The Irish Golf Club Gazette: CastleStuart

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3/31/2014

Scottish Open for Clarke and Westwood

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Darren Clarke and Lee Westwood have confirmed they will join one of the strongest fields in the history of the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open at Royal Aberdeen Golf Club from July 10-13.

Two of the most decorated players in European golf, Clarke and Westwood are also close friends and have formed one of most formidable Ryder Cup partnerships of recent times, winning six points out of a possible eight when paired together in golf’s greatest team event.

Clarke, in particular, will be hoping his return to the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open will conjure memories of one of the greatest moments of his career, when he claimed his first Major at The 2011 Open Championship a week after playing in Scotland’s national open.

Clarke, who finished runner up to Edoardo Molinari in 2010, is hoping that he can add a 15th title to his European Tour trophy haul on Scotland’s stunning North East coastline.

“It is no secret that I love links golf,” said the Northern Irishman. “So to have a new links course on The European Tour’s International Schedule is very exciting for me, and especially at an event with which I feel I have a real affinity.

“The Scottish golf fans are some of the most knowledgeable in the world so it is always a pleasure to return to this event and I hope that I can give them something to shout about.”

Last year, American Phil Mickelson became the latest player to benefit from the experience of the Scottish links in his quest for Open glory, defeating Branden Grace in a play-off to claim his first Scottish Open title before going on to earn his fifth Major title and first Claret Jug at Muirfield a week later.

Westwood, the former World Number One and the first winner of The Race to Dubai back in 2009, returns to this event - which he won in 1998 - for the first time in three years. The Englishman also has a proven track record in Scotland, having also captured the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at the Home of Golf in 2003.

“I am really looking forward to returning to the Scottish Open,” said Westwood. “It is a course I have never played in competition so it is going to be a new challenge, and I have heard great things about it.

“I think it will also be the perfect place to prepare for The Open Championship and that is one of the reasons why I have made the decision to return this year.

“Of course, being a former winner of this event makes it extra special for me and hopefully I can feed off the positivity that brings and challenge for the title.”

Defending champion Mickelson, two-time Major winner Rory McIlroy and Jimmy Walker, three-time winner this year on the US PGA Tour, have all confirmed their attendance at what is one of the Tour’s most prestigious events, in which Aberdeen Asset Management and the Scottish Government are key partners.

2/10/2014

Castle Stuart for McIlroy

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Rory McIlroy has confirmed that he will play in this season's Scottish Open for the first time in five years.

The two-time major champion hopes that competitive golf will be the perfect preparation for the following week's Open Championship at Hoylake.

Phil Mickelson defied history last year when he became the first player to win both the Scottish Open and the Open Championship in the same season.

The American edged out Branden Grace in a play-off at Castle Stuart last July before lifting the Claret Jug for the first time, and McIlroy hopes to emulate Mickelson as the Scottish Open is staged by Royal Aberdeen for the first time.

"It'll be my first time playing Royal Aberdeen," said McIlroy, who played in the Scottish Open at Loch Lomond in 2008 and 2009.

"I believe it's a great links with lots of golfing history. I'm really looking forward to the challenge it will present.

"To play some competitive golf on a links course will be great preparation for The Open Championship the following week.

"I can think of no better preparation for The Open, especially on a respected course like Royal Aberdeen. There will also be so many similarities I can bring to the following week's Open Championship."

Mickelson will defend his title at Royal Aberdeen, and McIlroy is delighted that sponsors Aberdeen Asset Management have again attracted a strong international field.

"The field is going to be very strong," he added. "Aberdeen Asset Management has done a great job in promoting the event and bringing some of the best players in the world there. And Phil will be back, of course, to defend his title.

"Phil winning the double last year made me realise that the Scottish Open is more than good preparation for The Open - he showed it was possible to win both weeks.

"The Scottish Open going back to a traditional links course was something that made a lot of sense.

"Yet you can play as much golf on links courses as you want, but until that's in a competitive environment you can never tell how ready your game will be.

"It really is so important, then, to get some competitive golf on a true, challenging links".

7/14/2013

Maybin Shares Fifth at Scottish Open

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Gareth Maybin kick started his season at Castle Stuart this weekend with a share of fifth place after a final round of one under par at the Scottish Open.

Three birdies were the reward for the day but with shots dropped at the e9th and fourteen Maybin ended the day on -14 and a valuable cheque for 124,860 Euro.

Paul McGinley finished in 24th with Shane Lowry unable to build on his opening round of 66 to end the weekend sharing 31st place.

Damien McGrane signed for a 75 on Sunday and dropped seven places to end the final day five under par and 42nd on the leader board.

Simon Thornton, Darren Clarke, Peter Lawrie, Padraig Harrington and David Higgins all failed to make the cut.

Phil Mickelson went from agony to ecstasy to win the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open after a play-off with Branden Grace.

Needing just a par five at the last to secure victory in regulation play, the American uncharacteristically took three from the edge of the green.

That meant extra holes with South African Grace, who was already in the clubhouse on 17 under at that stage.

