SILVER LINING IN DISAPPOINTING PLAY-OFF FOR MAN FROM INVERNESS

RUSSELL KNOX'S BEST US PGA TOUR 

FINISH AND A CAREER-HIGH CHEQUE

FOR $448,000 

 Russell Knox

Russell Knox, Rory McIlroy, Ryan Palmer and Russell Henley went out again in a four-way play-off for the million dollars + first prize after
 a drama-packed final few holes in the fourth round of the Honda Classic at PGA National, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
McIlroy, long-time leader, left the door open for his challengers by bogeying the 12th, double-bogeying the 16th, and bogeying the 17th.
But he kept his eye on the ball and was able to produce a birdie 4 at the treacherous, difficult par-5 18th hole where water and bunkers make this a 
knee-knocker of a final hole.
All four play-off men dropped shots close home.
Knox had a double bogey 6 at the 14th.
Palmer bogeyed the 16th and 18th.
Henley bogeyed the 10th, 12th and had a double bogey at the short 15th after birdieing the 13th and 14th.
McIlroy dropped four shots to par from the 12th to the 17th inclusive but he could come out smelling of roses if he can win the play-off which could last for some time to eliminate three players from first prize. In fact, it took only one hole - they replayed the par-5 18th, to decide it in favour or Russell Henley with a birdie. 
Knox, Palmer and McIlroy were declared joint runners-up and earned $448,000 -  a career-high for Knox who is now 26th in the US PGA Tour money table for 2014 with $873,110 ... which means he has assured himself of retaining his position on the US PGA Tour for 2015 ... and he
will probably playing professionally in Scotland for the first time in the Scottish Open at Royal Aberdeen the week before the Open at Hoylake in July.

  FINAL TOTALS
Par 280 (4x70) Players from USA unless stated 
272 Ryan Palmer 68 66 69 69, Russell Knox 70 63 68 71, Rory McIlroy (N Ireland) 63 66 69 74, Russell Henley 64 68 68 72 (Henley won sudden-death play-off with birdie 4 at first extra hole). Henley: $1,080,000; Knox $448,000; McIlroy $448,000; Palmer $448,000.
273 Bill Hurley 70 67 67 69 ($240,000)
274 David Hearn (Canada) 67 70 70 67, Will MacKenzie 67 68 69 70 ($208,500 each).
275 Sergio Garcia (Spain) 72 68 68 67, David Lingmerth (Sweden) 69 68 68 70, Luke Donald (England) 67 68 68 72, Stuart Appleby (Australia) 69 69 65 72 ($168,000 each).
276 Andres Romero (Argentina) 70 68 71 67, Matteo Manassero (Italy) 67 71 71 67, Paul Casey (England) 72 68 69 67, Chris Stroud 69 66 73 68, Chris Kirk 69 67 72 68, Adam Scott (Australia) 68 69 70 69, Martin Flores 69 70 68 69, George McNeill 70 67 69 70, Freddie Jacobson (Sweden) 69 69 67 71, Daniel Summerhays 70 65 69 72, Keegan Bradley 69 68 66 73, Jhonattan Vegas (Venezuela) 70 66 66 74 ($94,800 each).

SELECTED FINAL TOTALS
277 Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (Spain) 71 69 68 69, Rickie Fowler 69 69 69 70, Patrick Reed 71 67 70 69, Nick Watney 71 69 70 67, Matt Every 66 73 65 73, Luke Guthrie 67 73 65 72, Brian Stuard 72 68 65 72, Tyrone Van Aswegen (S Africa) 67 71 68 71, Chesson Hadley 73 66 69 69 ($45,400 each).
278 Zach Johnson 67 70 68 73, Rory Sabbatini (S Africa) 65 71 68 74 (
279 Boo Weekley 68 67 73 71
280 Graeme McDowell (N Ireland) 70 67 72 71, Lee Westwood (England) 68 65 73 74, Thomas Bjorn (Denmark) 69 66 70 75 ($15,600 each)
281 Jamie Donaldson(Wales) 65 69 72 75 ($13,680)
284 Brendon de Jonge (S Africa) 66 64 76 78 ($12,660).

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BACK INJURY EXPLAINS FIVE-OVER-PAR FIGURES FOR 12 HOLES

TIGER WOODS RETIRES HURT DURING

FINAL ROUND OF HONDA CLASSIC

World No 1 Tiger Woods retired injured during the final round of the Honda Classic in Florida today.

