Scot drops four shots over three holes

Knox nosedive at start of inward half 

Hopes of a top 10 or even top five finish by Russell Knox in the Deutsche Bank Championship at TPC Boston were just about extinguished when he went bogey-bogey-double bogey from the 10th to the 11th in the final round.
Earlier the man from Inverness had birdied the long second and the fourth but his troubles began with a bogey at the seventh in 34 to the turn.
Henrik Stenson still there at the top of the leaderboard at the time of writing.
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Laurie Chancellor caps outstanding first year 

as a senior by winning Macallan Trophy

By ROBIN WILSON 

In his first season as a senior golfer, Inverness's Laurie Chancellor pictured, ended his competitive year on another high when playing the North District Senior Championship and winning the Macallan Trophy at his first attempt.

The venue was Muir of Ord golf course, over which, Laurie openly admited, he had not played well in the past.

It showed over his opening five holes when, unsure of clubbing into the small greens with tricky pin positions, the Inverness scratch golfer relied on a deft touch around the greens to save five opening par figures. 

He failed only once to get up and down in two over the first nine holes and that was at the eighth hole while several birdie putt attempts lipped out. His one bogey outward half count was 36 as he turned for home and brought his card back to level par with his first and only birdie, on the par five 15^th hole.

Another birdie putt lipped out on the next green before Chancellor, the recently crowned Inverness Golf Club's senior champion, hit his only wayward drive from the 17^th tee to make bogey. Then, on the final tough finishing hole, he took another 5 to add up to his winning card of three over par 71 (36/35).

After a four under par 64 earlier in the week from last season's runner up, home member Bert Nicholson, the next lowest handicapper in the field, was expected to spearhead the local challenge but his short iron play lost its edge and he finished third with 75. 

Second place was filled by an unexpected local, 10-handicapper, Brian Davidson, who never put a foot wrong and belied his handicap with a gross 73 (37/36)

Also on 75 was the new champion's Inverness clubmate Donald J Mackay. This score was the best gross in his age group, 55 to 64 years. 

Winners of the two next age groups were two former champions, Pat Tomisson (Nairn), with 76 in group 65 to 70 years, and Elgin's Bryce Milne who won the Macallan Trophy on the same course eight years previously. Milne's 77 was best in the group 71 + years.

Results

 (CSS 70) 

Championship and Macallan Trophy

71 L Chancellor (Inverness)

73 B Davidson (Muir of Ord). 

75 B Nicholson (Muir of Ord).

 Age Groups

55 to 64 years  

Scratch -  D J Mackay (Inverness) 75

Handicap – T MacLean (Muir of Ord) (6) 70. R Taylor (Reay) (5) 72. J Hunter (Wick) (6) 73. 

Group 65 to 70 years 

Scratch - P Tomisson (The Nairn) 76. 

Handicap – D Scrimgeour (Muir of Ord) (17) 69. I McGruer (Muir of Ord) (9) 70. I Forbes (Elgin) (14) 71. 

Group 71+ years

Scratch - B C Milne (Elgin) 77. 

Handicap – J S Thomson (Inverness) (8) 71. J Fraser (Royal Dornoch) (17) 71. I Grant (Garmouth (11) 72.   

Fairmont St Andrews named Scotland's 

leading golf resort in World Travel Awards

NEWS RELEASE
Fairmont St Andrews, the five-star hotel at the Home of Golf, has been acclaimed as Scotland's leading resort in the 2015 World Travel Awards.

It is the fourth occasion that the outstanding destination has secured an award at the annual ceremony, regarded by many as the ‘Oscars' of the travel industry.

In 2002 it was heralded as Europe's leading golf resort; in 2009 it was awarded the title of Scotland's leading golf resort; and, a year later, it was acclaimed as Scotland's leading golf resort and spa.

RANFURLY CASTLE TEAM WINS COUNTY CUP

RENFREWSHIRE GOLF UNION PRESS RELEASE

                                 turnberry.db@gmail.com

In a stiff breeze, but with both course and weather in good shape, the County Cup final was fought out at Erskine Golf Club between the Gourock and Ranfurly Castle clubs.  

 The teams of four, in various handicap categories, had made their way to the final over a number of rounds and the highest handicap category had Mark McGregor representing Gourock against Sid Kennedy.  

