HOFFMAN LEADS WITH A 65 IN PEBBLE BEACH INVITATIONAL

PEBBLE BEACH, California – Morgan Hoffmann took the first-round lead at the Pebble Beach Invitational on Thursday, shooting a 7-under 65 at Spyglass Hill.
Hoffmann had a one-stroke lead on fellow PGA Tour players Chesson Hadley, Ted Potter Jr., Scott Brown and defending champion Tommy Gainey.
"It was just a really nice day," Hoffmann said of his bogey-free round. "The greens were soft and the ball rolled really well."
Gainey, Hadley and Brown were at par-72 Del Monte Golf Course. Potter Jr. had his 66 at Spyglass Hill.
"Anytime you're the defending champion, you always want to give it your best shot," said Gainey, whose lone PGA Tour win remains the 2012 McGladrey Classic.
Four players, including 2013-2014 PGA Tour rookie Brice Garnett, Jason Kokrak and University of Illinois men's golf coach Mike Small were two back at 67. Kokrak had the low round at Pebble Beach.
Ten-time major winner and World Golf Hall of Famer Annika Sorenstam opened with a 70 at Del Monte. Two-time defending First Tee Open at Pebble Beach winner Kirk Triplett shot 69 at Del Monte.
Record three-time winner Mark Brooks was six back following a 71 at Spyglass.
Former winner Rocco Mediate withdrew with back spasms.
In its 42nd year, the Invitational is the only event that features players from the PGA, LPGA, Champions and Web.com Tours vying for the same purse.

LUKE DONALD SHARES LEAD AFTER A 66 IN JAPAN

England's Luke Donald fired a 5-under 66 Friday at the Japan Tour's Dunlop Phoenix to grab a share of the lead at Phoenix Country Club in Miyazaki, Japan.
Donald, the defending champion, shares the lead at 3 under with Sung-Joon Park, Hyung-Sung Kim and Yoshinobu Tsukada.
Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (Spain) and Hideki Matsuyama are three shots back while Keegan Bradley (T-37) and Billy Horschel (T-44) also made the cut.

CALLUM MACAULAY PUTS A HOLD ON GOLF CAREER TO TAKE A GOLF TALENT SCOUTING POST

FROM THE SCOTSMAN NEWSPAPER WEBSITE

By MARTIN DEMPSTER 

TWO members of the team that put Scotland on top of the golfing world by winning the Eisenhower Trophy in Australia five years ago have put their playing careers on hold to become talent scouts for American colleges.
Hot on the heels of Murrayshall’s Gavin Dear starting up his own company, Golf Scholars, Callum Macaulay, the 2008 Scottish Amateur champion from Tulliallan, has just taken up a new role with Glasgow-based FirstPoint USA.
Macaulay’s shock move has come only 12 months after he secured a place back on the European Tour, where he came close to winning the Madeira Islands Open in his fourth event as a rookie in 2009.
In contrast to that encouraging start to his professional 
career, the 29-year-old made just five cuts in 20 outings this year and, having since failed to win back his card at the Qualifying School, Macaulay feels sickened by golf. He’s not saying it’s the end of his career. Indeed, there’s a chance that he could receive a timely boost by earning a place next season back on Team Scottish Hydro, having been one of its original benefactors along with Dear, Craig Lee, Chris Doak and Jamie McLeary.
With bills to pay, however, Macaulay needs an income and, having used Glasgow-based FirstPoint USA himself when he went to the University of Mississippi, he is ready to pass on his knowledge to the next wave of talented young golfers.
“I was at the complete burnout stage – I’d gone through so much on and off the course that I couldn’t handle much more,” he told The Scotsman. 
“Contrary to what many people think, professional golf is not a life of continuous income. We still have bills dropping through the door and the way I was playing was not helping that cause. I got off to a bad start last year and it snowballed from there. I was conscious I was starting to run out of money and there’s no doubt that affects your golf.”
Playing without any pressure whatsoever, Macaulay claimed the Scottish amateurtitle at Carnoustie in 2008, then joined forces with Dear and Wallace Booth to record Scotland’s first win in the World Amateur Team Championship, lifting the Eisenhower Trophy.
Macaulay then came through all three stages of the Qualifying School to earn his European Tour card and was a whisker away from securing a two-year exemption when a closing 64 saw him finish second behind Argentina’s Tano Goya in Madeira.
“I had a good first year on Tour but then things started to slowly deteriorate,” he reflected. “It just shows you how golf can turn you around. One minute you’re on cloud nine then, after a couple of rounds, you are struggling with confidence.
“I used to look at Oliver Wilson, Nick Dougherty and Kenny Ferrie and wonder how guys like them could be struggling. Now I have complete sympathy for them.
“I’m not saying this is the end for me, but I’ve not even opened my golf bag since I came home from Tour School – it’s still sitting in the garage.
“I’m going through a phase where I don’t want to play or practice and I’ve never had that before. Who knows how long it will last? The Challenge Tour is the only option I have next season, but it will come down to money and how I feel whether I play there.”
In the meantime, Macaulay is happy to retain a connection with golf through his role with FirstPoint USA, which specialises in sports scholarships and helped Macaulay himself make the right choice when his gaze was attracted across the Atlantic more than a decade ago.
“I’ve been brought in to scout the next wave of talent,” he revealed. “The CEO is Andrew Kean, whom I’ve been good friends with for a while and he’s given me the opportunity to see how it goes.
“I went through First Point USA when I went out to the US in 2002 and I wouldn’t have achieved half what I did in the game if it hadn’t been for that. The US is undoubtedly the best route to go and I’ve got a lot of knowledge and experience, having been part of the amateur scene for a few years and also travelling all over the world.
“There is a massive demand from college coaches, not just in golf but lots of other sports, too. And why wouldn’t you want 
to be in either Mississippi or Florida at this time of the year?
“I went to the University of Mississippi. I was playing off three when I went out there and was off plus three of plus four by the time I finished. Each summer I came home I felt I was able to compete better in the big events.
“This is a new challenge for me and, although it has nothing to do with playing, it is good that is still has golf as an ingredient. Life goes on and there is no point in me moping and feeling sorry for myself.”

