WOODS, SCOTT AND MICKELSON ALREADY NON-STARTERS

  STRICKER IN DOUBT FOR WORLD 

 

MATCH-PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP WHILE

 

BROTHER WAITS FOR LIVER DONOR

 

FROM THE US PGA TOUR WEBSITE

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Steve Stricker is likely to miss the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship next week because his older brother is awaiting a liver transplant at home in Wisconsin.
Stricker said his 50-year-old brother, Scott Stricker, has been in the hospital since January 6 and was transferred to the intensive care unit three weeks ago. 
Stricker said his brother has a history of health problems, but took a sudden turn for the worse after the holidays.
"He's walking a tightrope is what they're telling me," Stricker said Tuesday after his daily visit to the hospital. "He needs a liver. He's holding his own, but this can't last forever. Hopefully, we get one soon."
He said the family thought his brother had a liver donor over the weekend, but the timing didn't work out.
Stricker said his brother caddied for him when he qualified for US PGA Tour in 1989, and soon after had colitis that turned into Crohn's disease. 
Scott Stricker had emergency surgery last Thursday, and Stricker said he has been stable since then.
If he were to miss the Match-play that would mean four of the top 12 players in the world ranking are not in the 64-man field at Dove Mountain. 
Tiger Woods, Adam Scott and Phil Mickelson already have said they would not play.
Stricker won the Match-play in 2001 in Australia, and he reached the quarter-finals a year ago. He has not officially withdrawn -- players have until Friday to commit -- but said it was not looking good for him to play.
"I was going to leave today to go to Phoenix for a few days, but that's not going to happen," he said. "It's going to be a long shot if I come and play. I'm practising every day, but in the back of my mind, I feel like I'm not going to be there -- unless something happens rather quickly, and they say it can. But if one (liver) comes available, I wanted to be around for the surgery."
Stricker has competed only once since The Presidents Cup last October. He played in the unofficial Northwestern Mutual World Challenge the first week in December. He said he played a few rounds in Naples, Florida, after the holidays.
Last year he began a limited schedule to be at home more often. Stricker played only 13 times last year and finished No. 3 in the FedExCup standings.

CAPTAIN OF 1989 USA TEAM RETURNS AS A "STAGE MANAGER"

 RAY FLOYD: Played in eight Ryder Cup matches, the last when he was into his 50s.

TOM WATSON PICKS RAY FLOYD (71) AS 

ONE  OF HIS RIGHT-HAND MEN AT 

GLENEAGLES

LOS ANGELES -- Tom Watson, 64, has chosen another "Golden Oldie" - World Golf Hall of Famer Raymond Floyd, as one of his assistant captains for the Ryder Cup.
Floyd will be 72 on September 4, a few weeks before the match at Gleneagles, Perthshire. 
Floyd, who is a four-time major champion, played on eight Ryder Cup matches for the United States  and captained the 1989 American squad.
His more recent connection with the Ryder Cup was to be a vice-captain to Paul Azinger when the Americans won the 2008 match at Valhalla by 5pt.
Nick Faldo was the losing Europe team captain.
He won 22 times on the US PGA Tour and 14 times on the Champions Tour for the over-50s.
Floyd joins two-time U.S. Open champion Andy North on Watson's team.  North will be 64 on March 5.
The Ryder Cup will be played at Gleneagles from Septemer 25 to 28.
So why did Watson go back in time to pick Floyd? He explained:
"You look at Raymond's eyes. You never saw his eyes waver, no matter if he was shooting 80, which he rarely did, or shooting 65. His eyes had a focus that you like to see," Watson said.
 "The way he played the game was every shot counted, and that's the type of guy that I want to be taking care of my back, as the captain."
Watson described Floyd and North as the "stage managers" of the U.S. team.
"We set the stage for the players to go compete," he explained. "They have to go out and they have to act.  In my opinion, (Raymond) couldn't be a better person from the standpoint of the respect of the players because he's been there. 
"He'll have stories to share and he'll have an understanding of what the pressure is like. He'll be able to relate to the players and be there for them.  He'll be able to see how nervous they get and talk to them from the standpoint of, this is how I did it." 

