What Hadwin needs to do

I've had a flurry of emails and Tweets asking about the status of Adam Hadwin in regard to next year and what he needs to do to lock up a PGA Tour card. So I went to the PGA Tour and got the official answer.

Hadwin has made $432,752. He needs $563,729 to become a Special Temporary Member -- a difference of $130,977.

If he becomes a Special Temporary Member and has 2011 money that falls between 126-150, he will be exempt into Finals of the Qualifying Tournament.

If he does not become a STM and finishes 126-150 he would be placed in the 151-200 category on the Nationwide Tour -- he would not have status on the PGA TOUR.

If he finishes 125 and above he would be exempt on the PGA TOUR for 2012 in the Top 125 Nonmember category.

Coincidentally, the $130,977 he needs is almost what he won last week -- $130,312. Of course, knowing Hadwin, his goal this week is not that amount of money, but a first-place cheque. That would take care of everything.

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Callaway's new gear

I spent the last couple of days down in Carlsbad, Calif., home to many of the game’s top equipment companies. This time it was a chance to visit with Callaway and see much of the new gear it will be launching – and in a couple of cases already launched – for 2012.

Callaway has gone through some internal changes over the past few months with George Fellows resigning and for the short term anyway, Tony Thornley, a board member, taking over. Thornley spent a few minutes with our Canadian group on Wednesday and I learned that he lived in Montreal for seven years while working with Nortel back in that company’s glory days. He said he enjoys the climate in Carlsbad a little better. 

He’s overseeing a leaner company these days that hopes its new line will appeal to golfers. 

We had a chance to see if these new clubs and balls will entice golfers. I played with the Razr XF irons and hybrids, a Razr X Black driver, Pro Type putter and the Black Hex ball. Because of embargoes, I can only tell you about the irons and hybrids from a technical standpoint; you’ll get to look under the lid at the other stuff in the new year. 

The irons fall into the super game improvement category. When I think of that, my immediate image is of a club with a big wide sole that has a massive face and think top line and is hard to miss. It’s not typically the style of club that I’d play with. 

But the XF was quite different. First up, the set is sold with hybrids (don’t call them Rescues) as part of the make up. There is no three or four iron (or five if you want). Instead the three and four hybrid replace those. 

Second, they don’t look like you’d think. They don’t have this massive can’t-miss look, but rather, at address, look very sleek. The top line is of medium thickness and the blade doesn’t look chunky as I find many clubs in this category do. 

And when I hit them, I was really impressed. The club had a very solid feel, got the ball up in the air quickly and cut through any rough well. Mis-hits seemed to go a long way. 

The hybrids had a bit of offset, which normally doesn’t appeal to me but in this category make sense. I only got to use them a couple of times and when I hit them well, the ball sailed high and true. Our group of testers, which included everyone from low single-digit players to high hackers all seemed to enjoy them. 

As for the driver, can only tell you that I really enjoyed it. The ball was also good and much of the cover shearing that used to occur with Callaway balls when you hit them with wedges is no longer a problem. 

Callaway seems to be trying to get back to being that company that Ely Callaway wanted, one that created products that made the game easier and more enjoyable to play. I’d say it’s headed in the right track. 

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Baryla still upbeat despite struggles

Tomorrow morning, the final PGA Tour event of the year gets underway in Orlando, Fla., and all those hoping to stay within the top 125 and top 150 will give it one last try.

Among those will be Chris Baryla, the Vernon, B.C., product who has, to put it mildly, struggled in 2011. In 19 starts, he's made just one cut and earned $66,000.

"A whole pile of crap," is how Baryla bluntly described his year, punctuating the comment with a chuckle. "I haven't hit the clubface in 10 months."

After graduating from the Nationwide Tour in 2009 with a 19th-place finish, Baryla played seven events in 2010 before shutting it down due to a torn labrum in his hip. He had surgery and took the rest of the year off until Q-School where he tied for 11th.

That led to this year where it's been one tough week after another. His scoring average is a lofty 73.31, which isn't even in the top 187 of players listed on the Tour's ranking. Now it should be pointed out that Baryla suffered a broken foot and spent seven weeks in a air cast. But he refused to use that as any kind of excuse.

As for this week, is he hoping for a last-chance miracle, a win that would pull him out of the depths?

"I don't expect much," he said matter-of-factly. "It's not there yet. I don't want to build expectations."

Baryla works with Sean Foley and has been re-tooling his swing to make it more efficient. But there is still a ways to go before they get it into proper shape, one that will allow him to compete on the PGA Tour. His eye is on the long game right now.

So after 20 weeks on the road, and only one cheque, I had to ask Baryla the obvious question: how are you doing financially? Simple math says that lots of expenses without much revenue is a bad model.

"You don't have to worry about me," he answered confidently.

As you read over all this bad news from a year gone wrong, you'd think that Baryla would be down and in despair, but nothing could be further from the truth. Over the course of our conversation, he seemed pragmatic about his place in the world at the moment, even upbeat. That's not a huge surprise to those who know him. He's a smart guy (like, really smart) who seems to understand the world far beyond the golf course. He's one of the more intriguing guys on tour to talk with and I've always enjoyed his view thoughts on golf and other topics.

"I don't really attach too much to my golf game," he said. "Maybe I should. It would probably be beneficial if I did but that's just not me.

"Life-wise, things are good and golf-wise, it's not a bad thing, really."

Now there's a guy with perspective.

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It's Q-School time again

It’s Q-School time again and already a slate of hopefuls has made its way through the first stage while another group is vying to advance as I type. 

There is nothing quite like Q-School – three stages, 14 rounds to try and land a job on one of the big tours. 

By our count, 52 Canadians (with a couple of Canadian residents) have taken to the PGA Tour’s challenge and another dozen are currently in the first stage of the Champions Tour shootout. 

Some are veterans of this process, others are there for the first time, with some of those really having no business being there except to gain experience. 

Already a few veterans have moved on to the second stage. Derek Gillespie, David Morland and Stuart Anderson received passing grades along with seven others. 

Highly touted young players Matt Hill and Nick Taylor are half-way through their first stages, and Izzy Beisiegel is once again trying her skills against the men but not having much luck so far. She’s in 74th spot after two rounds. 

You can track their progress here. 

On the Champions Tour, there are some familiar names trying out. Rick Gibson, the Victoria native who makes his home in the Philippines these days, has the first round lead at the qualifier in Nevada. He’s joined there by Ray Stewart, Phil Jonas and Norm Jarvis. 

A total of 12 Canadians (that I could find) started in the 50-and-over category.

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Hearn's finish secures 2012 status

For the first time in a long time, David Hearn has no plans for when his PGA Tour season ends in two weeks. And that's a great feeling for the Brantford, Ont., native who locked up playing privileges for the 2012 season with his T7 finish at the Frys.com Open on Sunday.

That performance gave him $130,312.50 and pushed his season's earnings to $808,860, and 102nd spot on the PGA Tour's money list.

"I don't see that there's any way this doesn't seal the deal," said Hearn from Sea Island, Ga., where he was getting settled for this week's McGladrey Classic. "It feels great. I've been working towards this for more than just this year and I'm pretty happy right now."

Hearn got back on to the PGA Tour this year by finishing in the top 25 on the Nationwide Tour last year, something he accomplished in the last tournament of the year on that circuit. He'd played the PGA Tour once before, in 2005, but failed to retain his privileges.

"I don't think there was one thing that made the difference [this time]," said Hearn. "It was a lot of little things. I was also more comfortable out here. I was comfortable with being successful."

Through yesterday's event, Hearn played 24 tournaments and made the cut in 17. Including his T7 last week, he had a T5 a week earlier at the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospital for Children Open and a T6 at the Shell Houston Open in April.

With two top 10s in two weeks, Hearn sees no reason to stop playing.

"There's always something to play for," he stated. "If you're 125, you want to get to 70. If you're 70, you want to get to 30."

Being fully exempt for 2012 will bring some advantages for Hearn, who will likely finish the season as the top-earning Canadian. For the first time, he'll be able to pick and choose a schedule, with the exception of the invitational tournaments such as Colonial or Memorial. He'll also get to play in the Players for the first time, an event he's looking forward to.

"It will allow me to focus on the next step, which is to get a win," said Hearn, of his new status.

As for the record-setting day on Sunday at the Frys, Hearn wasn't aware until he read on Twitter what he, Matt McQuillan and Adam Hadwin accomplished. All three tied for seventh, marking the first time three Canadians posted top-10 finishes in the same PGA Tour event.

"That was pretty cool," he stated. "It's probably three names you wouldn't have expected to do it either. It just goes to show you there's a lot of depth coming up in Canadian golf."

As for the off-season, Hearn hadn't thought much about that yet. He does know there's no Q-School in his plans and that's something he won't miss. He'll play the last two Fall Series tournaments and then, he said, he has no plans until the Sony event in January.

"I guess we'll have some time to relax," he chuckled. "But I don't want to get too comortable. Now that we're out here, the goal is to stay out here as long as possible."

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Long road for Montreal's Wilson

Great news last week that 20 Canadians made it through the first stage of the PGA Tour’s Qualifying School. There were 10 the first week and another 10 the second week along with one Aussie who has been living in Canada for the last few years. 

This story comes from Blake McMaster, the longtime superintendent and former SCOREGolf Award winner who recently retired from Royal Montreal. 

