November 2005 Archive

Wednesday 30th November 2005

HENDRY STRUGGLES TO 76 IN US TOUR Q SCHOOL
Elgin exile Joel Hendry, pictured right, the only Scot in the field of 165 for the US PGA Tour Final Qualifying School, looked to have scuppered his chances after only one round at Winter Garden, Florida today (WED).
Twice winner of the Scottish youths champion, Joel shot a four-over-par 76 over the Panther Lake course. Out in level par 36 with birdies at the long second and short fourth and bogeys at the third and ninth, Hendry came off the rails after the turn.
He bogeyed the 12th, 13th and 15th and then crashed to a double-bogey 6 at the 16th before birdieing the 17th in an inward 40.
Californian Michael Allen was the early leader with an eight-under-par 64.
Swede’s Per-Ulrik Johansson had a 72.

TWO EXTRA DATES FOR PGA'S NEW GOLF RULES COURSE
The PGA has penciled in two extra dates for its newly launched golf rules course after being inundated with enquiries.
Additional days have been scheduled for Saturday 18 February (Introduction to the Rules of Golf) and Saturday 18 March  (Advanced Rules of Golf and Refereeing).
The PGA's tournament department will run the extra one day courses covering all aspects of the Rules of Golf from its famous Belfry headquarters.
Two of the world's most experienced referees, Steve Cox and Kevin Feeney, who between them have officiated at Ryder Cups and several Majors including the Masters and Open Championships, will be among the tutors.
"We've had a tremendous response since announcing the first two dates and are delighted to add two further dates to cater for the demand," said Cox, who is the PGA's Head of Tournaments.
"As we've said before, whether you're Tiger Woods or a club golfer competing in his monthly medal, every golfer at some stage will require some knowledge of the rules. Throughout the summer the PGA is inundated with queries regarding the rules and the response to these two courses demonstrates the interest.
"Improving your understanding of the rules not only adds to the whole enjoyment of golf but for club secretaries and committee members who are running tournaments at their clubs, it's beneficial to have a sound understanding of the rules.
"But the courses are also open to club golfers who might just want to learn more about what is a fascinating subject."
Emphasis is on increasing knowledge and understanding of the game's rules using actual footage of televised rules incidents, practical sessions and group discussions.
The courses will take place in the PGA Training Academy at the De Vere Belfry. For an application form or further information contact the PGA Tournament Department on 01675 470333 or email barnaby.coleman@pga.org.uk

Tuesday 29th November 2005

Maureen Given awarded Honorary Membership
Maureen Given was tonight presented with Honorary Membership of Milnathort Golf Club in recognition of her services to the club and to ladies golf in Scotland over many years. Well done Maureen!

PABLO AND RHYS NAMED IN US COLLEGE GOLF’S MID-SEASON ALL-AMERICA TEAM
Pablo Martin (Spain), winner of the British boys’ open championship at Ganton in 2001, has been named US college golf’s “Mid-season Player of the Year” by the Golf World magazine in America.
Martin is a golf scholarship student at Oklahoma State University.
Pablo and the player who beat him in the 2003 British boys’ final at Hoylake in 2003, Welshman Rhys Davies, pictured below right, from Bridgend, a student at East Tennessee State, are both named in Golf World’s Mid-season All-America team.
South African Dawie Van Der Walt (Lamar University) is another non-American player in the Golf World line-up.
It is:
Brian Harmon of Georgia.
Daniel Im of UCLA.
Dawie Van Der Walt of Lamar.
Dustin Johnson of Coastal Carolina.
Graham DeLaet of Boise State
Jake Grodzinsky of Duke.
Chris Kirk of Georgia.
Kevin Larsen of Georgia Tech.
Matt Every of Florida.
Oscar Floren of Texas Tech
Pablo Martin of Oklahoma State.
Rhys Davies of East Tennessee State.

GOLFWORLD’S TOP FEMALE COLLEGE GOLFERS FOR FIRST HALF OF SEASON
No Great Britain and Ireland players in the American magazine GolfWorld’s Mid-season All-America women’s team announced this week.
It is:
Mikaela Backstedt of  New Mexico.
Amanda Blumenherst of Duke.
Irene Cho, Southern California, Sr.
Anna Grzebien of Duke.
Ashley Knoll of Texas A&M.
Paige Mackenzie of Washington.
Maria Martinez of Auburn.
Amanda McCurdy of Arkansas.
Onnarin Sattayabanphot of Purdue.
Jenny Suh of Alabama.
Eileen Vargas of Pepperdine.
Whitney Wade of Georgia.

Monday 28th November 2005

FLACKWELL WIN THE BATTLE OF THE HEATHS TO BE R&A GB&I RULES OF GOLF QUIZ CHAMPS
Flackwell Heath Golf Club, Buckinhamshire are the new champions of the R&A Great Britain & Ireland Rules of Golf Quiz, supported by Rolex.
They beat Crosland Heath from West Yorkshire in the tightest of finishes to the final of the quiz tournament, staged in the Royal & Ancient Golf Club clubhouse at St Andrews.
Flackwell Heath and Crosland Heath tied on 32pt at the end of the regulation number of questions. That meant it went to tie-breaking questions … and it was on the third of these that Flackwell Heath won the title.
North Berwick, the Scottish champions, finished second to Crosland Heath in the first semi-final earlier in the evening.
Flackwell Heath team of Morris Davies, Colin Ball, Don Bargent and Horace Hughes earlier had to endure a tense tiebreaker finale in the Semi-Final against former winners Hagley.
Crosland Heath, whose team consisted of father, Andrew, wife, Liz, son, Luke and Sarah Kaye were unlucky to loose on tie-breakers, but the team which have been champions in Yorkshire for the last 6 years must now be split under the rules of the competition.
The Big Room in the R&A’s clubhouse was full for the Finals held on 27 November with a good crowd supporting their teams.  The other participants were: Roe Park, Irish Winners; North Berwick, Scottish Winners; Dartmouth, representing the South West; and Hagley, winners from the Midlands.
RESULTS
Semi-final 1:  Crosland Heath 32pts  North Berwick 26pts   Dartmouth 26pts
Semi-final 2:   Hagley  32pts   Flackwell Heath  38pts   Roe Park 38pts - Flackwell Heath won on the 1st tie-breaker.
Final:    Flackwell Heath 32pts   Crosland Heath  32pts - Flackwell Heath won on 3rd tie-breaker.

Andrew Murray and Robin Wilson accept Brora Golf Club life memberships

Brora Golf Club Life Memberships
Two long serving members and servants of Brora Golf Club, Andrew Murray and Robin Wilson were given Life Membership, “an honour given out sparingly” when President Susan Smith tabled the election to the Club Members attending the Annual General Meeting
In her address to the members Susan Smith recalled the night in 1968 when the Club President Bill Robertson and his Vice President, the late Sonny Miller, knocked on Andrew’s door and asked him if he would like a job working on the golf course.
Andrew was at the time working with Sutherland Estate so it was a change in life style for the next 26 years from cutting trees to cutting grass. In the early years he worked alone with modest equipment and nothing like today’s hi tech cutting and coring machines, only getting summer student and schoolboy help. But over these twenty-six years Andrew grew to become one of the most respected green keepers in the North and his course condition acknowledged by all who played it.
Unfortunately illness by way of a heart attack struck in 1993 and although he returned to his post a year later in 1995 he resigned as a result of the illness and stress but in 2003 he returned to the course in a voluntary position as Course Supervisor.
Miss Smith concluded “It is unusual that we honour a paid employee, but such is the contribution that this individual has made to Brora Golf Club that it is only right and proper that we pay tribute in this way. Brora golf course is a testament to this individual’s labour of love – what we have today is his legacy to the Club and I am delighted to ask him to accept this Life Membership”
Introducing Robin Wilson President Smith told the members that he was appointed Club Secretary when only aged 19 in 1965 and over the next 40 years held all the other offices within Brora Golf Club. Handing over the Secretary’s job to Billy Sutherland in 1971 he went home from the 1971 AGM as Captain and held this office for the next five years.
A move to Vice President was the next step in 1980 but by this time he was deeply involved in the North District Association and by passed the succession to Club  President when appointed North District President in 1982, the first and only Brora member to have filled this office.  
On completion of his term with the North District he rejoined the Brora Committee once more as Captain from 1986 to 1989 and then had the honour of being Captain in the Club’s centenary year of 1991.
Miss Smith also referred to his playing career and although he himself always declared that it was difficult to both administer and play the game he did enjoy numerous successes out on the course. A member of the Club’s two Northern Counties Cup winning teams he has been Club Champion and the four-day Ainslie Salver winner.  His highlight was winning the Carnegie Shield in 1984 and one regret not winning the County Championship, runner up to Jim Miller too many times! He did, however, eventually get a silver medal when he won the North Seniors at Golspie in 2002.
Susan concluded by telling the members that Robin’s wife Elspeth once said to her “ Robin’s mind is so taken up with golf – he know’s the handicap of every player from Wick to Inverness, that it took him twenty years to discover I did not take sugar in my tea” For services to golf within the Club the President was delighted to ask Robin to accept the life membership.
Both Andrew and Robin responded by accepting the honour and thanked the Club members accordingly.
Susan Smith’s four years in charge of Brora Golf Club came to end at the Annual Meeting and Ken Lorimer was elected to succeed her. In her term as President Miss Smith brought a new dimension to the Club. She became only the second female member to hold the highest office and did so with a firm hand on the Club’s finances, and marketing and she leaves the Club on a sound footing. In 2004 income from visitors green fees topped the £100.000 mark for the first time and in the season just finished the figure rose to near £105,000. Membership fees have risen from £67,000 to £88,820 and this year’s bar surplus doubled from 2004.

Carly Cummins and Ray Scott

CARLY AND RAY STRIKE AGAIN IN HACIENDA DEL ALAMO MEDIA INVITATIONAL
Dorset  county team player Carly Cummins, who now plays off a handicap of three, added to her long list of successes in writers' golf tournaments - mainly at sunny venues in foreign lands - by capturing the first lady award in the inaugural Hacienda del Alamo Media Invitational one-round tournament at the Dave Thomas-designed course in Murcia, Spain.
Carly, a member of the "Golf World" staff. scored 32 Stableford points for a resounding eight-point victory from runner-up Linda Jackson, who writes for "Living Spain."
Jean Tomlinson (Golfers Chronicle) was third in the ladies' section with 23pt off 25 of a handicap.
The winner of the men's title at Hacienda del Alamo was another player who is no stranger to success in writers' tournaments.
Irishman Ray Scott, a freelance sports journalist who broadcasts on Waterford local radio and writes for the Waterford Star newspaper, earned 36pt off a handicap of 13.
Runner-up was the Golf Monthly staffer with a great name for a golfer - Neil TAPPIN. Neil collected 33pt - the same total as David Robey (BBC London) - and won the runner-up prize by virtue of gaining more points on the inward half, 17 to David's 16pt.
Husband and wife Mike and Sarah Laney scooped both guest awards, Mike with 36pt off six of a handicap and Sarah with 33pt off seven.
Including guests, a total of five ladies and 22 men took part .
What was the weather like for the event? Clear blue skies, brilliant sunshine ... but a cold wind to keep the sweaters on.
Billy Sim, who hails from the North-east of Scotland, is the Director of Golf at Hacienda del Alamo.Leading Stableford points scores:
MEDIA MEN
1 Ray Scott (Waterford Star) (handicap 13) 36pt
2 Neil Tappin (Golf Monthly) (6)                  33pt (inward half 17pt)
3 David Robey (BBC London) (24)             33pt (inward half  16pt)
MEDIA WOMEN
1 Carly Cummins (Golf World) (3)                32pt
2 Linda Jackson (Living Spain) (12)               24pt
3 Jean Tomlinson (Golfers Chronicle) (25)     23pt
GUEST MEN
1 Mike Laney (6)                                         36pt
GUEST WOMEN
1 Sarah Laney (7)                                        33pt
 

Harry Day 2
Carrie is much better. Thanks for all your good wishes which I am passing on to the proud parents.

Sunday 27th November 2005

Harry David John Armstrong
Born 8:26am on Saturday 26th November 2005. Weight 7lb 12oz
He's doing well but Carrie is not so good. She had Pre-eclampsia, and Harry was induced three weeks early.
She had a 36 hour labour and then an emergency Caesarian. Fingers crossed that she'll be on her feet today.
More baby pictures

Saturday 26th November 2005

We are a Grandmother!
Daughter Carrie had a boy, Harry David John Armstrong, this morning. I hear that baby Harry is doing well, although Carrie and Ally are absolutely shattered. You'll be bored silly with baby pictures from now on!

Stirling Team for the Mail on Sunday Classic
(L to R: Elaine Allison, Aileen Lee, Tricia Chillas, Alison Davidson, Vicki Stevenson, Shelagh Quinn)

Mail On Sunday Golf Classic
Stirling just miss out in Mail on Sunday final. (Thanks to Tricia Chillas for this report)
Stirling Ladies missed out on becoming the first Scottish Ladies team to win the Mail on Sunday Classic by the narrowest of margins.   Played at El Rompido in Spain, they defeated Westhill 4-2 in the semis with convincing wins for Elaine Allison, Tricia Chillas, Alison Davidson and Vicki Stevenson.   Aileen Lee and Shelagh Quinn both lost very tight matches at the last hole.   In the final, Stirling played against English Champions Ellesborough.   The handicap situation was very even, with 10 out of the 12 players 6 handicap or below.   Unfortunately Elaine, Tricia and Aileen lost, which put considerable pressure on the remaining three players.   Shelagh edged out her match at the 16th and the ever reliable Alison won her match at the 18th against American Bound Scholarship student Cara Leathers who plays off three.    The Stirling crowd agonisingly watched Vicki’s birdie attempt at the last lip out which would have forced a play-off, the final result being 3 ½ to 2 ½
It was a tremendous experience for all concerned and Stirling did their Club and Scotland proud.   With Elaine Allison on the team you can all also imagine that they made a significant contribution to the entertainment at the gala dinner!!
The team would like to thank everyone who sent best wishes from many parts of the country, and Guardian Systems who kindly provided uniform for the team and supporters.

