DUNBAR, MCLEARY AND LAMPERT SHARE LEAD IN FOGGY FRANCE

FROM EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS 

Three players are tied at the top after day one at the Open Blue Green Côtes d'Armor Bretagne as Alan Dunbar (picture by courtesy of Getty Images(c), Moritz Lampert and Scot Jamie McLeary all fired four-under-par rounds of 66 to lead in France.

After a 4hr fog delay at Golf Blue Green de Pléneuf Val André, the leading trio came out firing to lead by one after 18 holes, with half of the field still to finish their first round. 

It is a fine start for former British Amateur champion Dunbar who has only been a professional for four months, and has had mixed fortunes so far, splitting his time between both the Challenge and European Tours in 2013.

“I’m not sure why I’ve played better on The European Tour this year,” explained Dunbar. “I’ve played well on this Tour too, but the cuts I have missed have only been by a shot. I’ve been playing well all year, just not getting the breaks, and I had a nice run there in July on the main Tour, but it is just about getting those breaks, and hopefully I can finish the season on a high. 

“The standard at the top is very similar, and I’ve only been a pro for four months, so I hope this is just the start of a long career. I was a bit more aggressive today off a few tees, and I think that is what I have struggled with when only missing the cut by a shot, being a bit too negative, and being more aggressive today seemed to work.”

Another man who has tasted amateur success is Lampert, winning national championships in France, Germany and Portugal during an illustrious career that also saw him feature in The Junior Ryder Cup in 2010. 

The German, like Dunbar, has played on both Tours this season having earned his European Tour card at last year’s Qualifying School Final Stage, and he is alongside Scotland’s McLeary, himself once a top ranked amateur, on four under par.

McLeary says his fine form is due to enlisting the services of a hypnotist by the name of Fogg. 
Jamie had birdies at the fifth, seventh, eighth, 10th, 11th and 16th with only one bogey, at the sixth, in halves of 34 and 32.
Other Scots' completed scores:
67 Wallace Booth.
70 Duncan Stewart
73 Lloyd Saltman
75 Ross Kellett.
Just a shot adrift in France is former US Amateur champion Byeong-hun An alongside this season’s Le Vaudreuil Golf Challenge winner Brinson Paolini, who was himself a decorated college golfer at home in America.

On the same score is one of two leading Frenchman, Victor Riu, who won for the first time earlier in the year at the Karnten Golf Open presented by Mazda. He is alongside compatriot, and three time Challenge Tour winner, Benjamin Hebert in a tie for fourth so far. 

Play will restart in round one on Friday morning at 8.30am local time.

TO VIEW THE SCOREBOARD

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EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATION

JIMENEZ IN THE MIX AS INDIAN LAHIRI LEADS EUROPEAN MASTERS

                 MIGUEL ANGEL JIMENEZ ... playing in European Masters for 25 time
                                          Picture by courtesy of Getty Images(c)         

FROM EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS

Former champion Miguel Angel Jiménez marked his 25th appearance in the Omega European Masters with an opening round of six under par 65 to sit two shots behind leader Anirban Lahiri of India.

Jiménez was crowned King of the Mountains in 2010 at Crans-sur-Sierre, and the 49 year old Spaniard is ideally placed for another challenge after seven birdies and just the single bogey in Switzerland.

He shares second place with former Ryder Cup player Paul Casey and Tommy Fleetwood, winner of the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles a fortnight ago.

After ten top ten finishes in the event, including his victory three years ago, Crans veteran Jiménez is feeling confident about his chances this week.

“It is a very nice start,” he said. “I played very well today - I can play this course with my eyes closed!”

Lahiri played through the pain barrier to set the pace on eight under par 63, after suffering a twisted knee following a fall when running four weeks ago.
The 26 year old had two eagles in his first round, on the 14th and 18th holes after start on the tenth, and he could be forgiven a slight sense of déjà vu after also holding a share of the first round clubhouse lead last year, only to miss the cut when the weather turned on day two.
“It was a tough pill to swallow last year but I’ve learnt a lot from that,” he added. “The weather was so much colder and it was a big adjustment for me. It was a harsh lesson, but a lesson for life nevertheless.”
Casey also had an eagle in his round of 65 – on the picturesque seventh hole – and picked up a shot on the last as he chases his second win of 2013 following victory in the Irish Open.

