Yorkshire win 21st English men’s  county championship Yorkshire won the English Men’s County Championship for the 21st time today, beating Hampshire 5.5-3.5 in a final day showdown at Sandwell Park in Staffordshire. Although Yorkshire dominate the list of past winners, this is their first victory for nine years and the victory was sweet, especially after the boys’ and women’s teams narrowly lost their county finals. Team captain Darryl Berry, who has previously played in two winning sides, said: “This is great for the team and for all our supporters. It’s been a brilliant team effort, the lads have been great.” Yorkshire set up their win with a great foursomes performances, winning 2.5 of the three available points.  “That was massive,” said Berry, who sent his top players out in the singles with instructions to get their points as quickly as possible. Steve Robins and Kealan Lowe, playing in the first two games, duly obliged and both won 3 and 2. Robins was bogey-free and five-under when he finished, continuing his fine form of the championship. “I think I’ve had three bogeys in the three days,” he said. “I’ve played well this week and had six wins from six games, so I’m chuffed with that.”  Yorkshire will also be pleased to hear that the 23-year-old plans to stay amateur next year. Lowe, the Yorkshire order of merit winner, sank a 4ft putt to close out his match and ensure that the team would win the title. His win gave them a total of 4.5 points and, even if they lost the remaining games, they would draw the match and become champions on a countback of points won. “It’s special to get the winning point, really good,” said Lowe, who won all his singles this week. He was playing at Men’s County Finals for the first time, having previously been in the boys’ version and he said: “This is a bit bigger and scarier with more people watching! But it’s been good.” But all of the team - and their many supporters - wanted an outright win and they were determined to get at least one more point. However, Hampshire got the momentum in the next three games with Billy McKenzie fighting back from three down at the turn to beat Bailey Gill 2 up. He was followed by Ryan Harmer who, having been up most of the way against Yorkshire champion Ben Hutchinson, was pulled back to all square with two to play but managed to win one up. Then, English champion Dan Brown was beaten 3 and 2 by Hampshire’s Mark Burgess and Yorkshire’s hopes of that extra point were pinned on the close match between Will Whiteoak and Hampshire captain Martin Young. Whiteoak held a one hole advantage for most of the back nine, helped by holing a monster putt for a half on 14. He held on to that slender lead, holing a good 10-footer on the last to finish 1up. “We wanted to win outright and that’s why I put Will at the back,” said Berry. “He’s a pressure man and he brings it home every time.” The result meant disappointment for Hampshire who have now come away empty-handed from seven County Finals since 2002. The play-off for third place was won by Warwickshire who beat Cornwall 5.5-3.5. Click here for full scores Caption: The winning Yorkshire team (image copyright Leaderboard Photography). Lyndsey Hewison Press Officer England Golf pr@englandgolf.org 07825 752 193

England’s men win silver  at world championship England are flying high after winning the silver medal with a battling performance at the World Amateur Team Championship in Mexico. The team of Jamie Bower from Yorkshire, Scott Gregory from Hampshire and Alfie Plant from Kent finished on 19-under par for England’s best-ever result in the Eisenhower Trophy. Plant, who tied third in the individual table on 12-under par, vaulted England into second place when he holed a six-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole. “Once I knew I had to make the putt for birdie, I just went through my routine to make sure you make the best putt you can, and it just went in,” said Plant (Sundridge Park), who made seven birdies in his final round of five-under 66. “It’s been a great week, we’ve recorded our highest finish in the event as a team, and I’m playing good golf as well. It’s great to get up on the stage for a medal.” England captain Kevin Tucker added: “We’re absolutely delighted, the good thing is that all three players have contributed. It’s the first time England has medalled and we’re over the moon.” The championship was won in magnificent style by Australia who were 38-under and claimed the title for the fourth time. Austria and Ireland tied third a stroke behind England. “The boys did a great job,” said Nigel Edwards, England Golf Performance Director. “It was a great team effort and we're very pleased as we had an awful lot of work to do after two rounds.” After the first round England were tied 11th on three-under, with counting rounds of 69 from Plant and 70 from Gregory (Corhampton), the 2016 Amateur Champion and world number seven. In the second round, Gregory’s 70 and Bower’s 71 moved the team into a share of eighth place on six-under, 13 shots behind new leaders Australia and five behind second-placed USA. In the third round they jumped up to fourth on 13-under, with scores of 70 from Gregory and 67 from Plant, who gave the team a boost with an 18th hole birdie. By then, the Australians were on 32-under and clearly heading for the title, but England were only three shots behind second place. In the final round it fell to Bower, the Brabazon Trophy champion from Meltham, and Plant, the Lytham Trophy winner, to provide England’s counting scores of 70 and 66 respectively. Bower’s highlights included a chip-in for birdie on three and a fine par save on six where he holed from 15ft. He set up a two-putt birdie when he reached the long 13th with a drive and a four-iron and then holed a 35ft putt for birdie on 16. On the last he took a three-wood from the tee, but pulled his six-iron approach to the left of the green. However he chipped up to 12ft and holed the putt for a vital par. Plant made three 2s in the final round and, when necessary, kept his round going with an excellent touch around the greens, for example getting up and down from 30 yards for par. He bogeyed the 17th but showed his class at 18 with a drive that split the fairway and a great second with a six iron to 6ft. He holed the putt for a birdie to set up the silver medal. Supporting the players, in addition to Edwards and Tucker, were England men’s coach Graham Walker, Tucker’s wife, Liz, and Alfie’s parents, Darren and Emma. “The whole team was just great!” said Edwards. Click here for full scores. Caption: (from left) Nigel Edwards, Kevin Tucker, Scott Gregory, Jamie Bower, Alfie Plant and England coach Graham Walker. Lyndsey Hewison Press Officer England Golf pr@englandgolf.org 07825 752 193