But on the first trip back down the 18th, Mickelson produced a stunning wedge to within a few inches of the cup and Grace could not match his birdie.

"This is really cool," said Mickelson, who claimed his first individual victory in Britain just four days before the start of The Open Championship at Muirfield.

"I have been coming here for some time and had some opportunities and I almost let it slip away today. To come out on top was terrific.

"I was so mad at myself for mentally losing my focus that I came out on that 18th pretty focused to make a four."

Mickelson began his round with a double bogey six on the first after topping his second shot and three-putting, but birdied four of his next five holes and also picked up three more shots at the start of the back nine.

A birdie on the 14th gave him the lead for the first time and three straight pars, including an excellent save on the 17th, had seemingly secured the €579,080 first prize.

However, the four-time Major winner's closing bogey meant a round of 69 to match that of Grace in the group ahead and a second Scottish Open play-off, the left-hander having lost out to France's Gregory Havret at Loch Lomond in 2007.

Overnight leader Henrik Stenson and Denmark's JB Hansen shared third place on 15 under, Hansen having threatened to pull off one of the most remarkable victories ever seen.

The 22 year old began the final round just two shots off the lead but his chances of a maiden European Tour title looked to have disappeared with a quadruple-bogey nine on the par five second.

However, Hansen bounced back with five birdies in succession, picked up another shot on the ninth to be out in 34 and when he birdied the tenth as well was suddenly in the outright lead.

The Challenge Tour graduate also got back into a share of the lead after Stenson had overhauled him with birdies on the tenth and 11th, only to drop three shots in his last four holes.

A place in The Open was on offer to the winner of the tournament if not already exempt, but with Mickelson taking the title first reserve Scott Stallings gets the Muirfield berth.

Route 64 in Scotland for Maybhin

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Gareth Maybin take the clubhouse lead on day three of the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open after a round of 64 and advanced to 13 under par for the week with eight birdies, two bogeys and an eagle at the long sixth.

“It was pretty much flawless apart from I guess the two bogeys,” said Maybin, who finished tied for eighth in France last weekend. “I played great golf, flagged it all day and made a bunch of putts.

“I’m over the moon. Very, very solid this morning and absolutely perfect conditions in sunny Scotland, which was nice.”

Maybin joins American Peter Uihlein and Frenchman Raphael Jacquelin.

Henrik Stenson fired a six-under-par 66 to take a two-shot lead into the final round of the Scottish Open at Castle Stuart.

The resurgent Swede dropped his only shot of the day at the ninth before coming home in 32, culminating in a birdie at the 18th, to reach 16-under-par for the event.

Stenson was backing up Friday's sizzling 64 and has now made just one bogey in his last 47 holes.

Phil Mickelson, John Parry and Branden Grace all matched Stenson's 66 to leave themselves two back and they were joined by Denmark's JB Hansen, who handed in a 69.

Mickelson, who is yet to win in Europe, began the day four back and finally got going after seven successive pars in a blemish-free round.

"The last 11 holes were a lot of fun," said the 43-year-old American. "The first seven holes I got off to a bit of a slow start and I was really behind when I needed to make up ground.

"On the eighth I tried to slow it down and be patient, got one putt to drop and that seemed to ignite the rest of the round. I think I will be a couple back but I've got myself in a good position for tomorrow and I am really looking forward to it.

"Any victory over here would be terrific but we are getting ahead of ourselves.

"There's a packed leaderboard so it will take one good round of a shootout between 15 and 20 guys that are right there. Being in position and shooting that good round today feels terrific but I've got to go out tomorrow and duplicate it."

Unheralded Scotsman Chris Doak backed out of contention after leading by one at halfway and after a 73 finds himself five shots off the pace, while Ross Fisher, who began the day one behind Doak, also went the wrong way with a 73 that included no fewer than six bogeys.

7/12/2013

McGrane in Scottish Open Mix

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Damien McGrane is four shots off the lead on eight under after the second round of the Scottish Open at Castle Stuart.

Open champion Ernie Els admitted he was glad to miss the cut in the Scottish Open, just days before the defence of his title at Muirfield, as unheralded Scot Chris Doak claimed a one-shot lead at Castle Stuart.

Els made an early exit after a second round of 70 left him two under par, 10 shots behind Doak and two outside the cut mark after another day of low scoring in perfect conditions.

"I thought I played quite well today but I had no idea on these greens so I am glad I am leaving to get on some other greens," the 43-year-old South African said.

"A missed cut is not great but we have had a great time here. I did not get the run of the course, it felt like it was against me, but I am playing nicely and gave myself a lot of opportunities.

"My game is where I want it to be. It did not quite go my way these last two days and I made a couple of silly errors, soft bogeys, yesterday. It's not the first cut I've missed and it won't be the last."

Doak, who previously made headlines in Scotland after blaming a bad night's sleep at a tournament in 2011 on his dog's flatulence, is playing only his second full season on the European Tour at the age of 35.

