IT'S SIR MICHAEL BONALLACK'S 76th BIRTHDAY

Sir Michael Bonallack KT, OBE.
Born Chigwell, Essex
December 31, 1934.


One of the finest amateurs of the modern era, Sir Michael Bonallack won five British Amateur Championships (between 1961 and 1970) and five English Amateur Championships (between 1962 and 1968).
As a member of Thorpe Hall Golf Club, he won the English open stroke-play for the Brabazon Trophy four times and won the Leading Amateur Silver Medal in the Open championships of 1968 and 1971.
He scored his first national victory in the 1952 British boys' championship and won the Essex men's county title 11 times between 1954 and 1972.
He was selected for nine Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup teams and captained the team on two occasions in his distinguished career.
In addition to his competitive accomplishments, he received the Bobby Jones Award in 1972 and was knighted in 1998.
After serving as secretary of the R and A from 1983 to 1999, he was elected captain of the R and A for 1999/2000.
A true blue amateur throughout his golfing career, Sir Michael was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2000.
Sir Michael is married to six-time Curtis Cup player Angela Ward Bonallack. They live in Fife.
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TOMORROW'S BIRTHDAY BOY  - 1999 Open Champion PAUL LAWRIE
                                                            Born Aberdeen. January 1, 1969.
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TIGER TAKES A HIT BUT HE'S STILL GOLF'S TOP EARNER IN 2010

FROM SKYSPORTS.COM and GOLF DIGEST WEBSITES

Despite a pay cut of $48million and failing to win a single tournament, Tiger Woods has again emerged as golf's top earner in 2010.

Woods' earnings took a dent after losing his swing and his marriage but he still managed to make $74.2million, according to Golf Digest magazine's annual list, compiled by Ron Sirak.
The American World No 2 received just $2.29m from tournament purses, the bulk of his income coming through endorsements and appearance fees.
Woods, who celebrated his 35th birthday yesterday, saw his total annual income plummet from a staggering $121.9m in 2009 after he was engulfed by a sex and infidelity scandal.
The furore caused firms such as AT and T and Accenture to end sponsorship deals with the 14-time major tournament champion, costing him up to $35m in annual revenue.
Tiger was, however, still paid more than $60million in 2010 by Nike, Electronic Arts, Procter and Gamble's Gillette, Berkshire Hathaway's NetJets unit, LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton's Tag Heuer, Upper Deck and TLC Laser Vision Centers.
Procter and Gamble have since announced that the Gillette sponsorship will not be renewed in 2011.
(If rumours of a $110 million settlement with ex-wife Elin Nordegren are true, then Woods made some $48 million less than the settlement).
The Golf Digest list is compiled through interviews with agents, players, executives of companies involved with endorsements, industry analysts, plus the official money lists of the leading professional tours.
Fellow American Phil Mickelson was second on the list, with total earnings of $40.18m with 81-year-old Arnold Palmer ($36m) third despite not playing in one official golf tournament.

They are followed Greg Norman ($30m), Jack Nicklaus ($25.17m) and Jim Furyk with $23.58m. Furyk jumped up to No 6 position in the money income table, thanks in large part to that big bonus for winning the FedEx Cup.
Other players featured in the top 50 include South Africans Ernie Els seventh ($21.5m) and Gary Player eighth ($15.0m), England's Lee Westwood. No 1 the world pro rankings but only ninth ($14.73m) in this table, and Ireland's Padraig Harrington ($11.61m) in 12th position.

Of course, sometimes there's a lag between success on the course and a player cashing in. Graeme McDowell ($9,714,379 total) went from unranked to No. 14 following a dream season that included claiming the U.S. Open and becoming a Ryder Cup hero.
But you can be sure the native of Northern Ireland will easily crack the $10 million barrier next year when the new endorsements he's picked up start to kick in.
Same goes for Matt Kuchar and Martin Kaymer, who each earned more than $9 million this year despite making a relatively small amount from things other than tournament earnings. And who knew the soft-spoken and not-particularly-flashy Zach Johnson made more money off the course ($4.5 million) than Michelle Wie? But regardless if a player saw his/her earnings rise or fall in 2010, one thing is for sure. If you're on this list, you're doing pretty well for yourself.
Alex Myers