 No place like home for Azahara Munoz

LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR NEWS RELEASE
Home favourite Azahara Muñoz, playing virtually in her own backgarden, pipped Edinburgh-based American Beth Allen at the final hole to become the first Spanish winner in the history of the Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España Femenino
Muñoz fired rounds of 72, 66, 70 and 70 to end with a 72-hole total of 10-under-par and finish one stroke clear of Allen at Aloha Golf Club in Marbella, just a month after becoming the first Spanish woman to tee off in the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
The 28-year-old, from the nearby town of San Pedro Alcántara, just 10 minutes away from the golf club, claimed her fourth Ladies European Tour title in front of a large gallery of spectators including her parents, friends and family.
Muñoz started the final day one stroke behind Allen but the American had built a three-stroke lead after as many birdies in seven holes. Allen made an error on the short eighth but quickly recovered with a birdie at the ninth to take a three-stroke advantage though the turn.
Although Muñoz birdied the third, her putter went cold as she made a run of 10 straight pars but her patience paid off after Allen carded back-to-back bogeys on the 12th and 13th holes. Muñoz made a crucial birdie putt on the 14th to tie for the lead but then bogeyed 15 to drop one behind again, before rolling in a monster birdie putt from eight metres on the par-3 17th to put Allen under pressure coming to the last hole.
From the 18th tee, Allen pulled her shot left into the lake and was forced to take a drop, playing her third shot up to the green. Muñoz played her approach shot from the right hand rough up to around two metres from the pin.
After Allen’s putt for par raced past the hole, Muñoz had the luxury of two putts for the victory
There was plenty of drama on the 18th hole as moments earlier, England’s Sophie Walker holed her second shot for eagle from 138 yards using a ‘little’ 7-iron to vault into a share of third position with compatriot Georgia Hall, followed by fellow Englishwoman Florentyna Parker in solo fifth place. Parker birdied two of the last three holes, with fellow LET player Ellie Givens caddying over the weekend.
Aditi Ashok from India finished in solo sixth place on three-under-par to record her LET career best finish while fellow LET rookie Olivia Cowan of Germany ended a stroke back in seventh. England’s Holly Clyburn, Italian Diana Luna and Nanna Koerstz Madsen of Denmark shared eighth on level par.

LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4x72) Prizemoney in Euros)
278 A Munoz (Spain) 72 66 70 70 (45,000)
279 B Allen (USA) 72 68 67 72 (27,000)
283 G Hall (England) 72 73 70 68, S Walker (England) 70 71 71 71 (15,750 each)
284 F Parker (England) 69 73 75 67 (10,800)
285 A Ashok (India) 74 67 75 69 (9,300)





SCOTS' TOTALS
290 L Murray 74 69 77 70 (T14) (5,287)
291 P Pretswell 72 67 69 73 (T18) (4,200)
292 S Watson 73 73 73 73 (T27) (3,105)
302 G Dryburgh 72 75 79 76 (T60) (885)



TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES
 http://ladieseuropeantour.com/leaderboard/

EDITOR'S NOTE: In answer to queries, Women's and girls' golf will continue to appear on www.scottishgolfview.com but in an abbreviated form. For the full reports and pictures, www.kirkwoodgolf.co.uk is the place to go.

