| GUNN IS DOUBLE BOGEY MAN IN ARIZONA Two double bogeys saw Dornoch's Jimmy Gunn dropped to a share of seventh place after the second round of the Gateway Tour Winter Series 1 event in the Arizona desert at Anthem Golf & Country Club. Gunn started with a double bogey 6 and shed two more shots at another hole, the short 17th, with a 5. He also shed one at the 10th. On the credit side, he birdied the third, fifth, eighth, 11th and 15th. The Highlander matched the par of 72 for a two-round tally of 139 - nine shots behind leader Jesse Mueler (62-68). SECOND-ROUND LEADERBOARD Par 144 (2x72) US players unless stated 130 Jesse Mueler 62 68. 132 Matt Marshall 63 69. 135 Brian Prouty 68 67, John Douma 69 66. Selected score: 139 Jimmy Gunn (Sco) 67 72. |
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Wednesday, January 06, 2010
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HARPER BEST OF SCOTS IN OPENING ROUND OF ASIAN TOUR QUALIFYING SCHOOL Former Scottish boys' match-play champion Lee Harper (Archerfield Links) fared best of the four Scots in action on the first day of the 2010 Asian Tour Qualifying School Stage 1 Week 2 event, which teed off over three courses at Hua Hin, Thailand today. Harper was in joint seventh position after shooting a three-under-par 68 at the Majestic Creek venue where Gabriel Canizares (Spain) led the way with a 64. Former Walker Cup player and rookie pro Wallace Booth from Comrie was sharing 13th place with a 69, also at Majestic Creek. Glasgow's Barry Hume, a former Scottish amateur champion, was in joint 39th place after a 72 at the same venue. Aberdeen-born Clark Lutton, based at Dohar, Qatar for a number of years, had a 76 to be sharing 85th position, also at Majestic Creek. At the Rayong Country Club, Senroku Isa of Japan topped the leaderboard after a five-under-par 66. He holds a one-stroke lead over Jake Grodzinsky of the United States and Australia's Nathan Main who are in tied second place on matching 67s. At the Kaeng Krachan Country Club and Resort, Korea's Choi Jin-ho took the lead after firing a six-under-par 66 while South African Peter Karmis lies a further stroke back on 67. SCOREBOARD AT THREE VENUES MAJESTIC CREEK Par 71 64 Gabriel Canizares (Spa). 66 J G Hwang (SKor), Matthew Rosenfield (US). 67 Cho Min-guen (SKor), Jochen Lupprian (Ger), Masahiko Wada (Jap). 68 Lee Harper (Sco), Kunai Bhasin (Aus), Kim Young-jin (SKor), Tye Alexander (US), Lorenzo Magini (Ita), Park Cha-min (Skor). Selected scores: 69 Wallace Booth (Sco) (jt 13th). 72 Barry Hume (Sco) (jt 39th). 76 Clarke Lutton (Sco) (jt 85th). RAYONG CC Par 72 66 Senroku Isa (Jap). 67 Jake Grodzinsky (US), Nathan Main (Aus). 68 Grant Lewis (Aus) (am). 69 Rohan Blizard (Aus), Jeff Berkshire (US), Ben Stafford (Eng), John Shin (Can). KAENG KRACHAN GC |
England send strong team to Costa Ballena Quadrangular
NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE ENGLISH GOLF UNION
After finishing runners-up for the past three years, England is sending a powerful team to Spain in a bid to recapture the annual Costa Ballena Quadrangular Tournament title it last won in 2006.
The Spanish event, which will be played at the Costa Ballena Ocean Golf Club from January 27 to 29, will see England represented by Jonathan Bell (Royal Blackheath, Kent), Ben Loughrey (Wrag Barn, Wiltshire), James Robinson (Southport & Ainsdale, Lancashire), Tom Shadbolt (Mid Herts, Hertfordshire), Matthew Southgate (Thorpe Hall, Essex) and Josh White (Chipstead, Surrey).
Both Robinson and Shadbolt played in the event last year, Robinson scoring four points from his six matches. Bell, 18, a former English Under-14 champion, was capped at Under-16 level before stepping up as a boy cap in 2008. He enjoyed a successful 2009, helping England win the Boys Home Internationals and GB&I the Jacques Leglise Trophy.
The Kent lad also had a string of fourth place finishes, in the Berkhamsted and Lagonda Trophies and the Sir Henry Cooper Junior Masters when the defending champion. However, the year climaxed with a runners-up spot in the Lee Westwood Trophy and victory in the Faldo Series Final in Brazil.
Just after Christmas he represented the English Golf Union (EGU) in the Junior Orange Bowl in Florida.
Loughrey, 21, has been a member of the Wiltshire team that reached the English County Finals for the past three years. In 2009 he won the South West Colts Championship and the North of England Youths title and finished runner-up in the South West Stroke Play Championship. Robinson, 20, also enjoyed a successful 2009, highlighted by his debut for England in the winning Home Internationals team at Hillside. Earlier he won the Lytham Trophy, finished second in the S&A Bowl and was tied third in the Hampshire Hog. A semi-finalist in the 2007 English Amateur Championship, Robinson helped Lancashire to the County Championship in 2008 and has represented the EGU in the Czech Republic, France, Spain and Venezuela in the past two years. Shadbolt, 21, pulled off the performance of his career last autumn when he won the Italian Amateur Championship by beating Amateur Champion and Open Championship silver medallist Matteo Manassero in the final.
A former Hertfordshire Boys and County Champion, Shadbolt finished runner-up in the Lagonda Trophy and fourth in the Lee Westwood Trophy, both in 2007, while last year he was sixth in the Selborne Salver and seventh in the Czech Amateur when representing the EGU.
Southgate, 21, broke onto the national scene last year, finishing runner-up to Chris Lloyd in the English County Champions Tournament at Woodhall Spa, having won his first Essex Championship at Clacton-on-Sea. The Thorpe Hall player also helped Essex to their first ever English County Championship in the finals at Chipping Sodbury.
White, 18, is the Surrey County Champion, who has also broken through in 2009. He helped Surrey to a third successive English Boys County Championship, finishing joint top scorer for his team with five points from six matches. He also finished third in the McEvoy Trophy, sixth in the Sir Henry Cooper Junior Masters and was capped by England for the first time when helping to win the Boys Home Internationals at Hankley Common.
After winning the Costa Ballena event in 2005 and 2006, England finished runners-up to Spain in the following two years while they were denied by Germany last year. Finland will be the other country competing. As in previous years, the Costa Ballena competition will be played on a round robin basis, each match comprising three foursomes and six singles.
NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE ENGLISH GOLF UNION
After finishing runners-up for the past three years, England is sending a powerful team to Spain in a bid to recapture the annual Costa Ballena Quadrangular Tournament title it last won in 2006.
The Spanish event, which will be played at the Costa Ballena Ocean Golf Club from January 27 to 29, will see England represented by Jonathan Bell (Royal Blackheath, Kent), Ben Loughrey (Wrag Barn, Wiltshire), James Robinson (Southport & Ainsdale, Lancashire), Tom Shadbolt (Mid Herts, Hertfordshire), Matthew Southgate (Thorpe Hall, Essex) and Josh White (Chipstead, Surrey).
Both Robinson and Shadbolt played in the event last year, Robinson scoring four points from his six matches. Bell, 18, a former English Under-14 champion, was capped at Under-16 level before stepping up as a boy cap in 2008. He enjoyed a successful 2009, helping England win the Boys Home Internationals and GB&I the Jacques Leglise Trophy.
The Kent lad also had a string of fourth place finishes, in the Berkhamsted and Lagonda Trophies and the Sir Henry Cooper Junior Masters when the defending champion. However, the year climaxed with a runners-up spot in the Lee Westwood Trophy and victory in the Faldo Series Final in Brazil.
Just after Christmas he represented the English Golf Union (EGU) in the Junior Orange Bowl in Florida.
Loughrey, 21, has been a member of the Wiltshire team that reached the English County Finals for the past three years. In 2009 he won the South West Colts Championship and the North of England Youths title and finished runner-up in the South West Stroke Play Championship. Robinson, 20, also enjoyed a successful 2009, highlighted by his debut for England in the winning Home Internationals team at Hillside. Earlier he won the Lytham Trophy, finished second in the S&A Bowl and was tied third in the Hampshire Hog. A semi-finalist in the 2007 English Amateur Championship, Robinson helped Lancashire to the County Championship in 2008 and has represented the EGU in the Czech Republic, France, Spain and Venezuela in the past two years. Shadbolt, 21, pulled off the performance of his career last autumn when he won the Italian Amateur Championship by beating Amateur Champion and Open Championship silver medallist Matteo Manassero in the final.
A former Hertfordshire Boys and County Champion, Shadbolt finished runner-up in the Lagonda Trophy and fourth in the Lee Westwood Trophy, both in 2007, while last year he was sixth in the Selborne Salver and seventh in the Czech Amateur when representing the EGU.
Southgate, 21, broke onto the national scene last year, finishing runner-up to Chris Lloyd in the English County Champions Tournament at Woodhall Spa, having won his first Essex Championship at Clacton-on-Sea. The Thorpe Hall player also helped Essex to their first ever English County Championship in the finals at Chipping Sodbury.
White, 18, is the Surrey County Champion, who has also broken through in 2009. He helped Surrey to a third successive English Boys County Championship, finishing joint top scorer for his team with five points from six matches. He also finished third in the McEvoy Trophy, sixth in the Sir Henry Cooper Junior Masters and was capped by England for the first time when helping to win the Boys Home Internationals at Hankley Common.
After winning the Costa Ballena event in 2005 and 2006, England finished runners-up to Spain in the following two years while they were denied by Germany last year. Finland will be the other country competing. As in previous years, the Costa Ballena competition will be played on a round robin basis, each match comprising three foursomes and six singles.
Echenique’s albatross voted Shot of the Year
NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY EUROPEAN TOUR
Rafa Echenique’s stunning albatross on the final hole of the BMW International Open in Munich has been voted The European Tour Shot of the Year for 2009.
