Tuesday, September 08, 2015

Syme beats Strathmore record, helps Fife win 

Midlands team championship

Connor Syme (Drumoig), pictured below, despite a bogey at the 18th, broke the Strathmore Golf Centre course record with a round of 64 in leading Fife to a 17-stroke victory in the Midlands men's team championship at the Perthshire venue.

The tournament was contested by Fife, Angus, Perth and Kinross, and Clackmannanshire, each with a team of eight  players. One score was discarded.
FINAL TOTALS
Fife 497 (best individual Connor Syme 64)
Perth and Kinross 514 (Scott Michie 70)
Angus 520 (Chris Hutcheon 70)
Clackmannanshire 569 (John Maxwell 74).


     The Fife team with the Midlands Championship Trophy


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Hutcheon and McCreadie share lead 

at testing Carnegie Club links

The Carnegie Club links at Skibo Castle is one of the tougher tracks faced by Tartan Tour pros during the season and it lived up to his reputation again today when Greig Hutcheon and Jason McCreadie shared the halfway lead with one-under-par 70s at the Sutherland venure.
The early holes can wreck a card and Hutcheon bogeyed the first and fourth as well as the short eighth and later the 10th. But the Paul Lawrie Golf Centre man compensated for these slips by birdieing the long third, sht short sixth and the seventh in an outward 35 (one under par).
But it was an eagle 2 at the 17th that lifted Hutch to a share of the pole position in this luctrative 36-hole event in which the field is rrestricted to 18 competitors.
McCreadie also dropped a short early, at the long third, but a 2 at the short 16th saw him turn in level par 35. He birdfied the 11th, 12th and long 18th on the way home but dropped shots at tyhe short 15th and 17th cost him the outright lead.
Five players share third place on 71 - Graham Fox (34-37), Alastair Forsyth (35-36), Ronan Rafferty (35-37), Scott Henderson (34-37) and Neil Fenwick (37-34).
Forsyth dropped two shots early in his round, at the second and third.
Henderson bogeyed the 13th, 15th and 16th but staged a grandstand finish to stay in the mix by birdieing the 17th and 18th.
Fenwick had four bogeys over his first 10 holes but, like Henderson, the Dunbar man finished strongly, birdieing the 14th, 16th and 18th.
FIRST ROUND SCORES
Par 71
70 G Hutcheon (Paul Lawrie GC), J McCreadie (Largs)
71 G Fox (Clydeway Golf), A Forsyth (Mearns Castle), R Rafferty (Monte Rei), S Henderson (Kings Links), N Fenwick (Dunbar)
72 P McKechnie (Braid Hills), S Gray (Hayston).
73 G McBain (Paul Lawrie GC).
74 G Law (Uphall), C Ronald (Carluke)
75 S McAllister (McAllister Golf), A Tait (Marriott Dalmahoy)
76 D Thomson (Carnegie Club), D Reasoner (unatt), F Cromarty (Nairn)
78 K Hutton (Downfield).

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Ferguson Amateur Golfer of Year as North duo Godsman and Scott Win Orders of Merit

