US PGA TOUR CHIEF DOES NOT RULE OUT ANYTHING FOR 2015

WORLD MATCH-PLAY WILL HAVE NEW 

 

SPONSOR, NEW VENUE AND POSSIBLY A 

 

NEW FORMAT NEXT YEAR

FROM THE ESPN WEBSITE

By BOB HARIG

MARANA, Arizona -- All signs point to a new sponsor, a new venue, possibly a new format and maybe even a new date. Then again, nothing could change at all. That was basically the message from US PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem on Sunday at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, where the title sponsor's contract is up as well as the venue, Dove Mountain.
Finchem would not rule out coming back but also acknowledged just about anything is possible.
"I wouldn't rule out anything at this point,'' Finchem said.
That could very well be a negotiating tactic, as Accenture has sponsored this WGC event since its inception in 1999. The fact that a renewal was not announced prior to the playing of the 2014 tournament seemed a strong indication that the company was moving on.
And if a new sponsor is involved, starting in 2015, it stands to reason that it would want a say in venue and format.
 About the only thing Finchem ruled out was going to a place where the US PGA Tour already has a tournament, which would suggest the Match Play's old home in the San Diego area is out.
One thing Finchem did not dismiss was taking the tournament out of the United States.
"It would require some date work probably, but it's certainly a possibility,'' he said. Presently, three of the four WGC events are played in the United States, the only overseas tournament the WGC-HSBC Champions played in China in November.
As for the match play format, which sees the 64-player field pared down each day, Finchem said the tour has always looked at other aspects that would keep more players around for a longer period. 
In the current format, half the field is gone after Wednesday of tournament week.
"We're going to look at it again,'' Finchem said. "The usual things that come up when you get into that are either shifting the early part of the tournament to stroke play and then cutting and going to match play ... or to go to a soccer World Cup format.''
The tournament could have 36 or 54 holes of stroke play qualifying to narrow the field down to 32, 16 or 8 players for match play. 
The World Cup format he referred to was having players compete in a set number of matches within a group, with the leader emerging for a knock out stage.
"In that format, you are staying with match play all the time,'' Finchem said. "And one of the reasons we're doing this event is to maintain the history and the trend of match play. So between those two, we'd probably make pressure that the World Cup format didn't work before we went to stroke play. But that's just speculating. We've been with this format for a long time.''
Finchem said it will likely be several weeks to a couple of months before the situation is resolved.

ERNIE ELS' 16-YEAR-OLD NEPHEW IS LEADING QUALIFIER

Jovan Rebula, 16-year-old nephew of Ernie Els, with the trophy as leading qualifier for the match-play.

SIX SCOTS THROUGH TO S AFRICAN MATCH-PLAY 

All six remaining members of the SGU National Squad - some have gone home early - reached the match-play stages of the South African amateur championship at Hermanus Golf Club on the Western Cape.

Overnight leader Daniel Young from Perth slipped down to joint third place among the 64 qualifiers.
Young added a 73 to his opening 66 for a five-under-par 139 total.

Cawder's Jamie Savage qualified in joint fifth place after improving by five shots to post a second-round, four-under-par 68 for 141.
British boys champion Ewen Ferguson (Bearsden) and Scott Gibson (Southerness) both went through on the 146 mark. Ferguson had a pair of 73s, Gibson 71-75.
Connor Syme (Dumfries and Co) made it on 150 (75-75) while Ben Kinsley (St Andrews) qualified on the limit mark of 151 with rounds of 76 and 75.

The surprise leading qualifier was Jovan Rebula, a 16-year-old nephew of Ernie Els, no less.

Jovan shot 70-66 for eight-under 136 to pip another South African, Ross Sinclair (69-68) for the Proudfoot Trophy as the leading match-play qualifier.

