Capt Clarke picks Kaymer, Pieters and 

Westwood ... no place for Russell Knox
 
So there is no place for Florida-based, Inverness-born Russell Knox in the European team for the Ryder Cup match at Hazeltine National.
European captain Darren Clarke has named Martin Kaymer, Thomas Pieters and Lee Westwood as his three captain’s picks
Former world No. 1’s Kaymer and Westwood, who have 12 previous Ryder Cup appearances between them, will add a wealth of experience to the nine already-confirmed automatic qualifiers, while Pieters’ stunning recent form, which culminated in his impressive victory at last week’s Made in Denmark, is rewarded with a rookie appearance in Minnesota next month.
 Knox just missed out on automatic qualification for the team, and is not rated highly enough by captain Clarke to be a wild-card pick, despite his recent win in the US PGA Tour's Travelers Championship and last year’s WGC – HSBC success in China.
“I’ve not had much sleep,” said Clarke of leaving out Knox, the world-ranked No. 20. “My phone call to him was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever had to do.”
Knox said on Twitter later: ‘Best wishes to the @RyderCupEurope. Disappointed not to be joining you, but will be rooting you on.’
The trio selected today join Rafa Cabrera Bello, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Sergio Garcia, Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, Henrik Stenson, Andy Sullivan, Danny Willett and Chris Wood in Clarke’s 12-man line up to face Davis Love III’s United States team, as Europe seeks to earn a record fourth consecutive victory from in the three-day match from  September 30 to October 2.
Clarke’s side now includes six rookies, along with six players who have tasted the Ryder Cup experience before.
Englishman Westwood will make his 10th appearance in the biennial contest, joining the late Christy O’Connor senior and Bernhard Langer on that mark, just one behind Sir Nick Faldo’s European appearance record.
Germany’s Kaymer will also be aiming to extend his unblemished record in Minnesota after featuring in each of the last three European victories.
Explaining his picks, Clarke said: “In Lee Westwood I have one of most experienced Ryder Cuppers of all time – it will be  his 10th appearance. Martin Kaymer is somewhat of a Ryder Cup stalwart and another man I’ve enormous trust in.”
Pieters, meanwhile, played alongside Clarke as he claimed the Made in Denmark Tournament title on the European Tour on Sunday – his third European Tour title in 12 months. 
“Last week I played with Thomas Pieters and Thomas knew why I was playing with him. He played unbelievably and shot 62 and, on top of that, won the tournament,” added Clarke.

 Nick Robson unfit to make debut for Scotland 

seniors in European team championships

By COLIN FARQUHARSON 

Aberdeen businessman Nick Robson, set to make his debut for Scotland in the European senior men's amateur team championship in Slovenia today, had to withdraw from the first qualifying round.

"I woke up this morning with a back problem. Went to the range and tried but I couldn't play and had to pull out. Very much hoping I will be able to play on Wednesday," said the Meldrum House Golf Club member.
There are six men in each team with the best five scores to count daily in the two stroke-play qualifying rounds which decide the flights for the match-play stages.
Ironically, Aberdeen's representative in the Scotland senior women's team, Sheena Wood, had to withdraw  injured as well. 
Malcolm Reid was Scotland's top scorer in the first round with a one-under-par 71 which tied him for ninth place.
Ronnie Clark had a 73 for joint 16th place.
Ian Brotherston and Graham Bell were bracketed for 24th place with 74s.
David Gardner had an 82 for a share of 90th place.
Scotland (374) are lying sixth behind leaders Ireland (349) in the team totals at the end of the first qualifying round. The top eight teams at the end of 36 holes will qualifying for the championship flight match-play.

