Ross Fisher's lead cut to one shot in Irish Open

FROM THE AOL GOLF NEWS SERVICE
Ross Fisher had mixed feelings after seeing his lead trimmed to a solitary stroke as his third round at the 3 Irish Open tailed off following a flying start.
The Englishman held a three-shot overnight lead over Francesco Molinari after a stunning second round of 61, and continued his momentum after birdieing four of the first seven holes on Saturday.
But a double-bogey at the eighth brought him back to the field and he dropped further shots at the 15th and 17th to card a level-par 71, allowing Chris Wood and Molinari to close to within one of his 12-under-par total.
Wood's 66 was matched only by Richard Bland as the best round of the day, while Molinari recorded three birdies in a solid two-under-par 69 to maintain his challenge.
Wood, buoyed by a six-under 65 on Friday, bounced back from bogeying the fourth with a run of five birdies from the fifth to the ninth and another on the 13th brought him to the brink of the summit.
Italian Molinari, meanwhile, turned in a one-under-par 34 after birdying the par-five seventh for the third day in succession and, after giving that shot back on the first hole of the back nine, he birdied the 11th and 14th to keep himself on terms with the Bristolian in second place.
Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano is a further shot back after an eventful round which had looked set to earn him a share of the lead.
The Spaniard turned in 31 after five birdies and a solitary dropped shot at the third, and he was 12 under after a three at the 477-yard 12th hole, but a double-bogey six at the last marked a frustrating finish to a fine 18 holes and left him to play in the penultimate group on Sunday.
He will follow Australia's Richard Green and Irishman Padraig Harrington on to the course after they both finished at nine under after rounds of 69.
The left-handed Green undid some of the good work of his four birdies with a double-bogey six at the 13th, while Harrington dropped a shot at the fourth and two more at the eighth but also racked up five birdies.
THIRD ROUND SCORES
Par 213 (3x71)
201 Ross Fisher 69 61 71
202 Francesco Molinari (Ita) 67 66 69, Chris Wood 71 65 66
203 Gonzalo Fdez-Castano (Spa) 66 69 68
204 Richard Green (Aus) 65 70 69, Padraig Harrington 68 67 69
205 Seung-yul Noh (Kor) 66 69 70, Anders Hansen (Den) 67 68 70
206 Richard Bland 69 71 66, Mark F Haastrup (Den) 67 72 67, Michael Hoey 66 69 71
207 Shane Lowry 74 65 68, Paul McGinley 68 68 71, Darren Clarke 66 70 71, Johan Edfors (Swe) 67 69 71
208 Brett Rumford (Aus) 66 69 73, Paul Waring 75 66 67
209 Sam Hutsby 69 69 71, Joost Luiten (Ned) 74 65 70, Marcel Siem (Ger) 66 70 73
210 Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (Fra) 66 74 70, David Drysdale 67 71 72, Graeme McDowell 70 72 68, Paul Lawrie 66 72 72, Richard McEvoy 69 72 69, Matteo Manassero (Ita) 72 70 68
211 Robert Jan Derksen (Ned) 71 70 70, Anton Haig (Rsa) 66 70 75, Richie Ramsay 71 68 72, Peter Whiteford 70 69 72, Sion E Bebb 70 71 70, Nicolas Colsaerts (Bel) 68 73 70, Steven O'Hara 68 71 72, Simon Khan 68 70 73, Paul Broadhurst 68 71 72, Graeme Storm 70 71 70, Rory McIlroy 67 68 76, David Dixon 67 68 76, Alejandro Canizares (Spa) 69 70 72, Alastair Forsyth 69 70 72, Gregory Havret (Fra) 72 69 70
212 Damien McGrane 65 72 75, Marc Warren 69 71 72, David Howell 64 75 73, Rick Kulacz (Aus) 71 70 71, Mark Foster 69 70 73
213 Danny Lee (Nzl) 67 73 73, Martin Wiegele (Aut) 67 73 73, Anthony Wall 72 70 71, Patrik Sjoland (Swe) 68 70 75, Martin Erlandsson (Swe) 71 70 72, Andrew Dodt (Aus) 67 72 74, Maarten Lafeber (Ned) 70 71 72, Mark Brown (Nzl) 72 68 73
214 Peter Baker 71 70 73, Anthony Kang (USA) 69 71 74, Stephen Gallacher 70 72 72, Eirik Tage Johansen (Nor) 67 73 74, Richard Finch 70 72 72, Jamie Donaldson 72 70 72, Phillip Archer 71 69 74, Ariel Canete (Arg) 69 72 73
215 Justin Rose 74 68 73, Markus Brier (Aut) 69 72 74
216 Julien Quesne (Fra) 71 71 74, Pablo Martin (Spa) 73 69 74, Peter O'Malley (Aus) 69 72 75
217 Mikael Lundberg (Swe) 71 70 76, Oskar Henningsson (Swe) 72 70 75
218 Robert Coles 69 73 76
219 Barrie Trainor 69 73 77

Michael Stewart, winner of the Allied Surveyors Scottish amateur championship at Gullane (image by Cal Carson Golf Agency).

 JUST CHAMPION! THAT'S MICHAEL STEWART

THE 20-YEAR-OLD PRIDE OF AYRSHIRE

Michael Stewart, 20-year-old Troon Welbeck player, was the toast of Ayrshire golfers last night (Sunday), after winning the Allied Surveyors Scottish men’s amateur championship over the Gullane No 1 course at East Lothian.
Stewart, the No 3 seed and winner of the Scottish boys’ match-play championship in 2008, beat the unseeded Jordan Findlay, 22, from Fraserburgh and a long-time golfing buddy, by 3 and 2 in the 36-hole final.
The last Ayrshire man to win the national men’s title was Hugh McKibbin in 1996.
For once there is no danger of the new Scottish champion turning pro within a few months. Stewart has quit East Tennessee State University – where Findlay was also a student – halfway through a four-year course and intends to be a full-time amateur for the next 18 months.
The prime target for Stewart, backed by coach Ian Rae, is to win a place in the Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup team for next year’s match against the United States at Royal Aberdeen.
“It’s a great feeling to have won. Jordan didn’t give me any holes out there. I had to win them. I tried to put it to the back of my mind that we’re great friends and just played the best I could,” said Stewart.
Understandably, Findlay was very disappointed, the only consolation being that if he had to be beaten by someone then he was glad it was to one of his best golfing friends.
"From tee to green in the final, that was probably the best I've played well week. If only I had putted as well as I did in beating James Byrne in the semi-finals," said Jordan. "But I will be taking a lot of positives from the week. I think I am a better player now than I was when I failed to get through the Tour School first stage last year. I am think I am ready and better prepared to have another go at it."
THE MATCH
In windy conditions, Stewart took the lead for the first time by winning the sixth and the seventh in the morning. He was never pulled back to square by Findlay.
At the end of the first round, Stewart was four holes up, having gone round in three-under-par 68 to Findlay’s one-over 72.
Findlay’s title hopes were alive again when he slashed his deficit to two holes by winning the 20th with a birdie 3 and the 21st where Stewart lost his ball in the rough.
But the next eight holes were halved as the players wrestled to gain the initiative.
Findlay bogeyed the 29th – his first bogey in 20 successive holes – to put Stewart three up and the Ayrshire man promptly got an eagle 3 at the long 30th to regain a four-hole lead.
That was the decisive holes of the final.
Findlay came back with birdies at the short 31st and 33rd to get back to two down but he was rapidly running out of holes.
Stewart ended an absorbing final in the grand manner with a birdie 2 from 6ft at the short 34th.
For the day, Stewart was four under par and for the week he was more than 30 under par. And just think he was three down after 11 holes to Kyle McClung before beating him at the 20th in the second round.

FINAL (36 holes)
*Michael Stewart (Troon Welbeck) bt Jordan Findlay (Fraserburgh) X and X.

*denotes seeded player.

SCROLL DOWN TO READ A RUNNING REPORT OF THE FINAL

Jordan Findlay with the silver medal as beaten finalist and his American girl friend and caddie, Tara (image by Cal Carson Golf Agency.

Changed conditions at Gullane for 36-hole final

Jordan Findlay (left) and Michael Stewart before the start of today's 36-hole final at Gullane No 1 (image by Cal Carson Golf Agency.

Michael Stewart is new champion - wins by 3 and 2.

COLIN FARQUHARSON REPORTING FROM GULLANE
Troon Welbeck's Michael Stewart, the 20-year-old No 3 seed and bidding to become the first Ayrshire man since Hugh McKibbin in 1994 to win the national title, was four up on Fraserburgh's unseeded Jordan Findlay, 22, at the end of the first 18 holes.of the 36-hole climax to the Allied Surveyors Scottish men's amateur golf championship today over the Gullane No 1 course, East Lothian.
It was a totally different day - bright and breezy instead of Friday's dead calm but overcast conditions.
A strong northwesterly wind had arrived overnight and looked like staying for the day, making the likelihood of a repeat of yesterday afternoon's "Birdie Festival" - one eagle and 25 birdies over the two semi-finals -  very remote.
But Jordan Findlay had other ideas. He carried on where he left off in the one-hole semi-finalwin over top seed James Byrne. Jordan, with a minimum of fuss and lining-up the putt, rammed in a five-yarder for a winning birdie 3 at the first.
Stewart, with the longer tee shot, had misjudged the strength required for his approach and overshot the green and was still several feet away from the hole after his chip.
Stewart was not long in arrears. Findlay bogeyed the second to be pulled back to all square.
After a half in par 5s at the third, Findlay regained the lead with a par 3 at the short fourth.
The fifth was halved in par 5s before Stewart levelled it again, courtesy of a three-putt bogey from 12 feet by Findlay at the sixth. The wind was obviously making life far more difficult for the contestants. Findlay had already marked up two bogeys within six holes - he had only two bogeys throughout the 18 holes he required to take James Byrne's measure.
Tbe seventh hole raised Findlay's early total of bogeys to three, Stewart winning the hole with a par 4 to go one up for the first time. The Fraserburgh man drove into a bunker and had one of those one-foot-in, one-foot-out kind of lie.
The eighth and ninth holes were halved in pars, leaving Stewart with a one-hole lead. The Troon youngster holed from 10ft at the ninth having miss the green left with his tee shot.
Stewart covered the first nine holes in an approxmiate 36 (one over par), Findlay 37 (two over).
In contrast to the semi-finals, there had been only one birdie so far - Findlay's at the first hole.
Findlay fell two down, possibly for the first time in the week-long championship, when he bogeyed the 10th , his third bogey in the past five holes, at the 10th. Stewart now two up.
Stewart doubled the birdie count with a 3 at the 11th which gave him a three-hole lead ... a long way to go still but Findlay needed to stop the slide.
Stewart also birdied the long 12th but Findlay was able to match it for a half.
The short 13th was halved in 3s and the 14th in pars 4s. Findlay had putts for birdies at both holes but couldn't take the chances.
In contrast, Stewart got his third birdie in five holes at the long 15th to go four holes up. Stewart was on the front edge in two while Findlay was bunkered greenside.
After a half in 3 at the 16th, where he could not hole a 10ft birdie putt, Findlay notched his first birdie since the opening hole. He hit a great approach shot at the downhill 17th, the ball hitting the stick and coming to rest inches away. That cut the Fraserburgh man's deficit to three but Stewart restored his four-hole advantage with a great birdie 3 at the last.
Stewart outdrove his opponent by a considerable margin down the 18th but his ball ended up behind thistle in the rough. It was a hit-and-hope second shot but it succeeded, leaving him with 20ft past the hole.
Findlay missed his birdie putt from roughly the same distance before Stewart rammed his in for a 3 to go into lunch four up.  It was a potentially "killer" blow for Findlay's hopes even with another possible 18 holes to come in the afternoon.
Stewart was round in an approximate three-under-par 68, having come home in four-under 32.
Findlay had an inward half of 35 for a one-over 72.
SECOND ROUND
Neither player risked having a go for the green from the tee at the 19th Both played conservatively for a half in 4, Stewart missing the green but getting up and down.
Findlay needed to start making inroads on Stewart's lead - and he did it with a birdie 3 at the 20th to get back to three down. The Buchan boy played a majestic low five iron into the wind to within 10ft of the hle - and down the putt.
Stewart had made so few mistakes all day that it came as a surprise when he lost a ball off his second shot at the long 21st and eventually conceded it to Findlay who had won two holes in a row for the first time in the Final. Stewart back to two up after 21.
The sun and the blue skies had long since disappeared to be replaced by menacing dark clouds and it started to rain quite heavily as they played the 22nd, a short hole which was halved in 3s.
The par-4 23rd, 24th and 25th were halved in par figures. Findlay needed to win back another hole or two quickly to have the momentum for the inward half but it was Stewart who missed a 10ft birdie chance at the 24th.
The 25th became the fifth hole in a row to be halved in par. Then the 26th made it six halves on the trot.
Giving Stewart a double bogey 7 at the 21st, where he lost a ball, he was out in an approximate two-over-par 37 in the afternoon to Findlay's one-under 35.
The first hole of the inward half, the 28th, was also halved in par, making seven in a row to be shared.
Findlay missed the green to bogey the 29th - his first bogey in 20 successive holes - and the end of the stalemate put Stewart three up with seven to play.
Stewart had the bit back between his teeth. He hit the green in two at the 480yd par-5 30th hole and sank an 8ft putt for an eagle 3 to go four up with only six to play.
Findlay was not ready to throw in the towel. He hit a great tee shot at the short 31st to 4ft and confidently holed the putt for a 2 to beat Stewart's pitch and putt three. Findlay now three down with five to play.
After a half in 4s at the 32nd, Stewart was in trouble all the way to lost the par-5 33rd to a birdie from Findlay, his second in three holes. Stewart now two up with three to play.
Stewart won the short 34th with a birdie 2 to take the title by 3 and 2. He was one under par for the afternoon round and four under par for the 34 holes in far more testing conditions than they experienced for the semi-finals

