NEWS FROM SPAIN OF NEW PRO-AM

 

OLE FOR CANIZARES! WIN WORTH 

 

10,000 euros AT PGAs of EUROPE EVENT

 

PGAs OF EUROPE NEWS RELEASE

Local Spanish professional Gabriel Canizares shot a second-round 69 to win The Invitational, a new pro-am event held in Southern Spain.
The 40-year-old lives only five minutes drive away from the Finca Cortesin, which was used for two rounds after plans for a 72-hole tournament had to be abandoned because of waterlogging at the La Reserva and San Roque Old courses nearby.
Canizares, whose winning total was seven-under par 137, finished three shots ahead of England’s Sam Little in second place and worked out quickly what he would do with his 10,000 euro prize.
“It means a lot to me,” he said.  “Because I can now travel to the Asian Tour’s Qualifying School without having to talk to my bank manager first.
“Winning this event was awesome because I live so close by.  And I just played better and better and my score could have been lower.  The greens were slightly bumpy on the second day and I didn’t hole as many putts as I would have liked.”
The Pro-Am was won by professional Diego Suazo and his amateur partner Tim May.  Scored on a better-ball Stableford basis, they amassed 96pts, collecting 48 in each of their two rounds.
Canizares and his playing partner Stephen Matts took second place and the Englishman said “You have to congratulate the winners. They must have played absolutely superbly. The only pity was the event was reduced to two rounds instead of four.”
The Invitational was held as a PGAs of Europe-sanctioned event and tournament director Robert Moss said: “It was a very difficult week weatherwise but luckily it improved at lunchtime on Saturday and for the second round the course was in very good condition and there was some very good scoring.”
Warren Pike from the tournament committee added: “It was desperately disappointing to lose two days to the weather but I think the event was a tremendous success.
"Both the amateurs and the professionals enjoyed themselves especially playing in the two-man team format as opposed to the usual four-man teams and we look forward to staging the event again next year."
 

For full final individual and team scores visit 

http://eur.pe/1rF6u54.
 

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BY GEORGE! TWO-UNDER 68 WAS VERY GOOD ROUND

  ST ANDREWS STUDENT BURNS TOPS 

THE SJGT CLASS AT ELMWOOD

FROM WALTER BURNS

Scottish Junior Golf Tour

Here are the results from the Scottish Junior Golf Tour event at Elmwood yesterday. It was a level 4 and 5 event. 

Another perfect day for golf and the Elmwood course is still in great condition for this time of year with super greens. 

The best score on the day came from St Andrews student and longest serving member of the Junior Tour, George Burns, pictured, with a two-under-par 68. Brad Bannerman and Graeme Greer both shot one under 69s.

 

LEADING SCORES

Under 18 years

68 George Burns (Williamwood)

69 Brad Bannerman (Strathmore)

71 Ellis Hart (Dullatur), Fraser Kane (Kirkhill),  Andrew McColl (Erskine)

72 Andrew Gibson (Blairgowrie), Euan Gill (Inverness)

 

Under 16 years

69 Graeme Greer (Carluke)

71 Murray McCrone (Troon Welbeck)

75 Calum Elliott (Haggs Castle)

 

Under 15 years

70 David Rudd (Longniddry)

72 Aidan Husenne (Haggs Castle), Aidan Smith (Edzell), Jack Williams (Sandyhills)

73 Greg Dalziel (Airdrie), Ewan Wheat (Royal Montrose)

 

Ewan Wheat  won the handicap prize with nett 67.

Callum Elliott won the skills challenges.

