GECKO TOUR EVENT AT GUADALHORCE

OLE - SPANIARD LEADS GECKO TOUR
It's a rare when when a Spanish Gecko Pro Tour event is not being led or won by a Spaniard.
Par for the course, then - actually seven under par in this case - for Carlos Rodiles (Spain) to lead a field of 88 players at the end of the first round of the event - the competitions seldom have a name, apart from the venue - at Guadalhorce Golf Club in
southern Spain.
Rodiles shot a seven-under-par 65 to lead at the halfway stage of the 36-hole event by three shots from another Spaniard, Manuel Quiros, and Ondrej Lieser from the Czcch Republic.
James Maw from England is in fourth place on his own with a 70.
LEADING FIRST ROUND SCORES
Par 72
65 Carlos Rodiles (Spain)
68 Manuel Quiros (Spain), Ondrej Lieser (Czech Republic)
70 James Maw (England)
72 Luke Johnson (England) (amateur), Juan Quiros (Spain).

SELECTED OTHER SCORES
All from England unless stated
74 Edward Kent (T10)
75 Jack Winer, Andrew Cooley, Rod Bastard, Sam Connor (T18)
76 James Watts, Brian Casey (Ireland) (T26)

TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES

CLICK HERE

THREE MAJOR SURGERIES IN PAST TWO YEARS

HAL SUTTON MAKES COMEBACK WITH 

TWO ARTIFICIAL HIPS - AND NO PAIN

HAL SUTTON .... quit golf for five years after criticism of his US Ryder Cup team captaincy. 

Picture by courtesy of Getty Images(c)

By Vartan Kupelian
PGATOUR.COM

Hal Sutton returns to the Champions' Tour next week at the age of 56 with two artificial hips and, finally, a golf swing no longer burdened by constant pain. 
The Allianz Championship at The Old Course at Broken Sound will be Sutton’s first start since the Boeing Classic in August. Two months later, he underwent a second hip replacement procedure and his third major surgery in two years.

“It’ll be exciting for me to be there,” Sutton said. “I’ll be optimistic because I’m pain free. Not 100 percent sure of the outcome. My swing adjusted a lot with all that pain, having to work out bad habits. When put to the test in competition that’s when we’ll really know how much progress there has been and what to work on.
“The good news is I can work on it.”
With the pain gone, Sutton will to revive his once formidable golf game.
In both the 2012 and 2013 seasons, Sutton was limited to 14 starts. In 2012, his last event was the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open in August. Sutton underwent surgery to replace his left hip in October. The sequence was eerily similar last year. He played in 14 events, none after August, before surgery to replace his right hip.
For Sutton, the 2011 season also ended with major reconstructive hip surgery that didn’t achieve desired results and led to hip replacement. During those three seasons, there were glimpses of good play from Sutton.
“I had several good opening rounds,” he said. “The farther I walked, the more I played, the more I hurt. It hurt just to walk.” 
After the left hip was replaced, Sutton was told that the right hip was equally as bad and would also need to be surgically repaired.
“The more you play, the more your right hip is going to hurt, too,” said Sutton, quoting his doctor.“That’s exactly what happened. I couldn’t take it anymore. That’s three major surgeries in the last two years. I’m kind of glad to be past all of that.”
Sutton’s US PGA Tour career came to a halt after his stint as captain of the 2004 U.S. Ryder Cup team. Stung by criticism after the Americans were defeated, Sutton stepped away from the game for almost five years until becoming eligible for the Champions Tour in 2008.
“When I quit the regular tour, I quit golf entirely,” Sutton said. “When I started playing again, it was the first time I ever felt my hips hurt. I guess arthritis had set in. I wasn’t mobile with my hips. If you can’t move, you can’t play golf.
“You can’t hit against either side. That causes you to be arms-and-handsy. Now I can turn into my right side and turn into my left side, which creates a lot more speed.”
Sutton, 56, expects to play a “pretty full schedule” upon his return. He’s delighted with the calibre of his ball-striking during his preparations. But there are no long-range goals.
“A day at a time,” he said. “I don’t know what to expect. This is uncharted waters for me.
“My real goal is I don’t want to go out of the game the way I’ve been playing. From that point, I would like to right the ship. It’s tough to play with pain. You flinch with pain. There is no time to flinch in a golf swing. It’s a fluid motion. If it’s not a fluid motion, it’s violent.”
Always known as a wonderful ball-striker, among Sutton’s strengths was iron play.
“I always trapped the ball my whole life, it’s why I was a pretty good iron player,” he said. “I’ve been picking the ball because I couldn’t hit against the left side. If you can’t hit against the left side, you can’t hit down into the ball. Irons are how you score. The closer you hit it, the more putts you make.”
Sutton made his Champions Tour debut in late 2008 before playing a full season in 2009 when he finished top 10 three times in 19 starts – his busiest campaign since the 2003 US PGA Tour (24 starts). Sutton’s T3 finish at the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am in 2009 is his best on the Champions Tour for the man who won 14 times on the US PGA Tour between 1982 and 2001. 
Sutton won the 1982 US PGA Championship and two Players' Championships, the second coming in 2000 in a memorable stretch dual against Tiger Woods.
In 2010, Sutton enjoyed his best earnings year ($496,391) since that 2003 season ($939,000).
The goal beginning at the Allianz Championship will be to light the flame again.

