GEORGE MURRAY HAS DISASTROUS FINISH

FORD MOTORS INTO SWISS LEAD

EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS
Charlie Ford put the troubles of a disappointing couple of seasons behind him, as he stormed into a share of the lead at the Swiss Challenge presented by Association Suisse de Golf thanks to a stunning seven under par third round 64.
The 29 year old was in stupendous form at the idyllic Golf Sempachersee, outside Lucerne, starting with three successive birdies before adding four more to his bogey-free card to move to the summit on 13 under par, one shot clear of Belgian Pierre Relecom.
It has been a marked improvement in fortunes for Ford this week, having endured a trying season so far, missing the cut in all of his seven previous events in 2014.
But he returned to the kind of form which earned him his first and only Challenge Tour title back in 2010 - when he claimed the inaugural Turkish Airlines Challenge - starting with a three at the par four first hole courtesy of a perfectly-judged 13 foot putt.
He holed an even bigger one at the second to pick up his second shot in as many holes before firing a perfect approach stone dead at the third and he never took his foot off the pedal after that. The Leicester player was delighted with his performance and put his remarkable turnaround down to a new putter.
“Birdieing the first three holes will always set you up quite nicely for the day,” said Ford. “I didn’t really go out with any expectations and then made a couple of nice putts on the first two holes, before hitting a nice shot into the third, and then you’ve got something to hold onto for the day. Luckily I managed to kick on after that.
“I was just trying to take it as it came because my results haven’t been particularly good this year and, even though I've been hitting it well the last couple of months, my putting has been terrible.
“I put a new putter in the bag this week and it’s been like a role-reversal, I haven’t been hitting it as well as I was in previous weeks but I've been making my fair share of putts.
“I'm trying my best to take it as it comes and the way my results have been this year, I just want to keep that attitude.
“I just want to keep playing it one shot at a time, one hole at a time, as clichéd as it is. I'm not going to put too much expectation on myself and just try to do the best I can.”
The former University of Tennessee student admits he has been put through the wringer in recent years, having also missed 15 cuts in 20 events on the Challenge Tour last year, but he never lost faith that he could return to title-challenging form and is looking forward to playing in the final group for the first time since 2011.
“It’s been three years since I’ve been in the final group or even close, so it’s been a while,” he said. 
 “It was a tough road but I’ll look forward to it tomorrow and just see what I can get out of it.
“It’s been a down-in-the-doldrums time for a while now and it’s been tough for me, my family, my girlfriend and everyone who’s been supporting me, but this year I went back to my old college coach and I felt like the long game especially has been coming around."
Relecom, meanwhile, signed for a three under par 68 to move to 12 under despite a colourful scorecard, especially in a front nine which yielded an eagle, four birdies, two bogeys, a double-bogey and a solitary par.
George Murray, who shared the overnight lead after round two, had moved into the outright lead at one point on moving day but suffered a bogey, double-bogey, bogey finish and had to settle for a one under par final round of 70.
That left the Scot in a share of third place on 11 under alongside Italy’s Niccolo Quintarelli, who in contrast finished with two birdies to sign for a two under 69 as he chases a maiden Challenge Tour title.
Due to the threat of afternoon thunderstorms, the final group will tee off at 10:00am local time tomorrow in a U-draw from both the first and ninth tees.

