E-MAIL US IF YOU KNOW OF OTHERS BOUND FOR USA

ANDREW BURGESS LEAVES FOR 

GEORGIA ON AUGUST 12

                                 Andrew and Sean Burgess - or is it Sean and Andrew?

Andrew Burgess (Nairn) leaves Scotland on August 12 to enrol at Armstrong Atlantic University in Savannah, Georgia.

Andrew's brother Sean has already been a couple of years at college in the States but is transferring up the ladder to Oakland University in time to boost their golf roster for the 2014-2015 college golf season.

Their dad, Andy Burgess, is the CEO at Meldrum House Hotel and Estate, Oldmeldrum.

North-east lads who are bound for America this month are Portlethen left-hander Ben Murray, Craig Stephen (Aboyne), pictured above by Cal Carson Golf Agency, and Declan Addison (Cruden Bay).

Ben is going to Midland College, Texas (where Sean Lawrie spent some time).

Craig and Declan are going to the same college - Brevard, North Carolina.

IF YOU KNOW any teenage boy or girl who is enrolling at an American college/university for the first time, please E-mail the information to Colin@scottishgolfview.com so that we can add the names and where they are to our master list for tracking the students as they play in US college tournaments.

LATE ENTRIES BEING ACCEPTED FOR 

ABERDEEN CITY CHAMPIONSHIP 

AT HAZLEHEAD THIS WEEKEND

LATE entries are being accepted on 07442 502501 for the Aberdeen City Championship over 18 holes C2 Saturday (August 9) and 18 holes C1 on Sunday (August 10)

Players leave the tee at 10min intervals and are from the host club unless stated.

Sunday tee times same as Saturday tee times below unless otherwise agreed by the organiser (secretary).

Abbreviations: AL, Aberdeen Ladies; Au, Auchmill; BA, Bon 

Accord; Ca, Caledonian; Dg, Dungannon; Dn, Dunecht; Fr, 

Fraserburgh; Kn, Kemnay; NB, Nigg Bay; No, Northern; Sc, 

Scotscraig; St, Stonehaven; Wh, Westhill;

07:00 - Grant Duguid (Dn), S Finney (Ca), R Pirie (Ca).

07:30 - D Paterson, D Coutts, J Halliday (St).

07:40 - M Falconer, G Martin(BA), S Murphy (BA).

07:50 - Neil McLennan (Sc), D Grieve (BA), Matthew Greig( BA).

08:10 - Kevin Duthie (Wh), Stuart Duncan (Wh), Kevin Allan (Wh).

08:30 - J Spiers, C McDonald, Dave Low (Wh).

09:00 - G Meade (Ca), G Meade (Ca), S Meade (Ca).

09:10 - D Walker (NB), J Strachan.

09:30 - J Hosie (Kn), A Milne. 

10:00 - Mathew Bleakly, Ben Lumsden (No), David Fanthorpe (Dg).

10:10 - Norman Stewart (No), John Forrest (No), David Leslie (No).

10:20 - Suzanne Robertson (Fr), Claire Prouse, Fiona Prouse.

10:30 - Nancy Adam, Doreen Gerrie, Jill Thomson.

10:40 - Ulla Schaeffer, Lena Ingram, Joan Hutcheon.

11:40 - P Wilson, S Wilson.

12:30 - D Macandrew, S Robertson, G Kennedy.

13:00 - K Emeleus, K Pottinger, J Mackintosh.

13:10 - M Adam, S Wood (AL).

13:30 - G Ewen (Au).

13:40 - P Lawrence, M Allen, A Macklin.

Roy Witteveen

Secretary

HAZLEHEAD GOLF CLUB

TWO DAYS OF QUALIFYING FOR MATCH-PLAY STAGES

The Boys' Amateur Championship

Prestwick and Dundonald Links

 August 12 to 17

The 2014 Boys' Amateur Championship gets underway at 7am on Tuesday, August 12. 

The qualifying stroke-play stage of the Championship will be played over two days on Tuesday 12 and Wednesday 13 August at both Prestwick and Dundonald Links golf clubs.

