STEPHEN GALLACHER GETS JOHN DALY'S PLACE IN MUIRFIELD FIELD

• NEWS RELEASE FROM THE R AND A

Former Champion John Daly has withdrawn from The Open Championship at Muirfield due to injury.

Stephen Gallacher is the 1st Reserve and will take his place in the Championship which is played from 18-21 July. The Scot is the next non-exempt player in the Official World Golf Rankings.

The 38-year-old won his second European Tour event at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic in February. His best finish in The Open was tied 23rd at St Andrews in 2010. There will now be ten Scots in the starting field at Muirfield.

For more information visit TheOpen.com.

TAIN TWOSOME PIP INVERNESS DUO IN LOMBARD TROPHY COUNTBACK AT CRIEFF

By COLIN FARQUHARSON 
Colin@scottishgolfview.com

Tain Golf Club professional Stuart Morrison and amateur member Iain Cowper won an all-North climax to the Lombard Trophy first Scottish qualifier at Crieff Golf Club today.

They tied with Inverness's Mel Douglas, the club pro, and Kevin Munro, under the better-ball format, on the net seven-under-par 64 mark.

It went to a scoreboard countback and the Morrison-Cowper combo prevailed with a net inward score of 29, including birdies at the 11th, 13th, 15th, 16th and 18th.

Douglas and Munro had a net inward half of 31.with a bogey at the 10th followed by birdies at the 12th, 14th, 15th and 16th.

Both partnerships had eight net birdies and one bogey. It was the good fortune of the Tain twosome that they did not have a bogey on the inward half.

Morrison won the first pro prize of £475 and he and Cowper will join the winners of 15 other regional qualifiers at the Grand Final, to be played over the Gleneagles Hotel's PGA Centary Course on September 3 and 4 when the winning pro will pocket £12,000.

Douglas earned a consolation prize of £400 at Crieff.

The second Lombard Trophy Scottish qualifier will be held at Ladybank GC, Fife on Wednesday.

The amateurs won international club competitions for the privilege of partnering their pro in the tournament.

LOMBARD TROPHY REGIONAL QUALIFIER

Crieff Golf Club

Par 71

64 Stuart Morrison (pro) and Iain Cowper (am) (Tain); Mel Douglas (pro) and Kevin Munro (am) (Inverness). Morrison and Cowper won on the better net inward half.

65 Ken Campbell (pro) and David Wallace (am) (Machrihanish); Craig Everett (pro) and Mark Waldron (am) (Caldwell); Ian Taylor (pro) and Andrew Wallace (am) (Drumpellier).

67 Robert Farrell (pro) and John McFall (am) (Cardross); Paul Wilson (pro) and Andrew Petrie (am) (Casder); Robert Irvine (pro) and Iain Bell (am) (Douglas Park); Paul Jamieson (pro) and Alisdair Colquhoun (am) (Dunblane New); Iain Colquhoun (pro) and John Cochrane (am) (Dundonald Links); Steven Dunsmore (pro) and James Godfrey (am) (Falkirk Tryst).

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TOP SCOTS HOPING FOR BEST AT A MURCAR LINKS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION

By COLIN FARQUHARSONColin@scottishgolfview.com
When Carly Booth was still young enough to play in Under-18s golf she was a member of a Scotland team that under-performed big time in the European girls' team championship at Murcar Links.
Touted as possible title winners, the Scots girls failed even to qualify for the top flight of eight and finished well down the second.
A European team championship returns to Murcar Links this week with the Under-18 boys stepping into the spotlight from the first two stroke-play qualifying rounds tomorrow  (Tuesday) and Wednesday with the match-play stages following from Thursday through to Saturday.
Not surprising then after the Murcar anti-climax by the Scottish girls of yesteryear that neither Scotland team captain Scott Knowles nor SGU chief executive Hamish Grey is going overboard about the home nation's boys team being the stars of the show.

"We're looking forward to a great week, playing on home soil. We hope to do well on a golf course which is in fantastic condition," said team captain Scott Knowles (pictured right) who has North-east based Neil Marr as his coach and right-hand man.
"It is fair to say that our best two boys are playing for Scotland in the European men's team championship in Denmark but I am sure quite a few other countries will be in the same position," said Hamish Grey, pictured below.
"I did try to get this boys' championship switched to another week, bearing in mind that the Scottish Open is being played not all that far away at Castle Stuart but that was turned down.
 

