THE DUKE'S. ST ANDREWS CLIMBS NINE PLACES IN RANKINGS

NEWS RELEASE

The Championship Duke's golf course, owned by the Old Course Hotel, Golf Resort and Spa in St Andrews, has improved its ranking in the UK and Ireland.

The Duke's, highly regarded as one of the best heathland championship courses in the Britain, is now ranked 87th by the prestigious Top100 Golf Courses website – climbing nine places against its 2013 position in the online chart. 

Derek Robson, head greenkeeper at The Duke's, is "absolutely delighted" with the news, saying: "The course played exceptionally well throughout 2013 – and we had fabulous feedback from members and visitors." 
Derek adds: "It is wonderful to receive accolades of this type, not least of all because it is a great testament to the hard work and dedication from the entire Duke's team."

David Scott, pictured, Director of Operations at the Old Course Hotel, Golf Resort and Spa adds: 

"Derek and the team have done a fantastic job – and they are now on countdown for what will be one of the biggest events in the Club's history when the Duke's hosts the International European Amateur Championship this August." 

David adds: "We will be welcoming the best amateur golfers from around the world who will be playing for a place in the Open Championship in 2015. 

"The tournament – from the 6th to the 9th August - promises to be a fabulous event and is free for all to come and enjoy."

The course, designed by five times Open winner, Peter Thomson, is set in a spectacular location above St Andrews with panoramic views over the surrounding countryside to the sea. It underwent a major transformation in the last decade, re-opening eight years ago following substantial changes by American golf course architect, Tim Liddy, protégé of Pete Dye. 

 

To book a tee time at the Duke's, please visit: http://oldcoursehotel.kohler.com/golf/dukes_landing.html

SENIOR PGA CHAMPIONSHIP MOVES TO FOXHILLS, SURREY

NEWS RELEASE FROM THE PGA
An exciting era beckons for the popular Senior PGA Professional Championship at its new venue at the Foxhills Golf Resort, only 20min away frrom Heathrow Airport in in Surrey.

The three-year agreement will mean an increase in the size of the field with up to 240 players competing over its two courses.
In a special tribute to the two-time PGA captain, the late Bernard Hunt MBE, the PGA is also renaming the trophy – the Bernard Hunt Trophy.
Hunt, who was also Ryder Cup captain on two occasions, was synonymous with the venue and has one of its two courses named after him – the other course is Longcross.
PGA chief executive Sandy Jones said: “We have appreciated the support of Northants County which over the last seven years has staged the tournament and we are in many ways sad to leave.
“At the same the same we are honoured and excited at the prospect of staging the Senior PGA professional championship at such an excellent venue as Foxhills.
“Over the past decade, the tournament has increased in popularity and with Foxhills hosting the tournament over both its courses we are able to meet rising demand from our members to play in it.
“Foxhills is a magnificent venue and given Bernard Hunt’s long association with the club, and the PGA, we also felt it was appropriate to rename the trophy in his name.
“Bernard was a fantastic player with a great Ryder Cup pedigree and was also a proud PGA professional and it is fitting that his name should adorn the trophy.”
The 54-hole tournament will take place from May 14-16 with an increased prize fund of £38,000 and a first prize of £5,250.
An added incentive for the top 20 finishers will be entry to the 2014 PGA Seniors Championship and the chance to compete against stars from the European Senior Tour.
Foxhills general manager Jason Adams, commented: “It is fantastic that the Senior PGA Professional Championship is coming to Foxhills, especially given the long association between Bernard Hunt and The PGA. It is also a great opportunity to showcase the resort and our two courses and put golf at Foxhills on the map.
“Foxhills was originally a European Tour venue and staging this prestigious championship will help raise its profile as one of the leading golf resorts in the UK.”
The tournament was won last year by Surrey-based Wraith Grant while reigning Senior Tour Order of Merit winner Paul Wesselingh, teed off his senior career with victory at Northants in 2012. Other past winners of the event include the legendary Tommy Horton who won the first four championships ever staged from 1995.
Foxhills enjoys a long tradition of hosting elite level golf having staged a number of prestigious tournaments such as the European Tour’s Tournament Players Championship and the Tour’s Qualifying School where Open champion Sandy Lyle tasted victory.
The club also helped to start the career of Ryder Cup player Paul Casey and tour regular Anthony Wall through its much-lauded Foxhills Foundation junior golf programme that seeks to develop promising golfers aged between 12 and 16.