 

Walter Burns

Scottish Junior Golf Tour

 

Mob: 07951 103 827

 

Email: walter@scottishjuniorgolftour.co.uk

Web: www.scottishjuniorgolftour.co.uk

RORY FULL OF ADMIRATION FOR YOUNG AMERICAN'S PERFORMANCE

McILROY IMPRESSED WITH SPIETH'S 

FINAL-ROUND 63 TO WIN AUSSIE OPEN
No one more was impressed with Jordan Spieth’s final-round 63 to win the Australian Open today than his fellow competitor Rory McIlroy who was defending the title at Sydney.
McIlroy finished 15 strokes behind Spieth, and afterward tweeted his admiration for Spieth’s round, saying he (Rory) could play that course hundreds of times and not match Jordan's final round of 63.
McIlroy knows about going low. He shot 62 in the final round to win the 2010 Quail Hollow Championship, tied the lowest-ever round at a major with a 63 at the 2010 British Open, and posted a course-record 61 as a 16-year-old at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland.
At 21, Spieth is one of the few players in top-class pro golf who would see 25-year-old McIlroy as an elder statesmen, but McIlroy has embraced that role with Spieth.

SCROLL DOWN TO READ A FULL REPORT AND VIEW THE FINAL TOTALS IN THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN.

FORRES PLAYER'S NINE-BIRDIE ROUND AT ALLIANCE

JEFF WRIGHT WINS BY FIVE WITH A

ROUND OF 60 AT KINLOSS

Jeff Wright (Forres), pictured, required only 60 shots to  circumnavigate the Kinloss Country Golf Club course,
Morayshire in winning the top scratch prize at Saturday's North Scottish Golfers' Alliance fixture by five shots from playing
partner David Joel (Inverness).
The 5,321yd parkland course has a par of 68 (33-35). The course record of 64 was set by Tom Dingwall, a pro now attached to Kemnay Golf Club, also at a North Scottish Alliance meeting, in 2012.
Preferred lies were in operation for the Alliance fixture on Saturday so Wright's 60 will not be officially recognised
Starting at the tenth, Wright's birdies were recorded at the 10th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 4th, 6th, 8th and 9th with a solitary blemish at the par 3 5th (bogey).
In doing so he took the lead in the Aggregate competition (Best 6 scratch scores) on 406.
Joel matched the birdies at the 15th and 16th and also birdied the 18th but he bogeyed the 13th.
Joel had an eagle on the way in (6th) and a birdie at the 8th but had a double bogey at the seventh.
Jim Macdonald (Inverness) shot a net 61 off 16 to also lead his Section (Handicap 2) on 413.
A hole in one was recorded at the 13th hole (123 yards) by Bill Duncan from Moray who used a pitching wedge. 
It was Bill's fourth career ace and his playing partners were Bob Adams (Moray), and Iain Hamilton (Elgin).

Leading scratch scores:
Par 68 Yardage 5,321
60 J Wright (Forres)
65 D Joel (Inverness)
66 J Shaw (Boat of Garten)
67 B R Fotheringham (Inverness), D Hector (Elgin), J S D Campbell (Grantown)
68  R McKerron (Forres), P Mathieson (Grantown)
69 B Cruickshank (Spey Bay)
70 B J Thomson (Torvean)
71 J A Grant (Grantown), S Dingwall (Grantown)
72 S Wilson (Inverness), K Godsman (Moray), G H Hay (Grantown), I Murray (Boat of Garten), W Donnelly (Fortrose and Rosemarkie), S Johnston (Elgin)
73 R Harrower (Boat of Garten) pro, R H Stewart (Torvean), W Weatherall (Muir of Ord), P Masson (Rothes), W J Donnelly (Fortrose and Rosemarkie)
74 N McWilliam (Elgin), I Macaulay (Elgin), G Allan (Nairn Dunbar);
75 S Duncan (Moray), D R Mackellar (Grantown), D Johnston (Moray), D McGrouther (Inverness), D F Sharp (Boat of Garten), A Hutchison (Inverness), R Morrison (Spey Bay), G Cruickshank (Spey Bay)
76 J R Ingram (Boat of Garten), M McDonald (Boat of Garten), S Mullen (Elgin), W R Duncan (Moray), V Tilman (Muir of Ord)
77 A Waterson (Grantown), L Stewart (Grantown), J Macdonald (Inverness), A Henry (Inverness), W Hutchison (Inverness), F Mackellar (Grantown), A Imrie (Inverness)

