PETER ALLISS MAY MAKE ST ANDREWS OPEN HIS 

BBC TV SWANSONG THIS SUMMER

FROM RTE SPORT
Renowned BBC golf commentator Peter Alliss has expressed his disappointment that the RandA have awarded Sky Sports the live television rights to The Open, with the BBC reduced to showing evening highlights for the famous Claret Jug.

Alliss is undecided about his future but admits that there is no better place to call quits on a long and illustrious career than at the home of golf, St Andrews, where this year's Open is being staged.
“It’s the end of an era. I’ve worked with lovely people and I’ve had the opportunity of working in America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand. It’s been a joyous adventure for me and I’m not getting any younger. I can’t go on forever.
“So this might be my last one. A glorious place to finish, St Andrews. Nicklaus, Watson, all the big boys have finished at St Andrews, so I might be the next one to go. I haven’t made up my mind yet.”The former Ryder Cup player-turned-commentator, who is arguably the most recognised voice in golf, believes that it is a sign of things to come and that he would not be surprised if the BBC were showing no sport in the not-so-distant future.
The RandA  announced today that Sky had secured the exclusive rights in a five-year deal from 2017, taking over from the BBC, which has had a 60-year partnership with golf's oldest major.
Alliss admits that he is disappointed with the governing body, while he also feels that the BBC perhaps did not fight as hard as they could have to keep the historic tournament on free-to-air television.
“Obviously, I’m very disappointed,” Alliss told RTÉ Sport. ”And I'm also disappointed for a lot of ordinary golfers who do not have Sky.
“The R&A have always said that their job is to promote the game of golf and that they are standard bearers for the game and taking it around the world. But they have just deprived a couple of million people of watching it live.
“I have a terrible feeling that the powers-that-be at the BBC didn’t quite fight hard enough to keep it or indeed keep sport, because we have lost a hell of a lot of sport over the last five or ten years.
“When I first started, we did 18 televised events and this year we will do exclusively two, The Open and the Women’s Open.
“The way it’s going, you wouldn’t want to bet that there will be any sport on the BBC in 15 years' time.
“What I do think is weird, considering the Open Championship has been going since 1860 and it’s one of the world’s great sporting event, I don’t know why it’s not on that list of events that have to be shown on terrestrial television.”
Alliss has been working for the BBC since 1961 and while the legendary commentator admits that he feels a bit of sadness as an era is ending, he feels no anger towards Sky, who he believes do a great job covering the game.
“I’m a great fan of Sky, I think they have done an amazing job presenting and they have had new little gimics and all sorts of stuff. Their presentation is more flashy than ours.”
But Alliss also pointed out that a lot of the hype of pay-per-view broadcasters is not to be believed and is lacking the personal touch and viewer numbers that the BBC brought to the coverage.
“There has been some nonsense. They talk about their cameras being so much better but it is the same pool of cameramen that work for tour productions and come to the BBC. They are all the same. They have more gizmos and more bits and pieces. It’s more showy.
“The BBC are trying to compete but they have no chance. (However) Sky get about one million (viewers) and we get five million, so it’s about five or six to one and that’s the brutal facts of it.
“Our proud boast was that we showed everybody on the first two days. Everybody who entered the competition got 15-20 seconds of air.”

SKY TO PAY R and A £15million PER YEAR - MORETHAN 

TWICE AS MUCH AS BBC FOR OPEN TV RIGHTS

FROM GOLFWEEKLY.COM
 By Alistair Tait
The RandA’s decision to drop the BBC and sign a five-year deal with Sky Sports to exclusively broadcast the Open was influenced by the commercial arrangements of other major championships, RandA chief executive Peter Dawson said today.
Sky Sports, a subscription-only channel, will take over the exclusive rights to the Open starting in 2017 in a deal rumoured to be worth £15 million per year. The BBC, a free channel available in the United Kingdom, was thought to be paying £7 million annually.
“Our main driver here has actually been the need to keep the Open Championship competitive with other major events in golf and with other sports,” Dawson said via teleconference
“That’s been priority one.”
Last year, the USGA signed a five-year deal with Fox Sports to cover the U.S. Open and other USGA events worth a reported $100 million per year (roughly £50million).
The BBC has held exclusive right to stage the game’s oldest major for the past 59 years. Sky Sports had previously bid for the championship, but the RandA had always stuck with the status quo.
“I don’t think it’s a secret that we’ve been concerned for some time that the U.K. rights have been on something of a commercial plateau,” Dawson said. 
“One of our biggest responsibilities is to keep the Open Championship at the forefront of golf events and indeed sports events, not just in the U.K. but in the world.
"You already know just how lucrative some of the commercial arrangements of other major golf championships have made. We have to be very careful that the Open can keep pace with them, in terms of facilities for spectators the prize money and what it costs to stage a championship.”
Critics say the Sky Sports deal could decrease participation levels at a time when numbers are dropping. Dawson disagrees.
“We’re happy that there is not going to be a significant effect on participation,” Dawson said. “What we will be doing is significantly increasing our natural support to initiatives in the U.K. and Ireland aimed at getting to grips with this participation issue.
“There has been millions and millions and millions of pounds put into golf initiatives over the last 10 or so years. These have been great programs but we have to admit they haven’t produced the answer we’d all like to see. This needs refreshing. We need to have a real go at it. 
"We need to put a team together to really come up with a good analysis of what the participation issues are. We will have increased resources to address these things. That’s one of the great things coming out of this arrangement.”

