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**truebluefan** · 05-26-2008, 03:29 AM

Loch Lomond, Glasgow, Scotland

**truebluefan** · 07-13-2008, 10:11 PM

The eyes of the golfing world will switch focus from England to Scotland this week as Loch Lomond Golf Club plays host to The Barclays Scottish Open.

After the thrills of last week’s European Open at The London Golf Club and before the certain drama of next week’s Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, the majesty of Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish’s lochside gem provides the backdrop for one of the most eagerly awaited weeks on The European Tour International Schedule each season.

As befits a tournament of this stature, a truly exceptional international field has assembled in the west of Scotland, led by three of the top six players from the current Official World Golf Ranking; Number Two Phil Mickelson, Number Three Adam Scott and Number Six Ernie Els.

Mickelson and Els, winner in 2000 and 2003, both return after finishing second and third respectively behind Grégory Havret at last year's tournament, and they will be joined by Scott, who last played at Loch Lomond in 2005 when he finished tied 12th behind the winner, South Africa's Tim Clark.

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**truebluefan** · 07-13-2008, 10:12 PM

Ernie Els has declared himself refreshed and ready to tackle the world class field assembled at Loch Lomond Golf Club for The Barclays Scottish Open this week.

The World Number six, who won this event in both 2000 and 2003, opted to take a three-week break from his schedule ahead of this tournament as part of his preparations for The Open Championship next week.

It was a holiday that may have brought the South African some swing rust, but ultimately he hopes the extra rest will help him past the likes of Phil Mickelson and Adam Scott over the coming days.

He said: “That's the gamble you take and the gamble I took. I felt I had a three week break in my schedule. There’s a lot of great sport going on down where I live in England, and my wife went to the races and I went to Henley and Wimbledon and all over the place.

“So my game's got a bit of rust on it. But I've had a good run here; I've won twice. I've had some close finishes here in the past. I feel it's a good golf course for me for my game, and I feel refreshed, for one.

“We've got a big run up coming up with The Open next week and one week off and then we go into that busy run right through till September.”

Els admitted part of the allure of playing Loch Lomond was the spectacular scenery - if not the weather. He added: “I think it's a great tournament. It's a great venue. I don't think there are too many places in the world that get more beautiful than here at Loch Lomond. The holes going down the Loch here are beautiful, and a lot of pictures have been taken here over the years and we've had some great winners, too, and that points to a very good venue."

Mickelson lost to Grégory Havret in a sudden-death play-off last year and is hoping to go one better when play gets underway on Thursday. He said: “I really have enjoyed playing this golf tournament the last few years. I came so close last year and I'm hoping to improve on that this year.”

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**truebluefan** · 07-13-2008, 10:12 PM

Stormy weather and a delayed start could not prevent four players from taking a share of the early lead at three under par in The Barclays Scottish Open at Loch Lomond Golf Club.

Heavy rain overnight and this morning forced a 90 minute delay at Loch Lomond, play eventually beginning at 9am in damp, overcast conditions.

Ireland’s Paul McGinley, seeking the top-five finish necessary to make it to The Open Championship next week, was among the early starters and picked up a birdie on the third before collecting further shots at the fourth and sixth to improve to three under par.

However, that was not enough to lead on his own as England's David Dixon - leading amateur at The Open in 2001 - made the most of the par fives with a birdie on the third and eagle on the sixth.

Also on three under was Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee and Australia’s Richard Green, who started on the tenth and birdied the 11th, 12th and 13th holes.

Three of the world's top six players are taking part this week, but World Number Two Phil Mickelson and Ernie Els, ranked four places lower, were among the later starters whose tee-times had been put back by 80 minutes following the rain.

World Number Three Adam Scott had just started his round, running up a triple-bogey seven on the tenth. Scott began the process of recovering from his start with a birdie on the 12th getting him back to two over.

**truebluefan** · 07-13-2008, 10:20 PM

Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee produced a superb recovery from a shaky start to take the clubhouse lead at the end of the first morning’s play in The Barclays Scottish Open at Loch Lomond Golf Club.

