Scotland's only singles winner against England, Scott Fraser (Royal Aberdeen) in action

against Darren Renwick. Picture by courtesy of Tom Ward. Click on the image for an enlargement.

SCOTS BOYS LOSE THE HOME INTERNATIONALS
CROWN, WELL BEATEN BY ENGLAND

England have regained the boys' home internationals crown after a one-year reign by Scotland.
At Machynys Peninsula, Wales today, the English boys had a big-margin win over the Scots, 3 1/2-1 1/2 in the fouorsomes and 8-2 in the singles for a 11 1/2-3 1/2 victory.
Ireland beat Wales 10 1/2-4 1/2 in the other concluding match.

Details:
ENGLAND 11 1/2, SCOTLAND 3 1/2
Foursomes: A Johnston, J Hiluta halved with J Byrne, F Fotheringham; E Pepperell, G King bt A Campbell, A Wallace 6 and 4, D Renwick, M Nixon halved with S McLaren, P Shields, M Haines, T Fleetwood bt S Fraser, M Stewart 1 hole (3 1/2-1 1/2).
Singles: Johnston bt Byrne 4 and 3, Fleetwood bt Fotheringham 4 and 2, Nixon bt Wallace 2 holes, Best bt N Henderson 4 and 3, Renwick lost to Fraser 1 hole, H Smart bt Gaittens 4 and 3, Pepperell bt Shields 4 and 2, King halved with Ferrier, Haines halved with McLaren, Hiluta bt Stewart 2 and 1 (8-2).
Other match:
IRELAND 10 1/2, WALES 4 1/2.
Foursomes: 3 1/2-1 1/2.
Singles: 7-3

MANLEY SHOOTS A BRILLIANT 64 TO LEAD
SCOTTISH CHALLENGE AT CARDRONA

By MICHAEL GIBBONS,
Press Officer, Challenge Tour

Welshman Stuart Manley roared into the lead at the Scottish Challenge presented by Bank of Scotland Corporate with a brilliant eight under par 64 to lead by one from Norway’s Jan Are Larsen and Spain’s Alvaro Velasco.
With sun shining over the magnificent Border hills, it was a perfect day for low scoring at the Macdonald Cardrona Hotel and Country Club, where 78 of the 156 strong field went under par, with Manley the best of them all.
The 28 year old dropped just one shot in an otherwise splendid first round, notching nine birdies as he continues to reconstruct the putting technique that made him one of Britain’s best amateur players before he turned professional in 2003.
As a result of his improvement on the greens, Manley has made a notable surge up the Challenge Tour Rankings in recent weeks, with four top ten finishes in the last five events helping him move to 12th position.
“I just played nicely all day really,” said Manley. “I have been playing nicely recently, well, scoring better than anything, but I have had a few results that have been encouraging.
“Most of that is down to my putting. I changed to an old putter because the alignment on the one I was using was way out. I was aiming miles right and it was no wonder that I was missing putts.
“Going back to the old putter has been great and given me a lot of confidence because I used to be a great putter in my amateur days and it feels that I am getting back to the level I was at then.”
Amongst the hungry pack chasing Manley, Larsen and Velasco are a group of home players determined to flourish in their native Scotland.
Andrew McArthur, the leading Scot on the Challenge Tour Rankings in 25th place, was joined by Eric Ramsay and Peter Whiteford on six under par 66, while Jamie McLeary, David Patrick and Richie Ramsay are just a further stroke back
With a prize fund of €200,000, the Scottish Challenge presented by Bank of Scotland Corporate is the third richest full Challenge Tour event on the 2007 Schedule, a fact that is reflected in the strength of the field this week, with every one of the top ten players on the Challenge Tour Rankings in attendance.
Larsen, among others, is fully aware of the significance of that €200,000 prize fund.
He said: “This tournament is like a semi-major for us because of the prize money. Obviously you can’t control which tournaments that you do well in, but it’s a nice bonus for me that I have made such a good start – hopefully it can continue until Sunday.”
SCOREBOARD
Par 72
64 S Manley (Wal).
65 J-A Larsen (Nor), A Velasco (Spa).
66 J Ablett (Eng), R De Sousa (Swi), A McArthur (Sco), E Ramsay (Sco), H Rey (Arg), P Whiteford (Sco).
Other Scots scores:
67 K McAlpine (Alyth) (am), J McLeary, D Patrick (Mortonhall), R Ramsay (Royal Aberdeen).
68 J Doherty, S Henderson (Kings Links), D Stewart (Grantown on Spey) (am), M Urquhart (Inverness).
69 K McNicoll (Carnoustie) (am).
70 G Murray, L Saltman (Craigielaw) (am).
71 C Lee (All Golf Swing Centre).
72 C Nicoll (Prestwick).
73 B Hume, G Hutcheon (Peterculter), S Jamieson, E Little, E Thomson (Largs), E Saltman.
74 P Doherty, S Henry (Cardross) (am).
75 G Gordon, C Macaulay (Tulliallan) (am).
78 G Brown.

