TIGER EXTENDS HIS LUCRATIE CONTRACT WITH NIKE

FROM THE GOLFWEEK WEBSITE
By GENE YASUDA
Picturing Tiger Woods adorned with anything but Nike swooshes is difficult to do. And a new endorsement deal between the two ensures that such a vision will remain just that - a figment of the imagination.
Since turning professional in 1996, Woods has been a Nike endorser, and his latest deal will keep him one for many more years. Though terms of the contract were not disclosed, Woods' agent, Mark Steinberg, had made clear in recent weeks that negotiations were progressing to keep the world's No. 1 player "with Nike for the rest of his career." 
Woods' original five-year deal reportedly was worth $40 million. Numerous media outlets cited Woods earning $100 million annually from Nike beginning in 2001.
In a statement released today, confirming the new contract, Nike Golf president Cindy Davis said: "We are thrilled to continue our partnership with Tiger. He is one of Nike's most iconic athletes and has played an integral part in Nike Golf's growth since the very beginning."
Indeed, Woods' value to Nike Golf is difficult to quantify, with typical metrics such as advertising exposure and product sales falling well short of capturing his full impact.
Virtually single-handedly, he legitimised Nike, known foremost as an athletic shoe and apparel company until then, as a golf brand. His endorsement not only helped Nike resonate with consumers in the marketplace, but also aided in recruiting other players to its tour staff – a vital component for achieving and maintaining authenticity.
For Woods, his latest Nike deal, arguably, caps a complete rebound from his marital problems that became publicly known in 2009 and derailed his marketability. 
Though Nike stood by him, many companies distanced themselves from Woods in the aftermath of his scandal. But marketing experts predicted that over time the iconic spokesman would be able to rebuild his endorsement portfolio – as long as he continued winning on the course. 
With four victories already this season, he has fulfilled that requirement. Now, marketers – among them Rolex, NetJets and EA Sports – are heralding him again.

FOUR SCOTS SURVIVE ENGLISH UNDER-16 BOYS' CHAMPIONSHIP CUT

Four Scots have qualified for the last two rounds of the English Under-16 boys' open amateur stroke-play championship at Seacroft Golf Club, Skegness in Lincolnshire.
Glen Burrett (Haggs Castle) leads the quarttet in joint eighth place on 145 with rounds of 70 and 75. He is three shots behind the four players who are sharing first place on level par 142 - Bradley Moore (Kedleston) 70-72, Jordan Boulton (Notts) 69-73, Marc Norton (Belvoir Park) 69-73 and Marcus Sewell (Shooters Hill) 69-71.
Rory Franssen (Inverness) (75-73) and Murray Naysmith (Marriott Dalmahoy) (72-76) are sharing 20th place on 148.
Only the leading 40 and ties at halfway go forward and Calum Fyfe (Cawder) made it on the limit mark of 150 with rounds of 76 and 74. He is joint 37th.
The Scots who failed were:
Matthew McCulloch (Portpatrick Dunskey) (75-77) on 152.
Niall McMullen (Lundin) (76-78) 154
Old Ranfurly's Ross Robertson (78-79) and Conor Toal (77-80) and Duncan McNeill (Powfoot) (75-82) all on 157
Robert Watson (Muckhart) (80-78) 158 and
Jack Thoms Irvine) (83-81) 164.
First-round leader john Axelsen (Denmark) with a 66, dropped down the field with an 82.

 

DAWSON ADMITS MEN-ONLY CLUBS IS AN INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT ISSUE FOR THE R AND A

FROM THE BBC SPORT.COM WEBSITE

Golf chief Peter Dawson says the issue of men-only policies at golf clubs is becoming "increasingly difficult".