The World Number 153, whose second of two titles on The European Tour came at the Malaysian Open back in 2005, opened in inauspicious fashion with a bogey five on the second, but he quickly recovered to post a seven under par score of 64.

Jaidee's recovery started with four birdies on the third, fourth, fifth and sixth holes, before he claimed a birdie three on the ninth to go out in 32. He then picked up shots at the 13th, 17th and 18th to move into a one stroke lead over the 2007 US Open Champion Angel Cabrera.

The Argentine, who started on the back nine after rain delays earlier in the morning, made his mark by collecting a birdie three on the 415 yard 12th hole, before picking up shots on the 15th and 17th.

Further birdies followed on the third and sixth - both holes are par five - while a birdie three on the seventh brought him to six under par.

Sweden’s Niclas Fasth hit a bogey-free round of 66 to take third place alongside England's John Bickerton, while Fasth's countryman Martin Erlandsson is tied in fourth on four under par with Lee Westwood and Pablo Martin, who came into the event ranked World Number 293. The Spaniard shot seven birdies and three bogeys en route to posting a score of 67.

Elsewhere, Colin Montgomerie is tied for 13th with Ian Poulter, defending champion Grégory Havret and nine others on two under par, while World Number Three Adam Scott is tied for 67th on one over par.

World Number Two Phil Mickelson and World Number Six Ernie Els are among the afternoon starters.

**truebluefan** · 07-13-2008, 10:22 PM

Three of the world's top six players are contesting The Barclays Scottish Open at Loch Lomond golf club this week, but on Thursday it was an ex-paratrooper ranked at 153 and a Swede 11 spots lower that stole the headlines.

Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee, twice a European Tour champion at the Malaysian Open in 2004 and 2005, was heading in the wrong direction when he bogeyed the second hole, but eight birdies later he held a seven under par clubhouse score of 64 and shared the lead with Alexander Noren.

Jaidee's recovery started with birdies on the third, fourth, fifth and sixth holes, while a three on the par four ninth saw him out in 32. He then picked up shots at the 13th, 17th and 18th before admitting his feat had been achieved with a prolapsed disc in his back.

His plan is to fly home for treatment next week - unless he qualifies for The Open Championship by finishing in the top five at Loch Lomond Golf Club this weekend.

"I have my back injury because it's such a long flight, ten or 11 hours, from Asia to Europe," explained the 39 year old. "I saw a doctor and he told me I cannot do anything for three months.

"The doctor wants to see me again and then he can see what's wrong and then he can do something. I have to go for an x-ray but if I qualify I could play next week."

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**truebluefan** · 07-13-2008, 10:23 PM

Thomas Bjorn has closed to within one shot of overnight clubhouse leader Thongchai Jaidee after shooting two birdies in the first eight holes of his second round at The Barclays Scottish Open.

The Dane, starting on the back nine at the Loch Lomond Golf Club on four under par, picked up strokes at the 13th and 16th, while Sweden’s Alexander Noren, who shared the overnight lead, took a bogey five on the first to fall to six under par and a four-way tie for second place.

Scotland Paul Lawrie has also made an excellent start, claiming a birdie on the 12th – he started on the back nine – and adding an eagle at the next to take his score to six under par. Alvaro Quiros of Spain has made a stunning start, picking up two birdies and an eagle in his first five holes.

Swede Pelle Edberg, who won a £45,000 luxury BMW X6 car for a hole-in-one on the 17th yesterday, was alongside Noren after picking up three birdies in his first six holes although he dropped back after bogeying the seventh.

World Number Six Ernie Els, twice a winner here and third last year, was also off to a good start, the South African playing in the group ahead of Phil Mickelson and carding birdies at the tenth and 13th to lie one under.

Mickelson was looking for to get back into contention at The Barclays Scottish Open, but having shot a level-par 71 in the opening round at Loch Lomond Golf Club, the left-hander began his second round with three straight pars to remain level par.

Jaidee is among the afternoon starters.

**truebluefan** · 07-13-2008, 10:24 PM

Phil Mickelson shot the second hole-in-one of The Barclays Scottish Open, but Ireland’s Damien McGrane is the clubhouse leader on eight under par after firing a superb 66 at Loch Lomond Golf Course.

