Incident Filled Avantha Masters Sunday

Paul McGinley slipped out of contention for a top ten finish in New Delhi when a final round 73 pushing him to a share of 14th place. A double bogey on the par four 5th, the main cause of the problem on his card on Sunday.

However the news was rather worse for Peter Whiteford, who was disqualified from the final round of the Avantha Masters, over a ball-moving incident late in his third round. The Scot, one off the lead as he teed off for his fourth round, had asked those close to the scene for their opinions on whether the ball had moved.

But he signed his scorecard for a lower score without checking with officials.

Whiteford, 31, said: "I should have reviewed it. I'm not cheating. It's one of those things but disappointing."

Television replays of Whiteford's third shot to the 18th showed that his ball rolled a fraction before he played to the green.

Whiteford, still to win on the circuit, was leading the field after the first and second rounds and was still in front when he double-bogeyed the 17th hole on Saturday.

"I should have reviewed it. You can see it when you look at TV. John spoke to me before I went out, so to be honest my head wasn't in it from the first tee," he said.

Officials reviewed the matter as Whiteford began his final 18 holes and was given the bad news just after bogeying the short third.

European Tour chief referee John Paramor said: "Peter felt his ball may have moved and for confirmation asked his caddie, a fellow competitor and a TV cameraman, who said they didn't think it had and so he continued on to finish the hole and sign his scorecard for 72.

"Overnight, several viewers contacted the Tour website. This was reviewed by the rules committee, who were able to determine that the ball had in fact moved.

"He should have incurred a penalty of one stroke and replaced the ball.

"As he did not do so, he was disqualified for signing for a score lower than taken for failing to include the penalty he had incurred.

"If he had contacted a member of the rules team before signing his scorecard, the footage would have been reviewed at the time and he would have averted the disqualification penalty."

It was a happier tournament, however, for South Africa's Jbe Kruger, whose final-round 69 was enough to finish 14 under and secure a two-stroke victory.

Spain's Jorge Campillo signed for 67 - the joint best of the day - to finish tied for second with Germany's Marcel Siem.

Marcus Fraser, of Austria, and Spaniard Jose Manuel Lara finished three off the lead.

Final results

McGinley Cards Moving Day 68

Former Ryder Cup Vice Captain Paul McGinley has been plagued by knee problems over the years, but was delighted to show signs of his vintage form in a round of 68 on day three of the Avantha Masters in Delhi.

“This is only my second tournament this year because I had a knee injury at the end of last season which I’m still coming back from,” said Europe’s hero from the 2002 Ryder Cup victory at The Belfry. 

“I haven’t been able to play a full schedule this year so far because of the rehabilitation, but hopefully as the season goes on I’ll be able to play more and more.

“It’s a pleasant surprise to be in contention because I’ve played so little golf. It was nice to finish birdie-birdie, and I nearly eagled the last – I hit a four iron to about 20 feet but just missed the putt. I played nicely and 68 is a good score.” 

But it is Jbe Kruger who will take a one shot lead into the final round, with a host of players who will fancy their chances at DLF Golf & Country Club - where just three shots separate the top 15.

The South African had two eagles and two birdies in a round of 66 which left him 11 under, one stroke ahead of halfway leader Peter Whiteford, Germany’s Marcel Siem and France’s Jean Baptiste Gonnet.

On a day of fluctuating fortunes, Kruger’s consistency over the third round eventually proved the decisive factor as the 25 year old kept his card bogey free.

In contrast, Siem fought back brilliantly after double bogeys at the first two holes, Whiteford double bogeyed the sixth and 17th – the latter costing him the outright lead – and Gonnet did well to recover from four bogeys in his first 12 holes with a run of five birdies in the last six holes.

Kruger’s first eagle came at the par five sixth when he holed a 20 foot putt, and he was even more impressive at the driveable 15th, holing a putt from off the green after his five wood finished short of the putting surface.

Allied with birdies at the fourth and 18th, the former amateur star has a tremendous opportunity to collect his maiden European Tour title on Sunday.

“I’m going to try to play how I played today,” he said. “If it’s meant to be my week, it’ll be mine, so I don’t want to think too far ahead yet. 

“The putts need to go in and I think that’s what defines the winner. I’ve been reading the greens a little better as I’ve been struggling with it during the week. 

“My putting has been good and if I can see the line, I’m confident my putts will go in. I’m improving and I’m a lot more experienced, and I think that will give me the edge.” 

Asked about his eagles, Kruger added: “I got a little bit lucky on the sixth. I used a six iron and it landed about 20 feet away, and I managed to sink it. That was the longest putt I made today and I was lucky it went in.