Lindsay Wilson and his twin brother came from Australia to Montreal to work on the grounds crew at Royal ahead of the Presidents Cup. After work most days he would play with the assistant professionals at the course and post a score in the 60s from the back tees. After some time out in B.C. working the ski hills, he returned to Royal Montreal in 2010 but this time worked in the pro shop for Bob Hogarth, the longtime professional there. He also played on the Quebec Tour and won a number of events.

Wilson entered Q-School and won the first stage in Beaumont, Calif., and will move on to the second stage. We can’t really claim him as one of our own yet, but it’s still a great story with a Canadian angle. 

****

Two Canadians made it through the first stage of the Champions Tour qualifying. Ian Doig of Seaforth, Ont., and Victoria’s Rick Gibson made the grade and will move on. It’s a brutal process with just a handful of cards available. 

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Hadwin gets pass to final stage

Adam Hadwin skipped a grade without even writing the test. 

The 23-year-old from Abbotsford, B.C., confirmed Friday that the PGA Tour has given him an exemption into the final stage of Qualifying School thanks to his success in 2011.

Originally, Hadwin believed he was going to start his Q-School adventure at second stage, passing by the first level thanks to making the cut at the U.S. Open. But some hard work by his agent, George Sourlis of Landmark Sport, convinced tour officials he should get a pass to the third and final stage. 

The decision rested on his earnings for 2011. Hadwin collected $440,753 in five events which was enough for 145th spot on the money list. However PGA Tour regulations required him to earn at least as much as the 150th-place finisher from the previous year to gain special temporary member status. That was $563,729.

The appeal worked and now Hadwin will play in La Quinta, Calif., starting Nov. 30.

Getting to the final stage is a huge achivement for Hadwin as even the last-place finisher at that event will earn some status on the Nationwide Tour. The top 25 finishers at final stage will earn exempt status on the PGA Tour. 

Matt McQuillan will also be in the final stage while a wave of other Canadian professionals are currently working their way through first stage in hopes of joining them. 

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Lots on the line for Canucks

There's lots on the line for Canadians today in Sea Island, Ga., as the McGladrey Classic tees off.

The most obvious is the race for 2012 playing privileges and, in one case, a PGA Tour card (the difference is noted for Richard Zokol, who likes to remind they are not the same thing).

David Hearn has a card and 2012 privileges and is home and cooled out. No worries but he'd like to move up the money list and, possibly, get a win.

Matt McQuillan, who has a card, wants to retain his playing privileges by moving up from 132, his present spot, into the top 125. He'll have this week and next to accomplish that.

Adam Hadwin doesn't have a PGA Tour card, but would like to earn enough to get one or at least move into the top 150 so he can jump to the final stage of PGA Tour Q-School. You can see what he needs to do here. He only has this week to do it unless he either finishes in the top 10 or gets another exemption next week.

Stephen Ames is playing because he can use the reps and because this is the time of year he usually shines. He is exempt on the PGA Tour for the next two years so he doesn't need to worry about his spot on the money list.

And then there's Richard Scott, the three-time Canadian Amateur champion and a member of the 2005 NCAA champions while at Georgia. He Monday qualified for the event and will be looking to get his feet wet in the big leagues. It's overdue for a guy with his talent and hopefully it leads to more.

It all gets started today.

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The big finale

So here we go, the last week of the official PGA Tour season. Somehow it's appropriate that it's all coming down to a week at Disney World.

A number of Canadians have a lot on the line as they tee it up in the land of Mickey and the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Classic.

David Hearn is not one of those. As has been reported, the Brantford, Ont., native is home and cooled out. He held on to his position on the money list at 102nd and will keep his fully exempt status for 2012, a great achievement.

Stephen Ames, a two-time winner of the tournament, fell two spots last week to 134th but is already fully exempt next year thanks to his wins at this tournament which are tacked on after his five-year Players Championship exemption ran out this year.

Adam Hadwin, as has been reported on this site, is done for the year as far as PGA Tour events. He finished last in the McGladrey Classic on the weekend, earning $8,000. That wasn't enough to get him Special Temporary Member status (for the year, he won $440,752 in five starts) and he didn't receive a sponsor exemption into the field this week nor is there any Monday qualifying. He'll take a week off then play the Canadian Tour stop in California before heading to second stage of Q-School.

Chris Baryla, who has been playing for much of the last while with a broken bone in his foot, is playing this week and would likely need to win for any hope of retaining his fully exempt status for next year.

And then there's Matt McQuillan, perhaps the most interesting Canadian of them all this week. He picked up $29,000 at the McGladrey and merely held on to his spot at 132nd. Tough league! He will need to move up into the top 125 for fully exempt status for next year or, if he stays inside the top 150, he'll get some starts as well as Nationwide status. It will be a big week for the Kingston, Ont., native. He has been playing exceptionally well of late so perhaps he's set for a big finish.

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Friday Fringe: Post-turkey edition

Friday Fringe: Post-turkey edition

*** Is David Hearn becoming Mr. October? The Brantford, Ont., native has won roughly $280,000 in the last two weeks and, after a fine 65 on Thursday, heading towards another good payday this week at the McGladrey Classic. But that doesn't mean he has forgotten his roots. Here's the poignant story of Ed O'Leary, the ailing golf writer in Hearn's hometown, and how the golfer has stayed in touch. Nice work by Lorne Rubenstein.

*** One, two, three, four, I declare a blogger war. Ian Hutchinson and Robert Thompson go back and forth over the value of golf course rankings and whether Cabot Links will be a success in the comments section at the end of Hutch's blog here. Hutch wades in again with another blog on the topic here. Hope Thompson will respond. I need something to read at lunchtime.

*** I guess you can sort of understand why Golf Canada would punt leading golf instructor and coach Ralph Bauer after only one year. Derek Ingram was brought over from the women's team to coach the men's team and he wanted his own assistant. It's like a general manager in hockey wanting his own coach. However, I think the Team Canada will miss Bauer, who is probably about the best coach currently working in Canada. All he's done is help David Hearn become the most successful golfer of the year in Canada. In my mind, it's short-sighted. Rubenstein has the details.

*** The top college golfers from across Canada will tee off next week for bragging rights. Players from 18 Canadian institutions will compete in the championship, being held at Brudenell River Golf Course in Roseneath, P.E.I., starting Tuesday. PING is the gracious sponsor of the tournament.

*** It was a good week to be Wong. Eugene and Christine Wong, had a first and second respectively in collegiate play. Eugene, a highly touted senior at the University of Oregon, hopes his play has righted his ship after a year of mediocre play. Brad Zeimer reports on the West Coast duo.

*** Richard Zokol sent me a thoughtful email after yesterday's blog when I mentioned the difference between having a card, a term used loosely by the press, and having exempt status. Having a card means being a member of the PGA Tour. Zokol has a card, for example. But he does not have any status. Matt McQuillan and David Hearn are PGA Tour members and therefore have a card. Adam Hadwin is not a member and therefore doesn't have a card. Where I erred yesterday was in saying that McQuillan needed to move into the top 125 to have playing privileges. He will have that if he stays inside the top 150, but if he wants exempt status, he'll need to get inside the top 125. Everyone clear?

*** Reduce, recycle and reuse. . . that's the business plan for Golf Ball Planet which is making a name for itself in recycling golf balls. It claims to have brought back more than a million in the past two decades. I wonder how many of those were mine?

*** In a surprise to no one, the ratings for the Fall Series are waaaay up. Thank you Tiger Woods.

*** And just in case you missed it, here is my attempt to hit the 102-yard 14th hole at Cabot Links, the soon-to-be-completely opened golf course in Inverness, N.S., in 110 km/hr winds that hammered the East Coast last week. For the record, I ended up on the front edge of the green. And perhaps more importantly, two days later, folks were out playing the course in shorts as 19-degree weather rolled in. I have great timing.

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A future in golf?

ReplyBlaine Posted: Nov 10, 2011

About 15 years ago, I made that same decision. I was in my second year as a club pro and after working only 7.5 months out of the year for about $1500 a month PRE-TAX (yes, you read that right - an annual salary of $10,500), I realised that if I wanted to reach some financial goals (buy a house, save for retirement) and start a family, there was absolutely NO way it was going to be done in the golf business.

If you are young and still living at home, I think it could be workable, or if your spouse has a very good paying job, you can pursue that goal, but people need to realise that being a golf pro is not a glamourous profession. You work very long hours (12 hour days), and get few days off during the golf season. In my second year as a pro, I only had one instance where I had two consecutive days off that entire year! So much for being able to get away from the course to re-charge.

If you live in a city that has a long winter, you might only work 7-9 months of the year. Lastly, despite working in a facility where people are supposed to be recreating and having fun, you endure complaints all the time (slow play, rough is too long, greens are too slow, pin was too far back to the right, can't get a tee time etc.).

There are lots to like about working as a pro (developing relationships with members, having a certain status as a pro), but unless you are a head pro, it's an average job. You are not going to get rich being a pro, which is likely why so many young players nowadays are trying to play on the Canadian Tour rather than work in a pro shop. The money might be almost as good, an you'll probably have a lot more fun with a huge upside if you are a really good player. 

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Who is Canada's POY?

Finally, after a ridiculous delay, the ballots for the PGA Tour's player of the year voting are out. Graciously, it's put five names on the ballot: Luke Donald, Keegan Bradley, Bill Haas, Webb Simpson and Nick Watney.