GRAHAM FOX WINS AT MELDRUM HOUSE

Graham Fox from West Kilbride won the top prize of £696 in the Meldrum House Young Professionals' pro-am today. Graham birdied the first, second, fifth, 11th, 13th and 18th and had only one bogey, at the seventh, in heading the field with a five-under-par 65.
He had two strokes to spare from James McGhee (Turnhouse) and David Orr (East Renfrewshire).
Sean O'Donnell (Balbirnie Park) steered the Stena Drilling team of Davie Coutts (handicap 16), Alan Findlay (8) and Neil Hardie (10) to victory in the team event with a net score of 16-under-par 54.
LEADING PROFESSIONALS
Par 70
65 G Fox (West Kilbride).
67 J McGhee (Turnhouse), D Orr (East Renfrewshire).
68 K Monaghan (Bothwell Castle).
69 J Cliff (Murrayfield), M Barnard (Inchmarlo).
70 S Grieve (Kings Acre), G Lornie (Aspire), N Keast (Duff House Royal), S Taylor (Bothwell Castle).

TEE TIMES FOR FINAL ROUND AT NAIRN

Tee times for Friday's third and final round in the British senior open amateur championship over the Nairn course.
There is no charge for admission or car parking. Spectators welcome.

8.45 R Paton, marker.
8.54 R Gill, S Smale.
9.03 R Wallace, B Edger.
9.12 C Hurst, S Ellis.
9.21 F Lukasik, G Potton.
9.30 N P Machado, J Hubbard.]
9.39 B Griffiths, B Kain.
9.45 C Salaber, A Fiddes.
9.57 J Putt, J Whitcutt.
10.06 K Benson, R Smethurst.
10.20 B Reddan, M Wigley.
10.29 W Jackson, R Thoms.
10.38 J Jermine, P Saggers.
10.47 D Perrie, R Humble.
10.56 G Brown, D Lane.
11.05 K Richardson, V Singh.
11.14 S Hakes, G Rees,
11.23 G Paterson, A Patterson.
11.32 D Crawford, B Mills.
11.41 J Blumenfeld, G Verble.
11.55 J W Johnston, I C Hutcheon.
12.04 M Brummer, B Leonard.
12.13 T McGraw, V Mandelli.
12.22 J Myers, I Taylor.
12.31 P Tomisson, D Arnold.
12.40 R Woulfe, J Baldwin.
12.49 J Fraser, P Simson.
12.58 M Kelly, J Hirsch.
1.07 E Myrmo, C Reynolds.
1.16 R Berg, M Preysler.
1.25 G Cooke, A Pierse.

McLEAN HAS 75 AT HILVERSUM OPEN

Peterhead's Philip McLean had a three-over-par 75 in the first round of the Hilversum Open professional golf tournament at Hilversum Golf Club in the Netherlands today.
McLean birdied the first and 14th but double bogeyed the ninth in halves of 39 and 36.
Robert McKnight (Kilmarnock Barassie) had a 77.
Dutchman Jurrian Van der Vaart led the field with an eight-under-par 64.

