R&A LATEST MEN'S WORLD AMATEUR RANKINGS

RICHIE RAMSAY WORLD NO 1
FOR 20th WEEK IN A ROW

Royal Aberdeen's Richie Ramsay, pictured right, remains the world No 1 male amateur for the 20th week in a row since his triumph in the United States amateur championships.

The only other Scot in the leading 50 in the latest R&A world amateur golf rankings is Richie's Walker Cup foursomes partner, Lloyd Saltman (Craigielaw) in 44th place.

Paul O'Hara (Colville Park) is the next highest ranked Scot in 51st position.

In the following list, we give you the complete top 20; then the British & Irish players ranked in the top 100, followed by the Scots listed in the top 500.

1 Richie Ramsay (Sco) 1153.66
2 Rory McIlroy (Ire) 1120.83
3 Jamie Moul (Eng) 1117.02
4 Pablo Martin (Spa) 1105.77
5 Kyung Tae Kim (Kor) 1046.88
6 Rhys Davies (Wal) 1044.23
7 Chris Kirk (US)1034.00
8 Nigel Edwards (Wal) 1026.09
9 Webb Simpson (US) 1020.41
10 Billy Horschel (US) 1013.46
11 Gary Wolstenholme (Eng) 1001.69
12 JBE Kruger (SAf) 980.70
13 Bronson LaCassie (Aus)974.58
14 Jonathan Moore (US) 972.41
15 Julien Guerrier (Fra) 963.04
16 Seve Benson (Eng) 944.74
17 Johan Carlsson (Swe) 930.30
18 Robert Riesen (US) 928.57
19 George Coetzee (SAf) 921.88
20 Dustin Johnson (US) 920.69
Other British and Irish rankings:
21 Jason Palmer ENG 37 913.51
23 Stephen Lewton ENG 41 912.20
32 David Horsey ENG 43 879.07
43 Ben Parker ENG 42 854.76
44 Lloyd Saltman SCO 50 854.00
51 Paul O'Hara SCO 44 840.91
59 Cennydd Mills WAL 47 821.28
62 Daniel Belch ENG 40 812.50
63 Erik Flores USA 57 810.53
66 Matthew Cryer ENG 57 805.26
69 John Gallagher SCO 55 801.82
70 Callum Macaulay SCO 39 800.00
73 Edward Richardson ENG 45 786.67
77 Ben Evans ENG 48 783.33
78 Gary Boyd ENG 26(32) 781.25
79 Llewellyn Matthews WAL 53 781.13
84 Duncan Stewart SCO 31(32) 775.00
87 Jamie Abbott ENG 40 767.50
96 Bryan Fotheringham SCO 50 752.00
97 Gareth Shaw IRE 46 750.00
Other Scots ranked in the top 500:
104 Jonathan King 742.86
107 Scott Henry 740.54
115 Keir Nicoll 734.38
119 Elliot Saltman 729.82.

129 Glenn Campbell 722.64
132 Wallace Booth 720.00
143 Mark Kerr 703.70
146 Craig Watson 702.04
200 Gavin Dear 631.25
203 Iain Colquhoun 625.00
204 Robert McKnight 622.22
213 Steven McEwan 610.42
223 Kevin McAlpine 600.00
238 Ross Kellett 581.25.

287 Jordan Findlay 507.50.

317 Lewis Kirton 456.25.
331 Philip McLean 460.63.
354 Stuart Wilson 415.63.
366 Russell Knox 402.13.
423 Bryan Innes 343.75.
461 Gordon Yates 312.50.
466 Allyn Dick 306.25.
475 Matthew Clark 300.00.
479 Stewart Elder 296.88.
483 James Byrne 296.88.
500 Sandy Twynholm 278.13.

ANY COMMENTS? E-mail colin@scottishgolfview.com

Canadian girl, Californian boy win Junior Orange Bowl titles

Junior Orange bowl champions Maude-Aimee LeBlanc (Canada) and Sihwan Kim (United States) pictured with Coral Gables mayor Don Slesnik (left) and commissioner Bill Kerdyk (right).

SALLY (jt 12th) HIGHEST PLACED
GB&I FINISHER IN FLORIDA

South Queensferry 15-year-old Sally Watson, beaten finalist in this year’s British girls’ championship, was the highest placed British and Irish finisher in the 43rd Junior Orange Bowl international golf championship over the Biltmore Hotel golf course on Anastasia Avenue in Coral Gables, Florida.
Sally, a student at the David Leadbetter Golf Academy at Bradenton, Florida, had rounds of 76, 72, 80 and 73 for a total of 301 over the par-72, 6,299yd Donald Ross-designed course.
She finished joint 12th in an invited field of 39 for girls’ championship which was won by French Canadian, Maude-Aimee LeBlanc from the quaintly named Ascot Corner, Quebec.
Maude-Aimee had established a potential winning lead after 54 holes so she was able to coast home by three shots with a total of 288, despite finishing with her worst round of the four, a birdie-less 76.
Miss LeBlanc, overcome with relief as she came off the 18th green, “Did I win, honestly? That's so great! It was a really tough struggle today, hard pins, the wind. I just kept telling myself that it was difficult for everyone, so keep on trying, every shot, every hole.

Maude-Aimee earlier revealed that she goes down to Florida from Canada for two months each year to practise at Fort Lauderdale. "That helps me with the Bermuda-grass greens here which we don't have at home," she said.
RACHEL MATCHES PAR
Rachel Connor, daughter of Manchester Golf Club’s Scottish-born professional Brian Connor, saved her best until last, matching the par of 72 in the fourth round with birdies at the first, ninth, 10th and 18th for a joint 19th finish on 306. Her earlier scores were 83, 74 and 77.
Another club professional’s daughter, Florentyna Parker (Royal Birkdale), a Curtis Cup reserve in the summer, had a disappointing tournament with scores of 77, 74, 80 and 78 for joint 24th place on 309. She had double bogeys at two short holes in her final round.
Irish girls champion Stephanie Meadow from Antrim, a student at the International Golf Academy on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, finished on a low note with an birdie-less 83 (38-45) for 26th place on 311 after earlier scores of 78, 76 and 74.
That closing round, which had a triple bogey 6 at the short 12th and a double bogey 6 at the 11th , dropped the Nick Faldo Junior Series girls champion down the field from the joint 15th place she held at the start of the last day.
Scottish Under-18 girls champion Roseanne Niven broke 80 for the first time in her last round with a 77 for 34th place on 324. She had a double bogey at the 10th but cancelled that out with an eagle 3 at the long 13th, which had to be her highlight of the 72 holes.
Her earlier scores were 83, 82 and 82. Roseanne will enrol on a four-year golf scholarship at the University of Berkeley, California in the New Year.
Sihwan Kim from Buena Park, California calmly sank an 8ft birdie putt on the 72nd hole to edge out pre-tournament favourite Peter Uihlein, a +3 player from Bradenton, Florida, to claim the boys’ title by a single stroke.
DIFFICULT CONDITIONS
Breezy conditions and tight pin positions made sub-par golf very difficult to achieve and it was 11 holes before Kim made a birdie, immediately followed by a bogey. Uihlein birdied his opening hole but he also gave one back at the second so with no charges from the rest of the field, the closing holes became a head-to-head battle.
Kim double-bogeyed the par-3 14th to give Uihlein a two-stoke advantage with four to play but thereafter Kim's tenacity was unmatchable. He birdied the tough par-5 15 th into the wind, followed up with another birdie putt to draw level at the 16th and then retook the lead at the 17th when Uihlein failed to save par.
Both birdied the par-5 final hole, Kim finished with scores of 71, 64, 68 and 70 for an 11-under-par total of 273 over the par-71, 6,766yd course.
Uihlein scored 75, 71, 67 and 71 for 274 and so was runner-up for the second year in a row. Last year it was England’s Ben Parker who finished ahead of him.
"I only hit six greens in regulation," Kim said , "but my putter saved the day. I knew it would be the toughest of the four rounds with the wind and the very fast greens, so I tried to stay patient, even after my double.”
Italy’s Andrea Pavan was the leading European player in joint fifth place on 281 with rounds of 70, 76, 66 and 69. He had the lowest tally over the final 36 holes.
LATE DOUBLE BOGEY
Darren Renwick, from Worthing, winner of the Scottish Under-16 open stroke-play title last year, was the top British player in a share of 23rd place on 294 with scores of 74, 76, 72 and 72. After birdies at the first, second and 13th, Darren was head for a sub-par score until he had a double-bogey at the 17th. A birdie at the 18th could not quite repair the damage.
Luke Goddard from Hendon birdied the third, 10th and 14th on his way to a final round of 70 to finish joint 35th with Cornwall-based Welshman Rhys Enoch on 297. Luke’s earlier scores were 78, 75 and 74.
Enoch had a double bogey at the 16th after birdies at the fourth, 12th and 15th in closing with a 75 after earlier rounds of 74, 75 and 73.
Spanish men’s international amateur champion Sam Hutsby from Lee on Solent, Hampshire, was in with a title chance after opening rounds of 74 and 69 but he fell away with a 79 and 77 to finish tied 37th on 299. He had a double bogey at the fifth in his final round.

JUNIOR ORANGE BOWL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Biltmore course, Coral Gables, Florida.
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
(Players from US unless stated)
BOYS (Par 274: 4 x 71)
273 S Kim 71 64 68 70.
274 P Uihlein 65 71 67 71.
277 J Hack 72 67 69 69.
280 M Hoffman 67 68 74 71.
281 A Pavan (Italy) 70 76 66 69, D Chung 70 71 70 70.
283 S Franky (Colombia) 73 66 74 70.
284 V Dubuisson (France) 71 70 74 69.
285 J Widmer (Cayman Islands) 75 67 72 71.
286 Minghao Wang 74 73 69 71.
288 P Figeuiredo (Portugal) 75 70 73 70.
289 S Einhaus (Germany) 76 70 72 71, T Mou (Taiwan) 74 69 76 70, P Westermann (Germany) 74 72 75 70, D Tamayo (Venezuela) 71 74 73 71.
Other European scores:
293 M Jedrzejczyk (Poland) 77 71 71 74 (jt 20th).
294 M Dobias (Switzerland) 77 71 72 74, X Feyaerts (Belgium) 78 76 70 70, R Wingardh (Sweden) 78 67 73 76, D Renwick (England) 74 76 72 72 (jt 23rd).
295 B Palanszki (Hungary) 74 74 74 73 (jt 28th).
297 L Goddard (England) 78 75 74 70, R Enoch (Wales) 74 75 73 75 (jt 35th).
299 S Hutsby (England) 74 69 79 77 (jt 37th).
303 C Suk (Czech Rep) 78 74 75 76 (jt 43rd).
309 J Vidmar (Slovenia) 81 80 70 78 (jt 51st).
315 R Huijsman (Netherlands) 83 78 77 77.
Disq – L Bierregard (Denmark) 83, 74.

GIRLS (Par 288: 4 x 72)
(Players from US unless stated)
288 M-A LeBlanc (Canada) 75 69 69 76.
291 V Hurst 76 68 73 74.
295 L Duncan 71 72 75 77, J Han (Korea) 79 73 74 69, J Korda (Czech Rep) 72 72 79 72, L McCloskey 74 75 71 75, J Shin 77 71 71 76.
297 A Thompson 78 74 73 71.
297 L Gonzalez-Escallon (Belgium) 72 73 72 80, T Wadawa 77 75 73 72.
298 I Lendl 74 74 74 76.
301 S Watson (Scotland) 76 72 80 73.
Other European scores:
304 T Koelbaek (Denmark) 75 79 77 73 (jt 15th).
305 I Boineau (France) 81 71 74 79 (18th).
306 R Connor (England) 83 74 77 72 (jt 19h).
308 C Lorentzen (Denmark) 76 77 76 79 (jt 22nd).
309 F Parker (England) 77 74 80 78 (jt 24th), A Gourmard (France) 77 78 77 77.
311 S Meadow (Ireland) 78 76 74 83 (26th).
314 M Causin (Italy) 79 80 79 76 (jt 29th).
324 R Niven (Scotland) 83 82 82 77 (34th).

LEADING FINAL TOTALS FROM
JUNIOR ORANGE BOWL
Join us again on Sunday morning for a full report and pictures from the last day of the Junior Orange Bowl golf championships over the Biltmore course, Coral Gables in Florida.
Here are the final results in brief:
BOYS (Par 284: 4 x 71)
1 - 273 (-11) Sihwan Kim (California) 71 64 68 70.
2 - 274 Peter Uihlein (Florida) 65 71 67 71.
3 - 277 Jhared Hack (Florida) 72 67 69 69.
British scores & placings:
Jt 23 - 294 Darren Renwick (England) 74 76 72 72.
Jt 35 - 297 Luke Goddard (England) 78 75 74 70.
Jt 35 - 297 Rhys Enoch (Wales) 74 75 73 75.
Jt 37 - 299 Sam Hutsby (England) 74 69 79 77.
GIRLS (Par 288: 4 x 72)
1 - 288 Maude-Aimee LeBlanc (Quebec) 75 69 69 76
2 - 291 Vicky Hurst (Florida) 76 68 73 74.
3 - 295 Lindy Duncan (Florida) 71 72 75 77.
3 - 295 Jungeun Han (Korea) 79 73 74 69.
3 - 295 Jessica Korda (Czech Rep) 72 72 79 72.
3 - 295 Lisa McCloskey (Texas) 74 75 71 75.
3 - 295 Jenny Shin (California) 77 71 71 76.
British & Irish scores & placings:
Jt 12 - 301 Sally Watson (Scotland) 76 72 80 73.
Jt 19 - 306 Rachel Connor (England) 83 74 77 72.
Jt 24 - 309 Florentyna Parker (England) 77 74 80 78.
Jt 26 - 311 Stephanie Meadow (Ireland) 78 76 74 83.
34 - 324 Roseanne Niven (Scotland) 83 82 82 77.

THE WAY THEY WERE ... APRIL, 1954

A flashback to the April 1954 issue of the “Golf Monthly” magazine – when it cost only one shilling and sixpence (7 ½ p in today’s currency). Double click on the image if you want to increase its size.

The cover caption says:

POWERFUL PERSONALITIES.
President Eisenhower, the American leader, has chosen golf as his recreation and pastime. Golf is honoured and his interest in it is further encouraging the game in America. “Ike” is pictured here with Ben Hogan (left) and Frank Leahy when at the Tamarisk Golf Club, Palm Springs.

Who Frank Leahy was and why he should be in such august company, goodness knows. If you know the answer, E-mail colin@scottishgolfview.com
It is a funny looking picture when you think about it. What is “Ike” doing with his hat for instance … and why does Frank Leahy think it is not funny at all?
No prizes, but if you can think of a humorous caption, we’ll publish it.

No wonder Ben Hogan’s laughing. The previous season (1953) he had won the US Masters, the US Open and the Open at Carnoustie.
Hogan was to win nine majors in all, three of them before the car crash that almost killed him and six after it.
It was said of Ben that he would practise and practise - and keep practising even when he became tired, so that he would know how tiredness would affect his game during a competitive round.
Colin Farquharson

ANY COMMENTS? E-mail them to colin@scottishgolfview.com

FIRST REPLY FROM ACE GOLF PHOTOGRAPHER TOM WARD:

"I'm pretty sure Frank Leahy was an American football coach."

Colin Farquharson writes:
Spot on, Tom. I've put the Google search on Frank Leahy and got the whole rundown on him. Born 1907. Died 1973. Played as tackle in very successful Notre Dame University grid-iron team under Knute Rockne, one of the legendary American football coaches. Frank Leahy later returned to become the Notre Dame head coach, abandoned the Knute Rockne style of tactics and led the team to six undefeated seasons, five national championships and a run of 39 games without defeat in the late 1940s.
In January, 1954 Leahy left the Notre Dame post after an internal rift with the newly appointed president of the university.
Which would explain why Frank is not smiling on the cover of "Golf Monthly" in April 1954. Firstly, he must still have been suffering withdrawal symptoms from his college coaching job. And he was obviously nervous about playing golf with Ben Hogan and President Eisenhower. Well, wouldn't you have been if American football was your forte?

IAN WOOSNAM AWARDED OBE

Winning Ryder Cup skipper Ian Woosnam has been "promoted" from MBE to OBE in the New Year's Honours list.
Woosnam said today: "When I got my MBE I almost missed it. Traffic problems meant we were late and if it wasn't for some guy on the gate recognising me and letting me in, I wouldn't have made it. I think this time we'll go down the night before!"
He added: "It's great. To have an MBE and to go up to an OBE is fantastic. I'm over the moon.
"The Ryder Cup was a fantastic event and is always going to be the pinnacle of my career, but to get an honour like this on top of it is brilliant.
"I've been to Buckingham Palace a couple of times and it's an incredible feeling when you walk through the gates."

ANOTHER SECOND PLACE IN
TEXAS FOR JAMES BYRNE

Banchory teenager James Byrne finished runner-up in the Holiday Classic at Barton Creek, the last of the Texas Junior Tour events over the Festive period.
Byrne, a Great Britain & Ireland boys’ international who is bound for the University of Arizona State next autumn, had rounds of 78, 75 and 68 for an eight-over-par tally of 221 – two shots behind the American winner, Josh Jones (76-74-69).
James, who will be 18 on January 2, birdied the third, 12th, 15th, 17th and 18th and bogeyed the 124th and 16th in halves of 34 over the par-71 course near Austin, Texas. He had the lowest score of the final round.
Aberdeen-born Tommy Mitchell finished joint 61st in a field of 102 with scores of 85, 84 and 80 for 249.
Byrne, pictured right, finished fourth and second in his first two TJT events over the past week or so.

LEADING FINAL TOTALS
219 Josh Jones 76 74 69.
221 James Byrne 78 75 68.
222 Travis Klutts 75 73 74.
223 Zack Fisher 75 77 71.
Other total:
249 Tommy Mitchell 85 84 80 (jt 61st).

PHILIPPINE OPEN "DELAYED"

The Asian Tour has been informed by the National Golf Association of the Philippines (NGAP) that the Philippine Open, scheduled for January 11 to 14 will unfortunately be delayed. Following is the statement from the NGAP.

The National Golf Association of the Philippines is delaying the Philippine Open 2007, originally scheduled Jan 11-14, 2007, while event details are being finalised. The NGAP thank all related parties for their patience and look forward to hosting a successful event in the near future.

end statement

What's it all about? Your guess is as good as ours. Watch this space.

Sally Watson has a 78, Sam Hutsby a 79

BAD DAY FOR TOP BRITISH
PLAYERS IN JUNIOR
ORANGE BOWL ROUND 3

It was not a good day for the leading British hopes in the third round of the Junior Orange Bowl golf championship over the Biltmore course, Coral Gables in Florida.
Sally Watson from South Queensferry had her worst score so far over the Donald Ross-designed lay-out – a six-over-par 78 – and dropped from joint sixth to joint 11th with one round to go.
In the boys’ championship, Sam Hutsby, pictured right, from Lee on Solent, Hampshire, winner of The Duke of York Young Champions Trophy at Dundonald, slumped from a second-round 69 to a 79 and dropped from joint ninth to joint 27th in the field of 65.
Sally, a 15-year-old pupil at the David Leadbetter Golf Academy, Bradenton in Florida, bogeyed the fourth, eighth, 10th and 11th before running up a double-bogey 5 at the short 12th.
She battled on to par the last six holes for halves of 37 (two over par) and 41 (four over).
Irish girls champion Stephanie Meadow from Antrim was one of the few to improve her score and position. Stephanie, based at Hilton Head Island, South CArolina, had a two-over-par 74 (37-37) to move up to joint 15th position on 228. She had birdies at the fourth and 18th.
Professional’s daughter Florentyna Parker (Royal Birkdale) had a torrid time with a third-round 80 to plummet to a share of 24th place on 231.
Florentyna, out in four over par 39, had a double bogey 6 at the 10th, birided the 13th and then shed shots at the 15th, 16th and 17th in coming home in 41.
Scottish professional's daughter Rachel Connor from Oldham had a 77 for 234 and she will start the final round in 28th place. Rachel had halves of 39 and 38, finishing with a smile when she birdied the last.
Scottish Under-18 champion Roseanne Niven just cannot get to grips with the Biltmore course. She has had rounds of 83, 82 and 82 for 34th place on 247. Let's hope she can break 80 on the final day so that she can head off for California and university life in the States in the New Year with happier thoughts. The Crieff teenager did start with a birdie in the third round.
There is a new leader in the girls’ championship – Maude-Aimee LeBlanc from the quaintly-named Ascot Corner, Quebec. The French-Canadian 17-year-old had a 69 for four-under-par 212 to go five shots clear of Laura Gonzalez-Escallon (Belgium) and Vicky Hurst from Florida.
Long-time leader Lindy Duncan (Florida) lost the pole position with a 75 for 218 and fourth place.
In the boys’ event Sam Hutsby’s winning chance evaporated with a double bogey 5 at the short 12th and a triple bogey 8 at the long 18th in halves of 38 and 41 for a 79. That dropped him 222.
Also on that mark is Cornwall-based Welsh teenager Rhys Enoch who had a third-round 73, which included birdies at the first and 13th in halves of 36 and 37.
Darren Renwick from Worthing, past winner of the Scottish Under-16 boys’ open stroke-play championship, had his best score yet, a one-over-par 72 with birdies at the first and 15th. Darren could have got under par for the day but for a double-bogey 5 at the short 14th in halves of 35 and 37.
He is on the same 222 mark at Hutsby and Enoch.
The third English boy in the field, Luke Goddard from Hendon, had a 74 for 227, including birdies at the 15th and 18th but a double bogey 6 at the 17th in halves of 37 for joint 42nd place.
It’s neck and neck at the top of the boys’ leaderboard with two Americans, Sihwan Kim from California and Peter Uihlein, the pre-tournament favourite from Florida, sharing the pole position on 10 under par 203.
Kim had a third-round 68 and Uihlein a 67.
Overnight leader Morgan Hoffman from New Jersey dropped back to fourth place with a 74 for 209.
Best round of a sunny, cloudless day was a five-under-par 66 by Italy's Andrea Pavan wh. He birdied five of his first seven holes and leaprogged into sixth pla ce on 212 to become the leading overseas challenger in the boys' championship.


LEADING THIRD-ROUND TOTALS

BOYS (Par 213: 3 x 71).
Players from United States unless stated otherwise.
203 Sihwan Kim 71 64 68, Peter Uihlein 65 71 67.
208 Jhared Hack 72 67 69.
209 Morgan Hoffman 67 68 74.
211 David Chung 70 71 70.
212 Andrea Pavan (Italy) 70 76 66.
213 Sergio Franky (Colombia) 73 66 74.
214 Johnny Widmer (Cayman Islands) 75 67 72.
215 Victor Dubuisson (France) 71 70 74, Minghao Wang 74 73 68.
Other totals:
218 Sean Einhaus (Germany) 76 70 72, Robin Wingardh (Swe) 78 67 73.
219 Philipp Westermann (Germany) 74 72 73.
220 Marc Dobias (Switzerland) 77 71 72.
222 Rhys Enoch (Wales) 74 75 73, Sam Hutsby (England) 74 69 79, Darren Renwick (England) 74 76 72. (jt 27th).
227 Luke Goddard (England) 78 75 74 (jt 42nd).

GIRLS (Par 216: 3 x 72).
Players from United States unless stated otherwise.
212 Maude-Aimee LeBlanc (Canada) 75 68 69.
217 Laura Gonzalez-Escallon (Belgium) 72 73 72, Vicky Hurst 76 68 73.
218 Lindy Duncan 71 72 75.
219 Jenny Shin 77 71 71.
220 Lisa McCloskey 74 75 71.
223 Jessica Korda (Czech Rep) 72 72 79, Isabella Lendl 74 74 75.
Other totals:
226 Sally Watson (Scotland) 76 72 78 (jt 11th).
228 Stephanie Meadow (Ireland) 78 76 74 (jt 15th).
231 Florentyna Parker (England) 77 74 80.
234 Rachel Connor (England) 83 74 77 (28th).
247 Roseanne Niven (Scotland) 83 82 82 (34th).

CHECK OUT OUR ADVERTISEMENTS

Pointer for SGU and other competition organisers

PACE OF PLAY CHECKPOINTS
SPEEDED UP ROUNDS IN USGA
CHAMPIONSHIPS IN 2006

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

My thanks to former Scottish Golf Union president and life-long golf enthusiast Hugh Hunter for bringing to my attention an interesting article in the December issue of the United States Golf Association.
It concerns the modern-day curse of all forms of golf – SLOW PLAY.
The USGA has adopted a policy, which is by no means new, but this time it seems to have worked in the 10 national amateur championships it presided over in 2006.
Here is the USGA article. Read and digest … and I may ask you questions about it.

RULES & COMPETITIONS

Checking in with the USGA’s new pace-of-play policy.

By David Shefter, USGA Staff Writer

They are just three simple words but oh how much consternation they create: Pace of Play.
It’s a major concern, whether it’s just a weekly game among friends at the local municipal course or the world’s best gathering for a national championship. For years, the USGA has looked for the right formula to curtail slow play at its competitions.
And it looks like the association has finally come up with a formula that works. While it my not be perfect, the policy adopted in 2006 for all 10 national amateur championships (in the United Sates) seems to have had a major effect on speeding up play.
On average, rounds of stroke-play qualifying (groups of three players) at this year’s (USGA) amateur championships saw an approximate 30min reduction in playing time.
So what caused this transformation? By placing the onus on the players through a series of time-related checkpoints, the USGA made the enforcement of its policy a lot less subjective. No longer do officials have to shadow golfers with stopwatches.
Basically, each group has to hit four checkpoints - generally the fourth, ninth, 13th and 18th holes in a certain allotted time, depending on the course, or stay within 14min of the group in front of them, once the flagstick is put back into the hole.
The first breach is a warning and the second infraction makes the entire group liable for a one-stroke penalty. Once the warning is given by the checkpoint official, a Rules official will monitor the players in the group to see if the culprit is just one player or if the entire group is lagging behind.
ONE-STROKE PENALTIES
At the US amateur championship, a total of 12 one-stroke penalties were imposed, nine in the first round and three more on day two of the stroke-play qualifying . The average times of the championship were reduced by roughly 45min.
“The bottom line is this is the first pace of play policy where we have actually seen marked improvement,” said Mike Davis, senior director of the USGA Rules & Competitions.
“The other method just simply does not work at reducing time as well. Why does this one work? The responsibility is put on the player, not the committee. We give each group times to complete each checkpoint hole. And we are not asking for a ridiculously fast pace. In fact, we were very cognizant of how hard these championship courses would play.
“Pace of play is a Condition of the Competition. Breaching the policy is no different than breaching any other Rule. This new policy is less subjective and deals with pace from the beginning of the round, not when there is already a problem and damaged has been caused.
“The new policy is not perfect and does have a few drawbacks, but, on balance, it does do one thing much more effectively – reduce the time it takes to play a round of golf.”
The Checkpoint Pace Policy is not something a USGA official concocted in a back room at a Rules meeting. The genesis was actually the Vancouver Golf Association. The idea then seeped across the border to the Pacific Northwest and to other state and regional golf associations.
The American Junior Golf Association has been using this policy for the last four years. Arizona, Texas and California are other states that have adopted it as well.
USGA SET EXAMPLE
Now that the USGA has adopted the policy for its championships, Davis expects more and more state and regional associations will use it.
During the 2005 season, the USGA decided to experiment with it at three events – the US junior amateur championship, the US girls’ junior championship and the US women’s mid-amateur championship.
The girls’ junior championship organisers tried it with just two checkpoints (after nine and 18 holes) while the other two employed a four-hole checkpoint policy.
The success was overwhelming and the USGA championship committee voted to use the four-hole checkpoint policy at all 10 amateur competitions in 2006.
The only event where the pace slowed was the USGA senior amateur championship. That was more due to the difficulty of the course, which was one of the most challenging lay-outs the 35-and-over set had ever played, than the actually policy.
“Slowly but surely the players are going to have a better understanding of the policy. The juniors are already used to it from playing in American Junior Golf Association competitions. More of the mid-amateurs (25 and older) and older amateurs had to adjust because they had never experienced it.
But what about the three Opens (under USGA jurisdiction)? Shouldn’t a policy good enough for amateurs be applied to the professionals?
PROFESSIONALS NEXT
That’s something the USGA championship committee will ultimately have to vote on but Davis said the USGA would like to perfect the checkpoint pace of play policy at its 10 amateur events before taking it to the next level.
“Our answer is we are going to go about it slowly,” said Davis. “We want to get it to a place where we are comfortable with it. I don’t think we are ready for the US Open yet but there may be a time when there are several years of proven results that might persuade us to take it to the next level.”

ANY COMMENTS? E-mail them to colin@scottishgolfview.com

GLENN'S WORLD RECORD BID TOOK
HIM TO MAJORCA AT CHRISTMAS

WHILE most people are pondering what to do with left over turkey and unwanted Christmas presents, spare a thought for professional golfer and world record hopeful Glenn Turner.
On December 25 when most of us were swapping gifts around the Christmas tee, Glenn teed off in Majorca to carry on with his world record attempt.
Golf nut Glenn has been playing at courses across Scotland, England, Wales and Ireland since April 1 in an attempt to set a world record for playing the most 18-hole golf courses in 12 months.
His current total is 280 courses, walking at least a marathon a day.
Glenn spoke of his Yuletide round. He said:
“It would have been nice to be with friends and relatives at this time of year but I have set myself a challenge and I’m not going to shirk from it.
“The next challenge will be for me to tee off with a clear head on January 1 but I’m sure it will be easy as I’m going to be tucked up in the motor home at 8.30pm with a mug of Ovaltine!”
Glenn’s tour is attempting to raise £1 million for the 43 hospices which make up the UK’s Association of Children’s Hospices. You can donate to the charity by texting the word golf to 64446.
Further information about Glenn’s tour can be found at www.worldrecordgolftour.co.uk and he can be contacted on 07764 157 660

BYRNE HAS FIVE SHOTS TO MAKE UP
IN FINAL ROUND IN TEXAS EVENT

Banchory teenager James Byrne is lying fourth - five shots off the pace - with one round to go in the Holiday Classic at Barton Creek, the latest event in the Texas Junior Tour.
Byrne followed up his opening round of 78 with a 75 after starting with a double bogey at the first. He birdied the seventh and 16th in halves of 37 (two over par) and 38 (two over par) for a two-round tally of 153 over the par-71, 6,553yd lay-out near Austin.
Aberdeen-born Tommy Mitchell had another disappointing day with an 84 which included two triple bogeys and a double bogey in halves of 41 and 43 for a share of 69th place on 169.
Travis Klutts (75-73) leads on 148 by two shots from fellow American Josh Jones (76-74) with Zack Fisher (75-77) third on 152.