Levy beats Fisher with a play-off birdie at 

Porsche European Open

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Frenchman Alexander Levy made a birdie at the second play-off hole to overcome England's Ross Fisher and win his third European Tour title at the Porsche European Open in Germany today.
With the tournament reduced to 54 holes due to fog delays over the first three days at Golf Resort Bad Griesbach, Levy entered the third and final round with a four-shot lead at 17 under after 36 bogey-free holes.
He made three bogeys in his first five holes, though, and with playing partner Fisher closing the gap to one as the pair stood on the final tee, a tense finish was in store.
A closing bogey from Levy meant the pair had to go back up the last and after two pars at the first attempt, the 26 year old Frenchaman holed an18-footer down the slope for a birdie and the victory.

The win makes Levy just the second European Tour player in history after Paul Lawrie to triumph over 72, 54 and 36 holes, following his victories in 2014 at the Volvo China Open and the weather-reduced Portugal Masters.
Levy missed his first three cuts of the season and then had two spells on the sidelines in the summer due to injury but has been in fine form since his return at the start of the month, finishing in a tie for seventh at last week's Italian Open.
"It's unbelievable," he said. "On the 18th putt I saw the line and I said to my caddy, 'I've got it'. I felt good, I felt the speed and I putted it very quickly.
"It's good to have this feeling after two years of no wins, it's very nice.
"It's tough to say that it's the best one [win]. I have a very nice feeling and I worked a lot the last few weeks to have this one. I was close last week but didn't play good on Sunday and this week I managed my things to have this trophy in my hands.
"I didn't play really well on the front nine. I was thinking about the score and not on my own game. I stayed patient and I started to play really well on the back nine."
A 40-foot birdie putt on the second looked to have steadied his nerves after a bogey on the first and he took advantage of the par five third before recording back-to-back bogeys after loose tee-shots.
Another birdie on the par five eighth got Levy back to where he started the day but with Fisher making birdies on the first, third, eighth and ninth, the pressure was on.
Both men took advantage of the tenth but Levy then pulled away as he made it four out of four on the par fives on the 12th before putting his tee-shot on the 14th to 15 feet and getting to 20 under.
The leading duo birdied the 15th but a three-putt from Levy and a 20-foot birdie from Fisher on the next resulted in a two-shot swing and when Levy put his second shot into the spectator area on the last, extra holes were required.
"Hats off to Alex, it's always going to be tough against a great player like him who closed out in Portugal very well," said Fisher. "He got off to a little shaky start so myself and Michael [Jonzon] just needed to put some pressure on Alex from the start.
"I felt like I played pretty flawless on the front side, kept it going on the back. All you can do is hit good putts, I didn't leave one short today which is a positive sign."
Swedish duo Robert Karlsson and Michael Jonzon finished three shots out of the play-off at 16 under after rounds of 65 and 68 respectively.
Karlsson had eight birdies and a double-bogey while Jonzon - who was fourth reserve and only knew he was playing on Wednesday - endured a rollercoaster round, dropping three shots in a row on the front nine from the fifth before bouncing back with five birdies in six holes from the 11th.
Austrian Bernd Wiesberger was then at 15 under, a shot clear of local favourite Martin Kaymer and two ahead of another German in Florian Fritsch, English duo Richard Bland and Matthew Southgate, France's Grégory Havret, Spaniard Eduardo de la Riva and South Africa's Jean Hugo.

