DEFENDING CHAMPION WILL BECOME A DAD IN 2015

ADAM SCOTT LYING THIRD IN AUSSIE 

PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

NEWS RELEASE
Defending Australian PGA champion Adam Scott is two shots back of co-leaders Scott Strange and Wade Ormsby after the second round of the Australian PGA Championship.
Scott, who announced he and his wife are expecting their first child in 2015, is in third after a 69.
Scott is playing in his third tournament in four weeks.
"It's big for me," Scott said. "Energy levels are getting low and you can see the end of the line, but I'm pushing through, I'm doing my usual routines. I really want to finish off with a win."
Strange fired a 66 and Ormsby a 67 at Royal Pine to share the 36-hole lead of nine-under 135.
Ormsby’s second round included a six-hole run of an eagle and a birdie during his front nine. While Strange capped off his round with a birdie at the last to tied Ormsby for the lead.
American Boo Weekley, who led with a 66 on Thursday, fired a 72 and currently sits in fourth. 
SECOND-ROUND LEADERBOARD
Par 144 (2x72) Players from Australia unless stated
135 Wade Ormsby 68 67, Scott Strange 69 66
137 Adam Scott 68 69
138 Boo Weekley (USA) 66 72
139 Nick Cullen 68 71, Jin Jeong (S Korea) 65 74, Kristopher Mueck 71 68, David Small (NZ) 68 71, Jason Scribener 73 66,
Craig Hancock (Tasmania) 68 71

SELECTED SCORE
140 Marc Leishman 69 71 (T11)

VILA SOL FINAL REPORT AND TOTALS

PAUL LAWRIE WINS BY SEVEN FROM

GREIG HUTCHEON ON ALGARVE

Paul Lawrie won the Paul Lawrie Foundation 36-hole tournament on the Algarve by seven strokes with a seven-under-par total of 137 at the Vila Sol course, Vilamoura.

Paul followed up his opening five-under 67 with a 70 today (Friday) on another  dry, pleasantly warm and windless day in southern Portugal.

Greig Hutcheon finished second with a pair of par 72s for 144, two shots ahead of third-placed Ross Kellett (75-71)

Four players tied for four place on 148, including Paul Shields (pictured right) who improved by 16 shots on his opening round of 82 - his six-under 66 was the best by any player over the two days.

Scott Henderson (74-74), Alastair Forsyth (72-76) and Neil Fenwick (70-78) also shared fourth place.

PAUL LAWRIE FOUNDATION COMPETITION

Vila Sol Golf Club, Vilamoura, Algarve

LEADING FINAL TOTALS

Par 144 (2x72)

137 Paul Lawrie 67 70

144 Greig Hucheon 72 72

146 Ross Kellett 75 71

148 Paul Shields 82 66, Scott Henderson 74 74, Alastair Forsyth 72 76, Neil Fenwick 70 78

ends

BROWN, FOX AND WRIGHT FINISH TEN SHOTS CLEAR

               Left to right: Gareth Wright, Graeme Brown and Graham Fox with the trophy.

SCOTLAND WIN PGAs OF EUROPE

TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP IN TURKEY

PGAs OF EUROPE NEWS RELEASE

Scotland maintained their dominance of the PGAs of Europe International Team Championship at Gloria Golf Club in Turkey to claim the trophy for the second time in three years.
 
But after laying the foundations for victory with high-octane displays in the first two rounds, the Tartan Tour trio’s journey to their inevitable coronation was comparatively sedate.
 
Ten strokes clear of the 22-strong field in pursuit of the €6,000 first 
prize at the start of the final round, that was their margin of victory at the end of it.