SCOTS GIRLS SET TO RETAIN HOME
INTERNATIONALS TITLE

Scotland took a huge step towards retaining the girls' home internationals golf title with a crushing 7-2 win over arch-rivals England on the second day at Southerndown Golf Club, South Wales.
In the other match, Ireland beat Wales 7 1/2-1 1/2.
Scotland, the only team with two wins out of two, finish their programme by playing Wales.
The Under-18 Scots girls took a 2-1 lead in the foursomes with Krystle Caithness and Sally Watson 4 and 2 winners of the top tie. Carly Booth and Megan Briggs, and Kelsey MacDonald and Roseanne Niven figured in square games.
The Scots showed their class in the singles with wins by Carly Booth (4 and 2), Sally Watson (2 and 1), Megan Briggs (3 and 2), Pamela Pretswell (2 and 1) and halved games for Roseanne Niven, who had been three down at the turn, and Krystle Caithness, who was one down on the 16th tee.
Details:
ENGLAND 2, SCOTLAND 7
England names first.
Foursomes: E Givens, H Barwood lost to K Caithness, S Watson 4 and 2; K Tidy, R Dyer halved with C Booth, M Briggs; R Connor, K Mundy halved with K MacDonald, R Niven (1-2)l
Singles: Givens lost to Booth 4 and 2, Tidy lost to Watson 2 and 1, Douglass lost to Briggs 3 and 2, Clyburn lost to Pretswell 2 and 1, Connor halved with Niven, Barwood halved with Caithness (1-5)l
Other result:
WALES 1 1/2, IRELAND 7 1/2
Foursomes: 1 1/2-1 1/2.
Singles: 0-6.

THREE NAIRN MEMBERS SURVIVE CUT AS
IRISHMAN PIERSE LEADS BY TWO

Nairn Golf Club member Patrick Tomisson is rubbing shoulders with the elite of the over-55s circuit as the British senior men’s amateur golf championship moves into its third and final round over his home links tomorrow.
Patrick has shot 73 over both the Nairn and Nairn Dunbar courses for a very tidy two-over-par tally of 146.
And there must be something to the theory that local knowledge is worth a couple of shots around on these courses because two other Nairn members, Peter Saggers and Robin Patson also beat the cut which reduced the massive field of 250+ to the leading 60 and ties after 36 holes.
Those who scored 10-over-par 154 or better made it through to the final day.
At the top of the board we have an international cast – former Walker Cup player and Tipperary garage owner Arthur Pierse, Spain’s Miguel Preysler who is related through marriage to singer Julio Iglesias, and Graham Cooke from Hudson, Quebec, billed as a “legend in Canadian amateur golf” in the reference books.
Preysler, 59, from Malaga, last year’s European senior amateur champion and third in this year’s event, set the early second-round target of four-under-par 140 after a two-under of 70.
In cooler, windier conditions than prevailed for the first round, Preysler made his score at Nairn Dunbar with an outward half of three-under-par 32.
He birdied the first, second, sixth and ninth with only one bogey at the fifth.
The Spaniard had to battle for his figures after the turn and bogeyed the 10th, 14th and 15th but birdies at the 11th and 16th helped him salvage a one-over-par inward 38.
Then Preysler was dislodged from the pole position by Arthur Pierse in mid-afternoon, by which time, the flags were barely stirring.
Pierse shot a 71 at Nairn Dunbar for seven-under-par 137.
Arthur played in the 1983 Walker Cup team captained by Charlie Green at Hoylake where the team included Scots George Macgregor, Andy Oldcorner, Lindsay Mann and David Carrick.
Pierse is a remarkable man in many ways. He was a fixture in the Ireland amateur international team from 1976 to 1987 – yet he maintains he has never had a golf lesson and learned how to play golf by reading Ben Hogan’s book “The Modern Fundamentals of Golf” several times.
“I would recommend it to anybody who wants to become a better golfer,” says Arthur who birdied the second, 13th, 14th and 16th with bogeys at the third, 10th and 15th in so-steady halves of 35 and 36.
Canadian Graham Cooke has strung together a pair of 70s to be alongside Preysler on 140. Astonishingly, the seven-time Canadian Mid-Amateur champion and twice Canadian senior title-holder, had a triple bogey 7 at the sixth hole at Nairn Dunbar. That lit the fire under him and he covered the last 12 holes in five under with birdies at the seventh, 13th and 14th and an eagle 3 at the 16th for 33 (four under par) home.
On the same two-over-par 146 mark as Tomisson – sharing 10th place overall - is former Newtonmore shinty star John Fraser whose teaching profession took him from Aberdeen to Edinburgh and from Murcar Links to Royal Burgess golf club.
Fraser can swing a golf club as well as he used to wield a caman. John salvaged a 73 at Nairn Dunbar after going out in one-under 34 and then crashing to a double bogey 6 at the 10th and a bogey 4 at the short 11th.
He was able to birdie 13th and 16th.
Two members of the Scotland team to defend the European seniors title in Slovenia next week, John Johnston (Royal Aberdeen) and Monifieth maestro Ian Hutcheon qualified with ease on 149. Hutcheon had a 73 at Nairn Dunbar for 149, the same score as Johnston who looked in trouble after a 79 at Nairn on Thursday. But his round of 70 at Nairn Dunbar was bettered only by former British champion Joel Hirsch’s 69.
John looked on his way out of the tournament when a double bogey 6 at the fifth saw him turn in two over par 37, but he birdied the 11th,13th, 15th and 16th in a sparkling four-under-par inward half of 34.
Scottish seniors champion three times in the past five years, Ian Hutcheon from Monifieth assured himself a place among the qualifiers with a 73 at Nairn Dunbar for 149.
Hutcheon had a dreadful start, bogeying the third, fourth, fifth and sixth before he settled to birdie the eighth, ninth, 11th, 12th and 16th in halves of 37 and 36.
Two Aberdonians who have been playing well on the new SGU Scottish seniors circuit, George Paterson (Northern) and Alastair Fiddes (Murcar Links) made it through on 150 and 152 respectively. Both sagged a little on the second day, George with a 77 and Alastair with a 79 but they can be quite proud to have reached the final day of a British championship.
So too can Nairn's Peter Saggers and Robin Paton who made it through on 151 (75-76) and 154 (75-79) respectively.
Surprising non-qualifiers – with just one shot too many – former Walker Cup player George Macgregor (Glencorse) with an 80 for 155 and Mike Bell, the reigning US Senior amateur champion from Indianapolis. Mike too had an 80.