LEADING MATCH-PLAY QUALIFIERS

Par 144 Players from S Africa unless stated

136 J Rebula 70 66

137 R Sinclair 69 68

139 D Young (Sco) 66 73, C Bezuidenhout 71 68

141 J Savage (Sco) 73 68, Z Lomdbar 73 68, R Kaminski 71 70

142 H Van Waart 72 70

143 L Trocado 74 69, R Bougas 72 71, N J Arnold
146 E Ferguson (Sco) 73 73, S Gibson (Sco) 71 75, C Spencer-White (Wal) 74 72.
149 T Tree (Eng) 77 72
150 C Syme (Sco) 75 75
151 B Kinsley (Sco) 76 75.

ALL THE SCORES

QUALIFIERS FOR MATCH-PLAY

136 - Jovan Rebula (70, 66)

137 - Rosswell Sinclair (69, 68)

139 - Christiaan Bezuidenhout (71, 68), Daniel Young (SCO) (66, 73)

141 - Jamie Savage (SCO) (73, 68), Zander Lombard (73, 68), Rupert Kaminski (71, 70)

142 - Henri van Waart (72, 70)

143 - Luke Trocado (74, 69), Robert Bougas (Jnr) (72, 71), N J Arnoldi (72, 71)

144 - Keegan de Lange (74, 70), Gerlou Roux (74, 70), Marco Steyn (72, 72), Weyers Janse van Rensburg (72, 72), Tom Watson (71, 73)

145 - Stefan Cronje (77, 68), Michael Sherriff (74, 71), Armandt Scholtz (73, 72), Cameron Moralee (73, 72), Clayton Mansfield (71, 74)

146 - Altin van der Merwe (74, 72), Charlie Spencer-White (WAL) (74, 72), Allan Lones (73, 73), Ewen Ferguson (SCO) (73, 73), Scott Gibson (SCO) (71, 75), James du Preez (71, 75), Hendrik du Plessis (70, 76)

147 - Meyer Pauw (79, 68), Eduard van den Berg (77, 70), Darin de Smidt (76, 71), Jason Froneman (76, 71), Michael Pfeifer (GER) (76, 71), Henri van der Walt (76, 71), Thriston Lawrence (76, 71), Jason Viljoen (75, 72), Hilton Hughes (75, 72), Quintin Wilsnach (74, 73), Andre Nel (74, 73), Andrew Carlsson (71, 76), Johan Germishuys (71, 76), Tristen Strydom (70, 77)

148 - Ruan Botha (80, 68), Breyten Meyer (76, 72), Louis Taylor (76, 72), Neswill Croy (75, 73), Stephen Morrison (74, 74), Heinri Germishuys (73, 75)

149 - Werner Theart (77, 72), Toby Tree (ENG) (77, 72), Divan Marais (76, 73), Neal Woernhard (SUI) (76, 73), Riaan Coetzee (75, 74), Anuerin Gounden (75, 74)

150 - Jason Smith (76, 74), Duncan van der Vyver (76, 74), Philip Geerts (ITA) (76, 74), Connor Syme (SCO) (75, 75), Albert Venter (74, 76)

151 - Jason Rossiter (79, 72), Juran Dreyer (78, 73), Ben Kinsley (SCO) (76, 75), Paul Boshoff (73, 78), Philip Kruse (76, 75)

Failed to qualify for match play

151 - Gareth Sargent (83, 68), Burger Heckroodt (78, 73), Giles Buchanan (78, 73), ),  Aubrey Beckley (75, 76), Gregory Royston (73, 78)

152 - Pieter Marais (79, 73), Eric Wowor (77, 75), Garrick Higgo (76, 76), Hendrikus Stoop (76, 76), Malcolm Mitchell (75, 77), Pierre de Villiers (74, 78)

153 - Werner van Wyk (79, 74), Teagan Moore (78, 75), Michael-James Steyn (76, 77), Shane Martin (76, 77), Donovan Liddicoat (74, 79)

154 - Dean Martin (81, 73), Pietie Loubser (80, 74), Dylan Naidoo (79, 75), Jarred Miltz (77, 77), David Meyers (74, 80)

155 - Christiaan van der Merwe (77, 78), Kalvin Parsons (77, 78), Kyle Jervis (76, 79)

