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GOLF DIGEST: By Arnold Palmer, August 2008

I. Don’t be the slowest player

In my casual games at Bay Hill, we get around in under four hours — and that’s in fivesomes. Evaluate your pace of play honestly and often, and if you’re consistently the slowest one in your group, you’re a slow player, period. Encourage everyone to move quickly enough so you find yourself right behind the group in front several times, both early and late in the round.

Remember the old staples of getting around in good time: Play “ready golf” (hit when ready, even if you aren’t away) until you reach the green, be prepared to play when it’s your turn on the tee and green, and never search for a lost ball for more than five minutes.

II. Keep your temper under control

In the final of the Western Pennsylvania Junior when I was 17, I let my putter fly over the gallery after missing a short putt. I won the match, but when I got in the car with my parents for the ride home, there were no congratulations, just dead silence. Eventually my father said, “If I ever see you throw a club again, you will never play in another golf tournament.” That wake-up call stayed with me. I haven’t thrown a club since.

Throwing clubs, sulking and barking profanity make everyone uneasy. We all have our moments of frustration, but the trick is to vent in an inoffensive way. For example, I often follow a bad hole by hitting the next tee shot a little harder — for better or worse.

III. Respect other people’s time

Because time is our most valuable commodity, there are few good reasons for breaking a golf date. Deciding last-minute to clean the garage on Saturday, or getting a call that the auto-repair shop can move up your appointment by a day, just doesn’t cut it.

Always make your tee times, and show up for your lesson with the pro a little early. Social functions are no exception.

IV. Repair the ground you play on

I have a penknife that’s my pet tool for fixing ball marks, but a tee or one of those two-pronged devices is fine. As for divots, replace them or use the seed mix packed on the side of your cart.

Rake bunkers like you mean it. Ever notice that the worse the bunker shot, the poorer the job a guy does raking the sand? Make the area nice and smooth — don’t leave deep furrows from the rake. Before you exit the bunker, ask yourself, Would I be upset if I had to play from that spot?

V. Be a silent partner

During one of my last tour events as a player, I noticed another pro making practice swings in my field of vision as I was getting ready to hit a shot. I stopped, walked over and reminded him (maybe too sternly) that it was my turn to play. The point is, stand still from the time a player sets himself until the ball has left the club.

Even with the advent of spikeless shoes, the etiquette rule of never walking in someone’s line of play on the putting green is an absolute. The area around the hole in particular is sacred ground. The first thing to note when you walk onto a green is the location of every ball in your group, then steer clear of their lines to the hole.

Know where to stand and when to keep quiet. Position yourself directly across or at a diagonal from a player setting up. Never stand on the line of play, either beyond the hole or directly behind the ball. When a player is about to hit a shot, think of the fairway as a cathedral, the green a library.

VI. Make your golf cart ‘invisible’

Carts are very much a part of the modern game. Think about it: They’re mentioned on the backs of scorecards, discussed in the Decisions on the Rules of Golf, bags and other items are designed specifically for them, and they’re used at most courses. The sheer pervasiveness of them makes cart etiquette vitally important.

Your goal when driving a cart should be to leave no trace you were there. Because we tend to look where we’re going and not where we’ve been, it’s easy to damage the turf and not realize it. Avoid wet areas and spots that are getting beaten up from traffic. Golfers tend to play “follow the leader” and drive in single file out to the fairway before branching off. It’s usually better to “scatter” — everyone take a different route — so cart traffic is spread out.

VII. Always look your best

From Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen to Ben Hogan and Sam Snead to Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, the best players have been meticulous about their appearance. Their clothing has been sharp, and not one of them has shown up on the first tee with his cap backward, mud caked on his shoes, or his shirttail hanging out. (My shirt often came untucked, but it was my swing that did it. I started with it tucked in!)

Your appearance speaks volumes about you as a person, and the neatly appointed golfer, like a businessman or someone headed to church, gives the impression he thinks the golf course and the people there are special.

VIII. Turn off the cell phone

Nobody knows less about technology than I do. But I know enough to recognize a cell phone when it rings in my backswing. If I had my way, cell phones would be turned off at all times on the course, but most clubs have given in to the fact that people are going to use them. I don’t know all the gadgets and settings on those phones, but do whatever you have to do to keep it quiet. And if you absolutely have to make a call, move away from the other players. And keep the call so brief that they don’t even know you made it.

IX. Lend a hand when you can

It’s easy to help out your fellow players, if you just pay attention. One obvious way is looking for lost balls — better yet, watching errant shots so they don’t turn into lost balls. Pick up that extra club left on the fringe or the headcover dropped next to the tee, and return it to its owner after saying, “Nice shot!” And if you see a cart out of position or a provisional ball that needs picking up, don’t just walk by.

X. Learn the little things

There are a hundred bits of etiquette I haven’t mentioned, like laying the flagstick down carefully, tamping down spike marks when you’re walking off a green, letting faster groups play through, and so on. All of these things are learned by observing, with a sharp eye and a considerate heart. Just know that golf has a way of returning favors, and every piece of etiquette you practice will be repaid tenfold.

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How to Caddy
By eHow Contributing Writer

Caddying is more than simply lugging clubs around a golf course. At a professional level, caddies are considered part of a two person team—-golfer and caddie. Learn the basics about caddying. It’s a great summer job, a way to be around “the game,” and make contacts that may serve for a lifetime.

Instructions

1. Step 1
   Dress neatly and have a reasonable haircut. Golf is a rather conservative sport—-at least in the venues that employ caddies. You may have a caddie uniform to wear. White coveralls or a white golf shirt and tan khaki pants or shorts will always serve you well.
    
2. Step 2
   Maintain a polite demeanor. The use of “Yes Sir” or “No Ma’am” has a surprising ability to impress. Speak only when spoken to. Obviously this may change over time should you caddy for a golfer on a number of occasions, but initially, silence is golden. Golfers are easily distracted.
    