“To start with a 65 has beautiful ring to it,” said the Englishman. “I’ve never played up here when it has been as beautiful as this. The golf course is absolutely perfect. It is pure and I played wonderful golf. I enjoyed it thoroughly. It is heaven up here.”

Former Challenge Tour Number One Fleetwood is hoping to build on his first European Tour victory in Scotland, and has put his missed cut in Wales last week behind him.
"I felt a lot better about my game from Monday onwards," Fleetwood said. "It was a hard week in Wales. I wasn't prepared for how hectic it would be.
"It was my first win in Scotland and so last week was a big comedown, but hopefully I'll be more prepared for my next win."
Denmark’s Thomas Björn, the 2011 champion, is a shot further back following a flawless 66, while Scotland’s Stephen Gallacher and Northern Ireland’s Michael Hoey, both winners this season, and 2012 European Ryder Cup Captain José María Olázabal are among a group of six players on four under par.

FIRST ROUND SCOREBOARD

Par 72

63 A Lahiri (Ind) 

65 M Jiménez (Esp) , T Fleetwood  (Eng) , P Casey  (Eng) 

66 T Björn (Den) 

67 R Finch  (Eng) , J Olazábal (Esp) , B Henson (USA) , S Gallacher (Sco) , M Hoey  (Nir) , P Junhasavasdikul (Tha) ,

68 T Levet (Fra) , J Singh (Ind) , B Rumford (Aus) , G Bhullar (Ind) , M Kieffer (Ger) , G Havret  (Fra) , A Tadini (Ita) , D Drysdale (Sco) , V Dubuisson  (Fra) , J Van Zyl (RSA) , M Tullo (Chi) , E De La Riva  (Esp) , B Koepka  (USA) , T Jaidee (Tha) , L Hao-Tong (Chn) , P Lawrie (Sco) 

69 J Moore  (USA) , R Karlberg  (Swe) , D Fichardt (RSA) , K Horne (RSA) , M Nixon (Eng) , S Barr (Aus) , A Cañizares  (Esp) , A Dodt (Aus) , S Hansen (Den) , S Dodd (Wal) , D Clarke (Nir) , R Sterne  (RSA) , D Willett  (Eng) , S Hend (Aus) , M Fraser (Aus) , R Coles (Eng) , G Bourdy (Fra) , F Molinari (Ita)

70 S Benson (Eng) , E Grillo (Arg) , J Luiten (Ned) , C Cévaër (Fra) , G Fernandez-Castaño  (Esp) , D Howell (Eng) , S Kjeldsen (Den) , P Harrington (Irl) , G Maybin (Nir) , M Manassero (Ita) , S Henry (Sco) , S Kapur (Ind) , M Warren (Sco) , K Broberg (Swe) , A Que (Phi) , G Lockerbie  (Eng) , A Wall (Eng) 

71 I Garrido (Esp), C Lee (Sco) , R Fisher (Eng) , S Thornton (Irl) , K Aphibarnrat (Tha) , J Campillo (Esp) , J Lucquin (Fra) , P Price (Wal) , K Pratt (Aus) , C Muniyappa (Ind) , M Baldwin (Eng) , A Hartø  (Den) , D Ulrich (Sui) , C Paisley  (Eng) , C Nirat (Tha) , A Quiros  (Esp) , T Wiratchant (Tha) , B Åkesson (Swe) , M Grönberg (Swe) , T Lewis (Eng) , A Levy (Fra) , R Green (Aus) , A Hansen (Den) , S Dyson  (Eng) , K Benz (Sui) , D Horsey (Eng) 

72 P Whiteford (Sco) , L Gagli  (Ita) , J Gonnet  (Fra) , R Santos  (Por) , H Otto (RSA) , M Lafeber (Ned) , M Rominger  (Sui) , F Zanotti (Par) , J Quesne  (Fra) , W Ormsby (Aus) , P Lawrie (Irl) , S Wakefield (Eng) , M Siddikur  (Ban) , M Delpodio  (Ita) , R Wattel  (Fra) , M Wiegele  (Aut) , M Ilonen  (Fin) , M Korhonen (Fin) , M Foster (Eng) , R Paratore (am) (Ita) , E Amacher (am) (Sui) , N Thommen (am) (Sui) 