RandA SUPREMO DAWSON DEFENDS OPEN TV CHANGE

In an open letter released after the news was announced that from 2017 Sky, and not the BBC, will have exclusive live television rights to the Open championship, outgoing  R and A Chief Executive Peter Dawson explained his decision, acknowledging people's concerns while reiterating that the move is, ultimately, for the better.

An Open Letter from Peter Dawson, Chief Executive of The R and A

"We are excited to have announced today a new broadcast model and a significant change in the way The Open will be covered from 2017.  We believe this new arrangement, which will see The Open broadcast live on Sky with prime-time highlights on the BBC, will allow golf's oldest championship to maintain its position as one of the world's premier sporting events.

I want to express my gratitude to the BBC, our trusted broadcast partner for 60 years. Our relationship developed through The Open's renaissance in the early 1960s, golf's boom years in the 1970s and 80s and more recently the height of its global appeal during the 90s and 2000s.  We are delighted that the BBC remains a broadcast partner of The Open Championship for 2017 and beyond and, we hope, for a great many years to come.

I recognise that this new broadcast model represents a significant change and I understand that change, particularly where it involves the BBC, is controversial.

We have observed, over several years, that the way the majority of people are choosing to consume sport is changing.  Time pressures, multi-channel viewing providing sport and entertainment from all over the world, the second screen phenomenon, social media and digital consumption are all important factors in considering how we reach fans of all ages but particularly the younger generation.

 We have to cater for that changing environment and deliver the best viewing experience possible to golf fans.

Numerous factors were weighed in this process such as quality of coverage, household reach, innovations in the broadcast, commercial considerations and promotion of The Open and our sport throughout the year. We have considered this new agreement extremely carefully and firmly believe that by working with the two leading sports broadcasters for the UK and Ireland we have achieved the best result not just for the future of The Open but for golf as a whole.

In Sky, we have an excellent broadcast partner for the coming years.  It is now well established as the home of live golf in the UK and Ireland and it has demonstrated tremendous enthusiasm and admiration for The Open. Sky submitted a very strong proposal stressing its commitment to innovation and a determination to enhance live coverage of the Championship and the quality of its bid was a significant factor.

It is essential to invest in our Championship to ensure that it remains at the pinnacle of our sport. The R and A is committed to delivering the best possible experience for spectators, players and viewers and believe the new arrangement supports this mission.

Another important consideration in our decision was that fans of The Open do not need to be Sky subscribers to enjoy live coverage of the Championship.

Through 'NOW TV' viewers can watch The Open, taking a daily or weekly package without the need for a contract.  Our agreement with Sky also includes a limitation on advertising to a maximum of four minutes per hour, with each break lasting just 60 seconds. 

I know there are many who are concerned that The Open no longer being shown live on the BBC will lead to a reduction in participation in our sport and I wanted to take this opportunity to address this specific point.  

We have looked at this issue very carefully and believe it is not possible to make an informed case that participation is simply and directly linked to free-to-air television viewing.  There is no question that free-to-air sports broadcasts generate good exposure for sport, we see this time and again through the Olympic Games, the World Cup and Wimbledon.  But, firm conclusions about their positive impact on participation cannot be drawn.

On the contrary, golf's reported recent decline in participation coincides with The Open, Women's British Open and the Masters Tournament being shown on free-to-air television.  And, during that same period we have also seen participation in other sports, shown frequently on free-to-air television, decrease while some others, shown exclusively on subscription television, have seen an increase.  Exposure is important, but is just one of many ingredients required to generate growth in participation.