LUKE DONALD LVES IMG FOR LAGARDERE UNLIMITED

By Brian Wacker, US PGATOUR.COM
Luke Donald has left International Management Group and signed with Lagardère Unlimited.

The former world No. 1 will be represented by Steve Loy, who is also the agent for Phil Mickelson. Donald's contract with IMG expired at the end of last year.
It is the second major change for Donald (pictured) in less than a year. Last season, he parted ways with long-time coach Pat Goss and began working with Chuck Cook. Goss still assists Donald with his short game.
Lagardère also signed Jamie Lovemark and Ricky Barnes, bringing the company's stable of US PGA Tour players to 45 in all. 
Last October, Lagardère acquired Crown Sports Management and its roster of 25 players that includes Brandt Snedeker and Davis Love III.
In 2012, Lagardère acquired Gaylord Sports Management, which represents Mickelson, Keegan Bradley and Nick Watney, among others.

IDLE RORY McILROY SLIPS DOWN TO SEVENTH IN WORLD RANKINGS

FROM THE GOLFWEEK WEBSITE
Jimmy Walker's second US PGA Tour victory of the 2013-2014 season, at the Sony Open on Sunday, moved him up 15 spots in the latest Official World Golf Rankings.
Walker is now ranked 32nd, a career best.
Also reaching a career-high ranking is fellow Amereican Chris Kirk, who finished second at Sony and moved up 11 spots to 46th.
Rory McIlroy, who did not play this past week, slipped another spot, dropping to seventh. 
Zach Johnson, whose eighth-place finish at Sony was his 10th top 10 in his last 13 ranked events, replaced McIlroy at sixth in the world.
Louis Oosthuizen, who won the European Tour's Volvo Golf Champions, rose from 34th to 27th. It's his best ranking since he was ranked 12th last July.

THIS WEEK'S TOP 20 IN WORLD PRO RANKINGS
1 Tiger Woods (USA) (no change from last week).
2 Adam Scott (Australia) no change.
3 Henrik Stenson (Sweden) no change
4 Justin Rose (England) no change.
5 Phil Mickelson (USA) no change
6 Zach Johnson (USA) (+1)
7 Rory McIlroy (N Ireland) (-1)
8 Matt Kuchar (USA) no change
9 Steve Stricker (USA) no change
10 Sergio Garcia (Spain) no change
11 Jason Day (Australia) no change
12 Ian Poulter (England) no change
13 Jason Dufner (USA) no change
14 Brandt Snedeker (USA) no change
15 Graeme McDowell (N Ireland) no change
16 Jordan Spieth (USA) (+1)
17 Dustin Johnson (USA) (-1)
18 Charl Schwartzel (S Africa) no change
20 Webb Simpson (USA) no change.

SCOTS IN TOP 500 OF WORLD RANKINGS
51 Stephen Gallacher (-1)
85 Martin Laird (-1)
116 Scott Jamieson (-3)
117 Marc Warren (-3)
120 Paul Lawrie (-8)
140 Richie Ramsay (-1)
209 Craig Lee (-1)
245 Russell Knox (no change)
318 David Drysdale (-7)
324 Chris Doak (-1)
328 Peter Whiteford (+1)
330 Jamie McLeary 
398 Doug McGuigan (+8)
458 Scott Henry (-6)
459 Andrew McArthur (-4)
476 Duncan Stewart (-2) 

+Apologies to Peter Whiteford for missing him out
from the original list! 

FOTA ISLAND, CORK TO HOST THIS YEAR'S IRISH OPEN

                                     Fota Island Golf Club, eight miles from the city of Cork
 

NEWS RELEASE

The 2014 Irish Open will return to Cork for the first time in 12 years after confirmation that the magnificent Fota Island Resort, which was recently purchased by Chinese investors The Kang Group Worldwide, will become an Official Sponsor as well as host venue of the Championship.