SALLY WATSON JOINT SIXTH
AT HALFWAY IN
JUNIOR ORANGE BOWL

Edinburgh 15-year-old Sally Watson is halfway towards improving on last year’s joint ninth place in the Junior Orange Bowl girls’ championship at Coral Gables, Florida.
After 36 holes of the four-round event, the South Queensferry girl who is a student at the David Leadbetter Golf Academy in Bradenton, Florida, is sharing sixth place with former tennis ace Ivan Lendl’s daughter Isabelle Lendl (third last year) and jenny Shin from California.
They are all on the four-over-par 148 mark – five shots behind joint leaders Lindy Duncan (Florida) and Maude-Aimee Le Blanc (Canada).
Sally has had rounds of 76 and 72 over the par-72, 6,299yd course. In her second round, she had a double bogey at the fifth and dropped another shot at the eighth to be out in three-over 38.
Then Miss Watson showed the stuff that took her to the British girls final earlier this year and won the Daily Telegraph national girls’ title by birdieing three long holes on the inward half – the 13th, 15th and 18th for 34 home and a par-matching 72.
Germany-based professional’s daughter Florentyna Park, a Curtis Cup reserve in the summer, is sharing 13th place on 151 after scores of 77 and 74. She took had a double bogey on the outward half – at the ninth – but was three-under-par for the inward nine, with birdies at the 13th, 17th and 18th.
Irish girls champion Stephanie Meadow from Antrim, a student at the Junior Golf Academy on Hilton Head, South Carolina, has scored 78 and 76 for joint 22nd place on 154 at the halfway stage.
Stephanie had only one birdie, at the short 14th in halves of 37 and 39.
Rachel Connor from Oldham, daughter of the Scottish-born Manchester Golf Club professional Brian Connor, improved by nine shots with a 74 for 157 and 29th place. Rachel highlighted her card with an eagle 3 at the long 13th in halves of 37.
Scottish Under-18 girls champion Roseanne Niven, who will be enrolling at the University of California Berkeley in the New Year, continued to struggle with an 82 for 165 and joint 34th place. Once again Roseanne had an early setback – a triple bogey 6 at the short second and never recovered in halves of 40 and 42. She did birdie the ninth.
In the Junior Orange Bowl boys’ championship over 72 holes, Morgan Hoffman from New Jersey and Sihwan Kim (California) are sharing the lead on seven-under-par 135, one shot ahead of the first-round leader, Peter Uihlein (Florida).
The top British player is England’s Sam Hutsby in joint ninth place on 143 with scores of 74 and 69.
Sam, winner of The Duke of York Young Champions Trophy at Dundonald earlier this year, birdied the first, fourth and 10tth in halves of 33 (two under par) and 36 (level par).
Rhys Enoch from Wales I sharing 32nd place on 149 after a second-round 75 which included a double bogey at the 11th but birdies at the 17th and 18th for the second day in a row.
Darren Renwick from Worthing, winner of the Scottish Under-16 boys’ open stroke-play championship last year, had a dreadful finish – double bogeys at the 16th and 17th, for a 76 and joint 35th place on 150.
The third English representative, Luke Goddard, had a 75 for 153 and a share of 42nd place. Luke too had a double bogey at the 17th.

LEADING SCORES

BOYS (Par 142: 2 x 71)
Players from US unless stated
135 Morgan Hoffman 67 68, Sihwan Kim 71 64.
136 Peter Uihlein 67 71.
139 Jhared Hack 72 67, Sergio Franky (Colombia) 73 66
141 Victor Dubuisson (France) 71 70, David Chung 70 71.
142 Johnny Widmer (Cayman Islands) 75 67.
143 Sam Hutsby (England) 74 69, Bud Cauley 73 70, Benjamin Martin (Trinidad) 74 69, Tommy Mou (Taiwan) 74 69.
Other scores:
146 Sean Einhaus (Germany) 76 70 (jt 16th).
149 Rhys Enoch (Wales) 74 75 (jt 32nd).
150 Darren Renwick (England) 74 76 (jt 35th).
153 Luke Goddard (England) 78 75 (jt 42nd).

GIRLS (Par 144: 2 x 72)
Players from US unless stated.
143 Lindy Duncan 71 72, Maude-Aimee LeBlanc (Canada) 75 69.
144 Vicky Hurst 76 68, Jessica Korda (Czech Rep) 72 72.
145 Laura Gonzalez-Escallon (Belgium) 72 73.
148 Sally Watson (Scotland) 76 72, Isabella Lendl 74 74, Jenny Shin 77 71.
Other scores:
1561 Florentyna Parker (England) 77 74 (jt 13th).
154 Stephanie Meadow (Ireland) 76 76 (jt 22nd).
157 Rachel Connor (England) 83 74 (29th).
165 Roseanne Niven (Scotland) 83 82 (jt 34th).

TOUGH IN TEXAS FOR JAMES BYRNE

Banchory teenager James Byrne struggled to a seven-over-par 78 in windy conditions for the Holiday Classic at Barton Creek, the latest event on the Texas Junior Tour golf circuit over the Festive period.
Byrne could not conjure up a single birdie over the 6,553yd, par-71 course near Austin in halves of 38 and 40 to be sharing 11th place with two rounds to go.
Three Americans, Travis Klutts, Brenden Redfern and Zack Fischer lead the field on 75.
Aberdeen-born Tommy Mitchell had two triple bogeys and two double bogeys but finished well with birdies at the 17th and 18th in an 85 which left him in joint 68th place.
The event is over 54 holes.

TOUGH FOR BRITISH GIRLS
IN JUNIOR ORANGE BOWL
British girl competitors in the Junior Orange Bowl championship over the Biltmore course at Coral Gables, Florida found the going tough in the first round over the 6,299yd, par-72 course.
Daily Telegraph national girls champion Sally Watson fared the best with a four-over-par round of 76 - five shots behind American leader Lindy Duncan.
The 15-year-old South Queensferry girl, a student at the David Leadbetter Golf Academy at Bradenton, Florida, bogeyed the second and sixth, birdied the short eighth but dropped shots again at the 11th,16th and 17th in halves of 36 and 40.
Professional's daughter Florentyna Parker, whose brother Ben won the boys' title 12 months ago, finished with a 77. She made a bright start with a birdie at the long first but then ran up a triple bogey 6 at the short second.
Miss Parker birdied the fourth before dropping shots at the seventh and 10th. She grabbed her third birdie of the round at the 13th but bogeyed the 14th and then had a double-bogey 6 at the 17th. Her halves were 37 and 40 from the girls' tees (Par 72, 6,299yd).
STEPHANIE HAS A 78
Irish girl champion Stephanie Meadow from Antrim, a student at the International Golf Academy at Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, finished with a 78 after having two double bogeys and two birdies on her card.
Stephanie had a double bogey 5 at the short second and dropped further shots at the seventh and ninth before double-goeying the par-4 10th.
Then came her bright spots, a birdie 4 at the long 13th and a birdie 2 at the short 14th. Stephanie bogeyed two of the last four holes, the 15th and 18th for halves of 39.
Roseanne Niven, the Scottish Under-18 girls' champion from Crieff and Rachel Connor from Oldham were sharing 31st place on 83.
Roseanne started with a double-bogey 7. She did birdie the fourth but then had seven successive bogeys from the fifth to the 11th.
Out in 41, Roseanne had a double-bogey 5 at the short fifth before birdieing the 13th and bogeying the 14th. She had one more bogey, at the 17th in coming home in 42.
RACHEL ROUND IN 83
Scots-born Manchester club professional's daughter Rachel Connor, runner-up behind Carly Booth in the Scottish Under-16 girls' open stroke-play championship at Strathtyrum in the spring, dropped shots at the first, third, fifth, sixth and seventh in reaching the turn in 40. Things didn't get any better - no birdies but bogeys at the 12th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th for an inward 43.
The boys' championship leader was Peter Ulhlein from Bradenton, Florida with a six-under-par 65.
England's Sam Hutsby (35-39) and Darren Renwick (37-37) and Rhys Enoch from Wales (39-35) were lying joint 13th on three-over-par 74 for the 6,766yd course.
Another English representative, Luke Goddard, was sharing 39th place on 78.

BOYS' SCOREBOARD
Par 71
Competitors from US unless stated.
65 Peter Ulhlein.
67 Morgan Hoffman.
70 Louis Amara, David Chung, Andrea Pavan (Ita).
Other scores:
74 Sam Hutsby (Eng), Rhys Enoch (Wal), Darren Renwick (Eng) (jt 13th).
76 Sean Einhaus (Ger) (jt 28th).
78 Luke Goddard (Eng) (jt 39th).

GIRLS SCOREBOARD
Par 72
71 Lindy Duncan.
72 Laura Gonzalez-Escallon (Bel), Jessica Korda (Czech).
74 Alejandra Bodemann, Isabella Lendl, Alejandra Llaneza (Mex), Lisa McCloskey, Jennifer Song.
75 Theresa Koelbaek (Den), Maude-Aimee LeBlanc (Can).
76 Vicky Hurst, Charlotte Lorentzen (Den), Sally Watson (Sco), Maria Jose Uribe (Col).
Other scores:
77 Florentyna Parker (Eng) (jt 15th).
78 Stephanie Meadow (NIr) (jt 19th).
83 Rachel Connor (Eng), R Niven (Sco) (jt 31st).

US PGA TOUR MOURNS
PASSING OF FORMER
PRESIDENT FORD

The United States PGA Tour has issued the following statement.

The PGA TOUR joins his countless friends around the world in mourning the death of former President Gerald Ford.
In addition to all his well-documented public accomplishments, President Ford made tremendous contributions to the game of golf.
Over the years, he willingly lent his name and passion for the game for the benefit of others. His support included participation in many of our pro-ams and in so doing helping to generate awareness and significant dollars for our tournament charities.
For years, President Ford was a fixture at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic and befriended many PGA TOUR players. Near his home in Vail, Colorado, President Ford chaired the Jerry Ford Invitational for 25 years, driving significant economic and charitable benefits to the region.
Many TOUR players made it a point to return year after year to the Invitational out of appreciation for the chance to join President Ford in this worthwhile endeavor.
The PGA TOUR was honored by President Ford having served as the Honorary Chairman of the first Presidents Cup in 1994. His presence and involvement was instrumental in launching the Presidents Cup with an aura of sportsmanship and integrity and helped establish a tone for the event that continues today.
For all these contributions and for his personal qualities of integrity and honor, President Ford was a tremendous ambassador for golf. We’re indebted to him and we will miss him.

DO YOU REMEMBER COLIN SNAPE,
THE MAN WHO SAVED RYDER CUP?

The Colin Snape Golf Consultancy has been providing the full-time services of Colin Snape as Golf Director to Alto Golf & Country Club on the Algarve in Portugal since September 2004.
Colin will be retiring from this post on December 31 and will be succeeded by Richard Marshall as Golf Manager from January 1.
All enquiries after this date should be addressed to Richard Marshall by e-mail to golf@altoclub.com or by post using the above address, telephone & fax details.
Colin Snape will continue to provide consultancy services on special projects to Alto and other clients in Portugal and elsewhere in Europe. His e-mail address for Alto projects is cs@altoclub.com

All other inquiries and correspondence for Colin Snape should be addressed to:

Colin Snape Golf Consultancy, Colin Snape Unipessoal LDA, NIF 50711386,
Rua Vasco da Gama Nº20 1C, 8500-028 Alvor, Algarve.
Telephone/Fax: 282 458709, e-mail: colin.snape@sapo.pt

Colin Farquharson writes:
In case you are wondering who is Colin Snape, let me tell you. At one time he was the most important administrator of professional golf in Britain.
Many people give Jack Nicklaus the credit for suggesting a change in the make-up of the Great Britain & Ireland team for the Ryder Cup matches. But it was actually Colin Snape, at that time the head of the British PGA who put the wheels in motion for the selection parameters to be widened so that it was a team representing Europe rather than GB&I who tackled the United States every two years.
By the late 1970s, the Ryder Cup matches had become so one-sided that interest had waned substantially. In 1977, Tom Weiskopf, a certainty for a place in the US team, chose to go hunting rather than participate.
And so it was that Colin Snape, a man whose name most American golfers would not even recognise and British golfers would not remember, the executive director of the British PGA, saved the Ryder Cup from extinction by bringing European professionals into the matches.
The struggles of the 1980s and 90s made golfing history with closely fought matches and strong patriotic fervour ringing from both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.
Ironically, as Colin Snape finally retires from a 9 to 5 job, the Ryder Cup wheel has turned full circle. Now it's the United States team who cannot compete. Perhaps we should revert to a GB&I team, not from Europe, in the bid to give the Americans a chance?
There are two other reasons why Colin Snape's place in the history of British professional golf should not be forgotten.
He was the executive director of the PGA when The Belfry was purchased.
In 1959 Jimmy Burns, an entrepreneur, purchased Moxhull Park, a private house at the time, for £18,500 and turned it into The Belfry. His expansion programme increased the number of bedrooms to 59 and made The Belfry a well known centre for wedding receptions and a place where in the 1960s such groups as Led Zeppelin, the Moody Blues, Slade and Status Quo performed live.
In 1969 Burns sold The Belfry to a group called Allied Vintners Investments which in turn was bought by Greenall Whitley. At this time the PGA had their headquarters at the Kennington Oval and it was there, over a pie and a pint, that Colin Snape, then the new Executive Director of the PGA, lunched with Peter Alliss, at that time in partnership with Dave Thomas as a golf course designer.
Snape felt that is was an imposition to be continually apologising for the surroundings as he ushered guests into the PGA's confined offices at the rear main stand of the cricket ground.
His dream of the PGA was a new headquarters which were geographically acceptable with two golf courses and modern offices.
Colin had looked at both Royal Birkdale in Lancashire and Foxhills in Surrey, but the then 28-strong PGA Committee felt that his plan was no more than a pipe-dream since at that time in February, 1973, the PGA's assets were a paltry £40,000.
Peter Alliss came to the rescue over lunch. He told Snape of an old hotel on the outskirts of Birmingham known as The Belfry which was being renovated and converted to a sports complex. Thomas and Alliss had originally been asked to design and build a pitch and putt course there.
Snape convinced the committee that expansion was a necessity. Ellerman Lines, the shipping company, was keen to diversify into leisure whereas Greenall Whitley, owners of The Belfry, lacked funds at that time as they were investing in a new brewery.
Thus Ellerman Lines formed a company called The Belfry (Sutton Coldfield) Ltd, taking 86.7 per cent of the equity with Greenall Whitley retaining 13.3 per cent for providing the hotel and land, and purchased a further 265.5 acres.
In 1975 work began on two courses - The Brabazon and the Derby - designed by Thomas and Alliss. The access was splendid with close proximity to the M1, M5 and M6.
The PGA lacked the funds to become involved but The Belfry Company built the new PGA offices, funding the cost of approximately £100,000 as part of the overall deal with the PGA for two Ryder Cups. Meanwhile Accles and Pollock, the sports equipment company, funded the furnishings of the PGA's Headquarters at The Belfry in addition to investing a significant sum over ten years in the PGA's training school.
In 1977 the PGA waved farewell to The Oval to begin a new innings at The Belfry with a peppercorn rent for a 99-year lease.
That year, with the existing hotel completely rebuilt, The Brabazon course was officially opened with a challenge match, Severiano Ballesteros and Johnny Miller against Tony Jacklin and Brian Barnes.
There is a third reason for Colin Snape to be remembered. He was the man brave enough to fine Laura Davies for being "improperly dressed" during a tournament from the forerunner of the Ladies European Tour. But that's another story!

ANY COMMENTS? E-mail them to colin@scottishgolfview.com

LORENA VOTED FEMALE
ATHLETE OF YEAR BY
US SPORTS EDITORS

Lorena Ochoa, the 24-year-old Mexican who was the LPGA Tour's "Player of the Year" in 2006, has been voted by America's sports editors the Associated Press "Female Athlete of the Year."
She won by a convincing margin from French tennis player Amelie Mauresmo, winner of the Wimbledon women's singles title and also the Australian Open, with another tennis player Maria Sharapova (Russia) sharing third place with an American basketball player Lisa Leslie.
Ochoa, pictured right, won six times on the LPGA Tour this year, amassing earnings of £2,592,872, the second highest on record (Annika Sorenstam still holds the one-season record). She ended Annika's five-year run as LPGA "Player of the Year."
The AP "Male Athlete of the Year" was also a golfer - Tiger Woods.

SALLY AND ROSEANNE PLAY
BUT NO SCOTS BOYS IN
JUNIOR ORANGE BOWL
The Junior Orange Bowl boys and girls' championships over 72 holes tees off at Biltmore golf course, Coral Gables in Florida in Wednesday. Last week's Doral-Publix Junior Championship, which attracted 628 competitors, may claim to be the world's largest Under-18 tournament but the Junior Orange Bowl is certainly one of the most prestigious events.
The Scottish Golf Union is one of the few governing bodies that does not send any of its top youngsters to the event.
When Scottishgolfview.com queried the merits of this policy a year or two ago, we were told that it was an "out-of-season event for golfers in Scotland" .... whatever that means, considering that James Byrne from Banchory, under his own steam, is meantime playing the Texas Junior Tour over the Festive break, while Sally Watson from South Queensferry and Roseanne Niven from Crieff are in the field for the Junior Orange Bowl.
Last year's Junior Orange Bowl boys' champion was England's Ben Parker whose sister Florentyna Parker is among the field of 40 girls at Coral Gables this week.
Apart from Sally Watson and Roseanne Niven, Rachel Connor from Oldham, whose father Brian is the Scots-born professional at Manchester Golf Club, is competing over a 6,261yd course with a ladies' par of 72.
The boys' championship field includes Darren Renwick (Worthing), winner of the Scottish boys' Under-16 open stroke-play championship two years ago, Sam Hutsby, the English boy who won The Duke of York Young Champions' Trophy at Dundonald in the autumn after a superb last round, Luke Goddard, also from England, and Rhys Enoch from Wales.
The boys' course is 6,642yd and has a par of 71.
+We'll have the daily scores from the Junior Orange Bowl on our websites at breakfast time each morning, beginning on Thursday.

JAMES BYRNE RUNNER-UP
ON TEXAS JUNIOR TOUR

Banchory's James Byrne, pictured right, has finished joint fourth and runner-up in two Texas Junior Tour events over the past seven days.
In the 36-hole competition at Blackhorse Golf Club, James shot 73 and 74 for three-over-par 147, four shots behind the winner, Broc Raymond (74-69).
In the Christmas Break Shoot-out at Walden on Lake Conroe Golf & Country Club, Byrne had scores of 76 and 73 for 149 and finished only one shot behind winner Josh Jones (72-76).
Aberdeen-born Tommy Mitchell, who parents moved to Texas, finished 15th at Blackhorse GC with 82 and 72 for 154 and joint seventh in the Christmas Break Shoot-out with scores of 75 and 83 for 158.

TIGER TOPS US SPORTS EDITORS'
MALE ATHLETE OF YEAR POLL
Tiger Woods has been voted Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year in the annual poll of sports editors in the United States.
Second was NFL running back LaDainian Tomlinson (San Diego Chargers) and third Roger Federer from the tennis world.
During 2006, Woods, now 31, won eight times in 15 starts, six tournaments in a row and two majors to give him a career-total of 12.
Give Tiger his due, he felt that his good friend Federer, the dominant force in men’s tennis and the US Open champion, should have won the award.
“What Roger’s done in tennis, I think, is far greater than what I’ve done in golf,” Woods said. “He’s lost what ... five matches in three years? That’s pretty good.”
Woods received 260 points in the poll of American sports editors. Tomlinon, who set an an NFL record of 31 touchdowns before the end of the regular season, gained 230pt. Federer, despite his three Grand Slam Titles, totalled only 110pt.
Emphasising the blinkered “east-west, home’s best” view of American sports editors, fourth equal in their poll were a basketball player, Dwyane Wade (Miami Heat), and two baseball players, Albert Puhols (St Louis Cardinals) and Ryan Howard (Philadelphia Phillies), all with 20pt.
Aussie cricketer Shane Warne and world champion Welsh boxer Joe Calzaghe didn’t rate a mention.

KELLY WILL MAKE US COLLEGE
COMEBACK, THANKS TO
COACH COLETTE MURRAY

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Former Scottish girls Under-18 and Under-21 champion Kelly Brotherton from Tulliallan, one of Britain’s brightest female golfing prospect in her teens, will make a comeback on the American women’s college circuit next August.
Kelly was only 16 when she won the Under-21 title at Baberton in 2002 - younger than such names as Catriona Matthew, Janice Moodie and Mhairi McKay had been when they won it (Kelly is pictured right after winning the trophies in 2002).
But Miss Brotherton did not come even close to playing to her potential with Colorado University in 2005-2006 when she lost confidence and her form slumped.
But Colette Murray did not write her off. She felt that if she could get her fellow Scot under her wing, she could rekindle that magic spark.
So, during last summer Colette, born in Leith and brought up in Dumfries, persuaded Kelly to transfer to the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga where Miss Murray was appointed women’s golf head coach about a year ago with the task of reviving a programme that had been dormant for more than a decade.
“Our new team won’t start playing competitively until the autumn of 2007 but I told Kelly that she could come to Tennessee-Chattanooga right away. A year out from all competition was the best thing for Kelly because her confidence was low.
FIGHTING SPIRIT
“This past term at Chattanooga has been good for her academically, and good in the way that she has that fighting spirit to win growing inside her again. She practises hard every week and she will be in my team as a sophomore (second year) student from next autumn,” said Colette.
“Kelly is a great girl, hard working and keen to learn. She is a solid foundation for what we are building and I’m so glad that she is part of what we are doing, and that I can be a part of what she would like to do!
“I am itching to get started again with a college team on the American circuit. I am sure it’s going to be worth the wait!”
Colette herself played the American women’s college circuit for four years as a student at Jacksonville State University, Alabama.
She stayed on to become a member of the JSU women’s team back-up and coaching staff and created such a good impression that she was head-hunted by Tennessee-Chattanooga to restart their women’s golf programme.
TALENT SPOTTING
Colette flew over on a talent-spotting mission to watch The Duke of York Young Champions’ Trophy tournament at Dundonald, in September and has signed up two of the Continental players she watched there – Christine Wolf from Austria and Moa Duff from Sweden.
Christine is currently the No 3 player in the Austrian women’s rankings while Moa has made appearances on the Swedish Ladies Pro Tour.
Miss Murray’s other signings for the team that won’t play until August at the earliest are Kayla Stewart, who has transferred from the University of Memphis, and Emma de Groot, one of the top-ranked juniors in Australia.
“I believe this team of young ladies will have an immediate impact on the American college golf circuit and be a strong contender in the Southern Conference title,” said Colette.
+Colette Murray is still looking for short and long-term additions to the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga women’s golf squad. If you have a low handicap and are in your teens, you can contact her at Colette-Murray@utc.edu

SALLY TAMES THE MONSTER
TO FINISH THIRD IN
DORAL-PUBLIX CLASSIC
Florida-based South Queensferry girl Sally Watson produced a brilliant one-under-par 71 – two shots better than anyone else in the final round – over the Blue Monster course, home of the US PGA Tour Ford Championship, to finish a gallant third in the Doral-Publix Junior Classic girls’ 16-18 years’ championship at the Doral Golf Resort & Spa, Miami in Florida on Saturday.
Sally, who had earlier scored a pair of 75s, made up a lot of ground on the leaders, finishing on 221 which was only two strokes behind the 11-year-old winner, Alexis Thompson from Coral Springs, Florida.
Miss Watson, beaten in the final of the British girls’ championship and winner of the Daily Telegraph national girls championship final at Dubai Creek earlier this year, is 15. Scottish girls’ match-play champion in 2005, she has been a student at the IMG David Leadbetter Golf Academy at Bradenton, Florida since the autumn.
Alexis Thompson, sister of US PGA Tour player Nick Thompson and the first girl permitted to play two groups above her age category, scored 72, 74 and 73 for 219.
She won by one shot from Japan’s Mitsuki Kathira who had 75, 72 and 73.
Sally Watson finished ahead of Spain’s Marta Silva Zamora, a member of the European Junior Ryder Cup team, who tied for fifth place on 223.
Rachel Connor from Oldham, daughter of Manchester Golf Club’s Scottish professional, Brian, finished eighth on 224 with scores of 76, 74 and 74.
Sally Watson’s older sister Rebecca, who will enrol at the University of Tennessee next autumn, totalled 236 with scores of 80, 80 and 76.
Carlos Goya from Cordoba, Argentina won the boys’ 16-18 title with a total of 211, made up of a 72, 69 and 70.
He won by a single shot from Sean Einhaus from Borken, Germany, a member of the European Junior Ryder Cup team at Celtic Manor earlier this year. Einhaus shot 71, 70 and 71.
Francisco Pintor from Alicante, youngster ever winner of the Scottish youths’ open title at Mortonhall this year, finished down the field on 233 with scores of 77, 79 and 77.
Darren Renwick from Worthing Sussex, winner of the Scottish Under-16 boys’ open stroke-play title last year, won the boys’ 16-18 years consolation tournament with scores of 79, 80 and 70 for 229 – one shot ahead of Mohammad Mandhu (Zambia).
Irish girls’ match-play champion Stephanie Meadow from Antrim and a student at the International Golf Academy, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina since the autumn, finished a close-up fourth with 208 (72-68-68) in the girls’ 14-15 years category.
Christina Miller from Bradenton, Florida (who had scores of 65, 74 and 68 ) won a three-way play-off on 207 against Susana Benavides (Bolivia) and Amelia Lewis from Jacksonville, Florida.
A total of 628 competitors from 43 countries, including 38 different states in America, contested 12 age and sex groups in what is reputed to be the biggest junior golf tournament in the world.
+Picture shows Alexis Thompson and Carlos Goya, with the 16-18 years' trophies.

FINAL TOTALS
BOYS 16-18 years
211 Carlos Goya (Arg) 72 69 70.
212 Sean Einhaus (Ger) 71 70 71.
216 Felipe Velazquez (Venz) 72 73 71.
219 Luciano Dodda Arg) 73 74 72.
Other score:
233 Francisco Pintor (Spa) 77 79 77.
Consolation tournament
229 Darren Renwick (Eng) 79 80 70.
230 Mohammad Mandhu (Zamb) 81 78 73.
GIRLS 16-18 years
219 Alexis Thompson (US) 72 74 73.
220 Mitsuki Katahira (Jap) 75 72 73.
221 Sally Watson (Sco) 75 75 71.
222 Jennifer Hirano (US_) 75 74 73.
223 Andrea Watts (US) 73 73 77, Maria Villanueva Arg) 78 71 74, Marta Silva Zamora (Spa) 79 70 74.
224 Rachel Connor (Eng) 76 74 74.
Other score:
236 Rebecca Watson (Sco) 80 80 76.
GIRLS 14-15 years
207 Christina Miller (US) 64 75 68, Susan Benavides (Bolv) 69 68 70, Amelia Lewis (US) 72 68 67.
208 Stephanie Meadow (NIr) 72 68 68.

Doral-Publix Junior Classic in Florida

SALLY WATSON (71) FINISHES
WELL OVER "BLUE MONSTER"
TO CLAIM THIRD PLACE

Still no official final results from the Doral-Publix Junior Classic championship at Doral Golf Resort & Spa, near Miami, Florida ...
But Graham Watson , father of Rebecca and Sally, pictured right with Sally, has E-mailed us with the following information:

"Sally finished third with a final round of one-under-par 71 over the Blue Monster course, home of the US PGA Tour Ford Championship. It was the best final round by anyone in the girls' field and she finished two shots behind the winner.
"Behind Sally in the final standings were Marta Silva Zamora (Spain), who was a member of the European Junior Ryder Cup team, and also Cassandra Blaney, who played for the United States side in the match earlier this year at the Celtic Manor.
"Rebecca shot 76 on the final day.
"Now we're off to the Junior Orange Bowl with Roseanne Niven.
"Have a very pleasant Christmas."

ST ANDREWS STUDENTS FINISH
THIRD IN DUBAI STABLEFORD

St Andrews University students David Moore and Jonathan Jeffrey had the joint second best Stableford point score of 17 over the 12 holes of the Lionweld Meiser Christmas Weekend’s team event at Al Ghazal Golf Club, Dubai.
But David and Jonathan were placed third after losing out on a card countback to Richard Whiteside and Martin Sutherland who also totalled 17pt.
Winners with 19pt were Juma Massa and Daniel Van Dyk (wonder if he is related to Dick of that ilk?).
Ladies’ winner of the individual competition was Sue Murray with 25pt. She sounds as if he is Scottish.
If you know why the St Andrews University students were competing in Dubai and whether Sue Murray is Scottish, E-mail us at colin@scottishgolfview.com
Why were they playing over 12 holes? Well, believe it or not they have had a lot of rain in the Dubai region lately. All together now ... Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!

+Lionweld Meiser are one of the world's leading steel-processing companies and have a big base in the United Arab Emirates.

SORRY, WE DON'T HAVE THE

DORAL-PUBLIX JUNIOR CLASSIC

RESULTS ..... YET

Pictured on the right is the vast array of trophies and prizes for the 25th Doral-Publix Junior Classic championships at Doral Golf Resort & Spa, near Miami, Florida.

Wish we could tell you how Sally & Rebecca Watson from Edinburgh as well as Rachel Connor from Oldham - whose dad Brian, the Manchester Golf Club professional, is a Scot - fared in Saturday's final round.

Unfortunately, the organisers have been too busy to update the tournament website with the final scores so we can't tell you.

But, as soon as we get the information, we will display it on our websites.

SANDY LYLE ADMITS
CHANGING SWING
WAS BIG MISTAKE
Sandy Lyle, winner of the Open at Royal St George's in 1985 and the US Masters in 1988, has confirmed what most of us knew already ... that he should have stuck with the homespun swing that won him the majors.
In an interview with staff golf writer Douglas Lowe in today's "Herald," ever-honest Sandy, agreed that the big mistake in his career was to seek advice from too many teachers, including David Leadbetter, who tried to reconstruct the Scot's swing in the same manner he did successfully with Nick Faldo when things went wrong for Sandy after his Masters win.
"Looking back, a lot of it was exhaustion. It happens with soldiers, they get battle weary and it was the same for me. It was just getting a little too much, the travelling and 30-plus tournaments a year," Lyle told Douglas Lowe.
With the benefit of hindsight, Sandy thinks it would have been better if he had taken a complete rest from the game to refresh his batteries.
"I should have stuck with what I had as far as the golf swing was concerned and there is a lesson to be learned there," said Lyle.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION by COLIN FARQUHARSON

It is sometimes forgotten that Sandy Lyle was a very successful amateur golfer who made a seamless move from the top of the tree in the amateur game to the top of tree in the professional ranks.
Born in Shrewsbury - his Scots-born father Alex Lyle was professional at Hawkstone Park - Sandy won the boys' Carris Trophy, then the now-defunct British youths championship and twice he won the English open amateur championship for the Brabazon Trophy (1975 & 1977).
He played in the 1977 Walker Cup match at Shinnecock Hills.
The GB&I team was captained by Forfar master baker Sandy Saddler and there were five other Scots apart from Lyle in the team - Ian Hutcheon, Gordon Murray, Alan Brodie, Steve Martin and Paul McKellar.
After turning pro, Sandy Lyle played in the Ryder Cup matches of 1979-81-83-85-87.
He won 17 times on the European Tour, five times in America. His last European Tour win was the Volvo Masters of 1992.
Born on February 9, 1958, Sandy Lyle will be eligible to play on the European (and United States) Seniors Tours in 2008.

