McIlroy To Tee Off in Turkey

The inaugural eight-man  featuring world number one Rory McIlroy and 14-times major winner Tiger Woods will go ahead as planned this week despite violence in the region, organisers said on Monday.

Turkish forces fired across the frontier into Syria on Sunday after a shell launched from its neighbor landed in the border town of Akcakale, underlining Ankara's warning it will respond with force to any violence spilling into its territory.

It was the fifth consecutive day of Turkish retaliation against incoming bombardment from northern Syria where President Bashar al-Assad's forces have been battling rebels who control swathes of land close to the Turkish frontier.

Organisers of this week's $5.3 million golf tournament told Reuters that Woods, McIlroy, Lee Westwood, Hunter Mahan, Justin Rose, Matt Kuchar, Webb Simpson and Charl Schwartzel had all arrived in time for Tuesday's first round.

The players will be competing for a first prize of $1.5 million at the Antalya Golf Club in Belek from October 9-12.

Organizers say the tournament would be televised live in more than 50 countries.

Belek is on Turkey's southwest coast and is not near the Syrian border.

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VP McGinley Will Await January

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Paul McGinley would relish the chance to lead Europe at the 2014 Ryder Cup but will not actively chase the role.

"It's a big honour to be Ryder Cup captain but it's not something I want to commit myself to or say too much about," he told BBC Scotland.

"It's best if I just step away now and let things evolve.

"My caddie is a wily old Scot and he has a great saying: 'whatever's for you, won't pass you by', so I'll just stand back and wait until January."

McGinley served as one of Jose Maria Olazabal's vice-captains for last weekend's dramatic triumph at Medinah, alongside Darren Clarke, Thomas Bjorn and Miguel Angel Jimenez.

It was the 45-year-old's second stint in that capacity and the Dubliner is the bookmakers' favourite for the top job when the tournament comes to Gleneagles in two years.

Clarke and Bjorn were also vice captains in 2010.

Olazabal has already ruled himself out of the running after steering the visitors to a 14.5 - 13.5 win, clawing back a four-point deficit during a thrilling final-day singles session.

The choice of skipper is expected to be announced at the start of next year.

And McGinley said: "One way or the other, I'll deal with it and move on.

"There not much I can say. I've done my bit in terms of serving as a vice captain twice and captaining in two Seve Trophies.

"At this stage, it's just waiting to see."

Reflecting on the success in Medinah, McGinley said: "There is a real feeling of pride and satisfaction.

"It was very much a low to a high because we got battered on the first two days.

"But the full circle turned and the 18th on Sunday was just a great place to be.

"The quality of golf in Europe is just as good as in America. We've proved that. We've won six of the last eight Ryder Cups.

"Economically, our tour is not as strong as the American tour, which is a wonderful tour. Nine of our players are full-time over there.

"They have a big advantage over us in terms of TV deals."

You can hear Paul McGinley on BBC Radio Scotland's final Golf Show of the season on Sunday at 10:30 BST

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Happy Schooldays for McGee and Devlin

Ruaidhri McGee won't have too far to travel for the second stage of European Tour qualifying after safely negotiating the first phase at Frilford Heath.

The Derry-born pro, based in Spain since the age of 15, heads to one of four courses in his adopted homeland next month as he bids for a place at final qualifying.

A final-round five-under-par 67 sealed fifth place for McGee.

Ballymena's Chris Devlin ended with a three-over-par round of 75, but the hard work had been done on Day 2 with a 64 and he tied for seventh to book his place.

John-Daniel Guiney's chances vanished as he came home in 41 as a 77 left him four strokes off the cut-off point.

In the other first-stage qualifier in Portugal, there was despair for Michael McGeady, who missed out by a single shot.

Four more Irishmen also left Lisbon disappointed -- Andrew Hogan (76), Glen Robinson (75) and Richard Kilpatrick (75) all finished five off qualifying. 

Dara Lernihan (77) also missed out.

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Devlin Still in Euro School Chase

Ballymena's Chris Devlin stayed on course to progress to the second stage of the European Tour qualifying school as he posted a one- over-par 73 at Frilford Heath in Oxfordshire for a 54-hole aggregate of 210.

Devlin goes into the fourth and final round of the first stage just one stroke behind leader Liam Bond, the former Welsh champion.

The Ballymena ace dropped two strokes on the opening hole but then got his act together to reach the turn in 38 and finished with a birdie three.

Ruaidhri McGee, the Irishman now living in Spain's Murcia region, is still very much in the hunt for one of the 29 places at stake after a 72, which left him joint ninth on 216. 

McGee posted halves of 37 and 35.

John-Daniel Guiney is joint 35th on 220 and still in with a chance of making progress, but Brian Casey, David Rawluk and Mike Kelly have drifted out of contention.

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Illness Strikes Dunbar in Turkey

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Ireland suffered a major blow before a ball was struck in the World Amateur Team Championships for the Eisenhower Trophy in Turkey on Thursday as Alan Dunbar had to pull out of the opening round due to sickness.

The 22-year-old Walker Cup star from Rathmore completed all the practice sessions, but was struck by a sickness bug overnight and had to stay in his hotel room, while Kevin Phelan and Gavin Moynihan went into battle.

It was not known whether Dunbar, the British Amateur champion, would be fit enough to play on Friday

Both Phelan and teenager Moynihan staged spirited performances over the PGA Sultan course at Antalya, but because of Dunbar's absence, both their scores had to count in the aggregate.

Phelan, the Florida-based Waterford man, made a sensational start.

He began at the 10th and covered his first nine holes in a five-under-par 31, but then suffered a hiccup, dropping strokes on three consecutive holes before regaining his composure and picking up another birdie in a fine 68.

Moynihan, who has enjoyed a remarkable season, slipped to a double-bogey seven at the 16th, but apart from that he was steady and finished with a 73. That gave Ireland a first-day total of 141.

America made a fast start to their bid for the title as they carded a 13-under-par 131 to top the leaderboard by four strokes from Mexico.

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