 This was a tight game with no one being more than one up and it ended in a square match.  Ted McGee was next on the tee for Gourock and, after six holes, he was all square against David Stewart.  However, David soon took control and, with a great display of steady golf, he recorded a four and three victory.  Ranfurly Castle’s John Houston soon added another victory with the three and one defeat of Peter Eardley.  In the top match, Ross McDermid (Gourock) had a great sand save at the first and held Robin Freeburn for six holes before what he described as the wheels coming off his game.

  Robin dominated the remainder of the round and his seven and five victory meant that the Cup went back to Ranfurly Castle for the third time.

Ranfurly Castle – 3 ½             Gourock – ½

Left to right – David Stewart, Robin Freeburn and John Houston

RENFREWSHIRE YOUNG GOLFERS WIN WEST 

OF SCOTLAND LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP
 

Renfrewshire Golf Union had never won the West of Scotland League Championship and met Dunbartonshire’s team of eight knowing that a win would see its name on the trophy for the first time. 

 As it transpired, there was no reason for any anxiety for the management team of Graham McGee and Lyall Campbell as the boys dominated the match throughout with all games being won or halved. 

 There were great results from the Bridge of Weir trio with Old Course Ranfurly’s Jamie Stewart and Matthew Dalrymple winning five and four and four and three respectively with Angus Frood from Ranfurly Castle dominating his match for a seven and five win.

Full results:

Tom McKenzie (East Renfrewshire) halved with Ross Cameron (Douglas Park)

Jorg Irvine (Erskine) bt Andrew Halfpenny (Dullatur) 4 and 3

Angus Frood (Ranfurly Castle) bt Liam Taylor (Bearsden) 7 and 5

Jamie Stewart (Old Ranfurly) bt Ian Taggart (Lenzie) 5 and 4

Josh Beatt (Fereneze) bt Neil Stewart (Clober) 5 and 4

Jack Currie (Greenock) halved with Euan McBride (Lenzie)

Matthew Dalrymple (Old Ranfurly) bt Calum Burns (Balmore) 4 and 3

Renfrewshire – 7     Dunbartonshire - 1

Picture shows Matthew Dalrymple, Josh Beatt, Jack Currie, Jamie Stewart, Tom McKenzie and Lewis Breslin

John returns to score a dream win Yorkshire’s John Freeman pulled off a dream win in the England Golf senior men’s and women’s North tournament at Harrogate Golf Club. He was six points ahead of the field in the men’s handicap event, while Norfolk’s Alex Mournian won the women’s handicap prize by five points – helped by an eagle. The scratch winners were Durham’s Michael Baker and Northamptonshire’s Carol Gibbs. Freeman, a 13-handicapper from Willow Valley in West Yorkshire (pictured with Mournian), confessed he put his heart and soul into winning the tournament- and did so emphatically with a total of 74 points (39 35). He was motivated by his experience on the previous occasion he entered one of these events, at Pannal in Yorkshire, and was thwarted by the weather. “I had told myself you can’t win it in the first round, but you can lose it, so play nice and steady. I got 37 points and was two or three back, nicely placed – but the second round was totally washed out. It proved to me you can win it in the first round! “So this time I set my heart on winning it and tried to get a good score in the first round.” He made a perfect start with a birdie on the first hole and then played steadily throughout the two rounds, taking advantage of a hot putter over the first 18 holes. Freeman took up golf when he was in his 30s but had to give up the game for 14 years because of arthritis. A new hip and a new knee meant he was able to take up golf again when he retired and his aim is a single figure handicap. He’ll also be back playing in the senior regionals: “This was only my second time and I shall make a habit of it,” he said. Royal Cromer’s Alex Mournian was taking part for the first time, having “discovered” England Golf events when she, her husband and another couple played in the new, mixed Club Team championship and reached the national final in Golf Week at Frilford Heath. Mournian, who is in the RAF, said: “I noticed the poster in the locker room, realised I qualified and thought I’d enter as I come from Yorkshire and could also see family. It’s been thoroughly enjoyable and the club were fantastic. “I’ve been really pleased to meet so many nice people and the chance to play all these different courses has been brilliant. I will definitely come back.” The highlight of her tournament was an eagle two on the par four first, in the second round, where she holed her wedge shot.   “The other two ladies had played first and both went through to the back of the green, so I was trying to keep the ball short and let it run up to the hole. I had put my club back in my bag when, all of a sudden, the ball disappeared into the hole. “That was five points to start with, although I quickly went one, one, one!” She amassed a total of 67 points with rounds of 34 and 33, playing off 14 handicap. The scratch winners also succeeded by big margins. Carol Gibbs (Wellingborough) had 56 points and won by six; Michael Baker (Chester-le-Street) had 61 and won by four. Click here for full scores Lyndsey Hewison Press Officer England Golf pr@englandgolf.org 07825 752 193