ANOTHER 75 FOR SALLY BUT
SHE SLIPS BACK TO JOINT
SEVENTH IN FLORIDA

South Queensferry 15-year-old Sally Watson, pictured right, a student at the David Leadbetter Golf Academy in Bradenton, Florida, fell back to a share of seventh place despite repeating her opening round of 75 on the second day of the Doral-Publix Junior Classic golf championships at Doral Golf Resort & Spa, near Miami, Florida.
On the same 150 mark, with one round to go, in the girls’ 16-18 years’ age group is Rachel Connor from Oldham with scores of 76 and 74.
Sally Watson’s 17-year-old sister, Rebecca, also a Scotland girls' international team player, had a pair of 80s for 160. Rebecca will be enrolling at the University of Tennessee next autumn.
Two American girls share the lead on 146 – Alexis Thompson from Coral Springs, Florida, sister of US PGA tour player Nick Thompson, and Andrea Watts from Bradenton, Florida.
Alexis has scored 72 and 74, Andrea 73 in both rounds.
BIGGEST JUNIOR EVENT IN WORLD
Alexis Thompson is only 11 years of age and she is the first girl of her age in the 25-year history of what is reputed to be the biggest junior golf tournament in the world – 628 contestants from 43 countries and 12 age/sex categories – to be allowed to play in the oldest, 16-18 years, section.
Irish girls champion Stephanie Meadow from Antrim, a student at the International Golf Academy at Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, is lying joint sixth in the girls’ 14-15 years section after a 70 and 74 for 144 – seven strokes behind leader Susan Benavides from Bolivia (69-68).
Junior Ryder Cup player Sean Einhaus from Germany is sharing the lead with Carlos Goya (Argentina) in the boys’ 16-18 years group. Sean has shot 71 and 70 to Carlos’s 72 and 69.
Francisco Pintor from Alicante, at 16 the youngest-ever winner of the Scottish open youths championship at Mortonhall during the summer, is down the field on 156 (77-79).

SCOREBOARD

BOYS 16-18 years
141 Carlos Goya (Arg) 72 69, Sean Einhaus (Ger) 71 70.
145 Felipe Velasquez (Ven) 72 73.
147 Luciana Dodda (Arg) 73 74.
148 Constantin Heinrich (Ger) 77 71, Antonio Grillo (US) 75 73.
Other score:
154 Francisco Pintor (Spa) 77 79.

GIRLS 16-18 years
146 Andrew Watts (US) 73 73, Alexis Thompson (US) 72 74.
147 Mitsuki Katahira (Jap) 75 72.
149 Maria Villanueva (Arg) 78 71, Marta Silva Zamora (Spa) 79 70, Jennifer Hirano (US) 75 74.
150 Sally Watson (Sco) 75 75, Rachel Connor (Eng) 76 74, Therese Kolbaek (Den) 75 75, Stephanie Kenoyer (US) 74 76.
Other score:
160 Rebecca Watson (Sco) 80 80.

GIRLS 14-15 years
137 Susan Benavides (Bol) 69 68.
139 Christina Miller (US) 64 75.
140 Amelia Lewis (Fla) 72 68, Diana Fernandez (Par) 71 69.
142 Valentina Fontaine (US) 72 70, Ana Fernandez (Spa) 73 69.
144 Stephanie Meadow (NIr) 70 74, Elia Folch (Spa) 72 72.

ELS CONFIRMS PLACE IN
STAR-STUDDED
COMMERCIALBANK QATAR MASTERS
After victory at the South African Open last week maintained Ernie Els’ remarkable record of winning at least one tournament a year since 1991, the ‘Big Easy’ confirmed today he will return to action in 2007 at the Commercialbank Qatar Masters.
The new world No. 5, pictured right, will launch his 2007 campaign at the Doha Golf Club when the $2.2 million PGA European Tour-Asian Tour event gets underway on January 25.
Tournament officials are understandably delighted at securing the signature of their 2005 champion.
“You don’t get many golfing names greater than Ernie Els,” said an elated Andrew Stevens, CEO of title sponsors Commercialbank of Qatar.
“With Ernie confirmed alongside players like Sergio Garcia, Retief Goosen, Darren Clarke and Lee Westwood, the field is shaping up to be the strongest yet and is a great way to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the tournament.”
Last week’s triumph was Els' 23rd European Tour title and his fourth South African Open title. The victory was all the more sweeter as the 37-year-old knew it was his last chance to maintain that 15-year winning record and was determined to grab it with both hands.
His final score of 24-under-par was a record winning total at the tournament and proved that Els is back to his best.
"AS GOOD AS HE CAN PLAY"
“Ernie admitted afterwards that his performance in South Africa was as good as he can play,” said Qatar Golf association President Hassan Al Nuami. “To have him back at the peak of his game is not only good for golf, it’s also wonderful news for our tournament. The Commercialbank and the Qatar Golf Association should be congratulated for securing his signature and having him return to Doha Golf Club.”
Even with Els, Garcia, Goosen, Clarke and Westwood confirmed, Commercialbank of Qatar CEO Stevens revealed that the tournament organisers were still in the process of confirming even more big names in the field.
“We’ve been saying since day one that the 2007 tournament will take golf in Qatar to new and improved levels,” he added. “We’ve announced record prize-money of $2.2 million and a host of world-class players. But in association with the Qatar Golf Association, we will keep working to secure what we feel will be the best in-depth field of players competing in the region in 2007.”

More information on the Commercialbank Qatar Masters 2007 is available at the official website www.qatar-masters.com.

GREENOCK'S CRAIG MARTIN WINS
PLACE AMONG GOLFING STARS

A Scottish expatriate has qualified for a place alongside the greats of golf at next month’s Abu Dhabi Golf Championship after a dramatic play-off finish in the United Arab Emirates PGA Order Of Merit tournament at the Arabian Ranches Golf Club.
Craig Martin, 26, who is not attached to a local club, beat Simon Payne (Dubai Country Club) in a sudden-death play-off after they had finished ahead of the 23-strong field for the championship qualifier with one-under-par 71s.
Payne, who had won all four of his previous play-offs this season, missed a 4ft putt to give Martin his first professional win.
The Abu Dhabi championship, at Abu Dhabi Golf Club from January 18 to 21, will be Martin’s first European Tour event, but it won’t be the first time he has been to the tournament.
At this year’s inaugural championship, Martin was there in a very different capacity: staffing a promotional stand for his company, Golf Plus, which sells GPS systems for golf courses.
“It will be good to see what it’s like on the other side of the ropes,” said Martin. “I’m not sure if the company is going to have a stand at the event, but if we do I’m sure we’ll find someone else to look after it.”
Martin, who carried an injury to his pelvis throughout the qualifying event, will line-up alongside a glittering field for the January championship.
COLIN MONTGOMERIE IN FIELD
Among the stars confirmed for Abu Dhabi are Retief Goosen of South Africa, currently ranked sixth in the world; Sergio Garcia of Spain, the current world No 11; Dubai-based Henrik Stenson of Sweden, currently world No 12; Ryder Cup legend Colin Montgomerie, ranked 17th in the world; Australia’s Order of Merit winner Nick O’Hern and defending champion Chris DiMarco, one of America’s top 10 players and currently at 20 in the world standings.
More star names are expected to be announced by tournament owner Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) in the coming weeks.
“I’d be happy to play with any one of them. The bigger the name the bigger the crowd is going to be,” said Martin, who has been based in the United Arab Emirates for two years.
Commenting on the dramatic finish that earned him the ADTA Championship invite, Martin said: “I was lucky to squeeze by. Simon has had a few play-offs this season and won them all, and I’ve been at the chiropractor on five of the last 10 days for an injury to my pelvis I picked up at a previous event.
"I’ve been relying on deep heat and paracetamol throughout. So it was good to win. I’ll take it easy for a while and let the back heal before getting some practice in for Abu Dhabi.
“The Abu Dhabi Golf Championship is really something to look forward to. I’ve played the Abu Dhabi course before, but not since the changes have been made to it.”
Gary Constable, media officer for the UAE PGA, said, “I’m sure Craig will prove a worthy representative for us at the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship and we wish him all the best.”
A total prize fund of $2 million and unique facilities make the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship one of the most attractive tournaments on the European Tour schedule, ensuring a world-class line up of players will compete for the first prize of $333,330.

Switch over to our sister website, www.kirkwoodgolf.co.uk, to find out:

• 1 How Sally & Rebecca Watson, Stephanie Meadow and Rachel Connor fared in the first round of the world's biggest junior golf championships in Florida.
• 2 What Lynn Kenny thinks of the prize money on offer in the 2007 Ladies European Tour.

TRUMP ORGANIZATION WITHDRAWS
BACKING FOR US PRO GOLF TOUR

The Trump Organization has withdrawn from its relationship with the US Pro Golf Tour due to management changes.
Earlier this year Donald Trump, pictured right, chairman and president of the Trump Organization, had forged a five-year, strategic partnership with US PGT and agreed to host four US PGT major championships, which were to carry a total purse of $10.1 million.
Under terms of the agreement, Trump could withdraw from the memorandum of understanding based on certain conditions, including a change of management at the US PGT.
Trump was never obligated to provide any money or financial support to the US PGT, but rather was to be paid a licensing fee and a site fee for the use of the various Trump golf courses.
“Although we firmly believe in what the US Pro Golf Tour is doing for the game of golf by giving young professionals an international platform to showcase their talents, we’ve elected to exercise our option and step back until the new management presents a revised business plan,” said Ashley Cooper, senior vice-president of acquisitions and development for Trump Golf Properties, a division of the Trump Organization.
“Trump Golf Properties and the Trump Organization continually seek ways to support and grow the game of golf,” Cooper continued. “We may re-engage with the US Pro Golf Tour in the future, once the new management team crystallizes their business plan which also must be acceptable to the Trump Organization.”

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Tom Kidd, the founder of the US Pro Golf Tour, resigned in late November. The mini-tour is set to announce a scaled-back 2007 tournament schedule - from 22 events down to only nine with $300,000 prizefunds.
Kidd resigned as president and chief executive officer of Greens Worldwide, parent of the US PGT, without offering a reason for his departure. There were unconfirmed reports that Kidd told Greens Worldwide board of directors that he "was forced to resign as a director and officer due to (i) insubordination of the company's management team, (ii) [his] lack of confidence in the management team's ability to execute a business plan and (iii) the management team's failure to disclose to [him] operational issues."
NO GUARANTEE
Ashley Cooper, senior vice president of acquisitions and development for Trump Golf Properties, said the US PGT could not guarantee that the purses for four proposed "Trump Majors" would be placed in escrow. The Trump Majors were to carry a total purse of $10.1 million, including $5 million for the Trump Match-Play. The Trump Million Dollar Invitational was supposed to be televised on ESPN.
That concept, however, has not taken off with pro golfers who frequent the American mini-tour circuits. The US PGT has 468 players who have paid a minimum $6,000 membership fee. Kidd had said back in October that he expected 1,720 players to sign up.
+The US Pro Golf Tour would have been a tier below the United States No 2 professional circuit, the Nationwide Tour.

ANY COMMENTS? E-mail them to colin@scottishgolfview.com

CHECK OUT OUR ADVERTISEMENTS

+A round at Ladybank Golf Club will cost you only £15 until the end of March.

+Interested in buying property in Spain? Inspection visit can be arranged.

+Have your swing sorted out indoors during the winter at Stirling.

+Help for golf clubs with web sites, brochures, newsletters, etc.

+Fancy going to a golf school to improve your game? Check out Meldrum House.

ENGLAND SEND PLAYERS
TO AUSTRALIAN AND
TASMANIAN EVENTS

The English Golf Union is sending four international players for a month-long stay to Australia in the New Year to compete in four key tournaments.
Matthew Cryer, David Horsey, Stephen Lewton and Gary Wolstenholme (pictured right) will get the chance to hone their games in the sunshine ahead of the European season in the Avondale Medal, the Lake Macquarie International, and the New South Wales Medal and NSW amateur championship.
The action starts with the Avondale Medal over 36 holes at Avondale Golf Club in Sydney on the 20th January.
The Lake Macquarie International has become a regular destination for British and other international players. It is a 72-hole stroke play event being staged at Belmont Golf Club from January 25-28.
The New South Wales Medal will be played over 72 holes at Mona Vale and Cromer Golf Clubs from February 3-5 with the leading 32 players qualifying for the NSW amateur championship at Terrey Hill Golf and Country Club from February 7 to 11.
Wolstenholme will return home at the end of the Australian tournaments.
His place will be taken by Jason Palmer, who will join Cryer, Horsey and Lewton and compete in the Tasmanian Open Amateur at the Devonport Golf Club near Launceston from February 17-19.
There is no indication so far that the Scottish Golf Union will be sending players down under. All the Scots in the GB&I Walker Cup squad, with the exception of Glenn Campbell, will be competing in the Jones Cup four-round stroke-play event on Sea Island, Georgia in early February.

Upset by personal criticism from Thomas Bjorn

I WAS READY TO RESIGN AS
RYDER CUP CAPTAIN, SAYS
IAN WOOSNAM
Ryder Cup skipper Ian Woosnam has told the Belfast Telegraph that he was so upset by Thomas Bjorn’s personal criticism in the wake of not being a wild-card selection that he was prepared to resign.
"All it would have needed was for my players to show the slightest reservation about my captaincy and I would have walked. That's why I got them around a table and asked them point-blank,” said Ian who had taken as many of his team as were available – Darren Clarke, Luke Donald, Jose-Maria Olazabal, David Howell, Padraig Harrington and Paul Casey – to the K Club in Ireland to have an in-depth look at the Ryder Cup venue.
"I had to know if any of them agreed with Thomas Bjorn," he said. "What he'd said really knocked me sideways. I was still reeling out there."
"MOST PATHETIC ..."
Bjorn had accused Woosnam of being “barmy” and “the most pathetic captain I’ve ever seen.”
"I sat them down and said, 'If anyone's got a problem with me being captain and agree with Thomas in any way, then speak now'. Fortunately, there was a silence and to a man they backed me, as did the other boys I spoke to on the phone. That was the vote of confidence I needed. I could move on and concentrate purely on the match. Thomas Bjorn was forgotten then,” said Woosnam.
"You know, some of what he said about me was actionable," said Ian. "And I did consider suing. But in the end I didn't want to put a shadow over the competition or what it should, and has been, remembered for."
Woosnam also revealed that a long-standing suspicion of golf writers came to the fore again as
"Some of their articles in the wake of it all confirmed to me why I've never trusted the press," he said. "They weren't content just to report what Thomas said. A few had to twist the knife in further. It was like open season against me and anything and everything seemed fair game.
"They had a go about my intelligence, about me being rude and careless, about my height even, although what's that got to do with my suitability to being a captain, God only knows.
GOOD CAPTAIN
“What I did know was that, when the play got started, I'd be a good captain. I've never claimed to be a good speaker and all the way through was very honest about how nervous I was about that aspect of the job. But I never had any anxiety about my knowledge of how to get that little ball down the hole and the best way to give the players the best environment to make it possible.”
ANY COMMENTS? E-mail them to colin@scottishgolfview.com

AMERICANS GET DOWN TO WORK
EARLY FOR 2007 WALKER CUP
MATCH AT ROYAL CO DOWN
The Americans are beginning their preparations early for the Walker Cup match at Royal County Down, Northern Ireland on September 8 and 9.
A total of 24 players have been invited by the United States Golf Association to take part in a three-day practice session from January 3 to 5 at Old Memorial Golf Club in Tampa, Florida.
Top names in the squad are Trip Kuehne, Chris Kirk and Jonathan Moore who represented the United States in the Eisenhower Trophy world team champioinship in South Africa in October. Webb Simpson was an original selection for that team but had to withdraw with an injury. He will be showing up at the Tampa get-together.
Simpson, Moore, Kirk and Kuehne are Nos. 1-4 respectively in the Golfweek/Titleist Amateur Rankings.
The top eight Americans in the Golfweek rankings were invited. Dustin Johnson (7), Carlton Forrester (9), Colt Knost and Billy Horschel (joint 13th) complete that group.
Rickie Fowler, Philip Francis, Ben Fox, Brian Harman, John Kelly, Kevin Marsh, David May, Mike McCoy, Jon McLean, Alex Prugh, Kyle Stanley, Matthew Swan, Cameron Tringale, Kevin Tway, David Womack and Gary Woodland were also invited.
Patrick Nagle is recovering from a hand injury and had to decline his invitation.
"I think we have a good mix of players," said United States Walker Cup team captain Buddy Marucci, pictured above.
"But even though this group will take part in the session, it by far doesn't mean someone couldn't come out next year and play their way on the team. If fact, I wouldn't be surprised if that happened."
Sixteen collegiate players, five mid-amateurs (Forrester McCoy, Kuehne, Marsh and Womack, the reigning U.S. Mid-Am champion), and three high school seniors (Fowler, Tway and Francis) were invited.
Only two of the big preliminary squad have played in a Walker Cup match. Kuehne played on the 1995 and 2003 teams. Harman played in 2005 when the Americans ended GB&I's three-match win streak with a 12 1/2-11 1/2 victory at the Chicago Golf Club.
Marucci, who played in two Walker Cups, is in his first stint as captain. He takes over from Bob Lewis, jun., who captained the previous two United States teams.
"I'll probably do something similar to what Bobby did," Marucci said about the practice session.
GETTING TO KNOW ONE ANOTHER
"We'll have a dinner and meeting the first night (January 2) to let everyone get to know each other better. I'll tell them what I expect of them and what I expect them to do over the next six or seven months.
"The main thing is for everyone to feel comfortable around me and each other. I want to make it an open thing and try to put everyone at ease."
Marucci said he would probably divide the 24 into two squads, playing 36 holes each the first two days and 18 the last day, concentrating heavily on foursomes play with some singles mixed in.
"I want to see their strengths and weaknesses and see how players interact with other players," Marucci said. "To me, team chemistry is just as important as a good golf game in a competition like the Walker Cup."
United States lead the Walker Cup series 32-7-1, but GB&I have a 5-4 edge since 1989. The Americans last won on foreign soil in 1991 when the Walker Cup was held for the first time ever in Ireland at Portmarnock, near Dublin.
Royal County Down Golf Club, a classic links course, is about 30 miles south of Belfast on the Northern Ireland coastline.

ANY COMMENTS? E-mail them to colin@scottishgolfview.com

FOOTBALLER SAVES GOLF PUNK
MAGAZINE FROM CLOSURE

The award-winning Golf Punk magazine has been saved from closure by a former international footballer.
Phil Babb, who played for Sunderland was capped for the Republic of Ireland, has taken control of the publication through his company, JF Media.
Babb was an early investor in the innovative golf magazine title along with his former Sunderland team-mates Michael Gray, Thomas Sorensen, Stephen Wright and Jason McAteer.
In recent months, Golf Punk has been struggling with financial difficulties.
Finance director Jonathan Stobart departed during the summer.
There were reports of freelance contributors report not being paid for assignments.

PAUL CASEY'S RYDER CUP
ACE WINS RBS SHOT OF
THE YEAR TROPHY

Paul Casey’s memorable hole-in-one during the Ryder Cup at the K Club in Ireland has been voted the RBS Shot of the Year for 2006 by a panel comprising TV, radio and golfing media. Casey, who won the monthly award for that spectacular shot in September, receives the RBS Shot of the Year Trophy and £2,000 to donate to a charity of his choice.
The 29-year-old Englishman, who was named last week as the European Tour Golfer of the Year, is the fourth winner of the RBS-sponsored award, following Sweden’s Fredrik Jacobson in 2003, David Howell of England in 2004 and Ireland’s Paul McGinley last year.
By coincidence, when Howell won the RBS Shot of the Year Award in 2004 he was partnering Casey in the Ryder Cup at Oakland Hills. Two years on, the roles were reversed with Howell looking on as Casey holed his four-iron tee shot at the 14th hole (213yd) of the Palmer Course during the Saturday four-ball match against Stewart Cink and Zach Johnson 5 and 4.
It was the first time that anyone had closed out a Ryder Cup match in the history of the event, and Casey’s spectacular ace was the first since Howard Clark’s effort at Oak Hill in 1995.
Casey, who finished runner-up to Padraig Harrington of Ireland in the European Tour Order of Merit, said: “It was my first hole-in-one in a professional tournament and to achieve it in a Ryder Cup was an unbelievable experience. I can remember watching countless replays of people like Nick Faldo and Howard Clark making holes in one at previous Ryder Cups and I am looking forward to seeing this one replayed again and again.
“I knew I had struck it very well, turning it on the wind, but when the crowd erupted at the back of the green it was a bizarre moment. I didn’t want to celebrate too soon in case it hadn’t gone in. That’s why you can see my delayed reaction before throwing my arms in the air. It was amazing. How often do you finish off a Ryder Cup match without walking off the tee? It was a very surreal situation and I don’t suppose I will ever replicate that shot under those circumstances.
“I feel very privileged to win the RBS Shot of the Year. There were so many great shots played during the season and I feel very lucky that mine has been voted the best of them. It is a very, very special award.”

R&A Press Release

STAND BY FOR THE TURF THUMPER: YARDSTICK
FOR GREENS, FAIRWAYS

The R&A Golf Course and Equipment Standards Committees have joined forces to develop a device, the Turf Thumper (pictured right), which measures the firmness of turf.
The Golf Course Committee believe that firmness is one of the most important performance characteristics of a green or fairway.
Dr Steve Otto, Director – Research and Testing at The R&A, has produced software which provides data on the deformation and resilience of turf impacted by the Turf Thumper, a tool initially advanced by the United States Golf Association (USGA).
Over a year of monthly assessment at three golf courses in Fife, Dr Otto and Steve Isaac, R&A Assistant Director – Golf Course Management, have compiled a mass of data. The information collected from Balbirnie Park, Ladybank and the Old Course, St Andrews has confirmed the viability of the Turf Thumper as a means of objectively assessing one aspect of the performance of golf greens and fairways.
Analysis of data collected shows the thumper can determine seasonal variation in the firmness of turf, the effect of weather patterns (drying and wetting) and the impact of course maintenance practices.
This has implications for benchmarking and reviewing the performance of playing surfaces, assessing the value of maintenance regimes and changes to current practices, and monitoring turf performance against other measurable parameters.
The success of this initial study has encouraged The R&A to commission an extended testing programme at sites across the UK, with a view to the production of guidelines on acceptable ranges of firmness for golf courses.

Be sure to read our advertisements - they may have something you've been looking for.

WHAT'S MICHELLE WIE UP TO?
SHE'S BOUND FOR STANFORD
UNIVERSITY NEXT AUTUMN!

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

So what's the name of the game Michelle Wie is playing?
She turned professional last year but has seemed more interested in playing in men’s tournaments than the LPGA Tour – and that policy has been a disaster!
Now the 17-year-old, who is still a pupil at Punahou School in Honolulu, says she has been accepted by Stanford University, California – the same college that had Tiger Woods and Mhairi McKay as students – and will enroll in the autumn.
“No one really believed me," Wie said from Orlando, Fla., where she is working with swing coach David Leadbetter. "It was one of my dreams to get into Stanford , and I want to go through with it. I definitely want to go there and really try to graduate."
Michele has been mixing school and tour golf since she played three LPGA Tour events at age 12. She turned professional in October 2005 and earned close to $20 million this year from endorsements, earnings and appearance money overseas.
Professional golfers are surely not allowed to play on the American college circuit so what’s Michele going to do for competitive golf while she’s at university – take time off every now and again to go away and play in an LPGA or a men’s tournament somewhere in the world that will allow her into its field?
Told that Tiger Woods lasted only two years at Stanford before he turned pro, she said, "Hopefully, I'll last a little longer."
Her father, B.J. Wie, is a professor at the University of Hawaii.
+Michelle’s next tournament will be the Sony Open in Honolulu on January 11. Now is that a men’s or women’s event?

ANY COMMENTS? E-mail them to Colin@scottishgolfview.com

DONALD TRUMP LINKS
BEING BUILT
TO R&A’S OPEN
CHAMPIONSHIP
REQUIREMENTS
By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Only nine courses have been used by the R&A to stage the Open championship over the past 50 years. It’s getting on for 30 years since a “new” one – Turnberry in 1977 - was added to the exclusive rota of links
Stand by to welcome No 10 in the not too distant future, says Neil Hobday, Project Manager for the Donald Trump International Links develop on the Menie House Estate at Balmedie.
When I first read the reports from the Press Conferences, I must admit I thought there was about as much chance of the brand new links at Balmedie – which won’t be begun until next summer at the very earliest – becoming an Open championship venue as me winning a gold medal at the London Olympics.
Now, having spoken at length with Neil Hobday on the subject, I am beginning to change my mind.
The Donald Trump International Links will certainly be the new kid on the block, trying to muscle in with ancient courses such as St Andrews’ Old Course, Muirfield, Carnoustie, Royal Troon, Royal Lytham, Royal Birkdale, Royal Liverpool and Royal St George’s.
But Hobday has an impressive CV. He is no pie-in-the-sky entrepreneur. He knows what he’s talking about.
Neil managed top European Tour players with both Mark McCormack’s International Management Group and Carnegie Sports International. Later he led Lyle Anderson’s operational team in the development of Loch Lomond Golf Club and also advised on the opening of Kingsbarns Links.
“It is our declared ambition to host the Open championship here over the Menie Estate links. We’re not frightened to admit it. We want to host the Open championship – and sooner rather than later,” said Neil.
“We have been to meet the Royal & Ancient and declare our intentions to them. They have been incredibly helpful in advising us on the criteria that they look for in their Open venues.
“Now, the rest is up to us. The R&A can do no more. They can’t make any promises but we now understand what it takes.
“The R&A have never set a limit on the number of courses on their Open rota but what they have to do is use the venues that can accommodate an Open championship and all that goes with it.”
Hobday thinks that in many ways being a brand new course, built to the required specifications of a major championship venue in the 21st Century, will be the ace card for the Donald Trump International Links.
OLD, OUT OF DATE COURSES
“It’s tough for some of the Open venues these days. These are old, old golf courses that towns have been built around in Victorian days and before. But the modern-day infrastructure requirements, the crowd levels these days and the corporate entertainment numbers all add up to huge undertaking,” said Neil.
“In contrast, we’ve got a blank canvas here. We’ve got 1,400 acres to plan within it here on the Menie Estate .. where the tented village would go, where the public car parking would be sited, etc, etc.
“But the key to it all is the golf course and we feel that on this property we can build the best links golf course in the world. No question. It’s a sensational property … there’s a majesty about it and the potential is there for all to see (The links land on the Menie House Estate is pictured above).
“We can create it, then it is out of our hands then. This is going to be a major development. Never mind on a Scottish scale, this will be the most significant mixed-use resort anywhere in Europe!
“My personal ambition has always been to become involved in the creation of a links course and to be involved in one like this capable of hosting an Open championship is very exciting, even for an old hand like me.”
Earlier this year Hobday met Peter Dawson, the Aberdeen-born secretary of the R&A, to update him on the Donald Trump International Links development plans and to underline the claim to be considered as an Open venue when ready.
TO MATCH ALL R&A CRITERIA
“The R&A line is absolutely clear: If the Menie Estate links course is built to match all the R&A criteria from a course and infrastructure point of view, then why wouldn’t they take the Open championship here at some future date?” said Hobday.
“But we have to build it first. We will not be asking the R&A for any special treatment. They are very busy people. They have a lot of things on their plate.
“We just have to get on with what we have to get on with and heed the advice they have given us. We will keep them abreast of how we are progressing.
“Of course, once you have a world-class links near Aberdeen, the Open championship is not the be-all and end-all. There’s the British amateur championship and the Walker Cup, not to mention from the women’s game, the Curtis Cup, the Vagliano Trophy and so on.
Interestingly enough, when Neil Hobday when to see Sir Michael Bonallack, Peter Dawson’s predecessor as R&A secretary, he was told that the R&A, in the late 1990s, commissioned a report on every single links course in Great Britain and Ireland to see if they could extend the number of venues on the Open championship rota.
“That report concluded that there was not one, not one that could be promoted as it were without a significant amount of work being done, not just on the course but on the infrastructure and all that kind of stuff.,” said Hobday.
“So the idea that a brand new links course with the required infrastructure and space could be tailor-made to the R&A’s specifications certainly intrigues and interests them.
“Quite apart from the course and all that, we will have to convince the R&A that Aberdeen is capable of hosting a successful Open championship, successful from a financial point of view. In that respect we are absolutely convinced that the North-east market and the Scottish market and, in particular, the corporate entertainment market that comes from London, Edinburgh and Glasgow for an Open championship, would support an Open at our resort in the North-east.
MAJESTIC, SENSATIONAL LAND
“The thing that gives us the confidence to think in these terms is the land we have here on the Menie House Estate. It’s so majestic. It’s so sensational.
“I think the property has the potential for 72 very good golf holes. The challenge is to pick the best 18 and then the next best 18 to make up two world-class championship courses.
“The central characteristic of the No 1 course is going to be the sand dunes and then, as far as the No 2 lay-out is concerned, it will be more what you perceive as a traditional links course with rolling movement in the ground, of which we have hundreds of acres like that.
“We’re blessed that we are going to be able to build two championship courses that will be quite different in style, quite distinct in character.
Some 95 per cent of the R&A’s income comes from the week of the Open championship. The money they take in, they use carefully all over the world to promote golf, help the growth of golf and so on.
“So it’s vitally important to the R&A that wherever the Open goes it’s an economic success because they rely on it to fund the development of golf worldwide and fulfil their mission statement,” said Hobday..
“They (the R&A) know this property, they know Aberdeen, they know the North-east of Scotland, they know the history of all the golf courses here – the North-east is the second largest golf region in Scotland outside Greater Glasgow, so if ever there were a region that deserved an Open championship, it’s the North-east of Scotland.
IT'S A WIN-WIN SITUATION
“The heritage, the golfers, the support is all here … the improving infrastructure of Aberdeen … the economy is here … the increase in golf tours into the North-east of Scotland is happening in front of our eyes.
“This resort will haul people here … not just golf tourists but business and leisure tourists. It’s kind of like flooding a reservoir: all ships rise at the same time.
“Our neighbouring golf courses will all benefit; people looking for jobs in this sector locally will benefit; North-east businesses will benefit from the economic flow of this resort. It’s a win-win situation.”

