KAZAKHSTAN OPEN MYSTERY

Why is Greig Hutcheon's name missing
from the third round in Central Asia?

What happened to Greig Hutcheon (Peterculter), Scotland's only qualifier for the last two rounds of the Kazakhstan Open, between making the cut with rounds of 72 and 71 and not teeing off in the third round?
Lines of communication between this country and the Central Asia Republic, which shares borders with Russia and China, are not as good as say between Aberdeen and Glasgow.
So whether the Banchory man fell ill, twisted an ankle, we don't know. All we know is that he did not play in the third round.
Welshman Mark Pilkington leads the field in pursuit of the richest prize yet to be offered on the Challenge Tour - 48,000 Euros.
Mark has had rounds of 70, 66 and 67 for 13 under par 203.
He leads by one shot from a Spaniard, Alvaro Salto with Zane Scotland and a Norwegian, Peter Kaensche, sharing third place on 10 under par.
Gareth Wright, the West Linton-based Welshman, dropped out of the picture with a third round of 74 - 10 shots more than he required for the second round. He is seven shots off the pace on 210. That's Gareth pictured above right.
LEADING SCORES
203 M Pilkington (Wal) 70 66 67.
204 A Salto (Spa) 68 70 66.
206 P Kaensche (Nor) 68 72 66, Z Scotland (Eng) 70 70 66.
Other score:
210 G Wright (Wal) 72 64 74.

AMERICAN EXPRESS CHAMPIONSHIP

TIGER WOODS LEADS BY SIX - AND WHAT
A DIFFERENCE A WEEK MAKES!
It's a good job the Ryder Cup is not coming to a conclusion this weekend! European "stars" are hard to find on the leaderboard at the end of the third round of the World Golf Championships-American Express Championship at The Grove, Watford.
And that man Tiger Woods (picture by courtesy of USGA) carries a six-stroke lead from an Australian into Sunday's final round.
LEADING SCORES
(GB&I unless stated, par 71):
194 (-19)Tiger Woods 63 64 67.
200 (-13) Adam Scott (Aus) 67 68 65.
201 (-12) Brett Quigley (US) 70 64 67, Jim Furyk (US) 67 65 69.
202 Stewart Cink (US) 65 67 70.
203 Ian Poulter 64 71 68, Henrik Stenson (Swe) 68 67 68, David Howell 66 66 71.
204 Trevor Immelman (SAf) 68 68 68, Ernie Els (SAf) 65 70 69, Padraig Harrington 64 69 71.
205 Luke Donald 68 70 67, Lucas Glover (US) 69 68 68, Brett Wetterich (US) 70 66 69.
206 Carl Pettersson (Swe) 69 70 67.
207 Arron Oberholser (USA) 69 72 66, Stuart Appleby (Aus) 71 66 70.
208 Angel Cabrera (Arg) 71 70 67, Colin Montgomerie 72 67 69, Jose Maria Olazabal (Spa) 70 67 71, Jyoti Randhawa (Ind) 66 71 71.
209 Michael Campbell (NZ) 69 71 69, Chris DiMarco (US) 69 70 70, Johan Edfors (Swe) 70 68 71, Thongchai Jaidee (Thai) 71 67 71.
210 JJ Henry (US) 70 70 70, Tom Pernice (US) 69 70 71, Chad Campbell (US). 67 70 73, Lee Westwood 71 66 73.
Other scores included:
211 Darren Clarke 68 71 72.
213 Sergio Garcia (Spa) 69 73 71.
214 Thomas Bjorn (Den) 70 71 73.
216 Paul Broadhust 74 72 70.
220 Vijay Singh 73 75 72.
221 Paul Casey 74 75 72.

MIDLAND ALLIANCE SCORES

KENNY HUTTON LEADS THE WAY
AT WINDY ALYTH

Downfield Golf Club professional Kenny Hutton, who hails from Muir of Ord, had the best score of four-under-par 65 on a windy day at Alyth Golf Club for the Midland Golfers' Alliance meeting.
Kenny, pictured on the right coming out of a bunker, had a couple of shots to spare from Donald McKay (Wellsgreen).
The handicap prize ended in a four-way tie. Barry Liddle (St Andrews), Bob Stewart (Tulliallan), Kevin Egan (Downfield) and Jack Cree, jun. (Thornton) all had a net score of 68.
LEADING SCRATCH
65 K Hutton (P, Downfield)
67 D McKay (P, Wellsgreen)
69 E Malcolm (Dunfermline)
70 R Stewart (Tulliallan)
71 B Mason (P, Drumoig)
72 S O'Donnall (AP, Balbirnie Park),
H Wong (AP, Burntisland),
S Rettie (Royal Troon)
73 K Egan (Downfield)
74 M Brown (Monifieth),
B Liddle (St. Andrews),
K McGowan (AP, Burntisland),
R McDonald (Monifieth)

LEADING HANDICAP SCORES


68 B Liddle (St. Andrews),
B Stewart (Tulliallan),
K Egan (Downfield),
J Cree, jun (Thornton)
69 E Malcolm (Dunfermline)
70 R Walllace (Milnathort)
71 D Black (Dunfermline),
V Trojan (Kirriemuir)
72 M Brown (Monifieth),
D Adamson (Burntisland),
D Roberts (Scotscraig),
K Rattery (Ladtbank),
R Farquhar (Carnoustie),
R McDonald (Monifieth)

MIDLAND GOLFERS' ALLIANCE

We’ve added the Midland Golfers’ Alliance to the North-east and the North Alliances from which we will be providing news and scores in future.
First of all here are the remaining Midland Alliance fixtures for the 2006-2007 season.

OCTOBER
5th (Thursday): Ladybank pro-am (sponsored by J M Menzies).
19th (Thursday): Downfield (sponsored by Jollies, Brought Ferry).
26th (Thursday): The Duke’s Course, St Andrews.
NOVEMBER
1st (Wednesday): Kirriemuir.
8th (Wednesday): St Andrews Bay pro-am (sponsored by Grant’s Promotions.
14th (Tuesday): Letham Grange (sponsored by J M Menzies).
21st (Tuesday): Crail (Craighead).
28th (Tuesday): Balbirnie Park.
DECEMBER
5th (Tuesday): Charleton (sponsored by Fraser Bros, Tyres).
JANUARY 2007
23rd (Tuesday): Drumoig.
FEBRUARY
1st (Thursday): Murrayshall (sponsored by D Redford, Powakaddy).
8th (Thursday): Arbroath.
15th (Thursday): Carnoustie (Caledonia GC).
22nd (Thursday): Aberdour.
MARCH
1st (Thursday): Scotscraig pro-am (sponsored by Hi-Tech Accoustic Services Ltd).
8th (Thursday): Kirkcaldy.
14th (Wednesday): Burntisland pro-am (sponsored by D Smith MBE, E Sherry, T McIntyre).
22nd (Thursday): Crieff.
29th (Thursday): Brechin.
APRIL
3rd (Tuesday): Monifieth.
5th (Thursday): Midland Alliance championship at Scotscraig (sponsored by Rennies of Dunfermline).

US COLLEGE NEWS

ADAM LINDSAY FROM BANCHORY
SIXTH AT BURLINGTON, IOWA

Adam Lindsay from Banchory, a sophomore student at Iowa Wesleyan College, finished sixth in the IWC Invitational golf tournament at Burlington Golf Club, Iowa.
Adam, pictured right, had scores of 76 and 75 for a total of 151 – six shots behind individual winner Dusty Drenth (St Ambrose) who won by two strokes.
It was Lindsay’s third top-10 college tournament finish since he returned to the States after the summer break.
Iowa Wesleyan (617) finished runners-up to St Ambrose (588) in the team event with Grand View (619) third.

SCOTTISH CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP ON SUNDAY

CORFU PRIZE TRIP AWAITS CLUB TRIO WHO WIN SCOTTISH
CLUB TITLE AT COWGLEN

Sixteen teams of three male golfers from all over Scotland will competing at Cowglen Golf Club on Sunday for the Scottish club championship but the bonus prize is a trip to sunny Corfu for the European club championship final as Scotland's champions from November 1 to 3.
It's a 36-hole Scottish final and each club team of three players has come through an area eliminator to get into the Cowglen field. On Sunday, their aggregate will be made up of their best two first-round scores added to their two best second-round scores.
Only three of the competing teams have won the Scottish club title previously - Tulliallan in 1999 and 2002, Dumfries & Galloway in 2003 and Cruden Bay in 2004. Cruden Bay have got the same three players representing them - Ross Cooper, Laurie Phillips and Michael Buchan, pictured above in that order.
There are some well known names in the other line-ups. Bryan Fotheringham, who helped Scotland win the home international title last year, is one of the Forres Golf Club trio.
Former tour professional Steve Horne is in the Tulliallan line-up and Len Salariya, who once reached the final of the Scottish amateur championship at Downfield is one of the Letham Grange trio.
Also in the Letham Grange trio is Gary Tough, head greenkeeper/course manager of the Angus golf complex and a former winner of the Craigmillar Park Open.
We'll have the results for you on this website on Sunday evening.
The draw for Cowglen is:
7.30 and 12.20: Bishopbriggs (Steve Rogerson), Paisley (Bryan Adam), Irvine (Alex Gourlay).
7.38 and 12.28: Bishopbriggs (Stuart Munro), Paisley (Garry Price), Irvine (Henry Thompson).
7.476 and 12.37: Bishopbriggs (Alistair MacPherson), Paisley (Jim Smart), Irvine (Alistair MacFarlane).
7.55 and 12.45: Airdrie (David Craig), Lenzie (David Wylie), Tulliallan (Steven Horne).
8.04 and 12.54: Airdrie (Steven Rennie), Lenzie (Craig Harper), Tulliallan (Neil Scaife).
8.12 and 1.02: Airdrie (Scott Morgan), Lenzie (Graham Stewart), Tulliallan (Mark Crichton).
8.21 and 1.11: Glenbervie (Murdo McLeod), Dunaverty (George McMillan), Dumfries & Galloway (John Power).
8.29 and 1.19: Glenbervie (Andrew Lynch), Dunaverty (Gordon Tyre), Dumfries & Galloway (Barry Scott).
8.38 and 1.28: Glenbervie (Tommy Wilson), Dunaverty (Greg Watson), Dumfries & Galloway (Clark Riddick).
8.46 anbd 1.36: Craigie Hill (Iain Simpson), Glencorse (Andrew Wight), Hawick (Keith Beattie).
8.55 and 1.45: Craigie Hill (Sandy Honeyman), Glencorse (Keith Young), Hawick (Allan Chalmers).
9.03 and 1.53: Craigie Hill (Iain Flaharty), Glencorse (Colin Deans), Hawick (Alan Morrison).
9.12 and 2.02: Letham Grange (Iain Reid), St Andrews (Ian Heddle), Cruden Bay (Laurie Phlllips).
9.20 and 2.10: Letham Grange (Len Salariya), St Andrews (Neil Steven), Forres (Bryan Fotheringham).
9.29 and 2.19 : Cruden Bay (Ross Cooper), St Andrews (Gary Sharp), Forres (Alastair Robertson).
9.37 and 2.27: Letham Grange (Gary Tough), Cruden Bay (Michael Buchan), Forres (Robert McKerron).

EUROPEAN TOUR FIRST Q STAGE

SIX SCOTS QUALIFY FOR NEXT
STAGE IN SPAIN IN NOVEMBER

Scott Henderson, Lloyd Saltman, George Murray, Graeme Brown, Eric Ramsay and Jack Doherty all made it among the 31 qualifiers with 72-hole totals of nine-under-par 279 or better at the European Tour School First Qualifying Stage over the St Annes Old Links, Lancashire today.
They go forward to the next stage in Spain from November 1 to 4 when four venues will be used.
Scott Henderson knew he had several shots in hand after scoring 65, 70 and 64 over the first three days so there was no need to panic when the putts did not drop on the final day. He had to settle for a par 72 but an impressive 72-hole total of 17-under-par 271. That made him the fourth best qualfier behind Irishman Simon Thornton on 22-under-par 266.
Walker Cup teenager Oliver Fisher dropped out of the lead with a 73 but still made it with ease in third place on 269.
Fisher's GB&I team-mate, Lloyd Saltman, pictured right, also made it through comfortably in joint sixth place, which will have cheered him up after his omission from the three-man Scotland team for the Eisenhower Trophy in South Africa next month.
Eric Ramsay from Carnoustie made it through with Welsh-based Jack Doherty on the limit mark of 209, thanks to a fourth-round 65.
Craig Sutherland, seemingly "safe" going into the final 18 holes, dropped over the cut mark with a final round of two-over-par 74 for 283.
Edinburgh amateur Mark Kerr had hard luck. He hit form in the final round with a 67 - but came up one short of qualifying on 280. Had he holed just one more put for a 66 he would have been going to Spain for the penultimate stage of the trail to the European Tour's Final Q School at San Roque on the southern Costa del Sol from November 9 to 14.

LEADING QUALIFIERS
266 (-22) Simon Thornton (Ire) 64 68 66 68.
267 (-21) John Mellor (Eng) 67 70 64 676.
269 (-19 (am) Oliver Fisher (West Essex) 66 67 63 73.
271 (-17) Scott Henderson (Kings Links) 65 70 64 72.
273 (-15)Graham Cox (Eng) 71 70 68 64.
274 (-14) (am) Lloyd Saltman (Craigielaw) 67 71 66 70, Christian Aronsen (Nor) 65 69 68 72.
275 (-13) David P Jones (Ire) 66 70 65 74, Brian McElhinney (Ire) 66 70 65 74.
Other Scottish qualifiers:
276 (-12) George Murray (Earlsferry Thistle) 67 70 72 67 (jt 10th).
278 (-10) Graeme Brown (Montrose) 69 71 66 72 (jt 18th).
279 (-9) Eric Ramsay (Carnoustie) 73 73 68 65, Jack Doherty 70 72 67 70.
+A total of 31 players with aggregates of nine-under-par 279 or better qualified for the next stage in Spain.
Scottish non-qualifiers:
280 (-8) (am) Mark Kerr (Dalmahoy) 70 71 72 67 (jt 32nd).
283 (-5) Craig Sutherland 72 69 68 74 (jt 49th).
284 (-4) Paul Cormack (Inchmarlo) 70 74 72 68 (jt 56th).
285 (-3) Edward Thomson 73 69 69 74 (jt 61st).

EUROPEAN CHALLENGE TOUR

HUTCHEON LONE SCOT AMONG QUALIFIERS
FOR LAST TWO ROUNDS IN KAZAKHSTAN
Peterculter's Greig Hutcheon was the only Scot to survive the halfway cut in the Kazakhstan Open, this week's Challenge Tour event in the Central Asian republic which has Russia and China for neighbours.
Greig, pictured left, scored 72 and 71 for a one-under-par tally of 143 and made the cut with only one stroke to spare.
A total of 63 players with aggregates of level par 144 qualified for the final two rounds in what is the richest event in Challenge Tour history.
West Linton-based Welshman Gareth Wright and compatriot Mark Pilkington have taken over the pole position from Spaniard Alfred Garcia-Hereda.
Pilkington has shot 70 and 66 for eight-under-par 136, the same total of Wright who started with a 72 but shot up the leaderboard with an eight-under-par 64 today.
Garcia-Hereda slipped back to third place on 137 with a 66 and 71.
LEADING QUALIFIERS
136 (-8)
Mark Pilkington (Wal) 70 66.
Gareth Wright (Wal) 72 64.
137 (-7)
Alfredo Garcia-Hereda (Spa) 66 71.
138 (-6)
Paul Dwyer (Eng) 70 68.
Lee S James (Eng) 71 67.
Martin Kaymer (Ger) 71 67.
Other qualifiers included:
143 (-1)
Greig Hutcheon (Peterculter) 72 71.
*A total of 63 players with aggregates of 144 (level par) qualified for the final two rounds.
Scottish non-qualifiers:
146 (+2) Jamie McLeary 74 72.
147 (+3) David Patrick 73 74.
148 (+4) Peter Whiteford 76 72.
150 (+6) Adrian McArthur 72 78.
154 (+10) Chris Doak 78 76.
159 (+15) Murray Urquhart 82 77.

NORTH DISTRICT FIXTURES 2007

Congratulations to David Black, secretary of the North District of the Scottish Golf Union for being the first to produce his fixtures for 2007:


Sunday 6th May
North of Scotland Boys Championship for the HR Spence Trophy - Garmouth & Kingston GC
Sunday 20th May
SGU Area Team Championship First Round: Lothians v North.
Saturday 26th May
North District Championship - Tain GC.
Saturday 9th June
County Championships - See below for venues
Sunday 1st July
North District Boys Championship for the RPB Bain Trophy - Strathpeffer GC.
Sunday 22nd July
North District Club Team Championship - Inverness GC.
Sunday 5th August
SGU Area Team Championship 2nd Round: North v Stirlingshire.
Saturday/Sunday 25/26th August
North of Scotland Open Amateur Championship (72 holes) for the David Blair Trophy - Royal Dornoch GC.
Friday 7th September
North District Senior Championship for the Macallan Trophy - Venue to be confirmed.
Sunday 23rd September
Scottish Area Team Championship 3rd Round: North v Glasgow

VENUES for the 2007 COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIPS
to be held on Saturday 9th June
Caithness - Wick GC
Inverness - Kingussie GC
Nairn - Nairn Dunbar GC
Moray - Grantown on Spey GC
Orkney - Stromness GC
Shetland - Whalsay GC
Ross-shire - Fortrose & Rosemarkie GC
Sutherland - Golspie GC

NEWS FROM FIFE GOLF ASSOCIATION

GARY IS FIFE HANDICAP
MATCH-PLAY CHAMPION

Gary Cunningham (Glenrothes) is the new Fife Golf Association singles handicap match-play champion.
Gary beat Craig Fraser (Ballingry) by 2 and 1 in the final at Ladybank Golf Club. That's Gary on the right and Fraser on left in the picture.
The Fife GA handicap foursomes match-play championship will reach a conclusion, also at Ladybank, on Sunday (October 1) when Eddie Comerford and Bob De Rose (Dunfermline) play Craig Sanders and Michael Thomson (Leven Thistle) in the final.

COVERAGE OF NORTH ALLIANCE

SCORES WILL APPEAR ON THIS WEBSITE

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
(colin@scottishgolfview.com)
First the North-east Golfers’ Alliance, now the North Golf Alliance scores will appear soon on http://www.scottishgolfview.com/, thanks to my good friend Robin Wilson who has been secretary now since 1974, he tells me.
It may take us a week or two to get the service up and running because Robin, pictured on right, is going on holiday first and then, when he returns, I am off to sunnier climes for a week.
But after that we’ll get the North Alliance on the same basis as the North-east Alliance with results available ASAP after each meeting.
There is a chance that we will be able to welcome the Midland Alliance to the fold. Hugh Hunter, the past Scottish Golf Union president, has been working as an intermediary in this respect and we should be able to tie down some arrangement shortly.
In the meantime, here are the North Golf Alliance dates and venues:

OCTOBER
1 Thurso.
8 Durness.
22 Tain.
29 Reay.
NOVEMBER
5 Invergordon.
19 Wick.
DECEMBER
10 Brora.
JANUARY
21 Tain.
28 Struie.
FEBRUARY
11 Reay.
25 Wick.
MARCH
4 Brora.
11 Durness.
25 Tain (prizegiving in the Tain clubhouse at the conclusion).


=======================================================
+If you have club golf scores (other than just weekly competitions), you would like displayed on www.scottishgolfview.com, send them, alongwith a few words of introduction, and a picture too would be great to colin@scottishgolfview.com
We are always looking for good stories about clubs and club golfers, so here's your chance to become a golf reporter/photographer for www.scottishgolfview.com

KAZAKHSTAN OPEN

MURRAY URQUHART (82) HAS
TRAVELLED LONG WAY
FOR NIGHTMARE ROUND

Murray Urquhart has travelled a long way from his home in Inverness to Central Asia for the Kazakhstan - but he must be wondering if his long and expensive journey to compete in this week's Challenge Tour event was really a good move.
In the first round, Murray, pictured right, had one of his worst rounds for many a long day - a 10-over-par 82 which included a double-bogey 7 at the long fourth, a triple-bogey 8 at the long 10th and a double-bogey 5 at the short 16th in halves of 40 and 42.
Murray starts the second round in 127th position in a field of 131 and he looks most unlikely to survive the halfway cut.
Nor, for that matter, do a heap of other Scots.
Greig Hutcheon (Peterculter) and former Scottish amateur champion Andrew McArthur are borderline for the top 50 and ties. They shot par 72s to be sharing 47th place.
David Patrick from Edinburgh is joint 65th with a 73.
And so the sad story goes on for Jamie McLeary, Peter Whiteford and Chris Doak.
Englishman Sam Osborne shares the lead with one of those Spaniards with a double-barrelled surname: Alfredo Garcia-Hereda. They both shot six-under-par 66s.
One thing all the competitors agreed on was the spectacular views from anywhere on the golf course. The Central Asian mountain range in this country which is five times the size of Texas and bordered by Russia, the Caspian Sea and China makes a picture postcard backdrop to the golf.
SCOREBOARD
Par 72
66 A Garcia-Hereda (Spa), S Osborne (Eng).
Other scores:
72 G Hutcheon (Peterculter), A McArthur (Sco) (jt 47th).
73 D Patrick (Sco) (jt 65th).
74 J McLeary (Sco) (jt 86th).
76 Peter Whiteford (Sco) (109th).
78 C Doak (Sco) (jt 118th).
82 M Urquhart (Inverness) (127th).

EUROPEAN TOUR QUALIFYING STAGE

ONLY 6 SCOTS HAVE CHANCE OF MAKING
IT THROUGH TO NEXT STAGE IN SPAIN

Only six of the Scots who have one round left to play at St Annes Old Links in the First Qualifying Stage of the European Tour School have a reasonable chance of figuring among the leading 30 players and ties, at the end of Friday’s final 18 holes, who will go forward to the Second Qualifying Stage at four Spanish venues from November 1 to 4.
They are Scott Henderson, pictured right, Craigielaw amateur Lloyd Saltman, Fife amateur George Murray, South Wales-based Jack Doherty, Craig Sutherland and Graeme Brown.
At the moment, after three rounds, there are 34 players at seven-under-par 209 or better.
Oliver Fisher, the youngest-ever Walker Cup player from West Essex, shot a brilliant nine-under-par 63 to take over the No 1 spot after 54 holes with a tally of 20-under-par 196.
He leads by two shots from the previous leader Simon Thornton (Ireland) with Scott Henderson moving up into third place on 1999 with a 64, his best round so far.

HERE IS HOW SCOREBOARD LOOKS:

196 (-20)
(am) Oliver Fisher (West Essex) 66 67 63.
198 (-18)
Simon Thornton (Ire) 64 68 66.
199 (-17)
Scott Henderson (Kings Links) 65 70 64.
201 (-15)
Brian McElhinney (Ire) 66 70 65.
John Mellor (Eng) 67 70 64.
Other scores:
204 (-12)
(am) Lloyd Saltman (Craigielaw) 67 71 66 (8th).
206 (-10)
Graeme Brown (Montrose) 69 71 66.
209 (-7)
(am) George Murray (Elie & Earlsferry Thistle) 67 70 72 (jt 29th).
Jack Doherty (Sco) 70 72 67 (jt 29th).
Craig Sutherland (Sco) 72 69 68 (jt 29th).
There are 34 players at 209 or better with one round to play.
211 (-5)
Edward Thomson (Sco) 73 69 69 (jt 45th).
213 (-3)
(am) Mark Kerr (Dalmahoy) 70 71 72 (jt 58th).
214 (-2)
Eric Ramsay (Carnoustie) 73 73 68 (jt 65th).
216 (level par)
(am) Paul Cormack (Inchmarlo) 70 74 72 (jt 71st).
217 (+1)
Alan Lockhart (Ladybank) 72 73 72 (jt 78th).
218 (+2)
Mark King (Kingsfield) 73 74 71 (jt 81st).
220 (+4)
Chris Kelly (Cawder) 73 75 72 (90th in field of 116).

BYRON NELSON: A TRIBUTE

"ONE OF THE GREATEST GOLFERS WHO
EVER LIVED,"
SAYS ARNOLD PALMER

FROM THE USGA WEBSITE:

Byron Nelson’s competitive career in golf lasted only about 15 years prior to his retirement at the age of 34 in 1946. But his contributions to the game extended for 60 years beyond that and will continue as his legacy endures. Nelson, pictured right in his prime as a player, passed away on September 26 at the age of 94 at his ranch outside of Dallas.
Several of the records he set will probably never be broken, especially his 11 consecutive US PGA Tour wins in 1945 and 18 wins overall that year.
Ben Hogan, in 1948, and Tiger Woods, stretching from 1999 into 2000, both managed six in a row, but those streaks are the closest anyone has come to "Lord Byron," a nickname he received after his 1937 Masters victory.
Arnold Palmer called Nelson "one of the greatest players who ever lived."
"He retired too early," Tiger Woods said after hearing of Byron's death. "All he wanted to do was make enough money to buy his ranch. If he had kept playing like guys do now, more than likely, he would have won more tournaments than anyone."
"We have lost a giant in the game . . . someone who elevated the game in every way: as a player, an ambassador and a gentleman," said Ben Crenshaw.

SETANTA STRIKE DEAL WITH US PGA TOUR

DEDICATED GOLF CHANNEL WILL TEE OFF IN JANUARY

Setanta Sports, one of Europe’s leading international pay-TV sports broadcasters, has announced the launch of its dedicated golf channel - SETANTA GOLF - in partnership with the the United States PGA Tour.
From January 2007, the Setanta Golf channel will be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, offering viewers the chance to watch the US PGA Tour action live.
Setanta Golf will be the first dedicated golf channel in the UK & Ireland to provide live coverage of more than 50 US PGA Tour events.
“We are very excited at the prospect of working with Setanta Sports as a new broadcast partner, making it the home of the US PGA Tour in the UK and Ireland,” said US PGA Tour Commissioner, Tim Finchem.
Trevor East, Setanta's Director of Sport, said: “We are delighted to have secured the exclusive broadcast rights in the UK and Ireland for the US PGA Tour. This new partnership will play a major role in the growth and development of Setanta Sports and demonstrates clearly that we are building a tremendous offering for golf and sports fans.

EUROPEAN TOUR QUALIFYING STAGE

SCOTT HENDERSON IN FOURTH PLACE
AFTER TWO ROUNDS AT ST ANNES

Aberdeen Kings Links tour pro Scott Henderson heads the handful of Scots who are still on course to qualify from the European Tour Qualifying School eliminator at St Annes' Old Links, Lancashire for the penultimate stage at four venues in Spain from November 1 to 4.
Scott had a second-round 70 today for a 36-hole tally of 135, which puts him in fourth place, three behind the Irish-born leader Simon Thornton, 64 and 68 for 12-under-par 132.
Amateur Oliver Fisher, the youngest ever Walker Cup player, is lying second on 133 after a 66 and 67. Oliver is pictured right.
Other Scots who must try to maintain their positions to figure among the leading 33 and ties who will go forward to Spain include another Walker Cup man, Lloyd Saltman (138), Graeme Brown from Montrose (140), and Mark Kerr and Craig Sutherland on 141.

HOW THEY STAND
132 (-12)
Simon Thornton (Ire) 64 68.
133 (-11)
(am) Oliver Fisher (West Essex) 66 67.
134 (-10)
Christian Aronsen (Nor) 65 69.
135 (-9)
Scott Henderson (Kings Links) 65 70.
136 (-8)
(am) J L Adarraga (Spa) 66 70.
Brian McElhinney (Ire) 66 70.
Other scores:
138 (-6)
Lloyd Saltman (Craigielaw) 67 71 (jt 13th).
140 (-4)
Graeme Brown (Montrose) 69 71 (jt 21st).
141 (-3)
(am) Mark Kerr (Dalmahoy) 70 71 (jt 29th).
Craig Sutherland (Sco) 72 69.
142 (-2)
Jack Doherty (Sco) 70 72 (jt 43rd).
Edward Thomson (Sco) 73 69.
144 (level par)
(am) Paul Cormack (Inchmarlo) 70 74 (jt 62nd).
145 (+1)
Alan Lockhart (Sco) 72 73 (jt 70th).
146 (+2)
Eric Ramsay (Sco) 73 73.
147 (+3)
Mark King (Kingsfield) 73 74 (jt 83rd).
148 (+4)
Chris Kelly (Cawder) 73 75 (jt 88th).
+118 in the field.
(am) denotes amateur player.

