Senior Northern Counties Cup 2014 finalists 

through to last 8 again in bad weather at Inverness

Duff House Royal 1 and Royal Aberdeen 1, last year's finalists, are through to the last eight of the Senior Northern Counties' mens double foursomes match-play tournament which opened in atrocious, wet and cold conditions at Inverness Golf Club today

The Banff men beat Muir of Ord by five holes.

It was commented more than once that it felt like a Winter Alliance rather than a late May tournament because of the

chilling conditions.

Nineteen teams braved the weather

Royal Aberdeen 1, runners-up last year, are also through to the last eight after squeezing past Aberdeen rivals Deeside by one hole.
Nairn 1 received a bye into the quarter-finals as Moray could not field a No. 2 team

RESULTS

FIRST ROUND

Nairn Dunbar 2 bt Fortrose and Rosemarkie by 8 holes

(J Gibson, D Roy 2, W Donnelly, A Tait, 0; H Bunker, I Fraser 6, M McArthur, S Robertson 0)

Inverness 1 bt Royal Aberdeen 2 by 7 holes

(L Chancellor, S Barron 2, D Walker, J Davies 0; H Urquhart, J Elliott 5, R Haites, K Anderson 0)

Cruden Bay bt Inverness 2 by 9 holes

(A Gauld, M Forster 4, P Sinclair, W Boardman 0; J Cooper, W Livingston 5, G Fyfe, D MacKay 0)

Forres bt Torvean by 2 holes

( G MacKay, T Fleetham 0, G Grant, D Milligan 2; J Wheeler, N Parsons 4, A Finlay, T Wilson0)

Duff House Royal 2 bt Royal Dornoch 1 by 3 holes 

(J Sim, A Cruickshank 2, D Pearson, E Millard 0; A Alexander, G Kelly 1, P Lee, G Sutherland 0)

SECOND ROUND

Duff House Royal 1 bt Muir of Ord by 5 holes 

(M Jenkins, I Angus 6, S Rose, G Stuart 0; A Kennedy, D Clark 0, C MacMillan, K McGruer 1)

Turriff 1 bt Nairn Dunbar by 2 holes

(A J Smith, K Minty 3, H Clunas, K Campbell 0; E Duguid, AP Smith 0, D Bunker, I Duncan 1)

 

Moray bt Nairn Dunbar by 8 holes

(M J Dean, J McLeod 4, J Gibson, D Roy 0, D Edwards, J McPherson 4, H Bunker, I Fraser 0)

Inverness 1 bt Cruden Bay by 6 holes

(L Chancellor, S Barron 5, A Gauld, M Forster 0; H Urquhart, J Elliott 1, J Cooper, W Livingston 0)

Elgin bt Forres by 2 holes

(J Porter, B C Milne 2, G MacKay, T Fleetham 0; C C MacDonald, B Inch 0, J Wheeler, N Parsons 0)

Duff House Royal 2 bt  Nairn 2 by 7 holes 

(J Sim, A Cruickshank 4, K Loades, J Taylor; A Alexander, G Kelly 3, I Cooper, A Adam)

Royal Aberdeen 1 bt Deeside by 1 hole

(Ian Donald, Jim Emslie 1, David Bisset, R Bickerton 0; John Johnston, W Methven 0, G Patterson, D Gray 0)