FINAL TOTALS
Par 213 (3x71). Yardage 7,188

1	Alexander Levy	62	63	69				194
2	Ross Fisher	65	65	64				194
T3	Michael Jonzon	66	63	68				197
T3	Robert Karlsson	69	63	65				197
5	Bernd Wiesberger	63	68	67				198
6	Martin Kaymer	67	64	68				199
T7	Richard Bland	67	67	66				200
T7	Eduardo De La Riva	68	66	66				200
T7	Florian Fritsch	67	64	69				200
T7	Gregory Havret	68	67	65				200
T7	Jean Hugo	66	66	68				200
T7	Matthew Southgate	66	67	67				200
T13	Magnus A. Carlsson	67	68	66				201
T13	Nicolas Colsaerts	69	66	66				201
T13	Bradley Dredge	68	64	69				201
T13	Tommy Fleetwood	70	65	66				201
T13	Richard Green	67	68	66				201
T13	Mike Lorenzo-Vera	67	70	64				201
T13	Paul Peterson	68	66	67				201
T20	Thongchai Jaidee	69	66	67				202
T20	Renato Paratore	65	71	66				202
T20	Jason Scrivener	64	71	67				202
T20	Fabrizio Zanotti	69	66	67				202
T24	Anirban Lahiri	68	68	67				203
T24	Craig Lee	69	67	67				203
T24	David Lipsky	68	66	69				203
T24	Richard McEvoy	68	68	67				203
T28	Robert Dinwiddie	68	68	68				204
T28	Oliver Fisher	66	68	70				204
T28	David Howell	69	68	67				204
T28	Mikko Korhonen	70	66	68				204
T28	Paul Lawrie	70	68	66				204
T28	Soomin Lee	66	67	71				204
T28	Edoardo Molinari	68	68	68				204
T28	Marcel Schneider	67	69	68				204
T36	Raphael Jacquelin	67	68	70				205
T36	Luke List	68	68	69				205
T36	Steve Webster	66	69	70				205
T39	Lucas Bjerregaard	66	71	69				206
T39	David Drysdale	70	67	69				206
T39	Niclas Fasth	70	66	70				206
T39	Daniel Im	66	72	68				206
T39	Francesco Laporta	67	68	71				206
T39	Thomas Linard	70	68	68				206
T39	Mikael Lundberg	66	69	71				206
T39	Stuart Manley	69	68	69				206
T39	Nicolo Ravano	67	68	71				206
T39	Richard Sterne	69	68	69				206
T49	Daniel Brooks	68	70	69				207
T49	Paul Dunne	66	68	73				207
T49	David Horsey	69	69	69				207
T49	Tom Lewis	67	68	72				207
T49	Prom Meesawat	67	71	69				207
T49	Lukas Nemecz	69	68	70				207
T49	Chris Paisley	71	66	70				207
T49	Jaco Van Zyl	69	67	71				207
T57	Dylan Frittelli	70	68	70				208
T57	Ricardo Gouveia	70	67	71				208
T57	Roope Kakko	68	69	71				208
T57	Thomas Pieters	71	67	70				208
T57	Maximilian Rottluff	67	69	72				208
T57	Justin Walters	66	69	73				208
T63	Trevor Fisher Jr.	70	67	72				209
T63	Joakim Lagergren	67	69	73				209
T63	Jamie McLeary	68	70	71				209
T63	Bernd Ritthammer	70	67	72				209
T67	Ryan Evans	68	70	73				211
T67	Pedro Oriol	70	68	73				211
T67	Marcel Siem	69	69	73				211

US college golf news

Ashleigh Greenham in third place at Nittany Lion Invitational with one round to go

Three times Essex girls champion Ashleigh Greenham from London, now a student at Rutgers after transferring from Arizona State, is in third place in a field of 61 players with one round to play in the Nittany Lion Invitational over the Penn State Blue Course (par 72, 6,306yd) in Pennsylvania.

Ashleigh, pictured, has had rounds of 73 and 72 for one-over-par 145cand is three behind the leader, Jackie Rogowicz (Penn State) (68-74 for 142), and one behind second-placed Isabella Rusher (Richmond )(70-74 for 144).
Penn State (590) have a comfortable lead in the team event from Richmond (604) with Rutgers (615) fifth of nine. 





Ross and Dusek tie for 12th at Crooked Creek

Alasdair Ross from Fort William and Andy Dusek from Woking, both final-year students at Union College, Kentucky, tied for 12th place on 156 in the Bill Sergent Invitational at Crooked Creek Golf Club, London, Kentucky recently.

Ross, pictured left, had a pair of 78s for 156, Dusek 76 and 80.
They finished 12 shots behind the winner by seven, Ben Kendrick (University of Cumberlands) who had scores of 68 and 76 for level par 144 over a par-72 course of 6,930yd. 








Sandy Scott well down the field in Albuquerque

Nairn's outstanding prospect, Sandy Scott, a freshman student at Texas Tech, has not yet found his home form on the United States college circuit.

Scott shot rounds of 75, 74 and 78 for an 11-over-par total of 227 over a long par-72 course (7,555yd) and a joint 48th place finish in a field of 92 at the William H Tucker college tournament at the University of New Mexico's championship course, Albuquerque, which finished on Saturday.
Scott, pictured right, finished 17 shots behind the winner by two, Blake Cannon (Colorado State) (71-69-70 for 219).
Albuquerque is a high altitude city in New Mexico, so that had not helped the Highlander either!

Naysmith and Porter struggle at Scottsdale

Edinburgh's Murray Naysmith (Albamba-Birmingham) slipped down th field to joint 57th with a second-round 77 after opening with a 69 in the Maui Jim Intercollegiate tournament at Mirabel Golf Club, Scottsdale, Arizona.
Naysmith's tally of 146 is four over the par for the 7,147yd course which has a par of 71.

