Lawrie Books Frisco for US Open

Only twenty-fours after securing a firuth place at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, Peter Lawrie emerged from the 36-holes US Open international qualifying tournament at Walton Heath – in a play-off – and will make his debut in the Major at the Olympic Club in San Francisco next month.

With 11 qualifying spots up for grabs, Lawrie – whose only previous Major appearance came in the 2005 British Open at St Andrews where he missed the cut – posted rounds of 67 on the New course and 71 on the Old course to get into a five-way play-off for the final four spots.

Sweden’s Alexander Noren and Scotland’s Marc Warren topped the qualifying on nine under par amd were joined by England’s Lee Slattery, Denmark’s Soren Kjeldsen, South Africa’s Geoge Coetzee, Finland’s Mikko Ilonen and Frenchman Gregory Bourdy.

In the play-off, Italy’s Matteo Manassero and England’s Matt Baldwin booked their tickets at the first play-off hole with birdies.

France’s Raphael Jacquelin claimed their spots at the second. Korea’s Sihwan Kim was the player to lose out, earning a place on the alternate list.

Lawrie, who has been attempting to shake off a cough for the past month which he picked up in China, hit form at Wentworth where he more than held his own in the company of world number one Luke Donald on Saturday.

Although Lawrie is slated to play the Wales Open this week at The Celtic Manor, he is likely now to withdraw from Scandinavian Masters to allow preparations for his maiden US Open appearance.

Els Apologises for Green Outburst

Peter Lawrie's playing partner on the final day of the BMW PGA Championship, Ernie Els, has apologised to European Tour officials for his outspoken criticism of Wentworth's greens.

The South African, who has overseen several redesigns of the West Course , was furious at what he perceived to be a lack of watering on Saturday.

An angry Els complained that his calls to soften the greens were ignored.

"Ernie Els asked to see me this morning and apologised for his intemperate language," said European Tour chief executive George O'Grady.

"He stated that he had already apologised to all the individuals concerned and offered a substantial donation to the European Tour Benevolent Trust, which I accepted.

"The European Tour now consider this matter closed."

Els, who has a house on the Wentworth estate, helped resculpt the course three years ago but his early changes received vocal criticism from a number of top players.

A few more minor tweaks this year were met with approval, but Els was furious with the hard, bouncy condition of the course for this week's BMW Championship.

"I asked them to put water on the greens, so put water on the greens," said the 42-year-old after his third round in baking temperatures.

"You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure it out. The guys are not happy and I'm not happy.

"I landed my second at the 18th probably five yards too far. How much money did we spend on the 18th? We built a dam there. Why the hell was the green not holding?

"My point is, you hit a driver and then a four-iron gets you in the middle of the green. What else must you do next? Must I be the greenkeeper here?

"The Tour has got to play ball - it's not my job. The 15th green is holding, the 16th is not, the 17th is not, the 18th is not.

"They're all inconsistent. I can't keep talking about this. At some point they've got to listen. I do talk, but they don't listen.

"I can't control the wind and it seems like I can't control the greens staff either. They've seen the forecast almost a week in advance, but it's like talking to this wall behind me - I'm fed up.

"This is not a surprise. I've been talking since I landed on Monday - keep the moisture on the greens. It gets to me. I want everybody to have a fair and tough examination.

"Anybody who has half an idea in this game can walk to the 12th green and see - it's dead. Somebody is not doing their job. Why is this happening?"

Tournament director David Garland said on Saturday: "We want a tough and fair set-up. The greens have been hand-watered every night after play.

"This was done last night and because we knew that east winds were forecast, sprinklers were also put on every single green to give them more water.

"Because of the conditions, some fairways were also watered and tees were moved forward on the 13th, 15th, 17th and 18th."

Despite being bathed in sunshine over the first three days, the condition of the West Course has been causing concern following weeks of cold and wet weather.

Head greenkeeper Chris Kennedy said it had been "the most difficult build-up I have ever known".

Clarke Out of Olympic Event

Open champion Darren Clarke will miss the US Open next month after being advised to rest a groin problem.

Clarke has also withdrawn from the NordeaMasters in Stockholm and will not play again until the Irish Open at his home course of Royal Portrush.

