ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL AT BAY HILL, FLORIDA

Adam Scott ... seven-stroke halfway lead has shrunk.

ADAM SCOTT'S LEAD CUT TO THREE

BUT HE CAN STILL BE WORLD No 1

ORLANDO, Florida -- Adam Scott is closer than he has ever been to becoming No. 1 in the world.
First things first, though.
“I think I’ve got to try and win the golf tournament (Sunday),” he said. “I’m not trying to win the No. 1 ranking.
“I’ve got a bunch of guys breathing down my neck who all have had nice rounds (Saturday) and are feeling pretty good about the way they’re playing going into (Sunday).”
Count Scott among them.
The Aussie recovered from a shaky start Saturday to shoot a 1-under 71 to take a three-stroke lead into the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard.
Keegan Bradley is alone in second at 12 under after matching the day’s best round with a 66, while Matt Every, who also shot 66, and Jason Kokrak are another shot back.
Through the first three days at Bay Hill, Scott has looked every bit the best player on the planet. Even when he hasn’t he did just enough to keep his name comfortably atop the leaderboard.
Scott began the third round with a seven-shot lead but saw it shrink to one after playing his first five holes in 2 over following a three-putt bogey at the first hole, a poor bunker shot that led to a par on the par-5 fourth and a missed 11-footer to save par on the fifth.
“You think seven (shots) is a lot but it’s not really, especially over 36 holes,” Scott said. “If I was seven back at any other tournament I would think I could still win.”
Thanks to a birdie on the par-5 sixth and four more over his final nine holes -- including one from 30 feet on No. 10 and another from 25 feet on the 15th -- Scott still has a chance to win for the first time this season.
A testy par putt from just outside 7 feet on the 18th, however, was as big as any birdie.
“It’s good for the confidence,” Scott said. “At this stage one shot can go a long way.”
And with one more victory, Scott will pass Tiger Woods and rise to the top of the Official World Golf Ranking in two weeks.
Woods withdrew from the tournament earlier this week because of lingering back problems and neither player is scheduled to play again until the Masters. Scott is the only one who can take over the No. 1 spot.
 “I’m very hungry to win,” Scott said. “I feel like this should be the peak time in my career. I’ve got to create these chances more often and I’ve got to take them more often than I have. When you’ve got that opportunity you’ve got to take it because it’s hard to play yourself into contention three or four times a year, let alone 10, what you’d like to.”

The third round is in the books at Bay Hill. Scotts pars 18th for a 71 and a three-shot lead. Scott-Bradley will be final pairing Sunday.
Bradley right where he wants to be: Keegan Bradley started the third round eight shots off the lead before a 66 that included eight birdies put him three back and exactly where he wants to be going into the last day.

“I kind of like being in this position, a couple back going into Sunday,” he said. “I just kind of like that underdog role. I like knowing that I've got to go out there and play well. It really gets me excited.”
In two of Bradley’s wins, at the 2011 US PGA Championship and 2012 World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational, he was in a similar spot, chasing the lead going into the final round.
A big reason he cut into Scott’s lead: Putting. Bradley took just 25 putts for a second straight day and, for the week, ranks fourth in the field in total putts.
Saturday, he made three straight birdies to open his back nine, including two from outside 20 feet, then closed out his round with three more birdies, which included a 23-footer on the 17th.

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Changes paying off for Every: Matt Every was nine shots back at the start of the third round. What was his objective?
“I know you can't win it on Saturday,” he said. “so shooting the lowest is my objective. … I was hoping Adam's flu was getting worse or something, yeah. I'm kidding.”
Every did just that with a 66 to put him in position to try for his first career win.
It won’t be the first time, either. He has finished in the top 10 in two of his last three starts.
Aside from better putting, some other changes Every made coming into this season have paid off.
“Last year I had a full-time coach; he was awesome,” he said. “But I kind of got lazy and started relying a little too much on other people to help me.
“This year I'm trying to do everything by myself, just be committed to everything, just trust in myself, and my caddie, too. It's kind of just me and him, that's it.”
If there’s anything that has held him back this year, Every said, it’s that he has at times been too aggressive on Sundays.
How will he approach the final round at Bay Hill?
“We'll just have to see how things go,” he said. “I like to watch leaderboards. It's so situational.”

