by Roland Steiner and Florian Praegant who joined Frenchman Edouard Dubois, Ireland’s Peter O’Keefe and Englishman Billy Hemstock on five under. 

But it was Saltman who stood at the top of the pile following his outstanding first round performance which saw the 27 year old compile an eagle, seven birdies and just a single dropped shot.

“It was a pretty good start – I played nicely today and managed to stick to the game plan that I had put together in Wednesday so it was a very satisfying day,” said Saltman. 

“I got off to a really fast start by birdieing the first three holes and then it was pretty simple from there. It was one of those days where you very much enjoy being on a golf course and those haven’t been coming along too often recently.

“I made some nice putts today and I have to say that the greens here are in magnificent shape – in my opinion they are the best we have putted on year on the Challenge Tour. 

“You need to get off to a fast start out here and try to get into the tournament as quick as you possibly can because the scoring is always very low. Hopefully we can keep this going for the next three days and see where we are come Sunday.”

 

FIRST ROUND SCOREBOARD
Par 71 

63 L Saltman (Sco)

64 F Praegant (Aut)

65 M Haastrup  (Den); D Kemmer (USA)

66 P O'Keeffe  (Irl); R Steiner (Aut); B Hemstock (Eng); M Trappel  (Aut); E Dubois (Fra)

67 D Frittelli (RSA); A Engell  (NSor); P Relecom  (Bel); L Nemecz (Aut); Z Scotland  (Eng); S Kim (SKor)

68 A Gee  (Eng); L Kennedy  (Eng); F Calmels  (Fra); S Walker (Eng); V Riu  (Fra); N Lemke (Swe); N Floren (Swe); S Piaget  (Mon); D Ulrich (Sui); P Martin Benavides (Esp); D Huizing (Ned)

69 S Hutsby  (Eng); J Legarrea (Esp); S Davis (Eng); G Molteni (Ita); A Rota (Ita); D Wuensche  (Ger); J Barnes (Eng); A Pavan (Ita); B Ritthammer (Ger); L Astl (Aut); N Quintarelli (Ita); M Kramer  (Ger); J Fahrbring (Swe); T Pilkadaris (Aus); N Kearney (Irl); D Palm (Swe); F Bergamaschi (Ita); A Forsyth (Sco); J Maurer  (Aut)

70 D Geminiani (Ita); A McArthur  (Sco); J Carlsson (Swe); T Pedersen (Nor); A Domingo (Esp); J Frazer (Wal); R Enoch  (Wal); C Russo (Fra); J Heath  (Eng); L Claverie (Esp); M Ford (Eng); J Gibb (Eng); M Rominger  (Sui); M Lorenzo-Vera  (Fra); G Murray  (Sco); C Suneson (Esp); O Farr (Wal); M Quiros (Esp); F Laporta (Ita); R Wingardh (Swe); J Pastor Lopez (Esp); M Salminen (Fin);

71 J Mommo  (Fin); C Hanson (Eng); W Booth  (Sco); H Bacher (Aut); J Lerchedahl (Den); J Watts (Eng); C Brazillier  (Fra); D Salisbury (Eng); F Delamontagne  (Fra); T Feyrsinger  (Aut); D Perrier (Fra); J Lando Casanova  (Fra); M Novy  (Cze); T Rice  (Irl); M Zions (Aus); R Hjelm (Den); X Ruiz Fonhof  (Ned);

72 K Ferrie (Eng); M Brier (Aut); A Maestroni  (Ita); J Bragulat  (Esp); T Pieters  (Bel); P Gal  (Cze); N Dougherty  (Eng); M Crespi  (Ita); B Parker  (Eng); U Weinhandl (Aut); K Cobb (USA); P Dwyer (Eng); J Grillon  (Fra); C Dammert (am) (Ger);

73 W Besseling  (Ned); L Motta (Ita); T Sluiter  (Ned); S Garcia (Esp); A Johnston (Eng); F Svanberg  (Sui); A Hortal  (Esp); O Wilson (Eng); B Hebert  (Fra); A Bossert (Sui); J Doherty  (Sco); T Nemecz (am) (Aut);

74 M Haines  (Eng); F Colombo (Ita); D Stewart (Sco); J Camargo (Esp); G Watremez (Bel); B Neumayer (Aut); P Maddy (Eng); P Widegren  (Swe); A Perrino  (Ita); C Günther (Ger); J McLeary  (Sco); D Lloyd (RSA); B Mannix (Eng); J Webber (Eng); M Glauert (Ger); R Goger (am) (Aut);

75 N Meitinger  (Ger); L Goddard  (Eng); I Pyman (Eng); R Kellett (Sco); X Puig (Esp); T Pulkkanen  (Fin); B An (Kor); W Rieder  (Aut); N Elvira  (Esp);