156 - Chris van Tonder (81, 75), Nico (Jnr) Jacobs (79, 77), Stephen Allen (78, 78), Carlo O’Reilly (77, 79), Reinhardt Blaauw (77, 79), Richard Fawcett (77, 79), Ruan Conradie (77, 79), Albert Vermaak (77, 79), Richard Joubert (75, 81), Chad Evans (74, 82)

157 - Hayden Millar (83, 74), Matthew Spacey (82, 75), Zabastian de Jager (82, 75), Nikki Jonker (81, 76), Brenden Pieters (80, 77), Angus Ellis-Cole (79, 78), Evance Vukeya (79, 78), Barend van Rooyen (78, 79)

158 - Dylan Raubenheimer (83, 75), Jonathan Whitehouse (76, 82), Graeme Fransman (73, 85)

159 - Eli Mbango (87, 72), Peetie van der Merwe (80, 79), Brandon Gildenhuys (80, 79), Pieter Coetzee (79, 80), Alistair Snowdon (78, 81)

161 - Michael van Hoeck (84, 77), Burt Gildenhuys(Burt) (82, 79), Hayden Griffiths (82, 79)

162 - Gareth Akers (80, 82)

164 - Digby Edgley (84, 80), Xander Basson (80, 84), Zack van der Schyff (79, 85)

165 - Justin Meister (88, 77), Juan Pierre Schmidt (85, 80), Leroy Pearmain (82, 83), Bryce Bosman (79, 86), Nabeel Desai (79, 86)

166 - Elmo Barnard (81, 85), Ryan Wille (77, 89)

167 - Kevin Wylie (87, 80)

168 - Jadrick Fourie (82, 86)

170 - Shane Granger (87, 83), Jaco Theron (86, 84), Andre Loots (85, 85)

171 - Ruan Korb (86, 85)

172 - Jacques Hamman (81, 91), Brendon Mossop (79, 93)

173 - Calum McAndrew (SCO) (92, 81)

177 - Jaco Kok (94, 83)

180 - Darryl Kalil (USA)(92, 88)

CAWDER PRO HAS SEVEN SUB-PAR FIGURES IN SPANISH EVENT

KELLY HAS AN EYE FOR BIRDIES 

Cawder tour pro Chris Kelly finished an eventful round of three-under-par 69 in joint fifth place at the Spanish Evolve Tour event at Hacienda Riquelme Golf Club, Murcia.
Kelly, pictured by Cal Carson Golf Agency, had a glorious bag of seven birdies - the second, eighth, ninth, 10th, 12th, 13th and 14th.
He also suffered a double bogey 7 at the long fourth and bogeys at the third and 15th.
Neil Henderson (Renaissance Club) had one birdie in his 75.
England's Matt Haines won the one-day event with a nine-under-par 63, four strokes clear of joint runners-up Alex Belt (England) and Gary Knight (USA).


FINAL TOTALS
Par 7263 M Haines (Eng)
67 A Belt (Eng), G Knight (USA)
68 B Dredge (Wal)
69 C Kelly (Sco), H P Bacher (Austria), A Kearney (Ireland), F Pinter Smith (Spain) (T5)
75 N Henderson (Sco) (34th) 
82 P McGhee (Sco) (T46)

