PAUL LAWRIE GOLF CENTRE 

LADIES OPEN TEE TIMES

MURCAR LINKS: ROUND 1 - THURSDAY

12.00 Kiran Matharu (Cookridge Hall), Lisa Shervill (The Shropshire), Heather MacRae (Gleneagles)

12.10 Gemma Webster (Succession Group), Keely Chiericato (Manston Golf Centre), Sara Attwood (Gog Magog).
 
12.20 Nichola Ferguson (American Golf), Trish Johnson (The Wiltshire), Michele Thomson (Ellon)

12.30  Fiona  Wait (Bathgate) (am), Kirstin Scott (Gleneagles), Maria Tulley (Eastbourne Downs).

12.40 Gillian Paton (Royal Montrose) (am), Jane Turner (West Linton), Kelsey MacDonald (Carrick on Loch Lomond).

12.50 Becky Brewerton (The Wiltshire), Tracey Boyes (Corhampton), Lucy Goddard (Hanbury Manor).

01.00 Gabriella Cowley (Hanbury Manor), Alyson McKechin (Elderslie), Annabel Dimmock (Wentworth).

01.10 Jess Wilcox (Blankney), Rachel Drummond (Buckinghamshire), Emilee Taylor (Holmhall).

01.20 Laura Murray (Paul Lawrie GC), Chloe Rogers (Celtic Manor), Jorden Ferrie (Hilton Park).

+Friday's second-round tee times will start at 9.30am and depend on the first-round scores, i.e. the better scores will go out at the end of the field.

Total prizefund: £5,000
1st £2,250            6th £180
2nd £1,000           7th £125
3rd £650              8th £95
4th £325               9th £80
5th £225               10th £70

SPECTATORS WILL BE MADE VERY WELCOME. NO ADMISSION OR CAR PARKING CHARGE

 PGA IN SCOTLAND SENIOR MEN ALSO AT MURCAR

A PGA in Scotland one-round competition for senior PGA members (aged 45 and over)  is also being held at Murcar Links on Thursday when the small field includes former Ryder Cup player Ronan Rafferty.

They will tee off after the lady pros as follows:
1.40 Andrew Oldcorn (Kings Acre), Campbell Elliott (Haggs Castle).
1.50 Brian Marchbank (unatt), Craig Ronald (Carluke), Ken Hutton (Downfield).
2.0 Stephen Craig (Craig Golf), Craig Everett (Caldwell), F Mann (Carnoustie).
2.10 Stephen McAllister (S McAllister Golf ), Ronan Rafferty (Monte Rei), Lee Vannet (Craibstone).