It really should be no contest although I said the same last year for rookie of the year won by Rickie Fowler, not Rory McIlroy.

In any case, what if Canadian golf was to have a player of the year? It certainly wouldn't have five names on the ballot, but probably three.

Would you vote for Adam Hadwin, David Hearn or Rod Spittle? I think you can safely make a choice for any of them.

Who would you pick?

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MMO: Stricker, Woods will be tough

Monday Morning Observer:

*** With a fine performance at the Aussie Open, will Tiger Woods become a factor at the Presidents Cup this week? Quite possibly. Woods' game appears to be rounding into shape quite nicely if the Australian Open is any indication. And, with the format played in the team event, it will be easier for Tiger's mistakes to cost him. At least as long as he has a good partner. It appears his favourite playing companion, Steve Stricker, is saying he's healthy and ready to go which might mean a tough team for the Internationals to overcome.

*** Woods, by the way, jumps up to 50th in the Official World Golf Ranking this week after his third-place finish at the Australian Open. However he won't have a chance to earn any more points until next year, so that's where he'll finish the 2011 campaign.

*** This week, 25 Canadians and one Canadian resident, will tee it up in the second stage of PGA Tour Qualifying School. Chris Baryla and Jon Mills will join the battle here after disappointing seasons on the PGA and Nationwide tours respectively. You can follow the round-by-round progress of all the Canucks here.

*** Three Canadians will also be fighting against extremely long odds to try and make the Champions Tour through its Q-School. Ian Doig, Jim Rutledge and Rick Gibson will try to grab one of the five spots available to the field of 78. Seven more get conditional spots. Here's a good story on the two longtime Victoria pals, Rutledge and Gibson. By the way, why aren't Rut and Gibber in the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame?

*** If you think John Daly has worn out his welcome, think again. While he's certainly at the end of his rope after his peformance Down Under (which he kind of defends here), I'd be surprised if he doesn't garner at least a handful of sponsor exemptions in North America and Europe this coming season. Why would a tournament want to have John in the field if there's a chance he might pull a stunt as he did in Australia? Because he is still a huge draw as evidenced by the crowds that followed him at the RBC Canadian Open. It's a bit like going to the stock car races and hoping for a bang up, but folks will still turn out to see the player who used to be great.

*** I've only heard of the "growing world of fitness pole dancing" in passing but according to a release, it's responsible for a new product being offered to golfers. Grip enhancer iTac2 is used by fitness pole dancers to maintain their grip on the pole. Yup, pole dancers. According to a release: "iTac2 really allows you to stick to the pole without feeling like you have a death grip on it," said Natasha Wang, current US Pole Dance Champion, who uses iTac2 to get a solid grip on the pole without sacrificing mobility." Now it's being offered up to golfers as a way to keep contact with the club in wet or humid or cold conditions. Apparently it doesn't leave any residue, won't harm your grips and washes right off. More details are here.

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Remembrance Day

Today is a day to remember.

This past summer, I played in the second annual Private Michael Freeman Memorial Golf Tournament, near Peterborough, Ont. The tournament, started and run by Michael's father, Mark, pays tribute to a young man who died while serving in Afghanistan.

If you go here, you can see my talk from last year's Remembrance Day, that has some footage of Michael golfing in Afghanistan - it's riveting, I assure you.

I was lucky enough to play with Sgt. Mike McColeman, who has made three tours of duty in Afghanistan as well as one in Bosnia. It was a tremendous honour to spend the day in his company and to hear his stories of working to make things better in that country, about the times he laughed with his pals and then cried as they were killed.

Meeting those members of our military is so humbling for me and to be able to thank them with a round of golf through a wonderful tournament is something I'll continue to do as long as I can.

I hope you feel the same. I urge you to do something to honour our men and women of the Armed Forces, past and present.

Watch a Remembrance Day service on television.

Better yet, take part of your day and go to a service in your area.

Make a donation to one of the many wonderful charities that helps our troops. I support the Canadian Hero Fund's 11 for 11 campaign (11for11.ca), which raises money for educational scholarships for the kids of the fallen.

And if you see a veteran, young or old, thank them., buy them a drink or a sandwich or take them golfing.

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Friday Fringe: trick or treat edition

**** Lost in the announcement of changes to the Rules of Golf was an alteration that would prevent golf from getting another Disco Dick. That was the nickname given to Richard Zokol back in the day when he used a Walkman between shots to help him relax and focus (even though he swears he wasn’t listening to disco music!). Geoff Shackelford has the details on the new Rule 14-3/17.

**** Spent a long weekend in the Bahamas a few weeks back, the first time I’d been to that particular Caribbean nation and really fell in love with the Ocean Course, a Tom Weiskopf design. Oh and the resort we stayed at, the One and Only Ocean Club, was truly amazing. Here’s my video report:

**** Looks like the Canadian Tour may be headed to the Kingston area, Gananoque to be exact. Nothing official from the Tour office but  this story in the Whig says the groundwork has been set for a new event in the Ontario city. 

**** In case you missed it, here’s a story by Brad Zeimer from the Vancouver Sun on Brent Franklin turning down an opportunity to be feted for induction to the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame. Not that he doesn’t love the honour, just that he’s no interested in the party that traditionally goes with these inductions. It’s hard to believe that Franklin hasn’t played competitive golf for about 15 years now. Lots of Canadians may not realize just how talented he was, but he was definitely something special. For the record, he went six straight years winning a Canadian championship and was the first Canadian golfer to win $1 million in a year, long before purses were Tiger-boosted. 

**** A nice crop of B.C. golfers was honoured Thursday night at the Golf Hall of Fame of B.C. induction ceremony this week. Jim Rutledge, Dawn Coe-Jones, Cec Ferguson, the late Bob Kidd and the late Walter McElroy. All are deserving and it brings to 25 the number of honoured members. You can read more about each of the individuals here. 

**** Speaking of halls of fame, Henry Brunton, teacher extrordinaire, got the nod into the North Grenville Hall of Fame (that’s kind of Ottawa Valley, Ontario, for folks not in the know). Bet you didn't know there was a North Grenville Hall of Fame. Wonder if he has a chance at the South Grenville Hall of Fame? The report. 

**** I had a chance to chat with Mike Weir this week. He’s already chipping and putting and this week, hit half shots with a sand wedge. No pain, progress is good but still no timetable for a return to competitive play. 

**** Don’t forget you can follow the progress of Canadians in the first stage of Q-School with our tracker here. 

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What should be the punishment?

So what should happen to Steve Williams?

That seems to be the question being asked all over golf this morning and the responses range from nothing to a suspension to banning him from the game entirely.

I think to have him go without any punishment says a lot - too much probably - about golf and its old boy club. Golf's history of racism (not to mention sexism or religious persecution) is well known and not entirely a thing of the past.

For that reason, the governing bodies, the people who work with Williams and stakeholders in the game needed to take a stronger stance to the insensitive remarks.

What do you think the response would be if the comments had come from a player rather than a caddie?

Whether he likes it or not, Williams is a public figure. And he's also too smart to know that despite the fact the caddie dinner where he made the remarks was supposed to be a closed-door affair, anything said was likely to leak out. That's society today. Anything said into a microphone is likely to end up in a public space, be it Youtube or Facebook or Twitter.

I don't believe Williams is a racist in the worst sense of the word but that doesn't matter. He said what he did and there needs to be some sort of response.

What Adam Scott wants to do is up to him. He's elected to keep Williams on and that's his prerogative. What an outfit such as the PGA Tour does, however, is important and by doing nothing but issuing a statement that essentially says don't do it again, it really shows the Tour has no stones.

Of course the wisest thing that could be done in this would be for Williams to quietly disappear back to New Zealand until the start of next season and hope that by that time, it would be less of an issue.

So today's question is: what do you think should be done?

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Cabot Links destined for greatness

Yesterday I had a chance to look at Cabot Links, the much-lauded course that is set to open all 18 holes next spring. It's the only true links course in Canada, sitting on a strip of scrub land in Inverness, Nova Scotia.

Perhaps more importantly, it's one of very few pure golf courses; nothing has been compromised at the expense of the course. There are no housing developments planned, no accompanying resorts slated. This is about a golf course, which is as it should be.

Our arrival was timed perfectly for one of the strongest wind storms of the year, with gusts up to 110 km/h strafing the course. Still, as only pure golfers would do, we ventured out to play just a few holes. I even hit a driver on the 102-yard sixth hole, although it was a little bit too much club. You can see the video here.

The Rod Whitman-designed course is simply exceptional. It hugs the coastline of this Cape Breton town, working back and forth at the start, before heading out to the ninth hole, which sits by the Inverness wharf, and then skirts back along the coast before returning to finish just a few metres in front of the clubhouse.

It's hard to put the true sense of what has been created here into a short blog but this is a course unlike any other in Canada. It is as close to Scottish or Irish golf as you'll see in this country, maybe this continent. All those other courses that call themselves links? A visit here will tell you what links golf is all about.

Speaking with people in the town provides another aspect to this story. As Rankin McDonald, the editor of the Inverness Oran, the local bugle, told me, this course is a saviour for the town and perhaps the most important thing to hit it since the coal mines shut down in the 1950s. More recently, the shuttering of the paper mill in Port Hawkesbury has devastated the local economy as close to 50 per cent of the citizens here had direct or indirect employment through that mill.