Having set the standard and the pace with rounds of 12-under and nine under, the Scots’ final return of four-under was matched by the Irish trio of Michael McDermott, Brendan McGovern and Damian Mooney who claimed second place.
Moreover, it was improved on by Italy who posted a round of five-under to finish tied fourth with Germany, a stroke behind Sweden.
Once again, however, it was a Scot who produced the best individual performance of the day.
Having played a supporting role to team captain Graham Fox thus far, Gareth Wright claimed the spotlight, not least over the final five holes.
Wright, who played in all four rounds of the Open at Muirfield the summer before last, went birdie, birdie, par, birdie before signing off with an eagle at the par five 18th.
He did so courtesy of a prodigious drive followed by a sensational approach that left him with a three-foot putt to card a five-under-par round of 67 and finish eight-under for the tournament.
Scotland has now won the event eight times and Wright has been party to two of them.
“I really enjoy this tournament,” said Welshman Wright, a member of the team that won in Portugal two years ago. “It’s a great event and great to come to come to a new venue. It’s a fantastic facility and the weather was brilliant today and yesterday. It was nice to come out and get the win.”
Fox, meanwhile was one of the three who finished runner up behind Holland last year and clearly enjoys a format that sees the best two of three scores counting.
Having finished as the joint-leading individual last year with Holland’s Ralph Miller, his three-round total of 16-under put him three strokes clear of Sweden’s Magnus Atlevi and the sole occupant of pole position.
“It’s a great environment to play in and they’re great guys to play with,” he said. “We gel well as a team.”
For Brown, by contrast, the event was a new experience but one he wants to repeat.
“I loved it,” he said. “I could have been at home digging snow out of my driveway so I’m more than happy to be out here playing golf with these guys.
“It’s a big incentive to try and make the team next year and return.”

Leading scores:

25-under: Scotland

15-under: Ireland

14-under: Sweden

13-under: Italy, Germany

10-under: Holland

9-under: England.

------------------------

IMAGE CAPTION: 2014 International Team Champions Scotland – [L-R] Gareth Wright, Graeme Brown, and Graham Fox [Image: Adrian Milledge]

FIFER FINISHES JOINT SEVENTH AT LA CALA

STEWART-CATION GAINS PASS MARKS

AT ALPS TOUR Q SCHOOL STAGE ONE 

Scott Stewart-Cation (The Duke's) from Fife came through the Alps Tour Qualifying School Stage 1 test with high pass marks over the Europa course at La Cala Golf Resort in southern Spain.
He shot 70-71 for a one-under-par total of 141 which placed him joint seventh.
Fellow Scot Ross Colsh missed the 148 cut by 17 strokes with rounds of 79 and 86 for 165.
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 142 (2x71)
135 Harry Casey (England) 69 66
136 Agustin Bardas (Italy) (amateur) 67 69
138 Ivo Giner (Spain) 71 67, Lukas Kornsteiner (Austria) (amateur) 71 67
SELECTED SCORES
139 Rory McNamara (Ireland) 70 69 (T5)
141 Scott Stewart-Cation (Scotland) 70 71 (T7)

MISSED THE CUT (148 and better qualified)
165 Ross Colsh (Scotland) 79 86 (66th)

BRADLEY NEIL MAKES CUT IN ALFRED DUNHILL CHAMPIONSHIP

 BRANDEN GRACE GOES FIVE CLEAR IN 

SOUTH AFRICA WITH 62-66


FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Branden Grace, chasing a fifth European Tour victory, raced into a five-stroke lead on 16-under-par 128 at the halfway stage of the Alfred Dunhill Championship today
The 26-year-old South African won four times during a memorable 2012 campaign, and remained on course for another victory as he added a second-round 66 to his sparkling opening 62 at Leopard Creek Country Club.
Three clear overnight, Grace turned in 33 after starting on the back nine before picking up another shot at the first.
His only dropped shot of the day came at the short fifth, but Grace birdied the sixth and finished with a lengthy putt for a closing gain on the ninth that put him five shots ahead of Italy’s Francesco Molinari (68-65 for 133)
“This is a golf course that suits me and if I keep hitting everything in play the way I have been the first two days then it should be a good weekend,” said Grace.
“The pins have been kind so far; I’m sure there’s going to be a couple of tricky and sticky pins out there on the weekend, but I’ll just stick to the game plan and see what the next two rounds offer us.
“Today was great – the ball-striking wasn’t as good as yesterday.
“I kept it going - there was a little bit of a slip there due to a lack of concentration but it happens.
“I’ve been hitting it well and kept on hitting good putts out there.”
Molinari was typically precise with his irons as he followed five birdies in 12 holes with an eagle at the long 13th.
The former Ryder Cup star then missed a golden birdie chance at the 14th and dropped his first shot of the day at the 17th, but two-putted the long last to get back to seven under for the day.
“I played really well today,” said Molinari. “I holed some really good putts – the last four or five holes could have been better, but seven under is always a good round.
“Branden has set a low target for everyone, so it was good to get some birdies.”
Tjaart van der Walt, twice a runner-up on The European Tour, had five birdies before three-putting the ninth – his last – for his only bogey in a round of 67 which left him third on ten under par 134
Another South African, Shaun Norris, last week’s Nedbank Challenge winner Danny Willett and Dane Lucas Bjerregaard – who chipped in at the last for eagle – were tied for fourth on nine under 135
Defending champion Charl Schwartzel, looking to become only the sixth player in European Tour history to win the same event three years running, carded a two under 70 to be 11 shots adrift of leader Grace.