Link to Spanish Gecko Tour Masters scores

CLICK HERE

LARGS PAIR WIN £800 PRIZE AT KINGSBARNS

The Largs pairing of Jason McCreadie and Paul Robinson won the first prize of £800 by beating 35 other partnerships with a five-under-par 67 to win today's PGA in Scotland four-ball, better-ball competition at Kingsbarns, Fife on a cold, windy day.
They birdied the sixth, eighth, ninth, 11th and 13th in bogey-free halves of 33 and 34.
Joint runners-up on 68 were Gordon Law (Uphall) and Craig Ronald (Carluke), plus the reunited pairing of Alan Reid (West Lothian) and Graham Fox (Clydeway Golf). Reid was a flu victim last week but Fox won with a substitute partner.
Both pairs won £537.
SCOREBOARD
Par 72
67 J McCreadie and P Robinson (Largs) (£800).
68 G Law (Uphall) and C Ronald (Carluke); A Reid (West Lothian) and G Fox (Clydeway Golf) (£537 each pair).
69 S Dunsmore and C Matheson (Falkirk Tryst); M Loftus (Mearns Castle) and S Payne (Cowglen); K McNicol and A Good (Gullane) (£283 each pair).
70 K Hutton and B Smith (Downfield), S Savage (Dalmuir) and C Everett (Caldwell); G Wright (West Linton) and N Huguet (Musselburgh); T Mathieson (Murcar Links) and G McBain (Paul Lawrie GC); C Billows (Gleneagles) and C Kelly (unatt).
71 P Wardell (North Berwick) and F Mann (Carnoustie); M McAllan (Elgin) and B Mason (Callaway Golf); R Rafferty (Monte Rei) and Brian Marchbank (unatt).
72 S Callan and L Gaughan (Bathgate); D Watt and S Herald (St Andrews Links GA), S Syme (Drumoig) and P Wytrazek (Burntisland); J Gallagher (Douglas Park) and N Cameron (Blairgowrie); S Gray (Hayston) and G Lister (Nairn Dunb ar)
73 P Brookes (Pitreavie) and P Jamieson (Dunblane New); C Tierney (Carrick on Loch Lomond) and G Roberts (Airdrie); R McConnachie (Peterculter) and R Clarke (Gamola Golf); B Cross and F Bonner (St Andrews Links GA)
74 I Colquhoun (Loch Lomond) and N Fenwick (Dunbar); J Hopwood and D Ross (Royal Aberdeen).
75 A McCandlish (Kingsbarns) and I Deacon (Loch Lomond); C Goodwin (Duff House Royal) and J Calan (Turriff).
77 I Howieson (Howieson GS) and G Leggat (Pitlochry); S Smith (Ladybank) and M Braidwood (CMA Europe); D Stein (Ranfurly Castle) and S  Binning (Mearns Castle); A Hutchison (Douglas Park) and O Robertson (Dunblane New); S Fay and G Dingwall (Royal Dornoch).
78 G Cook and C Robinson (Elie SC); S Craig (Craig Golf) and J Montgomery (Dunbar); P Edgecombe (Forrester Park) and C Fairweather (Kirkintilloch).
80 R Mitchell (Paul Lawrie GC) and M Thomson (Panmure)

St Andrews clubs have provided Scottish boys'

 championship finalists in four of past five years

FROM DAVID McPHERSON
Fife Golfing Association secretary
The Scottish boys' golf championship gets under way on Monday, April 6 in what is the traditional curtain-raiser to the season.
This year's tournament  heads back to Dunbar Golf Club where around 250 boys will vie for national honours.
There will be a healthy Fife contingent making the trip to East Lothian, with the New Club, St Andrews being the best represented and, along with Connor MacCallum from St Andrews GC, they will be hoping to keep up the good run as St Andrews clubs have provided finalists in four of the last five years.
Two of the brightest hopes have already progressed to round two, due to there being a slight shortfall in entries, but at least they will avoid each other - until the final - if things go their way. 
Niall McMullen from Lundin, who has the fourth lowest handicap in the field, lost out to Dunfermline's Ryan Brown in the fifth round last year and would relish a chance to redress the balance.
The first Fifer on the moss on Monday morning is the 2014 Order of Merit winner John Paterson from The New Club, and on Tuesday an alarm call will be needed for Cameron Steedman, who plays out of Mapperley Golf Club, England but is also a member of Thornton.
There is the prospect of an all-Fife clash in round two if Greg Cessford (Balbirnie) and Tom MacKenzie (Crail) can prevail in their opening encounters, and Sam Nicholson from Ladybank takes on one of the Marchbank golfing dynasty.
Let's hope the weather is kind, and we wish them all well.

David McPherson,
Hon. Secretary
Fife Golfing Association.

