UNITED STATES AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

SOLID START BY GRANT FORREST, BUT

BRADLEY NEIL UNLIKELY TO QUALIFY

Grant Forrest (Craigielaw) and Bradley Neil (Blairgowrie) had contrasting fortunes today in the first qualifying round of the United States amateur championship at Atlanta Athletic Club
Forrest shot a par-matching 72 at the Riverside Course despite a double bogey 6 at the fourth.
He had four birdies which also cancelled out bogeys at the third and 14th.
Forrest is joint 44th in a massive field of 312 going into the second qualifying round over the Riverside Course. Only the leading 64 after 36 holes will qualify for the match-play stages
British amateur champion Neil struggled to a five-over-par 76 at the Highlands Course. He had only one birdie, at the sixth.
The teenager is joint 207th, needing something spectacular in his second round on Tuesday to make the 64 qualifiers.
BRITISH SCORES 
66 Sam Horsfield (England)
70 Jimmy Mullen (England)
71 Phil Howard (England)
72 Grant Forrest (Scotland)
76 Bradley Neil (Scotland).
77 Rhys Pugh (Wales), Jordan Smith (England)
78 Toby Tree (England).


TO VIEW THE CHAMPIONSHIP PAGE ON
THE USGA WEBSITE

CLICK HERE 

           WORLD No 1 AMATEUR MAY NOT QUALIFY

• FROM THE GOLFWEEK WEBSITE
• By Adam Schupak
• 
  

JOHNS CREEK, Georgia – Ollie Schniederjans (pictured above), the world’s top-ranked amateur, could be in a world of trouble after opening with a 2-over 73 in the first round of stroke-play qualifying at the 114th U.S. Amateur at Atlanta Athletic Club.
Schniederjans, a senior at nearby Georgia Tech, is playing in his first amateur event since vaulting to No. 1 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings in June. He hasn’t competed since the European Tour’s Scottish Open at Royal Aberdeen in mid-July.
“I was a little bit rusty,” Schniederjans said. “I didn’t play like myself. I didn’t put my best game out there.”
Part of the problem for Schniederjans was the pace of play. His round took 4hr 49min on the Highlands Course.
“It was horrible,” he said. “It was really tough to get in a rhythm.”
Both his playing partners were penalised 1 stroke for slow play.
“One had 10 slow times, the other had six. I had zero,” he said. “I was walking ahead of them all day.”
Schniederjans isn’t the only big name in danger of missing the field of 64 for match play. Walker Cupper Jordan Niebrugge and U.S. Amateur Public Links finalist Doug Ghim also posted 2-over 73s and are among a large group tied for 105th out of the field of 312.
“I had two three-putts and you can’t make those types of mistakes,” Ghim said. “But if I play well tomorrow all is forgiven.”
That was a sentiment shared by Schniederjans, who said he would do some swing drills at his room and regroup for his morning round at the Riverside Course.
“I made a lot of uncharacteristic errors,” he said, “but if I play well tomorrow, the tournament starts over on Wednesday.”

SCOTLAND NAME TEAMS FOR SENIOR INTERNATIONALS

FIRST SENIOR CAPS 

FOR BARRY BROOKS

Aberdeen's Barry Brooks (Meldrum House), pictured by Steve Ellis, winner of the Scottish Seniors Golf Society's championship at Blairgowrie, gains his first senior cap for Scotland in the team for the European senior men's championshp at Sierra Golf Club, Poland from September 2 to 6.
The full line-up is:

Barry Brooks (Meldrum House), Ian Brotherston (Dumfries and 

Co), John Fraser (Royal Burgess), capt., David Gardner 

(Broomieknowe), Malcolm Reid (Sonning), Robert Stewart 

(Tulliallan).
 
Reserve - Lindsay Blair (Grangemouth)

The team to represent Scotland in the Senior Home Internationals at 

North Berwick from September 16 to 18 is:

Graham Bell (Downfield), Barry Brooks, Ian Brotherston, John 

Fraser, David Gardner, Malcolm Reid, Robert Stewart
 
 Reserve: Lindsay Blair

John Fraser has agreed to retain captaincy of the Scottish senior team for 2014 pending the appointment of his successor for 2015.

HIGH SCORING AT EDEN QUALIFYING

HIGH SCORING IN EDEN TOURNAMENT

QUALIFYING ROUNDS AT ST ANDREWS

On a windy day in St Andrews, par rounds were out of reach of the competitors in the first qualifying rounds of the Eden Tournament.

