WOODS PLANS COMEBACK IN FLORIDA EVENT

REED REPLACES FURYK IN WORLD 

CHALLENGE AT ISLEWORTH

FROM SKYSPORTS.COM

Patrick Reed has replaced his fellow American Jim Furyk in the select 18-man field for next week's World Challenge charity event hosted by Tiger Woods.

Furyk, the 2009 Challenge winner, has withdrawn from the tournament at Isleworth in Florida due to back problems.
Reed, a three-time winner on the PGA Tour last season, was the next available player in the 2013/14 season-ending rankings.
Former world No 1 Woods has not played since the PGA Championship in August as he recovers from back injuries that sidelined him for most of 2014.
But the 38-year-old plans to make his return in the invitational event at Isleworth.
Woods is a five-time winner of the tournament, in which Zach Johnson is defending champion.
The line-up also includes Masters champion Bubba Watson, Sweden's Henrik Stenson, Australia's Jason Day, Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell, Japan's Hideki Matsuyama and England's Justin Rose.

THREE TIE FOR VICTORY ON SIX-UNDER 66

EIGHT BIRDIES BUT BOGEY 6 AT LAST 

COSTS JOHN DUFF OUTRIGHT WIN

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Newmachar amateur John Duff crammed eight birdies into his round of six-under-par 66 at today's North-east Alliance at a sometimes wet Newburgh-on-Ythan but a bogey 6 at the very last hole cost him outright victory.

Instead, John, pictured, who would contemplate turning pro if he could find a sponsor, had to share the honours at the head of a field of 92  with Paul Lawrie (Carnegie Club) and Northern Open champion David Law (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre).
Duff had halves of 34 and 32. He birdied the first, bogeyed the second and then covered his next 15 holes in seven under par with birdies at the fifth seventh, 10th, 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th. 
In-form Lawrie, playing out of Skibo Castle's Carnegie Club, made it four wins in five starts on the North-east Alliance this season
Paul shot seven birdies in halves of 35-31. He had one bogey, at the sixth, but his inward half was a best of the day 31 with birdies at the 12th, 13th, 14th, 16th and 18th.
Law did it the reverse way to Lawrie, romping to the turn in five-under 31 and coming home in 35.  His outward birdies came at the third, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth.
A double bogey 6 at the 11th ruined Law's inward half and cost him outright victory although he did well to recover and birdie the 13th, 14th and 15th.
The pros won £110 each while Duff received an amateur prize voucher for a similar value.
They finished five shots ahead of fourth placed Royal Aberdeen staff pro Joel Hopwood (35-36) who earned £60 for his 71.
A pat on the back for Aboyne youngster Kimberley Beveridge who achieved her first top 10 finish at an NE Alliance meeting with a gross round of two-over-par 74.
The first half of the NE Alliance season ends at Buckpool next Wednesday, after which their is a break until January 7 at Inverallochy.

ALL THE SCRATCH SCORES
Par 72. Field of 92 players.
66 D Law (Paul Lawrie GC) 31-35, P Lawrie (Carnegie Club) 35-31, John Duff (Newmachar) 34-32
71 J Hopwood (Royal Aberdeen) 35-36
73 B Ritchie (Newmachar) 35-38, J Nicolson (Hazlehead)
74 C Campbell (Trump International), C Brechin (Portlethen), Kimberley Beveridge (Aboyne).
75 A Campbell (Murcar Links), G Esson (McDonald Ellon), C Lawrie (Paul Lawrie GC), L Vannet (Craibstone). T Robertson (Peterculter), S Finnie (Caledonian)
77 Laura Murray (Paul Lawrie GC), N Foster (Peterculter).J Duncan (Newburgh)
78 S Kiloh (Paul Lawrie GC), G Craig (Aboyne), D Mackay (Hazlehead). D Craigie (Peterculter), B Fyfe (Paul Lawrie GC), R Davidson (Caledonian).
79 C Carnegie (Kemnay), B Harper (Newburgh), T Dingwall (Kemnay), C Cheyne (Newmachar), M Forster (Cruden Bay).
80 J Douglas (Portlethen), P McKenna (Paul Lawrie GC), L Roger (Royal Aberdeen), G Milne (Newburgh).
81 A Gall (Deeside), S Mackie (Hazlehead)
82 D Fleming (Portlethen), S Allison (Caledonian)
83 H Roulston (Stonehaven), D Lane (Deeside), M Duncan (Murcar Links).
84 D Wright (Northern), K Stewart (Kemnay), D McKay (Caledonian).
85 R Masson (Auchmill), A Benton (Kemnay).
86 P Morrison (Oldmeldrum), J Scott (Peterculter), D Bisset (Banchory).
88 B Lumsden (Northern), S Shand (Kemnay)
89 C Cassie (Nigg Bay), G Leslie (Newburgh), B Skene (Peterculter), H McNaughton (Cruden Bay)
90 K Zeynalov (Paul Lawrie GC), M Rendall (Stonehaven), A Graham (Aboyne)
94 D Lawrie (Aboyne)
95 L Duncan (Craibstone), N Stewart (Northern), M Booth (Caledonian).
100 G Dillon (Oldmeldrum)
101 R Brown (Kemnay)
PRIZELIST
SCRATCH
66 D Law (£110), P Lawrie (£110), John Duff (£110 voucher)
71 J Hopwood (£60)
73 B Ritchie (£40 voucher)
HANDICAP
Class 1 - J Nicolson (3) 70; M Forster (8), D Mackay (7) 71; N Foster (5), R Davidson (6) 72.
Class 2 - D Craigie (12) 66; L Roger (10) 70; A Benton (14) 71; R Masson (11) 74.