TIGER WOODS' WORLD CHALLENGE MOVES FROM CALIFORNIA TO FLORIDA NEXT YEAR

FROM THE GOLFWEEK WEBSITE
By Adam Schupak
Tiger Woods' World Challenge is swapping coasts.
The elite, limited–field event will be held December 5-8 at Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, California, not far from Los Angeles, where it has been held 13 of the last 14 years. But that will be the final one there.
The event’s new location from 2014 will be a familiar one for Woods. The tournament is moving to Florida – to the place of his former residence, Isleworth Golf and Country Club.
As part of the announcement, organizers said the Tavistock Cup, which was held in March during the Florida Swing and rotated between Isleworth and Lake Nona, would cease to exist after a 10-year run.
“This new partnership is a terrific opportunity for us to enhance our position within professional golf,” Isleworth general manager David Kemp wrote in an email to its membership. 
“It also allows us the opportunity to expand our reach through weekend network-television coverage and without weather delays from the prior week's tournament.”
Since 2000 Tiger Woods has been hosting his own World Challenge, an unofficial event that even offers world-ranking points.
“We have a longstanding relationship with Tavistock Group and my friend, Joe Lewis, and I am thrilled to see it grow in support of our Foundations,” Tiger Woods said in a release. 
“We’ve enjoyed 15 amazing years in southern California, which helped us launch our flagship Tiger Woods Learning Center. It serves as a lasting tribute to the fans that have supported us year after year. 
"I’m looking forward to this next phase of the World Challenge and what it can bring to Florida.”
The event will be held Dec. 1-7, 2014.