Significantly, our new agreement will enable us to take our support of golf's development in the UK and Ireland to unprecedented levels and we have the support of both Sky and the BBC and their active sports engagement initiatives.  Additionally, we are undertaking a comprehensive strategic review on the subject of golf participation in the UK and Ireland and we will ensure that golf feels the full benefit of the enhanced resources available.

I'd like to reassure you that The R and A approaches change with caution and a great deal of consideration. We are aware that our new agreement will sadden some fans, particularly those who have cherished so many wonderful and iconic moments of The Open Championship on the BBC. Those moments will continue but through an exciting new partnership incorporating both Sky and the BBC."

Yours faithfully,

Peter Dawson

Chief Executive, The R and A

EWEN FERGUSON SETS PACE IN SOUTH AFRICA
 
Bearsden's Ewen Ferguson showed the form that made him British boys champion with a brilliant, seven-under-par round of 65 to lead by one stroke at the end of the South African men's international amateur championship at Port Elizabeth Golf Club today.

The 18-year-old Glaswegian took advantage of the near-perfect conditions to conjure up a flawless performance.

Ferguson, pictured, leads by one from Ugo Coussaud of France and edged two strokes clear of 16-year-old Modderfontein junior Eric Wowor, who chipped in for a pair of eagles on his way to a share of third with Frenchman Jeremy Gandon on 67.

Scottish stroke-play champion Gavin Moynihan from Dublin is on 68 alongside another Irishman, Stirling student Cormac Sharvin.

Ferguson admitted he did not know quite what to expect at Port Elizaberth after rain lashed the course all day Monday.

“It rained so much during our practice round that some us almost got home sick,” the Bearsden golfer joked.

“I had to play the full 18 holes, though, because I haven’t played this course before. It was great go out there in sunlight today!

“Without the wind, the course is pretty defenceless. It’s hard to describe, but the course has a parkland feel while at the same time having a links flavour. It’s a real classic.”

The Scot got off to a birdie-birdie start, collected another pair of birdies at the eighth and ninth and reeled in another brace of birdies at the 13^th and 14^th holes.

The 2013 British boys champion notched his seventh birdie when he sank a 30ft putt at the par-four 17^th.

“I boxed a few short ones, and holed some long ones on the second, ninth, 13^th and 17^th, so the putter was working well overall,” Ferguson said. “It can always be better, but all in all, I’m pleased to be in a strong position early on.”

It was a good day for most of the Scots squad who have been in South Africa for several weeks.

Perth's Daniel Youth is lying joint 10th on 69 while Scott Gibson (Southerness) and Craig Ross (Kirkhill) are backeted in 18th place on the two-under 70 mark.

Connor Syme (Drumoig) is joint 27th on 71.

The only Scots who failed to break par were Ben Kinsley (St Andrews) with a 74 and Greig Marchbank (Thornhill) with a 77.

LEADING FIRST ROUND SCORES
Par 72
Players from S Africa unless stated
65 Ewen Ferguson (Sco).
66 Ugo Coussaud (Fra)
67 Eric Wowor, Jeremy Gandon (Fra).
68 Ian Snyman, Rupert Kaminski, Siegmund Human, Gavin Moynihan (Ire), Cormac Sharvin (Ire).
69 Dylan Naidoo, Luke Trocado, Bryce McCabe, Daniel Young (Sco), Johan Germishuys, Fezekile Kana,  Kyle Barker, Marco Steyn.
70 Daniel Mantel, Scott Gibson (Sco), Darin de Smidt, Craig Ross (Sco), Gary Hurley (Ire), Andrew van der Knaap, Michael-James Steyn, Rosswell Sinclair, Alexandre Daydou (Fra).
71 Angus Ellis-Cole, Connor Syme (Sco), Andre Nel, Tom Watson, Philip Kruse,  Duncan van der Vyver, Sentanio Minnie,  Reinhardt Blaauw, Ruan Conradie, Jason Smith. Jeong Weon Ko (Fra), Aubrey Beckley, Jacques Smith.

SELECTED SCORES
72 Jack Hume (Ire), Dermot McElroy (Ire).
73 Robin Dawson (Ire).
74  Ben Kinsley (Sco).
77 Colm Campbell (Ire), Greig Marchbank (Sco)
81 John Galbraith (Ire).