"I am extremely disappointed as Open champion that I am unable to play the US Open," said Clarke.

"I have to make sure I am 100% ready for the Open and to do that I have been advised not to play for a month."

Clarke was troubled by a groin strain during the Houston Open the week before the US Masters in early April, and felt it again at last week's BMW PGA Championship.

He took medical opinion and was advised to rest for four weeks or risk further damage.

"I haven't been able to get through the ball properly because of it and I don't want to take any chances," added Clarke.

Clarke has struggled for form since his Open victory at Sandwich and has failed to make the halfway cut this season.

The US Open will be staged at the Olympic Club on 14-17 June, with Clarke's compatriot Rory McIlroy the defending champion.

The Irish Open starts on 28 June while Clarke will bid to retain the Open title at Royal Lytham and St Annes on 19-22 July.

Where is everybody?

For the Irish Open at Royal Portrush a new star of Northern Ireland golf is grabbing the attention of millions of television viewers in the run up to the event. 

His name is Bramble and golf fans throughout Ireland have enjoyed watching him sink putts at the famous north coast golf course on TV. What people don’t know is that this particular golfer, from Crumlin in County Antrim, happens to be blind.

Another remarkable fact is that this new rival to Northern Ireland’s ‘holy trinity’ of golf – Rory McIlroy, Graeme McDowell and Darren Clarke - is only one year old.

The latest golfing sensation to come from the new ‘home of golf’ is none other than Bramble the Hedgehog, the unexpected star of the Northern Ireland Tourist Board’s latest television commercial to promote this year’s Irish Open.

Bramble is currently a permanent resident of a Wildlife Centre in Crumlin run by TACT (Talnotry Avian Care Trust), a charity which cares for and rehabilitates sick, injured and abandoned wild birds and mammals. Bramble was brought in from the wild when he was just a few days old and being blind has been lovingly looked after ever since. 

NITB destination marketing and PR manager Ruth Burns explains, she wasn’t expecting Bramble to become the star of the show.

“We chose Bramble to appear as an extra in the advert with shots of him scurrying across the green but he ended up impressing us all as he knocked the ball into the hole which was the perfect finish to the advert, and all the more remarkable when you consider that the poor wee fellow is blind.

“He’s now become the most talked about hedgehog in Northern Ireland and I’m pleased to say that he seemed to enjoy the experience as much as any of us.” 

The TV advert is part of an all-Ireland marketing drive to promote the Irish Open as a key event in NITB’s ongoing ‘ni2012: Our Time Our Place’ campaign. 

 The campaign runs across TV, radio and press with outdoor advertising at key ports of entry to the country and additional promotional literature distributed to golf clubs across Ireland. The TV campaign teed off in the Republic of Ireland earlier this month and hits Northern Ireland screens on May 28, running until June 24.

This year’s Irish Open is set to be one of the biggest in the competition’s history with some 100,000 spectators expected over the four days of the event from Thursday June 28 to Sunday July 1.

“Tickets have been selling faster this year than for many years which is no surprise given the strength of the line-up which includes three of current Major golf champions in our own Rory McIlroy and Darren Clarke, and the American USPGA Champion Keegan Bradley,” said NITB chief executive Alan Clarke

“Add the likes of Graeme McDowell, Padraig Harrington, John Daly and newly crowned World Matchplay Champion Nicolas Colsaerts from Belgium, to name bit a few, and it really promises to be a fantastic tournament.

“The fact that the Irish Open is returning to Northern Ireland for the first time in sixty years has created a real buzz around the event and I would advise golf fans not to risk turning up on the day expecting to purchase a ticket as they will most likely be disappointed, particularly at the weekend,” he added.

For more information on accommodation offers for the Irish Open as well as details on all of Northern Ireland’s golf courses and other ni 2012 events, click onwww.discovernorthernireland.com or www.ni2012.com

Advance day tickets for the Irish Open are available for £30, a saving of £5 on the gate price, with four day season tickets priced at £70, a saving of £10. Advance concession day and season tickets are priced at £20 and £50 respectively. 

Hospitality packages are sold out for the first two days, but are still available on Saturday and Sunday.