ALASTAIR FORSYTH'S 66 LIFTS HIM INTO TOP 20 AT SOUTH AFRICAN OPEN

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE

Pre-tournament favourite Charl Schwartzel shares the lead with Marco Crespi after the second round of the South African Open Championship hosted by the City of Ekurhuleni.
South African Schwartzel, a former Masters Tournament champion, this afternoon fired five birdies and an eagle to go through the outward nine in 29 and tie at the top of the leaderboard with Italy’s Crespi, who this morning went round in a five under par 67.
Schwartzel then bogeyed the tenth and 13th, but birdied the next three holes to go ahead of Crespi. However, Schwartzel dropped a shot at the 17th and made par at the last for a 65 that left him level with the Italian on 12 under.
Speaking of the first half of his round, Schwartzel said: “It was just one of those nines where most things go right. I made some really good iron shots, put myself in play, and the greens are just in such fantastic condition that if you get the line right they go in, and that was pretty much the case.
“I holed some nice putts and played some great shots to turn in seven under. It looked like it could be a really low one at one stage.
“It’s nice to turn in a low nine and get yourself quickly up the board. I got a bit derailed by a short putt on ten. Actually a good putt but, late on the afternoon on the greens with all the guys stepping round the hole, I managed to hit a little footprint and it came back at me. It sort of put the brakes on a little bit. Who knows what I would have been on (now) if that went in?”
Crespi earlier continued to shine in the first event of his rookie European Tour campaign. The 35 year old, who finished third last week in Girona to come through Qualifying School for the first time in 11 attempts, carded six birdies and a solitary bogey at Glendower GC.
Crespi, the highlight of whose round was a superb approach from the rough at the 16th to a foot, said: “I missed a lot of fairways and a lot of greens today. My long game was not how I like to play. My putting and chipping was pretty amazing.
“I was expecting a good tournament, because I was playing well. Obviously not this big, but I am pretty confident about the weekend. I'll just try to remain calm and play my game my way.
“I just have to catch more fairways, because I really like to play from there. I don't have too much speed through the ball, so I need to stay on the fairway. If I get it right then I can control the distance, spin and direction more.”
Crespi and Schwartzel are one ahead of Dane Morten Ørum Madsen in the first event of the 2014 Race to Dubai.
Madsen, a runner-up in Madeira during an impressive rookie campaign last year, had seven birdies to join Crespi in front but failed to get up-and-down from short of the 17th green for his only bogey of the day as he signed for a 66.
Behind Madsen are two South Africans, Christiaan Basson on 10 under after a 68 and Jbe Kruger, looking to regain his full European Tour playing rights having been outside the top 110 on last season’s Race to Dubai, at nine under following his 70 today. England’s James Morrison, who carded a 66, is level with Kruger.
Former US Open Champion and two-time winner of this event Retief Goosen had been on course to take his place on the leaderboard but double bogeyed the fifth after hitting a poor drive and seeing his second shot finish against a tree. The double Major winner eventually signed for a 71 to be part of a large group on seven under.
Schwartzel finished six shots clear of younger brother Attie, who went round in 71 today.

SCOTSWATCH: 

Alastair Forsyth shot one of the day's best rounds, a six-under 66, which lifted him into the top 20, joint 19th to be precise, on 138 after an opening day 72. He is six shots off the pace.
Chris Doak and Peter Whiteford (both 71-68) are joint 24th on 139.
Clydeside-born South African Doug McGuigan is on 141 (71-70) and joint 40th place.
Jamie McLeary made the cut right on the limit mark of 142, thanks to a second-round four-under-par 68 which gave him a share of 53rd place.
Two of the more successful Scots in the 2013 season, missed the cut in this the first event of the 2013-2014 campaign.
Lee ahot 74-72 for 146 and Jamieson 73-75 for 148.

SOUTH AFRICAN OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP SECOND-ROUND SCOREBOARD

Par 144 (2x72)1
132 Marco Crespi (Italy) 66 67, Charl Schwartzel (S Africa) 67 65.
133 Morten Orum Madsen (Denmark) 67 66
134 Christiaan Basson (S Africa) 66 68

SELECTED OTHER SCORES
136 Matthew Nixon (England) 64 72 (T7)
138 Alastair Forsyth (Scotland) 72 66 (T19)
139 Chris Doak (Scotland) 71 68, Peter Whiteford (Scotland) 71 68 (T24)
141 Doug McGuigan (Scotland) 71 70 (T40)
142 Jamie McLeary (Scotland) 74 68 (T53)

MISSED THE CUT (142 and better quaified)
146 Craig Lee (Scotland) 74 72 (T101)
148 Scott Jamieson (Scotland) 73 75 (T120)

BAD WEATHER HITS US CHAMPIONS TOUR Q SCHOOL

Play has been suspended in the fourth round of the US Champions Tour Qualifying School at TPC Scottsdale, Arizona.