Friday 25th November 2005

Free brochures for Golf Clubs from Little Voice Communications
Aileen Hunter has emailed me to tell me about this new venture she has started. She says.....
"We started in June this year producing free brochures for golf clubs,  As you know, competition for new members and visitors is increasing all the time, and marketing clubs, courses and their facilities is now a very necessary but expensive activity.
"We work with golf clubs to produce really high quality colour glossy brochures.  They get 2000 free plus an e-brochure and all they have to do is help us to identify local businesses who would be happy to advertise in the brochures.  This covers the cost of production.
"We've completed a brochure for Killin Golf Club and the e-brochure can be seen by clicking on the e-brochure section on the right hand side of our website www.littlevoicecommunications.com.  We're also just about to go to print with our second brochure for Pitreavie Golf Club in Dunfermline.
"If any of your readers think their club would benefit from a brochure like this they can call me on 01620 829888 or email me at aileen@littlevoicecommunications.com.  We'll happily go anywhere in Scotland (especially if there's a free game of golf involved!!!)"
It sounds a really good idea..... I've added it to my list of links so you can find it again quickly. Good luck Aileen!

Thursday 24th November 2005

JILL PROVES YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE A TOUR PRO TO MAKE A LIVING AT GOLF
For every Catriona Matthew, who has made threequarters of a million dollars this year on the LPGA Tour, there are hundreds, even thousands of would-be lady tour pro golfers, some from Scotland, who never make it past the LPGA or  Ladies European Tour Qualifying Schools or, if they do, don’t win enough money to keep the wolf from the door.
But it need not be all tears and heartbreak for those who can’t play golf well enough to make a living at it. As JILL KINLOCH, pictured right, one time Cardross Golf Club member, and now a successful teaching professional in Germany, told COLIN FARQUHARSON. Full story

MARTIN SAVES BEST TO LAST BUT TOO LATE TO GET SENIOR CARD
Dundee’s Steve Martin failed by four shots to gain one of the 11 conditional playing cards on offer at the European Seniors Tour Final Qualifying School which ended at the Pestana Golf Resort on the Algarve today (THURSDAY).
Steve, a former Scotland amateur international player who went on to play on the European Tour and latterly the Tartan Tour, found his best form too late in the week. He had scores of 71, 73, 76 and 70 for a six-over-par total of 290 for the 6,425yd, par-71 Pinta course.
Martin, who won’t be 50 until next month, shared 27th place of those who made it through to the final day. Only the leading six, with totals of five-under 279 or better, gained full playing rights for next year’s over-50s tour.
The next 11, with totals ranging from 280 to 286, will gain entry to a lesser number of events.
The only other Scot to survive the 54-hole cut was Brian Smith who finished joint 34th with scores of 75, 75, 69 and 75 for 10-over 294.
Australian Stewart Ginn showed the class that made him a Senior Major winner by sweeping to a four-stroke victory with rounds of 68, 70, 68 and 68 for 10-under 274.
He had only four bogeys in 72 holes.
“My target this week was to shoot eight under, as I thought that would be enough to finish in the top six, but as it turned out I went a little better. I am delighted because this means I can finish my playing career in Europe, which is something I have always wanted to do,” said the 56 year old, who three years ago won the Ford Seniors Players’ Championship on the US Champions Tour.
England’s Stephen Chadwick and Rigoberto Velasquez of Columbia, who both finished on 279, earned the remaining two full cards, but as Velasquez is not 50 until September, Chile’s Angel Fernandez will take his place on the Seniors’ Tour until then.
The 11 conditional cards were decided by a series of play-offs and went, in ranking order, to: Bob Larratt of England; Northern Ireland’s Jimmy Heggarty; Argentine Adan Sowa; Robin Mann of England; American Doug Johnson; Glenn Ralph of England; John Benda of the United States; Ireland’s John Curtis; Swede Anders Johnsson; Mike Williams of South Africa; and England’s Brian Evans.
EUROPEAN SENIORS’ TOUR FINAL QUALIFYING SCHOOL
Pinta course (par-71), Pestana Golf Resort, Algarve.
LEADING TOTALS
274 S Ginn (Aus) 68 70 68 68.
278 K Cox (US) 71 70 70 67, B Lincoln (SA) 73 70 66 69, B Smit (SA) 68 71 67 72.
279 S Chadwick (Eng) 71 68 69 71, A Fernandez (Chi) 69 68 71 71, R Velasquez (Col) 72 70 69 68.
The next 11 gained conditional cards
280 J Hegarty (NI) 70 69 69 72, B Larratt (Eng) 69 71 71 69, A Sowa (Arg) 69 71 67 73.
283 D Johnson (US) 73 66 71 73, R Mann (Eng) 70 74 67 72.
284 J Benda (US) 75 69 69 71, R Glenn (Eng) 69 76 68 71.
285 J Curtis (Ire) 73 70 70 72.
286 B Evans (Eng) 70 73 70 73, A Johnsson (Swe) 72 76 67 71, M Williams (SA) 71 72 69 74 ( A Saavedra (Arg) scored 68 76 71 71 for 286 but was eliminated after a play-off).
Scottish totals:
290 S Martin 71 73 76 70.
294 B Smith 75 75 69 75.

TWO IRISH LADS BOUND FOR EAST TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY EUROPEAN 2   "COLONY" 
Two young Irish golf prospects – Seamus Power from Waterford and Niall Kearney of Dublin – have signed Letters of Intent to join East Tennessee State University next autumn.
Seven of the current eight-strong East Tennessee State male golf team come from this side of the Atlantic: former British boy champions Rhys Davies (Bridgend, Wales) & Jordan Findlay (Fraserburgh, Scotland), Noel Kavanagh (Westport, Ireland), Cian McNamara (Limerick, Ireland), Gareth Shaw (Lisburn, Northern Ireland), Adam Hodkinson (Dore, England) and Stuart McCance (Tonbridge, England).
ESU is based at Johnson City, Tennessee.
Teenage English player Kieren Lovelock from Surrey will enrol at Xavier University, Cincinnati in Ohio after next summer.
The full list is on Golfweek

SHOW SPARKS CHARITY CASH FLOW
SPARKS will be the official benefiting charity of London Golf Show for the second successive year.
The children’s charity - Sport Aiding medical Research for Kids – benefited to the tune of £20,000 by its association with the 2005 event.
And it will once again enjoy a percentage of each ticket sale in the lead up to the 2006 show at ExCeL-London, from April 27-30.
With donations at the show and at sundry associated events, another £20,000 is a feasible target – much to the delight of the new president, England’s rugby world cup-winning captain Martin Johnson.
He said: “We are delighted to be once again joining forces with the London Golf Show. Our link proved very beneficial in 2005, not just financially, but also with the added exposure it gave us in the golf industry.
“Our golf events are a big part of our annual fundraising drive and we’re grateful to the team at the London Golf Show for their support. We wish them well with their 2006 event.”
Since 1991, SPARKS has funded over 150 medical projects in the UK, committing over £11m to tackle conditions as diverse as cerebral palsy, meningitis, the dangers of premature birth, spina bifida, childhood arthritis and cancers.
The London Golf Show’s marketing director, Andy Barwell, said: “Children’s charities are close to the heart of most of us and SPARKS, with its involvement in golf, is an obvious partner for us.
“We enjoy working with them and were delighted to make such a sizeable contribution this year. We hope we can raise even more for them in 2006.”
The London Golf Show, at ExCeL-London will cover an area the size of five football pitches, with a four-day retail exhibition aimed at all standards of golfer.
It showcases the best of around 400 exhibitors, with products ranging from golf tees to golf resorts; from drivers to buggies.
Visitors will be able to try the latest in golf equipment, meet with the pros, get advice, find great deals on clubs and clothes and see a whole world of golfing destinations and holidays – all in the centre of London.
Check out the website at: www.londongolfshow.com.
 

Wednesday 23rd November 2005

MARGARET RODGERS IS NEW SLGA CHAIRMAN
Edinburgh resident Margaret Rodgers, who came to live in Scotland from Northern Ireland over 35 years ago, is the new chairman of the Scottish Ladies Golfing Association. She succeeded Kirkcaldy’s Emma Wilson who completed her one-year term of office at Wednesday’s annual meeting in Perth of the body that governs Scottish women’s amateur golf.
Margaret is a past lady captain and lady champion of Turnhouse Golf Club. She has also been a member of Gullane Ladies Golf Club. Mrs Rodgers was Midlothian county captain from 1996 to 1998.
“I was born in Portstewart, Northern Ireland - famous, not only for the fantastic links golf course where the British girls’ open amateur championship and the girls’ home international matches will be held next year but also for Maureen Madill, who was a British amateur champion and still is a well-known personality in golfing circles throughout Great Britain & Ireland,” said Margaret.
“Having come to live in Scotland from Northern Ireland over 35 years ago, I joined Turnhouse Golf Club in the middle 1970s, and Gullane Ladies Golf Club in 1983.
“Golf has given me many lasting friendships and great experiences, and I am only too pleased to be able to give something back to the game I love.
“Having always been very enthusiastic about junior golf, it is very encouraging to have so many girls in Scotland with such tremendous talent.
“It is a privilege and honour to be chairman of the Scottish Ladies’ Golfing Association, and I am looking forward to, what I am sure will be, a very exciting year for ladies’ golf in Scotland.”
Aberdeen-based Margaret MacNaughtan, who hails from Bearsden, Glasgow, is the new SLGA vice-chairman. Mrs MacNaughtan  is a former Scotland hockey international team player and selector. She was captain of Aberdeen Ladies Golf Club in its centenary year of 1992 and she was county captain of Aberdeenshire in the late 1990s.
She was chairman of training during her first two years on the SLGA executive and as such was the Scotland team manager at home internationals and European championships.
Sheila Pickles and Janet Wake have come on to the SLGA to replace Emma Wilson and Jennifer Mack.
Sheila is a past Captain of the Ladies Golf Club, Troon, and is a member of Ayrshire Ladies County Golf Association. She is a Rules referee and refereed at the Scottish Championship at Cruden Bay this year.
Janet is a past Captain of Merchants of Edinburgh Golf Club and a member of Dunbar Golf Club. She is the immediate past Captain of Midlothian Ladies County Golf Association. Janet runs the Midlothian website.

Margaret McNaughtan

Shiela Pickles

Janet Wake

SCOTTISH VENUES NAMED FOR 2006 FALDO SERIES
Next year’s Scottish qualifying rounds in the FaldoSeries will be played at:
Kilmarnock Barassie – Tuesday, March 28.
Carnoustie – Tuesday, April 25.
Blairgowrie – Tuesday, July 18.
The Grand Final, with qualifiers from all eight regions – six in England, plus Scotland and Ireland - will again be held at the Celtic Manor Resort in Newport, South Wales on a late-season date to be confirmed.
With thousands of applications last year, there will be a total field of over 500 participants selected to play three 18-hole stroke-play events in their chosen region.
Entrants must be born in 1985 or later and have a minimum handicap according to their age group:
Boys/Girls Under 21 (handicap limit 4).
Boys U18 (handicap limit 5); Boys U17 (handicap limit 6); Boys U16 (handicap limit 7); Boys U15 (handicap limit 8) and Girls U18 (handicap limit 9).
For further information and access to application forms, visit the website at www.nickfaldo.com (click on ‘Series’)

TWO SCOTS BEAT SENIORS' CUT - BUT NO CHANCE OF EARNING CARDS
Scots Brian Smith and Steve Martin were among the 41 players who survived the third-round cut in the European Seniors Tour Final Qualifying School over the Pinta course at Pestana Golf Resort on the Algarve today (Wed).
Smith shot one of the best rounds of the day - a two-under-par 69 - for a 54-hole tally of 219 but, from his current share of 31st place, he has little or no chance of finishing in the top six who will gain players' cards at the end of the final round. Brian will start the fourth round 11 shots behind the trio who are sharing sixth place.
Brian, having struggled to card two 75s over the first two days, suddenly started playing birdie golf. He birdied the first, sixth, 13th, 14th and 17th but had bogeys at the fourth, 11th and 12th. 
Former European Tour and Tartan Tour player Steve Martin from Dundee had his worst round of the three, following up a 71 and 73 with a 76 to be tied for 33rd place on 220. Steve had only one birdie, at the fourth, and a double bogey at the 13th killed any lingering hopes he might have had after earlier bogeys at the first, sixth, seventh and 11th.
Borders amateur Mike Thomson and Kemnay club pro Ronnie McDonald failed to hit the qualifying mark of 221.
It was not for want of trying in Thomson's case. His third-round 70 was a vast improvement on his opening 76 and 78. Even so - it could have been a lot better for he ran up a double bogey 7 at the long 12th. The former Scottish mid-amateur champion birdied the second, 11th and 18th.
McDonald ended his debut at the over-50s Q School with a 79, after fair-to-middling scores of 74 and 75. Ronnie did not birdie a hole until the 18th. By that time he had bogeyed the first, third, sixth, seventh, 11th, 13th and 16th and double-bogeyed the short 15th.
EUROPEAN SENIORS TOUR FINAL QUALIFYING SCHOOL
Pinta course, Pestana Golf Resort, Algarve.
A total of 41 players with three-round totals of  221 qualified for the final round.
LEADING QUALIFIERS (Par 71)
206 S Ginn (Aus) 68 70 68, B Smit (SA) 68 71 67.
207 A Sowa (Arg) 69 71 67.
208 S Chadwick (Eng) 71 68 69, A Fernandez (Chi) 69 68 71, J Heggarty (NIr) 70 69 69.
209 B Lincoln (SA) 73 70 66.
210 D Johnson (US) 73 66 71.
211 K Cox (US) 71 70 70, B Larratt (Eng) 69 71 71, R Mann (Eng) 70 74 67, R Velasquez (Col) 72 70 69.
Scottish qualifiers: 
219 B Smith 75 75 69.
220 S Martin 71 73 76.
Scottish non-qualifiers:
224 M Thomson (am) 76 78 70.
228 R McDonald 74 75 79.