Nicklas Blyth (Germany) led the Eden scores with a three-over-par 74 with Allan Johnston (Bonnyton) the top Scot at that venue in a four-way tie for second place on 75.

At the New Course, Sam Greenhalf (Manchester) was the best with an eight-over-par 79. a shot ahead of Darren Humprhies (Ludlow).

Leading Scots at this venue were Ross Boupart (Kirkintilloch) and Peter Sinclair (Crow Wood) on the 82 mark.

The players exchange courses today (Tuesday) for the second qualifying round at thje end of which the scratch and handicap qualifiers will go forward to the match-play stages.

LEADING FIRST QUALIFYING ROUND SCORES

EDEN COURSE

Par 71

74 N Blyth (Germany)

75 A Johnston (Bonnyton), C Harrison (Sandiway), S Roberts (Vale), A Collman (West Herts).

76 B David (Colchester), S Boyle (Kirkintilloch).

77 F Zamudia (Argentina), J Hawksby (Millbrook), A Wiggins (Tewkesbury Park), T Moffat (Crow Wood).

SELECTED SCORES

78 G Halkett (Kirkintilloch), D Lamond (Haggs Castle), B Ford (Glen)

79 D Waugh (Baberton), E Gibson (Crow Wood), D Gray (Penrith), R Storey (Forest Pines), M Ferguson (Brocton Hall)

80 G Lamond (Glasgow), R Simpson (Bonnyton), J Berry (Torwoodlee). A MacDonald (Crow Wood).
81 J Dougall (Caldwell), M  Saunders (Gullane), A Raphael (St Andrews), R Campbell (Kinross), A Carlyle (St Andrews)
82 T Simmonds (Gullane), M Anderson (Tantallon), S East (Moortown), J Lamb (Glencorse), C Robertson (Elderslie), A Docherty (Baberton).
84 D Thomson (Glencorse), L Ramsay (New Zealand)
85 C Deans (Newbattle), D White (Caldwell), S Marshall (Baberton), J Johnston (Lanark).
86 N Lamond (Balmore), K Fortune (Roxburghe)

NEW COURSE

Par 71

79 S Greenhalgh (Manchester)

80 D Humphries (Ludlow)

81 P Addis (Parkstone)

82 G Watton (Ludlow), R Bupart (Kirkintilloch), D Ross (West Herts), G Watton (Ludlow), N Burkinshaw (Wath), C Earl (Upton by CFhester), P Sinclair (Crow Wood), A Meyrick (Ludlow).

83 G Evans (Lee Park), N McKenzie (Cawder), M Hay (Kilspindie), P MacNaughton (Sundrige Park), R McNamara (Tewkesbury Park), A Turton (Ullesthorpe), C Finch (Grange Park).

SELECTED SCORES

84 G Porteous (Kilspindie), G Ross (Alloa), A McInnes (Leven Thistle), S Carruthers (Thornhill).

85 R Pow (Selkirk)

86 K Lawlor (Crail). C Pazikas (Cawder).

TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES

CLICK HERE

NEWS RELEASE FROM PGA IN SCOTLAND

Douglas Park Pro-Am tee times August 21. Round 1: Douglas Park Golf Club 21/08/2014 Tee Time Name 1 9:30 AM Andrew Hutchison, Douglas Park Golf Club 1 9:40 AM Craig Matheson, Falkirk Tryst Golf Club 1 9:50 AM Gareth Hardy, Belleisle Golf Course 1 10:00 AM James McKinnon, Irvine Golf Club 1 10:10 AM Greg Paxton, Ralston Golf Club 1 10:20 AM Paul McKechnie, Braid Hills Golf Range 1 10:30 AM Craig Ronald, Carluke Golf Club 1 10:40 AM Jonathan Sharp, Carrick on Loch Lomond 1 10:50 AM Jonathan Lomas, Caprington Golf Club 1 11:00 AM David Orr, Mearns Castle Golf Academy 1 11:10 AM Steven Taylor, Bothwell Castle Golf Club 1 11:20 AM Gordon Robertson, Airdrie Golf Club 1 11:30 AM Stephen Gray, Hayston Golf Club 1 11:40 AM Chris Kelly 1 11:50 AM Colin Gillies, Kingsfield Golf Centre 1 12:00 PM Scott Henderson, Kings Links Golf Centre 1 12:10 PM Graham Fox, Clydeway Golf 1 12:20 PM Greg McBain, Paul Lawrie Golf Centre 1 12:30 PM Christopher Currie, Caldwell Golf Club 1 12:40 PM Robert Arnott, Bishopbriggs Golf Range 1 12:50 PM Paul O'Hara, Clydeway Golf 1 1:00 PM Mark Kerr, Marriott Dalmahoy Golf & Count 1 1:10 PM Adam McCabe, GordonSherryGolf 1 1:20 PM Graeme Brown, Montrose Golf Links Ltd. 1 1:30 PM Mark King, Kingsfield Golf Centre 1 1:40 PM Jordan Gallagher, Douglas Park Golf Club 1 1:50 PM Christopher Robinson, Portpatrick Dunskey Golf Club 1 2:00 PM Jason McCreadie, Buchanan Castle Golf Club 1 2:10 PM Robert Irvine, Douglas Park Golf Club Complete information is available at Tournament Information Page (TIP)