3. Step 3
   Give advice when asked and if you know the answer. If you know how the greens break and a player asks you for advice, offer it. If you don’t know, apologize and admit to ignorance. A golfer will respect an honest “I don’t know.” Even if a golfer ASKS, clam up when asked to critique his or her swing. Leave that to the course pro.
    
4. Step 4
   Stay up with your golfer. When you reach the ball, set the bag down about four feet to the ball’s right (for a right-handed golfer.) Hold it upright so the golfer may choose his club, and after the club has been chosen move the bag back a few paces to the side and a few paces back so you are not in the golfer’s peripheral vision. As the golfer prepares for his shot, rest and catch your breath. Stand still.
    
5. Step 5
   Pay attention to every shot your golfer makes. A lost ball is a triple bogie for a caddie (even if his golfer only makes a double bogie.) On blind holes, tell your golfer you are going ahead to “forecaddy.” Quickly move to a point where you can see his or her tee shot land. To do this, you will need to be in a position like the crest of a hill where you can see the initial flight of the ball as well as its landing area. A good caddy knows his or her course well. After positioning the place where ALL of the shots of the foursome have landed (if you’re caddying for a member of a foursome,) move to where your player’s ball lies and set up for his next shot. This is another time to rest.
    
6. Step 6
   Learn the proper way to hold a pin. Basically, you stand to the side of the cup with the pin still in the cup but not all the way to its bottom. You want to be able to easily remove the pin once your golfer has hit the putt. Make sure you are standing such that your shadow does not fall in the putter’s line (path of the ball to the hole). If there is a question of whether or not a golfer wants the pin in the cup while putting, ASK. Simply say, “Would you like the pin, Ma’am (Sir)?” Some golfers use the pin for any putt of 20 feet or more. ALWAYS remove the pin as soon as a putt is struck.
    
7. Step 7
   Have a sand rake in your hand if your player hits a shot into a bunker. As soon as he exits the bunker, rake the trap. Learn how to rake traps from another caddy or a caddy-master (an older caddy who runs a caddy program). If your golfer is in a greenside bunker and will probably hit a shot into the green, have his putter ready so if his shot comes to rest on the green, you can simply hand him the putter. He will then be ready to putt while you rake the trap.
    
8. Step 8
   Stay out of a putter’s line. No one wants to putt over a footprint left by a caddie. This can be tricky if there are four balls on a green, all on different sides of the cup, because you don’t want to step on any of the other golfer’s lines either. Clean your golfer’s ball while he or she is waiting to putt. A towel that is wet at one end is a caddie’s best tool. After a club is used, clean its club face as well.

Local pro disqualified from Amelia Invitational

WGHOF instructor could face suspension

By GARRY SMITS,  Morris News Service, Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Northern Chapter PGA teaching professional David Bartoe was disqualified from the final round of the Amelia Invitational Tuesday after he was witnessed by two other competitors kicking his ball from behind a tree on the par-4 sixth hole of the Golf Club of Amelia Island.

Bartoe, a contract instructor at the World Golf Hall of Fame PGA Tour Academy, violated 18-2 of the Rules of Golf, prohibiting players from making contact with a ball at rest with anything except a club. The action was termed “shocking” by one of the two witnesses, Golfplex director of instruction Mark Spencer.

Bartoe told the two witnesses and a rules official, and later in a meeting with the tournament committee, that he kicked the ball accidentally. If that was the case, the rules require a player to replace the ball as close as possible to the original position, take a one-stroke penalty, then resume playing the hole.

“We (playing partner and Pablo Creek head professional Richie Bryant) were on the seventh tee waiting to hit, and Richie was telling me how he was behind that same tree,” Spencer told the Times-Union. “We were looking back at the hole as Richie was telling me how he played the shot, and that’s the only reason we saw Dave do what he did. He got out of his cart, walked to the ball, and nonchalantly kicked it about 10 feet to the left, where the tree wasn’t in the way as much.”

Bartoe’s playing partners, Jim Ross and Gary Brewer, were on the other side of the fairway and did not see the incident. Spencer and Bryant confronted Bartoe after he hit onto the sixth green. Bartoe picked his ball up, went back to the original spot behind the tree, and played the hole again. However, rules official Skip Small said that was another violation – Bartoe should have finished the hole, and taken a two-stroke penalty. For moving the ball again, Small assessed him another two-stroke penalty, and reported the incident to tournament officials. Bartoe could have posted a score for the round, but tournament director Robert Dugger said the tournament committee had the discretion under Rules 1-2 and 33-7 to disqualify a player if the offense is serious enough.

Dugger said Bartoe, Spencer and Bryant were asked to give written statements to Northern Chapter secretary Jack Aschenbach. Dugger said the chapter has the discretion to issue sanctions against Bartoe that include suspension, and likely will make a report to the Northern Section.

If Bartoe is suspended from section and chapter events, he can appeal to the PGA of America national office.

Bartoe left the course before a comment could obtained. A message left on his cell phone was not returned.

The tournament was won by Rod Perry, head professional at the Daytona Beach Golf Club, who shot 70 to finish at 8-under-par 208 and earn $5,000. He defeated Broc Nell (68), head pro at the Amelia Island Plantation, by one shot after Nell made a strong run on the back nine.

Nell birdied the 16th and 17th holes to come within two shots. At the par-4 18th hole, Perry missed the green and Nell had a birdie putt, but Nell came up 2 feet shot, and Perry needed only a bogey to win.

“I came here to play because a lot of my friends in the chapter recommended this tournament,” Perry said. “It’s run very well, on very good golf courses. I withdrew from one tournament to play here, and obviously I’m glad I did.”

Duke Butler IV, the defending champion, finished as the low amateur at 3-over 219.

17.08.2009

Royal Aberdeen welcomes the Ladies’ Stroke Play to the historic Balgownie links (LGU)

The Ladies’ British Open Amateur Stroke-Play Championship breaks new ground this week at the sixth oldest golf club in the world.
Royal Aberdeen Golf Club, founded in 1780 as The Society of Golfers at Aberdeen, has hosted women’s golf tournaments in the past, such as the Scottish women’s amateur championship, but never a female championship with a “British” tag.