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ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL
Bay Hill Country Club, Florida
THIRD-ROUND LEADERBOARD
Par 216 (3x72) Players from USA unless stated
201 Adam Scott (Australia) 62 68 71
204 Keegan Bradley 71 67 66
205 Matt Every 69 70 66, Jason Kokrak 67 71 67
206 Chesson Hadley 69 68 69, Francesco Molinari (Italy) 67 70 69
208 Ian Poulter (England) 68 71 69

SELECTED SCORES
211 Henrik Stenson (Sweden) 69 73 69 (t15)
212 Graeme McDowell (N Ireland) 68 77 67, Jamie Donaldson (Wales) 67 71 74 (T19)
213 Padraig Harrington (Ireland) 70 70 73 (T29
214 Russell Knox (Scotland) 71 71 72 (T36)
215 Brian Davis (England) 70 74 71 (T42)
217 Gonzalo Fernandez Castano (Spain) 66 77 74 (T58)
218 Paul Casey (England) 67 79 72 (T64)
219 Greg Owen (England) 76 69 74. Martin Laird (Scotland) 71 72 76 (T69)

TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES

CLICK HERE

FIVE MALES AND TWO FEMALES TO BE SUPPORTED THIS YEAR

SEVEN PLAYERS NAMED TO TEAM 

SCOTTISH HYDRO 2014

FROM THE SGU WEBSITE
Team Scottish Hydro has revealed a seven-player line-up for 2014, as the support initiative seeks to build on previous successes.
Announced at an informal media event at Kingsfield Golf Centre, five male professionals and two females have been chosen for financial support to aid their seasons ahead, especially with scheduling.
Previous recipients of the Hydro backing, Callum Macaulay, George Murray (pictured) and Andrew McArthur, are joined this year by fellow Challenge Tour player Duncan Stewart, as well as Tartan Tour pro Chris Kelly. Ladies European Tour pair Kylie Walker and Pamela Pretswell complete the group for 2014.
Pretswell, Murray, McArthur, Stewart and Kelly were all in attendance, taking part in a successful Sport Relief chip challenge despite the inclement weather.
Now in its fourth year, Team Scottish Hydro has already helped Craig Lee, Chris Doak, Callum Macaulay, Jack Doherty and Jamie McLeary secure places on the European Tour.
It is hoped that some of this year’s recipients will follow in their footsteps, with the females also hopeful of climbing further up the Ladies European Tour ladder.
Scottish Hydro, who remain a strong supporter of Scottish golf at all levels, has been a committed supporter of  the Challenge Tour since 2009, and this year’s Scottish Hydro Challenge hosted by Macdonald Hotels and Resorts, also supported by EventScotland, returns to the Spey Valley course in Aviemore from June 26 to 29.
“In the main, I think we can claim Team Scottish Hydro as a bit of a victory in that the help the guys have received over the past couple of years have helped them get where they are,” said Iain Stoddart, director of Bounce Sports, a key driver of the initiative.
“In the case of Craig Lee, he has often cited the example of how being able to go to Colombia to play in an event in 2011 helped to nudge him over the line and graduate to the main tour.
“We’ve had great success and hopefully it can continue. Hopefully we’re looking at a new European Tour player here at Christmas, or a female who has climbed further up the LET ladder.”
The inclusion of a Tartan Tour player is a change to the set-up for this year, with Kelly also expected to provide corporate support.
“There is a lot of activity around Team Scottish Hydro and, often, many corporate fulfilments back here in Scotland that need to be taken care of,” added Stoddart.
“However, it tends to be that when one of the guys is away, they are all away. That leaves nobody to represent the team and fulfil those corporate duties. That’s where Chris will come in, even though he has his own playing commitments.”

SCOTLAND BOYS FOR PETER MCEVOY TROPHY APRIL 16-17

The six-player Scotland boys' squad for the Peter McEvoy Trophy 72-hole stroke-play tournament at Copt Heath on April 16-17 is:

• George Burns (Williamwood)
• Ewen Ferguson (Bearsden)
• Adam Fisher (Newmachar)
• Ben Kinsley (St Andrews)
• Robert MacIntyre (Glencruitten)
• Murray Naysmith (Marriott Dalmahoy)
•  
• TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE PETER
• McEVOY TROPHY
•  
• CLICK HERE

