Cammy Farrell's four-under-par wins at Western Gailes

FROM JOHN HENRY
Young Cameron Farrell,  assistant professional at Cardross GC, won the Big Johnson's Tour event today at a fine Western Gailes course.
Cammy hit a three-wood on to the last green and left himself 8ft for eagle which lipped out and he tapped in for birdie for a score of four under par.
Conor O'Neil and John Henry shared second place on twounder par. The event again was sponsored by Devel Golf who put up anotherfour pitch mark repairers, won by the above and also Michael Paterson.

Golf-ball diver drowns in Texas course lake

 FROM GOLF DIGEST.COM
The golf ball recovery business  in America can be very lucrative. In fact, a man recently claimed to have made $15 million diving for golf balls in Florida. 
Of course, it's not the safest vocation.

In addition to snakes and alliggators, there's the fact that humans weren't designed to be under water for long periods of time. So even when using scuba gear, accidents happen.

Sadly, the Austin Statesman  has reported such an incident happening last week. A man was found drowned in a pond at the Star Ranch Golf Course in Hutto, Texas. on Friday.

"He had run out of air and had a lot of weight on him to keep him down," said Capt. Mike Gleason of the Williamson County sheriff's office. 

"What we speculate is that the water was so cold it probably sent him into shock and he went to sleep."

The man wasn't identified in the report, but his father acknowledged that his son, in his 40s, had a hobby of illegally diving for golf balls and selling them.

Trump-owned Turnberry stands little chance of hosting Open

Donald Trump during his visit toTrump Turnberry during this year's Ricoh Women's British Open championsip  ( Getty Images )

FROM GOLFWEEK.COM

By Alistair Tait

Donald Trump’s chances of bringing the Open to Trump Turnberry were pretty slim long before he made his comment about banning Muslims from entering the United States.
They’ve simply become non-existent now.
The R and A’s official line is that it has chosen its venues through the 2019 championship and won’t comment on future venues until the Championship Committee is ready to do so.
However, take it from me: Turnberry probably won’t be considered as long as Trump owns it. The Donald has a better chance of becoming U.S. president than he has of landing the game’s oldest major for the Ailsa Course .
Trump, who acquired Turnberry Hotel and the two links courses in 2014, seriously hampered Turnberry’s chances of hosting the game’s original tournament when he helicoptered into this year’s Ricoh Women’s British Open. R and A officials and committee members viewed the ensuing media circus with horror.
The last thing the R and A wants is for Trump, who is leading major polls in a bid to become the Republican nominee for president in the 2016 election, using the Open as a platform to do what he seems to do best: showcase himself.
Trump’s style clashes hard with the R and A’s exceedingly measured approach. 
Once asked what stood out among his achievements as R and A chief executive, former boss Peter Dawson said: “We don’t do personal here at the R and A.”
By contrast, Trump does ONLY personal.
Dawson and the R and A took a hammering two years ago for hosting the Open at Muirfield. It resulted in its affiliate Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews admitting female members for the first time in its history.
 The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, which owns Muirfield, since has put its all-male membership under review. Royal St. George’s is going through a similar process. Expect both clubs to follow the Royal and Ancient’s lead and welcome female members before the Open returns.
Imagine the media storm that would ensue if the R and A decided to take the Open to a venue, Turnberry, owned by someone with what many believe are anti-Muslim views?
To paraphrase Mr Trump: It. Just. Won’t. Happen.
The R and A doesn’t even have to cite Trump’s controversial views as the reason for not returning to Turnberry any time soon. The Ayrshire venue is probably the R and A’s biggest challenge on the current Open rota.
Crowds generally are smaller at Turnberry than any other venue because of its remote location in southern Ayrshire. Transport links are difficult, and hotel accommodation is poor.
Golf is the biggest loser here. Turnberry’s Ailsa Course is a great lay-out in a fantastic location. The changes that architect Martin Ebert is making will make the course even better.
The southwest area of Scotland needs major-championship golf, too. The nearby seaside town of Girvan once bustled with energy. The advent of cheap air travel to Spain and other European destinations in the 1980s killed Girvan as a holiday destination. 
It’s  now just another tired, rundown Scottish coastal town.
The 2009  Open, in which Stewart Cink edged a resurgent Tom Watson, gave the area a much-needed injection of cash. The Open can inject as much as $115 million into a community. Girvan and its environs could do with that sort of cash on a regular basis.
Sadly, it’s now likely to be a long time before the world’s elite grace Turnberry’s Ailsa links to fight it out for the Old Claret Jug.