Handicap Section One (7 and under)
63 P Mathieson (Grantown) (5)
65 D Hector (Elgin) (2)
66 W J Donnelly (Fortrose and Rosemarkie) (7), R McKerron (Forres) (2), W Weatherall (Muir of Ord)  (7)

Handicap Section Two (8 to 18)
61 J Macdonald (Inverness)(16)
66 G Cruickshank (Spey Bay) (9), R Morrison (Spey Bay) (9)
67 D R Mackellar (Grantown) (8), M Lyall (Torvean) (11), D Ross (Boat of Garten) (15), L Dickson (Boat of Garten) (17)

DEFENDING CHAMPION SHARING THIRD PLACE

HUTCH FOUR OFF LEAD WITH A ROUND

TO GO IN PGA PLAY-OFFS

Greig Hutcheon has a four-shot deficit to make up over Monday's final round  if he is to win the PGA Play-offs for a second year in a row over the Antalya Golf club's PGA Sultan Course in southern Turkey.
The Paul Lawrie Golf Centre player is lying joint third after a pair of 68s for eight-under-par 136. The Tartan Tour Order of Merit winner has two Irishman ahead of him.
Niall Kearney (Royal Dublin) leads on 10-under 132 with rounds of 65 and 67.
Colm Moriaty is in second p,lace on 134 with a pair of 67s.
In Sunday's second round of the 54-hole £15,000 event, Hutch birdied the ninth, 10th, long 16th and short 17th but bogeyed thge 12th.
Kearney increased his overnight lead with a flying start which saw him birdie the first, fourth, sixth and seventh on his way to an outward five-under 31. But he had to be content with nine straight pars on the way home.
Moriarty birdied the sixth, seventh, 14th, 15th and 16th.
Graham Fox (Clydeway Golf) improved up to a share of eighth place with a double-eagle second round of 69 for 140. He had eagle 3s at the fourth and 16th and a birdie at the 11th, but bogeys at the fourth, sixth and 13th prevented him from making further progress.
Greg McBain (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre), third in the Tartan Tour Order of Merit, is in joint 22nd place on 146 after rounds of 75 and 71.
Apart from top cash awards of £2,000, £1,500 and £1,200, the leading three finishers will gain automatic selection for next year's GB and I PGA Cup team while the top 10 earn places in next spring's PGA championship at Wentworth.

LEADING SECOND-ROUND SCORES
132 N Kearney (Ire) 65 67
134 C Moriarty (Ire) 67 67
136 G Hutcheon (Sco) 68 68, J Levermore (Eng) 68 68, D Dixon (Eng) 68 68.
137 A Belt (Eng) 68 69.

OTHER SCOTS' SCORES
140 G Fox 71 69 (T8)
146 G McBain 75 71 (T22)


TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES SO FAR


CLICK HERE

NO CHANGE AS KEARNEY CONTINUES

TO DICTATE THE PACE 

FROM PGA WEBSITE
It was a case of as you were at the Titleist PGA Play-Offs as Ireland’s Niall Kearney remained at the top with countryman Colm Moriarty staying within touching distance.
Kearney (Royal Dublin) had a flawless 67, doing all of his scoring on the front nine, before coming home in 11 consecutive pars to ease to 10-under for the £15,000 tournament ahead of tomorrow’s final round.
Moriarty (Drive Golf Performance Ltd) was in danger of slipping behind but rallied over the closing holes with a hat-trick of birdies from 14 to hang on to the coattails of his younger rival.
But as Moriarty observed it is not just a two horse race for the title with defending champion Greig Hutcheon (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre); Jason Levermore (Channels) and David Dixon (Enmore Park) all reproducing their opening three-under-par 68s to edge to six-under.
They remain in the hunt for one of the three GB and I PGA Cup places on offer as does Alex Belt (Bridlington Links), who is on five-under
Benn Barham (PGolfcoaching@Pedham), a member of the 2011 GB and I team that drew with the US at Slaley Hall, made a significant move to lie four-under after a 67. 
His fellow GB and I team-mate Graham Fox (Clydeway Golf) also cannot be discounted at two-under-par along with St Kew’s Richard O’Hanlon.
They will also be keen to cement a top 10 finish to secure a place at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth next year.
But whether anyone can halt Kearney is the question given his second round display, which had the putter been hot after the turn could well have seen him cantering across the finish line as he assessed his second round performance.
“I got off to a great start,” said the 26-year-old. “I was four-under through seven and playing very well.
“I was hitting the fairways and hitting the greens and giving myself loads of chances, makeable chances. I didn’t really carry it through the back nine as I hit the greens but left it too far away to hole the putts.
“I’m just going to stick to the process of get it off the tee and on to the fairway and on to the green. I feel like I’m putting well, certainly from 10-12 feet, so there should be chances out there to shoot a good score tomorrow.”

Moriarty (above), who carded a second successive 68, admitted keeping in touch with Kearney was key and expects tomorrow to be ‘interesting’.
He said: “I played quite nicely and drove the ball very well I just didn’t hit my iron shots as close as I would like on the front nine. I had a nice little run on the back nine as I birdied 14, 15 and 16 and made two little nice up and downs at the last two as well. It was a nice way to finish.
“I feel a lot better as I was five behind with five to play. Two shots is nothing but there are other guys there as well it’s not just a two horse race. A couple of the guys shot good scores so it’ll be an interesting final day.”
Defending champion Hutcheon, has yet to hit top form and knows he needs a strong finish if he is to achieve his twin aims of competing at Wentworth next May but more importantly seal a PGA Cup spot.
His 68 owed much to two birdies at 16 and 17, plus a testing up and down to save par at the last to share third spot.

“My game was not quite as good today, as it was scrappy in places,” said Hutcheon (above). “I didn’t strike the ball as well but I'm pleased with my scores as it was a struggle.
“It keeps me in it but the guys are pressing on and I really need my best round of the week tomorrow and get in the PGA Cup team.
“I think it will be quite tense tomorrow. Some of the lads have never played PGA Cup and I have and I know how great a tournament it is and how much I want to be there.
“I’ve not played fantastic but I’ve a couple of good scores and I know I’ve got a good round of golf in me and that’s what I need to find tomorrow.”

DAVID DRYSDALE FINISHES 6TH AT CAPE TOWN OPEN

JACO WINS PLAY-OFF AT FIFTH HOLE

 
 
Jaco Ahlers: Won play-off at fifth extra hole.

FROM THE SUNSHINE TOUR WEBSITE
By Mike Green
It took five trips up the 18^th today before South African Jaco Ahlers was able to pull off a sudden-death play-off victory over Englishman Ross McGowan and long-time leader Hennie Otto (South Afrrica) to win the  Lion of Africa Cape Town Open at Royal Cape Golf Club today.
Otto  made bogey on the first play-off hole to fall out of contention.
McGowan missed from inside three feet on the fourth hole before Ahlers' victory. 
Ahlers and McGowan duking it out for the fifth time down the 18^th seemed to be the right thing, after they each carded four-under-par 68 in regulation play. 
That was the best score by anybody on a day after the breeze picked up during the day, and only Jbe Kruger’s superb seven-under-par 65 was better on the day after he got away early enough to take advantage of a glorious start to the day.
In the end, Otto paid the price for a putter that simply wouldn’t co-operate – and he waved the offending implement in frustration at the television camera that was following him down the 18^th fairway in regulation. 
That was in contrast to the ironic gesture of triumph when he eventually made a birdie putt on 11 – and when he sank the 15-footer on 18 in regulation to force his way into the play-off.
In a share of fourth place were Kruger and Thomas Aiken, just one shot back from the lead. 
Edinburgh-born David Drysdale was in the mix until he covered the last four holes in one-over-par, with a bogey at the 17th for a closing 71 and a total of 10-under-par 278. He had earlier birdied the second, 12th and 14th but bogeyed the short eighth.
Drysdale finished  sixth, only two shots away from making it a four-man play-off.


