World Hickory Open Championship report
FROM GILLIAN KIRKWOOD
The Championship flight played on the Buddon course today .  Par is 68 for men, 67 for ladies.  Weather was calm and pleasant.  A field of 78 hickory golfer played in this flight.
Andrew Marshall (Dereham), runner-up last year, leads the field with a 67.  Out in par figures for 34,  he had a solitary birdie 4 at the 440 yard 16th to come home in 33.
Cliff Martin from the United States lies second with 69.  His halves were 34 and 35.
Scotland's Fraser Mann and Johan Moberg from Sweden returned 71s.
The leading lady in Brita Nord from Sweden with an 81.

The second flight for higher handicaps played Stableford on Carnoustie's Championship course.  36 played in this flight.  Par is 71
Leading is Willie Tanner from Dunfermline with 39 points,  with Geoff Bleasby (Goodwood) and Paul Adams (Durban, South Africa) close on his heels with 38 points.

The two flights change courses tomorrow, with those vying for the title World Hickory Champion out on the big course tomorrow starting at 9:00am.  The leaders are out last at 1:10.  Spectators are very welcome.

Scot Alexander slips out of lead with a 

second-round 76 in Oman

MUSCAT HILLS, Oman — MENA Golf Tour debutants Christofer Blomstrand and Julian Kunzenbacher firmly put themselves in pole position heading into the final round of the Muscat Hills Golf Citizen Championship on Tuesday.

Sweden’s Blomstrand backed up his opening round of a 67 with another solid 68 to reach nine under for the tournament, just two clear of Germany’s Kunzenbacher as the pair left many regular contenders trailing in their wake.

Morocco’s Younes El Hassani carded back-to-back 69s to move into a tie for third on six-under along with Australia’s Ryan Smith as a four-man group, led by Sweden’s Per Barth, who won the Shaikh Maktoum Dubai Open last month, shared fifth a further shot adrift.

Attributing his solid all-round golf to warmer weather, Blomstrand said: “I find it a lot easier to swing in these conditions than at back home where winter has set in, signally the end of the golf season for many.

“Barring early hiccups when I bogeyed a couple of holes, I think I played really well, tee to green, and holed some good putts, especially the one on the 16th which I sank from 16 feet.

“This event has provided me with a perfect opportunity to warm up for the second stage of the European Tour qualifier. With so many players shooting in red numbers, it just shows how good is the standard of golf on the tour,” said the 23-year-old from Skanor, 30km south of Malmo.

Even Kunzenbacher was delighted the way things have turned out for him. “It’s my very first event on the tour and I am enjoying the competition. The course is fairly easy and it’s just that sometimes you find it difficult to read the greens.

“When you play golf, you play to win. And I will be taking this positive mindset into the final round,” said the 22-year-old German, who eagled the par-five 13th, smashing his 6-iron from 200 yards to within 40 centimetres of the pin.

Morocco’s Younes El Hassani, who leads the MENA Division by four shots from his compatriot Mehdi Saissi, fancies his chances of a racking up a top-three finish.

“Slowly, but steadily I am getting back into the groove of things. I have made nine birdies and just three bogeys in the last 36 holes, which is nice. My driving is good and so is the iron play. If I can hole a few more putts, I stand a realistic chance of finishing among top three,” said the experienced professional from Tangiers. 

Scot Ben Alexander (Renaissance), 21, who shared the overnight lead with Blomstrand, Stuart Archibald and Cyril Suk after opening with a 67, stumbled to a 76, but managed to stay in front in the amateur division at one where he is joined by India’s Rayhan Thomas, who followed his opening 70 with a 73.

Elsewhere, England’s Archibald moved to five under after returning a level-par 72 while Czech Republic’s Suk carded a 74 to stay in the frame for a good finish at three under along with England’s Joshua White, the 2014 MENA Golf Tour champion.

