Bernhard  Langer celebrates 59th birthday with 

29th US Senior Tour win

SNOQUALMIE, Washington (AP): By the time Bernhard Langer made the turn in the final round of the Boeing Classic, he was five shots out if the lead. At one point Sunday he was tied for 14th after not finishing lower than 13th in any tournament this year.
A few hours later, Florida-based Langer had outlasted Kevin Sutherland and Woody Austin in a play-off and was celebrating his fourth US PGA Tour Champions victory this season and 29th overall on the 50-and-over tour.

''I blew tournaments when I had a lead and I've come from seven behind, so you just never know,'' Langer said.
Langer made a 3-foot birdie putt on the first hole of a play-off with Austin and Sutherland to win the Boeing Classic for the second time.
A day after his 59th birthday, Langer birdied the par-5 18th in regulation for a 5-under 67 to match Austin and Sutherland at 13-under 203 at TPC Snoqualmie Ridge. Austin also had a 67, and Sutherland shot 64, the low round of the week.
It took a special stretch for Langer to recover from a shaky front nine where he needed a few lengthy par putts to stay on the edge of contention. Langer went out in 1-over 37, but played the back nine in 6-under 30, also making birdies on Nos. 10-13 and 15.
''When he gets hot with that broom,'' Austin said in reference to Langer's putter, ''you can't beat that broom.''
Langer, who earned $300,000 for his latest win, is now tied with Lee Trevino for second on the Senior Tour career victories, but is still well behind leader Hale Irwin, out on his own with 45. Langer also won the Boeing Classic in 2010.
Langer took advantage of Austin and Sutherland both finding bunkers on the 18th in the playoff. Sutherland ended up in a bunker off the tee, while Austin's second to the par 5 found a greenside bunker. Langer's second shot landed 10 yards short of the green and he nearly chipped in for eagle before making the birdie putt to win.
''You need to be precise and have the nerve and play the golf course the way it needs to be played,'' Langer said. ''There's still a little bit of life left in me.''
Gene Sauers, the second-round leader and U.S. Senior Open winner two weeks ago, shot a 72 to finish a shot out of the playoff. Sauers started his day with two straight birdies to reach 14 under. But he struggled on the back nine, bogeying three of the first five holes and allowed the chase group to catch up. Sauers was still in contention until making bogey at the 17th after his tee shot came up short. Sauers made birdie at the 18th to finish alone in fourth.
While Langer rolled through the back nine, Austin was hot on the front nine going out in 32. His first mistake of the round came at the 15th when he went for the green in two on the par 5 unaware he was in a tie for the lead because electronic scoreboards on the back nine were not working. Austin found a bunker and ended up making bogey.
''I would have laid up to the right for sure, absolutely, no question,'' said Austin, who birdied Nos. 17 and 18 to get into the playoff.
Sutherland started the day seven shots behind Sauers and made eight birdies with no bogeys in his round. Sutherland was attempting to win his first stroke-play tournament on either the regular or senior tour.
Colin Montgomerie, who saddled himself with a 77 in his first round, eventually tied for 55th place with Paul Broadhurst on two-over 218. Monty scored 77, 73 and 68; Broadhurst 74, 74 and 70. Both mean earned $4,200 (about £2,100). 
FINAL TOTALS AND PRIZEMONEY
x indicates won play-off
par 216 (3x72)