HUGH HUNTER'S CLACKMANNAN COUNTY NEWS

MATCH-PLAY TROPHY HEADS TO 

BRAEHEAD WITH JIM MUIR

 The Clackmannan county match-play championship is always keenly contested, and the 2014 event was no exception with Braehead’s Jim Muir coming through strongly against Dollar’s Darren Hulston. 

After nine holes Jim held a one-hole lead, and with steady play took the title on the 17^th green by 3 and 1.   

In the semi-finals, Darren was successful in the all- Dollar clash with Gary Chalmers, who is finding some form after a spell away from the game. 

In the other semi-final, Jim defeated Alva’s Michael Robertson.      

Assuming precedent is followed, Jim should be making his first appearance in the Champion of Champions tournament at Leven at the start of the 2015 season.

  

SCOTT FINISHES WELL UP IN EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP.

 The European individual amateur  championship was played at The Duke’s, near St Andrews last week when 144 of the best European amateurs competed over the 7,000yd + lay-out.  

Only one player beat par with his 72-hole aggregate, the holder, Englishman Ashley Chesters, with a two-under-par total. 

Scott Borrowman (Dollar) started well with rounds of 68 and 71 putting him in the top four, but with bad weather in round three he slipped back and couldn’t pull back in the final round.   

His four-round total of 293 (68, 71, 78, 76) put him in 29th equal position and second equal best Scot.  The Scottish contingent didn’t really impress on their home ground--- best position was 15^th equal, and only six out of the 17 entrants made the cut after three rounds    

        

NEWS RELEASE FROM PGA IN SCOTLAND

PRO-AM AT EASTER MOFFAT G C, August 17

 

 

 Tee  Time      Name

  1   7:50 AM   Duncan Williamson, Kirkhill Golf Club

  1   8:00 AM   Christopher Currie, Caldwell Golf Club

  1   8:10 AM   Heather MacRae, Gleneagles Hotel Golf Courses

  1   8:20 AM   Neil Colquhoun, Merchants of Edinburgh Golf Cl

  1   8:30 AM   Graham King, Easter Moffat Golf Club

  1   8:40 AM   Gordon Law, Uphall Golf Club

  1   8:50 AM   Alan Waugh, Clydebank & District Golf Club

  1   9:00 AM   Mark King, Kingsfield Golf Centre

  1   9:10 AM   Andrew Marshall, Houston Golf Range

  1   9:20 AM   Christopher Tierney, Carrick on Loch Lomond

  1   9:30 AM   Gordon Robertson, Airdrie Golf Club

  1   9:40 AM   Graeme Brown, Montrose Golf Links Ltd.