ANY COMMENTS? E-mail them to colin@scottishgolfview.com

RECORD PRIZE FUND FOR
LADIES EUROPEAN
TOUR IN 2007
The Ladies European Tour’s executive director Alexandra Armas, pictured right, announced the 2007 Ladies European Tour (LET) schedule, which will feature a minimum of 25 events with prize money of more than 11.02 million Euros, the highest ever in LET history.
“The 2006 season has been a huge success with new events in Switzerland and Dubai and has laid the foundations that will enable the Tour to grow in the future,” said Armas.
“However, with four new events in 2007 and the return of the Solheim Cup to Sweden, I am confident that 2007 will be the Tour’s most exciting year to date.
“The Solheim Cup at Halmstad will be at the forefront of everyone’s mind throughout the season and let’s hope that Helen Alfredsson and her team can bring the Cup back to Europe.”
The four new tournaments in 2007 are: the MFS Women’s Australian Open at Royal Sydney, the De Vere Ladies Scottish Open at The Carrick on Loch Lomond, the Northern Ireland Ladies Open at Hilton Templepatrick Hotel and Country Club and the Madrid Ladies Masters in Spain, at a venue soon to be announced.
LIMITED FIELD IN MADRID
The inaugural Madrid Ladies Masters will be a limited field event which will feature a prize fund of Euros 400,000. The tournament will be organised and promoted by Double Match, who also promote the successful Catalonia Ladies Masters and the event will be supported by the Comunidad de Madrid.
The Madrid Ladies Masters, from October 5-7, will be the penultimate event of the season, but there will be a gap of fully two months before the end-of-the-season climax - the Dubai Ladies Masters from December 6 to 9.
COLIN FARQUHARSON WRITES:
The richest event of the LET season continues to be the Evian Masters from July 25 to 28 in France with a prize fund of Euros 2,287,457 which tops the Weetabix Women's British Open - to be played over the Old Course, St Andrews, from August 2 to 5 - with a prize fund of Euros 1,567,164.
There is only one tournament in England - the English Ladies Open at Chart Hills, Kent, from July 6 to 8. It is also the event with the LOWEST prizefund, only Euros 165,000.
The De Vere Scottish Ladies Open has only a marginally higher prize fund of Euros 200,000 - the same as several other events, including the Northern Ireland Ladies Open.
There is no question that the Ladies European Tour is getting stronger . After all, there were only 15 events on the LET schedule for 2004, compared with 25 this coming year.
It's just a pity that the prize money is nowhere near on a par with the men of the European Tour where a tournament winner's cheque is worth far more than the total prize fund for any single LET event, with the notable exception of the Evian Masters and the Weetabix Women's British Open.
Equal rights for women? That doesn't apply when it comes to sponsors and the low prize funds - in the main - they can get away with on the Ladies European Tour.

ANY COMMENTS? E-mail colin@scottishgolfview.com


The LET schedule for 2007 is:

JANUARY
19-21 Women's World Cup (Sun City, South Africa).
FEBRUARY
1-4 Australian Women's Open (Royal Sydney).
8-11 ANZ Ladies Masters (Royal Pines, Queensland).
MAY
3-6 Tenerife Ladies Open (venue tbc). Euros 275,000.
10-13 Spanish Women's Open (Mediterrrane CC, Castellon). Euros 275,000.
17-20 Swiss Ladies Open (Ticino, Switzerland). Euros 525,000.
TBC: Ladies Italian Open (venue tbc). Euros 400,000.
JUNE
1-3 Northern Ireland Ladies Open (Hilton Templepatrick, Belfast). Euros 200,000.
8-10 Dutch Ladies Open (Eindhoven). Euros 180,000.
15-17 Catalonia Ladies Masters (venue tbc). Euros 200,000.
21-24 French Women's Open (Anzin St Aubin). Euros 340,000.
JULY
6-8 English Ladies Open (Chart Hills, Kent). Euros 165,000.
13-15 Hungarian Ladies Open (Tata). Euros 200,000.
25-28 Evian Masters (Evian Les Bains) Euros 2,287,457.
AUGUST
2-5 Weetabix Women's British Open (Old Course) Euros 1,567,164.
9-12 Scandinavian TPC (Malmo). Euros 525,000.
16-19 Wales Ladies Championship of Europe (Llanelli). Euros 522,388.
24-26 SAS Masters (Oslo, Norway). Euros 200,000.
31-Sept 2 Finnair Masters (Helsink). Euros 200,000.
SEPTEMBER
6-9 Nykredit Masters (Helsingor, Denmark). Euros 200,000.
14-16 SOLHEIM CUP (Halmstad, Sweden).
21-23 De Vere Ladies Scottish Open (The Carrick on Loch Lomond) Euros 200,000.
27-30 Austrian Ladies Open (Vienna). Euros 250,000.
OCTOBER
5-7 Madrid Ladies Open (venue tbc). Euros 400,000.
DECEMBER
6-9 Dubai Ladies Masters (Emirates). Euros 500,000.

The winning United States team after the inaugural Handa Cup match against a World team.

HANDA CUP FOR OVER-45s WILL GROW, JUST LIKE SOLHEIM CUP

By LISA D MICKEY
+Staff writer for the LPGA & Duramed Futures Tours

The inaugural Handa Cup had a lop-sided start with the United States team posting a 27 to 11 victory over the World Team at St Augustine, Florida at the weekend.
But, reminiscent of the first Solheim Cup back in 1990, in which the US side defeated Europe 11.5 to 4.5, the first edition of the Handa Cup ended with a future sponsorship promise and a call for the World Team to bolster its talent.
"I was there for the first year of the Solheim Cup and the score was lopsided, too," said US Team member and World Golf Hall of Famer Patty Sheehan, "But like the Solheim Cup, this event is going to grow and strengthen every year we play. And just like the Solheim Cup, the players will get younger, as I get older."
AGED 45 & OVER
The inaugural contest between 11 players from the U.S. and 11 players from around the world was an official event of the Legends Tour, the LPGA's official tour for women professionals age 45 and over.
And it was an event sponsored by Japanese businessman Haruhisa Handa, who vowed to bring the event back to Florida in 2007. And while Handa, also an opera singer, kicked off the week at the opening ceremonies serenading players and guests with an operatic baritone version of "Danny Boy" in English and "O Sole Mio" in Italian, it was his promise to continue sponsorship that proved to be music to the ears of this year's participants -- many of whom have scaled back or ended LPGA Tour careers.
"I don't think it's the competition that builds the event right now," said U.S. Team member Jane Geddes, who won today's first singles match 3 and 2 over World Team member Anne-Marie Palli of France. "It's the players. People came out to see some of these great players they used to follow for years."
with a balky putter.
"Our team played great," said U.S. Team captain Kathy Whitworth. "But we had some Hall of Famers on our side, some former Solheim Cup players and players who have known each other for years, so that's got to be an advantage."
LAURA DAVIES & CO
At least for this year's inaugural Handa Cup. But members of the World Team are already counting birthdays for future team members entering their 40s. Down the road, they envision players like Alison Nicholas, Laura Davies, Liselotte Neumann and Helen Alfredsson playing the Legends Tour and joining their side.
And just as the Solheim Cup has given the best players from the US and Europe something to look forward to, the newly-minted Handa Cup seems poised to offer 40-somethings a place to play with plenty of bragging rights up for grabs.
For more information, visit www.thelegendstour.com and www.LPGA.com.

BILLY SIM WELCOMES
KEN SCHOFIELD
AND PGAs OF EUROPE
GUESTS TO HACIENDA
DEL ALAMO RESORT

By DENNIS SHAW, PGAs of Europe Press Officer

When delegates and distinguished guests at the PGAs of Europe Annual Congress and International Team Championship in Spain last month enjoyed an excellent day contesting the President’s Challenge at Hacienda del Alamo Golf Resort, Murcia, the occasion was given an extra lift by the hospitality displayed by the resort's splendid host, Director of Golf Billy Sim.
The excellence of the Dave Thomas golf course, the warm reception for everyone, the willingness of Billy’s ‘team’ to make everything go with a swing, all combined to complete a memorable day in a brief break from the serious business of the Congress.
Billy moved to Hacienda del Alamo Golf Resort some three years or so ago, early in the region’s take-off as one of Spain’s major golf destinations.
Earlier in his career Billy cut his teeth on golf course work as a member of Dave Thomas’s
design and construction team and created such an impression that the man from the North-east of Scotland became course manager at San Roque Golf Club after helping to see the design project through.
HEADHUNTED ON ALGARVE
This led to Billy being headhunted by several sources on the Algarve for course-improvement schemes, including Salgados, Pestana, and Penina.
When the Hacienda del Alamo project was undertaken, Billy was nominated by Dave Thomas
to be the Director of Golf there. So Billy Sim has been there from Day 1 as "HDA" grows gradually into a multi-course location with its planned new handsome clubhouse and academy facility.
* Billy Sim (right) is pictured presenting Ken Schofi eld, the former Executive Director of the PGA European Tour and now PGAs of Europe President, with a framed photograph of the Hacienda Del Alamo venue - "The New Number One in Spain" - to mark Ken’s years of service to the sport and a fellow-Scot whom he has known for many years, and who has always been a willing source of career help and information.

William Russell, 15-year-old men's champion of The Duke's Golf Club, St Andrews, rubs shoulders with the big names at the club's presentation of prizes dinner. Left to right: Herbert Kohler (president of Kohler Co), Lady Angela Bonallack, William Russell and Sir Michael Bonallack.

ABERDEEN YOUNGSTER (15) BECOMES YOUNGEST EVER DUKE’S MEN’S CHAMPION


An Aberdeen youngster, who now lives in St Andrews, has become the youngest ever men’s club champion of The Duke’s Golf Club, St Andrews.
William Russell, now 15 and a pupil at St Leonard’s School, St Andrews, attended Milltimber Primary School before the family moved to Fife.
Master Russell beat Mike Fraser in the final by one hole in the final, played off the back tees – 7,512yd.
He was presented with the Peter Thomson Trophy – named after the Australian designer of the course and five times Open champion – at the club’s annual prizegiving dinner a few days ago.
William has a handicap of four and has already been spotted as a talent worth developing – he is a member of the Scottish Golf Union’s Under-16 squad. He is coached by Banff-born Spencer Henderson who is the SGU’s junior national coach.

RAMSAY'S PLACE IN US MASTERS
CONFIRMED - BUT ROSE UNLUCKY

Richie Ramsay's place in next year's US Masters at Augusta has been confirmed with the issue of those who have qualified to play in the first major next April.
The Aberdonian, a student at Stirling University, qualifies as the holder of the United States amateur championship, the first first player to win the title since 1912.
Welshman Bradley Dredge has earned himself a debut appearance by squeezing into the top 50 in the world rankings, the last of 2006.
The unlucky odd man out is England's Justin Rose, who was relegated to 51st place by Dredge.
Lee Westwood's eighth place in the South African Airways Open on Sunday means he moves up one position to 49th and so secures his eighth Masters start. He is one of a record 26 Europeans who have already qualified for the first major of 2007.
Rose, who got married at the weekend, has not been back to the Masters since he led at halfway in 2004 before crashing to a third-round 81. He could still make it, though. The world's top 50 the week before the Masters are also invited, as are the top 10 on the US Tour money list at that stage of the season.
Joining Dredge as a debutant in the event will be England's Kenneth Ferrie, thanks to his sixth-place finish at the US Open, Swedes Robert Karlsson and Johan Edfors and Frenchman Julien Guerrier.
Edfors, who 13 months ago was at the European Tour qualifying school, has climbed from 410th to 48th in the world this year, and Karlsson from 216th to 31st.

R&A ANNOUNCES GRANTS
IN EXCESS OF £1 MILLION
Including £7,500 to Paul
Lawrie Junior
Programme

The R&A has announced a series of grants, amounting to more than £1million, aimed at supporting the development of golf around the world.
Eastern Europe, Bulgaria and Poland will receive coaching grants for the first time to support their junior grassroots activities.
Further afield, international amateur team championships being played in Canada, Guatemala and South Africa will also receive R&A funding for the first time.
Duncan Weir, pictured left, the R&A’s Director of Golf Development, said: “We are fortunate that the annual surplus from the Open championship enables us to distribute funds widely and it is therefore appropriate that the junior programmes run by Nick Faldo and Paul Lawrie, both Open champions, are included in this latest list of awards.” As Mr Weir told Mike Aitken of "The Scotsman:"
"We want to help others grow the game in any way we possibly can. Our aim is simple: to encourage more people in more places to play golf more often.
"Let's be clear here, though. Our role is to offer support to others rather than to start projects of our own. People on the ground, who know the local scene, are in the best position to come to up with initiatives. And if we can help in any way, we will.
"Many of the awards we make come as a result of approaches made by federations and other organisations. We are committed to consider every funding request, no matter how small.
"We are fortunate that the annual surplus from the Open championship enables us to distribute funds widely and it is therefore appropriate that the junior programmes run by Nick Faldo and Paul Lawrie, both Open champions, are included in this latest list of awards."
In its most recent accounts for 2005, the R&A reported a profit of £9.1million and spent £3.7million developing the game.

R&A GRANTS
Arab Golf Federation
£5,000 towards 2006 Pan Arab Junior Championship in Morocco
Barbados Golf Association
£55,000 towards public driving range
Brazilian Golf Confederation
£5,000 towards 2007 South American Junior Team Championship
Bulgarian Golf Association
£10,000 towards junior development activities
Copa los Americas
£20,000 towards 2007 event in Canada
European Golf Association
£20,000 towards 2007 European Young Masters in France
Faldo Series
£25,000 towards existing European programme and £85,000 towards expanding Asian series
Golf Foundation
£600,000 towards junior development activities in England, Scotland and Wales
Guatemala Golf Federation
£5,000 towards 2007 Central American Amateur Team Championship
Hong Kong Golf Association
£12,500 towards 2007 Asia-Pacific Junior Team Championship
Junior Golf Ireland
£60,000 towards junior development activities
Keilir Golf Club, Iceland
£30,000 towards covered driving range and indoor short game facility
Kenya Ladies’ Golf Union
£10,000 towards 2007 triangular international with Zambia and Zimbabwe
Namibia Golf Federation
£12,000 towards 2007 African Amateur Team Championship
Palmer Cup
£5,000 towards 2007 Europe v USA student match
Paul Lawrie Junior Golf Programme
£7,500 towards 2007 activities
Polish Golf Union
£20,000 towards junior development activities
Putra Cup
£5,000 towards 2006 event in Papua New Guinea involving countries in south-east Asia
Queen Sirikit Cup
£15,000 towards 2007 women’s event in the Philippines involving Asia-Pacific countries
St Andrews Links Junior Golf Association
£12,500 in 2007 towards ongoing junior programme
South African Golf Development Board
£10,000 towards junior development activities
Tanzania Golf Union
£6,000 towards 2006 East African Challenge also involving Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda
Tour de las Americas
£20,000 in 2007 towards professional golf tour
Uganda Golf Union
£28,000 towards 2007 Zone VI event involving countries from southern and eastern Africa
Women’s Golf South Africa
£5,000 towards 2007 Commonwealth Team Tournament
Zimbabwe Junior Golf Association
£10,000 towards 2007 Africa Junior Challenge

**£150,000 will be spent on the purchase and distribution of reconditioned greenkeeping machinery. In 2006, equipment was sent to Ghana, Iceland, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

**1,000 sets of TaylorMade Kids’ Clubs will be distributed overseas. This follows a similar number sent in 2006 to Botswana, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Honduras, India, Israel, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Malta, Poland, Rwanda, Slovenia, Tanzania, Trinidad & Tobago, Turkey and Zimbabwe.

MURIEL THOMSON:
ANGEL FROM SCOTLAND
TO DEPRIVED KIDS
IN INDIA

Portlethen Golf Club professional Muriel Thomson is returning to India to spend a month doing volunter work among the orphaned and deprived children of one community.
Read the full story - Muriel Thomson: "The Angel from Scotland" - on our sister website, www.kirkwoodgolf.co.uk

Our advertisers are supporting us ... please support them

RAMSAY THIRD TO RYDER
CUP TEAM, CLARKE IN
WRITERS' TROPHY POLL

Walker Cup player Richie Ramsay, winner of the United States amateur championship this year, finished a close third in the Association of Golf Writers' Trophy poll for 2006. The annual vote among the writers is to seek their opinion as to which individual or team has done the most for European golf, amateur or professional, over the pas 12 months.
Ian Woosnam expressed his delight after Europe's Ryder Cup team won the Golf Writers' Trophy.
Woosnam captained Europe to a third successive victory over the Americans at the K Club as the team matched their record nine-point winning margin from two years ago.
Darren Clarke, whose courageous performance just weeks after losing his wife, Heather, to cancer was the highlight of an emotional week in Ireland, was the runner-up in the annual poll. After the Ryder Cup team missed out at the BBC Sports awards last week, Woosnam was particularly pleased to win the Golf Writers' Trophy.
"At last!" said the Welshman. "Thank God, we've won a prize after that BBC fiasco."I am very honoured, both for myself and on behalf of the players," he added. "It was an unbelievable performance. To get 18.5 points, to equal the record, and also to win all five series of play for the first time ever, is the stuff of dreams.
"It was a very special week. It was the best week of my life without question, very hard but the best. I can't say enough about my wonderful players and the way they played."
Clarke won three matches out of three at the K Club despite having played only one tournament in the previous two months. "I am very grateful for all the recognition I have received and I would especially like to thank the golf writers for their support, not just this year, but throughout my career," said the Northern Irishman.
"But for the Ryder Cup team to win this trophy is the absolutely the right result. To win as we did was a stunning performance and Woosie was fantastic as our captain. We had 12 players all playing to their best and I was just proud to play my part."
It is rare for an amateur golfer to figure in the Association of Golf Writers' annual voting so for Royal Aberdeen member and Stirling student Ramsay, pictured above, to finish third is quite an achievement. So, of course, was his capture of the United States amateur championship, a title which has earned him the No 1 world amateur ranking over the weeks and months since his memorable triumph at Hazeltine.

ALAN LYING THIRD IN UAE ORDER OF MERIT

Alan MacKenzie from Ladybank, Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club director of golf, is lying third in the United Arab Emirates PGA Order of Merit.
Alan, a member of the UAE team in the recent PGAs of Europe international team championship in Spain, has gathered 117.50pt.
Dubai Country Club pro Simon Payne leads with maximum points (300) from the first three events of the 2006-2007 season.
Craig Martin, representing Golf Club, is holding down scond place with 192.50pt.

SCOT SIMON WINS ASIAN TOUR AWARD

Scottish exile Simon Yates, who has campaigned in Asia for a number of years, won the "Greens in Regulation" prize at the Asian Tour's end-of-season Gala Dinner in Bangkok last night. He hit 73% of the greens in tournaments in regulation figures.
The full list read:

UBS Order of Merit winner: Jeev Milkha Singh (Ind).

Players' Player of the Year: Jeev Milkha Singh (Ind)

UBS Special Achievement Awards: Jeev Milkha Singh (Ind)

Rookie of the Year: Juvic Pagunsan (Phi).

Host Venue of the Year: Sentosa Golf Club, Singapore.

Greens in Regulation: Simon Yates (Sco) 73 %.

Lowest Stroke Average: Jyoti Randhawa (Ind) 69.74.

Birdie Leader: Anthony Kang (USA) 322 birdies.

Lowest Putting Average: Chawalit Plaphol (Tha) 1.69.

WOODS SWEEPS TO FOUR-SHOT
WIN IN TARGET CHALLENGE

Tiger Woods swept to his third victory in the eight years of the World Target Challenge at One Thousand Oaks in California today. Starting the last round, one shot behind leader Geoff Ogilvy, the US Open champion from Australia, Tiger was as good as home and dry when Ogilvy bogeyed the par-5 second.
Woods went on to finish with a six-under-par 66 - his best round of the four for a 16-under-par total of 272.
It was Tiger's 11th tournament win of 2006. He won the first event of 2006 and now the last. The host of the event, Woods donated his $1.35million prize to the Tiger Woods Learning Centre which will open in southern California in February.
Woods, who will be 31 in two weeks, has now won 54 times worldwide, including 12 major crowns. In total his US PGA Tour earnings are a record $65.71million.
Ogilvy was runner-up at Sherwood Country Club on 12-under 276, four adrift of Woods who finished with a birdie. Ogilvy's last round of 71 was his worst of the tournament.
American Chris DeMarco finished third with a 71 for 277.
Colin Montgomery, like Tiger, left his best until last. The Scot also finished with a 66 to tied for fifth place with England's Paul Casey on eight-under-par 280.
One suspects that John Daly had slipped into one of his "don't care" moods as he finished with an eight-over-par 80 to fill last place in the invited field of 16. Daly totalled nine-over-par 297.
FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4 x 72)
272 T Woods (US) 68 68 70 66.
276 G Ogilvy (Aus) 68 70 67 71.
277 C DiMarco (US) 70 68 68 71.
279 H Stenson (Swe) 66 71 73 69.
280 C Montgomery (Sco) 69 73 72 66, P Casey (Eng) 69 70 70 71.
282 M Campbell (NZ) 74 69 68 71.
283 P Harrington 9Ire) 75 67 70 71.
285 D Toms (US) 73 69 68 75.
286 F Couples (us) 69 74 72 71, D Love 77 70 70 69.
293 L Donald (Eng) 76 74 72 71.
295 D Howell (Eng) 71 75 72 77.
296 J M Olazabal (Spa) 70 70 78 78, A Scott (Aus) 75 80 69 72.
297 J Daly (US) 69 71 77 80.

CATHY GOES DOWN
TWICE AS AMERICANS
WIN HANDA CUP

John Panton's daughter Cathy Panton-Lewis was a double loser – but enjoyed every minute of it.
Cathy was the only British or Irish player in the World Team who went down heavily to the United States in the inaugural two-day Handa Cup match-play tournament for senior women professionals over the Slammer & Squire Course at the World Golf Hall of Fame, St Augustine in Florida on Saturday and Sunday.
Cathy partnered Italy's Anne-Marie Palli to a 2 and 1 defeat by Amy Alcott and Rosie Jones in a better-ball match over nine holes on Saturday.
The highlight for the Scot was holing a 25ft birdie putt at the fourth hole after she and her partner had lost the first two holes.
A fine pitch to within 2ft of the flagstick for a birdie by Amy Alcott at the eighth clinched victory for the US pair.
Then, after the Americans led by 11pt to five at the end of the first day (2pt for a win and 1pt for a halved game), they hammered their opponents in the singles finale to the contest.
Cathy Panton-Lewis, playing in the last of the 11 ties, lost by one hole to American Sandra Haynie. The Scot lost the fifth and sixth to be two down at the turn. She won back the 13th but Sandra held her bay with halves at the remaining holes.
The Handa Cup is an official event of The Legends Tour, the LPGA's official tour for women professionals aged 45 and higher.


SCOREBOARD
(2pt gained for win; 1pt for halved game).

DAY 1 FOURSOMES (over nine holes): United States 2, World 2.
+2pt for win; 1pt for halved game.
Patty Sheehan & Pat Bradley (US) bt Jan Stephenson (SAf) & Alicia Dibos) (Peru) 1 hole.
Martha Nause & Marylin Lovander (US) lost to Dawn Coe-Jones (Can) & Nayoko Yoshikawa (Jap) 2 holes.

DAY 1 BETTER-BALL (over nine holes): United States 5, World 1.
Amy Alcott & Rosie Jones (US) bt Anne-Marie Palli (Ita) & Cathy Panton-Lewis (Sco) 2 and 1.
Joanne Carner & Christa Johnson (US) halved with Barb Scherback (Can) & Maria Gonzalez (Braz).
Jane Geddes & Sandra Haynie (US) bt Mieko Nomura (Jap) & Angie Tsai (Tai) 2 holes.

DAY 1 SCRAMBLE (over nine holes): United States 4, World 2.
Nause & Lovander (US) bt Coe-Jones & Stephenson (World) 3 and 2.
Sheehan & Bradley (US) bt Dibos & Michiko Okada (World) 2 holes.
Cindy Rarick & Jones (US) lost to Nomura & Gonzalez (World) 1 hole.

DAY 2 SINGLES (over 18 holes): United States 16, World 6.
(US names first)
Nause halved with Coe-Jones.
Geddes bt Palli 3 and 2.
Lovander bt Scherback 4 and 3.
Rarick bt Okada 2 and 1.
Sheehan halved with Stephenson.
Carner lost to Dibos 2 and 1.
Bradley bt Tsai 3 and 1.
Johnson bt Gonzalez 7 and 6.
Alcott lost to Nomura 1 hole.
Jones bt Yoshikawa 3 and 2.
Haynie bt Panton-Lewis 1 hole.

Overall result: United States 27, World 11.

REMEMBER to READ our ADVERTISEMENTS

LORA FAIRCLOUGH WINS MAURITIUS WOMEN'S OPEN PLAY-OFF

Lora Fairclough from Chorley, Lancashire won a play-off against Veronica Zorzi (Italy) at the first extra hole after they had tied on 213 at the end of the 54-hole Mauritius Women's Open championship today.
Lora had scores of 73, 71 and 69. Veronica scored 71, 73 and 69.
FINAL TOTALS
213 Lora Fairclough 73 71 69, Veronica Zorzi 71 73 69 (Fairclough won play-off at first extra hole).
216 Amy Yang 71 74 71.
219 Rebecca Hudson 71 77 71.
220 Gwladys Nocera 72 74 74.
221 Marta Prieto 72 76 73.
222 (am) Henni Brockway) 75 74 73.
223 Sophie Giquel 74 73 76.
224 Frederica Piovano 76 75 73.
225 Barbara Paruscio 76 71 68, Georgina Simpson 74 75 76.
226 Tania Elosequi 78 69 79, Ludvine Kreutz 76 75 75.
227 Sophie Sandolo 74 78 75.
236 Isabelle Maconi 73 79 84.
(am) denotes amateur.
+A total of 38 players with 36-hole totals of 152 or better qualified for the final 18 holes.
Non-qualifiers included:
153 Karen Margrethe Juul 75 78.
154 Virginie Lagoute 81 73.

VAN'S THE MAN WITH ASTONISHING WIN IN MAURITIUS OPEN

Van Phillips made up an astonishing eight strokes over the last 12 holes to win the Mauritius Open over 54 holes today.
The Englishman's victory charge was capped when former Ryder Cup player and tournament leader Philip Price four-putted the last green.
Phillips, a former winner of the Algarve Open, had begun the final round level with Price and Frenchman Christian Cevaer, who won the British youths' title at Balgownie a few years back.
Phillips dropped four strokes over the first six holes over which Price had four birdies.
Price led by three shots from Cevaer after nine holes. Then Phillips lit the blue touch paper with birdies at the 10th, 11th, 12th, 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th, coming home in only 29 shots.
Phillips' three rounds were 74, 64 and 69 for nine-under-par 207.
He won by one stroke from three players who tied for second place on 208 - Philip Price (69-69-70), Jose Rivero (782-67-69) and Mile Tunnicliff (72-71-65).
Cevaer fell away to fifth place on 209 with 71, 67 and 71.
Anglo-Scot Bill Longmuir tied for 10th place ono 214 with scores of 73, 69 and 72.
Full-blown Scot Martin Gray, a regular on the European Seniors Tour, finished joint 20th on 221 with scores of 73, 73 and 75.

LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4 x 72)
207 V Phillips 74 64 69.
208 P Price 69 69 70, J Rivero 72 67 69, M Tunnicliff 72 71 65.
209 C Cevaer 71 67 71.
211 M Pendaries 70 72 69.
212 J Donaldson 68 73 71.
213 D O'Cullivan 71 70 723, M Miguel 71 72 70.
214 L Santiago 68 73 73, B Longmuir 73 69 72, S Webster 74 70 70, L J Filipe 75 70 69.
215 K Harper 72 72 71, N Colsaerts 70 77 68.
215 N Job 71 72 74, G Brand 71 76 70.
218 P Golding 72 71 75, M McLean 73 73 72.
221 J E Morgan 769 73 79, M Gray 73 73 75, J P Sallat 74 72 75, C Rocca 75 73 73, N Ferrari 75 74 72, L Atkinson 81 70 70.
223 S Little 76 74 73.
+A total of 38 players with 36-hole totals of 152 or better qualified for the final 18 holes.
Non-qualifiers included:
154 Mike Miller 77 79.
157 Maurice Bembridge 80 77.
158 Lorne Kelly 81 77.
159 Tommy Horton 78 81.
Disqualified - Daniel Torrance.

LAURA LOSES AGAIN AND
LEXUS CUP GOES TO
TEAM ASIA IN SINGAPORE

Annika Sorenstam's Team International won the final session of 12 singles by 6 1/2- 5 1/2 but overall victory in the Lexus Cup went to Grace Park's Team Asia by a single point - 12 1/2-11 1/2
Team Asia led 7-5 at end of the second day.
Laura Davies, pictured right, the only British player in Team International, lost all three games she played over the three days at Merah Country Club's Garden Course in Singapore.
Today, she went down by 4 and 3 to Japan's Sokura Yokamine.
SINGLES RESULTS
(Team Asia names first)
Grace Park (Kor) lost to Annika Sorenstam (Swe) 4 and 3.
Candie Kung (Tpe) lost to Paula Creamer (US) 1 hole.
Meena Lee (Kor) halved with Angela Stanford (US).
Jee Young Lee (Kor) bt Morgan Pressel (US) 5 and 4.
Shi Hyun Ahn (Kor) lost to Stacy Prammanasudh (US) 4 and 3.
Young Kim (Kor) bt Carin Koch (Swe) 3 and 2.
Hee-Won Han (Kor) bt Nikki Campbell (Aus) 3 and 2.
Jennifer Rosales (Phi) lost to Sherri Steinhauer (US) 4 and 3.
Sakura Yokomine (Jap) bt Laura Davies (Eng) 4 and 3.
Joo Mi Kim (Kor) lost to Natalie Gulbis (US) 5 and 4.
Seon-Hwa Lee (Kor) bt Julieta Granada (Par) 2 and 2.
Se-Ri Pak (Kor) lost Brittany Lincicome (US) 4 and 2.