History Made as SGU Shareholders Vote Yes to 
Amalgamation with SLGA
 SGU NEWS RELEASE
A single unified national governing body for amateur golf in Scotland is to be created after the shareholders of Scottish Golf Union Limited (SGU), its 16 Area Golf Associations, today unanimously voted though the Proposal to amalgamate with the Scottish Ladies’ Golfing Association (SLGA).                                   
Following an historic 16-0 verdict delivered by the Area Golf Associations at an SGU Extraordinary General Meeting at the Stirling Court Hotel, the SGU and SLGA will amalgamate into a new company, to be called Scottish Golf Limited.
 The new company will come into existence on October 1, 2015.
In February, the Membership of the SLGA backed the Proposal to amalgamate with the SGU by a unanimous margin of 204 – 0 at their Annual General Meeting, before SGU affiliated clubs and eligible societies overwhelmingly backed the Proposal after voting 97% in favour in an independent poll.
Scotland’s leading male and female golfers, Stephen Gallacher and Catriona Matthew, also supported the plans to amalgamate the two governing bodies, with other partners and sponsors strongly in favour.
Speaking at the Stirling Court Hotel at the University of Stirling campus, SGU Chairman Tom Craig expressed his delight at the outcome of the EGM.
Craig said: “This is an historic day for Scottish amateur golf. I thank the SGU’s Area Golf Associations for their support in unanimously backing the Proposal and our affiliated clubs for showing confidence in the Proposal. I’d also like to thank Sheriff Alastair Thornton and all the other members of the Amalgamation Joint Working Group for their hard work
“We have enjoyed a close working relationship with the SLGA for many years and now look forward to working together as one organisation. The reality is that the SGU and SLGA are already working more closely than ever before so the transition to a single unified governing body should be fairly seamless.
“We can look to the future with excitement and optimism at the potential benefits amalgamation will bring, including providing greater leadership to our clubs and players, projecting golf as a modern, inclusive sport with a positive image to attract more players and attracting more resources into the sport from commercial sponsorship and government.
“It has been a long journey to reach this stage, but it was important that everyone had the chance to contribute to the amalgamation debate, so we could come forward with a good structure for the future of golf in Scotland.
“Our game faces many challenges. There’s a lot to do, but we now have the opportunity to build a positive future for golf and golf clubs in Scotland.”
Beth Paterson, SLGA Chairman, added: “We are delighted that both organisations have given their overwhelming support for amalgamation. This is a positive day for golf and a vital step forward for the game. Scottish Golf will now be able to focus on the main issues facing the game and take it positively into a new era.”

RICHIE RAMSAY NOW WORLD No 77

FROM BBC  SCOTLAND

Richie Ramsay admitted he was overcome with emotion as he put injury problems behind him to win his first European Tour event in three years.

The 31-year-old Scot recovered from dropping four shots in two holes in his final round to win the Trophee Hassan II in Morocco.
"I am pretty overwhelmed," he told BBC Sport. "It was obviously a rollercoaster day.
"It has been a long time coming as I've had a few injuries."
Ramsay, whose victory lifts him 51 places in the world rankings to 77, won the 2010 South African Open and the European Masters two years later.
But, in the last two seasons, he has been held back by neck, hip, ankle and shoulder injuries.
And this year he had made early exits in four of his five tournaments as well as withdrawing from the Dubai Desert Classic through illness.
This time, he thanked his physiotherapists at home and on the European Tour for helping him make it through all four rounds at Golf du Palais Royal.
"Saturday morning, I was struggling a bit," said Ramsay while revealing a rekindled romance with the sport.
"I just had so much fun out there. Coming down the last, all I could think of was hitting a good shot.
"Mentally, it was brilliant. I saw each shot and just went to execute it.
"That's what I love to do and you're not going to be able to take the grin off my face for a while."

Aberdeen's Richie Ramsay has been a European Tour member since 2009

Ramsay started Sunday's final round tied for the lead with compatriot Andrew McArthur and Frenchman Romain Wattel.
He ended it one stroke ahead of Wattel despite a triple-bogey six on the front nine in a closing 69, while McArthur fell back with a 77.
"I knew the back nine was scoreable and I've been around enough to know what you have to do," said Ramsay when asked how he managed to recover after relinquishing the lead.
"You have to trick your brain into thinking that everything's going pretty well and that's what I did.
"There's lots of different stuff we chat about and it keeps my mind off it and when I'm hitting the golf shot I'm very focused.
UPDATED WORLD RANKINGS
1 Rory McIlroy
2 Henrik Stenson
3 Bubba Watson
4 Jordan Spieth
5 Jason Day
6 Adam Scott
7 Dustin Johnson
8 Sergio Garcia
9 Jim Furyk
10 Jimmy Walker
11 Justin Rose
12 Rickie Fowler
13 Martin Kaymer
14 Matt Kuchar
16 Hideki Matsuyama
17 Billy Horschel
18 Victor Dubuisson
19 Brooks Koepka
20 J B Holmes.