1	x-Bernhard Langer	69	67	67	.			203	$300,000
T2	Woody Austin	69	67	67				203	$160,000
T2	Kevin Sutherland	72	67	64				203	$160,000
4	Gene Sauers	65	67	72				204	$119,000
5	Kirk Triplett	65	71	69				205	$95,000
T6	Stephen Ames	66	69	71				206	$64,800
T6	Tom Byrum	67	68	71				206	$64,800
T6	Joe Durant	69	65	72				206	$64,800
T6	Fred Funk	70	67	69				206	$64,800
T6	Brandt Jobe	70	69	67				206	$64,800
T11	David Frost	67	72	69				208	$44,000
T11	Jerry Smith	70	73	65				208	$44,000
T11	Grant Waite	71	65	72				208	$44,000
T14	Glen Day	69	69	71				209	$35,000
T14	Eduardo Herrera	70	68	71				209	$35,000
T14	Fran Quinn	69	67	73				209	$35,000
T14	Willie Wood	68	71	70				209	$35,000
T18	Olin Browne	73	70	67				210	$28,067
T18	Tim Petrovic	73	68	69				210	$28,067
T18	Duffy Waldorf	66	73	71				210	$28,067
T21	John Daly	71	71	69				211	$23,900
T21	Billy Mayfair	73	67	71				211	$23,900
T23	Jay Don Blake	67	74	71				212	$17,940
T23	Michael Bradley	70	71	71				212	$17,940
T23	Brad Bryant	72	69	71				212	$17,940
T23	Jim Carter	71	71	70				212	$17,940
T23	Doug Garwood	69	75	68				212	$17,940
T23	Mike Grob	74	66	72				212	$17,940
T23	Lee Janzen	74	68	70				212	$17,940
T23	Jesper Parnevik	73	69	70				212	$17,940
T23	Tom Pernice Jr.	67	70	75				212	$17,940
T23	Wes Short Jr.	74	71	67				212	$17,940
T33	Mike Goodes	71	73	69				213	$12,900
T33	Gary Hallberg	71	74	68				213	$12,900
T33	Jeff Maggert	67	71	75				213	$12,900
T33	Loren Roberts	73	70	70				213	$12,900
T37	Michael Allen	73	72	69				214	$10,400
T37	Billy Andrade	74	69	71				214	$10,400
T37	Tommy Armour III	68	75	71				214	$10,400
T37	Scott McCarron	69	68	77				214	$10,400
T37	Rocco Mediate	73	69	72				214	$10,400
T37	Steve Pate	70	72	72				214	$10,400
T43	Jose Coceres	73	71	71				215	$8,000
T43	Dan Forsman	70	70	75				215	$8,000
T43	Carlos Franco	72	72	71				215	$8,000
T43	Larry Mize	78	65	72				215	$8,000
T43	Mark O'Meara	72	70	73				215	$8,000
T43	Rod Spittle	72	74	69				215	$8,000
T49	Mark Brooks	75	67	74				216	$6,200
T49	Brian Henninger	74	71	71				216	$6,200
T49	Scott Hoch	74	72	70				216	$6,200
T52	John Cook	73	72	72				217	$5,067
T52	Gibby Gilbert III	71	70	76				217	$5,067
T52	Jeff Sluman	78	71	68				217	$5,067
T55	Paul Broadhurst	74	74	70				218	$4,200
T55	Marco Dawson	73	72	73				218	$4,200
T55	Jeff Hart	77	73	68				218	$4,200
T55	Colin Montgomerie	77	73	68				218	$4,200
T55	Esteban Toledo	74	70	74				218	$4,200
T60	Bart Bryant	74	75	70				219	$3,100
T60	Scott Dunlap	75	69	75				219	$3,100
T60	Bob Gilder	73	74	72				219	$3,100
T60	Paul Goydos	77	71	71				219	$3,100
T60	Steve Lowery	70	73	76				219	$3,100
T60	Jean-Francois Remesy	71	71	77				219	$3,100
T66	Craig Parry	72	74	74				220	$2,300
T66	Jean Van de Velde	76	75	69				220	$2,300
T68	Todd Hamilton	75	72	74				221	$1,880
T68	Tom Purtzer	74	73	74				221	$1,880
T68	Joey Sindelar	77	71	73				221	$1,880
71	Stan Utley	71	75	76				222	$1,640
T72	Russ Cochran	72	74	77				223	$1,370
T72	Blaine McCallister	71	74	78				223	$1,370
T72	Bob Tway	71	78	74				223	$1,370
T72	Scott Verplank	76	73	74				223	$1,370
T76	Mike Springer	76	73	75				224	$1,080
T76	Ricky Touma	75	74	75				224	$1,080
T76	Mark Wiebe	75	72	77				224	$1,080
T79	Mark Calcavecchia	76	77	72				225	$890
T79	Tom Kite	78	74	73				225	$890

 

US Ryder Cup captain Davis Love will rely 

more on player stats to finalise 2016 team

FROM GOLF DIGEST.COM

In a dark conference room at the midtown Manhattan Hilton, U.S. Ryder Cup Captain Davis Love III admitted he didn’t realise “until this past weekend” that he had nearly a month longer than Europe to finalise the members of his team. 