GOLF'S TOP EARNERS IN 2010 - AND HOW THEY DID IT

                                  ON COURSE............OFF COURSE............ TOTAL
1 Tiger Woods        $2,294,116 ............. $72,000,000 ........... $74,294,116
2 Phil Mickelson      $4,185,933.............. $36,000,000 ........... $40,185,933
3 Arnold Palmer      Nil ......................... $36,000,000 ........... $36,000,000
4 Greg Norman       $9,270 ................... $30,000,000 ........... $30,009,270
5 Jack Nicklaus       $175,000 ................ $25,000,000 ............ $25,175,000
6 Jim Furyk            $16,334,622 ............ $7,250,000 .............. $23,584,622
7 Ernie Els             $7,505,032 ............. $14,000,000 ............. $21,505,302.
8 Gary Player         $14,350 .................. $15,000,000 ............. $15,014,350
9 Lee Westwood     $9,232,115 ............  $5,500,000 .............. $14,732,115
10 Luke Donald      $8,300,200 .............. $4,200,000 .............. $12,500,200
11 Sergio Garcia     $1,530,077 .............. $10,500,000 ............ $12,020,077
12 Padraig Harrington $3,360,348 ........... $8,250,000 ............. $11,610,348
13 Camilo Villegas $3,917,436 ............... $6,250,000 ............. $10,167,436
14 Graeme McDowell $7,714,379 ............ $2,000,000 ............. $9,714,379
15 Matt Kuchar         $8,177,477 ............ $1,250,000 ............. $9,427,477
16 Martin Kaymer      $7,082,949 ........... $2,250,000 .............. $9,332,949
17 Fred Couples        $3,317,300 ........... $6,000,000 .............. $9,317,000
18 Ian Poulter          $5,572,796............. $3,400,000 ............. $8,972,796
19 Davis Love III      $1,344,472 ............ $7,500,000 ............. $8,844,472
20 Adam Scott          $3,928,567  ........... $4,800,000.............. $8,728,567
21 Paul Casey           $6,440,895............. $2,225,000 ............. $8,665,895.
22 Steve Stricker       $5,625,235 ............ $2,800,000 ............. $8,425,235
23 Anthony Kim        $3,147,742 ............ $5,200,000 .............  $8,347,742
24 Rory McIlroy         $5,434,517 ............ $2,750,000 .............  $8,184,517
25 Zach Johnson       $3,655,743 ............ $4,500,000 .............  $8,155,743
Selected totals
29 Nick Faldo           Nil ........................ $7,500,000 .............  $7,500,000
31 Tom Watson        $1,151,628 ............ $6,000,000 .............  $7,151,628
32 Justin Rose          $4,365,741 ............ $2,804,000 .............  $7,165,741
36 Colin Montgomerie $227,049 .............. $6,000,000 .............  $6,227,049
37 Bernhard Langer    $3,648,935 ........... $2,500,000 .............  $6,148,939

LEADING LADIES
39 Annika Sorenstam  Nil ...................... $5,750,000 .............. $5,750,000
41 Paula Creamer      $875,140  ............. $4,750,000 .............. $5,625,140
50 Michelle Wie        $888,016 .............. $4,000,000 ..............  $4,888,016

NORTH-EAST ALLIANCE TEE TIMES FOR WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 5

TWO-TEE START

9.00
1st tee: C Cassie, B Harper, C Carnegie. 
10th tee: S Sharp, I McDonald, D Wood.
9.07
1st tee: P Farnan, C Buchanan, G Geddes.
10th tee: S Kennedy, J Boothe, J Thomas
9.14
1st tee: A Graham, P Whitehead, S Scott.
10th tee: A J Smith, J Turner, I Morgan.
9.21
1st tee: P Anderson, C Nelson, J Dalgarno.
10th tee: R Brown, M Brown, S Davidson.
9.28
1st tee: L Prouse, C Ord, I Bratton.
10th tee: J Duncan, P McIntosh, D Phillips.
9.35
1st tee: G Mitchell, G Brown, D Fleming.
10th tee: M Ord, J Short, P Guthrie.
9.42
1st tee: H Roulston, J Hamilton, D MacKay.
10th tee: J McIntosh, J McPherson, M Forrester.
9.49
1st tee: R Fitzpatrick, P Lovie, C Dempster.
10th tee: K Beveridge, R O'Donnel, J Hopwood.
9.56
1st tee: A K Pirie, I Fowler, G Paterson.
10th tee: I Grant, M Smith, M Rogers.
10.03
1st tee: S Pert, J Penny, G Munro.
10th tee: S Elrick, F Bisset, S Larkin. 
10.10
1st tee: D Bisset, J Murray, D Randall.
10th tee: J Roberts, K Duncan, J Reid.
10.17
1st tee: N Stewart, J Forrest, W Shaw.
10th tee: D Leslie, S Lawrie, A Leadley.
10.24
1st tee: M Merchant, R Lamb, E McIntosh.
10th tee: S Finnie, D McKay, A Gall.
10.31
1st tee: B Lumsden, J Lumsden,J Lumsden.
10th tee: D Nelson, S Lawrie, I Strachan.
10.38
1st tee: C Farquhar, P Cheyne, G Homer.
10th tee: W Forbes, R Orr, D Muir.
10.45
1st tee: M Lawrie, T Collie, D Brown.
10th tee: C Clark, K Dalglish, A Yeats.
10.52
1st tee: W Skene, A Clark, N Parker.
10th tee: B Nicolson, P Cornfield, S Mackie.
10.59
1st tee: D Wilson, M Jenkins, N Chisholm.
10th tee: J Nicolson, G Allan, M Booth.
11.06
1st tee: P McLean, K Nicol, J Byrne.
10th tee: 3 x tee times available.

+Ring the North-east Alliance mobile telephone (07801 819746) between 10am and 4pm on Tuesday, January 4 if you have to withdraw. That will give someone else a chance, who would not otherwise get a game, to slot into your place.

GRAEME McDOWELL AWARDED MBE IN NEW YEAR HONOURS LIST

FROM THE SKYSPORTS.COM WEBSITE

Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell has been awarded an MBE in the New Year Honours list.

McDowell enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2010, becoming the first European to win the US Open since Tony Jacklin 40 years ago.

He then cemented his new position in the world's top-10 by clinching the winning point for Europe in the Ryder Cup, holing a tremendous putt on the 16th on the way to beating Hunter Mahan.

Europe captain Colin Montgomerie said earlier this month he had picked McDowell for the last match because he had nerves of steel.

"Graeme is such a confident figure. It was just in case it all came down to that last match," said the Scot.

"If we were going to win late, I needed someone of his calibre, of his stature now, to come through.

"More importantly, believe it or not, it was because of his win in the Wales Open at Celtic Manor. Forget the US Open, I know from personal experience that you feel one-up when you come back to play on a golf course where you've won before."
McDowell, who started the year ranked 50th in the world, finishes it sixth in the listings."It is a huge honour for me to be included on the New Year Honours List," he said.
"For my achievements as a professional golfer to be recognised in this way is truly special. Both myself and my family are very proud of this unique acknowledgement."