73 D McGrane (Irl) , R Ramsay  (Sco) , A Kaleka  (Fra) , P Uihlein  (USA) , S Chowrasia (Ind) , E Kofstad (Nor) , P Waring  (Eng) , A Bossert (Sui) , L Slattery (Eng) , M Mamat (Sin) , H Rai (Ind) , J Edfors (Swe) , P Larrazábal (Esp) , D Lipsky (USA) ,

74 M Carlsson  (Swe) , J Kruger (RSA) , J Lara (Esp) , A Da Silva (Bra) , T Aiken (RSA) , F Aguilar (Chi) , J Morrison  (Eng) , M Kobayashi (Jpn) , R De Sousa (Sui) , R Bland (Eng) , J Walters (RSA) 

75 E Pepperell (Eng) , J Sjöholm (Swe) , J Donaldson (Wal) ,

76 B Grace  (RSA) , D Singh (Ind) , C Doak (Sco) , M Fenasse (am) (Fra) , B Rusch (am) (Sui) 

77 J Parry (Eng) , F Andersson Hed (Swe) , R Gonzalez (Arg) , R Derksen (Ned) , O Fisher  (Eng) 

78 G Storm  (Eng), A Vongvanij (Tha) , Y Wo-Cheng  (am) (Chn) , J Granberg  (Fin) 

79 S Strüver (Ger) 

80 D Gleeson (Aus), P Meesawat  (Tha) , F Svanberg  (Sui)

 

 

EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS

SCOTS MEN PLAY TOP SEEDS IRELAND IN HUNGARY SEMI-FINAL

Scotland beat Spain 3-2 and will play top seeds Ireland in Friday's semi-finals of the European senior men's team championship at Pannonia Golf and Country Club, Hungary.
Lindsay Gordon and David Gardiner lost the foursome 4 and 3 while Lindsay Blair went down by one hole in the lead-off singles.
But Alan O'Neill (winner by one hole), John Fraser (winner by 4 and 3) and Ian Brotherston (winner by 2 and 1) overturned the deficit for the fourth seeded Scots.
Other results:
Ireland 3 1/2, Germany 1 1/2
Sweden 3, France 2
England 4, Norway 1

NORTH-EAST ALLIANCE TEE TIMES FOR KEMNAY NEXT WEDNESDAY

TO OBTAIN A TIME FOR NEXT WEDNESDAY AT KEMNAY GOLF CLUB, PHONE 
07523 859149 between 10am and 4pm on TUESDAY

08:09 Stuart Sprote, partners

08:17 Brian Harper, Charlie Cassie, Keith Watson

08:25 Andrew Campbell, Norman Stewart
08:33 Jackie Forrest, Jim Scott, George Paterson
08:41 Ryan Fitzpatrick, Colm Redman, Craig Hannan
08:49 Donald Macandrew, Gordon Munro, Fraser Clarke.
08:57 John Hamilton, Leslie Roger, Mike Smith

09:05 John Duff, Sean Lawrie, Ryan Penny.
09:13 S Davidson, Mike Brown, Raymond Brown
09:21 Alan Gall, partners

09:29 Keil Beveridge, Laura Murray, Joel Hopwood
09:37 Neish Chisholm, partners

09:45 Chris Duncan, Gibby McDonald, Hamish McNaughton
09:53 Peter Cheyne, Benny Lumsden, Graeme Clayton

10:01 Gary Homer, Willie Shaw, David Leslie

10:09 Les Fowler, Sandy Pirie, John Johnston
10:17 Jim Duncan, Gordon Milne, Fergus Bisset
10:25 Jim Murray, David Bisset, Derek Randall
10:33 Chris Law, David Law, Keith Shanks

10:41 Alister Graham, Willie Main, Mike Rogers
10:49 David Bingham, Martin Forster, Mike Duncan
10:57 Stuart Thomson, Mike Winton, Phil Craig