Deutsche Bank Championship

Rickie Fowler, motivated by talk about new 

Big Three, moves into contention 

FROM GOLF.COM
By Jason Sobell
NORTON, Massachusetts -- Golf's original Big Three was a triumvirate of players named Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player, not that full names were ever necessary. 
Known worldwide as simply Jack, Arnie and Gary, they weren't just the most talented players of their generation, they were the most influential of all-time, ushering the game into the television era and serving as icons long after their playing careers had concluded.
By comparison, it feels silly at best and irresponsible at worst to designate the current trio atop the world ranking as some sort of new Big Three. Don't get me wrong: Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth and Jason Day are big-time talents in their own right, already with accomplished pasts in their young careers and even brighter futures. 
They just aren't Jack, Arnie and Gary, a point which should remain inarguable.
And yet, that hasn't stopped many observers from dubbing the three 20-somethings who have combined to win five of the past six major championships with exactly that nickname.
 As if to drive home the point that they aren't worthy of Big Three categorization, so far at this week's Deutsche Bank Championship, McIlroy hasn't broken 70, Spieth failed to make the cut and Day charged into contention only to tumble far down the leaderboard.
That's hardly the lone reason why these three shouldn't be hailed with the same moniker as their predecessors. Even though that makes for a tidy nickname and even though they're the top three right now, the status of the game's elite-level players fluctuates so much that no club deserves to be so exclusive.
Enter Rickie Fowler as Exhibit A.
Fresh off a 2014 campaign during which he finished in the top-five at all four majors -- the first player ever to accomplish that feat without winning any of them -- Fowler won this year's Players Championship, which boasts the year's best field, and followed up with a triumph at the Scottish Open, with a strong field in its own right prior to the Open Championship.
Fowler now finds himself in contention yet again, posting three consecutive matching scores of 67 to trail by just a single stroke entering Monday's final round here at TPC Boston.
If he's able to win this tournament just eight days after Day won the first FedEx Cup playoff event, that might not be enough to allow those calling it a Big Three to expand their list -- perhaps such inclusion only comes with some major championship hardware -- but it would at least give them pause for reflection, which is just what Fowler wants.

"I want to sneak in and be the fourth," he said after Sunday's third round. "And there's a few other guys you can probably add to it. The three of them have distanced themselves a bit. But there's a lot of good players right now."
Legendary golfer Bobby Jones once wrote, "Golf is such a curious game and form is so fleeting." In a pursuit as fickle as this, it shouldn't take one or two wins or even an entire season full of them before we should be able to make such definitive proclamations.
On the heels of the Big Three nickname gaining steam, it was Fowler, one of those guys on the outside looking in, who put into perspective what so many seem to be missing.
"Those three guys have probably played the best out of everyone in the past year or two," he explained. "But no guarantee that one of the three are going to win every week. There's a lot of guys that are here and ready to play."
Earlier this year, Fowler shared "honours" as the US PGA Tour's "most overrated" player, as voted by his peers for a national magazine. At the time, he publicly shrugged off the insinuation and simply went on to win at TPC Sawgrass later that week.
This time around, he similarly doesn't appear fazed by any conversation that excludes him from a conversation about the world's best players -- especially one that includes fellow 20-somethings who tend to play their best golf at the biggest events, all just like him.

Don't be surprised, though, if once again Fowler is using it as motivational fuel for his inspired play on the golf course.
This much, he'll admit.
"Yeah, it's definitely been motivational to go out and get to the same level or be on the same level as those guys," he said. "They're playing some great golf. But those are the guys that I want to go head-to-head against and come out on top."
The so-called Big Three have already done their part, leaving the stage open for a Labour Day performance that won't further the narrative. Now it's time for Fowler to prove, yet again, that being overlooked will only drive him further.

