Winless Scots could still take
Seniors' title at Tenby
Going into Thursday's final day of the senior men's home internationals at Tenby, Wales, Scotland's over-55s have still to win a match - but it is still mathematically possible that they could finish up as champions if they beat Wales by a big margin in their last match.
How could this be so? Well, it's a very tight contest this year between England, Scotland and Ireland. Only Wales are out of it. They lost 7-2 to Ireland today while the Scots were following up their 4 1/2-4 1/2 first day draw with Ireland by repeating the scoreline against England.
On Thursday England and Ireland, who both have won once and drawn once meet each other while Scotland, with two draws, play Wales, who have two defeats.
If either England or Ireland win their match, then they will win the title with 2 1/2pt out of 3.
But should they draw, then both would have 2pt, opening the way for Scotland, if they run up a big margin of victory over Wales, the chance of matching their 2pt totals and then beating them in a games-won countback.
The games-won tally at the moment reads:
Ireland 11.5, England 9.5, Scotland 9.
Scotland did very well indeed to draw with England today, considering that their first three men in the "batting order" of the singles all lost.
Gordon MacDonald went down 4 and 3 to Alan Squires.
Ian Hutcheon lost 3 and 1 to Doug Arnold.
And Scottish seniors champion Bob Stewart lost by 5 and 4 to former professional Geoffrey King.
But all was not lost. Scotland's tail wagged furiously to save the day.
Rob McLellan beat former world speedway champion Jessup by 1 hole.
Then, in another nail-biting finish, Derek Murphy from Kinross won on the 18th green against Slater.
Former shinty ace John Fraser wielded his golfing camans to good effect to notch a 4 and 3 win over Gordon Broster. So the singles were salvaged 3-3 after a 1 1/2-1 1/2 division of the morning foursomes honours.
Day 2 details:
ENGLAND 4.5, SCOTLAND 4.5
Foursomes (1.5-1.5)
G King & C Reynolds halved with R McLellan & D Murphy.
D Arnold & A Squires lost to I C Hutcheon & J A Fraser.
G Broster & D Jessup bt G MacDonald & A K Pirie.
Singles (3-3)
Squires bt MacDonald 4 and 3.
Arnold bt Hutcheon 3 and 1.
King bt R Stewart 5 and 4.
Jessup lost to McLellan 1 hole.
P Slater lost to Murphy 1 hole.
Broster lost to Fraser 4 and 3.
IRELAND 7, WALES 2
Foursomes (2-1)
A Morrow & M Kelly bt J Jermine & P Jones 3 and 1.
L McNamara & N Duke bt S Hopkins & K Simpson 3 and 1.
H Smyth & J Carroll lost to M Rooke & J Whitcutt 1 hole.
Singles (5-1)
M Coote bt Jermine 2 and 1.
Morrowq lost to G Rees 1 hole.
Kelly bt Jones 3 and 1.
Carroll bt Whitcutt 4 and 3.
McNamara bt Hopkins 1 hole.
Smyth bt M Rooke 3 and 1.
England name team to play Scotland
in Sunday's Under-16 international
PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY ENGLISH GOLF UNION
England will field five players new to international team golf for the annual under-16 clash with Scotland at South Staffs Golf Club on Sunday.
The five are James Burnett from Lincolnshire, Jamie Carney from Warwickshire, Harry Casey from Middlesex, Liam Harper from Kent and Essex-based Jack Heasman.
The rest of the team are Adam Carson, Chris Lloyd and Oscar Sharpe from Gloucestershire, Cumbria’s Sebastian Crookall-Nixon and Billy Downing from Cornwall.
Burnett finished runner-up in the Lincolnshire Under-16 championship last year, tied fifth in this year’s McGregor Trophy and was a member of one of England’s two triumphant Nations Cup teams in the event.
Carney finished runner-up to Crookhall-Nixon in the McGregor Trophy at High Post in July, while Casey won the Middlesex boys' championship this year and also carried off the Douglas Johns Trophy.
Harper has been a member of the Kent first and colts teams this year, while Heasman was also a member of a winning team in the McGregor Trophy Nations Cup and tied fifth in the North of England Under 16 Championship.
Carson, Downing and Lloyd played in the corresponding match in Scotland last year while Crookall-Nixon, Lloyd and Sharpe were members of the England Under-16 team beaten by Spain at Heswall in August.
Carson won the English Under-16 championship for the McGregor Trophy last year and lost a play-off for the Douglas Johns Trophy. He also finished runner-up in the Southwest boys' championship.
Crookall-Nixon, 15, won the McGregor Trophy this year, having finished third in the 2006 English Under-14 championship and also winning the Cumbria Under-16 title that year. Downing, the current Cornwall junior champion, has been capped at Under-16 level for the past two years. The 2003 Reid Trophy runner-up finished third in the Southwest boys' championship this year, having won the title in 2007, and was second in the North of England Under-16 championship.