TEE TIMES FOR TOMORROW'S SGU JUNIOR CHAMPIONS AT THE DUKE'S

To view the tee times and order of play in the 2013 SGU Junior Champion of Champions - which was flooded off last autumn and has been reschuled for The Duke's Course, St Andrews tomorrow (Sunday) -

CLICK HERE

TO VIEW A PREVIEW OF THE EVENT ON THE SGU WEBSITE

CLICK HERE

SCOTT FINDS FORM AFTER STRUGGLING TO TURN IN 41 SHOTS

DRUMMOND, HOME IN 30, TO SHARE

LEAD ON JAMEGA TOUR IN PORTUGAL

It was the proverbial game of two halves for Anglo-Scott Drummond, the former PGA champion, in today's (Sat) first round of the 36-hole Jamega Tour event at Quinta do Vale on the north-west of Portugal's Algarve coastline.
Drummond, who has lost his European Tour status, reached the turn in 41 blows - five over par - but then came storming home in only 30 shots with six birdies, four of them in a row from the 15th.
Drummond is tied for the lead at halfway with two Englishmen, Jamie Abbot and David Dixon.
Former Walker Cup player from Troon, Michael Stewart was in joint third place on 72.
It was not a good day for the Saltman brothers. Elliot and Lloyd took 77 - as did Callum Macaulay - and Zack, the youngest of the three - returned an 81.
JAMEGA TOUR
Quinta do Vale GC, Algarve, Portugal
LEADING FIRST-ROUND SCORES
Par 72 
71 Scott Drummond (Sco), Jamie Abbot (Eng), David Dixon (Eng)
73 Michael Stewart (Sco), Scott Fallon (Eng).
OTHER SCOTS' SCORES
77 Elliot Saltman, Lloyd Saltman, Callum Macaulay
81 Zack Saltman.

MEMORIES OF DAI REES AT ROYAL DORNOCH GOLF WEEK

E-mail from Willie McKenzie
I was very interested in reading the Scottishgolfview.com article about the 1946 Open at St Andrews. 

Looking down the scores I came across the name Dai Rees, pictured right with the Ryder Cup.
 When I was a young lad  growing up at Royal Dornoch I had the pleasure of watching Dai Rees and Max Faulkner for a week as they were invited to do a week's tuition for the members  I was collecting the balls as I was unwell and obviously not fit to go to school.
The two highlights of the week were getting a lesson from  Dai Rees and watching the exhibition match on the Saturday featuring the two pros and the local pro Willie Skinner
Reading Mr Rees' name in your article brought back some fantastic memories of a great time in a young lad's golfing education!
At the dinner on the last evening the two golfers did a Q and A session. Apparently Faulkner served in the RAF during the war and he was asked if anything dangerous happened to him during the conflict. 
He stood up, deadpan face, and said "Yes, I was almost posted to Wick."  
Great memories. Thanks for your article.

Willie McKenzie 
WLMgolf

JUSTIN ROSE, LEE WESTWOOD MISS CUT AT BAY HILL

GREAT SCOTT! ADAM LEADS BY SEVEN 

AT HALFWAY IN Arnold Palmer Invitational

FROM THE US PGA TOUR WEBSITE
ORLANDO, Florida -- Adam Scott has looked every bit the best player in the world through the first two rounds of the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard.
In two more days, he might be.
Scott matched the tournament’s lowest 36-hole score, first set by Tom Watson and Andy Bean in 1981, and his seven-shot lead heading into the weekend obliterated the previous mark at Bay Hill.
Paul Azinger and Tiger Woods were both 4 under in 1988 and 2000, respectively. Each went on to win.
Friday, Scott made five birdies in an eight-hole stretch in the middle of his round en route to a 4-under 68 on a breezy and difficult day -- the course played nearly 1 1/2 strokes over par.
J.B. Holmes, Chesson Hadley and Francesco Molinari are a distant second, while five others, including Keegan Bradley, who had the low round of the day with a 67, and Brandt Snedeker, are another stroke back at 5 under. 
“We're only halfway,” Scott said. “Seven shots over two days is not enough. I don't think you can ever be leading by enough.
“The challenge might be just to start again and try and play a great 36 holes, start fresh, and try to be the leader after the next 36.”
If he is, he would move to No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking in two weeks, surpassing Tiger Woods, who withdrew on Tuesday because of lingering back pain. Neither Scott nor Woods is scheduled to play again until the Masters in three weeks.
In the meantime, Scott has his sights set on his first victory since back-to-back wins in Australia last November.
“It feels very much like I was playing toward the end of last year in Australia, where I kind of picked golf courses apart by just hitting fairways and hitting greens, and just waiting for that right number to hit one close,” Scott said. 
“I'd like to kind of keep that going for the next couple of days and I feel like I'll be in good shape.”