Paul O'Hara nosedives in final round on EPD Tour

Paul O'Hara had a disastrous last round of four-over-par 77 to finish joint sixth in this week's EPD Tour event at Winsen an der Luhe, Germany.
O'Hara, who had rounds of 70 and 73 to start with, quickly improved by two shots in his final round with birdies at the first and long fourth but that as as good as it got for the Motherwell man.
He bogeyed the fifth, seventh, ninth, 12th, 14th and 15th in halfves of 36 (one over) and 41 (three over).
Sweden's Gustav Adler won with a three-under-par total of 216, made up of rounds of 74, 68 and 74.
The silver lining for the Scot was that joint sixth place paid him 1,154 Euros, which boosted his season's earnings on the EPD Tour to 15,404 Euros and he is now third on the tour's money table behind Germany's Max Kramer (22,810 Euros) and England's Grant Jackson (16,486 Euros).

SEE ALL THE SCORES BY CLICKING HERE



Boo Weekley (63) is getting better, on and off the course

FROM THE PGA.COM WEBSITE
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, West .Virginia. (AP) — Boo Weekley's bum shoulder is improving and the self-proclaimed redneck has put down the fishing pole, hoping it might lead to a win at a tournament not named the Heritage.
Weekley equalled his best round of the year with a 7-under 63 on Friday on the Old White course to vault into second place, four strokes behind leader Jeff Overton, midway through the inaugural Greenbrier Classic.
Weekley hit 17 greens in regulation and had seven birdies during a bogey-free morning round for a two-day total of 10 under.
"I'm excited to play again," Weekley said. "Feels like I can actually come out and compete and don't have to take a bunch of (pain relievers) or nothing where I can play."
The Greenbrier's policy of jackets required for its finer restaurants and $80 million underground casino might not suit Weekley's folksy lifestyle, but the Southerner admits feeling at home among the local fans, who consider him one of their own.
Weekley remembers fans rallying behind him when he played in several Nationwide Tour events in Bridgeport about 3 hours to the north, although he feels West Virginia owes him one after he lost in a playoff in 2006.
"It would be nice if my stars line up," he said.
The avid fisherman and hunter no longer packs the tackle box along with his clubs. Trout-stocked Howard's Creek runs throughout The Greenbrier, including in front of the first and 18th tees, but Weekley isn't giving in to the temptation.
"I put all my stuff up when I come to tournaments now," Weekley said. "I just mostly focus on golf and do my job and be done with it."
Weekley couldn't focus much after tearing a labrum in his left shoulder last year at the TPC Sawgrass. He stopped playing for more than a month and was left with a limited range of motion.
"It's been kind of aggravated like a thorn in me," he said. "Just feel like you can't take it back some days, and some days don't feel like I can come through the ball."
Weekley was a member of the U.S. Ryder Cup team that beat Europe in 2008 but was ranked No. 172 in the world this week with only three top 10s in the last two years. His only two tour wins were at the 2007 and 2008 Heritage.
After the injury he lost 20 pounds and started feeling better about his game only three weeks ago at the John Deere Classic, when he finished 21st.
He said his shoulder is to the point "where I feel like I can actually swing the club and not have the hesitation at it."
Old White's length and lack of deep rough have led to an assault on the pins, and rains that softened the greens earlier in the week have made solid scoring even more possible.
Overton's 8-under 62 was the low round of the tournament and his best of the year.
He used wedges on all but one approach shot during a bogey-free round to finish two rounds at 14 under.
"I don't really know the last time I was playing with this much confidence," said Overton, who's winless in five years on the PGA Tour. "I'm just kind of getting used to the whole PGA Tour lifestyle."
The 27-year-old Overton, a former Big Ten player of the year at Indiana, needed just 26 putts in his best round of the year. He topped his previous low of 7-under 63 at the Colonial.
Starting on the back nine, Overton came to the par-4 seventh needing to close with three birdies for a 59. His approach from 85 yards landed 18 feet from the pin and he slid his putt to the right. He finished with three straight pars but wasn't disappointed.
The Bloomington, Ind., resident is having his best season with four top five finishes, including three in his last six events. Overton finished second by two strokes each at the Zurich Classic and the Byron Nelson Championship.
Overton is 12th in FedEx Cup points and could vault to No. 2 with a win, depending on the finishes of two players higher than him in the field, Jim Furyk at No. 5 and Matt Kuchar at No. 7.
"Obviously I'd take a win over a second any day of the week - over 100 seconds," Overton said. "You never know when it's your time."
Furyk was 7 under in the Greenbrier Classic and Kuchar was 2 under.
Jimmy Walker (64) and double heart transplant recipient Erik Compton (68) were tied for third place at 9 under. Compton, the first-round co-leader, is playing on a sponsor's exemption.
Walker was poised to overtake Weekley but had two late bogeys.
Aaron Baddeley (65), Briny Baird (65), Chris Stroud (63) and Charles Howell III (67) were six strokes back at 5 under.
Compton couldn't grind out the birdies that dominated his first round, when he tied Matt Every for the lead at 7 under.
Still, Compton, looking to solidify a future either on the PGA Tour or the Nationwide circuit, put himself in good position for the weekend. His highest finish is 30th at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
"I was just frustrated because three birdies out here is not acceptable," Compton said. "I need to be a little better keeping it below the hole."
Every made double bogey at the par-5 17th, shot 72 and was nine strokes back.
Carl Pettersson, last week's Canadian Open winner who barely made the cut in that tournament, shot 64 Friday and was at 5 under, three strokes above the cut line.
SECOND-ROUND TOTALS
Par 140 (2x70)
126 Jeff Overton 64 62
130 Boo Weekley 67 63
131 Erik Compton 63 68, Jimmy Walker 67 64
132 Aaron Baddeley (Aus) 67 65, Chris Stroud 69 63, Briny Baird 67 65, Charles Howell III 65 67
133 Spencer Levin 66 67, Brendon De Jonge 65 68, Pat Perez 64 69, Scott McCarron 67 66, Chris Couch 66 67, Scott Piercy 66 67, Richard S Johnson (Swe) 66 67, Ben Crane 66 67, Jim Furyk 68 65
134 Paul Stankowski 69 65, Davis Love III 68 66, Matt Bettencourt 65 69, D.A. Points 68 66, John Rollins 65 69, Bob Estes 66 68, Troy Matteson 69 65, Jonathan Byrd 69 65, Stuart Appleby (Aus) 66 68
135 Tim Herron 69 66, Sergio Garcia (Spa) 68 67, Steve Flesch 68 67, John Senden (Aus) 68 67, Woody Austin 67 68, Ben Curtis 69 66, Roger Tambellini 69 66, Justin Leonard 67 68, Chad Collins 66 69, Matthew Every 63 72, Tom Gillis 72 63, Brett Wetterich 67 68, Carl Pettersson (Swe) 71 64, Skip Kendall 67 68, Stephen Ames (Can) 68 67
136 Brian Stuard 67 69, Aron Price (Aus) 65 71, Charley Hoffman 70 66, Bill Lunde 69 67, Kevin Sutherland 67 69, Dean Wilson 66 70, Marc Leishman (Aus) 68 68, Jeev Milkha Singh (Ind) 67 69, Michael Bradley 69 67, Chris DiMarco 70 66, Kevin Na 70 66, Charlie Wi (Kor) 69 67, Arjun Atwal (Ind) 68 68, Mathew Goggin (Aus) 66 70, John Huston 71 65, Brandt Snedeker 68 68, Troy Merritt 69 67
137 Charles Warren 69 68, Brent Delahoussaye 68 69, Michael Letzig 72 65, Chris Riley 68 69, Joe Ogilvie 68 69, Greg Chalmers (Aus) 68 69, Graham Delaet (Can) 70 67, Cameron Percy (Aus) 69 68, John Daly 69 68, Jay Williamson 66 71
138 Jonathan Bartlett 70 68, Jeff Quinney 66 72, Brenden Pappas (Rsa) 71 67, Blake Adams 71 67, Joe Durant 70 68, Roland Thatcher 71 67, Craig Bowden 68 70, Nicholas Thompson 70 68, Garrett Willis 71 67, Matt Kuchar 69 69, Derek Lamely 69 69, Ricky Barnes 70 68, J.B. Holmes 69 69, J J Henry 69 69, Cameron Beckman 68 70, Jerod Turner 69 69, Rocco Mediate 70 68
MISSED THE CUT
139 Martin Flores 71 68, Garth Mulroy (Rsa) 68 71, David Toms 70 69, Steve Wheatcroft 70 69, James Driscoll 68 71, John Mallinger 66 73, James Nitties (Aus) 76 63, Bob Sowards 71 68, Will MacKenzie 73 66, Daniel Chopra (Swe) 70 69, Jerry Kelly 70 69, Andrew McLardy (Rsa) 71 68, Kevin Streelman 73 66, Paul Goydos 66 73, Trevor Immelman (Rsa) 71 68, Drew Weaver 68 71, Johnson Wagner 73 66, Cameron Tringale 74 65
140 Patrick Moore 68 72, Billy Mayfair 70 70, Lee Janzen 67 73, Gary Woodland 71 69, Tom Pernice Jnr. 72 68, Greg Owen (Eng) 68 72, Matthew Jones (Aus) 70 70, Brad Faxon 73 67, George McNeill 64 76, Justin Bolli 68 72, Brett Quigley 72 68, Tim Petrovic 72 68, Alex Hamilton 67 73, Josh Teater 72 68
141 Rodney Pampling (Aus) 71 70, Brian Gay 74 67, Ted Purdy 73 68, Todd Hamilton 73 68, Kevin Stadler 73 68, Jarrod Lyle (Aus) 71 70, Ryuji Imada (Jpn) 72 69, Glen Day 71 70
142 Vance Veazey 71 71, Barry Evans 71 71
143 Kenny Perry 75 68, David Morland IV (Can) 73 70, Chris Tidland 71 72, Robert Garrigus 71 72, Steve Lowery 72 71, Sam Saunders 73 70, D.J. Trahan 72 71, Mark Wilson 69 74
144 Brian Davis (Eng) 74 70, John Merrick 70 74, Omar Uresti 73 71
145 David Lutterus (Rsa) 72 73, Kevin Johnson 74 71, Martin Laird (Sco) 69 76, Mathias Gronberg (Swe) 74 71, Alex Prugh 73 72
146 Chris Wilson 71 75, Jeff Maggert 71 75, Jeff Gove 75 71, Cliff Kresge 76 70, Henrik Bjornstad (Nor) 73 73, Alex Cejka (Ger) 77 69
147 Michael Connell 76 71
150 Willis Ring 77 73, Rich Barcelo 77 73, Webb Simpson 74 76
151 Mark Hensby (Aus) 76 75
152 Dick Mast 71 81