Daniel Young's good start at Alps Tour Q School but other Scots struggle

Only Perth's Daniel Young, of the four Scots in the field of 141, could have been happy with his opening round in the Alps Tour Final Qualifying School at La Cala Resort, Spain today.
Young shot a two-under-par 70 to be joint 23rd behind the leader, Englishman George Twyman who had a 65.
Ben Craggs struggled to a 76 for a share of 106th place while former Scottish boys champion Ben Collier and Edinburgh's John Gallagher, the former Scottish amateur champion, toiled to respective rounds of 79 and 84.
Collier is joint 134th and Gallagher last of 141.




TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES

CLICK HERE

Scottish Junior Tour at Eastwood

FROM WALTER BURNS

Here are the results from the Scottish Junior Golf Tour event at Eastwood Golf Club yesterday. This was the first event to take place since November 7, due to the poor weather we have suffered recently. 

It was a very frosty and foggy morning but Eastwood was on full greens. The format was 9:9Golf which was really suited to the difficult conditions, allowing for some great scoring. There was a great turn-out despite the conditions and all the juniors had a great day.

Euan English and Aidan Husenne had the best scores of the day with 2 under par 33s to  win jointly the U18 age group.

LEADING SCORES

  Under 18 years

33 Euan English (Erskine), Aidan Husenne (Haggs Castle)

34 Jack Williams (Sandyhills)

35 Andrew Crusher (Eastwood), Euan McBride (Lenzie), Luke Murdoch (Loudon Gowf)

 Under 15 years

37 Ian Taggart (Lenzie)

38 Max McCluskey (Lenzie)

39 Ethan Gunn (Colville Park)

Under 14 years

35 Roddy McCauley (Fereneze)

38 Harry Clark (Auchterarder), Jamie Fulton (Muckhart)          

40 Ben Hodgson (Eastwood)

 

Under 12 years

39 Josh Taylor (Eastwood)

40 Andrew Forbes (Haggs Castle), Aamar Saleem (Ladybank)

Under 11 years

40 Alexander Farmer (Kilmacolm)

41 Callum Waugh (Cambuslang)

42 Gregor Rawson (Ranfurly Castle)

 

The handicap prize was won by Ben Hodgson with  nett 23.

 

 

Walter Burns

Scottish Junior Golf Tour

 

Mob: 07951 103 827

 

Email: walter@scottishjuniorgolftour.co.uk

Web: www.scottishjuniorgolftour.co.uk

Tickets on sale to  watch Montgomerie tackle 

Carnoustie in July ... Christmas present?

NEWS RELEASE

Colin Montgomerie, who brought the curtain down on another stupendous season by winning the MCB Tour Championship in Mauritius yesterday, will now return to his Perthshire home and spend the winter months hatching a cunning plan to correct the one ‘Major’ omission on his CV as a senior golfer.

 It promises to be an assignment designed to excite the spectating public, who can now buy reduced-price advance tickets to attend the 2016 Senior Open Championship Presented by Rolex at the iconic Carnoustie links next July 21 to 24.

The eight-time European Number One, who celebrated his coronation as a back-to-back winner of the Senior Tour Order of Merit in Mauritius, has captured the US Senior Open along with two US PGA Senior titles twice during his first three seasons among the over-50s.

However, the Senior Open Championship on home soil has so far eluded Montgomerie, who will return to the most challenging of Open Championship venues on the rugged Angus coastline from July 21-14 with a clear mission in mind.

“Winning this one would be the icing on the cake,” declared the 52 year old Scot, who cannot wait to take up the test of matching the demands of a layout where he set the course record of 64 in the Scottish Open 20 years ago – an achievement which stands to this day.

For an advance price of £20 per day and just £60 for a weekly season (for a limited period until  January 10), spectators will be able to watch from close quarters as a world-class field of Major Champions face the perils of Carnoustie, with Europe’s record-breaking Senior champion, Montgomerie, enjoying the chance to renew an old acquaintance.

“It’s one of the ‘big three’ Senior titles,” said Montgomerie, who chalked up his third win of the season at the weekend to hoist his year’s earnings to €679,147.

“I’ve been lucky enough to win the US Senior Open and US PGA Senior titles but I am looking forward to this one, especially as it’s the first time I’ve played in the Senior Open in Scotland following Royal Birkdale, Royal Porthcawl and Sunningdale.”

