Champions Tour cancels China event

 because of deadly explosion

NEWS RELEASE
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- The Champions Tour has cancelled its September tournament in China near the port where an explosion killed more than 100 people and left several more missing.
The Pacific Links China Championship was to be held Sept. 18-20 at the 27 Club in Tianjin. The golf club and adjacent area were not affected by the Aug. 12 blast at a storage facility in the port area of Tianjin.
Organicers decided it was best to cancel the tournament out of respect to a grieving community. Pacific Links International chairman Sun Liping said it is time to support the victims' families and friends and the community of Tianjin.
The tour has indicated the tournament will be played next year.

Newcomers Northants take lead Northamptonshire marked their first appearance at the English boys’ county championship final by taking the day one lead with a hard-fought 5-4 win over Hampshire at King’s Lynn Golf Club  In the day’s other match, Wiltshire clawed their way back from 3-0 down at lunch, to halve with Durham. It was a day for fightbacks, with Northamptonshire overcoming a 2-1 deficit after the foursomes, by winning four of the six singles to claim the point.  Northamptonshire had managed to keep in touch in the foursomes when Callum Farr and Ben Jones (image © Leaderboard Photography), who trailed on the outward half, won their match on the 18th. "That was massively important," sad team manager Adam Myers. In the afternoon, both boys went on to win their singles, as did Matthew Myers, leaving the way clear for Tom Forster to clinch the team’s overall win. He was taken to the 18th by Jason Sundborg – who recently reached the quarter finals of the Boys’ Amateur Championship – but held his nerve to hole a 10-footer on the last and hang on to his one-up advantage.  "I'm very proud of them all," said Myers. Wiltshire staged a remarkable comeback to snatch a halved match, after they lost all three morning foursomes. “We just didn’t get going at all this morning and Durham played some really good golf,” said Wiltshire team manager Ian Welding. “But this afternoon was a completely different story.  “The boys came out determined to show they could play better and that they weren’t going to give the match away and they turned it round.” The tension mounted as the afternoon unfolded and Wiltshire had to battle to the end, with Charlie Dunn winning the 18th to halve his game against Durham’s Jack Ainscough; and Dom Burgess parring the last to keep his one-up advantage over Will Marshall.  “It was very exciting and could have gone either way,” said Welding. “The boys did fantastically well to change it round and now they have so much more confidence and momentum.”  Durham, who were runners-up in last year’s championship, were disappointed to let their lead slip away. But team captain Ken Joel said: “It was a great game and both teams played well and in a very good spirit. It was a pleasure to watch and to be involved in.” Tomorrow, Wiltshire will play Hampshire, while Northamptonshire take on Durham.  Click here for full scores Lyndsey Hewison Press Officer England Golf pr@englandgolf.org 07825 752 193

David  James not only runs the Senior Golf 

Circuit - he wins events on it!

Former Scotland amateur international David James from Dumfries, chief executive of the Senior Golf Circuit, not only organised this week's 36-hole event in Germany for pros aged 48 and over as well as Class 1 amateurs - he won it!
James won 2,500 euros with rounds of 69-73 for a total of two-under-par 142.
He finished a stroke head of Franco Li Puma (71-72), David Ray (70-73) and Matt Briggs (69-74).
Emilio Rodriguez won the over-60s first prize of 2,000 euros
James was capped for Scotland in the 1985 home internationals.
The Senior Golf Circuit now moves on to Espoo, Finland for two events (September 7-8 and 10-11) followed by a competition in Poland (October 6-8).
Last events of the year will be on the Costa del Sol - the Almeria Swing from December 7 to 14.

TO READ ALL ABOUT THE SENIOR GOLF CIRCUIT

CLICK HERE

LEADING FINAL TOTALS AT STEISSLING SHOWDOWN, GERMANY

1	James, David	69	73	142
2	Li Puma, Franco	71	72	143
	Ray, David	70	73	143
	Briggs, Matt	69	74	143
5	MacDonald, Andrew	68	76	144
6	Roper, Roger	74	71	145
7	Rodriguez, Emilio	73	74	147
8	Kami, Kumar	75	73	148
9	Buendia, Jose Maria	72	77	149
	Blakeman, David	71	78	149
11	Young, Doug	77	73	150
	Pugh, David	74	76	150
	Pyatt, Martin	73	77	150
14	McDonald, Colin	73	80	153
15	Sturm, Joachim	75	79	154
	Kraljic, Daniel	75	79	154
17	Price, Tony	78	77	155
	Limb, Andrew	77	78	155
	Ramsden, Stephen	75	80	155
20	Mitchell, Nick	79	77	156
	Davidson, Scott	75	81	156
22	Puisset, Pierre	79	78	157
	Mc Bride, John	78	79	157
24	Geary, David	82	79	161
25	Waite, Richard	79	84	163
26	Capaul, Marcel	82	82	164
27	Rathnayake, Yapa	82	85	167
28	Bikindou, Gaetan	86	84	170
29	Mink, Bernd	81	91	172
30	Burkhart, Gabriele	85	90	175
31	Ruoff-Marty, Anne	89	89	178
32	Rothermel, Klaus	94	89	183
33	Burkhart, Bruno	91	98	189