RUSSELL KNOX THREE SHOTS OFF LEAD - SCROLL DOWN TO VIEW THIRD-ROUND SCORES 

STENSON TAKES THE LEAD WITH A 65

 FROM THE WASHINGTON TIMES WEBSITE

By DOUG FERGUSON - Associated Press

 Henrik Stenson wants to be at his best for tournaments that offer the “biggest prizes.” He would prefer the majors, though that didn’t work out well for him this year. The FedEx Cup is a small consolation, but only in history, not prize money.The $10 million bonus is still a long way off. It won’t be decided for three more weeks at the Tour Championship, and even though Jordan Spieth has missed his last two cuts, he still has just as good a chance as anyone.
Even so, Stenson is in position to take another shot.
The first step was to make sure he returned to East Lake for the Tour Championship, which he hasn’t played since he won two years ago to claim golf’s biggest prize. He locked up a spot with a runner-up finish at The Barclays last week that moved him to No. 2 in the FedEx Cup.
Monday at the Deutsche Bank Championship would be a big step, assuring the Swede of being among the top five.
Stenson blistered the front nine of the TPC Boston and played bogey-free on Sunday for a 6-under 65, giving him a one-shot lead over Rickie Fowler (67) going into the Labour Day finish of the second FedEx Cup playoff event.
Here’s what is at stake on Monday:
STENSON REPEAT?: The last time Stenson won the Deutsche Bank Championship in 2013, he was considered one of the hottest players in golf. He was runner-up at the Open and tied for third in the US PGA Championship, so he was trending.
That might still be the case, even though the majors were a bust for him. He finished at least 10 shots out of the lead in each of them.
Even so, it’s setting up nicely for Stenson. He’s hitting it crisp. The TPC Boston typically favours big hitters. And the rotation in the play-offs is the same as two years ago by going Plainfield, TPC Boston, Conway Farms and East Lake.
“I should win this every second year,” he said.

SCOTTISH SENIORS FINALS DAY AT BLAIRGOWRIE

By GORDON THOMSON

The Scottish Seniors Golfing Society season reaches its climax on Thursday at Blairgowrie where the leading 30 players in the Order of Merit fight it out over the Lansdowne course for the coveted Order of Merit title.

An exciting day’s play is in prospect with four players having a chance to win. With three wins so far, Ronnie Clark (Erskine) holds the lead and the destiny of the title won last year by Ian Brotherston (Dumfries and County) is very much in his hands.

Senior international captain, David Gardner (Broomieknowe), who led his team to a creditable third place last week in the European Senior Team Championship in Bulgaria, lies second but has a 100pi deficit to overcome. 

Paul Moultrie (Royal Troon) and Lindsay Blair (Grangemouth) are in third and fourth place respectively but their chances of winning would require major slips by the two leading contenders.

Russell Knox only three off lead  with round to 

go in Deutsche Bank Championship

Russell Knox is lying T6 with one round to go in the Deutsche Bank Championship aftter a third-round 68 for 203 - only three shots behind the leader, Sweden's Henrik Stenson at TPC Boston.

Inverness-born, Florida-based Knox had earlier rounds of 70 and 65.

Stenson has scored 67, 68 and 65 for 200 and a one-stroke lead over Rickie Fowler (67-67-67)