NEW ZEALAND HONOURS SIR BOB CHARLES

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Sir Bob Charles has been awarded New Zealand's highest civil honour.

The 74-year-old Charles was admitted to the Order of New Zealand, an honour restricted to 20 living New Zealanders.

Charles was the first left-hander to win one of golf's major tournaments. He captured the 1963 Open after a 36-hole play-off against American Phil Rodgers.

Charles finished his career with 66 victories and was a six-time winner on the US PGA Tour.

He was knighted for services to golf in 1999 and has been inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

JAMES BYRNE TO PLAY IN NE ALLIANCE NEXT WEEK

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
British amateur championship beaten finalist James Byrne, home on holiday at Banchory from Arizona State University, is to play in next Wednesday's North-east Alliance competition at Newburgh on Ythan Golf Club, Aberdeenshire.

He will play in a threesome at the end of the field with fellow Scotland internationals Philip McLean (Peterhead) and Kris Nicol (Fraserburgh).

Byrne smashed the Newburgh course record with an 11-under-par round of 61 on his way to winning the 2008 North-east District Open by eight shots with an 11-under-par total of 277.
James' target for 2011 will be to win a place in the GB and I team to play the United States in the Walker Cup match at Royal Aberdeen GC in September.
Prospects are rated as "promising" for the resumpton of the 2010-11 NE Alliance season after its scheduled and also enforced midwinter break. The last competition before the bad weather arrived was at Edzell Golf Club on November 17.
+Craibstone Golf Centre was on the fixture list as the venue for January 5 but the NE Alliance's acting joint secretaries, Dave Wilson and Dave Mackay, decided that Newburgh's seaside links had a better chance of beating the weather and also the lay-out lends itself to a two-tee start, which Craibstone doesn't, an important factor when they are trying to get a field of 108 round 18 holes in something like only seven hours of daylight.
Craibstone will now stage the March 2 Alliance fixture which was scheduled for Newburgh.

+The North-east Alliance mobile phone (07801 819746) will be "live" between 10am and 4pm next Tuesday, should any competitors wish to cancel their reserved tee times and free them up for others who will otherwise not get a game.

ASIAN DEVELOPMENT TOUR PROVISIONAL 2011 SCHEDULE

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE ASIAN TOUR
Kuala Lumpur: The Asian Tour today announced a provisional schedule of five tournaments for its 2011 Asian Development Tour.
After the successful launch of Asia ’s secondary circuit this year which rewarded the top three players with Asian Tour cards, the Asian Development Tour will maintain a minimum five tournaments in 2011, with several other events in the pipeline.
The inaugural US$75,000 Grameenphone Bangladesh Masters (February 3 to 6) will tee off the new season, followed by another new tournament, the US$70,000 Clearwater Classic in Perak , Malaysia from April 28-May 1.
Chinese Taipei will also launch a new event, the US$130,000 Transcend Championship while the Ballantine’s Taiwan Championship and Bali Open in Indonesia will return next year.
Discussions are on-going with other event promoters and sponsors for events to be added onto the Schedule in the coming weeks.
Designed along the same structure as the Nationwide Tour in the United States and European Challenge Tour, the Asian Development Tour is proving to be a good launch pad for aspiring stars to the Asian Tour and the exciting world of international golf.
Through the Asian Tour Qualifying School which will take place in Hua Hin , Thailand in January, players will earn the opportunity to play and qualify for the Asian Development Tour.
The leading three players on the Asian Development Tour in 2011 will earn coveted Asian Tour cards for the following season, ensuring a proper career pathway for themselves. The Asian Tour recently announced a provisional 25-event Schedule for 2011 on its main Tour.
Provisional Asian Development Tour Schedule 2011
Feb 3-6: Grameenphone Bangladesh Masters, Kurmitola Golf Club, Dhaka , US$75,000.
Apr 28-May 1: Clearwater Classic, Clearwater Sanctuary Golf Resort, Perak , Malaysia , US$70,000.
May 25-28: Transcend Championship, Course TBA, US$130,000.
Nov 3-6: Bali Open , New Kuta Golf Resort, Bali , US$60,000.


Dates TBA: Ballantine’s Taiwan Championship, North Bay Golf and Country Club, Taipei , US$90,000

PAUL O'HARA HEADING FOR TURKEY AND MOROCCO

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Colin@scottishgolfview.com
Former Walker Cup reserve Paul O'Hara from Motherwell will be seeing plenty of Turkey and Morocco over the first nine events of the PGA of Germany's EPD Tour's 2011 schedule.
O'Hara, now 24, finished ninth in the EPD Tour's Order of Merit in 2010 with earnings of 17,639 Euros.
That was the rookie pro year for Paul - younger brother of European Tour player Steven O'Hara and twice a beaten finalist in the Scottish amateur championship - and he would expect to do better next year now that he knows what it's all about.
Good luck, Paul! We'll be tracking your fortunes on http://www.scottishgolfview.com/
+Incidentally, even if you are not a tour pro, you can play most of the Moroccan venues on the EPD schedule - the 2011 Morocco Golf Festival is being played over five courses in and around Marrakech - the "Red City" - from October 8 to 15. And the inaugural Moroccan international amateur championships from October 18 to 21 will utilise three courses: The Ocean, Golf du Solleil and The Dunes.

