Irish legend Christy O’Connor, senior

 passes away at the age of 91

By Will Gray

Irish legend and former Ryder Cup mainstay Christy O’Connor, Senior  at the age of 91.
O’Connor, known among his peers simply as “Himself,” won 44 professional tournaments during his career and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2009. 
His accolades included 10 top-10 finishes in the Open Championship, highlighted by a T-2 finish in 1965, as well as the Harry Vardon Trophy in both 1961 and 1962, awarded to the Order of Merit leader of the then-British Tour.
O’Connor received a lifetime membership to the European Tour in 2005, but his most notable contribution may have been his role in the formative years of the Ryder Cup. He played on 10 consecutive teams from 1955-1973, including Great Britain and Ireland’s 1957 win that marked the side’s first triumph in 24 years.
His longevity in the biennial matches was surpassed among Europeans only by Nick Faldo, who played on 11 different teams.
O’Connor’s death comes only months after the death of his nephew and fellow professional, Christy O’Connor, Junior, who passed away in January.
“Christy was in many ways the father of Irish golf and his death, so soon after that of his nephew Christy Jr., means that Ireland has lost two Ryder Cup legends in the span of five months,” Ryder Cup captain Darren Clarke told the European Tour. 
“Christy Senior. was a golf icon and a wonderful person as well. He did so much for the game he graced for so many years, while the Ryder Cup to some extent is what it is today because of his passion for it.
“Irish golf in particular and golf in general has lost one of its greatest heroes.”
“My abiding memory is phoning him with George O’Grady to break the news that he’d been elected into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2009, and he wouldn’t believe us,” David Hill, Ryder Cup director, added in a statement. 
“He said he’d only believe it if he saw it in writing, so I was dispatched to Royal Dublin to present him with a letter. As he read it, his face broke into a huge grin and he gave me a massive bear hug.”
+From a different age and era: Christy O'Connor was the first player in Europe to win a £1,000 first prize.

Day sets Players' Championship record of 129

(15-under), Spieth and Fowler miss cut

FROM THE US PGA TOUR WEBSITE
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida -- Jason Day set the 36-hole record Saturday morning (local time) at The Players' Championship and built a four-shot lead going into the weekend at the US PGA Tour’s signature event.
Day rolled in a 15-foot birdie putt when he resumed the second round, and he finished by getting up-and-down from the front of the green on No. 18 for a 6-under 66. That put him at 15-under 129, breaking by one stroke the record Greg Norman set at the TPC Sawgrass in 1994.
Norman was dominant that week in winning by four shots.
Day looks no different.

---

---

The world's No. 1 player has yet to make a bogey in two days, and he feels capable of making every putt.
"The 36-hole scoring record is great and all, but I'm looking at the big picture," Day said. "I need to knuckle down here and try and keep pushing forward. And we've got two more rounds left, so there is still a long way to go."
Irishman Shane Lowry finished his 68 on Friday and was at 11-under 133.
Jordan Spieth missed the cut for the second straight year, and his game felt even worse, being in the same group with Day the opening two rounds.
 Spieth said it was no different than watching Day when he opened with a 61 on his way to an eight-shot win at the BMW Championship last September, or playing with him in the final group at the US PGA Championship when Day became the first player to post 20-under par at a major.
"The Jason Day I saw the first two rounds at Chicago is about the same as the Jason Day now," he said. "That's pretty special. He's not really missing golf shots right now."
The 22-year-old Texan had his own problems, mainly with his putter, which he said he neglected while working on his full swing.
Spieth needed one birdie to make the cut at 2-under 142. Instead, he tried to hit the green from well off the 15th fairway, the ball popped up and hit a tree and he wound up with a bogey. He missed a birdie opportunity at the par-5 16th -- with an 8-iron for his second shot -- and missed from 15 feet on the par-3 17th. 
He finally made a birdie on the 18th. But by then, it was too late. Spieth shot 71 and missed by one.
Phil Mickelson also missed the cut, as did defending champion Rickie Fowler.
After two rounds, Day was the only player in the top 10 on the leaderboard with a major victory on their CV.
 Jonas Blixt, Alex Cejka and Cameron Tringale were five shots behind, with a group at 9-under 135 that featured Francesco Molinari, Boo Weekley, Gary Woodland and Russell Knox, the Scot who played golf locally at Jacksonville University.
Rory McIlroy and Zach Johnson were in the group seven shots behind.
The two-hour delay Friday afternoon because of lightning meant the third round will be played in threesomes off both tees.

