Tuesday, January 20, 2015

SCOTTISH YOUTHS CHAMPION  SHARES AUSSIE 

AMATEUR MATCH-PLAY QUALIFYING LEAD

FROM THE AUSTRALIA GOLF WEBSITE
Victoria State prodigy Ryan Ruffels had a well-earned pre-Christmas break and returned with a little “rust”.
It’s safe to say that’s nearly gone.
Ruffels, 16, fired a four-under-par 68 at The Lakes today to share the first-round Australian Amateur Championship lead with Englkish champion Nick Marsh from Huddersfield, Yorkshire
It gave the pair a one-stroke buffer over four others and six clear of the players in battle for the all-important 64th spot with those above that line advancing to Thursday’s match-play section.
Golf Australia national squad member Ruffels had been five under through 13 electrifying holes in windy conditions that battered many scorecards in Sydney’s south with qualifying play also at nearby The Australian.
And with Melbourne-based coach Denis McDade on site, Ruffels was clearly happy with his opening salvo.
“The last few tournaments have been frustrating after the break just not quite being able to find my game,” Ruffels said.
“But it’s great to have Denis here. We worked pretty hard at Belmont (Lake Macquarie Amateur) last week and I was really confident that was going to be a good one today.
“I thought in those conditions anything around par would be pretty good, but I hit a few wedges close early and made a good start which I haven’t done the past few weeks, so it’s nice.”
Marsh, on the third week of a month-long tournament stint in Australia, said playing his junior golf at Huddersfield stood him in good stead in such testing conditions.
“We have wind, hail snow and rain in one day in Yorkshire, so this isn’t too bad,” the Leeds native joked.
“I just kept the ball flight under control – I’m pretty used to this kind of weather, so I was right at home.”

LEADING FIRST ROUND SCORES
Two courses being used for 36-hole qualifying
Players from Australia unless stated
-4 Nick Marsh (Hudddersfield), Ryan Ruffe;s
-3 Benjamin Eccles, Shae Wools-Cobb junior, Mitchell Smith, Brett Coletta.


OTHER ENGLISH SCORES
+4 Ben Stow (Rushmere) (T84)
+5 Jimmy Mullen (Royal North Devon) (T108)
+6 Paul Howard (Southport and Ainsdale) (T127)
Field of 132 players
Leading 64 after Round 2 qualify for match-play



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DUSTIN JOHNSON BREAKS SILENCE, SAYS HE'S 

GROWN UP, NO MORE DRINKING OR PARTYING

FROM GOLF.COM      





 By RYAN LAVNER
With fatherhood and a return to the US PGA Tour imminent, Dustin Johnson said in an exclusive interview with Sports Illustrated that he was not suspended for a failed third drug test and that he is finally ready to unlock his immense potential. 

In his first interview since taking a leave of absence from the US PGA Tour last August because of “personal challenges,” Johnson (pictured) said he did not enter a rehab facility and denies that he had a problem with cocaine use.
“It’s just something I’m not going to get into,” he told interviewer Pete Thamel . “I have issues. But that’s not the issue.”
It was Golf.com – SI’s sister publication – that reported in August that Johnson had failed a third drug test and was suspended by the US PGA Tour for six months. SI noted that during the sit-down interview, Johnson was flanked by his agent, David Winkle, and a public relations consultant, and that a list of talking points were positioned in front of him.
Johnson told SI that he has hired a team of experts to help him better understand what makes him tick, a group that includes a life coach and several clinicians.
“Over these past four or five months I’ve really grown up,” he said, according to the report, “and I am starting to become the person I want my kids to look up to.”
His game doesn’t seem to have suffered during the time away. Johnson’s father-in-law, Wayne Gretzky, said that in October, Johnson shot rounds of 61 (a course record), 63 and 61 in a three-day span at Sherwood Country Club. Johnson has also shed 20 pounds of fat and replaced it with 13lb  of muscle. 
The story details a “simpler” life for Johnson and fiancée Paulina Gretzky, that instead of wild nights on the town they’re content having meals with Gretzky’s parents and binge-watching TV shows. 
“My way of getting rid of (stress) was drinking or partying,” Johnson told Sports Illustrated. 
“Yeah, that might work for that day or the next week, but eventually everything keeps piling up.” 
Depending on when Gretzky gives birth to the couple’s first child – she’s due in a few weeks – Johnson will return at either the Farmers Insurance Open or the AT and T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. 
“I don’t think I’ve even scratched the surface,” he said of his potential, according to Sports Illustrated
 “And that was a really big part of what I’ve been doing, to help myself reach that potential.”