Muirfield, the home of the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, which hosts the Open this week, does not allow women to join.
Dawson, chief executive of the R abd A, said: "Obviously the whole issue of gender and single-sex clubs has been pretty much beaten to death recently.
"We do, I assure you, understand this is a divisive issue. It's a subject we're finding increasingly difficult, to be honest."
He added: "In recent months we've been at great pains to try to explain some of the facts about this matter. Single-sex clubs are in a very small minority in the UK. Half of them are women only, half of them are men only. They're perfectly legal." Open venues Royal St Georges and Royal Troon also bar women members but in 2012 the Augusta National Club, which hosts the Masters in the United States every year, allowed women to join for the first time in its 80-year history.
Asked what was the difference between a male-only club and one that allowed whites only, Dawson said: "There's a massive difference between racial discrimination, anti-Semitism, where sectors of society are downtrodden and treated very badly."
When quizzed on the subject of single-sex clubs, Northern Ireland's world number two Rory McIlroy said: "I just don't think it's something that is a real issue anymore.
"Obviously it's an issue in some golf clubs. But in terms of life in general, I think men and women are treated equally for the most part these days. And that's the way it should be."

LANARKSHIRE BOYS' MATCH-PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP

HOST CLUB: Drumpellier GC

QUARTER-FINALS

Innes Ferguson (Drumpellier) bt Graham Greer (Carluke) 5 and 4.

Ciaran Farrell (Wishaw) w.o. Graham Brown (Playsport) scr

Fraser Kane (Kirkhill) bt Andrew Thomson (Lanark) 3 and 2.

James Walkinshaw (Wishaw) bt Callum Connacher (Wishaw) at 19th.

SEMI-FINALS
Ferguson bt Farrell 5 and 4.
Kane bt Walkinshaw 3 and 2.
 

Final will be played at Drumpellier Golf Club tomorrow (Thursday. July 18) 

with an 11am tee off.

EMILY TOP SEED FOR GIRLS' MATCH PLAY

GOLF COPY AND SCORES
CREDIT CAL CARSON GOLF AGENCY
QUERIES TO COLIN FARQUHARSON
TEL 01224 869782

EMILY DALGETTY EARNS TOP SEEDING
FOR SCOTTISH U18 GIRLS' MATCH-PLAY

Defending champion Lauren Whyte from St Andrews was fourth of the 32 qualifiers for the match play stages of the Scottish Under-18 girls' golf championship at Ranfurly Castle Golf Club, Bridge of Weir today (Wednesday).
Whyte had a pair of 77s for a six-over-par aggregate of 154. After taking 41 to the turn, the Fife girl got into her stride with an inward half of 36 althought she bogey the testing last two holes. She was not along in that.
Emily Dalgetty (Glencorse) retained her overnight pole position to be the leading qualifier even though she sagged from an opening 74 to a 78 for 152.
Like many of the field, Dalgetty found the closing holes tough. She bogeyed the short 14th, 16th and 18th for 39 home.
Second seed is Borderer Tara MacTaggart (Minto) with 76-77 for 153. Tara had an eagle 3 at the long sixth and a birdie at the eighth in second-round halves of 37-40.
Heather Munro (Monifieth) birdied four of the first 14 but bogeyed 15th, 17th and 18th for a 75 and 154. Her second round did give her third seeding ahead of the two others on that mark, Lauren Whyte and Connie Jaffrey (Troon Ladies) (76-78).
Munro's 75 was the joint best second round alongside that of Clara Young (North Berwick), beaten finalist in the Scottish women's amateur championship at Longniddry in May.
Young had a double bogey 6 at the seventh but covered the last 11 holes in two-under par with contrasting halves of 41-34.
Players with totals of 170 and better qualified for the scratch championship match-play. Surprise non-qualifiers included Deeside's Tegan Seivwright, a semi-finalist in this event last year and a qualifier for the match-play of the Scottish women's championship this year. She had rounds of 89 and 83 for 172.