76 M Haremza (Ger); C Schwierz  (Ger); S Garcia Rodriguez (Esp); D Osorio (Esp); R Saxton (Ned); B Chapellan (Fra); N Ravano (Ita); F De Vries  (Ned); D Moretti (am) (Aut);

77 O Rozner  (Fra); J Abbott (Eng); J Lima  (Por);

78 R Gruber (Aut); C Dvorak (Aut);

80 N Dahlgren (Fin); T Baltl (am) (Aut);

81 D Wright (Eng); M Schneider (Ger); S Whiffin (Eng);

82 M Ludwig (am) (Aut);

DQ S Matus  (Cze);

JACK McDONALD OUTSIDE TOP TEN IN BRABAZON TROPHY

TennDant Cup winner at Killermont on Sunday, Jack McDonald (Barassie) and Gordon Stevenson (Whitecraigs) were jointly the leading Scot at the halfway stage of the English open amateur stroke play championship for the Brabazon Trophy at Formby Golf Club, Lancashire.
They started the third round on 148, McDonald with scores of 71 and 77, Stevenson with rounds of 72-76.
Ewan Scott (St Andrews) had 77-74 for 151; Daniel Young (Craigie Hill) 73-79 for 152, and Ross Bell (Downfield) 77-76 for 153
Jordan Smith (Bowood) is the leader on four-under-par 140 (71-69), four shots clear of Freddie Sheridan-Mills (Walsall) 72-72

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CHRIS KELLY SCRAMBLES HOME WITH AN UNTIDY FINISH

Cawder's Chris Kelly won the £1,028 first prize in today's Douglas Park pro-am with a one-under-par 67 despite bogeying the 16th and 17th.

His earlier birdies at the first, long 10th, long 13th and 14th, offset only by a bogey at the eighth, stood him in good stead as he scrambled home to a one-shot victory

But he put himself under pressure with his untidy finish as the four players who tied for second place on 69, all had better finishes.

Greig McBain (Gamola Golf) had an eagle 2 at the 16th and a birdie at the 18th. Pity about the bogey at 17.

Scott Henderson (Kings Links) birdied the 18th, Graham Fox (Clydeway Golf) birdied the 17th whle James McKinnon (Irvine) who completed the quartet on 69 birdied both the 17th and 18th.

They eached earned £568.

DOUGLAS PARK PRO-AM

Douglas Park Golf Club.

LEADING PRO SCORES

Par 69

68 Chris Kelly (Cawder) £1,028.

69 Greg McBain (Gamola Golf), Scott Henderson (Kings Links), Graham Fox (Clydeway Golf), James McKinnon (Irvine) £568 each.

70 David Orr (Mearns Castle) £308.

71 Craig Gordon (Edinburgh GC), Jonathan Lomas (Caprington), Jason McCreadie (Buchanan Castle), Stephen Gray (Hayston), Craig Matheson (Falkirk Tryst) £203 each

72 Jordan Gallagher (Douglas Park), Mark King (Kingsfield), Christopher Russell (RAW golf course design) Steven Taylor (Bothwell Castle), Robert Irvine (Douglas Park) £123 each.

73 Graeme Brown (Montrose Links), Andrew Oldcorn (Kings Acre), David Patrick (Kingsfield) £82 each.

74 James McGhee (unatt), Chris Currie (Caldwell), Robert Ar nott (Bishopbriggs), Lee Harper (Wilding Golf), Craig Ronald (Carluke) £12 each.

75 Gordon Law (Uphall), Paul OHara (Clydeway Golf)

77 Sam McLaren (Blairgowrie), Ross Neill (Drumpellier), Grant Smith (Gleneagles)

79 Chris Tierney (Affordable Golf)

80 PatrickWalker (BallumbieCastle)

82 Gary McFarlane (Clober), Calum Lawson (Kirkcaldy).

ends

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BYRNE MAKES CUT IN KUALA LUMPUR

Banchory's James Byrne made the cut in the Templar Park Masters at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia after rounds of 76 and 70 for 146 which sees him start the third round in joint 30th place.

American Barry Henson leads by one on 136 with scores of 66 and 70.

McMULLEN AND NAYSMITH QUALIFY FOR JUNIOR MATCH PLAY IN NEW YORK STATE

Niall McMullen from Lochgelly, Fife and Murray Naysmith from Midlothian have done well in the International Junior Masters Tournament at East Aurora Country Club, New York State.
Niall has qualified fifth of 32 for the Championship Flight with rounds of 74 and 72 for 146, five strokes behind the joint leading qualifiers for the match-play stages.
Naysmith shot 79-77 for 156 and is the No 9 qualifier in a field of 16 for the Gold Flight match-play.

OPEN PRIZE MONEY OF £5,250,000 AT MUIRFIELD NEXT MONTH

NEWS RELEASE FROM THE R and A

PRIZE MONEY FOR THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP 2013

The total prize money for The 2013 Open Championship will be £5,250,000, an increase of £250,000 on 2012.