SENIOR SCOTS IMPROVE BUT NOT IN CONTENTION

Although Scots Alan Saddington, Kenny Hutton, David James and amateur Nick Robson all improved on their opening-round efforts, they are still a long way off being in contention at halfway for the six
European Senior Tour full playing cards at stake in the Final Qualifying School over the Pinta course, Pestana Golf Resort, Lagoa on the Algarve, writes Colin Farquharson.
Saddington is tied 35th on 148 after a one-over-par 72.
Downfield's Hutton had a couple of birdies in a par 71 for 148 and joint 41st place.
James from Dumfries improved by six shots for a 73 and a share of 54th place on 152.
Amateurs Nicky Gold and Robson are in joint 64th and 70th positions in a field of 78 players, Gold with a 78 for 155, Robson a 77 for 156.
Canadian Ken Tarling leads by two shots on seven-under 135 (67-68)
 
+SCROLL DOWN FOR A FULL SUMMARY OF THE SECOND DAY'S PLAY

LEADING HALFWAY TOTALS
Par 142 (2x71)
135 K Tarling (Can) 67 68
137 M Atlevi (Swe) 65 72
140 G Bell (Eng) 67 73
141 J Sallat (Fra) 69 72, T Elliott (Aus) 71 70
142 A Macdonald (Eng) 73 69, M Guzman (Arg) 73 69, J Harrison (Eng) 70 72, L Perrins (RSA) 73 69, R Sabarros (Fra) 69 73, G Joyner (Aus) 72 70
SCOTS' SCORES
148 A Saddington 76 72 (T35)
149 K Hutton 78 71 (T41)
152 D James 79 73 (T54)
155  N Gold (am)  77 78 (T64)
156 N Robson (am)  79 77 (T70)
Field of 78 players. 