Thereafter the field is cut to 64 and ties. 

The match-play stage is played over the final four days from Thursday 14 to Sunday 17 August, at Prestwick.

The draw is available on championships.randa.org Reports and scoring will appear on the website throughout the six days of competition.

FORTROSE and ROSEMARKIE SCORES

Kelly Foursomes Trophy returns to Inverness.

ROBIN WILSON REPORTS

The Kelly Foursomes was, from its outset, synonymous with Inverness Golf Club but, on the closing down of the family gents' outfitters business in Inverness and the family retiring to the Black Isle, the competition was resurrected with renewed Kelly family support at Fortrose and Rosemarkie. 

It remains a premier North event, attracting a full quality entry and last Sunday the trophy was returned to the Inverness Golf Club by its members David Joel and Jamie Treasurer.

It completed a handsome vouche-winning weekend for Joel following  his individual Tain success and for his playing partner, Treasurer (23) a possible sign off from amateur golf as he has aspirations to  following a career in golf with the PGA Professional at the Fairways Golf Centre, Inverness.

The pair from the south side of the Kessock Bridge gelled at Fortrose, returning a first-round 71 (36-35) and repeating the score with slightly changed halves, 35 and 36, in round two. 

They shared the same 36 hole aggregate as local secretary Michael MacDonald and ex-Muir of Ord member David McIntosh, now of Royal Dornoch.

MacDonald and McIntosh compiled their 36 hole total with cards of 70 and 72 but then had to relinquish first place on the better second round separator carded by Joel and Treasurer.

 The winners' Inverness clubmates, Bruce Thomson and John Forbes led after a first round 69 but a second round 75 dropped them back to third place.

After a first round 77 from local pairing James Fraser and Peter Cameron a second round sub 70 gross score of 69  rescued their day to give them the first handicap vouchers with nett 139 (73½/65½). 

LEADING SCORES

 Kelly Open Foursomes (36 holes)
 Players from Fortrose and Rosemarkie unless stated otherwise
 Scratch Section
142 D Joel (Inverness) and J Treasurer (Inverness) 71 71; M MacDonald and D McIntosh (Royal Dornoch) 70 72.
144 J Forbes (Inverness) and  B. Thomson (Inverness) 69 75.
147 L Reid and A Cameron 74 73.
149 S Forbes (Muir of Ord) and A Begg (Muir of Ord) 76 73.

Handicap Section
139 J Fraser and P Cameron (3.5) 73.5 65.5, E Skinner and K Gaittens (4.5) 72.5 66.5.
141 H MacCulloch and G Cameron (12) 69 72.
143 A Brown and R Keith (5) 70 73.
144 I MacGruer (Royal Troon) and K MacGruer (Muir of Ord) (9) 75 69, S Chisholm and D Chisholm (5.5) 74.5 69.5

HUGH HUNTER'S CLACKMANNAN COUNTY NEWS

 JUST A LITTLE JOY AT THE SCOTTISH AMATEUR

Every year a small contingent of the elite Wee County golfers takes on the Scottish Amateur Golf Championship.  It’s a match play format with 256 entries, and put very simply…. you only have to beat 8 people to win!!    

Five locals took part on the 2014 Championship held at Downfield. Three fell in the first round - Jamie Aitken (Dollar), Rikki Alexander (Braehead) and, very surprisingly Scott Borrowman (Dollar).  Allan Watson (Braehead) made it through to the second round before losing, which left Lawrence Allan (Alva) the best local performer, reaching the third round

 TOP EUROPEANS AT THE DUKES.

  Top European Amateurs will converge on The Duke's course, St Andrews this week to contest the European men's individual championship over four rounds of stroke play.  

 Local Scott Borrowman (Dollar) is one of the 148 competitors, and as you would expect the standard is very high.as measured by handicap.  There are 19 Scots competing, and the entire field plays off plus handicaps.  There are 28 golfers at plus four or better, the lowest handicaps in the field are Peter Stojanovski (+6)   Renato Paratore (+5.8) and Thomas Detry (+5.7).   

