Michael Riddell MGR Fife male golfer of the week

The MGR Fife Golfers of the Week are Moira Cuthbertson of Drumoig Ladies Golf Club, who has steadily risen to No 1 on the MGR Fife Ladies Ranking, and Michael Riddell (Cupar GC), who has jumped to No 2 on the MGR Fife Men's Ranking.

www.mygolfranking.net, Fife Men, Week 2015/44

1 Gary Wishart (Charleton) 1144 points,                                                                                                  

2 Michael Riddell (Cupar) 1120,

3 Blaine McGowan (Thornton) 1117,

4 *Stewart Lamond (Pitreavie) 1100,

5 Ryan MacKie (Balbirnie Park) 1085,

6 *Michael Lindsay (Pitreavie) 1083,

7 Graham Brown (Lundin) 1078,

8 *Ross Gribbens (Dunfermline) 1071,                                                                    

9 Fraser Carr (Crail) 1068,

10 Stuart McGaulley (Balbirnie Park) 1066.

www.mygolfranking.net, Fife Clubs Men, Week 2015/44

1 Dunfermline 753 pts

2 Dunnikier Park 744

3 Ladybank 738

4 Pitreavie 737

5 Thornton 727

6 Kirkcaldy 692

7 Balbirnie Park 683

8 Charleton 676

9 Earlsferry Thistle 672

10 Cupar 669

                            

*Entry this week

For up-to-date ranking lists of participating clubs, the full Regional, National and International Rankings and how it works, visit www.mygolfranking.net.

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David Moir

MyGolfRanking

In League with Golf Ltd

info@mygolfranking.net

Amazing Grace shoots a 63 in  Shanghai
 EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS
Branden Grace posted the lowest opening round in the history of the WGC-HSBC Champions - a brilliant bogey-free nine under par round of 63 at Sheshan International Golf Club in Shanghai.

The South African, pictured, who won the Volvo China Open in 2012, carded five birdies on his outward nine after starting on the tenth tee, and he picked up four more shots after the turn to move one shot clear of Dane Thorbjørn Olesen, American Kevin Kisner and Australian Steven Bowditch.
Englishman Danny Willett, who is currently second behind Rory McIlroy in the Race to Dubai, is a further shot back on seven under par after dropping his only shot of the day on the final hole for a round of 65, the same total as American duo Patrick Reed and Dustin Johnson.
World Number Three McIlroy, who was unable to practise before the tournament because of food poisoning, began his bid for a second World Golf Championship title of 2015 with a four under par round of 68, which included a double bogey six on the 15th hole, his sixth hole after starting on the tenth tee.

Key player quotes
Branden Grace – 63 (-9)
 “Today was phenomenal out there. There was barely a breath of wind out there and the golf course is playing probably as easy as it could be playing. There's some low scores out there. The guys are playing some great golf, and when you play on greens like this, as well, it helps. You just have to get the ball on the right line and it goes in.
“The Presidents Cup was a big boost for me. Coming into these events, knowing that I'm sixth, I know one good week can change everything and I’m giving it a last final push. There's a lot still to play for.”
Thorbjørn Olesen – 64 (-8)
“It was brilliant. I really had it going down the front nine. I think after nine, I thought about that 60 number. I hit a couple of bad shots on the back nine, but overall I played really, really well. I holed some good putts and it was a really solid round.
Danny Willett – 65 (-7)
“I was a bit disappointed with the finish. I didn't have the best warm-up after a good few days of prep. I said at the beginning, if you're going to miss two greens and two fairways, you're doing all right. I’m really pleased. I went out there, knuckled down and hit a lot of good shots.
Rory McIlroy – 68 (-4)
“I've lost ten pounds since being here. I can't remember the last time I was this light. But hopefully I’ll have a couple of good meals over the next couple days and rehydrate and I'll be feeling a lot better.  I felt like I played okay. Tee-to-green was pretty good. I was disappointed I missed three good chances coming in there on the front nine and didn't quite capitalise on those. So it was a score that I thought could have been a lot better, but considering the position I was in this time yesterday, it's not a bad start.”
FIRST ROUND SCORES
Par 72
63 B Grace  (RSA)
64 T Olesen (Den) , S Bowditch (Aus) , K Kisner (USA) ,
65 D Johnson (USA) , D Willett  (Eng) , P Reed (USA) ,
 