Montgomerie, who plans to make the daily 50 minute commute from his home to Carnoustie, added: “It’s a great time of year and a great month for golf in Scotland in July with the Scottish Open, The Open and the Senior Open all taking place in three consecutive weeks north of the border.

“I love Carnoustie and I recall that eight under par 64 I shot on the opening day of the Scottish Open in 1995. The course is always in superb condition, and it’s a wonderful celebration of golf. It’s great that a legend like Tom Watson will be back where he won The Open in 1975 and Bernhard Langer will try to repeat his Senior Open win in 2010.

“Carnoustie is by far the best and hardest test of golf on The Open Championship rota, and possibly the best conditioned course as well. I always look forward to playing Carnoustie. It’s a real challenge. We all look forward to trying to pit our wits against it. Overall, it’s a great tournament, great course, great field and we all look forward to that week on the calendar.”

Early bird tickets for 2016 Senior Open Championship Presented by Rolex are available now by clicking here: http://tickets.europeantour.com/event/the-senior-open-championship/carnoustie-golf-links/899860/ or by visiting: tickets.europeantour.co or by calling +44 (0)1344 850550.

Hospitality packages are also available click here:
http://tickets.europeantour.com/event/the-senior-open-championship-hospitality/carnoustie-golf-links/905538/

Kilmarnock Barassie make Jack McDonald an honorary member
NEWS RELEASE 
Following the success of this year’s GB and I Walker Cup team, Kilmarnock (Barassie) Golf Club has marked the historic victory by awarding honorary life membership to one of the heroes of the home squad. 
Jack McDonald became the third Barassie member to lift the trophy when the team regained golf’s blue ribbon amateur event at Royal Lytham and St Annes in September.

Ryder Cup off to Rome in 2022 as Germany, Spain bids fail

SKYSPORTS.COM

By Stephen Turner

Rome has been chosen to host the Ryder Cup in 2022.

The Marco Simone Golf and Country Club, 17km from the centre of Italy's capital, beat bids from Austria, Germany and Spain to stage the 44th running of the tournament between teams from Europe and the United States.
The venue will be the third on mainland Europe to host the Ryder Cup after Valderrama in Spain and France's Golf National, which stages the 2018 edition.
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Faldo Series 2016 Qualifier at The Duke's, St Andrews 

July 25 to 27

NEWS RELEASE

The Faldo Series has announced its UK schedule for 2016 with Moortown Golf Club returning to the line-up after a one year absence and East Sussex National becoming new hosts in the 20^th year of Faldo Series events. 

Each tournament will comprise of 54-holes and count towards the World Amateur Golf Ranking.

“Young golfers in the UK have benefitted from the experience of playing in the Faldo Series now for two decades”, said Sir Nick Faldo. “Following its successful introduction two years ago, we have continued to hold 54-hole championships across the UK, allowing players the opportunity to gain even more tournament experience and to compete for World Amateur Golf Ranking points.”

Faldo added: “I thank The R and A, The European Tour, The US PGA Tour and the PGA of America for their on-going support which allows us to bring opportunity to thousands of talented young golfers worldwide every year.”

“2016 will mark a significant milestone of R&A support towards the Faldo Series since its launch in 1996,” commented Alison White, Assistant Director of Golf Development at The R&A. 

 “Along with Sir Nick, a three-time Open Champion, The R and A is proud to support an impressive global record of golf development. The expansion of the Faldo Series over 20 years illustrates how our vision along with Sir Nick’s commitment to golf development can make a positive impact on the future generation.”

The 2016 UK schedule features seven championships across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.  For an entry fee of £60, boys and girls aged 12 to 21 will play one practice round and three tournament rounds at their chosen venue.  

The five age-group winners at each tournament – three boys and two girls – will join six-time Major winner Faldo at the 20^th Faldo Series Grand Final.

The entry deadline for each event will be 30 days prior to the start of the competition.

The Faldo Series Wales Championship is the first UK event. Players will tee off at Pyle and Kenfig Golf Club (Bridgend) on April 11-13. The second event will be held at Lough Erne Resort (Co Fermanagh) in Northern Ireland on April 12-13. The Ireland Championship will remain a 36-hole competition.

Old Fold Manor (Barnet) hosts the first of two England South Championships on July 4-6. Moortown Golf Club (Leeds) will return to the Faldo Series schedule on July 18-20 for the England North Championship. 

After Moortown the focus shifts to Scotland where competitors will play The Duke's, St Andrews on July 25-27.