Greg Dalziel best at Strathtyrum
 
FROM WALTER BURNS
Here are the results from the Scottish Junior Golf Tour event at St Andrews yesterday on the Strathtyrum course. It was the second of our 9:9 Golf events where only your best nine holes count – you forget about the bad ones! 
9:9 Golf allows you to play with absolute freedom and go for every shot; it is a very attacking game and you need a lot of birdies to win. Greg Dalziel had the best score of the day with his three birdies in his best 9 score of 29.
Connor McKinney had a two-under 30 to win the U14 section. The rapidly improving Aamar Saleem won the U12 section again with 32 which was equalled by Cameron Johnstone.
The new 9:9 format has been devised to make the juniors aware of their best performance state and show them what they are really capable of when playing with freedom. 
9:9 also raises the enjoyment level from that normally seen in junior stroke-play events. Judging by their reactions it certainly seemed to rise by at least 10 degrees on the “Happy” scale.
I compared the scores with the last time the boys played Strathtyrum and they had improved by an average of nearly eight shots when you include all 18 holes. No one had a poorer performance.
 Leading Scores
 Under 16yrs
 29 Greg Dalziel (Airdrie); 31 Aidan Smith (Edzell), Ian Taggart (Lenzie), Jack Williams (Sandyhills); 33 Euan English (Erskine) Under 14yrs
30 Connor McKinney (Pitreavie); 31 Roddy McCauley (Fereneze); 32 Ross Barclay (Carnoustie); 33 Scott Souter (Elie).
 Under 12yrs
32 Cameron Johnstone (Troon Welbeck), Aamar Saleem (Ladybank); 34 George Cannon (Falkirk); 35 James Gray (Colville Park), Rory McKinney (Pitreavie).
The handicap prize was won by Scott Hasell (Strathendrick) with a nett 24. Craig Jackman (Dunblane) won the putting skills competition. 
Congratulations to Will Porter, our 2014 champion, for jointly winning the SGU Junior Tour event at Longniddry yesterday. 
 Walter Burns
 Scottish Junior Golf Tour 
 Mob: 07951 103 827
 Email: walter@scottishjuniorgolftour.co.uk 
 Web: www.scottishjuniorgolftour.co.uk

Monty earns $70,000 for T5 finish
 
Colin Montgomerie finished three shots behind winner David Frost (South Africa) in the Champions Tour's Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic. 
The Scot, who earned $70,000 for his tied fifth finish, had rounds of 67, 72 and70 for seven-under 209.]
Frost shot 68, 70 and 68 for 10-under 206.
He won by one shot from joint runners-up Kevin Sutherland (68-667-72) and Tom Lehman (71-66-70). 
Sandy Lyle earned S4,829 for a T47 finish with scores of 76, 73 and 73 for 222.

FROST WINS DESPITE LATE PENALTY

FROM CBS SPORTS.COM
SAUCIER, Mississippi . -- David Frost survived a one-stroke penalty on the par-3 17th and won the Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic on Sunday when Tom Lehman missed a 4-foot birdie putt on the last hole.
The 55-year-old South African finished with a 4-under 68 at Fallen Oak for a one-stroke victory against 2011 winner Lehman and second-round leader Kevin Sutherland.