NOT QUITE AS GOOD AS PAUL LAWRIE BUT WORTH A CIGAR …
Earlier in the year that Paul Lawrie won the Open at Carnoustie he won the North-east Alliance competition at Buckpool despite having a 10 on his scorecard.
Craig Stephen, a plus two-handicap amateur at Meldrum House, took a leaf out of the 1999 Open champion’s book by winning at Buckpool today (Wed) even though he had a quadruple bogey 8 at the fifth.
Stephen compensated for that disaster with seven birdies – at the first, third, eighth, 11th, 12th, 16th and 17th in halves of 37 (two over par) and 32 (three under) for a one-under-par 69. He also had bogeys at the sixth and 14th.
He headed a field of 76 by one shot from  Bill Urquhart (Murcar), the winner at Ballater a fortnight earlier, and completing an amateur 1-2-3 finish, Graham Hogg (Oldmeldrum) was third with a 71.
Urquhart had birdies at the sixth, 10th and 12th but bogeyed the first, fifth and 13th in halves of 36 and 34. The one-handicap Murcar member had to settle for pars at the last five holes.
Two-handicap Graham Hogg birdied the ninth, 11th, 12th and 16th in halves of 36 and 35. He bogeyed the first and sixth but it was his late bogeys at the 15th and 17th that relegate him to third place.
NORTH-EAST ALLIANCE – Buckpool
Leading scratch scores (Par 70)
69 C Stephen (Meldrum House).
70 W S Urquhart (Murcar).
71 G Hogg (Oldmeldrum).
72 C Nelson (Hazlehead), D Garrett (Huntly), P Cormack (Inchmarlo), I Buchan (Craibstone), S Scott (Auchmill).
73 J Smith (Cruden Bay), C Carnegie (Kemnay), R Pirie (Calednian).
74 J Roberts (Cruden Bay), S Finnie (Caledonian), D Corley (East Aberdeenshire).
75 R Fitzpatrick (Inchmarlo), R Stwewart (Cruden Bay), A Nelson (Banchory), J Morris (Craibstone).
76 S Pert (Huntly), R L Nicoll (Murcar), S Davidson (Banchory), K Minty (Turriff).
77 C Cassie (Nigg Bay), W D Rae (Kemnay), A Petrie (Oldmeldrum), F Bisset (Banchory), N Williamson (Banchory), J Cameron (Royal Aberdeen), P Cornfield (Auchmill).
78 P Farnan (Royal Aberdeen), J M Hamilton (Murcar), K McGilvray (Craibstone), D Leighton (Murcar).
Leading handicap
Class 1 – J Morris (Craibstone) (7), S Scott (Auchmill) (4) 68; G Hogg (Oldmeldrum) (2), A Nelson (Banchory) (6), N Williamson (Banchory) (8), K Minty (Turriff) (7), W S Urquhart (1), K McGilvray (Craibstone) (9) 69.
Class 2 – J Roberts (Cruden Bay) (10) 64;  K Duncan (Cruden Bay) (14) 65; W D Rae (Kemnay) (11), M F R Rogers (Kemnay) (15) 66; A Petrie (Oldmeldrum) (10), P Cornfield (Auchmill) (10) 67; G Travis (Auchmill) (14) 69.
+Next Wednesday’s meeting at Portlethen will have a two-tee start with the last tee times at approximately 10.30am.

PABLO AND RHYS THIRD AND FOURTH IN ALL-AMERICA COLLEGE CLASSIC
Two former British boys’ open champions, Pablo Martin from Spain and Rhys Davies from Bridgend, South Wales, finished third and fourth in the prestigious All-America Classic college golf tournament over the 6,781yd, par-71 El Paso Country Club in Texas.
Vanderbilt’s Luke List led the select field from start to finish with rounds of 67, 65 and 68 for 13-under-par 200.
He won by one stroke from Chris Kirk (Georgia) who scored 71, 63 and 67 for 201.
Pablo Martin (Oklahoma State) shot 68, 67 and 67 for third place on 202.
Rhys Davies (East Tennessee State) came fourth with 67, 69 and 69 for 205.
Former winners of the All-America Classic include Tiger Woods (1995), David Duval (1991 and Davis Love (1984).

JODI AND DANIELLE SIGN UP FOR US COLLEGES
Yorkshire teenager Jodi Ewart (Catterick), winner of the girls’ title in the recent Daily Telegraph junior championships’ grand final at Dubai Creek, has signed a Letter of Intent to enrol at New Mexico University next autumn.
Another promising youngster from Northern Ireland, Danielle McVeigh, has committed herself to join Texas A&M University after the summer of 2006.
The full list – collated by GolfWeek – of young female golfers who have so far signed National Letters of Intent to play US collegiate golf from the 2006-2007 onwards - is:
Sofia Aidemark, Laholm, Sweden (UNC-Greensboro)
Carolina Andrade, Cadiz, Spain (Georgia)
Lauren Archer, Boise, Idaho (Oregon State)
Molly Aronsson, Shelburne, Vt. (Washington)
Jennifer Arseneault, Grinnell, Iowa (Virginia)
Ashley Baker, Dublin, Ohio (Furman)
Ashley Bauer, Grand Blanc, Mich. (Michigan)
Kellye Belcher, Bartlett, Tenn. (Indiana)
Chelsea Betts, Berlin, Md. (High Point)
Kristen Billings, Wilmington, N.C. (East Carolina)
Kayley Bodine, Martinsville, Ind. (Indiana State)
Abby Bools, Hickory, N.C. (East Carolina)
Lalita Boonnoppornkul, No. Hollywood, Calif. (UCLA)
Annie Brophy, Spokane, Wash. (Notre Dame)
Ginny Brown, Austin, Texas (Tennessee)
Corrine Carr, Pinehurst, N.C. (Furman)
Brenda Chhuor - Cerritos, Calif. (Long Beach State)
Misun Cho, Kew, Victoria, Australia (Pepperdine)
Britney Choy, Wahiawa, Hawaii (New Mexico)
Renee Cloutier, Niceville, Fla. (St. John's)
Lindsay Cullen, Allen, Texas (Penn State)
Erin Cylke - El Cajon, Calif. (Long Beach State)
JODI EWART, Middleham, North Yorkshire, England (New Mexico)
Ashley Freeman, Belleville, Ill. (Texas A&M)
Molly Fuhs, Spokane, Wash. (Washington State)
Brooke Goodwin, Fuquay-Varina, N.C. (Vanderbilt)
Leslie Grabeman, Springboro, Ohio (Minnesota)
Sara Grantham, Cleveland, Tenn. (Mississippi)
Kristen Hendrix, Houston, Texas (Baylor)
Christine Herzog, Detroit Lakes, Minn. (Minnesota)
Justine Hix, Grants Pass, Ore. (Portland State)
Amanda Jacobs, Portland Ore. (Idaho)
Emma Jandel, Dayton, Ohio (Ohio State)
Christine Kim, Hilo, Hawaii (Colorado)
Julie Kim, Port Coquitlam, B.C., Canada (Colorado)
Julie Kim, Bayside, N.Y. (Notre Dame)
Lois Kim, Bayside, N.Y. (St. John's)
Rosalyn Kim, Belton, Texas (Texas Tech)
Caroline Kim, Port Coquitlam, B.C., Canada (Southern California)
Angela King, Rancho Sante Fe, Calif. (Stanford)
Natasha Krishna, Remuera, Auckland, New Zealand (UNLV)
Laura Kueny, Whitehall, Mich. (Michigan State)
Mackenzie Mack, Las Vegas, Nev. (Indiana State)
Dani Madden, Woodinville, Wash. (Idaho)
Melissa Mabanta, Vancouver, B.C., Canada (UNLV)
Amanda Martinez, San Antonio, Texas (Texas Tech)
Megan McKinney, Fisherville, Ky. (Murray State)
DANIELLE McVEIGH, Northern Ireland (Texas A&M)
Sydnee Michaels, Temecula, Calif. (UCLA)
Allison Micheletti, Chesterfield, Mo. (Furman)
Lauren Milosh, Southboro, Mass. (St. John's)
Brittany Nelson, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. (Florida)
Whitney Neuhauser, Barboursville, Va. (Virginia)
Laura Nochta, Cortland, Ohio (Indiana)
Brielle Paolini, Virginia Beach, Va. (William and Mary)
Tiffany Phelps, McKinney, Texas (Arkansas)
Julia Potter, Granger, Ind. (Missouri)
Dominique Pytlewski, West Vancouver, B.C., Canada (Colorado)
Andrea Ratigan, Tucson, Ariz. (Michigan)
Corinna Rees, Pebble Beach, Calif. (Arkansas)
Johanna Rodert, Skovde, Sweden (Coastal Carolina)
Brooke Ruble, Battle Creek, Mich. Western Michigan)
Alexandrea Schulte, Broken Arrow, Okla. (Arkansas)
Gina Sharp, Helena, Ark. (Mississippi State)
Stephanie Sherlock, Barrie, Ontario, Canada (Denver)
Erica Still, Waycross, Ga. (Kentucky)
Candace Schepperle, Hoover, Ala. (Auburn)
Suzanne Stanley, Decatur, Ala. (Mississippi State)
Christina Stockton, Auburn, Calif. (San Francisco)
Kathleen Strandberg, Greensboro, N.C. (North Carolina State)
Beth Stonecypher, Yelm Wash. (Idaho)
Emily Street, Forest City, N.C. (North Carolina State)
Abbi Sunner, Ankeny, Iowa (Kansas State)
Ashley Szewczuk, Chalfont, Pa. (St. John's)
Samantha Tejada, Ashland, Mass. (St. John's)
Allison Travis, Eagle, Idaho ( Washington State)
Aubrey Vaughn, Reedsport, Ore. (Portland State)
Kristin Vincent, Burlington, N.C. (North Carolina State)
Catherina Wang, Orlando, Fla. (Stanford)
Aubrey Watt, Yorktown, Ind. (Indiana State)
Annelie Weimenhog, Kattarp, Sweden (UNC-Greensboro)
Kristin Wetzel, Middletown, N.Y. (Notre Dame)
Vicki Yi, Athens, Ga. (Georgia) .
Christina Yoon, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (Washington)

Tuesday 22nd November 2005

CLARE FINISHES JOINT EIGHTH AT LET Q SCHOOL – AND SAYS GOODBYE TO AMATEUR RANKS
Drumpellier’s Clare Queen finished joint eighth in the Ladies European Tour Final Qualifying School at La Cala Resort, Mijas on the Costa del Sol today (TUESDAY) – and immediately relinquished her amateur status.
The 22-year-old Great Britain & Ireland amateur international player – who would have almost certainly gained a Curtis Cup against the United States next summer – will instead be a rookie pro on the European women’s circuit.
Clare, who came through last week’s Stage 1 36-hole preliminary test, finished the final 72-hole eliminator with rounds of 70, 74, 71 and 78 for a one-over-par total of 293.
Top graduates from the school were Ellen Smets (Belgium) and Sarah Kemp (Australia) who both finished on four-under-par 288.
Miss Queen’s final round was her worst of the week but  by then she had virtually clinched an LET player’s card.
Clare had only four bogeys in her first 54 holes of the Final Q School but she had six in eight holes today from the fifth to the 12th! Out in 41, and starting back with bogeys at the 10th and 12th, Clare steadied up to play the last six holes in one under par with her only birdie of the round coming at the 16th.
During her amateur career, Clare won the British Under-18 girls’ open match-play and stroke-play titles and she also won the British women’s open stroke-play title last year.
She was the only Scot to make it through to the last day of the LET Final Q School this week.
The leading 30 and ties, with totals of nine-over-par 301 and better, gained full playing rights for next year. The remainder who made the last day will have rankings which will gain them restricted access to the 2006 circuit.
LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR FINAL QUALIFYING SCHOOL
La Cala Resort North Course, Mijas, Costa del Sol.
FINAL TOTALS
Par 73
288 Ellen Smets (Bel) 72 72 73 71, Sarah Kemp (Aus) 72 70 73 73.
289 Sofia Renell (Swe) 73 70 73 73, Anna Rawson (Aus) 73 73 69 75.
290 Danielle Masters (Eng) 74 72 70 74.
291 Louise Friberg (Swe) 73 71 74 73, Isabella Maconi (Ita) 74 70 73 74.
293 Nikki Garrett (Aus) 72 73 75 73, Bettina Hauert (Ger) 78 73 69 73, Clare Queen (Sco) (am) 70 74 71 78.
295 Florence Luscher (Swi) 68 80 73 74.
296 Eva Steinberger (Aut) 78 71 71 76.
297 Leah Hart (Aus) 75 79 74 69, Jenni Kuosa (Fin) 77 80 68 72, Melanie Holmes-Smith (Aus) 77 73 74 73, Anna Knutsson (Swe) 75 77 70 75, Tania Elosegui (Spa) (am) 77 72 72 76, Beatriz Recari (Spa) (am) 71 78 71 77.
298 Titiya Plucksataporn (Thai) 74 74 78 72, Antonella Cvitan (Swe) 75 76 73 74, Sarah Heath (Eng) 77 73 74 74, Libby Smith (US) 74 72 77 75, Fame More (Eng) 74 75 73 76.
299 Frederique Seeholzer (Swi) (am) 75 75 76 73, Janice Olivencia Puerto Rico) 70 76 76 77, Josefine Skold (Swe) 75 68 77 79.
300 Mardi Lunn (Aus) 76 76 75 73, Nora Angehrn (Swi)  78 75 72 75, Cecilie Lundgreen (Nor) 70 77 77 76.
301 Lill Saether (Nor) 76 72 80 73, Anna Temple (US) 76 74 77 74,  Heidi McCulkin (Aus) 74 74 77 76, Katy Jarochowicz (Aus) 77 71 77 76, Helen Beatty (Aus) 74 78 71 78, Nicole Gergely (Aut) (am) 74 75 74 78, Nuria Clau (Spa) 76 74 72 79.
Following gained restricted cards:
302 Emelie Svenningsson (Swe) 76 76 74 76, Sofia Johansson (Swe) 74 77 75 76.
303 Elin Ohlsson (Swe) 80 73 70 80.
304 Uliana Rotmistrova (Rus) 77 75 74 78, Nathalie David-Mila (Fra) 73 80 72 79.
305 Megan Heckeroth (US) 75 77 76 77, Sandra Carlborg (Swe) 76 79 73 77, Sam White (US) 79 77 72 77, Filippa Hansson (Swe) 75 73 77 80.
306 Caroline Grady (Eng) 78 76 74 78.
307 Mianne Bagger (Den) 77 75 74 81.
308 Hanna-Sofia Svenningsson (Swe) 70 77 78 83.
310 Laura Terebey (US) 77 75 75 83.
Disq – Marie-Josee Rouleau (Can) 75 75 73 disq.