Trentham Golf Club (Stoke-On-Trent) hosts the England Midlands Championship on August 1-3. The last UK event of the season will be held at a new venue for the Faldo Series, East Sussex National (Uckfield) where players will be welcomed on August 22-24.

 A full European schedule for 2016 will be announced in the coming weeks.

Photo caption: Reigning Faldo Series Grand Final - Boys’ Under-21 Champion Jack Yule (centre) with Alison White, Assistant Director of Golf Development at The R and A and Sir Nick Faldo.

Donald Trump's name returned to sign at Dubai golf complex

A stone wall shows the absence of Donald Trump's name at Akoya, the Dubai golf complex being built by DAMAC Properties. Today's news is that Trump's name reportedly been restored to the wall, writes  Brentley Romine.

Well, that didn't last very long.
Two days after Donald Trump's image and name were removed from parts of a Dubai golf course and housing development, gold letters spelling out "Trump International Golf Club" were returned to a stone wall at the entrance of the $6 million golf complex, according to a Reuters report
The site's developer, DAMAC Properties, initially stood by its business agreement with the Trump Organization after the billionaire and Republican presidential candidate made comments calling for a ban on Muslim immigrants to the United States. 
 Then on Thursday, signage of Trump's likeness and name were removed from parts of the property.
"We would like to stress that our agreement is with the Trump Organization as one of the premium golf-course operators in the world and as such we would not comment further on Mr. Trump's personal or political agenda, nor comment on the internal American political-debate scene,” Niall McLoughlin, senior vice president of DAMAC Properties, told CNN
Trump owns or operates 17 golf courses in the U.S. and three foreign countries, including annual US PGA Tour stop Trump National Doral, which could lose its event starting in 2017, and Open venue Trump Turnberry in Ayrshire, which reportedly will be removed from the Open rota by the R and A, who have yet to confirm this.

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US PGA Tour

Lanny and Tucker Wadkins grab unlikely Father/Son win with eagle in play-off

Lanny and Tucker Wadkins celebrate after making an eagle in the playoff during the PNC Father/Son Challenge at The Ritz Carlton Golf Club. ( Tracy Wilcox )

 

FROM GOLFWEEK.COM

By Adam Schupak

ORLANDO, Fla. – During his Hall of Fame career, Lanny Wadkins always wore his heart on his sleeve. So it was no surprise to see him break into spontaneous celebration when his son, Tucker, buried a 40-foot eagle putt on the first play-off hole to win the PNC Father/Son Challenge.
"My stuff is never choreographed," Lanny said. "It was rolling so pure, I didn’t see how it could possibly miss."
Four feet from the hole, Wadkins hugged his son. At best, it could be described as a bear hug. In wrestling, they’d call it a sleeper hold. In football, it would've been a 15-yard penalty and an automatic first down. Except this holding was done with love.
Team Wadkins followed up 61 on Saturday by shooting 9-under 63 for a 36-hole total of 20-under 124, and defeated Davis and Dru Love, Larry and Drew Nelson, and Fred and Taylor Funk in a sudden-death playoff at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club to capture the Willie Park belts and the $200,000 first prize.
The scramble format lends itself to a close finish, but there had never been one this close. It marked the first playoff since 2002, and the largest playoff in tournament history. 
It was the ninth appearance for Wadkins, 63, who has played five times with older son, Travis, and four times with Tucker, and never finished better than a share of ninth place in the two-man, team event.
Lanny's lack of prior Father/Son success is understandable, in part, because he has spent more than a decade in the television booth, first as an analyst for CBS and now for Golf Channel. Back issues derailed his career as a senior.  
He has undergone six back surgeries – mostly between 2007 and 2009 – and wife, Penny, said she didn't think she'd ever see her husband win again.
"I'm double-fused L-4/5 and 5-S1. I've had a microdisectomy,” said Wadkins, whose only event on the schedule in both 2014 and 2015 was the Father/Son Challenge. "I'm pretty stiff these days. If I stay on balance while hitting a shot it's probably a mistake."
Yet with the tournament on the line, Lanny attempted to squat down and read the 12-foot birdie putt at the final hole to join the playoff until his knee locked. So he didn't bother bending any farther and trusted his instincts. It had been a long time, he said, since he felt the heat on a putt.
One of the fiercest competitors in his day, Wadkins rolled it in the heart of the cup. "It would've gone in a thimble," Tucker said.
And how did Lanny feel about coming through in the clutch? "Dad’s still got a little bit left, so that’s kind of cool," Lanny said.
Tucker, who graduated last year from Arizona University where he played on the golf team, is a regular working stiff these days at a Dallas-based investor relations firm. 
He said he only finds time to play once every two weeks. Not that he showed any rust. His father said he shot 65 or 66 on his own ball in the final round. Team Wadkins started slowly, failing to birdie either of the first two holes. Lanny jumpstarted the team when he drilled a 70-footer at the fourth. "That's the longest putt I've made in 20 years," he said.
Tucker's confidence rose after canning a 20-foot birdie putt from off the green at No. 12. Travis, who caddied for his dad, kept telling his brother that sooner or later he was going to make one, and he did in the playoff – when it mattered most.
 "I had a similar putt last year so I knew the line was outside left and I felt calm when I hit it," Tucker said of the winning putt.
The eagle eliminated Team Nelson and Team Funk, but Team Love still had a crack at eagle from 35 feet. Lanny draped his left arm around Travis and his right arm around Tucker as he watched Dru Love's putt hang on the lip and Davis's kiss the right edge.
“We never really made a lot of putts all week,” said Davis. “Tucker and Lanny made a lot of putts. We watched them all week. That’s what you have to do to win.”
Lanny hadn't known that winning feeling in a long time. His last US PGA Tour victory dates to the 1992 Greater Hartford Open when Penny was at home pregnant with Tucker. He was 10 when Lanny captured the Champions Tour's 2001 Ace Classic in his over-50 debut. But he never won again.
"It was a long time since I made a putt that meant anything," Lanny said. "To do so at this point in my life, it's going to rank at the top."

