US WIN BACK PALMER CUP WITH 18-6 VICTORY
OVER EUROPEAN STUDENTS

United States completed an 18-6 victory over Europe in the students' international golf match for the Palmer Cup at Caves Valley near Baltimore, Maryland today (Friday).
The Americans took the second-day foursomes 3-1 and the singles 6-2.

Results from the final set of singles (US names first):

Horschel bt Floren 4 and 3.
List bt Yates 6 and 5.
Harman bt Shaw 1 hole.
Simpson lost to Blixt 1 hole.
Lovemark bt Haastrup 2 and 1.
Moore bt Oriol 2 and 1.
Johnson bt Campillo 2 holes.
Kirk lost to Davies 4 and 2.
(US 6, Europe 2).

First day: US 9, Europe 3.
Second day: US 9, Europe 3.

Overall: US 18, Europe 6.

CUNNINGHAM WINS LOTHIANS' BOYS' CHAMPIONSHIP

Myles Cunningham, 17-year-old scratch player at Longniddry Golf Club, beat Mark Dickson (Gullane) 2 and 1 in the final of the Lothians' boys' championship at the Braids this evening.
It was the second year in a row that Dickson had been beaten finalist.
Results of later rounds:
QUARTER-FINALS
M Cunningham (Longniddry) bt N Henderson (Glen) 3 and 2.
S Gordon (Glen) bt G Davidson (Winterfield) 3 and 2.
S Deegan (Craigielaw) bt G Currie (Gullane 3 and 2.
M Dickison (Gullane) bt J Ross (Royal Burgess) at 21st.
SEMI-FINALS
Cunningham bt Gordon 2 and 1.
Dickson bt Deegan 4 and 2.
FINAL
Cunningham bt Dickson 2 and 1.

DAVID LANE COMES FROM

SIX BEHIND TO WIN

ENGLISH SENIORS TITLE

FOR THIRD TIME

FROM THE ENGLISH GOLF UNION WEBSITE

Former Scottish senior open amateur title-winner David Lane (Goring & Streatley) secured his third English senior men's championship at Enville today when he came from six shots back to beat overnight leaders Chris Reynolds and Alan Squires.
A closing round of 69 over the Highgate Course, the best of the day, for 218, four over par, left Lane (pictured right) three strokes ahead of Reynolds and four clear of Squires.
Lane, whose previous victories in this championship came at West Hill in 1997 and two years later at Shifnal, felt a third win was beyond his powers at 65 years of age.
“I felt I was past it with all these younger guys coming along, but I decided to go out and attack because I had nothing to lose - and it worked,” he said.
Although David finished fourth in the Irish seniors and runner-up in the "Scottish" in recent weeks, Lane arrived at Enville admitting he was scrambling and forecasting that he was not going to be in the hunt.
That seemed to be the situation when he teed-off the third round lying fourth, six strokes behind his rivals. But the picture soon began to change as the two leaders began spilling shots. At the turn, Lane was still two strokes adrift of Reynolds but the Kent man began tangling with the trees while Squires seemed to be the man to watch.
While Lane powered on to get to five over with one hole to play, both Reynolds and Squires were having to do the chasing. Lane put more pressure on when he secured a birdie 4 at the last, thanks to a sand wedge to five feet and a crucial putt.
That left Squires, who had holed a monster putt from across the 17th green to stay two adrift, needing an eagle at the last to tie. In the event he took a double-bogey 7 after firing his second shot into a bush and taking a penalty drop.
That also cost him second place as he returned 79 for an eight-over-par final total while Reynolds parred his way in from the 15th for 78 and the runners-up spot.
“I’m disappointed not to win but I’m more disappointed not to finish runner-up,” said Squires. “But Chris and I were not good enough. David played well and deserved it.”
Reynolds was equally disappointed. “I felt a 74 would be good enough but even that wouldn’t have done it,” he said. “My putting held up but I couldn’t keep out of the trees. I expected someone to break through and I’m glad it was David.”
With four-time champion Roy Smethurst in fourth place on 223 after a level-par 72, it meant the leading four players were all members of last year’s England senior home international side. Lane now sets his sights on the European title in Portugal next week and on this form you couldn’t bet against him.
“I played good golf today for the first time in weeks,” he admitted. “It is tremendous to win again and the icing on the cake was the sand wedge to five feet on the 18th. I’ve won again because my putting has improved but I don’t know why. I just decided not to leave anything short but it does leave you some tricky three-footers coming back.”
LEADING FINAL TOTALS

Par 214

218 D Lane (Goring & Streatley 76 73 69.

221 C Reynolds (Littlestone) 68 75 78.

222 A Squires (Oldham) 70 73 79.

223 R Smethurst (Crewe) 75 76 72.

224 A Morrison (Appleby) 77 75 72, J Jermine (Sunningdale) 73 77 74.

225 S Smale (Royal St George's) 74 74 77.

227 B Wallace (Crosland Heath) 72 79 76, C Boal (Broadstone) 74 76 77.

228 D McCart (Sherwood Forest) 81 73 74, D Arnold (Copthorne) 73 78 77.

229 G Steel (Moor Park) 78 75 76, G Reynolds (Ludlow) 79 74 76, P Groocock (Blackmoor) 78 74 77, H Moxon (Royal Cinque Ports) 77 74 78.

St Andrews Links Trophy

BANCHORY BOY BYRNE ON
HEELS OF LEADER EDWARDS
(65) IN FIRST ROUND

It was the young and the not-so-young vieing for the top spot at the end of the first round of the St Andrews Links Trophy tournament today.
Welsh Walker Cup player Nigel Edwards (Whitchurch, Cardiff), seeking to clinch another GB&I cap against the United States at Royal Co Down in September, set the pace with a cracking round of seven-under-par 65 over the Jubilee Course which measures some 6,805yd.
Teenager James Byrne (pictured right) from Banchory - a boy international whose ambition is to play for the Scotland MEN'S team (European or home internationals) - is hard of Nigel's heels with a 66.
James, who starts a four-year golf scholarship at Arizona State University in the autumn, shares the second spot with Ross Kellett (Colville Park, Motherwell) and Jason Barnes (Chart Hills) from southern England.
So high has been the standard of play that some 67 players will start the second round at par or under.