BEST SCORECARDS
Par: 435 434 445:36 444 444 345: 36

JOHN DUFF 66
Birdies (eight): 1-5-7-10-12-13-14-15
Bogeys (two): 2-18

PAUL LAWRIE 66
Birdies (seven): 3-9-12-13-14-16-18
Bogeys (one): 6

DAVID LAW 66
Birdies (eight): 3-6-7-8-9-13-14-15
Double bogey (one): 11

+SEE THE UPDATED Scottishgolfview.com Order of Merit
table on this website tomorrow.

GOLFPLAN INSURANCE PGA PRO-CAPT CHALLENGE

 ST ANDREWS PAIR FOUR OFF LEAD IN 

TURKEY SUNSHINE

It was one direction only for the Channels duo of Jason Levermore  and Neil Hutchinson at the Golfplan Insurance PGA Pro-Captain Challenge – just a day after catching the wrong bus in Turkey!
Sodden and desperate for a hot shower following their rain-hit practice round over the PGA Sultan course at Antalya Golf Club, what the duo got instead was a tour of the golf courses of southern Turkey after getting on the wrong minibus.
Fast forward 24 hours and the Essex duo had very little difficulty navigating the PGA Sultan’s 18 holes in glorious sunshine as they opened up a three-shot lead on the first day of the £25,000 tournament supported by Canopius.
A first round five-under-par 66, comprised of three birdies from PGA pro Levermore, two nett birdies plus a stylish nett eagle on 16 from Hutchinson plus one double bogey, gave the pair some breathing space over the rest of the 10-team field.
Three teams share second place on 69: Ashburnham’s Martin Stimson and captain Martin Hale; Cirencester’s Ed Goodwin and captain Mark Woodhead plus two time winners Little Aston steered by Brian Rimmer and captain Geoffrey Hands.
The partnership between Levermore and Hutchinson, on and off the course, was a key ingredient to their rise to the top of the leaderboard.
“We’ve played a lot of social golf and captain pro matches together,” said Levermore, who quipped the captain was at the club as often as he was.
“We’ve probably played about 15-20 rounds together and know each other’s game. It also helps how we are on the course. We just have the usual banter, it’s never too serious. We take the mick out of each other if we hit a duff one so it’s all nice and friendly and stress free.”
Hutchinson played a key role in getting the pair to the summit at the halfway stage in Turkey, but acknowledged that Levermore, who took on the role of head professional last year, not only played his part today but has been a tremendous asset for the club.
“Jason just played solid,” said Hutchinson.
“It makes my game a lot easier knowing I’ve got a solid partner. I came in on a few holes, which is what it’s about.
“During my year as captain he’s been a tremendous support. Good fun as well. When things are going slightly wrong we can have a laugh about it, rather than taking it too seriously.
“What he’s done for our club is tremendous. He’s really passionate about the golf and for the club it’s really good having him as he’s not only a good player he’s a winner.”
The tournament, now in its second year of sponsorship from Golfplan, concludes tomorrow.
Scotland's Garry Forrester, director of golf at  St Andrews Golf School, and Mike Cordiner, captain of St Andrews Golf Club, are lying joint fifth on 70, a round that deviated from par at only three holes. The Scots had birdies at the 12th and 16th after a bogey 4 at the short eighth.

LEADERBOARD
Par 71 professionals named first
66 J Levermore and N Hutchinson (Channels GC)
69 M Stimson and M Hale (Ashburnham), E Goodwin and M Woodhead (Cirencester), B Rimmer and G Hands (Little Aston).
SCOTS' SCORE
70 G Forrester (St Andrews Golf School) and M Cordiner (St Andrews GC) (T5)

ANOTHER TEN YEARS OF PLAYING

POULTER WOULD LOVE TO BE RYDER

CUP CAPTAIN .. BUT NOT JUST YET

By MANDEEP SANGHERA, BBC Sport

Ian Poulter says he would "love" to be Ryder Cup captain "one day".

