MIDLAND GOLFERS' ALLIANCE

FRASER MANN WINS WITH LEVEL

 PAR 70 AT WINDY LEVEN LINKS

Carnoustie professional Fraser Mann won the Midland Golfers' Alliance competition over a windy Leven links in Fife today with a fine level par score of 70. It was his second win in a row.
Mann, pictured below, won by one stroke from three players - Montrose assistant Graeme Brown, Gary Tough, who plays off +2 at Edzell, and Murrayshall's Alister Duncan.

Three-handicapper Duncan, a member of the winning team in last week's pro-am, also made it two wins in two weeks with the best net score of 68.

 

LEADING SCRATCH

 Par 70

70 F Mann (Carnoustie) p.

71 G Tough (Edzell), A Duncan (Murrayshall), G Brown (Montrose) ap
72 S Robertson (Downfield).

73  C Armstrong (Burntisland) ap, R Walker (Lundin) p.

74 M Mackenzie (Edzell) ap, S McKendrick (Dunkeld), W Hutton (Pitlochry).

LEADING HANDICAP

68 A Duncan (Murrayshall) (3)

69 D Redford (Murrayshall) (11)

70 S Mitchell (St Andrews New) (12), C Westland (Alloa) (9).

71 S Robertson (Downfield) (1), R Farquhar (Carnoustie) (10).
72 R Bell (Pitlochry) (7), B Main (Lundin) (14), S Paterson (Lundin) (4), A Paton (Royal Montrose) (6), W Hutton (Pitlochry) (2).

 

Qualifiers for the JTC Kitchens Express Championship

R Walker (Lundin) p

W Hutton (Pitlochry) (2)

P Brookes  (Pitreave) p

 

Qualifier for the McQueen Shield

S. Mitchell (St Andrews New) (12)

 

Next Meeting

Tuesday, November 18

Balbirnie Park GC

Tee reserved: 8.30-12.30

 

 

Lee Sutherland

FORMATIVE YEARS AS CLUB PRO AT LEIGHTON BUZZARD

IAN POULTER'S 
CLIMB TO TOP FROM 
HUMBLE PGA BEGINNING


FROM GOLFWEEK
By ALEX MICELI
What’s not to love when talking about Ian Poulter?
The sheer definition of an over-achiever, Poulter is also the ultimate entrepreneur with his clothing line IJP Design and now, an autobiography called “No Limits: My Autobiography."
He is a professional that spent most of his formative years as a club pro, last holding down a job at Leighton Buzzard, a course in England. 
After three and a half years of folding clothes, selling candy bars and giving lessons, Poulter came out of the club professional ranks and made a name for himself inside the ropes, building a career that includes 13 wins, two of those coming in World Golf Championships, the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in 2010 and the WGC-HSBC Champions in 2012.
At 38, Poulter sees his career a little differently than when he first arrived on the European and PGA tours. He recently changed equipment after looking at about four or five companies. 
He admittedly left money on the table to sign with Titleist so that he could get his game back on track.
“It's irrelevant, isn't it, really,” Poulter said about not getting the most compensation possible for his contract. “A shot a day, a shot a week? Twenty-five tournaments a year? It's insignificant, really, at my age. I just needed to be 100 percent happy. ... So money aside, that wasn't the factor. I can honestly tell you that.”
Pouter recorded one of his best finishes of the year last week, a T-6 at the WGC-HSBC Champions.
One could credit the strong performance to Poulter's equipment change, but one should also note that for the first time in 2014, Poulter is healthy.
“I've had three injuries this year, and I'm angry. I'm angry that I put myself in a situation to injure myself, not once, but twice,” Pouter said. “I'm annoyed. It happened. I'm annoyed that I wasn't able to probably take the time off with having two schedules, not being able to say, right, I need two months off. I can't do that myself in the situation I am now, but a good equipment change, the body is fine, the body is fit and healthy, and I'm fresh in the mind.”
Poulter’s predicament of playing on two tours has evolved over time with the predominance of money on the PGA Tour and most of those duel-tour players living in the U.S. instead of Europe.
At the same time Poulter has benefited tremendously from playing on both tours, earning just less than $40 million in his career.
Starting the year 12th in the Official World Golf Ranking, Poulter fell to 44th. But after a solid week in China, he moved up four sports to 40th. The finish in China was also his best finish since a T-5 at the Volvo China Open in April on the European Tour and a T-6 at the FedEx St. Jude Classic in June on the PGA Tour.
“I need to be in a situation where I put myself back to where I was, if not higher than what I was,” Poulter said. “I've been up to (No.) 5, and I don't even want to look where I'm at now. I know it's mid to high 40s. That's what I know for a fact.”
Poulter is entering his third week with the new equipment and if he continues to progress as he did from the first week to the second week, this week at the Turkish Airlines Open could be special for the Englishman, who is looking for his first win in two years.
“I'm happy and excited with some of the golf I've played in the last two weeks,” Poulter said. 
“Last week (at the BMW Masters) was a shock, or had a shocker. Missing seven greens and was 9-over for those seven greens I missed at the weekend. 
"I actually played some really good golf in there, even though the scoring didn't say so. I walked away from last week very happy. That was the first week the clubs have gone in the bag, and I hit a lot of really good golf shots.”