NAIRN END OF DAY 2 SCOREBOARD

SECOND ROUND TOTALS
Nairn & Nairn Dunbar golf clubs.
QUALIFIERS FOR FINAL ROUND
Par 144 (2 x 72)
CSS: Nairn 75-74. Nairn Dunbar 74-74
137 A Pierse (Tipperary) 67 71.
140 M Preysler (Spain) 70 70, G Cooke (Canada) 70 70.
142 C Reynolds (Littlestone) 67 75, R Berg (US) 72 70.
143 E Myrmo (US) 70 73.
144 J Hirsch (US) 75 69.
145 M Kelly (Killeen) 74 71, P Simson (US) 68 77.
146 P Tomisson (Nairn) 73 73, D Arnold (Copthorne) 72 74, R Woulfe (US) 74 72, J Baldwin (US) 73 73, J Fraser (Royal Burgess) 73 73.
147 I Taylor (Royal Burgess) 75 72, J Myers (US) 71 76, V Mandelli (Italy) 73 74.
148 T McGraw (US) 74 74, M Brummer (US) 74 74, B Leonard (US) 75 73.
149 I C Hutcheon (Monifieth) 76 73, J Blumenfeld (US) 73 76, G Verble (US) 74 75, J W Johnston (Royal Aberdeen) 79 70.
150 K Richardson (US) 75 75, D Crawford (US) 74 76, G Paterson (Northern) 73 77, D Lane (Goring & Streatley) 75 75, A Patterson (Sunningdale) 77 73, G Rees (Fleetwood) 75 75, V Singh (India) 77 73, B Mills (Clandeboye) 72 78, S Hakes (US) 73 77.
151 R Humble (Kilspindie) 75 76, P Saggers (Nairn) 75 76, J Jermine (Sunningdale) 76 75, D Perrie (Paisley) 78 73, R Thoms (US) 74 77, G Brown (Vale of Leven) 76 75, W Jackson (US) 74 77.
152 A Fiddes (Murcar Links) 73 79, B Reddan (Co Louth) 75 77, K Benson (US) 77 75, J Whitcutt (Burnham & Berrow) 76 76, C Salaber (US) 76 76, J Putt (Sunningdale) 76 76, R Smethurst (Crewe) 79 73, M Wigley (Hankley Common) 76 76.
153 N P Machado (Portugal) 78 75, F Lukasik (US) 74 79, S Ellis (Cowal) 77 76, G Potton (Berkhamsted) 74 79, J Hubbard (Sunningdale) 79 74, B Kain (US) 77 76, B Griffiths (Llanymynech) 76 77.
154 B Edgar (Blackpool North) 75 79, C Hurst (London) 79 75, R Paton (Nairn) 75 79, S Smale (Royal St George’s) 78 76, R Wallace (Crosland Heath) 80 74, R Gill (Gerrards Cross) 72 82.