NORTH-EAST ALLIANCE REPORT

BRATTON, BARNARD AND FINNIE
TIE ON 68 AT
McDONALD ELLON

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Two professionals – Ian Bratton (Newburgh-on-Ythan) and Inchmarlo assistant Mark Barnard - and Caledonian scratch amateur Stewart Finnie tied for first place on two-under-par 68 in today’s North-east Golfers’ Alliance competition at McDonald Ellon Golf Club.
Finnie came storming home in four-under-par 30 with an eagle 2 at the 260yd 13th and birdies at the 14th and 16th but a bogey at the 17th cost him outright victory.
Bratton, after birdies at the 10th and 16th, looked to be heading for a clear-cut win. Then he bogeyed the testing last two holes for 33 home and a 68.
Barnard, making his alliance debut, covered the inward half in a bogey-free 31, including a birdie at the last.
Joint fourth on one-under-par 69 were last week’s winner at Kemnay, Gary Esson (Portlethen), Inchmarlo Golf Centre pro Patrick Lovie, Richard Hyland (Newmachar), back in the fold after a year or two in the United States, and a 15-year-old debutant, Ryan Penny, who plays off 2 at Portlethen (That's Ryan pictured above right).
Let’s start with Gary’s tale of woe. He finished bogey, bogey, bogey, losing a ball at the 17th, to come home in 34 for a 69.
Patrick Lovie did not do so badly over the closing holes that claimed so many victims. Patrick birdied the 13th, 14th and 15th, bogeyed the 17th and then birdied the 18th for two-under-par 31 for the inward half of his 69.
Richard Hyland was on the winning trail, it seemed, when he birdied the 13th and 14th – but he had a double-bogey 6 at the 17th in his 34 home for 69.
Then comes Master Ryan Penny’s 69, which is a remarkable story in itself. Only 15 years of age, and starting a three-day schedule at Aberdeen College, Ryan came home in three-under-par 30, an inward half that contained six 3s in succession from the 11th.
But, even better than that, he single-putted every hole from the ninth (at which he had a bogey 6), onwards. His coach, Neil Marr of Meldrum House, would have been proud of his short game.
Ryan got down in two “from a long way out” at both the last two holes to salvage par 4s.
Hardest luck story of the day probably belonged to David Corkey (East Aberdeenshire). According to his playing partners, David played very well indeed for a 73. Pity about the quadruple bogey 8 at the 262yd 14th hole!
The field of 99 was the highest of the season so far.
Here are some of the more interesting cards:

MARK BARNARD 68 (-2)

OUT: 4 4 3 4 5 4 3 4 6: 37
IN: 4 3 3 3 4 3 4 4 3: 31

IAN BRATTON 68 (-2)

OUT: 4 4 5 4 3 3 3 4 5: 35
IN: 3 3 3 4 4 3 3 5 5: 33

STEWART FINNIE 68 (-2)

OUT: 3 4 4 6 4 4 3 4 6: 38
IN: 4 3 3 2 3 3 3 5 4: 30

GARY ESSON 69 (-1)

OUT: 4 4 3 5 4 3 3 4 5: 35
IN: 3 3 3 4 4 2 5 5 5: 34

PATRICK LOVIE 69 (-1)

OUT: 3 5 4 4 4 5 3 4 6: 38
IN: 5 3 3 3 3 2 4 5 3: 31

RICHARD HYLAND 69 (-1)

OUT: 4 4 4 4 3 5 3 3 5: 35
IN: 4 4 3 3 3 3 4 6 4: 34

RYAN PENNY 69 (-1)

OUT: 4 4 4 5 4 4 4 4 6: 39
IN: 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 4: 30

LEADING SCRATCH SCORES

68 M Barnard (Inchmarlo), I Bratton (Newburgh), S Finnie (Caledonian).
69 G Esson (Portlethen), P Lovie (Inchmarlo), R Hyland (Newmachar), R Penny (Portlethen).
71 C Nelson (MacKenzie Club), L Sang (Aboyne), J Murray (Banchory), R McDonald (Kemnay).
72 A Campbell (Deeside), C Carnegie (Kemnay), C Stephen (Meldrum House), A Locke (Inchmarlo).
73 R Fitzpatrick (Inchmarlo), R McKen (Newburgh), S Green (Westhill), D Yeats (Newmachar).
74 C Duffus (Kemnay), F G Gray (Deeside), A Petrie (Oldmeldrum), F Bisset (Banchory), C Alexander (Murcar Links), D Corkey (East Aberdeenshire).
75 M Lawrie (Kemnay), A Stewart (Hazlehead)), I D Smith (Hazlehead), C Clark (MacKenzie Club).
76 N Reid (Deeside).
77 J Dalgarno (Hazlehead), B Ritchie (Inverallochy), S B Chalmers (Banchory), A Grant (Portlethen), S Troup (Kings Links), I Welsh (Nigg Bay),
78 S Kidd (Newburgh), A S Buchan (Newburgh), L Roger (Royal Aberdeen).
79 C Cassie (Nigg Bay), N A Ogston (Turriff), R L Nicoll (Murcar Links), N Parker (Murcar Links).
80 P Farnan (Royal Abgerdeen), N Hardie (Kintore), G Leslie (Newburgh), J M Hamilton (Murcar Links), D Bisset (Banchory).

LEADING HANDICAP

Class 1 – A Petrie (Oldmeldrum) (9), J Murray (Banchory) (6) 65; A Stewart (Hazlehead) (8), R Penny (Portlethen) (2) 67; F G Gray (Deeside) (6) 68; C Duffus (Kemnay) (5), C Alexander (Murcar Links) (5) 69; J Dalgarno (Hazlehead) (6), C Carnegie (Kemnay ) (2), M Lawrie (Kemnay) (5), N A Ogston (Turriff) (9), R Hyland (Newmachar) +1), A Grant (Portlethen) (7) 70.

Class 2 – B Sinclair (Caledonian) (14), L Roger (Royal Aberdeen) (10) 68; G Leslie (Newburgh) (11) 69; H McNaughton (Cruden Bay) (10) 70; G Travis (Auchmill) (16), R Addison (Newburgh) (18) 71; J Short (Murcar Links) (14) 73; R Alison (Deeside) (13), A Dent (McDonald Ellon) (16) 74.

++ Next Wednesday’s competition is at Huntly.

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TARTAN TOUR PRO-AM

FRASER MANN WINS WITH 63 AT D&G
Musselburgh professional Fraser Mann shot a seven-under-par 63 to win the top prize of £915 by four strokes in the Kerr Investments shotgun pro-am at Dumfries & Galloway Golf Club today.
Mann’s bogey-free scorecard contained birdies at the second, fifth, sixth, 12th, 15th, 16th and 18th in halves of 33 (three under par) and 30 (four under).
Craig Lee (All Golf Swing Centre) and Paul McKechnie (Braid Hills) were joint second on 67.
Scottish PGA champion Dean Robertson (Czech Design) led the Billy’s Taxis trio of Billy Wylie (7), Stuart Craig (11) and Billy Boyd (18) to victory in the team event with a net score of 19-under-par 121.
LEADING PROFESSIONALS
63 F Mann (Musselburgh).
67 C Lee (All Golf Swing Centre), P McKechnie (Braid Hills).
68 C Gillies (Kingsfield), S Cairns (Westerwood), C Ronald (Carluke), D Robertson (Czech Design).
69 S Morrison (Royal Dornoch), J Stevenson (Braehead), G Collinson (Esporta Dougalston).

UNITED STATES COLLEGE NEWS

MICHELE AND LEWIS SETTLING
DOWN ON US COLLEGE CIRCUIT

Aberdeenshire exiles Michele Thomson from Ellon and Lewis Kirton from Oldmeldrum - both just starting four-year golf scholarships in the United States - had also something else in common in the American college events which finished this week.
They both finished 26th.
Michele Thomson came joint 26th in a field of 90 on her debut for Jacksonville State University, Alabama.
Competing in the Unlimited Potential Classic, the Ellon teenager, winner of the North of Scotland women’s title for the past two years, had rounds of 76, 75 and 78 for a 10-over-par total of 229 over the par-73, 6,149yd Shaftesbury Glen course at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Michele finished 17 shots behind the winner, Araceli Felgueroso (Coastal Carolina) who shot 71, 70 and 71 for a five-shot win from Kelly Garlack (Southern Illinois).
Jacksonville State University (910) finished seventh of 15 in the team evnt behind Charleston (890).
Michele was the third best of the five JSU players in the field and was joint second best (one under par) in the field of 90 players for scoring at the par-3 holes.
She was joint ninth for total par figures with 38 out of 54.
Newmachar Golf Club member Lewis Kirton. a freshman student at the University of Louisville-Kentucky, finished 26th of 78 in a quality field for the Mattaponi Springs Intercollegiate tournament at Rutherglen, Virginia.
Lewis, pictured above right, had scores of 72, 73 and 74 for a three-over-par total of 219 over the par-72, 6,911yd course.
Giving Kirton, a Great Britain & Ireland boy international, a taste of the standard of play in some American college events, the first 16 players all broke par for their 54-hole totals. The winner was Dan Woltman (Wisconsin) at 14-under 202 with 65, 70 and 67.
But Lewis did have the satisfaction of helping Louisville-Kentucky to score a joint win in the team event. They finished with a 13-under-par total of 851 – the same as Pennsylvania State. A one-hole play-off featuring all 10 team players did not break the deadlock and the teams were declared joint winners.
Kirton scored third best of the five ULK players in the tournament and he has settled very quickly. He scored 74-75-80 for 229 and joint 15th place in his debut event, the Rich Harvest Farms Invitational at Dekalb, Illinois where Louisville-Kentucky won the team event.

EUROPEAN TOUR QUALIFYING

SCOTT HENDERSON (65) MAKES GOOD START
Former Rookie of the Year Scott Henderson (Kings Links), still trying to get back on the European Tour, made a very good start to the qualifying competition which started at St Annes Old Links, Lancashire today.
Scott , pictured left, shot a seven-under-par 65 to be joint third - two shots behind leader Daniel Denison - in a field of 118 chasing one of the 33 (+ ties) places available in the next stage at four Spanish venues from November 1 to 4.
The European Tour Final Qualifying School will be held at San Roque on the Costa del Sol from November 9 to 14.
LEADING SCORES AT ST ANNES OLD LINKS
FIRST ROUND
Par 72
63 D Denison (Eng).
64 S Thornton (Ire).
65 S Henderson (Sco), C Alonsen (Nor).
66 (am) O Fisher (Eng) (a), J L Adarraga (Spa), B McElhinney (Ire), M Zions (Aus).
Other scores:
67 (am) G Murray (Earlsferry Thistle), (am) L Saltman (Craigielaw) (jt 9th).
69 G Brown (Sco) (jt 25th).
70 (am) P Cormack (Inchmarlo), J Doherty (Sco), (am) M Kerr (Dalmahoy) (jt 35th).
72 A Lockhart (Sco), C Sutherland (Sco) (jt 67th).
73 C Kelly (Sco), M King (Sco), E Ramsay (Sco), E Thomson (Sco) (jt 80th).

JOHN PANTON 90 YOUNG PROS' EVENT

LEE HARPER WINS TOP PRIZE AT GLENBERVIE

Former Scottish boys' match-play amateur champion Lee Harper from Musselburgh, now attached to Archerfield Links Golf Club, won the John Panton 90 young professionals' tournament today at Glenbervie Golf Club, so long associated with "Gentleman John."
The event was reduced from 54 holes to two rounds because of Sunday's bad weather which washed out the opening round.
Harper, pictured right, and Stuart Robin (Barassie) tied on six-under-par 136. Harper and Robin both shot 68 in each round. The sudden-death play-off ended at the first extra hole with a birdie by Harper.
Lee took the top prize of £836 and Robin the runner-up reward of £660. The remarkable aspect of Stuart's performance was that it was his first professional tournament ever! Well done, Stuart.
Nikki Christie (Montrose Links) and Graeme Lornie (Aspire Golf Centre) tied for third place on 137 with identical scores of 69 and 68. They each picked up £458.
LEADING SCORES
136 Lee Harper (Archerfield Links) 68 68 (£836); Stuart Robin (Barassie) 68 68.
137 Nikki Christie (Montrose Links) 69, 68; Graeme Lornie (Aspire Golf Centre) 69 68 (£458 each).
138 Steven Taylor (Bothwell Castle) 70 68; Joseph Hughes (Cardross) 67 71 (£288 each).
139 Bobby Wallace (Forrester Park) 69 70 (£227).
140 Mark Loftus (Cowglen) 68 72 (£210).
141 James McGhee (Turnhouse) 71 70 (£192).
Other scores:
143 David Pocock (Oldmeldrum) 71 72 (£120) Jt 12th.
151 Craig Dempster (Inchmarlo Golf Centre) (£65). Jt 39th.
163 Katie Thomson (Aspire Golf Centre) 80 83 (£58). 49th.

US COLLEGE NEWS

ASHTON STRUGGLES ON DEBUT IN AMERICA

Ashton Ingram from Fort William, now a student at Belmont Abbey College near Charlotte, North Carolina, finished tied for 62nd place in a field of 80 on her debut on the American women's college circuit.
Competing in the Sea Trail Invitational tournament over the Willard Byrd course at Sunset Beach, North Carolina, Ashton had rounds of 88 and 85 for an aggregate of 173.
The winner was Danielle Mills (Elon University) with rounds of 70 and 75 for one-over-par 145.
Elon won the team event with 596. Belmont Abbey, with five freshmen in their squad, came 12th of 14 on 661.

DAILY TELEGRAPH JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP

Graeme Mitchell (Northern), Sally Watson (Elie & Earlsferry Ladies) and Roseanne Niven (Crieff) have been confirmed as members of a 21-strong party bound for the magnificent resort of Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club on Wednesday, October 11.
They are making the all-expenses-paid trip to compete for the Daily Telegraph junior golf championship from October 15 to 17.
Graeme Mitchell qualified with his eight-under-par record round of 62 at Hazlehead.
Roseanne also earned her place with a course record score – a seven-under-par 67 at her home club, Crieff. Graeme and Roseanne topped the sub-par scores' table which were the basis for qualification nationwide.
Sally, now based at the IMG Academy in Florida, is the only girl to be awarded a sponsors’ invitation on the strength of her performances this season. She and Roseanne Niven were members of the title-winning Scotland team in the girls’ home internationals and Sally also played for Scotland in the women’s home internationals.
Previous winners of the championship include Andrew Coltart (1986) and Mhairi McKay in 1991.
The 21 finalists will stay for a week at a luxury holel - the Park Hyatt - and play the world-famous Dubai Creek course, designed by European Tour player, Thomas Bjorn.
The field consists of:
BOYS - Graeme Mitchell (Scotland), Stiggy Hodgson (England), Daniel Casey (England), Joseph Galbraith (England), Nial Kearns (Ireland), Jack Heffernan (England), Nick Cheese (England), Jason ~Timmis (England), Christopher Jess (England), Carwyn Hammond (Wales), Dale Whitnell (England), Sam Hutsby (England).
GIRLS - Roseanne Niven (Scotland), Katie Best (England), Helen White (England), Kelly McPhail (England), Ellie Givens (England), Giorgina Brown (England), Nicky Dunn (England), Becky Harries (Wales), Sally Watson (Scotland).

*Pictures are of Graeme Mitchell (Cal Carson Golf Agency), Sally Watson (Tom Ward picture), lower left), and Roseanne Niven (Cal Carson Golf Agency) on right.

ABERDEENSHIRE GIRL IN STATES

MICHELE STARTS COLLEGE GOLF
CAREER IN SOUTH CAROLIN A

Aberdeenshire teenager Michele Thomson’s American college golf career is off and running.
The Ellon girl was lying joint 24th on five-over-par 151 after rounds of 76 and 75 in the Unlimited Potental Classic women’s college 54-hole tournament over the par-73, 6,149yd Shaftesbury Glen course at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Michele, who has just started a four-year golf scholarship at Jacksonville State University, Alabama, was joint best in a field of more than 80 students at the par-3s over the first 36 holes. She was two-under-par. She was also joint second best for scoring par figures – 29 out of 36.
These statistics mean that the North of Scotland women’s champion for the past two years must have dropped seven shots to par over five holes.
“I think she must have been in among the crocodiles a couple of times,” said her dad Graham, who has been following his daughter’s progress through the Internet in Abu Dhabi where he is currently living and working in the oil industry.
“Michele has settled in well at Jacksonville State University and loves the weather. She has begun to get use to the gym sessions at 6am twice a week,” said Graham.
“The golf was tough for her at first because of the heat in Alabama – four bottles during warm-up, but she was pleased to make it into the JSU team for the first tournament, even though they had to make an eight-hour trip from Alabama to South Carolina in a mini-bus.”
Louise Fleming from Kelso, the other Scot on the Jacksonville State University women’s squad, missed the current tournament because of a back injury.
Michele, pictured right, will start Tuesday's final round 10 shots behind leader Araceli Felgueroso (Coastal Carolina) who shot 71 and 70 for 141 and a one-stroke lead from Kelly Gerlach (Southern Illinois).
Jacksonville State are lying fifth on 601, eight shots behind joint leaders Charleston and Middle Tennessee in the team event which is being contested by 16 colleges.

JOHN PANTON YOUNG PROS' TOURNEY

HUGHES (67) LEADS AT GLENBERVIE

Joseph Hughes (Cardross) set the pace with a four-under-par 67 in the first round ot the "John Panton 90" Young Professional's tournament at Glenbervie Golf Club with which John was associated for so many years.
Hughes led by one shot from Lee Harper (Archerfield Links), Stuart Robin (Barassie) and Mark Loftus (Cowglen).
Graeme Lornie (Aspire Golf Centre) is well placed with a 69 and nice to see Katie Thomson, also from the Aspire complex at Ardoe, on the south bank of the River Dee, in action. Katie had an 80.
Katie won the Aberdeenshire women's county championship at Ballater back in early May. That's her pictured with the trophy on the right.
LEADING SCORES (Par 71)
67 Joseph Hughes (Cardross).
68 Lee Harper (Archerfield Links), Stuart Robin (Barassie), Mark Loftus (Cowglen).
69 Bobby Wallace (Forrester Park), Scott Grieve (Kings Acre), Graeme Lornie (Aspire Golf Centre), Nikki Christie (Montrose Links).
70 Scott Gillespie (Balbirnie Park), Steven Duncan (Balbirnie Park), Greg Rankin (Stirling), Steven Taylor (Bothwell Castle), Mark Barnard (Slaley Hall).
Other scores:
71 David Pocock (Oldmeldrum).
73 Craig Dempster (Inchmarlo).
80 Katie Thomson (Aspire Golf Centre).

SPENCE TROPHY TIES

PUT BACK TO THIS COMING SUNDAY AFTER
POSTPONEMENT DUE TO FOOTBALL FANS

The semi-finals and final of the Spence Trophy match-play tournament for North-east boy club champions was postponed on Sunday because of the Aberdeen v Heart of Midlothian football match at Pittodrie Stadium.
Hundreds of football fans trek across the Kings Links to the stadium after parking their cars on the promenade. It was felt this would disrupt the Spence Trophy ties which were due to be played at the Kings Links.
They will now be played this coming Sunday when the Dons are not at home.
The ties are:
Tom Spencer (Inchmarlo) v Sean Steven (Deeside).
Ryan Penny (Portlethen) v Donald Macandrew (Hazlehead).

American-born Steven, pictured right, who did well in the recent British boys’ championship at Balgownie, has come in as a replacement for Scott Fraser (Northern) who is involved on Scottish Golf Union duty on Sunday.

R&A WORLD MEN'S AMATEUR RANKINGS

WEEK 37 WINNERS & LEADING AMATEURS

Charlie Beljan (William H Tucker Intercollegiate), Chiang Chen-Chih (Acer International), James Love (Canadian Fall Qualifying) & Gencer Ozcan* (Hellenic International Amateur)

* New WAGRanked Player.

MOVERS AND SHAKERS

Richie Ramsay (Scotland) retains the WAGR No 1 spot for a 5th week.

South African Dawie van der Walt moves up one place to return to the Top 20.

There are two new entrants into the Top 50 – Canadian Eisenhower Cup pick James Love, who jumps 17 places to No 39 and young Johan Carlssen (Sweden), up 22 to No 44.

As a result of WAGRanked players turning professional, two Americans break into the Top 100, James Vargas, up 2 to No 99, and Daniel Im, up 2 to No 100, but the continuing upsurge is by Korean amateur, Kyung Tae Kim, who climbs 54 places to obtain WAGRanking No 88.

New entries into the Top 150, with the minimum divisor of 32 Counting Rounds, are Matthew Jones (Australia), up 2 places to No 149, and Patton Kizzire (USA), also up 2 places to No 150.

Noh Seung-yul led the eight Korean amateurs who made the cut in the Asian Tour event, the KOLON-Hana Bank Korea Open.

THE TOP 40 MALE AMATEURS WORLDWIDE

THIS LAST

WEEK WEEK

1 1 Richie Ramsay SCO 1181.08

2 2 Jamie Moul ENG 1162.79

3 3 Pablo Martin ESP 1154.76

4 4 Ross McGowan ENG 1151.92

5 5 Rory McIlroy IRE 1138.30

6 6 Oliver Fisher ENG 1128.00

7 7 Won Joon Lee AUS 1102.22

8 8 Adam Gee ENG 1093.02

9 9 Nigel Edwards WAL 1044.74

10 10 Jonathan Moore USA 1037.78

11 11 Webb Simpson USA 1035.56

12 12 Bronson LaCassie AUS 1028.26

13 13 Rhys Davies WAL 1024

14 14 Gary Wolstenholme ENG 1023.21

15 15 Mitchell Brown AUS 1015.07

16 17 Chris Kirk USA 1010.87

17 18 Stephen Dartnall AUS 1001.61

18 19 Julien Guerrier FRA 992.86

19 20 Scott Jamieson SCO 968.75

20 21 Dawie van der Walt RSA 965.85

21 22 Charl Coetzee RSA 957.89

22 23 Andrew Tampion AUS 941.27

23 24 Seve Benson ENG 941.18

24 25 Adrien Bernadet FRA 940.63

25 27 Ben Parker ENG 934.21

26 28 Josh Geary NZE 931.82

27 29 Billy Horschel USA 928.26

28 30 Alex Prugh USA 927.27

29 31 David Hewan RSA 926.32

30 32 George Murray SCO 925.93

31 33 JBE Kruger RSA 924.44

32 34 Richard Scott CAN 920.93

33 41 Oscar Floren SWE 920.59

34 35 Tim Stewart AUS 920.34

35 36 Dustin Johnson USA 919.23

36 37 Christiaan Basson RSA 915.09

37 38 Jason Palmer ENG 913.51

38 39 Sebastian Saavedra ARG 32 912.50

39 56 James Love CAN 34 911.76

40 26 James Gill NZE 47 910.64

SCOTTISH VETERAN WOMEN'S CHSHIP

KATHLEEN'S INSPIRED PUTTING WINS OVER-50S' TITLE
FINAL AT BLAIRGOWRIE

North area over-50s title-holder Kathleen Sutherland (Royal Montrose) produced an inspired spell of putting to win the Scottish veteran women’s championship over the Lansdowne course at sunny Blairgowrie.
Kathleen beat Noreen Fenton (Merchants of Edinburgh) by 4 and 3 in the final after holing single putts on the last five greens, two of them for birdies, at the 12th and 14th.
“I wish I could putt like that every day,” said Kathleen who holed from 6ft at the 11th, 15ft at the 12th, 4ft at the 13th, 25ft at the 14th and 8ft after being bunkered at the 15th.
It has to be said the rest of Miss Sutherland’s game was very good as well, particularly her iron play.
Noreen Fenton won the second hole but lost the fourth and fifth to fall one down. After a string of halved holes in a tight contest, Kathleen went through the back of the 10th to lose that hole and be pulled back to all square.
Then Miss Sutherland’s putting magic started on the 11th and she surged into a four-hole lead before halving the 15th for the match.
Both finalists grew up in Montrose and learned their golf there.
Both were members of the Scotland team that won the Veteran Ladies Golf Association area team championship at Formby in early August and Noreen is in the SLGA-selected Scotland team for the senior women's home internationals at Hamilton Golf Club next midweek. Kathleen is a reserve.
*Cal Carson Golf Agency picture shows SVLGA president Dawn Moor (left) presenting the Scroggie Cup to Kathleen Sutherland.

Today's results:
Semi-finals – N Fenton (Merchants of Edinburgh) bt L Campbell (Torwoodlee) 5 and 3, K Sutherland (Royal Montrose) bt H Faulds (Douglas Park) 2 and 1.
Final – Sutherland bt Fenton 4 and 3.

EUROPEAN WOMEN'S AMATEUR RANKINGS

ONLY FOUR SCOTS IN TOP 100
AND KRYSTLE IS HIGHEST
PLACED AT No 41

Scotland has only four players in the top 100 of the European Golf Association final women’s amateur rankings for the year.
Curtis Cup reserve and Scottish Under-21 girls’ champion Krystle Caithness (St Regulus) is the highest place Scot in 41st spot, ahead of Jenna Wilson (Strathaven) in 57th place and Heather MacRae (Dunblane New), like Krystle a Curtis Cup reserve this year, in 80th place.
Carly Booth, 14-year-old Comrie player and Scottish Under-16 champion, now attending the David Leadbetter Golf Academy at Bradenton, Florida, was ranked 92nd, mainly on the strength her sixth place in the British women’s open amateur stroke-play.
The clear No 1 was Spanish teenager Belen Mozo (picture right, by courtesy of Tom Ward), who won the British women’s and girls’ open amateur titles within the space of a few weeks at Northern Ireland venues and then capped her year by winning the European women’s individual amateur title.
Bound for Southern California University, Belen finished with 233.13pt, well clear of second-ranked Isabelle Boineau (France) (179).
The European Golf Association rankings are based on points achieved for high finishes a maximum of four from 15 designated tournaments during the season.

EUROPE’S TOP-RANKED FEMALE AMATEURS FOR 2006
1 Belen Mozo (Spain) 233.13.
2 Isabelle Boineau (France) 179.
3 Anne-Lise Caudal (France) 166.50.
4 Maria Verchenova (Russia) 157.38.
5 Carlota Ciganda (Spain) 155.
6 Anna Rossi (Italy) 139.13.
7 Naomi Edwards (England) 127.63.
8 Kerry Smith (England) 127.20.
9 Caroline Hedwall (Sweden) 125.50.
10 Marta Silva (Spain) 122.50.
11 Rachel Bell (England) 122.
12 (equal) Therese Nilsson (Sweden), Sara Wikstrom (Sweden) 120.
14 Thea Hoffmeister (Germany) 117.63.
15 Marjet Van der Graaf (Netherlands) 113.26.
16 Benedicte Toumpsin (Belgium) 112.50.
17 Katharina Schallenberg (Germany) 111.63.
18 (equal) Anna Nordqvist (Sweden), Melissa Reid (England) 105;
20 Sohvi Harkonen (Finland) 101.
21 Caroline Wsestrup (Sweden) 100.
22 Julie Berton (France) 99.
23 Vittoria Valvassori (Italy) 96.
24 Elena Giraud (France) 95.
25 Melodie Bourdie (France) 92.
26 Breanne Loucks (Wales) 91.63.
27 Sonia Cologan (S[pain) 89.38.
28 Caroline Masson (Germany) 86.
29 (equal) Maria Hernandez (Spain), Diana Terol (Spain) 85.50.
Also:
41 Krystle Caithness Scotland) 60.33.
57 Jenna Wilson (Scotland) 48.63.
80 Heather MacRae (Scotland) 33.75.
92 Carly Booth (Scotland 27.50.

US COLLEGE NEWS

KATY McNICOLL FROM CARNOUSTIE
FINISHES THIRD AT ORMOND BEACH

Katy McNicoll from Carnoustie, an 18-year-old second-year student at Lynn University, Boca Ration in Florida, finished third in the Lady Falcon Invitational college tournament.
Katy, pictured right, had rounds of 75 and 70 over the par-72, 5,937yd Riviera County Club course at Ormond Beach, Florida for a one-under-par aggregate of 145.
It was her best performance yet on the American college circuit after several good tournament results during her summer holidays back home.
Katy, whose older brother Keir won the East of Scotland Open and made his debut for Scotland in the men's home internationals earlier this month, finished three shots behind Ashley Kozlowski (Stetson University) who scored 72 and 70 for 142 and one behind runner-up Tara Allen (Embry-Riddle College) (73-70).
The first four finishers all shot three-under-par 70s in the second round – the lowest score of the 36-hole tournament.
Katy’s fine effort also helped Lynn University to catch first-round leaders Bethune-Cookman College and win the team event by four strokes with a total of 599. Teams from 12 colleges took part.
LEADING INDIVIDUALS
142 Ashley Kozlowski (Stetson) 72 70.
143 Tara Allen(Embry-Riddle College) 73 70.
145 Katy McNicoll (Lynn) 75 70.
LEADING TEAMS
599 Lynn.
603 Bethune-Cookman.
605 Barry, Stetson.

SCOTS AT EURO QUALIFYING THIS WEEK

PAUL CORMACK, SCOTT HENDERSON IN
ACTION AT ST ANNES OLD LINKS

Inchmarlo amateur Paul Cormack and Tartan Tour pro Scott Henderson (Kings Links) are among the Scots will be taking part in the European Tour First Qualifying Stage (Section B) event at St Annes Old Links, Lancashire from Tuesday onwards this week.
The full list of Scots in the field is:
Graeme Brown.
Paul Cormack (amateur), pictured right
Jack Doherty
Paul Drake
George Murray (amateur)
Jason McCreadie
Alan Lockhart
Chris Kelly
Scott Henderson
Finlay Menzies
Lloyd Saltman (amateur)
Edward Thomson
Mark King
Mark Kerr (amateur)

The Second Qualifying Stage will be held at four Spanish venues from November 1 to 4.

ABERDEENSHIRE SCRATCH LEAGUE

BANCHORY BEAT CRUDEN BAY FOR FIRST TITLE

Banchory won the Aberdeenshire Women’s Scratch Golf League for the first time today when they beat Cruden Bay 3 ½-1/2 at Banchory in the last of the title play-off ties.
Details (Banchory players first):
Linda Urquhart bt Jill Harrison 2 and 1.
Ann Smart bt Gill Murray 3 and 2.
Gail Christie halved with Karen Stalker.
Morag Clapperton bt Kathleen Esslemont 3 and 1.
Murcar Links were the holders of the championship.
Earlier results:
Banchory 2 ½, Murcar Links 1 ½ (at Banchory); Murcar Links 3, Cruden Bay 1 (at Murcar Links).

Picture (by Karen Stalker) shows (front, left to right) Anne Smart and Morag Clapperton; (back, left to right) Linda Urquhart and Gail Christie.