Ben Cowan-Dewar, the man behind the project, has been praised in almost all corners or the community. (There is a small group of folks who aren't happy about the course, primarily because it changed some beach access.) He is the man who finally turned this course from an idea to a reality. There have been many false starts in the past with architects such as Graham Cooke and Jack Nicklaus having built designs for the land. The locals can be forgiven for being skeptical.

Cowan-Dewar is a golf lover but perhaps more importantly, a golf course lover. He left Bay Street and moved his young family to Cape Breton to complete this project. The enthusiasm that flows from his every pore when it comes to golf is contagious and his love of Cabot Links is evident at every turn.

His vision for the course has remained steadfast - pure golf. No carts, but caddies are available. No massive clubhouse, a small but efficient building of unique design. (some says it was created to look like the opening to one of the now closed coal mines. Cowan-Dewar said it was the creation of the architect.)

Some accommodation was being constructed when we were there and it will be the perfect spot to crash at the end of a 36-hole day, perhaps with a glass of single malt nearby. It won't be the Four Seasons and that's all right.

This is going to be a destination for golf, a place where buddies will come, where fathers and sons, and mothers and daughters will play together on a special visit.

As great a course as Cabot Links will be - and trust me, it will be a great one - it will be an even better golf experience. Maybe the best.

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Friday Fringe: Fall back edition

Friday Fringe: Extra hour of sleep edition

*** Marty McSorley, 95. Ozzie Smith, 89. Mark Bellhorn, 87. Jermaine Dye, 86. Those are the first-round scores of contestants in the Canadian Tour’s Desert Dunes Classic. Lots of folks have a tough time with allowing these celebrities to play in an official event. I don’t. If you’re going to sell a developmental circuit based in the frozen North in California, I’m afraid the Canadian Tour players won’t do it for most folks. Watching old athletes shoot high scores will and so that’s why you bring them out. This is a business folks and as unfortunate as all that is, it’s necessary. By the way, Stuart Anderson leads at eight under. 

*** In any case, it appears the Canadian Tour may have bigger things to worry about than whether celebs are teeing it up in its tournaments. According to Robert Thompson, the Tour is in financial troubles and is talking to the PGA Tour as its saviour. 

*** Lost amid the news that former amateur stars Nick Taylor and Matt Hill failed to make it past first stage at the PGA Tour’s Q-School, is the fact that they are among six Canadians who made it through first stage at the European Tour’s Qualifying School. They join Andrew Parr, Matt Johnston, Mike Mezei and Lindsay Reynolds at second stage, which will be held Dec. 2-5 at four locations in Spain. It’s hard to remember the last time a Canadian played the Euro Tour full time but I’m thinking it was Jim Rutledge who last played there in 1992.

*** Sales of belly putters are way, way up say the manufacturers I’ve met with over the last month. They might not be so excited to see this, an invention that turns your regular putter into a belly putter. 

*** Got it wrong? Hmmmm. . . quite a sensational headline and deck on this story. I don’t think you can get anything like this right or wrong, just a different opinion. 

*** Apparently Brendan Steele isn't happy that the PGA Tour gave Adam Hadwin a pass to final stage of the Qualifying School. Here's a Tweet from earlier this week: 

"Interesting that the PGA tour changed the Q School exemption category for one player. I hope they are ready to deal with that in the future."*** Tiger Woods was in Singapore this week and announced that he’s healthy, swinging well and ready for the Presidents Cup. But my eyes caught this line of the story that described what he did while in Singapore. 

Woods visited nightspots and held a private clinic during his brief stopover, and stunned recreational players after turning up unannounced at a Singapore golf course.

 Not golfed and then visited nightspots, but visited nightspots, then golfed. Hmmm. . . 

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Nike's new gear

I spent a day last week in New York City getting a look at the what Nike Golf has coming down the pipeline for next year. Some of the new gear will be released early next month while there's another wave slated for early next year. I'm allowed to talk about the first stuff, not so much the second. Mum's the word.

We started looking at apparel and footwear, the strength of the Nike line for many shops. The new TW line is pretty sharp. Apparently with all his time off, Tiger was deeply involved in helping to design the clothes, and he was focused on getting lots of stretch to allow him to turn without any impingement.

The line has some very cool designs, matte black snaps, no-sew seams and very sharp designs. One that we saw had a thin black line going around the bottom edge of the collar which looked amazing. It's all very sharp and you'll start to see Tiger wear it very soon.

And the big feature of it is that it's lighter. In fact, overall in Tiger's wardrobe, there's been a 20 per cent reduction in weight. That may not sound like much but you can feel its significance.

I also really liked the Warm Motion Polo, a shirt that looks as if it is a layered with a compression layer on the arms with a polo over top.

But the really neat line, to me, was the Nike Golf Sport line, which is sort of a relaxed, throw-back look made from Dri-fit cotton. It features an oversized Swoosh on the left front and just drips of cool. Apparently during a photo shoot for the catalogue, Anthony Kim took home the samples he loved them so much.

In footwear, the big story is actually about what's next, although there are some very sharp-looking shoes in the mix. But there's lots of talk and focus on the Nike Free-inspired shoes that Tiger's been wearing lately.

If you're a runner, you might know there's a trend to minimalism in footwear, shoes that let your feet work

as they were made to, which allows them and the muscles in the lower leg to strengthen.

These golf shoes are along the same lines. They are in prototype stage right now and will likely appear sometime next summer and there are thoughts that it could be a game-changer in the footwear market.

On sale next, however, will be the TW12, which has the Lunarlon cushioning technology which makes it seem like you're walking on marshmallows.

The other neat line is the Nike Dunk, based on the famous old basketball shoe. It has a cool old-school look and while a little heavier than say the new TW12, it's certain to sell well.

Overall, Nike's apparel and footwear line is very appealing and very smart. The company has taken some chances no doubt, but then again, it wouldn't be Nike if it didn't.

Next time: Nike Clubs.

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Friday Fringe: last event edition

Friday Fringe

*** Spent a day in New York City this week getting a sneak preview of the new Nike clubs and apparel for 2012 (full blog coming next week). They have some big winners in their lineup but I love the Nike Dunk, golf version, which looks like a retro basketball shoe, except it has spikes and waterproof leather. Not surprising since it's based on a 26-year-old basketball shoe design. It's very cool, in my humble opinion.

*** Matt McQuillan's hope of getting into the top 125 comes down to today's round. He needs to make the cut to have a shot at moving up the money list. His hometown bugle, the Whig-Standard, spells it all out.

*** The new PGA Tour Latinoamerica looks promising, especially since it will reportedly award spots onto the Nationwide Tour. For Canadian Tour players, it also looks enticing as it will start just as the CanTour season ends. However it's primarily targeted at players from Latin America and we wonder how it will affect the co-sanctioned tournaments the CanTour presently runs with the Tour de las Americas, which will be folded into this new circuit once it finishes up the present season.

*** Lots of people in these parts take up golf to help improve their chances at business, seeing as how so many executives like to tee it up. But not so in Vietnam. Transport Minister Dinh La Than said "Over the last years, some leaders of agencies and companies have showed their inattentive attitude at work, which has affected the progress of public projects and developments," Thang's directive said.

"One of the reasons for their loose management is that they had spent too much time playing golf, even during weekends."

Even on weekends! Imagine!

Well not so fast says one of the bureaucrat's affected by the request.

*** I'm surprised no one thought of this before, but they've come out with an alcoholized version of the famous Arnold Palmer, that's half iced tea and half lemonade. I know guys at my club have been mixing it with booze for a long time. (and yes, the teenager in me snickered at the name).

*** Come one, admit it. We've all secretly wanted to do what Roger Deadman did to this "crapping maching."

*** In case you were wondering, here's how the top Canadians fare in the Official World Golf Ranking: Adam Hadwin, 222; David Hearn, 237; Stephen Ames, 261; Matt McQuillan, 330; Graham Delaet, 485; Jon Mills, 521; Roger Sloan, 530; Dustin Risdon, 580; Stuart Anderson, 629; Danny Sahl, 634; Mike Weir, 709.

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Austrian Open Golf: Norret out in front as Coles slips up with late bogeys

THOMAS Norret will take a two-shot lead into the final round of the Austrian Golf Open after Robert Coles bogeyed three of the last six holes to slip off the pace in Atzenbrugg.The Dane birdied the 15th and 17th holes of his third round at Diamond Country Club en route to a two-under-par 70, which moved him to nine under overall and gave him daylight at the top of the leaderboard from English trio Coles (72), Kenneth Ferrie (67), Simon Wakefield (70) and Holland's Joost Luiten (72).

Ferrie made a rocky start with bogeys on three and five but a run of six birdies in nine holes from the seventh catapulted him into contention.

Norret, who won his only Challenge Tour title nine years ago, told www.europeantour.com: "I just have to go out there tomorrow and try to repeat the feeling I had today, try to relax and enjoy it. It will be tougher to do that in the final round and I will definitely feel the pressure but that's why I have been doing all the work on the mental side of the game.

"I felt relaxed for most of the day. I was nervous at the beginning of the round but then hit a great approach into the first and made birdie and that really calmed me down and took the pressure off. I have been putting well this week and keeping it all together so it is nice to get some forward momentum on a weekend."