ALL THE FIRST ROUND SCORES
Jubilee Course: Par 72. SSS 73. 6,805yds
65 N Edwards (Whitchurch).
66 J Byrne (Banchory), J Barnes (Chart Hills), R Kellett (Colville Park).
67 S Arnold (Aus), J Moul (Stoke-by-Nayland).
68 D Horsey (Styal), I Kenwright (Haydock Park), S Henry (Cardross), S Clark (US), L Matthews (Southerndown), J Hurst (Shaw Hill).
69 B Evans (Rye), K McNicoll (Carnoustie), P Nelson (SAf), G Boyd (Cherwell Edge), V Dubuisson (Fra), J Parry (Harrogate), J Gidney (Church Stretton), R Gibson (US), M Allan (North Hants).
70 Z Gould (Vale of Glamorgan), J Freeman (Worksop), J Arnold (Aus), C Macaulay (Tulliallan), G Paterson (St Andrews New), S McEwan (Caprington), R Neil-Jones (Rochester & Cobham Park).
71 G Benson (Leighton Buzzard), G O'Neill (Royal Jersey), A Kaleka (Fra), M Thistleton (Hayling), M Veijalainen (Fin), B Soutgar (Leven GS), A Dodt (Aus), B Parker (Gut Waldhof), J Abbott (Fynn Valley), S Mann (Carnoustie), R Thomas (Aberdare), M Greil (US).
72 B Taylor (Hexham), P Waring (Bromborough), N Chaudhuri (Leicestershire), T Ropiha (NZ), A Johnston (North Middlesex), C Wood (Long Ashton), J Koelbing (Ger), R Enoch (Truro), X Feyaerts (Bel), L Collins (Mendip Spring), M Baldwin (Royal Birkddale), R McKnight (Barassie), S Ward (Co Louth), J TGaverner (Enfield), O Scharpe (Minchin Hmapton), C Geraghty (St Annes Old Links), S Larkin (Banchory), J Smith (Sundridge Park), M Griffin (Aus), R Kulaczx (Aus), D Stewart (Grantown on Spey), G Blainey (Bearwood Lakes), C Ford (Kirby Muxloe), D Marmion (Delamere Forest), M Clark (Kilmacolm), T Sherrard (Chart Hills), S Benson (Wentworth).
73 R McIlroy (Holywood), S Borrowman (Dollar), G Dear (Murrayshall), L Saltman (Craigielaw), C Watson (East Renfrewshire), J Palmer (Kirby Muxloe), L Campbell (Rochester & Cobham Park), J Howarth (Stockport), L Kirton (Newmachar), E Richardson (Rye), J King (Glasgow), M Halliday (Royal Aberdeen), L de Jager (SAf), S Hutsby (Liphook), J Perenaa (Fin), P O'Hara (Colville Park), N Henrigues (Por).
74 M Kerr (Craigielaw), J Young (Aus), W Booth (Comrie), D Corsby (Fleetwood), E McIntosh (Newmachar), B Sigl (Ger), J Field jun (US), C Harkins (Belleisle), F Pintor (Spa), B St John (US), K McAlpine (Alyth), A Rosado (Por), C Orr (Lanark), P McLean (Peterhead).
75 G Campbell (Blairgowrie), M Lamb (Haddington), R Coull (Edzell), M Gayes (Westwood), C Schwsierez (Ger), H Joannes (Bel), J-C Nel (SAf), A Runcie (Abergele), M Greig (Bon Accord), B McGrory (Aus), R Blizard (Aus), B Fotheringham (Forres).
76 L Calitz (SAf), B Jones (Cuddington), Z Saltman (Craigielaw), S Lewton (Woburn), G Watremez (Bel), J Carlota (Por).
77 G Mitchell (Braemar), C Colraine (Windyhill), G Taylor (Meldrum House), M Hillson (Craigielaw), T Stewart (Aus), S Johnsson (Ice), J Repokis (US), J-C Bertin (Fra).
78 L Miller (Cawder), S McAllister (Craigielaw), P Figueiredo (Por), W Shucksmith (Alwoodley).
79 T Coombes (US), M Larusson (Ice), S Runcie (Abergele), B Edmond (Bon Accord),C Rice (Southport & Ainsdale), C Durnian(SAf), C Doherty (Bury), A Lynch (Glenbervie).
80 T Dogil (Ger), P McGhee (US), J Vickery (Newport), J Woods (St Andrews).
81 H Hjartarson (Ice).
83 S Graham (Blairgowrie).
84 A Ait Lafkih (Ovory Coast).
Withdrew J White (Lundin).

THREE SCOTS MAKE THE HALFWAY CUT IN
THE EUROPEAN TOUR'S AUSTRIAN OPEN

Par 142 (2 x 71). Players from GB&I unless stated
131 Richard Green (Aus) 66 65.
132 Martin Erlandsson (Swe) 64 68 133 Pelle Edberg (Swe) 67 66, Steven Jeppesen (Swe) 67 66, Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa) 68 65.
135 Garry Houston 72 63, Jarmo Sandelin (Swe) 67 68, David Park 69 66, Graeme Storm 63 72.
136 Richard Finch 66 70, Gregory Havret (Fra) 71 65, Shaun Webster 65 71, Tom Whitehouse 65 71.
137 Stephen Gallacher 69 68, Richard McEvoy 66 71, Miles Tunnicliff 69 68, David Bransdon (Aus) 69 68
138 Matjaz Gojcic (Slo) 68 70, Sion Bebb 70 68, Ian Garbutt 71 67, Gary Orr 71 67, Patrik Sjoland (Swe) 65 73, Lee Westwood 66 72, Gary Lockerbie 66 72, Carlos Rodiles (Spa) 68 70, Mads-Vibe Hastrup (Den) 68 70
139 Michael Jonzon (Swe) 70 69, Francois Calmels (Fra) 66 73, Santiago Luna (Spa) 68 71, Alessandro Tadini (Ita) 67 72, Taichi Teshima (Jpn) 69 70, David Frost 68 71, Bernd Wiesberger (Aut) 68 71, Jesus Maria Arruti (Spa) 70 69, Jean-Francois Remesy (Fra) 72 67, Johan Skold (Swe) 70 69
140 Sam Little 73 67, Oliver Fisher 68 72, Robert-Jan Derksen (Net) 70 70, Graeme McDowell 71 69, Soren hansen (Den) 70 70, Kyron Sullivan 68 72, Raphael Eyraud (Fra) 69 71, Chris Gane 75 65
141 Simon Nash (Aus) 73 68, Carl Suneson (Spa) 69 72, Terry Pilkadaris (Aus) 71 70, Marc Cayeux (Zim) 70 71, Nicolas Colsaerts (Bel) 68 73, David Higgins 70 71, Rafael Gomez (Arg) 70 71, Iain Pyman 71 70, Birgir Hafthorsson (Ice) 70 71, Matthew Zions (Aus) 68 73, Richard Bland 70 71, Edward Rush 67 74, Jose Manuel Carriles (Spa) 70 71, Euan Little 68 73.
142 Peter Fowler (Aus) 70 72, Sebastian Fernandez (Arg) 74 68, Steve Alker (Nzl) 69 73, Danny Denison 66 76, Paul Broadhurst 75 67, Wade Ormsby (Aus) 73 69, Andrew Butterfield 72 70, Hernan Rey (Arg) 69 73, Jean Hugo (SAf) 72 70, Roope Kakko (Fin) 74 68
MISSED THE CUT
143 Andrew Coltart 72 71, Martin Maritz (SAf) 75 68, James Hepworth 72 71, Marcus Higley 73 70, Oskar Bergman (Swe) 72 71, Carlos Franco (Par) 69 74, Erol Simsek (Ger) 72 71, Darren Clarke 73 70, Markus Brier (Aut) 70 73, Joakim Haeggman (Swe) 69 74, Jean-Francois Lucquin (Fra) 68 75, Rafael Cabrera Bello (Spa) 71 72, Steven O'Hara 71 72, Denny Lucas 71 72, Andrew Marshall 70 73, Philip Golding 72 71, Hans Peter Bacher (Aut) (am) 72 71, Oliver Whiteley 73 70, Ally Mellor 76 67
144 Eirik Tage Johansen (Nor) 70 74, Joakim Backstrom (Swe) 75 69, Alvaro Salto (Spa) 71 73, Matthew Richardson 73 71, Sven Struver (Ger) 70 74, Henrik Nystrom (Swe) 72 72, Martin Kaymer (Ger) 72 72, Alexander Noren (Swe) 74 70, Keith Horne (SAf) 73 71, John Bickerton 72 72
145 Fredrik Widmark (Swe) 74 71, Thomas Kogler (Aut) 71 74, Francisco Cea (Spa) 71 74, Costantino Rocca (Ita) 71 74, Christopher Hanell (Swe) 68 77, Luis Claverie (Spa) 74 71, Alexandre Rocha (Bra) 74 71, Johan Axgren (Swe) 72 73, Kevin Collins (US) 70 75
146 Maarten Lafeber (Ned) 71 75, Niki Zitny (Aut) 74 72, Peter Lawrie 77 69, Uli Weinhandl (Aut) 71 75, Gareth Davies 72 74, David Drysdale 70 76, Juan Parron (Spa) 69 77, Neil Cheetham 77 69, Andrew Oldcorn 75 71, Scott Strange (Aus) 73 73, Kajetan Kromer (Aut) (am) 75 71
147 Colin Montgomerie 73 74, Lee James 73 74, John Wade (Aus) 74 73, Ross McGowan 70 77, Emanuele Canonica (Ita) 71 76, David Carter 71 76, Stuart Little 75 72.
148 Gary Murphy 70 78, Andrew Raitt 74 74, Gary Emerson 75 73, Andre Bossert (Sui) 75 73, Thomas Feyrsinger (Aut) 73 75, Florian Praegant (Aut) 74 74, Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (Fra) 78 70, Mark Davis 75 73, Tim Milford 76 72, Simon Wakefield 71 77, Manuel Quiros (Spa) 74 74, Jamie Spence 70 78, Pedro Linhart (Spa) 73 75, Jorge Benedetti (Col) 72 76.
149 Claude Grenier (Aut) 74 75, Andreas Christ (Aut) (am) 79 70.
150 Francois Delamontagne (Fra) 76 74, Jose Filipe Lima (Por) 73 77, Miguel Rodriguez (Arg) 76 74, Benjamin Palanszki (Hun) (am) 74 76, Adrien Mork (Fra) 76 74
151 Michael Moser (Aut) 76 75
152 Morten Hedegaard (Den) 73 79, Wolfgang Rieder (Aut) (am) 72 80
153 Mark Pilkington 75 78.
154 Jurgen Maurer (Aut) 75 79.
155 David Dixon 79 76.
157 Julien Van Hauwe (Fra) 79 78.
158 Jonathan Lomas 78 80.
159 Thomas Ortner (Aut) (am) 77 82.
Withdrawn: Shiv Kapur (Ind) Retired: Marcel Siem (Ger)