CHECK OUT THE TOUR WEBSITE FOR SCORING LATER


CLICK HERE

WEST LOTHIAN GC PAIR FINISH SIXTH IN PGA PRO-CAPTAIN CHALLENGE

Lightning strikes leave honours even in Turkey

 
FROM THE PGA WEBSITE
They say lightning never strikes twice but it has for Ian Walley after the Kedleston Park pro and amateur partner Ian Neal shared victory with Windermere Golf Club's Simon Edwards and Ian Gordon  in the Golfplan Insurance PGA Pro-Captain Challenge in Turkey today.
Persistent thunderstorms forced the second round of the £25,000 event to be abandoned and with no chance of a play-off to decide its destination, the joint overnight leaders were both awarded the title.
It means Walley (above right) has successfully defended the event he won last year at Antalya Golf Club and gives him a third PGA trophy in the space of 12 months after also winning the PGA National Pro-Am Championship with Neal (second right) in September.
The two club partnerships had carded first round seven-under-par 64s amid glorious sunshine in the Canopius supported event but today they only reached the fourth fairway when they were called off the PGA Sultan course as thunder and lightning plus torrential downpours (at one point 16mm rainfall in one hour) closed in on the Mediterranean resort, leaving Walley and Windermere pro Simon Edwards to share the first prize fund, each earning £4,350.
“I’m over the moon, it would have been nice to win outright but it’s been a great year or two for me and to hold both this and the Lombard Trophy is brilliant. It is just a shame that the weather intervened,” said Walley who only took over at the Derbyshire club earlier in the year.
“It is a quite a good run but these events don’t come along very often. Up until three years ago I had never qualified for anything.
“I’m also really pleased for Ian (Neal), he has been a fantastic captain for me and it means his year as captain has been especially memorable.”
Neal added: “It is a disappointing end but you can’t control the weather. It’s been a wonderful tournament, superb organisation, hospitality and a good bunch of blokes.

“The tournament has been great for the club, we have had literally hundreds of well-wishers, and it has generated a lot of interest. Hopefully that will also be reflected in the club and people knowing what Golfplan are about.”
Windermere captain Ian Gordon (second left in picture at the top of the report) whose opening round exploits including a hat-trick of net birdies from 12 which helped earn his club a share of the lead, echoed the sentiments of Neal.
“It’s very frustrating we didn’t get the chance to play and finish the second round but it has been a fantastically organised event and the sponsors, Golfplan and Canopius, and The PGA, have done a brilliant job in extremely difficult conditions.”
His playing partner Edwards (above left) was more philosophical, as he reflected on adding another PGA title to his CV.
“A win’s a win, it doesn’t matter how you get it. It was unfortunate with the weather but all the players and captains have had a great week which is what it is all about and everybody enjoyed themselves.”
“I said this was the one PGA event I hadn’t won so can tick this off now I’ve got my name on it.”
Nuneaton’s Craig Phillips and Tim Parker were third with a 66 while Lee on the Solent and Renishaw Park tied fourth after 67s.
Golfplan Insurance managing director Roger Harvey added: “Despite the weather on the last day we have had a tremendous couple of days in Turkey. It has been great to meet all the PGA pros and club captains and also see so many friendships formed in such a short period of time.
“The whole event has been a terrific success stretching back to the first regional final qualifier and we’re looking forward to building on this next year.”
West Lothian Golf Club Alan Reid and Maureen Shanks, the first woman ever to play in the tournament, were sixth overnight on three-under-par 68 in the field of 10 partnerships who had all qualified through being regional winners.
And sixth was their final placing after the rains came. Alan Reid
collected £2,100 in prizemoney.

LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 71 (second round washed out)
Pros' names first in each pairing
64 Ian Walley and Ian Neal (Kedleston Park); Simon Edwards and Ian Gordon (Windermere) (£4,350 to Walley and Edwards).
66 Craig Phillips and Tim Parker (Nuneaton) (£2,900 to Phillips)
67 Rob Edwards and  Michard Izzard (Lee on the Solent); Nigel Parkinson and David Brown (Renishaw Park) (£2,450 to Edwards and Parkinson).
68 Alan Reid and Maureen Shanks (West Lothian) (£2,100 to Reid).