“On the 15th, I just drove it a little short of the green and I made a pretty simple putt from about 12 metres. I managed to judge it to perfection and sink it.”

Scot Whiteford led by three when he birdied the first from 15 feet, but he needed four shots to find the green at the 486 yard fifth, then missed his bogey putt after chipping to three feet.

At that stage the 31 year old was locked in battle with compatriot Marc Warren, and birdies at the sixth and ninth looked to have restored Whiteford’s momentum.

Two bogeys and three birdies followed over the next six holes and a comfortable lead looked likely for the former Challenge Tour star, but his approach to the short 17th came up short and found the water.

“I’m raging, I’ve let everyone back in it with that score,” said Whiteford. “If I’d managed a three or four under, I would have had a good lead, and I gave myself enough chances to shoot a lower score. 

“It could’ve been a two or three horse race, but now everyone’s in it. It was disappointing on the 17th because my tee shot landed in a divot and I came up short with a nine iron. I had enough birdies to keep positive, but overall it’s disappointing.”

Siem’s nightmare start was followed by seven birdies, two bogeys and an eagle at the last after a magnificent four iron approach.

“It was a crazy day,” said the 31 year old, who finished fourth in Dubai last week. “The first hole I hit it left and tried to hit my second shot over the trees, but it hit a trunk and went into the trap on the 18th. 

“It was plugged and I ended up taking double bogey, then the next hole I hit another tree, didn’t get on in three and had a chip and two-putt for another double. So all of a sudden I was four over, but luckily I kept my head and came back with eight birdies and an eagle. It was pretty cool today. It showed a lot of heart to come back from a start like that and keep going.”

José Manuel Lara matched the best-of-the-week 64 to leap 38 places into a tie for fifth on nine under, alongside Warren (68), Italy’s Andrea Pavan (67), Australian Marcus Fraser (69), Thai Prom Meesawat – who chipped in at the last for a 71 – and Paul McGinley.

McGinley Moves in Avantha Masters

Paul McGinley swept to within reach of his first European Tour victory in seven years at the Avantha Masters yesterday as John Daly headed back to the US with his injured right elbow in plaster.

Daly withdrew overnight with a ligament injury sustained when he struck a tree root on the ninth hole of a disheartening first-round 79 at New Delhi's DLF Golf Club.

"No bones are broken, possible torn ligaments according to European Tour docs," he tweeted. "Getting home for X-rays!"

Boosted by his second eagle three on consecutive days, this time at the 537-yard 18th hole (his ninth), McGinley looked comfortable on hard and fast-running fairways and challenging greens as he compiled a three-under-par 69 in his second round.

Five-under for his opening 36 holes, the Dubliner went into the weekend just five shy of leader Peter Whiteford (29), who boosted his hopes of a first European Tour victory in New Delhi with a second-round 68.

The highlight of the Scot's round was an eagle three at the 538-yard sixth. Whiteford finished the day two ahead of Prom Meesawat (24). Known in Thailand as 'Big Dolphin', Meesawat barely came up for air as he birdied five of the last six holes for a stunning 64.

Gareth Maybin recovered from bogeys at the second and third to shoot a 69, leaving him in a tie for 30th on three-under.

Irish Open Benefits Clarke Input

Darren Clarke’s local knowledge will be put to good use with the aim of making one of the world’s greatest links golf courses even better as he held the first of a number of meetings with European Tour officials at Royal Portrush Golf Club this week in preparation for the 2012 Irish Open.

Portrush will host the prestigious tournament for the first time since 1947 when the 2012 edition takes place from June 28-July 1. Early preparations have begun as a European Tour delegation travelled to Northern Ireland this week.

Reigning Open Champion Clarke is a Member at the stunning links course and, before travelling to the USA for next week’s WGC - Accenture Match Play Championship, he met with officials to give his own views as to how the course can be set up to its full potential.

“The Tour came over and they wanted somebody’s opinion for the golf course and I’m at home at the moment,” the 14 time European Tour winner told BBC Northern Ireland. “They wanted somebody that plays the course all the time to show them where all the shortcuts are; out on Tour we try and cut corners whenever we can and so they’re making sure they grow the rough in areas that they need to.

“I want it to be set up to play fair, where you get rewarded for hitting fairways. That’s what links golf is all about. The golf course itself doesn’t need much tweaking - it just needs thick rough in a few areas where the guys take things on. If they succeed, well and good, but if they get it wrong they’re going to struggle to hit the greens from those places.”

European Tour Tournament Director Miguel Vidaor, meanwhile, praised Royal Portrush Golf Club as “one of the best courses in the world”.