ERNIE ELS WINS SOUTH AFRICAN
OPEN BY THREE STROKES

Ernie Els is back on the winner's rostrum. After 12 months without a victory, the South African came charging through over the final round to win the South African Airways Open for a fourth time at Humewood Golf Club, Port Elizabeth today.
Starting the last round, three shots behind compatriot and leader Trevor Immelman, Ernie shot a 65 to surge past him and post a 24-under-par tournament record-winning total of 263. It was Els' 62nd tournament win as a professional and the fourth time he has captured the South African Open.
The previous tournament low of 263 was set by Tony Johnstone in 1993 - when Els, just starting out on his pro career, was second.
Immelman, who had lowered the course record to 63 in the third round, could do no bretter than a 71 at the last time of asking to finish second on 266.
Sweden's Patrik Sjoland, the earlier leader in the tournament and holder of the course record at 64 for 24 hours, finished on on 267. He finished with a 67.
Scott Drummond had a nightmare last round of 85 for 295.
FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4 x 72)
(Players from South Africa unless stated):
264 Ernie Els 67 66 66 65.
267 Trevor Immelman 67 66 63 71.
268 Patrik Sjoland (Swe) 68 64 69 67.
272 Darren Fichardt 72 67 65 68.
273 Louis Oosthuizen 71 65 70 67, Retief Goosen 69 66 68 70, Andrew Raitt (Eng) 67 68 68 70.
274 Gary Lockerbie (Eng) 72 66 70 65, Lee Westwood (Eng) 68 68 68 70.
275 Robert Rock (Eng) 70 68 69 68, Gregory Bourdy (Fra) 71 68 68 68, Lee James (Eng) 71 69 67 68, Charl Schwartzel 71 69 65 70.
276 Jaco van Zyl 71 65 72 68.
277 Ross Fisher (Eng) 70 69 66 70.
278 Richard Finch (Eng) 71 71 70 66, Justin Walters (Eng) 73 67 61 67, Pelle Edberg (Swe) 69 68 73 68, Lee Slattery (Eng) 71 70 69 68, Bradford Vaughn 70 68 71 69, Angel Cabrera (Arg) 75 65 69 69, Richard Sterne 73 69 66 70, James Kamte 69 68 69 72.
279 Sam Walker (Eng) 72 69 72 66, Benn Barham 71 71 68 69, Alan McLean (Sco) 69 68 71 71
280 Nic Henning 71 68 70 71, Keith Horne 73 68 68 71, Carl Suneson (Spa) 67 76 65 72, Edward Rush 70 67 70 73.
Other scores:
281 James Heath (Eng) 70 70 74 67.
282 Warren Bennett (Eng) 73 69 68 72, Oliver Fisher (Eng) 77 67 65 73.
284 Oliver Wilson (Eng) 74 69 71 70, Sam Little (Eng) 72 70 70 72.
287 Garry Houston (Wal) 71 72 76 68.
289 Tony Johnstone (Zim) 72 72 74 71.
295 Scott Drummond 72 67 70 85

VOLVO MASTERS OF ASIA IN THAILAND

BARRY HUME COLLECTS
$7,278 FOR JOINT
22nd PLACE FINISH

Barry Hume from Glasgow finished joint 22nd in a field of 62 for the Volvo Masters of Asia, the final event of the 2006 Asian Tour.
Hume, pictured right, had a final round of 74 for a two-over-par total of 290 at Thai Country Club, Bangkok in Thailand.
Barry's financial reward was US $7,278.
Top Scot was Simon Yates, a long-time Glasgow exile, who finished joint 19th on 289 and received $8,176.
Iain Steel, the Malaysian Scot who was in contention with one round to go, "blew up" for a closing round of 80 and finished joint 16th on 287.
Winner of the title and the first cash prize of $104,000 was Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee. He survived a nervy double-bogey finish to end a frustrating 22-month winless run.
The two-time Asian Tour number one, the first double winner of the Volvo Masters of Asia after his triumph in 2003, carded a final round 72 for a one-stroke victory over Filipino legend Frankie Minoza.
Minoza tied for the lead briefly at the halfway stage of an enthralling final day shoot-out before settling for a 70.
Thongchai's popular home triumph extended his impressive streak of winning a title every year since 2000. But he did it the hard way. With a three-shot cushion going into the last hole, the former paratrooper made a jittery finish, driving into thick rough on 18, finding a bunker before getting to the green side in four.
Two putts later, however, Thongchai, who totalled 11-under-par 277 for the week, was able to celebrate a first title of 2006.
"I feel very happy, I was very lucky this week," said Thongchai, whose victory moved him to second place on the final UBS Order of Merit with earnings of US$ 444,736.
Taking a two-shot lead into the final round, Thongchai, whose last victory in Asia was at the 2005 Malaysian Open, started superbly with three birdies over his opening four holes before making uncharacteristic errors by dropping three shots on the fifth and sixth holes.
He was caught by Thaworn and Minoza at the turn where the trio were tied on 11-under-par but Thongchai stepped up a gear by rattling home a 20ft birdie putt at the 11th to regain the lead. Another 8ft birdie conversion on the 14th established a three-shot advantage as his rivals stumbled down the stretch.
He pushed his drive at the 18th into deep rough. His recovery ended in a bunker. His third shot went back into the rough and it took him four strokes to reach the putting surface.
He two-putted for a double bogey 6 and a one-shot victory.
India's Jeev Milkha Singh wrapped up a marathon season by ending his 40th tournament of the year in tied sixth place on 282 after signing for a 72. With four titles around the globe in what has been a dream year in which he was crowned the Asian Tour's UBS Order of Merit champion, the Indian star is now looking forward to a well deserved break.
"My holiday starts now," smiled Singh, who accumulated a record US $591,884 on the Asian Tour. "I'm happy. The way I ended up today, I didn't shoot over par. I didn't hit the ball well the whole week. It's been a long season. It's been a dream year. I hope starting next year, things will get better but it'll be tough to repeat what I did this year.
FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4 x 72)
Players from Thailand unless stated.
277 - Thongchai Jaidee 68-68-69-72.
278 - Frankie Minoza (Phi) 76-64-68-70.
279 - Charlie Wi (Kor) 71-69-70-69.
280 - Thaworn Wiratchant 72-65-70-73.
281 - Prom Meesawat 68-70-72-71.
282 - Chawalit Plaphol 69-70-73-70, Jeev Milkha Singh (Ind) 72-66-72-72, Edward Loar (US) 71-68-71-72, David Bransdon (Aus) 76-65-69-72.
283 - Andrew Buckle (Aus) 71-70-71-71, S.S.P. Chowrasia (Ind) 70-70-71-72, Prayad Marksaeng 67-72-68-76.
285 - Anthony Kang (US) 76-64-73-72, Brad Kennedy (Aus) 71-70-69-75.
286 - Jyoti Randhawa (Ind) 72-69-73-72.
287 - Liang Wen-chong (China) 74-70-73-70, Iain Steel (Mas) 69-72-66-80.
288 - Thammanoon Srirot 71-74-70-73.
289 - Chris Rodgers (Eng) 69-73-74-73, Simon Yates (Sco) 72-71-72-74, Angelo Que (Phi) 72-71-70-76
290 - Rick Gibson (Can)72-75-71-72, Barry Hume (Sco) 74-71-71-74, Lee Sung (Kor) 69-70-74-77, Gary Rusnak (US) 71-72-71-76, Lin Keng-chi (Tpe) 68-73-71-78, Terry Pilkadaris (Aus) 68-75-69-78
291 - Jarrod Lyle (Aus) 73-73-75-70, Chinarat Phadungsil 71-70-78-72, Wang Ter-chang (Tpe) 69-73-76-73, Adam Groom (Aus) 69-75-74-73, Kane Webber (Aus) 77-68-72-74, Jason Knutzon (US) 71-70-74-76, Unho Park (Aus) 70-70-74-77, Yasin Ali (Eng) 72-69-71-79.
Other total:
302 Simon Hurd (Eng) 74 73 78 77.

AUSSIE OGILVY NEW LEADER
IN TARGET CHALLENGE
IN CALIFORNIA

Tiger Woods fell off his perch in the third round of the World Target Challenge, played in a steady rainfall at One Thousand Oaks, Los Alamitos in California (yes, it does rain in sunny California!).
Woods lost his overnight lead by shooting a two-under-par 70 for 10-under-par 206. That allowed US Open champion Geoff Ogilvy (Australia) to slip past into the pole position with a 67 for 205.
Alongside Tiger on 206 is fellow-American Chris DiMarco (68).
Paul Casey is not out of it. He's in fourth place on 209 after a 70.
Colin Montgomerie could do no better than match the par of 72 in the third round and, at this level of competition, a player goes backwards with a par round.
Colin is on two-under-par 214 and in ninth place.

THIRD-ROUND TOTALS
Par 216 (3 x 72)
205 G Ogilvy (Aus) 68 70 67.
206 C DiMarco (US) 70 68 68, T Woods (US) 68 68 70.
209 P Casey (Eng) 69 70 70.
210 H Stenson (Swe) 66 71 73, D Toms (US) 73 69 68.
211 M Campbell (NZ) 74 69 68.
212 P Harrington (Ire) 75 67 70.
214 C Montgomerie (Sco) 69 73 72.
215 F Couples (US) 69 74 72.
217 J Daly (US) 69 71 77, D Love 77 70 70.
218 D Howell (Eng) 71 75 72, J M Olazabal (Spa) 70 70 78.
222 L Donald (Eng) 76 74 72.
224 A Scot t(Aus) 75 80 69.

CATHY GETS A BIRDIE BUT US
LEAD 11-5 WITH SINGLES TO
COME IN HANDA CUP

The United States team lead the World line-up 11-5 after the first day's play in the inaugural Handa Cup over the Slammer and Squire course at the World Golf Hall of Fame, St Augustine, Florida.
The match will conclude with 11 singles on Sunday, all over nine holes as have been all the earlier ties.
The Americans won the opening nine-hole foursomes by 3 1/2 to 1 1/2 which, under the scoring format of 2pt for a win and 1pt for a halved match, translated into a US 7, World 3 scoreline.
The foursomes were followed by three nine-hole "scramble" ties, which the United States won 2-1, or 4-2, all of which adds up to an 11-5 lead.
Scotland's Cathy Panton-Lewis, pictured right, the only GB&I player in the match, lost her foursomes tie in partnership with Italy's Anne-Marie Palli. They went down by 2 and 1 - losing on the eighth green to Amy Alcott and Rosie Jones.
Cathy and Anne-Marie three-putted their second hole and went two down at the next. The Scot holed a 25ft birdie putt to cut the deficit to one but Amy Alcott set up a clinching birdie for the Americans with an approach to within 2ft of the flagstick at the eighth.
The Handa Cup is an official event of The Legends Tour, the LPGA's official tour for women professionals age 45 and higher.

Results:

DAY ONE - FOURSOMES
Matches over nine holes.
Patty Sheehan & Pat Bradley (US) bt Jan Stephenson (SAf) & Alicia Dibos) (Peru) 1 hole.
Martha Nause & Marylin Lovander (US) lost to Dawn Coe-Jones (Can) & Nayoko Yoshikawa (Jap) 2 holes.
Amy Alcott & Rosie Jones (US) bt Anne-Marie Palli (Ita) & Cathy Panton-Lewis (Sco) 2 and 1.
Joanne Carner & Christa Johnson (US) halved with Barb Scherback (Can) & Maria Gonzalez (Braz).
Jane Geddes & Sandra Haynie (US) bt Mieko Nomura (Jap) & Angie Tsai (Tai) 2 holes.
+2pt for win; 1pt for square match - United States lead World Team 7-3

DAY ONE - SCRAMBLE
Matches over nine holes.
Nause & Lovander (US) bt Coe-Jones & Stephenson (World) 3 and 2.
Sheehan & Bradley (US) bt Dibos & Michiko Okada (World) 2 holes.
Cindy Rarick & Jones (US) lost to Nomura & Gonzalez (World) 1 hole.
United States won the session 4-2 to increase their overall lead to 11-5.

SUNDAY'S SINGLES LINE-UP
Matches over nine holes
M Nause v D Coe-Jones
J Geddes v A-M Palli
M Lovander v B Scherback.
C Rarick v M Okada.
P Sheehan v J Stephenson.
J Carner v A Dibos.
P Bradley v A Tsai.
C Johnson v M Gonzalez.
A Alcott v M Nomura.
R Jones v N Yoshikawa.
S Haynie v C Panton-Lewis.

For more information, visit www.thelegendstour.com and www.LPGA.com.

TEAM ASIA LEAD
ANNIKA LINE-UP
7-5 in SINGAPORE
Team International, skippered by Annika Sorenstam, trail 7-5 to Grace Park's Team Asia going into the final day of 12 singles ties in the Lexus Cup women's professional team match at Tanah Mera Country Club, Singapore.
The first-day action saw the honours shared at 3-3 in the foursomes programme.
The second day was better-ball and the Asians won four of the ties and lost only two to move 2pt ahead over all.
Laura Davies lost for the second day in a row. She was partnered by Carin Koch (Sweden) on the second day and they finished two holes down to Candie Kung (Taipei) and Jennifer Rosales (Philippines).
The International Team's only winners were Annika Sorenstam (pictured above) and Natalie Gulbis, and Paula Creamer and Stacy Prammanasudh (US).

SECOND-DAY RESULTS
(Team Asia names first)
Four-ball, better-ball
Jee Young Lee (Kor) & Meena Lee (Kor) lost to Natalie Gulbis (US) & Annika Sorenstam (Swe) 2 holes.
Hee-Won Han (Kor) & Grace Park (Kor) bt Morgan Pressel (US) & Julieta Granada (Par) 1 hole.
Shi Hyun Ahn (Kor) & Joo Mi Kim (Kor) lost to Paula Creamer (US) & Stacy Prammanasudh (USA) 3 and 2.
Candie Kung (Tpe) & Jennifer Rosales (Phi) bt Brittany Lincicome (US) & Nikki Campbell (Aus) 3 and 1.
Young Kim (Kor) & Sakura Yokomine (Jap) bt Laura Davies (Eng) & Carin Koch (Swe) 2 holes.
Seon-Hwa Lee (Kor) & Se-Ri Pak (Kor) bt Sherri Steinhauer (US) & Angela Stanford (US) 4 and 2.
First day foursomes: Team Asia 3, International Team 3.
Second day better-ball: Team Asia 4, International Team 2.
Overall scoreline: Team Asia leads International Team 7-5 with one day to go.

Course record lowered again in South African Open

PHONE CALL TO LEADBETTER
PUTS IMMELMAN BACK ON
TRACK FOR 3-SHOT LEAD

It was always likely that there would be a home winner of the South African Airways Open but the popular choice would have been Retief Goosen or Ernie Els.
Well, a Springbok has taken a three-stroke, potentially winning lead with one round to go at the Humewood Golf Club, Port Elizabeth, but it's not Goosen or Else ... it's Trevor Immelman - and on his 27th birthday to boot!
Immelman, pictured right, Rookie of the Year on the US PGA Tour, shot course-record, nine-under-par 63 in the third round to move to 20-under-par 196.
Els, 66 for 199, is his nearest rival with halfway leader, Patrick Sjoland from Sweden, whose second-r0und 64 lasted 24 hours as the course record, holding down third palce with a 69 for 201.
Englishman Andrew Raitt (68), who once played in the Scottish professional championship, which suggests he has some Scottish blood in his ancestry, and Goosen (68) are joint fourth on 203.
Immelman, a winner in America this season, crammed nine birdies into his bogey-free 63.
The leader revealed that he phoned coach David Leadbetter in Florida after striking the ball in the second round "not too good."
"He gave me some advice and the result was that today I kept my drives in play and the irons on the right side of the flags. That made all the difference," said Immelman.
THIRD-ROUND TOTALS
Par 216 (3 x 72)
(Players from South Africa unless stated).
196 Trevor Immelman 67 66 63.
199 Ernie Els 67 66 66.
201 Patrik Sjoland (Swe) 68 64 69.
203 Retief Goosen 69 66 68, Andrew Raitt (Eng) 67 68 68.
204 Lee Westwood (Eng) 68 68 68, Darren Fichardt 72 67 65.
205 Ross Fisher (Eng) 70 69 66, Charl Schwartzel 71 69 65, Edoardo Molinari (Ita) 70 69 66.
206 Louis Oosthuizen 71 65 70, James Kamte 69 68 69.
207 Robert Rock (Eng) 70 68 69, Lee S James (Eng) 71 69 67, Gregory Bourdy (Fra) 71 68 68, Rafael Bello (Spa) 72 69 66, Edward Rush (Eng) 70 67 70.
208 Alan McLean (Sco) 69 68 71, Carl Suneson (Spa) 67 76 65, Jaco Van Zyl 71 65 72, Richard Sterne 73 69 66.
209 Steve Basson 71 69 69, Nic Henning 71 68 70, Angel Cabrera (Arg) 75 65 69, Fredrik Andersson Hed (Swe) 69 67 73, Bradford Vaughan 70 68 71, David Frost 72 69 68, Oliver Fisher (Eng) 77 67 65, Gary Lockerbie (Eng) 73 66 70, Keith Horne 73 68 68, Desmond Terblanche 68 70 71.
210 Benn Barham (Eng) 71 71 68, Pelle Edberg (Swe) 69 68 73, Scott Drummond (Sco) 73 67 70, Lee Slattery (Eng) 71 70 69, Ross Wellington 76 67 67, Nico Van Rensburg 70 70 70, Warren Bennett (Eng) 73 69 68, Michael Lamb (Zim) 76 68 66.
211 Alexandre Rocha (Bra) 74 70 67, Andrew Tampion (Aus) 72 67 72, Ulrich Van Den Berg 72 70 69, Hennie Otto 70 73 68, Tongoona Charamba (Zim) 75 69 67, Branden Grace 73 71 67, Justin Walters 73 67 71.
212 David Carter (Eng) 74 69 69, Mathias Gronberg (Swe) 72 70 70, Nigel Edwards (Wal) 73 68 71, Andrew McLardy 71 71 70, Eirik Tage Johansen (Nor) 75 66 71, Chris Williams (Eng) 72 70 70, Richard Finch (Eng) 71 71 70, Phillip Archer (Eng) 75 68 69, Sam Little (Eng) 73 71 68.
Gregory Havret (Fra) 73 68 71
213 Titch Moore 71 69 73, Desvonde Botes 73 68 72, Ian Hutchings 73 70 70, Juan Parron (Spa) 71 72 70, Gareth Davies (Eng) 69 75 69, Chris Swanepoel 73 70 70, Birgir Hafthorsson (Ice) 74 69 70, Sam Walker 72 69 72, Wade Ormsby (Aus) 71 69 73, Mark Murless (Rsa) 72 71 70, Steve Van Vuuren 71 65 77, Sean Farrell (Zim) 75 69 69.
214 Anton Haig 75 68 71, Mattias Eliasson (Swe) 75 69 70, James Heath (Eng) 70 70 74, Divan Van Den Heever 71 73 70, Oliver Wilson (Eng) 74 69 71, Johan Axgren (Swe) 72 70 72.
Other scores:
218 Tony Johnstone (Zim) 72 72 74.
219 Garry Houston (Wal) 71 72 76.
220 Matthew Richardson (Eng) 74 68 78.

HUME'S PAR GOLF LEAVES
HIM IN JT 30TH PLACE
IN ASIA MASTERS

Glasgow-born Barry Hume, who has scored 74, 71 and 71 for level par 216, is lying joint 30th in a field of 63 as the Volvo Masters of Asia enters its final round on Sunday at the Thai Country Club, Bankok in Thailand.
But there is another Scot in contention - Iain Steel (pictured right)who had a bogey-free 66 to be tied for second place behind Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee who is setting the pace on 11-under-par 205
Steel played "smart golf" to give himself a shot at a first title in his debut season on the Asian Tour. The Malaysian produced a controlled performance and sank six birdies to earn a mouth-watering final day pairing with Thongchai.
"Some of the pins, you have to aim away from it. There were a lot of holes out there which I couldn't attack, I had to play smart and get what I could from the round," said Steel, who is of Scottish-Malaysian parentage.
He turned in 32 with four birdies and saved a par save on the ninth, after he had driven into trees, kept him on a roll. "I made a great par on nine, got up and down from 20 yards off the green. That kept my momentum going. I then hit it close with a wedge on 10 for birdie and hit a good seven-iron on 11 to six feet."
The US-based Malaysian enjoyed one season on the US PGA Tour in 1998 and played on the secondary circuit, the Nationwide Tour for several years before switching his attentions to Asia. "My priority coming out from Qualifying School was to finish in the top-60. Having secured that early in the year, I really wanted to try and win. I've got one more event and we'll see what we can do," said the 35-year-old Steel.

THIRD-ROUND SCOREBOARD
Par 216 (3 x 72)
Players from Thailand unless stated.
205 Thongchai Jaidee 68-68-69.
207 Iain Steel (Mas) 69-72-66, Prayad Marksaeng 67-72-68, Thaworn Wiratchant 72-65-70.
208 Frankie Minoza (Phi) 76-64-68.
210 Brad Kennedy (Aus) 71-70-69, David Bransdon (Aus) 76-65-69, Charlie Wi (Kor) 71-69-70, Edward Loar (US) 71-68-71, Jeev Milkha Singh (Ind) 72-66-72, Prom Meesawat 68-70-72
211 S.S.P. Chowrasia (Ind) 70-70-71, Chapchai Nirat 69-71-71.
212 Terry Pilkadaris (Aus) 68-75-69, Lin Keng-chi (Tpe) 68-73-71, Andrew Buckle (Aus) 71-70-71, Yasin Ali (Eng) 72-69-71, Chawalit Plaphol 69-70-73.
213 Angelo Que (Phi) 72-71-70, Anthony Kang (US) 76-64-73, Lee Sung (Kor) 69-70-74.
214 Gary Rusnak (US) 71-72-71, Jyoti Randhawa (Ind) 72-69-73, Unho Park (Aus) 70-70-74
215 - Thammanoon Srirot 71-74-70, Lu Wei-chih (Tpe) 69-75-71, Simon Yates (Sco) 72-71-72, Jason Knutzon (US) 71-70-74, Shiv Kapur (Ind) 72-69-74
Other scores:
216 Barry Hume (Sco) 74 71 71, Chris Rodgers (Eng) 69 73 74 (jt 30th).

Ross Bain only successful Scot at Thailand Q School

SCOTT JAMIESON
FAILS TO WIN
ASIA TOUR CARD

Glasgow's Scott Jamieson finished the Asian Tour Qualifying School on a very low note with a round of 77 for a total of 291. That gave him officially joint 73rd status in the field of 103 at the Pattana Golf & Sports Resort, Pattaya in Thailand.
Unfortunately for the rookie Scots professional, only the top 44 and ties with 72-hole totals of 286 or better earned playing privileges on next year's Asian Tour.
Jamieson, who had come through the First Stage eliminator with flying colours, started the Final Qualifying tournament with a 66 but his last three rounds of 75, 73 and 77 did not do the talented Scot justice at all.
Far East-based Scot Simon Dunn also slipped out of the qualifying bracket with a last round of 75 for 287.
But one Scots exile did make it - Ross Bain with a closing 71 for joint 10th place on 281.
Bain was born in Scotland but went with his family to Dubai when he was only four years old. His father set up architectural firm in Dubai.
Malaysian teenager Ben Leong fired a one-under-par 70 for a three-stroke triumph with a 12-under-par total of 273.
Swiss player Martin Rominger and Australian Scott Hend tied for second place on 276.
FINAL TOTALS
273 Ben Leong (Mal) 70 68 65 70.
276 Martin Tominger (Swi) 67 67 73 69, Scott Hend (Aus) 67 73 67 79.
Other card winners:
281 Ross Bain (Sco) 70 73 67 71 (jt 10th).
282 Ed Barr (Ire) 67 72 69 689.
286 Simon Griffiths (Eng) 72 74 70 70, Ben St John (Eng) 72 70 71 73 (jt 31st).
+A total of 44 players with scores of 286 or better earned playing rights on next year's Asian Tour.
Non-qualifiers included:
287 J Morrison (Eng) 68 77 70 72, S Dunn (Sco) 68 73 71 75.
288 M Mouland (Wal) 70 70 71 77.
290 M Woods (Eng) 76 67 68 79.
291 S Jamieson (Sco) 66 75 73 77.
293 N Price (Eng) 74 70 74 78, S Parry (Eng) 71 75 75 75.

Target World Challenge at Thousand Oaks, California

TIGER WOODS TAKES THE LEAD
- BUT HE'S NOT HAPPY!

The Target World Challenge tournament at Sherwood Country Club, Thousand Oaks in California is reminding us, if we needed reminding, that Tiger Woods really is in a class of his own.
It's his first competitive outing since the world championships in October, yet so far he has shot back-to-back 68s to lead by one shot with an eight-under-par tally of 136.
Overnight leader, Sweden's Henrik Stenson slipped from a 66 to a 71 for 137.
Woods has had nine birdies and one three-putt bogey over the first two rounds - but still he is not happy with his game!
"I'm hoping to tidy everything up over the last two rounds," said the world's No 1 golf perfectionist who is the host of this tournament
Stenson, who was partnering Tiger, marred his own card with a double-bogey on the par-3 12th.
"He's a fantastic putter," said the Swede later, having watched Woods holed a couple of birdie putts of at least 40ft in length.
First prize is $1.35million. The last place finisher in this invited field will get $170,000.
Colin Montgomerie slipped back to joint eighth place on 142 after a 72.
Just in case you think they are playing over a kind of pitch-and-putt course, look to the bottom of the elite scoreboard and you will see that Adam Scott is on 11-over-par 155, having shot rounds of 75 and 80.
Which puts the Australian 19 shots in arrears of Tiger Woods after only 36 holes. Yes, Tiger is different class.

HALFWAY SCOREBOARD
Par 144 (2 x 72)
Players from United States unless stated.
136 Tiger Woods 68 68.
137 Henrik Stenson (Swe) 66 71.
138 Chris DiMarco 70 68, Geoff Ogilvy (Aus) 68 70.
139 Paul Casey (Eng) 69 70.
140 John Daly 69 71, Jose-Maria Olazabal (Spa) 70 70.
142 Colin Montgomerie (Sco) 69 73, David Toms 73 69, Padraig Harrington (Ire) 75 67.
143 Michael Campbell (NZ) 74 69, Fred Couples 69 74.
146 David Howell (Eng) 71 75.
147 Davis Love III 77 70.
150 Luke Donald (Eng) 76 74.
155 Adam Scott (Aus) 75 80.

POSSIBLE REASONS WHY GRAHAM
GORDON DISAPPOINTED IN ASIA

Graham Gordon’s father is not making excuses for his son’s failure to get through Stage 1 of the Asian Tour Qualifying School but he has been able to throw some light on why young Graham (pictured right) played so disappointingly in Thailand.

“It was a Catch 22 situation whereby he had to commit to a date for the fund-raising dinner in The Marcliffe at Pitfodels, held on the Friday before the Qualifying School Week – and then he flew out next day to Thailand,” said Graham Gordon senior.
“He's not making excuses, but he said he needed more time to acclimatize. Also, he had not been able to play/practice properly for weeks due to a course of anti-inflammatories and injections for tennis elbow and being ordered to rest.
“You saw the tremendous support from the local community, there is no way this schedule could be cancelled.
“Graham may now go to the United States for Nationwide Qualifying and events on the NGA Hooters, Grey Goose and Tight Lies tours. He could be working more with his coach, Jim Farmer, at St Andrews.
"He has asked for Challenge Tour invites, but these are unlikely. The PGA EuroPro Tour is looking favourite again for next year but the first thing he needs to do is to shake off the tennis elbow.”

LAURA AND BRITTANY
WELL BEATEN IN
LEXUS CUP FOURSOMES

Laura Davies - the only British representative in Annika Sorensatam's team, and American Brittany Lincicombe, another big hitter, were reminded, not for the first time, that length is not everything in the Lexus Cup opening day over the Garden Course at Tana Merah Country Club in Singapore. Laura, pictured right, and Brittany had a big advantage off the tee in the first-day foursomes tie against South Koreans Seon Hwa Lee and Young Kim - but lost by the comprehensive margin of 6 and 5.
At the end of the first day, the International Team, skippered by Annika, and Asia, captained by Grace Park, were tied at 3-3.
Annika and Carin Koch contributed a point to the International team total by beating Joo Mi Kim and Sakura Yokomine 3 and 2 after being two down in the early stages.
The teams will play six best-ball matches on Saturday and the LPGA Tour-sanctioned event will conclude on Sunday with 12 singles matches.
Young LPGA stars Julieta Granada and Morgan Pressel gave the International team another full point, beating Se Ri Pak and Hee-Won Han 4 and 3.
Pressel, only 19, ended the match with an eagle 3 on the par-5 15th where she holed a No 9 iron shot from 122 yards.
Jee Young Lee and Meena Lee came back from four down to score a notable two-hole win for Asia over Natalie Gulbis and Paula Creamer.
Two matches finished all square.
International players Angela Stanford and Stacy Prammanasudh halved with Grace Park and Shi Hyun Ahn while Asia's Candie Kung and Jennifer Rosales halved with Sherri Steinhauer and Nikki Campbell.
If the teams finish level on points after the Sunday session, Sorenstam and Park will have a sudden-death playoff to determine the winning team of which the members will each receive $50,000 each. The losing team players will get $30,000 each.

SWEDE SJOLAND TAKES ONE-SHOT
LEAD IN SOUTH AFRICAN OPEN

Swedish golfer Patrik Sjoland, who lost his European Tour card last year, is the surprise halfway leader in the South African Airways Open championship at Humewood Golf Club, Porte Elizabeth today.
Patrick, who reached the turn in five-under-par 30, finished with four straight birdies for a course-record 64 and a 12-under-par 132 tally. That gave the 35-year-old, who only regained his tour card and the recent Final Qualifying School, a one-stroke lead from home hopes Ernie Els and Trevor Immelman, both of whom shot 66s.
Three shots behind the Swede on 135 are Retief Goosen and Andrew Raitt, an Englishman who once played in the Scottish professional championship. Goosen had an eagle 3 at the 17th hole where he took an 11 in the first round.
Five players are on eight-under 136 - including Lee Westwood, who carded his second consecutive 68.
Leading Scot on 137 is Canada-based Alan McLean with scores of 69 and 68. Scott Drummond beat the cut with 73 and 67 for 140, but David Drysdale failed on 147.

LATEST SECOND-ROUND TOTALS
Par 144 (2 x 72)
(South African players unless stated)
132 Patrik Sjoland (Swe) 68 64.
133 Trevor Immelman 67 66, Ernie Els 67 66.
135 Retief Goosen 69 66, Andrew Raitt (Eng) 67 68.
136 Jaco Van Zyl 71 65, Louis Oosthuizen 71 65, Fredrik Andersson Hed (Swe) 69 67, Lee Westwood (Eng) 68 68, Steve Van Vuuren 71 65.
137 Alan McLean (Sco) 69 68, Pelle Edberg (Swe) 69 68, James Kamte 69 68, Edward Rush (Eng) 70 67.
138 Robert Rock (Eng) 70 68, Bradford Vaughan (Eng) 70 68, Desmond Terblanche 68 70.
139 Gary Lockerbie (Eng) 73 66, Andrew Tampion (Aus) 72 67, Ross Fisher (Eng) 70 69, Nic Henning 71 68, Gregory Bourdy (Fra) 71 68, Darren Fichardt 72 67, Edoardo Molinari (Ita) 70 69.
140 Titch Moore 71 69, Steve Basson 71 69, Charl Schwartzel 71 69, Scott Drummond (Sco) 73 67, Angel Cabrera (Arg) 75 65, James Heath (Eng) 70 70, Lee S James (Eng) 71 69, Nico Van Rensburg 70 70, Wade Ormsby (Aus) 71 69, Justin Walters 73 67.
Other scores included:
141 Sam Walker (Eng) 72 69, Lee Slattery (Eng) 71 70, David Frost 72 69, Nigel Edwards (Wal) 73 68.
142 Matthew Richardson (Eng) 74 68, Andrew McLardy 71 71, Richard Finch (Eng) 71 71, Warren Bennett (Eng) 73 69.
143 David Carter (Eng) 74 69, Garry Houston (Wal) 71 72, 70 73, Oliver Wilson (Eng) 74 69, Carl Suneson (Spa) 67 76.
144 Tony Johnstone (Zim) 72 72, Oliver Fisher (Eng) 77 67, Sam Little (Eng), Trevor Fisher jun (Eng) 79 65.
NON-QUALIFIERS INCLUDED:
145 Jesus Maria Arruti (Spa) 75 70, Mark Pilkington (Wal) 74 71, Tom Whitehouse (Eng) 74 71, Alvaro Quiros (Spa) 71 74
146 Richard McEvoy (Eng) 76 70.
147 David Drysdale (Sco) 76 71.
149 Derek Crawford (Sco) 73 76
150 Charl Coetzee 75 75.

SPORTS JOURNALISTS GET IT RIGHT:
IAN WOOSNAM'S MEN TEAM OF YEAR

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Well, unlike the BBC TV Sports Personalities of the Year programme, the Sports Journalists Association of Great Britain have got it right by naming Europe's victorious Ryder Cup team as the "Team of the Year."
Some obscure Rugby League team got the honour in the BBC TV show!
Ryder Cup director Richard Hills collected the award on behalf of skipper Ian Woosname's team at a lunch in London.
World super middleweight boxing champion Joe Calzaghe and Zara Phillips, the 2006 World and European equestrian champion, were named Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year.
Cynical Scot that I am, I suppose Richie Ramsay's capture of the United States amateur golf championship did not rate too highly with English sportswriters.