  SGU NEWS RELEASE
Ewen Ferguson, who will play for GB and I in the Walker Cup this weekend, has been crowned the Scottish Amateur Golfer of the Year, with North pair Kyle Godsman and Sandy Scott winning the respective SGU Men’s and Boys’ Order of Merit titles.
Thanks to finishing as the leading Scot on the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) at last Friday’s cut off point (44th), Bearsden teenager Ferguson has secured the Amateur Golfer of the Year accolade.
Ferguson, who won the Boys Amateur Championship in 2013 and added the Scottish Boys and Scottish Boys Stroke Play titles last year to become the first player to hold all three trophies, has enjoyed an impressive first full season at Men’s level.
The 19-year-old started the season in 289th place on the WAGR, but soon climbed after strong finishes as part of the SGU performance programme in South Africa and his first Men’s 72-hole strokeplay victories at the Scottish Champion of Champions and the Craigmillar Park Open.
Ferguson also achieved top-five finishes at the Irish Open Amateur and the Carrick Neill Scottish Stroke Play, before playing his part in Scotland’s European Amateur Team Championship triumph and qualifying for the US Amateur Championship.
He had no shortage of rivals to fend off for the title with a record eight Scots currently populating the top 100 on the WAGR, Scotland’s best representation since WAGR went live in 2007. Amateur finalist Grant Forrest (Craigielaw) was just behind Ferguson in 48th place, with Graeme Robertson (Glenbervie) and Kilmarnock Barassie’s Jack McDonald 61st and 72nd respectively. 
Ferguson joins a Scottish Amateur Golfer of the Year roll of honour that features the likes of Andrew Coltart, Dean Robertson, Richie Ramsay, Michael Stewart and Bradley Neil, last year’s double Amateur Golfer of the Year and Men’s Order of Merit winner.
“I’m absolutely delighted to win Scottish Amateur Golfer of the Year,” said Ewen, coached by Gregor Monks and supported by the national coaching structure. 
“I remember when Michael Stewart won it in 2011 and I was thinking it must be so cool to win the award. Some very good names have won it before and it’s great to think that I will always be on that list.” 
Ferguson, who will join Forrest and McDonald at Royal Lytham & St Annes for the Walker Cup, added: “You want to try and win as many things as you can domestically. To be the top amateur in Scotland has always been a goal and it’s brilliant to fulfil it.”
Meantime, Godsman and Scott are celebrating a unique double after two players from the North won the Men’s and Boys’ Orders of Merit for the first time. 
Moray’s Godsman reeled off six top-10 finishes from 12 appearances, including victory in the North East Open, to beat Drumoig’s Connor Syme, a European Team winner with Scotland, and Jeff Wright (Forres) to the title.
Godsman, 24, said: “Winning the Order of Merit is a little unexpected, but I had a strong second half to the year where I picked up my first 72-hole success after going close a couple of times. 
“It’s a great honour and achievement to win the Order of Merit, during a strong year for Scottish amateur golf, with three players in the Walker Cup this weekend. I was consistent last year too, so managed to build on that.  
"There is a lot of travelling for me, driving up and down the A9, so it definitely makes it all worthwhile at the end of the year.
“It’s also a nice achievement for golf in the North, which is quite good just now, with Sandy and Rory Franssen coming through at Boys’ level, and Jeff third in the Men’s Order of Merit as well.” 
Scott burst onto the scene this summer with a purple patch of three wins in the space of just 40 days – the Stephen Gallacher Foundation Trophy, East of Scotland Championship and the Scottish Boys Stroke Play. The 17-year-old, coached by Scottish Golf Academy Coach David Torrance, topped the rankings by over 300 points from last year’s winner, Cawder’s Calum Fyfe, and recently tasted more success after helping GB&I retain the Jacques Leglise Trophy.
Scott, from Nairn, said: “It’s a good end to the season. I wasn’t thinking about the Order of Merit coming into the year, but I performed consistently in a lot of events to rack up the points.
“I’ve just tried to play as many events as possible and gain experience and points. It’s been a great year for me and one I will look back on proudly. Hopefully I can keep progressing.”
 

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North-east Alliance

Tee times at Kemnay GC on Wednesday
 
8-15 B Ritchie P Morrison T Mathieson
8-23 C Nelson L Vannet L Morgan
8-31 G Chalmers S Hanson B Brooks
8-39 D Mackay B Lumsden B McHattie
8-47 M Smith S Melvin
8-55 M Brown R Brown S Davidson
 

9-03 P McLean J Duff  S Ross
9-11 A Stuart S Dunn K DagLish
9-19 J Hamilton H Roulston M Winton
9-27 H McNaughton J Emslie B McPherson
9-35 L Roger M Rendall N Chisholm
9-43 J Duncan G Milne D Townsley
9-51 K McGillivray, W Beattie J Crawford
9-59 L Fowler M Duncan J Hopwood
 

10-07 J Scott G Patterson B Skene
10-15 G Homer D Leslie I D Smith
10-23 M Lawrie D Brown W Skene
10-31 N Parker D Lane R Ruddiman
10-39 P Cheyne T Robertson J Sunley
10-47 B Fyfe S Lawrie C.Grant
10-55 D Bisset F Bisset J Murray
 