Woods walked off the course at PGA National after playing the opening 12 holes of his round in five-over-par, to sit level-par for the tournament. It was subsequently announced that Woods had told US PGA Tour officials that a back injury was the reason for his withdrawal.
Having shot a 65 on Saturday to get himself up into the top 20 at five-under for the event, Woods struggled right from the start of his final round.
He dropped five shots over the course of his first six holes, including a double-bogey at the par-five third hole, before making his only birdie of the day at the seventh.
But a further bogey would follow at the ninth as he hit the turn in 40 strokes and, after making three straight pars to start the back nine, he decided to call it quits on the 13th green.

SEPTEMBER 29 - A DATE FOR YOUR DIARY DOWN CLYDEBANK WAY

FIRST EUROPEAN TOUR WIN SINCE 2010

     Ross Fisher kisses the Tshwane Open trophy

        Picture by courtesy of Getty Images(c)

ROSS FISHER LANDS TSHWANE OPEN 

BY THREE SHOTS IN SOUTH AFRICA
REPORT AND SCORES FROM EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS
Berkshire-born Ross Fisher overcame a gallant charge from Ulsterman Michael Hoey before eventually charging to a three-shot victory at the Tshwane Open.

Having started the day five shots clear, Hoey reduced the deficit to just one after 11 holes, but then double bogeyed the 12th after finding water with his approach.

Fisher then eagled the long 15th from 25 feet to extinguish any realistic hopes the chasing pack may have entertained, as he secured his fifth European Tour title and first since 2010 with a closing round of 70.

That gave him a 20 under par winning total, three clear of Hoey and South African Danie Van Tonder, with Spanish Qualifying School winner Carlos Del Moral a shot further back.

"I'm thrilled to get over the line," Fisher said. "It was a testing day with the weather conditions and playing with Mike he put up a great challenge for me.

"I set a target of trying to go out there and shoot in the 60s and almost managed to do it. I had a little mishap on the last but I'm just glad to be standing here talking to you as champion."

Fisher admitted his eagle on the 15th had helped to settle any potential nerves.

"It's been pretty good to me this week (the 15th hole)," he said. "There have been a couple of eagles, but that was a big putt there.

"I know I was only a couple ahead. To hit a nice shot there and have a good look at three and to see it drop - I think I went four shots clear with only three to play I knew I could coast in.

"There was a little wobble on a few of those holes and I managed to make a couple of good par saves on 16 and 17.

"It would have been nice to shoot 69 but unfortunately I missed one on the last. I'm not going to complain."

Hoey had quickly set about chipping away at Fisher’s five shot overnight advantage as the final round began in Centurion.

The 33 year old Fisher birdied the first after an excellent approach, but gave the shot back at the short third.

Hoey had also converted from inside ten feet at the first, and a magnificent three wood approach to the par five fourth gave him a 15 foot eagle chance that the five-time European Tour winner duly accepted.

Fisher went three in front when he holed from 20 feet at the seventh and Hoey missed his birdie effort from half that distance.

However, the roles were reversed at the next as 35 year old Hoey reached the green at the par five in two and birdied, with Fisher having to settle for par after his pitched third shot finished 20 feet short of the pin.

Hoey then closed the gap to just one shot with a birdie from 30 feet at the 11th, before the tide turned decisively at the next in favour of World Number 82 Fisher - Hoey striking his approach from the middle of the fairway into the lake beside the green and running up a six.

Hoey eventually signed for a closing 68, while Van Tonder was bogey-free in his round of 66.

 

ALL THE FINAL TOTALS, PRIZEMONEY

Par 288 (4x72) PRIZE MONEY IN EUROS

268 R Fisher (Eng) 66 65 67 70 (237,750)

271 D Van Tonder  (RSA) 66 70 69 66, M Hoey  (NIr) 69 65 69 68 (138,150 each)

272 C Del Moral (Esp) 68 65 71 68 (73,650)

273 H Otto (RSA) 71 65 69 68 (61,950)

275 C Wood  (Eng) 67 68 72 68, K Phelan (Irl) 68 69 68 70, D Fichardt (RSA) 66 68 71 70 (44.750 each)

276 M Bremner (RSA) 69 69 67 71 (32,400)

277 E Molinari  (Ita) 70 65 70 72, S Dyson  (Eng) 65 68 71 73, T Fisher Jnr (RSA) 65 69 71 72 (27,100 each)

278 M Madsen  (Den) 67 65 75 71(25,000)

279 R Rock (Eng) 70 71 65 73 (22,050)

280 K Horne (RSA) 74 67 67 72, D Howell (Eng) 69 69 74 68, O Bekker (RSA) 70 67 69 74, J Roos (RSA) 69 65 72 74, M Baldwin (Eng) 72 69 68 71, S Kapur (Ind) 67 74 70 69 (19,450 each)