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Lahiri savours 'special' taste of winning Asian Tour's Order of Merit

ASIAN TOUR NEWS RELEASE

Sentosa, Singapore: India’s Anirban Lahiri has described lifting the coveted 2015 Asian Tour’s Order of Merit crown as ‘really special’ as he reset his goals to winning in America and becoming a Major champion in the near future.

The 28-year-old enjoyed a stellar campaign this season where he won twice on the region’s premier Tour, broke into the world’s top-50, posted a top-five finish in a Major, qualified for his maiden Presidents Cup and earned his PGA Tour card. 

As he savoured the rewards, Lahiri said he was honoured to join Asian golf legends such as Thongchai Jaidee and Thaworn Wiratchant of Thailand and countrymen Jeev Milkha Singh, Arjun Atwal and Jyoti Randhawa as Asia’s number one golfer.

“It’s something that I’ve always wanted to win,” said Lahiri, who finished third and second on the Merit list in 2013 and 2014 respectively.

“I feel really happy and it makes me really proud to be in the same league of players like Thongchai, Jeev, Arjun, Thaworn and Jyoti as they are all legends of the game and have won the Order of Merit. It’s nice to be in the same bracket and have something in common. It’s something that is really special.”

The tenacious Indian won the Maybank Malaysian Open and Hero Indian Open within the span of three weeks in February and went on to record five other top-10s around the world. Another key highlight was an equal fifth place finish at the US PGA Championship where he became the best Indian finisher at a Major championship.

“Winning in Malaysia and then the Hero Indian Open will always be my cherished moments. To do it in a year which I’ve had is fantastic. Those wins got me into the Masters and playing The Open at St Andrews for the first time, it’s been a year filled with highlights for sure,” he said. 

“Coming in joint fifth at the PGA Championship, it’s been fantastic. There was so much that I took away from the week. The confidence and self-belief that I gained and earning the respect of the best players in the world ... that’s not easily done,” added Lahiri.

While he will focus primarily on the US PGA Tour next year, Lahiri said the Asian Tour, on which he has played full time from 2008, had provided the launch pad to his career rise.

“The Asian Tour has been instrumental. It has a rewarding structure. If you can keep your card and break into the top-30, you can play in the best events around Asia,” said Lahiri, who is a seven-time Asian Tour winner. 

“There are so many fantastic events with great fields, world ranking points and prize money on offer. There are not many Tours in the world that give you that opportunity and that’s what I’ve really benefitted from in the past eight years.

“Playing on various golf courses, the exposure of travelling and playing in different conditions and getting used to different time zones, these things definitely make you an international player. It prepares you for big things and it has made me a better player. 

“Obviously now, I’m looking onwards and upwards. Hopefully, playing on the US PGA Tour, I’d love to get a win in America. Ultimately, I want to try and win a Major. I can’t put a timeline on that goal, but if I can put myself in contention at least once next year, that would be a great start. The long term goal is to win a Major.”