11-03 J Morrice  G Riley
11-11 S Allison R Davidson G Mackie
11-19 D Nelson A Graham P Walker
11-27 Sean Lawrie C Lawrie C Law
11-35 K Duncan R McKen M Paterson
11-43 R Reed R Blackmore S Kiloh
11-51 Justin Duff K Nicol J Findlay
11-59


12-07
12-15 

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DUNDEE PUPIL WINS ALFRED DUNHILL SCHOOLS GOLF CHALLENGE
 
NEWS RELEASE
Scott Swayne, a 16 year old student at St John's RC High School in Dundee, has won the overall scratch prize at this year’s Alfred Dunhill Schools Golf Challenge, over the Kittocks Course at The Fairmont Hotel, St Andrews.
This year’s tournament once again saw a strong field of young golfers from across Fife, Dundee and Angus competing for honours in the annual schools event.
 
Playing off a six handicap, Scott shot a 76 to record an overall net score of 70 at the event. The S5 pupil, who has played golf for eight years, is a member of Downfield Golf Club and represented Angus County in two match play events earlier this year. Speaking about his future plans with golf, Scott said: “I’ll see how my game develops over the next couple of years but I would certainly like to continue to pursue golf longer term. I would love to go to the US on scholarship if that opportunity came up.”
 
Other winners of this year’s competition included 15 year old Buckhaven High School pupil Steven McLelland won the Senior Boys category on a round of 80 to card a net score of 67 on a handicap of 13. The S4 pupil who lives in Leven Links and has played the sport for only two years.
 
Angus-based Kirsty Brodie followed up last year’s victory in the Junior Girls competition by winning the Senior Girls category. Kirsty, a pupil at Webster High School in Kirriemuir, recorded a net score of 73. A five handicap golfer, she has played the sport since the age of four and has represented Scotland Under 16s at the R&A Junior Open.
   
Meanwhile Cameron Akers, an S2 pupil at Cupar’s Bell Baxter High School, won the Junior Boys category witha net score of 68 and Evana Hynd, an S2 pupil at Glenrothes High School, took the Junior Girls title with a net score of 76.
 
The winners will be invited to receive their Alfred Dunhill Schools Golf Challenge prizes at The Old Course, St Andrews on the final day of this year’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on Sunday, October 4. All the participants will also be invited, together with their parents and a school representative, to attend an exclusive golf clinic on the Championship practice ground given by the internationally renowned golf coach Robert Baker.
 
Baker said: “The Alfred Dunhill Schools Golf Challenge is a fantastic tournament, encouraging young people from Fife and the surrounding area to participate in competitive golf. Once again this event was fully subscribed which indicates the health of the game amongst school-aged players in the community. I congratulate all of today’s competitors and look forward to meeting these talented youngsters at this year’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship to work with them in our annual coaching clinic. Getting the right direction and coaching early enough in their golf career can really help young golfers develop their game and potentially enable them to compete at the highest level.”
 
2015 marks the 15th year of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, one of the most prestigious tournaments on the European Tour and a celebration of links golf played, played, 1 – 4 October, over three magnificent Scottish links courses - The Old Course, St Andrews; Carnoustie and Kingsbarns.
 
In recent years Bill Murray, Damien Lewis, Jamie Dornan, Hugh Grant and Andy Garcia have shared the fairways with sporting greats like Sir Bobby Charlton, Sir Ian Botham, Michael Phelps, Luis Figo, and Jamie Redknapp. They have partnered some of the world's top golfers including Rory McIlroy, Luke Donald, Dustin Johnson, Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer, Colin Montgomerie, Ernie Els, and Padraig Harrington.
 