TO VIEW ALL THE TOTALS

CLICK HERE

ELLON MAN IN TOP TEN WITH A FOUR-UNDER--PAR 68

ROSS CAMERON MAKES MOST OF 

FLYING START IN EGYPT

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com

Ellon's Ross Cameron produced one of his best rounds of the Alps Tour today - a four-under-par 68 to be lying joint ninth at the end of the first day of the Red Sea Little Venice Open at Sokhna Golf Club, Egypt.
Cameron, pictured by Cal Carson Golf Agency, sponsored by Saltire Energy, got off to a flying start with birdies at the first two holes. A bogey at the fourth did not reduce his momentum because he birdied the sixth and turned in two-under 34.
Coming home the Aberdeenshire man birdied the 13th, long 17th and 18th, offset by a second bogey, at the 15th.
Edinburgh's former Scottish amateur champion John Gallagher had five birdies in his 69 (36-33), at the short eighth, 10th, 12th, 17th and 18th. His bogeys came at the second and 16th. The Duddingston tour pro is in joint 14th position.
Fraserburgh's Kris Nicol (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) had a 71 in which he played moderately for an outward 38 with bogeys at the third and fifth, and very well after the turn with birdies at the 10th, 11th, 16th and 17th, bogeying only the 14th in an inward 33. Nicol is joint 29th in the field of 102.
Dundee rookie Jordan McColl matched the par of 72 for joint 44th place. He birdied the first, third and 17th; bogeying the foufrth, fifth and 14th in halves of 36.
Ross Kellett from Motherwell, leading Scot in last week's event at the same venue, returned a 73, one ahead of rookie James White (Lundin).
Kellett bogeyed the eighth and 14th and did not get a birdie until the 17th in halves of 37-36.
White had a bad start - bogeys at the third, fourth and ninth to turn in three-over 39.
The Fifer birdied the 10th but then bogeyed the 12th and 15th before finishing in style with birdies at the 17th and 18th. 
Also on the 74 mark is John Henry (Clydebank and District. He bogeyed the second but birdied the fourth and seventh, only to give them back with bogeys at the eighth and ninth. Out in 38, he reeled off nine pars on the inward half.
Troon's former Scottish amateur champion Michael Stewart had a 77 which included double bogeys at the second and sixth.
Thomas Elissalde, a 21-year-old Frenchman, who turned pro at the end of last season, leads by one shot with a seven-under 65.

LEADING FIRST ROUND SCORES
Par 72
65 T Elissalde (Fra)
66 J Foret (Fra), A Guttierrez (Spa), C Berardo (Fra)
SELECTED SCORES
67 L Canter (Eng), J Palmer (Eng) (T5)
68 R Cameron (Sco), A Cooley (Eng) (T9)
69 J Gallagher (Sco), M Edge (Eng) (T14)
71 K Nicol (Sco), J Senior (Eng), Warren Harmiston (Eng), Tom Shadbolt (Eng), Simon Ward (Ire) (T28).
72 J McColl (Sco), S Brown (Eng) (T44)
73 R Kellett (Sco) (T59)
74 J White (Sco), J Henry (Sco) (T72)
77 M Stewart (Sco) (T91)
Field of 102 players 
TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES

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SPANIARD AND DANE COMPLETE EUROPE TEAM FOR KUALA LUMPUR

JIMÉNEZ PICKS LARRAZÁBAL, OLESEN 

TO COMPLETE EURASIA CUP TEAM

EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS NEWS RELEASE

Miguel Angel Jiménez has selected Pablo Larrazábal and Thorbjørn Olesen as his two Captain’s Picks to complete the European team for next month’s EurAsia Cup match

The Spaniard and the Dane will join the eight automatic qualifiers as Europe face up to an Asian team led by Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee at the Glenmarie Golf and Country Club in Kuala Lumpur from March 27-29.

Larrazábal, who made a winning start to 2014 with victory in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship over a high quality field which included Rory McIlroy and Phil Mickelson, was delighted to receive a call-up from his fellow countryman. 

“I am very happy to accept Miguel’s invitation,” said the 30 year old from Barcelona. “It will be a great experience to play for Europe and to try to win the first EurAsua Cup match.

“I made a great start to the season with the win in Abu Dhabi, but I still had to be picked for the team so I hope to bring my best form to Malaysia and repay Miguel’s faith in me.” 

Olesen played alongside Jiménez for the first two rounds of the Dubai Desert Classic three weeks ago and the 24 year old clearly impressed en route to a fifth place finish, having finished in a tie for third spot the previous week at the Qatar Masters.

“I had an idea that Miguel was thinking of picking me because we spoke about it in Dubai, but you never know how these things are going to go until you receive the call so I was obviously delighted when the phone rang,” said Olesen. 

