Hacker Golf News courtesy of the PGA of Australia

*UPDATED for week beginning July 27th, 2010

NEWS

AUSTRALIA, with seven players, has one of the strongest entries for this week’s Women’s British Open at Royal Birkdale. The Aussies in the field are Karrie Webb, Katherine Hull, Lindsey Wright, Frances Bondad, Karen Lunn, Kristie Smith and Sarah-Jane Smith. The US has 31, Korea, 29, Sweden 11, England and France 8 and Australia and Japan 7.

THE Australian Golf Media Awards will be presented at the Australian Golf Writers Association on December 4 at the Lakes Golf Club in Sydney. Awards will be for the best coverage of Australian golf and golfers in the nominated categories from August 1 2009 until July 31 2010.

THE property developer Mirvac is teeing up a major upgrade of its Gainsborough Greens golf course at Pimpama in Queensland. The Gold Coast Bulletin newspaper reported on Friday that the course, which will be the centrepiece of a $1 billion, 2300-home development in the northern Gold Coast suburb, will have a new clubhouse and six new holes under the planned redesign aimed at reinvigorating the 20-year-old facility. Mirvac has enlisted Ross Watson to undertake the project, creating what he said would be one of the region's best all-round courses. The works are not expected to disrupt play at the course.

THE Queensland Gold Coast golf real estate development Sanctuary Cove has notched up more than $60 million in residential sales in the first half of 2010, the Brisbane Courier Mail newspaper reported on Friday. Buyer interest and sales activity has been widespread across its property bank of new waterfront, hillside and golf course land as well as house and land packages and established homes.

THE Australian Master of the Amateurs tournament will move to Royal Melbourne's west course in January. The Age newspaper reported on Wednesday that after nine years at Yarra Yarra, the tournament, ranked 17th in the world of amateur golf, will move. The event organisers are aiming to have all of the world's top 10 amateurs in Melbourne for next year's tournament, the 15th time it has been held and for the first time, a "category A" event. The world's No. 1-ranked amateur, Jin Jeong of South Korea, has committed to play in the tournament from January 11-14.

THE world's hottest amateur golf prospect, South Korean Jin Jeong, may be rethinking plans of seeking Australian citizenship. It had been assumed that the 20-year-old would seek Australian citizenship. He has permanent Australian residency and plays at Waverley Golf Club where he is coached by PGA member Trevor Flakemore who was on his bag during the British Open.  However the Korean seems to be now unsure of which country he should represent.  He said he would like to play for South Korea - the country which declined to select him for its Eisenhower Cup team - in some upcoming amateur tournaments. His easy victory in the British Amateur has won him a spot in next year's US Masters, after which he plans to turn pro.

PALM Meadows, the famous Queensland Gold Coast golf course may be closing down, but the Remax Australian Long Drive Championship still will be decided there next month. The championship, a qualifier for the world long drive event in Nevada in the US next month, will be staged at the Palm Meadows driving range. Pointscore leader Steve Kennedy and reigning champion Mark Bylsma, both from Sydney, are expected to fight it out. The event will be staged from August 26-28.

THE derelict site of what was once one of Australia's most popular golf courses and poker machine palaces is set for a $1.2 billion redevelopment. Plans for the old Terranora Lakes Country Club site include 1604 homes and a 200-bed aged care facility, as well as an arts college and commercial and retail outlets, the Brisbane Courier Mail newspaper reported on Friday. “Owned by Brisbane property developer and restaurateur Godfrey Mantle, the 184ha parcel sits atop the Bilambil Heights ridgeline on the Queensland-NSW border. Mr Mantle bought the spectacular property west of Tweed Heads in 1996 for $4.8 million. It was initially earmarked for a golf resort with a Sheraton Hotel, Arnold Palmer-designed 18-hole course, golf academy and international-standard grass court tennis stadium,” the newspaper reported in part.

EUROPEAN Tour veterans Darren Clarke, Thomas Bjorn and Paul McGinley have been appointed vice captains of Europe's Ryder Cup team. Captain Colin Montgomerie picked the trio to help him attempt to regain the Ryder Cup from the US at Celtic Manor in Wales from October 1-3.

THE Bribie Island golf residential project in Queensland has hit a sweet spot, with sales totaling almost $5 million in the past six weeks, the Brisbane Courier Mail newspaper reports. “Stage 3 of QM Properties' Pacific Harbour Golf and Country Club development - comprising 25 blocks - was recently completed.  The newspaper reported on Friday that 16 blocks had been bought off the plan. The blocks range from 525sq m to 1136sq m and prices start from $269,000.”

Weekend wrap

European Challenge Tour
VICTORIAN Daniel Gaunt fired a four under par 68 on Sunday to come from behind to win the English Challenge at his first start on the European Challenge Tour this year. With winnings of about $37,000 Gaunt has shot into contention to finish in the top-three on the Challenge Tour moneylist. If he does so, he will gain a European Tour playing card for next year. Winner Daniel Gaunt (by a shot) 64 69 70 68 ; Adam Blyth 30th 67 66 73 73; Scott Arnold 35th 72 66 70 74 Wade Ormsby 35th 70 71 71 70; Missed cut: James McLean 74 72; Tim Stewart 74 72