STEVE MARTIN NEEDS BIG EFFORT OVER FINAL 36 HOLES OF SENIORS' SCHOOL 
STEVE Martin has to improve 16 places over the final 36 holes to gain one of only six full players’ cards which are at stake in the European Seniors Tour Final Qualifying School over the 6,425yd, par-71 Pinta course at the Pestana Golf Resort on Portugal’s Algarve.
Martin has had rounds of 71 and 73 for a two-over-par halfway total of 144 – and that puts him in a share of 22nd place going into the third round.
The leading six at the moment have all scored three-under 139 or better, which emphasises just how tough a task it is to break through to the over-50s pro circuit.
Kemnay club pro Ronnie McDonald is sharing 46th place on 149 with scores of 74 and 75. He is two places ahead of compatriot Brian Smith (75-75) while the fourth Scot in the field, amateur Mike Thomson from the Borders, is back in a tie for 64th place with scores of 76 and 78 for 154.
England’s Stephen Chadwick and Jimmy Heggarty of Northern Ireland lead the British hopes after second rounds of 68 and 69 moved them into a tie for third place.
Chilean Angel Fernandez currently leads at five-under-par 137, but he finds some strong competitors breathing down his neck.
A stroke further back on 138 is Australian Stewart Ginn, who won the Ford Seniors Players’ Championship on the US Champions Tour in 2001. Four players are tied at three under par 139 – Chadwick, Heggarty, Doug Johnson of the United States and South African Bertus Smit.
Heggarty was a regular on the European Tour from the late 1970s to the early 1990s and he has made a good start to his first Seniors Tour Qualifying with consecutive under par rounds in tricky conditions.
TUESDAY SCOREBOARD
EUROPEAN SENIORS TOUR FINAL QUALIFYING SCHOOL
Pinta Course, Pestana Golf Resort, Algarve, Portugal.
LEADING SECOND ROUND TOTALS
Par 71
 137 A Fernandez (Chi) 69 68.
 138 S Ginn (Aus) 68 70.
 139 S Chadwick (Eng) 71 68, J Heggarty (NIr) 70 69, D Johnson (US) 73 66, B Smit (SA) 68 71.
 140 B Larratt (Eng) 69 71, A Sowa (Arg) 69 71.
 141 K Cox (US) 71 70, A Ortiz (Arg) 72, G Stewart (Eng) 70 71.
 142 B Butler (US) 71 71, M Kelly (Ire) (am) 72 70, R Velasquez (Col) 72 70.
 143 J Curtis (Ire) 73 70, J Dolan  (US) 70 73, B Evans (Eng) 70 73, L Gallardo (Spa) 69 74, B Hardwick (Can) 71 72, B Lincoln (SA) 73 70, M Williams (SA) 71 72.
 144 J Benda (US) 75 69, R Mann (Eng) 70 74, S Martin (Sco) 71 73, A Saavedra (Arg) 68 76, D Stirling (Aut) 70 74.
Other Scottish scores:
149 R McDonald 74 75.
150 B Smith 75 75.
154 M Thomson 76 78.

Celebrate St Andrews Week with a visit to the British Golf Museum
As part of the St Andrews Festival Week celebrations, the British Golf Museum is admitting all visitors free of charge between Thursday 24th November and Sunday 4th December. 
Everyone is welcome to take advantage of this opportunity to discover the history of golf, from its origins in the Middle Ages to the celebrations surrounding the 250th Anniversary of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club and The Open Championship played at St Andrews in 2005.
There is something for anyone interested in local history or the history of golf and its development over the past 500 years.  Visitors will be able to enjoy watching rare black and white footage dating back to 1904 and to go interactive by selecting their favourite Open Championship footage highlights from 1926 until the present day or even to test their knowledge on The Rules of Golf.  Dressing up in period golf costume is all part of the experience as is the chance to practise putting skills with replica clubs and balls from the last 175 years.
The museum is open from 10 am to 4 pm daily and a visit will make the perfect break from playing golf.

The lovely new Spey Valley course

NEW AVIEMORE COURSE TO OPEN ON MAY 26 NEXT YEAR
By COLIN FARQUHARSON
The splendid new Spey Valley golf course at Aviemore is to open on May 26 next year, the owners have announced this week.
The standard green fee per round has been fixed at £69 (£29 for juniors), which compares favourably Scotland’s other major courses.
“Work has not yet started on a clubhouse but we do expect construction work to start in the very near future,” said Fraser Cromarty, pictured right, director of golf for Macdonald Hotels.
Macdonald Hotels hired world-class designer Dave Thomas to build a course capable of staging of top-flight professional events while still being playable by golfers across the board, including those with long handicaps.
Off the back tees, Spey Valley measures close on 7,200yd. However, varied teeing grounds putting it at 6,800yd, means it can be set up for golfers of all abilities.
A straight-out, straight back lay-out, the course will have a par of 73 (36-37) with five par-5s including a "monster" 641-yard fifth hole, one of the longest holes in Scotland .
The four par-3s, at their longest, are certainly not in the "flick with a wedge" category either - the 213yd fourth, the 208yd sixth, the 197yd 10th and the 229yd 16th.   
The course, nestling in a Caledonian pine forest with the towering Cairngorms as a backdrop and the River Spey flowing past several heather-lined fairways, has a magnificent, picture postcard setting. Dave Thomas expects it soon to be ranked among Britain’s top five inland golf venues.
“Spey Valley will be a real championship course but, for its survival, it also needs to attract golfers of all abilities. I’m sure the fact that it is so far north will not be a  drawback. Like a good restaurant, people will travel for quality. It’s as simple as that,” said Dave.
Designer of well over 100 courses world wide, Thomas, now 71, added:
"God willing, I would love to see this course in a few years' time when all the signs of construction have gone and all you see is what we have created. I insisted that we worked from inside the tree-line all the time, creating no scars and, hopefully, adding to the vista of this beautiful part of the Scottish Highlands.
"Ultimately, this may prove to be my jewel in the crown." 
The plan is not to stage any tournaments – large or small – in the first year, which is seen as a settling-in process for the lay-out and course manager Bob Mackay’s greenkeepers  - and a learning curve for the administration and clubhouse staff.
Mackay was headhunted from Royal Dornoch, another world-rated course.
“Spey Valley will be essentially a pay-and-play course of the highest quality,” said Fraser. “We will not have a club with members based here but annual green fee cards will be available, allowing you to enjoy unlimited golf over the course.”
“We will have an excellent practice range with balls provided.
A spokeswoman for Macdonald Hotels said that they were still considering the structureas for guest fees and other concessions. An announcement will be made nearer to the time of opening.
Bookings for a round over Spey Valley from May 27 onwards can be made, even now, by phoning 01479 815100 or E-mailing: golf@aviemorehighlandresort.com

MARTIN TOP SCOT AT EURO SENIORS QUALIFYING SCHOOL FIRST DAY
Former European Tour player Steve Martin, who won’t be 50 until next month, is the best placed of the four Scots at the end of the rain-hit first day of the European Seniors Tour Qualifying School on the Algarve.
Rain on already wet Pinta course at the Pestana Resort delayed the start of play by 2 ½ hours and two groups will go out early on Tuesday morning to complete their first rounds.
Only six cards for next season’s European Seniors Tour are up for grabs and the field of 76 is made up of 19 exempt players and 57 qualifiers from last week’s preliminary test.
Martin birdied the ninth and 12th and bogeyed the fourth and 11th in returning a level par 71.
Kemnay club pro Ronnie McDonald had a 74 with birdies at the 11th and 14th but bogeys at the third, fourth, sixth, 16th and 17th.
Brian Smith returned a 75 which included double-bogey 6s at the 10th and 16th. He birdied the eighth and 12th and dropped shots at the fourth and fifth.
Former Scottish mid-amateur champion Mike Thomson from the Borders, playing as an amateur, had a 76 with bogeys at the fourth, ninth, 12th, 14th and 17th.
Four players share the lead on 68 and 15 in all scored under the par of 71. That’s how tough it is going to be for any of the four Scots to win a player’s card at the end of four rounds.
EUROPEAN SENIORS TOUR QUALIFYING SCHOOL
Pinta course, Pestana Resort, Algarve.
Par 71.
Leading first-round scores
68 T Allen (Eng), S Ginn (Aus, A Saavedra (Arg), B Smit (SA), G Townhill (E).
69 A Fernandez (Chi), L Gallardo (Spa), R Glenn (E), A Sowa (Aus).
70 J Dolan (US), B Evans (E), J Hegarty (NIr), R Mann (E), L Stephen (Aus), D Stirling (Aut).
Scots scores:
71 S Martin.
74 R McDonald.
75 B Smith.
76 M Thomson (am).

NORTH BERWICK SCOTLAND'S REPRESENTATIVES IN RULES OF GOLF QUIZ GRAND FINAL AT R&A
The North Berwick Golf Club team of four head to St Andrews on Sunday (NOV 27) for the Great Britain & Ireland grand final of the R&A Rules of Golf Quiz. They hope to emulate the feat of neighbours, The Glen Golf Club, who captured the prestigious title last year but were KO’d in the first round by North Berwick in this year’s competition.
Competing in the Scottish final for the first time at Baberton Golf Club, Edinburgh, North Berwick proved to be the lady-killers of the competition! They beat the ladies of St Rule Club by the narrowest of margins – one point – in their semi-final and then went on to eliminate the ladies of Strathaven Golf Club to become Scottish quiz champions and earn a place in the grand final.
The North Berwick team consisted of Paul Hutchinson, Euan Lambert, Torquil McInroy and David Warren.
Euan – brother of LPGA tour player Catriona Matthew, Torquil and David have all been club champions.
“Golfing ability counts for nothing in this quiz and though we’ve all played at a good level of the game, this quiz has made us realise that we don’t really know every rule in the book,” said David.
Alan Chainey, who was captain of the winning North Berwick team in the earlier rounds, missed the Scottish semi-finals and final at Baberton. He returns from a golfing holiday at Pinehurst in the United States this week.
Captain Chainey now faces a dilemma. Which four of the five players used to get to the grand final should be in the line-up at the R&A clubhouse on Sunday?
The other qualifiers for the Grand Final are:
Ireland – Roe Park, Northern Ireland.
England: Midlands - Hagley Golf Club. North – Crosland Heath. South-east – Flackwell Heath. Southwest – Dartmouth.
Details of the Scottish final at Baberton:
Semi-finals: Strathaven bt Torphins 28-26, North Berwick bt St Rule 40-39.
Final: North Berwick bt Strathaven 36-23.