EUROPEAN SENIOR MEN'S AMATEUR TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
Diners G and CC, Ljubljana, Slovenia
INDIVIDUAL SCORES
Par 71
68 I Gonzalo (Spa)
69 A Pierse (Ire), A Morrow (Ire).
SELECTED SCORES
70 J Carvill (Ire), M Kelly (Ire) A Mew (Eng) (T4)
71 M Reid (Sco), S East (Eng), G McGimpsey (Ire) (T9)
73 R Latham (Eng), R Clark (Sco) (T16)
74 I Brotherston (Sco), G Bell (Sco), I Crowther (Eng) (T24)
75 D Nelson (Eng) (T36)
82 D Gardner (Sco) (T90)
Withdrew: N Robson (Sco) 

TEAM SCORES AFTER 18 HOLES
349 Ireland. 362 England. 369 Spain. 371 Sweden. 372 Germany
374 Scotland. 375 Italy, France.
377 Austria. 380 Belgium. 381 Switzerland, Netherlanbds. 389 Czech Rep. 397 Denmark, Norway. 400 Slovenia.416 Poland. 421 Luxembourg. 434 Slovakia.

TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES

CLICK HERE

 Wentworth Club owners back down from £100,00 demand from existing members

FROM THE INDEPENDENT WEBSITE
In what appears a victory for the moderately wealthy of the Surrey commuter belt, the new owners of Wentworth Club have backed down from asking existing members to pay a £100,000 debenture to stay at the golf club.
The decision earlier this year by the Reignwood Group, chaired by Dr Chanchai Ruayrungruang, one of China’s richest men, to impose the debenture – a type of loan – while increasing annual family membership fees from £8,388 to £16,000 had provoked outcry and sparked “The Battle of Wentworth”.
Members, including chat show host Sir Michael Parkinson, had argued that the club – which some had regarded as already pretty exclusive, given its location in an estate of 1,100 homes worth a total of £5.5 bn – would be turned into an enclave for the super-rich. 
Former club captain Michael Fleming had asked: “Is the ordinary man going to be priced out?”
But in a series of apparent concessions, the club said existing members would be spared the debenture, which would now cost £125,000 and apply only to those joining Wentworth Club.
Existing members were also told they would retain their current membership categories for life. This, the club hoped, would spare those with cheaper non-playing social or tennis and health club-only memberships a massive increase in fees.
The concessions will also allay fears of a plan to reduce the number of members from 4,000 to nearer 2,000 by offering only 900 debentures.
“This is a huge step in the right direction,” said a spokesman for the Wentworth Residents Association, many of whose members play at the club. “It is a proper recognition of the rights of existing members and residents.”
However, members said that total victory could not be declared because the club had still to announce what the new membership fees would be.
John Pyle, vice-chairman of the Wentworth Residents’ Association, said: “The club’s management has listened to our concerns, but this remains work-in-progress: critical elements still need to be finalised. 
"Wentworth deserves to be a world-class golf club and should retain that position, based on the strength of its current membership and those that love the club.”
Stephen Gibson, the club’s chief executive, said: “Today’s update, alongside the new membership offers and enhancements we announced,  clearly show our commitment to our existing members and estate residents, who are an integral part of the club’s past and our future.”