Norret made early headway with a birdie on the first - a hole he double-bogeyed Saturday - but dropped a shot at the eighth to be level par at the turn.

He was a shot adrift of Coles at that stage but three birdies on the back nine - spoiled only by a bogey at the par-five 13th - ensured he will head into today as the man to catch.

Coles, in contrast, had a disappointing start, bogeying the par-four opening hole where he picked up birdies in each of his first two rounds. But he recovered well, picking up shots on three, eight and ten before faltering late on.

The pair were two of the four overnight leaders along with Luiten and India's Gaganjeet Bhullar.

Bhullar had a day to forget, carding a six-over-par 78 to fall to joint 30th - eight shots behind Norret.

New Zealander Mark Brown (69) and Frenchman Victor Dubuisson (67) were three shots off the pace with Swedish pair Joakim Haeggman and Christian Nilsson a further stroke adrift after 70s.

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Amateur golf: Ballochmyle are club champions

Ballochmyle, represented by Craig Hamilton, Graeme Rowan and William Fleming, claimed the Scottish Club Championship at Falkirk Tryst.
They posted a two-round total of 279 to claim the title by four shots from Blairgowrie trio Glenn Campbell, Stuart Graham and George Brass.

Edzell (William Bremner, Gary Tough and Barry Petrie) were third on 285, a shot ahead of Duddingston's David Miller, Gary Thomson and Derrick Williams.

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John Huggan: Alistair Low fires R&A into new era

JUST over a month ago, the now new captain of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews played the Old Course with three friends. Walking off the 18th green, Alistair Low's caddie told him he knew where he'd be standing when the time came (at 8am last Thursday morning) for the former Scottish international and British Youths champion to perform the annual driving-in ceremony fr om the most famous first tee in all of golf: "About 240 yards out and maybe ten yards left of where you are aiming."

As tradition demands, a local caddie returned the ball struck by Low in exchange for a gold sovereign. The ball will be encased in silver and take its place in the R&A trophy room. All of which is but the starting point for the myriad activities that will largely occupy the next 12 months of Low's life: club and county dinners across the UK, trips to the Asian Amateur Championship, the Masters and the US Open and, happily for a graduate of the University of St. Andrews, more time spent in the "Auld Grey Toon" itself.

Still, if anyone deserves a ceremonial break from more pressing matters it is Low, an actuary by trade. In his time, the 69-year old Dundonian, now resident in Gullane, has served as chairman of the Scottish Golf Union, captain of the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers and chairman of both the R&A's Championship Committee and General Committee. That represents a lot of time spent arguing the golfing toss around tables in darkened rooms.

Before that, Low was a golfer of some repute. A semi-finalist in the 1960 Scottish Boys Championship, he three times reached the last four of the Scottish Amateurs and twice represented his country in the Home Internationals. "I played for Scotland in 1964 and 1965, before I fell by the wayside," he says with a smile. "I never made Walker Cup. I started work in 1964 and it became more and more difficult to devote enough time to my game.

"The changes in amateur golf have been amazing. The first time I played for Scotland was the first time anyone got a sweater. And I still have mine. We didn't get any golf balls though. I remember telling Bernard Gallacher to take a few balls with him when he was capped. So changed days indeed."

It was in 1980 that Low first experienced administration R&A style. He said: "My first duty was at the Open that year, which shows how much things have changed in that sphere of golf, too. I didn't have to take any rules examinations or anything like they have to do today. It was straight in and get on with it. Nowadays it is so much more professional. And I think rightly so.

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Senior tour golf: Quiros pips Smyth in title shoot-out

SPANIARD Juan Quiros defeated Irishman Des Smyth on the second hole of a play-off in the Cannes Mougins Masters to capture his first European Senior Tour title in three seasons after a dramatic final day in the south of France. Quiros had started the day three shots behind overnight leader Mike Harwood but fired a bogey-free closing round of 69 to finish on ten-under-par 206 at Cannes Mougins.

Smyth had earlier set the clubhouse target after a birdie on the last hole saw him sign for a 67.

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Golf: North Berwick's Matthew shines in Solheim Cup win

NORTH BERWICK'S Catriona Matthew thumped Paula Creamer 6 and 5 and helped Europe regain the Solheim Cup with a thrilling 15-13 victory over the USA at Killeen Castle in Ireland.It was a day packed with drama including rain delays and a shock pull out from injured American Cristie Kerr - and the result eventually hinged on the final three matches.

At that stage the score was tied at 12½-12½ and the last three matches fav

oured the USA - but then the board became swathed in European blue.

It was Azahara Munoz, Matthew's young foursomes partner and one of five European rookies, who had the honour of clinching the vital point in the final match with a one hole win over Angela Stanford.

In the second last match, Caroline Hedwall, yet another rookie, was two down with two to play against Ryann O'Toole, but won the last two holes for a vital half point.

Suzann Pettersen, the world No.?2 and European number one, had started the great fightback against the equally feisty Michelle Wie. One down with three to play, the Norwegian birdied the final three holes for a final green triumph. It was all stunning stuff.

Tied 8-all overnight, the oh so reliable Matthew was sent out in the first match. She knew what she had to do - beat Creamer, who is one of the Americans' biggest names, put blue on the board and start the momentum swing. The 42-year-old Scot rose to the pressure in magnificent fashion. She made a monster putt for a two at the second, won the third and fourth and was four up by the time she eagled the long seventh.

Creamer had never been beaten in three previous singles and had taken 3½ points from her fist four outings in this, her fourth Solheim Cup.

But Matthew also had a great singles record, with five out of six wins and she ended this Solheim unbeaten, racking up three points from four starts. It was another huge career moment for the player who had clinched Europe's last win at Barseback in Sweden in 2003. "When I saw the draw last night I knew I had it tough," admitted Matthew. "But I'd been told I'd been out first for a reason and I knew that meant I had to win.

"In the conditions I was really just trying to make pars and birdies were a bonus. I was well in front after seven and then the rain came. I'm delighted to win. It's so good for Europe to win again. It was important for the event."

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Challenge Tour golf: Sam Little lands second victory in a row

SAM Little proved he truly is the man of the moment with victory in the Allianz Golf Open Grand Toulouse in south west France, his second victory in consecutive weeks.Seven days ago, the 36-year-old Londoner showed his credentials with a stunning win in the M2M Russian Challenge Cup in Moscow and he was on the title trail once again at Golf de Toulouse-Seilh, a closing 68 giving him a 16-under-par total of 268 and a one-shot victory over Ireland's Simon Thornton who carded a 69 for 269.

Having been 43rd in the rankings two weeks ago, the back-to-back triumphs have propelled Little to second place behind Tommy Fleetwood.

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Solheim Cup: Superb late rally sees first Europe win since 2003

IT started with Catriona Matthew scoring a thumping 6 and 5 win over Paula Creamer, and it ended with a dramatic swing in fortunes as Europe scored the most dramatic of victories over the USA in the Solheim Cup here in Ireland yesterday.Following rain delays, lightning threats and the shock withdrawal of Cristie Kerr, Europe finally regained the Solheim Cup in thrilling fashion with the narrowest of 15-13 victories over the USA.

It was first European win since 2003, and it all c

ame down to the last three singles and a enthralling final half hour of play. The scoreboard was favouring the USA, but then the pendulum swung firmly towards the home side.

Suzann Pettersen, the world No 2 and European No 1, had started the great fightback against the equally feisty Michelle Wie. One down with three to play, the Norwegian birdied the final three holes for a final-green triumph.

In the penultimate singles, Caroline Hedwall, one of five European rookies, was two down with two to play against Ryann O'Toole, but won the last two holes for a vital half point.

At the same time, Azahara Munoz, Matthew's young foursomes partner and another of the rookies, was putting herself in an unbeatable position in the final match against Angela Stanford by winning the 17th to go one up, and a half at the last confirmed a 15th point for Europe. It was all stirring stuff.

With the scores tied at eight points each overnight, Matthew was sent out at the head of the order by Alison Nicholas and she did her captain proud with a brilliant display against Creamer, the darling of the American team and a player who had never tasted defeat in her previous three Solheim singles.

But the North Berwick 42-year-old made sure she departed Ireland with a bitter taste in her mouth. Out early when the sun was shining, the rout started when Matthew holed a 40-foot roller coaster of a putt for a 4 at the long second.

Another birdie followed from 15 feet, a par was good enough to take the fourth and then it got even better when she made an eagle from ten feet at the long seventh. By then, she was four up and it was almost too easy.

At the short eighth, 25-year-old Creamer, with her parents both walking inside the ropes, showed her frustration when Matthew failed to give her a shortish putt.

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Tour Championship golf: 'Stronger' Stricker in Presidents Cup boost

A DAY after fearing his Presidents Cup might be over due to lingering neck and shoulder pain, Steve Stricker had a smile on his face after experiencing no discomfort during Saturday's third round of the Tour Championship.The American world No 5, who withdrew from last week's BMW Championship at Cog Hill after two rounds and then had a cortisone shot last Monday, swung freely on the way to a one-under-par 69.

"It felt really good today, and I don't know why," a bea

ming Stricker said after posting a three-under total of 207 at East Lake Golf Club. "I felt a lot stronger today.

"I don't know if the heat helped, or the (cortisone) shot maybe just had another day to help. And I warmed up a little bit different today, too.