But the Glaswegian carded a second consecutive 66 to finish one shot ahead of English pair Matthew Southgate and Ross Fisher, American Peter Uihleinand Denmark's JB Hansen, with world number eight Phil Mickelson four off the lead on eight under after a 70.

"The first time around on the European Tour I was still wet behind the ears but the Challenge Tour definitely taught me how to play four rounds and handle the travel," said Doak, whose previous biggest payday of £28,000 is dwarfed by the first prize this week of £500,000.

"It's a tough environment because there are a lot of great players out there and you need to be consistent because there is not as much money. But anything that's worth learning takes time and hopefully it's coming together now.

"It's fantastic to shoot 66 and follow it up with another one and I'm really pleased."

Southgate was working in Pockets snooker club in Southend just three years ago - he has three centuries to his name - and made only three halfway cuts from 11 European Tour events last year, but is relishing the task ahead this weekend.

McDowell Regrets Scottish Open Remarks

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Graeme McDowell has apologised to the sponsors of the Scottish Open for criticising Castle Stuart as the host venue for the tournament.

McDowell believes the event has lost much of its prestige since moving to the course close to Inverness in 2011 after 15 years at Loch Lomond.

Martin Gilbert, chief executive of Scottish Open sponsor Aberdeen Asset Management, announced that McDowell had spoken to him to apologise for his comments.

Gilbert said: "Graeme contacted me to apologise and he's not the first person to say something they regret, so we've got no problems whatsoever with him.

"My hope it that he will play Royal Aberdeen next year after saying what a great golf course it is.

"He took the time to get in touch and I really admire him for that. He said we should catch up at The Open for a chat and I was impressed with how he had handled the situation.

"In fairness, Graeme has a point to a certain extent in terms of old and new links courses.

"But I'm firmly of the view that the Scottish Open should be played on a links course and, for Scottish golf to be trying to sell itself as a global brand, if we don't play this event on links course it would be crazy.

"It's a pity the French and the Irish opens aren't the other way around as you could possibly have three events - the Irish, Scottish and The Open - all being played on links courses."

McDowell had said: "No disrespect to the Scottish Open as I love that event but it has lost its prestige.

"Castle Stuart probably hasn't been a strong enough course the past couple of years.

"Let's get the Scottish Open on a phenomenal links course with a great purse and a world-class field."

6/25/2013

Clarke Savours Castle Stuart Return

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Darren Clarke will reach a notable milestone when he competes in this year’s Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open at Castle Stuart Golf Links near Inverness.

The Northern Irishman clocks up his 20th appearance in the tournament, from July 11-14, as he seeks to recapture the spirit which helped inspire him to Major Championship glory at the age of 42 at Royal St.George’s back in 2011.

Remarkably, Clarke will be teeing up professionally in Scotland, the Home of Golf, for the 53rd time in total, encompassing 20 Scottish Opens, 12 Open Championships, 12 Alfred Dunhill Links Championships, six Alfred Dunhill Cups and three Johnnie Walker Championships.

Clarke, a winner of 14 titles on The European Tour in a glittering professional career spanning more than two decades, returns to Inverness for the 2013 Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open knowing that the stunning links provides the perfect stage from which to launch another Open Championship challenge.

Two years ago, the five-time Ryder Cup player from Portrush fired rounds of 69, 67 and 75 to finish down the field in the rain-shortened event, but the opportunity to re-acquaint himself with the eccentricities of links golf was a powerful launch pad for the following week in Kent.

Clarke, who made his Scottish Open debut at Gleneagles in 1992, has come agonisingly close to winning the title on a number of occasions, most notably in 2003, 2005 and 2010 when only one player finished ahead of him on each occasion.

Seven times in the top ten, Clarke was tied second in 2003 behind Ernie Els and occupied the same position two years later, when Tim Clark captured the title. In 2010 he finished runner-up on his own, three shots behind the champion Edoardo Molinari, who also returns to Scotland for this year’s championship with his eye on a second crown.

Clarke went on to play the golf of his life in the 2011 Open Championship, savouring the finest moment of his distinguished career by claiming the Claret Jug by three strokes from Americans Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson.

He said: “I am looking forward enormously to getting back to Castle Stuart. I grew up on links courses in Northern Ireland and have always had a special affinity with that style of golf. Of course, it eventually paid off when I finally won The Open at Royal St. George’s two years ago.

“It was a moment I will never forget, but I also appreciate the importance of playing the previous week at Castle Stuart. It’s the ideal way to prepare for Muirfield this year, but I would love nothing better than to head into The Open with the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open title under my belt.

“I’ve been very close in the past, as my record proves, and I have always enjoyed playing in the event down the years. There is always a high quality field and it’s just the sort of intense competition I need to get into the right physical and mental shape to tackle The Open.”

A world class field is assembling at Castle Stuart, which hosts the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open for the third consecutive year before the tournament moves to Royal Aberdeen in 2014.

Major Champions Clarke, Mickelson, Padraig Harrington and Paul Lawrie are joined by defending champion Jeev Milkha Singh, new BMW PGA champion Matteo Manassero and a host of other European Tour winners and Ryder Cup players on the banks of the Moray Firth.

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