SOUTH AFRICAN HEGARTY WINS 2,000 EUROS PRIZE WITH THREE-UNDER-PAR TOTAL

SCOTS FINISH DOWN THE FIELD IN ALGARVE

PRO TOUR'S SECOND TWO-ROUND EVENT

South African Tyler Hegarty won the second 36-hole event on the new Algarva Pro Tour, thanks to a second-round 67 for a final total of three-under-par 141 at Epiche golf course near Portimao.
He won the 2,000 euros first prize by two shots from joint runners-up, Englishmen Harry Casey (70-73) and David Dixon (72-71), winner of the first event at Alamos.
Mark Hillson and Ted Innes-Ker, the only two Scots playing on the fledgling tour at the moment, again finished down the field.
Hillson shot 77-76 for 153 and joint 12tyh place. Ker had scores of 78-76 for 154 and 15th place in a field of 32 players.

LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 144 (2x72)
141 Tyler Hegarty (S Africa) 74 67
143 Harry Casey (England) 70 73, David Dixon (England) 72 71
145 Max Eichmeier (Germany) 72 73
146 B T Smith (England) 73 73, James Maw (England) 75 73, Craig Farrelly (England) 78 70

SCOTS' TOTALS
153 Mark Hillson 77 76 (T13)
154 Ted Innes-Kerr 78 76 (15th)
Field of 32 players




TO VIEW ALL THE FINAL TOTALS

CLICK HERE

NORTH-EAST GOLFERS' ALLIANCE

REVISED TEE TIMES FOR FRASERBURGH TOMORROW

SLOW PLAY MAY BE PENALISED

07:50	A.Campbell	G.Esson	C.Campbell	A.Smith
07:58	C.Carnegie	C.Cassie	R.Masson	B.Harper
08:06
08:14	N.Macandrew	D.Law	C.Law	K.Shanks
08:22	R.Stewart	K.Duncan	M.Patterson	I.Taylor
08:30	T.Robertson	D.Wright	S.Kiloh
08:38	H.Roulston	M.Rendall	L.Roger
08:46	R.Brown	S.Davidson	A.Benton	D. Lawrie
08:54
09:02	R.McRae	M.Smith	S.Thompson
09:10	M.Winton	J.Duff	G.Craig
09:18
09:26	L Vannet	A Gall	I Clark	G Hutcheon
09:34	B.Fyfe	D Craigie	C.Grant	S.Lawrie
09:42	D.Mackay	K.McGillivary	W.Beattie	L.Duncan
09:50	B.Skene	J.Scott	M.Forster
09:58	R.Buchan	B.Lumsden	G.McDonald	S.Dillon
10:06	D.Fleming	L.Fowler	J.Emslie	M.Duncan
10:14		C.Angus	G.Angus	B.Main
10:22	G.Homer	D.Leslie	W.Shaw	H.McNaughton
10:30	P.Mclean	K.Nicol	S.Leslie
10:38	K.Beveridge	K.Beveridge	J.Hopwood	L.Murray
10:46	D.Bisset	F.Bisset	J.Murray	A.Graham
10:54	J.Jessiman	I.Grant	J.Duncan	G.Milne
11:02	W.Skene	A.Clark	D.Laing	P.Walker
11:10	G.Allan	S.Mackie	J.Nicolson	B.Nicolson
11:18	D.Mckay	S.Finnie	M.Booth	J.Borthwick
11:26	R.Davidson	S.Allison	G.Mackie	J.Turner