Langer leads by two as he chases back to back Senior major titles

FROM THE GOLF.COM WEBSITE
SAMMAMISH, Wash. (AP) — Bernhard Langer waited much of Friday morning for the soupy fog on the Sammamish Plateau to finally lift. He spent the evening waiting for someone to make a charge up the leaderboard.
In between, Langer put himself in position for a second consecutive major championship.
Langer overcame a shaky front nine with an eagle and birdie on the inward half to take the lead at 3 under in the second round of the U.S. Senior Open as many of the other contenders simply tried to stay close entering the weekend.
After a fog delay of more than two hours brought play to a halt just before 8 a.m., Langer shot a 2-under 68 making a number of key putts on the back nine when his round easily could have slipped away.
"You never quite know. It's the type of golf course that any hole can get to you," said Langer, coming off a victory last week in the Senior British Open at Carnoustie. "You just got to be careful and hit good shots."
Langer was careful, not to mention a little fortunate with the putter Friday. He's the only player with two rounds in the 60s on the par-70 layout at Sahalee Country Club, and will take a two-shot lead into the third round.
If successful this week, Langer would be the first player on the Champions Tour to win consecutive majors since Tom Watson in 2003 in the Senior British Open and Tradition.
But Watson didn't win those titles in back-to-back weeks with eight time zones in between.
"This is a big enough event to pick yourself up and get motivated and get moving," Langer said. "I don't have a lot of problems with that."
While Langer managed to tame the ball-hawking tree limbs of Sahalee, others were far less successful. Only four players finished the second round under par, with another four sitting at even. First-round leader Bruce Vaughan gave back all of his 66 from Thursday before he made the turn. He shot 82.
Little known J.R. Roth had a 66, the best round of the day. He curled in a 25-foot bender on the 18th to finish at 1 under for the tournament. John Cook (68) and Tommy Armour III (68) also were 1 under.
"I think the way USGA sets up the golf course it really is good for me, because I'm just one of those guys that grinds it out," said Roth, playing in his first USGA event in 35 years.
Hometown favourite Fred Couples and Watson led the group at even par. Constantly trying to stretch out his always stiff back, Couples sent a wave of roars echoing between the cedars and firs of Sahalee when he dropped in a tricky 35-foot bender on the par-3 ninth that got Couples back to 1 under. A pair of bogeys early in his back nine pushed Couples to 1 over, but a birdie at No. 16 and pars on the last two holes left Couples right where he started.
"I didn't realize last year that they shot so many under, wherever they played," Couples said about Fred Funk's winning score of 20 under last year at Crooked Stick. "But I think that kind of killed us here because there may not be anyone under par when the tournament is over; it's that hard."
After a bogey at No. 1 and birdie at No. 2, Watson made 14 straight pars before a bogey at the 17th when his tee shot imbedded in the bank near the water hazard in front of the green. Watson took a drop, but chunked his chip and made bogey.
He rebounded with a birdie on the uphill par-4 18th, the second-toughest hole on the course.
Scott Simpson and Tom Kite wer 1 over, four shots back.
He was 1 over on the front nine after missing a short par putt on the ninth, then jump-started his round with an eagle on the long par 5 11th hole, sinking a 40-foot putt for the first eagle on the hole this week. Langer made long par saving putts on Nos. 12 and 15, then birdied the par-3 17th, knocking a 6 iron to six feet. Langer delicately two-putted on the 18th to finish his round.
"I hit it straight and made some putts. It's always the same, isn't it?" Langer said. "Just different venues, different conditions, but it's always same idea, hit it where you're looking and try and play smart."
While scores were generally closer to par than Thursday's first round when just eight players broke par, low scores were still tough to find. Larry Mize was 3 under on his round with two holes to play before a double bogey on his 17th hole. Roberts seemed poised to join Langer at 3 under before a double bogey at the 15th. Cook also made a pair of bogeys on his final three holes.
"Here there's no mystery, you just have to put the ball in the fairway and then you have to hit quality iron shots with the right trajectory and distance," Cook said. "Otherwise, you might as well just pack up and go, because it will eat you alive."
The second round had barely started when fog brought play to a halt. The low cloud deck engulfed the course and made it nearly impossible to see the end of the driving range. Play was stopped at 7:48 a.m. and the delay of 2 hours, 12 minutes pushed the afternoon starting times back. The final groups finished just after 9 p.m.
SECOND-ROUND TOTALS
Par 140 (2x70)
137 Bernhard Langer (Ger) 69 68
139 John Cook 71 68, J.r. Roth 73 66, Tommy Armour III 71 68
140 Michael Allen 69 71, Loren Roberts 68 72, Tom Watson 70 70, Fred Couples 70 70
141 Tom Kite 72 69, Scott Simpson 70 71
142 Mark Calcavecchia 69 73, Joe Ozaki (Jpn) 69 73, Chien-Soon Lu (Tpe) 71 71, Javier Sanchez 71 71, J.L. Lewis 72 70
143 Olin Browne 73 70, Eduardo Romero (Arg) 71 72, Larry Mize 74 69, Jay Haas 70 73, Peter Senior (Aus) 73 70
144 Russ Cochran 75 69, Mike Reid 74 70, Keith Fergus 71 73, Tom Lehman 69 75
145 Jeff Hart 73 72, Joey Sindelar 74 71, Mark Wiebe 73 72, Don Pooley 72 73
146 Bruce Fleisher 77 69, Ralph West 71 75, John Morse 72 74, Fred Funk 76 70
147 Tom Purtzer 72 75, Jeff Sluman 73 74, Corey Pavin 72 75, Mark Johnson 75 72, James Mason 75 72, Tim Jackson 68 79, Jim Rutledge (Can) 73 74
148 Bruce Vaughan 66 82, Steven Hudson 73 75, Mike Goodes 73 75, Allen Doyle 72 76, David Frost (Rsa) 76 72, Jeff Thomsen 75 73, Jim Chancey 73 75, Bob Tway 73 75
149 Rich Parker 72 77, Gene Jones 78 71, Craig Stadler 74 75, Jim Roy 76 73, Morris Hatalsky 77 72, Bob Gilder 75 74, Bill Britton 76 73, Rod Spittle (Can) 75 74, Dan Forsman 78 71, John Grace (Ae) 74 75, Jon Fiedler 75 74
150 Gary Hallberg 73 77, Gil Morgan 76 74, Denis Watson (Zim) 79 71, Paul Trittler 77 73, Hal Sutton 73 77, Rod Nuckolls 73 77, Graham Marsh (Aus) 74 76, Mike Lawrence 77 73, Bill Sautter 73 77, Tsukasa Watanabe (Jpn) 75 75, Bob Niger 77 73
MISSED THE CUT
151 Andy Bean 76 75, R.W. Eaks 74 77, Casey Boyns 73 78, Mike Hulbert 75 76, Mark Houser 76 75, Ron Ptacek 72 79, Hale Irwin 73 78, John Jacobs 77 74
152 Ron Vlosich 75 77, John Adams 76 76, Mark O'Meara 75 77, Dave Eichelberger 78 74, Curt Byrum 79 73
153 Phil Blackmar 76 77, Christoffer Lange 75 78, Jerry Johnson 81 72, Rick Lewallen 80 73, Bob Ford (Eng) 79 74, Tommy Brannen 76 77
154 Jerry Courville 77 77, Robin Freeman 77 77, Mitch Adams 77 77
155 David Ogrin 79 76, Tom Jenkins 78 77, Trevor Dodds (Na) 78 77, Tim Parun 81 74
156 Pat Laverty 75 81, Will Copeland 78 78, Dale Douglass 78 78, Mike Donald 76 80, Ken Lacy 77 79
157 Dave Bell 82 75, Brad Bryant 79 78, Stacey Hart 79 78, Steve Krause 78 79, Ben Crenshaw 76 81, Glenn Ralph (Eng) 81 76, Mike Booker 76 81
158 Tom Bryant 79 79, Michael Paul 83 75, Lindy Miller 83 75, Buddy Marucci 76 82, Jeff Klein 80 78, Tom Brandes 82 76, Eddie Terasa 81 77, Kevin Klier 82 76
159 John Vaccaro 80 79, Pat Thompson 74 85, Thomas Herzan 81 78, Fuzzy Zoeller 76 83, Dirk Maust 81 78, Tim Matthews 76 83, Bobby Wadkins 79 80
160 Kim Dolan 79 81, Martin Rifkin 84 76, Ken Palladino 77 83
162 Vinny Giles 81 81, Gary Sowinski 84 78, Dale Tallon (Can) 81 81, Doug Harris 81 81
163 Tim Walton 76 87, Mike Diffley 83 80
164 Tom Cleaver 83 81, Mark Nickeas 83 81
165 Larry Stubblefield 86 79, Jay Norman 82 83, Jim Stormont 84 81, John Paesani 81 84
166 Dave Massey 82 84, Pete Williams 81 85, Gary McClure 78 88
167 Dan Bieber 83 84, Pat Diesu 91 76, Steve Moran 85 82
168 Scott Sullivan 87 81
169 Rick Ten broeck 86 83
170 Tom Norton 80 90
171 Scott Mahlberg 82 89
172 Ned Weaver 84 88, Tommy Robinson 83 89, Mark Battista 91 81
174 Gary Lindeblad 89 85
178 James Ferguson 90 88