NON-QUALIFIERS
155 A Morrison (Appleby) 78 77, D McKinnon (Ballochmyle) 75 80, G MacGregor (Glencorse) 75 80, C Christy (Kilmacolm) 78 76, J Dennis (US) 75 80, M Bell (US) 75 80, R McLellan (Turnberry) 77 78, T Brown (Stand) 80 75, P Jones (Bromborough) 80 75.
156 J Greenbaum (US) 76 80, K MacBryde (Newcastle under Lyme) 81 75, J Bruce (Edzell) 78 78, D Eccleston (Ormskirk) 76 80, G Thomson (Bearsden) 78 78, D Harte (Fota Island) 75 81, M McKenna (Elsenham) 78 78, R Walker (Crewe) 75 81, S Coyne (Killarney) 78 78, R McDonnell (Co Louth) 78 78, S Baker (Little Aston) 78 78, H MacKeown (Portmarnock) 78 78, L Fowler (Royal Aberdeen) 75 81.
157 B Simmons (Canada) 77 80, I Stewart (Curragh) 76 81, B Rowan (Drift) 74 83, R Shimwell (Hessle) 78 79, P Garner (Sunningdale) 76 81, D Bunker (Nairn Dunbar) 81 76, T Hewan (South Africa) 80 77, J French (US) 80 77, J Keller (US) 78 78, T Coffield (US) 82 75.
158 G Bray (Carrickmines) 78 80, L J Trenor (Spain) 76 82, C Nelson (US) 79 79, D Kuehn (US) 76 82, G MacDonald (Callander) 79 79, J Kinloch (Cardross) 82 76, D Brodie (Nairn Dunbar) 76 82, G Rodaks (Moffat) 79 79, E Fontecilla (Spain) 81 77, R Stevens (US) 83 75,D Longmuir (Verulam) 81 77, K Howie (West Kilbride) 78 80, J Hobday (South Africa) 82 76, H Heyns (South Africa) 82 76, B Cramb (Tenby) 80 78, A Clay (Minchinhampton) 81 77.
159 R Searle (High Post) 83 76, T Hartnett (St Andrews) 80 79, T McEvoy (Hatfield) 76 83, B Grieve (King James VI) 79 80, D Miller (Murrayfield) 83 76, J Smith (Taunton & Pickeridge) 79 80, D McCart (Castlerock) 78 81, B Methven (Royal Aberdeen) 79 80, G McGee (Erskine) 78 81, J Wellington (South Africa) 75 84.
160 A Deichler (US) 81 79, I Cumming (Eastwood) 79 81, T Lyford (US) 83 77, G Allan (Wildernesse) 84 76, R A Abdellaoui (Morocco) 79 81, C Moir (Worksop) 79 81, P Kinloch (Cardross) 79 81, M Fleming (Whitley Bay) 83 77, A K Pirie (Hazlehead) 85 75, T Bennett (Great Barr) 81 79, F Urquhart (Inverness) 81 79.
161 B Varn (US) 79 82, G Reynolds (Ludlow) 74 87, B Nicholson (Royal Dornoch) 81 80, G Graham (US) 83 78, F Clark (Royal Aberdeen) 81 80, J Watt (Letham Grange) 82 79, R Thomson (St Andrews) 80 81, D Doodson (Temple) 81 80, L Frankel (France) 79 82, J Marks (Woodbridge) 84 77, F Lang (Italy) 82 79, F Silver (Canada) 79 82, D Alexander (US) 81 80, M Wilde (Camberley Heath) 81 80, A Ferguson (Drumpellier) 83 78, J Black (Scotscraig) 82 79, R Kulp (US) 81 80, S Bannerman (Glasgow) 81 80, A Elder (Kirkcaldy) 80 81.