11:05 Tommy Collie, Mark Lawrie, David Brown

11:13 Ian Esslemont, partners
11:21
11.29

11.37
11.45
11:53 

12:01 
12:09
12:17
12:25 David Wilson, Colin Nelson, Philip Anderson
12:33 Mike Booth, Stewart Finnie, David  McKay

PAUL O'HARA WINS SCOTTISH YOUNG PROS TITLE BY SIX SHOTS

Paul O'Hara followed in the footsteps of former title-holders such as Paul Lawrie, Alastair Forsyth and Craig Lee by winning the Scottish Young Professionals championship over 72 holes at West Lothian Golf Club today.
When Paul, younger brother of Steven O'Hara who has played on the European Tour, extended his lead to six shots with a 68 for a three-round tally of 200, O'Hara had a chance to beat previous lowest winning aggregate of 266, by Callum Nicoll in 2006.
But the 26-year-old Motherwell man, in his first year of PGA training at Clydeway Golf, Uddingston after playing on Continental tours, signed off with his poorest round of the four, a one-over 72 for a total of 12-under 272 over the par-71 Bo'ness course.
Paul, three times beaten finalist in the Scottish amateur championship and a Walker Cup team contender before he turned pro, bogeyed the 14th and had a double bogey 6 at the 16th in his last circuit.
But he still won the £1,000 first prize by six shots from the experienced Neil Fenwick (Dunbar) who found his form with a last-round, six-birdie 66 to share second place on 278 with Daniel Flannery (Caldwell).
Flannery had a little bit of everything in his closing round, from an eagle 3 at the 12th and three birdies to six bogeys, including shots dropped at the 15th and 16th which cost him second place on his own. The joint runners-up won £725 apiece.

SCOTTISH YOUNG PROFESSIONALS CHAMPIONSHIP
West Lothian Golf Club, Bo'ness
FINAL TOTALS
Par 284 (4x71)
272 P O'Hara (Clydeway Golf) 65 67 68 72 (£1,000).
278 N Fenwick (Dunbar) 70 68 74 66, D Flannery (Caldwell) 70 66 70 72 (£725 each)
280 S McLaren (Blairgowrie) 67 70 71 72 (£500)
281 G Paterson (St Andrews LGA) 70 72 70 69 (£400)
284 C Robinson (Portpatrick Dunskey) 73 71 70 70 (£350)
287 K McNicoll (Gullane) 72 75 71 69, J Mackay (North Gailes) 70 74 70 73, P Betty (Hamilton) 69 73 74 71, P Robinson (Largs)_70 74 70 73 (£287 each)
290 L Gaughan (Bathgate) 73 74 72 71, C Robinson (Prestonfield) 71 74 73 72, R Jack (North Gailes) 74 68 75 73 (£205 each).
292 C Brown (Carrick on Loch Lomond) 72 77 71 72, T Dingwall (Nairn Dunbar) 78 71 70 73, R Munro (Duddingston) 74 74 70 74, C Lawson (Wellsgreen) 72 75 71 74, G Smith (Gleneagles) 71 75 74 72, N Cameron (Blairgowrie) 70 73 77 72 (£102 each).
295 I McNab (Dundonald Links) 75 73 76 71, S Costello (strathaven) 74 72 73 76,
296 J McBrearty (Haggs Castle) 77 72 77 70, E Grimes (Carrick on Loch Lomond) 76 73 74 73
297 A McIntyre (Carrick on Loch Lomond) 71 77 79 70.
298 R Hold (unatt) 71 72 78 77
299 F Clarke (Newmachar) 73 73 77 76, S Bissett (unatt) 71 78 78 72.
300 J Gallagher (Douglas Park) 75 71 77 77
301 I Anderson (Colville Parek) 75 72 76 78, R Satterley (Swanston New) 73 76 77 75
302 R Rushford (Swanston New) 76 75 78 75
303 O Huish (North Berwicki) 73 76 78 76
305 G Wright (Ladybank) 73 72 74 86.