66 L Haotong (Chn)
67 T Fleetwood  (Eng) , T Fisher Jnr (RSA) , R Knox (Sco) , H English (USA) , T Pieters  (Bel) , P Casey  (Eng) , Z Xinjun (Chn) ,
 68 C Schwartzel  (RSA) , H Mahan  (USA) , C Wood  (Eng) , R Lee (Can) , S Hend (Aus) , L Oosthuizen  (RSA) , S Kjeldsen (Den) , J Spieth  (USA) , B Watson (USA) , D Berger (USA) , R McIlroy  (Nir) , R Fowler  (USA) , S Garcia  (Esp) , D Summerhays (USA) , M Fitzpatrick  (Eng) ,
 69 S Chawrasia (Ind) , J Morrison  (Eng) , M Kaymer (Ger) , R Fisher (Eng), M Leishman (Aus) , E Grillo (Arg), W Ashun (Chn) , B An (SKor) , G Woodland (USA) , K Aphibarnrat (Tha) , H Stenson (Swe) 
 70 A Noren  (Swe) , T Aiken (RSA) , T Hatton (Eng), C Yi (Chn) , A Dodt (Aus), H Iwata (Jpn) , D Zecheng (Chn) , S Piercy (USA) , D Lingmerth (Swe) , B Wiesberger  (Aut) , A Sullivan (Eng) , A Lahiri (Ind) ,
 71 L Wenchong (Chn) , H Matsuyama  (Jpn) , C Smith (Aus) , C Kirk (USA) , D Lee  (Nzl) , L Donald  (Eng) ,
 72 T Jaidee (Tha) , L Westwood (Eng) , J Thomas (USA) , D Chia (Mas) , I Poulter (Eng) , K Na (USA) ,
 73 G Chalmers (Aus) , R Streb (USA) , M Jiménez (Esp) , D Howell (Eng) ,
 74 S Lowry  (Irl) , M Jones (Aus) , N Cullen (Aus) , K Kim (Kor) , S Kodaira (Jpn) ,
 75 A Scott  (Aus) , M Warren (Sco)
 76 S Jeffress (Aus) ,
 77 D Van Tonder  (RSA) ,
EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS

Whiteford and Henry sharing top Scpt tag on 140

Hansen holds halfway lead in Oman

EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS
Denmark's Joachim B Hansen retained the lead of the NBO Golf Classic Grand Final at the halfway point after a five under par second round of 67 for an 11-under tally of 133, but Road to Oman Rankings leader Ricardo Gouveia and Englishman Max Orrin – who won on this course last year – are in close pursuit in the European Challenge Tour’s season finale at Muscsat in the United Arab Emirates.
Hansen made six birdies in the Omani sunshine as he built on his opening round of 66 to move up into fourth position in the projected Road to Oman Rankings, having started the week in 17th spot - just outside the top 15 who will win European Tour cards at the end of this week.
The Dane played on The European Tour for the last two seasons after graduating from the Challenge Tour in 2012 and is happy with his form as he hunts a maiden victory at Muscat’s Almouj Golf, The Wave.
“My swing feels very comfortable right now,” said the 25 year old. “There are a few shots going left but I just need to get the rhythm and the arms through it and I’ll be fine.
“I kept the ball in play and hit a lot of greens. I didn’t really putt as well as I did yesterday but it was still pretty good. I’m looking forward to the next few days and hopefully getting that top 15 spot, so it’s going to be fun.
“I definitely feel like I’m back at the level I was at in 2012. My game has developed a lot since that time, but, like I did in Kazakhstan in the first round, when I get the ball in play sometime the putter just holes everything.
“The two years on The European Tour gave me a lot of experience, to see how good the players are and how you have to play. You don’t have to hit the golden shot every time, just stick to your game and hole the putts.
“I just stick to my own game and don’t look at what anybody else is doing but it was good to play with Ricardo. He’s a very steady player and strikes the ball really well. I just have to try get by every day and see where we are at the end.”
Gouveia, whose stellar season has earned his caddie the right to wear a golden bib, reflective of the Portuguese star’s Number One position in the Rankings, credited his putter for his good scoring in the opening rounds.
“I played well again, hit the ball ok,” said the 24 year old. “I hit the ball better yesterday but I holed some important putts today. I’ve only made one bogey in two rounds, which is pretty good, and I just want to keep it going.
Leading Brit is England's Max Orrin in third place after a 66 for 136 - three off the pace.
Peter Whiteford and Scott Henry are sharing the leading Scot tag on 140.
SECOND-ROUND SCORES
Par 144 (2x72)
133 J Hansen  (Den) 66 67
134 R Gouveia (Por) 67 67
136 M Orrin (Eng) 70 66
137 B Åkesson (Swe) 68 69
138 J Winther (Den) 70 68, D Im (USA) 71 67, J Robinson (Eng) 68 70,
139 J Dantorp (Swe) 69 70, R Evans  (Eng) 68 71, D Huizing (Ned) 70 69, D Foos (Ger) 72 67, N Elvira  (Esp) 70 69,
140 P Whiteford (Sco) 73 67, T Linard (Fra) 70 70, R McGowan  (Eng) 72 68, S Henry  (Sco) 69 71,
141 J Hahn (USA) 70 71, G Murray  (Sco) 70 71, C Shinkwin (Eng) 69 72, R Fox (Nzl) 74 67, R Davies (Wal) 73 68,
142 M Delpodio  (Ita) 70 72, R McGee (Irl) 73 69, B Stone (RSA) 71 71, B Virto Astudillo (Esp) 71 71,
143 S Gros (Fra) 69 74, R Coles (Eng) 74 69, H Joannes  (Bel) 71 72, P Widegren  (Swe) 70 73, C Hanson (Eng) 70 73, S Arnold  (Aus) 72 71,
144 S Soderberg (Swe) 74 70, S Jeppesen  (Swe) 70 74, T Murray (Eng) 69 75, J Senior (Eng) 74 70,
145 L Gagli  (Ita) 71 74, J Fahrbring (Swe) 73 72,
146 A Björk (Swe) 73 73, A McArthur  (Sco) 75 71, G Boyd  (Eng) 74 72,
147 M Søgaard  (Den) 72 75,
148 C Sordet  (Fra) 76 72,
149 J McLeary  (Sco) 78 71, S Walker (Eng) 76 73,
154 H Porteous (RSA) 76 78,


EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS

Craibstone's Brimmond Bistro sponsor all three sections

Duncan and Duff dig in at the top of the NE Alliance Scratch Order of Merit table

By COLIN FARQUHARSON 

Cruden Bay's Kevin Duncan and John Duff (Newmachar), two of the most consistent performers on the North-east Alliance circuit dug in to the Nos 1 and 2 positions they hold in the current Brimmond Bistro-sponsored Scratch Order of Merit table with top-10 finishes at the ninth competition of the season, at Cruden Bay.
Dimcan, pictured, tied for third place with a one-under 69 behind runaway winner with a 62, Greig Hutcheon.
Kevin leads the table with a tally of 3,412pt.
Duff tied for sixth place with a 70 and, with an aggregate of 2,828, is the best par of 600pt adrift of the leader.
Hutcheon scored his first NE Alliance win of the season and is 20th in the table with 926pt.
Gavin Chalmers (Alford) has a substantial lead at the top of the Handicap Class 1 table but it's much tighter at the top of Class 2. Jim Stewart (Banchory) leads second-placed Stephen Ross (Hazlehead) by only 13 points.
Gary Homer (Northern), after his Class 2 win at Cruden Bay on Wednesday is in third place.
The three sections of the Order of Merit will end with the second round of the Alliance championship at Craibstone Golf Club in March.