BILL LONGMUIR CLICKETY-CLICKS WITH A 66 IN
JERSEY SENIORS CLASSIC OPENING ROUND

By COLIN CALLANDER
European Seniors Tour Press Officer

Anglo-Scot Bill Longmuir took Route 66 right to the top of the leaderboard during the first round of the Jersey Seniors Classic at La Moye Golf Club today.
The Scot’s flawless six under par round of 66 sees him go into the second round two shots ahead of England’s Carl Mason and Bob Larratt and three in front of Argentina’s Adan Sowa, Englishmen Tony Allen, Gordon Brand senior and Andrew Reynolds and defending champion Guillermo Encina who all carded rounds of 69.
Meanwhile Sam Torrance battled back from five over par after five holes to register a one under par 71 that left him in a large group that also included Jersey’s own Tommy Horton.
Longmuir started his round with a birdie on the 514yd par-5 second. He picked up further shots on the 478yd sixth and par-4 seventh to go out in 33. Bill then cruised home with further birdies at the 11th, 13th and 16th.
“That is the best round I have played all year,” said Longmuir whose last victory on the European Seniors Tour was at the 2005 Scandinavian Senior Open.
“I’ve been struggling on the greens but today I holed a few and also got a bit of luck when I misread a 30-footer on the seventh only to see it curl round and drop into the hole. You know it’s your day when that sort of thing happens.”
Mason and Larratt both played steadily for their 68s but the same cannot be said for Torrance who took 8 at the 416yd par-4 fourth and a bogey 5 at the 437yd fifth but then eagled the sixth and birdied the seventh to get to the turn in two over par 38.
Torrance’s second nine proved to be almost as adventurous. The former Ryder Cup captain got back to one under with three consecutive birdies on the 11th, 12th and 13th, handed them back with bogeys on the 14th and 15th but then bounced back again with birdies on the 16th and 18th.
“The card doesn’t look very pretty but my golf was nowhere near as bad as it might look,” said Torrance.
“I did hit a couple of bad shots on the fourth but the rest was pretty steady and it could have been even better because I left my birdie putt on the 17th literally in the jaws of the hole.”
Jersey resident Tommy Horton missed last year’s Jersey Seniors Classic due to ill heath but bounced back with a fine one under par 71 that leaves him in touch with the leaders going into the weekend.
Horton started on the 10th and proceeded to record 12 successive pars before dropping a shot at the fourth and responding with birdies on the sixth and the eighth.
“I played very well,” said the man who has secured a record 23 titles on the European Seniors Tour. “It’s coming back. Every week seems to be that little bit better than the last.”
English stockbroker, Algie Rice, holds the lead after the second round of the amateur event. In the first round Rice, a 16 handicapper from Thorndon Park Golf Club in Essex, carded an 11 under par 61 in partnership with professional, Angel Fernandez from Argentina.
Twenty four hours later he added a 62 alongside England’s Denis Durnian. His 21 under par aggregate of 123 left him five shots ahead Martyn Ball, Ed Kimber and Stewart Crossby. Ball is a former county cricketer for Gloucester. He now works for Ginn Europe.
66 B Longmuir (Sco).
68 C. Mason (Eng), B Larratt (Eng).
69 A. Sowa (Arg), G Encina (Chi), A Reynolds (Eng), G Brand sen (Eng).
70 M Poxon (Eng), T Allen (Eng), B Cameron (Eng), S Owen (NZ).
71 D. Good (Aus), D Cambridge (Jam), T Horton (Eng), P Leonard (NIr), A Fernandez (Arg), S Torrance (Sco), B Lincoln (SAf).
72 B Shearer (Aus), T Gale (Aus), I Mosey (Eng), M Gregson (Eng), R Drummond (Sco), P Oakley (US).
73 D. Stirling (Eng), C Defoy (Wal), T. Rastall (Eng), H. Carbonetti (Arg), G Ralph (Eng), M Gray (Sco), B. Malley (US).
74 J Bruner (US), G. Levenson (SAf), D.J. Russell (Eng), S. Ginn (Aus), E Rodriguez (Spa), J Benda (US), G Townhill (Eng), B Smit (SAf), G Watine (Fra), J. Mashego (SAf), D Creamer (Eng)
75 D Merriman (Aus), D. Johnson (US), M. Clayton (Aus), J. Heggarty (Ire), C Maltman (Sco). P Terravanian (USA), M. Wolseley (NIr), G Cali (Ita), T Dill (US) , B. Heuchan (Can)
76 M Ferguson (Aus), D. O’Sullivan (Ire), B McColl (Scot), J.P. Sallat (Fr), R Stelton (US) . R Carrasco (USA), H. Woodrome (USA), J Chillas (Sco).
77 A Mew (T & T), D. Durnian (Eng), T. Charnley (Eng), J. Rhodes (Eng)
78 G Wintz (USA), P. Dugenny (Fr), J. Lapsley (NZ), B. Hardwick (Can), M Miller (Sco).
79 N Clarke (SAf), A Garrido (Spa), M. Bembridge (US).
80 S Wild (Eng).
82 B Lendzion (US).

CHRIS KELLY SLASHES THREE SHOTS OFF

CAWDER RECORD WITH 10-UNDER 60

Cawder Golf Club tournament professional Chris Kelly slashed three strokes off his home course pro record with a brilliant round of 10-under-par 60 today.
His unblemished scorecard included an inward half of seven-under-par 28 which might well be a PGA Scottish Region tournament record for nine holes.
Kelly, who won the £1,127 top prize in the Cawder Golf Club pro-am by three strokes, had an eagle 3 at the 12th and eight birdies, at the first, fifth, seventh, 11th,15th, 16th, 17th and 18th.
It is the second Tartan Tour course record in a matter of days. Paul McKechnie (Braid Hills) won the Pollok pro-am with a 10-under-par 61 on Wednesday.
Kelly’s nearest rival was Stephen Gray (Hayston) who equalled the old record of 63.
It was Chris Kelly’s day of days. He also led the Wholesale Domestic team of Derek Toward (8), Brian Toward (12) and Alex McPherson (6) to victory with a net score of 15-under-par 55.