281 M Korhonen (Fin) 70 68 70 73, P Waring  (Eng) 70 70 68 73, L Bjerregaard  (Den) 67 71 71 72 (16,550 each)

282 J Hugo  (RSA) 68 68 76 70, T Aiken (RSA) 69 71 70 72, R De Smidt (RSA) 69 71 69 73, O Fisher  (Eng) 73 68 69 72, K Broberg (Swe) 67 74 71 70 (14,850 each)

283 G Bourdy (Fra) 72 69 73 69, J Kamte (RSA) 72 69 67 75, C Mowat (RSA) 72 69 71 71, J Kingston (RSA) 71 69 70 73, D Brooks (Eng) 72 67 72 72, H Porteous (RSA) 70 70 69 74, J Dantorp (Swe) 70 69 69 75, H Bruiners (RSA) 69 70 69 75, N Elvira  (Esp) 71 67 72 73, M Warren (Sco) 73 68 71 71 (12,015 each).

284 J Harding  (RSA) 70 67 72 75, S Kjeldsen (Den) 72 69 71 72, J Ahlers (RSA) 71 66 72 75, J Van Zyl (RSA) 71 70 70 73, A Haindl (RSA) 72 68 70 74, R Cairns (Zim) 70 69 74 71, S Lowry  (Irl) 68 71 70 75 (9,450 each)

285 T Hatton (Eng) 70 69 70 76, A Sullivan (Eng) 69 69 78 69, J Harvey (RSA) 66 72 74 73, C Du Plessis (RSA) 71 69 73 72 (7,800 each).

286 G Coetzee (RSA) 70 70 71 75, M Kieffer (Ger) 68 70 71 77, E Van Rooyen (RSA) 66 72 74 74, T Ferreira  (RSA) 72 69 75 70, G Bhullar (Ind) 70 65 74 77 (6,450 each).

287 A Wall (Eng) 68 71 76 72, R Santos  (Por) 68 71 71 77, J Morrison  (Eng) 69 70 72 76, V Groenewald (RSA) 71 68 73 75 (5,138 each).

288 D Huizing (Ned) 68 71 70 79, T Van Der Walt (RSA) 69 71 74 74 (4,575 each).

289 T Mordt  (RSA) 70 71 74 74, D McGuigan (Sco) 71 70 75 73 (4,275 each)

290 W Abery (RSA) 71 70 73 76, J Doherty  (Sco) 69 71 75 75, L De Jager  (RSA) 71 69 75 75, (3,900 each).

291 A Cañizares  (Esp) 70 71 75 75, S Hansen (Den) 70 70 76 75 (3,300 each)

293 M Jonzon (Swe) 72 69 76 76 (3,300).

ROSS FISHER LEAD CUT TO TWO BY MICHAEL HOEY

Ross Fisher's five-stroke overnight lead in the Tshwane Open in South Africa had been cut to only two shots by Ulsterman Michael Hoey with a few holes still to play in the final round.

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SPANIARD BEATS AUSTRIAN 3 AND 2 IN 36-HOLE FINAL

DANIEL BERRA KEEPS SPANISH TITLE

AT HOME - FOR A CHANGE

Daniel Berra, six up at the end of the first 18 holes, eventually became the first host country winner for a few years of the Spanish men's amateur international championship.

In the 36-hole final at La Reserva Golf Club, Sotogrande on the Costa del Sol, Berra withstood a strong challenge from Robin Goger over the second 18 holes before winning by 3 and 2.
Berra follows in title-winning footsteps of such players as Jose-Maria Olazabal, Darren Clarke, Sergio Garcia and Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano.
Berra was round in an approximate two-over-par 74 (38-6) to Goger's 82 (41-41) to be six holes to the good after the first 18.
Berra took a stranglehold in the final when he won the third, fourth, fifth and seventh holes to be three up on the eighth tee.
Goger won the ninth but his Spanish opponent won the 10th, 14th, 17th and 18th for a clear-cut advantage going into the second round. 
Goger lost the 23rd to a birdie to fall seven down, then won four holes in a row, three of them with birdies to be three down on the 10th tee.
Goger continued to cut his deficit, winning the 11th to be two down afore losing the 12th to a birdie to go back to three down.
Berra went four up again with a birdie 2 at the short 14th but lost the 13th to go back to three up.
The 16th hole was halved, leaving the Spaniard the national champion of his home country with a 3 and 2 victory.