The Irish Open was last played in Cork – the country’s most southerly county – in 2002 when Denmark’s Søren Hansen took the title at Fota Island. The Resort also hosted the Championship in 2001, when Colin Montgomerie won the last of his three Irish Opens.

The presence of The European Tour’s new generation of stars, led by Rory McIlroy, will deliver a significant boost to the region, and the World Number Six and double Major Champion is looking forward to the challenge of Fota Island’s Deerpark Course from June 19-22.

“I think it is great news that the Irish Open will be played at Fota Island,” said McIlroy who ended his 2013 season with victory in the Emirates Australian Open last month.

“The country’s National Open should be moved around to give everyone an opportunity to see the event, and it also gives us the chance to show the world just how many amazing courses there are in Ireland.

“Fota Island will be an exciting venue for the Irish Open, and exactly the kind of place to showcase what Ireland has to offer as a golf destination.”

Set in the heart of a peaceful island, surrounded by gorgeous scenery just eight miles from Cork City, Fota Island Resort, under new ownership since September 2013, is a unique combination of three championship golf courses, a luxurious 5-star hotel with a stunning 1600 square metre destination spa, residential lodges, and a world class golf academy.

For more information please visit www.fotaisland.ie

JAMIE SPENCE NAMED TEAM GOLF GB LEADER FOR OLYMPICS

NEWS RELEASE

Two-time European Tour winner Jamie Spence has today been named as Golf Team Leader for Team GB at the 2016 Brazil Olympics.

The 50-year-old Englishman, pictured, has been appointed to the voluntary role by the British Golf Association (BGA), ahead of golf’s long-awaited return to the Olympic Games for the first time since 1904.

Spence, who boasts an impressive CV and is well-respected in golfing circles, is hugely excited at the prospect of leading a team of top-ranked male and female British professionals in Brazil, with a gold medal his ultimate aim.

The selection criteria remains to be finalised by the International Olympic Committee. However, it is expected to be based on the world rankings in the lead up to Rio de Janeiro, with a maximum of four male and female players per country. This means a host of leading British players will vie for qualification.

Spence, who enjoyed a 20-year career on the European Tour highlighted with wins at the Canon European Masters in 1992 and the 2000 Moroccan Open, as well as a 1992 Dunhill Cup team victory with England, said:

“I’m honoured to have been chosen for this role. Going to the interview was like the feeling I had being on the first tee of The Open, I still have that same excitement. 

“It’s very important that golf is back in the Olympics and our players could make history, as winning an Olympic gold will live with you for the rest of your life. My aim is to go to Rio and help the team win a gold medal.”

Spence, who will be reporting to the BGA Board and ultimately the British Olympic Association, will draw on his varying experiences to ensure he thrives in his new role. 

Notably, he was part of the European backroom team for their last two Ryder Cup victories at Celtic Manor and Medinah, assisting with clothing, hotel rooms and team room set-up, as well as motivational work. 

To further illustrate his strong golf relationships, Spence was the Chairman of the Players’ Tournament Committee on The European Tour for three years and is currently Director of Player Relations, shadowing present Chairman Thomas Bjorn.

The Kent resident has also been working with Sky Television since 2005 as a valued studio analyst, has worked as an on course commentator for European Tour Productions for the last three years and has also started to coach professionals, helping young Englishman Tommy Fleetwood achieve his maiden Tour win at Gleneagles last August. 

Spence, who intends to play an increased schedule on the European Senior Tour in 2014, added: “I think my experience of playing tournament golf for 20 years has got to help really, as I’m going in to it from a perspective of what would I like, what would I need, going out to an event like the Olympics.

“I’m in contact with a lot of the male players through my current roles. I do know quite a few of the ladies players as well, but maybe not the younger generation, so I’m looking forward to meeting them and going to some of their events.” 

Commenting on how his Ryder Cup involvement will aid his work for Team GB, Spence said: “To be in the background of Europe’s last two Ryder Cup wins was a great experience. The organisational work involved is considerable and to be that close to the action was something you can’t buy.”

Hamish Grey, the Chair for the BGA and Scottish Golf Union CEO, said: “The British Golf Association is delighted to appoint Jamie to this important role. 

“He is a hugely experienced individual and his appetite and enthusiasm for the post shone through at the interview stage.