162 N Barnes (Brokenhurst Manor) 79 83, C Macleod (Moray) 79 83, V Villarreal (Mexico) 80 82, J Anderson (Radcliffe on Trent) 82 80, K Ballanger (UAE) 82 80, H Brown (Lothianburn) 85 77, M Morris (Portmarnock) 88 74, P Cowley (Cork) 84 78.
163 N Fletcher (Chorley) 79 84, S Radcliffe (US) 78 84, N Cameron (Porters Park) 83 80, D Bentham (Bolton) 78 85, G Steel (Moor Park) 86 77, T Finn (Cork) 85 78, R Stuart (US) 83 80, H Clunas (Nairn Dunbar) 80 83, J Westwood (Moray) 80 83, R Linacre (Coxmoor) 84 79, A Waddington (Crewe) 83 80.
164 R Stewart (Tulliallan) 84 80, S Segsworth (Canada) 75 89, R Crisp (Ellesborough) 84 80, N Hughes (Gog Magog) 85 79, T Dickinson (Royal Liverpool) 81 83, J Nash (Sunningdale) 82 82, J O’Neill (Reddish Vale) 80 84, L Gordon (Turnhouse) 85 79.
165 A Brownridge (Canada) 80 85, N Wilson (Spain) 81 84, B Back (Sweden) 85 80, K Sargent (Haydock Park) 85 80, S Sander (Sunningdale) 83 82, G Payne (Prestbury) 82 83, W Wallace (Strathaven) 80 85.
166 J Dolk (Sweden) 84 82, A Grufman (Sweden) 83 83, D Clifford (Cork) 86 80, J Broadfoot (Turnberry) 84 82, L Engstrom (Sweden) 85 81, M Irrgang (Germany) 84 82, S Pond (Worksop) 81 85, G Larrazabal (Spain) 83 83, D Lindsay (Windyhill) 80 86.
167 S Hickey (Spain) 81 86, R Horseman (Woodhall Spa) 81 86, A Cameron (Gourock) 87 80, N Marsden (Moor Park) 85 82.
168 J Anderson (Scotscraig) 82 86, A Tarumianz (US) 78 90, I Duncan (Nairn Dunbar) 86 82, J Provot (France) 81 87, C W Green (Cardross) 83 85, D Du Temple (Australia) 83 85, M Britovsek (Nairn Dunbar) 86 82, J Andrew (Western Gailes) 88 80, J Adams (Costa Rica) 86 82, J Wilson (Frilford Heath) 89 79, B Josefsson (Sweden) 83 85, Y Hofstetter (Switzerland) 85 83, R Haig (Northamptonshire Co) 87 81, A Wight (Glencorse) 82 86.
169 T Wells (Burnham Beeches) 83 86.
170 R Carter (North Manchester) 85 85, J Kirwan (US) 89 81, W Morgan (The Wynyard) 81 89, J Stevens (Hayston) 81 90, C Alexander (Murcar Links) 82 88, R Pauley (Woodhall Spa) 89 81, C Heath (Silloth on Solway) 85 85..
171 B Christie (Bridge of Allan) 86 85.
172 D Millar (St Andrews New) 87 85, J Pierce (US) 85 87, O Browne (The Richmond) 88 84, R Floyd (Celtic Manor) 87 85, J Kidney (US) 84 88, G Chatham (US) 88 84.
173 D Millar (Berwick) 81 92, K N Andersson (Sweden) 83 90.
174 D Sharp (Boat of Garten) 87 87.
175 P Cromption (Eaton) 87 88, H Douthwaite (Dumbarton) 89 86, R Lawson (Sunningdale) 92 83.
176 F Natali (France) 94 82.
177 P Bradley (Retford) 83 94, M Lironi (Cathkin Braes) 88 89, R Kidd (Royal Norwich) 84 93.
180 W Weynerowski (Canada) 87 93.
184 R King (Hong Kong) 91 93.