While European captain Darren Clarke will announce his final picks tomorrow at 7:30 am EST, Love gets to wait until the Tour Championship concludes on September 25th to make his last happy phone call.

 If this feels reminiscent of Matt Kuchar’s lack of awareness of the Olympic format one week before Rio, don’t be fooled. It’s arguable this year’s American line-up and pairings will be the most deeply premeditated ever.

Specifically, Love has been consulting with a group of statisticians hired by the PGA of America. During his last captaincy at the 2012 Ryder Cup, categories like strokes gained putting and other ShotLink-driven stats were still rather esoteric. 

But they’ve since gained wider understanding and their keeping more sophisticated, and Love plans to give them increased weight in his decision-making this time around.

“Patrick Reed suggested we pay closer attention to strokes gained tee-to-green,” Love said. In alternate-shot, for example, it could be possible to pair a player whose proximity to the hole with irons syncs with another’s putting percentages from those distances, and then overlay that data across the holes at Hazeltine National.

“Now instead of saying ‘OK, you two go play together,’ we can give players a reason they’re paired,” Love said. “We can say, ‘Hey, we ran the numbers and dissected the course and together you guys are unbeatable.’ Knowing why you’re playing with a guy can do so much to boost confidence.” 

 That a major fruit of the Task Force—formed in the wake of our most recent trouncing—will be a system with which players can grow familiar and find comfort, was a theme of Love’s presser. “It’s like Dean Smith, who could say to his freshman, ‘Look, we’ve been running this same offense for 12 years. Step into it and do your thing and we’ll win.’”

Of course, Love, who largely attributes his selection as captain to the fact his relationships with players are strong and current (the 52-year-old is only 12 months removed from his most recent US PGA Tour win), isn’t about to let big data totally override which personalities mesh best.

“I’ve told the eight guys [who qualified based on points] this is their team,” Love said. “If there’s a guy they all want to make the squad, he’s on.

“I’ve got a jillion people coming to me telling me what to do. It’s my job and the job of the assistant captains to overthink this. We’ve got to take all this data and decide what’s important and what isn’t. We’re only going to tell the player what he needs to know, so that way it’s easier for him to go out and play.”

In case this newfangled number-crunching sounds like a leg up, it’s really just a equaliser. The Europeans have been employing the consulting services of 15th Hole, self-described as a “passionate team of golf professionals, data experts and software engineers” for at least the last two Cups.

Bookmakers William Hill suspend betting 

after Luke Donald Ryder Cup pick report

GOLFDIGEST.COM

Joel Beall

For those stunned by the reports that Darren Clarke will make Luke Donald a Ryder Cup captain's pick, you're not alone.

William Hill, one of the leading bookmakers in the United Kingdom, was caught off guard by the news. Over the weekend, Donald was listed at 15-2 odds for making the trip to Hazeltine. On Monday, however, Donald’s figure fell to 5/2 to 2/1 to 6/4 and then, at about 2:00 P.M. local time, 1/100, according to Bunkered magazine.

Martin Kaymer and Lee Westwood were seen as locks for two of Clarke's picks, yet the final spot was envisioned to come down to Russell Knox and Thomas Pieters. Instead, it appears Clarke is going with Donald, who hasn't won a US PGA or European Tour event since 2012 and was ranked 88th in the world at the beginning of August. 

Both Knox and Pieters have victories in the past month.

“Darren wanted more experience seeing as he has five rookies already on the team,” one of the sources said to Golf Digest.

Clarke will officially announce his three captain’s picks on tomorrow at Wentworth Club.

Wentworth Club, home of the European Tour, raising membership costs by six figures

GOLFDIGEST.COM

By Joel Beall

Members of Wentworth Club, a paragon of European golf, have been informed by the club's owners that price of admission is rising six figures.

Wentworth, which serves as the European Tour's headquarters, was recently purchased by the Beijing-based Reignwood Group. Existing members will have to pay a fee of £100,000, which is close to $154,000, to stay enrolled at the club. New entrants will be faced with a £125,000 charge ($194,000). On top of that, annual fees are doubling from £8,000 to £16,000 ($25,000).