ANY COMMENTS? E-mail them to colin@scottishgolfview.com

BARRY HUME TRAILS BY NINE
IN VOLVO MASTERS OF ASIA

Glasgow's Barry Hume improved with a one-under-par 71 but, with the leaders scoring in the 60s, the Scot was not able to make significant headway up the leaderboard at the end of the second round of the Volvo Masters of Asia at Thai Country Club, Bangkok in Thailand.
Hume is sharing 38th place on 145.
Leading Scot is Glasgow exile Simon Yates in joint 27th place with 72 and 71 for 143.
Thai star Thongchai Jaidee holds the halfway lead after a 68 for 136.
Jeev Milkha Singh (India) who won the Volvo Masters on the European Tour celebrated his 35th birthday with a 66 to share third place. He is pictured right in the clubhouse with a cake which does not look as if it has enough candles!

LEADING SECOND-ROUND TOTALS
Par 144 (2 x 72)
136 T Jaidee (Tha) 68 68.
137 T Wiratchant (Tha) 72 65.
138 J Milkha Singh (Ind) 72 66, P Messawat (Tha) 68 70.
Other scores:
141 Y Ali (Eng) 72 69 (jt 15th).
143 S Yates (Sco) 72 71 (jt 27th).
145 B Hume (Sco) 74 71 (jt 38th).
147 S Hurd (Eng) 74 73 (jt 46th).

ASIAN TOUR FINAL QUALIFYING SCHOOL

LAST-ROUND PRESSURE ON

SCOTT JAMIESON

Rookie tour professional Scott Jamieson from Glasgow has one round to improve at least 12 places in the final standings of the Asian Tour Final Qualifying School at Pattaya, Thailand tomorrow.

Jamieson, who sailed through the Stage 1 process, has just lost a little bit of his edge at the wrong time. He has scored 66, 75 and 73 for a 54-hole tally of 214 at the Pattana Sports and Golf Resort.

That puts him joint 52nd of the 103 players who survived the halfway cut. Only the top 40 and ties at the end of Saturday's fourth round will earn full playing rights on the Asian Tour.

Two other Scots, vastly more experienced as tournament pros and also of Asian conditions, Ross Bain and Simon Dunn, are doing better than Jamieson.

Bain is sharing 14th place on 210 after scores of 7, 73 and 67.

Dunn has shot 68, 73 and 71 for 212 and a share 0f 26th place.

Malaysia’s Ben Leong leads the field at 11-under-par 203 with scores of 70, 68 and 65.

LEADING THIRD-ROUND TOTALS

203 B Leong (Mal) 70 68 65.

206 M Brown (Aus) 69 70 67.

207 S Hend (Aus) 67 73 67, M Rominger (Swi) 67 67 73, T Ichihara (Jap) 72 70 65.

Other scores:

208 E Barr (Ire) 67 72 69, C Smith (Wal) 68 66 74 (jt 6th).

210 R Bain (Sco) 70 73 67 (jt 14th).

211 M Mouland (Wal) 70 70 71 (jt 21st).

212 S Dunn (Sco) 68 73 71 (jt 26th).

213 B St John (Eng) 72 70 71 (jt 36th).

214 S Jamieson (Sco) 66 75 73 (jt 52nd).

215 J Morrison (Eng) 68 77 70 (jt 65th).

216 S Griffiths (Eng) 72 74 70 (jt 71st).

218 N Price (Eng) 74 70 74 (jt 81st).

221 S Parry (Eng) 71 75 75 (jt 99th).

ELGIN COUPLE'S MEMORABLE
PRIZE TRIP TO SOUTH AFRICA

Alastair McDonald was in his car when the call came through. As he was driving, he asked one of his friends to take it. “Alastair, they say you’ve won a trip to South Africa to watch the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek.”
“Right,” said Alastair. “Nice wind up guys”.
At his home in Elgin, his wife Debbie was busy with some DIY work when their daughter answered the phone. “Mom, they’re saying daddy’s won a prize.”
“Sure,” thought Debbie, dismissing it as yet another telesales ploy. In fact, it proved quite hard to convince the McDonalds that they had indeed won an all-expenses-paid trip to South Africa to watch one of the world’s premier golf tournaments on one of the game’s most spectacular lay-outs.
“They had to tell us three times we’d won before I actually believed it,” said Alastair. The prize was the result of a trip by Alastair and a few friends to watch the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews in October.
With his ticket purchase Alastair was given an entry form for the competition, which he duly filled in and forgot about.
On the Sunday evening after the final round, tournament champion Padraig Harrington drew Alastair’s name as the winner of the prize for the trip to South Africa in December.
Under the trees on the banks of the Crocodile River on a cool December evening, the McDonalds recounted their memorable first trip to South Africa. “It’s been absolutely fantastic. We never realised the beauty of South Africa and now that we’ve seen it we’ll definitely be back. Everybody is so friendly. We have been very well looked after and it’s been more than we ever expected,” said Alastair, who works as the manager of a private members' club in Elgin.
The couple stayed at the magnificent Malelane Sun during their visit and were treated to game drives into the neighbouring Kruger National Park, one of the world’s famous game reserves. They attended all the official functions, the highlight of which was a personal invitation by tournament host Johann Rupert for a game drive followed by sundowners on the banks of the Crocodile River.
“That was particularly amazing,” said Debbie. “There was a herd of about 50 elephants that came down to drink.” “Now that we’ve seen the place we’d love to come back and explore some more,” added Alastair. They’d also love to bring their three daughters with them, who remained in Elgin for this trip.
“They stayed with our friends, Mr and Mrs Watson, who were not jealous at all,” said Alastair with a wry smile.
+Debbie and Alastair McDonald are pictured above at Leopard Creek, South Africa.

Monty starts with 69 in Target World Challenge

STENSON (66) LEADS BY
TWO FROM TIGER
AND OGILVY

Swedish Ryder Cup player Henrik Stenson opened up a two-stroke lead at the end of the first round of the US PGA Tour's Target World Challenge at Sherwood Country Club, Thousand Oaks near Los Alamitos in sunny California.
Stenson, pictured right after an earlier success, shot a 66 - two better than Tiger Woods and Australian Geoff Ogilvy.
Colin Montgomerie put the disappointment of the World Cup play-off defeat in Barbados on Sunday behind him with a round of 69.

FIRST-ROUND SCOREBOARD
Par 72
(Players from US unless stated)
66 Henrik Stenson (Swe).
68 Tiger Woods, Geoff Ogilvy (Aus)
69 John Daly, Paul Casey (Eng), Colin Montgomerie (Sco), Fred Couples
70 Jose-Maria Olazabal (Spa), Chris DiMarco.
71 David Howell (Eng)
73 David Toms
74 Michael Campbell (NZ)
75 Adam Scott (Aus), Padraig Harrington (Ire)
76 Luke Donald (Eng)
77 Davis Love III

KEVIN DUNCAN TO
JOIN SCOTS COLONY
AT CLAYTON STATE

Kevin Duncan, winner of the North-east District boys’ order of merit this season when he was also runner-up in the North-east youths’ championship, has added his name to the increasing list of talented Scottish golfing teenagers who see their immediate future in the United States.
Next August, Duncan (pictured right) will boost a colony of Scots on the Clayton State University golf roster, based in the town of Morrow near Atlanta, Georgia.
There are three Glasgow boys – Neil McBride, Brendon McKenna and Conaill Scanlon as well as Daniel Sommerville from St Andrews – already at the university as either first or second-year students.
Duncan, who was 18 years old in October, is a nephew of the Ellon club professional, Ronnie Urquhart.
A member of McDonald Ellon, Newburgh and Royal Aberdeen golf clubs, Kevin was the first player in the history of the Ellon club to get down to scratch of a handicap which he improved to +1 by the end of September.
Kevin has amassed a tremendous record in junior open events over the past two or three years – and not just in the North-east. He finished second in the North-east of England youths championships’ Under-18 section at Middlesbrough Golf Club this past season.
He had a 63 off the boxes – a record for the shorter course - at Cruden Bay earlier this year.
Duncan was also a talented tennis player, winner of the North-east schools Under-18 boys’ tennis championship when he was only 14. He quit tennis to concentrate on golf three years ago.
“I am delighted at having the opportunity to attend Clayton State University as I will be able to play golf every day and have access to three fantastic courses,” said Kevin who, says his dad Tom, has had an ambition to go to America on a golf scholarship since the age of 11.
“The golf coach, Barry Harwell, played on the US PGA Tour at one time. He is coming to Scotland next June and I’m hoping to take him to one of my favourite links at Lossiemouth as well as Cruden Bay, Ellon and Newburgh.”
Kevin has left school and will work over the winter before playing full-time golf until he leaves for America in the early autumn.

ANY COMMENTS? E-mail them to colin@scottishgolfview.com

World No 5 has a double-figure hole in South African Airways Open

GOOSEN RUNS UP AN 11 ON WAY
TO A 69 AT PORT ELIZABETH

Retief Goosen, pictured right, hot a 69 in the first round of the South African Airways Open at Humewood Golf Club, Port Elizabeth in South Africa today.
Nothing untoward about that, you might say, until you discover that his scorecard included an 11 at the 17th.
The S0uth African, who was leading the field by three strokes at the time, twice his his ball into unplayable lies and after the second occasion he took a drop within two club lengths of where his ball had finished.
However, having dropped the ball, it rolled backwards a few centimetres so Goosen picked it up and dropped again.
He finished with a quadruple-bogey 9 on the par-5 but worse was to follow.
After his round, officials ruled that because the ball landed within two club lengths it was in play and Goosen should not have picked it up.
"By picking the ball up, he needed to replace it to incur only a one-shot penalty. But by dropping it, it became two shots," European Tour official Andy McFee said.
Goosen birdied the 18th to finish with a 69 and was only two strokes behind the leaders at the end of the first day.

LEADING FIRST ROUND SCORES
Par 72
(Players from GB&I unless stated)
67 Carl Suneson (Spa), Trevor Immelman (Rsa), Ernie Els (Rsa), Andrew Raitt.
68 Patrik Sjoland (Swe), Lee Westwood, Desmond Terblanche (Rsa)
69 Alan McLean, Retief Goosen (Rsa), Gareth Davies, James Kingston (Rsa), Pelle Edberg (Swe), Fredrik Andersson Hed (Swe), James Kamte (Rsa).
70 Hennie Otto (Rsa), Ross Fisher, Bradford Vaughan (Rsa), Robert Rock, James Heath, Nico Van Rensburg (Rsa), Edward Rush, Edoardo Molinari (Ita).
71 Adilson Da Silva (Bra), Divan Van Den Heever (Rsa), Benn Barham, Jaco Van Zyl (Rsa), Nic Henning (Rsa), Lee Slattery, Wade Ormsby (Aus), Juan Parron (Spa), Titch Moore (Rsa), Brandon Pieters (Rsa), Steve Basson (Rsa), Garry Houston, Charl Schwartzel (Rsa), Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa), Alvaro Quiros (Spa), Andrew McLardy (Rsa), Daniel Vancsik (Arg), Lee S James, Richard Finch, Jean-Francois Lucquin (Fra), Gregory Bourdy (Fra), Steve Van Vuuren (Rsa).
72 Joakim Backstrom (Swe), Ulrich Van Den Berg (Rsa), Andrew Tampion (Aus), Tony Johnstone (Zim), Andre Cruse (Rsa), Mathias Gronberg (Swe), Johan Axgren (Swe), David Frost (Rsa), Darren Fichardt (Rsa), Sam Walker, Hendrik Buhrmann (Rsa), Chris Williams (Rsa), Dion Fourie (Rsa), Mark Murless (Rsa), Rafael Cabrera Bello (Spa).
73 Chris Swanepoel (Rsa), Branden Grace (Rsa), Nigel Edwards, Warren Abery (Rsa), Warren Bennett, Sam Little, Gregory Havret (Fra), Vaughn Groenewald (Rsa), Desvonde Botes (Rsa), Ian Hutchings (Rsa), Scott Drummond, Gary Lockerbie, Grant Muller (Rsa), Christiaan Basson (Rsa), Derek Crawford, Werner Geyer (Rsa), Keith Horne (Rsa), Justin Walters (Rsa), Richard Sterne (Rsa).
74 David Carter, Merrick Bremner (Rsa), Wayne De Haas (Rsa), Matthew Richardson, Oliver Wilson, Eugene Marugi (Rsa), Steven Jeppesen (Swe), Birgir Hafthorsson (Is), Alexandre Rocha (Bra), Mark Pilkington, Billy Valentyn (Rsa), Alessandro Tadini (Ita), Tom Whitehouse
Other scores:
75 Doug McGuigan, Angel Cabrera (Arg).
77 Oliver Fisher.

ANY COMMENTS? E-mail them to colin@scottishgolfview.com

COLIN FARQUHARSON has been to meet NEIL HOBDAY, Project Director of the Donald Trump International Links multi-million pounds resort planned for the North-east of Scotland. We will be publishing articles from that interview on this website, one a week, for the next few weeks.
This is the first:

DONALD TRUMP LINKS IN PLAY
BY SPRING OF 2009, SAYS
PROJECT DIRECTOR HOBDAY

PROJECT director Neil Hobday (pictured right) today outlined what he believes is a realistic timetable for the Donald Trump International Links – and most of its massive infrastructure – to be in place and functioning at the Menie Estate, Balmedie, 12 miles north of Aberdeen.
“On Monday, November 27 we lodged our outline planning application.
In February of 2007, we will lodge three very significant reports to back that planning application. One is the environmental report, the second is the economic report and the third is the transport and infrastructure report. Those then will form the base of the planning application,” said Hobday who has been through the mill several times before.
Neil managed top European Tour players with both Mark McCormack’s International Management Group and Carnegie Sports International.
Later he led Lyle Anderson’s operational team in the development of Loch Lomond Golf Club and also advised on the opening of Kingsbarns Links.
“Planning committees normally have a strategy period of some three months to consider an application and their consultees’ views and reports. Then the planning committee of elected members sit down and hear it – and then they make a decision about it.
“This is a very big development and I wouldn’t be at all surprised if various consultees request more time. That’s understandable. It is a very big plan – the biggest mixed-use resort not only in Scotland but Europe - and we’ve done everything to ensure that we submit a very robust and responsible planning application.”
Hobday thinks that by next June, the Aberdeenshire Council planning committee will have reached the decision stage with regard to Donald Trump International Links planning application.”
“We have no doubt that there will be things in that decision that are conditions or things that we need to clarify, purify – whatever. There may have to be some negotiations,” he said.
“But, if we were able to put a shovel in the ground next July, then I think we would be playing golf in the spring of 2009. We would have the clubhouse built by then, and the maintenance facility, and the driving range and the practice facility ... and the associated infrastructure that goes with all that.”
But does the future of the Donald Trump Internationals Links project stand or fall, depending on whether or not permission is granted to build on the 1,400acre estate:
+Two championship links courses designed by Tom Fazio II.
+Golf driving range and short game practice area.
+A state of the art golf academy.
+A luxurious clubhouse with sea views.
+A 450-room five-star resort hotel with conference and banquet facilities.
+A full service spa.
+A turf grass research centre.
+Tennis courts and recreational facilities.
+Thirty-six luxury four and eight-bedroom golf lodges.
+Nine hundred and fifty holiday homes with sea views.

“Absolutely not. I think we are realistic enough to have applied for what we think we would like to have on the property but we will scale everything according to what we get out of the planning,” said Hobday.
“The response we’ve had from the North-east business community, the public and our neighbours has been so encouraging that we have very good vibes about this project.
“Mr Trump is a very shrewd individual. He does not go into things unless he feels there’s a strong sense of certainty that they are going to work out.
"We feel comfortable and confident that we will be building the best links golf course in the world on this property.”

IRELAND GETS 2001 SOLHEIM CUP

Scotland's bid to stage the 2011 Solheim Cup has failed - but there is some consolation in the fact that it will be staged in Ireland at Kileen Castle, County Meath.
The Jack Nicklaus-designed Meath venue is still under development with the course due to open late in 2008 and the accompanying hotel the following year
Part of the five-year deal between the Ladies European Tour and Failte Ireland (the national tourism authority) is that a new tournament, the Irish Ladies Open, will begin in 2008.
For the full story, switch over to our sister website, www.kirkwoodgolf.co.uk

ASIAN TOUR FINAL QUALIFYING SCHOOL

JAMIESON DROPS BACK WITH
A 75 FOR 141 IN THAILAND

Cathkin Braes member Scott Jamieson dropped down to a share of 26th place after a disappointing second round of three-over-par 75 over the Emerald Golf Club course on the second day of the Asian Tour Final Qualifying School at Pattaya, Thailand.
Scott had a great opening round of 66 so he is on the 141 mark.
Only the top 40 and ties after the completion of four rounds will gain full playing rights on next year's Asian Tour - so no need for Scott to panic yet. Dubai-based Scot Simon Dunn is on the same mark as Jamieson with scores of 68 and 73.
Switzerland’s Martin Rominger, the 2004 Swiss Amateur champion, and Welshman Craig Smith, competing in Asia for the first time, are tied for the halfway lead on 134.
A total of 103 players with 36-hole tallies of 146 or better qualified from a starting field of 175 to play the final two rounds.
LEADING SECOND-ROUND TOTALS
134 Craig Smith (Wal) 68 66, Martin Rominger (Swi) 67 67.
137 Troy Kennedy (Aus) 65 72.
Other scores:
139 Ed Barr (Ire) 67 72 (jt 10th).
140 Mark Mouland (Wal) 70 70 (jt 195h).
141 Scott Jamieson (Sco) 66 75, Simon Dunn (Sco) 68 73 (jt 276th).
142 Ben St John (Eng) 72 70 (jt 36th).
143 Matthew Woods (Eng) 76 67, Ross Bain (Sco) 70 73 (jt 53rd).
144 Neil Price (Eng) 74 70 (jt 67th).
145 James Morrison (Eng) 68 77 (jt 78th).
146 Simon Griffiths (Eng) 72 74, Steve Parry (Eng) 71 75 (jt 92nd).
++A total of 103 players with scores of 146 or better qualified for the final two rounds.
NON-QUALIFIERS INCLUDED:
148 Joe Templer (Eng) 76 72, Nick Redfern (Eng) 76 72.
149 Ross McGowan (Eng) 72 77.
150 Alex Belt (Eng) 73 77, Gary Oliver (Eng) 75 75.
151 James Sheffield (Eng) 78 73, Lawrence Dodd (Eng) 73 78.
152 Jonathan Evans (Eng) 74 78.

SCROLL DOWN TO READ BARRY HUME'S DIARY

YATES (72), HUME (74) IN ASIA
VOLVO MASTERS' ROUND ONE

Scots Simon Yates and Barry Hume (pictured right) had scores of level par 72 and 74 respectively in the first round of the Volvo Masters of Asia at Thai Country Club, Bangkok today.
Prayad Marksaeng powered into lead with a sizzling five-under-par 67 as the Thai contingent dominated the Asian Tour's grand finale.
The smooth-swinger put aside his disappointment of missing his US PGA Tour card at qualifying school earlier this month with a stylish display, collecting six birdies against a lone bogey.
He leads the US$650,000 event by one stroke from compatriot and former champion Thongchai Jaidee and Prom Meesawat.
India's Jeev Milkha Singh, seeking a third straight tournament victory, and his countryman Shiv Kapur, the title holder, fired 72s after overcoming sluggish starts.
"I did not drive the ball well but my short game saved me today," said Prayad, who needed only 24 putts. "I hope I can drive the ball better tomorrow. If I can do that and keep my short game sharp I think I can win this week."
LEADING FIRST ROUND SCORES
Par 72
(Players from Thailand unless stated).
67 Prayad Marksaeng.
68 Lin Keng-chi (Tpe), Terry Pilkadaris (Aus), Thongchai Jaidee, Prom Meesawat.
69 Adam Groom (Aus), Lu Wei-chih (Tpe), Iain Steel (Mas), Chawalit Plaphol, Chris Rodgers (Eng), Chapchai Nirat, Lee Sung (Kor), Wang Ter-chang (Tpe).
70 Ted Oh (Kor), Adam Blyth (Aus), S.S.P. Chowrasia (Ind), Amandeep Johl (Ind), Suk Jong-yul (Kor), Unho Park (Aus)
71 Gary Rusnak (US), Edward Loar (US), Thammanoon Srirot, Jason Knutzon (US), Chinarat Phadungsil, Mardan Mamat (Sin), Brad Kennedy (Aus), Charlie Wi (Kor), Andrew Buckle (Aus)
72 Marcus Both (Aus), Rick Gibson (Can), Angelo Que (Phi), Lu Wen-teh (Tpe), Yasin Ali (Eng), Simon Yates (Sco), Thaworn Wiratchant, Shiv Kapur (Ind), Juvic Pagunsan (Phi), Jyoti Randhawa (Ind), Jeev Milkha Singh (Ind),
Other scores included:
74 Barry Hume (Sco).

VOLVO DIARY: HUME HAPPY TO BE IN BANGKOK

From the Asian Tour website (www.asiantour.com)

Bangkok, December 14: Barry Hume from Glasgow was the last player to qualify for the Volvo Masters of Asia, thanks to South African Anton Haig.
Haig declined to play in the US$650,000 season-ending event, exclusive to Asia's top-60 players, and was removed from the UBS Order of Merit as he did not play the minimum number of events.
In a diary from Thai Country Club, Hume talks about his opening round's effort and also why he's delighted to be in Bangkok.

BARRY HUME WRITES:

I actually started quite nicely. I felt like I was hitting the ball very well and then I missed a couple of fairways. Bogeyed the tough par-3 at the sixth and then missed a couple of fairways for bogeys. I struggled for a while and whenever I missed a fairway, I would drop a shot. Driving is normally the strongest part of my game but recently it's been fairly poor. I'll need to work on it.
It's nice that there's no cut this week. I'll just try to get myself back into the tournament again tomorrow.
You always want to be at the Volvo Masters of Asia which is the No 1 goal at the start of the season. At least I'm here now. I thought I had missed my chance of finishing inside the top-60 of the UBS Order of Merit. I figured it would all hinge on one tournament, the UBS Hong Kong Open. I thought if I made the cut there, I would get into the top-60.
But I missed the cut by one shot in Hong Kong and I thought there was no way I would get into the top-60. I assumed I had to go back to qualifying school, if I decided to go back. I later found out on Sunday morning back in Scotland that Anton wasn't going to play his minimum events.
It was officially announced on Monday and it changed everything for me. From not knowing where to play or if I'll play next year, I'll have every start that I want.
I hadn't entered the (Asian Tour) Qualifying School. I wasn't thinking about entering yet as I was going to take 10 days or so to decide if I wanted to go back, if I wanted to play tournament golf again. I felt like I just had enough. I played well this year and that it could have been I wouldn't have gotten anywhere.
I would have been back to where I had 12 months ago. I was starting to wonder if I was good enough to do it or if I wanted to put myself through it all again.
I was mulling things over and then I found out I was fine. I was delighted.
This year, I've had a couple of top-10s which was fairway successful and that was why it was hard to decide if I wanted to do it again if I had missed my card. I felt like it was a decent year for me and if I was 61st, I would have been no where. To finish 60th changed everything and made me feel like I got what I felt I deserved.

Disappointment for Scots on United States mini-tours

RHIND MISSES TEXAS CUT

Uphall’s Leed Rhind had an uncharacteristic, error-strewn second round of seven-over-par 79 to miss the cut by seven strokes in the Tight Lies Tour Winter Series event, Kingwood Classic 2, at Kingwood Golf Club, near Houston, Texas.
Former Scottish boys’ stroke-play champion Rhind, a winner on the PGA EuroPro Tour as well as the American mini-tour circuit, ran up double bogeys at the 11th and 14th and had only one birdie, at the 12th.
Coupled with an opening round of par 72, Lee had a 36-hole tally of 151.
Only 19 players on 144 or better made the cut. American Brett Callas (70-66) led the qualifiers on eight-under-par 136.
But victory in the end went to Connie Pierce after a play-off against Todd Rosetti. They tied on 207, Pierce with 73-67-67 and Rosetti with 67-71-69. Pierce won the $5,625 first prize.

SCOTS MISS CUT IN FLORIDA

Scots David Kirkpatrick from Edinburgh and Paul Cormack from Inchmarlo Golf Centre, Banchory failed to qualify for the final round of the NGA Professional Tour Winter Series event at Southern Dunes Golf Club, Haines City in Florida.
Kirkpatrick, based in Florida, had a second-round 71 for a 36-hole total of three-over par 147.
Cormack scored a 74 for 150.
Matt Every, a member of the winning United States Walker Cup team at Chicago last year, led the qualifiers with scores of 69 and 68 for seven-under-par 137.
Every went on to win the first prize of $12,000 with a final round of 67 for 12-under 204.
He won by two shots from fellow American Jay Woodson ($6,000) who scored 71, 67 and 68 for 206.

GET THE EUROPEAN TOUR YEARBOOK
ON LINE FOR ONLY £15.95 + P&P

If you were attracted by the little review we did a few days ago of the European Tour Yearbook, now comes the good news that, like most things, you can get it cheaper online!
It should cost £25 but you can order the 312 page full colour Official Publication NOW as a visitor to http://www.europeantour.com/ for only £15.95 excluding postage and packaging – or treat a friend by arranging for a copy to be sent direct in good time for Christmas through http://www.europeantourshop.net/
The 2007 European Tour Yearbook captures all the excitement and emotion of another spectacular year on The European Tour and the international stage with entertaining essays by leading golf correspondents lavishly illustrated by superb photography by Getty Images.
So there you have it. Get cracking and you can slip a copy into his/her Christmas stocking.

SCOTT JAMIESON KEEPS IT
UP AT THAILAND Q SCHOOL

Rookie pro Scott Jamieson from Glasgow is maintaining his good form in Thailand as the Asian Tour Qualifying School enters its final stage at two venues, Pattang (Par 71) and Emerald (Par 72).
Scott, the only Scottish player to come through the Stage 1 qualifying process, shot a five-under-par 66 to be lying joint second at the Pattana venue where American Troy Kennedy leads with a 65.
The complete field of 175 will play both courses before, at the end of four rounds, the leading 40 and ties will gain playing rights to the Asian Tour.

PATTANA (Par 71)
65 T Kennedy (US).
66 A Kumar (Ind), S Jamieson (Sco), Jin Park (US).
67 S Scahill (NZ), E Heinen (US), S Hend (Aus), E Barr (Ire), In-Hoi Hur (Kor), R Lee (Can).
68 B Iles (NZ), S Dunn (Sco), C Lacy (Phi), M Detterberg (Swe), GT Kiyota (Jap), J Morrison (Eng), Young-Woo Nam (Kor), Yih-Shin Chan (Tai).
Other scores:
70 R Bain (Sco).
71 D Gleeson (Aus), S Parry (Eng).
72 B St John (Eng), R McGowan (Eng).
73 L Dodd (Eng).
74 J Evans (Eng).
75 D Robson (Eng).
76 N Redfern (Eng), J Templer (Eng).
EMERALD (Par 72)
67 M Rominger (Swi).
68 Jee-Min Hwang (Kor), A Hall (Aus), C Smith (Wal).
69 Hye-Dong Kim (Kor), M Brown (Aus), A Savolainen (Fin), M Brown (NZ), Ty Puekdang (Thai).
70 M Mouland (Wal).
72 S Griffiths (Eng).
73 A Belt (Eng).
75 G Oliver (Eng).
76 M Woods (Eng).
78 J Sheffield (Eng).

R&A WORLD AMATEUR GOLF
RANKING GOES LIVE IN 2007

The R&A World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) will go live on the internet http://www.randa.org/wagr in January 2007 following an 18 month trial during which it has been welcomed by governing bodies and tournament organisers throughout the world.

The R&A first proposed the WAGR as a means of clarifying entry into its championships but the trial introduction has gone further, with the criteria now seen as a valid indicator of player rankings throughout the elite amateur game.

“We are pleased with the way the Ranking has developed during this trial period” said Mike Tate, Director of The R&A.

“In particular, the level of international support for its adoption has convinced us that it will be seen throughout the golfing nations as an increasingly useful tool and as a way of comparing one elite amateur player against another”.

“Until now this has been a difficult task given that many play on different continents and with different handicap systems.”

“Early indications suggest that the Ranking will be embraced by a significant number of the major golfing nations and we are hopeful that others will realise the benefits that can accrue through its use.”

+ANY COMMENTS? E-mail them to colin@scottishgolfview.com

News of Scots playing on United States mini-tours

RHIND MATCHES TEXAS PAR

Lee Rhind from Uphall matched the par of 72 in the first round of the Kingwood Classic 2, a Tight Lies Tour Winter Series event at Kingwood, Houston in Texas.
Lee, who had an eagle 3 at the fifth and a birdie at the second, bogeyed the fourth, 14th and 17th to be sharing 16th place in a field of 60.
American Patrick Prince led with a bogey-free, six-under-par 66.
Only the top 19 will earn prize money in a 54-hole tournament in which the top prize is $5,625 and the entry fee $618 for tour members and $746 for non-members.

CORMACK, KIRKPATRICK DOWN
THE FIELD IN FLORIDA
Paul Cormack, an assistant professional from Inchmarlo Golf Centre, Banchory, and Edinburgh exile David Kirkpatrick, based in Florida for the past decade, shared 62nd place on four-over-par 76 at the end of the first round of the sixth event in the NGA Pro Tour Winter Series at Southern Dunes Golf Club, Haines City in Florida.
American Mark Petzold led with a four-under 68.
Mark Barnard, like Cormack an assistant pro from Banchory but attached to Slaley Hall Golf Club, withdrew from the competition.
Cormack and Barnard return to Scotland at the end of the week, after playing on this mini-tour since early November.

US PLAYER OF YEAR
TIGER WOODS
SIGNS NEW MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR DEAL WITH NIKE

Tiger Woods has signed his third multi-year agreement with Nike, according to an ESPN report.
Terms of the contract were not released, but they have been quite lucrative in the past. Woods' original contract in 1996 was worth a reported $40 million over five years.
In 2001, he signed another five-year deal for a reported $100 million. So Tiger's value to Nike went up by by 150% from 1996 to 2001.
If he gets a pay rise of the same magnitude, then Tiger's new deal for the next five years must be worth $250,000 million.
"We're obviously delighted to be renewing our relationship with Tiger," Nike Golf president Bob Wood told ESPN. "Nike is lucky to have the kind of partnership with Tiger that goes beyond a simple endorsement. He has really helped Nike Golf grow over the years through his involvement in product development, whether it is clubs, balls, apparel or footwear.
"In the future, we see Tiger playing a key role in continuing the strong momentum Nike Golf now has both inside and outside the USA."
More news about Tiger:
Tiger Woods has been voted the Player of the Year by his fellow US PGA Tour players.
Woods earned the Jack Nicklaus Trophy for the eighth time in his 10-year pro career - an amazing record of consistency at the very highest level.
During 2006, he boosted his total of Major wins to 12 with victories in the Open and US PGA championship.
Getting closer every year to the Golden Bear's career record of 18 Major titles, Woods won eight events and led the US PGA Tour with $9.9-million in prize money.
He also won the Byron Nelson Trophy for the low US PGA Tour scoring average at 68.11 strokes a round.
South African Trevor Immelman was named the US PGA Tour Rookie of the Year. He won the Western Open and banked in the region of $3.8million in prize money
American Steve Stricker was named the US PGA Tour Comeback Player of the Year. In 17 He had seven top-10 finishes in 17 starts, finishing 34th on the money list with more than $1.8million.