“It’s great to know that someone like Miguel thinks I can bring something to his team and I am looking forward to getting out there. Being part of the winning Seve Trophy team last year alongside guys like Miguel and Thomas (Björn) will definitely help me.”

Larrazábal and Olesen join Thomas Björn, Jamie Donaldson, Victor Dubuisson, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castaño, Stephen Gallacher, Joost Luiten, Graeme McDowell and playing captain Jiménez himself, to form a formidable European team. 

“I am delighted that both Pablo and Thorbjørn have accepted the chance to join the team,” said Jiménez. “They are both extremely talented players and they will definitely bring excitement and flair to the match.

“Both boys have made great starts to 2014. Pablo’s victory in Abu Dhabi was very impressive. To shoot 67 in the final to hold off players like McIlroy and Mickelson was a fantastic achievement and shows the quality he has. 

“Thorbjørn has been coming into form recently and his two top five finishes in the Desert Swing showed that results are starting to come. He is a great player and will have taken a lot of experience from the Seve Trophy last year when he was part of the winning Continental European team.

“Now that my team is complete I am very happy. I have a very strong group of players and a very good mix of youth and experience. It will be very tough to go to Malaysia and win because the Asian team is also very strong, but I believe if my players play to their abilities then Europe can triumph.”

 

AUSTRALIAN WINS EPIC CLIMAX TO WORLD MATCH-PLAY

                    Australian Jason Day with the World Match-play Championship Trophy
                                     Picture by courtesy of Getty Images(c)

Magnificent Dubuisson denied by Day at 23rd

 hole in the championship's most thrilling final

 

Frenchman Victor Dubuisson was denied victory on his World Golf Championships debut by Australia's World No 4 Jason Day in the most thrilling final in the history of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship.

Dubuisson edged out South African Ernie Els by one hole in the morning semi-finals before taking on Day, who beat American Rickie Fowler 3 and 2 in the other last-four clash.
Last November Day and Adam Scott won the World Cup team title for Australia and Day took the individual honours in Melbourne.

Day looked set for victory at two up with two to play in the final but Dubuisson fought back in sublime fashion with up-and-downs from sand on the 17^th and 18^th to win both holes.

The 23 year old Frenchman kept the match alive with miraculous shots from cacti following errant approaches on the first two extra holes, saving par both times, and had a 20ft putt to win on the 22^nd, which came up agonisingly short.

His short game was magnificent all day, but on the 23^rd hole his chip from thick rough ran way past the flag, and Day’s par was enough to clinch the title and the US $1,530,000 first prize.

Dubuisson’s performance drew comparisons with the late Seve Ballesteros for his never-say-die attitude and ability to conjure shots from nowhere, and he described the two chips from the desert as “amazing”.

“I just played them like I had nothing to lose,” he said. “I’m happy but at the same time disappointed, because this afternoon I didn't play very well. I just battled, especially on the back nine. 

“I made some good shots, but Jason made some very good putts during the round. His birdie on the par five was amazing. And then he made a very important putt to win.

“I tried to do my best.  I tried to fight back. I made a good birdie on the 17th, but in a play-off, you never know how it can go. Next time I will be ready.” 

Dubuisson is virtually assured of his place on the European Ryder Cup team in September, achieving his main goal for the season.

“I didn’t like to say it was my number one target, because that would have put extra pressure on me, but it was my number one target,” he added.

“I'm very excited and this was very good preparation for me because now I know what I need to work on.” 

Day praised Dubuisson’s comeback, saying: “Coming down the stretch he was just unbelievable. I've never seen someone as young, apart from Jordan Spieth, and in the old days Tiger Woods, be so clutch, especially out of the cactus. 

“I kept shaking my head because it was so surprising. There were a couple of times where I thought he was absolutely dead. The tournament was mine. I just stuck through it and it was tough, but I'm glad I got it done.”

 

RESULTS 
Semi-finals
J Day (Australia) bt R Fowler (USA) 3 and 2.
V Dubuisson (France) bt E Els (S Africa) 1 hole.
Final
Day bt Dubuisson at 23rd
Third-place play-off
Fowler bt Els at 19th

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