The Dunluce Course has long been regarded as one of the world’s best links courses and last hosted the Irish Open Championship 65 years ago, when Harry Bradshaw emerged victorious.

It has once staged The Open Championship, in 1951, when Englishman Max Faulkner’s lifted the Claret Jug thanks to a two shot victory over Argentina’s Antonio Cerdá, while the last Major Championship action at the venue came in 2004 when American Pete Oakley won the Senior Open Championship.

Vidaor, the Tournament Director for the Irish Open, was wholesome in his praise of the course and stated his delight that The European Tour is returning to the Northern Irish coast.

“This is one of the best courses in the world,” he said. “It’s fabulous, it’s an amazing piece of land. They’ve built new tees and it brings a lot of the fairway bunkers back into play.

“We’re over the moon (to be hosting the Irish Open at Portrush), we’re coming to one of the ‘hidden gems’. It’s one of the greatest golf courses in the world and it is links golf, which is great leading up to the Open Championship – it is fantastic practice for the players. For those who know the golf course, they’re going to love it and for those who haven’t, they’re going to be amazed.”

Speaking of Clarke’s input in the setting up of the course for the Irish Open, he said: "Darren knows the course better than anybody and to get his views on how to set it up, it’s extremely valuable and we really appreciate that he’s given his time to go around the golf course."

The new venue for the 2012 Irish Open will continue to focus the attention of the golfing world on Northern Ireland which has enjoyed a glorious spell at the pinnacle of the game over the last two years.

Graeme McDowell set the ball rolling in June 2010 with his memorable victory in the US Open Championship at Pebble Beach before handing the trophy over 12 months later to Holywood’s Rory McIlroy, following his astonishing eight shot victory at Congressional Country Club in June 2011.

The Major Championship baton was then passed to another Portrush man, Darren Clarke, who provided an emotional and memorable Open Championship victory at Royal St George’s in July 2011 before Ballymoney’s Michael Hoey captured the prestigious Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews in October 2011.

That all came in the wake of the ground-breaking achievement of Ireland’s Padraig Harrington in 2007/2008, when he won three Major Championship victories in 13 months.

The Dubliner has already won the Irish Open, when he beat Bradley Dredge in a tense play-off in 2007, but Clarke, McDowell and McIlroy are still seeking a first win in their home Championship.

St Andrews Trophy 2012 Squad

A preliminary 12 player Great Britain & Ireland squad has been selected for this year’s St Andrews Trophy Match which will be played at Portmarnock Golf Club, Ireland, on 31 August and 1 September. 

It is a largely new look squad for the match against the Continent of Europe with only Ireland’s Alan Dunbar and Rhys Pugh (pictured) of Wales able to boast previous Walker Cup experience. 

The group features players who have enjoyed success across the globe, including Neil Raymond, winner of the 2012 New South Wales Stroke Play, Paul Shields, who shot a 61 at the recent 2012 Gauteng North Open in South Africa and the University of Alabama’s Jason Shufflebotham who won last year’s prestigious Sam Hall Intercollegiate. 

Among those also showing good form on the US college scene are Ben Taylor, of Nova Southeastern University in Florida, and the University of North Florida’s Kevin Phelan, who finished third and fourth respectively at last week’s Jones Cup Invitational. 

The squad will meet for the first time at Portmarnock from 4-6 July in a match play team environment consisting of two series of foursomes and singles matches. 

Victorious 2011 Walker Cup Captain Nigel Edwards, back to lead a St Andrews Trophy side for a second time, is delighted with the talent at his disposal. 

“We have based our preliminary selection on performances throughout 2011 and will look to add to this squad following the Amateur Championship at Royal Troon in June,” said Edwards, who played on winning St Andrews Trophy teams in 2002, 2004 and 2006. 

“A number of players have started the season well in Australia, South Africa and on the US college circuit. 

“My message to the squad, and those players who narrowly missed out, is to keep playing well through the spring and summer and prove that you should be in the final nine.” 

The selectors, who will attend events throughout the summer, fully expect several players not included in the initial 12-man squad to be in contention for a place in the final nine-man team. 

GB&I Squad

Alan Dunbar - Rathmore 

Rhys Enoch - Truro 

Ben Loughrey - Wrag Barn

Dermot McElroy - Ballymena

Kevin Phelan - Waterford Castle 

Garrick Porteous - Bamburgh Castle 

Rhys Pugh - Vale of Glamorgan

Neil Raymond - Corhampton

Paul Shields - Kirkhill 

Jason Shufflebotham - Prestatyn

Ben Taylor - Walton Heath 

James White - Lundin 

GB&I Selectors

Nigel Edwards, Captain

Jonathan Plaxton, Chairman

Allan Brodie

Michael Burns