"I gave myself a lot more time before I went out, and I think that helped some, too."

On Friday, Stricker had battled to a level-par 70 and, for the first time, he felt he might not be able to represent the United States against the Internationals in the Presidents Cup in November in Australia.

"It was kind of a little bit of a downer yesterday," the 44-year-old said. "I just didn't have a good feeling about yesterday, how I played, how I felt, what was going on there with my arm.

"It was starting to affect how I play. I was doing things that weren't typical of my game. I started worrying about it (the Presidents Cup) a little bit, but I've got a lot of time in between now and then.

"I've got seven weeks to rest it, rehab it, or whatever he (the specialist) tells me to do to get it better. We've got that time period to get it better."

Australian Aaron Baddeley, bidding to secure one of the two final spots on the International team in his home country, shared the lead with Hunter Mahan heading into the final round at East Lake.

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Austrian Open golf: Kenneth Ferrie sails to play-off win over Wakefield

KENNETH Ferrie came through a play-off with fellow Englishman Simon Wakefield to win the Austrian Open in Atzenbrugg.
The 32-year-old from Newcastle held his nerve to lift a third European Tour title, adding to his wins at the Canarias Open de Espana in 2003 at the Smurfit European Open in 2005.

He sealed the win on the 18th hole, being afforded two putts to do s

o despite his initial drive going wide of the fairway while Wakefield's landed on it.

Staffordshire's Wakefield, last year's Qualifying School champion, overhit his second shot into rough at the back of the green, though, and, after Ferrie had recovered with a beautiful second to within seven feet of the pin, the rest was a formality.

It had so nearly been a three-way play-off, with Holland's Joost Luiten dropping a shot on the par-4 18th to fall out of contention on 11-under.

Both Ferrie, who lost to Andrew McArthur in a marathon play-off in the Paul Lawrie Invitational at Deeside earlier in the year, and Wakefield ended on 12-under, both of them carding five-under 67s. Wakefield birdied the last to deny Ferrie the win in regulation time after the latter had missed a putt to win it on the penultimate hole.

A disappointing round of 72 - par for the course - denied overnight leader Thomas Norret the right to fight for the title, and he will be left to reflect on a disastrous 7 on the par-5 13th.

Helensburgh's Gary Orr finished as leading Scot, closing with a 70 to tie for tenth on six-under alongside Tom Lewis.

The young Englishman closed with a 68 and now moves on to this week's Dunhill Links Championship, which features five other players in the recent winning Walker Cup side at Royal Aberdeen.

Alastair Forsyth signed off with a second successive 70 to finish in a share of 14th on five-under and is up to 131st on the money-list.

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Golf Solheim Cup: Laura Davies leads from the front

ONE-sided contests are never much fun and American victories at the Solheim Cup have become a rather monotonous par for the course over recent years. In fact, Europe arrived for the 12th version at Killeen Castle in Ireland this week with just three wins, the last way back in 2003.

But, come tonight, hopes still remain that it could be Alison Nicholas's team, including Ms Dependable in Scotlan

d's Catriona Matthew, that will be dancing an Irish jig.

With the 12 singles points to be scrapped out today, Europe and the USA are tied at eight-all.

In the singles, Matthew will play in the top match against Paula Creamer, who has never lost a singles in her three Solheims to date.

"We always knew it was going to about the singles and everyone is upbeat and ready for tomorrow," said Nicholas. "Now they all have to be selfish and go out and win their own point and Catriona is a great player to send out first."

One point ahead overnight, the home side won yesterday's foursomes 2?-1? but the holders hit back to take the fourballs 3-1, though Laura Davies slipped another entry into the history books. Already the only player to compete in all dozen contests, the 47-year-old became the highest points scorer with a 4 and 3 win over Michelle Wie and Brittany Lang, her total of 24? points overtaking Annika Sorenstam. But the top match was the only European fourballs point. The most exciting contest featured Suzaann Pettersen and Caroline Hedwall, who won the 15th and 16th to level against Morgan Pressel and Christie Kerr. But Pressel hit back with an eight-foot birdie putt at the 17th and the US sneaked victory on the final green.

Playing with fellow Englishwoman Melissa Reid, it was a classic Davies. She reeled off four birdies in a row from the third and with Reid throwing in an eagle three at the long 12th it was a stroll in sunshine. "To be honest, it was a bit embarrassing not to have the most points when I've played in every match," said the ever-frank Davies. "So it's great to have made it. Now I can relax a bit more in the singles."

This is Matthew's sixth Solheim Cup, and she is unbeaten in her three outings this week. In the morning foursomes she teamed up with Spanish rookie Azahara Munoz, and they claimed a vital half against Kerr and Paula Creamer. Never more than a hole between them, Matthew and Munoz mounted the final tee needing to win the tricky par 4 to salvage something from a match that was played in great spirit. They did the needful thanks to a solid par that the Americans failed to match.

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Cup success top priority for Luke Donald

Luke Donald is top of the world rankings, top of the European order of merit and top of the American money list.But the 33-year-old is not where he wants to be in the FedEx Cup and that is the immediate priority as he tees off today in the second of the play-off series, the Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston.

Dustin Johnson's victory in New Jersey last Saturday pushed Donald down from fourth to fifth in the points standings.

It means Johnson plays the first two rounds with Matt Kuchar and Nick Watney, his two closest challengers, and Donald is paired with two more Americans, Webb Simpson and Brandt Snedeker. "I'm not so much concerned with the money list. I'm more concerned with winning the Race to Dubai and the FedEx Cup," said the Englishman last week. "Winning trophies rather than the title of being leading money winner is much more important to me."

Donald's ten top-ten finishes are more than anyone else on the PGA Tour this season, but he was only 18th last weekend. His last two victories were both in Europe - the Volvo PGA Championship at Wentworth and the Scottish Open at Castle Stuart.

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Gareth Wright and Neil Fenwick stay upbeat

LOTHIANS stars Neil Fenwick and Gareth Wright refused to be downbeat after losing out to amateur ace David Law in the Northern Open title hunt.
The 20-year-old, who was controversially left out of next weekend's Walker Cup team, produced a brilliant last-day performance to win the Aberdeen Asset Management-sponsored event at Meldrum House.

He stormed into the lead with a third-round 62 t

hen closed with a 68 for an aggregate of 14-under-par to win by two strokes from Hayston pro Stephen Gray.

Fenwick closed with a pair of 68s to finish third on 270, one ahead of former Mortonhall man David Patrick.

"I'm taking a lot of positives from the way I've played this week," said Fenwick, who is playing full-time this season after finishing his PGA training at Dunbar.

Wright, who shared the lead at the halfway stage, had to settle for fifth spot after closing rounds of 69 and 70.

But, coming on the back of a top-40 finish in the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles, the West Linton pro was also upbeat.

"I've hit the ball well again and it was only probably down to a bit of tiredness that I let some shots slip out there," said Wright.

Along with both Fenwick and Patrick, he's heading for West Lothian next week for the Scottish Young Professionals' Championship.

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Amateurs poised for title tussle with pros

FOR the second year running, the scene is set for an exciting last-day tussle between the Tartan Tour's leading professionals and Scotland's top amateurs in the £25,000 Aberdeen Asset Management Northern Open, with players in both camps hoping a band of rain forecast overnight would pass through in time to allow a more satisfactory conclusion in today's closing 36 holes.As was the case at the same venue 11 months ago, when the last two rounds were completely washed out, the invited amateurs are making their presence felt at the halfway stage. Seven are within three shots of the lead, including Glenbervie's Graeme Ro bertson, who is locked at the top of the leaderboard with Gareth Wright, a professional attached to West Linton, on seven-under-par 133.

Dunbar's Danny Kay, beaten finalist in this year's Scottish Amateur Championship, and Scott Crichton from Aberdour are backing Robertson up on 134 - the same mark as professionals Neil Fenwick, Stephen Gray, Chris Kelly and David Patrick - with Walker Cup selection James Byrne also in contention on five-under alongside Fraserburgh's Kris Nicol.

Add David Law, the two-time Scottish champion from Hazlehead, and Peterhead's Philip McLean, both on 136, into the mix, and the amateurs will be fancying their chances of providing the winner.

Thirteen of the 15 amateurs who started the tournament made the cut and Wright, for one, is not surprised to see so many of them in contention, and not just because he played with Robertson, a Stirling University golf bursar, in the opening two rounds. "You really can't call them amateurs these days," said the 29-year-old, who played for Wales in the Eisenhower Trophy in 2004 alongside Rhys Davies and Nigel Edwards, the Great Britain & Ireland captain at next weekend's Walker Cup.

"They are probably better prepared than most of the pros, playing and practising more. The support they get as an amateur now is great. They are playing some of the best championship courses week in, week out, so it does not surprise me one bit to see them doing so well here."

Wright, who tied for 38th in last week's Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles, could be the man to thwart the amateurs if he can maintain the form that earned him opening rounds of 65 and 68. "There were some tricky pin positions today," he said. "I short-sided myself a couple of times after getting a bit lazy. But it was another good day's work."

Though Robertson was often 30 yards behind his playing partner off the tee, he put the shot-shaping practice he's put in with Dean Robertson, the Stirling head coach, to good effect as he signed for a 67.

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Liberton and Musselburgh set for final

LIBERTON face Musselburgh in tomorrow's final of the Edinburgh Junior Golf League at Prestonfield.
It's the third year running that Liberton, a rising force in the junior game, have been involved in the title showdown.