ABERDEENSHIRE GIRLS' TITLE

Left to right: Lauren Whyte (Aberdeen Ladies), Mhairi Johnstone (Northern), Hayley Thomson (Newmachar), Fiona Fullerton (Huntly).
MHAIRI PRODUCES FOUR BIRDIES IN FINAL WIN

Mhairi Johnstone (Northern) produced four birdies in winning the Aberdeenshire girls championship at wet and mist-shrouded Portlethen Golf Club today.
Mhairi, 16, beat Lauren Whyte (Aberdeen Ladies) by 5 and 4 in the final with birdies at the second, eighth, ninth and 11th. She won four holes in a row from the eighth, three of the with birdies to surge from one up to five up.
Lauren won the fourth and the 12th. It was the second year in a row she had lost in the final.
In the morning semi-finals, Mhairi looked on her way out of the championship when she was three down with four to play against Nikita Lamond. But Miss Johnstone won through at the 19th after birdieing the 18th to square the match.
In the handicap championship final, Strathclyde University student Hayley Thomson (Newmachar), playing off 13, beat Fiona Fullerton (Huntly), playing off 16, 2 and 1. Hayley was three up at one stage and looked like cruising to victory but Fiona fought back to cut the deficit to one hole before Hayley clinched success by winning the 17th.

Sunday details:
SCRATCH
Semi-finals – M Johnstone (Northern) bt N Lamond (McDonald Ellon) at 19th, L Whyte (Aberdeen Ladies) bt S Leslie (Westhill) 2 and 1. Final – Johnstone bt Whyte 5 and 4.

HANDICAP
Semi-finals – H Thomson (Newmachar) (13) bt B Gray (Kintore) (35) 5 and 3, F Fullerton (Huntly) (16) bt K MacCallum (McDonald Ellon) (36) at 19th. Final – Thomson bt Fullerton 2 and 1.

SCOTTISH AREA TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP

PERTH AND KINROSS, ANGUS, RENFREWSHIRE
AND LOTHIANS QUALIFY FOR SEMI-FINALS

Perth & Kinross and Angus are through to the semi-finals of the Scottish Golf Union area team championship at Glasgow Gailes Golf Club on Saturday October 7.
Heavy rain nationwide marred the final set of group qualifying matches.
The Angus v North-east Group B match at Letham Grange was abandoned in mid-morning without any foursomes being completed. Each side earned one point for a drawn match.
Angus had won their two previous group ties and so topped the section.
In the other Group B tie at Tulliallan, Clackmannanshire led Dumbartonshire 3-0 after the foursomes but play was then abandoned.
Perth & Kinross’s Group D tie against South was held up by the rain but eventually P and K completed their third win of the section, by 5 ½-3 ½ over South.
Glasgow and North drew 4 ½-4 ½ in the other Group D tie at Glasgow Gailes.
Lothians will play defending champions Renfrewshire while Perth & Kinross will meet Angus in the other semi-final.
This is believed to be the last time the SGU area team championship will be run under this sectional qualifying format. It is understood that all the action will be condensed into one weekend in future with all 16 areas sending their teams to the chosen venue.
Final sectional ties resulted:
Group A – Fife 3, Argyll & Bute 0, match abandoned after foursomes (rain) (at Lundin); Lanarkshire 0, Lothians 3, match abandoned after foursomes (rain) (at Colville Park). Qualifiers – Lothians.
Group B – Angus X, North-east X (match abandoned in mid-morning (rain) (at Letham Grange); Clackmannanshire 3, Dunbartonshire 0, match abandoned after foursomes (rain) (at Tulliallan). Qualifiers – Angus.
Group C – Renfrewshire 7 v Ayrshire 2 (at Paisley); Stirlingshire X, Borders X, match cancelled (rain) (at Grangemouth). Qualifiers – Renfrewshire.
Group D – Glasgow 4 1/2, North 4 1/2 (at Glasgow Gailes), Perth & Kinross 5 ½, South 3 ½ (at Blairgowrie). Qualifiers - Perthshire.

SCOTTISH VETERAN LGA CHAMPIONSHIP

LIZ CAMPBELL ON THE TITLE TRAIL AGAIN

Torwoodlee’s Liz Campbell is the only former title-winner through to Monday morning’s semi-finals in the Scottish Veteran Ladies GA championship over the Lansdowne course, Blairgowrie.
In Sunday’s quarter-finals, delayed because of heavy rain, Liz beat Margaret McGregor (Dumfries & Co) by 6 and 5 and will now play Noreen Fenton (Merchants of Edinburgh). Noreen beat Jean Brydson (Castle Douglas) by 6 and 4.
The other semi-final will feature Kathleen Sutherland (Royal Montrose), a 4 and 2 winner against Vivien Welsh (Elgin), and Helen Faulds (Douglas Park), 4 and 2 conqueror of the Scottish senior women’s match-play champion Fiona de Vries (St Rule).
Sunday results:
Quarter-finals
Noreen Fenton (Merchants of Edinburgh) bt Jean Brydson (Castle Douglas) 6 and 4.
Liz Campbell (Torwoodlee) bt Margaret McGregor (Dumfries & Co) 6 and 5.
Kathleen Sutherland (Royal Montrose) bt Vivien Welsh (Elgin) 4 and 2.
Helen Faulds (Douglas Park) bt Fiona de Vries (St Rule) 3 and 2.
Monday tee times:
Semi-finals at 9am and 9.10am.
Final at 1.30pm.

EUROPE 18.5, UNITED STATES 9.5

SUNDAY SINGLES ROMP CAPS
RYDER CUP WIN

Europe beat the United States for the third successive Ryder Cup contest - and that's never been done before.
Skipper Ian Woosnam's men were never in danger of losing their overnight lead in the 12 singles which they dominated to achieve a final scoreline of:
EUROPE 18.5, UNITED STATES 9.5

SCOTTISH WOMEN'S COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP

FIFE WIN TITLE WITH VICTORY
OVER RENFREWSHIRE

Fife regained the Scottish women’s county golf team championship they last won in 1995 when they beat Renfrewshire 6 ½-2 ½ on a very wet day at the Hirsel Golf Club near Coldstream today.
That victory (2-1 in the foursomes and 4 ½-1 ½ in the singles) in the title-decider gave Fife a 100 % winning record over the three-day programme, having earlier beaten Galloway 7-2 and Perth & Kinross 6-3 on Saturday. Pictured above (left to right) with the trophy are: Katrina Milne, Krystle Caithness, Fiona Lockhart, Louise Kenney, Dorothy Ford (county captain), Jocelyn Carthew, Elaine Moffat, Lorna Bennett and Becky Copland (picture by Gillian Kirkwood).
It is a victory to be savoured by Fife who have not won the title all that often since their memorable hat-trick in 1965-66-67. They recaptured it in 1974 but went another 21 years before becoming Scottish champions again.
Strength in depth was the secret of Fife’s success at the Hirsel. Their line-up included Curtis Cup reserve and Scottish Under-21 champion Krystle Caithness and two former Scottish women’s champions, Fiona Lockhart and Elaine Moffat, all members of the St Regulus club, St Andrews.
Lockhart was the player of the tournament with six wins out of six, closely followed by Caithness with 5 1/2pt out of 6.
Perth & Kinross beat Galloway 6-3 in their final match to finish third in the table.
Final-day details:

FIFE 6 1/2, RENFREWSHIRE 2 1/2
Fife players first
Foursomes – L Kenney, J Carthew lost to C Whyte, L Robertson 2 and 1; E Moffat, F Lockhart bt D Jackson, G McGinlay 2 and 1; K Caithness, K Milne bt M Briggs, C-M Carlton 1 hole (2-1).
Singles – Caithness halved with Carlton, Kenney lost to Briggs, Lockhart bt Jackson 3 and 2, Carthew bt McGinlay 4 and 2, Moffat bt Robertson 6 and 5, Milne bt Whyte 6 and 5 (4 ½-1 1/2).

PERTH & KINROSS 6, GALLOWAY 3
P&K players first
Foursomes – J Milne, F Ramsay bt S McMurtrie, A Shamash 5 and 4; A Bushby, S Shepherd bt C Meldrum, G Robson 3 and 2; J Yellowlees, G Lambie lost to T Milligan, G Monteith 7 and 5 (2-1).
Singles – Milne bt Shamash 4 and 3, Bushby bt Milligan 2 and 1, Shepherd lost to Monteith 2 and 1, Yellowlees lost to McMurtrie 2 and 1, Ramsay bt Meldrum 5 and 3, E Napper bt P Magill 3 and 2 (4-2).

HOW THEY FINISHED
Fife 3pt, Renfrewshire 2pt, Perth & Kinross 1pt, Galloway 0.

LETHAM GRANGE MATCH ABANDONED

NORTH-EAST'S FINAL TIE WASHED  OUT

North-east's final Group B tie against Angus at Letham Grange today in the Scottish men's area championship was abandoned and declared a draw due to a waterlogged course.

Each area thus gained a point which gave Angus 3pt in all and looked to have clinched their place in the semi-finals at Glasgow Gailes on Saturday, October 7.

In Group A, the ties at Lundin and Colville Park were abandoned for the same reason after the foursomes had been completed. Fife were leading Argyll & Bute 3-0 while Lothians were 3-0 ahead of Lanarkshire. In this case, the results of the foursomes became the results of the matches.

FIFE LEAD IN TITLE DECIDER

 

SCOTTISH WOMEN’S COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP

FINALS

The Hirsel Golf Club, nr Coldream

Final Day

FIFE lead RENFREWSHIRE 2-1

Fife players first

Foursomes – L Kenney, J Carthew lost to C Whyte, L Robertson 2 and 1; E Moffat, F Lockhart bt D Jackson, G McGinlay 2 and 1; K Caithness, K Milne bt M Briggs, C-M Carlton 1 hole (2-1).

Singles – Caithness v Carlton, Kenney v Briggs, Lockhart v Jackson, Carthew v McGinlay, Moffat v Robertson, Milne v Whyte  (X-X).

 

PERTH & KINROSS lead GALLOWAY 2-1

P&K players first

Foursomes – J Milne, F Ramsay bt S McMurtrie, A Shamash 5 and 4; A Bushby, S Shepherd bt C Meldrum, G Robson 3 and 2; J Yellowlees, G Lambie lost to T Milligan, G Monteith 7 and 5 (2-1).

Singles – Milne v Shamash, Bushby v Milligan, Shepherd v Monteith, Yellowlees v McMurtrie, Ramsay v Meldrum, E Napper v P Magill (X-X).

 

 

ABERDEENSHIRE GIRLS CHAMPIONSHIP

Portlethen GC

Scratch – Semi-finals – H Thomson (Newmachar) (13) bt B Gray (Kintore) (35) 5 and 3, F Fullerton (Huntly) (16) bt K MacCallum (McDonald Ellon) (36) at 19^th.

Handicap – Semi-finals – M Johnstone (Northern) bt N Lamond (McDonald Ellon) at 19^th, L Whyte (Aberdeen Ladies) bt S Leslie (Westhill) 2 and 1.

 

 

 

Fortrose & Rosemarkie's four local golfing heroes

Mike MacDonald holds the Northern Counties Cup alongside team-mates Lewis Reid (only just turned 15), Robbie MacKay and Andy Brown after their three-hole win over Torvean in the final at Royal Aberdeen GC (Cal Carson Golf Agency picture).
Scroll down for full reports of the semi-finals and final.

Torvean men who lost in Balgownie final

Torvean Golf Club team who lost to Fortrose & Rosemarkie in the final of the Northern Counties Cup relax in the Royal Aberdeen clubhouse before setting off home to Inverness. Left to right: Steve McIntosh, Graeme Anderson, David Sandison and Scott Chisholm. (Cal Carson Golf Agency picture).

EUROPE LEAD UNITED STATES 10-6

WOOSIE'S WONDERS HAVE 4-POINT
LEAD WITH 12 SINGLES TO PLAY

Europe go into the third and final day of the Ryder Cup at the K Club, Ireland with a 10-6 lead after another marvellous morning and afternoon for Ian Woosnam's men
Highlight of the day - for the Europeans and the crowd - was a hole in one by the £million man: Paul Casey (pictured left).
Read all the details on the European Tour website

SCOTTISH WOMEN'S COUNTY CHSHIP

FIFE AND RENFREWSHIRE MEET IN TITLE
DECIDER AT THE HIRSEL ON SUNDAY

Fife and Renfrewshire will meet in a title-decider on Sunday in the Scottish women’s county golf team championship at The Hirsel Golf Club near Coldstream.
Both teams made it two wins out of two on the second day. Fife, having swept the foursomes 3-0, beat Perth & Kinross 6-3. Perth and Kinross ralled to take the last three singles but but that time Fife had established a winning lead.
Renfrewshire were made to fight by Galloway who had lost 7-2 to Fife on the opening day. Renfrewshire edged ahead 2-1 in the foursomes and then took the singles 3 ½ to 2 ½ for an overall 5 ½-3 ½ victory.

Saturday details:

FIFE 6, PERTH & KINROSS 3

Foursomes: K Caithness, K Milne bt R Niven, A Bushby 3 and 2; E Moffat, F Lockhart bt J Milne, F Ramsay 4 and 3; L Kenney & J Carthew bt E Napper, S Shepherd 6 and 5 (3-0).
Singles: Caithness bt J Yellowlees 5 and 4, Kenney bt Milne 1 hole, Lockhart bt G Lambie 4 and 3, Carthew lost to Bushby 6 and 5, Moffat lost to Niven 4 and 3, Milne lost to Shepherd 3 and 2 (3-3).

RENFREWSHIRE 5 ½, GALLOWAY 3 1/2

Foursomes: M Briggs, C-M Carlton bt S McMurtrie, A Shamash 3 and 1; D Jackson, G McGinlay bt C Meldrum, G Robson 3 and 1; S Harman, G Kyle lost to T Milligan, G Monteith 5 and 3 (2-1).
Singles: Carlton bt Shamash 5 and 4, Briggs bt McMurtrie 2 and 1, Jackson halved with Milligan, L Robertson lost to Monteith 3 and 1, Harman lost to P Magill 2 holes, McGinlay bt Meldrum 4 and 3 (3 ½-2 ½).

HOW THEY STAND
Fife & Renfrewshire 2pt each, Perth & Kinross 1pt, Galloway 0pt.
FINAL MATCHES
Fife v Renfrewshire, Perth & Kinross v Galloway.

NORTHERN COUNTIES CUP FINAL

BLACK ISLE TEAM WIN NORTHERN

COUNTIES CUP AT BALGOWNIE

Fortrose & Rosemarkie won the 106-year-old Northern Counties Cup – one of the oldest golf tournaments on the calendar – for the second time in four years at Royal Aberdeen Golf Club today.

In the final of the men’s double foursomes match-play event over the Balgownie links, Fortrose & Rosemarkie from the Black Isle finished a combined three holes up on the team from Torvean, the municipal club in Inverness.

Fortrose’s lead-off pairing of club secretary Mike MacDonald and 15-year-old Lewis Reid finished three holes up on David Sandison and Graeme Anderson of Torvean.

The tie was all square at the turn and the first two holes of the inward journey were halved. Then Torvean got their noses in front by winning the 12^th.

MacDonald and Reid halved the 13^th and then staged a powerful finish by winning four of the last five holes. They squared it at the 14^th where the Torvean pair were in the whins.

After the 15^th was halved, the Fortrose & Rosemarkie pair went one up the 16^th, two up at the 17^th and three up the last.

Mike MacDonald is the only survivor from the Fortrose & Rosemarkie team who won the cup in 2002.

The second tie between Robbie MacKay and Andy Brown (Fortrose) and Scott Chisholm and Steve McIntosh (Torvean) finished all square.

Fortrose & Rosemarkie’s MacKay and Brown were three up at the turn but then lost the 11^th, the 14^th, 15^th and 17^th to be one down after 16^th.

Robbie holed a good putt to win the 17^th and square the match. The last was halved.

Today's details:

SEMI-FINALS

Torvean bt Nairn at 19^th

(David Sandison, Graeme Anderson 0, Neil Hampton, Robert Smith 0; Scott Chisholm, Steve McIntosh 0, Andrew Scott, Stephen MacDonald 0; Chisholm and McIntosh won the 19^th)

Fortrose & Rosemarkie bt Duff House Royal by five holes.

(Mike MacDonald, Lewis Reid 8, David Morrison, Mike Jenkins 0; Robbie MacKay, Andy Brown 0, Ross McAuslin, Colin Farquhar 3).

FINAL

Fortrose & Rosemarkie bt Torvean by three holes.

(MacDonald, Reid 3, Sandison, Anderson 0; MacKay, Brown 0, Chisholm, McIntosh 0).

+Next year's tournament will be hosted by Nairn Golf Club.

NORTHERN COUNTIES CUP

IT'S A TORVEAN v FORTROSE & ROSEMARKIE

FINAL AT ROYAL ABERDEEN

This afternoon’s final of the Northern Counties Cup at Royal Aberdeen was being contested by Torvean and Fortrose & Rosemarkie.

Torvean won their semi-final against Nairn, winners two years ago, at the 19^th.

It was the third time in as many days that the Inverness quartet had got through at the first extra hole.

At the 19^th, the first pairs halved in par 4. Torvean went through to the final when Nairn’s second string of Andrew Scott and Stephen MacDonald three-putted from the edge of the green for a bogey 5 to a par by Scott Chisholm and Steve McIntosh.

Fortrose & Rosemarkie had a surprisingly big winning margin of five holes over Duff House Royal in the second semi-final. Tie-winners for Fortrose & Rosemarkie were the lead pair of club secretary Mike MacDonald and Lewis Reid who finished eight holes up on promising teenager David Morrison and highly-rated senior circuit player Mike Jenkins.

The Banff second pair of Ross McAuslin and Colin Farquhar made a brave bid to make up the deficit but a three-hole winning margin was the best they could achieve against Robbie Mackay and Andy Brown.

NORTHERN COUNTIES CUP

Royal Aberdeen Golf Club

Semi-finals

Nairn bt Torvean at 19^th

(Neil Hampton and Robert Smith 0, David Sandison and Graeme Anderson 0; Andrew Scott and Stephen MacDonald 0, Scott Chisholm and Steve McIntosh 0).

Fortrose & Rosemarkie bt Duff House Royal by five holes.

(Mike MacDonald and Lewis Reid 8, David Morrison and Mike Jenkins 9; Robbie Mackay and Andy Brown 0, Ross McAuslin and Colin Farquhar 0).

SCOTTISH WOMEN'S COUNTY FINALS

FIFE TAKE FOURSOMES 3-0 FROM P AND K
Fife made a clean sweep of the foursomes for the second day in a row at the Scottish women’s county golf championship at The Hirsel Golf Club near Coldstream.
On Friday, Fife took a 3-0 morning lead over Galloway on their way to a 7-2 victory. Today, Fife won all three foursomes ties against Perth & Kinross.
The biggest margin of victory was achieved by Louise Kenney and Jocelyn Carthew who beat Emma Napper and Sal Shepherd 6 and 5.
Galloway avoided a 3-0 morning shut-out against Renfrewshire when Tracey Milligan and Gillian Monteith beat Sara Harman and Gillian Kyle in the last of the three foursomes. Renfrewshire had won the first two.

Morning details:

FIFE lead PERTH & KINROSS 3-0

Foursomes: K Caithness, K Milne bt R Niven, A Bushby 3 and 2; E Moffat, F Lockhart bt J Milne, F Ramsay 4 and 3; L Kenney & J Carthew bt E Napper, S Shepherd 6 and 5 (3-0).
Singles:
Caithness v J Yellowlees.
Kenney v Milne.
Lockhart v G Lambie.
Carthew v Bushby.
Moffat v Niven,
Milne v Shepherd.

RENFREWSHIRE lead GALLOWAY 2-1

Foursomes: M Briggs, C-M Carlton bt S McMurtrie, A Shamash 3 and 1; D Jackson, G McGinlay bt C Meldrum, G Robson 3 and 1; S Harman, G Kyle lost to T Milligan, G Monteith 5 and 3 (2-1).
Singles:
Carlton v Shamash.
Briggs v McMurtrie.
Jackson v Milligan.
L Robertson v Monteith,
Harman v P Magill.
McGinlay v Meldrum.

TARTAN TOUR NEWS

DEAN ROBERTSON MAKING HAY IN
MONTH OF SEPTEMBER

Scottish PGA champion Dean Robertson, pictured right, scored his fifth win of the month on the Tartan Tour when he shared first place with Craig Ronald in Friday’s Lochwinnoch pro-am.
Dean and Craig both hit the five-under-par 66 mark and collected £833 each.
Robertson and Craig Lee are neck and neck for the leading PGA Scottish Region money-earner for the season as it goes into its final stages.
LEADING SCORES
66 (-5) Dean Robertson (Czech Design), Craig Ronald (Carluke) (£833 each).
68 Andrew Marshall (Houston Golf Range) (£555).
69 Scott Morrison (Glenbervie), Craig Lee (All Golf Swing Centre), Edward Thomson (North Gailes Golf Centre) (£342 each).
70 Scott Gillespie (Balbirnie Park) , James McKinnon (Irvine) (£222).
71 Robert Arnott (Bishopbriggs Golf Range), Sam Cairns (Westerwood), Norman Huguet (Royal Musselburgh) (£157).
72 Jack Montgomery (Dunbar), Callum Nicoll (Prestwick), Ross Drummond (Prestwick Driving Range) (£120 each).
73 Mark King (Kingsfield), Colin Gillies (Kingsfield) (£97.28 each)

LPGA TOUR QUALIFYING

VIKKI LAING FAILS TO SURVIVE FIRST
QUALIFYING TEST IN CALIFORNIA

Musselburgh's Vikki Laing failed to figure among the leading 32 players with 72-hole totals of nine-over-par 297 or better who go forward from the LPGA Qualifying School sectional tournament at Mission Hills Country Club, California to the Final Qualifying School at Daytona Beach, Florida at the end of November.
Vikki shot rounds of 72, 77, 77 and 77 for a 15-over-par tally of 303 and finished joint 61st.
Her final-round 77 was actually as good a score as many of the qualifiers achieved in very windy conditions.
Samantha Head from Bedford,copy pictured right (Tristan Jones copyright), finished with a 79 but still qualified in ninth place on 293, having had earlier rounds of 69, 72 and 73.
The first five qualifiers were all South Koreans - four of them entered as amateurs - which highlights the increasing numbers of players from North and South Korea who are either already on the LPGA Tour or are trying to get on it.

LEADING SCORES

286 (-2) Hyun-Hee Moon (South Korea) 70 72 69 75.
287 Ji-Young Oh (South Korea) (am) 71 74 71 71, Seo-Jae Lee (South Korea) (am) 71 73 72 71.
291 I K Kim (South Korea) (am) 71 73 75 72, Na On Min (South Korea) (am) 74 72 70 75, Lee-Anne Pace (South Africa) 68 75 71 77.
292 Gwladys Nocera (France) 73 72 74 73, Caryn Wilson (United States) 70 73 74 75.
Non-qualifiers included:
303 (+15) Vikki Laing (Musselburgh) 71 77 77 77 (jt 61st).

RYDER CUP FIRST DAY

WOOSIE'S WONDERS LEAD 5-3
Ian Woosnam's Team Europe justified pre-match favouritism by leading the United States 5-3 at the end of the first day of foursomes and four-ball ties at The K Club, Ireland.
Sergio Garcia was the inspired European player with two wins but skipper Woosnam made sure that every one of his squad of players saw action either in the morning or afternoon.
No bringing anyone in from the cold to play for the first time in Sunday singles as far as Woosie is concerned.
Colin Montgomerie, pictured on right, inspired as usual by the Ryder Cup atmosphere, holed a last-green putt that made all the difference at the end of an exciting first day.
For all the details and results log on the the European Tour's website at:
http://www.rydercup.com/2006/europe/scoring/

DSL SCOTTISH GOLF UNION AM-AM

ALLYN DICK LEADS HOME
HOST-COURSE TEAM
AT THE DUKE'S

Twice Scottish mid-amateur champion Allyn Dick (Shotts) led the Duke’s Course team of Des Docherty (handicap 11), George Grainger (14() and Dave Stewart (9) to victory with a net total of 135 in the DSL Scottish Golf Union am-am over the Duke’s Course, St Andrews today.
The best two nett scores from each group of four counted towards the team’s final aggregate.
Allyn Dick’s team finished two strokes ahead of former British amateur champion Craig Watson’s DSL 1 trio of Tony Baptista (20), John Davies (13) and Bill Whiteford (4).
Former Tartan Tour professional Jim White (Leven Thistle), pictured above, who has an amateur handicap of +5, had the best individual score of the 12 invited players. Jim had a 68 – three shots ahead of Craig Watson (East Renfrewshire) with Allan Dick third on 74.
Ian Hutcheon (Monfieth) won the nearest the pin prize at the third hole and Ian Mitchell (Henderson Logie) the nearest the pin prize at the 16tgh.
Scottish boys’ match-play champion James White (Lundin) – son of Jim – had the longest drive at the fourth and Stuart Clunie (Lundin) the longest drive at the 11th.

TEAM TOTALS
135 A Dick (Shotts) & Duke’s Course team: D Docherty (11), G Grainger (14), D Stewart (9).
137 C Watson (East Renfrewshire) & DSL 1: T Baptista (20), J Davies (13), B Whiteford (4).
138 C W Green (Cardross) & DSL 4: G Palmer (3), J Fowler (14), B Syvret (7).
143 Jim White (Leven Thistle) & DSL 2: M Eagle (20), M McNee (24), K Chissell (10); James White (Lundin) & MacDonald Cardrona: G Humprhies (9), D Morrison (4), C Kidd (13).
145 G Campbell (Blairgowrie) & Lundin GC: A McDonald (6),D Mason (6), S Clunie (8).
147 S Ellis (Cowal) & Team Wallace: G Wallace (18), N Fedo (9), D Yule (24).
148 S McAllister (Craigielaw) & DLS 5: K Reekie (8), K MacGowan (27), N Cooper (20).
149 I C Hutcheon (Monifieth) & DSL 3: A Baptista (7), R Fyfe (12), C Loftus (2).
150 S Henry (Cardross) & Murcar Links meets Kiawah Island: D Mortimer (8), J Kelechi (scr), T Kelechi (14); W F Bryson (Drumpellier) & Airlink Group: B McKellar (9), S Hall (16), I Russell (18).
151 S Wilson (Forfar) & Henderson Loggie: I Mitchell (16), S Alexander (7), D Comb (9).
160 G Dear (Murrayshall) & Fife Golfing Association: B Main (12), B Dickson (16), C Stuart (11).
INVITED PLAYERS' SCORES
68 Jim White (Leven Thistle).
71 Craig Watson (East Renfrewshire).
74 Allyn Dick (Shotts).
76 Gavin Dear (Murrayshall).
77 Scott Henry (Cardross), Shaun McAllister (Craigielaw), Glenn Campbell (Blairgowrie).
78 Wilson Bryson (Drumpellier), Ian Hutcheon (Monifieth).
80 Stephen Ellis (Cowal), Charlie Green (Cardross).
No Returns James White (Lundin), Stuart Wilson (Forfar)

NORTHERN COUNTIES CUP

THREE NORTH CLUBS
MAKE IT THROUGH TO
SEMI-FINALS
Three North clubs are through to Saturday morning’s semi-finals of the 106-year-old Northern Counties Cup double men’s foursomes match-play tournament at Royal Aberdeen.
Torvean from Inverness will play Nairn while Duff House Royal from Banff, the only North-east team still standing, take on Fortrose & Rosemarkie.
On a wet and miserable afternoon over the Balgownie links, Torvean and Cruden Bay 2 provided the tightest tussle. For the second time in two days, Torvean squeezed through at the 19th hole with David Sandison and Graeme Anderson winning the first extra hole with a par 4 to David Milne and Dominic King’s bogey 5.
To take the tie down the 19th, represented quite a comeback by Cruden Bay 2 who were a combined seven holes down early on the inward half.
Cruden Bay’s Milne and King came back from three down after 12 to finish two holes up.
But Scott Chisholm and Steve McIntosh, Torvean’s second pairing, four up after 10, held on to a dwindling lead to finish two up on Bill Livingston and Alan Duff.
Livingston, pictured right, incidentally, first played in this tournament in 1957 when he was 16 years old.
Andrew Scott and Stephen MacDonald were Nairn’s tie-winners against Newmachar in the second quarter-final. They finished seven holes up on Kevin Riley and Chris Simpson while Nairn’s top pair, Neil Hampton and Robert Smith finished one down to Euan McIntosh and Jamie Wilson who won three holes in a row from the 14th.
Duff House Royal earned their place in the semi-finals with a two-hole win over Murcar Links, thanks to David Morrison and Mike Jenkins finished two up in the lead foursomes tie against Terry Mathieson and Anthony Bews.
The Banff men will now play Fortrose & Rosemarke’s Mike MacDonald, the club secretary, Lewis Reid, Robbie Mackay and Andy Brown who finished four holes up on Royal Dornoch in the last quarter-final.
The semi-finals start at 9 and 9.15am with the final at 2pm.

Friday results:

THIRD ROUND
Torvean bt Moray by one hole (D Sandison, G Anderson 0, I Geddes, P McPherson 2; S Chisholm, S McIntosh 3, C Stuart, K Thomson 0).
Cruden Bay 2 bt Royal Aberdeen by one hole (D Milne, D King 0, S Buchan, F Clark 0; B Livingston, A Duff 1, B Barclay 0, E Laird 0).
Newmachar bt Moray 2 by four holes (E McIntosh, J Wilson 8, M McLeman, J Edwards 0; K Riley, C Simpson 0, R McConnachie, B Hendry 4).
Nairn bt Cruden Bay by two holes (N D Hampton, R W Smith 2, R Cooper, S Buchan 0; I Castles, R Willox 0, A Scott, S MacDonald 0).
Murcar Links bt Nairn Dunbar by nine holes (T Mathieson, A Bews 6, M Isaacs, R Ford 0; I Powell, G Stewart 3, D Brodie, D Bunker 0).
Duff House Royal bt McDonald Ellon by three holes (D Morrison, M Jenkins 0, K Duncan, A Dunton 3; R McAuslin, C Farquhar 6, R Yule, C Brodie 0).
Royal Dornoch bt Nigg Bay 2 by two holes (J Shepherd, N Munro 1, R Nielsen, G Grimmer 0; D Chalmers, B Urquhart 1, N Slater, L O’Connor 0).
Fortrose & Rosemarkie bt Banchory by six holes (M MacDonald, L Reid 1, S Strachan, J Byrne 0; R Mackay, A Brown 5, P Robb, J Christie 0).