LEADING FINAL TOTALS

Par 288 (4x72) Players from South Africa unless stated

276 Jaco Ahlers 61 69 68 68, Ross McGowan (Eng) 69 71 68 68, Hennie Otto 66 67 71 72 (Ahlers won play-off).

277 Jbe Kruger 72 70 70 65, homas Aiken 69 66 71 72

278 David Drysdale (Sco) 70 69 68 71

279 Ryan Tipping (USA) 68 70 72 69, Tjaart Van der Walt 71 70 68 68, Justin Harding  71 68 70 70, Danie Van Tonder 67 68 69 75

SELECTED TOTAL

281 Rhys Enoch (Wal) 68 71 71 71

TO VIEW ALL THE FINAL TOTALS
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HOME WINNER OF THAILAND KING'S CUP

 THAWORN SCORES 18th ASIAN TOUR 

VICTORY  BY TWO SHOTS 

ASIAN TOUR NEWS RELEASE 

Khon Kaen, Thailand: Thailand's Thaworn Wiratchant rewrote the record books by winning an unprecedented 18th Asian Tour title after he closed with a five-under-par 67 to lift the King's Cup today.
With his second victory on the region's premier Tour this season, the Thai veteran also completed his royal collection, having won the Queen's Cup twice in 2012 and 2014 when it was staged as an Asian Tour event.
India's Anirban Lahiri, who led from the opening day, had to settle for a share of second place with Australia's Andrew Dodt while Qualifying School graduate Kalem Richardson of Australia enjoyed another good outing in Thailand by taking a share of fourth place with Thailand's Donthai Boonma and Paul Paterson of the United States.
Trailing overnight leader Lahiri by one shot, Thaworn set off with a blistering pace by reaching the turn in 32 at the Singha Park Khon Kaen Golf Club.
He picked up another advantage with a birdie on 10 before dropping his only shot of the day on the par-four 12.
"It was not easy out there as Anirban and Andrew were piling the pressure on me. It got a little shaky on 12 when I bogeyed for the first time today. But I maintained my composure and managed to see it through," said Thaworn.
Walking up to the 18th hole, the Thai veteran was determined not to let the contest go into a play-off with Lahiri and Dodt who were at 18-under.
"I really wanted to birdie 18 as I did not want to go into a play-off. I was confident of winning in regulation play but not in a play-off," said Thaworn.
Thaworn remained steady under pressure by draining his 15-ft birdie putt to close with a winning total of 20-under-par 268. He had two shots to spare at the finish from Dodt and Lahiri

LEADING FINAL TOTALS

Par 288 (4x72) Yardage 7449 
268 Thaworn WIRATCHANT (THA) 68-67-66-67.
270 Andrew DODT (AUS) 69-65-69-67, Anirban LAHIRI (IND) 65-67-68-70.
273 Kalem RICHARDSON (AUS) a66-72-68-67, Danthai BOONMA (THA) 66-70-68-69, Paul PETERSON (USA) 69-68-67-69.
274 Rattanon WANNASRICHAN (THA) 71-68-67-68, Panuphol PITTAYARAT (THA) 68-69-66-71.
275 Phachara KHONGWATMAI (THA) 71-71-65-68, Prom MEESAWAT (THA) 68-69-67-71, Jakraphan PREMSIRIGORN (THA) 69-65-69-72.
276 Jack MUNRO (AUS) 69-71-70-66.
277 Rashid KHAN (IND) 71-69-71-66, Stephen LEWTON (ENG) 71-68-70-68, Chan KIM (USA) 72-66-70-69.

Ends.