The 38-year-old Englishman from Hitchin, Hertfordshire, is famed for his exploits in the contest between Europe and the United States, especially when he inspired a win at Medinah in 2012.

"Hopefully, I've got another 10 years in me before I ever get asked," Poulter, who will be 39 in January, told BBC Sport.
"If I was ever asked to be captain then yes, I'd love to be a captain of a Ryder Cup team."
Poulter was part of the Ryder Cup team who retained the trophy with victory at Gleneagles in September under captain Paul McGinley.

Poulter has fallen to 26 in the world rankings after a difficult year

Darren Clarke is a strong favourite to take over from McGinley for the next tournament in 2016 and Poulter believes the Irishman would be a good choice.
"There are lots of people that could potentially be the captain," said Poulter, who talks about his life and career in his new autobiography No Limits.
"When you look at the next one being in Hazeltine in America, it's very much looking like Darren Clarke will be running as a strong favourite.
"He has got a great relationship with the players and he would be a very worthy captain."
Poulter has endured a difficult season in which he has been hampered by injuries but says, with some new equipment, he is targeting winning tournaments again in 2015.
"Personally, it's been disappointing up until the last few weeks of the season," he said. "Battling with three injuries was difficult to take as I have never had that many.
"To get those in succession spread out over the season hindered my performance but at The Open I managed to start the rehab process properly and the last month has been quite exciting.
"I've got new equipment in the bag and I'm very excited for what's coming in 2015."
Poulter has yet to win a major but did finish second at The Open in 2008.
On winning a major, he said: "I've got it in me, obviously I need to put it all together in four rounds of golf and I'm ever working hard to achieve that.
"When you look at Tom Watson nearly winning the Open championship at the age of 60 a few years back then I've got plenty of years left in me yet to try and achieve that great goal."
Another goal for Poulter is an Olympic medal, with golf back on the Games schedule for Rio 2016 having been absent since 1904.
"It's definitely a possibility (to compete in Brazil) if I stay fit and healthy and continue to improve," he said.
"If I play well in this next two-year period then certainly I can go on and make the Olympics to try to compete for gold, which would be pretty special."
There have been reports Poulter does not get on with Tiger Woods  but the Englishman played down any conflict.
"There is no fractious relationship," he said. "There were a couple of comments which potentially got taken out of context but there is no personal problem between me and Tiger Woods.
"I get on with him fine. I don't socialise with him but I don't think many other players do either. He is his own guy, he's very quiet, keeps himself to himself but we don't have any issues."
Former world number one Woods, who has won 14 majors, has not played since August because of injury.
"I'm not sure he (Woods) will get back to his best but his best is not required to win golf tournaments," Poulter added.
"Tiger at his best is that much better than everybody else that he doesn't need his 100% 'A' game. He just needs that little sparkle in his eye and he's a tough guy to beat.
"When he is back fit and healthy he is going to be winning many more tournaments."

NORTH-EAST ALLIANCE TEE TIMES FOR NEXT WEDNESDAY

BUCKPOOL GOLF CLUB,
Wednesday, December 3
(last fixture of 2014)

08-00 G Esson, C Carnegie, C Cassie, P Morrison
08-08 R Stewart, K Duncan, M Patterson, R Masson
8-16
8-24 K Zeynalov, S Kiloh, P McKenna, T Dingwall
8-32
8-40 H. Roulston M. Rendall, L. Roger S. Dillon
8-48
8-56 R. Brown S. Davidson A. Benton
9-04 D. Mackay, C Law. N Macandrew, B. Ritchie
9-12 K. McGillivray, L Duncan, H McNaughton, B. Robson
9-20 G. Craig J. Duff D. Lawrie M. Smith
9-28 P  Lawrie, C Lawrie, M MacDougall, G Hutcheon
9-36 K. Nicol P. McLean
9-44 B. Fyfe D. Craigie C. Grant S. Lawrie
9-52 J. Scott B. Skene R. Buchan
10-00 B. Lumsden G. McDonald T. Robertson D. Wright
10-08 J. Hopwood C. Adam M. Forster D. Fleming
10-16 J Duncan G. Milne D. Nelson A. Graham
10-24 W. Skene D. Lane A. Clark R. Duncan
10-32 K. Beveridge K. Beveridge L. Murray P. Walker
10-40 L. Vannet L. Fowler A. Gall I. Clark
10-48 D. Leslie G. Homer W. Shaw
10-56 G. Mackie R. Davidson M. Winton D. McDougall
11-04 D Bisset F. Bisset J. Murray P. Low
11-12 S. Finnie J. Borthwick D. McKay M. Booth
11-20 I. Grant J. Jessiman
11-28 J. Nicolson B. Nicolson S. Mackie