Admission is free for all spectators over the first three days, at all three courses, with final day tickets on Sunday, October 4 available to purchase at the entrance gates in St Andrews or in advance at http://bit.ly/1RvYset
   

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Russell Knox earns $135,600 for T12 finish in Deutsche Bank Championship

Stenson's late stumble: Fowler wins by a stroke




             And the winner is .... Rickie Fowler! 
  Picture by courtesy of Getty Images(c)

 FROM THE US PGA TOUR WEBSITE
NORTON, Massachusetts -- In the span of five short months, Rickie Fowler had gone from being overrated to overlooked.
Each time he responded, though, with actions rather than words.
On Monday, Fowler made his point with a win at the Deutsche Bank Championship, where he outdueled Henrik Stenson down the stretch. In the process, he also disposed of the Nos. 1, 2 and 3 players in the world -- Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth and Jason Day, a trio of twentysomethings like himself who had commanded all the headlines as the FedExCup Playoffs arrived at TPC Boston last week.
Overlooked? No more.
And back in May, Fowler had shrugged off the sting of a poll of his peers in Sports Illustrated that found him the most overrated player on the PGA TOUR with a win at THE PLAYERS Championship. The 26-year-old played the final four holes at TPC Sawgrass in a phenomenal 5 under, something no one had ever done -- at any venue -- since such records began being kept in 1983.
Fowler, who before this year hadn't won since the 2012 Wells Fargo Championship, says he isn't the type to use newspaper clippings or blog posts or Twitter feeds for motivation. At the same time, though, he's only human and the words had to hurt.
"I definitely want to be the best player that I can be," Fowler said. "I want to be the best player in the world at some point. But, yes, being called overrated, I won three times (worldwide, this year), so thanks for the poll, I guess.
"I've been playing very well the last couple of years, it was just a matter of time before I knocked on the door. ... And with the three guys that they talk about, Jason, Rory and Jordan, they've clearly played the best out of anyone over the past few months to couple of years.
"So I'm trying to be a small fourth thrown in there.”
Fowler's caddie, Joe Skovron, says his enormously popular boss didn't talk much about the poll before the emphatic win at THE PLAYERS. He didn't let on if he was feeling left out this week at TPC Boston, either. That's just not Fowler's nature.
"But you can tell he's wearing it on his shoulders; you can tell," Skovron said. "... It builds up because he wants to win. He wants to do all these things and I think the expectations were so high so quick because of the popularity -- and he's just grown into his game.
"... Everybody just gets really ahead of themselves. We obviously were expecting more, too, and wanted it. But sometimes it doesn't come exactly when you want it."
Fowler certainly made a statement on Labour Day, though, playing in the final group with Stenson, who came in at the top of his game after finishing second a week ago at The Barclays. When the Swede finally blinked, his 7-iron coming up short and tumbling back into the water at the par-3 16th, Fowler was there to take advantage, polishing off a 68 for the one-stroke win.
"I definitely felt very calm out there," Fowler said. "I knew what I was trying to do. Knew what I had to do. And was very much ready to do it."
And when the deed was done, Fowler moved to No. 3 in the FedExCup, his highest position ever, as well as fifth in the world rankings. He's a lock to remain in the all-important FedExCup top five, the players who will be assured the $10 million bonus at East Lake with a win at the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola.
Fowler's bank account took a small hit on Monday, too. He one-upped himself by sending 10 bottles Tattinger's champagne to the media centre after he feted an ace at the Quicken Loans National with 150 cans of beer.
This time, though, Fowler came into area where all the scribes were huddled over their computers, took the microphone and made a toast before sipping from one of the bottles of bubbly. And he's got another week to celebrate before heading to the BMW Championship in Chicago with his game face on again.
"This is bonus material, here," Fowler said. "We came into the season obviously wanting to play well in the majors and to win a major; wasn't able to do that. But we wanted to win, and win more than once. So we've done that.
"And now it's about getting myself in a great position for Atlanta and to see if we can get some more wins this season. I don't want to stop. I like coming and hanging out here late on the final day. It's good with me." 
Russell Knox, in the top 10 for most of the tournament, dropped down to a final placing of T12 after a disappointing final round of four-over-par 75 for six-under 278.
The Inverness-born player still finished as the leading British player, above Luke Donald and Ian Poulter and he's laughing all the way to the bank with a cheque for $135,600.
Nice work if you can get it! 



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