THREE SHARE HONOURS IN DOWNFIELD PRO-AM

   Greg McBain, pictured at the recent Northern Open. Image by

                      Cal Carson Golf Agency

Aberdeen's Greg McBain (Gamola Golf), Paul McKechnie (Braid Hills) and former Walker Cup player David Patrick (Kingsfield) shared the honours in the Discovery shotgun pro-am at Downfield Golf Club, Dundee today.
They all shot five-under-par 67s by differing routes. McBain was the most consistent scorer with halves of 34-33. Patrick came storming home in four-under 32 while McKechnie, who had an eagle 3 at the fourth, did his best work in an outward half of 32.
The trio earned £683 each.
They finished a shot ahead of fourth-placed Christopher Currie (Caldwell) who earned £375 for a 68 while West Linton Welshman Gareth Wright was fifth on 69 for a £300 payslip.
David Orr (Mearns Castle) led the Bank of Scotland Commercial amateur trio of Grant McBay (handicap 10), Angus Hay (5) and David Milne (14) to victory in the pro-am team event with an 18-under-par net score of 124.

LEADING PRO SCORES
Par 72
67 D Patrick (Kingsfield), P McKechnie (Braid Hills), G McBain (Gamola Golf) £683 each.
68 C Currie (Caldwell) £375
69 G Wright (West Linton) £300
70 G Hutcheon (Banchory), A Crerar (Panmure) £232 each.
71 D McKay (Wellsgreen), G Brown(Montrose Links), J McCreadie (Buchanan Castle) £161 each.
72 J McKinnon (Irvine), D Orr (Mearns Castle), G Fox (Clydeway Golf), S Gray (Hayston), C Kelly (Cawder) £108 each
73 R Arnott (Bishopbriggs) £83
75 K Hutton (Downfield) £75
76 S Henderson (Kings Links) £66
78 P Wardell (Whitekirki) £58
79 Andrew Jowett (Gleneagles) £50.
81 F Dunlop (Gleneagles).

MICHAEL STEWART LEADING SCOT IN ITALY

Former Walker Cup player Michael Stewart was the leading Scot after the first round of this week's Alps Tour event, the Asiago Open at Asiago Golf Club, Italy.
The Ayrshire man shot a one-under-par 69 (35-34) to be in joint 22nd place overnight, four strokes behind the leader, Frenchman Nicolas Tacher with a 65 (32-33).
Fraserburgh's Kris Nicol (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) was just outside the top 20 on the leaderboard until he bogeyed the 11th, 12th and 17th for a two-over 72 (34-48). That dropped him to a share of 66th place alongside John Henry (Clydebank) who had halves of 35-37.
Ross Cameron (Saltire Energy) is joint 92nd on 75 (35-40).
Stirling University graduate David Booth from Rotherham is the leading British player in the field, sharing second place on 66 with Zavier Poncelet (France).

LEADERBOARD
Par 70
65 N Tacher (Fra)
66 X Poncelet (Fra), D Booth (Eng)
SELECTED SCORES 
67 S Brown (Eng) (T4)
68 S Grant (Ire), B Evans (Eng) (T11)
69 M Stewart (Sco) (T22)
72 J Henry (Sco), K Nicol (Sco) (T66).
75 R Cameron (Sco) (T92).

ends

PAUL O'HARA EXTENDS YOUNG PROS' LEAD TO SIX SHOTS

	AFTER THREE ROUNDS .... ONE TO GO  WEST LOTHIAN GOLF CLUB			Rounds				Total
	Total	Thru	Current	1	2	3	4
	1	Paul O'Hara  Clydeway Golf	-13	F	-3	65	67	68		200
	2	Daniel Flannery  Caldwell Golf Club	-7	F	-1	70	66	70		206
	3	Sam McLaren  Blairgowrie Golf Club	-5	F	E	67	70	71		208
	T4	Greg Paterson  St Andrews Links Golf Academy	-1	F	-1	70	72	70		212
	T4	Neil Fenwick  Dunbar Golf Club	-1	F	+3	70	68	74		212
	T6	Christopher Robinson  Portpatrick Dunskey Golf Club	+1	F	-1	73	71	70		214
	T6	Paul Robinson  Largs Golf Club	+1	F	-1	70	74	70		214
	8	Paul Betty  Hamilton Golf Club	+3	F	+3	69	73	74		216
	9	Ross Jack  Dumfries & Galloway Golf Club	+4	F	+4	74	68	75		217
	T10	Ross Munro  Duddingston Golf Club	+5	F	-1	74	74	70		218
	T10	Keir McNicoll  Gullane Golf Club	+5	F	E	72	75	71		218
	T10	Jamie Mackay  North Gailes Golf Centre	+5	F	E	71	76	71		218
	T10	Calum Lawson  Wellsgreen Golf Range	+5	F	E	72	75	71		218
	T10	Colin Robinson  Prestonfield Golf Club	+5	F	+2	71	74	73		218
	T15	Tom Dingwall  Nairn Dunbar Golf Club	+6	F	-1	78	71	70		219
	T15	Louis Gaughan  Bathgate Golf Club	+6	F	+1	73	74	72