CASEY NAMED 2006 EUROPEAN
TOUR GOLFER OF THE YEAR
Paul Casey has been named 2006 European Tour Golfer of the Year following a wonderful season in which he won three times on the European Tour international schedule, played a key role in Europe’s record third successive Ryder Cup victory over the United States and came within £23,616 of capturing the Harry Vardon Trophy money title for the first time.
The 29-year-old Englishman receives the accolade for the first time in his short professional career after earning the vote of a panel comprising the Association of Golf Writers (AGW), Television, Radio and the European Tour.
Casey won the Volvo China Open, the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles and a cheque for £1 million after capturing the HSBC World match-play championship at Wentworth Club in the week prior to the Ryder Cup.
At The K Club, Casey was undefeated in four matches, winning twice and halving twice as Europe equalled their 18 ½ - 9 ½ margin of victory from 2004.
In the season-ending Volvo Masters, Casey was laid low by a virus which threatened his participation at Valderrama. However, he showed great fortitude in playing on before missing out on the Order of Merit to Ireland’s Padraig Harrington.
Ultimately, Harrington ended the season with £1,667,618 in prizemoney with Casey on £1,644,002.

SEVEN SCOTS IN FIELD
FOR JONES CUP
ON SEA ISLAND

There will be seven Scots in the field of 61 for the Jones Cup 72-hole stroke-play tournament at Ocean Forest Golf Club on Sea Island, Georgia from February 1 to 4.
This event is held every two years and coincides with a Walker Cup year. All the contenders for places in the United States and the Great Britain & Ireland teams, plus quite a few top-flight amateurs, mainly from America, are invited.
Six of the seven Scots named in the GB&I Walker Cup training squad for this September's match against the Americans at Royal County Down are in the Jones Cup field.
The exception is Blairgowrie's Glenn Campbell who is unavailable to go to the United States. But there will still be seven Scots in action at Ocean Forest Golf Club. Callum Macaulay (pictured right) from Tulliallan, a student at the University of Mississippi, has been invited.

THE JONES CUP FIELD IS:

Seve Benson, Gary Boyd, Seth Brandon, Alan Bratton, Tom Brennan, Tyler Brown, Jordan Byrd.
Jorge Campillo, Rhys Davies, Duke Delcher.
Austin Eaton III, Nigel Edwards, Gene Elliott.
Carlton Forrester, Rickie Fowler.
Robert Gerwin, Michael Green, Rob Grube.
Scott Henry.
Tim Jackson, Dustin Johnson,.
John Kelly, Kevin King, Chris Kirk, Jeff Knox.
Luke List, Chip Lutz, Callum Macaulay , Sam MacNaughton, Brad Marek, Kevin Marsh, Kevin McAlpine, Mike McCoy, Michael McDermott, Keir McNicoll, Jamie Miller, Kelly Miller, Michael Morrison, Jamie Moul.
Eoghan O'Connell, Paul O'Hara,Ben Parker , John Parry, Pat Patterson.
Kevin Quinn, Richie Ramsay, Ed Richardson.
Lloyd Saltman, Todd Satterfield, Garrett Schneider, Nathan Smth, Gordon Strother jun, Hudson Swafford, Matthew Swan.Pat Tallent, Ryan Thomas, Brendon Todd, Gator Todd, Kevin Tway.
Peter Uihlein.
Arnond Vongvanij.
Paul Waring.

STIRLING UNIVERSITY STUDENTS
HEAD FOR USA AND SOUTH AFRICA

Stirling University’s golf scholarship students are being taken overseas next month in search of warm-weather competitive play.
The six members of the university’s female squad – Clare-Marie Carlton, Dawn Dewar, Emma Tipping, Rachael Cassidy, Catherine Barnes and Courtnay Montgomery – are bound for the United States.
They will play in the Dixie amateur championship at Palm-Aire Country Club, Pompano Beach, just north of Fort Lauderdale in Florida from January 2 to 5.
This event, which has separate men’s and women’s sections, is one of the oldest amateur tournaments in the United Sates.
Then, for the second year in a row, the Stirling girls will play in a couple of events on the Orange Blossom Tour in Florida – the South Atlantic Ladies amateur championship at Oceanside Country Club from January 10 to 13 followed by the Doherty amateur championship at Coral Ridge Country Club from January 15 to 21.
FINANCIAL SUPPORT
Stirling University’s Sports Performance Manager Raleigh Gowrie said: “The trip is supported by the International Sports Scholarships Programme that provides performance development services, including coaching and sports science support as well as competitive funding to allow young players to combine their academic studies and their golf.
“We hope to emulate the successes of last year’s trip when Olivia Briggs and Alex Marshall, now graduated, reached the finals of the Doherty championship and Dawn Dewar partnered Olivia to a semi-final appearance in the women’s international four-ball event as well.”

The very successful Stirling University men’s team – they pulled off the grand slam of British university golf titles in 2006 - will fly to Johannesburg in late January for an 11-day tour of South Africa that will include a Ryder Cup-style match against Tshwane University over three championship courses.
RAMSAY GOING TO USA
“The trip will also include a visit to Sun City, the home of the Million Dollar Classic. Twelve players and two coaches will make the journey, providing a fantastic opportunity to practise, play and compete in warm weather,” said Raleigh Gowrie.
Stirling University’s most famous golfing student – US amateur champion Richie Ramsay from Aberdeen – will not be going to South Africa.
“Richie has decided not to travel, choosing instead to spend some time at Atlanta, Georgia, in preparation for the Jones Cup match and the US Masters in April,” said Raleigh.

OPPORTUNITY FOR SCOTS GIRL TO GO
TO TEXAS COLLEGE FOR TWO YEARS

Lon Morris College in Jacksonville, Texas is looking for a girl student/golfer from this side of the Atlantic for a two-year scholarship starting in the spring of next year.
There are already two girls from England on the junior college's golf roster, as well as three boys from England and two from Scotland.
The college website is: www.lonmorris.edu.
More details available from Graham Gordon, sen, of SWM management at graham@swmgolfmanagement.com

REAY TRIO'S THREE-BALL ALLIANCE
VICTORY AT BRORA
By ROBIN WILSON

Teams from the Caithness golf clubs of Thurso and Reay claimed the lion’s share of prizes in the North Golf Alliance Christmas tournament at Brora on Sunday.
In the three-ball, better-ball format played over 15 holes, a Reay trio won by the closest of margins over a Durness team.
Reay’s Colin Stewart, George Robertson and Willie Williamson handed in a card of 49, seven under the par for the Brora 15 hole winter course. to match an earlier card of the same score from Durness members, Alistair Corbett, John Morrison and Steve Mackay.
Comparisons on outward and inward halves were the same, 24-25, as were the last six and three hole figures.
After the two teams remained locked on each of the last six holes, the separation for first and second place was decided on the score at the second inward half hole, Brora’s 12th, a very difficult par-4 into the tough wind and rating stroke index three from the winter tee.
All six players were in receipt of a stroke at this hole but the only nett birdie came from Reay’s Colin Stewart to earn his team the first place.
The three from the Thurso trio reversed the advantage the Durness team had taken at the cut in hole, a par 3, where they got a nett birdie 2.
Two of last year’s winning Thurso team, Steve Cowie and Peter O’Hare, were joined by Steve Osbourne and they finished in third place with a score of 52, their inward half of 25 beating a group of three more teams with the same 15-hole total.
These were Thurso’s Ronnie Matheson, Scott MacDonald and Bryan Sutter, home in 26 followed by a home club trio of Ken Lorimer, Jimmy Murray and Tony Gill, home in 27, and for sixth place Reay’s Alistair Gunn, Gavin Gunn and David Mowat covered the back eight holes in 28. Wick’s Ronnie Taylor, James Taylor and Bill Murray had the same inward count for their 52 but dropped out of the prizes on the last six hole count back.
The individual fixtures will commence again on January 21, 2007 at Tain Golf Club.
Robin Wilson's picture of the successful Caithness golfers above shows: Back row (left to right) Gavin Gunn, Alistair Gunn. Centre - David Mowat, Steve Cowie, Peter O'Hara, Steve Osbourne. Bryan Suttar, Ronnie Matheson, Scott MacDonald. Front row: Willie Williamson, George Robertson, Colin Stewart.

Results
49 G Robertson, W Williamson, C Stewart (Reay) 24-25; A Corbett, J Morrison, S Mackay (Durness) 49 24-25.
52 S Cowie, S. Osbourne, P O’Hare (Thurso) 25-27; R Matheson, S MacDonald, B Suttar (Thurso) 26-26; K Lorrimer, J Murray, A J Gill (Brora) 25-27; A Gunn, G Gunn, D C Mowat (Reay) 24-28 R W Taylor, J Taylor, W Murray (Wick) 28-24.

KRYSTLE FLYING TO STATES TO
RUN RULE OVER 3 UNIVERSITIES

Scottish Under-21 girls’ golf champion Krystle Caithness from Cellar Dyke, Fife, is heading for the United States before making up her mind which college’s four-year golf scholarship offer she is going to accept.
Curtis Cup reserve Krystle, who will be 18 on January 21, is to visit the campuses of Texas A&M, Ohio State and Georgia universities.
All three have front-rank women’s squads on the American women’s college golf circuit.
“My dad and I are going to fly out to the States on January 6 and we will come back on January 12 after visiting Georgia, then Texas A&M and finally Ohio State,” said Krystle, a St Regulus member who rates beating an international field to win the St Rule Trophy over 54 holes over her home courses at St Andrews as her highlight of the 2006 season.
Former Walker Cup player and himself a past US college student, Lorne Kelley, whose ProDream company is helping Miss Caithness find the best college for her, said:
“Krystle is probably the most talented player we have had the pleasure in dealing with during 2006. Now that her final decision approaches, I must admit it is exciting. She has had fantastic choices to make in the past six months but she has singled out these three colleges.
“All three universities have quality NCAA DI programmes and are all eager to land Krystle.”
Last week Miss Caithness was named in the Ladies Golf Union Elite Squad for winter training in preparation for next summer’s Vagliano Trophy match against the Continent of Europe and also the Commonwealth team tournament in South Africa.
She was second reserve for the GB&I team of eight for the past summer’s Curtis Cup match at Bandon Dunes, Oregon.
And Krystle’s wish for the New Year: “I would like to be more consistent in 2007.”
+There are already nine Scottish girls at colleges in America:
Gemma Webster (Ohio State)
Michele Thomson & Louise Fleming (Jacksonville State, Alabama).
Ashton Ingram (Belmont Abbey College, North Carolina),.
Katy McNicoll (Lynn University, Florida).
Kelly Brotherton (Tennessee-Chattanooga).
Kate O’Sullivan (High Point, North Carolina).
Carly Booth & Sally Watson, both students at the IMG David Leadbetter Golf Academy in Florida.
++Scottish girls champion Roseanne Niven from Crieff is enrolling at the University of California Berkeley in January on a four-year golf scholarship and Sally Watson’s older sister Rebecca will start at the University of Tennessee next August.

ENGLAND PAIR ROMP HOME
IN ARGENTINA

England, represented by Seve Benson and Ed Richardson, won the Juan Carlos Tailhade Cup by a distance at Los Lagartos Country Club in Buenos Aires, Argentina on Sunday.
The pair finished with an aggregate of 578, eight strokes ahead of Eisenhower Trophy winners Holland and 11 clear of Australia and the United States in joint third place.
Benson, the 20 year old from Surrey, was England’s leading light with a total of 281, while Kent’s Richardson finished with 297 after an outstanding final day from the pair.
They teed-off in the final round leading only by one shot but a closing 71 from Benson and 72 from Richardson proved too hot for all their pursuers who slipped back.
Holland were represented by Wil Besseling and Floris de Vries, both members of their World Championship winning team in South Africa in October.
The victory, England’s fourth in the event since 2000, capped a successful year for Benson, who won the Russian Open Amateur in August and had top-10 finishes in at least four other major tournaments.
Richardson, 38, has also enjoyed 2006, winning the Midland Open Amateur, finishing fourth in the Tillman Trophy and tied sixth in the Berkshire Trophy. Both players are members of England’s Elite Squad.
England’s previous victories in the Tailhade Cup have been by Nick Dougherty and Gary Wolstenholme in 2000, by Zane Scotland and David Skinns in 2001, while in 2003 Gary Lockerbie and Michael Skelton were triumphant.

FINAL TOTALS
578 England (281 S Benson 70 69 71 71, 297 E Richardson 79 72 74 72).
586 Holland (293 W Besseling 74 70 77 72, 293 F de Vries 72 75 71 75).
589 United States (284 J Mathias 70 70 73 71, 305 J L Bearrie 76 75 77 77).
589 Australia (293 A Dodt 72 74 72 75, 296 J Arnold 70 74 74 78).
Also:
592 Spain. 595 Portugal. 600 Canada. 603 Argentina. 604 Uruguay. 608 Germany.

TOP 20 FINISH FOR JAMIE
McLEARY IN MEXICO CITY

Jamie McLeary, the only Scot to survive the halfway cut, finished joint 18th in the Abierto Mexicano Corona championship at Club de Golf La Hacienda, near Mexico City on Sunday.
McLeary, pictured right, had rounds of 69, 72, 72 and 69 over the par-71 course for a two-under-par total of 282. In this the second event of the 2006-2007 European Challenge Tour the Kinross man improved on his 32nd place finish in Argentina last week.
McLeary's last scorecard included birdies at the short fourth and short ninth, the 11th and 13th. He bogeyed the sixth and long 14th. Jamie won 2,621 Euros.
Winner of the 37,248 Euros first prize was Fabrizio Zanotti (Paraguay) who started the final day in a share of eighth place but surged to the front for a one-stroke win with a six-under-par 65 for a nine-under-par total of 275.
England’s Kieran Staunton was the leading non-South American in joint fifth place, thanks to a closing round of 64 in which he birdied seven of the last 11 holes in coming home in 31.
Kieran won 5,797 Euros.
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 284 (4 x 71)
275 F Zanotti (Par) 74 67 69 65.
276 D De Leon (Mex) 69 69 70 68,
278 F Aguilar (Chi) 69 69 69 71, Hernan Rey (Arg) 75 70 70 63, C Cardeza (Arg) 69 67 73 69.
Other totals:
279 K Staunton (Eng) 76 69 70 64 (jt 5th).
280 R Dinwiddie (Eng) 73 71 68 68 (jt 11th).
281 J Little (Eng) 71 72 70 68 (jt 15th).
282 J McLeary (Sco) 69 72 72 69 (jt 18th).
283 I Pyman (Eng) 71 71 72 69, G Clark (Eng) 74 70 70 69 (jt 24th).
284 D Dennison (Eng) 71 72 72 69, S Davis (Eng) 70 74 70 70 (jt 30th).
287 C Gane (Eng) 76 69 73 69 (jt 41st).
288 A Mellor (Eng) 72 73 72 71 (jt 44th).
289 M King (Eng) 69 73 76 71 (48th).

GERMANY BEAT SCOTLAND
IN WORLD CUP-PLAY BUT
TOP MARKS TO MONTY
AND MARC WARREN
They say that nobody remembers who comes second in a golf tournament. But Scots golf enthusiasts will remember the great performance by Colin Montgomerie and Marc Warren in the World Cup that had such an exciting finish on Sunday.
Scotland and Germany tied for the lead on 16-under-par 268 after the regulation 72 holes at Sandy Lane Golf Resort, Barbados today.
Then Germany's Bernhard Langer and Marcel Siem, pictured right with Langer on the right, took the title and the $1.4million first prize with a pitch-and-putt par 3 at the first hole of the sudden-death play-off.
Both Langer and Colin Montgomerie missed the green with their tee shots. Warren pitched to four or five feet past the flagstick from the rough. Siem chipped to 2ft. Monty missed his putt to save par for the Scots but Langer holed his to give the Germans a winning par.
A last-round 66, during a final day when there was a two-hour suspension of play during tottential rain, was a terrific performance by Langer and Siem. They overtook six teams during their surge to the front.
It was the second time that veteran Langer has been in a winning German team. The first was 16 years ago in Florida - where the 49-year-old Bernhard now lives - when Torsten Gideon was his partner.
Langer's caddie for the World Cup was his 16-year-old son Stefan with whom he won the big Father-Son tournament in Florida last week.
"I haven't won many events over the past year or two. Now I win twice in two weeks. It just shows the golf ball doesn't know how old you are," said the former Ryder Cup captain who will be playing the US Champions' (Seniors) Tour next summer.
The Germans had set the clubhouse target of 268 with a closing round of 66 in the foursomes format. They birdied the sixth, eighth, 11th, 12th, 15th and 16th - but bogeyed the 17th, which left the door open for the Scots.
Montgomerie and Warren were one shot ahead of the field with six holes to play when the teams ahead of them at the start of the day, Argentina and Sweden faltered.
Then the Scots, who did not have a single bogey over the the last round, were 16 under par with three holes to play, having gained birdies at the fifth and short 11th and parred all the other holes.
WARREN PHILOSOPHICAL
They could not get the birdie they needed at any of the last few holes which would have won the title outright. They finished on 69 for 268.
"It's just one of those things," said Warren later. "Tough putt ... We needed to leave ourselves an easier putt. That's just the way it goes."
Montgomerie declined to speak with reporters afterward.
Sweden's Henrik Stenson and Carl Pettersson were level with the Scots and the Germans until they bogeyed the 18th after birdies at the 12th and 13th had lifted them to 16 under par.
Overnight leaders Argentina finished with a 73 to drop down to joint fifth place.
Defending champions Wales came joint eighth with a closing 71 for 273

FINAL TOTALS
Par 284 (4 x 71)
268 GERMANY (B Langer & M Siem) 65 69 68 66, SCOTLAND (C Montgomerie & M Warren) 67 67 65 69 (Germany won play-off at first extra hole).
269 SWEDEN (H Stenson & C Pettersson) 64 70 63 72.
270 SOUTH AFRICA (R Sabbatini & R Sterne) 64 71 67 68.
271 SPAIN (M A Jimenez & G Fernandez) 69 66 67 69, UNITED STATES (S Cink & J J Henry) 66 73 63 69, ARGENTINA (A Cabrera & A Romero) 64 67 67 73.
273 WALES (B Dredge & S Dodd) 65 75 62 71, AUSTRALIA 68 72 64 69, MEXICO 69 68 65 71, ITALY 68 70 64 71.
275 SWITZERLAND 73 70 64 68, IRELAND (P Harrington & P McGinley) 67 73 66 69.
277 COLOMBIA 67 74 66 70.
278 CANADA 69 72 77 71, ENGLAND 66 70 70 72.
280 SINGAPORE 71 72 68 69.
281 DENMARK 70 70 71 70.
Other totals:
283 South Korea.
285 France.
288 Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago.
289 Japan.
295 Jamaica.

ANY COMMENTS? E-mail them to colin@scottishgolfview.com

ALFRED DUNHILL CHAMPIONSHIP IN SOUTH AFRICA

ROOKIE QUIROS PIPS
SCHWARTZEL FOR
DUNHILL TITLE
Spaniard Alvaro Quiros, 23-year-old European Tour rookie from Cadiz, came with a late run to win the Alfred Dunhill championship from under the nose of long-time leader Charl Schwartzel (South Africa) at Leopard Creek Country Club today.
Quiros, playing in his first tournament with a European Tour card - he finished 18th in the 2006 European Challenge Tour, fired four birdies in his final six holes.
Starting the last day, four shots behind Schwartzel, Quiros overhauled him with a five-under-par round of 67 for a 13-under-par total of 275.
That was one better than Schwartzel who closed with a par 72 - easily the worst of his four rounds - for 276.
Schwartzel, the the 2004 championship winner, was one shot behind the lanky Spaniard playing the last, but sent his second shot at the par-5 18th into the water surrounding the island green, killing his chances of forcing a play-off.
Quiros sealed his victory with two putts from 65 feet for a birdie at the last. His putt for an eagle 3 shaved the hole, leaving him with a simple tap-in for birdie.
"I have not been hitting the ball very straight off the tee and Saturday was terrible, I was pulling everything," said Quiros. "But with my putting, which has been very poor the last five months, I didn't miss.
"And when I have a six-iron in my hand I think I can do anything, I don't use it as an umbrella." The Spaniard also went to the European Tour Final Qualifying School at San Roque to improve his qualification for the Tour and finished in the high 30s.
England's Lee Westwood started with a 73 and finished with a 73 to fill third place on 279.
Canada-based Glaswegian six-footer Alan McLean finished a creditable joint eighth on 282, closing with his best round of the four days - a 77.

LEADING TOTALS
Par 288 (4 x 72)
275 A Quiros (Spa) 74 66 68 67 (R1,497,033).
276 C Schwartzel (SAf) 68 68 68 72 (R1,086,175).
279 L Westwood (Eng) 73 66 67 73 (R652,650).
280 D Fichardt (SAf) 72 70 69 69, R Fisher (Eng) 73 69 68 70 (R425,970 each).
281 H Otto (SAf) 71 69 69 72, Mark Pilkington (Wal) 70 71 65 75 (R303,185 each).
282 A McLean (Sco) 77 69 69 67, A Tadini (Ita) 68 74 71 69, E Els (SAf) 72 72 69 69 (R202,438 each).
283 E Rush (Eng) 73 72 71 67, P Archer (Eng) 68 72 74 69, S Drummond (Sco) 71 70 73 69 , T Moore (SAf) 76 64 73 70, A Rocha (Bra) 0 74 67 70 72, D Terblanche (SAf) 70 72 65 76 (R144,980 each).
284 R Rock (Eng) 74 70 71 69, J Van Zyl (SAf) 73 69 72 70, J Axgren (Swe) 70 74 68 72 (R119,007).
Other totals included:
286 D Drysdale (Sco) 73 73 68 72, E Little (Sco) 72 70 70 74 (R87,029) (jt 25th).
287 O Wilson (Eng) 68 70 72 77 (R71,782) (jt 32nd).
289 A Coltart (Sco) 69 76 71 73 (R57,614) (jt 41st)
293 O Fisher (Eng) 71 70 77 75 (R25,974) (jt 58th).

WINGED FOOT THE TOUGHEST,
SAYS TIGER (who must have
forgotten about Carnoustie '99)

What's the toughest course Tiger Woods has ever played?

Carnoustie, perhaps - where he finished joint seventh (and never broke par with rounds of 74, 72, 74 and 74 for 294), four shots behind Paul Lawrie, Jean Van de Velde and Justin Leonard in the 1999 Open?

No, the answer is Winged Foot, according to GolfWeek.

"I've never made it to Oakmont, but of all the tournaments I've ever played, no golf course was harder than Winged Foot,'' said Tiger.

Note from Editor: Soon after the Open at Carnoustie, I had the chance to speak to Butch Harmon who, at that time, was Tiger Woods' coach and good friend. Harmon told me that it wasn't the Carnoustie rough that beat his man - "Tiger just couldn't hole a putt over the four days."


ANY COMMENTS? E-mail them to colin@scottishgolfview.com

ARIZONA STATE HEAD COACH RANDY LEIN SAYS BYRNE AND KENNEGARD ARE TWO OF
HIS BEST EVER SIGNINGS

Arizona State University head golf coach Randy Lein, pictured right with James Byrne, considers his five recent signings to be as good as it gets in the recruitment of top talent.
Coach Lein has added the names of Jesper Kennegard (Stockholm) and Jed Dirksen (Hampton, Iowa) to his three earlier "captures" - James Byrne from Banchory, Scott Pinckney (Anthem, Arizona) and Cameron Edens (Phoenix, Arizona).
"In my 26 years of coaching this is certainly our best recruiting class ever," says Randy, who is in his 15th year as ASU head coach and has been seven times Pac-10 Coach of the Year.
FORMIDABLE FIVE-MAN LINE-UP
"These five guys could make up a formidable five-man line-up on their own. Coach (Mickey) Yokoi and I are extremely pleased with this year's signees."
Kennegard is the 2006 recipient of the Sorenstram Award for Sweden's Junior Player of the Year and a member of Sweden's team for the world boys team championship and the European boys team championship. He was also a member of the Continent of Europe team in the jacques Leglise Trophy match, in which James Byrne (and Lewis Kirton) played for Great Britain & Ireland.
"Jesper brings with him an abundance of international competition experience. He has had much success both as an individual and in representing Sweden in team competitions. He will be a tremendous asset to our Sun Devil team," said coach Lein.
Byrne and Kennegard will enrol at Arizona State University after next summer.

NICK O'HERN HOLES BUNKER
SHOT TO WIN AUSSIE PGA
TITLE PLAY-OFF
Australian Nick O'Hern, pictured right, scored his first victory since 1999 with a nail-biting playoff win over compatriot Peter Lonard at the Australian PGA championship in Coolum, Queensland.
O'Hern, 35, from Perth, Western Australia and a pro for 12 years, landed the $216,000 first prize when he holed a bunker shot for a birdie at the fourth play-off hole after the overnight leaders both finished the final round on 22 under par.
Nick's victory also confirmed him as winner of the Australian PGA Tour Order of Merit. A bit like Paul Lawrie, O'Hern is a fully-qualified PGA pro, having served his time as an assistant pro in a club shop.
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4 x 72)
266 N O'Hern 66 69 63 68, P Lonard 68 65 65 68 (O'Hern won play-off at fourth hole).
269 W Ormsby 68 66 68 67.
270 P Gow 69 65 69 67.
272 P O'Malley 66 69 66 71.
273 D Small 69 67 68 69.
274 N Green 70 64 71 69.
275 M Wright 68 68 72 67, S Appleby 67 71 70 67, J Nitties 64 74 68 69, G Ogilvy 68 71 67 69.
276 P Senior 69 69 73 65, D McKenzie 67 73 71 65.
277 M Millar 68 73 69 67, R Pampling 67 67 71 72.
278 R Allenby 70 69 72 67, C Campbell 72 68 70 68, J Lyle 66 74 69 69, P Wilson 69 69 69 72, R Haller 70 71 65 72.

European Challenge Tour Event 2 in South America

LONE SCOT McLEARY IN TOP
20 WITH ONE ROUND TO GO

Jamie McLeary, the only Scot to survive the halfway cut, was lying 19th equal on level par 213 as the Abiero Mexicano Corona – the second event on the 2006-2007 European Challenge Tour – entered its final round at Club de Golf La Hacienda near Mexico City.
McLeary, pictured right, found birdies hard to come by in his third round of one-over-par 72. His first and only sub-par figure came at the 18th but he did restrict his bogeys to the third and fifth.
Jamie is seven shots behind the leader, Felipe Aguilar (Chile).
The leading British player is Walker Cup man Robert Dinwiddie, winner of the Scottish open amateur stroke play championship at Balgownie last year. He is in joint 17th place on 212 after a third-round 68.

LEADING THIRD-ROUND TOTALS
Par 213 (3 x 71)

207 F Aguilar (Chi) 69 69 69.
208 R Gonzalez (Arg) 70 69 69, D De Leon (Mex) 69 69 70, K Eriksson (Swe) 65 71 72.
Other scores:
212 R Dinwiddie (Eng) 73 71 68 (jt 17th).
213 J McLeary (Sco) 69 72 72, J Little (Eng) 71 72 70 (jt 19th).
214 G Clark (Eng) 74 70 70, S Davis (Eng) 70 74 70 (jt 28th).
215 K Staunton (Eng) 76 69 70, D Dennison (Eng) 71 72 72 (jt 38th).
217 A Mellor (Eng) 72 73 72 (jt 47th).
218 C Gane (Eng) 76 69 73, M King (Eng) 69 73 76 (jt 51st).
NON-QUALIFIERS INCLUDED:
146 G Murray (Sco) 75 71.
148 P Whiteford (Sco) 72 76.
150 S Henderson (Sco) 78 72.

Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek

SPRINGBOK CHARL LEADS
BY TWO GOING INTO
FINAL ROUND

Home favourite Charl Schwartzel, pictured right, produced a third successive four-under-par 68 on Saturday to lead by two shots at 12-under-par 204 going into the final round of the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek, South Africa.
Britons Lee Westwood and Mark Pilkington lead the chasing pack on 10 under par 206.
Pilkington and South African Des Terblanche made up the most ground on 2004 winner Schwartzel, shooting seven-under-par 65s, while Westwood had a 67, dropping a potentially important stroke on the 18th when his second failed to make the island green.
Terblanche roared into fourth place on nine under par 207 with a bogey-free round which featured two eagles.
Westwood, who began with an uninspired 73 to Swartzel's 68, was pleased with his comeback rounds of 66 and 67.
"I gave Charl a few strokes of a start so if I can keep playing as well as I have then I must have a chance of catching him," said the Englishman.
Schwartzel, who led England's Oliver Wilson and Spain's Rafael Cabrera Bello by two strokes at the start of the day, battled through his most inconsistent round of the tournament with five birdies, an eagle and three bogeys.
"It was an up-and-down round, but I generally hit the ball where I wanted," Schwartzel said.
"I stumbled a bit in the middle, but I said at the start of the week that if I could shoot four 68s I would be very close to winning."
Cabrera Bello shot a five-over-par 77 on Saturday to slide down to 31st position on one under, while Wilson struggled to an even-par 72 and remains on six under for the tournament.
Ernie Els shot a three-under-par 69 and is nine strokes behind Schwartzel.
Scot Euan Little is doing quite nicely in joint 11th place after 72, 70 and 70 for four-under-par 212.
LEADING THIRD-ROUND SCORES
Par 216 (3 x 72)
204 Charl Schwartzel (SAf) 68 68 68.
206 Mark Pilkington (Wal) 70 71 65, Lee Westwood (Eng) 73 66 67.
207 Desmond Terblanche (SAf) 70 72 65.
208 Alvaro Quiros (Spa) 74 66 68.
209 Hennie Otto (SAf) 71 69 69.
210 Mattias Eliasson (Swe) 73 69 68, Ross Fisher (Eng) 73 69 68, Oliver Wilson (Eng) 68 70 72.
211 Alexandre Rocha (Bra) 74 67 70, Darren Fichardt (SAf) 72 70 69.
Other scores:
212 Euan Little (Sco) 72 70 70.
213 Ernie Els (SAf) 72 72 69.
214 Scott Drummond (Sco) 71 70 73, Andrew McLardy (SAf) 70 75 69, David Drysdale (Sco) 73 73 68.
217 Andrew Coltart (Sco) 69 76 71.
218 Oliver Fisher (Eng) 71 70 77.