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Erica Stoll is Rory's new girl friend ...

Rory McIlroy hinted at a New Year’s Eve date when he recently posted a picture on Instagram of a bottle of champagne and two flutes.

Maybe Rory was planning to double fist the bubbly, but it’s pretty clear that he rang in 2015 with a special somebody. Who, you ask? Well, the identity of that mystery woman has been revealed, and it’s apparently his new girlfriend, Erica Stoll.
And oh, what a backstory we have here. It turns out Stoll is the PGA of America employee who first alerted officials that McIlroy was not on-site on Ryder Cup Sunday in 2012. The world No. 1 was then given a police escort to the course, and he arrived at his tee time minutes before he was set to go.
The Belfast Telegraph has all the juicy details of the couple’s new romance – Dublin! A trip to Ashford Castle! The Westbury Hotel! Peruke and Periwig! – and the newspaper reports that McIlroy and Stoll have actually been dating for nearly three months.
Says one of the Telegraph’s sources: “Rory and Erica obviously have been linked in the headlines for all the right reasons already, but they seem to have hit it off even more since. It’s been kept quiet but they have stayed in contact and they meet up when he is in America.” 
Hey, the world No. 1 golfer sure knows how to celebrate the New Year! 
Last year, of course, he proposed to tennis player Caroline Wozniacki on New Year's Eve. He broke off the engagement in May, just days after the wedding invitations had been sent. 
As McIlroy celebrated the beginning of a new year, Wozniacki alluded to the eventful year that just ended in a post on Instagram.

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ASSAULTED ALLENBY WILL MISS THIS WEEK'S EVENT

FROM ESPN.GOLF.COM
US PGA Tour pro Robert Allenby, who told police that he was kidnapped, assaulted and robbed Friday night after missing the cut at the Sony Open, announced Tuesday morning that he will not play in this week's Humana Challenge.
The 43-year-old Australian, a four-time US PGA Tour winner had been entered in the field before the incident in Honolulu.
"On the advice of my personal doctor, I have decided to withdraw from this week's Humana Challenge," Allenby said in a statement released through the PGA Tour. 
"This will enable me to ensure I am fully recovered prior to rejoining the PGA Tour. I anticipate a full recovery and look forward to returning in the near future."
The statement noted that, "any further updates on the investigation will come from local law enforcement."
On Monday, reports emerged about conflicting details of Allenby's story, which the Aussie disputed. In text messages to the Golf Channel, Allenby speculated that a homeless woman who had described finding him bloodied on a Honolulu street corner was "getting paid" to relay false details to media.
Allenby's original account said a homeless woman found him in a park 6½ miles away from the restaurant where he had dinner and was reportedly abducted from earlier in the evening.

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MIDLAND ALLIANCE CANCELLED AGAIN

For a second week in a row wintry weather has forced the cancellation of the Midland Golfers' Alliance competition, this time at Lundin Golf Club today (Tuesday).
The next scheduled fixture is at Abroath on Thursday, January 29.

AYRSHIRE WINTER GOLF POSTPONED

Today's Ayrshire Winter Golf Association fixture at Kilmarnock Barassie was postponed because the course is frozen hard.
It has been rearranged for the same venue on February 17.

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                         T e n t h A n n i v e r s a r y
World Hickory O p e n C h a m p i o n s h i p 2 0 1 5
C a r n o u s t i e L i n k s , October 19 to 23


Further information and entry forms available at www.worldhickoryopen.com


E-mail: info@worldhickoryopen.com

Telephone: +44 131 665 4861
Hickory Clubs can be supplied for all events



        Sandy Lyle, Winner of the World Hickory Open 2014

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DAVID LAW NOW T9 AFTER 68 IN EGYPT
Northern Open champion David Law (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) moved up to a share of ninth place with a second-round, four-under-par 68 for three-under 141 in this week's German PGA Pro Golf Tour's Red Sea Ain Sokhna Classic in Egypt.
Law had a bogey-free round, studded with birdies at the third, eighth, 11th and 14th.