McDONALD, FERGUSON SEAL NATIONAL ORDER OF MERIT TITLES

SGU MEDIA RELEASE

Jack McDonald and Ewen Ferguson, two of Scotland’s most promising young talents, today expressed their delight after being crowned SGU Order of Merit winners for 2013 at Men’s and Boys’ level respectively.

Kilmarnock Barassie’s McDonald held off the challenge of Lundin’s James White to win the SGU Men’s Order of Merit, while Ferguson (Bearsden) eased to success in the Scottish Hydro-sponsored Boys’ rankings. 

The SGU National Squad pair will collect their titles at next year’s Scottish Golf Awards in Glasgow, along with various other winners.

McDonald, the 20-year-old University of Stirling student, has completed a notable double after winning last year’s Scottish Amateur Golfer of the Year award. Indeed, he is only the third Scot – after Callum Macaulay and Michael Stewart – to win both titles. 

After his heroics last year when he reached the semi-finals of The Amateur Championship and played all four rounds of the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open, McDonald progressed further in 2013.

The Ayrshireman began the year without a 72-hole stroke play title to his name, but collected three during the season, including back-to-back end-of-season wins at the North of Scotland and South East District Championship. 

McDonald, whose season was also highlighted by a tie for fifth at the S Andrews Links Trophy and helping Scotland to a runner-up finish at the European Amateur Team Championship, finished on 697.83 points, over 66 clear of nearest rival White.

McDonald, a past Scottish Boys Stroke Play champion, said: “It’s a great feeling; it just tops things off for me. I won the Amateur Golfer of the Year in 2012, so it’s great to do the double if you like. 

“It’s great to get recognition like this at the end of the year. Now it would be nice to kick on further next year and win a couple of big national titles, as well as moving further up the world rankings.

“I still have two years to do of my Maths degree at University, so my focus is on that as well.” 

Fifer White, the 2011 Men’s Order of Merit champion, pushed McDonald all the way after a purple patch since late June which saw him record three runner-up finishes, including at the Fairstone Scottish Amateur Championship, and two third-place results.

McDonald’s Adam Dunton followed up his tie for second in the merit standings last year with another strong season, resulting in a third-place finish ahead of Matt Clark (Kilmacolm) and Craig Ross (Kirkhill). 

In the Boys’ rankings, Ferguson proved the class act, such was his consistency. The 17-year-old secured three top-five finishes early in the season, before he won the Stephen Gallacher Foundation Trophy in May.

After sharing second at the Stephen Gallacher Foundation Scottish Boys Stroke Play Championship, Ferguson reached the quarter-finals of the Fairstone Scottish Amateur at Blairgowrie. 

But it was at Hoylake last month where he highlighted his season in style, holding off the world’s leading boy golfers to become the first Scot in almost a decade to be crowned Boys Amateur champion.

Ferguson defeated Germany’s Michael Hirmer by the resounding score of 10 and 9 in the 36-hole final to win one of the most coveted titles in the amateur game.

The teenager was then one of four Scots selected for the Great Britain and Ireland side for the prestigious Jacques Leglise Trophy, helping secure a 15-9 win over the Continent of Europe.

“It’s been a really good year,” said Ferguson, who also won the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour Order of Merit in America in 2012. “I felt confident over the winter and worked hard in the gym to get stronger. 