Nairn 1 w.o. Moray 2 scr

Friday tee times at Moray Old Course, Lossiemouth

CARRICK NEILL SCOTTISH MEN'S OPEN AMATEUR 

72-hole STROKE-PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP

07:00
MILNE, Jordan     Elgin Golf Club
BUNCH, James     Prestwick Golf Club
CLARK, Matthew   Kilmacolm Golf Club
07:10
FERGUSON, Ewen          Bearsden Golf Club
SHARVIN, Cormac          Ardglass Golf Club
FOTHERINGHAM, Bryan  Inverness Golf Club
07:20
HENDRY, Daniel      Emirates Golf Club
MACANDREW, Nick  Royal Aberdeen Golf Club
CAMERON, Allan      Fortrose and Rosemarkie Golf Club
07:30
MURDACA, Anthony     Grange Golf Club
ROBERTSON, Graeme  Glenbervie Golf Club
TURNER, Ashton          Kenwick Park Golf Club
07:40
FRICKER, Leon       Yelverton Golf Club
EDMOND, Barrie     Bon Accord Golf Club
HOULDING, David  Moortown Golf Club
07:50
PORTER, Will         Carnoustie Golf Club
KINNEAR, Paul       Formby Golf Club
FLOYDD, Jack        Haywards Heath Golf Club
08:00
MacNEAL, Charlie            Prestwick Golf Club
CULVERWELL, Alexander  Dunbar Golf Club
HILL, Calum                    Tantallon Golf Club
08.10
EGGENBERGER, Mathias   Bad Ragaz Golf Club, Switzerland
KINSLEY, Ben                     St Andrews Golf Club
BEASLEY, Tom                   Hunstanton Golf Club
08:20
NAYSMITH, Murray          Marriott Dalmahoy Hotel
BAIRD, Colin                   Bothwell Castle Golf Club
WHITEOAK, William         Shipley Golf Club
08:30
HUME, Barry                   Haggs Castle Golf Club
LUMSDEN, Ryan              Royal Wimbledon Golf Club
ROBERTS, Oliver              Hong Kong
08:40
ITEN, Marco                    Golfclub Rheinblick, Switzerland
SYME, Connor                  Drumoig Golf Club
MARSH, Nick                    Huddersfield Golf Club
08:50
HAIN, Alister                    St Andrews Golf Club
BUSH, Jack                       Morlais Castle Golf Club
LUDOVIC, Dunand          Garden Golf St-Germain/Corbeil
09:10
WILSON, James               Balmore Golf Club
McNEILL, Duncan             Powfoot Golf Club
HOLLAND, Daniel             Castle Golf Club
09:20
THURLOW, Alastair           Murrayfield Golf Club
TREW, Gaelen                  Wentworth Golf Club
MASON, Ashley                 Glen Gorse Golf Club
09:30
WILSON, Alexander           Portmarnock Golf Club
MORRISON, David             Duff House Royal Golf Club
GALE, Daniel                     Castle Hill CC
09:40
GIBSON, Scott                  Southerness Golf Club
EVANS, Gareth Neil            Wrexham Golf Club
MacLEAN, Chris                 Balmore Golf Club Ltd
09:50
JORDAN, Matthew               Royal Liverpool Golf Club
SCOTT, Sandy                     Nairn Golf Club
PRICE, Grant                       Paxton Park Golf Course
10:00
NEWTON, James                  Prestbury Golf Club
MULLINS, Patrick                 Whitchurch (Cardiff) Golf Club
PERRY, Guy                          Rolling Hills Golf Club
10:10
MATTHEWS, Llew               Southerndown Golf Club
TODD, Henry                       Trophy Club CC
JOHNSTON, James                Ayr Belleisle Golf Club
10:20
DICK, Jamie                        Forest Hills Golf Club (Gloucestershire)
BAIN, Ryan                         Moray Golf Club
MARCHBANK, Greig              Thornhill Golf Club
10:30
MATHERS, John                    Haggs Castle Golf Club
CAMPBELL, Ryan                  Falkirk Golf Club
HOWIE, Craig                      Peebles Golf Club
10:40
SPENCE, Stephen                 Royal Troon Golf Club
CARR, Oliver                       Heswall Golf Club
AITKEN, James                    Dollar Golf Club
10:50
DAY, Kiran                          Cottesloe Golf Club
POPPLETON, Nick                 Wath Golf Club
DAVREN, Fraser                   Williamwood Golf Club
11:00
BRUCE, Callum                    Duff House Royal Golf Club
ATTIEH, Khaled                    Dirab Golf Club
MOORE, Fraser                     Glenbervie Golf Club