The Argentine golfer holed his second shot – a 243-yard three iron – for an outrageous two at the 568 yard par five, capping a sensational ten under 62 which almost won him the tournament.
The shot contributed to a European Tour record-equalling inward 27, and piled the pressure on England’s Nick Dougherty, who needed to par his last three holes to capture the title, just one shot ahead of Echenique. In the event Dougherty proved up to the task, but it was Echenique’s incredible finish that sent the crowd at Golfclub München Eichenried into raptures.
“I am very thrilled that my albatross at the BMW International Open has won The European Tour Shot of the Year award,” said Echenique, who had four top 20 finishes in 2009. “I still feel excited when I think about that day. The crowd started to roar and then my caddie said 'It's in the hole!' I couldn’t believe it.
“It was a great moment in my career. I finished in second place that week and could have won. It gave me a lot of confidence for the next few weeks. People still say to me ‘You’re the guy who had the albatross in Munich!’ It was fantastic.”
Runner-up was Lee Westwood whose masterful chip to a few inches at the 17th hole of the final round of the Portugal Masters set up his first European Tour victory in more than two years and propelled the Englishman to victory in the Dubai World Championship and The Race to Dubai a few weeks later.
Third place went to Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy for his sublime bunker shot at the 72nd hole of the Dubai Desert Classic which contributed to the Northern Irishman’s first European Tour victory.
The European Tour Shot of the Month Award is presented to the Tour Member for the shot judged to be the most outstanding played during each calendar month on The European Tour International Schedule. The winning shots from each month are entered into The European Tour Shot of the Year Award.
The full list of monthly winners in 2009 were: McIlroy (January and March), England’s Paul Casey (February and May), three Argentine golfers in Angel Cabrera (April), Echenique (June) and Ricardo Gonzalez (July), Sweden’s Noren (August and September), Westwood (October) and Italy’s Francesco Molinari (November).
Sarah Gwynn
Press Officer
European Tour
NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY EUROPEAN TOUR
Rafa Echenique’s stunning albatross on the final hole of the BMW International Open in Munich has been voted The European Tour Shot of the Year for 2009.
The Argentine golfer holed his second shot – a 243-yard three iron – for an outrageous two at the 568 yard par five, capping a sensational ten under 62 which almost won him the tournament.
The shot contributed to a European Tour record-equalling inward 27, and piled the pressure on England’s Nick Dougherty, who needed to par his last three holes to capture the title, just one shot ahead of Echenique. In the event Dougherty proved up to the task, but it was Echenique’s incredible finish that sent the crowd at Golfclub München Eichenried into raptures.
“I am very thrilled that my albatross at the BMW International Open has won The European Tour Shot of the Year award,” said Echenique, who had four top 20 finishes in 2009. “I still feel excited when I think about that day. The crowd started to roar and then my caddie said 'It's in the hole!' I couldn’t believe it.
“It was a great moment in my career. I finished in second place that week and could have won. It gave me a lot of confidence for the next few weeks. People still say to me ‘You’re the guy who had the albatross in Munich!’ It was fantastic.”
Runner-up was Lee Westwood whose masterful chip to a few inches at the 17th hole of the final round of the Portugal Masters set up his first European Tour victory in more than two years and propelled the Englishman to victory in the Dubai World Championship and The Race to Dubai a few weeks later.
Third place went to Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy for his sublime bunker shot at the 72nd hole of the Dubai Desert Classic which contributed to the Northern Irishman’s first European Tour victory.
The European Tour Shot of the Month Award is presented to the Tour Member for the shot judged to be the most outstanding played during each calendar month on The European Tour International Schedule. The winning shots from each month are entered into The European Tour Shot of the Year Award.
The full list of monthly winners in 2009 were: McIlroy (January and March), England’s Paul Casey (February and May), three Argentine golfers in Angel Cabrera (April), Echenique (June) and Ricardo Gonzalez (July), Sweden’s Noren (August and September), Westwood (October) and Italy’s Francesco Molinari (November).
Sarah Gwynn
Press Officer
European Tour
JIMMY GUNN (67) LYING THIRD IN ARIZONA Dornoch's Jimmy Gunn shot a five-under-par 67 to be in third place at the end of the first round in the Gateway Tour's Desert Winter Series 1 competition at Anthem Golf & Country Club, Anthem in Arizona. Gunn had an eagle 3 at the 498yd 11th and birdies at the long third, short seventh, 12th and short 13th in halves of 35 and 33 over the 6,813yd, par-72 course. His only bogey came at the sixth. The Scot, despite his good form, was outstripped by the two leaders, Jesse Mueller with a 62 (31-31( and Matt Marshall with a 63 (33-30). Leading first round scores (par 72) 6813yd Players from US unless stated 62 Jesse Mueller. 63 Matt Marshall. 67 Jimmy Gunn (Sco). 68 Brian Prouty, Charlie Beljan. 69 Jeremy Anderson, Luke List, Craig Leslie, Benoit Beisser, Trevor Murphy, John Douma. |