Monday 21st November 2005

CLARE SET TO BOW OUT OF AMATEUR RANKS AFTER ANOTHER GOOD DAY
Only Drumpellier’s Clare Queen, pictured right, of the four Scots in the field survived the third-round cut in the Ladies European Tour Final Qualifying School over La Cala Resort North Course, Mijas on Spain’s Costa del Sol.
Clare, 22, is set to relinquish her amateur status after shooting a third-round 71 for a 54-hole tally of 215. That put her in joint second place with one round to go behind Los Angeles-based Aussie Anna Rawson.
The top 30 players after 72 holes will gain full playing rights for next season’s LET circuit. The next 20 will gain a ranking which will get them into some events next year.
The 50 who beat the cut on Monday had to score nine-over-par 228 or better.
Royal Dornoch member Cara Gruber will almost certainly remain an amateur after scoring 79, 78 and 75 for 12-over 231.
Bridge of Allan’s former Curtis Cup player Heather Stirling flew all the way from Florida, played very well in last week’s Stage 1 eliminator and then slumped to scores of 68, 80 and 76 for 15-over 234.
Mearns Castle Golf Academy teaching pro Lesley Mackay finished last one one in the field of 95 with scores of 85, 77 and 81 for 24-over-par 243.
Clare Queen birdied the first, ninth, 12th and 17th and had bogeys at the sixth and 10th in halves of 36 and 35 for her one-under-par score after earlier rounds of 70 and 74.
Cara Gruber ran up a triple bogey8 at the 15th but did gain three birdies – at the eighth, 14th and 18th in halves of 38 and 37.
Heather Stirling’s third-round 76 began with a birdie but died away with bogeys at the sixth, ninth, 10th and 11th in halves of 38.
Lesley Mackay had a triple bogey 7 at the seventh in an outward 43.
LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR FINAL QUALIFYING SCHOOL
La Cala Resort North Course, Mijas, Costa del Sol.
THIRD-ROUND QUALIFIERS
Par 73
214 Anna Rawson (Aus) 73 73 68.
215 Clare Queen (Sco) (am) 70 74 71, Sarah Kemp (Aus) 72 70 73.
216 Danielle Masters (Eng) 74 72 70, Sofia Renell (Swe) 73 70 73.
217 Ellen Smets (Bel) 72 72 73, Isabella Maconi (Ita) 74 70 73.
218 Louise Friberg (Swe) 73 71 74.
220 Eva Steinberger (Aut) 78 71 71, Beatriz Recari (Spa) 71 78 71, Bettina Hauert (Ger) 78 73 69, Nikki Garrett (Aus) 72 73 75, Josefine Skold (Swe) 75 68 77.
221 Tania Elosegui (Spa) (am) 77 72 72, Florence Luscher (Swi) 68 80 73.
222 Fame More (Eng) 74 75 73, Nuria Clau (Spa) 76 74 72, Janice Olivencia (Puerto Rico) 70 76 76, Anna Knutsson (Swe) 75 77 70.
223 Elin Ohlsson (Swe) 80 73 70, Nicole Gergely (Aut) (am) 74 75 74, Marie-Josee Rouleau (Can) 75 75 73, Libby Smith (US) 74 72 77, Helen Beatty (Aus) 74 78 71.
224 Melanie Holmes-Smith (Aus) 77 73 74, Sarah Heath (Eng) 77 73 74, Cecilie Lundgreen (Nor) 70 77 77, Antonella Cvitan (Swe) 75 76 73, Jenni Kuosa (Fin) 77 80 68, Nora Angehrn (Swi) 78 75 72, Katy Jarochowicz (Aus) 77 71 77.
225 Heidi mcCulkin (Aus) 74 74 77, Filippa Hansson (Swe) 75 73 77, Hanna-Sofia Svenningsson (Swe) 70 77 78, Nathalie David-Mila (Fra) 73 80 72.
226 Frederique Seeholzer (Swi) (am) 75 75 76, Titiya Plucksataporn (Thai) 74 74 78, Sofia Johansson (Swe) 74 77 75, Uliana Rotmistrova (Rus) 77 75 74, Mianne Bagger (Den) 77 75 74, Emelie Svenningsson (Swe) 76 76 74.
227 Anna Temple (US) 76 74 77, Mardi Lunn (Aus) 76 76 75, Laura Terebey (US) 77 75 75.
228 Sam White (US) 69 77 72, Sandra Carlborg (Swe) 76 79 73, Caroline Grady (Eng) 78 76 74, Leah Hart (Aus) 75 78 74, Lill Saether (Nor) 76 72 80, Megan Heckeroth (US) 75 77 76.
MISSED CUT
229 Kerry Knowles (Eng) 80 77 72, Anne-Sophie Le Nalio (Fra) (am) 83 76 70, Julie Berton (Fra) (am) 76 74 79.
230 Joanne Oliver (Eng) 82 75 73, Natalie Haywood (Eng) 77 77 76, Anne Lise Caudal (Fra) (am) 77 77 76, Peggy Fraysse (Fra) 74 77 79, Marianne Skarpnord  (Nor) 77 75 78, Jo Clingan (Eng) 77 75 78,
231 Catherine Schmitt (Fra) 78 68 75, Rachel Bell (Eng) (am) 79 77 75, Alex Keighley (Eng) 74 80 77, Valereie Michaud (Fra) 78 81 71, Lisa Jean (Aus) 79 75 77.
232 Cara Gruber (Sco) (am) 79 78 75, Maria Iida (Bra) 79 78 75, Katharina Werdinig (Aut) (am) 85 74 73, Shelley McKevitt (Eng) 78 81 73, Maria Verchenova (Rus) (am) 77 77 78, Hazel Kavanagh (Ire) 75 78 78, Kate Phillips (Wal) 76 77 78.
233 Olof Jonsdottir (Ice) 80 76 77, Morgana Robbertze (SA) 74 79 80.
234 Simone Morgan (Eng) 80 78 76, Polly Willett (Eng) 80 81 73, Laura Eastwood (Eng) (am) 81 82 71.
235 Michelle Smith (Eng) (am) 80 78 77, Heather Stirling (Sco) 79 80 76,
Eva Bjarvall (Swe) 78 82 75, Jill Magnusson (Swe) 83 78 74.
236 Natalie Booth (Eng) 82 76 78, Linda Svensson (Swe) 73 83 80, Lucie Gendronneau (Fra) (am) 78 76 82,
237 Sophie Hunter (Eng) 78 79 80, Kirsty Fisher (Eng) 81 76 80, Joanna Whalley (Aus) 85 78 74, Steph Coverley (Eng) 83 81 73.
238 Frederique Dorbes (Fra) (am) 79 78 81, Emma Weeks (Eng) 82 76 80.
240 Wendy Dicks (Eng) 80 81 78, Clare Lipscombe (Eng) 80 83 77.
241 Santie Koch (SA) 83 76 82, Marieke Zelsmann (Net) 78 81 82.
242 Natalie Margetts (Aus) 86 80 76.
243 Lesley Mackay (Sco) 85 77 81.
Retired: Patricia Sota (Spa) 81 79 ret.

ESPORTA PAIR SIXTH IN BAHRAIN FINAL
Esporta Dougalston Golf Club professional Craig Everett and club captain Andy McDowell, who plays off 23 of a handicap, finished sixth of nine in
the two-day final of the Gulf Air International Pro-Captain Challenge at Riffa Golf Club, Bahrain.
They had rounds of 70 and 71 for an aggregate of 141, 12 strokes behind tournament winners Brian Rimmer and Mke Adamson from Little Aston Golf Club. Rimmer's reward was a cheque for £2,000.
GULF AIR INTERNATIONAL PRO-CAPTAIN CHALLENGE
The Riffa Club, Bahrain
FINAL TOTALS
129 Little Aston: Brian Rimmer  & Mike Adamson (10)  63 66.
133 Studley Wood: Dusan Gavrilovic & Nigel Garrett (6)  67 66.
135 Dubai Creek: Alan MacKenzie & Vikram Judge (scr)  68 67.
136 Riffa: Mike Braidwood  & Z Al Zayani (19)  69 67.
138 Wexford: Liam Bowler  & John Quigley (11)  69 69.
141 Esporta Dougalston Craig Everett & Andy McDowell (23)  70 71.
142 Otley: Steven Tomkinson & Andrew Stewart (5)  70 72; Richmond Park: Alan Hemsley  & Mike Webb (8)  70 72; Cumberwell Park:  John Jacobs & Barry Hales (5)  72 70.

PGAs OF EUROPE SWITCH
The PGAs of Europe international team championship has been switched from the Atalaya Park Old Course to the Dave Thomas-designed Marbella Club course on the Costa del Sol.
Reconstruction work, in particular in the driving range area at Atalaya Park, will not be completed in time for the championship will will be played over four rounds of stroke-play from Wednesday to Saturday, December 7 to 10.
Chris Doak, Chris Kelly and Scott Henderson are Scotland’s three-man team.

Sunday 20th November 2005

CATRIONA FINISHES FIFTH TO ACHIEVE PERSONAL BEST OF $776,925 IN 2005
Catriona Matthew boosted her earnings to personal one-season high of $776,925 by finishing fifth in the LPGA season-ending ADT championship in Floriday today.
Catriona had rounds of 70, 75, 70 and 71 for a two-under-par total of 286.
Annika Sorenstam made a successful defence of the championship to score her 10th win of the season. The Swede had rounds of 69, 70, 74 and 69 for six-under 282, winning  by two shots from three players.
LEADING TOTALS
282 Annika Sorenstam (Swe) 69 70 74 69.
284 Michele Redman (US) 69 73 74 69, Soo-Yun Kang (Korea) 69 77 70 68, Lotte Neumann (Swe) 69 74 71 70.
286 Catriona Matthew (Sco) 70 75 70 71.
LEADING MONEYWINNERS FOR 2005
1 Annika Sorenstam $2,588,240.
2 Paula Creamer $1,531,780.
3 Cristie Kerr $1,360,941
Other total:
10 Catriona Matthew $776,925

CLARE QUEEN OF SCOTS IN LET QUALIFYING SCHOOL
Only Clare Queen of the four Scots bidding to win players’ cards for next year’s Ladies European Tour are likely to survive the cut at the end of Monday’s third round over La Cala Resort North Course at Mijas on Spain’s Costa del Sol.
The 22-year-old Drumpellier player, entered as an amateur, is tied for fourth place after scores of 70 and 74 for two-under-par 144. Clare would have been right up there alongside halfway leader Sarah Kemp from Australia but for a double-bogey 6 at the 310yd 17th hole.
The Scot birdied the same hole in Saturday’s opening score of 70.
She had three birdies in Sunday’s so-steady round – at the short eighth and 10th. She bogeyed the second.
Only the top 50 and ties will advance to the fourth and final round.
Cara Gruber (Royal Dornoch), entered as an amateur, is sharing 68th place on 11-over-157 after scores of 79 and 78. Cara double-bogeyed the short 16th  but got her third birdie of the day at the last hole in halves of 40 and 38.
Florida-based Heather Stirling from Bridge of Allan, who did so well in the Stage 1 36-hole eliminator over the same course at the end of the week, has run into another confidence crisis. She has scored 79 and 80 for 159 and is joint 79th. Heather tan up a triple bogey 8 at the ninth in an outward 41 and then continued to shed shots to par along the inward half. Only a birdie at the 12th brightened her scorecard.
Former Scottish amateur international Lesley Mackay from Golspie, a teaching pro at Mearns Castle Academy, Glasgow, is in joint 91st position in the field of 96. Lesley had a nightmare first round of 85, which include a spate of late double bogeys. She steadied up for a second-round 77 but even that included another double bogey, a 7 at the ninth.
LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR FINAL QUALIFYING SCHOOL
La Cala Resort North Course, Mijas, Costa del Sol.
SECOND-ROUND TOTALS
Par 73
142 Sarah Kemp (Aus) 72 70.
143 Josefine Skold Swe) 75 68,, Sofia Renell (Swe) 73 70.
144 Clare Queen (Sco) (am) 70 74, Isabella Maconi (Ita) 74 70, Louise Friberg (Swe) 73 71, Ellen Smets (Bel) 72 72.
145 Nikki Garrett (Aus) 72 73.
146 Anna Rawson (Aus) 73 73, Libby Smith (USA) 74 72.
147 Cecilie Lundgreen (Nor) 70 77, Hanna-Sofia Svenningsson (Swe) 70 77, Danielle Masters (Eng) 74 73, Janice Olivencia (Puerto Rico) 70 77.
148 Lill Kristin Saether (Nor) 76 72, Florence Luscher (Swi) 68 80, Filippa Hansson (Swe) 75 73, Heidi McCulkin (Aus) 74 74, Katy Jarochowicz (Aus) 77 71, Eva Steinberger (Aut) 78 70, Titiya Plucksataporn (Tai) 74 74.
149 Fame More (Eng) 74 75, Nicole Gergely (Aut) (am) 74 75, Beatriz Recari (Spa) (am) 71 78, Marie-Josee Rouleau (Can) 75 74, Tania Elosegui (Spa) (am) 77 72.
150 Julie Berton (Fra) (am) 76 74, Frederiqyue Seegholzer (Swi) (am) 75 75, Anna Temple (US) 76 74, Melanie Holmes-Smith (Aus) 77 73, Nuria Clau (Spa) 76 74.
151 Sofia Johansson (Swe) 74 77, Peggy Fraysse (Fra) 74 77, Antonella Cvitan (Swe) 7u5 76, Bettina Hauert (Ger) 78 73, Sarah Heath (Eng) 77 74.
152 Anna Knutsson (Swe) 75 77, Marianne Skarpnord (Nor) 77 75, Uliana Rotmistrova (Rus) 77 75, Megan Heckeroth (US) 75 77, Jo Clingan (Eng) 77 75, Mianne Bagger (Den) 77 75, Marti Lunn (Aus) 76 76, Lisa Jean (Aus) 789 73, Helen Beatty (Aus) 74 78, Emelie Sevenningsson (Swe) 76 76, Laura Terebey (US) 77 75.
153 Nathalie David-Mila (Fra) 73 80, Morgana Robbertze (SA) 74 78, NMaria Verchenova (Rus) (am) 77 76, Elin Ohlsson (Swe) 80 743, Kate Phillips (Wal) 76 77, Nora Angehrn (Swi) 78 75.
154 Hazlel Kavanagh (Ire) 75 78, Lea Hart (Aus) 75 78, Lucie Gendronneau (Fra) (am) 78 76, Anne Lise Caudal (Fra) (am) 77 77, Natalie Haywood (Eng) 77 77, Caroline Grady) (Eng) 78 76, Alex Keighley (Eng) 74 80.
155 Sandra Carlbrog (Swe) 76 78.
156 Linda Svensson (Swe) 73 83, Rachel Bell (Eng) (am) 79 77, Catherine Schmitt (Fra) 78 78, Sam White (US) 79 77, Jenni Kuosa (Fin) 77 79, Olof Maria Jonsdottir (Ice) 80 76.
157 Joanne Oliver (Eng) 82 75, Frederique Dorbes (Fra) (am) 79 78, Kristy Fisher (Eng) 81 76, Maria Iida (Bra) 79 789, Cara Gruber (Sco) (am) 79 78, Sophie Hunter (Eng) 78 79, Kerry Knowles (Eng) 80 77.
158 Simone Morgan (Eng) 80 78, Emma Weeks (Eng) 82 76, Natalie Booth (Eng) 82 76, Michelle Smith (Eng0 (am) 80 78.
159 Katharina Werdinig (Aut) (am) 85 74, Shelley mcKevitt (Eng) 78 81, Santie Koch (SA) 83 76, Heather Stirling (Sco) 79 80, Anne-Sophie Le Nalio (Fra) (am) 83 76.
160 Valerie Michaud (Fra) 789 81, Patricia Sota (Spa) 81 69, Marieke Zelsmann (Net) 78 82, Eva Bjarvall (Swe) 78 82.
161 Polly Willett (Eng) 80 81, Wendy Dicks (Eng) 80 81, Jill Magnusson (Swe) 83 78.
161 Lesley Mackay (Sco) 85 77.
163 Laura Eastwood (Eng) (am) 81 81, Clare Lipscombe (Eng) 80 83, Joanna Whalley (Aus) 85 78.
164 Steph Coverley (Eng) 83 81.
166 Natalie Margetts (Aus) 86 60.

