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.

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GMAC Tweets Tiger Clarification

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Graeme McDowell has taken to social media in an attempt to clarify comments he made about Tiger Woods last week.

McDowell spoke to a group of reporters at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Florida and was quoted on pgatour.com saying that 14-time major winner Woods has "lost that sort of force field of invincibility around him."

"The aura is not as strong," McDowell said.

"He's still Tiger Woods, still the greatest player ever in my opinion. I don't remember the first time I played with him but there was a real 'wow' factor. He was playing a different sport than me. But guys get older, stuff happens."

World No 1 Woods, 38, who has not won a major since the 2008 US Open, did not play at Bay Hill last week due to ongoing back problems which threaten his participation in next month's US Masters.

Northern Irishman McDowell feels some of his comments were taken out of context and wrote on his Twitter page on Thursday: "I spent 90 per cent of my press conference last week at Bay Hill being asked questions about Tiger, speculating about where his game is right now.

"Many of my quotes have been taken out of context and spun quite negatively. It's hard for me to comment on Tiger in the early 2000s. I can only say that he has raised the bar so much in the sport globally and players are so much better equipped to win these days.

"He seems more beatable nowadays simply because the players around him are better and have more belief thanks to Tiger moving the needle.

"I really shouldn't get caught up in speculation and opinion especially when talking about TW. You set yourself up for failure. #nocomment"

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Europe Battle Asia Rally

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Asia battled back from a disastrous first day at the inaugural EurAsia Cup - but Europe still remain firmly on course for victory in Kuala Lumpur.

After being whitewashed 5-0 in Thursday's fourballs, Thongchai Jaidee's side secured three points from Friday's foursomes to leave the score at 7-3.

Prayad Marksaeng and Kim Hyung-sung got the better of Thomas Bjorn and Thorbjorn Olesen 4&3 while Anirban Lahiri and Siddikur Rahman defeated Joost Luiten and Victor Dubuisson by one hole.

It seemed there would be another victory for the hosts when Jaidee and Kiradech Aphibarnrat led going down the last, only for Europe captain Miguel Angel Jimenez to deny them in stunning fashion.

The 50-year-old, who made two eagles at Glenmarie Golf and Country Club for the second day running, produced a superb approach to the 18th green to set up fellow Spaniard Pablo Larrazabal for a birdie to snatch a half.

That meant the spoils were deservedly shared in a high-quality contest. Jimenez had holed a bunker shot on the third for an eagle and then a putt from 30ft on the 11th for another, although that effort was only good enough for a half.

Missed chance

Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano and Stephen Gallacher also halved their match with Koumei Oda and Hideto Tanihara, although the duo missed a birdie chance on the last to win.

"We managed to half a couple of matches and win another one. It was a tough day in the heat and Asia played very well today." 

Gallacher missed from 12 feet on the 18th to snatch victory after he and his Spanish playing partner had let slip a three-hole lead from the 10th onwards. They lost lost four of the next five but levelled matters at the 17th hole.

Europe's only winners were Graeme McDowell and Jamie Donaldson, who came from behind for the second match running to beat Gaganjeet Bhullar and Nicholas Fung 2&1.

For the second successive day McDowell and Donaldson had to recover from an early deficit, though they were rather gifted a number of holes after finding themselves two down just before the turn.

"At the end of the day I am happy," Jimenez said. "We managed to half a couple of matches and win another one. It was a tough day in the heat and Asia played very well today.

"At one point it looked like it was going to be the opposite of yesterday but we managed to get the points and 7-3 is a good lead for tomorrow."

Europe now need just three-and-a-half points from Saturday's 10 singles matches to secure overall victory.

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Harrington Texas Title Hopes Fade

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Padraig Harrington carded three birdies in all during the first round of the Valero Texas Open, but finished four over par in the end after a double bogey and five bogeys left him signing for 76. A total of eight strokes off the joint leaders.

However he was not alone.

Phil Mickelson shot a 5-over 77 on Thursday in Texas to fall nine strokes back during the suspended first round. The 77 was Lefty's highest score since a 78 in August in the PGA Championship.

"I had been playing real well at home, so to come out and play like this is disappointing," Mickelson said. "Just didn't feel quite sharp."