Title chance for Colin Montgomerie and Marc Warren in Barbados

SCOTLAND LYING THIRD
(only two shots off the lead)
WITH ONE ROUND TO
GO IN WORLD CUP

Scotland have a definite chance of winning the World Cup of Golf for the first time.
With one round to go at Sandy Lane Resort, Barbados, Colin Montgomerie and Marc Warren, pictured right, are in third place on 199 - two shots behind Sweden's Henrik Stenson and Carl Petterson and one shot adrift of Argentina's Angel Cabrera and Andres Romero.
Colin and Monty added a 65 to their total on Saturday, compared with a 63 by Sweden and a 67 by Argentina.
Montgomerie made life easy for Warren with all six of their birdies in a round of 65.
Scotland got off to a slow start with Warren needing to hole from three feet for par on the first after Montgomerie three-putted from long range. After seven holes they trailed overnight leaders Argentina by five shots.
But Montgomerie turned on the style with four birdies in a row on the back nine and could also have birdied the last only to leave his 15ft attempt just short.
"It was important to stay in touch with the Argentinians as we were playing alongside them," Montgomerie said.
"We felt four-balls was their strength because they hit the ball a country mile.
MONTY'S BIG DRIVE
"It was difficult for me to keep up but I got it for yards past them both on the 17th and I'm going to tell my grandkids about that."
Scotland are the only home nation never to have won the World Cup since its inception in 1953, and Montgomerie admitted: "It would be great for us to win -and we have a chance.
"We have to beat the Swedes by three over the last round, which is a tall order because they are a very strong team, but foursomes is very, very difficult and you need to have both players playing at the top of their form to compete.
"We played well in foursomes on Friday with a 67 so let's hope we can do the same."
Wales' Bradley Dredge and Stephen Dodd, the surprise winners over the rain-shortened tournament on the Algarve last year, had the day's bes score of 62 to come back into picture on 202 - sharing fourth place with United States, Italy, Mexico, Spain, South Africa and Germany.
HOW THEY STAND
197 Sweden 64 70 63.
198 Argentina 64 67 67.
199 Scotland 67 67 65.
202 Wales 65 75 62, United States 66 73 63, Italy 68 70 64, Mexico 69 68 65, Spain 69 66 67, South Africa 64 71 67, Germany 65 69 68.
204 Australia 68 72 64.
206 Ireland 67 73 66, England 66 70 70.
Other third-round totals:
207 Switzerland, Colombia, Canada.
208 France, South Korea.
210 Trinidad & Tobago.
211 Singapore, Denmark.
215 Jamaica, Japan.
216 Barbados.

ANY COMMENTS? E-mail them to Colin@scottishgolfview.com

DEATH OF KATHLEEN McNEILL, MBE

Gillian Kirkwood writes:
It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Miss Kathleen W McNeill, MBE.
Miss McNeill died last night (11:30pm, Friday, December)8 . She was 91. She had a stroke a month ago and never recovered.
A solicitor by profession, Miss McNeill was very involved with the adminstration of golf. Kathleen was a past president (1987-88) and current honorary vice-president (since 1991) of the Ladies Golf Union.
She had also been chairman (1965-67), president (1982-85) and was a current vice-president of the Scottish Ladies Golfing Association.
Miss McNeill was also honorary life president of Renfrewshire LCGA.
Everyone in Scotland is going to miss her as she was still attending our events until very recently. We always looked forward to meeting up with her as she took such a great interest in the golf and golfers, and was such a friendly lady who put everyone at their ease.
Our sympathies go to her family and her many friends all over the world.
The funeral arrangements are 12 noon Wednesday, December 13 at Greenock Crematorium.
Further information can be found on the Renfrewshire LCGA website.
[Photo Courtesy of Carol Fell, Renfrewshire]

STILL SEARCHING FOR THAT CHRISTMAS PRESENT?

LOOK NO FURTHER,

EUROPEAN TOUR

YEARBOOK 2007

IS THE ANSWER

Europe's emphatic victory against the United States in the 2006 Ryder Cup, in addition to the many outstanding performances by European Tour members on the world stage, are captured in the 19th edition of the European Tour Yearbook.

This 312-page full colour official publication (price £25) is lavishly illustrated with wonderful photography by Getty Images and includes the writing of many of the world's leading gof correspondents. It takes you behind the scenes, chapter by compelling chapter, during another momentous year for the European Tour.

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Mitchell Platts is the Director of Corporate Affairs and Public Relations at the European Tour. Formerly the golf correspondent of The Times (and Thomson Newspapers, when his reports appeared in The Press and Journal), Mitchell is the author of several books on golf.

HECTOR LEAVING INCHMARLO
BUT STAYING IN BANCHORY

Inchmarlo Golf Centre depute managing director Hector G Emslie is leaving the Banchory complex after six years.
“Prior to arriving at the Inchmarlo club I operated my own golf event & tour business - Specialist Golf Scotland - and it is to this sector of the market I have decided to return,” explained Hector, pictured right.
“My partner Christine and I have formed a new company, Golfers (Scotland) Ltd, based in Banchory, and we depart for our new venture with the full support of Jonathan (Shelbourne) and the rest of the team at Inchmarlo.
“The main aims of the new business will be the full operation and event management of corporate golf days, both locally and throughout the UK, and the promotion and sale of Scotland and particularly Aberdeen and the North-east as a golfing destination to the golfing visitor. We will take care all golfing arrangements from tee times to accommodation and transport.”

JAMIESON ONLY SCOT TO GO
FORWARD TO ASIAN TOUR
FINAL QUALIFYING SCHOOL

Scott Jamieson from Cathkin Braes was the only Scot to survive the four-round Asian Tour Qualifying School Stage 1 competitions at three venues in Thailand.
Scott finished joint third at Plutaluang with a four-under-par total of 284, made up of consistent scores – 73, 70, 71 and 70. He will now go forward the final Q School at two of the same venues next week.
Mark Kerr from Edinburgh was one of those who could not get under the limit mark of one-over-par 289 at Plutaluang.
He scored 78, 75, 74 and 73 for 300 and finished tied 41st.
Mark Loftus (298), Graham Gordon and John McKenzie (both 299) and Euan McIntosh (318) all failed at the Emerald Golf Club where 16 players with totals of 290 (two under par) or less. Gordon scored 75, 74, 78 and 72 while fellow Newmachar player McIntosh had rounds of 73, 83, 81 and 81.
Loftus scored 77, 73, 75 and 73.
For Gordon (pictured right), it will mean a return to the PGA EuroPro Tour on which he has campaigned for two years since he turned professional.
The limit mark at Emerald GC was two-over-par 290 and 16 players progressed.
A total of 47 players from the Stage 1 events in Pattaya have booked their places for the Final Stage which will be held at Pattana and Emerald Golf Club from December 13-16.
They will join an already exempted 129 players in the Final Stage at the end of which the top-40 and ties will earn playing privileges on the Asian Tour.

SCOREBOARD

EMERALD GOLF CLUB
Par 288 (4 x 72)
Leading qualifiers
283 A Pistorious (SAf) 72 69 71 71.
284 T Moody (US) 78 67 70 69.
+16 Players with totals of 290 (+2) or under qualified for Final School.
Non-qualifiers included:
298 M Loftus (Cowglen) 77 73 75 73 (jt 36th).
299 G Gordon (Newmachar) 75 74 78 72, J McKenzie (Sco) 76 77 69 77 (jt 39th).
318 E R McIntosh (Newmachar) 73 83 81 81 (67th).

PLUTALUANG
Par 288 (4 x 72)
Leading qualifiers
282 Jin Park (Kor) 66 70 73 73.
283 R Lee (Can) 67 71 75 70.
284 S Jamieson (Sco) 73 70 71 70, G Van der Valk (Net) 74 71 69 70.
+13 players with totals of 289 (+1) or under qualified for Final School.
Non-qualifiers included:
300 M Kerr (Craigmillar Park) 78 75 74 73 (jt 41st).

+If you want to see all the scores, log on to the Asian Tour website at www.asiantour.com

TIME RUNNING OUT IF YOU WANT TO PLACE
AN ADVERT ON OUR WEBSITES

IF you want to take advantage of our advertising offer which covers this website and www.kirkwoodgolf.co.uk, you have only this coming week to make up your mind.
The adverts, which cost £15 for either website or £25 to run on both, will be displayed - scroll down to see some on the left hand column - almost immediately and will run until January 7, or longer if you wish.
We will accept advertisements which fit into the standard size shown from individuals, as well as golf clubs, hotels or businesses. E-mail colin@scottishgolfview.com if you are interested - and hurry!

European Challenge Tour event in South America

ONLY JAMIE McLEARY
MAKES THE CUT
IN MEXICO CITY

Three of the four Scots competing in the Abiero Mexicano Corona tournament at Club de Golf La Hacienda near Mexico City missed the halfway cut.
Jamie McLeary, pictured left, was the exception.
First reports on the website of the tournament, which is the second event of the 2006-2007 Challenge Tour, had former Scottish amateur champion George Murray qualifying for the last two days' play with a second-round 70 for a tally of 145 - which was, as predicted, the limit mark.
But later the rookie pro's scorecard was amended to a 71 for 146, one shot too many to retain an active interest in the four-round tournament.
The missing stroke had been a bogey at the 11th.
Earlier George had birdied the 16th and 18th which gave rise to the mistaken belief that he had made the cut.
A late double bogey sealed the fate of Scott Henderson.
The Aberdonian, who flew to South America from the New Zealand Open, saddled himself with an opening seven-over-par 78 but, starting at the 10th in the second round, he raised a flicker of hope when he got a birdie at the 17th and an eagle 3 at the 603yd 18th to cover the nine holes in two-under-par 34 (he had bogeyed the 11th) - six shots fewer for the same stretch compared with Thursday.
HENDERSON'S LATE DOUBLE
But Henderson couldn't continue the sub-par figures on his second nine and a bogey at the fifth and a double bogey at the seventh saw him return a one-over-par 72 for a 36-hole tally of eight-over-par 150.
Jamie McLeary, the top Scot at the start of the day with a two-under 69, bogeyed the second and third but birdied the fifth and parred the sixth to be one under par for the tournament. But Jamie bogeyed the seventh and birdied the ninth to be out in one-over-par 36.
He got his third birdie of the day at the 10th but came back to one-over-par with a bogey at the 13th. He parred his way in from there for a 72 for 141.
Jamie is in joint 13th place and in contention for a sizeable cheque if he can maintain or even improve his position over Saturday and Sunday.
Peter Whiteford, one over par with an opening 72, birdied the second but dropped shots at the third, fifth and eighth. He was still on course to beat the halfway cut until he bogeyed the 14th, 15th and 16th for a 76 and 148 - three shots over the limit.

SECOND-ROUND TOTALS
Par 142 (2 x 71)
Leading qualifiers for final two rounds:
136 A Jauretche (Arg) 68 68, C Cardeza (Arg) 69 67, Klas Eriksson (Swe) 65 71.
138 D De Leon (Mex) 69 69., Federico Garcia (Mex) 70 68, Felipe Aguilar (Chi) 69 69.
Other qualifiers included:
141 J McLeary (Sco) 69 72 (jt 13th).
Missed cut:
146 G Murray (Sco) 75 71.
148 P Whiteford (Sco) 72 76.
150 S Henderson (Sco) 78 72.

SECOND DAY OF WORLD CUP ON BARBADOS

MONTY AND MARC HOIST SCOTS
INTO JOINT SECOND PLACE

Colin Montgomerie and Marc Warren combined their assets splendidly in the second round of the World Cup at Sandy Lane Resort on the Barbados.
They finished up with a three-under-par foursomes score 67 - birdies at the fourth, fifth, sixth, eighth, 13th and 16th; bogeys at the 10th and 18th - in boosting their halfway total fo 134.
That put the Scots up from joint ninth after one round to second only to leaders Argentina with 36 holes to go.
Scotland, who birdied four out of five holes from the fourth, were indebted to some fine putting by Warren for their move up the leaderboard.
Montgomerie, pictured right, laughed: “We had six birdies today and Marc holed all of them. That’s okay. We’re in with a shot and we’ll go for it at the weekend.
“I knew we had a good chance to win this year with Marc. To win the Challenge Tour, as he did, is very tough to do and then coming out on Tour and winning his first tournament against a Swede in Sweden (Robert Karlsson) was obvious proof that Marc can handle himself under that type of pressure.”
Warren added: “I’ve loved playing with Colin. He’s a great player and so solid tee to green and holing out. I feel that you are definitely one or two shots up at the start. You have so much confidence in him. It gives me confidence too.”
Angel Cabrera and Andres Romero have had rounds of 64 and 67 to put Argentina in the pole position on 131.
Sharing second place with Monty and Warren on 134 are Sweden 's Henrik Stenson and Carl Pettersson and Germany's Bernhard Langer and Marcel Siem.
Defending champions Wales - Bradley Dredge and Stephen Dodd- slumped from an opening 65 to a disappointing 75 for 140.


SCOREBOARD

131 ARGENTINA (Angel Cabrera & Andres Romero) 64 67.
134 SCOTLAND (Colin Montgomerie & Marc Warren) 67 67; SWEDEN (Henrik Stenson & Carl Pettersson) 64 70, GERMANY (Bernhard Langer & Marcel Siem) 65 69.
135 SPAIN (Miguel Jimenez & Gonzalo Fernandez) 69 66, SOUTH AFRICA 64 71.
136 ENGLAND (Luke Donald & David Howell) 66 70.
137 MEXICO 69 68.
138 ITALY 68 70, SOUTH KOREA 66 72.
139 UNITED STATES (Stewart Cink & J J Henry) 66 73.
140 DENMARK 70 70, AUSTRALIA 68 72, IRELAND (Padraig Harrington & Paul McGinley) 67 73, WALES (Bradley Dredge & Stephen Dodd) 65 75.
141 CANADA 69 72, JAPAN 67 75, COLOMBIA 67 74.
143 SWITZERLAND 73 70, SINGAPORE 71 72, TRINIDAD & TOBAGO 70 73, FRANCE 68 75.
145 BARBADOS 69 76.
148 JAMAICA 72 76.

CAITHNESS, WALKER, WATSON
AND BOOTH NAMED
IN LGU SQUAD

There are two home-based Scots - Krystle Caithness (St Regulus) and Kylie Walker (Buchanan Castle) - in the Ladies Golf Union elite squad of 15 named for close-season training for the 2007 team tournaments: the Vagliano Trophy tournament at St Andrews Bay and the Commonwealth tournament in South Africa. Sally Watson (Elie & Earlsferry) and Carly Booth (Comrie), two young Scots at the IMG David Leadbetter Golf Academy in Bradenton, Florida have also been named although it remains to be seen if they will be available for the training sessions at Desert Springs, Spain in December, January and February or the practice matches at Royal Liverpool Golf Club in March.
Carly, pictured right, is still only 14 years of age but GB&I's only member of the 2006 Junior Ryder Cup team. Sally won the Daily Telegraph national girls' grand final at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club after reaching the final of the British girls' championship.
They are two of the youngest players ever chosen for an LGU elite squad.
Sally has been selected by Scotland for the last two sets of home international matches. Carly has yet to play for Scotland at women's level.
Curtis Cup players Tara Delaney, Naomi Edwards, Breanne Loucks and Melissa Reid form the nucleus of the squad.
Wrexham-based Loucks, 19, was GB&I’s top scorer in the Curtis Cup match at Bandon Dunes, winning all three of her matches, a performance that helped her win ‘Wales Young Sports Personality of The Year.'
Ms Edwards meanwhile, reached the semi-finals of the British women's open's amateur championship at Royal County Down and won the Welsh open amateur stroke-play championship.
HELEN HOLM TROPHY WINNER
Fellow Curtis Cup team member Melissa Reid lifted the Helen Holm Trophy at Royal Troon.
Former English champion Kerry Smith, winner of the 2006 ELGA Order of Merit and a Curtis Cup player in 2002, represents the more experienced players.
Gillian Kirkwood, Chairman of the LGU Selection Committee, was enthusiastic over the squad’s potential. “We are delighted to give a number of young players the opportunity of being part of the LGU training programme and believe that the mix of youth and experience will ensure that strong teams are selected for the two matches in 2007," she said.
“This year, a number of potential team members have turned professional, so the squad contains quite a few ‘new faces’. However, while the two teams will mostly consist of players named today, the way is still open for players outside the squad to ‘play their way in’.”

LGU TRAINING SQUAD
2006-2007

Rachel Bell, Ganton
Elizabeth Bennett, Brokenhurst Manor
Krystle Caithness, St Regulus
Tara Davies, Holyhead
Naomi Edwards, Ganton
Sahra Hassan, Vale of Glamorgan
Breanne Loucks, Wrexham
Florentyna Parker, Gut Waldhof
Melissa Reid, Chevin
Kerry Smith, Waterlooville
Kylie Walker, Buchanan Castle

PLAYERS IN US

Carly Booth, Comrie
Tara Delaney, Carlow
Danielle McVeigh, Royal County Down Ladies’
Sally Watson, Elie & Earlsferry Ladies’

CAPTAINS

Mary McKenna, Vagliano Trophy 2007 & Curtis Cup 2008
Sue Turner, Commonwealth Trophy

TRAINING PROGRAMME

December 14-17: Winter Warm Weather Training 1 (Desert Springs, Spain).
January 25-28: Winter Warm Weather Training 2 (Desert Springs, Spain).
February 22-25: Winter Warm Weather Training 3 (Desert Springs, Spain).
March 15-18: Spring matches (Royal Liverpool GC), to be confirmed.
June 28-July 1: Vagliano Trophty team practice (Fairmont St Andrews Bay), to be cofirmed.

R&A ANNOUNCEMENT CONFIRMS SEVEN
SCOTS IN 2007 GB&I WALKER CUP SQUAD
A squad of 22 players has been selected to prepare for the Walker Cup match to be played at Royal County Down, Newcastle on September 8 and 9 next year.

Former Walker Cup players Lloyd Saltman, Richie Ramsay (US Amateur Champion), Gary Wolstenholme, Rhys Davies and Nigel Edwards (South African Amateur Champion), plus 2006 St Andrews Trophy players Rory McIlroy (European individual amateur champion) and Jamie Moul, head an exciting squad with an excellent blend of youth and experience.

Captain Colin Dalgleish explained that exclusion from the squad did not mean that players could not eventually force their way into the side next year.
“We are very conscious that young players improve so quickly that it is very possible, indeed likely, that one or two players in the team could come from outside this squad," said Colin.
"However, we want to familiarise our best players with the course and consequently we are planning a trip to Royal County Down in April. We also want to let the squad know that every one of them is in a strong position to force his way into the team”.

Retiring Chairman of Selectors, Peter McEvoy agreed, “It is nice to see five Walker Cup players in the squad, together with six St Andrews Trophy players. If they can play well in the lead up to the match and are joined by some of the existing young talent which abounds, we should have another very strong 10-player team.”

THE SQUAD

Gary Boyd, Cherwell Edge
Jonathan Caldwell, Clandeboye
Glenn Campbell, Blairgowrie
Rhys Davies, Royal Porthcawl
Nigel Edwards, Whitchurch
Zac Gould, Vale of Glamorgan
Scott Henry, Cardross
David Horsey, Styal
Stephen Lewton, Woburn
Llewellyn Matthews, Southerndown
Kevin McAlpine, Alyth
Rory McIlroy, Holywood
Keir McNicoll, Carnoustie
Jamie Moul, Stoke by Nayland
Paul O’Hara, Colville Park
Ben Parker, Royal Birkdale
Richie Ramsay, Royal Aberdeen
Lloyd Saltman, Craigielaw
Gareth Shaw, Lurgan
Simon Ward, Co Louth
Paul Waring, Bromborough
Gary Wolstenholme, Killworth Springs

CAPTAIN
Colin Dalgleish, Helensburgh

Asian Tour Qualifying School Stage 1 in Thailand

JAMIESON LOOKING GOOD BUT
GRIM FOR OTHER SCOTS

Things are looking bleak for all the Scots bar Scott Jamieson after three rounds of the Asian Tour Qualifying School Stage 1 events in Thailand.
Jamieson improved a share of fifth place on two-under-par 214 at the Plutaluang venue with a third-round 71. The top 13 and ties from this venue after one more round will go forward to the forthcoming Final Q School.
But at Emerald Golf Club, where 13 and ties is again the “magic” figure, John McKenzie, Mark Loftus, Graham Gordon and Euan McIntosh are lying well outside that mark.
McKenzie had good score of 69 in the third round for 222, which puts him in joint 31st place.
Loftus is now joint 38th after a 75 for 225. Gordon is sharing 47th place after a 78 for 227 and McIntosh had an 81 for 237 to be in 71st place.
Mark Kerr from Ediburgh, is lying joint 49th on 227 at the Plutaluang where Scott Jamieson is doing well.

Leading third-round totals:

EMERALD GOLF CLUB
Leading 13 and ties to qualify after fourth round.
210 Satoshi Shimouchi (Jap) 69 73 68.
212 Neven Basic (Aus) 68 74 70, Albert Pistorius (SAf) 72 69 71, James Morrison (Eng) 74 67 71.
Other scores:
215 Nick Redfern (Eng) 73 69 73 (jt 8th).
217 Jonathan Evans (Eng) 68 68 71.
219 Edmund Barr (Ire) 72 74 73, David Watson (Eng) 70 74 75 (jt 20th).
222 John McKenzie (Sco) 76 77 69 (jt 31st).
225 Mark Loftus (Cowglen) 77 73 75 (jt 38th).
227 Graham Gordon (Newmachar) 75 74 78 (jt 47th).
237 Euan McIntosh (Newmachar) 73 83 81.

PLUTALUANG GOLF CLUB
Leading 13 and ties to qualify after fourth round.
209 Jin Park (Kor) 66 70 73.
210 Troy Kennedy (Aus) 71 69 70.
212 Lawrence Dodd (Eng) 72 69 71.
213 Rafael Lee (Can) 67 71 75.
214 Scott Jamieson (Cathkin Braes) 73 70 71, Guido van der Valk (Net) 74 71 69 (jt 5th).
Other scores:
215 Ben St John (Eng) 72 75 68, Daryl Ley (Eng) 69 73 73 (jt 7th).
217 Darren Robson (Eng) 74 74 69 (jt 14th).
227 Mark Kerr (Craigmillar Park) 78 75 74 (jt 49th).

PATTANA G&SR
Leading 16 and ties to qualify after fourth round.
204 Peter Erofejeff (Fin) 69 71 64.
206 Matthew Woods (Eng) 71 68 67.
207 Neil Price (Eng) 70 71 66, Jaakko Makitalo (Fin) 68 68 71.
Other scores:
210 Craig Smith (Wal) 73 69 68, Alex Belt (Eng) 73 68 69 (jt 7th).
211 John Wells (Eng) 74 69 68 (jt 9th).
212 Gary Oliver (Eng) 68 73 71 (jt 12th).
213 James Sheffield (Eng) 73 70 70 (jt 15th).

WORLD CUP STARTS AT SANDY LANE, BARBADOS

SCOTLAND LYING JOINT NINTH

Leaderboard at the end of the first day of the World Cup at Sandy Lane, Barbados:

64 (-7) South Africa, Argentina, Sweden.
65 Germany, Wales.
66 United States, England, South Korea.
Also:
67 Scotland (jt 9th).

For all the scores and the full story on the first day's play in the World Cup, log on to:

http://www.pgatour.com/scoring/leaderboard/r

News from mini-tours in Texas and Florida

A FEW DOLLARS MORE FOR LEE

Uphall's Lee Rhind earned $1,668 for a sixth place finish in the Kingwood Classic at Kingwood, Houston in Texas. Rhind had scores of 74, 68 and 70 for a four-under-par total of 212 - five shots behind the winner of the $5,330 first prize, American Todd Russell
In his final round of this Tight Lies Tour Winter Series event, Rhind, birdied the short fifth and the short eighth and also the par-4 12th. He bogeyed the sixth.
FINAL TOTALS
Par 72
207 Todd Russell 69 67 72 ($5,330).
209 Kevin Dillen 73 67 69 ($3,045).
210 Ryan Baca 68 71 71 ($2,550).
Other total:
212 Lee Rhind (Sco) 74 68 70 (6th, £1,668).


DAVID AND MARK IN FLORIDA MONEY

Edinburgh exile David Kirkpatrick earned $935 and Banchory's Mark Barnard $885 in the NGA Professional Tour Winter Series event at Stoneybrook East Golf Club, Florida.
Kirkpatrick, based in Florida for over a decade, had rounds of 73, 69 and 72 for a two-under-par total of 214 which earned him a share of 33rd place.
Barnard, an assistant pro at Slaley Hall, who has spent five weeks on the mini-tour,scored 75, 69 and 73 for 217 and a joint 38th place finish.
Another Scottish assistant, Paul Cormack (Inchmarlo Golf Centre) did not qualify for the final round.
Winner of the $12,000 top prize was American Jeff Corr with scores of 66, 70 and 67 for 13-under 203.
FINAL TOTALS
Par 72
203 Jeff Corr 66 70 67 ($12,000).
206 Paul Dickinson 69 70 67, Hank Kim 70 68 68, Jonathan Novak 69 68 69 ($5,000 each).
Other totals:
214 David Kirkpatrick (Sco) 73 69 72 (jt 33rd, $935).
217 Mark Barnard (Sco) 75 69 73 (jt 38th, $885).

European Challenge Tour continues in South America

SCOTT HENDERSON'S NIGHTMARE
START IN MEXICO CITY

Scott Henderson did not have the best of luck Down Under - and it hasn't changed since he moved to South America for the European Challenge Tour event, the Abiero Mexicano Corona tournament at Clube de Golf Hacienda, near Mexico City.

The Aberdonian started with a triple bogey 7 on his way to a seven-over-par 78 which left him in joint 136th place in a field of 150 - and desperately fighting to avoid the halfway cut.

Rookie pro George Murray, playing in his second event as a tour pro, is lying joint 87th after a four-over 75 which included a double bogey at the second.

Earlier in the day a couple of late bogeys cost Jamie McLeary a share of second place.
McLeary bogeyed the long third but then birdied the seventh, ninth, 11th, 12th and 13th to be four under par with four to play. Unfortunately, Jamie dropped shots at the 15th and 17th to finish on two-under-par 69.
That put him in joint fifth place behind leader Klas Erikson (Sweden) who shot a six-under-par 65.
Peter Whiteford had a one-over-par 72 with a mixed bag of a scorecard - birdies at the sixth, eighth, 11th and 12th but a double bogey at the seventh and single shots dropped at the third, fourth and 10th.
LEADING SCORES
Par 71
65 Klas Erikson (Swe).
67 Pablo del Grosso (Arg).
68 Agustin Jauretche (Arg), Sebastian Fernandez (Arg).

69 Carlos Cardeza (Arg), Cristophe Brazillier (Fra), Benoit Teilleria (Fra), Matthew King (Eng), Felipe Aguillar (Chi), Jamie McLeary (Sco), Daniel de Leon (Mex), Jan-Are Larsen (Nor).

Other scores:
72 Peter Whiteford (Sco). 75 George Murray (Sco) (jt 87th). 78 Scott Henderson (Sco) (jt 136th).

SEVEN SCOTS NAMED IN
GB&I WALKER CUP SQUAD
... TO BE CONFIRMED
BY ROYAL & ANCIENT

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Scot Alistair Tait has given Golfweek an exclusive story today – revealing the names of the 2007 Great Britain & Ireland Walker Cup squad ... before it’s been announced by the Royal & Ancient! According to Alistair, a good friend of mine whose word I wouldn’t doubt, five members of the GB&I team that lost in Chicago are retained in the enlarged squad which will be whittled down in the build-up to the match against the United States at Royal County Down Golf Club, about 40 miles south of Belfast, in Northern Ireland next September 8 and 9.
East Tennessee State University's Edinburgh-born star Rhys Davies and Nigel Edwards are the two Welshmen from the 2005 team named to the current squad, along with Scottish players Lloyd Saltman and reigning US Amateur champion Richie Ramsay, pictured on right. English veteran Gary Wolstenholme, a member of the last six GB&I teams, also made it.
Scotland and England dominate the 22-man squad with seven players apiece, while Ireland and Wales each have four players.
GB&I’s Scottish skipper, Colin Dalgleish, will name the eight players to take part in the biennial match after the Scottish, English and Welsh amateur championships end on August 4.
Other Scots in the squad apart from Ramsay and Saltman are our past two national match-play champions, Kevin McAlpine (Alyth), who won the title at Nairn during the summer, and Glenn Campbell (Blairgowrie), championship winner at Southerness the year before.
Other Scots are East of Scotland Open winner Keir McNicoll (Carnoustie), twice Scottish boys champion and Scottish open stroke-play winner Scott Henry (Cardross), and Paul O'Hara (Colville Park).
Dalgleish will get his first serious look at the extended squad when they meet up at that glorious links course, Royal County Down, for three days of practice and "bonding" from April 17-19.

2007 GB&I Walker Squad

Gary Boyd (England)
Jonathan Caldwell (Ireland)
Glenn Campbell (Scotland)
Rhys Davies (Wales)
Nigel Edwards (Wales)
Zach Gould (Wales)
Scott Henry (Scotland)
David Horsey (England)
Stephen Lewton (England)
Kevin McAlpine (Scotland)
Rory McIlroy (Ireland)
Keir McNicoll (Scotland)
Llewellyn Matthews (Wales)
Jamie Moul (England)
Paul O'Hara (Scotland)
Ben Parker (England)
Richie Ramsay (Scotland)
Lloyd Saltman (Scotland)
Gareth Shaw (Ireland)
Simon Ward (Ireland)
Paul Waring (England)
Gary Wolstenholme (England)

ANY COMMENTS? E-mail them to colin@scottishgolfview.com

SAMMY VASS SELECTED BY HIGHLAND
INSTITUTE OF SPORT

Tain 15-year old, Sammy Vass, who earned a Scotland cap for the first time this past summer, taking on England, Wales and Ireland at under-16 level in the team event of the Scottish Under-16 girls' open stroke-play championship at Strathtyrum, St Andrews, is the newest athlete to be selected for the Highland Institute of Sport.
Full story and picture on www.kirkwoodgolf.co.uk

Another North-east golfing teenager bound for United States

GRANT CARNIE TO JOIN BREVARD COLLEGE,NORTH CAROLINA
IN JANUARY

Another teenage North-east golfing prospect is bound for the United States on a golf scholarship.
Grant Carnie, junior champion of both McDonald Ellon and Newburgh golf clubs, flies out to North Carolina on January 8 to enrol at Brevard College, North Carolina.
Earlier this year, Carnie finished third in the Paul Lawrie Junior Match-play Challenge at St Andrews Bay, finished second in the North-east District Junior Order of Merit and won the Inverallochy junior open.
There are already two Scots on the Brevard College golfing roster – Myles Johnson from Bo’ness and Craig Galloway from West Lothian. They are both sophomore (second-year) students).
Grant Carnie can look forward to a spring trip to California with his new golfing mates and Brevard College’s schedule also includes trips to South Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia.
Grant’s father Murray Carnie is Head of the Physical Education department at Mintlaw Academy, a national hockey coach and staff coach at the Grampian Institute of Sport as well as being a good friend of Paul Lawrie.
Carnie senior is one of the few sportsmen or women who can claim to have played for Scotland at two sports. Murray Carnie was capped at Under-18 level in tennis and both Under-18 and Under-21 in hockey.
+Other North-east young golfers at college in America are Lewis Kirton (University of Louisville, Kentucky), Michele Thomson (Jacksonville State University, Alabama), Keith Spence (Jacksonville University, Florida), Jordan Findlay (East Tennessee State University), Adam Lindsay (Iowa Wesleyan University), Andrew Hay (Webber Internatonal College, Florida), Chris Baron (Belmont Abbey College, North Carolina).
+James Byrne from Banchory will join Arizona State University next autumn.