REPORT FROM EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS
Canada’s Ken Tarling produced a blistering start to his second round at the European Senior Tour Qualifying School en route to opening up a two shot lead at the halfway mark in Portugal.
Starting from the tenth tee, the 56 year old birdied four of his opening five holes at Pestana Golf Resort’s Vale da Pinta course as he quickly caught overnight leader Magnus Persson Atlevi, after the Swede dropped two shots in four holes having started with back-to-back birdies.
Tarling dropped his first shot of the day just before the turn and made another bogey on the fourth hole - his 13th – but he picked up his fifth birdie of the day on the seventh hole to sign for a round of 68 and a seven under par total.
Meanwhile, Atlevi followed a bogey on the first hole of his back nine with eight consecutive pars for a one over par round of 72 and a five under par total, meaning a four shot swing in Tarling’s favour at the top of the leaderboard.
“It’s hard to back up a good score with another good score, so I’m delighted I’ve done that today,” said Tarling, who is making his seventh visit to the annual Qualifying School.
“The wind was blowing hard today, so I’m over the moon. It was a really good ball striking round for me. I hit 15 greens and I really hit it close. I couldn’t ask for anymore. I’m thrilled.
“We are only halfway there, but it’s a great start. I’m trying not to get too far ahead of myself, but it has been a goal of mine for so long to play over here, so it would be nice to keep it going.”
Despite losing the lead, Atlevi remains on course for further Qualifying School success, 33 years after becoming the youngest player to earn a European Tour card via the Qualifying School as a 17 year old.
He was pleased with the battling qualities he showed, particularly on the back nine.
“I didn’t do as well today, naturally, but it wasn’t too far off,” said Atlevi. “It was windy today and that made it tricky. I hit 14 greens today, but I missed a few putts, which was the difference.
“I’m proud that I held it together though. I had a four foot putt to go three under after three holes and missed it, and then I had a few bogeys after that. So instead of going nine under, I dropped back to six. I’m not used to tournament golf after so long away, so I was happy to steady it after that and not lose ground. It could easily have got away from me. Yesterday was such a high, so today was always going to be difficult to get to the same level. We’re only halfway and there is plenty to do, but it is a good start.”
Englishman Graeme Bell is a further three shots back in third place on two under par, with Australian Tim Elliott (70) and France’s Jean Pierre Sallat (72) sharing fourth position on one under par. Six players are currently sharing sixth position – the last spot to earn a full card for the 2015 Senior Tour season – on level par, including 2009 Qualifying School winner John Harrison, of England.
Another Englishman, Steve Cipa, had a hole-in-one on his final hole for a level par round of 71 to jump into the conditional card positions, sharing 12th place with five other players on one over par.
ALL THE HALFWAY TOTALS
Par 142 (2x71)
135 K Tarling (Can) 67 68,
 137 M Atlevi (Swe) 65 72,
 140 G Bell (Eng) 67 73,
 141 J Sallat (Fra) 69 72, T Elliott (Aus) 71 70,
 142 A Macdonald (Eng) 73 69, M Guzman (Arg) 73 69, J Harrison (Eng) 70 72, L Perrins (RSA) 73 69, R Sabarros (Fra) 69 73, G Joyner (Aus) 72 70,
 143 S Cipa (Eng) 72 71, F Lamare (Fra) 71 72, D Wettlaufer (Can) 74 69, J Nougues (Arg) 71 72, K Hinton (Eng) 73 70, P Scott (Eng) 73 70,
 144 M Bianco (Ita) 73 71, S McNally (Eng) 75 69, M Wharton (Eng) 70 74, D Westermark (Swe) 74 70, S East (am) (Eng) 72 72,
 145 K Spurgeon (Eng) 74 71, R Fish (Eng) 70 75, P Dahlberg (Swe) 76 69, C Grenier (Aut) 72 73, J Murphy (Eng) 73 72, G Marks (Eng) 75 70, P Martinez (Par) 74 71, J Sanchez (Mex) 73 72,
 147 P Parker (USA) 74 73, A Firman (Eng) 78 69, B White (Eng) 69 78, R Ellis (Eng) 74 73,
 148 B Conser (USA) 72 76, D Narveson (USA) 71 77, I Lyner (Eng) 73 75, Y Nilsson (Swe) 72 76, A Saddington (Sco) 76 72, T Cooper (am) (Eng) 77 71,
 149 K Hutton (Sco) 78 71, K Smith (Can) 75 74, M Reynard  (Eng) 78 71, J Berendt (Arg) 74 75, P Romero (Esp) 77 72,
 150 P Dugeny (Fra) 77 73, J Laforce (Can) 72 78, R Roper (Eng) 79 71, M Hallberg (Swe) 75 75, B James (USA) 77 73,
 151 P Gresswell (Eng) 76 75, J Davila (Esp) 78 73, S Bennett (Eng) 76 75,
 152 A George (Eng) 76 76, G Norquist (USA) 75 77, R Franco (Par) 76 76, D James (Sco) 79 73, D Pearce (Eng) 77 75,
 153 R Tlhabanyane (RSA) 79 74, T Söderberg (Swe) 75 78, D Ray (Eng) 75 78,
 154 R Adams (Eng) 76 78, F Grosset-Grange (Fra) 74 80,
 155 J Drummond (Eng) 74 81, G Milne (Eng) 76 79, M Belsham (Eng) 77 78, J Evans (Eng) 78 77, N Gold (am) (Sco) 77 78,
 156 J Lubieniecki (Pol) 79 77, M McLean (Eng) 81 75, M Deboub (Alg) 77 79, N Robson (am) (Sco) 79 77,
 157 N Terry (Eng) 80 77,
 159 A Mori (Ita) 77 82,
 160 D Berry (Eng) 81 79,
 162 A Jarrett (Eng) 82 80, T Tirkkonen (am) (Fin) 80 82,
 166 R Briars  (Eng) 82 84,
 C Milne (USA) 76 WD, K Tenmark (Swe) DQ  0,

EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS

ROOKIE ROBB FINISHES SEVENTH IN MOROCCO

Rookie Chris Robb, last year's Scottish amateur champion, today (Tues) achieved one of his best results since he turned pro - seventh in the German PGA Developmental Pro Golf Tour's Samanah Open at Marrakech, Morocco, writes Colin Farquharson.
Banchory-based Robb had rounds of 72, 71 and 71 for a two-under-par total of 214 - four shots behind the Germany winner, Martin Keskari.

A Meldrum House Golf Club member when he was an amateur, Robb, pictured, could have had a top-5 finish but for bogeys at the 14th and long 16th in an inward 37 on his final round.He had bogeyed the second and third but got ahead of the game with birdies at the short sixth and short eighth followed by an eagle 3 at the long ninth in an outward 34.
Ellon's Ross Cameron (71-76-73)and Aberdeen's David Law (71-77-72), both Paul Lawrie Golf Centre players, tied for 22nd place on 220.
Cameron had a double bogey 6 at the seventh hole in his final round.
Ted Innes Ker finished joint 39th on 224 after a final round of 79 which included an inward half of 43.
Surprise of the tournament was the final-round collapse of former British amateur champion Reinier Saxton. The Dutchman had rounds of 69, 68 and 76, dropping six shots to par over the closing holes, including a quadruple bogey 7 at the short 17th.
SAMANAH OPEN
Samanah CC, Marrakech, Morocco
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 216 (3x72)
210 M Keskari (Ger) 70 69 71
211 T Bakker (Fin) 72 67 72, P Mejow (Ger) 73 66 72
SELECTED TOTALS
213 R Saxton (Net) 69 68 76
214 C Robb (Sco) 72 71 71 (7th)
220 R Cameron (Sco) 71 76 73, D Law (Sco) 71 77 72 (T22)
224 T Innes Ker (Sco) 74 71 79 (T35).