11:20
FOTHERINGHAM, Fraser         Nairn Golf Club
MACKAY, Callum                   Windlesham Golf Club
LAWRENCE, Dan                   Ballumbie Castle Golf Club
11:30
BROWN, Daniel                    Bedale Golf Club
LOW, Christopher                  Tantallon Golf Clu1
PENNYCOTT, Malcolm         Whiting Bay Golf Club, Arran
11:40
LOYPUR, D J                          Heritage G&CC
WRIGHT, Jeff                        Forres Golf Club
ECCLES, Benjamin                 Victoria Golf Club
11:50
WATSON, Darren                  Cruden Bay Golf Club
HOWARD, Michael                Royal Birkdale Golf Club
EDWARDS, Owen                  Monmouthshire Golf Club
12:00
MIST, Jamie                         Hayling Golf Club
MACLEMAN, Malcolm             Moray Golf Club
SMAIL, Greg                         Craigielaw Golf Club
12:10
SHAW, Jordan                      Boat of Garten Golf Club
PIRIE, Craig                         Millport Golf Club
McCORMICK, James              Styal Golf Club
12:20
SAVAGE, Jamie                    Cawder Golf Club
GRANT, Scott                       Downfield Golf Club
DE VRIES, Michael               St Andrews New Golf Club
12:30
LIST, Daniel                        Wentworth Golf Club
McLAREN, Stuart                  Bruntsfield Links G S Ltd
BURGESS, Sean                   Nairn Golf Club
12:40
SMYTH, Michael                  Royal Troon Golf Club1
BREWSTER, Ben                  Bawtry Golf Club
MITCHELL, David                Leven Thistle Golf Club
12:50
EASTON, Stuart                  Irvine Golf Club
REID, Barry                        Caledonian Golf Club
JOHNSTON, Liam                 Dumfries and County Golf Club
13:00
BURLISON, Robert               Oxley Park Golf Club
STOREY, Jake                      Alnmouth Golf Club
HULSTON, Darren                Dollar Golf Club
13:10
TOMLINSON, Henry              Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club
BURGESS, Andrew               Nairn Golf Club
13:10
GODSMAN, Kyle                  Moray Golf Club
ALLAN, Lawrence                Alva Golf Club
13:30
CHAPMAN, Adam               Windermere Golf Club
DAVIDSON, Andrew           Charleton Golf & Country Club
13:40
McDONALD, Jack               Kilmarnock (Barassie) Golf Club
PENGE, Marco                   Golf at Goodwood Golf Club
YOUNG, Daniel                  Craigie Hill Golf Club
13:50
ROBINS, Steven                 Hull Golf Club
CHISNALL, Ryan                Greenacres Golf Club
INNES, Bryan A                 Murcar Links Golf Club
14:00
EDGAR, Colin                     Cochrane Castle Golf Club
KEDOCHIM, Benjamin         Golf de Biarritz
ELDER, D                             Carnoustie Golf Club
14:10
SCHONEWILLE, Andrew       Yarra Yarra Golf Club
SHAW, Cameron                       Chevin Golf Club
SMITH, Craig                           Fulford Golf Club
14:20
DUNTON, Adam                 McDonald Golf Club, Ellon
BLANEY, Anthony               Liberton Golf Club
HERBERT, Lucas                Commonwealth Golf Club
14:30
COLETTA, Brett              Sandhurst Club
WATSON, Tom                Fancourt Golf Club
JAMES, Henry                Kidderminster Golf Club
14:40
YULE, Jack                    Middleton Hall Golf Club
CAIRNIE, Duncan           Carnoustie Caledonia Golf Club
McCABE, Bryce               Glendower Golf Club
14:50
WILSON, David           Troon Welbeck Golf Club
FISHER, Adam           Newmachar Golf Club
THOMSON, Jonathan  Lindrick Golf Club
15:00
PLATRET, Nicolas      Biarritz Golf Club
ROBERTSON, Scott   Hazlehead Golf Club
GODWARD, John      Cruden Bay Golf Club
15:10
CALDOW, Bruce        Kilmarnock (Barassie) Golf Club
ROSS, Craig              Kirkhill Golf Club
SLOMAN, Tom           Taunton and  Pickeridge Golf Club
15:20
MERRY, Jack              Birstall Golf Club
FYFE, Calum              Cawder Golf Club
BOEGEL, Maximilian   Golf Club St Leon-Rot