THIRD-ROUND SCORES
Par 213 (3x71):
200 C Ford (Eng) 67 69 64
201 P Relecom  (Bel) 70 63 68
202 G Murray  (Sco) 66 66 70, N Quintarelli (Ita) 67 66 69
204 R Davies (Wal) 68 69 67, G Boyd  (Eng) 70 66 68, S Brown (Eng) 67 70 67, M Eggenberger (am) (Sui) 68 68 68
205 S Fallon (Eng) 68 70 67
206 J Moul  (Eng) 66 71 69, K Samooja (Fin) 71 64 71, J Huldahl (Den) 69 68 69, R Gouveia (Por) 69 69 68
207 E Espana (Fra) 71 68 68, B Ritthammer (Ger) 66 66 75, F Praegant (Aut) 69 72 66
208 J Pastor (Esp) 68 70 70, D Law (Sco) 73 66 69, M Delpodio  (Ita) 68 68 72, J Sarasti  (Esp) 68 71 69, P Oriol (Esp) 70 69 69, R De Sousa (Sui) 69 71 68, A Tadini (Ita) 68 72 68, F Fritsch  (Ger) 68 68 72
209 H Joannes  (Bel) 69 68 72, W Harrold (Eng) 69 72 68, J Gonnet  (Fra) 69 72 68, R Steiner (Aut) 68 71 70, T Lee (USA) 71 68 70, S Little (Eng) 74 67 68, J Senior (Eng) 67 71 71
210 G Watremez (Bel) 73 69 68, R McGowan  (Eng) 70 71 69, B Dredge (Wal) 68 73 69, R Kind (Ned) 70 69 71, L Weber (Fra) 72 69 69, N Kearney (Irl) 70 71 69, M Trappel  (Aut) 73 67 70, T Murray (Eng) 71 71 68, F Bergamaschi (Ita) 69 69 72, C Paisley  (Eng) 69 71 70, W Booth  (Sco) 72 68 70
211 M Glauert (Ger) 69 73 69, S Garcia Rodriguez (Esp) 68 71 72, B Hebert  (Fra) 71 71 69, C Russo (Fra) 73 68 70, S Tiley (Eng) 71 70 70
212 D Wuensche  (Ger) 74 68 70, A Dunbar (Nir) 69 72 71, G Woolgar (Eng) 71 71 70, R McEvoy  (Eng) 72 66 74, C Arendell (USA) 71 71 70, S Gros (Fra) 71 68 73, B Chapellan (Fra) 70 71 71, M Wiegele  (Aut) 68 73 71, M Rominger  (Sui) 74 66 72, S Einhaus (Ger) 72 68 72, G Porteous (Eng) 74 66 72
213 O Wilson (Eng) 71 71 71, C Shinkwin (Eng) 70 72 71, A Kirstein (Ger) 67 73 73, A Björk (Swe) 68 73 72, D Ulrich (Sui) 72 66 75, W Roebuck (Eng) 67 71 75, J Legarrea (Esp) 71 70 72
214 A Gabella (Sui) 73 66 75, B Parker  (Eng) 73 68 73, M Orrin (Eng) 72 70 72, X Puig (Esp) 71 71 72, L Claverie (Esp) 72 70 72, J Roos (RSA) 74 68 72
215 C Simon (Esp) 65 76 74
217 H Bacher (Aut) 72 69 76, J Girrbach (am) (Sui) 72 70 75
218 J Clément  (Sui) 70 72 76, B Rusch (am) (Sui) 73 69 76


EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS

FOUR TIE FOR VICTORY AT MONTROSE PRO-AM

FOUR PROS TIE FOR VICTORY AT 

MONTROSE LINKS WITH 69s

Greg McBain (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre), Alan Welsh (Cathkin Braes), Patrick Walker (Ballumbie Castle) and Hayston's Stephen Gray tied for first place with two-under-par 69s in the Petrofac Montrose Links pro-am today (Saturday).

It was the first time this season that McBain, Welsh and Walker had figured in the pole position but Gray had won previously six times, dating back to February.

They each earned £901
Cawder's Chris Kelly is usually nearer the top than the bottom of the scoresheet but this was a day he will want to forget. Kelly had a 10 at the par-5 15th and a 7 at the par-4 seventh in a score of 14-over-par 85.

Joint winner Patrick Walker also led the Petrofac Training 2 team to victory in the pro-am with a net aggregate of 15-under-par 127, winning a card countback against two other teams on the same two-ball total.
 His amateur partners were Jack Douglas (handicap 4), Michael Holley (16) and Scott Larkin (scratch).

LEADING PRO SCORES
par 71

69 G McBain (Paul Lawrie GC), A Welsh (Cathkin Braes), P Walker (Ballumbie Castle), S Gray (Hayston) (£901 each).

70 C Ronald (Carluke) (£455)

71 G Brown (Montreose Links), C Currie (Caldwell), J McCreadie (Buchanan Castle), G Fox (Clydeway Golf) (£306 each)

72 S Henderson (Kings Links), G Wright (West Linton), C Matheson (Falkirk Tryst), D Orr (Mearns Castle) (£186 each)

73 A Tait (Marriott Dalmahoy), K McNicoll (Gullane), J McKinnon (Irvine), R Dixon (Renaissance (£132 each)

74 G Hutcheon (Paul Lawrie GC), L Vannet (Craibstone), E Cameron (Callaway Golf), S Clelland (Arabian Ranches) (£66 each).
OTHER SCORES:
75 J Fraser (Renaissance), F Mann (carnoustie), R Buckley (Royal Montrose).
76 R King (Carrick on Loch Lomond), C Gordon (Edinburgh GC), P Robinson (Largs)
77 M Isaacs (Newmachar), D Watters (Gourock), J Gallagher (Douglas Park)
78 A Hutchison (Douglas Park), N Christie (Carnoustie), I Stoddart (Uphall)

79 S McEwing (Gamola Golf)
80 C McMaster (Panmure), A Mackrell (Douglas Park)
81 M Macenzie (Edzell), B Mason (Callaway Golf)
83 E Grimes (Carrick on Loch Lomond), C Kelly (Cawder)
86 M Penny (Montrose).