Ross Fisher three ahead after a 61 (and it could have been 59)

FROM THE AOL GOLF NEWS SERVICE
England's Ross Fisher erupted into life again with a 61 in Killarney on Friday - and he needed nobody to tell him it could have been an historic 59.
One of Europe's great talents has been somewhat dormant since winning the Volvo World Match Play in Spain last November.
But his bid for the Ryder Cup debut he just missed last time was reignited by a remarkable charge into a three-stroke halfway lead over Italian Francesco Molinari at the 3 Irish Open.
Six successive birdies for a front-nine 29, then four more in a row from the 11th left Fisher needing just two from the last four to become the European Tour's first player to break 60.
There have been four 59s on the US Tour, the most recent of them by Paul Goydos earlier this month, while Ryo Ishikawa shot 58 in Japan in May and only a few days ago a 17-year-old amateur scored 57 in the Alabama Boys State Junior Championship.
But, like so many before him, Fisher had to settle for the lowest round of his Tour career and not the record.
He missed from six feet at the 15th, only parred the long 16th as well after driving into sand and failed with birdie attempts on the last two.
"I was standing on the 14th green and it (59) did sort of enter my mind," said the 29-year-old, who could leap from 13th to sixth in the cup standings by winning on Sunday.
"I was quite strong mentally to try and block it out of my mind. I just tried to give myself four chances and I did that, but it wasn't meant to be."
As for making it into Colin Montgomerie's side he added: "This is the start of three big weeks, so I just need to go out and play how I know I can - and fingers crossed."
SECOND-ROUND TOTALS
Par 142 (2x71)
130 Ross Fisher 69 61
133 Francesco Molinari (Ita) 67 66
135 Anders Hansen (Den) 67 68, Padraig Harrington 68 67, Noh Seung-yul (Kor) 66 69, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (Spa) 66 69, Brett Rumford (Aus) 66 69, Michael Hoey 66 69, David Dixon 67 68, Richard Green (Aus) 65 70, Rory McIlroy 67 68
163 Chris Wood 71 65, Paul McGinley 68 68, Darren Clarke 66 70, Johan Edfors (Swe) 67 69, Marcel Siem (Ger) 66 70, Anton Haig (Rsa) 66 70
163 Damien McGrane 65 72
138 David Drysdale 67 71, Patrik Sjoland (Swe) 68 70, Simon Khan 68 70, Paul Lawrie 66 72, Sam Hutsby 69 69
139 David Howell 64 75, Alejandro Canizares (Spa) 69 70, Shane Lowry 74 65, Mark Foster 69 70, Alastair Forsyth 69 70, Steven O'Hara 68 71, Richie Ramsay 71 68, Joost Luiten (Ned) 74 65, Peter Whiteford 70 69, Andrew Dodt (Aus) 67 72, Paul Broadhurst 68 71, Mark Haastrup (Den) 67 72
140 Danny Lee (Nzl) 67 73, Mark Brown (Nzl) 72 68, Eirik Tage Johansen (Nor) 67 73, Marc Warren 69 71, Anthony Kang (USA) 69 71, Phillip Archer 71 69, Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (Fra) 66 74, Richard Bland 69 71, Martin Wiegele (Aut) 67 73
141 Graeme Storm 70 71, Mikael Lundberg (Swe) 71 70, Maarten Lafeber (Ned) 70 71, Peter O'Malley (Aus) 69 72, Robert-Jan Derksen (Ned) 71 70, Richard McEvoy 69 72, Paul Waring 75 66, Gregory Havret (Fra) 72 69, Ariel Canete (Arg) 69 72, Nicolas Colsaerts (Bel) 68 73, Martin Erlandsson (Swe) 71 70, Markus Brier (Aut) 69 72, Sion Bebb 70 71, Peter Baker 71 70, Rick Kulacz (Aus) 71 70
142 Oskar Henningsson (Swe) 72 70, Julien Quesne (Fra) 71 71, Robert Coles 69 73, Graeme McDowell 70 72, Stephen Gallacher 70 72, Richard Finch 70 72, Pablo Martin (Spa) 73 69, Anthony Wall 72 70, Justin Rose 74 68, Matteo Manassero (Ita) 72 70, Jamie Donaldson 72 70, Barrie Trainor 69 73
MISSED THE CUT
143 Ricardo Gonzalez (Arg) 71 72, Francois Delamontagne (Fra) 67 76, David Horsey 72 71, Marcus Fraser (Aus) 71 72, Damian Mooney 72 71, Andrew Butterfield 72 71, Jeppe Huldahl (Den) 70 73, Gary Boyd 72 71, Gareth Maybin 71 72, George Coetzee (Rsa) 70 73
144 David Higgins 72 72, Simon Dyson 70 74, Ignacio Garrido (Spa) 69 75, Shiv Kapur (Ind) 68 76, Daniel Vancsik (Arg) 72 72, Rafa Echenique (Arg) 76 68, Rhys Davies 72 72, Christian Nilsson (Swe) 69 75, David Lynn 73 71, Phillip Price 70 74
145 Pablo Larrazabal (Spa) 72 73, Tano Goya (Arg) 72 73, Fredrik Ohlsson (Swe) 71 74, Peter Lawrie 72 73, Peter Hedblom (Swe) 74 71, James Kamte (Rsa) 72 73, Simon Thornton 71 74, Jose-Filipe Lima (Por) 78 67, Carlos Rodiles (Spa) 73 72
146 Victor Dubuisson (Fra) 71 75, Fabrizio Zanotti (Par) 70 76, Niclas Fasth (Swe) 71 75, David Carter 73 73, John Parry 69 77
147 Colm Moriarty 73 74, Chris Gane 78 69, Andrew Tampion (Aus) 72 75, Steve Webster 72 75, Thomas Aiken (Rsa) 71 76, Bradley Dredge 70 77, Rafael Cabrera-Bello (Spa) 72 75, Clodomiro Carranza (Arg) 72 75
148 Ross McGowan 73 75, Benjamin Hebert (Fra) 73 75, Cian Curley 73 75, Alan Dunbar 72 76, Christian Cevaer (Fra) 72 76, Paul Cutler 73 75
149 Michael Campbell (Nzl) 72 77, Barry Lane 75 74, Carl Suneson (Spa) 74 75, Scott Strange (Aus) 72 77, Marco Ruiz (Par) 71 78, Peter Martin 75 74
150 Nick Dougherty 73 77, Oliver Fisher 74 76, Daniel Sugrue 74 76
151 Stephen Dodd 74 77, John Kelly 77 74, Felipe Aguilar (Chi) 77 74, Chapchai Nirat (Thai) 76 75, Andrew Coltart 79 72
152 Mikko Ilonen (Fin) 74 78, Michael Collins 79 73
153 Gary Murphy 75 78, SSP Chowrasia (Ind) 75 78, David Ryan 75 78
154 Pat Murray 78 76, Gary Lockerbie 77 77, Hennie Otto (Rsa) 71 83, Gary Cullen 77 77
156 Jean-Francois Lucquin (Fra) 77 79
158 Jamie Elson 74 84, James Morrison 75 83
159 Philip Walton 79 80
RTD: Jose Manuel Lara (Spa) 75, Sam Little 72

WD: Kenneth Ferrie 77

SANDY PIRIE WINS BATTLE OF

PAST WALKER CUP PLAYERS

Former Walker Cup player Sandy Pirie (Hazlehead) won the trophy named after him at the inaugural Scottish Super Seniors amateur golf tournament at Stirling Golf Club today.
Pirie, the instigator of the tournament for over 65s, tied with another past Walker Cup man, Scott MacDonald (Dunfermline), on the three-over-par 147 mark at the end of 36 holes.
Sandy had to birdie the last hole of his second round for a round of 72 to finish level with first-round leader MacDonald who drifted from an opening 71 to a 76.
Pirie won the play-off with a par at the second extra hole, the 18th, to be the first recipient of the Sandy Pirie Trophy which was donated by the Scottish Senior Golfing Society for annual competition.
The over-70s trophy was won by Duncan MacCallum (Sitrling) with scores of 77 and 78 for 155 – three shots ahead of clubmate Bruce Hunter (81-77).
There were 36 competitors in the 65 to 69 years category and 11 in the 70 years and over.
SCOTTISH SUPER SENIORS TOURNAMENT
Stirling Golf Club.
Leading totals
Par 144 (2x72)
65 to 69 years
147 Sandy Pirie (Hazlehead) 75 72, Scott MacDonald (Dunfermline) 71 76 (Pirie won sudden-death play-off at second extra hole).
149 David A Millar (St Andrews New) 75 74.
151 Brian Grieve (King James VI 75 76, Billy Wallace (St Cuthbert) 75 76.
154 Tony McIntyre (Lundin) 82 72, David J Smith (Stirling) 80 74.
155 Sandy Quinn (Stirling) 80 75.
156 Trevor Bennet (Great Barr) 79 77.
70 years and over
155 Duncan MacCallum (Stirling) 77 78.
158 Bruce Hunter (Stirling) 81 77.
159 Johnston Mackie (Glenearn) 80 79.

ends

Scroll down to read Ian Bratton's silver lining footnote

Hutcheon, Kelly share Ellon victory after Bratton nightmare finish

Greig Hutcheon (Banchory) and Cawder's Chris Kelly earned £955 a piece in sharing victory with four-under-par 66s in today's Asset Brokers International pro-am at McDonald Ellon Golf Club.
Hutcheon birdied the first, fourth, fifth, ninth and 14th, dropping a costly late shot with a bogey at the 17th.
Kelly birdied the first, second, fourth, 13th and 14th but shed a shot at the seventh.
But the real "loser" was Newburgh on Ythan club pro Ian Bratton who fell foul of the notorious difficult finishing holes at Ellon. Needing two pars to win by a couple of shots, he bogeyed the 17th and ran up a double bogey at the 18th for a 67, which put him a tie for third place with former Northern Open champion Fraser Mann, now unattached. Bratton and Mann both earned £557.45.
Mann led the Surelift trio of amateurs, Brian Emslie (handicap 14), George McIntosh (9) and Gordon Thomson (11), to victory in the team event with a best-ball net score of 20-under-par 120.
LEADING PRO TOTALS
Par 70
66 Greig Hutcheon (Banchory), Chris Kelly (Cawder) (£955.64 each).
67 Fraser Mann (unatt), Ian Bratton (Newburgh on Ythan) (£557.45 each).
68 Stephen Gray (Hayston), Mark King (Kingsfield), Ross Cameron (McDonald Ellon) (£325.55 each).
69 Scott Henderson (Kings Links), Jason McCreadie (Buchanan Castle), Graeme Lornie (Paul Lawrie Foundation) (£205.35 each).
70 Lindsay Mann (Carnoustie), Robert Arnott (Bishopbriggs), Chris Doak (unatt), Brian Leishman (Gleneagles Hotel) (£137.99 each).
71 Sandy Aird jun (McDonald Ellon), Colin Gillies (Braid Hills), Andrew Oldcorn (Kings Acre), Steven Taylor (Bothwell Castle), Paul McKechnie (Braid Hills) (£84.98 each).
72 Clarke Lutton (Qatar Golf International), Alan E Reid (West Lothian), Craig Matheson (Falkirk Tryst) (£48.79 each).