In his previous two starts, Mickelson missed the cut in the Honda Classic and tied for 16th three weeks ago at Doral in the World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship. He made his only other Texas Open appearance in 1992, so long ago that the event was only his 11th professional start on the PGA TOUR.

Pat Perez and Danny Lee shot 4-under 68 to share the clubhouse lead and Andrew Loupe was 4 under with seven holes to play when darkness forced the suspension of play. The start was delayed 2 hours, 40 minutes because of fog, and 45 players were unable to finish the round.

Area resident Cameron Beckman, Puerto Rico Open winner Chesson Hadley, Will MacKenzie and Seung-Yul Noh shot 69, and Miguel Angel Carballo and Justin Hicks also were 3 under. Carballo had four left, and Hicks three.

Jim Furyk, Zach Johnson and Matt Kuchar shot 70.

Defending champion Martin Laird opened with a 72, matching Valspar winner John Senden and Jeff Maggert, a winner last week in Mississippi in his Champions Tour debut.

Ernie Els shot 74, and former Texas star Jordan Spieth had a 75.

Area resident Jimmy Walker had a 76. He has a tour-high three victories this season, winning the Frys.com Open, Sony Open and Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

Mickelson hit half of the greens in regulation on the Greg Norman-designed TPC San Antonio, bogeyed three of the four par 3s and closed with a double bogey on the par-4 ninth.

"I didn't putt well," said Mickelson, who had 17 putts on the second nine that he played in 4-over 40. "I had a couple of three-putts that hurt. Iron play wasn't great. I didn't drive it bad, until that last hole."

On the 462-yard ninth, his drive sailed so far right he hit a provisional. He didn't need it, but it took him three to find the green and he ended up three-putting, missing from 10 and 2 feet.

"Just blocked it," he said.

He also will play next week in the Houston Open before heading to Augusta National.

The fog kept temperatures in the 50s before it burned off and gave way to sun and readings in the 80s.

"This morning it was freezing, and I hit balls (on the practice range) in four layers of clothes," Perez said. "Now, I'm sweating."

One under after a bogey on the 15th, Perez finished with three birdies on putts from more than 10 feet -- including a 17-footer on the final hole.

Lee, the 2008 U.S. Amateur champion at Pinehurst No. 2, finished with consecutive birdies with putts inside 13 feet on the 17 and 18. He finished second three weeks ago in Puerto Rico.

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Padraig Looking for Old Harrington

Padraig Harrington needs to win this week's Texas Open or at Houston next week if he is to qualify for the Masters next month.

The Dubliner has played at Augusta every year since making his debut in 2000.

Harrington is down at No 155 in the world rankings and slumped to a final-round 80 in the Arnold Palmer Invitational on Sunday, but he has not given up hope of winning one of the next two events to make it to Augusta.

"It was a funny week," Harrington wrote on his official website. "My final round was terrible and as a result my finish for the week was too, but when I look back there were a lot of positives to take from it.

"I know that seems hard to believe after I finished on five over par in a tie for 67th, coming off a final round of 80. However, I definitely saw a lot of good things during the week, things I hadn't seen for a while.

"My chipping and putting were much better.

"Last week I decided to get back to practising my putting and chipping and not spending as much time hitting full shots on the range. It definitely helped as I was more confident than I had been for a while with my short game.

"My first round was like the old me, getting it up and down no matter where I was. I wasn't able to keep it up all week but, in general, there was a marked improvement in my chipping and putting and more importantly in how I felt about that aspect of my game.

"I definitely saw a lot of good things during the week, things I hadn't seen for a while. My chipping and putting were much better." 

"With two tournaments left to qualify for the Masters, time is running out. I have to win one of the next three and I would love to do it here so as to sort it out quickly. I am trying hard to get to Augusta as I will find it very hard sitting at home watching it on TV."

The Texas Open is the last chance for players to climb into the top 50 in the world rankings to qualify for the first major of the year.

However, world No 53 Richard Sterne and No 55 George Coetzee are not in the field at San Antonio.

The only players who can move into the top 50 without winning in Texas are Chesson Hadley (56th) and Ryan Palmer (62nd). Everyone else who could make it to the top 50 would have to win, which secures a Masters invite anyway.

Open champion Phil Mickelson is competing in the event for the first time since 1992, when he finished joint 47th at Oak Hills Country Club in just his sixth start as a professional.