Campbell Elliott heads Crieff qualifiers for Scottish PGA Championship

Campbell Elliott (Haggs Castle) headed the 18 qualifiers who advanced to the £60,000 M and H Scottish PGA Championship from today's first 18-hole qualifying competition at Crieff Golf Club.
Elliott shot a three-under-par 68, finishing two shots clear of Fraser Robertson (Lundin), Stuart Morrison (Tain), Scott Caitlin (Affordable Golf) and Ian Anderson (Colville Park).
Five of the six players who returned 74s will be reserves for the main event. The odd one out was Cameron Farrell (Cardross) whose inward half of 39 eliminated him in a card countback. 
QUALIFIERS
par 71
68 C Elliott (Haggs Castle)
70 F Robertson (Lundin), S Morrison (Tain), S Caitlin (Affordable Golf), I Anderson (Colville Park).
71 M Bradfield (Elie Links), R Neill (Drumpellier), R Clarke (Golf Dedication Centre).
72 P Jamieson (Dunblane New), S Milne (Balbirnie Park)
73 G McDougall (Elie Links), F Rummins (Canmore), J Bell (Lanark), C Adam (unatt), S O'Hara (North Lanarkshire Leisure), E MacDonald (Musselburgh), J Fraser (Renaissance), I Stoddart (Greenburn).
ALTERNATES
74 G Robertson (Airdrie), A Brown (Whitecraigs), S Dunsmore (Falkirk Tryst), A Reid (West Lothian), I Brown (Newent).
NON-QUALIFIERS
74 C Farrell (lost out on card countback).
75 M Mackenzie (Edzell), S Watters (Balbirnie Park), G Forbes (Balbirnien Park), C Goodwin (Duff House Royal), R Tinker (Piperdam), C Imlah (Craigielaw), M Patterson (Kilmacolm), S Craigon (Balbirnie Park).
76 S McLaren (Blairgowrie), R Leeds (Archerfield Links), A Cooper (Newmachar), P McKenna (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre), C Smith (Royal Musselburgh), A Todd (Downfield), D Stein (Ranfurly Castle), M Murray (Brora), S Spiers (Swanston New), C Billows (Gleneagles), A Fullen (Largs), C McQueen (Dalmuir) A Fleming (University of Highlands and Islands), A Burns (Bothwell Castle).
77 E Macpherson (Brodick),
78 J Sharp (Carrick on Loch Lomond), C Porciani (Trump Turnberry).
79 D Williamson (Kirkhill), M Penny (Montrose Links), S Maxwell (Eastwood), D-R Nicol (Dundonald Links), A Waught (Clydebank and Dist), S Fisher (Portpatrick Dunskey), Kirstin Scott (Gleneagles).
80 A Waugh (Clydebank and Dist), D Gemmill (Aberdour), F Clarke (Kings Links), C Tierney (Bishopbriggs), S Craig (Craig Golf).
81 S Costello (Kingsbarns), G Paxton (Ralston), P Edgcombe (Forrester Park)
82 J Dick (Duddingston), S Clelland (Hayston)
83 J Ferrie (Hilton Park)
84 N Colquhoun (Merchants of Edinburgh)
91 M Thomson (Panmure).

 




TO CHECK ALL THE SCORECARDS

CLICK HERE

£60,000 prizefund for 100th 

Scottish PGA Championship

NEWS RELEASE

A total prize pot of £60,000 will be up for grabs in the 100th staging of the M and H Logistics Scottish PGA Championship hosted by Gleneagles.

The 72-hole event over the King’s Course on October 17-20 will have £50,000 on offer while a further £10,000 will be in a bonus pool for the Tartan Tour Order of Merit.

"This is the first time that a bonus pool will be in operation and the Order of Merit title race is now our 'Road to Gleneagles'," said PGA in Scotland secretary Shona Malcolm.

"The £50,000 prize fund for the M and H Logistics Scottish PGA Championship hosted by Gleneagles also represents an increase and the aim is to keep raising that over the next four years."

This year's field will comprise of 66 players, with 30-odd spots up for grabs in two separate 18-hole qualifiers taking place at Crieff on Tuesday, August 30 and Wednesday, August 31.

The hopefuls in the first of those events include former European Tour player Steven O'Hara (North Lanarkshire Leisure Ltd) as well as rising Tartan Tour star Louis Gaughan (Bathgate).

And, in the second event, former Scottish PGA champion Gordon Law (Uphall) is joined by the likes of Stephen McAllister (Stephen McAllister Golf), Alan Tait (Dalmahoy), Kenny Hutton (Downfield) and Ailsa Murphy (Gullane).

"We are delighted with the entry for this year's M and H Logistics Scottish PGA Championship, with the two separate qualifying events achieving our aim of giving as many players as possible the chance to secure a spot in the field," added Malcolm.

To mark the event's 100th staging, past champions are being invited to attend a lunch on Sunday, October 16, when a shotgun pro-am will be held on the Queen's Course.

ends