 Els agrees Wentworth greens need replacing

Ernie Els has pledged to help make Wentworth the "Augusta of Europe" following criticism of the greens during last week's BMW PGA Championship.

Justin Rose and Luke Donald were among the players to voice dissatisfaction with the putting surfaces for the European Tour's flagship event , with two-time winner Donald suggesting they needed replacing for the second time in six years.
"It's a fair comment. I think the greens weren't up to scratch, especially the first three days of the tournament," said Els, who oversaw a controversial redesign of the course in 2009.

Irish Open a sell-out at Royal County Down

The European Tour has announced that spectators' tickets for this week's Dubai Duty Free Irish Open hosted by the Rory Foundation at Royal County Down Golf Club, Newcastle inNorthern Ireland, starting tomorrow (Thursday),  have now sold out.
Golf fans have been urged not to turn up at the gate without a ticket now that the tournament has replicated the success of 2012, when the same tournament at Royal Portrush Golf Club became the first European Tour event to sell out in advance.
Whilst more than 90 per cent of spectators at Royal Portrush were residents of Northern Ireland, one third of ticket sales for this year’s Irish Open have been to visitors.
A breakdown of sales figures has revealed that 28 per cent of spectators will make the trip north from the Republic of Ireland, with 4 per cent from GB and one per cent from the rest of the world, leaving 67 per cent of spectators from Northern Ireland.
The news does not come as a surprise, with World Number One Rory McIlroy having used his own personal influence to attract a star-studded international field that includes many of the world’s best golfers including Sergio Garcia, Rickie Fowler, Ernie Els, Lee Westwood, Graeme McDowell, Luke Donald, Martin Kaymer, Darren Clarke, Miguel Angel Jiménez, Padraig Harrington, Shane Lowry, George Coetzee, Paul Lawrie, and many more.

Ted sparkles in Austria despite early setback

Ted Innes-Ker, the Duke of Roxburghe's son, regained his form to shoot a one-under-par 71 despite a double bogey 5 at the short fourth, in this week's German PGA Developmental Tour event, the Haugschlag Open in Austria

Ted, pictured, birdied the fifth, short eighth, 12th, 13th and 15th to finish the round in joint 26th position.

Fellow Scots Chris Robb (Meldrum House) and Philip McLean (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) both returned 75s to be joint 73rd in a field of 128.

Joel Girrbach (Switzerland) leads the 54-hole event with a seven-under-par 65.

P and H CHAMPIONSHIP Final Totals

Robinson Cruises to biggest win of career

Skelmorlie-based Paul Robinson scored the biggest win and collected the biggest cheque, £6,000, of his six-year professional career today, writes Colin Farquharson

The 26-year-old tour pro, pictured right with the trophy, at Largs Golf Club, led from start to finish over the 54 holes at The Renaissance Club, East Lothian to win the P and H Championship by four strokes with a five-under-par total of 206 over the par-71 course.
His boss at Largs, Andy Fullen, said: "The hard work he did during the winter with coach Ross Aitken has paid off for Paul. He deserves it for his dedication. Paul won the Cawder pro-am and the Scottish better-ball championship with Jason McCreadie last year.
"He's definitely on the way up."
The long-hitting Robinson's first-round, six-under 65 gave him a three-shot lead which he maintained with a 70 and increased to a winning margin of four with a closing 71
If his rivals - and all the top Tartan Tour men were in the field, felt that Robinson's lack of experience of leading a tournament into the final round might open the door for one or more of them to surge past, then they had another think coming.
Paul showed no signs of being under pressure andv after birdies at the 10th, 11th and 13th he was able to afford the luxury of bogeys at the 14th, 15th and a double bogey at the 18th.
Four players earned £3,375 each for a joint second place finish - Gareth Wright (West Linton), Sam Binning (Mearns Castle), Stephen Gray (Hayston) and David Orr (Eastwood).
 Orr was also runner-up last year when Robert Arnott (Bishopbriggs) was the inaugural winner.
Joint sixth placed Graham Fox (Clydeway Golf) had the best last round of 66 for a five-under total of 211. A second-round 75 left him with too much ground to make up.