SCOTSWATCH:  Scott Jamieson is T15 on 138 with rounds of 68 and 70, the same total, incidentally, as former Open champion Louis Oosthuizen. David Drysdale is T22 with 71 and 68 for 139. Craig Lee is on 140 (T31) with rounds of 68 and 72.
British amateur champion Bradley Neil made the cut - a great performance for a teenage amateur in a European Tour event. The Blairgowrie boy is T63 on one-under-par 143 - the limit mark - with scores of 73 and 70.

SECOND-ROUND LEADERBOARD
Par 144 (2x72) Players from South Africa unless stated
128 Branden Grace 62 66
133 Francesco Molinari (Italy) 68 65
134 Tjaart Van Der Walt 67 67
135 Shaun Norris 68 67, Lucas Bjerregaard (Denmark) 68 67, Danny Willett (England) 66 69

SELECTED SCORES
138 Scott Jamieson (Scotland) 68 70, Louis Ooshuizen 69 69 (T15)
139 David Drysdale (Scotland) 71 68 (T22)
140 Craig Lee (Scotland) 68 72 (T31)
143 Bradley Neil (Scotland) (amateur) 73 70

MISSED THE CUT (143 and better qualified)
152 Doug McGuigan (Scotland) 78 74

ILLNESS AND INJURY FAIL TO STOP LANE SHOOTING A 68

BATTLING BARRY LEADS IN MAURITIUS

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE

Barry Lane overcame illness and injury to set the pace in the MCB Tour Championship in Mauritius today with a battling four under par opening round of 68 to lead by one shot from a quartet of players, including defending champion Paul Wesselingh.
Lane was bed-ridden at the start of the week with a virus and has also been suffering with a back problem, but despite dropping a shot on the opening hole, he dug deep to card seven birdies, as the former Ryder Cup player attempts to end the 2014 season on a high note.
The Englishman can dislodge Canadian Rick Gibson from second place in the European Senior Tour Order of Merit with victory at Constance Belle Mare Plage, and he gave further credence to the old adage ‘beware the injured golfer’ with a plucky display around the Legend Course.
“I had flu for four days and a disc problem in my back, so I’ve been struggling,” he said. “I actually came out here a week early but I didn’t play until the Pro-Am on Wednesday and Thursday. I’ve been feeling terrible and I had the shakes out there today.
“I just got better as the round went on and hung in there. I putted lovely. I played nicely, but I putted beautifully. I hit some quality shots and just tried to keep it on the fairway and on the green.
“I guess leading is a little unexpected, but they do say beware the injured golfer. I’ve not played or hit any balls since November 20, so I just went out there and tried to swing it easy. So in the circumstances it’s a good round and nice to be up there.”
Lane will be pursued by a familiar looking chasing pack which includes Wesselingh and South African David Frost, both of whom are previous winners of the Senior Tour’s season finale.
Wesselingh lifted both the tournament silverware and the John Jacobs Trophy in Mauritius 12 months ago, and while Colin Montgomerie has already secured the latter this time round, Wesselingh made a solid start to his defence of the former with four birdies in a round of 69.
“I hit the ball ok, but it wasn’t the greatest I have played,” he said. “I was happy though, and it’ is a nice start to my defence of the title. The only thing I was disappointed with was that I didn’t take advantage over the par fives, even though I birdied the last.
“I putted nicely though and the course just suits me. I feel comfortable out there. It’s good to be up there again and that’s all you can do – put yourself in position.”
Frost has an impressive record over the Legend Course, winning the former Mauritius Commercial Bank Open in 2009 and the MCB Tour Championship in 2012, as well as finishing runner up twice in the tournament. He was one of only two players to avoid making a bogey on the opening day, and broke par for the 14th time in 16 rounds at the venue.
“I played steady today,” said Frost. “I hit the ball well. I didn’t make any birdies for the first seven holes, even though I had some good chances. But I kept it in play all day. Maybe I could have been two better today if the ball had run my way, but I’m quite happy with the start. As usual, you can’t win it in the first round, but I just wanted to be up there and not have to make a comeback, so I’m happy.”
Also in a four-way share of second place on three under par are Argentine Jorge Berendt, the former Cannes Open winner on The European Tour who finished with back-to-back birdies, and Englishman Mark Davis, the Senior Tour rookie who is chasing his second his second victory of 2014 after winning the SSE Scottish Senior Open.
Double Senior Major champion Montgomerie, who is seeking a fifth Senior Tour victory of the season, is three shots off the lead in a share of ninth position after an opening round of 71. 