McGrane’s five under par round, added to the 68 he produced on Thursday, gained momentum with a birdie three at the 12th - he started on the tenth - before he picked up an extra stroke at the par three 17th. An eagle followed at the third, while birdies on the eighth and ninth holes eased the pain of a bogey on the seventh.

In all it leaves McGrane eight shots under par, one shot ahead of a group of four players including Paul Lawrie, the 1999 winner of The Open Championship.

Lawrie, the home favourite who also started on the back nine, was seemingly charging to a share of the lead after collecting birdies on the 12th, fourth and sixth and an eagle on the 13th.

However, a bogey five on the ninth dropped him into a tie for second with Denmark’s Thomas Björn, England’s Simon Khan and Argentina’s Angel Cabrera, who started the day at six under but has birdied the first.

Matthew Millar of England was heading for a sensational score of eight under par, but, having shot six birdies and an eagle, he took a bogey on the last to claim a round of 64 and take a share of sixth on six under par with Henrik Stenson and two others.

Mickelson, meanwhile, followed in the footsteps of Sweden’s Pelle Edberg, who aced his tee shot on the 17th on Thursday, by holing his first shot at the fifth. His five iron from 198 yards pitched around ten feet short of the flag and rolled into the hole at a perfect speed. He is tied for 23rd place on the leaderboard on four under par.

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**truebluefan** · 07-13-2008, 10:26 PM

Argentina’s Angel Cabrera will go into the weekend one shot clear at the top of The Barclays Scottish Open leaderboard after shooting six birdies in a round of 68 at Loch Lomond Golf Club.

The 2007 US Open winner shot a bogey-free 65 on Thursday and immediately picked up where he left off with a birdie on the first on Friday before picking up further strokes at the third, fourth and sixth holes.

A bogey five slowed his momentum at the tenth, but birdies at the 13th and 14th holes got him back on track. A pair of bogeys on the 15th and 18th brought him back to three under par for the day, nine under for the tournament, but Richard Green failed to capitalise.

The Australian, aiming to build on his first round 67, was poised to take top spot having collected seven birdies for the cost of just one bogey in the first 14 holes, but bogeys on the 15th, 16th and 18th pegged his score back to three under par, seven under overall.

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**truebluefan** · 07-13-2008, 10:26 PM

Australian Adam Scott has battled his way back into contention at The Barclays Scottish Open at Loch Lomond Golf Club by firing six birdies in a three under par round of 68.

The World Number Three, who was tied for 98th after Thursday’s opening round and down in 28th after a 66 in the second, continued his fightback on Saturday to move to seven under par overall, just two strokes off the lead currently held by Graeme McDowell.

Birdies at the second and third sent him on his way up the leaderboard, before a bogey five on the fourth sapped the wind from his sails. He bounced back by picking up further strokes at the ninth, 14th, 16th and 18th, but a double bogey five on the penultimate hole robbed him of a potential place at the top of the standings.

Simon Khan, Damien McGrane, Richard Green, Angel Cabrera and Paul Lawrie are all tied in second on eight under par, while Spain’s Miguel Angel Jiminez is currently going strong a stroke further back, picking up strokes on the first, fifth, seventh and tenth to nullify bogeys on the fourth and 11th.

Ian Poulter has also placed himself well ahead of the fourth round. The Englishman shot four birdies for the cost of just one bogey - a five on the par four fourth - to leave him at seven under par after three rounds.

Despite bagging two birdies in his first four holes, the early stages of Englishman Khan’s round would have been even better had he not dropped a stroke at the sixth to bring him back to eight under par.

Elsewhere, James Kingston has surged up from 56th to a tie for 12th on the leaderboard on six under par after a round of 67, while Ross Fisher is currently two under par on the day after 12 holes, placing him seven under for the tournament.

Rory McIlroy’s bid for the top five finish that could seal qualification for The Open Championship looked healthy after he shot a 68 to go six under par, while Phil Mickelson was a shot further back towards the end of his round.

Valero Texas Open

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Championship

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Championship

Scottish Seniors Open

SAS Championship

The Dutch Futures

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