Dufners to divorce - she will receive $2.5million
Jason Dufner and his wife Amanda have filed for divorce, according to a Tuesday report from Golf Channel.
Citing court documents, Golf Channel reported that the Dufners, who married in May 2012, separated on February 17 and Amanda Dufner filed a divorce settlement on March 16. A Jefferson County, Ala., judge is expected to make a final ruling in April.
In the settlement, the Dufners cited an "irretrievable breakdown of the marriage" and "a complete incompatibility of temperament that the parties can no longer live together." 
Amanda Dufner will receive $2.5 million, according to the Golf Channel report, while Jason Dufner will keep the couple's two houses in Auburn, Alabama
Dufner missed the cut last week at the Valero Texas Open, his third missed cut in eight starts this season. His best finish was a T-10 at the WGC-HSBC Champions in November.

Walker follows Stenson exit from Houston Open 

First, Henrik Stenson pulled out of the Shell Houston Open with the flu. Now, Jimmy Walker has withdrawn from this week's tournament at the Golf Club at Houston, citing illness.
Walker won the Valero Texas Open on Sunday for his second US PGA Tour victory of the season. He then made a practice trip to Augusta National on Monday to prepare for next week's Masters. A day later, he officially withdrew from the Houston field, saying he had been laid low by a bout of flu.

North Spring Opens round-up

Darren Hexley robbed of victory by weather 

FROM ROBIN WILSON
Brora and Golspie's scheduled double-header Kincraig-sponsored Spring 18-hole events at the weekend turned into a single round at Brora on Sunday, due to non-Spring-like weather hitting Golspie on Saturday.
Golspie-born left hander Darren Hexley, a greenkeeper on Inverness's Torvean golf course, travelled up early from his Inverness home on Saturday and by lunch time had posted a gross 71 over his early years' golf course by the time the wind strengthened. 
By mid-day Hexley's card looked a safe winning score but by early afternoon competitors began to walk off the course finding the ever increasing gale conditions impossible to play in.
Shortly afterwards the competition was abandoned and all the competitors called from the course for Hexley's scratch win to be denied.
Next day it was the turn of Brora Golf Club and again Hexley was an early starter in the field of 68 and he was the early scratch leader in the clubhouse with a repeat 71.
 He got his card under way with two opening birdies and with boges at the third, fifth and seventh holes he turned for home in one over-par 36. Nine strait par figures followed on the inward nine and his 71 stood until later matched by the local head greenkeeper, James MacBeath.
MacBeath found himself having to make up ground on the leader after an opening bogey 5 but with a birdie at the fourth hole to cancel that out he was in the lead with a level level par outward count of 35. 
Wedged between a birdie on the par five 11th hole, MacBeath dropped shots to par on the 10th and 12th holes before signing off for an inward 36. On the card play-off against Hexley this inward score relegated MacBeath to second behind the Golspie member.
Local secretary Tony Gill, with halves of 36 and 37, had the third best scratch score from four handicap into a three-way  net tie on 69. 
Gill won this card play-off ahead of David Walker (Dunkeld and Birnham) 76 (7) 69 and local Daniel Norrie 80 (11) 69 to take first place in the low handicap section.
In Class 2 Frazer Gillespie (The Nairn) headed his section with a net 65, off 14, ahead of another Spring visitor, Andrew Kinnes (Panmure) whose net 70, off 17, was blighted by a quadruple bogey on the 12th hole. 
Local Mike Howells was two strokes further back with net 72, off 14.
With Gill's elevation to first handicap voucher, the third scratch voucher went to Royal Aberdeen's Stewart Finnie with a gross 74. From an entry of only five in the women's competition Finnie's wife Michelle was runner up behind the Brora women's captain, Anne Clarke whose net 75, off 16, led Mrs Finnie a nett 77, off 12.

Cameron has repeat win at Tain.

From a high quality field of low handicap golfers at Tain Golf Club last Sunday Fortrose and Rosemarkie's Alan Cameron repeated his scratch first place from the same event 12 months ago as the hosts launched their 2015 summer season of open fixtures.
The entry of 134 included four players carrying +1 rated handicaps, local members Munro Ferries and Dougie Thorburn, Inverness's David Joel and Cameron. 
Cameron rose above them all o a new handicap of +2 after returning a three under par card of 67. His new rating guarantees his entry into the Scottish amateur stroke-play championship later in the season which is being played at Moray Golf Club, Lossiemouth.
Cameron had bookended birdies at the first and 18th holes on his card of 67 (34-33). After an elusive birdie 3 on the Alps hole (11th) he also reached the par five 13th green in two shots to move to three under par but then gave a shot back with a three putts on the undulating 15th green before his closing birdie.
Thorburn, the 2014 North District champion, will be joining Cameron in the North team of six for the forthcoming Scottish area team championship at Blairgowrie (May 15 to 17). With much less golf played than Cameron over the past six months, the member from Caithness still showed he has held his 2014 form with two halves of 35 for 70.
Local Bill Ferries, 37 and 35, and Inverness's Joel 35 and 37 shared third place on 72 but the higher placing went to the local member for his better inward half.
Three local members topped the Class 1 Handicap section - Stewart Greig (12) 66, John Bell (12) 68 and Rob Hudson (9) 68.  In Class 2 another local won followed up by two visitors - Michael Brown (17) 65, Neil Jaffrey (Fortrose and Rosemarkie) (14) 73 and Phil Woods (Walton Hall) (16) also 73.
Tain's handicap winners in Class 1 were all local members: Stewart Greig (12) 66, John Bell (12) 68 and Rob Hudson (9) 68.  Class 2 – Michael Brown (Tain) (17) 65, Neil Jaffrey (Fortrose and Rosemarkie) (14) 73 and Phil Woods (Walton Hall) (16) also 73. 