They made it again after beating Dalmahoy 4-3 in a close-fought semi-final at Ratho Park.

Callum Cochrane, Josh Rooney and Graham Ross won for Dalmahoy but Ross Munro, Scott Finlay, Fraser Christie and John Butler delivered the all-important points for Liberton.

Musselburgh beat Silverknowes in the other semi-final.

Dalmahoy and Silverknowes also meet at Prestonfield tomorrow to decide the third team to represent the Edinburgh League in the Scottish Finals being held this year at Cardrona.

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Scottish courses to lose out as Open qualifying made more 'convenient'

A CLUTCH of Scottish golf clubs have been handed a major blow after the R&A announced its latest change to final qualifying for the Open Championship.As from 2014, a new system is to be introduced whereby final qualifying will take place at four venues around Britain, regardless of where the Open is being staged, instead of four courses close to the host venue for the world's oldest major.

Glas

gow Gailes, on the Ayrshire coast, has been chosen as the Scottish venue and it is likely to host final qualifying for a period of four years along with Hillside in Lancashire, Woburn in Bedfordshire and Royal Cinque Ports in Kent.

"This alteration to the qualifying make-up offers a more geographically convenient way for competitors seeking to achieve a starting place in the Open Championship," said Rhodri Price, the R&A's assistant director of championships. "The R&A have maintained a very close relationship with all venues associated with the qualifying stages and this is a natural step towards continuing to offer competitors wishing to enter within Great Britain & Ireland a route into The Open Championship."

At the same time, however, it is sad news for the courses around Scotland that have been involved in the final qualifying process over the past 30 or so years and have played host to some top players as they battled to earn a crack at the Claret Jug.

In 1999, for instance, Paul Lawrie and Jean Van de Velde both qualified at Downfield before finding themselves involved in a play-off along with Justin Leonard less than a week later to become Open champion.

Australian Steve Elkington also came through a final qualifier at Dunbar when he made a play-off won by Ernie Els at Muirfield in 2002, while Lloyd Saltman won the Silver Medal at St Andrews three years later after he'd progressed at Scotscraig.

In 2006, the R&A moved final qualifying from the Sunday and Monday of Open week to the previous week, a change that was partly caused by the Scottish Open at Loch Lomond switching to a Sunday finish. It was then reduced to a 36-hole test over one day and, this year, final qualifying was held at four courses in south-east England a fortnight before The Open at Royal St George's.

Price revealed a decision by two Scottish amateurs, Michael Stewart and Ross Kellett, to forego their spots in Kent had played a part in the latest change.

"When final qualifying used to be held on the Sunday and Monday, it felt part of The Open as it followed nicely because players who qualified stayed on in the area," added Price. "For various reasons, including the Scottish Open starting up at Loch Lomond the week before The Open and not finishing until the Sunday, it became difficult to stage the final qualifying at the same time and it was moved to where we are now.

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Nick Dougherty recovers his form in style

England's Nick Dougherty finally had something to smile about this season when he began the Ryder Cup race yesterday with an eight-under-par 63 at Crans-sur-Sierre.In a nightmare slump to 791st in the world, the 29-year-old has not made a single halfway cut since the Hong Kong Open last November.

But, after a horror run of 21 early exits in a row, Dougherty leads the Omega European Masters by two in Switzerland and does so against a field that includes Lee Westwood, Rory McIlroy and Martin Kaymer - three of the game's top six.

"It's quite a bounce-back," said Dougherty when interviewed afterwards by his wife Diana, golf presenter of Sky Sports.

"It feels great, obviously. I've not had a lot to be happy about and you've had to take the brunt of it and put up with me. It was difficult to find positives because there was nothing going my way, but today was super."

Kaymer and McIlroy shot 65s to share second place with England's Gary Boyd and Korean Lee Sung, while Open champion Darren Clarke was among those alongside Westwood four behind. Ryder Cup captain Jose Maria Olazabal struggled to a 75, one better than his predecessor Colin Montgomerie.

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Rory McIlroy shares lead in Swiss Alps despite disaster of double-bogey

WORLD No.6 Rory McIlroy surged into a share of the lead as the cream rose to the top in the European Masters second round in the Swiss Alps yesterday.
US Open champion McIlroy carded an eventful two-under-par 69 to join fellow Britons Simon Dyson (68), Gary Boyd (69) and Jamie Donaldson (66) on eight-under 134.

Last year's U.S. PGA champion Martin Kaymer (70) was in a group of five players one stroke off the pace. Also on 135 was overnight leader Nick Dougherty, the Englishman having returned a 72 to make his first cut of a woeful year.

World No.?2 Lee Westwood was a further shot adrift on 136 after a 69. Most of the field suffered on ragged Crans-sur-Sierre greens and McIlroy was no exception, though it was the fifth and ninth holes that influenced his round most. On the fifth the Northern Irishman slammed a stunning drive to just three feet and sank his putt for an eagle two. Then he undid his good work by three-putting from six feet on the ninth for a double-bogey seven.

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Golf: Turnhouse land double

TURNHOUSE have pulled off a second Edinburgh Inter- Club double this year after their men's golf team matched the seniors' feat.They beat Dalmahoy 7 and 6 in the final at Craigmillar Park, where Steven Armstrong and Graham Robertson, survivors from last year's winning team at Prestonfield, were joined by Olly McCrone and Scott Young.

Armstrong and McCrone were always in control up against Dougie Hunter and Robert Carson in the top match, while Robertson and Young recovered from a slow start to eventually gain the upper-hand against David Marshall and Kevin Messer.

Ironically, both Marshall and Messer were Turnhouse members last year before returning to Dalmahoy. In fact, Marshall was in the title-winning team at Prestonfield.

In the semi-finals, Turnhouse thumped Bruntsfield Links 11 and 10 while Dalmahoy won 8 and 7 in their "derby" clash with Ratho Park.

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Golf: Dunbar duo put pressure on Wright

WEST LINTON'S Gareth Wright had a Dunbar duo breathing down his neck heading into today's final 36 holes of the £25,000 Aberdeen Asset Management Northern Open at Meldrum House.Wright, the joint first-day leader after a 65, held on to his place at the top of the leaderboard after a second-round 68.

But, as West Lothian's Alan Reid, the other pacesetter at the end of the opening day, slipped to a 71, he was joined at the

head of affairs by amateur Graham Robertson, who signed for a 67 to join his playing partner on seven-under.

Six players were just a shot back, including Dunbar's Danny Kay and Neil Fenwick.

Amateur ace Kay signed for a five-under 65 - the best score of the day along with Hayston's Stephen Gray.

And Fenwick also stayed in contention thanks to a second successive 67.

Kay bagged five birdies in a flawless second round, getting up and down to save par at the 16th after his only poor shot of the day found the water.

Former Mortonhall man David Patrick matched Fenwick's feat of two 67s to also be stalking the leaders.

Mark Kerr, one of the pace after his opening 66, slipped back after a 72.

But he was still in the title hunt while Scott Dixon, Lee Harper, Ally MacKenzie, James McGhee and Scott Grieve were also amongst a posse of Lothians players to make the cut.

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Golf: Rory McIlroy one of four joint-leaders at European Masters

RORY McIlroy shares the lead at the halfway stage of the Omega European Masters in Switzerland, the first qualifying event for next year's Ryder Cup.
A two-under-par 69 was, somewhat surprisingly, good enough to put the US Open champion out in front on eight under alongside England's Simon Dyson and Gary Boyd and Welshman Jamie Donaldson. It came after overnight leader Nick Dougherty, who had miss ed his previous 21 cuts, added a 72 to his opening 63.

That dropped the 29-year-old Liverpudlian to joint fifth, but only a stroke behind as he tries to re-ignite his career and save himself from a return to the qualifying school at the end of the season. Struggling on bumpy greens, McIlroy said: "I gave myself a lot of chances and wasn't able to convert them, which was pretty frustrating. The greens were not as good as we got them yesterday morning and I got a bit tentative."

The Northern Irishman, 22, back in action three weeks after injuring his arm against a tree root at the USPGA Championship, made an eagle two on the driveable seventh, but gave the strokes back with a seven at the long ninth, driving into trouble and then three-putting from only four feet. His only deviation from par on the back nine was a birdie at the 516-yard 15th, and even there he missed a 14-foot eagle opportunity.

Dyson, trying to follow up his Irish Open success a month ago, shot 68. Boyd (69) and Donaldson (66) are chasing their first European Tour titles, but while 24-year-old Boyd is in just his second full season on the circuit, Donaldson, 35, has played approaching 250 events going back a decade. Dougherty admitted: "I had two things in my head - the tournament and getting the monkey of not making a cut off my back."

Former world No 1s Martin Kaymer and Lee Westwood are only one and two shots back respectively.

Westwood had a 69, and Kaymer got round in 70, while current Open champion Darren Clarke fell back to four under with a 71.

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David Law makes mockery of Walker Cup snub

DAVID Law may not have been considered good enough to earn one of ten spots in the Great Britain and Ireland team for next week's Walker Cup at Royal Aberdeen but, with a perfect sense of timing, he left a field of seasoned professionals trailing in his wake to become the first amateur to win the Aberdeen Asset Management Northern Open in more than 40 years.Emulating his Hazlehead clubmate Sandy Pirie's feat at Cruden Bay in 1970, the 20-year-old Aberdonian spreadeagled the field with a stunning eight-under-par 62 - the best-ever score shot at this excellent venue but not a course record due to preferre d lies being in operation - to take a three-stroke lead into the final round of a fascinating event in the north-east.