Former Scottish boys' match-play champion Will Porter, pictured left, from Arbroath, a freshman student at Chattanooga, is tied 88th in a field of 93 players. He has had disappointing scores of 75 and 79 for 154 - 24 shots behind the leader by two, Luis Gagne (Louisiana State), who has had a pair of 65s for 12-under 130.

First-round leaders Scotland finish 11th in Mexico

Australia run away with world amateur team championship for Eisenhower Trophy

• Jamie Marcuson of  The Age

Australia has won the men's World Amateur Team Championship for the Eisenhower TRophy on Mexico's Caribbean coast in dominant fashion.
Coming into the event as hot favourites, the team consisting of Cameron Davis, Curtis Luck and Harrison Endycott shot 38-under, a 19-shot margin over second-placed England.

Champions: The Australian world amateur team championship winners. Photo: Golf Australia

Davis won the event individually, with the 2015 Australian Amateur Champ shooting 17-under.
"I'm happy to win that," Davis said.
"But it really didn't matter as long as we got the big trophy. This was all about the team and everyone did an amazing job. Everyone."
Luck came second individually with 15-under, and Endycott falling back to tied for 16th.
It is Australia's fourth time winning the Eisenhower Trophy.
"To share this with these guys is something I already appreciate, but this week is right there with anything I've ever done and to be able to share it with them in years to come is going to be awesome," Luck said.
"This is an amazing accomplishment, not only for this team, but also for Australian golf and everyone who's helped us get here and all the guys we play with and against at home. It's just a great moment."
Coach Dean Kinney had challenged the team to dominate their opposition and go 1-2-3. That didn't eventuate in its entirety, but the team were unstoppable across the four rounds.
"I did put it on them to give their best and remember the week fondly for the rest of their lives," the New South Wales national coach said.
"And they took it exactly how I hoped they might. They believed in everything everyone around Golf Australia and their state programs has been telling them for the last few years and dominated.
"What a great day for Australian golf, and hopefully a few more to come."
Ireland slipped from second into a tie for third due to the squad’s difficulties on the final hole, but still captured their first WATC medal.
 Jack Hume, a member of the winning 2015 Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup Team, was bitten by a double bogey after earlier making six consecutive birdies on the outward nine. Hume settled for a 3-under 69. Stuart Grehan, who had a 1-over 72, and Paul McBride, who had a non-counting 73, made bogeys on the closing hole.
Victor Hovland fired a 6-under 65, the lowest round of the championship and playing captain Kristoffer Ventura added a 71 as Norway was fifth at 17-under 555. The team’s previous best finish was a tie for sixth in 2012.
New Zealand and the USA tied for sixth at 557. Ryan Chisnall, of New Zealand, shot a 68 after scoring in the mid-70s in the first three rounds, while teammate Luke Toomey had a 70. Chisnall, who was the co-medalist at the 2015 Amateur Championship at Carnoustie, holed birdie putts of 25- and 20-feet at Nos. 16 and 17, respectively.
“We really wanted to get on the podium this week, so the last three holes were really important,” said Chisnall, who finished third at the Mexican Amateur in May. “It was very pleasing for me. It’s a big event and very important for our nation.”
The USA struggled to an even-par 142 and failed to medal in this championship for the first time since 1998 when the team was seventh. Brad Dalke, last month’s U.S. Amateur runner-up, had a 70, while Stanford University All-American Maverick McNealy shot a 72. Scottie Scheffler, a junior at the University of Texas, posted a non-counting 73.
“It was a difficult day for all of them,” said USA captain Paul Caruso. “I guess it is unusual that that happens and all three of them did not have their best today.”
Poland was eighth for its first top-10 WATC finish. Adrian Meronk, who is a playing captain, carded a 69, his third round in the 60s during the championship. Mateuz Gradecki had a 72. The two players, who were teammates at East Tennessee State University, competed in their third WATC together.
Scotland, the first-round leaders, finished a disappointing 11th after their brilliant start. Robert MacIntyre, Grant Forrest and Connor Syme had daily team totals of 134, 144, 143 and 140 for an aggregate of  561.
MacIntyre had a personal total of 283 (69 71 72 71); Forrest 286 (68 73 71 74) and Syme also 286 (66 73 78 69).
Mexico, the host nation, tied for 16th at 564. Alvaro Ortiz, a junior at the University of Arkansas, and Isidro Benitez, each shot an even-par 71.
Twenty-six of the 71 teams had 72-hole scores under par. The field recorded 35 sub-par individual counted scores in the fourth round.