  1   9:50 AM   Liam Neeson, World of Golf

  1   10:00 AM  Stephen Gray, Hayston Golf Club

  1   10:10 AM  Ryan Buckley, Royal Musselburgh Golf Club

  1   10:20 AM  Brian Mason, Callaway Golf

  1   10:30 AM  Gordon Niven, PING

  1   10:40 AM  Craig Ronald, Carluke Golf Club

  1   10:50 AM  Greig Hutcheon, Paul Lawrie Golf Centre

  1   11:00 AM  Scott Henderson, Kings Links Golf Centre

  1   11:10 AM  Greg Paxton, Ralston Golf Club

  1   11:20 AM  Steven Taylor, Bothwell Castle Golf Club

  1   11:30 AM  Anthony Mackrell, Playsport Golf

  1   11:40 AM  Scott Herald, Mearns Castle Golf Academy

  1   11:50 AM  Colin Gillies, Kingsfield Golf Centre

  1   12:00 PM  Robert Arnott, Bishopbriggs Golf Range

  1   12:10 PM  Chris Kelly

  1   12:20 PM  Graham Fox, Clydeway Golf

  1   12:30 PM  Mark Kerr, Marriott Dalmahoy Golf & Count

  1   12:40 PM  Paul Robinson, Largs Golf Club

  1   12:50 PM  Jason McCreadie, Buchanan Castle Golf Club

  1   1:00 PM   Joseph McBrearty, Haggs Castle Golf Club

  1   1:10 PM   Greg McBain, Paul Lawrie Golf Centre

  1   1:20 PM   James McKinnon, Irvine Golf Club

  1   1:30 PM   Craig Matheson, Falkirk Tryst Golf Club

  1   1:40 PM   Christopher McMaster, Panmure Golf Club

  1   1:50 PM   Scott Gillespie, Burntisland Golf Club

  1   2:00 PM   Jonathan Lomas, Caprington Golf Club

  1   2:10 PM   Stephen Craig, Craig Golf 79

  1   2:20 PM   Patrick Walker, Ballumbie Castle Golf Course

  1   2:30 PM   Iain Stoddart, Uphall Golf Club

  1   2:40 PM   Norman Huguet, Musselburgh Golf Club

Complete information is available at  

Tournament Information Page (TIP)

37th OPEN TOURNAMENT DRAWS 208 PLAYERS

 

   Dave-Lee Thomson (Nairn Dunbar) with Scottish Brewers’ Trophy, William Barron (Nairn    Dunbar) with Nairn Dunbar Trophy, Rob Storey (Blyth) with K M Cameron Salver

 

Nairn Dunbar 5-Day Open a spectacular success

Last week saw the successful running of the 37^th Nairn Dunbar Open Tournament, sponsored by Calterdon BMW. On Monday, 208 players teed up for their chance at glory, including 140+ visitors from all over Scotland and the UK and from as far afield as Florida.

In a testing westerly wind, scoring on the first day was high, however Edward Shannly (Linlithgow) demonstrated what could be done with an excellent round of 69 (-3), closely followed by Niall Young (Insch) and home club players Freddie Brown and William A Barron with 71 (-1). 

In the handicap competition, Dave-Lee Thomson and Craig Edwards, both Nairn Dunbar, both shot brilliant 66 (-6) rounds to lead the rest of the field by four shots.

Tuesday saw the wind change direction and the easterly tested players to the maximum. Over half the field took double bogey or worse on the testing fourth hole as the leaders fought hard to maintain their challenge.

First off, Freddie Brown set the early pace with another 71 (-1) for a 142 (-2) total. Although threatened by defending champion, Sean Burgess (Nairn) with 144 (level), the total stood throughout the day until bettered only by the last player, Nairn Dunbar club champion William A Barron whose 70 (-2) for 141 (-3) secured him the Centenary Bowl for 36 hole aggregate scratch.

In the handicap section for the Caberfeidh Trophy, home club players dominated – taking six of the top seven spots. Leading scorer was Fraser MacKenzie (11) whose second day 68 catapulted him into the lead with 73 + 68 = 141 (-3) ahead of Freddie Brown (142) and Michael Howitt and Iain Johnstone (both 143).

The match-play stages, as always, produced their fair share of good golf, tight matches along with the occasional shock. The scratch semi finals saw top seed Barron matched against Nairn Dunbar veteran David Bunker; while defending champion Burgess was pitted against rising star Brown. 

In the first semi-final, it was nip and tuck to the end, Barron winning on the final hole. The second semi-final was equally close with Burgess shading it 2 and 1

The Friday afternoon final for the Nairn Dunbar Trophy saw some of the best golf of the week, with Burgess establishing an early lead and maintaining this through the first 13 holes.

A three-putt on the 370yd 14th, however, turned the tide, bringing Barron back to all square and powerful golf from the home favourite thereafter quickly concluded the match with a 2 and 1 victory over the defending champion. 

Barron becomes only the fifth player to complete the Nairn Dunbar Club Championship/Open Tournament double, following in the footsteps of his own father, William B Barron (1985) as well as John Ellen (1980), Lorne Miller (1997) and Russell Knox (2003). 

Speaking at the prizegiving in the evening, an emotional Barron noted how close he was to not playing in the event, due to work commitments, but reflected that he was glad that he did!