TO VIEW LIVE SCORING FROM ROUND 3

CLICK HERE

England and France tied up at 6-6 with a day 

to go at Formby GC, Lancashire
 
FROM THE ENGLAND GOLF WEBSITE

It’s neck and neck after the first day of the England v France men's amateur international with the two teams tied 6-6 at Formby Golf Club, Lancashire.
France had the edge in the morning foursomes, winning 2½-1½, but England edged it in the singles when the host club’s Paul Kinnear halved his game for a 4½-3½ scoreline in the afternoon.
England captain Kevin Tucker commented: “We’ve got two good teams who are very evenly matched. It’s been a thoroughly enjoyable day’s golf, played in a great spirit, and the England lads did well to come back this afternoon. Now we’re looking forward to tomorrow.”
French captain Fabrice Stolear added: “At one point in the afternoon it looked as if it would be pretty bad for us so we’re happy to get back and finish the day even.”
He has his eye on doing the double – having played in a winning team in this match at Sunningdale in 1996. In total the French have won this match only five times since it started in 1934 – twice in England; three times in France.
“Tomorrow we will have a great day,” he said. “It looks as if it will be tight and if we can make it, it will be very big for us.”
England’s top scorer today was Somerset’s Josh Hilleard, who won both his matches – teaming up with Scott Gregory in the morning before polishing off his singles 8 and 7. He was four under for the holes played and said: “I’ve had a wonderful day!”
Remarkably he lost the first hole, when his opponent holed a monster putt for birdie, but then he was off, helped by three consecutive birdies from the third and another on the 8th.
Alfie Plant, playing in the top game, had already claimed England’s first win of the afternoon. He didn’t get ahead until the 12th, but then he stayed in front before halving the long 17th in birdie to seal a 2 and 1 victory.
 “I’ve played solid all day, hitting fairways and greens,” he said.
Bradley Moore claimed his point against the long-hitting Edgar Catherine who reached the 558-yard third with a driver and a two-iron, and went through the green on the 312-yard fourth with his tee shot.
Despite that, Moore was two-up at the turn, having played the front nine in four-under, and he was four up with five to play. His lead was quickly reduced after he three-putted the 14th and his opponent birdied 15 and 16, but he held on well with a par on 17 before hitting two beautiful shots into the 18th where his putt was conceded.
Jamie Bower contributed England’s other point, getting ahead early in his match and staying there, helped by a couple of birdies. He signed off with a 2 and 1 win on the 17th.
Meanwhile, Scott Gregory looked as though he might pull off the most remarkable result. The Hampshire player, who played the front nine in one-over, was five down at the turn after his opponent went out in four under. 
However Gregory began to claw back the difference and by the 14th he had reduced the deficit to two holes, but was unable to make further inroads on the score. After the players halved 17 in birdie four, he bowed out 2 and 1 – having played level par golf, while his opponent was two-under. Ashton Turner and James Walker also lost by the same margin.
Sunday's foursomes start at 9am.
Click here for full scores
Click here for foursomes report

Jamie McLeary slumps to an 81 in European Tour event

Dodt's third-round 77 opens door for 

Mauritius Open rivals
FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Siddikur Rahman took advantage of a late collapse from Andrew Dodt to claim the third-round lead at the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open.
Dodt came into the day with a three-shot lead and had extended that to five at one point but he came home in 43 to sign for a 77 and open the door for the rest of the field.
Siddikur capitalised as he recorded a 69 at Four Seasons Golf Club at Anahita to get to seven under and open up a one-shot lead over Trophée Hassan II champion Jeunghun Wang, with Dodt and Nicolas Colsaerts both four shots off the lead.
Australian Scott Hend was then at one under after a 69, a shot clear of South African Brandon Stone whose 68 was the low round of the day.

A win for Siddikur would be his first on the European Tour while victory for Wang would be his second in as many weeks after his triumph in Morocco just six days ago.
"I really enjoyed my round today," said Siddkur. "It was a very special day for me."
"I am very excited and I will try to enjoy myself tomorrow. One more day to go. Nothing's going to change. I'll just try and play the same way as I did for the last few days. I am looking forward to playing in the leader group again tomorrow."
Things started well for Dodt and when he put approaches close on the sixth and seventh for birdies and Wang dropped a shot on the eighth, the Australian led by five.
The South Korean had earlier birdied the second and he picked up a second gain of the day on the ninth before adding another on the tenth. Dodt bogeyed the same hole to see his lead slip to two shots and the leader ran into big trouble on the 13th.
He found an unplayable lie in a bush and had to drop into thick rough resulting in a double-bogey before another dropped shot on the next handed Wang the lead.
Siddikur, meanwhile, was keeping himself in the hunt with birdies on the first, fourth and 11th and a single dropped shot on the fifth, and when Wang bogeyed the 15th the Bangladeshi was in a share of top spot.