Lowest Scottish handicap is Graeme Robertson (Glenbervie) (+5). 

 BOB STILL IN THE FRAME

Tulliallan’s Bob Stewart continues to churn out good performances at Scottish Seniors level.  Following his good run in the Match play where he reached the quarter finals before losing to Les Pirie (Millport), he followed that up with a good score at Stranraer in the Scottish Seniors South Championship.

 With a 36 hole aggregate of 147 (73,74), Bob finished fifth, five shots behind the winning score of 142.

 Bob should now be feeling confident as he takes in the Seniors Amateur Championship this week at Ganton in Yorkshire

                                                      

 COMING UP SOON

Saturday, August 9: Dollar Open

Saturday, August 16: County Championship  (36 holes)  @ Tulliallan

NEWS FROM JUNIOR OPEN TOURNAMENT AT HOME OF GOLF

ST ANDREWS  UNDER-18 BOYS' OPEN
SCRATCH MATCH-PLAY QUALIFIERS
 EDEN COURSE
71 C Boomer (East Kilbride), R Macintosh (France), J Rogan (Longniddry), C Franssen (Inverness)
72 J Parker (Southerness), Z Bedford (St Andrews New), C Cochrane (Marriott Dalmahoy), H Begg (Southport and Ainsdale).
73 G Burrett (Haggs Castle), K Patel (Bush Hill Park), 
74 A Thurlow (Murrayfield), L Northwood (Kenilworth), B Rooney (Marriott Dalmahoy), T Watson (S Africa),  J M Cook (Northumberland), D Logan (Bishopbriggs), Z Murray (Aus), B Ferguson (Aus), D Morley (Oughterard), S Hamilton (Notts).
75 K Bowman (St Andrews New), P-O Pochat (France), J Valentine (Musselburgh), O Duclos (France), A Thomson (Lanark), C White (Bridgnorth)
76 A Magee (Powerscout), R Franssen (Inverness), J Schuetz (Aut), J Blyth (Leigh), C Bauchop (Glenbervie), J Cornes (High Leigh Park).
DID NOT QUALIFY
76 (after card play-off) C Blinkhorn (Southport and Ainsdale), C Bowman (Newbiggin), T Robinson (Vale), K MacKay (Inverness).
77 K Schuermann (Germany), A Lewis (St George's Hill), C MacCallum (St Andrews), M Lowe (Ger), J Cloherty (Woolton), C Tibbetts (Uphall), J Bisset (Pollok).  

 + The top 32 players qualified for the scratch match-play - there was a card play-off for those who finished on 76.

TEAM TO TRAVEL FOR THURSDAY MATCH

NORTH-EAST BOYS' LINE-UP TO PLAY

ANGUS AT CAIRD PARK, DUNDEE

North-east District will be bidding to follow up success in an age-groups match against North when they tee up against Angus District at Caird Park Golf Club, Dundee on Thursday.
North-east team:
UNDER-18s
Calvin Cheyne (Newmachar)
Calum Bruce (Duff House Royal)
Stephen Roger (Cruden Bay)
Callum Morrison (Inverurie)
Lewys Anderson (Deeside)
Ben Henderson (Deeside)
UNDER-16s
Sam Locke (Banchory)
Calvin Duffton (Torphins)
Dylan Smith (Deeside)
Thomas Cameron (Fraserburgh)
Kiran Nolan (Kemnay)
Mark Watt (Inverallochy)
UNDER-14s
Ellis Gray (Duff House Royal)
Innes McKay (Strathlene)
Paul Chalmers (Duff House Royal)
Ethan Ross (Fraserburgh)
Kevin Duncan (Keith)
Jonathan Bell (Royal Aberdeen)

TWENTY-FIVE GO FORWARD TO DEESIDE EVENT SEPTEMBER 16-18

FRASER MANN LEADS QUALIFIERS FOR 

PAUL LAWRIE INVITATIONAL WITH A 68

Carnoustie senior Fraser Mann, with a two-under-par 68, headed the 25 qualifiers in today's (Monday) eliminator at Royal Musselburgh Golf Club for the Paul Lawrie Invitational at Deeside Golf Club from September 16 to 18.