Heavy rain over past few days makes course too wet to play

NE ALLIANCE AT NEWBURGH IS OFF
 
Tomorrow's North-east Alliance at Newburgh on Ythan has been cancelled.
There has been so much heavy rain over the past few days that the course is virtually unplayable.
Tee times arranged will be carried over to next Wednesday's Peterhead fixture.
Following last week's cancellation of the competition at Fraserburgh, this means that for the first time for ages, two NE Alliances in a row have
had to be called off because of the weather.
Normally it's snow that's the bugbear of Alliance scheduling at this time of the year but it's rain, rain and even more rain that's the problem in January 2014.
If you are a NE Alliance member and you wish to change your time or book one for the first time, call joint secretary Dave Wilson next TUESDAY (not before and not after) on 07523 859149 between 10am and 4pm.
The phone is only switched on on Tuesdays. 

TEE TIMES CARRIED OVER FROM
NEWBURGH TO PETERHEAD

8.15
A J SMITH (Turriff)
A CAMPBELL (Deeside)
Free
8.22
B HARPER (Newburgh)
C CASSIE  (Nigg Bay)
D TOWNSLEY (Peterculter)
8.29
C LAW (Kings Links)
N MacANDREW (Ryl Abdn)
Free
8.36  
K SHANKS (Elie)
D LAW (PLGC)
S KILOH (unatt)
8.43
P ANDERSON (Deeside)
C NELSON (Mackenzie Shop)
Free
8.50
B LAWRIE (Kemnay)
P CRAIG (Kintore)
Free
8.57
J HAMILTON (Murcar Links)
H ROULSTON (Stonehaven)
Free
9.04
L ROGER (Ryl Abdn)
M RENDALL (Stonehaven)
D LAWRIE (Aboyne)
9.11
J SCOTT (Peterculter)
G PATERSON (Northern)
L FOWLER (Ryl Abdn)
9.18
R BROWN (Newburgh)
M BROWN (Newburgh)
S DAVIDSON (Northern)
9.25
J FORREST (Northern)
N STEWART (Northern)
R BUCHAN (Northern)
9.32
L VANNET (Carnoustie GL)
A GALL (Deeside)
I CLARK (Deeside)
9.39
S THOMSON (Caley) 
M WINTON (Caley)
D McDOUGALL (Caley)
9.46
J HOPWOOD (Ryl Abdn)
K BEVERIDGE (Kippie Lodge)
LAURA MURRAY (PLGC)    
9.53
STEVE LAWRIE (Portlethen)
C GRANT (Portlethen)
B FYFE (PLGC)
10.00
I TAYLOR
Free
Free
10.07
B LUMSDEN (Northern) 
P  CHEYNE (Northern) 
D WRIGHT (Northern)
10.14
W SKENE (Deeside)
D LANE  (Deeside)
A CLARK (Newmachar)
10.21
M SMITH (Inverurie)
R MacRAE (Newmachar)  
P WALKER (Cruden Bay)
10.28
I GRANT  
J JESSIMAN (Oldmeldrum) 
A PETRIE
10.35
H McNAUGHTON  (Cruden Bay)
G HOMER  (Northern)
D LESLIE (Northern)
10.42
T COLLIE (Kemnay)
M LAWRIE (Kemnay) 
B MAIN (Murcar Links)
10.49
G MILNE (Newburgh
J DUNCAN (Newburgh)  
D FLEMING (Portlethen)
10.56
D NELSON (Aboyne)
A GRAHAM (Aboyne)
J BORTHWICK (Craibstone)
11.03
J MURRAY (Banchory)
D BISSET (Banchory)
F BISSET (Banchory)
11.10
M ROGERS (Kemnay)  
D RANDALL (Banchory)  
R DUNCAN (Ryl Abdn)
11.17
J PRYDE (Deeside)
G JOSS (Ryl Abdn)
N YOUNG (Insch)
11.24
D BROWN (Kemnay) 
G McBAIN (Kemnay)
Free
11.31
M BOOTH  (Kemnay)
S FINNIE  (Caley)
D McKAY (Caley)
11.38
J NICOLSON (Auchmill)
S MACKIE  (Auchmill)
P CORNFIELD (Auchmill)
11.45
G MUNRO  (Fraserburgh)
D MacANDREW (Ryl Abdn)
P McLEAN (PLGC)
11.52
K NICOL (PLGC)
C LAWRIE (PLGC)
J FINDLAY (PLGC)
11.59
Free
Free
Free
12.06
D WILSON (DHR)
Free
Free
12.13
Free
Free
Free

REPORT FROM EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS

Cabrera-Bello and Stenson finish top in Dubai Champions Challenge

 

Rafa Cabrera-Bello and Henrik Stenson shared the spoils at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic Champions Challenge after six under par rounds of 66 at Emirates GC saw them finish two clear of the chasing pack today.