QUARTER-FINALS
Torvean bt Cruden Bay 2 at 19th (Sandison, Anderson 0, Milne, King 2; Chisholm, McIntosh 2, Livingston, Duff 0).
Nairn bt Newmachar by six holes (Hampton, Smith 0, McIntosh, Wilson 1; Scott, MacDonald 7, Riley, Simpson 0).
Duff House Royal bt Murcar Links by two holes (Morrison, Jenkins 2, Mathieson, Bews 0; McAuslin, Farquhar 0, Powell, Stewart 0).
Fortrose & Rosemarkie bt Royal Dornoch by four holes (MacDonald, Reid 0, Shepherd, Munro 1; Mackay, Brown 5, Chalmers, Urquhart 0).

SCOTTISH WOMEN'S COUNTY FINALS

FIFE AND RENFREWSHIRE MAKE WINNING STARTS

Fife and Renfrewshire made winning starts to the Scottish women’s county golf championship’s three-day programme at The Hirsel Golf Club near Coldstream today.
Fife, the favourites on paper, beat Galloway 7-2 after making a clean sweep of the three foursomes.
Renfrewshire trailed 2-1 to Perth & Kinross after the foursomes but singles wins by Clare-Marie Carlton, Megan Briggs, Lesley Robertson and Gillian McGinlay enabled them to turn the tables and finished overall 5-4 winners.
On Saturday, it’s Perth & Kinross v Fife and Renfrewshire v Galloway.
Details:
PERTH & KINROSS 4, RENFREWSHIRE 5
P&K names first
Foursomes - J Milne, F Ramsay bt D Jackson, G McGinlay 3 and 2; J Yellowlees, G Lambie lost to C-M Carlton, M Briggs 1 hole; R Niven, A Bushby bt G Kyle, L Robertson 7 and 6 (2-1).
Singles - Niven lost to Carlton 7 and 6, S Shepherd lost to Briggs 7 and 5, Bushby bt Jackson 5 and 4, Milne bt C Whyte 5 and 4, Lambie lost to Robertson 4 and 2, Ramsay lost to McGinlay 5 and 4 (2-4).

FIFE 7, GALLOWAY 2
Fife names first
Foursomes - E Moffat, F Lockhart bt S McMurtrie, A Shamash 2 and 1; L Bennett, B Copland bt C Meldrum, G Robson 2 holes; K Caithness, K Milne bt T Milligan, G Monteith 5 and 4 (3-0).
Singles - Caithness bt Shamash 4 and 3, Moffat lost to McMurtrie 4 and 3, Lockhart bt Monteith 4 and 3, J Carthew bt Meldrum 2 holes, Bennett lost to Milligan 6 and 5, Milne bt Robson 3 and 2 (4-2).

EISENHOWER TROPHY TEAM

SGU SELECTORS LEAVE OUT LLOYD SALTMAN

Still to be confirmed by the Scottish Golf Union, but the news on the amateur golf grapevine is that Walker Cup player and 2005 Open championship leading amateur Lloyd Saltman (Craigielaw). pictured right, has been left out of the Scotland three-man team for the world men's amateur team championship for the Eisenhower Trophy at Stellenbosch Golf Club, South Africa from October 26 to 29.
The team is:

SCOTT JAMIESON (Cathkin Braes)
GEORGE MURRAY (Earlsferry Thistle)
RICHIE RAMSAY (Royal Aberdeen)

PGAs OF EUROPE TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP

TARTAN TOUR TRIO FOR SPAIN

Scotland’s representatives in the PGAs of Europe international team championship in November will be the first three in the PGA Scottish Region Order of Merit – Greig Hutcheon (Peterculter), pictured right, Dean Robertson (Czech Design) and Craig Lee (All Golf Swing Centre).
Traditionally the four-round tournament has been played at a Costa del Sol venue but this year it is to be hosted by the Roda Golf and Beach Resort in the Murcia region of Spain.
This new Dave Thomas-designed course has been open for play since June.
Last year, Scotland, with a team of Scott Henderson, Chris Kelly and Chris Doak, finished joint third with England (581) behind winners France (577) and runners-up Ireland (579).
The top 10 placings in the Tartan Tour Order of Merit were:
1 Greig Hutcheon (Peterculter) 1044.50, 2 Dean Robertson (Czech Design) 981.25, 3 Craig Lee (All Golf Swing Centre) 976.25, 4 Chris Doak (unatt) 886.64, 5 Ross Drummond (Prestwick Driving Range) 762.50, 6 Scott Henderson (Kings Links Golf Centre) 733.46, 7 Robert Arnott (Bishopbriggs Golf Range) 737.50, 8 Chris Kelly (Cawder) 717.75, Jason McCreadie (Buchanan Castle) 688.18, 10 Mark Loftus (Cowglen) 663.
Other placing: 14 Murray Urquhart (Inverness) 587.

UNITED STATES COLLEGE NEWS

SCOTS CORNER AT CLAYTON STATE
UNIVERSITY IN ATLANTA

Glasgow’s Neil McBride finished sixth in his first tournament of the new American college golf season. Neil, a second-year student at Clayton State University, Atlanta, had rounds of 69 and 76 for a total of three-over-par 145 in the Kiawah Island Invitational over a 6,817yd, par-72 course in South Carolina.
Team-mate Daniel Sommerville, recently enrolled from Madras College, St Andrews, finished joint 53rd in a field of 80 with a pair of 79s for 158.
Winner of the individual tournament was Baxter Culler (USC Upstate) with 67 and 70 for seven-under-par 137.
There are two other Scots on the Clayton State golf roster – Brendan McKenna and Conaill Scanlon. They are freshmen students and, like Neil McBride, former pupils of St Ninian’s High School, Glasgow.
Curiously enough, all four boys are six-footers.

LPGA TOUR QUALIFYING

VIKKI LAING ONLY A LONG SHOT TO
QUALIFY FOR FINAL SCHOOL


Vikki Laing from Musselburgh needs a sub-par score – the lower the better – to have any chance at all of qualifying for the LPGA Tour Final Qualifying School at Daytona Beach, Florida at the end of November.
The 25-year-old Scot is lying in joint 62nd place with one round to go in the sectional qualifying competition at Mission Hills Country Club, California.
After matching the par of 72 in the first round, Vikki has slumped down the field with a pair of 77s for a 10-over-par tally of 226.
Only the leading 30 and ties will qualify.
Samantha Head from Bedford is doing well in her bid to join her twin Johanna, who has played the LPGA Tour for a number of years.
Samantha is in joint second place on 214 (69-72-73), three shots behind the South Korean leader Hyun-Hee Moon (70-72-69). Samantha has been campaigning on the US Duramed Futures Tour this past season. She has won twice on the Ladies European Tour - the 1999 Italian Open and the 2001 South African Masters.
Sharing second place with Samantha is another player from the Futures Tour, South African Lee-Anne Pace who has shot 68, 75 and 71.

LEADING THIRD-ROUND TOTALS
Par 72
211 (-5) Hyun-Hee Moon (South Korea) 70 72 69.
214 (-2) Samantha Head (Bedford) 69 72 73, Lee-Anne Pace (South Africa) 68 75 71.
215 (-1) Adrienne Gautreaux (Texas) 71 73 71, Kristina Tucker (Stockholm) 72 71 72.
Other score:
216 (+10) Vikki Laing (Musselburgh) 72 77 77.

NORTHERN COUNTIES CUP

TORVEAN KEEP THE INVERNESS FLAG
FLYING AT ROYAL ABERDEEN

Both Inverness Golf Club teams and Castle Heather were knocked out on the opening day of the Northern Counties Cup men’s double foursomes match-play golf tournament at Royal Aberdeen today.
That leaves Torvean as the sole representatives of the Highland capital in the last 16 of one of the oldest tournaments – first played in 1900 – on the golfing calendar.
Torvean’s David Sandison, Graeme Anderson, Scott Chisholm and Steve McIntosh beat Nairn 2 in the morning first by the combined margin of nine holes.
It was much tighter for Torvean in their second-round tie against Elgin. They won through at the 19th against Elgin after Andrew Rollo and Steven Milne had given Elgin a two-hole lead which was cancelled out by Chisholm and McIntosh’s two-hole win for Torvean in the second string tie.
Torvean now play the holders, Moray, who are through to the third round without have struck a ball. As last year’s winners, they were given a bye in the first round. Then their second-round opponents, Reay, did not turn up.
The oldest partnership in the tournament - Brora 2's Robin Wilson and Ian Hamilton - won their tie by two holes after being three down on the eighth tee against McDonald Ellon 2's John Godward and Martin Garvie.
Unfortunately for the "old stagers," Ellon's second string of Bruce Mitchell and Jim O'Brien finished six up on Brora's Robbie Sim and Ken Lorimer, giving Ellon 2 an overall winning margin of four holes.
Robin and Ian were back in Brora by the evening - no doubt drowning their sorrows at Brora Golf Club.
Both Cruden Bay teams made it through to the last 16 – and they could figure in two of the best ties of Thursday morning's third round.
Cruden Bay 2 -- not the same four players – won this 106-year-old title when the tournament was last played over the Balgownie links in 2000.
That perhaps inspired David Milne, Dominic King, Bill Livingston and Alan Duff to dig deep and scrape through at the 19th against Deeside’s Andrew Campbell, Simon Cruickshank, John Robertson and Mark Vass in the second round.
Milne and King finished two up on Campbell and Cruickshank while Robertson and Vass levelled matters by winning the second-string tie by two holes.
Both sets of Cruden Bay players won the first extra hole. Now they play Royal Aberdeen’s Steven Buchan, Francis Clark, Bill Barclay and Euan Laird. They finished 11 holes to the good of Fortrose & Rosemarkie 2.
Cruden Bay 1’s team of Ross Cooper, Scott Buchan, Ian Castles and Russell Willox lived a little dangerously in winning by two holes over Orkney’s Martin Fleet, Andy McGinn, Peter McKinlay and Steven Rendall.
Cooper and Buchan finished one down in a tight match against Fleet and McGinn.
Castles and Willox saved the day for Cruden Bay by finishing three holes up on McKinlay and Rendall. Now Cruden Bay 1 play three of the Nairn quartet who won the Northern Counties Cup two years ago - Neil Hampton, Robert Smith and Stephen MacDonald (Andrew Scott is the newcomer).
Nairn beat Inverness 2 by two holes.
McDonald Ellon’s young team of Kevin Duncan, Adam Dunton, Ronnie Yule and Chris Brodie despatched Forres’s Stuart McLennan, Ross McLeod, Craig Duncan and Willie Donnelly by a seven-hole margin.
The pair who did the damage for McDonald Ellon were Duncan and Dunton who finished seven up on McLenn and McLeod with some of the best scoring of the day – four birdies and four bogeys for a level par round.
Finally, a word of praise for the hard-working Northern Counties Cup tournament secretary, Eddie Sherwood, pictured above. Eddie arrived at the Royal Aberdeen clubhouse at 7am and had to do the starting himself all day, as well as collect results and post them on the scoreboard.
He got away home to Ellon not much before 7pm - a 12-hour day with no breaks.

FIRST ROUND RESULTS

Torvean bt Nairn 2 by nine holes (D Sandison and G Anderson 10, G Morrison and B A Watson 0; S Chisholm and S McIntosh 0, P Tomisson and P Saggers 1).
Deeside bt Castle Heather by 18 holes (A Campbell and S Cruickshank 5, S MacPherson and A Murdoch 0; J Robertson and M Vass 13, J Treasurer and K J McKenzie 0).
Murcar 2 bt Orkney 2 by 10 holes (G Paterson and A Holbrook 1, A McGinn and G Flett 0; N Sadler and B Mitchell 9, G Bell and E Rendall 0).
Cruden Bay bt Elgin by nine holes (R Cooper and S Buchan 9, J Sutherland and G Duncan 0; I Castles and R Willox 0, A McKenzie and G Mavor 0).
McDonald Ellon 2 bt Brora 2 by four holes (J Goddard and M Garvie 0, I D Hamilton & R J Wilson 2; B Mitchell and J O’Brien 6, R G Sim and R Lorimer 0).
Duff House Royal bt Nigg Bay by four holes (D Morrison and M Jenkins 2, L Vitesse and I Welch 0; R McAuslin and C Farquhar 2, S Jamieson and G Stewart 0).
Turriff bt Inverness by one hole (G Robertson and J Williamson 0, E Forbes and A Cameron 2; R Webster and C Ironside 3, B Fraser and B Thomson 0).

SECOND ROUND

Moray (I Geddes and P McPherson, C Stuart and K Thomson) w.o. Reay scr.
Torvean bt Elgin at 19th (D Sandison and G Anderson 0, A Rollo and S Milne 2; S Chisholm and S McIntosh 2, bt D Hector and S Stables 0).
Royal Aberdeen bt Fortrose & Rosemarkie 2 by 11 holes (S Buchan and F Clark 7, B Main, J Belshaw 0; B Barclay and E Laird 4, A Orr and M Ross 0).
Cruden Bay 2 bt Deeside at 19th (D Milne and D King 2, A Campbell and S Cruickshank 0; B Livingston and A Duff 0, J Robertson and M Vass 2).
Moray 2 bt Duff House Royal 2 by 10 holes (M MacLeman and J Edwards 5, A Morrison and C Miller 0; R McConnachie and B Hendry 5, D Stadames and A Milne 0).
Newmachar bt Murcar Links 2 by two holes (E McIntosh and J Wilson 2, G Patterson and A Holbrook 0; K Riley and C Simpson 0, N Sadler and B Mitchell 0).
Nairn bt Inverness 2 holes (N D Hampton and R W Smith 1, W A McLennan and J D Forbes 0; A Scott and S MacDonald 1, M Fraser and D Hexley 0).
Cruden Bay bt Orkney by two holes (R Cooper and S Buchan 0, M Fleet and A McGinn 1; I Castles and R Willox 3, P McKinlay and S Rendall 0).
Nairn Dunbar bt Royal Aberdeen 2 by three holes (M Isaacs and B Ford 0, D D Purdie and M Wilson 0; D Brodie and D Bunker 3, M Black and J W Johnston 3).
Murcar Links bt McDonald Ellon 2 by five holes (T Mathieson and A Bews 2, J Godward and M Garvie 0; I Powell and G Stewart 3, B Mitchell and J O’Brien 0).
McDonald Ellon bt Forres by seven holes (K Duncan and A Dunton 7, S McLennan and R McLeod 0; R Yule and C Brodie 0, C Duncan and W Donnelly 0).
Duff House Royal bt Strathpeffer by one hole (D Morrison and M Jenkins 2, R Stewart and D Morrison 0; R McAuslin and C Farquhar 0, M MacNab and M Sloggie 1).
Nigg Bay 2 bt Tain by three holes (R Nielsen and G Grimmer 1, M Ferries and J Cameron 0; N Slater and L O’Connor 2, R MacLeod and F Mackle 0).
Royal Dornoch bt Turriff by three holes (J Shepherd and N Munro 0, G Robertson and J Williamson 0; D Chalmers and B Urquhart 3, R Webster and C Ironside 0).
Fortrose & Rosemarkie bt Peterhead by four holes (M MacDonald and L Reid 5, P McLean and I Forman 0; R Mackay and A Brown 0, C Forman and M Allardyce 1).
Banchory bt Brora by eight holes (S Strachan and J Byrne 1, M McIntosh and T Gill 0; P Robb and J Christie 7, R Cameron and M Murray 0).

THURSDAY'S TIES
THIRD ROUND
9.0 Moray v Torvean.
9.15 Royal Aberdeen v Cruden Bay 2.
9.30 Moray 2 v Newmachar.
9.45 Nairn v Cruden Bay.
10.0 Nairn Dunbar v Murcar Links
10.15 McDonald Ellon v Duff House Royal.
10.30 Nigg Bay 2 v Royal Dornoch.
10.45 Fortrose & Rosemarkie v Banchory.

QUARTER-FINALS
1.45 Moray or Torvean v Royal Aberdeen or Cruden Bay 2.
2.15 Moray 2 or Newmachar v Nairn or Cruden Bay.
2.45 Nairn Dunbar or Murcar Links v McDonald Ellon or Duff House Royal.
3.15 Nigg Bay 2 or Royal Dornoch v Fortrose & Rosemarkie or Banchory.

SENIOR BRITISH WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP

EASY FOR THE MIGHTY QUINN
AT DUMFRIES & COUNTY

Hampshire player Christine Quinn won the weather-affected Senior British women's open amateur golf championship for the first time at Dumfries & County Golf Club today.
Christine, pictured right, by kind permission of Tom Ward, spreadeagled the field with an opening round of 71 in very windy conditions on Wednesday. It was the only sub-par round of the championship. Despite being one of the 27 players who had to finish their second round this morning after the course became waterlogged on Wednesday afternoon, she was able to clinch an easy six-stroke win with rounds of 75 and 78 for an aggregate of eight-over-par 224.
She had six birdies in her first round (which also included a triple-bogey 7), one in her second and no birdies at all in her closing round but no one made a charge at her position over the final 36 holes.
Christine - or "Chris" as she prefers, led from start to finish at at one stage in the afternoon had a yawning, nine-stroke lead over the international field.
A member of Hockley Golf Club, she said later: "I am thrilled to bits, stunned. I just can't get the grin off my face! It's nice to bring something home to England."
Chris, 53, has shot to the top in seniors' golf. She's already won the English seniors' championship twice, has been a key member of England's winning teams in the senior Home Internationals and helped England win the silver medal in this season's European senior ladies' team championship.
"No-one came at me at all and at one time I had a nine shot lead," said Chris. "It was lovely in one way but it made me just a little bit too defensive."
Afterwards she returned to her digs with the trophy for an unexpected presentation - when her landlady gave her a bottle of champagne.
"The whole thing has just been so special. I never really dreamed I would win the British seniors' championship," she said.
Viveca Hoff (Sweden) was runner-up for the second year in a row. She had scores of 73, 79 and 78 for 230.
Top Scot was former Scottish women's amateur champion Fiona Anderson from Blairgowrie, now living in Lancashire and a member of Formby Ladies. Fiona finished joint seventh with scores of 79, 79 and 77 for 235. She bogeyed her last four holes in her final round. But for that she would have finished third or fourth.
Fiona De Vries finished with one of the better scores of the third round – a 77 which lifted her up to joint 11th place with a total of 238. Fiona’s earlier scores were 79 and 82.
Moira Thomson (North Berwick) was the leading Scot until the final round in which she ran up two triple bogey 7s – the first at the 11th and the second at the 18th in an inward card of 44 for an 83. She had earlier rounds of 77 and 79.

FINAL TOTALS (Par 72, CSS 71 75 73)
224 C Quinn (Hockley) 71 75 78.
230 V Hogg (Swe) 73 79 78.
231 R Adams (Addington Court) 77 76 78.
232 A Murdoch (Can) 75 80 77.
233 V Thomas (Carmarthen) 80 77 76, C Birke (Swe) 74 78 81.
235 C Watson (Beaconsfield) 80 79 76, F Anderson (Formby Ladies) 79 79 77.
236 S Dye (Delamere Forest) 79 84 73.
237 J Doleman (Rushcliffe) 77 82 78.
238 A Hermanson (Swe) 80 84 74, R Waller (Kendal) 77 84 77, F De Vries (St Rule) 79 82 77.
239 M Thomson (North Berwick) 77 79 83.
240 H Faulds (Douglas Park) 80 81 79, S Westall (Copt Heath) 77 82 81.
242 P Hutton (Lanark) 80 83 79.
243 H Smyth (Pannal) 84 81 78.
244 L Foster (Bramhall) 77 80 87.
245 J O’Connor (Newport) 86 80 79, V Hassett (Ennis) 81 82 82.
246 A Wood (Furness) 79 81 86.
247 D Williams (Can) 82 87 78, R Lindley (Hartlepool) 87 82 78, L Hague (Rotherham) 82 86 79.
249 M Henderson (Ger) 81 86 82, P West (Spalding) 82 85 82.
250 H Joyce (Longt Ashton) 85 85 80, G Etcheverry (Spa) 82 85 83.
251 I Brien (Wentworth) 79 90 82, J Kellenberger (Camberley Heath) 80 89 92, G Ekman (Swe) 81 85 85.
252 A-C Sveningson (Swe) 80 89 83.
253 C Kirk (Ganton) 80 89 84, G Curley (Northants Co) 83 85 85.
254 S Pidgeon (Wrekin) 85 81 88.
255 C Liverside (Sandiway) 81 89 85, C McAndrew (Nairn Dunbar) 84 84 87.
256 J Paterson (Drumpellier) 84 86 86, C Howell (Woburn) 78 90 88.
257 R English Larne) 85 85 87.
260 R Farrow (St Neots) 84 86 90.

Age-group winners
50-54 years – Vicki Thomas (Carmarthen).
55-59 years – Christina Birke (Sweden).
60-64 years – Sue Westall (Copt Heath).
65+ years – Rosemary Farrow (St Neots).

SENIOR BRITISH WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP

CHRISTINE QUINN LEADS BY SIX STROKES

The second round of the Senior British women's open amateur stroke-play championship was completed at Dumfries & County Golf Club this morning.
Play had to be suspended on Thursday afternoon - due to a waterlogged course - with 27 players will to complete their second rounds.
The cut fell at precisely the point forecast by the computer - 41 players with 36-hole tallies of 170 or better qualified for the final 18 holes.
Christine Quinn led by six strokes going into the final round.

SCOTTISH WOMEN'S COUNTY FINALS

FIFE FAVOURITES TO WIN NATIONAL
TITLE AT THE HIRSEL GOLF CLUB

A Fife line-up containing the current Scottish Under-21 champion, Krystle Caithness (St Regulus), and two former Scottish women’s champions, Fiona Lockhart (St Regulus), pictured right, and Elaine Moffat (St Regulus), will start favourites to win the Scottish women’s county team championship over the next three days at The Hirsel Golf Club near Coldstream.
The title is contested by the winners of the four divisional team championships.
East Division champions Fife last won the national title at Prestonfield in 1995.
West Division champions Renfrewshire have not been Scottish champions since 1987 over the Eden Course at St Andrews.
Perth & Kinross qualified for the finals by winning the North Division title at Crieff for the first time since 1982. The P&K line-up includes Scottish Under-18 champion Roseanne Niven (Crieff).
Galloway’s victory in the South Division championship was also their first for a number of years.

Programme
FRIDAY
Perth & Kinross v Renfrewshire, Galloway v Fife.
SATURDAY
Fife v Perth & Kinross Renfrewshire v Galloway.
SUNDAY
Fife v Renfrewshire, Perth & Kinross v Galloway.

Teams

FIFE
Lorna Bennett (Ladybank)
Krystle Caithness (St Regulus)
Jocelyn Carthew (Ladybank)
Becky Copland (Scotscraig)
Louise Kenney (Pitreavie)
Fiona Lockhart (St Regulus)
Katrina Milne (Dunfermline)
Elaine Moffat (St Regulus).

GALLOWAY
Jill Campbell (Castle Douglas)
Pat Magill (Portpatrick Dunskey)
Sheila McMurtrie (Dalbeattie)
Christina Meldrum (Stranraer)
Tracey Milligan (Stranraer)
Gillian Monteith (Portpatrick Dunskey)
Gwen Robertson (Newton Stewart)
Addi Shamash (Kirkcudbright)

PERTH & KINROSS
Alexandra Bushby (Strathmore)
Gwen Lambie (Dunkeld & Birnam)
Jillian Milne (Criagie Hill)
Emma Napper (Craigie Hill)
Roseanne Niven (Crieff)
Fiona Ramsay (Killin)
Sal Shepherd (Blairgowrie)
Jane Yellowlees (Murayshall).

RENFREWSHIRE
Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm)
Clare-Marie Carlton (Fereneze)
Sara Harman (Williamwood)
Donna Jackson (Cochrane Castle)
Gillian Kyle (East Renfrewshire)
Gillian McGinlay (Cochrane Castle)
Lesley Robertson (Ranfurly Castle)
Carol Whyte (Windyhill)

LPGA TOUR QUALIFYING

VIKKI LAING SURVIVES HALFWAY
CUT IN SECTIONAL EVENT
IN CALIFORNIA

Vikki Laing, pictured right, slipped back with a second-round 77 for a 36-hole tally of five-over-par 149 but the 25-year-old Musselburgh player, in joint 52nd place, survived the halfway cut in the LPGA Qualify School sectional tournament at Mission Hills Country Club, Rancho Mirage in California.
The leading 84 players with totals of 150 went forward to the final two rounds which will decide the top 30 players and ties who will qualify for the LPGA Final Qualifying School over six rounds at Daytona Beach, Florida from November 29 to December 3.
Samantha Head from Bedfordshire, all out to join her twin sister Johanna on the LPGA Tour, was lying fourth on 141 with rounds of 69 and 73.

LEADING QUALIFIERS
140 Lisa Meredith 74 66, Taya Battistella 73 67, Su A Kim 72 68.
141 Samantha Head 69 72.
142 Hyun-Hee Moon 70 72.
143 Sophia Sheridan 74 69, Kristina Tucker 72 71, Caryn Wilson 70 73, Jeanne Cho 69 74, Lee-Anne Pace 68 75.
Other score:
149 Vikki Laing 72 77 (jt 52nd).

*For more women's and girls golf news, switch over to our sister website, www.kirkwoodgolf.co.uk

CALLAWAY 36-HOLE O O M EVENT

DEAN ROBERTSON TIES WITH JAMES
McKINNON FOR VICTORY ON 141

Dean Robertson is finishing the Tartan Tour season in style. Today, he tied with James McKinnon (Irvine) for first place in the Callaway 36-hole Order of Merit event at Lanark.
It was Dean's fourth win during the month of September and his sixth in all this year, including of course his capture of the Scottish PGA title at Gleneagles.
Robertson, pictured right, had rounds of 71 and 70 for a one-over-par total of 141 at Lanark where McKinnon scored 69 and 72.
Both men earned £1,040.
Greig Hutcheon (Peterculter) and another man with strong North-east links, Fraser Mann (Musselburgh) tied for third place on 143. Greig scored 72 and 71, Fraser 69 and 74. Both men picked up cheques for £821.
LEADING FINAL PLACINGS
141 (+1) Dean Robertson (Czech Design) 71 70, James McKinnon (Irvine) 69, 72 (£1,040 each).
143 Greig Hutcheon (Peterculter) 72 71, Fraser Mann (Musselburgh) 69 74 (£821 each).
144 Paul McKechnie (Braid Hills) 72 72, Ross Drummond (Prestwick DR) 71 73, David Orr (East Renfrewshire) 71 73, Robert Arnott (Bishopbriggs GR) 70 74 (£533 each).
145 Alasdair Hay (Royal Winchester) 73 72, Alan Reid (unatt) 73 72, Andrew Crerar (King James VI) 71 74, Graeme Lornie (Aspire) 71 74 (£369 each).
146 Christopher Russell (Dunbar) 76 70, Lee Harper (Archerfield) 74 72, Craig Lee (All Golf Swing Centre) 73 73, Stewart Savage (Dalmuir) 72 74, Gordon Law (Uphall) 72 74 (£249 each).
147 Mark King (Kingsfield GR) 75 72, Jamie Stevenson (Braehead) 74 73, Gary McFarlane (Clydebank & Dist) 70 77 (£175 each).

WOMEN'S NEWS ON KIRKWOODGOLF

***To find out why play had to be suspended until Thursday morning in the Senior British women's open amateur championship at Dumfries & Co, log on to our sister website, www.kirkwoodgolf.co.uk where you will also find news of how Vikki Laing fared in the first round of the LPGA Tour Qualifying School process.

2006 SGU ORDER OF MERIT

GREAT SCOTT! JAMIESON WINS
SEASON-LONG AWARD

Scott Jamieson has proved himself as one of Scotland’s leading and consistent players on the amateur circuit after winning the SGU Order of Merit 2006.
The Cathkin Braes member, who played on the American college circuit for four years as an Augusta State University student, topped the leaderboard in the title race and claimed the crown before the final event in the SGU Order of Merit calendar had taken place, the South East District Championship last weekend.

Jamieson, aged 22, pictured right, has studded this season with many notable achievements including the Craigmillar Park Open title and claiming Glasgow Golf Club’s Edward Trophy. He went on to secure a semi finalist place in the South African amateur championship and narrowly lost in the last eight of the British Amateur.
More recently, Jamieson contributed to the stunning win by Scotland over England to retain the Home Internationals title for the first time in 24 years.

The SGU Order of Merit, sponsored by Polaris World Property Resales, is determined by the highest number of points accumulated from player’s finishing positions in each event in the Order of Merit calendar.
Jamieson, first over the finishing line with 615.80 pts, beat last year’s title-winner, Cameron Corbett Vase winner Glenn Campbell from Blairgowrie, on 564.10 points. Campbell, who distinguished himself by snatching the spoils at the South-east District Open championship, has secured his place in the top three in the Order of Merit over the last three years.
Third place went to Lytham Trophy runner-up George Murray (Earlsferry Thistle), winner of the Standard Life Leven Gold Medal and the season-opening Scottish champion of champions tournament over the same Fife links.

Paul Cherry, the former St Johnstone footballer and now Managing Director of the Polaris World Property Resales.com said, “The SGU Order of Merit and Golf Rankings underline the strength in depth of Scottish amateur golf at present.

"We are delighted to be supporting the SGU and the development of the leading amateurs in Scotland in what has been a fantastic year for guys like Richie Ramsay and Scott Jamieson. We’ve grown our brand profile and increased our sales as a result of our partnership and we hope that success on both front continue.”

Jamieson is now on the cusp of turning professional and has continued his consistent form by booking his berth to the next round of European Tour School.

Success there will ensure his transition from successful amateur to the new kid on the block in the professional ranks.