The prize money for The Open Champion will increase by £45,000 to £945,000.

Prize money

Place	£						Place	£
1	945,000						37	26,000
2	545,000						38	25,000
3	350,000						39	24,000
4	272,500						40	23,000
5	220,000						41	22,000
6	190,000						42	21,000
7	162,500						43	20,000
8	137,500						44	19,000
9	120,000						45	18,000
10	110,000						46	17,250
11	99,000						47	16,500
12	88,000						48	15,750
13	82,000						49	15,250
14	77,000						50	14,750
15	72,000						51	14,500
16	66,000						52	14,250
17	63,000						53	14,000
18	60,000						54	13,800
19	57,500						55	13,600
20	55,000						56	13,500
21	52,000						57	13,400
22	49,500						58	13,300
23	47,000						59	13,200
24	45,000						60	13,100
25	43,000						61	13,000
26	41,000						62	12,900
27	39,500						63	12,800
28	38,000						64	12,700
29	36,500						65	12,600
30	35,000						66	12,500
31	33,500						67	12,400
32	31,500						68	12,300
33	30,500						69	12,200
34	29,500						70	12,100
35	28,500
36	27,500

 
Prize money shall be allocated only to professional golfers.

If more than 70 professional golfers qualify for the final two rounds, additional prize money will be added. Prize money will decrease by £100 per qualifying place above 70 to a minimum of £9,000.

Non-qualifiers after two rounds:  Leading 10 professional golfers and ties £3,700; next 20 professional golfers and ties £3,000; remaining professional golfers £2,500.

RORY McILROY APOLOGISES FOR TANTRUMS AT UNITED STATES OPEN

FROM THE DAILY TELEGRAPH WEBSITE
By JAMES CORRIGAN
 One minute his name was being chanted as he finished his practice round, the next he was having to apologise in the media centre. Rory McIlroy’s topsy-turvy existence shows no sign of calming down.

Pensive: Rory McIlroy is in reflective mood as he prepares for the Irish Open at Maynooth.

Certainly it will not here at the Irish Open. The galleries will form in their thousands to cheer on the Ulsterman and despite admitting that he once felt “suffocated” by their affection, McIlroy is determined to enjoy himself.

And there will be none of the club-throwing or club-bending antics which compounded his indifferent showing at the US Open two weeks ago.

“It definitely wasn’t the right thing to do,” McIlroy said when asked about his tantrums in his final-round 76.

“Of course, everybody is going to get frustrated by a bad shot and I’m no different.

"But it doesn’t set a good example.

"There’s other ways to show disappointment and I wouldn’t recommend any kids to start throwing their clubs or bending their nine-irons.”
Not that the kids outside wanted an apology.
They bellowed “Rory, Rory, Rory” as he made his way off the 18th and with security guards flanking him, it was an apt moment for the man to reflect on his first appearance in the Irish Open as a boy.
It came here in 2005 when he was a 16-year-old amateur.
“I shot a good first round, 71, but then an 81 to miss the cut,” McIlroy said.
“On that Friday night I remember getting kicked out of bars because I wasn’t old enough to drink. Yeah, life has changed a bit since then.”
The point is, life has a habit of changing all too quickly for McIlroy.
In the last five months of last year he won four tournaments, including a major, to be hailed as the perfect, indisputable world No1.
In the first six months of this year he has recorded just one top-five finish in 12 events and has been depicted all too often as an angry young man.
That has always been the way for McIlroy, whose career seems destined to be one of contrasts.
He is bound to snap back into winning mode soon, however, and his devotees will pray it is here at Carton House.
“I think my game is a lot closer this year than it was at the Irish Open at Portrush last year,” McIlroy said.
“I sort of turned it around a bit with a top-10 up there and that gave me confidence.
"I keep saying that’s it’s not far away, but it isn’t.
"Yes, I do feel I can catch a wave going into the summer like I did 12 months ago.”
There is no doubt he would be carried on the tide of Irish goodwill.
However, McIlroy used to find all that championing a hindrance.
“Something I’ve felt in a couple of Irish Opens is suffocated and having that burden and that pressure and that expectation, but the last couple of years, I’ve tried to embrace the whole week, enjoy it, and turn all that support into an advantage,” he said.
The fine weather should be in McIlroy’s favour, as should the 7,300-yard layout, so long as he recovers his famed accuracy off the tee.
This is his only event between the US Open and the Open at Muirfield in three weeks. Time for McIlroy to play the local hero.

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ANDREW GUNSON'S SCORE ON ALL-AMERICAN GATEWAY PRO TOUR

Scots-born Andrew Gunson is playing in this week's All-American Gateway Pro Golf Tour at Grayhawk.
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