LEADING PROFESSIONALS
Par 70
60 C Kelly (Cawder).
63 S Gray (Hayston).
64 C Doak (unatt).
68 G McFarlane (Clober), J McKinnon (Irvine), I Pender (unatt).
69 P McKechnie (Braid Hills), P Brookes (Pitreavie), D Robertson (Czech Design), C Lee (All Swing Golf Centre), G Collinson (Esporta Dougalston), C Gillies (Kingsfield).
TEAM WINNERS
55 C Kelly (Cawder) & Wholesale Domestic: D Toward (8), B Toward (12), A McPherson (6).

ends

UNITED STATES LEAD 12-4 IN PALMER
CUP WITH EIGHT SINGLES TO GO

United States followed up their 8-0 whitewash of the Europeans in the first day singles by taking the second morning’s foursomes 3-1 to lead 12-4 with eight singles to conclude the Palmer Cup students’ amateur international golf match at Caves Valley Golf Club near Baltimore, Maryland.
European hopes had been high of retaining the trophy they won by a record margin at Prestwick last year after they won the opening four-ball matches 3-1. But the Americans got their act together in the singles and were still in rampant mood on the second day.
Stirling University student Gordon Yates and Denmark’s Mark Haastru lost their foursomes tie by 4 and 3 to Jonathan Moore and Webb Simpson.

Results so far:
UNITED STATES 12, EUROPE 4
American names first
First day
FOUR-BALLS:: US 1, Europe 3.

SINGLES (8-0)
J Lovemark bt R Davies 4 and 2.
L List bt J Campillo 2 holes.
B Horschel bt G Shaw 2 holes
B Harman bt P Oriol 4 and 2.
J Moore bt G Yates 2 and 1.
W Simpson bt J Blixt 2 and 1.
C Kirk bt M Haastrup 1 hole,
D Johnson bt O Floren 4 and 2.

Second day
FOURSOMES (3-1)
Harman & Horschel bt Campillo & Oriol 5 and 4.
List & Lovemark lost to Blixt & Floren 5 and 4.
Moore & Simpson bt Haastrup & Yates 4 and 3.
Johnson & Kirk bt Davies & Shaw 2 and 1.

WOLSTENHOLME LEADS BY TWO SHOTS
IN EURO MID-AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

Title-holder Gary Wolstenholme (Kilworth Springs) will start Saturday's third and final round with a two-shot advantage in the European men's mid-amateur championship at the Domaine Imperial Golf Club course on the shores of Lake Geneva.
Wolstenholme, who will be 47 in August, shot a second-round 69 for a three-under-par tally of 141. His nearest challenger was Marc Mazur (Germany) who had a 67 for 143.
The minimum age requirement is 35 years, an example set by the European Golf Association which should be followed by all the governing bodies who run "mid-amateur" events with 25 years as the minimum age.

LEADING SECOND-ROUND TOTALS
Par 144 (2 x 72)
141 G Wolstenholme (Eng) 72 69.
143 M Mazur (Ger) 76 67.
145 U Schulte (Ger) 75 70.
147 P Griffiths (Eng) 74 73.
148 K Bornemann (Ire) 76 72.
149 F Wattier (Fra) 72 76.
150 M Kjellgren (Swe) 74 76, R Heath (Aus) 80 70, M Wharton (Eng) 76 74, T Krieger (Ger) 74 76.
Other scores:
155 M Huebl (Aut) 71 84.
164 G Walker (Sco) 82 82.

URQUHART MISSES CHALLENGE TOUR
CUT BY 11 SHOTS IN GERMANY

Northern Open title-holder Murray Urquhart from Inverness missed the halfway cut by the wide margin of 11 strokes in the European Challenge Tour event, the Vodafone Challenge, at G&CC An Der Elfrather Muhle, Dusseldorf today.
Urquhart had his adventures in a first-day 75 when he lurched from an eagle to a double bogey but there were no bright spots at all on his second-round, nine-over-par 81 for a 36-hole total of 14-over 156.
Murray was out in 39 and home in seven-over 42 with a triple bogey 6 at the short 14th and a double bogey 6 at the 16th.
Scots who survived the cut were George Murray from Anstruther on 142 (71-71), new rookie Elliot Saltman from Dalkeith and David Patrick (Mortonhall), both on level par 144, and, late in the day, they were joined by Andrew McArthur (Windyhill) on 145. For most of the afternoon the former Scottish amateur champion had looked to be one shot too many to make it but the late finishers' scores deteriorated and enabled Andrew to get through on the limit mark of one over par.
Murray had his second double bogey of the tournament, at the 12th, but birdies at the fourth, ninth, 13th and 18th helped him return a 71.
Saltman had only one birdie, at the ninth, in his second-round 74 while Patrick did well to recover from a double-bogey 6 at his first very hole with birdies at the fifth, sixth, 17th and 18th for a 73.
Ed Thomson (150) joined Murray Urquhart (156) on the road home to Scotland.
Halfway leader by an astonishing six shots is Sweden's Magnus Carlsson who had a dream round of 10-under-par 62 (31-31) for a 36-hole tally of 13-under-par 131. Carlsson had four eagles, five birdies, one double bogey and two bogeys on a scorecard to remember.