SCOTTISH UNDER-18 GIRLS CHAMPIONSHIP
Ranfurly Castle GC, Bridge of Weir.
CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFIERS
Par 148 (2x74)
152 Emily Dalgetty (Glencorse) 74 78.
153 Tara MacTaggart (Minto) 76 77
154 Heather Munro (Monifieth) 79 75, Lauren Whyte (St Regulus) 77 77, Connie Jaffrey (Troon Ladies) 76 78.
155 Danielle Ker (Roxburghe) 76 79.
157 Eilidh Watson (Muckhart) 77 80, Nicola Robertson (Dunblane New) 75 82.
159 Clara Young (North Berwick) 84 75, Hazel McGarvie (Troon Ladies) 83 76.
160 Claire Robertson (Carnoustie Ladies) 84 76, Laura Alexandr (Eaglescliffe) 82 78
161 Emily Aird (Blairgowrie) 78 83, Nicola Callander (Mill Green) 77 84
162 Ellie Bryce (Strathaven) 81 81
163 Kirsten Brown (Strathaven) 86 77, Lesley Atkins (Gullane) 80 83
164 Katie McGarva (Troon Ladies) 83 81, Lauren Watson (Deeside) 82 82, Fiona Liddell (Schloss Vornholz) 78 86.
165 Shannon McWilliam (Aboyne) 84 81
166 Eva O'Connor (Bothwell Castle) 85 81, Eilidh Crawford (Harburn) 82 84, Joanne Free (Gullane) 78 88
167 Kirsty Brodie (Strathmore) 85 82, Leanne Wilson (Kelso) 84 83, Emma Hale (Troon Ladies) 83 84.
168 Charlotte Munro (Gullane) 79 89.
169 Alexandra Qayum (Ranfurly Castle) 83 86
170 Jasmine Mackintosh (Hazlehead) 88 82, Emma Kennedy (Dumfries and Gallloway) 84 86, Andrea Walker (Falkirk) 84 86.
NON-QUALIFIERS
171 Paige Kemp (Rochford Hundred) 84 87
172 Tegan Seivwright (Deeside) 89 83, Katie Wright (Stranraer) 85 87, Jillian Farrell (Cardross) 85 87.
173 Katie Scott (Strathaven) 87 86, Emma Greenlees (Dumfries and Co) 85 88
174 Kimberley Beveridge (Aboyne) 88 86
175 Olivia Borwick (McDonald £llon) 89 86.
176 Heather McKimmie (Balmore) 87 89.
177 Lauren Gilbert (Largs) 89 88, Lori MacDonald (Cardross) 88 80, Jennifer Allan (Glenbervie) 78 99.
179 Alexandra Duffy (Cathkin Braes) 91 88, Jessica Dalgetty (Glencorse) 88 91.
180 Emma Morrison (Craigmillar Park) 95 85
181 Catherine Goodwin (Glenbervie) 88 93
182 Jennifer Duncan (Auchterarder) 89 93, Emily Glencorse (Millport) 87 95.
183 Rachel Irvine (Largs) 87 96
186 Jennifer Rankine (Haggs Castle) 93 93, Erin Johnston (Lanasrk) 92 94
191 Heather Neilson (GHreenburn) 97 94
202 Zara Alexander (Eaglescliffe) 101 101, Charlotte McCluskey (Whitecraigs) 101 101
204 Heather Mushet (Elderslie) 101 103
226 Megan Gall (Cardross) 116 110.

ends

LAW MISSES CUT - SIXTH ON GERMAN PGA TOUR ORDER OF MERIT

David Law is lying sixth with earnings of 15,158 Euros on the German PGA Pro Golf Tour after missing the cut in the weekend event, the Praforst Golf Tour Hulda.
Law had rounds of 73 and 72 for 145, missing the cut by one shot.
Philip McLean, who also plays out of the Paul Lawrie Golf Centre, finished joint 27th on 214 with scores of 67 71 76 and earned 354 Euros.
The event was won by Frenchman Kenny Le Sager with rounds of 69, 69 and 64 for 14-under-202. He earned 5,000 Euros.