Royal Aberdeen Golf Club – Ladies’ British Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship 2009

The Balgownie links, to the north of the Granite City, start close to the mouth of the River Don. Aberdeen is situated between two rivers, the other being the River Dee.
In 2010 these links will host the men’s Walker Cup match between Great Britain & Ireland the United States.
Three or four years ago, Balgownie hosted the Senior British Open won by Tom Watson.
So this is no ordinary golf course. The 105 competitors in this week’s Ladies’ British Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship, are playing at a venue steeped in golfing history.
Like all links golf courses, there is usually a wind blowing at Balgownie with is of the classic links “design” – nine holes straight out (until they meet the neighbouring Murcar Links to the north, and then nine holes straight in.
The fairways are narrow, the rough punishing but the greens are among the best in Scotland.
Aberdeen Ladies’ Golf Club members, who have their own clubhouse, play over the Balgownie championship links as well as the Silverburn No 2 course. Former Curtis Cup player and past Scottish champion Elaine Farquharson-Black, who is an Aberdeen Ladies’ member, holds the Balgownie women’s course record of 69 but that won’t be challenged by the British championship competitors this week.
That’s because Susan Simpson, the Ladies Golf Union Head of Golf Operations, has set up a composite course – using some men’s, some women’s tees – measuring 6,231yd with a par of 72 (36-36).
University of California-Berkely student Roseanne Niven (Crieff) is defending the title she won last year at Malone Golf Club, Northern Ireland after she had tied with another Scot, Kylie Walker (Buchanan Castle) on 288. Roseanne won the sudden death play-off at the first extra hole.
Both players are in the field again this week.
The current Scottish (Megan Briggs, Kilmacolm), English (Charlotte Ellis, Minchinhampton) and Welsh (Tara Davies, Holyhead) are also playing. The Irish champion, Lisa Maguire (Slieve Russell) and her twin sister Leona, are in Illinois for the Junior Solheim Cup match this week between Europe and the United States.
Funnily enough, Alison Nicholas, captain of the Europe team for the Solheim Cup match later in the week, won the Ladies British Open Amateur Stroke-play title in 1983, two years before the legendary Scot, Belle Robertson won the title at Formby at the age of 49.
The first round will be played on Wednesday and after the second round on Thursday the field will be cut to the leading 40 and ties for Friday’s final 36 holes. Spectators are welcome and admission is free.

19.08.2009

The going gets tough at Balgownie but Andre battles through. (LGU)

Europe’s top-ranked female amateur, Lucie Andre France lived up
to her rating by taming a 30mph southerly wind which wrecked so many scores at Balgownie today.
The 21-year-old from Lyon came finished between 5 and 6pm, when the wind was just about as strong as ever, with a brilliant round in the conditions of one-over-par 73 to lead by two strokes at the end of the first day of the British women’s open amateur championship, hosted by Royal Aberdeen Golf Club.
She did not go as far as to say “Wind? What wind?” but she gave the impression that it did not bother her in the slightest.
It certainly did not on the outward half when she had the half-gale at her back. Many competitors felt the wind was so strong that it was just as difficult to make the ball stop on the greens downwind as it was to reach them in regulation figures on the inward half.
“I like links golf and I expect to play in wind when I play links courses.” said Lucie whose competitive season started way back in January-February with a second in the Portuguese women’s open amateur, followed closed by victory in the Spanish equivalent.
A member of the Continent of Europe team who beat Great Britain & Ireland in the recent Vagliano Trophy match in Hamburg, Andre is a class act and she showed it with the lowest outward half by anybody in the field of 99.
Her two-under-par 34 included an eagle 3 at the 460yd par-5 sixth – a drive, six-iron and a 20ft putt – a birdie at the 353yd fourth – a rescue club off the tee, a 58 degree wedge and a 3ft putt.
On the downside she had a bad, almost unplayable lie in a bunker at the eighth and that cost her one of only four bogeys she had all day damage limitation of the highest order.
Into the wind, she bogeyed the 10th, the 12th and 16th but expected to and was just a tad annoyed that she missed a 6ft birdie chance at the last.
Andre bopes this is the last time she can play in the British championship – “I hope to be playing on the Ladies European Tour this time next year … I am going to the Qualifying School at the end of this season,” she said.
Vagliano Trophy player Danielle McVeigh from Northern Ireland is on her own in second place with a 76 (37-39), a shot ahead of GB&I team-mate in Hamburg, Rachel Jennings (Izaak Walton) (37-39) who shares third place with teenagers Caroline Karsten (35-41), an 18-year-old from the Netherlands and 17-year-old Nicola Ralinson (Leyland) who had halves of 39.
In mid-afternoon, Danielle McVeigh from Royal Co Down, winner of the Welsh open amateur stroke-play championship earlier in the season, underlined her class with three-over-par 75..
Six-footer Danielle felt the strong wind at her back on the outward half was no advantage at all because it made the judgment of pitch-and-run shots very difficult. The wind-assisted “run” often carried the ball through the back of the green.
“I’ve played a lot of links golf in high winds at my home course, Royal County Down. Knowing the yardages when playing in a gale is no help. You learn to develop an instinctive‘feel,’ for the strength of shot that’s needed, particularly downwind,”said Danielle, a former Texas A&M student who is now attending the University of Ireland, Maynooth near Dublin.
“I learned a lot about my own swing durng my two years in America. It was worth it for that alone.”
McVeigh’s only birdie came at the long second where she got down in two from 80yd.
“Thereafter it was damage limitation. I three-putted the third for a bogey but had only three more bogeys in the round – at the sevenh, 13th and 14th, so I was fairly pleased with that.
“I could and should have had a birdie at the 15th after I hit it in close with a seven iron but I missed the putt.”
Rachel Jennings from the Izaak Walton club, playing in the same threesome, was on par with McVeigh with an outward 37 – birdies at the second and sixth, bogeys at the first, seventh and ninth, but she had three bogeys to her playing partner’s two as they battled through the wind after the turn. Rachel bogeyed the 10th, 14th and 16th.
Many highly-rated and experienced players did not have their troubles to seek..
England’s left-handed champion Charlie Douglass (Brocket Hall) took 45 for the second nine to return an 85, the same score as France’s Marion Ricordeau, the third best female amateur in Europe, according to the European Golf Association rankings.
Welsh champion Tara Davies (Holyhead) had a 90.
Curtis Cup teenager Carly Booth (Comreie), who had an 82, said her putting was more affected by the high winds than the rest of her game.
“I don’t like putting in conditions like these. The ball bobbles about in the wind on the greens and you never feel in control of it,” said Carly.whose 19-year-old brother Paul came north from Comrie to lend support, complete with a haul of four gold medals for power-lifting at the Special Olympics at Leicster.
Several players were warned for slow play but the conditions were taken into consideration and they were not penalised. It could be a different story if the wind does not blow for the rest of the tournament.
The LGU is determined to lead the field in tackling the golf’s modern-day curse of slow play.