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NA HECKLED BY FANS: After finding himself at the centre of a slow-play discussion last week, Kevin Na was heckled by multiple fans throughout his round Friday at Bay Hill.
Eventually, Na called for US PGA Tour rules official Mark Russell in the middle of the first fairway, Na’s 10th hole of the day.
“He was being heckled, which has no place in the game,” Russell said. “We put extra security with him.”
While Na chose not to speak with reporters afterward, saying only that he’d had a long day, his playing partners came to his defence.
“He was standing in the middle of the 13th fairway trying to hit a shot (when someone yelled),” Scott Stallings said.
 “He was doing the best he could. (The heckling) was all day. He handled it great.”
Added Ryan Moore: “Someone yelled something from way up at the green while he was standing over a shot. You don’t want that to happen. That’s disrespectful to anybody.”
Na shot 1-under 71 and is tied for 24th through two rounds.

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GOING HOME EARLY: With Bay Hill playing more than 1 1/2 strokes more difficult than in the opening round, the cut line ballooned to 2 over.
That wasn’t enough for Rickie Fowler, Justin Rose or Lee Westwood, who were among the more notable players to miss the cut.
While it’s the first cut that Fowler has missed since the Northern Trust Open last month, he has broken par just once in his last seven rounds. Friday, he shot a 76 that included four bogeys and one double bogey to miss the cut by three.
Westwood, meanwhile, had five bogeys and a double en route to a 76 to miss by five strokes.
Rory Sabbatini and Jeff Overton are also headed home, though for a different reason. Both withdrew with injuries during the round.
Amateur Nathan Smith, meanwhile, was disqualified after playing a wrong ball from out of bounds on the fifth hole.

SCROLL DOWN FOR EARLIER STORIES FROM DAY 2 OF THE ARNOLD PALMER
INVITATIONAL ... AND THE SCOREBOARD

A TOTAL OF £2,151 RAISED BY KING'S COURSE EVENT

CRAIG'S TEAM WIN BENEVOLENT FUND 

PRO-AM AT GLENEAGLES
FROM THE PGA WEBSITE
Former Tartan Tour No.1 Craig Ronald led his team to success in The PGA in Scotland‘s inaugural Benevolent Fund Pro-Am at Gleneagles this week.
A total of £2,151.80 was raised, which will go towards supporting the work of the PGA Benevolent Fund in helping PGA Members who have fallen on difficult times.
Carluke pro Ronald and his team comprising Graham Hillan, Joe Frame and Barry Stevenson carded an eight-under-par 60 on the King’s Course.
In second place, a stroke behind, were Craigielaw’s Jonathan Porteous and team members Glen Gilson, Jonathon Dun and Matthew Gray while Downfield’s Kenny Hutton and partners Jack Cree, Colin MacLean and Scott Robertson posted a 62.
Nearest the pin prize on the 16^th went to amateur Keith Loades with Steven Dunsmore the most accurate of the professionals.
“I would like to thank all the players for making the day so successful, Gleneagles for their hospitality and the staff at The PGA in Scotland for all their assistance. I am pretty sure that this will become an annual fixture in our calendar,” said Brian Mair, secretary of The PGA in Scotland (pictured below left with the winning team).

“I would also like to thank Glencairn Crystal, Glenmuir, PING and Dakota Hotels for donating the prizes.
“The PGA Benevolent Fund does a lot of great work behind the scenes in helping PGA Members of all ages and the support of these companies is much invaluable in enabling us to generate funds.”
There was a further boost for Mair with 40 new members becoming patrons of The PGA in Scotland.
“The patrons’ initiative paves the way for enthusiastic amateurs to enjoy an exciting array of playing and hospitality opportunities while also investing in the next generation of Scottish PGA Professionals with all money raised by the patrons ploughed into developing the coaches and club pros of the future,” added Mair.
"We are delighted to welcome these new patrons on board on what promises to be a memorable year for Scottish golf.”