The Scot reached two under par after mixing three birdies and one bogey in his opening 15 holes, but found the water on the par five last and finished with a bogey to fall back to one under par.

FIRST-ROUND SCOREBOARD

Par 72

68 B Lane (Eng)

69 P Wesselingh (Eng) , M Davis (Eng) , J Berendt (Arg) , D Frost (RSA)

70 C Williams (RSA) , A Sherborne (Eng) , G Rusnak (USA) ,

 71 C Montgomerie  (Sco) , B Longmuir (Sco) , R Drummond (Sco) , A Bossert (Sui) , S Tinning (Den) , G Ryall (Eng) , J Sallat (Fra) , C Monasterio (Arg) , K Spurgeon (Eng) , R Gibson (Can) ,

 72 D Smyth (Irl) , M Mouland (Wal) , J Remesy (Fra) , J Gould (Eng) , A Oldcorn (Sco) ,

 73 N Job (Eng) , M Cunning (USA) , J Smith (USA) , B Cameron (Eng) , B Conser (USA) , P Walton (Irl) , S Luna (Esp) , M Martin (Esp) , I Woosnam (Wal) ,

 74 M Mackenzie (Eng) , S Brown (Eng) , J Bruner (USA) , D Russell (Eng) , P Linhart (Esp) , J Quiros (Esp) , T Thelen (USA) , R Rafferty (Nir) , G Manson (Aut) ,

 75 W Grant (Eng) , P Golding (Eng) , P Fowler (Aus) , S McAllister (Sco) , G Wolstenholme (Eng) , S Cipa (Eng) ,

 76 A Murray (Eng) , G Brand Jnr (Sco) , J Carriles (Esp) , P Eales (Eng) ,

 77 G Bell (Eng) , D Hospital (Esp) , A Franco (Par) , S Torrance (Sco) ,

 78 D O'Sullivan (Irl) , M McLean (Eng) ,

 79 M Farry (Fra)

 80 J Rivero (Esp)

 83 V Seeneevassen (am) (Mus)

 86 G Emerson (Eng)

 

ONE AHEAD OF WESTWOOD AND FRASER

             Tommy Fleetwood acknowledges the cheers after his second round today.