WALES WINNERS OF ALGARVE WORLD CUP
Torrential rain at Vilamoura washed out the fourth and final round of the World Cup over the Victoria course on Portugal's Algarve today. That left Wales (Bradley Dredge and Stephen Dodd), the surprise leaders after 54 holes as winners of the trophy by two shots from defending champions England (Luke Donald and David Howell) and Sweden (Henrick Stenson and Niclas Fasth).
The two Welshmen come home with cheques for £400,870, the biggest pay day of their careers. Wales last won the World Cup of Golf in 1987 in Hawaii through the partnership of Ian Woosnam and David Llewellyn, after a play-off against Scotland's Sandy Lyle and Sam Torrance.
Scott Drummond and Stephen Gallacher, Scotland's 2005 representatives, had a disappointing tournament and finished well down the field. So too did United States, none of whose star names wanted to play.

Morgan Pressel turns Pro
Morgan Pressel, the 17-year-old US women's open amateur champion  from Boca Raton, Florida, has turned professional.
She has decided to skip going to college - Duke University was her choice if she did not turn pro - and go straight on to the LPGA Tour if she comes successfully through the upcoming Final Qualifying School.
Only trouble is that 18 years is the minimum age for becoming a member of the LPGA Tour and Morgan won't be 18 until May 23.
Her grandfather, who has brought her up, said that they would ask the LPGA to reconsider its policy about players not being able to join the tour unilt they are 18 if she wins playing rights for the 2006 season. 
Morgan, who would have been a certainty for the United States' Curtis Cup team against Great Britain & Ireland in Oregon next summer, has signed with IMG but her announcement was a low-key affair compared with the recent Michelle Wie turning pro Press Conference.
Miss Pressel finished second in the US Women's Open at Cherry Hills this year after Birdie Kim holed a bunker shot at the 18th hole for victory.
She can play up to six LPGA tournaments on sponsors' exemptions until she can join officially on May 23, although whatever money she earns will not count toward the money list.
"My goal is to win Q-school,"  said Morgan. "Then, my goal is to win as many times as I can and finish as high on the money list. I know it's going to be hard."

CATRIONA LYING HANDY
Catriona Matthew got back on track in the LPGA Tour season-ending ADT championship with a third-round 70 at the Trump International Golf Club,West Palm Beach in Florida.
The Scot is on one-under-par 215 and is in joint fourth place, only two shots behind defending champion Annika Sorenstam who could do no better than 74 in her third round.
THIRD ROUND TOTALS
Par 72
213 Annika Sorenstam (Swe) 69 70 74
214 Marisa Baena 74 74 66, Liselotte Neumann (Swe) 69 74 71
215 Hee-Won Han (Kor) 67 74 74, Catriona Matthew (Sco) 70 75 70
216 Michele Redman 69 73 74, Soo-Yun Kang (Kor) 69 77 70, Heather Bowie 71 74 71
217 Meena Lee (Kor) 72 71 74, Paula Creamer 68 75 74, Lorie Kane (Can) 72 74 71
218 Wendy Ward 73 72 73, Cristie Kerr 76 66 76
219 Jeong Jang (Kor) 75 70 74, Jennifer Rosales (Phi) 77 71 71, Natalie Gulbis 75 72 72
220 Sophie Gustafson (Swe) 75 72 73
221 Pat Hurst 73 77 71, Gloria Park (Kor) 73 75 73
222 Carin Koch (Swe) 73 73 76, Candie Kung (Tai) 71 73 78, Christina Kim 72 74 76
223 Karrie Webb (Aus) 72 77 74
224 Mi-Hyun Kim (Kor) 75 73 76, Lorena Ochoa (Mex) 77 72 75
225 Juli Inkster 80 68 77, Karine Icher (Fra) 74 73 78
226 Young Kim (Kor) 75 74 77, Rosie Jones 74 75 77, Birdie Kim (Kor) 72 77 77

WALES SURPRISE LEADERS IN ALGARVE WORLD CUP
The Wales partnership of Bradley Dredge and Stephen Dodd are the surprise two-shot leaders from defending champions England (David Howell & Luke Donald) and Sweden's Henrik Stenson and Niclas Fasth) with one round to go in the Algarve World Cup tournament over the Victoria course at Vilamoura.
Scotland's Stephen Gallacher and Scott Drummond shot a 64 in the third round but they are still down near the wrong end of the leaderboard.
THIRD ROUND TOTALS
189 WALES (Bradley Dredge, Stephen Dodd) 61 67 61
191 ENGLAND (David Howell, Luke Donald) 59 69 63, SWEDEN (Henrik Stenson, Niclas Fasth) 61 67 63
194 FRANCE (Raphael Jacquelin, Thomas Levet) 63 70 61
195 DENMARK (Anders Hansen, Soren Hansen) 64 68 63
196 NETHERLANDS (Robert-Jan Derksen, Maarten Lafeber) 63 67 66, ARGENTINA (Ricardo Gonzalez, Angel Cabrera) 68 61 67
197 GERMANY (Christian Reimbold, Alex Cejka) 65 68 64
198 INDIA (Arjun Atwal, Jyoti Randhawa) 60 73 65
199 TAIWAN (Wang Ter-chang, Chang Tse-peng) 62 71 66, SPAIN (Miguel Angel Jimenez, S Gervas) 62 72 65
200 SOUTH (Tim Clark, Trevor Immelman) 68 67 65, IRELAND (Padraig Harrington, Paul McGinley) 67 69 64, SOUTH KOREA (KJ Choi, Jang Ik-je) 67 71 62
201 JAPAN (Takuya Taniguchi, Yasuharu Imano) 63 70 68, PARAGUAY (Marco Ruiz, Carlos Franco) 63 73 65
202 AUSTRALIA(Mark Hensby, Peter Lonard) 60 73 69, UNITED STATES (Zach Johnson, Stewart Cink) 65 70 67, MEXICO (Alex Quiros, Pablo del Olmo) 67 71 64
203 SINGAPORE (Mardan Mamat, Lam Chih-bing) 67 70 66, SCOTLAND (Scott Drummond, Stephen Gallacher) 65 74 64, PORTUGAL (Jose-Filipe Lima, Antonio Sobrinho) 68 72 63
209 COLOMBIA (Eduardo Herrera, Diego Vanegas) 66 74 69
210 VENEZUELA (Manuel Bermudez, Carlos Larrain) 66 75 69

CLARE OFF TO A FLYER IN LET FINAL QUALIFYING SCHOOL
Drumpellier amateur Clare Queen made a very good start to the Ladies European Tour Final Qualifying School 72-hole tournament over La Cala Resort North Course (6,017yd) near Mijas on Spain’s Costa del Sol.
The Great Britain & Ireland international player played very consistently for a three-under-par 70 to be joint second, two shots off the pace, with three rounds to go.
Clare birdied three of the five par-5s on the course – the first, the sixth and the 18th. She also had a birdie at the 17th in a strong finish. Her only bogey in halves of 36 and 34 came at the third.
 Another Scottish amateur, Cara Gruber from Royal Dornoch, and former Scottish amateur champion Heather Stirling from Bridge of Allan, who is based in Florida, are well back in joint 64th place on the seven-over 79 mark.
Cara birdied the first but had a bad run either side of the turn. She bogeyed three in a row from the seventh to be out in 39 and then dropped further shots at the 11th, 13th, 15th and 16th for an inward 40. Cara did not have a single birdie.
Heather Stirling had back to back double bogeys at the fifth and sixth after setting off with a bogey. Out in 42, Heather got her only birdie at the short 11th. She bogeyed the 12th and 15th for 37 home.
Lesley Mackay from Golspie, the former Scotland amateur international who is now a teaching pro at Mearns Castle Golf Academy, Glasgow, had a disastrous 85 which leave her with a lot of ground to make up.
Lesley started well enough with a birdie at the first but then she bogeyed eight of the next nine holes. Only at the eighth did she get a par in that nightmare spell.
Out in 43, and starting back with a bogey, Lesley lifted the gloom temporarily with her only birdie at the 12th but then she had a catastrophic finish – double bogeys at the 14th, 15th and 16th for 42 home.
SCOREBOARD
LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR – Final Qualifying School
La Cala North course, Costa del Sol, Spain.
FIRST ROUND SCORES (Par 73)
68 Florence Luscher (Swi).
70 Janice Olivienda (Puerto Rico), Clare Queen (Sco), Cecilie Lundgreen (Nor), Hanna-Sofia Svenningsson (Swe).
72 Ellen Smets (Bel), Sarah Kemp (Aus), Nikki Garrett (Aus).
73 Louise Friberg (Swe), Sofia Renell (Swe), Linda Svensson (Swe), Nathalie David-Mila (Fra), Anna Rawson (Aus).
74 Helen Beatty (Aus), Danielle Masters (Eng), Isabella Maconi (Ita), Titiya Plucksataporn (Thai), Alex Keighley (Eng), Sofia Johansson (Swe), Morgana Robbertze (SA), Fame More (Eng), Nicole Gergely (Aut) (am), Peggy Fraysse (Fra).
75 Marie-Josee Rouleau (Can), Anotonella Cvitan (Swe), Anna Knutsson Swe), Hazel Kavanagh (Ire), Frederique Seeholzer (Swi) (am), Leah Hart (Aus), Filippa Hanssson (Swe), Megan Heckeroth (US).
76 Mardi Lunn (Aus), Kate Phillips Wal), Emelie Svenningson (Swe), Nuria Clau (Spa), Lill Saether (Nor), Sandra Carlborg (Swe), Julie Berton (Fra) (am), Anna Temple (US).
77 Jo Clingan (Eng), Maria Verchenova (Rus), Katy Jarochowicz (Aus), Mianne Bagger (Den), Natalie Haywood (Eng), Melanie Holmes-Smith (Aus), Laura Terebey (US), Jenni Kuosa (Fin), Sarah Heath (Eng), Tania Elosegui (Spa) (am), Marianne Skarpnord (Nor), Anne Lise Caudal (Fra) (am), Uliana Rotmistrova (Rus).
78 Eva Steinberger (Aut), Nora Angehrn (Swe), Caroline Grady Eng), Sophie Hunter (Eng), Marieke Zelsmann (Net), Eva Bjarvall (Swe), Bettina Hauert (Ger), Shelley McKevitt (Eng), Catherine Schmitt (Fra), Lucie Gendronneau (Fra) (am).
79 Maria Priscila Iida (Bra), Sam White (US), Lisa Jean (Aus), Cara Gruber (Sco) (am), Valerie Michaud (Fra), Rachel Bell (Eng) (am), Heather Stirling (Sco).
80 Elin Ohlsson (Swe), Clare Lipscombe (Eng), Olof Maria Jonsdottir (Ice), Kerry Knowles (Eng), Michelle Smith (Eng) (am), Simone Morgan (Eng), Polly Willett (Eng), Wendy Dicks (Eng).
81 Laura Eastwood (Eng) (am) Patricia Sota (Spa).
82 Natalie Booth (Eng), Joanne Oliver (Eng), Emma Weeks (Eng).
83 Jill Magnusson (Swe), Santie Koch (SA), Stephanie Coverley (Eng).
85 Lesley Mackay (Sco), Joanna Whalley (Aus), Katharina Werdinig (Aut).
85 Natalie Margetts (Aus).

HENDERSON PULLS OUT OF FINAL ROUND
Scott Henderson withdrew from the fourth and final round of the US PGA Tour Qualifying School Stage 2 event at Lake Jovita Country Club, Dade City in Florida on Saturday.
The Aberdonian had no chance of figuring among the 18 qualifiers from the venue for the Final Q School, beginning at the end of the month, after scoring 75, 73 and 75 for seven-over-par 223 for 54 holes.
The leading qualifier from Lake Jovita was American Tommy Tolles with an 18-under-par total of 270 (67-68-64-71).
The 18 qualifiers shot five-under-par 283 or better.
The only Scottish player in the Final Qualifying School field at Winter Garden will be Elgin-born Joel Hendry who finished sixth in his Stage 2 eliminator earlier in the month.
 

Group picture of Aberdeenshire Ladies County Golf Association leading prizewinners during the 2005 season,
pictured after Saturday's annual general meeting at the Star Ballroom, Aberdeen

Saturday 19th November 2005

ANNIKA TAKES LEAD IN ADT CHAMPIONSHIP
Annika Sorenstam put the previous day’s dispute with playing partner Paula Creamer behind her as she shot to the front in the ADT championship with a second-round 70 for a five-under-par tally of 139 at West Palm Beach, Florida on Friday.
Defending champion Annika opened up a two-stroke leader from the first-round pacemaker, Korea’s Hee-Won Han (67-74).
Paula Creamer dropped back to a share of fifth place on 143 after a 75.
Catriona Matthew did not have a good day. She double bogeyed the fourth and dropped two more shots at the fifth and sixth before birdying the eighth and ninth to be out in two-over 38.
The Scot steadied up on the inward half to reel off eight pars and a bogey at the 17th for a round of 75 and a two-round total of 145. She is in joint ninth place at the start of the ninth round over the 6,506yd, par-72 course.