Lloyd is a former Southwest boys Under-16 champion and North of England Under-16 champion. This year, he has won the Ernie Els world junior championship in South Africa and the North of England Under-16 title and reached the third round of the British boys' championship. In 2006, Sharpe simultaneously held the English Under-16, 15 and Under-14 titles, also won the Douglas Johns Trophy and made his international debut in the Under-16 match against Scotland. Last year, he stepped up to boys level before joining the Leadbetter College in America where he has met with some success, recently finishing fifth in the Italian Under-16 championship.
England have generally held the upper hands in these matches but Scotland won for the first time in 2006. However, England won again last year in Scotland. The full England team is: James Burnett (Sleaford)
Jamie Carney (Shirley)
Adam Carson (Long Ashton)
Harry Casey (Enfield)
Sebastian Crookall-Nixon (Workington)
Billy Downing (Truro)
Liam Harper (Lydd)
Jack Heasman (West Essex)
Chris Lloyd (The Kendleshire)
Oscar Sharpe (Minchinhampton)
in Sunday's Under-16 international
PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY ENGLISH GOLF UNION
England will field five players new to international team golf for the annual under-16 clash with Scotland at South Staffs Golf Club on Sunday.
The five are James Burnett from Lincolnshire, Jamie Carney from Warwickshire, Harry Casey from Middlesex, Liam Harper from Kent and Essex-based Jack Heasman.
The rest of the team are Adam Carson, Chris Lloyd and Oscar Sharpe from Gloucestershire, Cumbria’s Sebastian Crookall-Nixon and Billy Downing from Cornwall.
Burnett finished runner-up in the Lincolnshire Under-16 championship last year, tied fifth in this year’s McGregor Trophy and was a member of one of England’s two triumphant Nations Cup teams in the event.
Carney finished runner-up to Crookhall-Nixon in the McGregor Trophy at High Post in July, while Casey won the Middlesex boys' championship this year and also carried off the Douglas Johns Trophy.
Harper has been a member of the Kent first and colts teams this year, while Heasman was also a member of a winning team in the McGregor Trophy Nations Cup and tied fifth in the North of England Under 16 Championship.
Carson, Downing and Lloyd played in the corresponding match in Scotland last year while Crookall-Nixon, Lloyd and Sharpe were members of the England Under-16 team beaten by Spain at Heswall in August.
Carson won the English Under-16 championship for the McGregor Trophy last year and lost a play-off for the Douglas Johns Trophy. He also finished runner-up in the Southwest boys' championship.
Crookall-Nixon, 15, won the McGregor Trophy this year, having finished third in the 2006 English Under-14 championship and also winning the Cumbria Under-16 title that year. Downing, the current Cornwall junior champion, has been capped at Under-16 level for the past two years. The 2003 Reid Trophy runner-up finished third in the Southwest boys' championship this year, having won the title in 2007, and was second in the North of England Under-16 championship.
Lloyd is a former Southwest boys Under-16 champion and North of England Under-16 champion. This year, he has won the Ernie Els world junior championship in South Africa and the North of England Under-16 title and reached the third round of the British boys' championship. In 2006, Sharpe simultaneously held the English Under-16, 15 and Under-14 titles, also won the Douglas Johns Trophy and made his international debut in the Under-16 match against Scotland. Last year, he stepped up to boys level before joining the Leadbetter College in America where he has met with some success, recently finishing fifth in the Italian Under-16 championship.
England have generally held the upper hands in these matches but Scotland won for the first time in 2006. However, England won again last year in Scotland. The full England team is: James Burnett (Sleaford)
Jamie Carney (Shirley)
Adam Carson (Long Ashton)
Harry Casey (Enfield)
Sebastian Crookall-Nixon (Workington)
Billy Downing (Truro)
Liam Harper (Lydd)
Jack Heasman (West Essex)
Chris Lloyd (The Kendleshire)
Oscar Sharpe (Minchinhampton)
The draw for the first round of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, which begins on Thursday, October 2, has thrown up some enthralling encounters.
Two-time Open champion and US PGA champion Padraig Harrington, winner in 2002 and 2006, has once again been paired with Irish racehorse owner J.P.McManus, with whom he also won the Team Championship in those years, to bid for a remarkable treble.
In one of the most intriguing pairings, another former winner, Colin Montgomerie, partners British tennis legend Tim Henman in a four-ball with New Zealand’s 2005 US Open champion Michael Campbell and Hollywood star Samuel L.Jackson.
Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy, who finished third in last year’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, teams up with England football legend Sir Bobby Charlton.
A fascinating family confrontation takes place at Carnoustie, where Sam Torrance and his son Daniel Torrance, winners in 2003, have been drawn to play with South Africa’s David Frost and his son Sean.
