Monday, November 18, 2013

PETER UIHLEIN FIRST AMERICAN TO BE EUROPEAN TOUR ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

      PETER UIHLEIN ... picture by courtesy of Getty Images(c)

 FROM EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS
American Peter Uihlein has been awarded the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year award following a hugely successful first season on The European Tour, in which he won his maiden title and finished 14th  in The Race to Dubai.
The 24 year old is the first player from the USA to win the prestigious award, and follows in the footsteps of golfing legends such as Sir Nick Faldo (1977), Sandy Lyle (1978), José María Olazábal (1986) and Colin Montgomerie (1988) and more recently Sergio Garcia (1999), Ian Poulter  (2000), Paul Casey (2001), Martin Kaymer (2007) and Matteo Manassero (2010).
Having turned professional in December 2011 following a glittering amateur career, Uihlein secured a European Challenge Tour card for 2013 and made a promising start. He also received several invitations for European Tour events, and took advantage of the opportunities to notch top ten finishes in the Tshwane Open and the Open de España early in the season. 
His season-changing victory came in May, at the Madeira Islands Open, through which he earned full European Tour playing rights and meant his schedule changed dramatically for the rest of the year. He continued to show he could deal with the step up, finishing tied tenth in both the BMW International Open and the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open, before a fine spell in the second half of the campaign.
In August the Floridian was denied a second title by a barnstorming finish from Grégory Bourdy in the ISPS Handa Wales Open where he finished second and he maintained that superb form at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, where he came within a whisker of recording the first 59 in European Tour history at Kingsbarns in the second round. 
The 12 under par 60 helped him tie for the lead after 72 holes, but he was thwarted by David Howell at the second hole of a sudden-death play-off. In his next appearance on The European Tour, Uihlein tied for fifth in the BMW Masters presented by SRE Group, the first event in the inaugural Final Series.
The Oklahoma State University graduate was thrilled to be the 49th recipient of the award, which was launched in 1960. 
“It’s an honour to win the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year award,” said Uihlein, who reached world amateur number one 2010. “I wasn’t expecting it, but it’s been a great year and I’m very pleased. I think I’m the first non-European to win it, so that’s a great honour. Any time you’re the first of anything, it’s neat.
“The win in Madeira was great and I had a lot of top tens. I played well all week in Madeira and handled myself well in the wind, and it was nice to get the job done. The win opened a few doors for me and I was able to play at Wentworth (the BMW PGA Championship) the following week.
“I was supposed to start the year on the Challenge Tour, but instead I was 11th in The Race to Dubai heading into the final event, so it wasn’t what I’d planned on but obviously it’s fantastic the way it has worked out.” 
Before joining the paid ranks, Uihlein won the 2010 US Amateur Championship, and won four points from four matches in the 2009 Walker Cup.
George O’Grady, Chief Executive of The European Tour, said: “We heartily congratulate Peter on an outstanding season, during which he has thrilled golf fans and challenged for several titles. He is a worthy winner of the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year. 
“His incredible 60 at Kingsbarns, which ended with his eagle putt for a 59 missing by a fraction, will go down as one of the finest displays on The European Tour.
“Peter enjoyed a wonderful career as an amateur and it is so pleasing to see him fulfilling his potential at the game’s highest level. We wish him every success for the future.”
 
  EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS

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ARMCHAIR RULES OFFICIATING@ EXPECT USGA, R and A ANNOUNCEMENT THIS WEEK

 FROM THE GOLF DIGEST WEBSITE
By Ron Kaspriske
From the November 18 edition of Golf World Monday:
Changes are coming to armchair rules officiating.
The USGA and the R&A are expected to announce Tuesday new stipulations on how video is used in the reporting of potential rules violations. 
This announcement is part of their biennial review of the Decisions on the Rules of Golf and will take effect January 1, 2014. Other changes to the decisions book are expected, but addressing how video evidence is used seems timely, considering that Tiger Woods was embroiled in several rules controversies this past year that were caught on video and reported.
The most famous came with his improper ball drop during the second round of the Masters in April while his most recent was in September when he was given a two-stroke penalty at the BMW Championship for accidentally moving his ball while trying to remove loose impediments.
US PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem recently discussed the "difficult and awkward" nature of fans alerting officials of rules breaches and said the tour would be studying the matter. 
A change by the USGA and R&A in the Decisions would keep the tour from needing to consider a policy that might run counter to the Rules of Golf.