Mullaney and Russell finish in top 10 at 

Jamega Tour's Enfield 36-hole event

Scots Jonathan Mullaney and Raymond Russell finished in the top 10 of this week's Jamega Pro Golf Tour 36-hole tournament at Enfield Golf Club, Middlesex
Mullaney shot 68-73 for three-under-par 141 and tied sixth place which earned him £650.
Russell had rounds of 73 and 69 for 142 which earned him £450 for a share of eighth place.
The Duke of Roxburgh's son Ted Innes-Ker (joint 22nd on 146: 74-72) and East Renfrewshire's Paul McGhee (joint 45th on 151:75-76) finished outwith the prize list.
Winner of the £2,000 first prize was Englishman Gavin Samuels (Leighton Buzzard) with scores 68 and 69 for seven-under 137. He won a play-off against copatriot Jamie Moul who also finished on that mark with rounds of 67 and 70. Moul earned £1,250.
Tom Woodhouse collected £1,000 for third place with scores of 68 and 71 for 139.
JAMEGA PRO GOLF TOUR
Enfield Golf Club, Middlesex
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 144 (2x72)
137 G Samuels (Eng) 67 70 (£2,000), J Moul (Eng) 67 70 (£1,250).
Samuels won play-off.
139 T Woodhouse (Eng) 68 71 (£1,000)
SCOTS' TOTALS
141 J Mullaney 68 73 (T6) (£650)
142 R Russell 73 69 (T8) (£450)
146 T Innes-Ker 74 72 (T22)
151 P McGhee 75 76 (T45)




TO VIEW ALL THE FINAL TOTALS

CLICK HERE

Paul McKechnie scores first win of year in 

Dundonald 36-hole Challenge

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Paul McKechnie (Braid Hills) has had umpteen top-10 finishes on the TartanTour this year - including tied second in both his last two outings - but victory today in the Dundonald 36-hole OOM Challenge was his first win of the domestic season for which he earned £800.
A winner on the EuroPro Tour 2013 season, Paul (pictured) shot 67 and 66 for 11-under-par 133 at Dundonald. Highlight of his second round was an eagle 2 at the par-4 13th, back up with birdies at the third, eighth, ninth 17th and 18th in halves of 34 (two under) and 32 (four under). His only bogey came at the seventh.
Greig Hutcheon surged up the leaderboard by adding a 65 to his opening 70 to finish two shots behind McKechnie on 137.  The Paul Lawrie Golf Centre man was bogey-free in the second round halves of 32 and 33. He earned £650.
Paul O'Hara (Clydeway Golf) collected £574 for third place on 137 (67-70) with stablemate Graham Fox, the overnight leader, finishing fourth on 136 for a £500 payslip after running up a quadruple  bogey 8 at the par-4 13th in halves/
FINAL TOTALS
Par 144 (2x72)
133 P McKechnie (Braid Hills) 67 66 (£800)
135 G Hutcheon (Paul Lawrie GC) 70 65 (£650)
137 P O'Hara (Clydeway Golf) 67 70 (£575)
138 G Fox (Clydeway Golf) 66 72 (£500).
140 S Taylor (Bothwell Castle) 71 69 (£430on
141 G Wright (West Linton) 72 69, G McBain (Paul Lawrie GC)  69 72 (£350 each)
142 C Currie (Caldwell) 72 70, C Ronald (Carluke) 70 72 (£270 each)
144 S Binning (Mearns Castle) 69 75 (£230)
145 R Arnott (Bishopbriggs) 76 69, C Gordon (Edinburgh GC) 75 70, C Sutherland (Cherry Lodge) 72 73 (£200 each)
146 S Gray (Hayston) 76 70, D Watters (Gourock) 74 72, G Paxton (Ralston) 73 73, S Henderson (Kings Links) 72 74 (£169 each)
 147 G Dingwall (Royal Dornoch) 72 75, Heather MacRae (Gleneagles)  70 77 (£152 each)
148 S Kerr (Strathaven) 73 75, K Hutton (Downfield) 72 76 (£142 each)
149 C Kelly (unatt) 75 74, N Huguet (Musselburgh) 74 75 (£132 each)
150 F Mann (Carnoustie GC) 76 74, J McGhee (Bishopbriggs) 76 74, J Porteous (Craigielaw) 75 75, S McLaren (Blairgowrie) 75 75, C Matheson (Falkirk Tryst) 73 77 J Lomas (Caprington) 73 77 (£41 each).
151 M Isaacs (Gamola Golf) 77 74, M Hillson (Tandridge) 76 75, G Abson (Carrick on Loch Lomond) 76 75, R Rushford (Glenberrvie) 75 76, P Walker (Ballumbie Castle) 74 77
152 R Dixon (Renaissance) 74 78
153 C Robinson (Portpatrick Dunskey) 78 75, D Orr (Eastwood) 80 73, G Brown (Montrose Links) 78 75, K Zeynalov (Portlethen) 75 78
154 M Kerr (Marriott Dalmahoy) 78 76, P Malone (Braid Hills) 75 79
155 R Neill (Drumpellier)80 75, L Gaughan (Bathgate) 76 79, J McCreadie (Largs) 76 79, G Hay (Nairn DuNbar) 73 82
156 P Robinson (Largs) 78 78, A McDonald (Dunnikier Park) 76 80, I  Brown (Newent) 75 81
157 K McNicol (Gullane) 79 78, L Harper (Flow Golf) 77 80, S Costello (Strathaven) 70 81
158 J Fraser (Renaissance) 75 83
159 R Buckley (Royal Musselburgh) 84 75, I Graham (Crow Wood) 81 78m C McMaster (Wellsgreen) 73 86, V Brown (LGM) 78 81, S Maxwell (Eastwood) 77 82
160 J Hopwood (Royal Aberdeen) 80 80
162 C Elliott (Haggs Castle) 80 82, C Haugh (Cawder) 79 83
163 D Laing (Craigielaw) 82 81
164 R Tinker (Piperdam) 86 78, S Craig (Craig Golf) 82 82
166 A Todd (Prestwick) 83 83, D-R Nicol (Dundoald) 84 82
167 M Mackenzie (Edzell) 87 80
168 E Grimes (Carrick on Loch Lomond) 84 84
169 T Mitchell (Bridge of Allan) 89 80
171 P McKenna (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) 91 80