PGA IN SCOTLAND ARRANGE WEEKLY FOUR-BALL 

EVENTS UP TO END OF APRIL

An attractive line-up of venues including Gleneagles has been teed up by The PGA in Scotland which has launched the inaugural Scotland’s Finest Four-Ball Series.

It began at Craigielaw on Monday when Graham Fox (Clydeway Golf) and West Lothian's Alan Reid triumphed and events will take place through to April.
Highlights include a trip to Crail (Balcomie Links) on February 23 where competitors will be sharing its 229th anniversary celebrations.
The series of events has been devised to offer competitive and sociable playing opportunities throughout the winter. 
Pictured is The PGA in Scotland chief executive Brian Mair.

DATES AND VENUES
February 9          Dundonald Links                           10am-12pm
February   16       Archerfield (Fidra)                        9am-11am
February 23          Crail (Balcomie Links)                  9am-11am  
March 2               Scotscraig GC                  9.30am-11.30am      
March 9               Fairmont St Andrews (Torrance)     9am-11am
March 16              Western Gailes                           9am-11am
March  23            Panmure                                    10am-12.00pm
March 30              Kingsbarns                                  9am-11am
April 6                  East Renfrewshire GC                 11.30am-1.30pm
April 13                The Dukes (St Andrews)                10am-11.50am
April 20                Carnoustie (Buddon Links)            9am-12.00pm
April 27                Gleneagles (PGA Centenary)     11.20am-2.10pm
Entry details and more information here.

N-E ALLIANCE TEE TIMES FOR MONTROSE 

TOMORROW

+There was no snow on the course as dusk fell today. Montrose Links secretary Claire Penman reports that it is "very cold" but the course, playing on winter greens, is open and playable.

 
8-15 C Cassie, P Morrison, B Harper, R Masson
8-23 A Smith, A Cambell, C Campbell, G Esson
8-31 J Douglas, S. McNeill
8-39 H Roulston, M Rendall, L Roger
8-47
8-55
 
9-03
9-11 A Benton, S Davidson, R Brown, M Brown
9-19 J Duff, M Winton, S Thompson, S Dillon
9-27 J Forrest, N Stewart, S Shand
9-35 W Beattie, L Duncan, K McGillivary, D Mackay
9-43 B Skene, J Scott, P Scott, M Murray
9-51 T Robertson, D Wright, B Lumsden, G McDonald
9-59 A Gall, L Vannet, I Clark, D Fleming
 
10-07
10-15
10-23
10-31 J Hopwood, Miss K Beveridge, K. Beveridge, Miss L Murray
10-39 D Lane, G Thom, D Townsley, N Forster
10-47 G Homer, D Leslie, W Shaw, H McNaughton
10-55 S Allison, G Mackie, I Taylor
 
11-03 J Duncan, G Milne, A Graham, D Nelson
11-11 J Borthwick, N K Parker
11-19 J Murray, F Bisset, D Bisset
11-27 J Nicolson, B Nicolson, S Mackie, G Allan
11-35 S Finnie, D McKay, C Duffus
11-43
11-51
11-59