NICK FALDO JUNIOR SERIES GRAND FINAL
AT CELTIC MANOR, OCTOBER 9 to 11

This year’s Faldo Series grand final promises to be the largest ever, with a total field of around 70 players, representing some of the best young golfing talent from around the world. Now recognised as an official R&A World Amateur Golf Ranking event, the 54-hole tournament will be played over Celtic Manor’s Roman Road course from October 9 to 11.
Nick Faldo will be on hand to host the tournament and to pass on some of the experiences that he has amassed during three decades on the professional golf circuit.
“This year’s tournament will also have a real international flavour with invitees from across the globe following recent Faldo Series championships at top-class venues from Ireland to Iceland and from Thailand to Chinese Taipei. The best of British talent will be given a unique opportunity to compete against and also integrate with their peers from throughout the world and that is a very exciting prospect.”

CHARLES (71 YEARS YOUNG) BIDS TO BECOME
OLDEST WINNER OF SENIORS' EVENT

By Graeme Hamlett
Press Officer, European Seniors Tour
Bob Charles can add another notable achievement to his distinguished career by becoming the oldest winner in golf history should he maintain his fine recent form and capture the Bad Ragaz PGA Seniors Open, which gets underway on Friday at the stunning Golf Club Bad Ragaz, nestled amid the south west Alps of Switzerland.
The 71 year old, a winner of over 75 titles worldwide since turning professional in 1960, has respectively finished tied 21st, tied 34th and second in his last three European Seniors Tour events – the Open de France Senoir de Divonne, The Senior Open Championship at Muirfield and Wentworth Senior Masters.
Most recently, at the Wentworth Senior Masters, Charles bettered his age by a stroke with his 70 on the final day, having matched his years with a brace of 71s for the first 36 holes, to finish four under par and register his best result since 2005, when he was runner-up at the Ryder Cup Wales Senior Open.
It means the New Zealander has arrived in the Swiss Alps full of confidence – and should he win on Sunday after completing the 54-hole event, he would be 71 and 151 days, making him the oldest winner in European Seniors Tour history.
Charles would beat the record of England’s Neil Coles, who was 67 and 276 days at the 2002 Lawrence Batley Seniors Open, and would also be the oldest player to win an official Seniors Tour event in the world.
It is a goal the 1963 Open Champion is keen to realise. He said: “I’ve been playing well, swinging nicely and hitting good shots, so why shouldn’t I feel I can win again? I still have the desire to compete and perform the best I can.
“Tournaments like I had at Wentworth inspire me so much, to not hang up the clubs and keep competing. It was great to finish second and to come back in 32 on the back nine was very pleasing – it goes to show there’s still a little spark of life in the old boy!
TOUGH COURSES
“We’ve been playing some long, tough courses in Muirfield and the Edinburgh Course at Wentworth. They’re over 7,000 yards and it’s been a relentless, hard couple of weeks. I made a career playing courses 6,600-700 yards in length, so I’m glad we’re at a course in Bad Ragaz that’s only 6,100-200 yards. We’re all in need of it, I think, and I’m looking forward to it. We’ll have to see on Sunday if I’m in with a chance.”
However, Charles will be challenged in his pursuit of a history making victory by Spain’s defending champion, Juan Quiros, who says he is determined to hold onto the title he won in 2006 on only his seventh seniors start.
At least Quiros will not have the problem he had last weekend, when, as he checked out of the Runnymede Hotel, near Wentworth Club, he was confused with Argentina’s Eduardo Romero by the receptionist and presented with the wrong bill.
There is no danger of that happening in Switzerland, as Romero is taking a break after saying on Sunday, after his bid to win a third consecutive Wentworth Senior Masters was ended by Ireland’s Des Smyth, that he “was tired and needed a rest” after draining recent run of tournaments.
It means the battle to get closer to overhauling Romero, who leads the Order of Merit with €241,280 from four events, will be contested by the next four players in the top five – England’s Carl Mason (€187,879), Australia’s Stewart Ginn (183,099), Quiros (€178,703) and Italy’s Costantino Rocca (€125,164).
Rocca, paying his first visit to Bad Ragaz, enthused: “It is a beautiful course – in perfect condition. The rain we had on Wednesday night has softened it up, so I think there will be plenty of birdies and good scores. I hope I will be among them.”
Meanwhile, Australian Terry Gale, tournament winner in 2005, is another hoping to do well and finish inside the top two, for if he does, he can achieve a unique feat.
“I’m chasing passing the million Euros – but I don’t know if it will beat me or I’ll beat it. We’ll just have to see what happens this week,” said Gale, who has accumulated €985, 550 from his 11 years on the European Seniors Tour.
As well as Gale, England’s Nick Job and Ireland’s Denis O’Sullivan could also pass that million Euros milestone if they are successful and win in Switzerland.
Job, who has earned €975,490 in his eight years on Tour, was tied third last year at Bad Ragaz and is seeking his fourth senior title, while O’Sullivan, in his tenth season on tour after turning professional in 1997, is chasing a seventh victory to add to his career haul of €977,248.