"We know how good our boys are but we can only guess at how good the opposition is. That's what makes it difficult to assess Scotland's chances of winning the title at Murcar Links this week.
"All the countries have been praising the condition of the course which will play like a true Scottish links. With hardly any rain for weeks, the course will be very hard and very bouncy."
French boys finished first and joint second in last week's Scottish Under-16 open boys' stroke-play championship at another North-east venue, Portlethen.
The French Golf Federation seem to be spending an awful lot of money sending their juniors - male and female -  here, there and everywhere. There were 17 of them in the Portlethen field.
So it is more than likely that the French squad of Under-18s at Murcar Links will have the edge on the opposition when it comes to tournament experience at a high level.The Scots who will be doing their best to overcome that are:
Ewen Ferguson (Bearsden), Calum Hill (Tantallon), Ben Kinsley (St Andrews), Robert MacIntyre (Glencruitten), Connor Syme (Dumfries and Co) and Ewan Walker (Kilmarnock Barassie).
For patriotic North-east golf followers, the tee-off times on Tuesday for the Scots are: Ferguson at 7.30am, Kinsley, MacIntyre, Syme and Walker spread over 7.50, 8.20, 10.30 and 10.50, with Hill the tail-gunner at 11.20.
+The Scotland team that last won the European boys title - in the Netherlands in 2000 - was:  Martin Laird, Jack Doherty, Kevin Reid, David Inglis, Stephen Buckley, Mark Risbridger.
Whatever happened to Mark Risbridger?

NORTH BOYS' TITLE-WINNER HAS ONE OF FOUR ACES AT STRATHPEFFER

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com

An astonishingly high total of FOUR holes in one were achieved on Sunday during the North District boys' 36-hole championship for the R P B Bain Trophy at Strathpeffer Golf Club.

One of them was achieved by the winner of the tournament, Rory Franssen (Inverness). He notched his ace at the fifth hole during two rounds of 68 for a total of 136, which won him the Bain Trophy, a silver medal and a prize voucher for £65 - not a bad day's golf!

Franssen won by three shots from two players on 139 - Isaac Alexander (Nairn Dunbar) (72-67) and Sandy Scott (The Nairn) (71-68).

Alexander was placed second, by virtue of a better second round, in the scratch prize list and received a bronze medal and £50 voucher.

Scott won the Under-16 scratch title and a voucher for £45.

Third behind Franssen was Orkney's Michael Schinkel with rounds of 71 and 73 for 144. Schinkel, at the sixth, was one of the other boys who had holes in one.

Craig Morrison (Stathpeffer) and Graeme Bethune (Moray), both at the 10th, completed the quarter of boys who achieved aces.

The Emlie Shield for the leading team was won by Inverness with a total of 581. Their team comprised Rory Franssen and his brother Cameron, Kieran MacKay and Jonathan Keith.

The Nairn were runners-up on 651 with the following team: Sandy Scott, Finlay Asher, Hamish McColm and Rory Cromarty.

NORTH DISTRICT BOYS CHAMPIONSHIP

Strathpeffer Golf Club

LEADING FINAL TOTALS

SCRATCH
CSS 66 66

136 Rory Franssen (Inverness) 68 68.

139 Isaac Alexander (Nairn Dunbar) 72 67

144 Michael Schinkel (Orkney) 71 73.

146 Cameron Franssen (Inverness) 71 75.

147 Kieran MacKay (Inverness) 75 72

149 Alasdair Ross (Fort William) 73 76

152 Jonathan Keith (Inverness) 76 76

UNDER-16

139 Sandy Scott (The Nairn)  71 68

144 Finlay Asher (The Nairn) 71 73

156 Andrew Bain (Shetland) 80 76

    HANDICAP

126 Tom Maclennan (Strathpeffer) (20)  67 59

129 Craig Morrison (Strathpeffer) (13) 63 66.

135 Nial Docherty (Strathpeffer) (15) 70 65

TEAM EVENT

581 Inverness

651 The Nairn

655 Nairn Dunbar

674 Strathpeffer

679 Moray

706 Forres

TEN PLAYERS TAKE THEIR PLACES IN OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

  NEWS RELEASE FROM THE R and A

Ten players will take their places in The Open Championship after securing exemptions through their Race to Dubai and FedExCup rankings.

The five Race to Dubai exemptions were confirmed following the Alstom Open de France at the weekend:

Richard Sterne -  the South African finished four shots off the lead at the Alstom Open de France after winning his sixth European Tour event at the Joburg Open in February. The 32-year-old finished tied 34th at The Open in 2009.

Brett Rumford – the Australian has amassed five wins on the European Tour including two victories within seven days this year in the Ballantine’s Championship in Korea and the Volvo China Open. His best finish in The Open was tied 16th at Royal Liverpool in 2006.

Mikko Ilonen - claimed his third European Tour title at the Nordea Masters in Sweden in June. The Finn won the Amateur Championship in 2000 at Royal Liverpool and then finished tied ninth at The Open at Royal Lytham and St Annes the following year. 