Jamieson is currently on his way to check out the form among the seasoned professional players he hopes to join, as he spectates with the legions watching the Ryder Cup in Dublin which is about to get underway.
Jamieson, along with US Amateur champion Richie Ramsay and George Murray have been invited to attend the world’s most prestigious golf event, courtesy of Event Scotland who are attending as part of their Ryder Cup 2014 preparations, when they will bring the competition back to the home of golf, hosted by Gleneagles Hotel over the PGA Centenary Course at the Perthshire venue.

WHO FINISHED IN TOP 80

SGU ORDER OF MERIT FINAL PLACINGS
Official Sponsors Polaris World Property Resales
www.polarisworldpropertyresales.com

1 Scott Jamieson (Cathkin Braes) 615.80.
2 Glenn Campbell (Blairgowrie) 564.10.
3 George Murray (Earlsferry Thistle) 525.00.
4 John Gallagher (Swanston) 512.50.
5 Keir McNicoll (Carnoustie) 485.00.
6 Elliot Saltman (Craigielaw) 478.30.
7 Kevin McAlpine (Alyth) 470.00.
8 Callum Macaulay (Tulliallan) 452.50.
9 Steven McEwan (Barassie) 426.25.
10 Paul O'Hara (Colville Park) 390.80.
11 Scott Henry (Cardross) 375.00.
12 Gavin Dear (Murrayshall) 345.80.
13 Duncan Stewart (Grantown on Spey) 326.25.
14 Lloyd Saltman (Craigielaw) 315.00
15 Mark Kerr (Dalmahoy) 290.00.
15 Jonathan King (Glasgow) 290.00.
17 Craig Watson (East Renfrewshire) 276.60
18 Ross Kellett (Colville Park) 274.10.
19 Philip McLean (Peterhead) 262.50.
20 Zack Saltman (Craigielaw) 232.50.
21 Wallace Booth (Comrie) 220.00.
22 Bryan Fotheringham (Forres) 215.80.
23 Scott Borrowman (Dollar) 208.75.
24 James Byrne (Banchory) 200.00.
25 Gordon Stevenson (Whitecraigs) 182.50.
26 Robert McKnight (Barassie) 175.00.
27 Terry Mathieson (Murcar Links) 172.50.
28 Lindsay Miller (Cawder) 167.50.
29 Bobby Rushford (Grangemouth) 165.00.
30 Matthew Clark (Kilmacolm) 144.10.
31 Gordon Yates (Hilton Park) 135.00
32 Mark Halliday (Royal Aberdeen) 125.00.
33 Iain Colquhoun (Ranfurly Castle) 115.00
33 Graeme Gorrie (Glasgow) 115.00.
33 Graeme Mitchell (Northern) 115.00.
36 Greg Paterson (St Andrews New) 112.50.
37 Stephen Clark (Haggs Castle) 107.50.
38 Bryan Innes (Murcar Links) 97.50.
38 Richard Ramsey (Royal Aberdeen) 97.50.
40 Alex Culverwell (Dunbar) 95.00.
40 Chris Orr (Lanark) 95.00.
42 Mark Lamb (Haddington) 92.50,
43 Shaun McAllister (Craigielaw) 85.00
44 Scott Mann (Carnoustie) 82.50.
45 Russell Thornton (Cardross) 77.50.
46 Euan McIntosh (Newmachar) 75.00.
47 David McMillan (Lanark) 70.
48 Paul Cormack (Inchmarlo) 67.50.
49 Stewart Elder (Kirkcaldy) 66.25.
50 Steven Armstrong (Turnhouse) 60.00.
50 Kris Nicol (Fraserburgh) 60.00.
50 Stuart Wilson (Forfar) 60.00.
53 John Forbes (Inverness) 57.50.
53 Brian Soutar (Leven Golfing Society) 57.50.
55 Richard Hyland (Newmachar) 47.50.
56 Craig Elliot (Carrickvale) 42.50.
57 Allyn Dick (Shotts) 35.00.
57 Christopher Heslip (Monifieth) 35.00.
57 Gary Tough (Letham Grange) 35.00.
60 John Mathers (Haggs Castle) 32.50
61 Colin Swanston (Uphall) 32.50.
62 Neil Howitt (Nairn Dunbar) 30.00.
62 J Mackay (Inverness) 30.00.
63 Euan Malcolm (Dunfermline) 30.00.
63 Ryan McKenzie (Easter Moffat) 30.00.
63 Steven Rennie (Airdrie) 30.00.
67 Justin Duff (Fraserburgh) 27.50.
67 Scott Herald (Whitecraigs) 27.50.
69 Alistair Love (Dunbar) 25.00.
70 David Dale (Cawder) 20.00.
70 Steven Robertson (Sandyhills) 20.00
72 Robert Carson (Dalmahoy) 15.00.
72 Scott Michie (Thornton) 15.00.
74 Brian Anderson (Cambuslang) 12.50.
75 Munro Ferries (Tain) 11.25.
75 Ewan Forbes (Inverness) 11.25.
77 Michael Buchan (Cruden Bay) 10.00.
77 Robert Jamieson (United States) 10.00.
77 Lewis Kirton (Newmachar) 10.00.
80 Kenneth Mail (Craigmillar Park) 8.30
81 Ricky Forrest (Lanark) 5.00.
82 James McGhee (Gullane) 3.30.

NORTH-EAST ALLIANCE

GARY GLITTERS AT KEMNAY TO WIN ALLIANCE BY
THREE SHOTS WITH 68

Portlethen +2 amateur Gary Esson shot a three-under-par 68 in far-from-easy blustery conditions to win today’s North-east Golfers’ Alliance competition at Kemnay Golf Club by four strokes.
Early starter Esson highlighted his scorecard with an eagle 3 at the 502yd 15th hole. He also birdied the second, third, fourth and 11th in two halves fo 34. Gary had only one bogey on his card, at the sixth, until he dropped shots at the 16th and 18th.
Joint second on 72 in a field of 85 were two more amateurs, Andrew Campbell (Deeside) and Billy Main (Murcar Links), and Banchory assistant professional Stuart Davidson.
North-east Golfers' Alliance secretary Ron Menzies would be delighted to welcome new members at any of the Wednesday competitions. The annual subscription is £40 and it costs £12 to play in a competition.
The next few meetings are:
September 27 - McDonald Ellon.
October 4 - Huntly.
(October 11-13 - Scottish Alliance championship at Buchanan Castle).
October 18 - Ballater.
October 25 - Edzell.
November 1 - Peterculter.
November 8 Newmachar.

WEDNESDAY'S SCOREBOARD AT KEMNAY

LEADING SCRATCH
Par 71.
68 G Esson (Portlethen) 34-34.
72 A Campbell (Deeside) 36-36, W Main (Murcar Links) 36-36, S Davidson (Banchory) 37-35.
73 R Fitzpatrick (Inchmarlo), P Lovie (Inchmarlo), B Ritchie (Inverallochy), P Cormack (Inchmarlo), I Bratton (Newburgh).
74 R McDonald (Kemnay).
75 L Barbour (Cruden Bay), S Green (Westhill).
76 C Carnegie (Kemnay), W S Urquhart (Murcar Links).
77 L Sang (Aboyne), N Hardie (Kintore), P Morrison (Oldmeldrum), F Bisset (Banchory), S Scott (Auchmill).
78 R Hyland (Newmachar), G Bruce (Westhill).
79 R L Nicoll (Murcar Links), A Petrie (Oldmeldrum), I D Smith (Hazlehead).
80 C Nelson (MacKenzie Club), A Grant (Portlethen), H McNaughton (Cruden Bay), A Swift (Auchmill), D McKay (Caledonian), R Pirie (Caleondian), G Grimmer (Nigg Bay).
81 A Stewart (Hazalehead), I Welsh (Nigg Bay).
82 J Roberts (Cruden Bay), C Cassie (Nigg Bay), A Graham (Portlethen), L Roger (Royal Aberdeen), G Homer (Lumphanan) , A Nelson (Banchory), C Clark (Mackenzie Club).

LEADING HANDICAP
Class 1 – N Hardie (Kintore) (8) 69; G Esson (Portlethen) (+2), A Petrie (Oldmeldrum) (9) 70; B Ritchie (Inverallochy) (2), P Morrison (Oldmeldrum) (6) 71; W Main (Murcar Links) (scr) 72; A Campbell (Deeside) +1) 7, L Barbour (Cruden Bay) (2), S Green (Westhill) (2), A Grant (Portlethen) (76), A Stewart (Hazlehead) 8) 73.
Class 2 – G Homer (Lumphanan) (12), H McNaughton (Cruden Bay) (10) 70; G Kennedy (Meldrum House) (13) 71; R Alison (Deeside) (13), L Roger (Royal Aberdeen) (10) 72; D Sherriffs (Hazlehead) (13) 73; I Strachan (Royal Aberdeen) (13) 75 ; D Randall (Banchory) (14) 76; M F R Rogers (Kemnay) (14), W Forbes (Murcar Links) (15) 77.

SCOT'S GREAT PERFORMANCE

DUNCAN STEWART’S FOURTH
STRAIGHT WIN ON US
COLLEGE CIRCUIT

Duncan Stewart from Grantown-on-Spey scored is first fourth straight win on the American college circuit – and his second after a play-off – at the Country Club of South Carolina in Florence, South Carolina.
Stewart, pictured right, a student at the University of Jacksonville, Florida, shot rounds of 69, 71 and 73 to be one of three players to finish on three-under-par 213 in the RDG Intercollegiate tournament.
The others were Jordy Hayden (Troy University) (66-73-74) and Stan Guerrero (Old Dominion University) (70-72-71).
At the third hole of a sudden-death play-off, Stewart holed a 32ft birdie putt to win. That gave Duncan – winner of the Chiberta Grand Prix in France during his summer holiday – two wins out of two in America to start the 2006-2007 college golf season. He ended the 2005-2006 season by winning the last two events.
Jacksonville team-mate Russell Knox from Inverness finished tied seventh on 216 with scores of 74, 68 and 74.
A third Scot on the team, Jamie Kennedy from Edinburgh, came 91st in a field of 95 with scores of 78, 84 and 77.
Kennedy’s final round was important because it gave Jacksonville victory in the team by a single shot. They finished on 874, just ahead of Troy (875) and Tennessee-Chattanooga (878) in the field of 18 college teams.
Like Duncan Stewart, Jacksonville have won four straight team titles.

LEADING INDIVIDUALS
213 D Stewart (Jacksonville) 69 71 73, J Hayden (Troy) 66 73 74, S Guerrero (Old Dominion) 70 72 71.
Also:
216 R Knox (Jacksonville) 74 68 74.
239 J Kennedy (Jacksonville) 78 84 77 (jt 91st).
LEADING TEAMS
874 Jacksonville.
875 Troy.
878 Tennessee-Chattanooga.

BRIAN HUGGETT IMPRESSED

CARLY'S GOING TO BE A STAR! SAYS
FORMER RYDER CUP CAPTAIN

Former Ryder Cup captain and player Brian Huggett, pictured right, was full of praise for Scottish starlet Carly Booth after the 14-year-old’s debut in the Junior Ryder Cup which finished in a 6-6 draw with Europe, as holders, retaining the trophy
Carly, the youngest of the 12-strong European team - and the only British or Irish player in the line-up that drew with the Americans - was narrowly defeated in Monday’s four-balls (in which she was herself three-under-par apart from one hole), but responded brilliantly to partner Norwegian Are Friestad to a 3 & 2 victory over Andrew Yun and Kristen Schelling in today’s mixed four-balls.
Huggett, who watched both days of the competition at the Celtic Manor Resort in Newport, South Wales, said:
“Carly is a fantastic player and such a cool customer. In the holes I saw her play she probably had to hole from eight feet on five occasions and every time she popped it right into the middle. "And she is long, especially as she’s only a little girl. She is going to be a star and I look forward to following her career.”
A contingent of purple-clad ladies from the Scottish Ladies Golfing Association turned up at the event to follow Carly and gave Huggett a little gift.
“They remembered me winning the Scottish Seniors at Aberdeen so they gave me a Scottish Thistle pin, which I said I would wear on my blouse the next time I play golf!” added Huggett.

+For news of the first round in the Senior British women's open amateur championship at Dumfries & County GC, and the SLGA Commonwealth Spoons final in Ayrshire, log on to our sister website, www.kirkwoodgolf.co.uk

JUNIOR RYDER CUP DRAMA

EUROPE DRAW 6-6 WITH UNITED STATES
AND RETAIN THE TROPHY AS HOLDERS
If the Ryder Cup match later this week produces as exciting a finish as the JUNIOR Ryder Cup did at Celtic Manor today, then it will be a memorable occasion indeed.
In the Under-16s version, Europe drew 6-6 with the United States and retain the trophy as holders. The young Americans have not won the Junior Ryder Cup since 1997 – but they went mighty close to scoring a second triumph!
When 14-year-old Carly Booth from Comrie, Perthshire and her Norwegian partner in the mixed four-balls format, Arie Friestad, beat Andrew Yun and Kristen Schelling by 3 and 2, that impressive display gave the Europeans a 2-0 lead on the day and a 5-3 lead overall – the opening day’s four-balls having been shared 3-3.
But the pendulum of power gradually swung the United States’ way in the exciting closing stages of the other ties.
Bud Cauley and Vicky Hurst of the United States squared off the scoreline at 2-2 by beating Pedro Figureido (Portugal) and Spain’s Marta Silva by 3 and 2.
Then France’s Vickor Dubuisson and Giula Molinaro (Italy) hit a purple patch of form that saw them win four holes in a row – quite a feat in four-ball, better-ball play – and they won by 4 and 3 over Joe Monte and Brittany Altomare who had led by two holes on the outward half.
That gave Europe a 6-5 lead with one match to finish in which America’s Tony Mapu Finau and Cassandra Blaney squared matters against Germany’s Maximilian Kieffer and Laura Gonzalez (Belgium) at the 11th, went one up at the 12th and doggedly held on to that one-hole advantage down the remaining holes as the tension mounted.
It went down to the last putt on the last hole of the last match but the young Americans held their nerve for the victory that made the final scoreline 3-3 on the day and 6-6 overall.

TUESDAY SCOREBOARD

EUROPE 6, UNITED STATES 6

First Day: Europe 3, United States 3.
Second Day: Europe 3, United States 3

Mixed four-balls
European pairings first
A Kristiansen (Nor) & C Ciganda (Spa) bt P Francis & E Choe 2 and 1.
S Einhaus (Ger) & S Hausladen (Ger) lost to D Kittleson & I Lendl 3 and 1.
A Friestad (Nor) & C Booth (Sco) bt A Yun & K Schelling 3 and 2.
P Figueirdo (Por) & M Silva (Spa) lost to B Cauley & V Hurst 3 and 2.
M Kieffer (Ger) & L Gonzalez (Bel) lost to T Mapu Finau & C Blaney 1 hole.
V Dubuisson (Fra) & G Molinaro (Ita) bt J Monte & B Altomare 4 and 3.

US COLLEGE NEWS

DUNCAN STEWART AND RUSSELL KNOX IN
LEADING FIVE OF
SOUTH CAROLINA
TOURNAMENT

Scots Duncan Stewart, pictured right, from Grantown on Spey and Russell Knox from Inverness, both golf scholarship students at Jacksonville University, Florida, are in the top five after 36 holes of the RDG Intercollegiate tournament at Florence, South Carolina.
Stewart, bidding for a fourth win on the American college circuit, has had rounds of 69 and 71 for four-under-par 140 and is in second place in the field of 95, one shot behind leader Jordy Hayden (Troy), with one round to go.
Knox has scored 74 and 68 to be lying fifth on 142.
Jamie Kennedy from Edinburgh, a third Scot in the Jacksonville team, has not done so well. He is in 92nd place on 162 after scores of 78 and 84.
Troy and Jacksonville are sharing the team leadership on 574 – seven ahead of Tennessee-Chattanooga.
+During their summer holidays back home, Stewart won the Chiberta Grand Prix in France while Knox played for Scotland in the European youth team championships in Spain.

MEN'S WORLD AMATEUR RANKINGS

RAMSAY NO 1 - AND FOUR OTHER SCOTS
IN THE CURRENT LEADING 100

United States amateur champion Richie Ramsay (Royal Aberdeen), pictured left, continues to lead the unofficial world men's amateur golf rankings, devised and compiled by R&A staff man David Moir on a test and trial basis for the momennt.
In all, there are seven Scots in the top 100 in the list which is updated weekly, based on amateur tournament returns received by David from all over the world.
They are:
20 Scott Jamieson (Cathkin Braes).
32 George Murray (Earlsferry Thistle).
51 Lloyd Saltman (Craigielaw).
58 Paul O'Hara (Colville Park).
61 Callum Macaulay (Tulliallan).
87 John Gallagher (Swanston).
====================PRESS RELEASE ==========================

UNOFFICIAL WORLD MEN’S AMATEUR GOLF RANKINGS

+Compiled weekly by R&A staff man David Moir on a trial and test basis for the moment.

WEEK 36 WINNERS & LEADING AMATEURS

Glenn Campbell (South-East District Open), Sam Hutsby (The Duke of York Young Champions), Chris Kirk (Carpet Capital Collegiate), Colt Knost (Gopher Invitational), Danny Lee (Wairakei Open), Jon McLean (Inverness Intercollegiate), Garrett Osborn (Scenic City Invitational), Jason Palmer (Italian Amateur) & Dave Womack (US Mid-Amateur).

MOVERS AND SHAKERS

Richie Ramsay (Scotland) retains the WAGR No 1 spot for a 4th week.

Fellow Scot Scott Jamieson moves up one place to return to the Top 20.

Three players take giant strides into the Top 50 – namely Adrien Bernadet (France), who jumps 40 places to No 24, new Italian Champion Jason Palmer (England), up 64 places to WAGRanked 38, and Sweden’s Oscar Floren, up 16 to No 41.

Five players, including two Americans, break into the Top 100. The Americans are both WAGR Week 36 winners, Colt Knost, up 97 to No 60, and Jon McLean, up 13 to No 93. The other climbers into the Top 100 are Seung Su (Steve) Han (Korea), up 38 to No 65, James Morrison (England), up 33 to No 65, and New Zealand teenager, Danny Lee, up 103 places to No 89.

The only entrant into the Top 150 with the minimum divisor of 32 Counting Rounds is 2006 US Eisenhower Trophy selection Trip Kuehne, up 27 places to No 150, but a major mover is Korean star amateur Kyung Tae Kim who, with a meagre 19 counting rounds, has jumped a massive 318 places from No 460 to be WAGRanked 142.

Adrien Bernadet made the cut in the Challenge Tour event, the Open des Volcans, and new WAGRanked player Jose Luis Gomez (Spain) finished 16= in the European Tour’s Open de Madrid Golf Masters.

THE CURRENT HOT 100

THIS LAST
WEEK WEEK

1 1 Richie Ramsay SCO 37 1181.08
2 3 +1 Jamie Moul ENG 43 1162.79
3 4 +1 Pablo Martin ESP 42 1154.76
4 2 Ross McGowan ENG 52 1151.92
5 5 Rory McIlroy IRE 47 1138.30
6 6 Oliver Fisher ENG 50 1128.00
7 8 +1 Won Joon Lee AUS 90 1102.22
8 7 Adam Gee ENG 43 1093.02
9 11 +2 Nigel Edwards WAL 38 1044.74
10 12 +2 Jonathan Moore USA 45 1037.78
11 9 Webb Simpson USA 45 1035.56
12 14 +2 Bronson LaCassie AUS 46 1028.26
13 13 Rhys Davies WAL 45 1024.44
14 10 Gary Wolstenholme ENG 56 1023.21
15 15 Mitchell Brown AUS 73 1015.07
16 17 +1 Anthony Kim USA 32 1012.50
17 16 Chris Kirk USA 46 1010.87
18 18 Stephen Dartnall AUS 62 996.77
19 19 Julien Guerrier FRA 42 992.86
20 21 +1 Scott Jamieson SCO 64 968.75
21 20 Dawie van der Walt RSA 41 965.85
22 22 Charl Coetzee RSA 57 957.89
23 37 +14 Seve Benson ENG 34 941.18
24 64 +40 Adrien Bernadet FRA 32 940.63
25 27 +2 James Gill NZE 43 937.21
26 23 Andrew Tampion AUS 63 934.92
27 24 Ben Parker ENG 38 934.21
28 29 +1 Josh Geary NZE 44 931.82
29 26 Billy Horschel USA 46 928.26
30 30 Alex Prugh USA 33 927.27
31 31 David Hewan RSA 57 926.32
32 28 George Murray SCO 54 925.93
33 32 JBE Kruger RSA 45 924.44
34 33 Richard Scott CAN 43 920.93
35 35 Tim Stewart AUS 59 920.34
36 34 Dustin Johnson USA 52 919.23
37 36 Christiaan Basson RSA 53 915.09
38 102 +64 Jason Palmer ENG 37 913.51
39 38 Sebastian Saavedra ARG 32 912.50
40 39 George Coetzee RSA 48 908.33
41 57 +16 Oscar Floren SWE 31(32) 900.00
42 42 Mark Purser NZE 46 889.13
43 41 Dandre Neumeyer RSA 34 888.24
44 43 Stephen Lewton ENG 44 881.82
45 46 +1 Ryan Yip CAN 40 875.00
46 47 +1 Erik Flores USA 42 871.43
47 48 +1 Kevin Chappell USA 41 870.73
48 49 +1 Matteo Del Podio ITA 30(32) 865.63
49 44 Andrew Dodt AUS 70 862.86
50 50 Joost Luiten NED 32 859.38
51 51 Lloyd Saltman SCO 42 857.14
52 52 Richie Gallichan AUS 35 854.29
53 45 David Horsey ENG 45 853.33
54 53 Martin Ureta CHL 33 851.52
55 54 Andrew Parr CAN 39 851.28
56 55 James Love CAN 30(32) 846.88
57 96 +39 Cameron Tringale USA 29(32) 846.88
58 56 Paul O'Hara SCO 44 840.91
59 58 Ashley Hall AUS 61 829.51
60 157 +97 Colt Knost USA 33 824.24
61 83 +22 Callum Macaulay SCO 33 821.21
62 62 Cennydd Mills WAL 43 820.93
63 61 Tristan Lambert AUS 62 814.52
64 75 +11 Daniel Belch ENG 32 812.50
65 103 +38 Seung Su Han KOR 29(32) 812.50
66 65 Johan Carlsson SWE 27(32) 812.50
67 63 Jarred Texter USA 36 811.11
68 66 Rick Kulacz AUS 68 810.29
69 71 +2 Edward Richardson ENG 41 807.32
70 67 Jose Luis Adarraga ESP 32 806.25
71 104 +33 James Morrison ENG 31(32) 806.25
72 68 Heinrich Bruiners RSA 27(32) 806.25
73 72 Neil Schietekat RSA 41 804.88
74 73 Daniel Summerhays USA 32 803.13
75 74 Jamie Arnold AUS 56 801.79
76 76 Rohan Blizard AUS 51 798.04
77 69 Ben Evans ENG 37 794.59
78 Robert Gates USA 36 794.44
79 77 Henry Liaw USA 35 794.29
80 78 Robert Riesen USA 26(32) 793.75
81 89 +8 Matthew Cryer ENG 61 793.44
82 79 Jamie Abbott ENG 37 789.19
83 81 Matthew Swan USA 39 787.18
84 80 Llewellyn Matthews WAL 49 785.71
85 59 Lorenzo Gagli ITA 33 784.85
86 82 Tyler Leon USA 40 782.50
87 87 John Gallagher SCO 59 779.66
88 84 Nicol Van Wyk RSA 46 778.26
89 192 +103 Danny Lee NZE 25(32) 778.13
90 85 Clay Ogden USA 33 775.76
91 86 Julien Grillon FRA 41 775.61
92 88 Tim Dykes WAL 41 773.17
93 106 +13 Jon McLean USA 51 772.55
94 97 +3 Brian Harman USA 43 772.09
95 98 +3 Gareth Shaw IRE 39 771.79
96 90 Branden Grace RSA 37 770.27
97 60 Michael van de Venter RSA 37 770.27
98 94 Rudi Bezuidenhout AUS 50 768.00
99 93 Florian Fritsch GER 38 763.16
100 91 David May USA 39 761.54

SCHOOLS INTERNATIONAL

SCOTLAND SCHOOLBOYS AND SCHOOLGIRLS
GO DOWN NARROWLY TO ENGLAND

Scotland lost the boys’ match 10-8 and the girls’ contest 5-4 in the annual schools golf international against England at Hillside Golf Club, Lancashire today.
As the scorelines indicate, there was not much between the sides. A missed putt here, a drive into the rough there … often meant the difference between victory and defeat.
Double winners for the Scots in both the foursomes and singles were Ross Bell (Harris Academy, Dundee), Joshua Clarke (Montrose Academy), Alan Murdoch (Stranraer Academy) and Krystle Caithness (Waid Academy, Anstruther), pictured right.
In the boys’ match England took the foursomes 3 ½-2 ½ and the singles also by a one-point margin, 6 ½-5 ½ .
England won the foursomes 2-1 in the girls’ match before the singles were shared 3-3.

Details:

ENGLAND SCHOOLBOYS 10, SCOTLAND
SCHOOLBOYS 8

FOURSOMES (3 ½-2 ½)

England schoolboys first
M Anderson & L Heaton lost to R Bell (Harris Acad) & J Clarke (Montrose Acad) 6 and 5.
*Bell and Clarke were five up after nine holes.
T Benbow & H Smart halved with S Barras (Vale of Leven Acad) & A Campbell (Vale of Leven Acad).
*Above match all square after nine holes.
B Fowles & S McGlynn bt C Gray (Glasgow High) & C Thomson (Hutchesons’ Grammar) 5 and 4.
*Fowles & McGlynn one up after nine holes.
J Sims & B Farthing bt M Daily (Trinity High) & D Fitzpatrick (Notre Dame High) 4 and 2.
*Sims & Farthing one up after nine holes.
J Grimoldby & J Senior bt M Main (Balwearie High) & F McKenna (Boclair Acad) 4 and 3.
*Grimoldby & Senior two up after nine holes.
R Kirwan & A Smedley lost to A Murdoch (Stranraer Acad) & C Robinson (Douglas Ewart High) 3 and 1.
*Murdoch & Robinson five up after nine holes.

SINGLES (6 ½-5 ½)

Anderson lost to Bell 3 and 1.
*Bell one up after seven holes.
Heaton halved with Campbell.
*Heaton two up after 12 holes.
Benbow lost to Clarke 1 hole.
Smart bt Barras 6 and 5.
*Smart three up after five holes.
Fowles lost to Gray 5 and 4.
*Gray two up after five holes.
McGlynn bt Thomson 3 and 2.
Sims bt Daily 1 hole.
*Daily one up after 12 holes.
Farthing bt Fitzpatrick 2 and 1.
*Fitzpatrick one up after seven holes.
Grimoldby lost to McKenna 1 hole.
*McKenna two up after two holes.
Senior bt Main 2 holes.
*Main two up after seven holes.
Kirwan lost to Murdoch 2 and 1.
*Murdoch two up after six holes.
Smedley bt Robinson 3 and 2.
*Robinson two up after seven holes.


ENGLAND SCHOOLGIRLS 5, SCOTLAND SCHOOLGIRLS 4

FOURSOMES (2-1)
England names first
H Barwood & K Larratt lost to K Caithness (Waid Acad) & R Livingstone (Musselburgh Grammar) 3 and 2.
A Banham & K Mundy bt K MacDonald (Nairn Acad) & R Wilson (Monifieth High) 1 hole.
K Best & S James bt J Turner (George Watson’s Coll) & M Briggs (Gryffe High) 5 and 3.

SINGLES (3-3)

Barwood lost to Caithness 2 and 1.
*Caithness one up after 11 holes.
Larratt lost to MacDonald 2 and 1.
*MacDonald three up after seven holes.
Banham bt Turner 4 and 3.
*Banham four up after seven holes.
Mundy lost to Briggs 3 and 2.
*Briggs three up after seven holes.
Best bt Wilson 1 hole.
*Match all square after seven holes.
James bt Livingstone 4 and 3.
*Livingstone two up after seven holes.

SCOTTISHGOLFVIEW.COM IS INDEBTED TO HUGH HUNTER FOR THE RESULTS AND THE INDIVIDUAL DETAILS.

JUNIOR RYDER CUP MATCH

CARLY (THREE UNDER PAR) AND PARTNER
LOSE BUT EUROPE FIGHT BACK
TO BE LEVEL AT HALFWAY STAGE
Perthshire prodigy Carly Booth is a perfectionist. She does not like playing badly – and she does not like losing … as she did in her Junior Ryder Cup debut at the age of 14 at Celtic Manor Resort, Newport today.
Carly, leading girl in last week’s Duke of York Young Champions Trophy tournament over Dundonald links, was paired with Guilia Molinaro (Italy) by Europe skipper Andy Ingram.
Two holes up after 11 holes in the four-ball play, everything appeared to be heading for a home victory until their American opponents, the top-rated US girl junior Esther Choe and Kristen Schelling fought back to win by one hole.
“I am disappointed, but at least we only lost holes to birdies,” said Scottish Under-16 champion Carly, who would have been three under par for her round on the Roman Road course had she holed out at the 16th. Carly is pictured right.
Isabelle Lendl, 15-year-old daughter of eight-time Grand Slam tennis champion Ivan Lendl and the fifth-ranked girl golfer in the United States, teamed up with Vicky Hurst to inflict a one-hole defeat on the very strong Spanish pairing of Carlota Ciganda, the Spanish international women’s open amateur champion and Marta Silva.
Lendl admitted to a few nerves as she reached the 18th tee with a one-hole lead, but was boosted by the cheers of the American gallery.
She said: “During my practice swing I heard a roar and looked back to see one of my friend’s parents going crazy, so I knew USA had pulled even in that match. That gave me an extra adrenalin rush.”
Suitably charged up, Lendl blasted the ball over the bunker on the left hand side and back into the middle of the fairway. Hurst did likewise and the pair went on to make comfortable pars.
Ciganda almost snatched a birdie with the last putt, but her long effort from the back of the green brushed the outside of the cup.
United States were leading 3-1 after Carly and Giulia’s defeat but the Germany boys, Sean Einhaus and Maximilian Keiffer made it 2-3 by winning the fifth game. Then Laura Gonzales (Belgium) and Saskia Hausladen (Germany) won the last game of the day by 2 and 1 to make it a 3-3 tie at the halfway stage.
The second and final day will be mixed four-balls. There are no singles ties in the Junior Ryder Cup which is contested by Under-16 year olds.
Both teams will be transported to Ireland to watch the Ryder Cup at the end of the week. After that Carly Booth will fly back to Florida where she recently enrolled at the David Leadbetter Golf Academy, Bradenton on a full four-year scholarship.