The morning after the day before, Ian Bratton, the Newburgh club pro writes:

Although disappointed with my last two holes at Ellon yesterday, I was quite surprised with my form during the round.
I have only managed three rounds of golf in the last month, once on holiday in Spain with rented clubs , once at Newburgh with friends and once at Royal Aberdeen on Thursday in preparation for the EllonPro Am. That depends if you call shooting 84 round Royal Aberdeen good preparation.
So on the 1st tee at Ellon I decided to hit my three iron as I was not quite sure what planet my driver may finish on. I then quietly stumbled to the seventh tee in two over par. I decided to give my playing partners a wee team talk. I thought we needed to pick up a few birdies if we were to stand a chance of picking up a team prize. Well I thought at least I might earn a hundred quid if the team played well.
Anyway I missed the seventh green to right, happy that it didn't finish in some bodies front garden. I decided to pitch on to the green. The ball came off the club face nicely and popped in for a birdie two. More relief that I hadn't duffed than joy at holing it. It seemed to help a wee bit and I then birdied the eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh, twelve and thirteenth. ( 7 birdies in a row).
I then knocked it close on fourteen and three putted for bogey from above a treacherous pin placement. I then decided to birdie the fifteenth and sixteenth as well. ( 9 birdies in 10 holes) . Six under with two holes to play. A couple of bad breaks on the last two holes, probably the toughest closing holes in Scotland and a good day's work was done. I picked up £557 for my score and £125 for second team score. We then won the raffle for £280 and my team who I play with every year called "The three Kings" gave me their prize vouchers to pay into my shop.
A silver lining on the last two holes at Ellon. Not many people can say that.
My score 67 (3 under)
Team score 121 ( 19 under)
Ian Bratton,
PGA Golf Professional,
Newburgh on Ythan Golf Links

FLEETWOOD v HARMSTON FOR ENGLISH TITLE

FROM THE ENGLISH GOLF UNION WEBSITE
Tommy Fleetwood will play Warren Harmston over 36 holes for the English Amateur Championship at Little Aston tomorrow. In the semi-finals, Fleetwood put out his England team-mate Tom Lewis 3 and 1 while Warren Harmston overcame Ross Dee 2 and 1.
In front of a large crowd, Fleetwood and Lewis produced some stunning golf over the front nine befitting their reputations and their status within the amateur game. Play became a bit scrappy after the turn, no doubt reflecting a tough, relenting week.
“I’m relieved,” said Fleetwood. “I know Tom well. We were foursomes partners in the European Championships and I was on my knees going out this afternoon. But I just had to keep my head down and managed to get the job done.
“I knew that if I could shoot under par I would be hard to beat but I got a bit nervous on the back nine. I just hope now that I can win a national final. I’ve been in three and lost them all.”
Lewis rued the fact that his best game deserted him when he needed it most, especially when he got off to a flying start by winning the first two holes, one with a birdie. But Fleetwood got back on track with three successive birdies to go in front and he went 2up at the sixth when Lewis found the bushes then sand.
At the par four eighth, Lewis took three from the back fringe to fall further behind and from then on he was fighting an uphill battle.
He got back to 2down with a birdie-three at the tenth but was unable to make further inroads as both players produced some scrappy holes, including a half in sixes at the long 12th.
Still 2down playing the 17th, Lewis had a 20-footer to stay alive and when he knocked his putt six feet past he shook Fleetwood’s hand.
“Tommy played good golf but I hit a lot of wild shots,” said Lewis. “I hope he goes on and wins and rounds off his amateur career in style.
“I got off to a good start but I gave away some holes and you can’t do that with someone like Tommy. But it just didn’t happen for me.”
In the other semi-final, Harmston lost the first hole but that was the only time he was behind. He won the second with a par which seemed to set the pattern as Dee suffered on the greens and made too many bogeys.
A birdie at three put the Surrey man in front while another Dee bogey at four put him 2up. He also won the short fifth with a 20-foot birdie but he gave that back with a bogey at six after failing to get up-and-down after flying the green.
Harmston was still 2up at the turn but again a faulty approach brought another bogey and trimmed his lead to one. But a Dee fightback was halted with a bogey at the 14th and the Essex man’s hopes ended in a watery grave on the 17th.
Dee’s drive got a bad bounce and he was blocked out by trees. In trying to draw his approach into the pin on the par four, he hit it too well and found water at the back of the green.
After a drop it ended in a double bogey six while a par ensured Harmston his victory and a place in the final.
“I can’t believe I’m in the final,” he said. “It hasn’t sunk in yet but it probably will when I stand on the first tee in the morning.
“It was a scrappy match. I holed a couple of nice putts which probably got me through. It was one of the worst matches I’ve played this week, but typical match play. There were also some tricky pins, the hardest we’ve had so far.”
Dee, who couldn’t get his putts to drop, was nevertheless pleased to have got so far. “It’s been an awesome week,” he said. “I’m happy with the way I played but a bit disappointed as well. I couldn’t get the putts to drop this afternoon but Warren played pretty solid.”

CLICK HERE FOR TODAY'S RESULTS

Paul O'Hara four behind with round to go in Germany

Motherwell's Paul O'Hara is four shots off the pace in joint fourth place with one round to to in Germany's EPD Tour event, the Green Eagle Classic near Hamburg.
O'Hara has had rounds of 70 and 72 over a par-73 course for a two-round total of 143.
The Scot, who had a bogey-free opening round, had four bogeys today (Friday) but cancelled them out with an albatross 2 at the par-5 fourth hole and a birdie 2 at the short 14th.
Leading the field is Sweden's Marcus Palm on seven-under 139 with rounds of 68 and 71

EPD TOUR - Green Eagle Class
Hamburg, Germany
SECOND-ROUND TOTALS
Par 146 (2x73)
139 Marcus Palm (Sweden) 68 71.
142 Gustav Adell (Sweden) 74 68, Rasmus Hjelm (Denmark) 70 72.
143 Gerant Jackson (England) 71 72, Paul O'Hara (Scotland) 70 72.
Selected scores:
148 Lee Corfield (England) 74 74.
Missed the cut
155 Ben Parker (England) 79 76, Philip Gresswell (England) 75 80.
161 Stephen Murphy (Scotland) 82 79.

Erik Compton up front in Greenbrier Classic

The man with two new hearts, shares led with a seven-under 63

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, West Virginia: Erik Compton is a walking billboard for organ donation and sheer determination. He's also at the top of the Greenbrier Classic leaderboard.
Playing on a late sponsor exemption, the 30-year-old double heart transplant recipient shot a 7-under 63 on Thursday to share the first-round lead with rookie Matt Every in the inaugural tournament.
Compton spent eight straight days doing yard work at home in Miami before he got the call Saturday to play in the tournament. He's making the most of his late invite, overcoming a slow start with nine birdies on the Old White course.
"You know, some guys miss six, seven cuts in a row and then win," Compton said. "I know I'm a good player, and I have a lot of the adversity in front of me with the game and health. But I always feel like if I stick in there and keep trying, something eventually good is going to happen."
George McNeill, Pat Perez and Jeff Overton opened with 64s.
Nearly all of the field hadn't played the course before this week, but it wasn't a detriment - 24 players were at 4 under or better.
While more than half of the field is in jeopardy of missing the FedEx Cup playoffs and others are trying to secure spots in next month's PGA Championship at Whistling Straits, Compton is taking it week by week, looking to solidify a future either on the PGA Tour or the Nationwide circuit.
A few years ago, it wasn't looking so bright.
Compton was diagnosed with viral cardiomyopathy at age 9. The disease inflames the heart and leaves it unable to pump as hard as it needs to. His first transplant came three years later and another occurred in 2008.
He didn't think he'd play golf again and even sold his equipment after the second transplant. But his health improved quickly and he returned to the game within weeks.
This season he's made four cuts in seven starts.
In the past he might have denied that his double transplants would have been a bigger deal than shooting a low score, but not now.
"It affects so many people," Compton said.
Compton's stamina is good, though he admits it may not be up to the level of other players. That's in part due to the hilly terrain and expansive layout of some courses.
Fortunately for him, Old White is relatively flat.
"My health is great. I keep a good eye on it," Compton said. "I'm almost like a doctor now myself because I've been through so much and being able to manage medications and take it on the road."
Good friend Victor Billskoog, who's carrying Compton's bag this week for the first time, is hoping to attend the PGA Tour's qualifying school and uses Compton as an inspiration.
"He has such a great story coming from the depths that he came from," Billskoog said. "When I get down on myself and think about how hard I'm having it, I think about Erik and his remarkable story."
An accurate driver, Compton showed a good all-around game Thursday, reaching 11 of 14 fairways and 15 of 18 greens in regulation. He needed just 26 putts.
Things didn't start out so good.
Compton bogeyed two of the first three holes, then rattled off seven birdies over a nine-hole stretch. He also birdied the par-4 14th and his chip from behind the green to the par-5 17th hit the flag, leaving him with another short birdie.
"I'm just trying to enjoy the opportunity," Compton said. "It's just the first round. I've played this sport long enough to know that (Friday) I tee off at 2 o'clock and might be seven back. So I'm just trying to be patient."
Compton's previous best round this year was 4-under 67 in February at the Mayakoba Golf Classic. His best finish was a tie for 30th at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
He qualified for the U.S. Open in June after a 36-hole sectional that included a playoff. He shot 77-81 in the Open and missed the cut.
After missing the cut two weeks ago at the Reno-Tahoe Open, Compton went back to his new home for some serious yard work, planting palm, oak and Italian Cypress trees and redoing the lawn.
"I've done flowers before, but nothing will grow in 150-degree weather in Miami," Compton said.
After more than a week of getting his hands dirty, he got the call to play golf again - and has come to appreciate the beauty of Old White, which has undergone some tweaking and considerable floral touch ups in preparation for the tournament.
"This place is immaculate," Compton said. "That why it's so neat to see the landscaping here. As a golfer, you like to have your yard look nice."
Every, starting on the back nine, eagled the par-5 12th and had three straight birdies to make the turn at 6 under. He added a birdie at the par-4 sixth hole.
The 26-year-old Every's best finish is eighth at the Phoenix Open in late February. He's played in just 11 tournaments in the last five months after breaking his left pinky finger.
"My game's coming around," said Every, recently arrested in Iowa and charged with possession of a controlled substance. He has denied possessing marijuana.
Overton, seeking his fifth top-10 finish this season, had the chance to tie for the lead but made bogey on the par-3 18th after his tee shot flew the green.
Brendon de Jonge, Charles Howell III, Aron Price, Matt Bettencourt and John Rollins shot 65s. Jim Furyk, who's fifth in the FedExCup points standings and can jump past Ernie Els into the top spot with a second place or better finish, had a 68.
Carl Pettersson, winner of the Canadian Open last week, had a 71.
Afternoon play was stopped for 1 hour, 33 minutes due to storms.

Carrell adds Under-18s' match-play title to Under-16s stroke

Andrew Carrell, playing over his home Peterculter course, followed up his capture of the North-east District Under-16s stroke-play championship on Thursday by winning the Under-18s' match-play title today.
He beat Sam McNeill (Aboyne) by 5 and 4 in the semi-finals and then scored a 3 and 2 win over Sean Lawrie (Portlethen) in the final.
Results:
Semi-finals
Andrew Carrell (Peterculter) bt Sam McNeil (Aboyne) 5 and 4.
Sean Lawrie (Portlethen) bt Daniel Thompsett (Aboyne) at 19th.
Final
Carrell bt Lawrie 3 and 2.
Ryan McKinnon won the Under-14s championwith a scratch round of 69.
T M Cameron (Fraserburgh) won the Under-12s title with an 87.
Details:
Under-14s champiionship
Scratch
69 Ryan McKinnon (Inchmarlo).
70 A Fisher (Inchmarlo).
76 L Anderson (Deeside).
Handicap
62 C Coutts (Alford) (13).
67 C Giblin (Torphins) (23).
68 R Powell (Deeside) (15).
Under-12s championship
Scratch
87 T M Cameron (Fraserburgh).

Gullane semi-finals provide one eagle and 25 birdies

Golfing buddies Michael Stewart and

Jordan Findlay meet in 36-hole final

of Scottish amateur championship

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Troon’s Michael Stewart and Jordan Findlay from Fraserburgh – foursomes partners for a winning Scotland boys team at Lossiemouth in 2006 and golfing buddies for the past nine years – will cross swords in tomorrow's  36-hole final of the Allied Surveyors Scottish men’s amateur golf championship over the Gullane No 1 course East Lothian.
“We’ll be opponents – but we will never forget we are and will remain good friends – said the 20-year-old Stewart, pictured by Cal Carson Golf Agency today, the No 3 seed who won the Scottish boys match-play title in 2008. “I’m sure it’s going to be a lot of fun – but serious at the same time, if that’s possible.”
Jordan, who went to the same American college – East Tennessee State University – as Stewart, said: “Michael and I have been friends for so long that playing each other in the championship final is not going to change that.”
Findlay beat the No 1 seed and fellow North-east player James Byrne by one hole in the first semi-final.
Stewart beat Stephen Neilson from Dunbar by 4 and 3 in the other.
Both matches were a tremendous credit to Scottish men’s amateur golf.
In perfect, windless scoring conditions, the two ties were from the top drawer of golf – a combined bag of one eagle and 25 birdies being produced between the four players.
Stewart touched the scoring heights with one eagle, six birdies and a bogey, making him seven under par in beating Neilson.
“I reckon I’m 25 under par for my last six ties and my putter got red hot at last this afternoon,” he said.
Stephen Neilson, who had a personal bag of four birdies and three bogeys, was actually two up on Stewart after birdieing the second, third and fifth.
Then Stewart turned the tide and won the next four holes to go two up at the turn, having gone out in four-under-par 31.
Stewart, who was diagnosed with shingles a week ago, says he tires more easily but doesn’t feel any pain from the viral complaint.
Jordan Findlay, who was British boys champion in 2004 and beaten finalist in the same event a year later, had eight birdies and two bogeys to be six under par in beating Byrne – and he had to be!
Byrne himself had seven birdies and two bogeys. Fancy being five under par in a championship semi-final and losing .. earlier in the day, Byrne had a hole in one in his semi-final win over Michael Smith (Royal Troon), his first-round conqueror from last year.
Stewart, in his morning quarter-final, was two under par in beating 19-year-old Jordan McColl (Scotscraig) by 4 and 3.
The Findlay v Byrne match would have made a terrific final. That is not to say that Findlay v Stewart over two rounds will not also be a classic. But I've been reporting on Scottish amateur championships back to the days of the late Ronnie Shade, Charlie Green, Ian Hutcheon, Hugh Stuart and Sandy Pirie - and I cannot recall two semi-finals where the scoring in BOTH matches was so breathtakingly good.
Findlay holed a bunker shot to halve the eighth in birdie 3s – it was that kind of stuff usually reserved for the pages of fictional golf..
And Byrne, two down going into the closing stages, almost clawed it back and probably would have done against a lesser player.
The Banchory man, ranked No 13 in the world, won back the 15th with a birdie 4 to be one down with three to play. But Findlay held him at bay as the last two holes were halved in birdie 3s.
Byrne’s last desperate bid to keep his bid to reach another glory final – he lost in the 36-hole final of the British championship along the road at Muirfield in June – was to hole from 20 ft for a 3 at the par-4 18th.
But Findlay was not going to let his grip slacken now. He followed him in from 7ft to claim a place in what has the makings of a classic final.
"Reaching this final makes all the hard work changing my swing worth while. Bob Torrance warned me it would rough to start with but that the new swing would eventually take me to a higher level. I never lost faith in my own ability although others might have had their doubts," said Jordan, not normally an excitable or emotional man but obviously delighted to be in his first big championship final since he won the British boys championship in 2004 and reached the final of that event the following year.
For Stewart, the coach who has made him a better player than he might otherwise have been is Huntly-born Ian Rae.


Results of semi-finals:
Jordan Findlay (Fraserburgh) beat *James Byrne (Banchory) 1 hole.
*Michael Stewart (Troon Welbeck) beat Stephen Neilson (Dunbar) 4 and 3.

Allied Surveyors Scottish Men's Amateur Championship

NEWS FROM GULLANE SEMI-FINALS

Jordan Findlay (Fraserburgh) two up on *James Byrne (Banchory) after 14 holes.
Findlay was out in three-under-par 32 and two up.
Holes 12, 13 and 14 halved.

*Michael Stewart (Troon Welbeck) three up on Stephen Neilson (Dunbar) after 13 holes.
Stewart won four holes in a row from the sixth to go from two down to two up at the turn. Out in four-under-par 31.
Stewart also won 11th and 12th.

POWERADE PGA ASSISTANTS CHAMPIONSHIP WON BY

GUY WOODMAN FOR SECOND TIME IN THREE YEARS

East Berkshire's Guy Woodman was finally poised to celebrate his 33rd birthday in style after he lifted the Powerade PGA Assistants' Championship in association with FootJoy title for the second time in three years.
Woodman, who turned 33 yesterday, had been forced to put any celebrations on ice for 24 hours as he attempted to become only the fifth player in the tournament's 80-year history to win the title twice.
The 2008 champion, who was runner-up last year, kept his rivals at bay with a final round two-under-par 70 to clinch a three-shot victory in the £30,000 tournament at East Sussex National. Woodman collected a cheque for £5,000 plus he secured the chance to take on the cream of the European Tour at next year's flagship BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.
Sidmouth's Kevin Harper, in his first attempt, finished second after firing a three-under-par 69 to end at five-under. He collected a cheque for £3,000.
East Kilbride's Graham Fox, who began the final round a shot behind the winner, carded a three-over-par 75 to claim third place at two-under and a cheque for £2,200.
Woodman, who paid tribute to his coach Andrew Nicholson, admitted that the final round had been a real pressure situation.
"It's the most nervous I've been on the course for a long time," he said.
"That was down to the weight of expectation not only from myself but from other people, while I knew there were five or six players behind me that if they got out the blocks fast enough could have won it.
"I went out of bounds on the third and after that my emotions and thoughts were upside down and I thought I'd blown it. Graham hit a few loose shots and that gave me a bit of hope because no-one seemed to be going forward.
"I kept grinding and got an unexpected eagle in the 13th and just relaxed after that for the first time. I feel quite emotional because it's a huge weight off my shoulders.
"I'm really chuffed and I have to thank my coach as he's been a real rock for me and gave me the belief to go and win it."
The relief was also poised to spill over with the belated birthday celebrations, which had been put on hold as Woodman focused on claiming the title.
"I went home after the second round and saw my family and my girlfriend and just went out for a quiet meal," he said.
"But tonight we're going to have a double celebration. I'm just pleased it's all done."
"But winning this twice, the Australian equivalent and the English PGA Assistants' - it's been a hell of a ride as an assistant!"
Runner-up Harper, who won the PGA Europro Order of Merit in 2006, was content with his debut but vowed to come back stronger next year as he targets the title.
"It's been a great week and the competition has been really strong," said the 28-year-old.
"You can see from the scores this week it hasn't been easy. But it's a great finish in my first year and I've got two more attempts to win it. It's a case of going on from here and being a bit better next year."
As for Fox, third place was little consolation having set out to win the event at the start of the week.
"I'm just disappointed as I came here to win," he said.
"There's huge benefits to winning like getting into the BMW PGA Championship and that's why it's disappointing.
"But Guy played better on the day. I didn't put my ball in the right position and missed a few greens. They were just mistakes and it was just one of those days."
Woodsome Hall's Chris Hanson took fourth place at one-under-par - the only other player in the field to break par for the tournament.
Woodman's victory sees him join Dai Rees (1935, 1936), Harry Weetman (1949, 1950), Matthew Tottey (2003, 2005) and Jonathan Lupton (2007, 2009) as the only players to win the title on two occasions.

Click here for scores from the final round at East Sussex National

Jordan Findlay (Fraserburgh), left, and James Byrne (Banchory) on the first tee at Gullane No 1 before their semi-final meeting in the Allied Surveyors Scottish men's amateur championship this afternoon. Image by Cal Carson Golf Agency.

Allied Surveyors Scottish men's amateur championship at Gullane

BYRNE AGAINST FINDLAY FOR PLACE IN FINAL

AND STEWART v NEILSON IN OTHER TIE

For the second year in a row, the North-east is guaranteed a player in Saturday’s 36-hole final of the Allied Surveyors Scottish men’s amateur golf championship over the Gullane No 1 course, East Lothian.
Following in the footsteps of Hazlehead’s David Law, who won the title at Royal Troon 12 months ago, will be either the No 1 seed James Byrne (Banchory) or Jordan Findlay (Fraserburgh).
They met this afternoon in the semi-finals.
Byrne, reproducing the form that took him to the final of the British amateur championship less than a mile along the road at Muirfield and has earned him a world ranking of No 13, beat Michael Smyth (Royal Troon) by 3 and 2 in this morning’s first quarter-final.
The victory gave Byrne a degree of satisfaction for it was Smyth who knocked him out of this championship in the first round last year.
The 21-year-old Arizona State University student highlighted another polished performance with a hole in one at the 144yd par-3 fourth hole. He also had birdies at the second, fifth and 12th and steadily built up a three-hole lead with wins at the second, fourth and 10th.
He was four under par at the finish.
“I made my score on the way out with that hole in one certainly helping my figures,” said Byrne. “It was my fifth hole in one and I used an eight iron. I was second to play off the tee and Michael had hit a good tee shot to about 12ft so it was nice to see it go in.”
In the all-North-east second quarter-final, Findlay scored a 4 and 3 win over Aberdeen University student John Duff, a member of Newmachar Golf Club.
Findlay had birdies at the first, fourth and 12th and was four up after eight holes.The Fraserburgh was three under par for the holes played.
“I didn’t have a single bogey so I’m up for the semi-final against James Byrne. It should be good fun and the great thing, whether it’s me or James, is that the North-east will have a player in tomorrow’s final.
Former Scottish boys champion Michael Stewart (Troon Welbeck), the only other seeded player to reach the quarter-finals apart from Byrne, cruised to a 4 and 3 win over US college circuit player, Jordan McColl (Scotscraig) in the third quarter-final.
Stewart made an poor start with three putts on the firest green to go one down right away but he soon found his game to win the second, fourth and eighth for a two-hole lead at the turn.
The 19-year-old Ayrshire player was two under par when he finished the contest with a birdie 4 at the long 15th.
In the last quarter-final to finish, Stephen Neilson (Dunbar) was one up on 17-year-old Liam Johnston (Dumfries and County) on the 15th tee and won the 16th with a par and the 17th with a birdie 3 for a 3 and 1 victory. Neilson was roughly level par at the finish
QUARTER-FINAL RESULTS
*James Byrne (Banchory) beat Michael Smyth (Royal Troon) 3 and 2.
Jordan Findlay (Fraserburgh) bt John Duff (Newmachar) 4 and 3
*Michael Stewart (Troon Welbeck) bt Jordan McColl (Scotscraig) 4 and 3
Stephen Neilson (Dunbar) bt Liam Johnston (Dumfries and Co) by 3 and 1.