Thomas Bjorn - the veteran Dane will play in his 16th Open Championship where his best finish was tied second at St Andrews in 2000 and Royal St George's in 2003. The 42-year-old was runner-up at the BMW International Open in Germany and the Lyoness Open in Austria last month.

Marc Warren - the 32-year-old Scot finished tied second at the BMW PGA Championship in May. He will make his debut in The Open Championship at Muirfield.

The five FedExCup exemptions were confirmed following the Greenbrier Classic at the weekend:

Billy Horschel – the 26-year-old Floridean won his maiden event on the PGA Tour at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in April.

Boo Weekley - the former Ryder Cup player won the Crowne Plaza Invitational in May. He finished tied 13th at The Open in 2009.

Russell Henley - the 23-year-old from Georgia won the Sony Open in Hawaii in January. 

Jimmy Walker - finished joint runner-up at the Greenbrier Classic at the weekend. The 34-year-old will make his Open debut at Muirfield.

Harris English - won the FedEx St Jude Classic last month. The 23-year-old, who played in the last Walker Cup at Royal Aberdeen in 2011, finished tied 54th in The Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes last year.

For more information visit TheOpen.com.

The 142nd Open Championship will be played at Muirfield from 14-21 July, 2013.

SWEDEN'S JONAS BLIXT ENDS LONG, LEAN SPELL WITH VICTORY ON US PGA TOUR

Sweden's Jonas Blixt with the magnificent Greenbrier Classic Trophy 

FROM THE US PGA TOUR WEBSITE

In the final round of the The Greenbrier Classic, Jonas Blixt shoots a 3-under 67 to win his first PGA TOUR title of the year and second overall.WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, West Virginia -- Jonas Blixt wasn't having the type of year he had envisioned -- until the final round of The Greenbrier Classic came along.

THE GREENBRIER

Final results, points   
Blixt's big bonuses
Congratulate Blixt
FedExCup standings
2013 TOUR winners
TOUR Report
Video highlights
Transcripts
Stats Report
Equipment Report

The Swede shot a 3-under 67 Sunday to win the rain-delayed tournament by two strokes.
Blixt emerged from a five-player chase over the final five holes to pick up the 500 FedExCup points awarded to the winner to shoot from 139th to 39th in the FedExCup standings.
"This is what I play for," Blixt said. "I play to win. It just confirms that if you do the right things, that you work hard, dreams can come true."
Among the perks for his victory are a spot in next year's Masters.
Blixt also will move to around No. 50 in the next world ranking, which is used as the alternate list to fill the field for this month's British Open. That would make him the top alternate in a year that about eight players from the list will get into the Open at Muirfield.
He overcame a four-shot deficit at the start of the final round and finished at 13-under 267. Third-round leader Johnson Wagner (73), Australians Steven Bowditch (68) and Matt Jones (68), and Jimmy Walker (71) tied for second at 11 under.
Blixt went from a tie to a two-shot lead when he made a 9-foot birdie putt on No. 16 to move to 13 under. No other player made a birdie after that. Wagner bogeyed the par-3 15th moments later to fall to 11 under alongside Bowditch and Walker.
Blixt also won the Frys.com Open last year as a TOUR rookie. But entering The Greenbrier Classic, he hadn't had a top-10 finish this season, missing as many cuts as he made.

Blixt was overcome with emotion after watching Wagner and Walker, needing holes-in-one at No. 18, reach the green but land well away from the hole.
"It's just been a hard year," Blixt said. "My game has not been on."
Defending champion Ted Potter Jr. (67), Pat Perez (69) and Brian Stuard (67) tied for sixth at 9 under.
Wagner, who had missed out on weekend play in his last seven tournaments, couldn't match the seven birdies he had in the third round on his way to a 64. He bogeyed three holes in a five-hole stretch on the back nine and never recovered.
The 54-hole leader has yet to win The Greenbrier Classic, now in its fourth year.
"The swing just left," Wagner said. "I'm furious. But given where I was a couple of weeks ago, I'll take a lot of positives when I get over this disappointment right now."
While Bowditch couldn't make up a five-shot deficit, he earned his first top-10 since Pebble Beach in 2011.
Play on The Old White TPC course was halted for three hours due to thunderstorms. The last group teed off at 5:10 p.m. EDT and finished just after sunset. The TOUR narrowly avoided going past a Sunday finish for the fourth time this year.