BIG SPONSORSHIP BOOST FOR ROOKIE PRO

                     A view of Meldrum House Country Hotel over the 18th green.

CHRIS ROBB TO PLAY OUT OF MELDRUM HOUSE


COUNTY HOTEL AS A TOUR PROFESSIONAL

 

NEWS RELEASE

One of Scotland ’s brightest golfing stars has rounded off a sensational year by teaming up with the country’s top golf hotel in a landmark sponsorship deal. 

Chris Robb, who won this year’s Scottish Amateur Championship, will use Meldrum House Country Hotel as his training base and will display the resort’s distinctive brand on this bag as he embarks on his professional career.

The 23-year-old from Banchory’s impressive win this summer - his third successive ranking victory - propelled him towards the top of the national rankings table and also netted him an honorary membership at Meldrum House. 

The sponsorship deal with the award-winning resort has completed a phenomenal year for Robb and set him up for his move into professional golf.

“It was fantastic and something I had always wanted,” said Robb commenting on the deal. “Meldrum House is a perfect place to practice – the course is phenomenal and the facilities are amazing. "Having access to those facilities is such a vital part of becoming a professional golfer, and it is also so important to have a great club behind you like Meldrum House. I am thrilled.”

Recently named AA Hotel of the Year for Scotland at the AA Hospitality Awards, Meldrum House Country Hotel is where Robb blossomed from a junior into one of the hottest golfers Scotland has produced in recent times. 

Working with the resort’s head professional Neil Marr, he developed his golfing skills at the 24-acre practice facility gradually dropping his handicap until he turned pro in October at +5. 

After spending the last four years at Chattanooga University in Tennessee , Robb said he always looks forward to playing and practising at the Oldmeldrum, Aberdeenshire course. 

“While I was in the States, I played some of the best courses in the world, but I also looked forward to coming back to Meldrum House,” he noted. 

“It is very enjoyable to play and it is always in fantastic condition. I love looking back down the fairway from the green to see how perfectly manicured the place is. It’s very special.”

Robb went on to explain that his appreciation of the championship course at Meldrum House Country Hotel went far beyond the aesthetics of the cross-cut fairways and hand-raked bunkers. 

“It is a challenging, but fair course,” he said. “There are so many tee boxes that I can play from many different positions and really challenge myself. 

"When I go out to practise, I generally play for a score so with all the variations, I can play off different tees which makes the whole course different. It gives me so much variety and an ideal place to test myself.”

Robb’s attachment to Meldrum House follows his honorary membership which he received alongside Barry Brooks who had secured the Scottish Senior Open Amateur Stroke play Championship for the club. 

The double celebration not only rounded off a momentous year for the players but also a golden time for the resort. 

“It has been quite a year for the club and the resort,” said Andy Burgess, chief executive at Meldrum House. 

“The standard of golf played at Meldrum is at a very high level, so seeing two of our members come home with two of Scotland’s most prestigious amateur trophies is especially pleasing.”

He continued: “The club took the decision to offer Chris and Barry honorary memberships in recognition of their stunning achievements this year. We wanted to take that acknowledgment a stage further by helping Chris in his transition from the amateur world to the pro circuit. 