TOMMY FLEETWOOD LEADS THAILAND 

CHAMPIONSHIP AT HALFWAY

ASIAN TOUR NEWS RELEASE

Chonburi, Thailand: Southport's Tommy Fleetwood made his move by carding a three-under-par 69 to take his place atop the leaderboard after the morning session of the Thailand Golf Championship on Friday.
The Englishman is making his debut at the US$1 million Thai showpiece and grabbed the lead after recovering from a poor opening round at the Amata Spring Country Club.
“My game felt good to be honest. Compared to yesterday where I had to scrap and shoot a one-under which was unbelievable.
“Today I woke up and turned up with a good golf swing. I played really well and had only about three or four bad shots. That’s what you need to do on a course with windy conditions like this,” said Fleetwood who signed for a two-day total of four-under-par 140.
Australia’s Marcus Fraser continued his swift recovery after spending eight months away from the game due to a wrist injury.
Fraser put himself in a good position for the weekend after he mixed two birdies and a double-bogey for a 72 which placed him in second place together with 2011 Thailand Golf Championship winner Lee Westwood of England.
“It’s reassuring to know you’re doing the right things and preparing properly for a tournament after having so long out of the game.
“I was a bit surprised to come out and play well in Hong Kong but just pleasing to know I prepared properly going into it,” said Fraser.
The Australian only lamented on his costly double-bogey on the par-four third hole which could have otherwise given him a bigger advantage.
“I made double on three as I tried to hit it out of the rough and I got a bit greedy with the pitch shot coming in. It was pretty amateurish and I was disappointed because apart from that it was pretty good,” said Fraser.
Lee meanwhile overcame the ‘tricky’ conditions and stood firm amid the windy conditions to stay within sights of his second Thailand Golf Championship win.
“I played well again. It is tricky out there. The wind was blowing a bit stronger than yesterday. All in all it was a good round and three-under will put me in a good position for the weekend,” he said.
Ryder Cup hero Victor Dubuisson (France) missed the 151 cut by three shots with scores of 75 and 79.
Banchory's James Byrne also missed the cut with rounds of 78 and 77 for 155. 
The only other Scot in the field, Simon Yates, shot 73-80 for 153.

SECOND-ROUND LEADERBOARD
Par 144 (2x72) Yardage 7,514
140 Tommy Fleetwood (England) 71 69
141 Marcus Fraser (Australia) 69 72, Lee Westwood (England) 70 71
142 Tirawat Kaewsiribandit (Thailand) 70 72, Jonathan Moore (USA) 71 71
143 Paul Petersen (USA) 71 72, Thongchai Jaidee (Thai) 72 71, Martin Kaymer (Gr) 71 72
SELECTED SCORES
144 Scott Hend (Australia) 70 74 (T9)
145 David Lipsky (USA) 71 74 (T14)
146 Bubba Watson (USA) 76 70, Sergio Garcia (Spain) 71 75 (T21)
150 Darren Clarke (N Ireland) 75 75 (T53)

MISSED THE CUT (151 and better qualified for final 2 rounds)
153 Simon Yates (Scotland) 73 80 (T80)
154 Victor Dubuisson (France) 75 79 (T91)
155 James Byrne (Scotland) 78 77 (T97)

 

TIED TOURNAMENT SCRAMBLE FORMAT RECORD

DAY AND  TRINGALE LEAD FRANKLIN 

TEMPLETON SHOOTOUT WITH A 55
 
Australian Jason Day and American Cameron Tringale combined to shoot 17-under 55 in a scramble format to take  the first-round lead  at the Franklin Templeton Shootout.
Their score tied the tournament scramble record set by tournament host Greg Norman and Steve Elkington in 2005. Day and Tringale made just three pars as a team as they also notched 13 birdies and two eagles.
The pair lead Harris English and Matt Kuchar by two shots at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida 
Two more shots back are Graeme McDowell and Gary Woodland, Keegan Bradley and Camilo Villegas, and Ryan Palmer and Jimmy Walker.
The field will play modified alternate shots today (Friday) and four-ball on Saturday.

COMING TO A PRO'S SHOP NEAR YOU SOON

PS system.