Deutsche Bank Championship Third Round Scores

      
1 Henrik Stenson           67     68     65     --     200   
2 Rickie Fowler             67     67     67     --     201    
T3 Sean O'Hair              68     67     67     --     202    
T3 Matt Jones                67     67     68     --     202          
T6 Russell Knox           70     65     68     --     203    
T6 Jerry Kelly                71     66     68     --     205  
T6 Daniel Berger           68     69     68     --     205   
T6 Hideki Matsuyama   71     65     69     --     205    
T6 Danny Lee                70     66     69     --     205    
T11 Kevin Chappell       67     67     71     --     205   
T11 Hunter Mahan         69     73     64     --     206   
T11 Matt Kuchar            69     72     65     --     206    
T11 Patrick Reed            72     67     67     --     206    
T11 Hudson Swafford    69     69     68     --     206    
T11 Jim Furyk                71     65     70     --     206    
T11 Charley Hoffman    67     63     76     --     206    
T11 Brendon de Jonge   65     68     73     --     206    
T18 Louis Oosthuizen    73     67     67     --     207    
T18 Gary Woodland       68     70     69     --     207                
T20 Kevin Kisner           71     71     66     --     208           
T20 Dustin Johnson       70     70     68     --     208    
T20 Sangmoon Bae        69     70     69     --     208          
T20 Ian Poulter               67     72     69     --     208   
T20 Zach Johnson           69     65     74     --     208  
T25 Rory Sabbatini         69     74     66     --     209    
T25 William McGirt       70     66     73      --     209  
T25 Troy Merritt             74     67     68     --     209  
T25 Harris English          67     74     68     --     209  
T25 Daniel Summerhays 71     68     70     --     209    
T25 Brendan Steele         70     67     72     --     209    
T25 Jason Day                 68     68     73     --     209          
T32 Chris Kirk                 74     69     67     --     210   
T32 Cameron Tringale     75     66     69     --     210          
T32 Charles Howell III    70     70     70     --     210    
T32 Zac Blair                   70     69     71     --     210    
T32 Luke Donald             67     71     72     --     210 
T37 Scott Pinckney          75     70     66     --     211    
T37 Davis Love III           69     75     67     --     211    
T37 J B Holmes                74     68     69     --     211    
T37 Nick Watney              72     70     69     --     211    
T37 Carl Pettersson           72     70     69     --     211          
T37 Carlos Ortiz                74     67     70     --     211    
T37 Justin Thomas             72     70     69     --     211    
T37 Ben Martin                 73     68     70     --     211    
T37 Brian Harman             70     70     71     --     211    
T37 Keegan Bradley          71     66     74     --     211    
T47 John Senden                76     69     67     --     212    
T47 Brandt Snedeker          71     73     68     --     212         --    
    T47            
Kevin Streelman
    -1     F     -2     73     70     69     --     212     64     65     1    
    T47     5        
Pat Perez
    -1     F     -1     71     71     70     --     212     51     46     5    
    T47     20        
Alex Cejka
    -1     F     1     70     70     72     --     212     76     73     3    
    T47     20        
Kevin Na
    -1     F     1     72     68     72     --     212     31     28     3    
    T53     6        
Kyle Reifers
    E     F     -2     71     73     69     --     213     91     98     7    
    T53     6        
Camilo Villegas
    E     F     -2     72     72     69     --     213     93     99     6    
    T53     6        
Spencer Levin
    E     F     -2     73     71     69     --     213     83     80     3    
    T53     1        
Phil Mickelson
    E     F     -1     70     73     70     --     213     58     52     6    
    T53     1        
Webb Simpson
    E     F     -1     74     69     70     --     213     45     37     8    
    T53     11        
Bubba Watson
    E     F     E     73     69     71     --     213     4     3     1    
    T53     19        
Robert Streb
    E     F     1     69     72     72     --     213     13     9     4    
    T53     32        
Jason Dufner
    E     F     3     69     70     74     --     213     85     82     3    
    T61     2        
Bill Haas
    1     F     -1     73     71     70     --     214     28     25     3    
    T61     2        
Chesson Hadley
    1     F     -1     73     71     70     --     214     95     97     2    
    T61     2        
Brendon Todd
    1     F     -1     70     74     70     --     214     55     47     8    
    T64     5        
T64 Rory McIlroy     70     74     71     --     215    
T64 Shawn Stefani
    2     F     E     70     74     71     --     215     48     36     12    
    T64     37        
Colt Knost
    2     F     4     67     73     75     --     215     97     95     2    
    T67     2        
Ryan Palmer
    3     F     E     68     77     71     --     216     42     33     9    
    T67     25        
Scott Brown
    3     F     3     70     72     74     --     216     90     84     6    
    T69     --        
Johnson Wagner
    4     F     1     72     73     72     --     217     96     92     4    
    T69     --        
Boo Weekley
    4     F     1     74     71     72     --     217     82     70     12    
    T71     2        
Fabian Gomez
    5     F     2     76     69     73     --     218     80     67     13    
    T71     37        
Billy Horschel
    5     F     6     73     68     77     --     218     65     53     12    
    T73     4        
Mark Wilson
    6     F     3     71     74     74     --     219     92     85     7    
    T73     21        
Morgan Hoffmann
    6     F     5     69     74     76     --     219     86     72     14