“I also did a lot of work with my coach, Gregor Monks, on my swing and I felt comfortable. When you post good finishes early in the season, it gives you confidence and I pushed on from there.

“Winning the British Boys was a great feeling. I just played really well the whole week and holed a lot of putts. I really thrived in front of the big crowds too.” 

Scottish Schools champion Connor Syme (Dumfries and County) was over 600 points behind Ferguson as runner-up in the Boys’ rankings, with Tantallon’s Calum Hill rewarded for his solid play in third.

Scottish Boys winner Bradley Neil (Blairgowrie) finished fourth overall, with Glencruitten’s Robert MacIntyre, twice a national champion in 2013, in fifth spot.

 

>> Click here for final standings on the SGU Men’s Order of Merit

 

>> Click here for final standings on the Scottish Hydro Boys’ Order of Merit

 

 

JOHNNY MILLER SADDENED BY NBC LOSS OF US OPEN CONTRACT

FROM THE GOLF.COM WEBSITE
The lead analyst for NBC's U.S. Open coverage, Johnny Miller, said Wednesday he wished Fox Sports the best but was sad that NBC Sports won't be airing the tournament after next year. 
Fox Sports and the USGA agreed on a 12-year deal last month that awarded the rights to Fox to televise the tournament until 2026. NBC had aired the final rounds of the Open since 1995.

"The U.S. Open was always my championship. It’s what I was groomed to do, to play," Miller said during a teleconference on Wednesday. "I just always got up for the Open and loved it. You know, I’ll still love it. I just won’t be covering it."

Last month, Miller told the AP that Fox "can't just fall out of a tree and do the U.S. Open."
Wednesday, he said he hopes the network does a good job with their coverage.

"It’s something that’s pretty sad for me," he said. "All of us at ... Golf channel, but especially NBC ... put their heart and soul into it," Miler said. "That was the focal point of everything we did and I just hope that Fox does ... I absolutely wish them absolutely the best. It’s such a great championship."

Miller also had a few thoughts on how he would rank the major tournaments and the FedExCup Championship in terms of importance. Miller won the U.S. Open in 1973 and the British Open in 1976, but never won the PGA or the Masters.

"As a player if I had a choice between the British Open/Open, or the U.S. Open or the Masters, it's about a dead time now to me. You know, the PGA is obviously a really good tournament, too...They are all about the three best flavours of Baskin Robbins

CAPTAIN COUPLES PICKS SPIETH, SIMPSON FOR PRESIDENTS CUP MATCH

FROM THE GOLFWEEK WEBSITE
By ADAM SCHUPAK

A year ago, the big date circled in October on the calendar of Texas sophomore Jordan Spieth was the Red River Rivalry against border rival Oklahoma. Now, after being selected as one of two captain’s picks for the U.S. team, it is the dates of the Presidents Cup.
“I’m just super stoked and happy I woke up this morning and it wasn’t a dream,” Spieth said.
U.S. captain Fred Couples chose Spieth, ranked No. 22 in the point standings, and 2012 U.S. Open champion Webb Simpson, to round out the 12-man American squad. International captain Nick Price used his picks on Marc Leishman and Brendon de Jonge.
The Presidents Cup will be held October 3-6 at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio.
Spieth, 20, turned pro in December after 1 1/2 years at Texas and began the year with no status. He had to compete in a Thursday PGA Tour qualifier, but quickly showed his capabilities. Spieth won the John Deere Classic and recorded seven other top-10 finishes, including losing a playoff at the Wyndham Championship, and firing a final-round 62 at the Deutsche Bank Championship on Monday in the company of Phil Mickelson.
Color Mickelson impressed. Couples said that Mickelson texted him after the round. “Dude, you’ve got to pick this guy,” Mickelson wrote.
“He’s going to be the next Jim Furyk; he’s going to be on Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup teams forever,” Couples said of Spieth.
By choosing youth over experience, Couples passed on Furyk, whom he called “one of my guys.” 
Furyk had played on 15 straight international team competitions, and compiled a 5-0 mark at the 2011 Presidents Cup. Couples said he had sent a text to Furyk last night to break the news but had not talked with him yet.
“I just couldn’t handle it,” Couples said.
Couples hinted Monday that Simpson, who lost his automatic pick when Zach Johnson birdied the final two holes of the Deutsche Bank Championship to hang on to the No. 10 slot, would be safe and never wavered in that decision.
“All along, I was going to take No. 11,” Couples said. “And with Webb being in the top 10 for two years only to get pushed out with one putt, there was no way I could leave him off.”
In addition to Furyk, Couples left Dustin Johnson and Bubba Watson, who were key contributors in 2011’s winning side, off the team.
Likewise, Price faced a difficult choice in his two picks. He considered three men for the final two spots: Leishman, de Jonge and Tim Clark, who ended up being the odd man out. Leishman, the winner of the 2012 Travelers Championship, made a strong bid at the Masters, finishing T-4, while de Jonge, a fellow Zimbabwean, impressed with his consistency.
“He’s getting ready to break through,” Price said of de Jonge. “He’s in a situation where I think this may be a wonderful break for him, and I think he’s going to be a great teammate.”
Price said that phoning Clark was the toughest call he’d ever made.
“This is one of those times when you wish there were 13 members of the team,” Price said.