TomTom WATCHES THAT WILL GUIDE 

YOU ROUND 34,000 (USA) GOLF COURSES

FROM GOLFWEEK

By DAVID DUSEK
TomTom, which has made GPS-based software for navigation and mapping products for several years, has just released - in America - a golf watch with a graphic interface.
The TomTom Golfer ($249.99) comes pre-loaded with over 34,000 golf courses and recognises the course about to be played using its GPS system. 
It’s water resistant, and TomTom says the battery will last for at least 10 hours.
Standing on the tee or in the fairway, players will see images of hazards like bunkers and water, along with yardages to reach them. The watch also provides distances to lay-up points, as well as the front, middle and back yardages of the green.

EDITOR'S QUESTION: Are they "legal" within the terms of the Rules of Golf?

LEE PINPOINTS REASONS FOR AMERICANS' POOR RECORD

GolfWeek Photo of LEE TREVINO by Tracy Wilcox

TREVINO SAYS US RYDER CUP BIG 

GUNS KEEP MISFIRING

FROM GOLFWEEK
By ADAM SCHUPAK
ORLANDO – Lee Trevino has heard an assortment of reasons why the Americans lost the 2014 Ryder Cup. He knows the Ryder Cup Task Force met for more than four hours, and he thinks everyone is missing the big point.
Why has the American side been beaten like a drum for the better part of two decades now? That's real simple, according to Trevino.
"I played six Ryder Cups. And it all comes down to one thing. It doesn't make any difference who the players are, who the captains are, how you match them up," Trevino said.
 "You've got to take your four guns, okay. Out of those 12 guys you've got four guns, these boys are machine guns, they've got the big ones. When you leave that Ryder Cup, win, lose or draw, those four guns have got to give you a plus five (win five more points or matches than they lose). They've got to give you plus something."
To Trevino, who was the losing captain for the U.S. in 1985, the four "guns" for the American side this year at Gleneagles consisted of Matt Kuchar, Bubba Waton, Phil Mickelson and Rickie Fowler, and they didn't deliver.
"Do you want me to tell you what their win and loss record was in the Ryder Cup this year? Minus six (3-9-3). Do you want me to tell you, Justin Rose, Graeme (McDowell), Sergio (Garcia), and (Rory) McIlroy, you want me to tell you what their plus and minus was? Plus seven.
"Now, you go from a minus six with your four guns to they get a plus seven, how the hell are you going to win a Ryder Cup? I mean, they might as well not go. I mean, if your four guns can't give you a plus five, at least a plus five, you've got no chance of winning the Ryder Cup."
Trevino has studied the records of Ryder Cup competitors and determined this is why the U.S. team has lost eight of the last 10 competitions.
"You look statistically: Tiger has a minus record, Mickelson has a minus record. Furyk has got a (10-20-4) record (10-20-4)! You see what I'm telling you? A (10-20-4) record. I know he's a hell of a player, but he's got a (10-20-4) Ryder Cup record. He's a minus 10. (Trevino, on the other hand, sported a 17-7-6 mark.) 
"You can't name me a guy with a plus record that's playing the Ryder Cup right now. (Jordan) Spieth has one now, and then (Patrick) Reed, yeah, he's got a 3-1, right? They're rookies. 
"But you give me a veteran that's played in three or four Ryder Cups and not one has a plus. You can't win that way. You cannot win."
Trevino also stuck up for Captain Tom Watson, his good friend (they also share the same representation), who shouldered much of the blame for the American side's 16.5-11.5 defeat in Scotland.
"I know that Mickelson criticised Watson about doing this and doing that, but you know, I can understand his frustration, but I want frustration from a guy that's got a plus (record) in the Ryder Cup," Trevino said. 
"Don't give me any lip when you've got a minus. You understand what I'm saying? I don't want to hear any lip unless you have a plus opposite your name. Then I think that you'll be listened to.
"But don't blame Watson, don't blame anyone else about it. If there is any blame to go around, the top four guys have got to take a long look at themselves. 
"Bubba went 0-3, Fowler went, what, (0-2-3). They've either got to take a week or two weeks off and really get ready for this thing or got to go in there with a different mindset. 
"This is the thing that people don't understand, and it's not been explained. You can't take your four best players and leave a Ryder Cup minus six and win a Ryder Cup. It's impossible. It's impossible. Can't do it."