Day 1 details:
JUNIOR RYDER CUP
Celtic Manor Resort, Newport.
EUROPE 3, UNITED STATES 3
Four-ball matches
Anders Kristiansen (Nor) & Are Friestad (Now) bt Philip Francis & Drew Kittleson 3 and 1.
Carlota Ciganda (Spa) & Marta Silva (Spa) lost to Vicky Hurst & Isabelle Lendl 1 hole.
Pedro Figueiredo (Por) & Victor Dubuisson (Fra) bt Tony Mapu Finau & Joe Monte 2 and 1.
Carly Booth (Sco) & Giulia Molinaro (Ita) lost to Esther Choe & Kristen Schelling 1 hole.
Sean Einhaus (Ger) & Maxmilian Keiffer (Ger) bt Bud Caley & Andrew Yun 4 and 2.
Laura Gonzalez (Bel) & Saskia Hausladen (Ger) bt Brittany Altomare & Cassandra Blaney 2 and 2.

FIFE ORDER OF MERIT

GEORGE MURRAY WINS MACKAY BOWL
Former Scottish amateur golf champion George Murray (Earlsferry Thistle) has won this year’s Forrester Park Fife Order of Merit for the Mackay Bowl.
George totalled 725pt, 15pt ahead of runner-up Alex Main (Thornton).

FINAL PLACINGS
1 George Murreay (Earlsferry Thistle) 725.
2 Alex Main (Thornton) 710.
3 Greg Paterson (St Andrews New) 600.
4 David Imrie (Thornton) 555.
5 Euan Malcolm (Dunfermline) 520.
6 Stewart Elder (Kirkcaldy) 480.
7 Scott Michie (Thornton) 455.
8 Stuart Meiklejohn (Aberdour) 425.
9 Allan England (Balbirnie Park) 250.
10 Gary Sharp (St Andrews) 235.

FUND-RAISING DINNER

GRAHAM GORDON SEEKS TO RAISE CASH
TO PLAY ASIAN TOUR, FAR-EAST EVENTS

Former Scottish amateur golf champion Graham Gordon, pictured right, is organising a fund-raising dinner in a bid to finance a trip to play on the Asian Tour and co-sanctioned European Tour events this winter in the Far East.
Former Ryder Cup player Harry Bannerman has agreed to be the guest speaker at the dinner on Friday, December 1 at The Marcliffe at Pitfodels Hotel.
Tables seating 10 are available to companies at £550. Individuals can purchase a seat at £55.
There will also be a golfing memorabilia auction.
Graham, who has been competing on the PGA EuroPro Tour, stresses that it is not a men-only evening. “Ladies are more than welcome to attend,” he says.
Reservations can be made by calling 01224 748209.
Dress code for men will be lounge suits.
The tee-off time will be 7pm for 7.30.
It is rather appropriate that Harry Bannerman is the main speaker because it was thanks to the generosity of three or four local businessmen that he had the financial platform from which to turn professional in the 1960s. The rest, as they say, is history.

PGA SCOTTISH REGION NEWS

THREE-MAN RACE FOR TARTAN
TOUR MONEY TITLE


With only a handful of events to go on the 2006 Tartan Tour, the stage is set for a exciting finish to the PGA Scottish Region’s money-winners’ title.
Less than £1,000 separates the top three – Craig Lee, Colin Gilles and Dean Robertson, the new Scottish PGA champion.
Lee has won £26,823 from 44 events; Gillies £26,748 from 57 and Robertson £25,968 from 39.
Colin Gillies is the Tartan Tour’s all-time leading money-winner with a career total of £426,713.
Here’s how the Tartan Tour’s money table this season looks (number of events played in brackets):

1 Craig Lee (All Golf Swing Centre) (44) £26,823.
2 Colin Gillies (Kingsfield) (57) £26,748.
3 Dean Robertson (Czech Design) (39) £25,968.
4 Jason McCreadie (Buchanan Castle) (33) £22,946.
5 Greig Hutcheon (Peterculter) (24) £19,378.
6 Ross Drummond (Prestwick DR) (49) £19,274.
7 Craig Ronal (Carluke) (46) £19,246.
8 Chris Doak (unatt) (20) £16,591.
9 Mark Loftus (Cowglen) (47) £16,159.
10 Scott Henderson (Kings Links) (44) (£15,91).
11 Kenny Walker (Castle Park) (46) £15,33.
12 Mark King (Kingsfield) (62) (£15,147.
13 Chris Kelly (Cawder) (33) £14,917.
14 Gary McFarlane (Clydebank & Dist) (52) £14,213.
15 Sam Cairns (Westernwood) (40) £13,917.
16 Jim McKinnon (Irvine) (40) £13,259.
17 Robert Arnott (Bishopbriggs) (39) £12,673.
18 Murray Urquhart (Inverness) (18) £12,533.
19 Alan Lockhart (Ladybank) (43) £11,278.
20 Gordon Law (Uphall) (36) £11,206.

DISAPPOINTMENT FOR NE DISTRICT

RAMSAY TURNS DOWN INVITE
TO PLAY FOR NORTH-EAST
AT LETHAM GRANGE
North-east District’s hopes of persuading United States amateur champion Richie Ramsay (Royal Aberdeen), pictured right, to play in Sunday’s Scottish area team championship tie against Angus at Letham Grange have been dashed.
“Richie played for the North-east boys team on a regular basis a few years back but, because of other commitments, he has never played for the district men’s team,” said George McIntosh, the NE District secretary.
“We thought it was worth a try to see if he would be available for this weekend but Richie says he cannot manage, much as he would like to play for the North-east.
“He is going to the Ryder Cup match in Ireland as a guest and then he is playing in the Dunhill Cup tournament.”

SHOCK NEWS FROM SLGA

KIRRIE CLUB PRO KARYN
RESIGNS AS SLGA
NATIONAL COACH
Scottish Ladies Golfing Association national coach Karyn Dallas, pictured right, has resigned after five years in the part-time post.
Karyn, who is the Kirriemuir Golf Club professional, tendered her resignation to the SLGA on August 16 but the news was not released until after last week’s women’s home international matches at Frilford Heath.
Scotland were beaten by Wales, England and Ireland and finished bottom of the table, only a few weeks after Scotland won the girls’ home internationals title at Portstewart, Northern Ireland.
“I’ve had five happy years as national girls’ and women’s coach and I feel very honoured to have had the post. I feel I have grown as a coach, working with the SLGA and some very good players,” said Karyn.
“There is a lot of talent coming through at Under-18 girls’ level in Scotland as the recent victory in the girls’ home internationals proved. I still had another year on my contract but I feel that now is the right time for me to go.
“I have a very successful programme for juniors at Kirriemuir Golf Club and our boys and girls have done very well in the Angus junior orders of merit.
A note on the SLGA website reads:
“It was with regret that the Scottish Ladies' Golfing Association, on 16th August 2006, received the resignation of Karyn Dallas, the National Coach. The Association appreciates the dedication and commitment which Karyn has shown throughout the past five years.”
Mrs Dallas, who is 41, took over the SLGA coaching post from Jane Connachan in September 2001. She turned professional in 1989 and played full-time on the Ladies European Tour until 1992 when she became an assistant pro and teaching co-ordinator on the staff of Gleneagles Hotel.
In 1998 she joined the select band of women in Britain and Ireland who have been appointed head professional by a golf club. Kirriemuir Golf Club gave Karyn wide-ranging responsibilities, including the marketing and booking of golf society outings and she has repaid their confidence in full.

ROYAL MUSSELBURGH PRO-AM

    CHRIS KELLY WINS £1,011 TOP PRIZE

Chris Kelly (Cawder) won Sunday's £6,500 Royal Musselburgh Golf Club pro-am with a 10-under-par round of 60. He won the £1,011 top prize by two shots from Craig Lee (All Golf Swing Centre) who earned £809.

 

TOP PLACINGS

60 (-10) C Kelly (Cawder) £1,011.

62 C Lee (All Golf Swing Centre) £809.

63 M Loftus (Cowglen) £606.

65 R Arnott (Bishopbriggs), S Henderson (Kings Links) £409 each.

67 G Dingwall (Royal Dornoch), K Esson (Cragie Hill), J Stevenson (Braehead, C Ronald (Carluke),  Huguet (Royal Musselburgh), S Cairns (Westerwood), A Reid (unatt), R Drummond (Prestwick) £197 each.

US COLLEGE NEWS

SCOTS DOWN THE FIELD IN FIRST
EVENT OF 2006-2007 SEASON
Wallace Booth from Comrie and Fraserburgh’s Jordan Findlay finished joint 23rd and 61st respectively in their first event of the new 2006-2006 American college golf season.
Augusta State University final year student Booth had rounds of 74, 67 and 73 for a two-under-par total of 214 over a testing 7,002yd course for the Carpet Capital Collegiate tournament at The Farm Club, Rock Face in Georgia.
Findlay, just started his second year at East Tennessee State University, had rounds of 69, 81 and 74 for 224.
Chris Kirk (Georgia University) won the tournament with 68, 70 and 67 for 11-under-par 205.
Findlay’s team-mates Edinburgh-born Walker Cup player Rhys Davies and Ulsterman Gareth Shaw were the highest-placed British or Irish players in the field of 90. They were joint 11th on four-under-212. Davies scored 75, 70 and 67, Shaw 70, 71 and 71.

LEADING INDIVIDUALS
205 Chris Kirk (Georgia) 68 70 67.
206 DarrenBlair (North Carolina State) 65 69 72.
Other totals:
212 Rhys Davies (East Tennessee State) 75 70 67, Gareth Shaw (East Tennessee State) 70 71 71 (jt 11th).
214 Wallace Booth (Augusta State) 74 67 73, Ben Taylor (Georgia State) 70 73 71 (jt 23rd).
217 Tom Sherreard (Georgia State) 70 69 78 (jt 32nd).
219 Seamus Power (East Tennessee State) 76 74 69 (jt 44th).
224 Jordan Findlay (East Tennessee State) 69 81 74 (jt 61st).
226 Farren Keenan (Texas) 79 78 69 (jt 71st).
236 Cian McNamara (East Tennessee State) 82 74 80 (jt 88th).
LEADING TEAM
841 Alabama.
847 Clemson.
854 Georgia, Georgia Tech.
856 Florida, Georgia State.
859 Tennessee.
860 East Tennessee State.
Also:
876 August State (14th of 18 teams)

UNDER-16 BOYS MATCH

SCOTLAND LOST TO NORTH OF ENGLAND LADS

Scotland lost 9-6 to the North of England in Sunday’s Gordon McInnes Under-16 boys’ representative match at The Glen Golf Club, North Berwick.
The English boys took a 3-2 lead in the foursomes and then took the singles 6-4.
An unusual feature was the high number of halved singles – four in all. Which suggests that the English lads were perhaps a little flattered by their three-point margin of victory.

Details (Scots names first):
FOURSOMES
Mark Bookless & Kyle Smith lost to Callum Tarren & Garrick Porteous 3 and 2.
Sam Binning & Sam McLaren lost to Simon Mulholland & Thomas Forster 8 and 7.
Colin Baird & Paul Shields bt Oliver McKenna & David Hext 2 and 1.
Jack Bradley & Craig Wyper lost to Jo Redshaw & Joseph Fraser 5 and 3.
Tom Spencer & Scott Fraser bt Nicky Maddison & Jack Logan 2 holes.
SINGLES
McLaren lost to Porteous 2 and 1.
Smith lost to Tarren 2 and 1.
Bookless bt McKenna 1 hole.
Binning halved with Forster.
Bradley halved with Hext.
Baird halved with Mulholland.
Wyper lost to Maddison 6 and 5.
Shields lost to Redshaw 1 hole.
Spencer halved with Fraser.
Fraser bt Logan 6 and 5.

SOUTH-EAST DISTRICT OPEN

GLENN CAMPBELL WINS THREE-WAY
PLAY-OFF AT FOURTH
EXTRA HOLE AT LONGNIDDRY
There was an exciting climax to the South-east District Open 72-hole championship at Longniddry today.
Three players tied for the lowest 72-hole aggregate - nine-under-par 263 - which meant that youngsters Robert McKnight (Barassie), Shaun McAllister, the Scottish boys' open stroke-play champion from Craigielaw, and last year's Scottish match-play champion, Glenn Campbell (Blairgowrie) went into a sudden death play-off for the title.
Campbell, pictured right, won it ... at the fourth extra hole.

LEADING FINAL TOTALS (Par 68)
263 R McKnight (Barassie) 64 66 65, 68, S McAllister (Craigielaw) 66 66 68 63, G Campbell (Blairgowrie) 65 66 63 69.
264 J Gallagher (Swanston) 67 65 65 67.
265 S Armstrong (Turnhouse) 63 68 66 68.
266 G Murray (Earlsferry Thistle) 67 65 66 68, P McLean (Peterhead) 66 72 64 64.
267 C Elliot (Carrickvale) 64 65 72 66, E Saltman (Craigielaw) 67 69 68 63.
268 Z Saltman (Craigielaw) 67 65 67 69, B Fotheringham (Forres) 66 67 67 68.
269 M Kerr (Marriott Dalmahoy) 68 63 71 67, C Swanston (Uphall) 67 69 68 65.
270 S Henry (Cardross) 67 65 68 70, R Kellett (Colville Park) 69 69 69 63.
271 K Ralston (Shotts) 68 69 68 66.
272 D Martin (Alyth) 65 69 69 69, S Wilson (Forfar) 67 68 68 69, C Watson (East Renfrewshire) 67 67 70 68.
273 G Paterson (St Andrews New) 69 69 69 66, T Hayes (West Byfleet) 67 71 65 70, J Byrne (Banchory) 66 69 67 71, D Murray (Newbattle) 66 69 69 69.
274 A Culverwell (Dunbar) 67 68 70 69, A Main (Thornton) 69 68 66 71.
275 K Reilly (Silverknowes) 70 65 70 70.
277 B Anderson (Duddingston) 69 68 68 72, M Stein (Craigielaw) 67 68 69 73, K McAlpine (Alyth) 68 67 69 73.
278 J Ralston (Shotts) 68 70 72 68.
279 S Elder (Kirkcaldy) 70 67 73 69.
281 N Paterson (Dunbar) 67 70 73 71, E Malcolm (Dunfermline) 67 71 73 70.
282 B Mackay (Prestonfield) 72 66 75 69.

EUROPEAN CHALLENGE TOUR

CHRIS DOAK 14TH EQUAL AS KAYMER WINS OUT
OF THE PARK IN FRENCH OPEN DES VOLCANS
Germany’s Martin Kaymer claimed his second title in only four events when he won the European Challenge Tour's Open des Volcans by an impressive six strokes from Frenchman Michael Lorenzo-Vera.
A closing level par 71 for a 13-under-par total of 271 earned Kaymer 19,200 Euros and continued a remarkable start to his fledgling professional career that has seen the 21-year-old win twice and finish runner-up in only four tournaments. In that time he has climbed to ninth on the Challenge Tour rankings.
After opening with rounds of 67, 64 and 69, Kaymer started the final rounds four strokes clear and never looked in danger of losing his grip on the title as he mixed three birdies with three bogeys to claim the title.
Earlier this year Kaymer shot 59 on Habsberg Classic on the Satelitte EPD Tour but now he is on course to graduate to the European Tour.
His six-shot victory equals the largest winning margin of the season and he becomes only the second multiple winner of the year.
Lorenzo-Vera birdied the first but three bogeys in his next 10 holes ended his title hopes as he closed with a two-over-par 73 to finish second on seven-under-par 277.
Welshman Sion E Bebb was two further back alongside compatriot Tim Milford after both shot final rounds of 71.
Scotland's Chris Doak finished 14th equal on 282.
FINAL SCOREBOARD (Par 71)
271 Martin Kaymer (Ger) 67 64 69 71.
277 Michael Lorenzo-Vera (Fra) 69 69 66 73.
279 Sion E Bebb (Wal) 67 70 71 71, Tim Milford (Eng) 74 66 68 71.
280 Jean Hugo (SAf) 70 70 71 69, Jean-Nicolas Billot (Fra ) 72 67 71 70, Alexander Noren (Swe) 74 70 66 70, Alvaro Quiros (Spa) 70 69 71 70, Nicolas Vanhootegem (Bel) 71 69 69 71, Chris Gane (Eng ) 71 69 70 70, James Heath (Eng) 72 67 69 72.
281 Magnus A Carlsson (Swe ) 72 69 69 71, Lee S James (Eng ) 76 66 70 69.
282 Manuel Quiros (Spa) 73 69 69 71, Chris Doak (Sco ) 72 70 68 72, Carlos Del Moral (Spa) 69 72 71 70, Gareth Davies (Eng) 71 71 71 69, Magnus Persson (Swe) 70 69 71 72
Gareth Paddison (NZ) 74 69 70 69.
283 Raphaël Eyraud (Fra) 69 72 65 77, Nicolas Joakimides (Fra ) 71 71 68 73, Thomas Feyrsinger (Aut) 71 68 71 73, Michiel Bothma (SAf) 69 72 72 70, Julien Foret (Fra) 67 71 73 72, Michael McGeady (Ire) 72 70 73 68.
284 Cédric Menut (Fra) 70 65 76 73, Hernan Rey (Arg ) 67 68 76 73, Jeppe Huldahl (Den) 72 69 71 72, Kyron Sullivan (Wal) 71 72 71 70, Wilhelm Schauman (Swe) 73 70 73 68.
285 Olivier David (Fra) 68 71 75 71, Jérome Theunis (Bel) 74 70 71 70, Oskar Bergman (Swe) 71 72 71 71, Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (Fra) 71 68 72 74, Anthony Snobeck (Fra) 73 69 73 70, Roope Kakko (Fin) 73 69 72 71, Fabien Marty (Fra) 70 73 69 73, Adrien Bernadet (Fra) (am) 74 70 72 69.
286 Anthony Grenier (Fra) 75 68 72 71, Denny Lucas (Eng) 72 72 74 68.
287 Juan Abbate (Arg ) 71 72 70 74, Jorge Benedetti (Col) 70 71 71 75, Georges Plumet (Fra ) 71 72 73 71, Philip Rowe (Eng) 75 68 72 72, Birgir Hafthorsson (Ice) 70 70 75 72.
288 Rafael Cabrera Bello (Spa) 73 69 69 77, Luis Claverie (Spa) 72 70 72 74.
289 Dominique Nouailhac (Fra) 71 71 69 78, Ilya Goroneskoul (Fra ) 72 71 71 75.
290 Jean Marc De Polo (Fra) 71 72 72 75, Alessandro Napoleoni (Ita) 72 67 72 79, Francisco Cea (Spa) 76 68 72 74.
291 Andrea Maestroni (Ita) 72 71 74 74, Kasper Linnet Jorgensen (Den) 70 72 75 74, Bertrand Noel (Fra) (am) 72 70 71 78.
292 Laurent Pargade (Fra) 71 69 71 81, Jean Louis Roman (Fra) 70 74 73 75.
294 Peter Jespersen (Den) 71 73 77 73, Julien Quesne (Fra) 72 72 79 71.
295 Mads Vibe-Hastrup (Den) 76 68 76 75.
296 Adrien Mörk (Fra ) 74 70 79 73.
300 Bertrand Coathalem (Fra ) 73 71 76 80.

HSBC WORLD MATCH-PLAY FINAL

CASEY WINS BY 10&8 - THE BIGGEST WINNING
MARGIN IN THE 43 FINALS AT WENTWORTH

England's Paul Casey wrote another record-breaking chapter in the long and illustrious history of the HSBC world match-play championship at sun-drenched Wentworth Club, Surrey when he produced the biggest victory in 43 finals, defeating a battle-weary Shaun Micheel of the United States by a whopping 10 and 8 margin over the West Course.
Micheel was the man who toppled world No 1 Tiger Woods in the first round of the tournament.
Casey's victory was worth the biggest prize in world pro golf - a cheque for £1,000,000.
But, more important, from an European team point of view, it will have given them a wonderful morale-boost as the Ryder Cup match looms up this week.
Micheel's reward for reaching the 36-hole final was £400,000.

PLATFORM 2 BOYS' TOURNAMENT

GRAEME MITCHELL ADDS
PLATFORM 2 BOYS 'TITLE
TO HIS 2006 COLLECTION
AT NEWMACHAR
*picture shows Graeme Mitchell, tournament sponsor Eric Lindsay, winning NE team player John Duff and organiser George McIntosh, the NE District secretary.
North of Scotland boys’ champion Graeme Mitchell added another title to his 2006 collection when he won the Platform 2 36-hole boys’ golf championship over the Newmachar Swailend course today.
Mitchell shot 68 and 69 for a seven-under-par total of 137 – five under the combined CSS of 71 and 71 – to win by one shot from home-course teenager John Duff who had a pair of 69s.
William Bremner (Edzell) was third on 141 with 71 and 70.
The leading North challengers shared fourth place on 142 – Chris Gaittens (Fortrose & Rosemarkie), Kyle Godsman (Hopeman) and Neil Howitt (Nairn Dunbar).
North-east (1475) retained the team title from Angus (1477) and North (1480).
Mitchell, only just turned 18 and a +2 player, is having a memorable last season in junior golf. Apart from the North of Scotland title, he has set a new Hazlehead record of 62 which will earn him an all expenses paid trip to Dubai Creek, courtesy of a national newspaper, and he will go to Celtic Manor before that as the leading Scottish qualifier for the Nick Faldo Junior Series Grand Final.
“I played pretty steady,” said Graeme, which is a bit of an understatement. In fact, he hit 32 of the 36 Swailend greens in regulations, which is a strike rate that would please any tour pro.
“My short irons are my strongest part of my game and they were spot on today. I would have had two quite low scores if I had been able to sink the birdie putts.”
North-east won the team event but only by a very narrow margin – two shots over 36 holes in the best 10 individual scores to count, morning and afternoon.
North-east totalled 1475 (743-732) and Angus 1477 (745-742) with third-placed North 1480 (753-727) having the lowest second-round total.
The Angus District will host next year’s championship.

PLATFORM 2 BOYS CHAMPIONSHIP
Newmachar Swailend.
LEADING TOTALS (Par 72, CSS 71 71)

137 G Mitchell (Northern) 68 69.
138 J Duff (Newmachar) 69 69.
141 W Bremner (Edzell) 71 70.
142 C Gaittens (Fortrose & Rosemarkie) 73 69, K Godsman (Hopeman) 74 68, N Howitt (Nairn Dunbar) 69 73.
143 C Storrier (Downfield) 72 71.
144 N Macandrew (Cullen) 73 71.
145 K Duncan (McDonald Ellon) 77 68, K Harper (Carnoustie) 72 73.
147 R Elder (Nairn Dunbar) 74 73, S Stables (Elgin) 76 71, A Sweeney (Carnoustie) 75 72.
148 D Elder (Carnoustie) 74 74.
149 D Mellon (Carnoustie) 77 72, D Brown (Kirriemuir) 76 73.
150 A Cappi (Letham Grange) 75 75, D Ibbotson (Murcar Links) 73 77, A Dunton (McDonald Ellon) 71 79.
151 C Thomson (Peterhead) 80 71, R Storrier (Downfield) 78 73, K Shearer (Murcar Links) 75 76, M Ross (Fortrose & Rosemarkie) 80 71.
152 I Allan (Hopeman) 78 74, D Millar (Newmachar) 80 72, J Foley (Forres) 76 76.
154 A Weir (Montrose Mercantile) 76 78, D Ramsay (Elgin) 75 79.
155 L Reid (Fortrose & Rosemarkie) 78 77.
157 M Brand (Tain) 82 75, D Macandrew (Hazlehead) 78 79.
161 R Millar (Kirriemuir) 86 85.
163 D Christie (Portlethen) 83 80.
Retired – C Irvine (Stonehaven) 79 -.
Disqualified – B McLeman (Moray).

TEAM TOTALS
1475 North-east 743 732.
1477 Angus 745 742.
1480 North 753 727.

PLATFORM 2 GIRLS TOURNAMENT

Platform 2 girls tournament sponsor Eric Lindsay pictured with the scratch (left) and handicap (right) prizewinners today.
MONIFIETH GIRL WINS WITH FIRST
ROUND OVER NEWMACHAR SWAILEND
Monifieth’s Ashley Smith became the first Angus-based winner of the Platform 2 girls’ golf tournament with a round of three-over-par 75 over the Newmachar Swailend course today.
Ashley, 16 years old and a nine-handicapper, won by four strokes from Lauren Whyte (Aberdeen Ladies) with Sammy Vass (Tain) and Jacqueline Sneddon (Alyth) joint third on 83.
“I had never seen the course before today but I hit most of the fairways with my drives and I pitched and putted well,” said Miss Smith who is the Monifieth girls’ champion.
After an outward half of one-under-par 35 with birdies at the third and seventh and a bogey at the sixth, Ashley was heading for a runaway win over the field of 30 girls drawn from as far north as Tain until she ran up a triple bogey 7 at the 15th and a bogey at the 18th .
Ashley Smith also had the lowest net score of 66 but could not win two prizes and so the leading handicap award went to Rachel Polson (Petercutler). She had a net 67 off 24. She won by three shots from Sammy Vass’s younger sister Julie who had a net 70 off 16. Julie has cut her handicap from 31 to 16 this season.

PLATFORM 2 GIRLS TOURNAMENT
Newmachar Swailend.
LEADING SCRATCH
Par 72, CSS 73
75 A Smith (Monifieth).
79 L Whyte (Aberdeen Ladies).
83 S Vass (Tain), J Sneddon (Alyth).
84 A Bowie (Monifieth), K Moss (Monifieth), G Richens (Newmachar), M Johsntone (Northern).
85 S Leslie (Westhill).
86 J Vass (Tain).
87 N McAuley (Stonehaven).
88 F Fullerton (Huntly).



LEADING HANDICAP
66 A Smith (Monifieth) (9).
67 R Polson (Peterculter) (24)
68 L Whyte (Aberdeen Ladies) (11). .
70 J Vass (Tain) (16).
71 F Fullerton (Huntly) (17).
73 K MacCallum (McDonald Ellon) (36).
75 K Moss (Monifieth) (9).
76 S Beattie (Hazlehead) (16), N Thomson (Murcar Links) (15), N McAuley (Stonehaven) (11), J Sneddon (Alyth) (7).
77 S Vass (Tain) (6), A Bowie (Monifieth) (7), S Leslie (Westhill) (8).
78 A Milne (Turriff) (36), A Taylor (Forres) (14).
79 L McGillivray (Oldmeldrum) (16), N Lamond (McDonald Ellon) (13), M Johnstone (Northern) (5).

US COLLEGE NEWS LATEST

FINDLAY DROPS OUT OF TOP 10 AFTER
DISASTROUS 81 IN SECOND ROUND
Fraserburgh-born Jordan Findlay, pictured right, crashed out of the top 10 in the Carpet Capital Collegiate golf tournament at the weekend with a second-round 81.
He had been lying joint ninth after a sparkling opening round of three-under-par 69 over the 7,002yd course at The Farm Club, Rocky Face in Georgia.
Findlay, just starting his second year at East Tennessee State University and playing his first event of the new 2006-2007 US college golf season, dropped down to a share of 60th place on 150.
Jordan started his round at the 10th hole and was not doing too badly with birdies at the 12th and 13th after a bogey at the 11th. Things started to run away from the Buchan teenager when he bogeyed the 16th and 17th and then double-bogeyed the 18th.
That was followed by a triple bogey at the first and further bogeys at the second, third and ninth in a total of 42 shots for the last nine holes he played.
Wallace Booth from Comrie, in his fourth and final year at Augusta State University, shot a second-round 67 – an improvement of seven strokes – to be sharing 10th place on 141 with Irishman Gareth Shaw, an East Tennessee State team-mate of Findlay’s.
Edinburgh-born Welshman Rhys Davies, a Walker Cup player and recognised as the top player on the East Tennessee State University team, is back in joint 37th place after scores of 75 and 70 for 145.
Darren Blair (North Carolina State) is the 36-hole leader by two strokes with 65 and 69 for 10-under-par 134.

INDIVIDUAL SCOREBOARD
134 (-10) Darren Blair (NC State) 65 69.
136 Vince Hatfield (Clemson) 66 70.
Scores of GB&I players:
139 Tom Sherreard (Georgia State) 70 69 (7th).
141 Wallace Booth (Augusta State) 74 67, Gareth Shaw (East Tennessee State) 70 71 (jt 10th).
143 Ben Taylor (Georgia State) 70 73 (25th).
145 Rhys Davies (East Tennessee State) 75 70 (jt 37th).
150 Jordan Findlay (East Tennessee State) 69 81, Seamus Power (East Tennessee State) 76 74 (jt 60th).
156 Cian McNamara (East Tennessee State) 82 74 (84th).
157 Farren Keenan (Texas) 79 78 (jt 85th).
LEADING TEAMS
558 Clemson, 561 Alabama, 569 Florida, 571 Tennessee, 572 Georgia State, NC State.
Also:
578 Augusta State (9th).
579 East Tennessee State (11th).