LEADERBOARD
Par 144 (2 x 72). 6,859yd.
131 Magnus A Carlsson (Swe) 69 62.
137 Anthony Tarchetti (Eng) 68 69, Leif Westerberg (Swe) 72 65, Juan Abbate (Arg) 70 67.
138 Adam Gee (Eng) 69 69; Joost Luiten (Net) 70 68 ;Wilhelm Schauman (Swe) 68 70.
139 Simon Lilly (Eng) 68 71; Ricardo Santos (Por) 72 67; Lorenzo Gagli (Ita) 67 72; Jamie Little (Eng) 69 70; Marco Crespi (Ita) 73 66 ; Maximilian Kieffer (Ger) (am) 67 72.
140 Tino Schuster (Ger) 72 68; Jeppe Huldahl (Den) 72 68 ; Fabrizio Zanotti (Par) 72 68; Eduardo De La Riva (Spa) 74 66; Gary Clark (Eng) 71 69 ; Gareth Wright (Wal) 69 71.
141 Jason Kelly (Nor) 70 71; Kieran Staunton (Eng) 71 70; Matt Ford (Eng) 70 71; Anders Schmidt Hansen (Den) 69 72; Gustavo Rojas (Arg) 75 66 ; James Morrison (Eng) 72 69; Kasper Linnet Jorgensen (Den) 72 69 ; Hugo Santos (Por) 71 70; Julio Zapata (Arg) 70 71; John Mellor (Eng) 69 72 ; Inder Van Weerelt (Net) 73 68; Alexander Knappe (Ger) (am) 70 71,
142 Mikko Korhonen (Fin) 71 71; Zane Scotland (Eng) 69 73; Jorge Bartolome (Spa) 73 69; Mark Laskey (Wal) 73 69; Tim Dykes (Wal) 72 70; James Kamte (Rsa) 71 71; Wil Besseling (Ned) 75 67; Carlos Balmaseda (Esp) 71 71 ; George Murray (Sco) 71 71; Robert Dinwiddie (Eng) 72 70.
143 Chris Hanson (Eng) 71 72; Ben Willman (Eng) 72 71; Tuomas Tuovinen (Fin) 71 72; Pablo Del Grosso (Arg) 69 74; Manuel Merizalde (Col) 73 70; Ian Keenan (Eng) 70 73; Gareth Paddison (NZ) 71 72.
144 Felipe Aguilar (Chi) 75 69; Carlos Del Moral (Esp) 74 70; Manuel Kempe (Ger) 72 72; Mickael Dieu (Fra) 71 73 ; Kariem Baraka (Ger) 70 74; Jordi Garcia Del Moral (Spa) 75 69; Benjamin Miarka (Ger) 75 69 ; Branden Grace (Rsa) 76 68; David Patrick (Sco) 71 73; Rodolfo Gonzalez (Arg) 69 75, Thomas Nielsen (Den) 68 76; Elliot Saltman (Sco) 70 74.
145 Marc Perez Gelma (Esp) 75 70; Niels Kraaij (Net) 69 76; Martin Wiegele (Aut) 71 74; Paolo Terreni (Ita) 71 74; Sebastian L Saavedra (Arg) 69 76; Klas Eriksson (Swe) 73 72; Andrew McArthur (Sco) 73 72; Marcel Haremza (Ger) 76 69 ; Jan-Are Larsen (Nor) 72 73; Ralf Geilenberg (Ger) 75 70 ; Robert Mcguirk (Eng) 73 72.
MISSED THE CUT
146 Michael Hoey (NIr) 70 76; Fredrik Ohlsson (Swe) 76 70; Tomas Jesus Muñoz (Spa) 73 73; Diego Borrego (Esp) 74 72; Tiago Cruz (Por) 74 72 ; James H Williams (Wal) 70 76; Alejandro Villavicencio (Gtm) 75 71; Didier De Vooght (Bel) 77 69; Soren Juul (Den) 78 68; Allen John (Ger) (am) 76 70.
147 James Ruth (Eng) 77 70; Justin Brink (Ire) 74 73 ; Sean Whiffin (Eng) 73 74; Cenydd Mills (Wal) 73 74; Andrea Maestroni (Ita) 71 76 ; Julien Clément (Sui) 73 74; Liam Bond (Wal) 70 77; John Boerdonk (Ned) 78 69; Nilson Cabrera (Par) 74 73; Paul Dwyer (Eng) 79 68; Daniel Wardrop (Eng) 75 72.
148 Jamie Elson (Eng) 74 74; Jose Luis Adarraga Gomez (Esp) 80 68 ; Jerome Theunis (Bel) 70 78; Antti Ahokas (Fin) 71 77; Simon Robinson (Eng) 77 71; Lasse Jensen (Den) 75 73; Alessio Bruschi (Ita) 74 74; Benjamin Schlichting (Ger) 76 72 ; Jacques Chevalier (Fra) 70 78; Tobias Dier (Ger) 75 73; Robin Swane (Ned) 71 77; Phillip Westermann (Am) (Ger) 77 71.
149 Lee Corfield (Eng) 75 74; Alan Bihan (Fra) 74 75; Adam Constable (Wal) 74 75; Paul Nilbrink (Nor) 76 73; Christoffer Lange (Den) 77 72; Matthew Tottey (Wal) 70 79; Van Phillips (Eng) 78 71.
150 Edward Thomson (Sco) 76 74; Robert Coles (Eng) 77 73; Stuart Cage (Eng) 75 75; Alfredo Garcia-Heredia (Esp) 78 72; Alex Mcguinness (Ken) 72 78; Kim Kristoffersen (Nor) 73 77.
151 Sam Osborne (Eng) 76 75; Sean Doherty (Eng) 78 73 ; Max Kramer (Ger) 74 77; Kevin Harper (Eng) 79 72; Tobias Schwartzer (Ger) 73 78; Miguel Angel Duque (Esp) 75 76; Colm Moriarty (Ire) 77 74; Toni Karjalainen (Fin) 77 74.
152 Pablo Larrazabal (Esp) 74 78; Gary Birch jun (Ger) 81 71; Christian Reimbold (Ger) 77 75; Raphaël De Sousa (Sui) 72 80;Gustavo Acosta (Arg) 81 71; Niki Ferrari (Ger) 75 77; Frederik Schulte (Am) (Ger) 74 78.
153 Niklas Abrahamsson (Swe) 77 76.
154 Michiel Bothma (SAf) 84 70; Matt Dearden (Wal) 78 76; Manoel Willems (Bel) 80 74; Dennis Küpper (Ger) 80 74; Marc Farry (Fra) 77 77; Marius Junker (Am) (Ger) 77 77; Gabriel Canizares (Esp) 69 86; Carlos De Corral (Esp) 74 81; Kalle Edberg (Swe) 78 77; Stephen Browne (Ire) 78 77.
156 Alex R Sundsten (Nor) 79 77, Murray Urquhart (Sco) 75 81, Mark Grabow Schytter (Den) 76 80.
158 Wolfgang Huget (Ger) 78 80.
159 Richard Treis (Ger) 78 81.
161 Nicolas Meitinger (Ger) 86 75.
162 Florian Ruprecht (Aut) 80 82, Matthew Brunyard 80 82, David Astin (Eng) 87 75.
164 Kevin Berger (Ger) 86 78.

ABERDEEN & DISTRICT JUNIOR PENNANT LEAGUE RESULTS

Latest results in the Aberdeen & District Junior Pennant League, sponsored by Paul Lawrie Junior Golf Development:

OLDMELDRUM 6, ALFORD 0.
INCHMARLO 2 1/2, HAZLEHEAD 3 1/2.
AUCHMILL 0, MURCAR LINKS 6.
CRUDEN BAY 1/2, PETERHEAD 5 1/2.
McDONALD ELLON 3 1/2, PORTLETHEN 2 1/2.
WESTHILL 5 1/2, BANCHORY 1/2.

STORM HITS KLM LADIES OPEN, KATHRYN
ONE OF 60 STILL TO FINISH FIRST ROUND

Kathryn Imrie was one of 60 players unable to complete the first round of the KLM Ladies Open at Eindhovensche Golf Club today because of a thunder and lightning storm over the course.
Play was suspended at 4.20pm and the players did not return.
Kathryn, pictured above, was two over par for the 10 holes she played, having run up a double bogey 6 at the second and dropped shots at the first and 10th. She birdied the long fourth and long ninth in 39 to the turn.
Clare Queen finished with a one-under-par 71 - seven shots behind France's Gwladys Nocera who broke the course record with an eight-under-par 64 to be the clubhouse leader by three shots.
Lynn Kenny matched the par of 72 with birdies at the fifth, ninth and long 15th. She shed strokes to par at the second, 13th and 16th in halves of 35 and 37.
New Zealander Liz McKinnon, married to a Highlander and based near Inverness, had been playing well this season - until today. She slumped to an eight-over-par 80 with halves of 38 and 42. She completed an unhappy day with a triple bogey 7 at the last.
CLUBHOUSE LEADERS
Par 72
64 Gwladys Nocera (Fra).
67 Ludivine Kreutz (Fra), Christl Boeljon (Net) (am).
68 Ashleigh Simon (SAf).
69 Georgina Simpson (Eng), Rebecca Coakley (Ire), Anja Monke (Ger).
Other scores:
71 Clare Queen (Carrick at Cameron House).
72 Lynn Kenny (Archerfield Links).
80 Liz McKinnon (NZ).

RAMSAY PLAYS WITH TIGER AND TITLE-HOLDER IN FIRST
TWO ROUNDS OF UNITED STATES OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

Richie Ramsay, holder of the United States amateur championship, gets the traditional plum draw in the first two rounds of the 2007 US Open championship which starts off at Oakmont Country Club, Pennsylvania next Thursday.
The Royal Aberdeen Golf Club honorary member will partner Australian Geoff Ogivly, winner of the title at Winged Foot 12 months ago, and Tiger Woods, US Open champion in 2000 and 2002.
They will tee off at 7.55am from the first hole on Thursday and 1.25pm at the 10th hole in the second round on Friday.
Colin Montgomerie has been given Chris DiMarco (US) and Tim Clark (South Africa) as partners at 7.33am from the 10th hole on Thursday and 1.03pm from the first in the second round.
Martin Laird from Glasgow, a winner on the US Nationwide Tour this season and the third Scot in the US Open field, will play with amateur Alex Prugh from Spokane, Washington State, and Todd Fisher from California. They will tee off at 12.52pm at the first on Thursday and at 7.11am from the 10th on Friday.