Dodt surrendered another double-bogey on the same hole and he dropped alongside Colsaerts, who was then within two of the lead.
The big-hitting Belgian - who is attached to the Four Seasons and had used all his local knowledge to fire a brilliant 65 on Friday - turned in 37 after a double-bogey on the eighth and dropped another shot on the 12th before back-to-back birdies.
More drama was to come on the 16th as Colsaerts, Wang and Dodt all dropped shots but Siddikur hit a brilliant three wood close and opened up a two-shot lead.
"The highlight today and possibly the highlight for me so far this week is on 16," Siddikur added. "I had a great drive and I hit my second shot with my three wood from 225 yards into the wind from left to right before sinking an eight-footer for birdie. That was by far my best birdie for the week."
A birdie on the last from Wang cut the gap to one and just five players will head into the final round under par as the windy conditions continue to provide a tough test in the Indian Ocean.
SCOTSWATCH. Jamie McLeary slumped to a third-round 81 for 231 and has nobody behind him on the scoreboard with 18 holes to play. The only way is up for the Scot

SCOREBOARD
par 216 (3x72)

1	Siddikur Rahman	68	72	69					209
2	Jeung-hun Wang	69	70	71					210
T3	Nicolas Colsaerts	75	65	73					213
T3	Andrew Dodt	66	70	77					213
5	Scott Hend	72	74	69					215
6	Brandon Stone	73	75	68					216
T7	Estanislao Goya	69	79	69					217
T7	Lionel Weber	74	71	72					217
T7	Oliver Bekker	75	69	73					217
T7	Jaco Ahlers	71	72	74					217
T11	Richard McEvoy	71	74	73					218
T11	Rhys West	73	71	74					218
T11	Masahiro Kawamura	72	72	74					218
T14	Rashid Khan	68	81	70					219
T14	Adrian Otaegui	77	71	71					219
T14	Jyoti Randhawa	73	75	71					219
T14	Jason Scrivener	71	77	71					219
T14	Miguel Tabuena	77	71	71					219
T14	Adilson Da Silva	74	73	72					219
T14	Natipong Srithong	70	76	73					219
T14	Daniel Gavins	74	72	73					219
T14	Terry Pilkadaris	74	72	73					219
T14	Chris Hanson	72	73	74					219
T14	Ryan Evans	71	73	75					219
T25	Jack Harrison	72	78	70					220
T25	Rahil Gangjee	73	76	71					220
T25	Danie Van Tonder	72	75	73					220
T25	Haydn Porteous	73	73	74					220
T25	Jaco Van Zyl	71	72	77					220
T25	Ruan de Smidt	71	72	77					220
T25	Ross McGowan	75	67	78					220
T32	Thitiphun Chuayprakong	71	77	73					221
T32	Panupol Pittayarat	72	77	72					221
T32	Ryan Fox	73	75	73					221
T32	Louis De Jager	71	76	74					221
T32	Jazz Janewattananond	74	73	74					221
T32	Carlos Pigem	75	72	74					221
T32	Stuart Manley	71	76	74					221
T32	Ulrich Van Den Berg	73	73	75					221
T32	Scott Vincent	74	71	76					221
T41	Arjun Atwal	73	76	73					222
T41	Rourke van der Spuy	74	74	74					222
T41	Keith Horne	73	74	75					222
T41	Vaughn Groenewald	74	73	75					222
T41	Phachara Khongwatman	73	73	76					222
T41	Berry Henson	72	72	78					222
T41	Edoardo Molinari	72	72	78					222
T48	Lyle Rowe	74	76	73					223
T48	Daniel Chopra	76	74	73					223
T48	Nino Bertasio	75	74	74					223
T48	David Dixon	74	73	76					223
T48	Wallie Coetsee	71	75	77					223
T48	Chiragh Kumar	70	76	77					223
T54	Brett Munson	75	75	74					224
T54	Matthew Southgate	72	75	77					224
T54	George Coetzee	71	74	79					224
T54	Hennie Otto	71	72	81					224
T58	Sam Brazel	73	76	76					225
T58	Lukas Nemecz	73	73	79					225
T58	Himmat Singh Rai	73	73	79					225
T58	Paul Peterson	72	73	80					225
T62	Dean Burmester	72	78	76					226
T62	Soomin Lee	75	74	77					226
T62	Christiaan Basson	72	75	79					226
T65	Jbe' Kruger	70	79	78					227
T65	Christofer Blomstrand	74	74	79					227
T65	Mardan Mamat	72	76	79					227
T65	Jeev Milkha Singh	73	74	80					227
T65	Richard T. Lee	73	73	81					227
70	Chien-yao Hung	76	74	78					228
71	Jean Hugo	74	76	80					230
T72	Samuel Cyr	73	77	81					231
T72	Jamie McLeary	76	74	81					231
WD	Danthai Boonma	WD	WD	WD					WD