And, though he was overtaken briefly by Hayston's Stephen Gray over that closing circuit, Law closed with a 68 for a 14-under-par total of 266, winning by two shots from Gray, who closed with two 67s, with Dunbar's Neil Fenwick two shots further back in third after he signed off with a brace of 68s.

The consolation for 37-year-old Gray was that he picked up the top prize of £4,000 and, in doing so, has moved to the top of both the Tartan Tour order of merit and money list heading into this weekend's 36-hole pro-am at Dumfries and Galloway.

But the day undoubtedly belonged to the likeable Law, though he refused to gloat about his undoubted good form as the GB&I team he was controversially left out of a fortnight ago were in St Andrews today to prepare for the biennial clash with the Americans.

"The timing of this is more important to other people than it is to me," said the Paul Lawrie protege, who had revealed earlier in the week that he'd been given the perfect escape from Aberdeen next week after receiving an invitation to play in the KLM Open at Hilversum.

Eyebrows had already been raised after Law was overlooked by captain Nigel Edwards and the other GB&I selectors following his impressive performance in winning the Scottish Amateur Championship for a second time in three years at the end of July by picking up four points out of six in the Home Internationals at Rosses Point in Ireland last month.

That decision now looks even more bizarre on the back of a last-day display here that was oozing with class from start to finish. Three off the lead at the start, he bagged eight birdies in a flawless morning round, an effort made all the more impressive given that a few of the tees had been moved back from earlier in the week.

An "edgy" start to the final round saw him three-putt the second from 12 feet and, after a birdie at the fifth, he dropped another shot at the seventh.

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It's all about the course

As I tap this out, the first groups are off in the Open Championship and, predictably, the wind is blowing and there are a few drops of rain falling. It's expected to be a steady diet of 30 kph gusts all day.

This Open will be all about the elements. If the wind blows as is has for the past few days of practice rounds, then you can throw all the names up in the air and guess at the winner.

Royal St. George's is a course that can reward good play but it can also hand out healthy doses of good and bad breaks. Nothing wrong with that; it's links golf.

But it does tend to frustrate the players and that makes this low on their list of favourite Open courses. When asked once where he would rank this in the list of eight courses on the rota, Steve Elkington once famously answered: "10th."

This year, the R&A has tried to take steps to make the course more palatable. It has wisely taken out a lot of heavy rough just off the fairway that was there in 2003. That's allowed the players to get a bit more creative on second shots. Or perhaps it's better to say forced them to be more creative. Whatever the thinking, it's drawn lots of praise from the players.

But even the R&A won't be able maintain Mother Nature. If the winds come in off the English coast as expected, anything can happen. While watching Phil Mickelson play a practice round this week, I saw him come up short hitting a driver full-out on a par 3, the 243-yard 11th. And not just a little short, but a good 15 yards. On the next hole, Jeff Overton couldn't even get the ball to the fairway off the tee. That's the kind of stuff you see here which makes it fun for the fans and not so much fun for the players. Of course the No. 1 goal for any player is to stay out of those fairway bunkers which are so, so penal.

On the putting surfaces, it won't get any easier. The greens at Royal St. George's have more humps and rolls on them than any of the other Open sites and with the strong winds, it becomes a challenge to stay still and keep the putts on line. Martin Kaymer told me yesterday that when the wind is up, a four-footer can be blown off line six to eight inches.

That's why I think it's going to be tough to pick a winner here. You'll need good play and good breaks and, more than anything, patience. You might end up with a golfer who has a great short game to master recovery shots (Luke Donald) or one with lots of Open and links experience (Lee Westwood) or it might be any one of about 120 other players who get a break and couple it with some strong shot-making. Yes, even John Daly. Remember last time around here it was Ben Curtis who shocked the world with his win.

So good luck to all; the fun is already underway.

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Heading for the mountains

This morning I'm off to Whistler to shoot for some future episodes of SCOREGolf TV. The four courses in Whistler are among my favourites in the country, and certainly represent a great collection of layouts in one area. Hard to beat this spot if you're looking for a vacation that combines golf with the great outdoors.

According to the info I got last night, I'm not only going to be going to the golf courses but also ziplining, target shooting, mountain biking and seeing the mammoth Peak to Peak gondola, showcasing everything this Olympic town has to offer.

Whistler, as with most of the country, has been hammered by bad weather over the spring so no one was too sad to see things change over to summer yesterday. Golf courses rely on good weather for success - duh - and when Mother Nature doesn't play along, it can be exceptionally tough. We've already seen courses tip over into receivership. Although not all of it was related to weather, it sure didn't help.

Of course golf isn't alone; any business that runs outdoors is in the same boat. I talked to a home builder the other day who told me his company was way behind because the spring has been too wet to pour foundations.

But many of these courses and areas are resilient and are fighting back, getting smarter with their operations.

The one good thing - if you're a golfer, not a course owner - in all of this is that there are tremendous deals out there if you're looking to get away for a little golf sojourn. It's a buyer's market, for sure, as operators fight to fill in as many tee times as they can.

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The Open: first impressions

Royal St. George's was basking under a summer sun on Monday, with temperatures in the low 20s. It was also quite calm, a great day to play golf and many of the players in the field here took advantage of that with a stroll around the course.

When I first came here in 2003, I thought the place was one of the more difficult-looking links courses and I don't feel any differently this time. It's got more humps and bumps in the fairways than just about any course in the rota and you really see some hard-luck bounces here.

While walking around yesterday, I watched Charley Hoffman hit a tee shot down the middle of the seventh fairway only to watch it land on a knoll, veer left and then skirt around the top of a fairway bunker before ending up in some deep fescue. The ball probably ended up 30 yards left of where it landed. That's links golf. That's Royal St. George's.

The last winner here, Ben Curtis, was in the press room on Monday, talking about that victory, that was unexpected, even by him.

"But as far as expectations, really the only goal I had was to play four days and to see what it was like to play -- it was my first major, just to see what it was like and just to enjoy it. I never thought coming in here -- I said, this is the last time I might play in it. I didn't know it was one of 30 more to come."

One of the big differences between this year's Open and 2003 for Curtis is where he's staying. He described his accommodations last time as a tiny flat, but not this time.

"We went from the outhouse to the mansion."

Curtis is a guy you can like quickly. He's fairly quiet and composed, almost shy, but he has always had lots of game. It's just been inconsistent over the years and he admitted that right now, he's not playing well.

Of course most of the attention this week is on Rory McIlroy, the winner of the U.S. Open and Northern Ireland's favourite son at the moment. A headline in the local paper said ticket sales and accommodation requests are sky-high thanks to his presence.

In the Guardian today, Lawrence Donegen talks to his agent, Chubby Chandler, who says that it's possible McIlroy could become Britain's most successful sportsman. And the route to shoe riches might be a little different than you expect.

"One of my ambitions is to put a Chinese logo on Rory's hat because golf is going to be unbelievable big in China once it starts being an Olympic sport."

But he also said that managing all the demands will be a tall but necessary task.

"He is 22, the lad, and we have got to make sure he isn't a basket case by the time he is 25."

You can read the entire article here.

Rory will be in the press room today so we'll finally have a chance to speak with the man himself.

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Why the tizzy over Izzy?

At 2:20 this afternoon, MDT, Izzy Beisiegel will hit the links at the ATB Financial Classic at the Bearspaw Country Club and cause a little excitement. She'll play along with Winnipeg's Matt Johnston and Carlos Sainz Jr. of the U.S.

If you've ever met Beisiegel, you know she makes Tony Robbins seem as if he's depressed. In her world, the fairways are made of chocolate and golf balls are candy drops. None of them with any fat or cholesterol. She is just about the most positive person you'll ever run into. She has an unfailing devotion to God and lives every moment of her life as a Christian. And she's always smiling.

So I'm guessing that none of the questions being asked or the eyebrows being raised about her play on the Canadian Tour bother her in the slightest. And good for her. They shouldn't.

Since she made it through the qualifying school a few weeks back. I've heard from a few folks, including a couple of ex-tour players who wonder what she's trying to prove or why she'd bother spending all this money to get thrashed by the boys.

It might seem pointless but her answer is to try and be the best player she can be. Who can blame her for that? When you consider what Beisiegel has been through, battling a hyperthyroid condition called Graves' Disease that left her constantly exhausted and almost ended her golf career, hitting the ball these days is easy no matter what tour, no matter who it's against.

Now I don't think she'll earn a nickel on the Canadian Tour but then again, I didn't think she'd earn her card. If she does finish dead last in every event in which she plays, so what? She's not taking anyone's spot in the field as she would with a sponsor exemption since she earned her way in. She'll likely be richer for the experience. And in case you were wondering, if she ever did pull off a miracle and got way up the money list, yes, she'd be eligible to get one of hte CanTour's exemptions and play in the RBC Canadian Open.

The Canadian Tour must be loving the attention too (see here and here), and it may even sell a few more tickets at the gate from people who will follow the girl with the flower in her hair.

So good luck, Izzy. Enjoy the ride.

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