20.08.2009

Turland takes the lead at Royal Aberdeen (LGU)

Fifteen-year-old Hannah Turland from Tidworth, Wiltshire played the round of her young life to come out of the blue and storm into a three-shot lead at the halfway stage of the British Ladies’ Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship at Royal Aberdeen Golf Club today.
Hannah, in the third last group off the first tee, finished her round between 5.30 and 6pm, just when a day of horrendous wind and rain was improving. She became the first player in the international field to match the testing women’s par of 72 for the so-testing Balgownie links.
Coupled with her opening round of 79 – which had been six shots adrift of leader Lucie Andre from France – Hannah’s seven-over-par tally of 151 saw her leapfrog over the longtime joint clubhouse leaders, Lucie Andre and Northern Ireland’s Danielle McVeigh, two opposing Vagliano Trophy match players.
Danielle had a 79 for 154 and Andre matched that aggregate with an 81.
“I did get the best of the weather late in the round but before that it was horrendous wind and rain. I thought it was still a two-club wind in our faces over the inward nine,” said Hannah, Wiltshire women’s county champion who has putting together a string of improving performances this season.
“No, I won’t lose any sleep over leading a championship like this; That’s what I play golf for. I played well in the Girls’ Home Internationals (helping England win the title at Fairhaven) and was well up among the qualifiers for the match-play stages of the British girls’ championship at West Lancs last week, so it’s really just a continuation of that,” she said.
He outward half was a mixed bag of birdies (fourth and fifth) and bogeys (second, third and eighth) before she “made” her round with three birdies in a row over a difficult stretch into the wind and rain.
She holed a 4ft putt for a 2 after a six-iron off the tee at the short 11th, had to go on her knees in a buniker at the 12th to cope with a bad lie, and played a magnificent recovery shot to 12ft from the stick and downed the putt for a believe-it-or-not birdie. Then she holed a 20ft birdie putt at the 13th.
Even a double bogey 6 at the 15th and another shot dropped at the 16th were not going to shake Hannah’s confidence.
She parred the short 17th and then played a great five-iron third shot at the last, holing a 3ft putt for a birdie 3 to come home in 35 and surge clear of the field.
Andre and McVeigh had battled through atrocious conditions to share the lead until Miss Turland swept past late in the day.
The weather was even worse than it had been for Wednesday’s first round. Tournament director Susan Simpson clocked the wind speed at gusts of 40mph, an increase of 10mph, And the new bad weather factor was rain and lots of it, circling the Aberdeen area for hour after hour..
Up with the larks for a 7.40am start, Royal Co Down Ladies’ member McVeigh was the first to show that it was possible to break 80 despite the adverse weather. Out in arguably the worst of the conditions, the 6ft University of Ireland Maynooth student followed up her opening 75 with a 79 to set the clubhouse target of 10-over-par 154.
“I played better than I did in Wednesday’s wind and scored four shots worse but it was much more difficult out there today, very unpleasant weather,” said Danielle, winner of the Welsh women’s open amateur stroke-play championship earlier in the season,
She had birdies at the long second and long sixth but had a double bogey 6 at the ninth to give back the shots she had gained.
She had another double bogey 6 at the 10th but covered the remaining eight holes in four over par, which was good going in the wind and rain.
In contrast to McVeigh’s stout performance, one of her playing partners, Rachel Jennings, who also played for Great Britain & Ireland in the recent Vagliano Trophy match against the Continent of Europe in Hamburg, had a disastrous day.
Up with the leaders after an opening round of 76, Rachel nosedived out of contention with an 18-over-par 90 for 166, then said: “It was awful out there. I took 52 shots for the second nine into the wind and rain. That’s the first time since I was about 14 years old that I have scored as high as a 90.”
Rachel has her 21st birthday next week.
She did not have a single par on the inward half. She had a quadruple bogey 9 at the 12th and doubles at the 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th.
There was an early warning that Lucie Andre, who had come in late with a 73 to lead by two at the end of Wednesday’s play, was having more trouble coping with the combination of the high wind and driving rain than she had with the half-gale alone on Wednesday. She took 40 shots to the turn – six more than in the first round – and she finished with an 81 to join McVeigh on the 154 mark.
“It didn’t help that I started with two 6s, so that I was three over par after only two holes, “ said Lucie.
“But I felt better when I birdied the fifth and sixth. Then I lost it again with bogeys at the seventh, eighth and ninth, double bogeys at the 10th and 11th and a bogey at the 12th.
“It was not nice out.there. I did not enjoy it as I did in the first round – but I am still in contention, which is a little bit surprising but shows you how bad the weather was for everybody.”
The stage is set for a super last day of golf – if only the weather will play its part and give the girls a chance to produce the quality play of which they are capable.
Young Turland leads by three shot s from McVeigh and Andre who are only a shot in front of“local” Scottish international Laura Murray (she hails from Alford in Aberdeenshire) and Welsh girl cap Gemma Bradbury from Cottrell Park..
Then comes Charlotte Wild (Mere), the 19-year-old winner of the English women’s stroke –play title recently on 156, one ahead of English mid-amateur champion Lucy Williams (Mid Herts)..
To qualify for the final two rounds, players had to score 22 over par 166 or better.