ALL THE FINAL TOTALS AND PRIZEMONEY
Par213 (3x71)
206 P Robinson (Largs) 65 70 71 (£6,000)
210 G Wright (West Linton) 69 73 68, S Binning (Mearns Castle) 70 70 70, S Gray (Hayston) 68 71 71, D Orr (Eastwood) 68 70 72 (£3,375 each)
211 G Fox (Clydeway Golf) 70 75 66, G Hay (Nairn Dunbar) 70 72 69, C Kelly (unatt) 71 72 68 (£1,750 each)
212 P Wardell (North Berwick) 69 70 73 (£1,250)
213 N Fenwick (Dunbar) 76 70 67 (£1,000)
214 K McNicoll (Gullane) 71 74 69, G Hutcheon (Paul Lawrie GC) 71 73 70, C Everett (Caldwell) 71 71 72, S Henderson (Kings Links) 69 73 72,  G McBain (Paul Lawrie GC) 72 67 75 (£760 each).
215 R Arnott (Bishopbriggs) 70 76 69, A Welsh (Cathkin Braes) 73 72 70, G Paxton (Ralston) 70 73 72 (£558 each).
216 P Shields (Kirkhill) 69 77 70, L Gaughn (Bathgate) 71 73 72, M Isaacs (Gamola Golf) 71 73 72 (£475  each).
217 M Hillson (Tandridge) 72 71 74, F Mann (Carnoustie GC) 73 69 75, M Kerr (Marriott Dalmahoy) 74 68 75 (£410 each)
218 J Lomas (Caprington) 73 75 70, G Brown (Montrose Links) 74 73 71, P McKechnie (Braid Hills) 69 76 73, C Gillies (unatt) 69 74 75, C Currie (Caldwell) 69 73 76 (£360 each).
219 C Marr (Musselburgh) 72 76 71, R Clarke (Gamola Golf) 74 73 72, C Robinson (Portpatrick Dunskey) 69 76 74, P Walker (Ballumbie Castle) 75 70 74 (£320 each)
220 J McGhee (Bishopbriggs) 71 77 72, C Farrell (Cardross) 74 71 75 (£295 each)
221 I Taylor (Drumpellier) 75 72 74, S McAllister (McAllister Golf) 71 71 76 (£275 each)
223 S Williamson (Clydeway Golf) 72 75 76, R Munro (Duddingston) 74 72 77 (£245 each)
224 D Wood (Hirsel) 77 70 77 (£230)

 

Lossie welcomes quality field for Carrick  

Neill Scottish open stroke-play championship

 NEWS RELEASE FROM SGU

An international-class field will gather over the renowned Lossiemouth links of Moray Golf Club for this weekend’s Carrick Neill Scottish men's open amateur stroke-play championship, with in-form Ewen Ferguson among the home hopefuls chasing the prestigious prize.

One of the Scottish Golf Union’s flagship events, players from 13 countries will tee up in the 72-hole event from Friday until Sunday over the Old Course at Lossiemouth (clubhouse and deep bunker to left of elevated 18th green pictured).

In a Walker Cup year, leading names from the home unions are in the 144-player field seeking to catch the selectors’ eyes, as well as competitors from the likes of America, Australia, Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia, New Zealand, South Africa, France, Germany and Switzerland.

The field are aiming to join an impressive list of past champions, including victorious Ryder Cup captains Bernard Gallacher and Colin Montgomerie, as well as current European Tour stars Stephen Gallacher, Richie Ramsay, Tommy Fleetwood and Andrew Sullivan. 

Challenge Tour player Wallace Booth was the last Scot to win the Scottish stroke-play title in 2008.