SKY BUY EXCLUSIVE LIVE OPEN TV RIGHTS FROM 

2017 to 2021 ... AND ALSO 2019 WALKER CUP

SKY SPORTS NEWS RELEASE
Sky Sports will offer exclusively live coverage of The Open, thanks to a new five-year partnership with The R amd A announced today.
Sky Sports has been awarded the exclusive live rights to golf’s oldest Major from 2017, meaning viewers can enjoy a live golf schedule offering over 100 tournaments a year, including all four Majors, the Ryder Cup, European Tour and US PGA Tour.
Sky Sports will extend and enhance coverage of The Open, including live coverage of all four days’ play in their entirety across TV, online, mobile and tablet devices, allowing customers to watch wherever they are.
Both new and existing golf fans will benefit from this partnership, which will enable The R and A to make a ground-breaking investment in grassroots golf, and work with Sky Sports to excite and engage viewers through the innovative coverage.
The full schedule is available to those that subscribe to Sky Sports,  to existing Sky customers for as little as £24.50 a month and also to non-subscribers through NOW TV, the UK’s leading streaming service available on 60 devices, which offers access to all seven sport channels for £6.99 a day or through a week pass at £10.99.
The Open joins an unrivalled schedule of sport on Sky which also includes Barclays Premier League and international football, ICC and England Test match cricket, Formula 1, England rugby union, the Ryder Cup, Major golf and US Open tennis.
Barney Francis, Sky Sports Managing Director, said: 
“The Open is the world’s preeminent golf championship and we are committed to taking coverage of the event to new levels. We offer something for every sports fan and this exciting agreement for The Open means our customers can now enjoy all four Majors live.  
"Sky Sports has a passion for golf that has spanned two decades, offering unrivalled commitment, airtime and promotion as well as year-round innovative coverage.  We look forward to working with The R and A to entertain and engage new and existing golf fans through our multi-platform coverage and also at the grassroots level via Sky Academy.”
Peter Dawson, Chief Executive of The R and A, said: “We believe this is the best result for The Open and for golf.  The way people consume live sport is changing significantly and this new agreement ensures fans have a range of options for enjoying the Championship on television and through digital channels. 
"Sky Sports has an excellent track record in covering golf across its platforms and has become the home of live golf coverage over recent years.  We are very much looking forward to working with them to develop and enhance the coverage of The Open.”
The new rights agreement also offers Sky Sports viewers exclusively live coverage of The Walker Cup in 2019 at Royal Liverpool.
Golf coverage features on Sky Sports every week of the year and the studio’s golf analysis team, with some of the sport’s biggest names, and over 200 tournament wins and 43 Ryder Cup appearances between them, including Jack Nicklaus, Colin Montgomerie, Butch Harmon and Paul McGinley.1222222
Sky has pioneered golf innovations to continually develop the coverage and to bring fans closer to the sport, including showing all three days in full of The Ryder Cup, HD, 3D, interactive and multi-platform coverage, and more in-depth analysis through the Shot Centre and Sky Cart.

FROM THE R AND A NEWS RELEASE

The UK and Ireland’s leading sports broadcaster, Sky Sports, will provide all four days of The Open Championship exclusively live from 2017-2021

The BBC, the UK’s widest reaching free-to-air broadcaster will offer two-hour daily highlights in prime-time and live coverage on radio

THE JOHN HENRY INVITATIONAL 2015                     FRIDAY 21ST AUGUST
           CLYDEBANK and DISTRICT GOLF CLUB
 

                          £130 PER TEAM OF FOUR
 

(INCLUDES 18 HOLES, 2-COURSE MEAL, YELLOW BALL COMPETITION, NEAREST THE PINS, LONGEST DRIVE AND YOUR CHANCE TO BEAT JOHN HENRY AT THE 6TH HOLE)
 
ON THE DAY HOLE SPONSORSHIP AVAILABLE FROM £40  PER HOLE
 
CALL JOHN ON 07833918042 OR EMAIL johnhenry92@hotmail.com to enter a team or discuss hole sponsorship

TIGER WOODS DROPS TO 56th IN WORLD

For the first time in more than three years, Tiger Woods is outside of the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking, and he will have to improve soon to qualify to play the World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship on March 5.
Woods shot an 82 during the second round of the Phoenix Open Saturday, missing the cut after the worst score of his professional career.
Woods, ranked 56th, is expected to play two events before the deadline to qualify for the WGC-Cadillac Championship: The Farmers Insurance Open, where he has won eight times, and the Honda Classic.
Brooks Koepka jumped up 14 spots and into the top 20 at No. 19 after his first US PGA Tour win.
In unsurprising news, Rory McIlroy holds onto the top spot after winning the European Tour's Omega Dubai Desert Classic. McIlroy has been No. 1 continuously since July 2014.
Stephen Gallacher is top Scot at No 30.