Royal Aberdeen Golf Club’s professional staff came to the aid of a Continental competitor in distress as she waited to tee off this morning in the second round of the British women’s open amateur stroke play championship over the Balgownie links. Zala Jenko, who has travelled all the way from Slovenia with her mother, watched in anguish as her trolley and the heavy bag of clubs blew over in the wind. The head of her driver snapped off when it hit the ground. The thought of tackling the Balgownie links in worse weather of wind and rain than prevailed on the opening day without a driver galvanised Zala’s mum into action. She ran over to the professional’s shop and explained the position. Golf clubs cost a lot of money in Slovenia – but the Royal Aberdeen pro David Ross and his assistant Jonas Hedberg came up with a replacement driver and said Zala could have it free of charge!

21.08.2009

Young Hannah increases her lead to four at Balgownie (LGU)

Wiltshire’s 15-year-old Hannah Turland, the surprise halfway leader by three shots, showed not the slightest sign of nerves as she increased her lead to four at the end of the third round of the British women’s open amateur stroke-play golf championship at Royal Aberdeen today.
In much improved weather – blue skies, sunshine and only a gentle breeze, Hannah, daughter of a Tidworth publican and the Wiltshire women’s county champion, returned a one-over-par 73 for a 54-hole tally of eight-over-par 224.
“I played OK,” said Hannah as she headed for the clubhouse and a quick sandwich before being back on the first tee. “I’m enjoying it, especially now that we’re getting good weather.”
No anxiety there then as the 15-year-old heads for a place in golfing history as one of the youngest to win one of the Ladies Golf Union’s British championships.
Welsh open stroke-play champion Danielle McVeigh (Royal County Down), her nearest rival overnight and playing partner for the final two rounds, had a 74 to slip a shot further in arrears at 228.
Europe No 1 Lucie Andre from France and Manchester’s Rachel Connor took up joint third place on 231.
Lucie had a 77 and Rachel a 72.
Kylie Walker (Buchanan Castle) and France’s Marion Duverney both returned one-under-par 71s – the best of the championship so far.

Defending champion Roseanne Niven was bitten by a wasp under her arm on the 17th tee but returned a third-round 80 for 243.
Rhian Wyn Thomas suffered a nose bleed down the 18th fairway on her way to a 78 and 238.

21.08.2009

Danielle holds on to win the Ladies’ British Open Stroke Play title at Royal Aberdeen

Great Britain & Ireland international Danielle McVeigh (Royal Co Down) came from six shots in arrears to catch long-time leader, 15-year-old Hannah Turland (Tidworth) down the home stretch of Royal Aberdeen’s classic links to win the British Ladies’ Open Amateur Stroke-play Championship.
Hannah, overnight leader by three shots, extended her advantage to four with a third-round 73 on a day when the weather improved dramatically – and so did the scoring.
Hannah went even further ahead of Danielle by reaching the turn in the final round in 37 to her playing partner’s 38.
But it suddenly all went pear-shaped for the youngster from Wiltshire at the 11th and 12th holes. A lost ball at the short 11th cost her a triple bogey 6 and Hannah ran up a nightmare triple bogey 8 at the next hole where she lost a ball in a gorse bush and then she lost her second ball in a lateral water hazard.
Not surprisingly, the youngster, with her concentration shattered, also bogeyed the 13th and 14th
That meant the four holes from the 11th to the 14th cost Turland 24 shots in all. In contrast, 21-year-old McVeigh, winner of the Welsh open amateur stroke play title earlier in the season, took only 16 strokes for the same four holes – an eight-shot swing which changed everything.
Danielle finished with a 76 for a 16-over-par total of 304, one shot ahead of Hannah, who bravely birdied the last for an 81 and 305.
“I didn’t really think I had a chance of catching Hannah at the turn, with nine holes to go, because she was so far in front of me – although at the back of my mind, I knew that I had played Royal Aberdeen’s back nine into the wind well every day,” said McVeigh.
“Balgownie is so much like my home course, Royal County Down, so I hadn’t given up hope entirely. Then Hannah had these triple bogeys at the 11th and 12th and suddenly I’m back in the hunt.
“Hannah has great potential. She will go on to win a lot of things. I felt I was rewarded for playing steadily all week. Nothing spectacular, just steady links golf, the same golf I play over my home links.”
One had to feel sorry for Hannah who was hitting the ball well and far until she had that double misfortune after the turn.
“I felt I played really well over the three days. These two holes just ruined everything. But I’ll get over it,” she said.
Professional’s daughter Rachel Connor (Manchester) set the clubhouse target at 306 after a 75. She finished third on 18 over par.
Louise Kenney (Pitreavie) and France’s Lucie Andre tied on 307, Louise after a closing 73 and Lucie with a 76. Louise’s better inward half officially placed her fourth. She won the Angela Uzielle Trophy for the best performance by a player over 23 years of age.
Hannah Turland won the Dinwiddy Trophy for being the leading Under-18 year old.
Pamela Pretswell (Bothwell Castle) shot the lowest round of the three days in the fourth round – a three-under-par 69, which earned her the Taunton Trophy.
Netherlands (Chrisje De Vries, Myrte Eikenaar and Maaike Naafs) won the international team event with a total of 315, ahead of England (317), Scotland (321) and Ireland (323).