Darren Clarke to play in Vietnam spectacular

NEWS RELEASE

Ho Tram, Vietnam: Ryder Cup captain and 2011 Open Champion Darren Clarke announced today he will play in the inaugural Ho Tram Open, a US$1.5 million Asian Tour event scheduled to take place from December 3-6 at the critically acclaimed Bluffs Ho Tram Strip on Vietnam’s spectacular south-central coast.

 

Clarke, who has won 22 tournaments worldwide — including the 2011 Open Championship at Royal St. George’s — and participated in seven Ryder Cups, cited the increasing popularity of golf in Vietnam and the vision of Ho Tram Strip as reasons for wanting to compete in the highly anticipated tournament.

 

“All I keep hearing is that the resort and golf course are nothing short of world-class,” said Clarke. “When I heard more about what the promoters were looking to achieve, it made the decision even easier. It's going to be a great week for everybody with plenty of good golf, excitement and entertainment.”

 Royal Dornoch install new fleet of 


 electric golf cars

NEWS RELEASE
Driving just got easier for golfers at a world renowned club which has installed a new fleet of electric golf cars.

Six new vehicles are now available for members and visitors at Royal Dornoch Golf Club following a deal with Club Car, the world’s largest manufacturer of electric golf cars.

Neil Hampton, General Manager at Royal Dornoch Golf Club, part of the Highland Golf Links partnership, said: “While Royal Dornoch is predominantly a walking course, we realise the importance of having a number of vehicles onsite to help ensure all of our visitors, including those who may not be able to walk the full 18 holes, are still able to enjoy one of Scotland’s best courses.

“The sporadic use of the vehicles does mean, however, they need to be ready and fully charged at any point throughout the day to allow us to meet the exceptional standards associated with our Royal title.

“When we were looking at the various vehicles available on the market, we took into account the charging capabilities and ease of maintenance of all of the various suppliers and Club Car definitely came out on top.”

The Precedent i2 vehicles are equipped with Club Car’s ERIC power system, which is designed to allow better connectivity between the charger, the car and the controller.

Lighter and smaller than its predecessor, the charger is equipped with a sealed aluminium housing, enabling it to better withstand dust, humidity and water, while an external AC and DC plug allows for ease of charging and straightforward replacement if damaged.

WORLD HICKORY OPEN 19-23rd October CARNOUSTIE

  TENTH ANNIVERSARY NEWS RELEASE

Carnoustie

Tiger Woods called it a ‘fantastic test.’

Mickelson revered it as being ‘wonderful,’ Els thought it ‘the best bunkered course you’ll ever find anywhere in the world’ and Montgomerie called it one of the toughest.