"It's unheard of, in this country anyway," said BBC commentator Peter Alliss. "And unheard of in the whole of Europe I would think, although years ago in the Far East and some clubs in the United States have had this sort of thing."

“It's a cull and it saddens and angers me to see an iconic golf club treated in this way,” Sir Bruce Forsyth, a British entertainer and Wentworth member, told the UK's Daily Mail.

Getty Images

Added member James Wyatt to the BBC: "People were completely shocked."

Established in 1926, Wentworth hosted the 1953 Ryder Cup, and is currently home to the BMW Championship, a flagship tournament on the European Tour.

This recent development, however, casts the event's affiliation with Wentworth in doubt.

"The idea, I'm told, is the club wants to have a very good relationship with those who have houses on the estate," continued Alliss, who is a honorary member of Wentworth. 

"But a lot of them are from overseas, from Asia and Russia and other places.

"It's a jigsaw puzzle at the moment and I wonder how many pieces will fall into place."

Open Texas Scramble at Banchory on Sunday, October 9

From Dean Vannet

 

We have decided to host a late Texas Scramble Open here at Banchory Golf Club on Sunday, October 9.

There is space for 33 teams.

The on-line link for entry is:

 http://www.banchorygolfclub.co.uk/brs.aspx

 

 

 

Dean Vannet  CMDip

PGA Professional / Director of Golf

Banchory Golf Club

Kinneskie Road
Banchory
AB31 5TA
Pro Shop: 0133082 2447

Mobile: 07881 815455
www.banchorygolfclub.co.uk

 Adam McCluskey Invitational Pro-Am tee times

 Round 1: Cawder Golf Club, September 2.

 Tee   Time      Name

  1A   11:00 AM  Gordon Stewart, Cawder Golf Club

  2A   11:00 AM  Greig Hutcheon, Paul Lawrie Golf Centre Inchma

  3A   11:00 AM  Christopher Currie, Caldwell Golf Club

  4A   11:00 AM  Stephen Gray, Lanark Golf Club

  5A   11:00 AM  Matthew Laughtland, Bishopbriggs Golf Range

  7A   11:00 AM  Iain Colquhoun, Loch Lomond Golf Club

  8A   11:00 AM  Mark Kerr, Dalmahoy Golf and Count

  9A   11:00 AM  Chris Kelly, Taymouth Castle Estate

  11A  11:00 AM  Alastair Forsyth, Mearns Castle Golf Academy

  12A  11:00 AM  Gavin Hay, Grantown-on-Spey Golf Club

  13A  11:00 AM  Robert Arnott, Bishopbriggs Golf Range

  14A  11:00 AM  Jason McCreadie, Largs Golf Club

  15A  11:00 AM  Craig Ronald, Carluke Golf Club

  16A  11:00 AM  Campbell Elliott, Haggs Castle Golf Club

  17A  11:00 AM  Scott Henderson, Kings Links Golf Centre

  18A  11:00 AM  James McGhee, Whitehill House Golf Club

Complete information is available at Tournament Information Page (TIP)

Robert Gordon's College win PLF Schools 

Team title for fourth time at Peterculter

Left to right: Nicholas Black, Cameron Black, Shaun Wilson and Michael MacDougall of the Paul Lawrie Foundation. Picture by Cal Carson Golf Agency.

Robert Gordon's College won the Paul Lawrie Foundation Schools Team Challenge for a fourth time at Peterculter Golf Club today.
Their line-up of Nicholas Black, Cameron Black and Shaun Wilson - Nicholas, son of the winning GB and I Curtis Cup team captain Elaine Farquharson-Black this year, and Cameron are not related.
They totalled 248 (Nicholas 81, Cameron 81, Shaun 86) on a blustery day and slick greens to win the scratch trophy by five strokes from Banff Academy (Callum Bruce 76, Paul Chalmers 82 and Ellis Gray 95) with Aberdeen Grammar School (Jack Pirie 77, Jonathan Bell 85 and Angus Ferguson 98) third on 260.
Gordon's College's previous wins were achieved in 2009, 2011 and 2014.
Cults Academy, represented by Cameron Strachan, Chloe Henderson and Peter Murphy, won the Handicap Team Trophy with a net total of 223. Murphy had a net 71 off 21; Henderson a net 75 off 14, and Strachan a net 77 off 12.
It was Cults Academy's third success in this competition.
The best individual scratch score was a 76 by Callum Bruce (Banff Academy), followed by Jackie Pirie (Aberdeen Grammar School) with a 77 and Alastair Kinghorn (Albyn School) with a 78.
The tournament was organised by Derek Johnstone with his son Cameron on the computer.