Full list of prize Winners;NETHERLANDS
Chrisje de Vries
Myrte Eikenaar
Maaike Naafs

Team Award (Trophy & Vouchers)

Best 18 Holes & Winner of the Taunton Trophy
Pamela Pretswell (Bothwell Castle) 69 (Rnd 4)

Best Under 18 & Winner of the Dinwiddy Trophy
Hannah Turland Tidworth

Best Under 23 & Winner of the Duncan Salver
Danielle McVeigh Royal County Down Lds

Best Over 23 & Winner of the Angela Uzielli Trophy
Louise Kenney Pitreavie

Championship

4th  Louise Kenney Pitreavie

3RD Rachel Connor Manchester

RUNNER UP (Holden Trophy) Hannah Turland Tidworth

CHAMPION (Nicholls Trophy) Danielle McVeigh Royal Co. Down Lds

21.08.2009

Danielle holds on to win the Ladies’ British Open Stroke Play title at Royal Aberdeen

Great Britain & Ireland international Danielle McVeigh (Royal Co Down) came from six shots in arrears to catch long-time leader, 15-year-old Hannah Turland (Tidworth) down the home stretch of Royal Aberdeen’s classic links to win the British Ladies’ Open Amateur Stroke-play Championship.
Hannah, overnight leader by three shots, extended her advantage to four with a third-round 73 on a day when the weather improved dramatically – and so did the scoring.
Hannah went even further ahead of Danielle by reaching the turn in the final round in 37 to her playing partner’s 38.
But it suddenly all went pear-shaped for the youngster from Wiltshire at the 11th and 12th holes. A lost ball at the short 11th cost her a triple bogey 6 and Hannah ran up a nightmare triple bogey 8 at the next hole where she lost a ball in a gorse bush and then she lost her second ball in a lateral water hazard.
Not surprisingly, the youngster, with her concentration shattered, also bogeyed the 13th and 14th
That meant the four holes from the 11th to the 14th cost Turland 24 shots in all. In contrast, 21-year-old McVeigh, winner of the Welsh open amateur stroke play title earlier in the season, took only 16 strokes for the same four holes – an eight-shot swing which changed everything.
Danielle finished with a 76 for a 16-over-par total of 304, one shot ahead of Hannah, who bravely birdied the last for an 81 and 305.
“I didn’t really think I had a chance of catching Hannah at the turn, with nine holes to go, because she was so far in front of me – although at the back of my mind, I knew that I had played Royal Aberdeen’s back nine into the wind well every day,” said McVeigh.
“Balgownie is so much like my home course, Royal County Down, so I hadn’t given up hope entirely. Then Hannah had these triple bogeys at the 11th and 12th and suddenly I’m back in the hunt.
“Hannah has great potential. She will go on to win a lot of things. I felt I was rewarded for playing steadily all week. Nothing spectacular, just steady links golf, the same golf I play over my home links.”
One had to feel sorry for Hannah who was hitting the ball well and far until she had that double misfortune after the turn.
“I felt I played really well over the three days. These two holes just ruined everything. But I’ll get over it,” she said.
Professional’s daughter Rachel Connor (Manchester) set the clubhouse target at 306 after a 75. She finished third on 18 over par.
Louise Kenney (Pitreavie) and France’s Lucie Andre tied on 307, Louise after a closing 73 and Lucie with a 76. Louise’s better inward half officially placed her fourth. She won the Angela Uzielle Trophy for the best performance by a player over 23 years of age.
Hannah Turland won the Dinwiddy Trophy for being the leading Under-18 year old.
Pamela Pretswell (Bothwell Castle) shot the lowest round of the three days in the fourth round – a three-under-par 69, which earned her the Taunton Trophy.
Netherlands (Chrisje De Vries, Myrte Eikenaar and Maaike Naafs) won the international team event with a total of 315, ahead of England (317), Scotland (321) and Ireland (323).

Full list of prize Winners;NETHERLANDS
Chrisje de Vries
Myrte Eikenaar
Maaike Naafs

Team Award (Trophy & Vouchers)

Best 18 Holes & Winner of the Taunton Trophy
Pamela Pretswell (Bothwell Castle) 69 (Rnd 4)

Best Under 18 & Winner of the Dinwiddy Trophy
Hannah Turland Tidworth

Best Under 23 & Winner of the Duncan Salver
Danielle McVeigh Royal County Down Lds

Best Over 23 & Winner of the Angela Uzielli Trophy
Louise Kenney Pitreavie

Championship

4th  Louise Kenney Pitreavie

3RD Rachel Connor Manchester

RUNNER UP (Holden Trophy) Hannah Turland Tidworth

CHAMPION (Nicholls Trophy) Danielle McVeigh Royal Co. Down Lds

Bad time to institute clock rule
Aug. 9, 2009, BySteve Elling, CBS Senior Writer

Even the winner was ticked off about the controversial ending at the , which somewhat overshadowed Woods’ 70th career victory on the PGA Tour and the brilliant battle the two waged over the previous 3½ hours.

AKRON, Ohio — Someday, when historians look back at the many milestones of Tiger Woods’ career, and eyeball his 70th victory in particular, perhaps they will have forgotten about the distasteful particulars of what happened down the closing stretch.

Then again, maybe they won’t.

In the truest sense of the word, timeless, it wasn’t.

Some will believe that it was the round-ruining eight that Pedraig Harrington logged on the third-to-last hole that wrecked his chances of beating the world No. 1 on Sunday. But in another fashion, it wasn’t so much what happened at the hands of Woods, but the hands of the clock.

Even the winner was ticked off about the controversial ending at the Bridgestone Invitational, which somewhat overshadowed Woods’ 70th career victory on the PGA Tour and the brilliant battle the two waged over the previous 3½ hours. And the last part of the preceding sentence is paramount.

Even Woods, the winner, was annoyed and angered about the timing issue that distracted the twosome and insisted that had their group not been put on the clock on the 16th tee box by rules official John Paramor, the outcome might have been entirely different. He might even have lost.

As the pair shook hands on the final green after Woods won his 16th World Golf Championships title, Woods told Harrington, “I’m sorry that John got in the way of such a great battle.”

For Woods, a man who chooses his causes carefully, that was tantamount to throwing the tour’s rules crew under the bus, then backing up and running over them again.

Padraig Harrington was placed on the clock.

Harrington, always a deliberate player, held a one-stroke lead over Woods as they stood on the 16th, nicknamed The Monster decades ago by Arnold Palmer after he made an awful eight on the hole (the symmetry is duly noted). Then Paramor, who had issued a warning to the pair on the sixth hole to speed up, informed them they were being timed with a stopwatch.