KILPATRICK DOING HIS BEST TO FORCE HIS
NAME ON TO THE SELECTORS' LIST FOR
WALKER CUP AT ROYAL CO DOWN

His name does not figure on the R&A's short leet of possible selections but rising Ulster star Richard Kilpatrick has his eyes firmly on a place at September's Walker Cup at Royal County Down.
The Banbridge player outclassed the field with an eight-stroke win in the East of Ireland championship at Baltray this week.And the 25-year-old feels that there is much more to come as he closes out his days as an amateur before turning professional at the end of the summer.
"Hopefully another win would turn a few heads on the Walker Cup selection committee," he said.
"Obviously it would be great to be a part of things at Royal County Down before I go to the qualifying school. Another performance like the East of Ireland would I think put me in the reckoning."
A 23-man provisional squad has been named for the Walker Cup and that doesn't at the moment include Kilpatrick.But that's not to say he can't force his way in by sheer weight of results as the squad was formed to give potential team members every available chance to get familiar with Royal Co Down.
Kilpatrick is more than familiar with the set-up there. He heads to the Irish amateur championship in Cork this weekend as one of the favourites and still has the North of Ireland, the British and European amateur events to come.
Victory in either the British or European, currently held by Holywood's Rory McIlroy, could very well be enough to catapult him into the European team for September's date with the Americans.
Whatever happens he will is going to the European Tour qualifying school in the hope of gaining his full European Tour card for next season.
"That's the plan but if I don't earn my card I will probably head back to America and join one of the mini-tours there rather than the EuroPro tour here," he said.
"Playing in Florida over the winter made a huge difference to me, but the most important thing I learned was more attitude than anything else.
"I'm probably playing the same as I was two or three years ago but the results are so much better."
He spend his time at the Lake Nona resort, giving him the chance to play with fellow Ulsterman Graeme McDowell, Trevor Immelman and 2003 Open winner Ben Curtis.
"The difference with these guys is how good they are from 100 yards in. They don't panic when they are in trouble and they don't end up with double bogeys," he said.
"Playing with them really helped and it's changes my game around."

RITSON SMITH ABERDEEN PENNANT LEAGUE RESULTS

Thursday evening's Ritson Smith Aberdeen & District Pennant League results:

Newmachar 1, Murcar Links 5.
Peterculter 6, East Aberdeenshire 0.
Portlethen 3 1/2, Royal Aberdeen 2 1/2.
Westhill 3, Craibstone 3.

MONTGOMERIE MISSES AUSTRIAN OPEN CUT BY A MILE - NOW FOR US OPEN

Colin Montgomerie's prospects of US Open glory next week were rock bottom after he crashed out of the Austrian Open today to extend the longest winless streak of his career.
Montgomerie, pictured right smiling (which he certainly wasn't today!) could only add a 74 to his opening 73 for a five-over-par total of 147 at Fontana Golf Club, at least five shots too many to make the halfway cut.
It was not the sort of preparation the Scot was looking for with next week's second major of the season in mind.
Second at Winged Foot last year after taking a double bogey on the 72nd hole to lose by one shot, Montgomerie had been looking for a good performance before returning to Oakmont, where he lost a play-off to Ernie Els in 1994.
Instead, he headed for an early exit after a round of three birdies, two bogeys and two double bogeys, pausing only to say: "I'm hitting the fairways but nothing is happening. I can't make a score and I'm getting used to it."
Starting the day at two over, Montgomerie made the perfect start with a birdie from 20 feet on the 10th, his opening hole. Another birdie attempt from similar range narrowly missed on the next, however, and the Scot was beginning to get annoyed when he pulled a short birdie putt wide from just six feet on the 12th.
There was much worse to follow as the eight-time European No. 1 ran up a double bogey on the next, the 13th certainly proving unlucky for the 43-year-old, whose last victory came in Hong Kong in December 2005.
Attacking the pin after a perfect drive, Montgomerie's approach flew over the green and left him with a tough chip from heavy rough, which he managed to move just a few feet.
From there, his fourth shot ran so far past the hole that it was still his turn to play ahead of the birdie putts of playing partners Paul Broadhurst and Miguel Angel Jimenez - both of which eventually went in to rub salt into the wound.
Montgomerie repaired some of the damage with a birdie on the 15th, only to bogey the next two holes and drop back to four over par.
He found the front edge of the par-5 18th in two, but for the second day in succession three-putted for par and was halfway to the first tee as his playing partners putted out.
The final nail in the coffin came on the third when he duffed his approach into a greenside bunker to run up a double bogey 6, and his frustration was complete when a long-range eagle putt on the last stopped an inch short of the hole.
At that point, Swedish duo Pelle Edberg and Steven Jeppesen and Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez shared the clubhouse lead on nine under par, two ahead of Wales' Garry Houston.
Darren Clarke is hovering on the projected cut-off point on one over but is one under for his second round through five holes.

EARLY CLUBHOUSE SCORES

SECOND ROUND

Par 144 (2 x 72)

33 Pelle Edberg (Swe) 67 66, Steven Jeppesen (Swe) 67 66, Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa) 68 65
135 Garry Houston 72 63, Jarmo Sandelin (Swe) 67 68, David Park 69 66
136 Richard Finch 66 70, Gregory Havret (Fra) 71 65, Shaun Webster 65 71
137 Stephen Gallacher 69 68
138 Matjaz Gojcic (Slo) 68 70, Sion Bebb 70 68, Ian Garbutt 71 67, Gary Orr 71 67
139 Michael Jonzon (Swe) 70 69, Francois Calmels (Fra) 66 73, Santiago Luna (Spa) 68 71, Alessandro Tadini (Ita) 67 72, Taichi Teshima (Jpn) 69 70
140 Sam Little 73 67, Oliver Fisher 68 72, Robert-Jan Derksen (Net) 70 70, Graeme McDowell 71 69, Soren Hansen (Den) 70 70
141 Simon Nash (Aus) 73 68, Carl Suneson (Spa) 69 72, Terry Pilkadaris (Aus) 71 70, Marc Cayeux (Zim) 70 71
142 Peter Fowler (Aus) 70 72, Sebastian Fernandez (Arg) 74 68, Steve Alker (NZ) 69 73, Danny Denison 66 76, Paul Broadhurst 75 67
143 Andrew Coltart 72 71, Martin Maritz (SAf) 75 68, James Hepworth 72 71, Marcus Higley 73 70, Oskar Bergman (Swe) 72 71, Carlos Franco (Par) 69 74
144 Eirik Tage Johansen (Nor) 70 74, Joakim Backstrom (Swe) 75 69, Alvaro Salto (Spa) 71 73, Matthew Richardson 73 71, Sven Struver (Ger) 70 74, Henrik Nystrom (Swe) 72 72, Martin Kaymer (Ger) 72 72, Alexander Noren (Swe) 74 70
145 Fredrik Widmark (Swe) 74 71, Thomas Kogler (Aut) 71 74
146 Maarten Lafeber (Ned) 71 75, Niki Zitny (Aut) 74 72, Peter Lawrie 77 69, Uli Weinhandl (Aut) 71 75
147 Colin Montgomerie 73 74, Lee James 73 74, John Wade (Aus) 74 73, Ross McGowan 70 77
148 Gary Murphy 70 78, Andrew Raitt 74 74, Gary Emerson 75 73, Andre Bossert (Sui) 75 73, Thomas Feyrsinger (Aut) 73 75, Florian Praegant (Aut) 74 74, Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (Fra) 78 70, Mark Davis 75 73, Tim Milford 76 72
149 Claude Grenier (Aut) 74 75, Andreas Christ (Aut) (am) 79 70.
150 Francois Delamontagne (Fra) 76 74, Jose Filipe Lima (Por) 73 77, Miguel Rodriguez (Arg) 76 74, Benjamin Palanszki (Hun) (am) 74 76.
151 Michael Moser (Aut) 76 75.
152 Morten Hedegaard (Den) 73 79, (x) Wolfgang Rieder (Aut) (am) 72 80.