 TO VIEW ALL THE FINAL PLACINGS

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THREE SCOTS IN FIELD FOR PGA PLAY-OFFS, STARTING IN TURKEY ON SATURDAY

FROM THE PGA WEBSITE
Richard Wallis, pictured above, will begin the quest for a third successive Titleist PGA Play-Offs crown playing alongside PGA Cup team-mate and reigning Glenmuir PGA Professional Champion Dan Greenwood.
The duo are joined by Powerade PGA Assistants’ winner Matthew Cort in the last group out in a 24-strong field competing at Antalya Golf Club’s PGA Sultan course from Saturday to Monday.
Kent ace Wallis (Walmer and Kingsdown) has dominated the play-offs for the past two years and will go into the event targeting a minimum of a top ten finish which will earn a place in next year’s BMW PGA Championship.
But he faces stiff competition with the top three from each of The PGA’s seven regions all in Turkey.
Leading finishers in the £15,000 event, which is played over 54 holes, will also gain a number of other European and Challenge Tour starts.
Wallis and Greenwood (Forest Pines) are joined by three other heroes from Great Britain  and Ireland’s PGA Cup team that secured a memorable draw against the United States at Slaley Hall in September.
They are Graham Fox (Clydeway Golf), David Callaway (Mildford) and Greig Hutcheon (Banchory).
A third Scot in the field is Cawder's Chris Kelly.
GREIG HUTCHEON QUOTE 
FROM THE SCOTSMAN WEBSITE
“I’ve certainly been playing quite tidily and I feel I have a good chance having finished tied third in the event last year, although I have struggled on the greens at Antalya which are quite sticky with a little bit of grain making them not easy to read,” said Hutcheon, who lifted the Play-Offs title in 2010.
“This will probably be my last action of the year, as I’ll pack my clubs away for December and January. But I’ve been putting in some practice for this and it’s great to be involved in such a big tournament. Bringing the leading players from the regions together for the play-offs is a fantastic way to end the season.”
A three-times Challenge Tour winner before turning his attention back to the domestic circuit, he added: “I think the top guys are too good for me to be able to win on Tour but I still think in these big events there is no reason why I can’t get a top ten.”

The full draw can be viewed here.

TO FOLLOW THE SCORING ONCE THE TOURNAMENT STARTS ON SATURDAY

CLICK HERE

WANT TO BUY A GOLF COURSE IN IRELAND? - YOURS FOR 625,OOO EUROS ... or maybe more!

Woodlands Golf Course in Co Kildare: 

For Sale by Auction

FROM GOLFBUSINESS NEWS

---

Woodlands Golf Course

Woodlands Golf Course will be offered for sale by Allsop Space on 10^th December with a Reserve in the range of €625,000 – €675,000
Woodlands Golf Course, Coolearagh, Coill Dubh, Naas, Co. Kildare will be offered for sale by Allsop Space on 10^th December with a Reserve in the range of €625,000 – €675,000. The freehold 18 hole golf course has a club house, practice area and pitch and putt course, situated on a site extending to approximately 51.4 hectares (127 acres). The Course is par 71 extending to approximately 5,877 metres in length and is situated in close proximity to two housing estates and village centre.
Agents Allsop Space state that there is potential for future development (subject to obtaining all necessary consents)
Coill Dubh is small satellite town situated to the north west of Naas. The town is situated on the R403 which provides access to the M4 Motorway which in turn provides access into Dublin city centre which is situated approximately 45km to the north east. The property is situated either side of L1019 in the centre of Coill Dubh. The property is situated in close proximity to Blackwood and Woodlands Park housing estates.
The club house is arranged over ground floor only and is internally arranged to provide changing facilities, 60 seater function room/restaurant, members bar, offices, pro shop and kitchen.
The Agents state that they have been informed that the property is at present subject to a Licence Agreement that is due to expire on 31st December 2013.
Viewing: Please contact Allsop Space +353(0)1 6673388 Richard O’Neill richard@allsopspace.ie
Allsop Space http://www.allsopspace.ie/auction/lot/5709

MYGOLFRANKING, NOVEMBER 22, 2013

Perth and Kinross
1 John Boag (Blairgowrie) 1048 points, 2 Sean Davidson (Craigie Hill) 1004, 3 Derek Robertson (Alyth) 982, 4 Iain Waddell (Alyth) 975, 5 John Cowan (Taymouth Castle) 944, 6 I Patrick (Blairgowrie) 933, 7 Jonathan Barker (Dunkeld and Birnam) 927, 8 R Medinelli (Blairgowrie) 906, 9 Allan Campbell (Craigie Hill) 905.56, 10 Mark Cameron (Alyth) 883.
 

For up-to-date ranking lists of participating clubs, the full Regional, National and International Rankings and how it works, visit www.mygolfranking.net.