“He possesses proven leadership skills, is a strong communicator and is well organised. We believe Jamie is the perfect figurehead to oversee our build-up towards Rio 2016.”

+The British Golfing Association is the golf body affiliated to the British Olympic Association and oversees all golfing matters relating to golf and the Olympics. The Association is a joint venture between golf’s amateur governing bodies in England, Scotland and Wales, as well as the Professional Golfers’ Association.

 

ENDS

 

ROYAL TROON LINKS GET A NEW LOOK IN ADVANCE OF STAGING TH3 2016 OPEN

Front view of the Royal Troon GC clubhouse. Picture by Cal Carson Golf Agency.

FROM THE GOLFWEEK WEBSITE
By ALEX MICELI 
When the Open Championship returns to Royal Troon in 2016, the Ayrshire links course will look a little different to the course where Todd Hamilton defeated Ernie Els in a play-off in 2004.
Martin Ebert of Mackenzie and Ebert is making changes to a venue that has hosted eight Open Championships dating to 1923.
The R and A has precipitated the changes, as they have at most other courses on the Open Championship rota, and has used Mackenzie and Ebert to perform the work.
The changes at Royal Troon touch almost every hole but are not intended to lengthen the course.
The modifications include:

• Restoration of the size of the greens on the second, fourth, eighth, 13th, 16th and 17th holes;
• Movement of fairway bunkers, addition of low dunes and an approach bunker on the fourth hole;
• Enlargement of tees on the fifth, sixth, 12th and 13th holes;
• Enlargement of tees and reshaping of green surrounds on the sixth hole;
• Restoration of an old fairway bunker to add some risk to attempting to drive the green on the seventh hole;
• Removal of trees behind the ninth green and the creation of dunes instead, because the trees were casting shade over the green and roots were invading the green surface;
• Addition of a back tee and creation of a dune slack in the carry on the 10th hole;
• Removal of gorse and replacement with heather, rough vegetation on the 11th hole;
• Construction of new tees to the left of the 14th green and movement of the first half of the fairway to the left. 
• This moves the hole away from the access road alongside the course and restores the line that was played for the 1923 Open Championship on the 15th hole.

Expect the work to be completed this summer.

The other side of the Royal Troon clubhouse and the approach to the 18th green. Picture by Cal Carson Golf Agency.

ASTRONOMER JIMMY WALKER A STAR HIMSELF AS HE WINS SONY OPEN WITH LATE SURGE

     Happy family - Jimmy Walker, wife and two sons 

       Picture by courtesy of Getty Images(c)