EPD TOUR EVENTS
January
23-25: Tat Golf Classic 2011 - Belek (Turkey).
Venue Details: http://www.tatgolf.com/

28-30: Sueno Dunes Classic- Belek (Turkey)
Venue Details: http://www.sueno.com.tr/

February
01-03: Sueno Pines Classic 2011 - Belek (Turkey)
Venue Details: http://www.sueno.com.tr/

16-18: Cimar Open Samanah - Marrakech (Morocco)
Venue Details: http://www.samanah.com/

22-24: Al Maaden Classic - Marrakech (Morocco)
Venue Details: http://www.almaaden.com/

27-01 March: Amelkis Classic - Marrakesch (Morocco)
Venue Details: http://www.amelkis.com/

April
07-09: Tikida Open 2011 - Agadir (Morocco).
Venue Details: http://www.golfdusoleil.com/

13-15: Auto Hall Open - Agadir (Morocco).
Golf de l´Ocean (Agadir, Morocco)
Venue Details: http://www.morocco4golf.com/

20-22: Open Mogador - Essaouira (Morocco).
Venue Details: http://www.golfdemogador.com/

*The EPD Tour website can be accessed by clicking here:

http://www.pga.de/epd-index-en.html

NE ALLIANCE SET TO RESUME AT NEWBURGH ON JANUARY 5

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
If the thaw continues, the North-east Golfers' Alliance season will resume after its mid-winter break on Wednesday, January 5 but not at the scheduled venue of Craibstone Golf Centre.
Newburgh is now the host club, enabling a two-tee start to be held, which will allow a field of 108, starting at 9am with 11.10 the last tee times.
There are no spaces available at the moment for "late entries" but the NE Alliance mobile phone - 07801 819746 - will be "live" from 10am to 4pm on Tuesday, January 4.
If you have to pull out from the tee time you have reserved, please phone Dave Wilson on that number. That would enable others to take your place.

CRAIG BUCHANAN TOP PRIZEWINNER IN FIRST HALF OF SEASON 

Craig Buchanan (Newmachar) was the leading prize voucher winner in the first half of the season. A single-figure handicap player, he tops the table with £200 to his credit. Kemnay club pro David Brown is second with £192 and Scotland international Philip McLean (Peterhead) third with £170 in vouchers won.
Leading prize winners (vouchers for amateurs, cash for pros):


C Buchanan (Newmachar) £200; D Brown (Kemnay) p £192; P McLean (Peterhead) £170; R Fitzpatrick (Inchmarlo) p £144; M Booth (Kemnay) £135; J Findlay (Fraserburgh), A K Pirie (Hazlehead) £130; D Law (Hazlehead) £126; S Davidson (Northern) £115; C Nelson (MacKenzie Golf) p £112; S Pert (Huntly) £110; S Elrick (Kemnay) £105; K Beveridge (Inchmarlo) p, K Nicol (Fraserburgh), A Ross (Deeside), S Larkin (Royal Aberdeen), J Hopwood (Carnegie) p £100.

C Clark (MacKenzie Golf) p, A Campbell (Deeside), E Duthie (Oldmeldrum) £90; H Roulston (Stonehaven), M Rogers (Kemnay) £75; G H Paterson (Northern), M K Smith ((Inverurie), G Geddes (Auchmill) £70; M Brown (Inverurie), P Cornfield (Auchmill), P Guthrie (Peterculter) £65; S Finnie (Caledonian) £60; P Morrison (Oldmeldrum) £55; T Collie (Kemnay), D Mackay (Newmachar), C Farquhar (Auchmill), R Brown (Inverurie), G Mitchell (Braemar), D Wilson (Duff House Royal) £50.
N Chisholm (Kemnay) £45; D Townsley (Peterculter), C Ord (Auchmill), I MacDonald (Dunecht House), J Short (Peterculter), D Randall (Banchory) £40; C Carnegie (Kemnay), K Minty (Turriff), G Ross (Deeside) £35; C Cassie (Nigg Bay), P Pugh (Oldmedlrum), L Fowler (Royal Aberdeen) £30; B Nicolson (Auchmill) £30; P Anderson (Deeside), I Mundie (Newburgh), F Bisset (Banchory) £25; J Duncan (Newburgh) £23.
D Bingham (Newburgh), L Morland (Kemnay) £20; J Dalgarno (Hazlehead), P McIntosh (Newburgh), G Mitchell (Braemar) jun, W Shaw (Banchory), R Lamb (Newmachar), Laura Murray (Alford) £15; K Dalglish (Nigg Bay) £10; C Stewart (Kippie Lodge) p, P McArthur (Meldrum House) £8; C Brindley (Banchory), G Brown (Kemnay) £5.

FOLLOW THE GOLFING ROAD TO MOROCCO IN 2011

An inside view of the clubhouse at The Ocean Course, Agadir.

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
Scotland cap Allyn Dick (Kingsknowe), whose golfing career we've been highlighting in Scottishgolfview.com this week, may be the first leading Scot to enter the inaugural Moroccan international amateur championships at Agadir from October 18 to
"I am meeting with (SGU national coach) Ian Rae to discuss my schedule for 2011 and I'm hoping they will accommodate me to play in that event, so I can take the wife on holiday at the same time!" said Allyn.
The 72-hole men's and women's Moroccan international amateur championships will run in tandem over The Ocean Course at Agadir, the same course that will house the European Tour's Hassan II Trophy event in early April.
Both events will be counters for the RandA's World Amateur Golf Rankings and also the Women's World Amateur Rankings.
It is hope that some other Scots, men and women, will enter the championships which will be offering the maximum amateur prize vouchers permitted.
There will be senior men and senior women's championships, over 54 holes, the same week at Agadir. They will be played over the Golf du Soleil course, again with maximum prize vouchers on offer.
Players whose handicaps are not low enough to make them eligible to play in these aforementioned championships have not been ignored by the organisers.
They will also be able to go to Agadir that week next October and compete in a three-round Stableford event open to men, women, senior men and senior women (maximum handicaps: men - 28, women - 36).
Agadir is the major Moroccan city on the North African country's coastline with miles and miles of unbroken beaches.
If you want to make a fortnight of it in Morocco in October, the week before (October 8 to 15) the Agadir golfing bonanza, there's the 2nd Morocco Golf Festival, played over five courses, including the Jack Nicklaus-designed Samannah lay-out.  
For more details on all of these events, log on the the London-based Menara Travel's website, http://www.morocco4golf.com/
To enter the events - or simply to ask for more details, E-mail Mohamed Fakir at info@morocco4golf.com
Mohamed will fix up for you flights, hotel accommodation, meals, etc.