The cut was made at four over 148 with 45 professionals and 10 amateurs making it to the final round.
LEADING SCORES

Updated North-east Alliance tee times for Banchory on Wednesday

8-15 C Cassie T Boyle
8-22 R Blackmore D Booth R Reid
8-29 N Macandrew K Shanks D Law
8-36 D Mackay D Lawrie S Scott
8-43 K Nicol G McBain M Forster
8-50 M Brown R Brown S Davidson
8-57 J Hamilton H Roulston M Rendall

9-04 P Mclean B Ritchie J Duff
9-11 P Cheyne L Roger T Robertson
9-18 H Mcnaughton B McHattie B McPherson
9-25 G Milne J Duncan S Shand
9-32 G Chalmers C Dempster S Hanson
9-39 S Dunn A Stuart K Daglish
9-46 J Crawford W Beattie L Duncan
9-53 J Forrest N Stewart B Lumsden

10-00 S Lawrie B Fyfe M Duncan
10-07 C Lawrie Sean Lawrie M Lawrie
10-14 D Lane A Clark R Duncan
10-21 R Ruddiman W Skene N K Parker
10-28 L Fowler J Hopwood J Emslie
10-35 G Homer D Leslie R Lumsden
10-42 D Brown I D Smith T Collie
10-49 S Allison G Mackie D Nelson
10-56 F Bisset D Bisset J Murray

11-03 S Mackie G Moir J Hosie
11-10 D Adam D Craigie P Walker
11-17 S McNeil C Diack
11-24 S Kiloh K Zeynalov R Cameron
11-31 K Duncan R McKen
11-38
11-45
11-52 R Lamb C Lamb M Merchant
11-59 S Finnie D McKay

12-06 J Borthwick P Low M Smith
12-13 B Nicolson G Allan
12-20

Slattery named Hilton European Tour Golfer of the Month for September

EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS Lee Slattery has been named the Hilton European Tour Golfer of the Month for September after winning the M2M Russian Open and finishing runner-up in the KLM Open in consecutive weeks. The Englishman lost his European Tour card in agonising fashion at the end of the 2014 season when he finished one spot outside the top 110, but his heartache turned to joy when he finished one shot clear of Tano Goya for an emotional victory at Skolkovo Golf Club, in Moscow. It was the 37 year old’s second European Tour title, and his first since the 2011 Bankia Madrid Masters – a wait of three years and 332 days – and he almost made it two in as many weeks when, buoyed by his Russian triumph, he pushed Belgian Thomas Pieters all the way in The Netherlands. Bidding to become the first Englishman since Lee Westwood in 1999 to win consecutive European Tour events, Slattery’s third round of 63 in the KLM Open moved him firmly into contention at Kennemer Golf and Country Club. However, he missed a four foot par putt on the 72nd hole to make it into a play-off with Pieters, and instead had to settle for a share of second place alongside Spaniard Eduardo de la Riva.

 2019 Open Championship for Royal Portrush

       NEWS RELEASE FROM THE R and A

The R and A announced today that The 148^TH Open will be played at Royal Portrush in 2019, marking a historic return to Northern Ireland for golf’s oldest and most international Championship after nearly 70 years.

The Open, which was played at Royal Portrush in 1951, when  Max Faulkner lifted the famous Claret Jug, is expected to be the biggest sporting event ever held in Northern Ireland, generating more than £70 million in terms of economic impact and destination marketing benefit.

Northern Ireland will be at the centre of the global sporting spotlight from 18-21 July 2019 as The Open is staged outside of Scotland and England for only the second time in the Championship’s more than 150-year history with sports fans from throughout Ireland and around the world expected to descend upon the town of Portrush on Northern Ireland's northern  coastline, about one hour's drive from Belfast..

Acting First Minister the Rt. Hon. Arlene Foster MLA and deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness MLA joined Darren Clarke, Champion Golfer of the Year at Royal St George’s in 2011 and a member at Royal Portrush, Sir Richard McLaughlin, Captain of Royal Portrush Golf Club, Peter Unsworth, Chairman of The R and A’s Championship Committee, and Martin Slumbers, Chief Executive of The R and A, in making the announcement at Royal Portrush today.

Peter Unsworth, the Chairman of The R and A’s Championship Committee, said, “We are very much looking forward to bringing The Open to Royal Portrush in 2019 and believe it will be a tremendous venue for the Championship. We know there is great anticipation throughout Ireland at the prospect of welcoming the world’s top golfers and it promises to be a hugely memorable week. 