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STENSON PULLS OUT OF SOUTH AFRICAN OPEN DEFENCE

NEWS RELEASE
Henrik Stenson will not defend his title this week at the South African Open. The world No. 3 withdrew from the event today, citing a lingering wrist injury.
The Swedish player has been nursing a wrist injury for several months.
On Monday, he told tournament organizers of the South African Open, the first event in the new 2013-14 European Tour season: “Despite my performance in Dubai, I am still having concerns about my wrist, and it really needs to rest. … Unfortunately, in our line of business, we have to be very mindful of injuries and be careful not to make matters worse. I wish everyone participating in this year’s SA Open a fantastic tournament.”  It was at last year’s South African Open that Stenson’s fortunes began to change. Last November, he won by three shots to capture his first title since the 2009 Players. 
Having dipped in the world rankings to the mid-200s, Stenson returned to No. 71 with that victory. Since then he has won three times, finished 21st or better in all four majors, captured both the FedEx Cup and Race to Dubai, and ascended all the way to world No. 3. 

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PORTLETHEN GOLF CLUB JUNIOR PRIZEGIVING

FROM PORTLETHEN GOLF CLUB
These photographs were taken at the annual prizegiving presentation for the Portlethen Golf Club junior section at the Golf Club.
The event was attended by around 100 children and adults, and a thoroughly enjoyable evening was had as the various groups were presented with their trophies and certificates.
 
The above picture shows the group of youngsters that make up the beginners' section, club golfers and intermediate players (known at the club as the Porty Gang), they all received certificates detailing their achievements for the year.
The two adults in the back row are Scott Sinclair (left) and Terry Kennedy (right), who are the main people responsible for running the beginners section.
 
This picture shows the main junior prize winners for the season.
Back row (left to right): Ian Elmslie (junior convener), Kieran Spence, Sam Kiloh,
Middle row: Regan Scott, Jack Stewart, Paul Morgan, Lewis Gordon (2013 junior club champion), Dylan McGachy, Pranav Maganti,  Miss Ashley Wallace.
Front row: Murray Sinclair.

Photographs by courtesy of Brian Kiloh Photography

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ARAN SINCLAIR'S 68 BEST AT SCOTTISH JUNIOR GOLF TOUR'S GULLANE 3 EVENT

FROM WALTER BURNS
Scottish Junior Golf Tour
Here are the results from the Scottish Junior Golf Tour event at Gullane yesterday on Number 3 course.
Great weather and smooth greens made the day perfect for low scoring. Aran Sinclair, playing in the last group, came in with the best score of the day, a level par 68. Matthew Dalrymple and Aidan Husenne led the Under-15s with 69s.

Results
Under 17yrs
68 Aran Sinclair (Bearsden)
69 Brad Bannerman (Strathmore)
70 Michael Brodie (Strathmore), Euan Gill (Fortrose)
71 Fraser Kane (Kirkhill), Kieran Mackay (Inverness), Kieran McVicar (East Kilbride), Will Porter (Letham Grange)         
  
Under 15yrs           
69 Matthew Dalrymple (Lochwinnoch), Aidan Husenne (Haggs Castle)
71 Murray McCrone (Troon Welbeck), Jack Williams (Sandyhills)
76 Kyle Irvine (Craigielaw)
 
Kyle Irvine won the handicap prize with nett 64.
 
 
Next event “Tour School” at Kings Acre.
Walter Burns
Scottish Junior Golf Tour
 
Mob: 07951 103 827
 

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