In the low handicap section, for the K M Cameron Salver, the draw threw up a home half and a visitor half – with the first semi-final being competed beteen Ross Coupland and Hong Sun Tan of Nairn Dunbar (Coupland winning 4 and 3); while the second semi-final was between Rob Storey (Blyth) and Andrew Wilkie (Ealing) – Storey winning 4 and 2. 

The final was a tight affair with Coupland taking an early lead before being pegged back steadily by Storey. All coming down to the final hole, Storey calmy stroked his par putt in from ten feet to secure a well-appreciated victory and reaffirming the strong link that has developed between Nairn Dunbar and its visiting players.

The high handicap section, for the Scottish Brewers’ Trophy, produced very close home versus away semi-finals with Dave Brown (Nairn Dunbar) defeating Kevin Long (Blyth) by one hole; and Dave-Lee Thomson (Nairn Dunbar) defeating Tim Brown (Dunstan Hall) by the same margin. 

The final, however, was a more one-sided affair with Thomson dominating from the start, securing a 7 and 6 victory over his fellow member.

In closing, tournament Director, George Anderson, thanked all the competitors – particularly those visiting from far afield – and praised the course and the club staff for making the 37^th Five-Day Open one of the most memorable.

Thanks to new sponsorship, players had had a chance to win a new BMW or, failing that, a consolatory pie from Ashers – Scottish Bakers of the Year 2014. Although no cars had been won, many pies – along with putts – had been sunk with considerable relish! Next year’s event, running from  August 3 to 7 promises to be better still!

 

 

SPOTLIGHT ON PRESTWICK AND DUNDONALD LINKS

EWEN FERGUSON BIDS FOR REPEAT 

BRITISH BOYS' TITLE VICTORY

NEWS RELEASE FROM THE R and A

Scotland’s Ewen Ferguson will aim to cap a remarkable season which has seen him win two Scottish national titles by successfully defending the Boys' Amateur Championship this week.

A 252-player field representing 23 countries will come together at Prestwick and Dundonald Links from tomorrow (Tuesday) to Sunday, August 17 in pursuit of the prestigious trophy that Ferguson won in 2013. 

The 18-year-old from Bearsden in Glasgow, pictured 12 months ago with the trophy, defeated German international Michael Hirmer 10 and 9 in the 36-hole final last year and both will be in the field. 

Ferguson is the first player to hold the Boys Amateur, Scottish Boys Match Play and Scottish Boys Stroke Play titles at the same time, having won the latter event two weeks ago at Cruden Bay.   

He will be aiming to round off his summer by retaining the Boys Amateur trophy he won at Royal Liverpool last year.  

The Scot will face a strong challenge from a number of the world’s top boy golfers aged 18 and under, with more than half of the field travelling to the Ayrshire venues from throughout Europe, America, Africa and Australasia.

Joining Ferguson as one of the home hopes is Scottish Boys Stroke Play runner-up Ben Kinsley and George Burns, the 2014 Stephen Gallacher Foundation Trophy winner. 

Also in the field from Scotland is Newmachar's Adam Fisher who was the only player to win all six of his matches on his debut at the Boys' Home Internationals last week at Western Gailes.  

Recent Irish Boys Amateur winner Bradley Moore of England will be looking to make a run at the title after being defeated by Ferguson in the semi-finals last year. 

He will join compatriots Haydn McCullen, the English Boys Under-18 Open Amateur champion, and the Fairhaven Trophy winner Marco Penge as three of the top English players to watch. 

All three were members of the victorious English team at the Boys' Home Internationals and will be joined in the field by team-mates Harry Hall, Jamie Li, Jack Singh Brar, Jonathan Thomson and Ashton Turner.

Nicklas Mattner of Germany, the 2014 German boys' open champion, will join Hirmer as part of the continental European contingent alongside Norway’s Kristoffer Reitan, the 2012 and 2013 Suzann Junior Challenge winner, and Italy’s Guido Migliozzi who is ranked inside the top 100 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking™.

Johnnie Cole-Hamilton, Executive Director – Championships at The R and A, said,“The Boys Amateur Championship will bring together many of the world’s top young players and we encourage people to come along and enjoy the outstanding golf that will be on display in the West of Scotland.”

He continued, “We have two excellent venues in Prestwick and Dundonald Links, with Prestwick being one of the most historic courses in Britain as well as the first host of The Open Championship while Dundonald is one of Scotland’s most highly regarded links courses. 

"It promises to be an exciting week of golf and we are looking forward to presenting the trophy to the 2014 champion.”