The 21 former winners – with the great Seve Ballesteros represented by his amateur son, Javier – of the Dubai Desert Classic were reunited for the special event to celebrate the tournament’s 25^th anniversary, with 2013 Race to Dubai Champion Stenson setting the clubhouse target in the company of 2001 champion Thomas Björn, and the first man to get his hands on the trophy back in 1989, Mark James.

Six birdies and not a single dropped shot was the ideal start to Stenson’s week, at a tournament that holds a special place in the 2007 champion’s heart.

“I made Dubai my home for close to ten years,” said the Swede. “It's a great place for me, this, and it's always good fun to be back, and celebrating the 25th anniversary this year is also very special. 

“There's not many tournaments going on for that many years and we have a great roll of champions here so it's been a good event.”

In the following group the 2012 winner, Cabrera-Bello, also showed his pedigree around the Majilis Course to shoot a six under par score of his own, thanks to seven birdies and just the one dropped shot.

“Myself and the other Spanish players all feel very comfortable here,” said the two time European Tour winner. “We are all from Spain and obviously the weather is very warm over there. We all enjoy playing in short sleeves. 

“Everyone likes this one, especially as Seve and Ollie and Miguel and Alvaro and myself have won.  It's a very good atmosphere and we all have good stories going around here so it's a positive surrounding for us.

“This year’s Desert Swing has been unbelievable with Pablo winning in Abu Dhabi and Sergio last week. Myself and some of the other Spanish guys are playing good too, so hopefully we can make it a Spanish hat trick.” 

Rory McIlroy finished runner up alongside Alvaro Quiros after the pair shot rounds of four under. Defending champion Stephen Gallacher bogeyed the par five 18^th to finish fifth on three under, having played in the final match alongside World No 1 Tiger Woods, who double bogeyed the last for a one under par score. 

Ballesteros, meanwhile, said that he was very proud to be at the event in place of his father, and playing alongside Miguel Angel Jiménez and José María Olazábal, he carded a two over par round of 74. 

The 25^th edition of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic gets under way on Thursday morning.

CHALLENGE FINAL SCORES

  Par 72

66 H Stenson (Swe), R Cabrera-Bello (Spain)

68 R McIlroy (N Ireland), A Quiros (Spain) 68 68;

69 S Gallacher (Scotland) 69 69

70 F Couples (USA), R-J Derksen (Netherlands)

71 T Woods (USA), T Björn (Den)

72 M O'Meara (USA); D Howell (England), J ,Coceres (Argentina), J M Olazábal (Spain), M A  Jiménez (Spain)

73 M James (England), R Green (Australia)

74 Javier Ballesteros (Spain) (am)

75 E Els (S Africa), E Darcy (Ireland).

76 W Westner (S Africa)

 

EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS

North Scottish Alliance restarts at Spey Bay on Saturday

BRYAN FOTHERINGHAM HEADING FOR K M CAMERON TROPHY HAT-TRICK 

By ROBIN WILSON
robinwilson.brora@btinternet.com
After registering three scratch wins  during the first half of the North Scottish Golfers Alliance fixtures, Inverness's Bryan Fotheringham, pictured above, is well on his way to winning the K M Cameron Trophy for a third year when the second half of the season begins at Spey Bay on Saturday.

The trophy is for the aggregate of  a member's best six scratch scores over the season and Fotheringham, who has not been outside the top five in the seven fixtures played, currently leads with an aggregate of 404 and already has a 12-shot leader over Kevin Thomson (Moray).

Three other members have so far the requisite six scores, Grantown on Spey pair, Gordon Hay (420) and John Campbell (427), and Spey Bay's Barry Cruickshank with 443.

Two Boat of Garten members are challenging each other for the William Burnett Trophy in the low handicap section. Leading with a current net aggregate of 425 is Mark MacDonald, closely followed by clubmate Alex Waterson on 429. 

Just two members have six scores recorded for the high handicap Billy McQuillan Trophy - Liam Hutchison (Inverness) and David MacLeod (Grantown on Spey). 

After Spey Bay on Saturday the fixtures continue in February at Torvean (8th) followed by Fortrose and

Rosemarkie (15th).