FRASERBURGH PLAYER NOT ALL THAT FAR OFF SECOND PLACE

 FINAL-ROUND INCENTIVE FOR JORDAN 

 

 FINDLAY IN MOROCCO'S MOGADOR OPEN

 

Fraserburgh's former British boys champion Jordan Findlay will start the final round of the German PGA Developmental Tour's Mogador Open at Essaouira on Morocco's Atlantic coastline nine shots off the lead.

The Paul Lawrie Golf Centre player has shot rounds of 75 and 73 for four-over 148, birdieing the eight and 17th but bogeying the fifth, sixth and 10th in his second round.

Leader Marcel Sneider from Germany is on five-under-par 139 after scores of 68 and 71. He leads by five shots so there is an incentive for Findlay to go low in the final round and possibly grab a top 10 finish.

The two other Scots in the field had another bad day. Findlay's team-mate Philip McLean from Peterhead added an 80 to his opening 77 for a total of 157.

Even more disappointing, Conor O'Neil from Pollok scored 80-81 for 161.

LEADING SECOND-ROUND SCORES

139 Marcel Sneider (Ger) 68 71

144 Adrien Bernadet (Fra) 74 70, Reinier Saxton (Net) 72 72

 

SELECTED SCORES

146 Max Orrin (Eng) 75 71, Nathan Kimsey (Eng) 70 76 (T6)

148 Jordan Findlay (Sco) 75 73

157 Philip McLean (Sco) 77 80

161 Conor O'Neil (Sco) 80 81

TWO SCOTS IN TOP 20 AT GECKO TOUR EVENT

JOHN HENRY IN JT FIFTH PLACE IN SPAIN

John Henry (Clydebank and District) returned a creditable one-under-par 71 to be lying joint fifth in a field of 91 players for this week's Spanish Gecko Tour event at San Roque Golf Club on the Costa del Sol.
Henry is five strokes behind the leader by three - Wentworth's Jason Kelly.
Motherwell's Ross Kellett is a second Scot in the top 20, his round of 74 squeezing him into a share of 74th place.

SPANISH GECKO TOUR
San Roque Golf Club, Costa del Sol.
LEADING FIRST ROUND SCORES
Par 72
66 Jason Kelly (Eng)
69 Alfred Garcia Hereda (Spa), Manuel Quiros (Spa)
70 Tomas Jesus Munoz (Spa).
71 Brian Casey (Ire), Benny Ahlenback (Swe), Mx Eichmeyer (Ger), John Henry (Sco), Eirik Tae Johansen (Nor).
SELECTED SCORES
72 James Robinson (Eng) (T10)
73 James Watts Eng), Harry Busbridge (Eng) (am), Ben Smith (Eng), Jack Winer (Eng) (T12)
74 Ross Kellett (Sco), John E Morgan (Eng) (T19)
75 Michael McCormack (Eng), Joey Lamb (Eng) (am), Paul Bradshaw (Eng), Will Fox (Eng) (T30)
76 Rod Bastard (Eng) (T35)
77 Mark James Parry (Eng0, David Gregson (Eng), Scott Hudson (Eng) (am) (T41)
78 Callum Shinkwin (Eng), Mike Dewsbury (Eng) (am), James Reiss (T47)
79 Matthew Robinson (Eng) (am) (T54).

TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES

CLICK HERE

UPDATED TEE TIMES FOR NORTH-EAST ALLIANCE AT BANFF

WEDNESDAY, FEB 12 - Duff House Royal

8.15  C Cassie, B Harper, A Campbell.

8.22  D Townsley, P Morrison, D Mackay.
8.29  R Lamb, M Merchant, free

8.36  C Lamb,  j.duff  free

8.43  free  free  free  

8.50  h.roulston  j.hamilton  c.nelson

8.57  m.rendall  l.roger  r.masson

9.04  d.lawrie  r.brown  free

9.11  s.davidson  m.brown  free

9.18  j.scott  g.patterson  d.addison

9.25  p.craig  b.lawrie  r.orr

9.32  a.gall  l.vannet  i.clark

9.39  a.dunton  g.watson  free

9.46  r.cameron  k.nicol  j.duff

9.53  s.lawrie  b.fyfe  c.grant

10.00  j.forrest  n.stewart  r.buchan

10.07  b.lumsden  p.cheyne  d.wright

10.14  d.mcdougall  d.lane  b.main

10.21  w.skene  g.thom  r.duncan

10.28  m.smith  s.melvin  r.macrae

10.35  j.hopwood  k.beveridge  l.murray

10.42  g.homer  h.mcnaughton  free

10.49  g.milne  d.fleming  l.fowler

10.56  j.borthwick  a.graham  d.nelson

11.03  j.murray  d.randall  p.walker

11.10  f.bisset  d.bisset  m.duncan

11.17  m.rogers  j.jessiman  p.leech

11.24  s.kiloh  n.chisholm  free

11.31  d.mckay  s.finnie  m.booth

11.38  d.law  c.lawrie  free

11.45  c.law  k.shanks  free

11.52  free  free  free

11.59  free  free  free

12.06  free  free  free

12.13  free  free  free

FOLLOWING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF RONNIE SHADE

GOLF WRITERS NORMAN MAIR and IAN 

WOOD MADE HONORARY MEMBERS BY 

DUDDINGSTON GOLF CLUB

FROM THE SCOTSMAN WEBSITE

By MARTIN DEMPSTER

Well done to Duddingston Golf Club for recognising long service – three life memberships have just been handed out – and also honouring “special” contributions to golf by two of its llustrious members.

How pleasing to see it’s still marking long service – Alex Milligan, Ian Hoseason and Mike Power have all completed 50-year tenures – as well as honouring two illustrious members rather than alienating them.I’ll admit a vested interest here as Norman Mair and Ian Wood are not only two former golf correspondents of "The Scotsman" but also individuals I’ve looked up to, one for his technical understanding of the sport – rugby, too – and the other for having the ability to write with the same wit as he expresses in the flesh.
Few golf clubs can boast such journalistic talent and, therefore, Duddingston should be applauded for awarding the pair honorary membership, an accolade conferred at Duddingston in recent times on only three others, including the legendary Ronnie Shade.
“It is not just about club champions or captains, esteemed though past recipients are,” said Bill Flockhart, the club’s centenary year captain, who proposed the nominations. 
“On this occasion club members have been able to recognise people who, through their profession, have done something special for the game of golf.” Very special.

REPORT IN IRISH EXAMINER NEWSPAPER TODAY

inShare

Donald Trump linked with bid to buy 

bankrupt Doonbeg Golf Resort in Ireland

FROM TODAY'S IRISH EXAMINER NEWSPAPER

---

Doonbeg Golf Resort

Four weeks ago we reported that Receivers had been appointed at Doonbeg Resort
At the time Luke Charleton and David Hughes, of EY Ireland, said that there was already interest in acquiring the property and they were hopeful that the business would be sold as a going concern.
The Doonbeg Resort, which includes a links golf course designed by Greg Norman, fully opened in 2006 and is recognised as one of the premier golf and leisure destinations in Ireland and Europe.
Now Donald Trump, who only last week officially opened the brand new ‘Blue Monster’ Golf Course at Trump National Doral, Miami, is said by The Irish Examiner to be on the verge of purchasing Doonbeg for €15m – a fraction of his investment in developing Trump International, Scotland on the Aberdeenshire coastline near Balmedie, 12 miles north of Aberdeen.
Doonbeg Golf Resort is situated near the village of Doonbeg in Co Clare which is in the southwest of Ireland. Ennis is the nearest town and it is not all that far away from Shannon International Airport.