MOROCCAN INTERNATIONAL OPEN AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIPS
AT AGADIR, OCTOBER 18-21, 2011

MEN’S 72-HOLE STROKE-PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP
Tuesday-Friday, October 18-21. R and A World Amateur Golf Rankings event.
The Ocean Golf Club, Agadir.
Handicap limit: 9.
No halfway cut.
Prize vouchers for four-round gross totals
1st – 500 Euros (+championship trophy).
2nd – 400 Euros
3rd – 300 Euros
4th – 200 Euros
5th – 100 Euros
6th -- 75 Euros

WOMEN’S 72-HOLE STROKE-PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP
Tuesday-Friday, October 18-21. Women’s World Amateur Golf Rankings event.
The Ocean Golf Club, Agadir. 
Handicap limit: 11.
No halfway cut.
Prize vouchers for four-round gross totals
1st – 500 Euros (+ championship trophy).
2nd – 400 Euros.
3rd – 300 Euros.
4th – 200 Euros.
5th – 100 Euros
6th – 75 Euros.
SENIOR MEN’S 54-HOLE STROKE-PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP
Wednesday to Friday, October 19-21.
Golf du Soleil Golf Club, Agadir.
Age eligibility: 55 years and over on first day of championship.
Handicap Limit: 15
No two-round cut.
Prize vouchers for three-round gross totals.
1st – 500 Euros (+ championship trophy)
2nd – 400 Euros
3rd – 300 Euros
4th – 200 Euros
5th – 100 Euros
6th – 75 Euros

SENIOR WOMEN’S 54-HOLE STROKE-PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP
Wednesday to Friday, October 19-21
Golf du Soleil Golf Club, Agadir.
Age eligibility: 50 years and over on first day of championship.
Handicap limit: 18.
No two-round cut.
Prize vouchers for three-round gross totals
1st – 500 Euros (+ championship trophy).
2nd – 400 Euros.
3rd – 300 Euros.
4th – 200 Euros.
5th – 100 Euros.
6th – 75 Euros.

AGADIR OPEN AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIPS
Wednesday to Friday, October 19-21
The Dunes Golf Club, Agadir.
MEN’S 54-HOLE STABLEFORD TOURNAMENT
Handicap limit: 28.
No two-round cut
Prize-vouchers for three-round points totals
1st – 250 Euros
2nd – 200 Euros
3rd – 150 Euros
4th – 100 Euros
5th – 50 Euros
6th – 40 Euros

WOMEN’S 54-HOLE STABLEFORD TOURNAMENT
Handicap limit: 36
No two-round cut
Prize vouchers for three-round points totals
1st – 250 Euros.
2nd – 200 Euros.
3rd – 150 Euros.
4th – 100 Euros.
5th – 50 Euros.
6th – 40 Euros

SENIOR MEN’S 54-HOLE STABLEFORD TOURNAMENT
Age eligibility: 55 years and over on first day of tournament.
Handicap limit: 28
No two-round cut.
Prize vouchers for three-round points totals.
1st – 250 Euros.
2nd – 200 Euros.
3rd – 150 Euros.
4th – 100 Euros.
5th – 50 Euros.
6th – 40 Euros.

SENIOR WOMEN’S 54-HOLE STABLEFORD TOURNAMENT
Age eligibility: 50 years and over on first day of tournament.
1st – 250 Euros.
2nd – 200 Euros.
3rd – 150 Euros.
4th – 100 Euros.
5th – 50 Euros.
6th – 40 Euros.

+The Tournament Director reserves the right to reduce the prize list for any event which attracts fewer than 60 competitors.

WESTWOOD WILL MAKE CHANGES IN BID TO WIN A MAJOR

FROM THE SKYSPORTS.COM WEBSITE

Lee Westwood has revealed he is planning to make some changes to his game as he bids to claim a first major crown next year.

The Englishman enjoyed a memorable 2010 season as he toppled Tiger Woods to claim the world No.1 spot.

But Westwood suffered more frustration in the majors as he finished second in both the Masters and the Open, and is determined to go one better next time he is in contention.

Of his rise to top spot in the world, he told ESPN: "It is amazing, very few people get the chance to say they are the best in the world at anything.

"I tend to be a bit more aware that I am representing golf now.

"It is a spot that everybody wants. You are aware that everyone is trying that bit extra to beat you. But if you work hard at something and achieve your ultimate goal of being the best in the world, you have to enjoy it and revel in it."
While he is yet to break his major duck, Westwood does not subscribe to the opinion that his failure to win one means he does not deserve to be considered as the best in the world.
"Everybody is entitled to their opinions," he continued. "The fact that their opinions are wrong does not matter too much. It is just one of those things. Not everyone is always going to be happy."
Nevertheless, the 37-year-old is ready to make some changes as he bids to end his wait for major glory in 2011.
"I have come very close," he added. "I have given myself some great chances. I will be gearing up to the majors.
"It will be daft to do the same things, as I have not won one yet. You have to try and change something, a bit here and there.