*denotes seeded player.

United States Senior Open Championship Scoreboard
Sahalee Golf Club, Seattle
FIRST ROUND
Par 70
66 Bruce Vaughan.
68 Tim Jackson (am), Loren Roberts.
69 Joe Ozaki (Japan), Michael Allen, Tom Lehman, Mark Calcavecchia, Bernhard Langer (Germany).
70 Tom Watson, Fred Couples, Scott Simpson, Jay Haas.
Selected scores:
72 Corey Pavin.
75 Mark O'Meara.
81 Glenn Ralph (England).

England send 20 to European championship in Finland

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE ENGLISH GOLF UNION
Five members of England’s winning European Men’s Team Championship squad are among a group of 20 players who will represent the English Golf Union (EGU) in the International European Amateur Championship at Vanajanlinna Golf and Country Club in Finland next week (August 4 to 7).
They are Laurie Canter (Saltford, Somerset), Tommy Fleetwood (Formby Hall, Lancashire), Billy Hemstock (Teignmouth, Devon), Tom Lewis (Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire) and Eddie Pepperell (Drayton Park).
The full group is:
 Jamie Abbott (Fynn Valley, Suffolk), Todd Adcock (Nevill, Sussex), Jonathan Bell (Royal Blackheath), Laurie Canter, Hugo Dobson (Fynn Valley, Suffolk), Tommy Fleetwood, Billy Hemstock (picture © Tom Ward), Stiggy Hodgson (Sunningdale, Surrey), Adam Keogh (Boston West), Tom Lewis, Chris Lloyd (The Kendleshire), Ben Loughrey (Wrag Barn, Wiltshire), Matt Nixon (Ashton-under-Lyne), Eddie Pepperell, Darren Renwick (Hill Barn, Sussex), James Robinson (Southport and Ainsdale, Lancashire), Jack Senior (Heysham, Lancashire), Tom Shadbolt (Mid Herts, Hertfordshire), Matthew Southgate (Thorpe Hall, Essex) and Darren Wright (Rowlands Castle, Hampshire).
Canter has already won the South African Amateur, Hampshire Hog and West of England titles this year, Fleetwood the SandA Bowl, Lewis won the Berkhamsted Trophy and Pepperell has two titles to his credit this year, the Welsh Open Stroke Play and the Berkshire Trophy.
Of the other players heading for Finland, Abbott qualified for the Open Championship at St Andrews, Dobson won the South East of England Links Championship, and Lloyd was runner-up in the McEvoy Trophy. Nixon was a semi finalist in the Amateur Championship, Robinson won the Formby Hare, Southgate triumphed in the St Andrews Links Trophy, while Wright triumphed in the Brabazon Trophy supported by SkyCaddie last month.
It is six years since the title was won by an English player, the last being Matthew Richardson in 2004. But since then James Heath, Gary Lockerbie, Matt Cryer and Steven Lewton have finished runner-up while Hemstock was third last year.

Good start by Paul O'Hara to EDP Tour's Hamburg event

Paul O'Hara, a winner already on the EPD Tour in Germany this summer, is well placed after the first round of the Green Eagle Classic at a Hamburg venue.
O'Hara kept a bogey off hisw card and birdied the first, long fourth and long 18th in halves of 33 aned 37 for a three-under-par round of 70. He is lying joint second with three other polayers, two shots behind the pacemaking Swede, Marcup Palm.
FIRST ROUND SCORES
Par 73
68 Marcup Palm (Sweden).
70 Paul O'Hara (Scotland), Rasmus Hjelm (Denmark), Kasper Linnet Jorgensen (Den).
71 Nicola Kokholm (Denmark), Grant Jackson (England), Bjorn Akesson (Sweden).
Selected scores
74 Lee Corfield (England).
75 Philip Gresswell (England).
77 Stephen Grant (Ireland).
79 Ben Park (England).
81 Matthew Brunyard (England).
82 Stephen Murphy (Scotland).
84 Emilio Dellanzo (England).
92 Malcolm Grogan (England)

Powerade PGA Assistants Championship

Graham Fox's 68 puts him in contention at East Sussex National

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE PGA

Scotland’s could be poised for its first Powerade PGA Assistants’ Champion in

eight years after East Kilbride’s Graham Fox thrust himself into contention.

The 33-year-old, pictured, who has just completed his three-year PGA Foundation degree,

fired a best-of-the-day four-under-par 68 to move to five-under for the tournament and within one shot of the leader – East Berkshire’s Guy Woodman. Fox, one of only five players on the opening day at East Sussex National to shoot under par, shot equal halves of 34 – including an eagle at the par 10th - to put himself In the frame to win the championship, which is in association with FootJoy.

Scotland’s last champion was David Orr in 2002 but Fox could be poised to end that lean spell having ensured that Woodman, champon in 2008 and runner-up last year, would not romp to a second title in three years.

“I knew Guy would get to five or six under so I knew I needed to get as many under as I could to have a chance,” said Fox.

“It was no good shooting level par as it would probably be a bit too much to get back in touch with him. I wasn’t any more aggressive, things just went for me. I put the ball in the right place and putted better.

“I had a couple of five foot putts for par and that just helped keep the momentum going.

“Being in the final group is where I wanted be, but maybe a couple of shots better off, but I’m happy to be in the final group.”

Yorkshire’s Chris Hanson (Woodsome Hall) and Devon’s Kevin Harper (Sidmouth) share third place at two-under par with Elie’s David Patrick in fifth place at level par. The top 40 and ties made the cut to compete for a share of the £30,000 prize fund on offer. The winner also receives an invite to the 2011 BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth – the European Tour’s flagship event.

LEADING SECOND-ROUND TOTALS

Par 144 (2x72)

138 Guy Woodman (East Berkshire) 69 69.

139 Graham Fox (East Kilbride) 71 68.

142 Chris Hanson (Woodsome Hall) 71 71, Kevin Harper (Sidmouth) 69 73.

144 David Patrick (Elie) 73 71.

146 Graeme Brown (Montrose Links) 72 74, Michael Ramsden (Bondhay) 73 73.

Selected scores:

151 Gareth Wright (West Linton) 75 78 (jt 19th).

153 Greg McBain (Royal Dornoch) 79 74.

MISSED THE CUT (154 or better qualified)

155 Fraser Pook (Aberedour) 79 80.

157 Riccardo Rebecchi (Addington Court) 82 75.

158 Scott Herald (Adam Hunter Golf) 77 81, Malcolm Isaacs (Nairn Dunbar) 76 82.

159 Calum Lawson (Blaigowrie) 79 80.

164 Alan Martin (The Duke's St Andrews) 85 79.

165 Brian Gibson (The Carrick) 85 80

Grant Browman retains Angus boys' county match-play title

Seventeen-year-old Grant Bowman from Monifieth Golf Club has retained his County Matchplay title.
In the morning semi-final Grant was behind for most of the round mainly due to his opponent
Ian Douglas's remarkable short game skills. Grant turned the match his way with a great 40 foot
birdie putt at the long par 3 14th then a magnificent 3 iron 2nd shot into 15 feet at the par 5 17th
sealed the match.
In the other semi-final, former Scotland under 16 cap Ross Storrier from Downfield prooved to be
too strong for Caird Park's Connar Cook with a masterfull display of iron play and putting to set up a
comfortable winning margin by 6&5
The final was the expected clash of the two top seeds in Bowman and Storrier. With never more than
1 hole in the game it was Bowman who gained the mometum when when he struck a magnificent 3 wood
to the edge of the 17th green to go dormie 1 up. Storrier almost holed a seemingly impossible bunker shot
at the last which would have forced extra holes leaving Bowman to confidently sink his 2 foot par putt
for victory.
RESULTS
SEMI-FINALS
Ross Storrier (Downfield) bt Connar Cook(Caird Park) 6&5
Grant Bowman (Monifieth) bt Ian Douglas(Monifieth) 2&1
FINAL
Bowman bt Storrier 1 hole.

Burnett's birdie blitz KOs Chris Lloyd in third round at Little Aston

FROM THE ENGLISH GOLF UNION WEBSITE
When you hit your opponent with four successive birdies on the back nine it can prove crucial. That was the case for James Burnett and helped him to a 3 and 1 victory over fellow boy cap Chris Lloyd in round three of the English Amateur Championship at Little Aston.
The pair, who were England team-mates in the recent European Boys Team Championships in Turkey, were locked in a tight match which looked like going Lloyd’s way when he went 2up after seven holes. But Lincolnshire’s Burnett trimmed the lead and the first of his quartet of birdies at the 12th got him back to all square. He then delivered the decisive blow with three more birdies and although Lloyd won the 16th with a par four, the end was near.
It came at the 17th where Bristol-based Lloyd fired his wedge approach over the green and into the lake. He took a drop and chipped back then, with Burnett’s ball safely on the putting surface in two, shook his hand.
“That win has given me a great confidence boost,” said Burnett. “Chris is a fine player and it’s nice to beat the best. But the birdie at the 14th was crucial when I came out of a bunker and holed from 15 feet.”
Lloyd was philosophical about his defeat. “It wasn’t my day,” he said. “At the end it came down to a putting contest. I didn’t play badly but he hit me with four birdies.”
Burnett will now play Ross Dee from Essex in the quarter finals, Dee having pulled off a sensational 3 and 2 victory over Brabazon Trophy winner Darren Wright.
Dee, at 31, one of the oldest players left in the championship, went 2up after four holes and was never pegged back, confirming his victory by winning the 14th and adding two halves.
“This is awesome,” he said. “I didn’t believe I could do it but this the biggest win of my career and I’ve never got this far before. I was so nervous over the last few holes because I played with Darren in the South of England at Walton Heath and he is quality.”
Wright, who was looking to add the English title to his Brabazon success, said: “I felt I could do ‘the double’. I was playing good enough but every putt this afternoon got to the hole and burned the edge. But I can’t fault Ross, he played very steady.”
Derbyshire’s Nick Newbold, another boy cap, was on the wrong end of a 3 and 1 scoreline against Warren Harmston. The Surrey man won the first and stayed 1up to the 11th which Newbold won to square matters. But Harmston took the next and gradually increased his advantage to clinch his place in the quarter finals.
Andrew Sullivan, perhaps the dark horse of the championship, also won the first against Nick Maddison and went further in front at the third and fourth. Maddison, the Northumberland County Champion, hit back but Sullivan restored his 3up advantage on the ninth and eventually won 4 and 3.