FROM THE US PGA TOUR WEBSITE
HONOLULU, Hawaii -- Jimmy Walker, an astronomy fanatic and now a two-time winner on the US PGA Tour, gazed through a glass window across the room to a television that showed his most recent photo of Orion's Sword.
(To read more about Walker's astronomy hobby, scroll down past the Final Totals at the end of this article)
Walker toiled on the US PGA Tour for seven years and 187 tournaments without winning. Now it appears the stars have aligned for him.
That certainly was the case Sunday in the Sony Open in Hawaii.
And while it's still only the middle of January, he's No. 1 in the FedExCup standings and Ryder Cup standings.
"It took me a long time to do it," Walker said. "I felt very calm and controlled. That's what you've got to feel and do when it's time to win. It's easy to say, hard to do. But today was awesome. Really cool golf."
This wasn't easy.
Walker's big run began with a 12-foot par on the 14th hole. One shot behind Harris English, Walker rolled in a 15-foot birdie putt on the 15th hole, and took the outright lead when English -- behind him in the final group -- failed to save par from a bunker.
Walker made a 7-foot birdie putt on the 16th, and then hit 7-iron into 6 feet for birdie on the par-3 17th. A par on the last hole made him wait just a little bit longer.
Kirk had a 30-foot eagle chip from just short of the green on the par-5 18th that would have forced a playoff. It stayed right of the hole, and Kirk made the birdie putt for a 66 to finish alone in second place.
"I feel like I hit the ball well enough to win this week, but it doesn't always work out that way," Kirk said.
Jerry Kelly (65) was alone in third. English never recovered from his bogey. He missed birdie putts on the last three holes for a 67.
Walker won the Frys.com Open in October, the first tournament of the new wraparound season. As the first multiple winner for the 2013-14 season, he is closing in on cracking the top 30 in the Official World Golf Ranking.
Walker finished at 17-under 263 and earned $1.08 million. He already qualified for his first Masters by winning in October. Now he's piling up the wins.
"I've always felt like I belonged, and you need affirmation every now and then," he said. "The other win was like, `Yeah, OK, I can do it.' I did it, and I was supposed to be able to do it. Everybody told me I was supposed to do it, and I finally did it. And then it's, `Well, are you going to be the guy that won that you never hear from again?' It's nice to get it done and do it again today."
With so many players in contention, the key was to keep bogeys off the card. Walker had made at least two bogeys in each of the three previous rounds, and it looked as if he was headed for one at the wrong time on the 14th hole when he chipped from an awkward stance near the bunker to about 12 feet. Kelly missed a 15-foot par putt from the same line, and Walker poured it in.
And then, he was off to the races.
Masters champion Adam Scott went out in 30 and was one shot out of the lead just as the final group was starting play. Scott hit too many poor drives to keep it going, and the way the final two groups played the back nine, it wouldn't have mattered. 
Scott tied for eighth (seven shots behind), and after a tie for sixth last week at Kapalua, heads into a six-week hibernation before returning to golf in Florida.
The three players with the best shots at winning all won last fall in the early part of the wraparound season -- Kirk at the McGladrey Classic, English in Mexico.
New year, same season.
"Guys get into grooves and they've all been playing really well," Walker said. "I think it's cool. Everybody makes a big deal about being No. 1 on the FedEx and stuff, and it is cool and it is a big deal. ... I know it's January. It's a long way to September, and every little bit helps."
Kirk, who had a one-shot lead going into the final round, made birdie on the 17th hole to stay within two shots of the lead and at least entertain the idea of eagle. His approach out of the rough needed about two more hops on the firm turf at Waialae to get on the green.
English ran off two birdies around the turn, took the outright lead with an 8-foot birdie on the 14th, and that was as close as he got.
"Just started hitting it better, but started putting a little worse," English said.

In a wild final round, where four players were in the mix with an hour to go, Walker followed a clutch par save with three straight birdies to pull away from the pack. He closed with a 7-under 63 for a one-shot victory over Chris Kirk.
That's two wins in six starts for Walker.
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 280 (4x70)
Players from USA unless stated otherwise
263 Jimmy Walker 66 67 67 63
264 Chris Kirk 64 69 65 66
265 Jerry Kelly 67 67 66 65
266 Harris English 66 66 67 67
267 Marc Leishman (Australia) 67 64 71 65
268 Brian Stuard 65 65 71 67

SELECTED TOTALS
270 Adam Scott (Australia) 67 66 71 66, Zach Johnson 68 67 66 69, Retief Goosen (S Africa) 66 69 66 69, Will Wilcox 69 66 74 71 (T8)
272 Jason Dufner 67 68 67 70 (T29)
273 John Daly 66 73 64 70 (T32)

TO VIEW ALL THE FINAL TOTALS
CLICK HERE

Final round videos
FedExCup standings
TOUR Report notes
Sunday photos
Winner's bag

Even NASA recognises Jimmy Walker's talent

FROM GOLF DIGEST WEBSITE

BY JOHN STREGE

You know that Jimmy Walker is a rising star, already the winner of two US PGA Tour events in the 2014 season, including a victory in the Sony Open in Hawaii on Sunday.

Here's something you may not know about him: He is an astrophotographer and an accomplished one.
NASA has used two of his photos on its Astronomy Picture of the Day, most recently on December 27, when it posted this photo of a newborn star cluster, Melotte 15.
Walker, 34, has his equipment -- telescope, camera and computer -- set up with New Mexico Skies Remote Telescope Hosting in Mayfield, N.M, elevation 7,300 feet, allowing him to remotely operate the telescope and take photographs via a computer or even a smart phone.
He has posted his work at his website, darkskywalker.com.
And, no, in the photo here, that's not the camera he uses for his astrophotography. That's the Sony video camera he received in addition to $1,008,000 for winning the Sony Open in Hawaii.
(Getty Images photo)