Only five of the nine players on the 74 mark qualified. Cameron Marr, Paul Betty, Craig Haugh and Scott Costello were eliminated in a card play-off.

PAUL LAWRIE INVITATIONAL QUALIFIER

Royal Musselburgh Golf Club, Prestonpans

QUALIFIERS

Par 70

68 F Mann

69 N Walton

70 C Gordon, A Mackrell, C McMaster

71 R Buckley, J McGhee, G Paterson, G Paxton, L Vannet

72 S Catlin, T Poyser. K Gallagher. A Love, S Fay, G Hardy, L Gaughan.

73 N Huguet, P Robinson, D Williamson

74 F Rummins, S Craig, M Patterson, R Neil, G Mackay.

DID NOT QUALIFY

74 (after card play-off) C Marr (Alternate 1), P Betty (2), C Haugh (3), S Costello (4)

75 T Mathieson (Alternate 5), M Mackenzie, S Watters, D Wood

76 E Macpherson, G Robertson, N Colquhoun, S Milne, M Burt

77 M King, A Hutchison, T Dingwall

78 J Fraser, M Penny, I Donaldson, A McCandlish

79 C Adair, F Clarke.

80 L Burnett

81 Gregor Wright, K Campbell, S Smith.

em ds

TWENTY-FOUR SHOTS BEHIND THE WINNER IN CALGARY

PAUL CORMACK FADES IN CANADA 

TOURNAMENT OVER LAST 2 ROUNDS

Scot Paul Cormack did not play the second half of the tournament as well as he had played the first two roundsand finished T62 on three-under-par 285 in the PGA Tour Canada's ATB Financial Classic at Sirocco Golf Club, Calgary.
Cormack had rounds of 70, 69, 72 and 74 to finish 24 shots behind the winner, American Brock Mackenzie who finished on 27 under par 261 with scores of 65, 63, 67 and 66
He won by four shots from fellow Americans Joel Dahmen (65-68-68-64) and Stephen Carney (64-65-68-68).
The only other Scot to beat the cut, Alan McLean finished T26 on 276 (70-67-68-71).

TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES

CLICK HERE

US CHAMPIONS TOUR REPORT AND SCORES

PERRY BIRDIES LAST TO HOLD LANGER 

AT BAY:  MONTY -5 BUT TIED 47th
 

FROM THE US CHAMPIONS TOUR WEBSITE
BLAINE, Minnestoa (AP) -- Kenny Perry got the "warm-up" he was looking for heading into the US PGA Championship in his home state of Kentucky.
Capped by a 15-foot putt, Perry scrambled for a birdie on the 18th hole Sunday to beat hard-charging Bernhard Langer by a stroke in the 3M Championship.
The scoring was so low that Colin Montgomerie finished T47 despite a five-under-par total of 211
The 53-year-old Perry closed with a 7-under 65 for his second victory of the year and seventh overall on the Champions Tour. He finished at 23-under 193 at TPC Twin Cities.
"This was a warm-up week for me to work on my short game," Perry said. "From 100 yards and in this week I was better than I ever can remember in my career. I was hitting it around the pin and I was converting. I was making putts."
But, to be successful at Valhalla, Perry knows he'll have to drive it exceptionally well and successfully hit his hybrids.
"It's going to be a great challenge," Perry said. "Hopefully, I can carry some of this momentum over."
Perry lost a play-off to Mark Brooks in the 1996 PGA at Valhalla, and helped the United States win the 2008 Ryder Cup at the course.
Langer, the Senior Open Championship winner last week in England by a tour-record 13 shots, shot 63. He overcame a four-shot deficit on the back nine and was tied with Perry going to the par-5 18th.
In the second-to-last group, Langer's second shot just cleared the water hazard and landed in the tall grass. He chipped on from an awkward stance and two-putted for par.
"My goal today was to shoot 8 under thinking 21 under should have a chance to win. I shot 9 under, outdid myself, and still didn't win," he said. "What Kenny did this week is pretty exceptional."
One group behind, Perry hit his second shot into the grandstand behind the green. After a drop, he pitched to about 15 feet and made the putt.
"It was an easy putt for me," he said. "I don't always make them, but I feel like I should make them and I knocked it right in the middle."
Jeff Maggert, Gene Sauers and Marco Dawson tied for third at 20 under. Maggert and Sauers shot 65, and Dawson had a 67.
It was the eighth straight year the tournament's winning score was at least 15 under, including three totals of better than 20 under. David Frost set the record at 25-under 191 in 2010. The scoring average of 69.609 is the lowest in the tournament's 22-year history.
Perry, who also won the Regions Tradition in May, birdied four of six holes around the turn for a four-shot lead over Langer, Maggert, Dawson and Sauers.
But Langer, who won the event in 2009 and 2012, birdied five of the first six holes on the back nine, including a lengthy putt on No. 14, to get within one.
"I was just trying to make birdies, just trying to go deeper and deeper," Langer said. "I looked at the leaderboard somewhere around the eighth hole and saw that I was four behind or whatever and I figured I got to go really low here if I want to have any hope."
A birdie putt at 17 moved Langer into a tie less than a minute before Perry, who hadn't been scoreboard watching on the back nine, made a par putt on No. 16.
"I was just cruising, thinking pars were good. I'm thinking if I par in it's over, and then I look up on 17 and we're tied," said Perry, who finished second, third and seventh in the event the past three years.
He began the day with a one-stroke lead over Dawson. While Perry birdied Nos. 7 and 8 and made par on the par-4 ninth, Dawson went par-par-bogey to give Perry a three-shot cushion. Dawson's tee shot on No. 9 found the weeds, forcing him to hit back into the fairway on his second shot.
Sixty-nine-year-old Hale Irwin bettered his age for the third straight day with a 68 to tie for ninth at 14 under. The last player to better his age three times in an event was Gary Player at the 2009 Mitsubishi Electric Championship.
Wes Short Jr., who shot a 62 to miss the course record by a stroke, matched Irwin at 14 under.

LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 216 (3x72)
Players from USA unless stated otherwise
193 Kenny Perry 65 63 65
194 Bernhard Langer (Germany) 64 67 63
196 Gene Sauers 66 65 65, Jeff Maggert 64 67 65, Marco Dawson 63 66 67

SELECTED TOTAL
211 Colin Montgomerie (Scotland) 70 72 69 (T47)

TO VIEW ALL THE FINAL TOTALS

CLICK HERE 

US PGA TOUR STABLEFORD POINTS TOURNAMENT

MARTIN LAIRD TIES FOR SIXTH 

BEHIND WINNER GEOFF OGILVY

FROM THE US PGA TOUR WEBSITE
RENO, Nevada (AP) -- Australian Geoff Ogilvy won the Barracuda Championship on Sunday after nearly skipping the event following another disappointing finish last week in the RBC Canadian Open.
"I was 50-50 on coming here this week," Ogilvy said. "On Monday night, I had a really long trip back from Canada and I was tired and frustrated. Everyone talked me into it. Said, `Come to Reno. You'll like Reno. You're playing well.'"
Ogilvy won his eighth US PGA Tour title and first since 2010 at Kapalua, scoring five points with a 25-foot eagle putt on the par-5 13th and pulling away for a five-point victory in the Modified Stableford event. 
Players received eight points for a double eagle, five for eagle, two for birdie, zero for par, minus-one for bogey and minus-three for double bogey or worse.
The 37-year-old Australian, the first international winner in the 16-year history of the event, had 14 points Sunday to finish with 49. He had 14 points in the first round, 16 in the second and seven in the third in the format that rewards aggressive play.
"The format suits me, I think," Ogilvy said. "Got off to a really good start. Holed a couple nice putts on the front nine on Thursday. From then on, I barely missed a shot. 
"For 72 holes, it was one of the better bodies of works I've put together."
After the eagle on 13, the 2006 U.S. Open winner added birdies on the par-4 14th and par-5 18th.
"Obviously, it feels like it's been a long time coming," Ogilvy said. "Feels like a long time ago, Maui in 2010. It's been a bit rough the past few years. 
"Playing really well most of this year. Just didn't make any putts, which was kind of the story for the last two or three years, which is usually the story when you ask a pro why isn't he shooting good scores."