Champions Tour

 

Final scores, earnings

Frost was penalized after the coin marking his ball on the green moved when he accidentally dropped the ball on it. That left him with a bogey and cut his lead to a stroke.
"I marked the ball and as I picked it up, the ball just kind of slipped out of my hand, hit the coin and moved it," Frost said. "I knew exactly where it was and I just moved it back and didn't think there was a penalty at all because I knew exactly where it was.
"There is some kind of rule that says in the act of marking the ball if you drop your coin. They told me I dropped the ball, which is an act of negligence and had to incur a one-stroke penalty. I was like, 'You've got to be kidding me. Last year disqualified and this year a one-shot penalty.'
"It was frustrating. You play by the rules and luckily for me in the end it didn't make any different and I'm happy Lehman didn't beat me in a playoff."
Frost, disqualified last year for moving a stone in a bunker, made a testy-5-footer for par on the final hole to get to 10-under 206, then waited as Lehman missed virtually the same putt for birdie.
"I guess, just misread it," Lehman said about the putt that slipped by the right edge of the cup. "I thought I hit a good putt. It certainly it didn't do what I thought it was going to do. I thought it was going to break left and it didn't."
After playing the front nine in 1 under with a bogey and two birdies, Frost birdied Nos. 11-13 to take the lead and made another birdie on No. 15.
"Every victory you do accomplish holds a special place," Frost said. "This is a very special victory for me."
Lehman closed with a 70, and Sutherland had a 72.
Joe Durant was fourth at 8 under after a 69. Hall of Famer Colin Montgomerie and Woody Austin each shot 70s to finish at 7 under.

Casey, Lahiri, Wiesberger, Grace for Masters

 

FROM GOLF.COM

By Nick Menta

Four players - Anirban Lahiri, Bernd Wiesberger, Branden Grace and Paul Casey- punched their ticket to the Masters on Sunday by virtue of their position in the Official World Golf Ranking.
The top 50 in the rankings the week before the Masters earn invitations to Augusta National, and the four aforementioned names were the only ones in the top 50 who weren't already qualified.
Lahiri, No. 33, has won twice this year on the European Tour at the Maybank Malaysian Open and the Hero Indian Open. He'll be competing in his first Masters.
Grace, No. 41, won in January at the Qatar Masters and will be making his third trip to Augusta, following a T-18 in 2013 and a missed cut in 2014.
Wiesberger, No. 42, became known to American audiences last year with his impressive showing at the US PGA Championship, ending in a T-15 finish. The first Austrian to ever compete in a U.S. Open when he missed the cut last year at Pinehurst, he'll also be competing in his first Masters.
Casey, No. 48 and a long-time European Tour stalwart, made the commitment to play the US PGA Tour full-time this year. He nearly broke through for his first Tour victory since 2009 when he lost a playoff back in February at Riviera. He's headed back to Augusta for the first time since 2012. In eight Masters appearances, he's notched two top-10s, a T-6 in 2004 and a T-10 in 2007.
Non-invitee bubble boys who failed to crack the top 50 include No. 51 Marc Warren, No. 53 Harris English, No. 57 Alexander Levy and No. 58 Andy Sullivan.
The Masters field is now up to 99 players. Should the winner of next week's Shell Houston Open earn a berth and should Tiger Woods announce he's playing, the field could expand to 101. It would be the first time the Masters has started with a triple-digit field since 1966.

Angus and Fife draw Provan Salver opener

 Angus and Fife drew their opening men's Provan Salver match 4-4 at Panmure.

 P and K lead table after first series, having beaten Clackmannan 6.5-1.5 at Blairgowrie.

Angus names first:

Dan Lawrence halved with Connor Syme (Drumoig)

Will Bremner bt Ben Kinsley (St Andrews) 2 and 1.

Gary Tough bt Ally Hain (St Andrews) 6 and 5.

Chris Hutcheon bt Stevie Aitken (Leven GS) 2 and 1.

Danny Elder lost to Greg Forrester (Lundin) 1 hole.

Graham Bell lost to Ryan Walsh (Kirkcaldy) 4 and 2.

Stewart Smith halved with Kevin Blyth (Lundin)

Raymod Perry lost to Alex Moir (Thornton) 1 hole

April 5
Clackmannan v Angus 
Perth and Kinross v Fife (at Pitlochry)