"We are delighted with the progress being made on the course preparations and they will undoubtedly enhance the challenge presented by these historic links.”  

Acting First Minister Arlene Foster said, “I welcome today’s announcement that The Open Championship is to be held at Royal Portrush in 2019 and twice again in the future. Securing The Open Championship at Royal Portrush is a magnificent achievement. It is a key part of Tourism NI’s events strategy and is crucial to consolidating our efforts to grow visitor numbers and visitor spend.”

The Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, said, "The potential economic return of £70 million makes The Open coming to Portrush in 2019 a success story not just for golf and golfing fans but our entire economy. I commend The R and A for their confidence and commitment to Portrush. For our part we stand ready to help ensure the necessary infrastructure is in place and ensure the focus remains on the golf course. I have no doubt the 2019 Open at Royal Portush which will be broadcast to half a billion people worldwide will be a stunning sporting success.”

Darren Clarke, said, “This is going to be absolutely huge for Northern Ireland and, indeed, Ireland as a whole. To have the world’s biggest and best golf Championship played at such a fantastic venue as Royal Portrush, with all the passion that the Irish fans will bring to the event, is going to be amazing.”

Rory McIlroy, who lifted the Claret Jug at Royal Liverpool in 2014, added, “Royal Portrush is one of my favourite golf courses in the world. I think it will be a fantastic Open venue. They are going to add a couple of new holes to the golf course and I think that will be a great addition and will make the course even stronger. I’m really looking forward to it.”

Course preparations and the work to create the two new holes on the renowned Dunluce Links are well underway. 

The new 7th and 8th holes will utilise land from the adjacent Valley Course to develop a new par 5 hole, playing down into the valley encompassing that course’s 6th hole, and then a par four, playing back over its 5th hole into some beautiful duneland. Both holes will have an immediate air of maturity using some of the most stunning land at Royal Portrush. The new holes will replace the current 17th and 18th holes on the Dunluce Links, freeing up that land to be used to accommodate the Spectator Village and Championship infrastructure.

Earlier this year the proposals were approved by the Royal Portrush membership and the work is being overseen by Martin Ebert of Mackenzie & Ebert the Club's golf course architects. As well as creating two new holes, a series of other changes are being made to the course to enhance the challenge that will face the world’s top golfers while remaining true to the ethos of Harry Colt’s original design.

The most significant changes will be to move the 2nd green to lengthen the par five hole by around 40 yards and on the current 10th hole, which will be the 12th at The Open, to alter the line of the hole and extend it by 50 yards. Elsewhere, the existing 8th green (the 10th at The Open), which was not designed by Colt, will be reshaped and several new back tees will be created.

The overall length of the course will increase by just under 200 yards to 7,337 yards and the number of bunkers will be increased by three to 62 in total, still leaving Royal Portrush with the fewest bunkers of any of the courses which host The Open.

The work on the Dunluce Links is due to be complete by the middle of 2016 with the two new holes being given time to grow-in ahead of the following season.

For more information visit TheOpen.com.

Swiss trio win World Hickory Open team title

on countback at Carnoustie Budden

                            Swiss team of W. Weisinger, G Norring and M Rossetto
 
REPORT AND PICTURE FROM GILLIAN KIRKWOOD
The winning team in the World Hickory Open team competition on Monday at Carnoustie were from Switzerland.
It was a team of three, best net score competition on the Budden Course.  Par was 67.

Here are the prize winners.

56  W.Weisinger, G Norring and M Rossetto (Switzerland). Bih
56  D. Kirkwood, J Still and W. Tanner (Scotland) bl6
56  S. Viglino, L Viglino and J Ruegger (Switzerland)
58  B Schuman, A Fried and H Cameron (USA) bih
58  F Mann, C Sinclair and T Bjorkman (Scotland and Germany)

Ladies
65 Vivien Saunders, Claire Penman and Sheila Brunton
66 Pat Sawers, Mary Summers and Louise Graham

Many of the world’s top hickory golfers are remaining in Carnoustie Country following the World Hickory Open 2015 to compete in the two-day Hickory International Triangular Match which is being held on Carnoustie Championship course on October 22/23.