 History doesn’t record what the luckless Jean Van de Velde thought of the place but between them, he and Peter Alliss served up one of golf’s greatest silent moments, when both were lost for words.

 Carnoustie never fails to live up to its reputation as one of the great courses of the world and a glance down the list of past champions does everything to endorse that accolade. Tommy Armour. Ben Hogan. Tom Watson. Gary Player. And the legendary Henry Cotton. They’ve all made their mark on these glorious acres of Angus County and the good news is that it’s now your turn.

Because this year, our Tenth Anniversary, the World Hickory Open is visiting Carnoustie on 19th to 23rd October.  Five days of hickory golf, including an opening team day on Carnoustie Buddon, a two-day International on Carnoustie Burnside and the Championship Links and, of course, the two-day Open Championship itself, staged on Buddon and the famous Championship Links.

And there’s more.

A Gala Dinner, with guest speakers Vivian Saunders and the inspirational Mike Newman, world record holder and the fastest blind driver on the planet. A Commemorative Medallion for every player. The chance to win the newly created Archie Baird Trophy for the best Amateur score. A complimentary World Hickory golfing jumper. And the brilliant company of hickory golfers from all over the world.

So come and join us. Treat yourself to one of the best weeks on the golfing calendar.

And Beth and I look forward very much to welcoming you with a Sunday evening drinks reception in the Ben Hogan suite.

Lionel Freedman

Chairman, World Hickory Open.

James Byrne seeks successful title defence

 in Indonesia 

Jakart: James Byrne from Banchory plans a stout title defence when he tees up at the US$100,000 Ciputra Golfpreneur Tournament which starts on Wednesday.

The US$100,000 Asian Development Tour (ADT) tournament will feature the region’s best players, including 2014 ADT Order of Merit champion Pavit Tangkamolprasert of Thailand and current Merit leader Hsieh Chi-hsien of Chinese Taipei, at the BSD course by Damai Indah Golf. 

Talented prospects George Gandranata, William Sjaichuddin and Rory Hie will spearhead the local charge as they aim to become the first Indonesian player to win on the ADT at the Ciputra Golfpreneur Tournament, which is the burgeoning Tour’s second stop in Indonesisa this season.

Despite not playing to his true potential this season, Byrne is confident of staging a successful title defence as he chases for a third ADT victory.

“My game’s feeling pretty good going into this week. My results haven’t been great lately but I have had the occasional spurts of good form and it feels like something good is waiting around the corner. Hopefully it’s coming soon,” said the 26-year-old Byrne, a former Walker Cup star.

Byrne is eager to repeat last year’s final round heroics where he sank a 40-footer eagle putt on the last hole 18^th to claim his second ADT title by three shots. 

“I remember everything about my win last year! Sinking that eagle putt on the 18^th hole has got to be one of the best moments in my career so far. I have had many good memories on this golf course and it’s always nice when you are defending the title,” added Byrne.

Although he is playing on home soil this week, Gandranata is not feeling the pressure of competing in front of his home crowd. 

“I’m not feeling any pressure playing at home this week. You want to play well wherever you play and it is no difference with this event. All I have to do is to formulate a good plan and execute it accordingly.

“The course is in great shape and it will provide great challenges to all the players. I have been working on my ball striking and the game should be good. I have been hitting a lot of greens and if the putts drop, it should be a good week,” said the 29-year-old Indonesian, who is chasing for a maiden win on the ADT. 

Other notable players include Mardan Mamat of Singapore, American duo Anthony Kang and Berry Henson, Mithun Perera of Sri Lanka and ADT winners Janne Kaske of Finland, Australian Jake Stirling and Thailand’s Itthipat Buranatanyarat.

Since it was inaugurated in 2010, the ADT has grown from five events in the first year to 21 tournaments in 2014. A record 24 tournaments has been confirmed for the 2015 season.

The ADT will continue to reward the top-five finishers on the final Order of Merit with Asian Tour cards for 2016.

 

Spence Trophy North-east boys' tournament  (Qualifying) 

Sunday, August 30 at Stonehaven GC
First four go forward to match-play stages 

                                                                

Time	Name	Club	Round 1	Round 2	Total
08.30 and 13.00	Matthew Dailey	Kemnay
	Ben Green	Inverurie
	Ellis Roberts	Cruden Bay
08.38 and 13.08	Tyler Ogston	Nigg Bay
	Ben Mackintosh	Peterhead
	Owen Griffiths	Aboyne
08.46 and 13.16	Keifer Brown	Stonehaven
	Brandon Simpson	Portlethen
	Liam Strath	Hazlehead
08.54 and 13.24	Cameron Duncan	Murcar Links
	Grant Pirie	McDonald Ellon
	Connor Brown	Peterculter