US PGA Tour Qualifying School Stage 2
HENDERSON’S QUALIFYING HOPES KILLED OFF IN FLORIDA
Kings Links tour pro Scott Henderson had a disastrous finish in the third round of the US PGA Tour Qualifying School Stage 2 event at Lake Jovita Country Club, Dade City in Florida today (FRIDAY, USA TIME).
The Aberdonian, needing something special after uninspired rounds of 75 and 73, birdied the second, eighth and ninth to cancel out bogeys at the fifth and sixth. He was still one under par with three to play.
Then Henderson bogeyed the 15th and 16th before finishing with a double-bogey 6 at the 420yd 18th. It was Scott’s third double bogey of the 54 holes he has played.
A round of three-over 75 gave him a tally of seven-over-par 223. He now has no chance of making the top 18 and ties – currently at five under par -  at the end of the fourth round. They will go forward to the Final Q School at Winter Garden, Florida, starting on November 30.

Friday 18th November 2005

ANNIKA, PAULA IN RULES ROW
Annika Sorenstam, mindful of Michelle Wie's recent disqualification, had a heated discussion with playing partner Paula Creamer, the US Solheim Cup player, over where the Swedish defending champion should drop her ball at the par-4 18th in the first round of the LPGA's final event of the 2005 season, the ADT Tour Championship at West Palm Beach, Florida.
It took the best part of 25 minutes for Sorenstam, Creamer and LPGA rules official Janet Lindsay to sort out where Annika should drop her ball after her tee shot finished on the wrong side of a hazard line.
Sorenstam had earlier shot an eagle, seven birdies and a double bogey. The 18th cost the Swede a second double bogey and allow Paul Creamer to slip past her into second place on 68, one shot behind leader Hee-Won Han (Korea).
Annika finished on the 69 mark in a triple tie with Swedish compatriot Liselotte Neumann, American Michele Redman and Soo-Yun Kang (Korea).
Scotland's Catriona Matthew will start the second round in seventh place on 70.

SCOTLAND FAIL TO HIT IT OFF AT FOURSOMES IN WORLD CUP
Scotland's Scott Drummond and Stephen Gallacher have obviously forgotten the secret of playing good foursomes golf from their amateur days - Drummond actually played for England as a boy international!
Drummond and Gallacher could do no better than a two-over-par 74 in the second round of the World Cup over the Arnold Palmer-designed Victoria course at Vilamoura on the Algarve today.
That dropped them down to a 36-hole tally of 139 and only Portugal, Colombia and Venezuela are below them in the standings.
Sweden (Henrik Stenson and Niclas Fasth) - who combined for a 67 - and Wales (Bradley Dredge and Stephen Dodd), who had a 67), joined overnight leaders England (David Howell and Luke Donald) in the pole position on 128. Howell and Donald had a 69 - 10 shots worse than their first-day four-ball showing.
SCOREBOARD
128 SWEDEN (Henrik Stenson, Niclas Fasth) 61 67, WALES (Bradley Dredge, Stephen Dodd) 61 67, ENGLAND (David Howell, Luke Donald) 59 69
129 ARGENTINA (Ricardo Gonzalez, Angel Cabrera) 68 61
130 NETHERLANDS (Robert-Jan Derksen, Maarten Lafeber) 63 67
132 DENMARK (Anders Hansen, Soren Hansen) 64 68
133 GERMANY (Christian Reimbold, Alex Cejka) 65 68, JAPAN (Takuya Taniguchi, Yasuharu Imano) 63 70, FRANCE (Raphael Jacquelin) 63 70, TAIWAN (Wang Ter-chang, Chang Tse-peng) 62 71, AUSTRALIA (Mark Hensby, Peter Lonard) 60 73, INDIA (Arjun Atwal, Jyoti Randhawa) 60 73
134 SPAIN (Miguel Angel Jimenez, Sergio Garcia) 62 72
135 SOUTH AFRICA (Tim Clark, Trevor Immelman) 68 67, UNITED STATES (Zach Johnson, Stewart Cink) 65 70
136 IRELAND (Padraig Harrington, Paul McGinley) 67 69, PARAGUAY (Marco Ruiz, Carlos Franco) 63 73
137 SINGAPORE (Mardan Mamat, Lam Chih-bing) 67 70
138 SOUTH KOREA (KJ Choi, Jang Ik-je) 67 71, MEXICO (Alex Quiros, Pablo del Olmo) 67 71
139 SCOTLAND (Scott Drummond, Stephen Gallacher) 65 74.
140 PORTUGAL (Jose-Filipe Lima, Antonio Sobrinho) 68 72, COLOMBIA (Eduardo Herrera, Diego Vanegas) 66 74
141 VENEZUELA (Manuel Bermudez, Carlos Larrain) 66 75

European Seniors Tour Final Qualifying School
THREE SCOTS SURVIVE EURO SENIORS' STAGE 1 Q SCHOOL TEST
Three Scots – Ronnie McDonald, Brian Smith and Mike Thomson (pictured right) – successfully cleared the Stage 1 36-hole hurdle in Portugal today (FRIDAY) to earn a place in next week’s European Seniors Tour Final Qualifying School over four rounds, also on the Algarve.
Kemnay club pro McDonald did not play nearly so well as he had done for a first-round 73 but a seven-over-par 79 over Pinheiros Altos for an aggregate of 152 was good enough to see him qualify in joint 12th place of the 28 who went forward from this venue.
Smith made it in a share of 20th place with 78 and 76 for 154 – two strokes under the limit at Pinheiros Altos where American Doug Johnson was the No 1 qualifier by 10 shots with a pair of 68s.
At Pestana Gramacho, where Tony Price (Wales) and Sweden’s Anders Johnson shared the top spot on three-under-par 141, Borders amateur Mike Thomson (Cardrona), a former Scotland international and winner of the Scottish mid-amateur championship in 2001, qualified in joint 20th place with a 76 and 72 for 148 – two shots inside the cut-off mark.
The European Seniors Tour Final Q School will be played over four rounds at Pestana Pinta course from Monday to Thursday.
Leading scores:
EUROPEAN SENIORS TOUR QUALIFYING SCHOOL
Stage 1 – Leading qualifiers
PINHEIROS ALTOS (Par 72)
136 Doug Johnson (US) 68 68.
146 Bill Malley (US) 73 73.
148 Steve Wild (Eng) 75 73, Angel Fernandez (Chi) 74 74, Neville Clark (SA) 72 76, Stewart Graham (Eng) 78 70.
Other qualifiers:
152 Ronnie McDonald (Sco) 73 79.
154 Brian Smith (Sco) 78 76.
Players with totals of 156 or better qualified.
Non-qualifiers included:
165 Tony Stafford (Sco) 84 81.
PESTANA GRAMACHO (Par 72)
141 Tony Price (Wal) 70 71, Anders Johnson (Swe) 67 74.
142 Bertus Smit (SA) 71 71, Kurt Cox (US) 69 73, Bobby Lincoln (SA) 71 71.
Other qualifier:
148 Mike Thomson (Sco) (am) 76 72.
Players with totals of 150 or better qualified.

Happier days at Health Perception with Rebecca Hudson and
Scots-born former Olympic swimmer David Wilkie, a leading figure in the company.

HEALTH PERCEPTION LGU CHAMPIONSHIP
Regretably, the Ladies’ Golf Union announces that the Health Perception LGU Championship will not take place in 2006.
After 3 highly successful years, due to organisational changes within Health Perception, the company has chosen not to renew their sponsorship of the event. Therefore, at this late stage, the Ladies’ Golf Union has taken the decision not to run the Championship in 2006.
Andy Salmon, CEO of the Ladies’ Golf Union said: "Health Perception was a wonderful sponsor and helped to drive the Championship forward to the success that we achieved this year. This has resulted not only in a higher profile for ladies’ golf at club level but gave 70,000 enthusiastic lady golfers a chance to compete against one another at national level.
"We understand the reasons for Health Perception reluctantly terminating the sponsorship but thank them sincerely for their three years of valued support."
Scottish-born former Olympic gold-medal swimmer David Wilkie and his partner Helen Isacs, committed believers in health benefits of nutrional supplements, co-founded the Health Perception company in 1989.

HIGHLAND FLING FOR CARA AND LESLEY IN LET STAGE 1 QUALIFIER
Highlanders Cara Gruber and Lesley Mackay both squeezed through among the 51 qualifiers from the Ladies European Tour Qualifying School’s Stage 1 eliminator at La Cala Resort, near Malaga on the Costa del Sol.
The scheduled two-rounder over two days spilled over into the third morning when darkness ended play on Thursday with eight groups still to finish their second rounds.
Former Scotland amateur international player Lesley Mackay from Golspie, now a teaching pro at Mearns Castle Golf Academy, Glasgow, was one of those who had to go out again to complete their totals.
Lesley, having birdied the short fourth and bogeyed the second and eighth, knew she was walking a qualifying tightrope when she resumed her round.
With eight-over-par 154 the likely cut-off point for those who would make it through to the Final Q School 72-hole test from Saturday to Tuesday, Miss Mackay had little margin for further error. But she kept her nerve and had eight pars and only one bogey, at the 17th, for a 75- four shots better than her first round.
That gave her a total of 154 – and that was confirmed as the qualifying maximum.
Royal Dornoch Golf Club member Cara Gruber from Strathpeffer, who entered as an amateur,  had hit the 154 mark long before the end of play on Thursday and she agonised overnight about whether or not she would qualify.
The other Scots who had cemented their places in the Final Q School on Thursday were Heather Stirling from Bridge of Allan on 146 (71-75) and Drumpellier’s Clare Queen with 148 (76-72).
So the Stage 1 nail-biter finished in tears for only one Scot – LPGA Tour player Vikki Laing from Musselburgh. She finished at 16-over-par 162 with rounds of 78 and 84.
LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR QUALIFYING SCHOOL
Stage 1 (36 holes)
LA CALA NORTH COURSE (Par 73)
QUALIFIERS FOR STAGE 2
141 J Berton (Fra) 73 68.
146 H Stirling (Sco) 71 75, M-J Rouleau (Can) 76 70.
147 N Gergely (Aut) (am) 72 75, A L Caudal (Fra) (am) 72 75, A Rawson (Aus) 75 72, L Eastwood (Eng) (am).
148 C Queen (Sco) (am) 76 72, T Elosegui (Spa) (am) 72 76, S Kemp (Aus) 75 73, S Koch (SA) 78 70.
149 L Svensson (Swe) 74 75, F Seeholzer (Swi) (am) 72 77, D Masters Eng) 76 73, M Lunn (Aus) 76 73, J Whalley (Aus) 73 76, R Bell (Eng) (am) 73 76, S Johansson Swe) 75 74, M Robbertze (SA) 73 76, A Knutsson (Swe) 74 75.
150 M Holmes-Smith (Aus) 74 76, L Tereby (US) 74 76, F Luscher (Swi) 78 72, N Garrett (Aus) 73 77.
151 A-S Le Nalio (Fra) (am) 77 74, M P Iida (Bra) 75 76, N Haywood (Eng) 72 79.
152 P Willett (Eng) 75 77, M Verchenova (Rus) (am) 78 74, L Smith (US) 79 73, M Heckeroth (US) 73 79.
153 J Clingan (Eng) 76 77, C Schmitt (Fra 76 77, K Werdinig (Aut) (am) 74 79, H McCulkin (Aus) 77 76, M Smith (Eng) (am) 78 75, A Temple (US) 75 78, F Dorbes (Fra) (am) 81 72, F More (Eng) 74 79 , S White (US) 79 74, J Olivencia (Puerto Rico) 74 79, B Recari (Spa) (am) 78 75, T Plucksataporn (Tha) 75 78.
154 C Gruber (Sco) 76 78, L Gendronneau (Fra) (am) 77 77, K Jarochowicz (Aus) 78 76, L Hart (Aus) 76 78, F Hansson (Swe) 80 74, S Coverley (Eng) 77 77, N Margetts (Aus) 78 76, L Mackay (Sco) 79 75.
FAILED TO QUALIFY FOR STAGE 2
155 J Evans (Aus) 78 77, J Schaeffer (Fra) (am) 82 73, J W Tvede (Den) 77 78, N Hansson (Swe) 79 76, t Battistella (US) 79 76.
156 K Price (Wal) 79 77, J Marchan (Arg) 76 80, K Keogh-Heywood (Eng) (am) 80 76, M Quartana (Ita) 78 78, E Brown (Eng) (am) 77 79, L Ferrero (US) 76 80, M Sapin (Fra) (am) 78 78, N Soro (Ivory Coast) 79 77.
157 S Westerlund (Fin) (am) 82 75, S Walker (Eng) (am) 78 78, C Beltran (Aus) 80 77, C Smith (Eng) (am) 78 78, M Holmblad (Swe) 78 79, S Michl (Aut) (am) 79 78, V Bell (Eng) 78 79, C Hallstrom (Swe) 75 82.
158 C Kelepouris (Can) 79 79, E Nechanicka (Cze) (am) 80 78, L Wright (Eng) 79 79, C Reno (US) 81 77, C Trussoni (Ita) 79 79, J Perri (US) 76 82, L Cummins (Jer) 82 76, M Gillen (Ire) (am) 77 81, T Bohlin (Swe) 80 78.
159 T Hyett (Aus) 78 81, B Minchiotti (Spa) 79 80, L Tornevali (Swe) 80 79,  M Martin (Spa) 80 79.
160 A Fouch (US) 84 76, G Colavito (Ita) (am) 82 78, M Allen (Eng) 78 82, L Sibille (Fra) (am) 82 78, M Buus (Den) 80 80.
161 M Parker (Aus) 81 80, C Wahlberg (Swe) 77 84, A Vloedmans (Aus) 80 81, P Swenson (US) 81 80, L Loven (Swe) 82 79.
162 P  Beliard (Fra) 78 84, V Laing (Sco) 78 84 K Hutcherson (Eng) 80 82, H Chua (Phi) 83 79.
163 A Schleining (Aut) (am) 83 80, R Naliaka (Ken) 85 78.
164 L H Diggle (Wal) 86 78, A Milie (Ita) 83 81, R Sigurdardottir (Ice) 80 84, T S Sjoberg (Swe) 80 84.
165 C P Lala (US) 86 79.
166 J Kulvainen (Fin) (am) 82 84.
167 T Kirby (Aus) 86 81, E Brask (Swe) 86 891.
169 M L Elvira (Arg) (am) 86 83.
174 C Davis (US) 87 87.
175 K Ontronen (Fin) 84 91.
Retired: J D Pecoitz (Arg) 85 -, S Imboden (Swi) 97 -, N Rass (Aut) 80 -.