SKIPPER EDWARDS REUNITED WITH GB AND I WALKER CUP TEAM

        Defending the Walker Cup ... Nigel Edwards and his winning team at Royal Aberdeen in 2011

FROM THE DAILY TELEGRAPH WEBSITE
Great Britain and Ireland’s hopes of retaining the Walker Cup will receive a timely boost today when they are reunited with their captain Nigel Edwards, who was forced to fly home at the start of the week because of a family illness. 
he health of Edwards’ father has improved sufficiently to allow the Welshman to return to the National Golf Links of America in time to help finish off his team’s preparations for the two-day match which tees off on Saturday.

And although Edwards claims his players would have “coped fine” if a late change of captain had been required, his presence might prove crucial as they attempt to win on US soil for just the third time in the cup’s 91-year history.

“Jonathan [Plaxton, the chairman of selectors] has been with them and the lads all know the schedule and system,” Edwards told Telegraph Sport. “There has been an emphasis on the short game, as the greens on Long Island will be very quick. I’m sure the lads are up to speed. They’ll be ready to go on Saturday.”

It has been an eventful trip for the 10-strong squad. There was a six-hour flight delay on the way over and on Tuesday storms here led to a washout which stalled their acclimatisation to the revered layout which hosted the inaugural Walker Cup in 1922. But now, with Edwards back in the fold, the momentum will really start to build.

When leading GB and I to victory at Royal Aberdeen two years ago, Edwards was hailed as a master motivator and his CV also boasts a victory in America.
Four-times a Walker Cup player, Edwards made his debut on the GB and I team, which included the likes of Luke Donald and Graeme McDowell, who won in Sea Island, Georgia, in 2001.

With both the US Amateur champion, Matt Fitzpatrick, and the Amateur champion, Garrick Porteous, in his ranks, Edwards will be quietly confident of a repeat.
“We’ve got a great team and, of course, I cant wait to get back with them,” he said. “But we’re going to have to work very, very hard for it.”
As if any of the amateurs needed further incentive as to where this week could lead, it was provided yesterday by Freddie Couples picking Jordan Spieth for next month’s Presidents Cup match against the Internationals in Ohio. Two years ago the 20-year-old played in the Walker Cup.
Miguel Ángel Jiménez has no problem with Spieth’s selection – after all, he is a proven PGA Tour winner – but the European Tour’s oldest-ever winner does not agree with 13-year-old Ye Wocheng, the Tour’s youngest ever competitor, being invited to play in the European Masters, which tees off today in Crans-sur-Sierre.
The 49-year-old said: “A 13-year-old should be playing alongside other 13-year-olds and not players averaging 33 years of age. No doubt the sponsor wants publicity for the tournament but, I’m sorry, this shouldn’t be allowed.”

 

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COLIN AND ETHEL'S GOLDEN WEDDING ANNIVERSARY

Not much work going to be done today on the websites - it's the Golden Wedding Anniversary of Colin and Ethel Farquharson.
Read more about it - if you want to - on www.kirkwoodgolf.co.uk