FIRST AMERICAN TO WIN AUSSIE OPEN SINCE 1993

BRILLIANT CLOSING 63 GIVES JORDAN 

SPIETH A SIX-SHOT VICTORY


FROM ESPN.COM
SYDNEY -- Rising young American star Jordan Spieth shot a brilliant round of 63 - eight under par for the Sydney course -  to win the Australian Open by an incredible six strokes - a memorable finish to his first trip Down Under.
Spieth's four-round total of 271 - 13 under par - in generally tough, windy weather over the four days at the Australian Golf Club saw  him become the first American to win the Aussie Open since Brad Faxon in 1993, when the 21-year-old Spieth was four months old.
Spieth birdied four holes on the front nine -- including three in a row -- to lead by three strokes after nine holes of the final round.
He then made light of the challenging, windy conditions by adding four sub-par figures on the inward half  to win unchallenged. 
Spieth said later that the final round was "an experience I will never forget."
"It's the best round I have ever played, especially considering the conditions," Spieth said. "The golf course was in great shape, and it's an experience I will never forget."
Leading local hope Adam Scott shot 71 and finished fifth and nine strokes behind. Defending champion Rory McIlroy, who shot 76 on Saturday, finished with a 72 and was 2-over and 15 strokes behind Spieth.
The three Australians who finished closest to Spieth earned trips to next July's Open at St Andrews. The Australian Open is the first qualifying tournament for the 2015 Open Championship and offers three spots to the top finishers not already eligible.
Rod Pampling shot 68 to finish second, while former two-time Australian Open champion Greg Chalmers (71) and Brett Rumford (70) were third and fourth, respectively. All three will play at the Old Couse next summer.
Gusty, northeasterly breezes wreaked havoc on scores all week, and only eight players finished under par.
Chalmers and Spieth were tied for the lead at 6-under after four holes, but Spieth birdied the par-5 fifth, where Chalmers made bogey for a two-shot swing. 
The American also birdied the sixth and seventh, made a fine par save on the ninth and then did the same on the 10th from about five feet. He pumped his fist as he edged closer to the title and the Stonehaven Cup.
McIlroy made two par-saving putts on both par-3s -- the second and fourth -- but had an eight-footer for birdie lip out on the third.
On the par-5 fifth, he hit a perfect tee shot, but in attempting to reach the green in two, he hooked his next shot into some pine chips and trees near the green. His shot out clipped the top of a tree and landed in a bunker about 50 metres from the pin.
His bunker shot nearly went in the hole but drifted five feet past. On his par putt, a leaf drifted across his line as he hit the ball, and he made bogey.
That effectively ended the defense of the title McIlroy won at Royal Sydney with a birdie on the last hole, where he denied Scott the Australian Triple Crown.
"It's been tough all weekend," McIlroy said. "I was trying to get something going, but with the pin positions and the wind, it was just very hard to get the ball close to the hole. It just wasn't meant to be this year."
McIlroy was non-committal about returning in 2015.
"Depends all on the schedule and where it's going, but I love playing in Australia," McIlroy said. "I had a wonderful time this year ... so hopefully it works again."
There were tributes around the golf course Saturday and Sunday for Australian cricketer Phillip Hughes, who died Thursday after being hit by a ball in a Sheffield Shield match at the nearby Sydney Cricket Ground.
The number 63 was used in many of them; that was the number of runs Hughes had scored before he was fatally injured. Spieth provided the final reminder -- and an unintentional tribute -- by finishing with a round of 63.
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 284 (4x71) Players from Australia unless stated
271 J Spieth (USA) 67 72 69 63
277 R Pampling 73 67 69 68
278 B Rumford 70 69 69 70
279 G Chalmers 71 66 71 71
280 A Scott 74 66 69 71
281 J Higginbottom 71 69 72 69
283 R Allenby 71 69 73 70, R Fox 72 72 69 70

SELECTED TOTALS
286 R McIlroy (N Ireland) 69 69 76 72, B Weekley (USA) 72 71 71 72 (T15)
289 T Sinnott (am) 71 67 73 78 (T31)

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