Many of the world’s top players have contested the Boys Amateur including past winners Sergio Garcia, Jose Maria Olazabal and Sir Michael Bonallack. Other former competitors include Major Championship winners Padraig Harrington, Graeme McDowell, Martin Kaymer and Rory McIlroy.

The stroke play qualifying stage of The Boys Amateur Championship will be played on Tuesday 12 and Wednesday 13 August at both Prestwick and Dundonald Links. Thereafter the field is cut to 64 and ties and the match=play stage will take place over four days at Prestwick with the 36-hole final played on Sunday August 17.

Admission and parking is free for spectators at both venues. Full information, scoring and daily updates from the event will be available at championships.randa.org

First played in 1921 at Royal Ascot, the Boys Amateur will be played for the 88^th time in 2014. Originally introduced as a competition for the under-16 age group, the age limit was changed to under-18 in 1923. Today’s age limit is under-18 on January 1^st of the year of the Championship.

NORTH-EAST ALLIANCE 2014-2015 FIXTURES

North-east Golfers' Alliance fixtures for the 2014-2015 season are: 

SEPTEMBER

1 Annual meeting (Craibstone)

3 Craibstone

10 Kemnay

17 Stonehaven

24 Newmachar Hawkshill

OCTOBER

1 Aboyne

8 Ballater

15-17 Scottish Alliance Championship (Marriott Dalmahoy)

22 Kintore

29 Ellon

NOVEMBER

5 Cruden Bay

12 Fraserburgh

19 Peterculter

26 Newburgh

DECEMBER
3 Buckpool

 

JANUARY

7 Inverallochy

14 Murcar Links

21 Peterhead

28 Newmachar Swailend

FEBRUARY

4 Montrose

11 Deeside

18 Spey Bay

25 Inverurie

MARCH

4 Oldmeldrum

11 Duff House Royal (Championship 1)

18 Craibstone (Championship 2)

19-20 Foursomes match-play (Craibstone)

25 Newburgh

CONTROVERSIAL MOVES BY OFFICIALS TO BEAT DARKNESS

FOWLER and MICKELSON AGITATED

BY US PGA'S LAST-HOLE DECICISION

FROM THE ESPN.COM WEBSITE

By Bob Harig | ESPN.com

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky -- The final hole of the US PGA Championship played out in near darkness Sunday -- and with odd protocol.
In an effort to get the tournament finished before players couldn't see, Phil Mickelson and Rickie Fowler motioned for eventual winner Rory McIlroy and Bernd Wiesberger to hit their tee shots so they wouldn't have to wait for Fowler and Mickelson to finish the hole.
It got odd when PGA of America officials allowed McIlroy and Wiesberger to hit their second shots to the green while Mickelson and Fowler were near the par-5's putting surface.
That is typically a courtesy to be offered by the players -- and one that wasn't going to be forthcoming in those circumstances.
"We were cool with hitting the tee shot," said Fowler, who, along with Mickelson, trailed by two shots as the hole was unfolding.
"We weren't expecting the approach shots. Typically, if it's getting dark and they are going to the blow the horn [to suspend play], you at least get the guys off the tee and it gives them the opportunity to play. We weren't expecting the approach shots."
Kerry Haigh, chief championships officer of the PGA of America, said it was his understanding that the players in the last group asked to play as four but were denied. 
He also said it was his understanding that the players allowed the final group to hit their approach shots to the green, which Fowler disputed.
Why does it matter?
Because McIlroy normally would have had to wait for the entire hole to unfold in front of him. It might not have mattered, but had Mickelson or Fowler holed his respective third shot for eagle, it might have altered the way McIlroy played the hole. Instead, he hit up into a greenside bunker before those shots were played.
"It changes things a little bit," Fowler said. "Obviously, there is no waiting. Phil and I waited on the tee for a good amount of time and had to hit tee shots. In a way, [McIlroy and Wiesberger] never got out of rhythm as far as hitting the golf shots. I don't think it really changes it much. We were allowing them to hit the tee shots and we weren't expecting the approach shots to come."
Mickelson stopped short of criticising the situation in a television interview afterwards but was clearly agitated on the green. "It's not a big deal either way," he said.
"The guys let us play up with our drives, and they didn't need to do that. They could have just left us on the tee box there and just play normally," McIlroy said. 
"But they showed a lot of class and a lot of sportsmanship doing that. I thanked Rickie and Phil in the scorer's area, and reiterated what I said in my speech out there on the 18th green.
"It was a classy move by them, and if they had not done that, we might not have been able to get it all done because it was really getting dark out there."