Highlights of the first day draw include:
Carnoustie (10th tee)
09.55: David Frost & Sean Frost and Sam Torrance & Daniel Torrance
10.06: Richard Green & Tico Torres and Ryan Blaum & Marcus Allen.
Kingsbarns (10th tee)
09.22: Graeme Storm & Ronan Keating and Francesco Molinari & Sir Steve Redgrave
09.33: Martin Kaymer & Philip Kaymer and Soren Hansen & Wladimir Klitschko
09.44: Oliver Wilson & Huey Lewis and Justin Rose & Jamie Redknapp
09.55: Colin Montgomerie & Tim Henman and Michael Campbell & Samuel L. Jackson
10.06: Paul Casey & Franz Klammer and Miguel Angel Jimenez & Hugh Grant
10.17: Padraig Harrington & J.P.McManus and Robert Karlsson & Dermot Desmond
10.28: Nick Dougherty & Peter Dawson and Graeme McDowell & Ian Webb
10.39: Henrik Stenson & Mats Andersson and Retief Goosen & Ted Forstmann
10.50: Lee Westwood & Andrew Chandler and Paul McGinley & Rurik Gobel
11.01: Ernie Els & Neels Els and Darren Clarke & Johann Rupert
11.12: David Howell & Sir Ian Botham and Richard Finch & Shane Warne
11.23: Thomas Bjorn & Shaun Pollock and Maarten Lafeber & Johan Cruyff
St Andrews (1st tee)
10.06: Peter Fowler & Michael Vaughan and James Nitties & Simon Kelner
10.50: Rory McIlroy & Sir Bobby Charlton and Chris Wood & Sir Michael Bonallack
11.01: Andrew Coltart & Dougray Scott and Johan Edfors & Luke Wilson
11.12: Stephen Gallacher & Vice President Dan Quayle and Greg Owen & John Angelo
11.23: Sam Little & Ruud Gullit and Emanuele Canonica & Roberto Donadoni
The tournament, conceived as a celebration of links golf, is played over three of the world’s best known and respected links courses - The Old Course at St Andrews, the Championship Course at Carnoustie and the highly regarded Kingsbarns Golf Links - from Thursday, October 2 – Sunday, October 5.
The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship has a unique format. With a prize fund of US$5 million, it incorporates two separate competitions - an individual professional tournament for the world's leading golfers and a team event in which they are paired with some of the most celebrated amateur golfers.
One hundred and sixty-eight teams of one professional and one amateur contest the first three rounds, with one round being played at each of the three courses in rotation. Two competitions are played concurrently – individual professional and team. The team score will be the best net score of the two players at each hole.
After 54 holes the field reduces to the leading 60 professionals and ties, plus the 20 leading teams, all of whom play the final round over the Old Course at St Andrews. Play will be in four-ball groups and in order to accommodate as many players as practical, all four rounds will start from both the first and tenth tees at all courses.
Entrance to the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship will be FREE at all three courses on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
A ticket price of £15 (concessionary £10) will be charged for the final day’s play over the Old Course on Sunday, October 5. Entry for under 16s and students is free. Tickets are available through the ticket hotline on 0870 010 9021 or at the entrance gates.
There is free parking for spectators and a free shuttle bus service will be in operation between the courses on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
NORTH-EAST ALLIANCE ABANDONED
AFTER HUNTLY COURSE FLOODS
Today's North-east Golfers' Alliance competition at Huntly Golf Club had to be abandoned at lunch time after torrential rain flooded the course.
There is no North-east competition next week when the Scottish Alliance championship is being played at the Moray club, Lossiemouth from Tuesday to Thursday (October 7 to 9).
ends
AFTER HUNTLY COURSE FLOODS
Today's North-east Golfers' Alliance competition at Huntly Golf Club had to be abandoned at lunch time after torrential rain flooded the course.
There is no North-east competition next week when the Scottish Alliance championship is being played at the Moray club, Lossiemouth from Tuesday to Thursday (October 7 to 9).
ends
US college news on Kirkwoodgolf.co.uk
Switch over to our sister website, http://www.kirkwoodgolf.co.uk/, for regular updates about the Scots and other British players competing on the American college golf scene.
For instance, there is news today about Neil Henderson (Old Dominion University), Jacqueline Sneddon (Grand Canyon University), Kevin Duncan (Clayton State, Atlanta) and Lewis Kirton (Louisville-Kentucky).
Switch over to our sister website, http://www.kirkwoodgolf.co.uk/, for regular updates about the Scots and other British players competing on the American college golf scene.
For instance, there is news today about Neil Henderson (Old Dominion University), Jacqueline Sneddon (Grand Canyon University), Kevin Duncan (Clayton State, Atlanta) and Lewis Kirton (Louisville-Kentucky).