TWO STUNNING EAGLES IN LAST THREE HOLES AT HOYLAKE

Rory McIlroy at Hoylake. Picture by courtesy of Getty Images(c)
 

RORY HITS HIS OPEN RIVALS FOR SIX

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE

The predicted thunderstorms failed to materialise, but Rory McIlroy provided the fireworks to take a stranglehold on The 143rd Open Championship at Royal Liverpool Golf Club, Hoylake today.

A "significant risk" of storms and an amber weather warning led the R and A to employ a two-tee start for the first time in championship history, with play getting under way at 9am from the first and tenth tee.
But after a spell of heavy rain ended in time for the leaders to tee off, McIlroy repelled a spirited challenge from fellow 25-year-old Rickie Fowler with two stunning eagles in the last three holes.
A round of 68 gave McIlroy a 16 under par total of 200 - just two shots outside the all-time Open record set by Tom Lehman in 1996 - and a six-shot lead over American Fowler, who also returned a 68. 

Spain's Sergio Garcia and American Dustin Johnson are a shot further back on nine under.
McIlroy will now attempt to become the second wire-to-wire winner of a Major in succession after Martin Kaymer won the US Open at Pinehurst last month by eight shots, the same margin by which McIlroy won the 2011 US Open and 2012 US PGA Championship.
And if the Northern Irishman succeeds in lifting The Claret Jug, the winner of The Open will have completed three legs of the career grand slam for the second year running.
Phil Mickelson's victory at Muirfield means he needs to win the US Open to join Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as the only men to have won all four Majors during their careers.
For McIlroy, the Masters Tournament would be the only trophy missing from his collection, the tournament he led by four going into the final round in 2011.
McIlroy also led the 2010 Open at St Andrews after an opening 63 only to shoot 80 in the second round in atrocious conditions. Four years on he benefited from being on the right side of the draw with an early start on Thursday and late start on Friday, a day which had caused him so many problems this season.
In 2014 he had been 50 under par in the first round and nine over in the second until Friday's six under 66 saw him match Woods' halfway total of 132 from 2006.
The 72 players who made the halfway cut - including Woods right on the mark of two over par - had been sent out in groups of three rather than two, with defending champion Mickelson alongside past and present US PGA Champions Jason Dufner and Keegan Bradley in the first match out.
McIlroy, looking to become just the third man in the modern era after Woods and Nicklaus to win three Majors by the age of 25, began his third round just after 11am and immediately saw his four shot advantage cut in half.
The former World Number One, who had carded consecutive rounds of 66, found a greenside bunker with his approach to the first and a poor escape led to just his second bogey of the week, while playing partner Dustin Johnson holed from three feet for birdie.
With heavy rain having stopped by the time the leaders teed off, Johnson was not the only player to take advantage of the softer greens, Fowler picking up four birdies in his first six holes before dropping a shot on the seventh.
McIlroy registered his first birdie of the day by two-putting the par five fifth to get back to 12 under and crucially saved par from 20 feet on the seventh after finding heavy rough off the tee and only being able to hack out onto the fairway.
At that stage he led by three from Fowler - the only player to finish in the top five in both Majors this season - but a thrilling duel between the 2007 Walker Cup rivals was about to develop.
McIlroy saved par on the ninth as well after pulling his tee shot left of the green, where it hit a buggy-mounted camera and bounced off the leg of the cameraman.
After making sure the man was unhurt, the buggy was moved and McIlroy pitched to eight feet and rolled in the putt, while up ahead Fowler birdied the tenth and 11th before McIlroy responded from seven feet on the 11th.
Fowler then picked up his seventh birdie of the day, and third in a row, from five feet on the 12th and that was soon good enough for a share of the lead when McIlroy bogeyed the same hole after twice tangling with the heavy rough.
It was Fowler's turn to find trouble off the tee and bogey the 14th and McIlroy was suddenly two ahead once more when he holed from 35 feet for an unlikely birdie on the 14th.
Two ahead became five ahead in the space of 15 minutes on the par five 16th, Fowler taking six after a poor drive and McIlroy holing from 18 feet for an eagle after a superb drive and towering long-iron approach.
Fowler, Garcia and McIlroy all bogeyed the 17th from similar spots left of the green, but while Garcia parred the last and Fowler made birdie, McIlroy stamped his authority on the event with another eagle from ten feet.