A strong home challenge will seek to emulate him, including Ferguson, the 2013 British boys' champion, who has won twice domestically in 2015.

“It was key for me to settle down in the men’s game this season,” said the 18-year-old Bearsden GC member, the leading Scot in the field at No. 62 in the world amateur rankings (WAGR).

 “Last year, in men’s events, even when I felt as though I had played well, I was finishing 20th and so on. It’s just different the step up from boys’ golf. I really wanted to get off to a good start in my first full season at men’s level and it has gone well.”

Ferguson won the Scottish champion of champions tournament hosted by the Leven Golfing Society and then, the following weekend, the Craigmillar Park Open in Edinburgh.

South African amateur champion Daniel Young (Craigie Hill), winner of the Battle Trophy at Crail a few weeks ago, and SGU Men’s Order of Merit leader Connor Syme (Drumoig) also lead the Scottish challenge, along with the likes of GB and I Walker Cup squad players Jack McDonald (Kilmarnock Barassie), Graeme Robertson (Glenbervie) and Jamie Savage (Cawder). 

Will Porter from Carnoustie, the Scottish boys champion at Dunbar in April, also lines up.

Lucas Herbert from Australia is the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 20, with England’s Nick Marsh, winner of last year’s Golf Data Lab Scottish youths championship and joint-runner-up in the event at Panmure last year, also one to watch, world-ranked 33rd.

Another Aussie, Anthony Murdaca, who played in The Masters at Augusta National, is also among the favourites, along with Mathias Eggenberger, the University of Stirling student, from Switzerland.

Cormac Sharvin, also a Stirling student and past Irish amateur champion, and US student Paul Dunne lead the Irish challenge, given three other leading Irish amateurs – Gavin Moynihan, who won the "Scottish" at Panmure 12 months ago, Gary Hurley and Jack Hume – and Blairgowrie's Bradley Neil, the British amateur champion, earned invites to this week’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Open on the European Tour.

Bearsden’s Ferguson admits he has been inspired by the exploits of Neil and added: “There are four Scots in the top 100 in the WAGR right now, so you are playing in events thinking ‘C’mon let’s try and beat them’ which can help you get up the WAGR due to the category of the events. 

“You see them doing well and it pushes you on. I’ve also been in groups playing with good players, like Graeme Robertson and Cormac Sharvin, and that helps too. I just want to keep pushing on. I’ve moved up the rankings every single week since I started playing this year. The top 50 towards the end of June are exempt for the US Amateur and that would be incredible to qualify for.”

The Carrick Neill Scottish stroke play continues an exciting year for Scottish amateur golf, with the St Andrews Links Trophy at ‘The Home of Golf’, the British amateur championship at Carnoustie and the Fairstone Scottish amateur championship at Muirfield to follow this summer. 

Moray Golf Club, which annually hosts the Scottish student championships, celebrated its 125th anniversary last year

A series of course improvements have recently been made, which include the redevelopment of 24 bunkers, the introduction of three new bunkers and removing four, to enhance the much-loved routing of the Old Course which was first laid out by Old Tom Morris in 1889.

To view the Carrick Neill Scottish Stroke Play Championship, visit: http://www.scottishgolf.org/events/listings/scottish-open-amateur-stroke-play-championship

For further information on Carrick Neill’s golfers insurance policies, visit: www.carrickneill.co.uk

 

Latest updates will be provided during the event on the SGU website and on Twitter @SGUGolf and SGU Facebook.

 

Ed Hodge

PR and Media Executive

Montrose Links Texas Scramble on June 14

The Montrose Golf Links Texas Scramble will be held on Sunday, June 14 over the Montrose Medal Course. The cost to enter a team of four is £12.50 per person for a non-season ticket holder or £5 per person for a season ticket holder.  

Online entry available by visiting

 http://www.brsgolf.com/montroselinks/opens_home.php 

or by contacting 01674 672932.

 

 

Claire Penman
Company Secretary
Montrose Golf Links Limited
T: 44 (0) 1674 672932
F: 44 (0) 1674 671800