The MyGolfRanking service is free to clubs and members. Clubs wishing to participate should register on www.mygolfranking.net or email for information on info@mygolfranking.net . 

MyGolfRanking, North, 22 November 2013

1 Andrew Brown (Fort William) 983 points, 2 Erik Donaldson (South Ronaldsay) 817, 3 Graham Mackintosh (Tain) 800, 4 Dougie Duncan (Fort William) 792, 5 David Macpherson (Fort William) 771, 6 Robert McIntyre (Aigas) 767, 7 Andrew Watt (Tain) 763, 8= Martin Wick (South Ronaldsay) 757, 9 Mike Sangster (Tain) 707, 10 David 
Henderson (South Ronaldsay) 700.

MyGolfRanking, Northern Counties women, 22 November 2013:

1 Edith Mathieson (Aigas) 957 points, 2 Claire Ross (Tain) 948, 3 Rosemary Macintyre (Fort William) 900, 4 Deirdre Wlodarczyk (Tain) 865, 5 Mary Smith (Tain) 854, 6 Fiona Rice (Aigas) 822, 7 Anne Ryan (Tain) 817.65, 8 Nia Morrison (Carrbridge) 816.67, 9 Margaret Smith (Abernethy) 788, 10 Cathy Thomas (Carrbridge) 750.                                                       

DAVID MOIR

WEST LOTHIAN PAIR IN SIXTH PLACE AT PGA PRO-CAPTAIN CHALLENGE

West Lothian's Alan Reid and Maureen Shanks were lying sixth after a first-round, three-under-par 68 in the Golfplan Insurance PGA Pro-Captain Challenge over the PGA Sultan Course at Antalya Golf Club in southern Turkey.
They are only four shots off the lead.
To follow the scores on the PGA website

CLICK HERE

BJORN INDIVIDUAL LEADER, UNITED STATES AT TOP OF TEAM TABLE AT HALFWAY

WORLD CUP REPORT FROM

EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS

Thomas Björn holds a one shot lead at the halfway stage of the ISPS HANDA World Cup of Golf after another superlative display at Royal Melbourne Golf Club. 

The 42 year old Dane added a second round of 68 to his opening 66 to enter the weekend on eight under par, one stroke ahead of American Kevin Streelman. 

Streelman had surged four shots clear in the early stages of the second day, but paid a high price for a thinned bunker shot on the ninth hole, where he made a double bogey.

But the 35 year old can at least console himself with the knowledge that he and compatriot Matt Kuchar are on course to successfully defend the team title for America, after moving to ten under par at the midways stage of the US$ 8million event. 

The Danish team of Björn and Thorbjørn Olesen are the Americans’ closest challengers on seven under par, thanks chiefly to the exploits of the senior partner.  

Despite opening and a closing with a bogey, Björn was again delighted with the control he exerted over what he termed “one of the top three courses in the world”.  

He added: “There were a couple of things that happened on the golf course today that really tested me. I three-putted the first, so got caught a little bit there. But after that I patiently worked my way into the round and played very solid. Maybe not quite as good as yesterday on the front nine, but on the back nine I played awesome.

“Obviously it was disappointing to bogey the last, but if you’d asked me when the ball was in the air, I would’ve said you couldn’t have hit a better golf shot.  But you have got to take that on this course. Some bounces go your way, and some go against you on this course. Maybe I was a bit unfortunate, but I have to remember that I played some really, really good stuff on that back nine.”

Streelman is in hot pursuit of the leader after moving to seven under par courtesy of a round of 69, whilst third place is shared between home hero Jason Day and Portugal’s Ricardo Santos, who signed for rounds of 70 and 69 respectively. 

Santos said: “Because the course is so hard and firm, it’s so easy to make a bogey or even worse. So you just have to be very patient, and around the greens you have to be really hot. My short game today was very good, and it needs to be at the weekend too.”

  SCOTSWATCH
Scotland are lying in joint sixth position at halfway in the team table. Martin Laird and Stephen Gallacher have combined for a par total of 284 (par 71) and are 10 strokes behind leaders United States.
The only countries ahead of the Scots pair are: USA, Denmark, Japan, Australia and Portugal.
Individually, Martin Laird has shot 67-72 for three-under-par 139 and a share of fifth place.
Stephen Gallacher is T35 on three-over 145 with rounds of 74 and 71

EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS