Battle Trophy third-round tee times on Sunday morning at Crail GS

07:10
WILSON, James
Balmore Golf Club
07:20
BEASLEY, T
Hunstanton Golf Club
McCLUNG, KYLE
Wigtownshire County Golf Club
07:30
MUNRO, Gordon
Newmachar Golf Club
McDOUGALL jun, Alasdair
Elderslie Golf Club
07:40
GREER, Graeme
Carluke Golf Club
FITZSIMONS, Matthew
Ardglass
07:50
PENNYCOTT, Malcolm
Royal Burgess Golfing Society
DOUGAN, Dominic
Drumpellier Golf Club
08:00
SHAW, Jordan
Boat of Garten Golf Club
BRADLEY, E
Mount Ellen Golf Club
08:10
McINTOSH, Eric
Bruntsfield Links Golfing Society
MITCHELL, David jun
Leven Thistle Golf Club
08:20
McLEOD, Benn
Musselburgh Golf Club
NI, Andrew R
Murrayfield Golf Club
08:30
DAVIDSON, Andrew
Charleton Members Golf Club
MORGAN, Lee
Dunbar Golf Club
08:40
McDOUGALL, Alasdair
St Andrews New Golf Club
WOOD, Edmund
Crow Wood Golf Club
08:50
ROBERTSON, Graeme
Glenbervie Golf Club
MACLEAN, Chris
Balmore Golf Club
09:00
WISHART, Greg
Lundin Golf Club
ROGER, Stephen
Cruden Bay Golf Club
09:10
JOHNSTON, Liam
Dumfries and County Golf Club
CLARK, Matthew
Kilmacolm Golf Club
09:20
CARRICK, Angus
Douglas Park Golf Club
SUTHERLAND, Alan J.
Cupar Golf Club
09:30
HARLING, Jack
Banchory Golf Club
CANTLEY, Kieran
Liberton Golf Club
09:40
WILSON, Connor
Castle Park
ROSS, Craig
Kirkhill Golf Club
09:50
HOWIE, Darren
Peebles Golf Club
LOCKE, Sam
Banchory Golf Club
10:00


WATT, Marc
Inverallochy Golf Club
BLAIR, Stuart
Royal Musselburgh Golf Club
10:10
SMITH, Craig
Camperdown Golf Club
LAMB, Christopher
Newmachar Golf Club
10:20
GODSMAN, Kyle
Moray Golf Club
McLAREN, Stuart
Bruntsfield Links Golfing Society
10:30
FYFE, Calum
Cawder Golf Club
WRIGHT, Jeff
Forres Golf Club
10:40
STEWART, Steven
Clydebank and District Golf Club
STEWART, Jamie
Old Ranfurly Golf Club
10:50
BRUCE, Callum
Duff House Royal Golf Club
SYME, Connor
Drumoig Golf Club


LINK TO ROUND 3 SCORES


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Texas Open leader Chappell chasing first US Tour victory

                                                                                                                                       

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Kevin Chappell had a rough start to his day, but he heads into Sunday with the lead. (Steve Dykes/Getty Images)

By Mike McAllister, US PGATOUR.COM                                

SAN ANTONIO, Texas – News and notes from Saturday’s third round of the Valero Texas Open, with Kevin Chappell leading by one stroke going into the final round at TPC San Antonio.
Click here for the Daily Wrap-up.

MOST PROUD I'VE BEEN

If Kevin (69-68-71 for 208) converts the first solo 54-hole lead of his US PGA TOUR career into his first win, he’ll likely consider his back-nine performance Saturday as the turning point of the week. Maybe even his career.
Having endured a rollercoaster front nine that included one double bogey, three bogeys, three birdies (and two provisional shots, neither one he actually used), Chappell could have easily let the round get away from him.
Tough, windy conditions, unseasonably cool temperatures, a couple of unlucky breaks – early-career Chappell would have checked out.
But we saw the more mature Chappell on the back nine, one who doesn’t give in, who finds the positives and builds on them. He steadied the ship with four pars after the turn, then birdied three of the last five holes to salvage a one-under 71.
“It says something about me and the growth that I’ve made,” the 30-year-old Chappell said. “For the fans that have followed me, that round could’ve been 78 and I’m teeing off first off the back nine tomorrow…
“I feel like I’ve made some strides mentally and physically. I was able to find something I could compete with. It’s probably the most proud I’ve been of myself in a round of golf in a long time.”
The next stride, of course, will be to win. Chappell knocked on the door frequently last season – three second-place finishes, including a playoff loss at the TOUR Championship. He was also the runner-up here in 2011, and tied for fourth last year. In his last start, Chappell tied for seventh at the Masters.
Making the 180th start of his TOUR career, Chappell is hoping those collection of experiences will pay off in a positive manner Sunday.

“It’s going to be about staying in the moment, executive my game plan,” Chappell said, “and hopefully walking up 18, it’s my time.”

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OR IS IT RYAN'S TIME?

Ryan Palmer is making the 53rd start of his US PGA TOUR career in his native Texas. He has 10 top-10 finishes – including a tie for sixth and a tie for fourth in his last two appearances at TPC San Antonio. He contended at his home course, Colonial, last year and lost in a playoff in 2011 in Dallas.
On Saturday, Palmer shot the low round of the day – a four-under 68. It was one of just two rounds in the 60s (Camilo Villegas shot a 3-under 69). Palmer’s big move puts him in a seven-way tie for fourth, two strokes off the lead. It’s yet another opportunity.
So, is he due to win a Texas event … or is he overdue?
“I don’t want to say I’m due for anything out here,” laughed Palmer, who played collegiately at Texas AandM.
 “I’ve been close a lot of times here, Colonial, play-off at Nelson. I think this one, I feel like I can win this one each year I come here.”
After five missed cuts in his first seven starts of the season, Palmer is showing better form now, thanks to some improved putting. He added some loft to his putter and it has delivered better performances on the greens. He called last week’s effort at the RBC Heritage (a tie for 11th) one of the best putting weeks in recent memory.
Maybe the timing is perfect. His longtime caddie, James Edmondson -- also a native Texan -- is hoping Sunday will be a Lone Star day.
“Ryan was born and raised in Texas,” Edmondson said. “You’d think it’d be in the cards to win in his home state. It’s a dream come true for any kid growing up in Texas to win here.”
Said Palmer: “We’re going to bring it tomorrow and kind of see what happens.”

PAR 5 OR PAR 6?

The par 5s at TPC San Antonio are annually the toughest on the US PGA TOUR. On Saturday, playing into the wind, the 591-yard 18th bared its teeth.
Of the 76 players, just 15 made birdie. Compare that to 12 bogeys, three doubles and three others, resulting in a stroke average of 5.171. That tied for the ninth most-difficult hole on the course. It was even tougher than the 604-yard eighth, which played to a stroke average of 5.158.]
“Kind of playing like a par 6 today,” said Martin Laird, who had one of those birdies after hitting driver, 3-iron, 7-iron to 2-1/2 feet.
Laird has had rounds of 72, 67 and 71 for 210 and is in T4 position, two behind leader Chappell.
Carl Pettersson also had a birdie after hitting driver, 4-iron, 6-iron to 4 feet. Branden Grace parred the hole after hitting driver, 3-iron, 5-iron.
“Not an easy hole at all today,” Grace said.
The hole had played under par in each of the first two rounds, but a Saturday morning cold front shifted the winds into the players’ faces. The same direction is forecast for the final round.
“I said to my caddie, ‘Kind of fun playing out there today in the wind like that,’ “ the Glasgow-born Laird said. “I’m just going to go out tomorrow and continue to enjoy playing the course and have fun and see what happens.”


CHECK OUT THE THIRD-RUND SCORES


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Syme leads by two from Bruce at Battle Trophy


By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Former Australian open amateur champion Connor Syme (Drumoig) will start Sunday's final two rounds of the Battle Trophy at Crail's Craighead links course with a two-stroke lead after a pair of impressive four-under-par 68s for a halfway tally of eight-under 136.

Over his two rounds today, professional's son Syme, pictured, had one eagle and 10 birdies. He took a double bogey 6 at the second hole of his second round in his stride, responding with a birdie at the short seventh, an eagle 3 at the long eighth and a birdie at the ninth to turn in two-under 35.
His nearest challenger is a up-and-coming youngster from Banff, Callum Bruce (Duff House Royal) who has posted rounds of 68 and 70. But for Bruce's effort, Syme would be leading by six shots and the four players sharing third place are back on 142.
In his second round, Bruce birdied the first, third, sixth and ninth, bogeying only the fourth, in an outward 34. But the flow of birdies dried up after the turn and the Banffer covered his second nine in eight pars and a bogey at the 11th.
The cut to the leading 40 and ties fell at 151 after looking like 150 for most of the second round.

By DAVID ROY

Crail GS Manager

Another sparkling 68 from Connor Syme provided him with a two-shot lead on his own. After a double at the 4^th, he quickly recovered with a birdie-eagle-birdie finish to the front nine before posting a blemish-free two-under back nine.

However, this impressive score was matched by Jamie Stewart (Old Ranfurly), who had four birdies and an eagle on the front nine and must be rueing a bogey-bogey finish to what was otherwise a great display of golf.

Callum Bruce held on to Syme’s coat-tails with a solid 70 that contained only two dropped shots and leaves him in splendid isolation in second place on 138.

Marc Watt (Inverallochy) was clearly fired up after dropping three shots on the final two holes in the morning, as he bludgeoned his way to the turn in six-under-par in the afternoon. Although the Buchan player faded to finish with 69, he has now avoided the early start that awaits others.

The perseverance award has to go to Kyle Godsman (Moray), who zipped to the turn in 31 strokes and was still 6 under before racking up a 9 on the 14^th. Finishing with 70 left him with mixed emotions.

Past winner Graeme Robertson (Glenbervie) blew his already slim chances through a sloppy finish of two doubles and a bogey to complete a pair of 74s.

 

BATTLE TROPHY
Crail Golfing Society, Craighead Links, Fife
SECOND ROUND LEADERBOARD





par 144 (2x72) SSS 74 CSS 74 74



136 C Syme (Drumoig) 68 68.
138 C Bruce (Duff House Royal) 68 70.
142 J Stewart (Old Ranfurly) 74 68, S Stewart (Clydebank and Dist) 72 70, J Wright (Forres) 71 71, C Fyfe (Cawder) 71 71

143 C Lamb (Newmachar) 72 71, C Smith (Camperdown) 71 72, S Blair (Royal Musselburgh) 69 74, K Godsman (Moray) 73 70, S McLaren (Bruntsfield Links 73 70.
144 M Watt (Inverallochy) 75 69, C Ross (Kirkhill) 72 72, D Howie (Peebles) 74 70, S Locke (Banchory) 74 70.
145 K Cantley (Liberton) 72 73, C Wilson (Castle Park) 74 71
146 J Harling (Banchory) 74 72, A J Sutherland (Cupar) 73 73, A Carrick (Douglas Park) 71 75, M Clark (Kilmacolm) 71 75, L Johnston (Dumfries and Co) 70 76.
147 S Roger (Cruden Bay) 73 74, G Wishart (Lundin) 72 75
148 C Maclean (Balmore) 77 71, G Robertson (Glenbervie) 74 74.


+Players with 36-hole totals of 151 and better qualified for Sunday's final two rounds.


TO VIEW ALL THE SATURDAY SCORES


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Grant Forrest, Bradley Neil in top 10 after Turkish Challenge R3 Ryan Evans opened up a two-shot lead going into the final round of the Turkish Airlines Challenge as the scoring at Gloria Golf Club remained relentlessly impressive for the third day in a row. The Englishman’s sublime eight under par round of 64 took him to 20 under par overall – which, for context, was Clément Sordet’s four- round aggregate when he won around the New Course in Belek 12 months ago. The 30 year old bookended his round with birdies, picking up shots on the first two and the last three holes as he overtook halfway leader Tapio Pulkkanen to end the day at the top of the leaderboard as he bids for a maiden European Challenge Tour title. “I’m delighted,” he said. “I just set a goal to go out and play as well as I have over the first couple of days and I think I played the best today out of the three rounds. “I only missed one shot out there, which in golf is very pleasing – it cost me a bogey, unfortunately, but apart from that I hit the ball really well tee to green and rolled in a lot of putts." Scots Grant Forrest and Bradley Neil are in the top 10, tied eighth on 203, seven behind leader Evans. Neil followed up his second-round 64 with an  65. At last the Blairgowrie player is showing the brilliant form of his junior days. Forrest scored in the 60s for the third day in a row - a 68 after rounds of 69 and 66 Pulkkanen was steady, not dropping a shot all day, but by the time the Finn recorded his first birdie on the fourth hole, his one-shot overnight lead had already become a deficit. Germany’s Heisele, out in the morning, had overtaken the final pair before they teed off, an outstanding nine under par round of 63 taking him to 14 under par. Ultimately that sits six shots off Evans’ lead, with Pulkkanen the nearest challenger on 18 under par, but Antti Ahokas and Max Orrin – each a two-time winner on the Challenge Tour – are well placed on 15 under par, alongside Martin Ovesen, meaning it is by no means just a two-horse race. Scores after Round Three: par 216 (3x72) 196 R Evans (Eng) 66 66 64  198 T Pulkkanen (Fin) 62 69 67, 201 M Orrin (Eng) 69 66 66, A Ahokas (Fin) 69 65 67, M Ovesen (Den) 65 71 65 202 S Heisele (Ger) 69 70 63, J Guerrier (Fra) 65 69 68 203 M Fenasse (Fra) 67 68 68, G Forrest (Sco) 69 66 68, B Neil (Sco) 74 64 65, M Kinhult (Swe) 71 66 66 204 C Sordet (Fra) 70 65 69, J Makitalo (Fin) 71 65 68, A Tadini (Ita) 68 66 70, N Lindstrom (Swe) 71 66 67, E Cuartero Blanco (Esp) 66 70 68, R McGee (Irl) 72 66 66, B Evans (Eng) 69 70 65 205 O Farr (Wal) 69 67 69, B Virto (Esp) 68 70 67, L Van Meijel (Ned) 70 67 68, M Lampert (Ger) 70 67 68 206 J McDonald (Sco) 68 70 68, M Foster (Eng) 69 70 67, R Sciot-Siegrist (Fra) 73 66 67, R Santos (Por) 69 64 73, E Van Rooyen (SAf) 71 67 68, C Berardo (Fra) 70 65 71, E Di Nitto (Ita) 69 68 69, J Winther (Den) 68 69 69, A Turner (Eng) 65 72 69, C Mivis (Bel) 71 64 71, M Søgaard (Den) 66 67 73, S Brown (Eng) 66 71 69 207 M Lundberg (Swe) 71 67 69, J McLeary (Sco) 71 66 70, P Maddy (Eng) 70 69 68, D Foos (Ger) 71 68 68, 208 N Ravano (Ita) 70 69 69, J Brun (Fra) 70 68 70, M Madsen (Den) 68 67 73, J Van Der Vaart (Ned) 70 69 69, T Murray (Eng) 67 71 70, W Besseling (Ned) 69 67 72, M Quiros (Spn) 68 68 72, R Saxton (Ned) 68 68 72 209 T Linard (Fra) 68 71 70, R Davies (Wal) 70 68 71, O Stark (Swe) 75 63 71, M Wallace (Eng) 70 66 73, G Moynihan (Irl) 69 70 70, V Riu (Fra) 67 70 72, 210 J Senior (Eng) 70 69 71, M Lafeber (Ned) 71 66 73, L De Jager (RSA) 72 67 71, M Ford (Eng) 70 69 71, C Ford (Eng) 68 71 71, D Law (Sco) 73 66 71 211 J Mullen (Eng) 69 68 74, H McCullen (Eng) 68 69 74 216 M Cort (Eng) 70 69 77 -

EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS

Wiesberger leads by three with one round to go

Tournament: Shenzhen International Venue: Genzon Golf Club, China Prize fund: $2,800,000

Day Three Report Bernd Wiesberger charged to a three-shot lead heading into the final round of the Shenzhen International after a roller coaster day at Genzon Golf Club, China. The three-time European Tour champion entered round three with a four-shot advantage but quickly saw that wiped out by Grégory Bourdy, who joined Mikko Korhonen in making a hole-in-one on Saturday, however a strong finish from the Austrian saw him sign for a 69 and a 15 under par total. South African Dylan Frittelli is three shots off the pace (68) after a birdie-birdie finish, with countrymen Dean Burmester and George Coetzee at 11 under, joined by England's Ross Fisher and American David Lipsky in a share of third. Alexander Levy, a victor here in 2014 at the Volvo China Open and the course record holder, produced an impressive round of 64 to sit alongside fellow Frenchman Bourdy, local favourite Liu Yan-Wei and American Bubba Watson on ten under. Korhonen won a BYD Tang SUV after acing the 220-yard 16th hole on Saturday morning as he completed his second round. His first hole-in-one on the European Tour, Korhonen wasn’t initially aware he had holed out with his four-iron to win the hybrid car valued at US$43,500. Bourdy followed suit when he produced his second hole-in-one of the 2017 season on the 185-yard third hole with a seven-iron straight to the pin.             Scores after round three: par 216 (3x72) 201 B Wiesberger (Aut) 67 65 69 204 D Frittelli (SAf) 68 68 68 205 D Lipsky (USA) 73 65 67, D Burmester (SAf) 67 70 68, G Coetzee (SAf) 70 68 67, R Fisher (Eng) 71 65 69 206 L Yan-Wei (Chn) 69 71 66, B Watson (USA) 66 70 70, G Bourdy (Fra) 67 69 70, A Levy (Fra) 74 68 64 207 J Smith (Eng) 69 69 69, B Rumford (Aus) 72 67 68 208 T Olesen (Den) 68 68 72, D Im (USA) 69 70 69 209 F Zanotti (Par) 71 70 68, R Ramsay (Sco) 69 68 72, T Jaidee (Tha) 67 72 70, A Björk (Swe) 71 67 71, T Fleetwood (Eng) 69 71 69, B Stone (RSA) 74 71 64 210 J Morrison (Eng) 70 66 74, P Larrazábal (Spn) 72 71 67, J Quesne (Fra) 71 68 71, M Armitage (Eng) 71 71 68, E De La Riva (Spn) 68 73 69, S Gallacher (Sco) 70 72 68 211 B Ritthammer (Ger) 69 73 69, M Lorenzo-Vera (Fra) 69 70 72, S Jamieson (Sco) 69 69 73, R Fox (NZ) 71 71 69, K Aphibarnrat (Tha) 75 66 70, L Yuxin (Chn) 74 67 70 212 J Luiten (Ned) 71 71 70, M Ilonen (Fin) 73 71 68, J Scrivener (Aus) 70 72 70, M Southgate (Eng) 72 71 69, D Stewart (Sco) 71 67 74, M Kieffer (Ger) 67 72 73, P Hanson (Swe) 70 71 71, P Dunne (Irl) 70 72 70, H Porteous (RSA) 67 73 72, 213 P Uihlein (USA) 71 70 72, N Elvira (Spn) 71 74 68, L Xue-Wen (Chn) 71 72 70, R Gouveia (Por) 72 72 69, B Hebert (Fra) 72 70 71, M Korhonen (Fin) 74 68 71  214 S Brazel (Aus) 71 74 69, C Zi-Hao (Chn) 73 69 72, R Karlberg (Swe) 74 70 70, H Ze-Yu (Chn) 72 72 70, 215 D Drysdale (Sco) 70 72 73, Z Hui-Lin (Chn) 71 74 70, P Peterson (USA) 74 71 70, R Bland (Eng) 73 71 71, R Wattel (Fra) 71 73 71, Y Tian (Chn) 71 73 71, A Dodt (Aus) 70 73 72 216 M Manassero (Ita) 70 71 75, A Knappe (Ger) 74 70 72, W Ormsby (Aus) 71 69 76, A Cañizares (Spn) 72 69 75, L Bjerregaard (Den) 71 74 71, G Storm (Eng) 74 68 74, N Colsaerts (Bel) 75 70 71 217 W Hongfu (Chn) 72 69 76, J Walters (SAf) 73 70 74 218 D Howell (Eng) 70 74 74, E Molinari (Ita) 75 70 73  219 G Havret (Fra) 70 71 78, H Wen-Yi (Chn) 71 74 74 221 C Paisley (Eng) 72 73 76 223 L Ding-Feng (Chn) 69 75 79 225 J Lagergren (Swe) 72 72 81 EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS

BATTLE-HARDENED PRAYAD READY TO POUNCE AT PANASONIC OPEN JAPAN

 

Noda City, Chiba, Japan: Thai veteran Prayad Marksaeng is ready deliver the knock-out punch to his closest rivals after returning a four-under-par 67 in the third round of the Panasonic OPEN Japan on Saturday.

He trails South Korean leader Junggon Hwang by one shot with a three-day total of nine-under-par 204 at the ¥150 million (approximately US$1.37million) event. The 51-year-old is confident he can overcome his one-shot disadvantage with his aggressive style of play.

 

Prayad, a multiple winner in Japan, is tied for second together with the Japanese duo of Hiroshi Iwata and Mikumu Horikawa at the Chiba Country Club.

 

Philippines’ Juvic Pagunsan, who started the day in tied-second place, slipped to a share of seventh place after his erratic form saw him sign for a 71 at the Panasonic OPEN Japan which is co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO)

 

The 2011 Asian Tour Order of Merit champion is chasing his first win in Japan, having come close with a third-placed finish last week.

 

After rounds of 72 and 69, China’s Liang Wen-chong made his move with a 68 that saw him move up to tied-20^th place, six shots back of Hwang.

  

Leading Scores

par 213 (3x71). Yardage: 7130

203 - Junggon HWANG (SKOR) 69-69-65.

204 - Mikumu HORIKAWA (JPN) 73-68-63, Prayad MARKSAENG (THA) 68-69-67, Hiroshi IWATA (JPN) 67-70-67.

205 - Seunghyuk KIM (SKOR) 68-70-67, Katsumasa MIYAMOTO (JPN) 69-68-68.

206 - Kyungnam KANG (KSOR) 68-71-67, Yoshinori FUJIMOTO (JPN) 70-68-68, Juvic PAGUNSAN (PHI) 68-67-71.

207 - Shunsuke SONODA (JPN) 72-70-65, Keiichiro FUKABORI (JPN) 72-69-66, Ryuko TOKIMATSU (JPN) 71-69-67, Arjun ATWAL (IND) 69-69-69, K.T. KIM (SKOR) 70-67-70.

208 - Junwon PARK (SKOR) 73-68-67, Mingyu CHO (SKOR) 71-67-70, Hyungsung KIM (SKOR) 67-71-70, Inhoi HUR (SKOR) 67-68-73, Jason KNUTZON (USA) 64-69-75.

209 - Yuta IKEDA (JPN) 73-69-67, LIANG Wen-chong (CHN) 72-69-68, Kodai ICHIHARA (JPN) 71-70-68, I.J. JANG (SKOR) 69-71-69, Shugo IMAHIRA (JPN) 70-70-69, Kenichi KUBOYA (JPN) 69-71-69, Sungjae IM (SKOR) 71-68-70, Wonjoon LEE (AUS) 71-67-71, Yujiro OHORI (JPN) 70-65-74, Panuphol PITTAYARAT (THA) 67-68-74.

 

Fenwick and Culverwell win Golf Finance Four-


ball with six-under 66 at Dundonald Links


By JOHN HENRY
Neil Fenwick and Zander Culverwell with a fantastic score of six-under-par 66 in blustery conditions won the Golf Finance Four-ball tournament at Dundonald Links.
 We had a total of 16 teams which was a great turn-out for our first team event.
It was  also good to see some new faces playing - Ewan Grimes , Fergus Smith, Philip McLean,David Booth, David Rodger, Kenny Monaghan and Alan Purdoe.

The course was in terrific condition and is taking great shape for this year's Aberdeen Asset Scottish Open. The staff at Dundonald looked after us very well on and off the course.

Our next event is at Fairmont St Andrews on Thursday, May on the Kittocks course. The entry list will open tomorrow morning . The competition is open to ALL pros, male or female, full pros or assistants and senior pros. All welcome. The more the merrier.

ALL THE SCORES

Golf Finance Four-ball championship 

Friday 21st April

Dundonald Links 

Par 72 

66 Zander Culverwell and Neil Fenwick  

68 Phil McLean and Kevin Duncan

69 James Steven and Jamie Savage, Daniel Young and Ollie Roberts.

70 James Hendrick and David Booth, Louis Gaughan and Chris Curran, Paul Shields and Michael Stewart, Mark Loftus and Fraser McKenna.

71 Steven Maxwell and David Rodger, Conor O'Neil and Andrew MacArthur.

72 Jonny Mullaney and Michael Patterson, Craig Lawrie and Sean Lawrie.

73 Kenny Monaghan and Scott Borrowman, John Henry and Ronan Rafferty.

75 Craig Ronald and Alan Purdoe.

No Return: Fergus Smith and Ewan Grimes

Gooch leads weather-hit Web.com Tour event


NEWBURGH, Indiana – Through 11 holes of his second round, Talor Gooch is the current leader of the Web.com Tour's United Leasing and Finance Championship at 4-under.
A morning weather delay due to lightning in the area pushed back second-round tee times three-and-a-half hours. Play was suspended due to darkness at 7 p.m.

Coming off two straight top-10 performances at the Panama Claro Championship (T10) and the Chitimacha Louisiana Open presented by NACHER (T5), Gooch continued his stellar play on Friday at Victoria National Golf Club with birdies on Nos. 5, 7, 9 and 10 before play was suspended.

“I made a good birdie on No. 7, par 3, tough hole and made about a 20-30 footer. On the par-5s I knocked it up there around the green in two and got up and down for birdie,” Gooch said. “I feel good obviously. Any time you can be in the lead of a golf tournament, good things are happening.”

After missing consecutive cuts in The Bahamas and Colombia, Gooch has regained his form to the tune of eight straight rounds under par on the Web.com Tour, including his 1-under 71 in round one on Thursday.

“My ball-striking has come around,” Gooch said. “For the last year, I’d kind of struggled, but it was a blessing in disguise because my putting and my short game has had to pick up the slack. For the last two or three months, my ball striking has come around. That’s a good combination.”

Jason Gore, Scott Gutschewski and Austin Cook share the current clubhouse lead at 3-under 141. Gore is the all-time leader in victories on the Web.com Tour with seven, and a second-round 69 has him in contention for his first win since 2010.

“I finally feel really healthy,” said Gore, who was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis but credits a new medication for his recent improvement. “I’m going to try to use my experience. You can’t rush things on a golf course like this. You have to be patient because it’s not going to lend a ton of birdies. There’s trouble lurking around every corner.”

Gutschewski joins Gore among the veterans near the top of the leader board after a 2-under 70 in round two, which was capped by birdies on his final three holes, Nos. 7-9. A three-time Web.com Tour graduate, Gutschewski took a break from the game in 2014 to recover from injury and finish earning his college degree, but he’s looking forward to being back in the hunt on Tour.

“It’ll be fun,” Gutschewski said. “That’s why we play to get out there and test ourselves under those circumstances and see what works and what doesn’t and what we have to work on for next week.”

Rounding out the trio in the clubhouse at 3-under is 26-year-old Austin Cook, who birdied his last two holes in chilly afternoon conditions for a 69 that the 26-year-old said could have been much lower after an impressive ball-striking performance that led to 17 of 18 greens in regulation.

“The round today was really steady. I had a bunch of chances on holes 15-18 with birdie putts around 10 feet but didn’t make a single one,” Cook said. “Considering how well I hit the ball all day long it was nice to hit some close at the end to where they were gimmies and it really rewarded my play all day.”

First-round co-leader Kyle Thompson and D.H. Lee are currently at 3-under for the tournament with both players having completed nine holes in the second round.


Jimmy Gunn, who was six under par after 14 holes of the first round, is one of the players who have still to complete their second rounds Saturday morning. Starting at the 10th, he had a birdie, but then ran up a double bogey 6 at the 14th. He is lying T17 when he resumes play.


 Second-round play will resume at 7:30 a.m. CDT (local time, Saturday).


TO VIEW THE SCOREBOARD


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Link to Saturday scores in the Battle Trophy at Crail

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scroll down for a report on the first day's play at 5.15pm. It will be updated at end of play.

LEADING SCORES at 5.15pm
68 C Syme (Drumoig), C Bruce (Duff House Royal).
69 S Blair (Royal Musselburgh)
70 L Johnston (Dumfries and Co)
71 M Clark (Kilmacolm), C Fyfe (Cawder), J Wright (Forres), A Carrick (Douglas Park), C Smith (Camperdown), M Fitzimmons (Ire).
72 C Pirie (Millport), K Cantley (Liberton), S Stewart (Clydebank and Dist), C Ross (Kirkhill), C Burgess (Musselburgh), C Lamb (Newmachar), G Wishart (Lundin).
73 S Roger (Cruden Bay), S McLaren (Bruntsfield), K Godsman (Moray), A J Sutherland (Cupar).
74 J Stewart (Old Ranfurly), D Howie (Pebles), J Harling (Banchory), A R Ni (Murrayfield), J Wilson (Balmore), G Robertson (Glenbervie), S Locke (Banchory), B McLeod (Musselburgh).


Syme and Bruce set the pace with 68s
Connor Syme (Drumoig) and up-and-coming Banff youngster Callum Bruce (Duff House Royal) set the pace with matching four-under-par 68s in the first round of this weekend's 72-hole Order of Merit event, the Battle Trophy, hosted by Crail Golfing Society.

Stuart Blair of Royal Mussleburgh is just one shot behind after a blistering start of three under par after only three holes.

However, his form faded a little and a couple of dropped shots left him on 69.

In his first tournament since winning in South Africa, Liam Johnson played very steadily to reach the turn in three under, before a dropped shot at the twelfth led him to a two under score of 70 and fourth place on his own.

Six more players are in red numbers, all sharing a one under score of 71, including Scottish squad players, Callum Fyfe (Cawder) and Matthew Clark  (Kilmacolm)along with Matthew Fitzsimons (Ardglass) from Ireland. 