AYRSHIRE WINTER GOLF ASSOCIATION

GLASGOW GAILES GC

PRO-AM			TUESDAY 25TH MARCH 2014
		ALISTAIR BROWN	ARCHERFIELD
9.00	1	ALISTAIR BROWN	COLIN MCLATCHIE
		PAT WALSH	GARY MCINTOSH
		MARK LOFTUS	MEARNS CASTLE
9.10	2	MARK LOFTUS	BILL RAE
		SCOTT MCINTOSH	JOHN MATTHEWMAN
		CALLUM BEVERIDGE	WEST KILBRIDE GOLF CLUB
9.20	3	CALLUM BEVERIDGE	JOHN RUSHBURY
		JOHN WATT	JOHNNY O'NEIL
		CRAIG RONALD	CARLUKE GOLF CLUB
9.30	4	CRAIG RONALD	ALLAN TODD
		ALLAN PATERSON	JIM MATHIESON
		DEREK WATTERS	GOUROCK GOLF CLUB
9.40	5	DEREK WATTERS	BLAIR HARVEY
		DAVID WORDSWORTH	JOE DEVLIN
		CHRIS MCMANUS	KILMARNOCK (BARASSIE)
9.50	6	CHRIS MCMANUS	TOMMY FARREN
		CAMMY GLENNIE	ALISTAIR KERR
		STEPHEN GRAY	HAYSTON GOLF CLUB
10.00	7	STEPHEN GRAY	JOHN LAPPIN
		ERIC EWART	LESLIE QUIN
		CIAR PORCIANI	TURNBERRY RESORT
10.10	8	CIAR PORCIANI	GEORGE HIGGINS
		ROBIN SLATER	JIM MCEWAN
		JASON MCCREADIE	BUCHANAN CASTLE
10.20	9	JASON MCCREADIE	IAN WALLACE
		BLAIR ANDERSON	HARRY MILLER
		SCOTT GARRETT	FERENEZE GOLF CLUB
10.30	10	SCOTT GARRETT	ROBERT KERR
		PETER J BOYD	SANDY PATERSON
		ALASTAIR FORROW	WHITECRAIGS GOLF CLUB
10.40	11	ALASTAIR FORROW	TOM ROGERS
		Ian McCONNOCHIE	GEORGE JENKINSON
		FRASER THOMSON	TURNBERRY RESORT
10.50	12	FRASER THOMSON	REG SHORT
		MARK LORONI	LIAM MCGUIGAN
		ROBERT ARNOTT	BISHOPBRIGGS D. R.
11.00	13	ROBERT ARNOTT	GORDON CLARK
		COLIN PEDDIE	PETER MILLER
		CAMPBELL ELLIOTT	HAGGS CASTLE GOLF CLUB
11.10	14	JOE MCBREARTY	FRANK CRAIG
		SCOTT MILLER	SCOTT RITCHIE
		CAMPBELL ELLIOTT	HAGGS CASTLE GOLF CLUB
11.20	15	CAMPBELL ELLIOTT	GORDON CREE
		ALEX FALLIS	JONATHAN D'AGUILAR
		DAVID-ROSS NICOL	DUNDONALD LINKS
11.30	16	DAVID-ROSS NICOL	NORMAN KELLY
		DAVID ROBERTSON	JOHN RICE
		JAMIE MACKAY	NORTH GAILES
11.40	17	JAMIE MACKAY	BRUCE LYLE
		PAUL MOULTRIE	CRAIG WRIGHT
		IAIN MCNAB	DUNDONALD LINKS
11.50	18	IAIN MCNAB	ROBIN ROAN
		BRIAN LAMB	RON PUNTON
		PAUL MCKECHNIE	BRAID HILLS GOLF CENTRE
12.00	19	PAUL MCKECHNIE	JOHN JONES
		STEWART BANNERMAN	ALEX ROBERTSON
		GRAHAM FOX	CLYDEWAY GOLF
12.10	20	GRAHAM FOX	DAVID COOPER
		TOM HARWOOD	TBA
		DAVID FLEMING	PRESTWICK GOLF CLUB
12.20	21	DAVID FLEMING	STEVEN SHAW
		GEORGE HANSON	TBA
		NICK WALTON	GLASGOW GOLF CLUB
12.30	22	NICK WALTON	GERRY SMITH
		TOM MCGILL	IAN MCLARTY