PRESS RELEASE

PETER THOMSON TO DESIGN FIRST SIGNATURE
COURSE IN THE MIDDLE EAST

Peter Thomson, five-time Open Champion and principal of Thomson Perrett and Lobb Golf Course Architects, has signed an agreement in St Andrews with UAE based Al Qudra Real Estate, to design the company’s first signature golf course in the Middle East.
Thomson Perrett & Lobb will design a traditional, classic style championship golf course at Ain Al Emarat, an award-winning residential and leisure development being built near Al Ain, the second city of the Abu Dhabi Emirate and known as ‘The Garden City of the Gulf.’
Peter Thomson, said: “The growth of golf in the Middle East has been phenomenal and TPL is honoured to contribute to the growth of the sport in the region by creating a unique, traditional style course in a groundbreaking city, that will set international benchmarks for sustainability, healthy living and sporting opportunity.”
In a ceremony held at The Old Course Hotel in St Andrews overlooking the world famous ‘Road Hole,’ Peter Thomson signed an agreement with Mr Victor E.J. Orth Jr, CEO and General Manager of Al Qudra Real Estate – a subsidiary of Al Qudra Holding – for the design of the golf course, which is set to be a major attraction for residents and visitors at Ain Al Emarat.
Victor E.J. Orth Jr, said: “TPL has a commitment to excellence in golf course design that mirrors our corporate ethos and we look forward to creating a golf course that will thrill the residents of the UAE and its international golfing visitors.”
TPL has joined forces with global architectural practice HOK, creators of the new Wembley and Emirates stadia in London, to design the golf course as part of this ground-breaking city. Plans for the residential and sporting development have already won a prestigious award.
The TPL golf course will act as a centrepiece for the development alongside a landmark 40,000-seat indoor sports and entertainment arena, which will be built to the same standard as HOK’s acclaimed Emirates Stadium, home of Arsenal Football Club.
The championship golf course will harness natural topography, including rolling sand hills and views to the nearby mountains, as well as benefiting from TPL’s expertise in sustainable golf course design.
The use of recycled effluent will reduce water requirements and will be offset by minimal use of excess turf to keep the golf course in harmony with its natural desert environment.
Image to come:
Photo Caption: (From left) Peter Thomson, principal Thomson Perrett & Lobb Golf Course Architects, Victor E.J. Orth Jr, CEO and general manager Al Qudra Real Estate.

R&A PRESS RELEASE

BOYS' AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP AT ROYAL
PORTHCAWL NEXT WEEK

It is over 75 years since James Lindsay, of Falkirk Tryst, successfully defended the Boys Amateur Championship but Matthew Nixon, the 2006 Champion, now has the chance of entering the record books when this year’s Championship is played at Royal Porthcawl from Monday 13 to Saturday 18 August.

Nixon, 18, who lifted the trophy last year at Royal Aberdeen, has eight rounds of match play to negotiate if he is to add his name to the silverware for a second time.

England recently took second place in the European Boys Team Championship and, while most of that squad are in the field at Porthcawl, 17 year old Matt Haines has hit form at the right time with his recent win in the Carris Trophy, at Saunton. That success followed his win earlier in the season in the McEvoy Trophy.

Paul Ferrier of Edinburgh club, Baberton, won the Scottish title at Dunbar in April and will be out to add to the list of recent Scottish winners which includes Jordan Findlay (2004), David Inglis (2000) and Steven O’Hara (1998).

Wales will be strongly represented by Joe Vickery, their match play Champion, and Ben Enoch, the defeated finalist, while Ireland will be looking for a title winning performance from their 2006 Boys title holder, Stephen Healy.

Players representing European Champions, Denmark, can be expected to advance through the early rounds of the Championship and, in particular, Nicolai Aagaard, who gained a decisive 18th hole win to seal Denmark’s defeat of England in the final.

Also in the field is Matteo Manassero, the recent winner of the European Young Masters, played at Bondues Golf Club, France.

Royal Porthcawl has been a venue often used by The R&A for Championships and international matches, but on only one previous occasion, in 1984, has it hosted the Boys Championship.

It has, however, been the venue for six Amateur Championships and, in 1995, was the scene of a memorable win for GB&I in the Walker Cup, heralding the start of a series of four home wins in five stagings of the match.

The full list of entrants can be viewed at http://www.randa.org/ – Championships.

HARPER, CAMPBELL LEADING SCOTS IN
PGA EUROPRO TOUR EVENT

Lee Harper (Archerfield Links) and Christopher Campbell (Carnegie Club, Skibo) were the joint best Scots at the end of the first day of this week's PGA EuroproTour event - the De Vere Oulton Hall Masters.
Both had one-under-par 70s to start the second round in joint 32nd place.
FIRST ROUND SCOREBOARD
Par 71
64 James Morrison (Eng).
65 Rob Harris (Eng), Michael Searle (Eng).
Scots' scores:
70 Lee Harper (Archerfield Links), Christopher Campbell (Carnegie Club) (jt 32nd).
72 Thomas Higson (Eyemouth) (jt 58th).
73 Neil Mitchell (Murcar Links) (jt 73rd).
75 Ian Simpson (Fulford), Paul Cormack (Inchmarlo Golf Resort) (jt 107th).