Ogilvy was making his first appearance at Montreux since 2002 after failing to qualify for the World Golf Championship-Bridgestone Invitational. 
In danger of losing his US PGA Tour card, he entered the week with only two top-25 finishes this season and was 151st in the FedExCup standings. He earned 300 pts Sunday to jump into the mid-80s in the standings, with the top 125 qualifying for the playoff opener.
"It's pretty satisfying to win again," Ogilvy said. "Pretty rough packing up in the locker rooms missing cuts and having bad finishes.
"People watch the TV and see all the fun and happiness of the US PGA Tour, but it can be desperately depressing as well spending time away from home, beating your head against the wall, just getting frustrated. Depressing is a bit strong a word, but really frustrating."
Ogilvy earned a spot next week in the PGA Championship at Valhalla in Louisville, Kentucky.
"Obviously, I'm happy I'm in the PGA," Ogilvy said. "Haven't missed a PGA for a really long time. I had already mentally kind of checked out it and have to check back into it, I guess, tonight. I don't like missing the big tournaments. I love playing in the big tournaments."
Justin Hicks was second at 44 points after an 18-point day.
John Huh and Jonathan Byrd tied for third at 37. They each had 11-point rounds.
Nick Watney, three points behind Ogilvy entering the final day after leading after each of the first two rounds, tied for eighth at 34 points. He had three birdies and four bogey in a two-point round.
"First few days were great," Watney said. "Today, didn't have my best stuff, but I think I'm on a good path. Looking forward to next week. ... Just have to make more putts."

LEADING FINAL POINTS TOTALS
(Modified Stableford points format)
49 Geoff Ogilvy (Australia) 16 7 12 14
44 Justin Hicks (USA) 9 6 11 18
37 John Hugh (USA) 12 7 7 11, Jonathan Byrd 7 6 13 11
36 Rod Pampling (Australia) 11 5 9 11
35 Martin Laird (Scotland) 12 minus 4 14 12, Jason Allred 7 11 14 3

SELECTED TOTAL 
22 Padraig Harrington (Ireland) 10 7 2 3 (T47)