*Switch over to our sister website, www.kirkwoodgolf.co.uk for news of the US women's college circuit and the Ladies European Tour.

MACHRIHANISH PRO-AM

DEAN ROBERTSON SCORES
FIFTH WIN OF SEASON
ON TARTAN TOUR
Scottish PGA champion Dean Robertson, pictured right, scored his third pro-am win this month and his fifth win on the Tartan Tour this season with a four-under-par 66 in the Machrihanish Golf Club pro-am today.
Robertson collected first prize of £1,172 with a scorecard that showed birdies at the second, sixth, seventh, eighth, 10th and 12th, with bogeys at the 11th and 16th in halves of 31 (four under par) and 35 (level).
Dean won by three shots from Stephen Gray (Hayston).
Two teams had net totals of 15-under-par 55 in the pro-am event. Victory, by virtue of a better inward half (27-29), went to the Campbeltown Motor Company trio of Campbell McMurchy (12), James Lafferty (12) and Scott Trelfa (16) and their professional, Alan Lockhart (Ladybank).
Pipped on the card countback were the “Whisky Macs” trio of Lee Mathieson (5), John Docherty (13) and Craig Dickson (18) and their pro, Colin Gillies (Kingsfield).
LEADING PROFESSIONALS
66 D Robertson (Czech Design).
69 S Gray (Hayston).
70 B Mason (Drumoig), L Vannet (Carnoustie), C Gillies (Kingsfield).
71 D Leslie (Prestonfield), I Young (Braid Hills), A Lockhart (Ladybank).
72 D B Scott (Douglas Park).

SOUTH-EAST DISTRICT OPEN

CRAIG ELLIOT LEADS AT HALFWAY BUT LOT
OF PLAYERS STILL IN CONTENTION

Edinburgh player Craig Elliot (Carrickvale), winner of the 2002 Scottish mid-amateur championship when he was playing out of Ratho Park, is the narrow leader at the halfway stage of the South-east District Open championship at Longniddry Golf Club.
Elliot, with rounds of 64 and 65 for a seven-under-par rally of 129, is one stroke ahead of young Robert McKnight (Barassie) who scored 64 and 66 for 130.
There are four players on 131, another two on 132, one on 133 and two on 134 so the stage is set for a competitive final 36 holes on Sunday.
Former title winner Steve Armstrong from Turnhouse had the lowest score of the morning round – a five-under-par 63 – but he could only match the par of 68 in the afternoon. He and Mark Kerr (Marriott Dalmahoy) and Glenn Campbell (Blairgowrie), last year’s Scottish champion, are the trio on 131.
A total of 30 players exactly qualified for the final two rounds with aggregates of three-over-par 139 or better.
QUALIFIERS
129 C Elliot (Carricvale) 64 65.
130 R McKnight (Barassie) 64 66.
131 M Kerr (Marriott Dalmahoy) 68 63, G Campbell (Blairgowrie) 65 66, S Armstrong (Turnhouse) 763 68.
132 Z Saltman (Craigielaw) 67 65, S Henry (Cardross) 67 75.
133 B Fotheringham (Forres) 66 67.
134 D Martin (Alyth) 65 69, C Watson (East Renfrewshire) 67 67.
135 M Stein (Craigielaw) 67 68, S Wilson (Forfar) 67 68, D Murray (Newbattle) 66 69, K McAlpine (Alyth) 68 67, K Reilly (Silverknowes) 70 65.
136 E Saltman (Craigielaw) 67 69, C Swanston (Uphall) 67 69.
137 N Paterson (Dunbar) 67 70, S Elder (Kirkcaldy) 70 67, B Anderson (Duddingston) 69 68, K Ralston (Shotts) 69 68.
138 G Paterson (St Andrews New) 69 69, R Kellett (Colville Park) 69 69, E Malcolm (Dunfermline) 67 71, P McLean (Peterhead) 66 72, J Ralston (Shotts) 68 70, B Mackay (Prestonfield) 72 66.
139 R Carson (Marriott Dalmahoy) 70 69, K Nicholson (Haddington) 75 64, A Anderson (Bruntsfield Links) 70 69.
NON-QUALIFIERS
140 M Cunningham (Longniddry) 70 70.
141 S Neilson (Newbattle) 70 71, S McEwan (Barassie) 67 74, D Miller (Duddingston) 70 71.
142 P Betty (Hayston) 72 70, A MacPhail (Ratho Park) 71 71, T Caldwell (Silverknowes) 71 71, J Neilson (Dunbar) 72 70, N Cunningham (Duddingston) 71 71, J Donaldson (Falkirk Tryst) 71 71.
143 N Sneddon (Ratho Park) 74 69, J McGuinness (Whitekirk) 73 70, D Brodie (Newton Stewart) 73 70, G Watson (Dunaverty) 70 73.
144 D Low (Duddingston) 75 69, G Robertson (Glenervie) 71 73, R Moffat (Dundas Parks) 70 74.
145 N Aitken (Longniddry) 73 72.
147 G Turner (West Linton) 72 75, C Mundie (Falkirk) 74 73.
148 S Tully (Duddingston) 72 76.
149 S Knowles (Kingsknowe) 73 76, D Strachan (Turnberry) 74 75.
150 D Donaldson (Bruntsfield Links) 73 77.
152 B Rushford (Grangemouth) 82 70.
153 I Wilson (Marriott Dalmahoy) 75 78.
156 J Archibald (Dunbar) 78 78.

IRISH NEWS

IRISH SENIOR CUP FINAL
Sponsored by Bulmers; Hosted by Enniscrone Golf Club.

GALWAY 4, KNOCK 1
(Galway names first)
Joe Lyons halved with Michael Sinclair.
Eddie McCormack bt Edward McAnoy 4 and 3.
David Scully bt Nicky Grant 5 and 3.
Stephen Keenan halved with Colin Fairweather.
Tom Nolan bt James Patterson 4 and 3.

JIMMY BRUEN SHIELD FINAL
Sponsored by Bulmers; Hosted by Enniscrone Golf Club.

ROSSLARE 3, CASTLEBLAYNEY 2
Rosslare names first)
Liam Brett & Eoin McCarthy lost to Eamon Tavey & Kevin Quinn 6 and 5.
James Doyle & Michael O’Connor bt Alan Bolger & Joe Quinn 1 hole.
Jonathan Stewart & Ian Lynch bt Raymond McHugh & Eugene Hughes 2 and 1.
Tiarnan Rossiter & John Skerritt lost to Frank McDonnell & Eugene McGuigan at 19th.
Ken Maher & Tom Kennedy bt Mick Fee & Declan McAteer 1 hole.

CHALLENGE TOUR NEWS

CHRIS DOAK MOVES UP IN WEATHER-HIT
CHALLENGE TOUR EVENT IN FRANCE
England’s Tim Milford had more reason than most for feeling frustrated when darkness called a halt to the third round of the weather-affected Open des Volcans – Challenge de France, the fifth last event on the 2006 Challenge Tour Schedule.
The 38 -year-old professional from Maidstone, still seeking his maiden victory at this level, had just reeled off four birdies in a row to move into a share of fifth place when the players were called off the course.
Milford was three under par for 15 holes and five under overall, six strokes behind the leader, Germany’s Martin Kaymer, who was level par for 10 holes of his third round.
The next best Brits were Sion E Bebb of Wales and Nick Faldo protégé James Heath of England, both of whom were four under after 12 holes.
Scotland’s Chris Doak managed to finish his round and returned a 68 to move from level par at the start of the day to three under.
Going in the opposite direction was Michael McGeady, the only Irishman to have survived the 36-hole cut. He carded a third-round 73 to drop back to two over par.
The third round will be completed on Sunday morning before the players commence their final 18 holes.

HSBC WORLD MATCH-PLAY

CASEY v MICHEEL FOR £1,000,000 IN WENTWORTH FINAL

England's Paul Casey, the 12th seed, will play American Shaun Micheel, the 15th seed in the £1,000,000 final to the HSBC world match-play championship over 36 holes at Wentworth on Sunday.

£1,000,000 is what the winner will collect. For the beaten finalist there is the not inconsiderable reward of £400,000.

For beaten semi-finalists Colin Montgomery and Robert Karlsson, the pay cheque is £120,000 each.

Casey, pictured right, beat Ryder Cup team-mate Colin Montgomery 6 and 5 in the 36-hole first semi-final while Micheel won by two holes over Sweden's Robert Karlsson.

SOUTH-EAST DISTRICT OPEN

STEVEN ARMSTRONG SETS CLUBHOUSE HALFWAY
TARGET OF FIVE-UNDER-PAR 131 AT LONGNIDDRY
Former professional Steven Armstrong (Turnhouse), the 2002 tournament winner, posted a five-under-par halfway total of 131 at the clubhouse target in late afternoon on the first day's play in the South-east District Open at Longniddry.
Armstrong had rounds of 63 and 68 over the par-68 lay-out to lead by one shot from teenager Zack Saltman (Craigielaw) (67-65) and Duncan Martin (Alth), third on 134.
The tournament, over 72 holes, ends on Sunday.

HALFWAY LEADERS IN CLUBHOUSE
Par 68
131 (-5) S Armstrong (Turnhouse) 63 68.
132 Z Saltman (Craigielaw) 67 75.
134 D Martin (Alth) 65 69.
136 E Saltman (Craigielaw) 67 69, C Swanston (Uphall) 67 69.
137 K Ralston (Shotts) 68 69, N Paterson (Dunbar) 67 70.
138 P McLean (Peterhead) 66 72, G Paterson (St Andrews New) 69 69, J Ralston (Shotts) 68 70.
139 K Nichlason (Haddington) 75 64.
142 D Miller (Duddingston) 70 71.
142 J Donaldson(Falkirk Tryst) 71 71.
148 S Tully (Duddingston) 72 76.
156 J Archibald (Dunbar) 78 78.
++More scores at the end of play

JUNIOR RYDER CUP MATCH PREVIEW

CARLY BOOTH ONLY GB OR IRISH PLAYER IN EUROPEAN

JUNIOR RYDER CUP TEAM
AT CELTIC MANOR

By STEVEN FRANKLIN
Press Officer, European Tour

Ryder Cup week starts on Sunday afternoon when the flags are raised at the opening ceremony for the junior version of the biennial competition, an event that offers a potential match-up between one of Britain’s brightest young golfing stars, Perthshire's Carly Booth, pictured right, and Isabelle Lendl, America’s No. 5 girl golfer and the daughter of eight-time Grand Slam tennis champion Ivan Lendl.

The 2006 Junior Ryder Cup is being held at the impressive Celtic Manor Resort in Newport, South Wales, where the teenage teams from Europe and the United States will contest a series of four-balls and mixed four-balls played over two days on the Roman Road championship course, which has hosted The Celtic Manor Wales Open on The European Tour.

Each team comprises 12 players – six boys and six girls – who were under the age of 16 on January, 2006 and provides the prospect of an intriguing fourball involving Booth and Lendl.

Isabelle, aged 15, has undoubtedly inherited her father’s impressive hand-eye coordination and Ivan appears delighted that she is excelling in golf rather than tennis.

He said: “There were no golf courses in Czechoslovakia when I was growing up so I was never around golf, although I wish I had been as you never have to quit – just look at Gary Player. Don’t get me wrong though, I was more than happy with how my career turned out.”

Nowadays his attentions are focused on helping Isabelle make the most of her talent. “I stay away from the golf aspect as she has a coach who knows far more than me. What I do help her with is the preparation: I teach her how to be mentally tough; how to eat properly; and about the importance of concentration,” added Lendl, who is also a decent golfer himself and plays on professional mini tours in the US.

Carly, meanwhile, is able to draw upon a rich sporting heritage of her own as she aims to carve out a career in professional golf. The 14 year old’s father, Wallace, is a former wrestler who won silver at the Commonwealth Games in 1966, while her brother, Wallace Jnr, is an aspiring professional golfer who attends Augusta State University.

Carly’s own potential became public during the British Masters two years ago when, as a diminutive 11 year old she played with Sandy Lyle in the pro-am and won!

Within a few months Nick Faldo had signed her up to his Junior Series and her development duly quickened. The youngest ever club champion in Great Britain, she plays off plus-one and can carry the ball 260 yards with remarkable ease.

She was crowned this year’s Scottish Under 16 Girls’ Champion and finished as the highest placed Under 18 golfer in the British Ladies’ Open Stroke Play Championship – all at the age of 14. And earlier this week she was the winner of the girls' section by two shots in The Duke of York Young Champions' Trophy tournament over the Dundonald links in Ayrshire.

Carly, who has flown back from the David Leadbetter Golf Academy at Bradenton, Florida to play in The Duke of York event and also the Junior Ryder Cup match, is the only British or Irish player in the European team of Under-16s.

The 2006 Junior Ryder Cup is preceded by an opening ceremony on Sunday September 17 and concluded by a closing ceremony at 5pm on Tuesday September 19, at which six-time Major Champion Nick Faldo will present the trophy to the winners.

Faldo’s appearance at the event is entirely appropriate given that he will Captain the European Team for The 2008 Ryder Cup at Valhalla, while The Celtic Manor Resort is preparing to host The 2010 Ryder Cup over its revamped Wentwood Hills course.

Ian Woosnam, who will lead Europe at The K Club next week, said: “I’d just like to wish all the talented young golfers the best of luck in the Junior Ryder Cup. It’s a great experience for them and I’m sure they will enjoy the tournament. Hopefully we can both win.”

The Junior Ryder Cup Matches, The Celtic Manor Resort, City of Newport, Wales
18th - 19h September 2006


The Junior Ryder Cup Matches are a biennial team match-play event between Europe and the United States and was originated to encourage friendship, the exchange of cultures and to enhance the enjoyment of golf. The Junior Ryder Cup Match is maturing into an integral and important part of the whole Ryder Cup experience.

In its relatively brief history, the Junior Ryder Cup Matches have already seen some of its young stars go on to make their mark on the golf world. The inaugural Junior Match in 1995 featured the 15 year-old Sergio Garcia leading a winning European squad and since then both teams have included several budding champions including David Gossett, Beth Bauer, David Porter, Nicolas Colsaerts, Suzann Pettersen, Ty Tryon, Casey Wittenberg, and from 2004 Belen Mozo (2006 British Ladies Open Amateur Champion & Girls Champion), Marius Thorp (2005 European Amateur Champion and 2006 Low Amateur at The Open) and Rory McIlroy (2006 European Amateur Champion).

Europe is currently leading the series 4-1

1995 Winners: Europe (Exhibition match) played in Rochester, USA
1997 Winners: United States (7-5) played at San Roque & Alcaidesa Links, Spain
1999 Winners: Europe (10.5-1.5) played at Cape Cod, USA
2002 Winners: Europe (9.5 – 2.5) played at The K Club, Ireland
2004 Winners Europe (8.5 – 3.5) played at Westfield CC, Detroit, USA

The Match is patronised and supported by the Ryder Cup Committee, European Golf Association, European Tour, PGA of Great Britain & Ireland, PGAs of Europe and the PGA of America.


Match Format

The teams consist each of 12 players, six boys and six girls. The matches are held over two days – Monday, September 18 being a boys vs. boys and girls vs. girls four-ball match format while Tuesday, September 19 is played as a mixed four-ball format.

The event is preceded by an opening ceremony on Sunday, September 17 and concluded by a closing ceremony and prize giving with Nick Faldo at the end of play on the Tuesday.
The European Junior Ryder Cup team will then travel to Dublin to watch the 36th Ryder Cup Matches at The K Club.

Team Selection

The two teams are selected on different criteria as follows:-

The players on Team Europe are selected by the European Golf Association. The 12 players were all under 16 on 1 January 2006. Four girls and four boys have been selected according to their results in the 2006 European Young Masters at Styrian GC Murhof, Graz, Austria. The remaining four players are team captain Andy Ingram’s picks.

Team USA is picked as follows:
*The U.S. Champion of the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship.
*The winner of the U.S. Girls Junior Championship.
*The top two boys and girls from the PGA of America's flagship junior event, Westfield Junior PGA Championship.
*The leading two boys and girls in the Junior Ryder Cup final point standings following the Westfield Junior PGA Championship.
*The final boy and girl to complete the 12-member team were chosen by the U.S. Junior Ryder Cup Captain Jack Connelly.


The Venue

The Junior Ryder Cup Match will be played on the superb Robert Trent Jones designed Roman Road course at the Celtic Manor Resort, Wales.
Roman Road takes its name from the ancient East-West highway of Roman Britain crossing its fairways to the nearby Roman fortress town of Caerleon from London and Bath.
Several Roman roads, including the main route connecting the fortress of Caerleon with the town of Caerwent, cross the land where the Roman Road is situated.
The course has played host to The Celtic Manor Resort Wales Open in 2005 and 2006 with Miguel Angel Jimenez and Robert Karlsson as respective champions.

US COLLEGE NEWS

JORDAN STARTS NEW US SEASON WITH
A 69 FOR PLACE IN TOP 10 IN GEORGIA

Fraserburgh exile Jordan Findlay, pictured right, back in the United States as a second-year golf scholarship student at East Tennessee State University, was the leading European player in joint ninth place at the end of the first round of the Carpet Capital Collegiate tournament at The Farm Golf Club, Rock Face in Georgia.
Findlay shot a three-under-par 69 over the 7,002yd course, including a purple patch of birdies at the 11th, 12th and 14th and an eagle 3 at the 15th in halves of 36 and 33.
Team-mate Gareth Shaw from Lisburn, Northern Ireland had a 70 to be sharing 13th place.
Wallace Booth (Augusta State University) from Comrie, Perthshire had a 74 to be in joint 43rd place.
Edinburgh-born Welshman and Walker Cup player Rhys Davies (East Tennessee State) had a double bogey 6 at the 14th and further bogeys at the 16th and 17th in returning a disappointing 75 for a share of 51st place in the field of 90.
Irish freshman Seamus Power (East Tennessee State) from Waterford had a 76. Team-mate and compatriot Cian McNamara from Limerick had an 82.
Darren Blair (North Carolina State) set the first-round pace with a 65, one shot ahead of Vince Haffield (Clemson) and two ahead of Jake Younan-Wise (Texas Tech).
Alabama (276) led the team event from Clemson (278), North Carolina State (286), Georgia State (286) and Augusta State and Wake Forest (both 289).
East Tennessee State scored 290 to be in joint ninth place in the field of 18 college teams.


KATE & CO DOWN THE FIELD IN TENNESSEE

Kate O’Sullivan from Paisley, a student at High Point University, North Carolina, was sharing 70th place after a round of 80 in the Mason Rudolph women’s college tournament at Vanderbilt Legends Club, Franklin in Tennessee.
Team-mates Ann Marie Dalton from Carlow, Ireland and Jenna Kinnear from Belfast scored 81 and 85 respectively.
The lead was shared by three players on 69 – Mallory Hetzel (Georgia), Tiffany John (UCLA) and Taylor Leon (Georgia), a member of the winning United States Curtis Cup team at Bandon Dunes, Oregon earlier this summer..

MAGNERS SCOTTISH CLUB GOLFERS

VICTORY FOR BALMORE AT MACDONALD CARDRONA HOTEL
GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB, PEEBLES
(From the Scottish Golf Union website)
Gordon Campbell and Scott Chisholm from Balmore Golf Club are the 2006 Magners Scottish Club Golfers Champions after firing a superb nine-under par round of 63 at a sunny Macdonald Cardrona Hotel, Golf & Country Club on Friday.
The pairing were one of the favourites for the final, having also shot a 63 to win the regional qualifying final at Lanark.
Birdies at the fourth and seventh sandwiched a superb eagle at the sixth and a 2 from Campbell at the ninth put them in charge with an outward half of 31.
Another eagle, at the long 12th, put them to seven under par for the day and further birdies at 14 and an excellent 3 at the last gave them their winning net total of 63.
“Wow. What a great feeling.” Said Campbell. “It was a real team effort at the final today, as well as at Lanark in the regional event. We’ll be the envy of the golf club, although no doubt we’ll take some flack for all the publicity we’ll be getting”, added Chisholm, having been presented with the trophy from Scotland rugby legend and former British Lion Craig Chalmers.
Fife’s Burntisland clinched the runners-up spot with a great seven under par round of 65, with the two Davids – Galloway and MacPherson – dovetailing well.

LEADING SCORES IN THE GRAND FINAL
1 Balmore 63.
2 Burntisland 65.
3 Duns (bih 33), Bruntsfield Links (ih 34) 67.
5 Stewarton 68
6 Hawick, Peebles, Arbroath Artisans, Nigg Bay, Perth Licensed Victuallers 69.
11 Dirleton Castle, Polmont, Newmachar, Inchmarlo, Port Bannatyne 70.
16 Callander, Larkhall, Thornton, Greater Easterhouse 71.
20 Palacerigg, Glen, Nairn Dunbar, East Aberdeenshire 72.
25 Dollar, Drumoig, Downfield, Perth Artisans, Auchterarder, Blair Atholl, Castle Heather, Fort William 73.

WORLD MATCH-PLAY SEMI-FINALISTS

CASEY v MONTY IN WENTWORTH CLASH

Three of next week's European Ryder Cup team - Paul Casey, Robert Karlsson and Colin Montgomerie have made it through to Saturday's semi-finals of the world match-play championship at Wentworth.
The fourth man in the line-up is American Shaun Micheel.
Casey plays Monty and Karlsson plays Micheel for places in the final.
Quarter-final results (seeded position in brackets):
(9) Colin Montgomerie (Sco) bt (1) Michael C ampbell (NZ) 1 hole.
(12) Paul Casey (Eng) bt (13) Mike Weir (Can) 5 and 3.
(14) Robert Karlsson (Swe) bt (11) Angel Cabrera (Arg) 4 and 3.
(15) Shaun Micheel (USA) bt (7) Luke Donald (Eng) 4 and 2.

EURO TOUR QUALIFYING STAGE 1

EUAN LITTLE AND BARRY HUME MAKE IT WITH EASE
BUT GRAHAM GORDON AND GRAEME LORNIE MISS OUT

Former Scottish amateur champion Graham Gordon from Aberdeen has said farewell for another year to his hopes of playing on the European Tour.
At Chart Hills Golf Club on Friday, on the last day of the First Qualifying Stage Section A of the Tour Qualifying School, Gordon missed out by one shot. He had rounds of 70, 68, 72 and 72 for a six-under-par total of 282 ... very good scoring but not quite good enough.
To make the cut for the Second Stage, you had to shoot seven-under-par or better for the 72 holes.
Graeme Lornie (Aspire Golf Centre) also failed to qualify at this venue . He had 69, 72, 73 and 72 for two-under-par 286.

Expectant father Francis McGuirk of England delivered a stylish four rounds of golf to seal victory in the First Qualifying Stage Section A of The European Tour Qualifying School.
The 32 year old produced scores of 65-68-68-66 to finish 21 under par at Chart Hills, four strokes ahead of his nearest challenger, fellow Englishman James Ruebotham.
The EuroPro Tour player estimates he has made ten appearances at The European Tour Qualifying School without ever making it past the Second Qualifying Stage, a statistic he hopes to right when he heads to Spain for four more rounds at the beginning of November.
In total, 92 players made it through from the three Section A courses and will take their places in the Second Qualifying Round at four Spanish venues from November 1 to 4.
From there it is on to the Final Q School at San Roque, also in Spain, from November 9 to 14.
Thirty-three progressed from Chart Hills where the cut came at seven under par, while at The Oxfordshire 31 made it through on two under or better.
England’s David Porter led from the first round to the last at The Oxfordshire after opening his Q. School account with a 64, eight under par.
He followed this up with rounds of 67-69-70 for a winning total of 18 under par 270, one better than Scotland’s Euan Little, twice a winner on the Challenge Tour at the 2003 Telia Grand Prix and the 2001 Segura Viudas Challenge de España.
In third place, on 14 under par, was former Scottish amateur hampion Barry Hume, while Seve Ballesteros’s nephew Raul Ballesteros successfully made it through on ten under par.
A total of 28 players progressed from the par 71 Arlandastad Golf Club in Sweden, where scoring proved very tough. After 72 holes the winning total was level par 280 achieved by Austrian Martin Wiegele.
Alfonso Gutierrez of Spain, the overnight leader, closed with a two over par round of 73 to finish in second place on one over.


The leading qualifiers at The Oxfordshire were:
270 David Porter (Eng) 64 67 69 70.
271 Euan Little (Sco) 69 69 65 68.
274 Barry Hume (Sco) 67 70 65 72.
Other Scots qualifiers at this venue:

281 (am) Scott Jamieson 70 69 69 73 (jt 13th).
283 Paul Doherty 71 69 72 71 (jt 17th).

Non-qualifiers (287 and over) included:
293 Callum Nicoll 74 73 72 74.
294 Mark Loftus 74 75 70 75.

At Chart Hills, the leading qualifiers were:
287 Francis McGuirk (Eng) 65 68 68 66.
271 James Ruebotham (Eng) 68 67 65 71.
272 Nick Jones (US) 69 68 67 68.
274 Paul McKechnie (Sco) 68 67 70 69.
Scottish non-qualifiers:
282 Graham Gordon 70 68 72 72 .
286 Graeme Lornie 69 72 73 72.

WOMEN'S HOME INTERNATIONALS

TITLE FOR ENGLAND - WOODEN SPOON FOR SCOTS

England have won the women’s home golf internationals title for the second year in a row and the fifth time in the past seven years.
They recovered from a 2-1 deficit in the final morning’s foursomes at Frilford Heath Golf Club to engulf Wales 5-1 in the singles for an overall 6-3 victory. England had already beaten Ireland and Scotland.
England had the “player of the tournament” – Kerry Smith who gained more points than any other – 5pt out of six.
Ireland beat Scotland 6-3 in the other match, which meant that the Scots, who have not won the title since 1991, finished at the bottom of the table.
Scotland’s most prolific points-earners were Heather MacRae (Dunblane New) and 15-year-old Sally Watson from South Queensferry, now on her way back to the David Leadbetter Golf Academy in Bradenton, Florida.
Both Heather and Sally gained 3pt.
Next year’s home internationals will be staged at Dunbar Golf Club.

Details:

IRELAND 6, SCOTLAND 3
Foursomes: T Mangan & M Gillen bt H MacRae & S Watson 1 hole, D McVeigh & M Dunne lost to J Wilson & M Pow 3 and 1, D Smith & M Morrin bt Louise Kennedy & K Caithenss 2 and 1 (2-1).
Singles: Mangan bt MacRae 1 hole, C Coughlan bt Wilson 5 and 4, Gillen bt Kenney 5 and 4, Morrin bt S Bishop 4 and 2, McVeigh lost to Pow 1 hole, Smith lost to Watson 5 and 4 (4-2).
ENGLAND 6, WALES 3
Foursomes: R Bell & N Edwards lost to B Loucks & S Hassan 2 and 1, E Bennett & M Reid lost to T Davies & R Harries 1 hole, K Smith & S Walker bt J Nicolson & Evans 4 and 2 (1-2).
Singles: Smith bt Evans 1 hole, Bell bt Loucks 3 and 2, Reid bt Hassan 2 and 1, Bennett lost to Davies, Edwards bt Harries 2 holes, F Johnston bt Nicolson 4 and 3 (5-1).


FINAL TABLE

P W D L F A Pts
England 3 3 0 0 16 ½ 10 ½ 3
Ireland 3 1 1 0 14 13 1 ½
Wales 3 1 1 0 12 ½ 14 ½ 1 ½
Scotland 3 0 0 3 11 16 0


PLAYERS’ RECORDS

SCOTLAND
Heather MacRae 3pt
Sally Watson 3pt
Martine Pow 2pt
Jenna Wilson 2pt
Louise Kenney 2pt
Krystle Caithness 1pt
Sara Bishop 0pt
Roseanne Niven 0pt
ENGLAND
Kerry Smith 5pt
Rachel Bell 4pt
Melissa Reid 4pt
Sophie Walker 3pt
Naomi Edwards 3pt
Felicity Johnson 2pt
Liz Bennett 1 1/2pt
Florentyna Parker 1/2 pt
WALES
Tara Davies 4pt
Breanne Loucks 3 ½ pt
Sahra Hassan 3 ½ pt
Rebecca Harries 3pt
Jo Nicolson 1pt
Katherine O’Connor 1pt
Stephanie Evans 1pt
IRELAND
Deirdrie Smith 4 1/2 pt
Maura Morrin 4 1/2 pt
Tricia Mangan 3 1/2 pt
Martina Gillen 3pt
Claire Coughlan 1 1/2 pt
Danielle McVeigh 1pt
Maria Dunne 1pt
Naomh Kitching 0pt

CHALLENGE TOUR

FOX OPENS WITH 70 IN FRANCE

Graham Fox from West Kilbrdie shot an opening round of one-under-par 7o in the Challenge Tour event, Open des Volcans at Golf des Volcans in France.
Four players shared the lead on 67.