"I will try and fine-tune, work on different aspects and try and get one."

GRAEME McDOWELL NOW SIXTH IN WORLD RANKINGS

The final Official World Golf Rankings of 2010 are in, and the only change is that Graeme McDowell has moved into sixth place, dropping Steve Stricker to seventh. Here are the top 10:
1. Lee Westwood

2. Tiger Woods

3. Martin Kaymer

4. Phil Mickelson

5. Jim Furyk

6. Graeme McDowell

7. Steve Stricker

8. Paul Casey

9. Luke Donald

10. Rory McIlroy

AMERICAN GOLF NEWS
Defending champion Dustin Johnson and tournament regular Phil Mickelson have committed to playing in the AT and T Pebble Beach Pro Am from February 10 to 13, according to The Monterey County Herald. Well, the local paper should know.
Tiger Woods, who has not played this event in recent year, earlier this month acknowledged that US PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem has asked him to play more events in 2011. The debate is whether "more events" will include the AT and T Pebble Beach pro-am in which Tiger has enjoyed past successes. Remember when he used to win just about everything he played in?

THAW KOs SNOW/ICE GOLF AT SWANSTON

The snow/ice golf competitions at Swanston this week had to be cancelled.
"Unfortunately, the thaw beat us," said professional Stuart J Campbell. "But we are resolved to try again in the future as the response was fantasic. We had over 80 disappointed snow and ice golfers!"

CONTINUING THE ALLYN DICK STORY

PRIDE IN PLAYING FOR SCOTLAND. That's Allyn Dick standing at the back, fourth from the left after SGU national coach Ian Rae, James Byrne and Peter Latimer. Picture by courtesy of Tom Ward Photography.

By ALLYN DICK
I really only started to take golf seriously in 2001 when Gillian (my wife now) said "Why don't you practise!"
I played off a handicap of 4 at the time and as things turned out was made redundant from my job. Lo and behold I got a job at Dalmahoy from Aug 2001 to April 2002 which allowed me to practise every day.
So, come the start of the season, it took me only six weeks to get down to scratch, and from then on I started to played more away from my home club of Shotts.

It took me until 2005, following my West of Scotland open stroke-play win at Cawder, to finally get to +1. From then one I have just chipped away at trying to become a better golfer.
My number one goal growing up was to win the club championship at Shotts, until I realised I could compete on a higher level. It's every amateur's dream to one day play for their country and I have been fortunate to realise that dream this year, something I thought would pass me by, if I'm honest. This is an honour I'm so proud of.
For me it's a case of the 'Real Amateur' (works full time, has a mortgage, has a wife and kids) mixing it with the 'Professional Amateurs' who know nothing else than playing golf 24/7.
I have been helped along the way by former Walker Cup player Graeme Rankin, Wilson Bryson, Craig Watson and Scott Knowles who have all passed on some sort of advice and encouragement over the years.
Thanks also to Robert Arkley at Kingsfield Driving Range. I'm grateful for the help he has given to me this season and before.

TALKING POINTS
INDOOR PRACTICE FACILITIES: Something which I consider worth raising on Scottishgolfview.com is the lack of indoor practice facilities (short game area, putting greens, etc) considering the climate change we are experiencing.
I have an artificial pitching/putting green in my garden which I had installed early 2009 (which has obviously paid off) by Europeangolf.co.uk, but it's not something you can use when it's covered in snow!

PGA TRAINING FOR AMATEURS: I would like to see the SGU merging with the Scottish PGA with elite amateurs being allowed to undertake the PGA training while in the SGU squad. That way, if they fail to make the grade as a tour pro, they would have something to fall back on, either teaching the game or playing on the Tartan Tour.

Any comments or questions for Allyn?
E-mail them to Colin@scottishgolfview.com

E-mail from ROBERT CARSON


First of all I would like to congratulate Allyn on his very successful season and the birth of his son Jacob.
Over the two years I have known Allyn, I have played with him on four or five  occasions and had the pleasure of marking his card for the final 36 holes on his way to winning the Newlands Trophy this past summer.
The final round was one of the best rounds of golf I have witnessed at any level. I don't have a question for Allyn, just wanted to wish him luck for 2011 and here's hoping another Home Internationals cap comes his way.
All the best,
 Robert Carson

E-mail from Stuart Campbell
Great articles re Allyn Dick – nice to learn of his journey. We are very fortunate to have an indoor coaching suite here at Swanston which has just opened pre Christmas. It consists of a Hitting station with a 3 metre squared net, a putting green and a small gym for golfers to use!

Stuart J. Campbell
PGA Professional
Director of Instruction
Swanston Golf Academy
Swanston Golf Ltd
111 Swanston Road
EDINBURGH EH10 7DS
0131 445 2239
07875 534349
http://www.swanston.co.uk/

AUSSIE GOLFER CONVICTED IN JAPAN OF DRUGS OFFENCE

FROM THE GOLF.COM WEBSITE
TOKYO (AP) — A Japanese court has handed down a suspended sentence to Australian golfer Wayne Perske for possessing and using cocaine.
Masaaki Ono, an official at the Chiba District Court, said the 36-year-old golfer received a year and six months in prison, suspended for three years.
Perske was arrested in October after inhaling cocaine at a bar in Chiba, east of Tokyo, and carrying some 1.25 grams of cocaine in his pocket. A customer at the bar alerted police, leading officers to search and arrest him.
Japan has strict anti-drug laws. Possession of banned drugs can carry a penalty of up to seven years imprisonment.