FIRST WIN AS A PROFESSIONAL BY NEW SOUTH WELSHMAN

Papadatos impresses with NZ Open win

New South Welshman Dimi Papadatos has claimed an emphatic victory at the New Zealand Open Championship played at The Hills and Millbrook Resort in Queenstown.
Starting the day with a one-stroke lead the 22-year-old looked solid throughout the round firing a 6-under 66 to finish with a tournament total of 18-under 270.
Having turned professional at the end of 2012, Papadatos held off many challengers including the experienced Kiwi Mark Brown to claim his maiden victory.
Brown eventually finished the leading Kiwi, four shots behind the young Aussie disappointed that he wasn’t able to end the 12year Kiwi drought at the National Open.
A further shot back was David Klein (NZ), while Ash Hall (VIC) and Richard Lee (NZ) rounded out the top-5 on 12-under the card.
But this day was all about a coming-of-age performance from Papadatos who admitted etching his name into the Brodie Breeze Trophy hadn’t sunk in yet.
He said the final few holes were all a bit of a blur as he tried to close out the victory.
“I just wanted to concentrate and not get too overwhelmed with what was happening,” said Papadatos about the final hole.
When he hit the green in two and comfortably made the two-putt for par he could finally relax. He was swamped by a swagger of young Aussie pros who showered him with champagne.
“It’s awesome, great bunch of guys and they’re very supportive. We all try and beat each other but at the end of the week, there’s no hard feelings.”
Before today’s win Papadatos’ best result on the PGA Tour of Australasia was a third place finish at the ISPS Handa Perth International last October.
The champion wasn’t too sure how he handled the pressure all day.
“I kept believing in myself and telling myself I could do it, the whole way round. But there’s always that thing, deep down wondering if you really can.”
Papadatos said it was “unreal” to follow in the footsteps of some great Aussie players – the likes of Peter Thomson, Kel Nagle, Peter O’Malley and Craig Parry – who had won the New Zealand Open.
He also followed the lead of his good mate Jake Higginbottom who won as an amateur at Clearwater in 2012.
“I didn’t really think at the start of the week I would have had my name on the trophy behind him, but as the week started to progress, I thought there was a good chance so I’m pretty happy.”
Papadatos believed the win, where he earned 16 World Rankings Points, status on the PGA Tour of Australasia until 2016 and three starts on the Japan Tour, would be massive for his career going forward.
“Obviously some great players have won this event, it’s a massive honour. I wouldn’t have told you at the start of the week I was capable of this. I’m really happy.”
Not feeling as upbeat was Mark Brown. He said there was little comfort in finishing second and the leading Kiwi for the second New Zealand Open in succession.
“It was just frustrating that I didn't have the A-game today like I played a couple of the other days,” said the 39-year-old.
“The chances I did give myself I didn’t convert and it was only really towards the end that I made a couple of birdies so Dimi played great. He holed the putts when he needed to.
“It's all about winning and particularly this tournament, so I take no solace in finishing second at all. It wasn't what I wanted so it's just really disappointing.”
He was not surprised to see such a young inexperienced player handle the pressure of leading throughout the final round with so much composure. It was a sign of the times.
"The young guys now have got no fear. They all putt great, their short games are great so when they do make a mistake off tee to green they'll save it and not only that, they'll hole putts.”
New Zealand amateur Jordan Bakermans finished as the leading amateur to claim the Bledisloe Cup when Southland No.1 Vaughan McCall was disqualified for signing an incorrect scorecard.
“It is a huge honour to win this trophy,” said the 20-year-old from the Christchurch Golf Club.
“It was my goal at the start of the week and while I would have loved to make the cut this is a pretty cool honour to take home from this tournament.”
Meanwhile in the New Zealand Pro-Am Championship Australian Brody Ninyette and amateur Sam Hamilton claimed the title in the best-ball format despite Ninyette shooting a 13-over 85 in the final round.
They won the first NZ Pro-Am to be staged at the NZ Open by two shots from Nick Gillespie and John Bowring on a 39-under par total.

NZ Open LEADING FINAL TOTALS

Par Rating: 72

Arrowtown

Pos	Player	Rnd	Thru	To Par
1	Dimitrios Papadatos	-6	18	-18
2	Mark Brown	-3	18	-14
3	David Klein	-5	18	-13
T4	Richard Lee	-1	18	-12
T4	Ashley Hall	-2	18	-12
T6	Ryan Fox	-3	18	-11