Graeme Robertson (Glenbervie), winner of the Scottish Champion of Champions tournament at Leven, is on the 74 mark.

The conditions have been typical for Crail, with 8 to 12mph winds and beautiful clear skies, allowing the greenkeeper to increase the speed of the greens a little to just under 10’ on the stimp.

This will be pulled back to 9’6” for Sunday's final two rounds when the wind is due to gather strength and further test the player’s resolve.

 

Swede Linn Grant leads from Shannon


McWilliam with one round to go


By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Aboyne teenager Shannon McWilliam held on to second place with a second-round 70 for 139 in the Helen Holm Scottish women's open amateur stroke-play championship at Troon.
But the leader has changed from the first day's Alexandra Forsterling (Germany) to a young Swede with Scottish blood in her veins, Linn Grant.

On a sunny but windy and quite chilly day, Forsterling slipped from 68 to a 73 and is joint third on 141.
Grant leads McWilliam by two shots at the top of the leaderboard with scores of 71 and 66 for 137.
Linn, pictured right, is descended from a former Scottish club pro based in Sweden.
She had no bogeys in her superb, tournament-low 66 in which she birdied five par-5 holes - by reaching them in two shots and two-putting - and her other birdie came at the par-4 17th in halves of 34-32.
McWilliam, who finished third two years ago when only 15. In fact in the 2015 "Helen Holm," she led the field with only six holes to go but Royal Troon's last few holes were too much for her.
Older, wiser and stronger, Shannon would have finished her second round over Troon Portland on level terms with leader Grant but the Aboyne 17-year-old bogeyed the short 16th and the long 18th after birdidieng the first, ninth, 11th and 12th to be four under par for the round with three to play.
Grantown on Spey's Hannah McCook is a second Scot in the leading 10 with a round to go. Her rounds at Troon Portland have been very steady - 72 and 71 for 143. 
Reigning Scottish champion Ailsa Summers (Carnoustie Ladies) was among those who failed to make the cut at 10-over-par 145.
Ailsa shot 76-85 for 161. She has left her Edinburgh Airport air traffic control job and is working at the Gullane pro's shop with the intention of playing a full summer of amateur tournament golf.

LEADING ROUND 2 SCORES
par 144 (2x72) SSS 77. CSS 76 76
137 L Grant (Swe) 71 66.
139 S McWilliam (Aboyne) 69 70.
141 A Wilson (Lurgan) 73 68, M Stark (Swe) 72 69, S Lamb (Clitheroe) 72 69, A Linner (Swe) 72 69, A Forsterling (Ger) 68 73.
143 H McCook (Grantown on Spey) 72 71, G Price (Bude and N Cornwall) 72 71.
144 C Ryan (Castletroy) 72 72
145 H Muse (West Lancs) 75 70, O Winning (Rotherham) 71 74.
146 A J Williamson (Royal Cromer) 74 72, G Clews (Delamere Forest) 73 73, A Fuller (Roehampton) 73 73, L Bailey (Kirby Muxloe) 72 74, A Krauter (Ger) 72 74, M Lewis (St George's Hill) 71 75.
147 B Wallin (Swe) 75 72, A Nobilio (Ita) 74 73, L T Hansen (Den) 74 73, H MacGarvie (Troon Ladies) 73 74, K Lund (Nor) 70 77.
SELECTED SCORES
148 C Goadby (St Regulus) 74 74 (T25)
149 T Mactaggart (Minto) 74 75 (T29)
150 G Paton (Royal Montrose) 76 75 (T37)
151 E Briggs (Kilmacolm) 75 76 (T46)
152 K Wright (Stranraer) 78 74, E Hale (Troon Ladies) 75 77 (T53).
153 J Mackintosh (Hazlehead) 75 78 (T58)
154 K McIntosh (Broomieknowe) 77 77 (T63)


MISSED THE CUT (154 and better qualified for final round)
157 C Taylor (Nairn) 82 75, S Wood (Drumpellier) 80 77, G Batty (Moffat) 79 78.
160 G MacDonald (Craigielaw) 78 82
161 L Duncan (West Kilbride) 81 80, A Summers (Carnoustie Ladies) 76 85.
*Link to all the Saturday scores


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+Link to Sunday's final round tee times at Royal Troon


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http://www.golfbox.dk/livescoring/tour/?language=2057#/competition/928398/teetimes