Thursday 17th November 2005

LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR QUALIFYING SCHOOL
VIKKI SHOCK FAILURE; HEATHER AND CLARE DEFINITELY THROUGH BUT CARA HAS NIGHT ON BORDERLINE
Only two of the five Scots in the field – Heather Stirling, pictured left, from Bridge of Allan and Drumpellier’s Clare Queen, pictured right, – have definitely cleared the Stage 1 hurdle to claim places in the Ladies European Tour Final Qualifying School eliminator at La Cala Resort near Malaga on the Costa del Sol on Thursday.
Eight groups were unable to complete their second and final round because of darkness and will resume play on Friday morning.
Only the lead 44 players and ties after 36 holes will go forward to the Final 72-hole qualifying tournament over the same venue from Saturday to Tuesday.
Royal Dornoch amateur Cara Gruber is one of those who will have had a sleepless night. She has had rounds of 76 and 78 for eight-over-par 154.
“It’s going to be close,” said Cara from Spain last night. “Eight over par is the projected total that will qualify but, of course, it all depends on what scores are returned by the 20-odd players who have still to complete their rounds.”
Cara, pictured left, birdied the first and sixth but had bogeys at the fifth, eighth, 11th, 12th and 14th and ran up a double bogey at the 17th in halves of 37 and 41. That double bogey could yet prove costly.
Lesley Mackay (Mearns Castle Golf Academy), pictured left, is one of those who has to go back out on the course this morning. She was six over par after a first-round 79 so she does not have much margin for error.
Many players know already that they have failed to make it. The biggest surprise  was LPGA Tour player Vikki Laing from Musselburgh but based in the United States for the past few years.
Vikki Laing looked a shadow of the great prospect she was an amateur three or four years ago. Vikki had a sad, sad second-round 84 for a total of 162 (16 over par for 36 holes).
She opened with a double-bogey 7 and then dropped more shots at the fourth, eighth and ninth to turn in 42. Coming home, she had a solitary birdie at the 13th after a double bogey at the 12th and shed single shots at the 10th, 11th, 14th, 16th and 17 in an inward card of 42.
Florida-based first-round leader Heather Stirling shot a 75 for a level par total of 146. Although that put her five shots behind the likely competition winner, French amateur Julie Berton, the red-haired Scot is actually joint second among the players who have completed second-round totals.
Heather had birdies at the fourth and ninth but a double bogey at the 12th and single shots dropped at the ninth and 16th in halves of 37 and 38.
Clare Queen, who entered as an amateur, had a one-under-par 72 for a total of 148. Clare birdied the second, fourth and 18th and had only two bogeys – at the third and 13th - in halves of 36.
Two leading amateurs who failed to make the grade were England’s Sophie Walker and Ireland’s Martina Gillen. Sophie had rounds of 79 and 78 for 157 (11 over par) while Martina, winner of the Helen Holm Scottish women’s open amateur stroke-play title at Troon at the start of the season, slumped to a second-round 81 for 158.

US PGA Tour Final Qualifying School
HENDERSON MAKES NO HEADWAY
Scott Henderson's bid to join fellow Scot Joel Hendry in the field for the US PGA Tour Final Qualifying School looks doomed to fail after a second-round 73 in the Stage 2 qualifier at Lake Jovita Country Club, Dade City in Florida today (THU, USA TIME).
The Aberdonian, pictured right, is on three-over-par 148 at the halfway stage - there is no cut - and some 17 shots behind leader Bubba Dickerson who has shot 66 and 65 for 131.
Only the leading 18 and ties after four rounds will go forward to the final six-round eliminator at Winter Garden, Florida, beginning on November 30.
Henderson was sharing 68th place with some players still to complete their second rounds. The outward half continued to give Scott more trouble than the inward nine. He birdied the third and ninth but dropped shots at the first, fifth and seventh in reaching the turn in one-over-par 37.
Coming home, Scott varied from par only twice - a bogey at the 11th and a birdie 2 at the short 14th.
Hendry reached the Final Q School for the first time by finishing sixth in his Stage 2 event at Panama City Beach, Florida last week.

World Cup of Golf
SCOTLAND SIX SHOTS BEHIND LEADERS ENGLAND IN WORLD CUP OF GOLF
SCOTLAND'S Stephen Gallacher and Scott Drummond are lying joint 13th after the first-day four-ball round of the World Cup of Golf over the Victoria course at Vilamoura on Portugal's Algarve.
Gallacher and Drummond had a better-ball round of six-under-par 65 - six shots behind defending champions England.
FIRST ROUND SCOREBOARD Par 72
59 England (David Howell, Luke Donald)
60 India (Arjun Atwal, Jyoti Randhawa), Australia (Mark Hensby, Peter Lonard)
61 Wales (Stephen Dodd, Bradley Dredge), Sweden (Henrik Stenson, Niclas Fasth)
62 Spain (Miguel Angel Jimenez, Sergio Garcia), Taiwan (Wang Ter-chang, Chang Tse-peng)
63 Paraguay (Marco Ruiz, Carlos Franco), France (Raphael Jacquelin, Thomas Levet), Japan (Takua Taniguchi, Yasuharu Imano), Netherlands (Robert-Jan Derksen, Maarten Lafeber)
64 Denmark (Anders Hansen, Soren Hansen)
65 Germany (Christian Reimbold, Alex Cejka), SCOTLAND (Scott Drummond, Stephen Gallacher), United States (Zach Johnson, Stewart Cink)
66 Colombia (Eduardo Herrera, Diego Vanegas), Venezuela (Manuel Bermudez, Carlos Larrain)
67 Mexico (Alex Quiroz, Pablo del Olmo), South Korea (KJ Choi, Jang Ik-je), Singapore (Mardan Mamat, Lamb Chih-bing), Ireland (Padraig Harrington, Paul McGinley)
68 South Africa (Tim Clark, Trevor Immelman), Argentina (Ricardo Gonzalez, Angel Cabrera), Portugal (Jose-Filipe Lima, Antonio Sobrinho)

European Seniors’ Tour Qualifying School
RONNIE MCDONALD BEST PLACED SCOT IN SENIORS Q TEST ON ALGARVE
Aberdonian Ronnie McDonald, pictured right, competing in the event for the first time, was the best placed Scot at the end of the first round of Stage 1 of the European Seniors’ Tour Qualifying School on the Algarve, Portugal today (THURSDAY).
McDonald, the professional at Kemnay Golf Club, Aberdeenshire, shot a one-over-par 73 at Pinheiros Altos to be joint fifth at this venue.
Fellow Aberdonian David Chillas has a 77 at the same course, one better than another Scot, Brian Smith.
Scottish amateur Mike Thomson, playing out of the Cardona club, Peebles
had a four-over-par 76 at the Pestana Gramacho course.
COLLATED RETURN
EUROPEAN SENIORS TOUR – Qualifying School – Algarve, Portugal.
Stage 1
Leading first-round scores:
PINHEIROS ALTOS (Par 72)
68 D Johnson (US).
70 M Williams (SA).
71 J Njunge (Ken).
72 N Clarke (SA).
73 B Malley (US), R McDonald (Sco), A Mori (Ita), A Romanoff (US).
74 M Alvarez (Spa), A Fernandez (Chl), D Jarvis (USA), G Laing (Eng), A Morrow (Ire) (am), B O’Malley (Ire) (am), W Wright (US).
Other scores included:
77 D Chillas (Sco).
78 B Smith (Sco).
84 T Stafford (Sco).
PESTANA GRAMACHO (Par 72)
67 A Johnsson (Swe).
69 K Cox (US).
70 P Hildebrand (Swe) (am), T Price (Wal).
71 S Davidson (Eng), R A Green (Eng), M Kelly (Ire) (am), B Lincoln (SA), G Slabbert (SA), B Smit (SA)
72 T Huyton (Eng), J Rushnell (Can), D Young (Eng).
Other scores included:
76 M Thomson (Sco) (am).

PRESS RELEASE
Lisbon Golf Festival 2006
Great News for Amateur Golfers!!
Lisbon Golf Festival in May 2006 will now include the superb new Ribagolfe I and II and Santo Estevao courses, thanks to new sponsors ESAY Golf Management. This event, now in its fourth year, is open to amateur golfers of all abilities and attracts players from all over Europe as well as Britain and Ireland. The motto “Serious Fun” aptly describes the blend of playing top courses and a splendid social scene.
The new sponsorship deal with ESAY, the premier Portuguese golf management company, will bring in these highly rated courses to enhance a great programme which already includes Quinta da Marinha and Praia d’El Rey, the only Portuguese course in Golf World’s top 100 courses of the world. The benefits of the new sponsorship will be passed on to players with prices in 2006 being the lowest for four years and now includes transport from the tournament hotels to all the courses and social functions!
Other sponsors of the event are Tivoli Hotels, along with award winning wine producers Quinta da Sanguinhal, Crocker, Motorola, Radiotrans and Euro RSCG, who have supported the Lisbon Golf Festival from day one.
The festival starts with four days in the Oeste and Estoril & Sintra region, playing Quinta da Marinha and Praia d’El Rey, before moving to into Lisbon to spend three nights at the Tivoli Tejo. From here ESAY’s courses of Santo Estevao, Ribagolfe I and Ribagolfe II will be played.
The golf competition is sure to be exciting with individual and team competitions taking place during the week. 2006 will see the introduction of the Nations Cup, where the best score from each nation each day will count and the Nations Cup winners will be the nation accumulating the best points tally over 4 rounds.
Away from the courses, players are invited to a numbers of social functions including a welcome party and a splendid prize presentation dinner at Tivoli Hotel’s five star city centre hotel. Non golfers are warmly welcomed.
Whether you come on your own, as part of a group or as a couple, this competition will appeal to men and ladies alike, providing many warm memories of great golf, a lively social scene and a host of good prizes.
Tournament director, Stuart Woodman, said “As with any important date in the calendar, it signifies a get together of friends and a special location. The event is ever-improving and I hope that the slightly changed format will help all players to be in the prizes at some point during the week.’
Packages for 7 days are available from Euro975 / £695 and for 3 days are available from Euro396 / £285. Tournament entry only is also available. For more information call +44 (0) 870 850 3436

ABERDONIAN IN ILLINOIS GOLF HALL OF FAME
The name of Aberdonian Tom Bendelow, who emigrated to the United States in 1892 and became the most prolific designer of golf courses throughout America and Canada, has been inducted to the Illinois Golf Hall of Fame.
Tom was frequently referred to as the “Johnny Appleseed of American Golf.” The most famous of the 800-plus golf courses he designed, many of which were municipal lay-outs at a time when the American public were starting to play the game, are Medinah, Big Foot, Olympia Fields, East Lake and Allegheny.
“It was a great moment for the Bendelow family and one step forward in regaining for Tom the recognition he deserves in American golf history. The induction ceremony represented the culmination of four years of work by many in the Illinois PGA golfing community,” said Stuart Bendelow, pictured right, one of the surviving grandsons, who lives in South Carolina.
Tom Bendelow, born in Aberdeen in 1868, was a printing compositor in the city before he set off with his wife Mary to start a new life in the United States at the age of 24.
To begin with Tom worked in the composing room of the New York Herald newspaper but, an accomplished golfer himself , he soon began teaching the game and opened possibly the first indoor golf instructional school in New York City in 1895.
In 1899 he was hired by the New York City Park Authority to take charge of Van Cortlandt Park golf course, the first municipal golf course in the United States. He redesigned it and supervised its expansion to 18 holes. That was really the beginning of his golf course designing career.
Tom Bendelow died in Chicago in 1936.
 

Wednesday 16th November 2005

Stage 1 qualifier at the Ladies European Tour Qualifying School
HEATHER LEADS AT END OF FIRST TEST DAY IN SPAIN
Former Scottish women’s amateur champion Heather Stirling set the early pace in the first round of the 36-hole Stage 1 qualifier at the Ladies European Tour Qualifying School at La Cala Resort on Spain’s Costa del Sol today (WED).
Florida-based Heather, a 28-year-old from Bridge of Allan, shrugged off the sad string of results in three years as a tour pro in America, to shoot a two-under-par 71 over the testing North course and be the one-stroke clubhouse leader with half the field of 118 still to complete their first rounds.
They are chasing 44 places in the field of 90 and ties for the LET Final Q School at the same venue from Saturday to Tuesday.
Heather, who won the Scottish women’s amateur match-play and stroke-play crowns in 2002 – which earned her a Curtis Cup team place for Great Britain & Ireland against the United States, put herself in the mood with birdies at the second, fourth and fifth.
Then she had a sticky patch in the middle of the round with bogeys at the sixth, ninth and 12th, before she got back on the birdie trail with a 2 at the short 16th and a 3 at the par-4 17th .
Heather won her first and only event as a pro earlier this year when she picked up the £1,000 winner’s prize in an 18-hole US Futures Tour charity event at New Brunswick.
She works as a caddie for holiday golfers in Florida during the winter months to fund her activities on the Futur