UPDATED WORLD PRO RANKINGS
1 R McIlroy
2 H Stenson
3 B Watson
4 A Scott
5 J Rose
6 S Garcia
7 J Furyk
8 J Day
9 J Spieth
10 M Kuchar
11 M Kaymer
12 R Fowler
13 J Walker
14 H Matsuyama
15 V Dubuisson
16 P Reed
17 B Horschel
18 P Mickelson
19 B Koepka
SELECTED
26 J Dnaldson
30 L Westwood
31 S Gallacher
32 I Poulter
40 L Donald
50 M Warren

GLENEAGLES COMING ON MARKET AT £200million

FROM GOLF.COM'S NICK MENTA

The site of the U.S. Ryder Cup team's implosion last September and the European team's most recent success could soon be up for sale.

Diageo plc, the world's largest distiller, is looking to cash in on Gleneagles' recent worldwide exposure and has hired a real estate broker to handle a potential sale.
A company spokeswoman told Bloomberg that the company has fielded “numerous expressions of interest over the years and particularly since the Ryder Cup. ... We have a duty to consider such interest carefully.”
The Times of London, which first reported the news on January 31, estimated that the hotel and four-course golf club sitting on 850 Perthshire  acres could be worth £200 million ($300 million).
Included in Diageo's portfolio are the following well-known brands: Guinness, Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff, Captain Morgan, Crown Royal and Tanqueray - just to name a few.

PAUL HOWARD WINS NEW SOUTH WALES 

MATCH-PLAY TITLE AT 37th HOLE

Paul Howard (Southport and Ainsdale), winner of the South American amateur championship 13 months ago, has added another overseas title to his growing collection.

The Lancashire man won at the 37th hole in the two-round final against Australia's 18-year-ld David Micheluzzi.
Howard, pictured, was the No 2 seed, Micheluzzi, the 28th qualifier.

Paul finished T3 in last summer's St Andrews Links Trophy championship, only a shot behind the play-off participants.

The all-South Korean women's NSW final was won by Eun-Bin Lim who won by 2 and 1 over compatriot Eun Jeong Seong.

NEWS RELEASE FROM ENGLAND GOLF

England international Paul Howard produced a dramatic finish to win the New South Wales Amateur Championship in Australia on the 37th hole. The 24-year old trailed his Australian opponent over the closing holes at Avondale Golf Club but a crucial birdie, when he drove the green on the par-4 35th,  got him back on level terms. The 36th was halved in par before Howard clinched the win with a par on the 37th, after his opponent flew the green with his approach. “It was a golf grinder, a close match without many bogeys,” he said. “The turning point was driving the green on the 17th (the 35th hole of the match) to win the hole.” Howard, a member at Southport and Ainsdale Golf Club, Lancashire, adds this title to the South American Championship, which he won in 2014. His success provides a triumphant end to a five-week tour of Australia by a trio of England Golf players and he remarked: “It was nice to get a win after playing so well for the trip. Now, I’m looking forward to Spain and the European Nations Cup.” Howard, who was the number two seed, had a fight on his hands throughout the final. His 18-year-old opponent David Micheluzzi made a fast start and was two under after two – and two up. Howard’s own birdie on the fourth narrowed the gap and he was back on level terms after six holes. A further birdie on the ninth put him one up and he held that slender advantage until he conceded the 16th and then lost the 18th, to reach the halfway stage at one down. He was only to get ahead in the match once more – when he lifted the trophy on the 37th. Micheluzzi again set off in blistering style with birdies on 19 and 20 to get to three up. Howard answered with his own birdie on the 21st but, with seven holes to play, he was still trailing by two.  He won the 30th and 31st holes to square matters, but lost the next to a birdie to again fall behind. However, he made his vital move with his 35th hole birdie and before long had the trophy in his hands. The other members of the England Golf squad were English champion Nick Marsh (Huddersfield) and Brabazon Trophy winner Ben Stow (Rushmore).  Both qualified for the New South Wales match-play championship – but Marsh had the misfortune to meet Howard in the first round and Stow lost in the second. Earlier in the trip, Howard claimed fifth place in the Australian Master of the Amateurs at Royal Melbourne, signing off with a fourth round 66, which included six birdies on the back nine. Nick Marsh became the Australian Amateur Championship medallist (stroke-play leader)  at eight under par in the qualifying and all three reached the match-play stages.  Ben Stow also secured a top ten finish in the Lake Macquarie Amateur, finishing with a pair of 68s. All three will represent England Golf in the European Nations Cup in Spain, from 18-25 February, alongside double European champion Ashley Chesters (Hawkstone Park). Lyndsey Hewison Press Officer England Golf pr@englandgolf.org 07825 752 193 Web: www.englandgolf.org Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/EnglandGolf Facebook: www.facebook.com/EnglandGolf