Tom Lewis, last year’s British Boys Champion, fell 2down through four holes against Adam Hedges, conqueror of international Laurie Canter in round one. But Lewis, who got past boy cap Max Smith on the final green in the morning, won the sixth and the seventh with an eagle-two, holing a 30-yard pitch, to level matters. He went ahead for the first time with a birdie-three at the 11th, added another at 12 and took the 15th on his way to a 3 and 2 success. Lewis, who was about six under par for 16 holes, will now meet Sullivan in the quarter finals.
In the bottom match, Tommy Fleetwood, who cruised past Luke Cornford from Sussex in the morning, was given a tougher match by James Doswell and it wasn’t until the seventh that the Lancastrian edged in front. However, once Fleetwood gets ahead he is tough to dislodge and after going 3up through 14 holes then losing 15, he had a chance from a foot to close out the match at 16 but missed. But he made amends at the next, firing a nine iron to three feet for a 2 and 1 victory.
Sam Edwards, the Devon junior, ended the hopes of international Jamie Abbott. The Suffolk man was 1up playing the last but took three from the back fringe which meant the match went into extra holes. It lasted five more before a par at the short 23rd ensured Edwards' victory as Abbott's par putt shaved the hole. Edwards will now meet Fleetwood.

To see all the results, click here

THOMPSETT WINS NE BOYS' TITLE ON TIE-BREAKER

Aboyne's Daniel Thompsett is the new North-east District boys' golf champion. He won the title at Peterculter today with a total of level par total of 142 which was matched by Aboyne clubmate Sam McNeill.
The tie-breaker was the better second round of Thompson's - a 67 to McNeill's 71.
Andrew Carrell, playing over his home course, was third on 144 with rounds of 69 and 75.
Carrell won the Under-16s championship by seven shots from Lewis Mutch (Duff House Royal).
The leading four players qualify to contest the North-east District boys' match-play championship and the semi-final line-up at the Peterculter course on Friday morning will be:
9.30 Thompsett v Lawrie.
9.40 McNeill v Carrell.
The final will tee off at 1.50.

LEADING TOTALS
Par 142 (2x71) CSS 70 70
142 Daniel Thompsett (Aboyne) 75 67, Sam McNeill (Aboyne) 71 71 (Thompson won with better second round).
144 Andrew Carrell (Peterculter) 69 75.
147 Sean Lawrie (Portlethen) 73 74.
148 Callum Sutherland (Deeside) 74 74, Callum Cromar (Aboyne) 69 79.
149 Ross Gordon (Peterhead) 73 76.
150 Jamie Pryde (Deeside) 74 76, Lewis Mutch (Duff House Royal) 71 79.

Xltec Pro Tour at Westerwood

FINAL TOTALS


1. Stephen Gray 68 + 68 = 136 £800
2. Greig Hutcheon 68 + 69 = 137 £640
3=. Scott Henderson 67 + 71 = 138 £465
3=. Alan Lockhart 71 + 67 = 138 £465
5=. Andrew Oldcorn 70 + 70 = 140 £340
5=. Keir McNicoll 67 + 73 = 140 £340
5=. John Gallagher 68 + 72 = 140 £340
8=. Craig Mathieson 74 + 67 = 141 £190
9=. Mark Kerr 71 + 71 = 142 £152.50
9=. Graeme Lornie 72 + 70 = 142 £152.50
11. Chris Kelly 71 + 72 = 143 £115
12. Gavin Dear 74 + 70 = 144 £100

Leading Lady
1. Corisande Lee 74 + 71 = 145 £400
2. Kylie Walker 75 + 71 = 146 £0

Hopefully see you all soon.

Rock (65) disqualified for wrong-score blunder at Irish Open

FROM THE AOL GOLF NEWS SERVICE
England's Robert Rock, the player who lost a play-off to local amateur Shane Lowry last year, opened the 3 Irish Open with a six-under-par 65 at Killarney on Thursday - and then was disqualified for signing for a wrong score.
Rock, seventh in The Open two weeks ago, did not spot that his card had him down for a par on the 14th and birdie at the next instead of the other way around.
Hoping to win the £415,000 first prize for a second successive time - Lowry was unable to claim the money - the 33-year-old said: "It's my fault. I checked it, but didn't see it and it's my job to do that."
He added: "I don't think I've been disqualified for anything before. I'd have preferred it to be after an 80!"

Howell's back - with a seven-under-par 64 at Killarney

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Former Ryder Cup star David Howell's determination not to let his career sink without trace finally paid rich dividends in the 3 Irish Open at the Killarney Golf & Fishing Club.
Down at 479th in the world - he was ninth four years ago - Howell emerged from the wilderness with a seven under par 64 in the first round.
"I've never wanted to give up, but it's crossed my mind that if I carry on playing as I did last year I wouldn't have a career to be worried about," said the 35 year old.
Five birdies and then an eagle on the 519 yard 16th lifted Howell into a one stroke lead over Ireland's Damien McGrane and Australian left hander Richard Green.
Last year's runner up Robert Rock - he actually took the first prize of over £400,000 because the winner was amateur Shane Lowry - also handed in a 65, but was then disqualified for a scorecard mix up.
McGrane out scored his illustrious compatriots Padraig Harrington and Graeme McDowell by three and five shots respectively, while Darren Clarke, Michael Hoey and Paul Lawrie shot 66, and Rory McIlroy 67.
Howell, who did not drop a shot today, said: "That was nice. Haven't done that for a long time but I holed a few bombs today.
"I chipped in and I think I holed three long ones as well. As it happens, I had a few more chances that I missed but I certainly holed more than my fair share, which in fairness you normally do when you shoot 64."
Having played his best round this year, he added: "I just haven't got off to a good start all year.
"Obviously I've not been playing well, or as well as I know I can, but my form has not been that bad
"But it's pretty hard to make cuts out here when you shoot 73 in the first round, puts added pressure, and I've been dying to get off to a nice start. That fidaynally happened to."
Green, who went out in 33 and came back in 32 like McGrane, said: "I felt very comfortable when I first saw the course on Tuesday and practised and played very nicely.
"I thought this is a nice old golf course for a change that's a little bit old school. I felt very comfortable out there. I played very nicely today.
"I'm not known as one of the longer hitters out on tour, and when you get a golf course that feels like the sort of golf course that I grew up on, length wise, putting surfaces, it's nice.
"It's nice to play a golf course like that again."
McGrane, who naturally hopes to pick up where Lowry left off last year, added: "I smothered a few tee shots today which is unlike me but that's golf.
"Nothing is ever...it's never 100 per cent all the way around. But I made pars when I was struggling and I picked off the board slowly and surely and that's golf and exactly what I've done."
With talk of a possible 59 - something never achieved on The European Tour - the course held up well given that there was no more than a breeze.
Clarke, continuing a recent revival, said: "I was wrong in my initial assessment.
"This morning it would have been impossible to get Killarney playing any easier. Yes the guys will get more familiar with it, but there's so many places that they can put the pins that we just can't get at."
McIlroy, at eighth in the world the highest-ranked player on view, made eight birdies, but also threw in four bogeys.
Harrington did not drop a shot, but admitted his keenness to end almost two years without a win is making him more tense than he would like to be.
"Sometimes you find it very hard to win and then all of a sudden the floodgates open."
He should know - his first major title in 2007 was quickly followed by two more.
McDowell, hoping for the same thing after capturing The US Open last month, stated: "I just need to sharpen up across the board. I said someone would go super low, but you can defend this course by hiding the pins."
FIRST ROUND SCORES
Par 71
64 David Howell
65 Damien McGrane, Richard Green (Aus)
66 Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (Fra), Seung-yul Noh (Kor), Anton Haig (Rsa), Marcel Siem (Ger), Darren Clarke, Brett Rumford (Aus), Paul Lawrie, Gonzalo Fdez-Castano (Spa), Michael Hoey
67 Martin Wiegele (Aut), Francesco Molinari (Ita), Anders Hansen (Den), Francois Delamontagne (Fra), Andrew Dodt (Aus), Johan Edfors (Swe), Danny Lee (Nzl), David Drysdale, Rory McIlroy, Eirik Tage Johansen (Nor), Mark F Haastrup (Den), David Dixon
68 Patrik Sjoland (Swe), Shiv Kapur (Ind), Nicolas Colsaerts (Bel), Steven O'Hara, Paul McGinley, Padraig Harrington, Paul Broadhurst, Simon Khan
69 Barrie Trainor, John Parry, Ross Fisher, Robert Coles, Anthony Kang (USA), Marc Warren, Alastair Forsyth, Alejandro Canizares (Spa), Markus Brier (Aut), Richard Bland, Christian Nilsson (Swe), Richard McEvoy, Sam Hutsby, Ariel Canete (Arg), Ignacio Garrido (Spa), Mark Foster, Peter O'Malley (Aus)
70 Jeppe Huldahl (Den), Graeme McDowell, Peter Whiteford, Sion E Bebb, Phillip Price, Maarten Lafeber (Ned), Simon Dyson, George Coetzee (Rsa), Graeme Storm, Stephen Gallacher, Richard Finch, Fabrizio Zanotti (Par), Bradley Dredge
71 Robert Jan Derksen (Ned), Mikael Lundberg (Swe), Thomas Aiken (Rsa), Martin Erlandsson (Swe), Peter Baker, Niclas Fasth (Swe), Simon Thornton, Marcus Fraser (Aus), Fredrik Ohlsson (Swe), Hennie Otto (Rsa), Richie Ramsay, Chris Wood, Gareth Maybin, Victor Dubuisson (Fra), Julien Quesne (Fra), Ricardo Gonzalez (Arg), Marco Ruiz (Par), Rick Kulacz (Aus), Phillip Archer
72 Alan Dunbar, Andrew Butterfield, Andrew Tampion (Aus), Matteo Manassero (Ita), Clodomiro Carranza (Arg), Peter Lawrie, Pablo Larrazabal (Spa), Anthony Wall, Damian Mooney, Gary Boyd, Oskar Henningsson (Swe), David Higgins, Sam Little, Rafael Cabrera Bello (Spa), Gregory Havret (Fra), Christian Cevaer (Fra), Steve Webster, Michael Campbell (Nzl), David Horsey, Scott Strange (Aus), Rhys Davies, Mark Brown (Nzl), Daniel Vancsik (Arg), Jamie Donaldson, Tano Goya (Arg), James Kamte (Rsa)
73 David Carter, Colm Moriarty, Nick Dougherty, Cian Curley, Carlos Rodiles (Spa), David Lynn, Paul Cutler, Pablo Martin (Spa), Benjamin Hebert (Fra), Ross McGowan
74 Mikko Ilonen (Fin), Joost Luiten (Ned), Peter Hedblom (Swe), Daniel Sugrue, Oliver Fisher, Jamie Elson, Carl Suneson (Spa), Justin Rose, Stephen Dodd, Shane Lowry
75 Peter Martin (Aus), Gary Murphy, David Ryan (Rsa), Paul Waring, Shiv Shankar Prasad Chowrasia (Ind), Barry Lane, Jose Manuel Lara (Spa), James Morrison
76 Chapchai Nirat (Tha), Rafael Echenique (Arg)
77 Gary Lockerbie, Felipe Aguilar (Chi), John Kelly (USA), Jean-Francois Lucquin (Fra), Kenneth Ferrie, Gary David Cullen
78 Chris Gane, Pat Murray, Jose-Filipe Lima (Por)
79 Michael Collins, Philip Walton, Andrew Coltart
DQ: Robert Rock 65