With one round to go in the 30,000 euros event, Law, pictured,  is four strokes behind the joint leaders, two Germans. Anton Kirstein (70-67) and Stephan Wolters (71-66).
Ellon's Ross Cameron, joint second over the same course last week, dropped to a share of 18th place with a 74 for 143. He birdcies the sixth, eighth, 12th and 14th but had a costly triple bogey 7 at the fifth.
The five otheer Scots in the field missed the cut at 147.
Philip McLean (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) got closest with 76-73 for 149.
Stablemates Sam Kiloh (74-76) and Kris Nicol (76-74) missed out on 150.
Chris Robb (Meldrum House), a rookie pro after winning the Scottish amateur championship last summer, shot 76-78 for 154.
Ted Innes-Kerr totalled 154 with rounds of 80 and 74.

RED SEA AIN SOKHNA CLASSIC
Sokhna GC, Egypt
LEADING SECOND ROUND SCORES
Par 144 (2x72)
137 A Kirstein (Ger) 70 67, S Wolters (Ger) 71 66
138 P Mejow (Ger) 71 67, B Straben (Ger) 73 65. Teemu Bakker (Fin) 66 72

SCOTS' SCORES
141 D Law 73 68 (T9)
143 R Cameron 69 74 (T18)

MISSED THE CUT (147 and better qualified)
149 P McLean 76 73 (T47)
150 K Nicol 76 74, S Kiloh 74 76 (T50)
154 C Robb 76 78, T Innes-Ker 80 74 (T70)

 TO  VIEW ALL THE SCORES

CLICK HERE

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N E ALLIANCE TEE TIMES FOR NEWBURGH TOMORROW

+Note that tomorrow's competition has been switched from Peterhead to Newburgh.

Joint secs Dave Wilson and Dave Mackay will be hoping for better luck than their opposite numbers in the Midland Alliance and the Ayrshire Winter Golf Association.
Both their fixtures - at Lundin Golf Club and Kilmarnock Barassie - are in the grip of winter and the courses closed.

FINGERS CROSSED FOR NEWBURGH-ON-YTHAN
Wednesday tee times updated
8-15 A Campbell, A Smith, C Campbell, G Esson
8-23 C Cassie, D McDougal
8-31
8-39 H Roulston, M Rendall,  L Roger, R Masson
8-47 D Townsley, S Dillon
8-55

 
9-03 R Stewart, K Duncan
9-11 A Benton, S Davidson, R Brown, M Brown
9-19 D Lawrie, G Craig, J Duff, M Smith
9-27 D Mackay, K McGillivary, W Beattie
9-35
9-43
9-51 T Robertson, D Wright, B Lumsden
9-59 N Stewart, J Forrest


10-07 B Skene, J Scott, R McConnachie, P McKenna
10-15 S Shand, K Stewart, C Angus, M Murray
10-23 L Fowler, D Fleming, L Vannet, A Gall
10-31 J Hopwood, Miss K Beveridge, K Beveridge, Miss L Murray
10-39 G Homer, D Leslie,W. Shaw, H. McNaughton
10-47 J Duncan, G Milne, R Davidson, G. Mackie
10-55 R Duncan, A Clark, G Thom, D Lane


11-03 A Graham, D Nelson, P Low, D Buchan
11-11 J Murray, F Bisset, P Walker, N K Parker
11-19 S Finnie, M Booth, D McKay, C. Duffus
11-27
11-35
11-43
11-51
11-59 J. Nicolson, B Nicolson, S Mackie

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NE Alliance switched from Peterhead to Newburgh

Wednesday's North-east Alliance fixture has been switched from Peterhead to Newburgh-on-Ythan.
Peterhead are on winter greens but, probably more important, no
catering available in clubhouse.
Tee times arranged for Peterhead will apply although we will have an updated list on this website later in the day.

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