GORDON BRAND JUNIOR LOOKS FOR MORE SENIOR SUCCESS

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
As coach to some of the brightest young players, Gordon Brand junior always has one eye on the future but the former Ryder Cup player is also carefully plotting his own success on the European Senior Tour.
The Scot, picture left copyright of Getty Images,  enjoyed a superbly consistent 2010 campaign, capturing his maiden Senior Tour in the Matrix Jersey Classic and recording five other top five finishes to end the season fourth on the Order of Merit.
Brand also coaches the England Under-16 team, as well as the Gloucester and Somerset county boys, and while he feels the golfing future is in safe hands with the emerging generation, he is also eager to build on his own performances on the course.
His decision not to travel long haul anymore excluded the 52-year-old from opening trio of events on the 2011 Senior Tour schedule – in Australia, Japan and Mauritius – but Brand remains hopeful of competing at the top end of the Order of Merit this season.
“The target is to win again but I’m almost biting the hand that feeds me with the tournaments I miss,” he said.
“It is a big ask to finish any higher than I did in 2010, even one place. I’m playing a third less events than everyone else. I have to put the Order of Merit out of my head unless I come out and really dominate it. I want to enjoy my golf and try to get up there and see how good or bad I am. I’ve set my stall out with my schedule and I’m quite happy with it.
“Last year was a good season and I enjoyed it. It was nice to have the win. I had a couple of other good chances but over the year I’ve played fairly solid and had a lot of top tens.
“I played some of my best golf – certainly for the year – in Jersey to win. I really had the putter going. Anytime you win is special, especially as a professional golfer.
“It wouldn’t have been such a good year without the win – that was the icing on the cake. There was an anticipation that I should win (on the Senior Tour) so it was nice to do it. It was only my second tournament of the year so that was a lovely way to set up the rest of the year.”
An eight time champion on The European Tour and part of the European Ryder Cup Team in 1987 and 1989, Brand junior is one of a select group of players to make more than 500 European Tour appearances.
He joined the Senior Tour in 2008 and lost an epic six hole play-off to his namesake Gordon J Brand from Yorkshire on his debut in The De Vere Collection PGA Seniors Championship.
In addition to his playing accomplishments, Brand junior has also forged a burgeoning career in the media, as an on-course commentator, as well as continuing to nurture new talent near his home in Bristol.
“Commentating is a nice way of being involved in golf, like my teaching, without hitting a ball,” he said. “I also get the opportunity to watch some of the best in the world and pick up the odd tip here or there.
“The teaching is also going well. I enjoy passing on the information. We’ve got one young guy coming through called Chris Lloyd who looks very good. He’s not quite Matteo Manassero’s standards, as Manassero has obviously won on the main Tour, but Chris is 18 and certainly in the next few years he is a name to look out for.
"But if you watch any of the England boys and even some of the county boys, they’ve all got a real talent. It’s really for them what they do with that.
“That’s where the fall-down comes. They almost feel it is their right to wake up and shoot 65 every day. It’s the effort that has to go into that. We try to get them to understand how much work is involved. You have to treat like a job, even though it is your hobby that has turned into a job.”

DALLAS AMATEUR'S RECORD 600 ROUNDS IN ONE YEAR

FROM THE PGATOUR.COM WEBSITE
By Art Stricklin
IRVING, Texas -- Dallas amateur golfer Richard Lewis walked, literally, into golf history Sunday afternoon with his 600th round of golf of 2010, surrounded by family and friends at the TPC Four Seasons Las Colinas, home of the HP Byron Nelson Championship.
At 11 a.m. Sunday, he smashed the Guinness World Record for number of rounds in a single season for an amateur and also set one that never even existed by walking every single round, all at the TPC Four Seasons twosome of courses.
Four Seasons members paid up to $5,000 to play with Lewis, 64, on his milestone round in sunny and chilly conditions, with all money raised going to the First Tee of Dallas programme.
They raised a total of $8,800 for his milestone round and presented a cheque on the first tee at the Four Seasons before his round began.
"Did you ever think I would get to 600 rounds?" Lewis smiled as he celebrated his golfing accomplishment before a few dozen people late Sunday.
"I thought 400 was tough and 500 was a stretch, but 600 was what I had in mind all the time," he said. "It's a huge relief and sense of accomplishment."
In fact, Lewis felt he was slacking off on Sunday only doing 18 holes. He played 36 on Christmas Eve in cold rain and 36 more on Christmas Day.
"I can't remember the last time I did only 18 in a day," he said after carding an 86 in cold condition.
Lewis said he has already received the official documentation from the Guinness World Record Book officials in Europe to turn in his information and be listed in the 2011 record book.
When he plays his final 2010 round on Friday, he expects to have completed 611 loops in one unforgettable golf year.
He will shatter the previous record, 586, for documented rounds in a single year, set in Ohio in 1998. He also hopes to set new records for 11,000 holes in a single year, 611 rounds all walking at the same club and for playing the last 285 days of 2010.Lewis retired as president of an insurance company in April 2009. During his work career he played 2-3 times a week. Upon retirement, he began to consider what he would do with all his free time.
A member of the TPC Four Seasons Resort since 1987, Lewis learned there was a record for most rounds of golf played in a year, but no record for walking every round and no record for playing every round at the same place.
He drove from his house in DeSoto, Texas, just south of Dallas every day, arriving before 8 a.m. He would play 36 or 54 holes a day, spend a brief time in the Four Seasons sauna/spa to recover before eating a high-protein dinner and going to bed, only to repeat the routine the following day. He lost 35 pounds and four trouser waist sizes in his record quest.
His longtime girlfriend, Debbie Shaw, played some rounds with him at the beginning of the year, but rode in a cart to watch more and was on hand Sunday for photos.
"One thing, he's certainly found out what persistence is," she said.