Five Scots look like beating cut in weather-hit Challenge Tour event

CLICK HERE

Play was suspended in Round 2 due to thunderstorms at 17:13 local time. It was not resumed and many players will be back at the course early on Sunday to complete their rounds.

The cut will be made immediately Round 2 is completed and it will be quickly followed by the start of the third and now final round in this truncated tournament.
Five Scots have qualified for the final round - Duncan Stewart (66-67) and Ross Kellett (65-68) on 133 (T12).
Also amateur Ewen Ferguson (69-66) and Paul Shields (69-66) on 135 (T22).
Amateur Grant Forrest made it through with 70-67 for 137 - one stroke inside the projected cut figure.
David Law knows he has missed the cut with 139 (72-67) and so too does Peter Whiteford (70-78 for 148).
But Chris Doak (T125 after a 72), Scott Henry (T102 after a 70), Jack Doherty (T81 after a 69) and Bradley Neil (T138 after a 69 are back in action on Sunday morning, needing something very special to get them over the cut mark and in among the qualifiers

TWO-ROUND SCORES IN CLUBHOUSE
129 J Van Der Vaart (Ned) 63 66 
130 J Hahn (USA) 65 65
131 A Bjork (Swe) 62 69, P Angeles (Spa) 67 64

SCOTS' SCORES
133 D Stewart 66 67, R Kellett 65 68 (T12)
135 E Ferguson (am) 69 66, P Shields 69 66 (T22)
137 G Forrest  (am) 70 67

MISSED THE CUT (138 and better expected to qualify for final round).
139 D Law 72 67
148 P Whiteford 70 78
+Still to complete Round 2: Chris Doak (72), Scott Henry (70), Jack Doherty (69) and Bradley Neil (69).

The MyGolfRanking Angus Player of Week 2016/19 is Aidan Smith of Edzell GC who regains his Number 1 spot in the MGR Angus Men’s Ranking.

                                                                                                                                                        

ANGUS CLUBS – MEN

1 Arbroath 713 points

2 Caird Park 688

3 Edzell 676

4 Kirriemuir 642

5 Brechin 634

6 Panmure 619

7 Ballumbie Castle 608

8 Montrose Caledonia 605

ANGUS MEN

1 Aidan Smith (Edzell) 1191 points                                                                             

2 Dinish Bailwal (Piperdam Osprey) 1098

3 *Walter Speirs (Edzell) 989

4 James Howe (Arbroath) 983

5 *Paul Williamson (Edzell) 970

6  Louis Perera (Edzell) 938

7 Gary Pyott (Arbroath) 935

8 Brian Melville (Caird Park) 925

9 Steven McGlashan (Arbroath) 914

10 Colin Brunton (Monifieth) 906                                                                       

ANGUS CLUBS – MEN

1 Arbroath 713 points

2 Caird Park 688

3 Edzell 676

4 Kirriemuir 642

5 Brechin 634

6 Panmure 619

7 Ballumbie Castle 608

8 Montrose Caledonia 605

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Jason Day three clear at TPC Sawgrass 

as Rory McIlroy charges into contention

SKYSPORTS.COM 

By Keith Jackson

Australian Jason Day continued his flawless progress at The Players' Championship as he extended his lead to three shots before play was suspended due to darkness on Friday.

Day matched the course-record of 63 with a nine-birdie opener on Thursday, and he was five under for his second round with four holes to complete on Saturday morning (local time) following an earlier two-hour delay due to the threat of lightning.
Rory McIlroy made a significant charge with a superb 64 in which he matched Shane Lowry's day-old record of 29 on the back-nine at TPC Sawgrass, but McIlroy missed out on an overall course record when he made a mess of the ninth - his last - and ran up a bogey 6.