153 Mark Pilkington (Wal) 75 78.
155 David Dixon 79 76

REYNOLDS AND SQUIRES IN STRAIGHT FIGHT
FOR ENGLISH SENIOR AMATEUR CROWN

With one round left, the English men’s senior amateur championship at Enville in Staffordshire looks to be a straight fight between senior international team-mates Chris Reynolds and Alan Squires.
Reynolds, 58-year-old captain of Littlestone Golf Club, fired a best-of-the-week 68 and was joined on one-over-par 143 by Squires from Lancashire with a second round 70, both over the Highgate Course.
The pair are five strokes clear of Sam Smale from Royal St George’s in Kent and six ahead of the rest of the field.
Out in the first match on Day 2 at 8.30am, Reynolds’ 68 contained seven birdies, while Squires had four in his 70.
“That’s my best ever return in the 'English' and it would have been better if my five-footer at the last hadn’t horseshoed out,” said Reynolds, who made his international debut in last year‘s senior home internationals at Dunbar.
“It was lovely to be out first because you could set an even pace. Also we were round in three-and-three quarter hours.” Despite his high placing, Squires, 58, was not entirely happy with his form. “I played OK but I was fighting a bit with my game,” said the man from Oldham.
“I only hit my driver a couple of times because although this is a good course, it’s pretty tight around here so you have to put the ball in the right places.”
Smale, 61, from Pinner in Middlesex, had a second successive 74, this time over the Highgate, while former champion David Lane went round the Lodge Course in 73 for 149 to lie fourth. Defending champion Doug Arnold is among a large group on 151 after shooting 78 over the Lodge.
“I’ve got a bad back and finishing with a double-bogey 6 didn’t help,” he said. “But I’m not too disappointed as I’ll be there tomorrow.”
Four-time champion Roy Smethurst is also on 151 after a 76 on the Lodge. “I frittered away too many shots and I also took 6 on the last,” he admitted
One of the best recoveries was produced by Kent man Chris Buckley, who shot 72 over the Lodge following a first round 81. His 153 was easily within the cut limit which came at 158 with 66 players surviving for today's final round.
Spare a thought for David Slingsby from Hallowes who experienced a Hamlet moment on the par-3 first hole on the Lodge Course. After hitting his tee shot in a bunker, he then took 13 strokes to escape, eventually finishing with a 16, eventually signing for a 96.
For full and final scores visit the Championships Section of the EGU website, www.englishgolfunion.org

LEADING TWO-ROUND TOTALS
143 Chris Reynolds (Littlestone) 68 75, Alan Squires (Oldham) 70 73.
148 Sam Smale (Royal St Reorge's) 74 74.
149 David Lane (Goring & Streatley) 76 73.
150 John Jermine (Sunningdale) 73 77, Campbell Boal (Broadstone) 74 76, Jonathan Hubbard (Sunningdale) 75 75, Martin McKenna (Elsenham) 76 74.
151 Bob Wallace (Crosland Heath) 72 79, Douglas Arnold (Copthorne) 73 78, Bob Knott (Churston) 73 78, Roy Smethurst (Crewe) 75 78, David Glover (Droitwich) 77 74, Alan Slack (Grange P)ark) 77 74, Howard Moxon (Royoal Cinque Ports) 77 74.
152 Andrew Morrison (Appleby) 77 75, Peter Groocock (Blackmoor) 78 74.
153 Kevin Ballinger (Abu Dhabi) 76 77, Grahgam Steel (Moor Park) 78 75, Gordon Reynolds (Ludlow) 79 74, Chris Buckley (Woodlands Manor) 81 72, Thomas Coughlan (Walmley) 81 72.

Press Release

ROYAL LIVERPOOL BAGS THREE AWARDS

The Royal Liverpool Golf Club at Hoylake is celebrating the winning of three prestigious awards.
The club, which last year hosted the 135th Open championship, has been honoured for its contribution to tourism and the sporting life of Merseyside.
The Wirral Tourism Awards for Excellence gave Royal Liverpool the Wirral Tourism Ambassador Award; the Mersey Partnership Tourism Awards named the Open Championship as the Best Tourism Experience of the Year; while BBC Radio Merseyside delighted the historic Club with its coveted Scouseology Award for Sport.
Back on the Open rota after four decades, Royal Liverpool was the setting for one of the finest Open championships of all time. Hundreds of thousands of spectators and tens of millions of television viewers watched as the greatest players in the world got to grips with classic links golf on a course that demanded enormous imagination. It was Tiger Woods, of course, who navigated his way to a memorable victory to win the title and lift the Claret Jug.
The secretary of Royal Liverpool Golf Club, Chris Moore, said: “An enormous amount of hard work by many people and bodies, together with the enthusiasm of the local community, combined to bring The Open back to Hoylake and then make it one of the greatest Championships ever. These awards are a reflection of that great collective effort and support.”

Clackmannan County championship

ALLOA PLAYERS MARCH ON IN MATCH-PLAY

FROM HUGH HUNTER

Using home advantage to the maximum, Alloa golfers took total control of the quarter-finals in the Clackmannan county men's match-play championship.
Closest match involved newcomer David Milloy against Tulliallan’s John Maxwell. Milloy scored a hard-fought win at the 19th after being one up at the turn.
The other three semi-finalists, all established county players, won through after three-hole leads after nine holes, including the defending champion, Craig O’Connor, who demonstrated his determination to retain the trophy with another fine win.

Results:
QUARTER-FINALS
David Milloy (Alloa) beat John Maxwell (Tulliallan) at 19th.
Ian Ross (Alloa) beat Steven Horne (Tulliallan) 4 and 3.
Jamie Aitken (Alloa) beat Phil Hendry (Alloa) 2 holes.
Craig O’Connor (Alloa) beat Ross Benvie (Braehead) 5 and 3.

Semi-final line up at Braehead:
Milloy v Ross, Aitken v O’Connor.

GOOD DAY FOR JANICE, CATRIONA AND
MHAIRI AS LPGA CHAMPIONSHIP
STARTS IN MARYLAND

It was a good day for the Scots in the first round of the McDonald's LPGA championship at Havre De Grace, Maryland.
Janice Moodie had a 70 to be alongside Annika Sorenstam in joint 13th place on 70.
Catriona Matthew and Mhairi McKay both had 71s to be joint 20th.
Korean players dominated the top of the scoreboard on 67 with Kim Saiki-Maloney and Birdie Kim sharing the lead with Angela Park.
Janice Moodie had a double-bogey 7 as early as the long second hole but she hit back immediately with a birdie at the third and a couple more at the eighth and ninth to be out in one-under-par 35.
The Scot actually made it four birdies in a row with sub-par figures at the 10th and 11th. That was as good as it got for Janice. She dipped with bogeys at the 14th and 15th and got only one of them back with a birdie at the 18th.
Catriona deviated from par only three times in a rock-steady round. She had a birdie at the second, a bogey at the fifth and a birdie at the eighth. She parred the last 10 holes.
Mhairi had the same kind of card. She bogeyed the first and birdied the sixth and ninth. She parred her way in.
Michelle Wie was sharing 47th place on 73.
+Switch over to www.kirkwoodgolf.co.uk for more details about Michelle Wie's round.