  Cults Academy's Cameron Strachan, Chloe Henderson and Peter Murphy with Michael MacDougall after their Handicap Team Trophy success.

SCOREBOARD
SCRATCH
par 71

Boys CSS: 73 RO

Girls CSS: 72

248 Robert Gordon's College.
253 Banff Academy
260 Aberdeen Grammar School
262 Ellon Academy
270 Cults Academy, Hazlehead Academy 
278 Westhill Academy 
295 The Gordon Schools (Huntly)
NRs Albyn School, Banchory Academy.

HANDICAP
223 Cults Academy
234 Hazlehead Academy, Robert Gordon's College.
236 Westhill Academy.
241 Aberdeen Grammar School
242 Ellon Academy.
243 The Gordon Schools (Huntly)
245 Banff Academy
NRs Albyn School, Banchory Academy. 

BEST INDIVIDUAL SCRATCH
76 Callum Bruce (Banff Academy).

Ewen Ferguson joins professional ranks

NEWS RELEASE FROM SCOTTISH GOLF

Ewen Ferguson, the 2013 British boys' champion and a Walker Cup team  winner last year, has turned professional and will make his debut this week on the European Challenge Tour in France.

The 20-year-old from Bearsden, pictured, who enjoyed a successful amateur career at individual and team level, is relishing his start to life in the pro ranks in the Cordon Golf Open from Thursday.

“It's been my long-term goal to become a professional golfer and it’s really exciting to be making this move after just turning 20,” said Ferguson, who has gained valuable pro experience in 2016 as part of Scottish Golf’s initiative with Bounce Sports to help smooth his transition to the paid ranks.

“In Bounce Sports, I've signed with a great management company, have starts guaranteed and sponsors on board, so it’s a really exciting time for me, my family and everyone connected to Bearsden Golf Club. I would like to thank Scottish Golf, sportscotland and sponsors such as Aberdeen Asset Management for all their support, having started in the national set-up when I was 13.”

The 2015 Scottish Amateur Golfer of the Year, who helped Scotland win the European Amateur Team Championship last summer before missing out on this year’s successful title defence due to a hand injury, has already made two Challenge Tour appearances as an amateur this season, making the cut in both the Turkish Airlines Challenge in Belek and the Montecchia Open by Lyoness in Italy.

“I learned so much from my two Challenge Tour appearances as an amateur, realising how good the professionals are and what I need to do to compete with them,” added Ferguson.

Earlier this year, Scottish Golf joined forces with Edinburgh-based management company Bounce to build a tailored competition programme for the nation’s top amateurs intending to turn pro.

The move followed new regulations that allow amateur golfers to earn points on the Challenge Tour’s Road to Oman Order of Merit, while a number of the country’s female amateurs have also benefitted from starts on the Ladies European Tour and LET Access Series.

Ferguson has now joined the likes of European Tour players Stephen Gallacher, Craig Lee and Andrew McArthur in Bounce’s stable of professionals.

“We’re delighted to be involved with Ewen as he starts this exciting new chapter in his career,” said Iain Stoddart, one of Bounce Sports’ founding partners. “He has enjoyed an excellent amateur career and we hope the Challenge Tour experience he gained earlier this year will stand him in good stead.”

Steve Paulding, Scottish Golf Performance Director, added: “Ewen has been a role model for aspiring young players and has developed through the Scottish Golf Academy, and then into the national squads, since he was 13.

“Working with Bounce Sports since March, Ewen has been part of a competition programme to help amateur to professional transition. Bounce has managed Ewen and other Scottish players during Challenge Tour events, working closely with Scottish Golf’s performance team, who have continued to oversee players’ preparation for major events on the amateur calendar.

“Having been positioned inside the top 100 of the World Amateur Golf Ranking for the last two years, it’s a natural progression for Ewen to try and succeed as a professional.”