"He has tremendous talent and has showed in the Scottish Amateur Championship a tenacious attitude that he will no doubt need. We look forward to supporting him in his endeavours and wish him the best of luck for his future career.”

 

AMERICA'S HIGHEST CIVILIAN HONOUR

Charlie Sifford pictured above with the Presidential Medal. We went back into the files to put up this picture!

Charlie Sifford to receive United States' 

Presidential Medal of Freedom

FROM GOLF.COM
By RYAN LAVNER

Charlie Sifford, pictured, who 53 years ago became the first black golfer to earn a US PGA Tour card, has been named one of 19 recipients of this year’s Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Sifford, now 92, helped desegregate the PGA of America in 1961. He went on to win the 1967 Greater Hartford Open and 1969 Los Angeles Open, then captured a pair of titles on the senior circuit, the 1975 US PGA and 1980 Suntree Classic. In 2004, he became the first black golfer to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. The Northern Trust Open has also created an exemption in Sifford’s name that promotes diversity in the game.  
Arnold Palmer (2004) and Jack Nicklaus (2005) are the only other golfers to receive the Medal of Freedom, America's highest civilian honour. 
“I look forward to presenting these nineteen bold, inspiring Americans with our Nation’s highest civilian honour," 
President Barack Obama said. "From activists who fought for change to artists who explored the furthest reaches of our imagination; from scientists who kept America on the cutting edge to public servants who help write new chapters in our American story, these citizens have made extraordinary contributions to our country and the world.”
Recipients will be honoured in a ceremony at the White House on November 24. Journalist Tom Brokaw, actress Meryl Streep and singer Stevie Wonder are among the other 19 honorees. 

SURPRISE MOVE IN US COLLEGE GOLF

 PHIL MICKELSON BECOMES ASSISTANT COACH TO 

BROTHER AT ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY

FROM GOLFWEEK
By Lance Ringler
Phil Mickelson, US PGA Tour star and former NCAA champion, has joined the coaching staff at Arizona State, Golfweek has learned. Mickelson has been named an interim assistant coach for the Sun Devils, a position that opened in September when assistant coach Joe Prince left the program.
The connection is Mickelson’s younger brother Tim, currently in his fourth season as Arizona State head coach. Arizona State is ranked No. 29 in the Golfweek/Sagarin College Rankings after closing the fall season with three consecutive runner-up finishes.
Phil Mickelson’s role as assistant is not expected to be long term, according to a Golfweek source. Arizona State officials hope to make a full-time hire later this spring or during the summer. Mickelson, meanwhile, will still compete on the Tour.
The appointment will place the older Mickelson on the coaching staff and allow him to operate under the same rules as a staff member or a coach – they are different rules than those of an alumni. 
It allows Phil Mickelson to be more involved with the program in areas of recruiting, and even allows him to be with the team on a daily basis. Don’t expect to see Mickelson driving the cart and handing out snacks, but this does allow him to be involved in the same way any coach can – including making phone calls to recruits. The extent of Mickelson’s coaching responsibilities are uncertain.
Mickelson has, however, begun work in his new role. The Sydney Morning Herald reported Nov. 6 that top Australian junior Ryan Ruffels recently received a phone call from Mickelson. According to Ruffels, 16, Mickelson called to lure him to Arizona State.
“I thought one of my mates from school was giving me a prank call,” Ruffels told the Herald. “We chatted for an hour and I’m just starting to get some exposure to those big players and it’s great.”
The call raised eyebrows, but Mickelson’s new role with Arizona State makes such phone calls permissible.
Mickelson competed for Arizona State from 1988-92, winning three NCAA individual titles and 16 tournaments in all. The Sun Devils won the NCAA team title in 1990.
Arizona State kicks off the spring season Jan. 26-27 at the Arizona Intercollegiate in Tucson, Arizona.

+NORMALLY WE DISPLAY OUR US COLLEGE GOLF NEWS ON www.kirkwoodgolf.co.uk BUT WE THOUGHT THIS ARTICLE SHOULD GO ON www.scottishgolfview.com