FIRST ROUND LEADERS
67 Kim Saiki-Maloney, Angela Park, Birdie Kim.
68 Karrie Webb, Morgan Pressel, Stacy Prammanasudh, Laura Davies.
69 Brittany Lincicome, Pat Hurst, Maria Hjorth, Suzann Pettersen, Giulia Seregas.Other scores:
70 Annika Sorenstam, Janice Moodie (jt 13th).
71 Catriona Matthew, Mhairi McKay (jt 20th).
73 Michele Wie (jt 47th)

FIRST-ROUND SCORES IN US PGA TOUR EVENT

Scores from the Stanford St Jude Championship at TPC Southwind at Memphis:

FIRST ROUND
Par 70. Players from US unless stated.
67 Adam Scott (Aus), Fredrik Jacobson (Swe).
68 Retief Goosen (Rsa), Brian Gay.
69 Duffy Waldorf, Gavin Coles (Aus), Scott Verplank.
70 Brian Davis, Andrew Buckle (Aus), Darron Stiles, David Toms
John Daly, Richard S Johnson (Swe), Justin Leonard, Robert Allenby (Aus)
Dean Wilson, Jose Coceres (Arg), Brandt Snedeker.
71 Charles Warren, Jeff Overton, Eric Axley, Steve Lowery, Bob May
Steve Elkington (Aus), Will MacKenzie, George McNeill, Briny Baird
Stephen Ames (Can)
72 Bryant Mackellar, Woody Austin, John Mallinger, Heath Slocum
Vijay Singh (Fij), B.J Staten, Sean O'Hair, Shaun Micheel, Chris Stroud
Joe Ogilvie, Cliff Kresge, Bob Tway, Anthony Kim, Scott Gutschewski
Ryan Armour, Jason Schultz
73 Jeff Gove, Jose-Maria Olazabal (Spa), Bob Estes, Joe Durant
Craig Lile (Rsa), Brett Quigley, Ryan Palmer, Dicky Pride, Bob Heintz
Tim Herron, John Merrick, Vance Veazey, Chris DiMarco, Michael Putnam
Michael Allen, Jeff Brehaut, Fred Funk, Parker McLachlin
Charlie Wi (Kor), Jarrod Lyle (Aus), Michael Boyd, Jeff Maggert
Arjun Atwal (Ind), Kyle Reifers, Cameron Beckman, Glen Day, Olin Browne
74 Tom Byrum, Vaughn Taylor, Tag Ridings, Billy Mayfair, Jaco Van Zyl (Rsa)
Daisuke Maruyama (Jpn), Stephen Leaney (Aus), Jim Gallagher Jnr
Chris Tidland, Sergio Garcia (Spa), Bill Haas, Tim Petrovic
Douglas Labelle, Steve Flesch, Lee Janzen, Brian Bateman, Hunter Mahan
Billy Andrade, Mathew Goggin (Aus), Loren Roberts, DJ Brigman
Camilo Villegas (Col), Padraig Harrington
75 Bart Bryant, J.P. Hayes, Harrison Frazar, Steve Wheatcroft, Hank Kuehne
Nathan Green (Aus), Mike Weir (Can), Craig Bowden, Pablo Martin
Stuart Appleby (Aus), Kent Jones, Jason Dufner, Matt Kuchar
Steve Allan (Aus), Ty Harris, Troy Matteson, Shigeki Maruyama (Jpn)
D.J. Trahan, Rich Barcelo
76 Robert Gamez, Brendon De Jonge, Mathias Gronberg (Swe), Jim Rutledge (Can)
Brent Geiberger, Payton Osborn, Alex Cejka (Ger), Kevin Na (Kor), Ken Duke
Boo Weekley
77 Jin Park (Kor), Bernhard Langer (Ger), Kirk Triplett, David Branshaw
Marco Dawson, John Senden (Aus), Jerry Smith, Kevin Stadler
Mark Calcavecchia, Ted Tryba, Johnson Wagner, Paul Sheehan (Aus)
78 Philip Francis, Paul Goydos, Len Mattiace, Bubba Watson
Geoff Ogilvy (Aus)
79 Paul Stankowski, Chris Couch, Steven Bowditch (Aus), Todd Hamilton
80 Matt Hendrix, Michael Sim (Aus), Bubba Dickerson, Tom Pernice Jnr.
81 Kevin Burgin, Tripp Isenhour
82 Tom Johnson
83 Paul Gow (Aus)
84 Bryce Molder
85 Craig Perks (Nzl)
87 Ted Purdy

UNITED STATES WIN EIGHT SINGLES TO
TAKE PALMER CUP STRANGELHOLD

The United States bounced back from losing the four-balls 3-1 to score an 8-0 whitewash over Europe in the singles and have a strangehold 9-3 lead at the halfway stage of the transatlantic students’ golf match for the Palmer Cup at Caves Valley Golf Club near Baltimore, Maryland.
The American line-up, containing most of the top US college circuit players and including Jamie Lovemark, the new No 1 in the R&A World amateur rankings, had been expected to gain revenge for the record trouncing (19 ½-4 ½) they received in last year’s match over the Prestwick links.
Instead, the Europeans got off to a flying start with Edinburgh-born Welsh Walker Cup player Rhys Davies and Ulsterman Gareth Shaw, team-mates at East Tennessee State University, thrashing Jamie Lovemark (University of Southern California) and Luke List (Vanderbilt) by 9 and 7 in the first tie off the tee.
There was some incredible scoring by the Europeans in this match. Davies birdied the first two holes and then Shaw took over. He birdied the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and ninth. Davies and Shaw were six up after seven and there was no way back for the American pair after that.
The United States levelled it at 1-1 when Brian Harman (Georgia) and Billy Horschel (Florida) won by 3 and 2 against the all-Spanish pairing of Jorge Campillo and Pedo Oriol.
GORDON YATES' MORNING VICTORY
But Europe edged ahead again when the all-Swedish partnership of Jonas Blixt and Oscar Floren won by 2 and 1 over Dustin Johnson (Coastal Carolina) and Chris Kirk (Georgia).Stirling student Gordon Yates and Mark Hastrup from Denmark then stretched the European lead to 2pt at lunchtime by beating Jonathan Moore (Oklahoma State) and Webb Simpson (Wake Forest) by one hole after being two up with four to play.
Whatever the Americans had for lunch, it transformed them into match-play tigers and they won all eight singles. Lovemark gained revenge for his landslide four-balls defeat by slamming Davies 4 and 2 and Shaw lost his tie by two holes to Billy Horschel.
Gordon Yates had a great struggle with Jonathan Moore before losing by 2 and 1.
Three of the ties went to the 18th green and another two ended at the 17th but the Americans won all the close ones.
There are 12 points to play for on the second and last day – four foursomes and eight singles.United States lead 5-4 in the series with one draw.
First day details:

UNITED STATES 9, EUROPE 3

FOUR-BALLS (1-3)
US names first
L List (Vanderbilt) & J Lovemark (Southern California) lost to R Davies (Wal) & G Shaw (NIr) 9 and 7.
B Harman (Georgia) & B Horschel (Florida) bt J Campillo (Spa) & P Oriol (Spa) 3 and 2.
J Moore (Oklahoma State) & W Simpson (Wake Forest) lost to G Yates (Sco) & M Haastrup (Den) 1 hole.
D Johnson (Coastal Carolina) & C Kirk (Georgia) lost to J Blixt (Swe) & O Floren (Swe) 2 and 1.
SINGLES (8-0)
Lovemark bt Davies 4 and 2.
List bt Campillo 2 holes.
Horschel bt Shaw 2 holes.
Harman bt Oriol 4 and 2.
Moore bt Yates 2 and 1.
Simpson bt Blixt 2 and 1.
Kirk bt Haastrup 1 hole.
Johnson bt Floren 4 and 2.