Leading first round scores:
67 Sion E Bebb (Wal), Julien Foret (Fra), Martin Kaymer (Ger), Hernan Rey (Arg)
68 Olivier David (Fra), Sam Walker (Eng)
69 Michael Lorenzo-Vera (Fra), Michiel Bothma (RSA), Carlos Del Moral (Esp), Raphaël Eyraud (Fra)
70 Jean Louis Roman (Fra), Graham Fox (Sco), Fabien Marty (Fra), Mark Pilkington (Wal), Alvaro Quiros (Esp), Jean Hugo (RSA), Cédric Menut (Fra), Magnus Persson (Swe), Guillaume Mallet (Fra), Kasper Linnet Jorgensen (Den), Jorge Benedetti (Col), Birgir Hafthorsson (Isl), Marco Soffietti (Ita)
71 Oskar Bergman (Swe), Jamie Little (Eng), Nicolas Beaufils (Fra), Nicolas Joakimides (Fra), Thomas Feyrsinger (Aut), Kyron Sullivan (Wal), Christian Reimbold (Ger), Nicolas Vanhootegem (Bel), Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (Fra), Georges Plumet (Fra), Dominique Nouailhac (Fra), Laurent Pargade (Fra), Juan Abbate (Arg), Jean Marc De Polo (Fra), Gareth Davies (Eng), Chris Gane (Eng), Peter Jespersen (Den), Van Phillips (Eng)
72 Jeppe Huldahl (Den), Julien Quesne (Fra), Michael Mcgeady (Irl), Ilya Goroneskoul (Fra), Luis Claverie (Esp), Renaud Guillard (Fra), Julien Van Hauwe (Fra), Stuart Manley (Wal), Gary Lockerbie (Eng), Magnus A Carlsson (Swe), Younes El Hassani (Mar), Kalle Brink (Swe), Anders Schmidt Hansen (Den), James Heath (Eng), Alessandro Napoleoni (Ita), Denny Lucas (Eng), Ben Mason (Eng), Chris Doak (Sco), Raphaël De Sousa (Sui), Andrea Maestroni (Ita), Ben Willman (Eng), Jean-Nicolas Billot (Fra), Alexandre Kaleka (Am) (Fra), Bertrand Noel (Am) (Fra), Rémi Dupuis (am) (Fra)

UNITED STATES COLLEGE NEWS

LINDSAY’S TRIPLE TIE IN IOWA COLLEGE GOLF

Banchory exile Adam Lindsay, a second-year student at the Iowa Wesleyan University, figured in a triple tie for first place in a field of 42 for the Waldorf Invitational men’s college golf tournament at Bear Creek golf course in Forest City, Iowa
Adam had a round of two-over-par 73 which was matched by another Iowa Wesleyan team member, James Lennox from England, and Andrew Cullen (North Iowa University).
Iowa Wesleyan won the team event by 17 strokes.

WORLD AMATEUR RANKINGS

US CHAMPION RICHIE RAMSAY STILL NO 1

This week’s unofficial world men’s amateur golf rankings are:

1 Richie Ramsay (Sco) 1181.08, 2 Ross McGowan (Eng) 1168.75, 3 Jamie Moul (Eng) 1162.79, 4 Pablo Martin (Spa) 1154.76, 5 Rory McIlroy (Ire) 11.38.30, 6 Oliver Fisher (Eng) 1128.00, 7 Adam Gee (Eng) 1123.08, 8 Won Joon Lee (Aus) 1101.11, 9 Webb Simpson (US) 1061.90, 10 Gary Wolstenholme (Eng) 104.5.16.
11 Nigel Edwards (Wal) 1044.75, 12 Jonathan Moore (US) 1037.78, 13 Rhys Davies (Wal) 1035.71, 14 Bronson LaCassie (Aus) 1027.91, 15 Mitchell Brown (Aus) 1015.07, 16 Chris Kirk (US) 1015.00; 17 Anthony Kim (US) 1012.50, 18 Stephen Dartnall (Aus) 996.77, 19 Julien Guerrier (Fra) 992.86, 20 Dawie van der Walt (SAf) 989.47.
Other Scottish rankings:
21 Scott Jamieson 975.00; 24 28 George Murray 936.00; 51 Lloyd Saltman 857.14; 56 Paul O’Hara 840.91; 83 Callum Macaulay 781.25; 87 John Gallagher 774.55; 109 Scott Henry 745.45; 114 Jonathan King 742.86; 118 Keir McNicoll 7834.38; 119 Bryan Fotheringham 732.00; 120 Elliot Saltman 726.42; 124 Mark Kerr 709.52, 125 Craig Watson 706.67; 128 Glenn Campbell 704.08; 158 Steven McEwan 650.00; 172 Duncan Stewart 628.13; 174 Iain Colquhoun 625.00; 180 Wallace Booth 615.63; 187 Gavin Dear 603.13; 195 Robert McKnight 595.12; 227 Kevin McAlpine 534.38; 230 Jordan Findlay 529.73.

*The world rankings, based on weekly tournament results from around the world, are being calculated on a trial basis by R&A staff man David Moir, who is also vice-president of the Scottish Golf Union.

WOMEN'S HOME INTERNATIONALS

ENGLAND v WALES FOR TITLE

England, with two wins out of two this week at Frilford Heath, meet Wales on Friday's final programme with the destination of the women's home internationals title at stake.
England beat Scotland only 5-4 after leading 3-0 at the end of the rain-interrupted morning foursomes (the greens flooded and play had to be suspended for 45min).
Scotland found their form after lunch to take the singles 4-2 but it was not enough to wipe out the morning "whitewash."
Wales also won their singles 4-2 against Ireland but, having taken half a point from the morning foursomes, that was enough to earn them a 4 1/2-4 1/2 draw with the Irish.
+For a fuller report and all the match details, log on to our sister website, www.kirkwoodgolf.co.uk

EUROPEAN TOUR QUALIFYING

NEIL MITCHELL IS THE ODD MAN OUT

A total of 203 players survived the cut to make it through to the last round at The European Tour Qualifying School First Qualifying Stage Section A at three venues.

At the Oxfordshire, all the Scots with the exception of Aberdonian Neil Mitchell made it. He had 75, 763 and 75 for 223 and a share of 84th place.
Callum Nicoll and Mark Loftus in joint 60th place on 219 qualified as did Barry Hume, Euan Little, Scott Jamieson and Paul Doherty.
At Chart Hills, Graham Gordon qualified in joint 26th place with 760, 68 and 72 for six-under 210.
Graeme Lornie (Aspire Golf Centre) made it in joint 53rd place on 214 with 69, 73 and 73.

SOME SCORES

THE OXFORDSHIRE
LEADERS:
200 David Porter (Eng) 64 67 69.
202 Barry Hume (Sco) 69 70 65.
203 Euan Little 69 69 65.
206 Didier De Vooght (Bel) 70 66 70, Ross McGowan (Eng) (am) 68 70 68.
Also:
208 Scott Jamieson (Sco) (am) 70 69 69 (jt 8th).
212 Paul Doherty (Sco) 71 69 72 (jt 19th).
219 Callum Nicoll (Sco) 74 73 72, Mark Loftus (Sco) 74 75 70 (jt 60th).
NON-QUALIFIER
223 Neil Mitchell (Sco) 75 73 75 (jt 84th).

CHART HILLS
LEADERS
200 James Ruebotham (Eng) 68 67 65.
201 Frances McGuirk (Eng) 75 68 68.
203 Adam Gee (Eng) (am) 66 67 70.
Also:
210 Graham Gordon (Sco) 70 68 72 (jt 26th).
214 Graeme Lornie (Sco) 69 72 73 (jt 53rd)

McDONALD'S DOUBLE WHAMMY

INTER-CLUB FINALS AT BANFF

McDonald Golf Club, Ellon won two of the three inter-club tournament finals staged by Duff House Royal.
Results:
MEN - Abercromby Cup - Fraserburgh 4 1/2 Elgin 3 1/2
WOMEN - Robertson Challenge Cup - McDonald 6 Kemnay 2
JUNIORS - Felicity Trophy - McDonald 5 Peterhead 3

GREAT CLIMAX AT DUNDONALD LINKS

SAM SWOOPS WITH RECORD 65 TO WIN
DUKE OF YORK TROPHY
- CARLY FINISHES TWO CLEAR OF GIRLS' FIELD
England boys’ team captain Sam Hutsby staged birdie blitz to slash five shots off the Dundonald course record with a brilliant final round of seven-under-par 65 and win The Duke of York Young Champions’ Trophy tournament over the Ayrshire links today.
Picture shows Sam Hutsby and Carly Booth flanking HRH Prince Andrew.
Hutsby, 18, from Lee on Solent Golf Club, Hampshire, has thus started and almost finished the season with two outstanding victories. Back in the spring he won the Spanish open amateur title by whipping the then US amateur champion, Edoardo Molinari (Italy) by 7 and 6 in the final.
Now, Sam has beaten a field of 42 national under-18 champions from all over Europe and South Africa with a level par aggregate of 216. His earlier rounds were 72 and 79.
Hutsby, who started the final round five shots off the pace with seven players ahead of him, came storming through the field in a steady drizzle that slowed the pace of the greens down to his liking.
“I prefer putting on soft, wet greens and don’t mind at all playing in the rain,” said Sam. “But I didn’t realise I was playing that well. I had no idea I had birdied six of the last seven holes until I checked my scorecard at the end.”
Prince Andrew watched Hutsby play the last few holes and went on to the 18th green to congratulate Sam after he had finished with a birdie for an inward half of five-under-par 31.
“Sam was completely focused on his game. It was a terrific performance,” he said.
Hutsby, a full-time amateur who will be 18 next month, birdied the fourth, fifth, 12th, 13th, 14th , 16th (where he holed a bunker shot), 17th and 18th. Unbelievably in such a brilliant round, he did have a bogey – at the 15th where he missed a short putt.
Very few competitions have been played over the Dundonald links. The previous lowest score was a 70 in the qualifying rounds of the British senior open amateur championship.
Sam won by two strokes from Marc Dobias (Switzerland) and Robin Wingardh (Sweden).
Scottish boys’ match-play champion James White from Lundin started the final day sharing the lead but saw his chances disappear when he required 42 shots – six over par – for the front nine.
He got his game together after that to come home in two-under-par 34 for a 76 for a total of 222 and fifth place.
“I had a double bogey 7 at the fifth and also bogeyed the sixth and seventh. That ruined it for me,” said James.
Carly Booth, 14-year-old Comrie girl who flew back from Florida and the David Leadbetter Golf Academy to play in this event and next week’s Junior Ryder Cup, won the girls’ event by four shots with scores of 73, 77 and 73 for 223. She was placed sixth overall.
Scottish boys’ stroke-play champion Shaun McAllister (Craigielaw), partnered title-winner Hutsby over the final round, finishing with 76, 76 and 74 for 226 and 11th place overall.



THURSDAY SCOREBOARD

THE DUKE OF YORK YOUNG CHAMPIONS’ TROPHY
Dundonald Golf Club, Gailes, Ayrshire
FINAL TOTALS

BOYS (Par 72)
216 S Hutsby (Eng) 72 79 65.
218 M Dobias (Swi) 72 76 70, R Wingardh (Swe) 71 75 72.
221 M Veijlainen (Fin) 76 72 73.
222 J White (Sco) 72 74 76.
223 X Feyaerts (Bel) 71 76 76.
224 T Weiler (Ger) 73 76 75
225 M Mayhauser (Aut) 77 77 71, X Puig (Spa) 75 76 74.
226 S McAllister (Sco) 76 76 74.
227 D Wright (Eng) 76 81 70.
228 M Nixon (Eng) 71 78 79.
229 R West (SAf) 77 74 78.
230 A Runcie (Wal) 76 79 75.
233 N Rasmussen (Den) 75 82 76.
235 T Gurses (Tur) 73 85 77.
237 T Gornik (Slovenia) 74 85 78, L Goddard (Eng) 78 80 79.
240 P Kaiser (Nor) 77 81 82.
241 R Nechanicky (Cze) 78 88 75, B Gudmundsson (Ice) 74 79 88.
244 F Le Goff (Fra) 79 81 84.
245 L Scotto (Ita) 79 87 79, S Healey (Ire) 80 82 83.
251 P Pohi (Est) 82 87 82.
253 H Karas (Lux) 76 94 83.

GIRLS (Par 72)
223 C Booth (Sco) 73 77 73.
227 M Smit (SAfr) 74 79 74.
230 S Monberg (Den) 79 78 73.
232 M Duff (Swe) 75 81 76, C Wolf (Aut) 73 79 80
233 R Jennings (Eng) 78 81 74.
234 L Gonzalez (Bel) 75 83 76, K Ruzikova (Cze) 73 81 80, S Hausladen (Ger) 73 79 82.
240 F Vuignier (Swi) 79 87 74.
241 G Molinaro (Ita) 76 81 84.
243 L Henriksson (Fin) 86 82 75.
245 C Aasheim (Nor) 85 81 79.
250 V Jonsdottir (Ice) 76 97 77.
253 A Theunis (Lux) 85 83 85.
259 C Thuault (Fra) 86 88 85.

+The Duke of York Young Champions’ Trophy is won by the player (boy or girl) with the lowest three-round total.

BELHAVEN BEST HANDICAP CHAMPION

MORAYSHIRE MAN WINS AT THE
DUKE'S - BUT ONLY JUST!

Morayshire golfer John Dawson, 41-year-old member of the Hopeman club, won the Belhaven Best Scottish Club Handicap individual championship over The Duke’s Course, St Andrews on Wednesday.
John, who has cut his handicap from 26 to 19 this season, finished up with 33 Stableford points – but won the title only on a comparison of the inward halves with Brian Williamson (Lothianburn). (John Dawson picture above, from the Scottish Golf Union website).
Brian also had 33 points but his inward half was “only” 17, compared with John’s 18.
Newmachar scratch player Martin Lawrence finished third with 32pt but will be rueing a double-bogey at the last hole for many a long day. That cost him the title.
LEADING POINTS TOTALS

1 John Dawson (Hopeman) 33 (bih 18)
2 Brian Williamson (Lothianburn) 33 (ih 17).
3 Martin Lawrence (Newmachar) 32.
4 Keith Thompson (Polmont), Robert Sharp (Milngavie) 31.
6 Lawrence Robinson (Banchory), Sandy Ferrari (Murcar Links) 30.
8 Jim Boyle (West lothian), Moray Watson (Baberton), William Kerr (Irvine Ravenspark), Hugh McHarg (New Cumnock) 29.
12 Alan Lee (Leven Thistle) 28.
13 Dave Burnside (Alyth), Gary Sword (Drumpellier) 27.
15 M J Morton (Downfield), Andrew Nunn (Huntly), Ernie Byers (NCR), Euan Forbes (Nairn Dunbar) 26.
19 Danny Gordon (Turnhouse) 25.
20 Stuart Lumsden (Glenrothes), Gordon Pirrit (Glenbervie), Robert Fostere (Culcrieff), Lindsay Hamilton (Murrayfield), Brian Carmichael (Lochmaben) 24.

EUROPEAN TOUR QUALIFYING

RAUL KEEPS BALLESTEROS NAME TO FORE

By STEVEN FRANKLIN, Press Officer, European Tour.
++Scroll down to find out how the Scots are faring.
It was a test that his famous uncle never had to undergo, but Raul Ballesteros is making a good fist of his first attempt at The European Tour Qualifying School.

The 25 year old Spaniard lies in a share of second place after two rounds at The Oxfordshire Golf Club, one of three venues in use for the First Qualifying Stage Section A.

After opening his account with a one under par 71, Ballesteros stormed through the 103-man field on Wednesday with a round of 65 to move on to eight under par.
Son of the eldest of the Ballesteros professional golfing brothers Baldomero, Raul proved earlier in the year that he was capable of low scoring bursts at the Andalucia Open de España Valle Romano on The European Tour.

He raced four strokes ahead of the first round field at San Roque Club in April, only to drop three shots at the last two holes to end on six under par 66.
At the Chart Hills venue, Paul McKechnie is lying very hand on 135 (68-67) and a share of sixth place.
Aberdonian Graham Gordon is joint 15th with 70 and 68 for 138 but Graeme Lornie (Aspire Golf Centre) is down in a share of 40th place on 141 with 69 and 72, not bad scoring at all but the standard of play is so high.


At The Oxfordshire, Ballesteros finds himself alongside Belgium's Didier De Vooght and five shots behind the runaway leader David Porter of England, who added a 67 to his stunning first round 64.

Porter finished birdie-birdie-birdie in near darkness on Tuesday evening but ironically played the same three holes in one over par when faced with fine conditions on Wednesday.

At the Oxfordshire, Euan Little from Portpatrick is the top Scot in a share of fifth place on 138 with a pair of 69s.
Amateur Scott Jamieson is very well placed in joint ninth with 70 and 69 for 139 - one shot ahead of Paul Doherty who has had 71 and 69 for joint 13th place.
Callum Nicol is down in joint 59th place on 147 (74-73) while Aberdeen's Neil Mitchell is toiling in a share of 68th place with 75 and 73 for 148.
That's one shot ahead of Mark Loftus who has scored 74 and 74 for a share of 77th place.
The weather was not so pleasant at Chart Hills Golf Club, where thunder and lightning forced a suspension of play at 5.47pm. When they finally got finished the leaderboard featured three Englishmen at the top on 11 under par, the amateur Adam Gee, Francis McGuirk and Zane Scotland.

Two more Englishmen, Sean Whiffin and Matthew Richardson, were next on ten under after all three leading players had enjoyed rounds of four under par 68.

Birdies remained much harder to come by at the par 70 Arlandastad Golf Club in Sweden, where the leading score is two under par. Jakob Berlin is the man on that mark after the Swede added a 70 to his opening round of 68.

In second place on one under par is Victor M Fernandez of Spain following his 69, while among the group on level par 140 is Norwegian Eirik Tage Johansen who had the best round of the tournament so far, a 66.

Swede Tony Edlund, who had shared the overnight lead with Berlin, dropped back after a 76.

There will be a cut after Thursday’s third round with the final 18 holes played on Friday, after which the total progressing to the Second Qualifying Stage is broken down as follows:

Arlandastad Golf Club, Sweden (25 and ties)

Chart Hills Golf Club, England (31 and ties)
HOW THEY STAND
133 Adam Gee (Eng) 66 67, Francis McGuirk (Eng) 65 68, Zane Scotland (Sco) 66 67.
Scots scores:
135 Paul McKechnie 68 67 (jt 6th).
138 Graham Gordon 70 68 (jt 15th).
140 Graeme Lornie 69 72 (jt 40th).

The Oxfordshire Golf Club, England (29 and ties)
HOW THEY STAND
131 David Porter (Eng) 64 67.
136 Raul Ballesteros (Spa) 71 65, Didier Vooght (Bel) 70 66.
Scots scores:
138 Euan Little 69 69 (jt 5th).
139 Scott Jamieson 70 69 (jt 9th).
140 Paul Doherty 71 69 (jt 13th).
147 Callum Nicoll 74 73 (jt 59th).
148 Neil Mitchell 75 73 (jt 68th).
149 Mark Loftus 74 75 (jt 77th).

WOMEN'S HOME INTERNATIONALS

SCOTS LOSE TO WALES, ENGLAND BEAT IRELAND

Scotland lost 5-4 to Wales and England beat Ireland 5 1/2-3 1/2 on the opening day of the women's home internationals at Frilford Heath GC, Oxfordshire.
You can read the report and the match details by logging on to our sister website, www.kirkwoodgolf.co.uk

SCOTS TO FORE IN DUKE OF YORK TROPHY

JAMES WHITE SHARES OVERALL LEAD AND
CARLY BOOTH IS TWO AHEAD IN GIRLS' SECTION
Let’s not warm up the bagpipes yet … but a Scottish double whammy is a distinct possibility as The Duke of York Young Champions’ Trophy tournament enters its third and final round on Thursday at the Dundonald links at Gailes in Ayrshire.
James White, the Scottish boys’ match-play champion from Lundin Golf Club in Fife, shares the overall lead on 146 while Carly Booth from Comrie leads the girls’ section by two shots on 150.
A strong south-westerly wind gave Dundonald a set of teeth it didn’t have on the opening day when the invited field of 42 of the best Under-18 golfers in Europe basked in perfect scoring conditions.
On Wednesday, there were horror stories galore of scorecards strewn with 8s and 9s as some players who had scored in the mid-70s on the first day were blown away to returns in the 90s.
Scottish boys’ stroke-play champion Shaun McAllister, in 11th place on 152 with a pair of 76s, thought it was a “three-club” wind, i.e a shot that required only an eight-iron in the first round had been transformed into a more testing five-iron into the teeth of the wind.
James White, son of a former Tartan Tour pro, went as far as to say that he thought that at some holes, there was a four-club difference between the two rounds.
“I had to use a six-iron to hit an approach 105 yards into the wind at the fifth,” said James who was not all that pleased with his 74 for a two-over-par tally, the same as Sweden’s Robin Wingardh (71-75).
“I was level par at the turn, having birdied the fifth and eighth but bogeyed the sixth and seventh. Then I had an untidy start to the inward half with bogeys at the 10th, 11th and 12th.
“I got a birdie at the 13th but dropped another shot at the sixth and really was a bit lucky to get a birdie at the last. It’s a long hole but downwind today and I had a terrible drive. I could only hack out of the rough but was able to hit the green with a seven-iron and hole a good putt.”
Carly Booth, who has flown back from the David Leadbetter Golf Academy in Florida, to play in this event and next week’s Junior Ryder Cup, looked as if she did not know whether to laugh or cry after handing in a card for a 77 which put her two shots ahead of the girls’ field.
“I just felt I had no control over the ball in a wind like that,” said Carly, only 14 years but worldly-wise in golfing terms.
“I didn’t enjoy myself at all. I wasted more shots on the second nine than I did on the first. I three-putted the third, ninth, 12th and 14th. I found it really difficult to judge how hard to hit the putts.

SHORT PUTTS FROM DUNDONALD

Monique Smith, the South African girl, who achieved a 74 with borrowed clubs on Tuesday, was reunited with her own clubs which had gone missing in transit. Result? A 79 for 153. Maybe she will be looking for those borrowed clubs again for the final round!
English girls champion Rachel Jennings had a triple bogey 8 at the 18th, and a double bogey at the short 11th in an inward half of 43 for an 81 and 159.
British boys champion Matthew Nixon from Lancashire slipped back from a share of the lead on 71 to a 78 for 149.
He had a triple bogey 7 at the seventh and double-bogey 6s at the ninth and 10th in halves of 41 and 37.
Matthew highlighted his inward half with an eagle 3 at the 14th.


LEADING TEE TIMES FOR FINAL ROUND

10.00 Shaun McAllister & Sam Hutsby
10.10 Xavi Puig & Rhys West.
10.20 Carly Booth & Matthew Nixon.
10.30 Thomas Weiler & Marc Dobias.
10.40 Miro Veijlainen & Xavier Feyaerts.
10.50 Robin Wingardh & James White.

DUKE OF YORK DAY TWO SCOREBOARD

THE DUKE OF YORK YOUNG CHAMPIONS’ TROPHY
Dundonald links, Gailes, Ayrshire.

SECOND-R0UND SCORES

BOYS (Par 72)
146 J White (Sco) 72 74, R Wingardh (Swe) 71 75.
147 X Feyaerts (Bel) 71 76.
148 M Veijalainen (Fin) 76 72, M Dobias (Swi) 72 76.
149 T Weiler (Ger) 73 76, M Nixon (Eng) 71 78.
151 R West (SAf) 77 74, X Puig (Spa) 75 76, S Hutsby (Eng) 72 79.
152 S McAllister (Sco) 76 76.
153 B Gudmundsson (Ice) 74 79.
154 M Mayrhauser (Aut) 77 77.
155 A Runcie (Wal) 76 79.
157 D Wright (Eng) 76 81, N Rasmussen (Den) 75 82.
158 L Goddard (Eng) 78 80, P Kaiser (Nor) 77 81, T Gurses (Tur) 73 85.
159 T Gornik (Slovenia) 74 85.
160 F Le Goff (Fra) 79 81.
162 S Healy (Ire) 80 82.
166 L Scotto (Italy) 79 87, R Nechanicky (Cze) 78 88.
168 P Pohi (Est) 82 87.
170 H Karas (Lux) 76 94.


GIRLS (Par 72)
150 C Booth (Sco) 73 77.
152 S Hausladen (Ger) 73 79, C Wolf (Aut) 73 79.
153 M Smit (SAf) 74 79.
154 K Ruzickova (Cze) 73 81.
156 M Duf (Swe) 75 81.
157 S Monberg (Den) 79 78, G Molinaro (Ita) 76 81.
158 L Gonzalez (Bel) 75 83.
159 R Jennings (Eng) 78 81.
166 C Aasheim (Nor) 85 81, F Vuignier (Swi) 79 87.
168 L Henriksson (Fin) 86 82, A Theunis (Lux) 85 83.
173 V Jonsdottir (Ice) 76 97.
174 C Thuault (Fra) 86 88.

+The player with the lowest three-round total, whether a boy or girl, will win the trophy.

NORTH-EAST ALLIANCE

GRAEME McINNES (62) WINS AT BRAEMAR

Murcar Links tour professional Graeme McInnes set the North-east Alliance 2006-2007 season rolling with a sparkling three-under-par round of 62 to win the Braemar meeting by three shots.
He covered the outward half in only 30 strokes, thanks to birdies at the third and ninth, and then birdied the 13th, 14th and 18th in 32 home, which included bogeys at the 10th and 17th.
Paul Cormack (Inchmarlo Golf Centre) and Kemnay pro Ronnie McDonald were joint runners-up on 65.

Leading scores:

SCRATCH
62 G McInnes (Murcar Links).
65 P Cormack (Inchmarlo), R McDonald (Kemnay).
66 S Finnie (Caledonian), I D Smith (Hazlehead).
67 A Campbell (Deeside), W Main (Murcar Links), B Ritchie (Inverallochy), D Leighton (Murcar Links)
68 G Esson (Portlethen), R Stewart (Cruden Bay), R Nicoll (Murcar Links), G Bruce (Westhill).
69 C Nelson (Mackenzie Shop), G Gray (Deeside), S Davidson (Banchory), R Hyland (Newmachar), S Chalmers (Banchory), B Urquhart (Murcar Links), C Clark (Mackenzie Shop), P Lovie (Inchmarlo).

HANDICAP

Class 1 – D Leighton (Murcar Links) (6) 61; I D Smith (Hazlehead) (4) 62; B Nicoll (Murcar Links) (5), G Gray (Deeside), J Kinsella (Braemar) (8) 63.

Class 2 – P Cornfield (Auchmill) (11) 64; L Rodger (Royal Aberdeen) (10), D Randall (Banchory) (14), G Travis (Auchmill) (16) 65; G Leslie (Newburgh) (11), M Kidd (Newburgh) (12) 66.

Next Wednesday’s competition is at Kemnay.

THE DUKE OF YORK YOUNG CHAMPIONS

WIND MAKES IT TOUGH FOR YOUNGSTERS
AT DUNDONALD LINKS
A strong south-westerly wind made it a completely different ball game for the 42 competitors in the second round of The Duke of York Young Champions' Trophy tournament over the new Dundonald links at Gailes in north Ayrshire today.
Scottish boys' stroke-play champion Shaun McAllister from Craigielaw reckoned it was a "three-club" wind, i.e. at the holes played into the wind, a player could be playing a five-iron where they were taking an eight-iron in the wind-free conditions of the opening day.
So Shaun was quite pleased to have a second round 76, considering he had the same score on Tuesday.
McAllister had a pair of birdie 2s on his scorecard but the highlight was an eagle 3 at the 540yd 14th.
There were some nightmare stories, particularly among the girls, but some boys coped admirably with the much tougher conditions.
Miro Veijalainen from Finland, for instance, shot a splendid, par-matching 72 to take the clubhouse lead on 148. Despite the swirling wind, he covered the inward nine holes with eight pars and a birdie at the long 14th.


SECOND-R0UND SCORES

BOYS (Par 72)
148 M Veijalainen (Fin) 76 72.
151 R West (SAf) 77 74.
152 S McAllister (Sco) 76 76.
154 M Mayrhauser (Aut) 77 77.
155 A Runcie (Wal) 76 79.
157 D Wright (Eng) 76 81.
158 L Goddard (Eng) 78 80, P Kaiser (Nor) 77 81.
160 F Le Goff (Fra) 79 81.
162 S Healy (Ire) 80 82.
166 L Scotto (Italy) 79 87, R Nechanicky (Cze) 78 88.
168 P Pohi (Est) 82 87.
170 H Karas (Lux) 76 94.


GIRLS (Par 72)
156 M Duf (Swe) 75 81.
157 S Monberg (Den) 79 78, G Molinaro (Ita) 76 81.
159 R Jennings (Eng) 78 81.
166 C Aasheim (Nor) 85 81, F Vuignier (Swi) 79 87.
168 L Henriksson (Fin) 86 82, A Theunis (Lux) 85 83.
173 V Jonsdottir (Ice) 76 97.
174 C Thuault (Fra) 86 88.

ENGLAND NAME EISENHOWER TRIO

McGOWAN, MOUL, FISHER FOR SOUTH AFRICA

The English Golf Union today named native champion Ross McGowan, Walker Cup teenager Oliver Fisher and Jamie Moul to be England's representatives in the men's world amateur team championship for the Eisenhower Trophy, to be played at De Zalze and Stellenbosch golf clubs from October 26 to 29.

BADER CUP MIXED FOURSOMES

SCOTTISH COUPLES QUALIFY FOR
PORTUGAL GRAND FINAL


Callander couple Steven Fraser, who plays off one, and Elizabeth Morgan, a 22-handicapper, won the 12th and last area qualifying tournament for the Bader Cup mixed foursomes tournament.
They had a Stableford points score of 44 – one point ahead of runners-up Eric Dalgleish (3) and Gillian Lovety (handicap 30), both from Old Ranfurly Golf Club.
Both pairings go forward to the Grand Final at Morgado Golf Club on Portugal’s Algarve in November.

SCOTTISH GOLF UNION ORDER OF MERIT

GREAT SCOTT CAN'T BE CAUGHT

Scott Jamieson (Cathkin Braes) has an unassailable lead at the top of the 2006 Scottish Golf Union Order of Merit, sponsored by Polaris World Property.
Positions after the Newlands Trophy and with only the South-east District Open championship to come:

1 Scott Jamieson (Cathkin Braes) 615.80.
2 Keir McNicoll (Carnoustie) 485.
3 George Murray (Earlsferry Thistle) 472.50.
4 Kevin McAlpine (Alyth) 470.
5 Callum Macaulay (Tulliallan) 452.50.
6 John Gallagher (Swanston) 447.50.
7 Glenn Campbell (Blairgowrie) 439.10.
8 Elliot Saltman (Craigielaw) 435.80.
9 Steven McEwan (Barassie) 426.25.
10 Paul O’Hara (Colville Park) 390.80.