ULSTERMAN FOLLOWS UP OPEN TRIUMPH

RORY McILROY IS WORLD NUMBER 

ONE AGAIN WITH FIRESTONE WIN 

FROM THE US PGA TOUR WEBSITE
AKRON, Ohio (AP) -- Winning the Open Championship wasn't enough to make Rory McIlroy want to take the rest of the year off to celebrate. Neither was the first World Golf Championship he won Sunday at Firestone.
Another major awaits next week. McIlroy can't wait to get there.
Two weeks after his wire-to-wire win at Royal Liverpool, McIlroy took his game from the links of Britain to the parkland of America and made the game look just as easy. 
With another powerful performance, he wiped out a three-shot deficit to third-round leader Sergio Garcia in three holes, closed with a 4-under 66, reclaimed the top spot in the world and moved to No. 3 in the FedExCup standings after a two-shot victory at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.
McIlroy could take over the top spot in the FedExCup next week at the US PGA Championship.
He looked just as good as the last time he reached No. 1 in the world during his torrid stretch at the end of 2012, which featured two victories in the FedExCup Playoffs.
"This is better," he said. "Mentally, I'm really sharp. I didn't start to think about the score. I didn't think about where I was in the tournament. I just playing shot after shot after shot. So yeah, it's good."
Garcia wasn't at his best and closed with a 71. He's not sure it would have mattered.
"Everybody saw it," Garcia said. "Rory played very, very well. He drove the ball miles and very, very straight for the most part. He gave himself a lot of birdie looks."
McIlroy finished the third round with two straight birdies, and not even one day and a rain delay slowed him. He punched an 8-iron out of the rough, under the trees and up the slope to an elevated green to 3 feet to open with a birdie. 
He drilled a 4-iron from 219yds into 25ft for a two-putt birdie at the second, and then followed with a gap wedge to 8ft for a third straight birdie. Garcia made bogey from the rough, and just like that, he was trailing. The Spaniard never caught up.
McIlroy became the 13th player with a major and a World Golf Championship, and he joined Tiger Woods as the only players to win them in consecutive starts.
Woods wasn't around to see it.
Four months after back surgery, and in his third tournament since his return, Woods injured his lower back when he landed with a thud from an awkward stance atop a bunker on the second hole. He withdrew after a tee shot on the ninth hole, bending over slowly and struggling to remove the tee from the ground.
It was not clear if Woods wiil be fit to play in the PGA Championship next week.
McIlroy heads south to Valhalla with a full head of steam. After a brief celebration with the Claret Jug, he was determined to move forward and chase more titles over the final four months of the year. He backed it up with a powerful performance on a soggy Firestone course to take the top spot in the world from Adam Scott.
"That's the most pleasing thing about this week is not dwelling about what happened at Hoylake," he said. "That's what I'll have to do after this, as well. I've just got to keep moving forward. It's great to have a chance to try to go there to win three in a row. 
"But if you'd have asked me what I'm proudest of this week, it's the mindset that I took into here of not being complacent. I wanted to come here and really contend."
McIlroy finished at 15-under 265. But more important was the world ranking.
He lost the No. 1 position in March 2013 when his game was in a downward spiral as he was adjusting to a new equipment deal and going through another management change. 
But since winning the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth at May, his game looks as strong as ever.
"Obviously, Rory is in incredible form at the moment," Scott said. "He'll be the man to beat next week by the look of things. And I'll be gunning for him, for sure."
Garcia was a runner-up to McIlroy for the second straight time.
The Spaniard had the daunting task of making up a seven-shot deficit at the British Open, and Garcia put up a great fight until finishing two shots behind at Hoylake. 
Staked to at three-shot lead at Firestone, it didn't go much better.
Garcia missed a 6ft birdie on the par-5 second hole with a putt that never looked as if it was going in. His lead down to one, Garcia pulled his tee shot into the gallery on the third hole, striking a woman on the hand and knocking the diamond out of her ring. 
The diamond was found, about the lone bright spot in his day. Garcia made bogey, and McIlroy rolled in another birdie putt to take the lead.
Garcia made only one birdie, on the ninth hole to share the lead. McIlroy answered with an 8-foot birdie on No. 11 and was on his way.
Marc Leishman (67) finished alone in third.
Patrick Reed holed out for eagle on No. 17 in his round of 65 and gave him a tie for fourth, enough to move him up to No. 7 in the US Ryder Cup qualifying  standings and boost his hopes of making his first team with only the PGA Championship left in the qualifying period.
Phil Mickelson made 10 birdies for a career-best 62 at Firestone.
None of that could top McIlroy, who put on another exhibition and looked every bit the part of the world's best player.

BRIDGESTONE INVITATIONAL 
Firstone Country Club, Akron, Ohio
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 280 (4x70) Players from USA unless stated otherwise
265 Rory McIlroy (N Ireland) 69 64 66 66
267 Sergio Garcia (Spain) 68 61 67 71
268 Charl Schwartzel (S Africa) 65 69 73 65
271 Patrick Reed 67 68 71 65, Keegan Bradley 68 67 67 69, Justin Rose 65 67 70 69
273 Graeme McDowell (N Ireland) 71 70 66 66, Rickie Fowler 69 67 72 67, Ryan Moore 65 73 68 67, Adam Scott (Australia) 69 68 61 71 

TO VIEW ALL THE FINAL TOTALS

CLICK HERE 

FULL REPORT AT BREAKFAST TIME