Lowry managed to get his round complete before darkness fell, and the Irishman became only the sixth man to make an eagle 2 at the 18th before going on to card a 68 which lifted him into outright second on 11 under par.
Colt Knost fired the low round of the day but was left to rue three putts on the ninth green, his final hole, where a par would have seen him become the first man to record a 62 at the Stadium Course, while Will Wilcox made the first hole in one at the 17th since Miguel Angel Jimenez 14 years ago.
But Day remains the man to beat and, after almost holing his pitch for eagle at the second, he picked up another shot when he rolled in a 24-foot putt for his 11th birdie of the tournament at the fourth.
The world No 1 converted a delightful approach to six feet at the seventh, although he looked certain to drop a shot when he got into difficulty following a poor drive at the long ninth after the weather delay, only to hole from eight feet to scramble a par.
He got out of further trouble at the 12th and got back on the birdie trail at the next, where his blocked tee-shot found the high portion of the green before his slippery, downhill 40-foot putt found the centre of the cup.
Day's supreme shot-making was again evident at 14 as he smote a pure 188-yard mid-iron to within three feet to set up his fifth birdie of the round, and he will face a 100-yard second from the middle of the fairway at the 15th when he returns in the morning.

Shane Lowry is Day's closest challenger after he posted an excellent 68

Lowry started on the 10th and could not match the heights of his record-breaking performance in round one, and he was struggling at one over until his 120-yard second to the daunting 18th found the cup for a stunning eagle-two.
The Irishman then reeled off three birdies in four holes from the second and parred safely in to remain as Day's closest challenger, with Jonas Blixt, Alex Cejka and Cameron Tringale a shot further back.
Knost soared to nine under with a remarkable performance, following a birdie at the third with four in a row from the fifth before adding five more in seven holes on the inward half.
Two putts from 45 feet would have given the American the new course record, but he left his first five feet short and his effort for par grazed the lip to take a little gloss off his day.
Knost shares sixth with Jerry Kelly, Gary Woodland and former Ryder Cup players Boo Weekley and Francesco Molinari, while WGC-HSBC champion Russell Knox is also on nine under with three holes to finish.
McIlroy is one further back and would have entertained thoughts of a possible 59 when he began with four consecutive birdies, made another at 15 and then drained a huge putt from off the green for eagle at 16 to move to seven under for seven holes.
After turning in 29, the world No 3 picked up another shot with a neat up and down at the second, but he had to settle for par at the next four holes and, after his seventh birdie of the day at the seventh, his scrappy finishing hole saw him close on eight under.
Adam Scott produced an excellent response to his quadruple-bogey eight at the last on day one as the Australian posted a faultless seven-under 65 to get back to six under, but world No 2 Jordan Spieth and defending champion Rickie Fowler are both below the projected cut line.
Fowler struggled on the greens as a 71 left him hoping for mistakes from the remaining players on the course, while Spieth is also at one under with four to play alongside Day.

Fife MGRankings file for Week 2016/19.

The My Golf Ranking Fife Golfers of the Week are the new Number Ones, Roddy Malcolm (Dunfermline GC) and Carole Sutherland (Scotscraig GC).

MGR Week 2016/19

.

Fife Men

1 Roddy Malcolm (Dunfermline) 1198 pts                                                                                         

2 Robert Skene (Thornton) 1167

3 Michael Lindsay (Pitreavie) 1128

4 Ryan Mackie (Balbirnie Park) 1105

5 Michael Riddell (Cupar) 1085  

6 Gary Wishart (Charleton) 1065

7 *Graham Finlay (Glenrothes) 1064

8 Ross Gribbens (Dunfermline) 1057                                                                                                         

T9 Brian McKenna (St Andrews New) 1030 

T9 Steven Ovens (Canmore) 1030

Fife Clubs - Men

1 Dunfermline 912pts

2 Balbirnie Park 880

3 Dunnikier Park 869

4 Lundin 844

5 Kirkcaldy 830

6 *Canmore 808

7 *Aberdour 779

8 *Ladybank 778

*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.

The MyGolfRanking service is free to clubs and members. Clubs wishing to participate should register on www.mygolfranking.net.

David Moir

MyGolfRanking

In League with Golf Ltd

info@mygolfranking.net