The result was a monstrosity, all right.

Harrington blew his tee shot into the right trees and rushed his way through a series of uncharacteristically sloppy shots — the three-time major championship winner had made a steady 14 pars and a birdie to that point in the round — and the match was effectively over when he stumbled to a horrific, hurried triple-bogey.

Harrington was fairly diplomatic about the issue but repeatedly described his shots on the 16th as “rushed.”

“It wasn’t, ‘pick up the pace,’ it was, ‘on the clock,’” Harrington explained of the 16th tee conversation. “It’s an awkward situation. There are rules and the players make the rules and we’ve got to apply them. Obviously, it was a difficult situation, and you don’t want to get out of position.”

Bottom line was he was on his heels and hurrying, he said, which is an unenviable position when facing the top player in the game down the stretch at one of the tour’s richest events. Tournament director Slugger White said the twosome was 18 minutes behind their pace when they reached the tee.

“I got out of position and just got myself out of the zone,” Harrington said.

The background in broad brush strokes: When put on the stopwatch, a player has 40 seconds to hit a shot, although there are time tolerances, such as when the player is the first to hit on a hole. Around the putting green they get another 20 seconds, for instance. But being put on the clock is a shot across the bow and the first bad timing for exceeding the allotted period thereafter really starts the meter running.

“They get basically the pass for the first one,” White said of the first bad time. “If, during the round, they have a second one, then it’s a one stroke penalty and a $5,000 fine.”

That said, the last time a PGA Tour player was known to have been docked a shot for slow play was in 1992. Nonetheless, Harrington didn’t view it as mere saber-rattling. After he missed the 16th fairway and rushed a punched 5-iron shot into the upslope of a bunker, he made his third stroke within a matter of seconds, blowing it well over the green.

A moment before Harrington’s third missed the green, Woods had launched a wonderful 8-iron from 178 yards to within a foot for a tap-in birdie. Faced with a delicate flop shot from the deep rough behind the green and badly needing to save par, Harrington hacked it into the greenside pond and the bleeding truly began. He actually hit the ball five consecutive times before it was again Woods’ turn, and six if you count the penalty stroke he was assessed for finding the water hazard.

Woods took particular umbrage at how fast Harrington was effectively forced to play the flop shot that sailed into the water. Bluntly asked whether he won the tournament because he’d hit the perfect 8-iron into the 16th or because a rules official put their group on the clock, Woods never hesitated.

“Both,” he said. “I think I hit a good shot that put a little heat on him, but then again, I think the worst he would have made would have been bogey.”

Getting the first bad time might seem like a freebie, but as Woods explained, it opens Pandora’s Box if something else happens the rest of the way. So players hustle to avoid the first bad timing, too.

“Obviously you don’t want to get that one bad time because if you put yourself in a bad situation, the very next time you’re going to get that penalty,” he said. “If you take your time, the gallery hoots and hollers, the wind changes, the cameras go off. They don’t take that into consideration, so that’s a bad time.”

In other words, as it relates to the ending, a bad time was had by all.

White admitted that having the final group finish by 6 p.m., the end of the network television window, is a consideration in hurrying the players along.

Woods won’t likely be mollified by any of it. Two guys battling their brains out in the final group, on a difficult course, in gusting winds, might deserve some special consideration.

“I don’t think that Paddy would have hit the pitch [flop] shot that way if he was able to take his time, look at it, analyze it, but he was on the clock, had to get up there quickly and hit it,” Woods said.

While White insisted the players on the 18th were in the fairway already, Woods saw it differently. Rules are rules, and must be applied to star players as uniformly as the 250th man on the money list, but Woods continued to cry foul for his vanquished foe.

“I don’t understand why we were put on the clock considering that he [Harrington] ended up taking a penalty drop from all the way on the other side of the lake, taking a penalty drop, coming back, we hit our tee shots on 17 and the guys were just walking off the tee on 18,” he said.

The pity of it all is twofold, really. Harrington was in position to pull off one of his most memorable victories. Woods, only 33 years old, eventually logged his milestone 70th career victory, leaving him 12 off the all-time record of Sam Snead.

Instead, as they might say in the U.K., it will be remembered for the clock-up cock-up.

THE RULING WITH MIKE WEIR
On Saturday, July 25 at the 2009 RBC Canadian Open, Mike Weir was involved in an incident in which his ball moved while at rest prior to his second shot on the 18th hole at Glen Abbey.

Prior to signing his card, Weir and the Rules Committee reviewed video of the incident and determined it was inconclusive whether Weir had caused his ball to move and the penalty was rescinded.

Mike Weir je imel na Canadian Open turnirju zanimiv zaplet s pravili.

While he may have not yet addressed the ball during his pre-shot routine, the ball moved. At that moment, Weir was unsure if he had caused the ball to move and called for a ruling. The ruling at the time was to replace the ball incurring a one-stroke penalty and that video of the incident would be reviewed.

Prior to signing his card, Weir and the Rules Committee reviewed video of the incident and determined it was inconclusive whether Weir had caused his ball to move and the penalty was rescinded.

Additional video from the incident was reviewed today by Weir and the Rules Committee and while still inconclusive whether he had addressed the ball, Weir felt that he should be assessed a one-stroke penalty for causing his ball to move. The Rules Committee concurred and re-applied the one-stroke penalty.

Drugi članek (Other Article):

“In what has to be one of the craziest rulings I’ve ever witnessed on the PGA Tour…”

Bob Weeks says the latest bizarre rules incident involving grounded clubs and intent was driven by viewer phone calls, despite the claims of tournament officials otherwise. That it happened to Mike Weir at the Canadian Open only adds to the intrigue.

Yesterday, Weir was in a strange situation on the 18th hole. After placing his ball on a good lie on the edge of a divot (lift, clean and cheat, don’t ya know) in the fairway and getting ready to hit his shot, the ball toppled over into the hole. Initially Weir was assessed a one-shot penalty. Then later, after reviewing the tape of the situation, he was cleared and his par was turned into a birdie.