TOP SEED AND DEFENDING CHAMPION GO OUT IN SENIORS' MATCH PLAY

The Scottish senior open men's amateur match-play championship got down to business at Alyth Golf Club this morning with the start of the one-against-one programme - and two of the top three seeds from the 36-hole qualifying test and the defending champion were all beaten!
Leading qualifier Anglo-Scot Tony Patterson, a Sunningdale and Blairgowrie member, was beaten 5 and 4 by the last of the 32 qualifiers, Dougal Chalmers, a member at Panmure GC, where Patterson himself was a member for 10 years before he went south to join Shell.
Chalmers, also a member at Royal Dornoch, won by 5 and 4.
No 2 seed Lindsay Blair (Grangemouth) reached the last 16 with a 4 and 3 win over Alan Nelson (Murcar Links).
But No 3 seed David Taylor (Dunfermline) was knocked out by Gordon Thomson (Bearsden), the 30th qualifier, by one hole.
Defending champion David Gardner (Broomkieknowe), who qualified surprisingly wekk diwb in No 28 place, was beaten 2 and 1 by Ian Brotherston, the fifth seed from Dumfries and County.

SCOTTISH SENIOR MEN'S OPEN AMATEUR MATCH-PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP
Alyth Golf Club, Pertshire.
FIRST ROUND 
D Chalmers (Panmure) bt T Patterson (Sunningdale) 5 and 4.
B Erskine (Kilsyth Lennox) bt G Millar (Swanston New) 2 holes.
I  Taylor (Royal Burgess) bt D Murphy (Kinross) 1 hole.
K Bruce (Edzell) bt A Macgregor (Newmachar) 1 hole.
J T Johnston (Northumberland) bt C Halcrow (Windyhill) 2 and 1.
L Gordon (Turnhouse) bt A Raphael (Littlestone) 1 hole.
I Brotherston (Dumfries and Co) bt D Gardner (Broomieknowe) 2 and 1.
J Watt (Edzell) bt I Simpson (Craigie Hill) 1 hole.
L Blair (Granermouth) bt A Nelson (Murcar Links) 4 and 3.
B Smith (Kilmacolm) bt D J Miller (Kilmarnock Barassie) 2 and 1.
B Stewart (Tulliallan) bt J Kinloch (Cardross) 4 and 3.
 R T Gray (Irvine) bt I Jeen (St Andrews New) 2 and 1.
G Thomson (Bearsden) bt D Taylor (Dunfermline) 1 hole.
A O'Neill (West Lothian) bt A Lamond (Glasgow) 4 and 3.
G Rodaks (Pitreavie) bt A Elder (Kirkcaldy) 1 hole.
D Imrie (Thornton) bt D McQuade (Glenbervie) 6 and 5.

 

RYAN EVANS WINS BIARRITZ CUP IN SOUTHWEST FRANCE

NEWS RELEASE FROM ENGLAND GOLF Ryan Evans continued a run of fine form on Sunday when he clinched victory in the Biarritz Cup in south west France.
Superb rounds of 62, 67, 65 and 68, for a four round total of 262 and -14, was good enough for a three shot win ahead of France’s Mathieu Fenasse and Ugo Coussaud. The victory tops a stellar two months for Evans which included a win in the Berkshire Trophy, a runners-up finish at the St Andrews Links Trophy, a third place finish in the French Open Stroke Play and a top seven finish in the Brabazon Trophy.“Ryan is enjoying a fantastic summer,” commented Stephen Burnett, Performance Manager for the men’s programme. 
“We knew the level of play Ryan was capable of when he made his breakthrough win in last year’s South of England Championship. "This season he has built on that performance and showed more consistency. Ryan has really worked hard and is now reaping the benefit.”England’s Michael Saunders secured his place in the top 10 on 268 and there were top 20 finishes for both Paul Howard (273) and Nick Marsh (275).
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