THIRD-ROUND LEADERBOARD
Par 216 (3x72)
200 Rory McIlroy (N Ireland) 66 66 68
206 Rickie Fowler (USA) 69 69 68
207 Sergio Garcia (Spain) 68 70 69, Dustin Johnson (USA) 71 68 71
208 Victor Dubuisson (France) 74 66 68
209 Edoardo Molinari (Italy) 68 73 68
210 Matteo Manassero (Italy) 67 75 68, Adam Scott (Australia) 68 73 69, Robert Karlsson (Sweden) 69 71 70, Jim Furyk (USA) 68 71 71, Charl Schwartzel (S Africa) 71 67 72

SELECTED OTHER SCORES
211 Graeme McDowell (N Ireland) 74 69 68, Justin Rose (England) 72 70 69, Marc Warren (Scotland) 71 68 72 (T12)
212 Stephen Gallacher (Scotland) 70 72 70 (T19)
215 Phil Mickelson (USA) 74 70 71
217 Luke Donald (England) 73 73 71 (T45)
219 Tiger Woods (USA) 69 77 73 (T58)

SEMI-FINALS AT DEESIDE AND PORTLETHEN ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 10

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Semi-finals

Sunday 10^th August

Venue: Deeside (first tee time 2pm)

Portlethen v Murcar Links

Venue: Portlethen (first tee time 11am)

Nigg Bay v Newmachar

Final on Sunday, September 14

Venue: Stonehaven

First Tee Time: tbc

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VERY LOW SCORING ON WEB.COM TOUR'S BOISE OPEN

JIMMY GUNN MAKES THE CUT ON THE 

BUTTON AT SIX-UNDER-PAR 136

The cut mark in this week's Web-com Tour event, the Boise Open, was at the fantastically low figure of six-under-par 136 - but Jimmy Gunn made it through to the weekend action with rounds of 67 and 69 at Hilcrest Country Club, Boise in Indiana.
He birdied the second, 10th and 16th and dropped only one shot, at the fourth, in his second round of a T46 position - eight shots behind the shoot-the-lights-outs joint leaders, Bill Lunde (66-61) and Zach Sucher (60-67) on 15-under-par 127.
Steven Alker (Australia, or it might be New Zealand) is in third place on 128 (62-66).
Englishman Greg Owen did not make it through with rounds of 70 and 69 for 139.

TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES

CLICK HERE

LOSS OF ONE OF ITS CHARACTERS IS A SAD DAY FOR SCOTTISH GOLF

                     Bob and Sam Torrance. Picture by courtesy of Getty Images(c)

BOB TORRANCE DIES: TRIBUTE

 FROM PAUL McGINLEY

The death has been announced of Bob Torrance, father of Ryder Cup-winning captain Sam but a man whose coaching career touched the lives of so many in the game.
Bob, who was 82, helped Padraig Harrington win back-to-back Open titles in 2007 and 2008.

His son Sam, who captained Europe to Ryder Cup success in 2002, tweeted:  "Sad day - my dad just passed away peacefully in his sleep."
Bob Torrance, described by Harrington as "the best swing coach in the world", had been battling cancer.
Iain Carter, BBC Sport's golf correspondent, tweeted: "Saddened to hear of the death of one of golf's great gentlemen and a wonderful teacher, Bob Torrance. Thoughts with June & Sam."

European Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley, who was coached by Torrance for over 20 years, said:
 “This is an incredibly sad day as we have lost one of life’s, as well as one of golf’s, really true characters and my thoughts are obviously with June and Sam at this difficult time.

“I feel blessed to have known Bob for many years and to have had him as my coach since 1992. Not only was he a world-class golf coach, a fact recognised right across the game, but he was also one of my very favourite people in life. I will dearly miss his teaching and his wit.

“I feel very fortunate that I got the chance to say goodbye to him in person last week when I drove down to his home at Largs during the Scottish Open at Royal Aberdeen. 

"Despite his obvious ill health, he still retained his fantastic sense of humour and love of golf and the memory of that afternoon will stay with me.”