Ferguson became the first Scot to win the Boys Amateur Championship in almost a decade in 2013, before becoming the first player to hold that title and the Scottish Boys’ and Scottish Boys’ Stroke Play crowns at the same time the following year.

One of three Scots involved in the record-breaking GB and I Walker Cup victory last September at Royal Lytham and St Annes, he beat Maverick McNealy, then ranked World No 2, in the opening day singles.

"Scottish Golf has been fantastic for me,” said Ferguson, who recently competed in the US Amateur Championship for the second successive year. “It was through Scottish Golf that I started working with my coach, Gregor Monks, while Ian Rae, the National Coach, has also helped me enormously in recent years, as has the sportscotland institute of sport.

“I wish the Scotland teams soon heading to the World Amateur Team Championship in Mexico all the very best.”

Perth and Kinross tie with Angus for Gary Harvey Trophy

Perth and Kinross tied with Angus for the Gary Harvey Trophy inter-district boys' title, played over the weekend at Charleton Golf Club.
RESULTS

First Session

FIFE	W	Pts	CLACKS	W	Pts
Stewart Philp (Lundin)			Duncan Fraser (Dollar)	2 and 1	1
Liam Duncan (Dunnikier Park)	2and 1	1	Jamie McEwan (Alloa)
Liam Ratcliffe  (Leven Th)	2 holes	1	Ross Logan (Alloa)
Steven Paterson ( Lundin)	2 and 1	1	Bryce Clark (Alloa)
Pol Berge           (New Club)	2 and 1	1	Lewis Clark (Alloa)
Ciar Chalmers (Lochgelly)			Tom Humphrys (Alloa)	5 and 4	1
Dean Robertson (Lundin)	4 and 3	1	Ross Weston (Alloa)
Jonas Summers (Leven Th)		1
Total		6			2

PERTH & KINROSS	W	Pts	ANGUS	W	Pts
John Cowan    (Crieff)	2 and 1	1	Aiden Smith ( Edzell)
Tod Bannerman (Blairgowrie)			David Grant (Downfield)	2 and 1	1
Fraser Mathews  (Blairgowrie)	4 and 3	1	Adam Jacob (Downfield)
Harry Clark (Auchterarder)			Harry George (Downfield)	1 hole	1
Campbell Gibson (Blairgowrie)	8 and 6	1	Glen Maxwell (Monifieth)
Andrew Scott (Aucharder)			Finlay Harcus (Montrose)	6 and 4	1
Declan Gray (Blairgowrie)			Jamie Connelly (Carnoustie)	6 and 4	1
Andrew Thornton (Muckhart)	5 and 4	1	Scott Swayne (Downfield)
Total		4			4

Standings after First Session

	Played	Won	Lost	Halved	Pts
FIFE	1	6	2	0	2
ANGUS	1	4	4	0	1
PERTH  and  KINROSS	1	4	4	0	1
CLACKMANNAN	1	2	6	0	0

Second Session

FIFE	W	Pts	ANGUS	W	Pts
Steven Paterson	Halved	0.5	Aiden Smith	Halved	0.5
Stewart Philp			David Grant	4 and 3	1
Liam Duncan	3 and 1	1	Harry George
Liam Ratcliffe	3 and 2	1	Glen Maxwell
Pol Berge	2 and 1	1	Adam Jacob
Jonas Summers			Scott Swayne	1 hole	1
Dean Robertson			Jamie Connelly	6 and 5	1
Ciar Chalmers			Finlay Harcus	3 and 2	1
Total		3.5			4.5

PERTH & KINROSS	W	Pts	CLACKS	W	Pts
John Cowan	2 and 1	1	Duncan Freeman
Campbell Gibson			Jamie McEwan	3 and 1	1
Andrew Thornton	3 and 1	1	Ross Logan
Tod Bannerman			Bryce Clark	2 and 1	1
Declan Gray	2 and 1	1	Lewis Clark
Harry Clark	1 hole	1	Tom Humphrys
Andrew Scott	8 and 7	1	Ross Weston
Patrick Freeman	4 and 2	1	Aaron Neville
Total		6			2

Standings after Second Session

	Played	Won	Lost	Halved	Pts
Perth and Kinross	2	10	6	0	3
Angus	2	9	6	1	3
Fife	2	8	7	1	2
Clackmannan	2	4	12	0	0