Then today, after he was called off the course by the rain delay, officials told him they wanted to review it again. Remarkably, the four was turned back into a five because Weir may have cause the ball to move.

So what would cause the Tour to suddenly re-visit the situation after it had been finalized the night before? Television viewers, that’s who. According to two different sources, the Tour received a flurry of phone calls form arm-chair rules officials who lambasted the decision that was made after seeing the situation on television. They referred to Rule 18-2A which says something about the player being guilty until proven innocent in such a situation. Now the only reason these folks with too much time on their hands called in was because Weir was being given wall-to-wall coverage by CBS. If he’d been some lower-profile golfer, the situation would never have been on tv and he might have been cleared. Of course, it also works the other way — if he wasn’t on tv, he might not have had the initial help which gave him the birdie.

Golf leaders make final push for Olympics

Annika Sorenstam and Colin Montgomerie were among the ambassadors for golf making a final pitch Monday for golf’s inclusion in the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. Sorenstam is an International Golf Federation Global Ambassador and Montgomerie is the 2010 European Ryder Cup captain. They were scheduled to join representatives of the International Golf Federation when the final case was made to the International Olympic Committee Executive Board on Monday in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Others involved in the presentation were PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem, LPGA of Japan President and World Golf Hall of Fame member Hisako Higuchi, IGF Co-Secretary Peter Dawson and IGF Executive Director Ty Votaw. Dawson and Votaw have been coordinating golf’s Olympic bid. Golf is one of seven sports being considered for inclusion and the IOC Executive Committee is expected to recommend two sports in August to the IOC membership to vote on. The IOC’s final vote will take place in October, when the 2016 host city will also be chosen. Candidates are Chicago; Madrid, Spain; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and Tokyo.

Golf was last part of the Olympic Games in 1904 when the U.S. and Canada were the only competiting teams.

USGA Squeegee Policy

The following are options available to the Committee in the event of heavy rain creating casual water on any putting green:

1. Squeegee nothing and let the player decide whether to proceed under Rule 25-1b(iii);
2. squeegee putting green between groups. In some cases it may be necessary to remove the flagstick and squeegee the green while a group is waiting to play;
3. squeegee putting green (not specific lines of putt/play) after a group has played to green;
4. at the player’s request, squeegee his line of putt (including a reasonable distance beyond the line, i.e., at least 3 feet,) when the ball lies on the green; or
5. squeegee a player’s line of play when casual water on the putting green materially affects the type of shot the player intends to play, e.g., a putt from off the green or a running type chip shot, but only on the authority of a Rules rover.

Note: In exceptional circumstances any combination of the above may be utilized.

Ekipa čistilcev zelenic v pripravljenosti

RAMSAY’S REPUTATION ON THE LINE

By Graham Otway, Daily Express

RICHIE Ramsay last night pleaded to the golfing public to treat him fairly following a tumultuous 18 hours on and off the course at the Celtic Manor Wales Open.

Players have been cleared before by officials, but, unfortunately, mud sticks. No one wants to have the word “cheat” beside his name.

With preferred lies in operation after torrential downpours, Ramsay was caught on camera testing the ground for casual water with his foot three or four times before replacing his ball on the fairway.

The incident was picked up by a TV viewer in the clubhouse, who reported it to European Tour officials. Chief referee John Paramor immediately set up an investigation on the grounds that the Aberdonian might have broken the rules by improving the lie and the area of his swing.

At the time the Scot, only a shot off the lead, faced the strong possibility of a two-shot penalty.

For two hours Ramsay was grilled by Paramor, with playing partner, Robert Rock, and tournament director Mike Stewart also in the locked room.

But the matter wasn’t resolved there and then, Paramor finally agreeing that Ramsay, who steadfastly refused to accept that he had contravened the rules, should go away and sleep on it.

“I kind of felt I knew what Richie was doing, checking for casual water,” Paramor explained yesterday. “But it wasn’t an ideal way of doing it.

“Clearly, having talked to him, there was no way that he wanted to try and gain an advantage, but I put it to him that some people who saw the incident would make up their minds in terms of what his intent was.

“He was quite concerned about that, but he didn’t think he had improved his area of swing or his lie. Because of that, pretty soon into this process I knew I couldn’t apply a penalty on him.”

Paramor agreed that it was very similar to the Rory McIlroy incident during the Masters at Augusta in April, when the young Irishman was clearly seen taking a kick at the sand in anger after failing to get out of a greenside bunker at the 18th.

McIlroy got away with it on the grounds that he was “smoothing” the sand, not testing it.

“Most of the time at our meeting I spelled it out very clearly to Richie that what he had to consider was that while he might feel he hadn’t done anything wrong, the fact was that the pictures looked very damning,” added Paramor.

“I spelled it out several times in terms of his future, and that he had to weigh that up. We said some fairly harsh things.

“He was told that he had to make some determinations, and work it out. It was a sleepless night for him.”

To add to Ramsay’s tortuous time at Celtic Manor, he was penalized after returning to the course yesterday morning to complete his third round.

With preferred lies still in operation, after dropping his ball on the fairway Ramsay immediately picked it up without marking it. And he did it in front of Paramor. “I didn’t get much sleep last night, and with a further delay this morning, it wasn’t easy to focus,” said Ramsay after his 69.

“Golf is such a difficult mental game. But every time you meet an obstacle in golf, and in life, if you face it head on you become stronger for it.

“Yes, I made a mistake last night, and I was quite upset about it. The perception of what happened is an issue.

“But I have no control of what goes on now. All I can do is do my best and be honest about it.

“I would like to think that this will be the end of it. Golfers know there is honesty and integrity in golf.”

Primer Kenny Perry odmeva še naprej. V nadaljevanju objavljam daljši video posnetek dogajanja, kjer je dobro viden položaj palice med teptanjem trave in kasneje ob nagovoru. Razdalja med žogico in palico je v obeh primerih približno enaka.