ALLYN DICK'S STORY: THE EARLY YEARS

Image of Allyn Dick in action for Scotland at this year's Home Internationals by courtesy of Tom Ward Photography.
By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
This week on Scottishgolfview.com we are highlighting the golfing career of Allyn Dick, who is something of a rarity among leading amateur golfers ... he gained his first Scotland cap at the age of 31 earlier this year - and he works for a living!
If you have any questions to ask Allyn about his golf, past, present or future, or his views on any golf topic, E-mail them to me and I will pass them on to him.

ALLYN PIPPED STEVEN O'HARA FOR

LANARKSHIRE BOYS' TITLE IN 1995

By ALLYN DICK
I took up the game when i was seven or eight years old, playing golf in the local park, bashing a ball from end to end. It wasn't until I was 10 that i became a junior member at Shotts Golf Club.
I was lucky that the junior convenor at the time, Jim Boyd, took a real interest. Every summer holidays we would be shipped by bus to any boys' open competition that was within travelling distance!
It's only now when you look back at the things he said and did, you realise why - a perfect grounding for the future.
I was the Lanarkshire boys' stroke-play champion in 1995 at Colville Park, beating none other than Steven O'Hara by one or two shots. Also that year I was the Lanarkshire schoolboy champion, and Steven O'Hara, Steven Rennie and myself went to Lossiemouth for the Scottish schools championships.
It was there that Steven O'hara and Graeme Gordon made the Scotland boys team and went on to have fantastic amateur careers.
If i'm being brutally honest, i never kicked from being a boy golfer. I was overlooked for the Lanarkshire team of four in 1995 for the Scottish area team championship at boys' level, much to my annoyance. The team was picked before hand!
I sort of drifted away from golf after I left school. Stirling University was just starting out on the golf scholarships and that really interested me, but the draw of the money I was earning ruled my head.
I always played golf until 2001, but nothing serious. The Shotts club championship was always 'my major.'
Then I was made redundant from Motorola and got a job at Dalmahoy in August 2001. For seven months i practised every day. From then on, every weekend I was playing golf: an 18-hole open here, a 36-hole open there and the funny things is, my first 36-hole win came at Bathgate in the Livingston Trophy playing with Craig Elliott, who would be a future (winning) team-mate at Carrickvale Golf Club.
From there I got the bug and the desire to compete with better players, play bigger events, make myself a better golfer and win 'my major.'
It took me until 2004 to do so and the following week was runner up in the 2004 Scottish open mid-amateur championship at Hamilton Golf Club. Roger Roper, who beat me in the final, wrote me a letter afterwards and told me to keep my chin up and work hard. He said the rewards would come - and he was right!
Golf is my hobby. I love the buzz of a team match for Kingsknowe, Shotts and Carrickvale ...  even playing a Wednesday medal ... trying to get .1 off your handicap ... playing an 18-hole open trying to win the first scratch voucher to keep my wife happy.
I always bang on about competing with the full-time amateurs. That's just the way the game has changed and developed over the years, but all you need to do it is take Glenn Campbell as an example.
For years Glenn has had a job as he competed at the highest level, had children along the way and managed to maintain a high standard of golf.
As much as I would like to play full time, vouchers don't pay for the mortgage and nappies, so I'll continue to love the game for what it is, my hobby.
My target for 2011 is to make the Home Internationals team again, an experience I thought would pass me by, but one I'll never forget. I am happy to admit, that all of my golfing ambitions have been met and I don't know if there are many other golfers who can say that.

REMEMBER IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS YOU WANT ALLYN

DICK TO ANSWER, E-MAIL THEM TO Colin@scottishgolfview.com

+MORE OF THE ALLYN DICK STORY TOMORROW ON

 www.scottishgolfview.com

NOH STOPPING YOUNG SOUTH KOREAN IN 2011

FROM THE AOL GOLF NEWS SERVICE

By BEN HUNT

Of all the young golfers touted as one to watch in 2011, Noh Seung-Yul is among the most exciting and intriguing prospects.

The South Korean was largely unknown at the start of 2010 when he teed off in the Dubai Desert Classic. After all, in the previous year he was down in 176th place in the Race to Dubai rankings.

Yet over on the Asian Tour, he was carving out a reputation as a player with some potential. In his first full season as a professional

he finished in the top ten on the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit and followed

up with another solid performance in 2009.

Yet it was in 2010 where he would announce his arrival by winning the

Malaysian Open. The £216,000 first prize went some way to helping him win the Asian Tour Order of Merit. However, what was more impressive was that he achieved victory over his idol KJ Choi.

The victory also made him the youngest professional in history to win an Asian Tour event at 18 years and 281 days.

So what will 2011 hold for Noh? Well, victories in Europe and and invaluable experience of a Major are certainly on the horizon.

On receiving his Asian Tour Order of Merit title, he said: “In five years time, I

want to start contending in the majors. I am not in a hurry, but I would like to become the second Asian to win a major.

“The Order of Merit victory will get me

into the British Open next year and if I stay

in the top 100 in the world, I will also qualify

for the PGA Championship and I will try

to qualify for the US Open as well.

“Playing on the Asian Tour helped me a

lot as we play in different countries and different

courses. I had to adapt to the

changes in grass, food and travelling which

I think is important for a golfer.

“Next year, I want to focus on trying to

win in Europe. I would also like to play on

the US Tour as I think all the top players

want to play there.”

If he continues at his current rate of progresses

then there is no doubt Noh will

soon be realising his dream - and it could

all start to happen in 2011.