Scottish universities championships on kirkwoodgolf

For news from the Scottish Universities championships at windswept Lossiemouth switch over to our sister website, www.kirkwoodgolf.co.uk

SCOTS LEAD WAY ON A WINDY DAY AT SLALEY HALL

IN EUROPRO TOUR Q SCHOOL STAGE ONE 

Scots James Steven (Bothwell Castle) and rookie pro Scott Borrowman (unatt) share the lead on four-over-par 76 after a day of high winds and rain at Slaley Hall near Hexham, one of the five venues for the 36-hole EuroPro Tour Stage 1 eliminators today (Tuesday). 
Steven even had a triple bogey 8 on his card while Borrowman could eke out only one birdie. Only the leading 33 after 36 holes will advance from Slaley Hall to next week's final stage at Frilford Heath, Oxfordshire. 
Newmachar amateur John Duff and Philip McLean (Paul Lawrie GC) finished the day in joint eighth position despite returning seven-over-par 79s. Also on that mark is former Dunbar amateur Danny Kay (Renaissance).
But it was not so good news for other North-east competitors. Portlethen's Sam Kiloh (Paul Lawrie GC) had an 85 and is T46 - remember only the leading 33 will go forward after another round - whjile Kevin Duncan (Cruden Bay) is a shot worse off on 86 and T53.
Sam Macneil (Aboyne) looks well out of it after a 95 for joint 69th place.
Remember all these competitors over the five venues had paid something like £275 entry fee and had to pay a fee to join the PGA on top of that, whether they qualify or not.
 

 PGA EUROPRO TOUR QUALIFYING SCHOOL Stage 1
 SLALEY HALL, HEXHAM
 Leading first-round scores
Par 72 
76 J Steven (Bothwell Castle), S Borrowman (unatt)
77 J Thomson (Lindrick), G O'Neill (unatt), A Cryer (West End).
78 C Marr (Musselburgh), C Sutherland (Cherry Lodge) 
79 K Gray (Slaley Hall), D Kay (Renaissance), R Crowe (Westerhope), P McLean (Paul Lawrie GC), J Duff (Newmachar) (am), G Winstanley (Town Moor), A Sagar (San Roque). 

OTHER SCOTS:
80 C Smith (Royal Musselburgh), C Lutton (Active Sports) (T15)
81 M Stewart (Troon Welbeck) (T20) 
82 G Hay (Nairn Dunbar), M Patterson (Kilmacolm), I Redford (St Andrews New), A Culverwell (Dunbar) (am) (T27) 
83 N Huguet (Musselburgh) (T34) 
84 L Gaughan (Bathgate), M Stokes (Cawder) (T40) 
85 J Hogg (Kingsbarns),J Gallagher (Duddingston), S Kiloh (Paul Lawrie GC), B Craggs (unatt) (T46)
86 J Dick (Duddingston), K Duncan (Cruden Bay), B Alexander (Renaissance) (T53) 
87 G Forbes (Greenock) (T58) 
90 C McMaster (Panmure), C Baird (Bothwell Castle) (T66)
95 S Macneil (Aboyne) (T69).

Save the Children mixed foursomes 
 

NEWS RELEASE
Save the Children will be celebrating our 33rd Annual Mixed Foursomes Golf Tournament on September 8, 2015 with many clubs from across Scotland involved. 

It’s a fun event and the golfers always enjoy the day playing for a good cause. 

Save the Children are keen to involve new clubs. If you are interested in taking part and supporting the work of Save the Children and raising money for vulnerable children around the world, then please get in touch with organiser Louise Fiermonte on 07786 981 176 or l.fiermonte@savethechildren.org.uk for further information.



Louise Fiermonte
Volunteer Golf Coordinator
Community Fundraising
2nd Floor, Prospect House, 5 Thistle Street, Edinburgh, EH2 1DF
T: 07786 981176

Email: l.fiermonte@savethechildren.org.uk
for more information please visit www.savethechildren.org.uk