Many players in The Greenbrier Classic field are entered in the John Deere Classic that starts Thursday, including Walker, Blixt and Jordan Spieth.
Spieth ran off nine straight pars to start Sunday's round, then had two bogeys in a four-hole stretch. He shot 73 and finished tied for 23rd at 6 under. The 19-year-old Texan is still searching for an elusive win that would give him his PGA TOUR membership and make him eligible for the FedExCup Playoffs. He is assured of a TOUR card when the new season starts in October.
Walker joined four others after The Greenbrier Classic to earn spots in the British Open as the leading five players not already exempt from the top 20 in the FedExCup standings. He moved up to 17th. The others are Billy Horschel, Boo Weekley, Russell Henley and Harris English.
The Greenbrier Classic has had close finishes in every year of its four-year existence. The tournament went to playoffs the past two years and Stuart Appleby shot 59 to win by a stroke in 2010.
The tournament's end means New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton can go back to his regular job after carrying the bag of friend Ryan Palmer.
"It's a good grind, good exercise," Payton said. "I thought Ryan was really patient."
Palmer shot a 70 Sunday to finish in a tie for 59th at 1 under.
"It was a blast," Palmer said. "I was more relaxed. A vacation golf tournament. I wish I could have played better."
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RONNIE AND WILLIE ARE STILL TOP OF THE CLASS OF '67

Ronnie Maclean (on right of picture) and Willie Sharpe (on left) were classmates in 1967 at Holy Cross High School in Hamilton but on Sunday they shared the major prizes in the Cadzow Cup tournament at Hamilton Golf Club.

Ronnie, at 60 years of age, won the prestigious Cadzow Cup with two excellent scores of 70 to win by two shots from Michael Moir of Hamilton who scored 142 and veteran Willie, aged 59, won the handicap prize with 69-70 for net 139.

The weather was superb as was the course and the scores reflected this.

Scratch Scores:

1^st.  Ronald Maclean     Hamilton   70  70  140

2^nd  Michael Moir Hamilton             74  68  142

3^rd  Stewart Henderson Hamilton    72  71  143

4^th  Angus Weir  Dunblane                  74  70  144

5^th Robert Jenkins    Crow Wood         72  72  144

6^th Andrew Fairbairn  Cawder              74  71  145

7^th   Daniel Keeney  Bellshill       74  71  145

8^th   Euan Moir Hamilton              72  73  145

9^th  James Steven   Bothwell Castle  71  74  145

10^th Dominic Dougan  Colville P’k     79  69  148

11^th  Kevin Loughrie  Cambuslang       79  69  148

12^th  Gary McLetchie    Carluke             74  74  148

13^th  Jamie Bradley   Bellshill                   71  77  148

14^th  Chris Kelly   Bonnyton                       77  72  149

15^th  Scott Gillespie  Ca’lang                     76  73  149   

16^th  Callum Maclean   Hamilton              76  73 149

17^th  Brian Smith  Kilmacolm                    76  73  149

18^th  Graeme Cross   Hamilton                  72  77 149

19^th  William Sharpe  Hamilton                75  76  151     

STEVEN MEIKLEJOHN WINS FIFE STROKE-PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP

Steven Meiklejohn (Lundin) won the Fife men's stroke-play championship with rounds of 69 and 74 for an aggregate of 143 over his home-club course on Sunday.

He had two strokes to spare from clubmate Grant McNab (72-73) and Scott Stewart-Cation (The Duke's) (71-74) on 145. 

The leading players go forward to the Fife match-play championship at the same venue on Saturday and Sunday (July 13-14).

FIFE MEN'S STROKE-PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP

Lundin Golf Club.

LEADING FINAL TOTALS 

Par 142 (2x71) CSS 74 74 (reduction only)

143 Steven Meiklejohn (Lundin) 69 74.
145 Grant McNab (Lundin) 72 73, Scott Stewart-Cation (The Duke's) 71 74.
147 Greg Wishart (Charleton) 74 73.
148 Craig Maiden (Crail) 74 74, John Douglas (Aberdour) 72 76.
149 Brian Young (St Andrews) 74 75, Tom Watson (St Andrews) 69 80.
SATURDAY'S FIRST-ROUND MATCH-PLAY TIES
9.10 S Meiklejohn (Lundin) v A Hain (St Andrews).
9.20 G Forrester (Lundin) v B Erksine (Ladybank).
9.30 G Sharp (St Andrews) v J Douglas (Aberdour)
9.40 A Collier (Balbirnie) v C Maiden (Crail)
9.50 S Stewart-Cation (The Duke's) v H Ireland (St Andrews New)
10.00 M Millar (Lundin) v T Watson (St Andrews).
10.10 M Anderson (Leven Thistle) v A Davidson (Charleton).
10.20 C McAndrew (Leven Thistle) v G McNab (Lundin).