LEADING SCRATCH
1 KEVIN DUNCAN (Cruden Bay)         3,412
 2 JOHN DUFF (Newmachar)                  2,829                                 

3 PHIL McLEAN (Paul Lawrie GC)       2,700                            

4 SEAN LAWRIE (Paul Lawrie GC)      2,317                           

5 CHRIS LAMB (Newmachar)               2,051                               

6 GREG McBAIN (Paul Lawrie GC)      1,979

7 ADAM DUNTON  (McDonald Ellon) 1,847
8 JOEL HOPWOOD  (Royal Aberdeen) 1,805
9  SAM KILOH (Paul Lawrie GC)          1,701                                

10 ALAN STUART  (Paul Lawrie GC)   1,448

11 DAVID BROWN   (Kemnay)              1,255                     

12 TERRY MATHIESON  (Murcar Links) 1,235

13 BILLY FYFE  (Paul Lawrie GC)         1,219                         

14 BRIAN RITCHIE (Inverallochy)         1,164                     

15 KRIS NICOL  (Paul Lawrie GC)         1,159                            

16 GARY ESSON (Portlethen)                 1,151                        

17 COLIN NELSON  (MacKenzie Golf) 1,048                     

18 TONY ROBERTSON (Peterculter)     1,025

19 DAVID LAW (Paul Lawrie GC)            993                              

20 GREIG HUTCHEON  (P Lawrie GC)   926

21 GRAEME RILEY (Craibstone)              922                    

22 MURRAY PATTERSON (Cruden Bay) 905

23 CRAIG LAWRIE (Paul Lawrie GC)      884                       

24 DAVID LESLIE (Northern)                    862                         

25 STEWART FINNIE (Royal Aberdeen)   861

26 LEE VANNET (Craibstone)                    842

27 RAYMOND REID (Tarland)                   729                      

28 SCOTT MACKIE  (Kemnay)                  724                      

29 JOHN BORTHWICK  (Craibstone)         722               

30 GAVIN CHALMERS  (Alford)                698              

LEADING HANDICAP

CLASS 1 (0-9)

1 GAVIN CHALMERS    (Alford)       1,604

2 SCOTT MACKIE (Kemnay)             1,235                           

3 GARY ESSON (Portlethen)               1.187                                    

4 BRIAN RITCHIE (Inverallochy)       1,150

5 SCOTT MELVIN (Newmachar)        1,127                        

6 TONY ROBERTSON (Peterculter)    1,061                    

7 LES FOWLER (Royal Aberdeen)       1,042

8 DONNY ADAM (Westhill)                 1,000                             

9 DAVID LANE (Deeside)                        994                               

10 DAVID LESLIE  (Northern)                 966
11 GRAEME RILEY (Craibstone)            932                        

12 DEREK CRAIGIE (Portlethen)            894                       

13 STEVE SHAND (Kemnay)                 835                         

14 WILLIE SKENE (Deeside)                 794                     

15 BLAIR McPHERSON (Portlethen)     788
16 JOHN BORTHWICK (Craibstone)     766                 

T17 KEITH McGILLIVARY  (Craibstone) 730            

T17 HARRY ROULSTON  (Stonehaven)   730              

19 SAMMY LESLIE (Aberdeen Ladies)    720                        

20 CHARLIE CASSIE  (Nigg Bay)            696

CLASS 2 (handicaps 10 to 18)

1 JIM STEWART (Banchory)                   1,307                            

2 STEPHEN ROSS  (Hazlehead)              1,294                        

3 GARY HOMER (Northern)                    1,015                             

4 WILLIE BEATTIE (Craibstone)                951                 

5 LENNY DUNCAN (Northern)                  749                       

6 RAYMOND REID (Tarland)                     706                        

7 LES ROGER (Royal Aberdeen)                670                          

8 HAMISH McNAUGHTON (Cruden Bay) 616

9 ROBBIE DUNCAN (Deeside)                   569                     

10 DAVID BISSET  (Banchory)                   557                         

11 NIGEL PARKER (Murcar Links)            540
12 PETER LOW (Craibstone)                      525                              

13 GRAHAM ALLAN (Auchmill)              522                   

14 PETER WALKER (Oldmeldrum)           513                      

15 DONALD LAWRIE (Aboyne)               509                   

16 PETER CHEYNE  (Northern)                497

17 NEISH CHISHOLM (Kemnay)              448

18 JIM MURRAY (Banchory)                     420       

19.DAVID McKAY (Caledonian)                397

20 MIKE RENDALL (Stonehaven)             392