European Champions Tour

PETER Senior, playing in the British Seniors Open at Carnoustie, shot up to third place with a final round three under par 68 on the tough Carnoustie layout. He was four behind the winner Bernhard Langer and collected more than $100,000, taking his Senior Tour earnings to more than $500,000. Winner: Bernhard Langer by a shot) 67 71 69 72; Peter Senior 3rd 71 72 72 68; Wayne Grady 50th 77 71 75 74; David Merriman 50th 74 75 73 75; Peter Fowler 58th 75 73 71 79 Noel Ratcliffe 71st 76 72 75 79 Missed cut: Mike Clayton 75 76; Mike Harwood 76 76; Graeme Bannister 73 81

European Tour
BRETT Rumford, with a final round 69, snatched a tie for fourth in the Scandinavian Masters. Rumford won more than $100,000 as did New Zealand’s Mark Brown who had a final 71 with British Open winner Luis Ooosthuizen matching the Australasian Tour pair. Winner: Richard Johnson (by a shot) 70 66 70 71; Mark Brown 4th 73 69 67 71; Brett Rumford 4th 71 70 70 69; Richard Green 14th 67 71 73 74; Scott Hend 54th 73 69 80 72; Missed Cut: Andrew Tampion 71 77; Peter O’Malley 74 75; Scott Strange 73 77; Rick Kulacz 78 73; Andrew Dodt 72 80; Michael Campbell 81 (WD)

US PGA Tour
GREG Chalmers cemented his US Tour card for next year with a final round 65 to tie for fourth in the Canadian Open. Chalmers won about $180,000 to become the seventh Aussie to win more than $1 million on the US Tour so far this year. Winner : Carl Petterson (by a shot) 71 68 60 67; Greg Chalmers 4th 66 69 70 68; James Nitties 37th 68 69 69 69; Nathan Green 37th 68 65 71 71; Matt Jones 37th 66 67 69 73; Stuart Appleby 37th 69 69 66 71; Steve Elkington 48th 70 68 65 73; Mark Hensby 48th 67 72 67 70; Aaron Baddeley 54th 70 68 70 69; Missed cut: Jarrod Lyle 69, 72; Aaron Price 71, 71; Cameron Percy 70 72; Danny Lee 69, 76; David Lutterus 74 73

Nationwide Tour
NICK Flanagan and Won Joon Lee both had their biggest collects of the year when they won about $42,000 each for finishing tied third in the US Nationwide Tour’s Children’s Hospital Invitation in Columbus Ohio. Both were winning chances, leading into the last round at seven under par, but Flanagan’s 70 and Lee’s 69 were bypassed by American DJ Brigman’s seven under 64 to win at 10 under. Winner: J D Brigman (by a shot) 66 72 72 64; Nick Flanagan 3rd 66 71 69 70; Won Joon Lee 3rd 74 67 66 69; Alistair Presnell 12th 68 69 70 73; David McKenzie 17th 67 74 69 71; Steve Bowditch 17th 69 72 72 68; Bronson La Cassie 17th 69 69 75 68; Scott Gardiner 23rd 71 68 70 73; Andrew Buckle 33rd 66 73 71 71; Adam Bland 46th 73 69 70 73; Gavin Coles 67th 72 71 75 74; Brad Isles 71st 71 72 76 74 Missed cut: Andre Stolz 71 73; Steve Alker 73 73; Ewan Porter 72 75; Phil Tataurangi 74 77

Ladies European Tour
Evian Masters (par 72) Winner (by a shot): Jiyai Shin 70 69 68 67 Lindsey Wright 37th 70 73 73 71; Karrie Webb 48th 73 73 69 74 Missed cut: Karen Lunn 75 77; Katherine Hull 76 77; Kristie Smith 80 83

Japan Tour

Sega Samy Invitational (par 72) Winner (in a three-way playoff): Mamo Osanai 70 69 67 69; Brendan Jones 6th 73 68 68 68; 13th Wayne Perske 67 72 70 70; Eddie Lee 20th 74 68 68 70; Brad Andrews 35th 71 69 73 71; Craig Parry 42nd 70 72 71 72; David Smail 42nd 74 66 73 72; Paul Sheehan 70 72 73 70; Missed cutP: Chris Campbell 75 70; Steve Conran 76 71;Aaron Townsend 76 76; Kurt Barnes 83 72; Richard Lee 82 73

What's on this week?

PGA of AUSTRALIA PRO-AMS
July 29-Aug 1: Qld: Ian Weigh Motors pro-am at Rockhampton Golf Club $50,000
August 3-4: Qld Bargara pro-am at Bargara Golf Club $18,000
August 5-6: Cavalier Homes Fraser Coast Maryborough pro-am at Maryborough Golf Club $17,500

PGA of AUSTRALIA NATIONAL EZ-GO LEGENDS TOUR
July 30: Qld: Tamborine Mountains Legends pro-am Tamborine Mountain Golf Club $5000
August 2: Qld: R&O Communications City Golf Club pro-am at Citty Golf Club Toowoomba $10,000
August 3: Qld: WHK Dalby pro-am at Dalby Golf Club $8000
August 5: Qld: Chinchilla pro-am at Chinchilla Golf club $8000

EUROPEAN TOUR: Irish Open Championship at Killarney Golf and Fishing Club, Killarney $4.5 million Last year’s winner: Shane Lowry

US PGA TOUR: Greenbrier Classic at Old White Course, West Virginia, $6.6 million Last year’s winner : New event

US NATIONWIDE TOUR: Cox Classic, Champions Run Omaha $800,000 Last year’s winner: Rich Barcelo

LPGA TOUR: Women’s British Open at Royal Birkdale Golf club $2.75 million Last year’s winner: Catriona Mathew

US CHAMPIONS TOUR: US Senior Open at Sahalee Country Club, Seattle Washington $3 million Last year’s winner: Fred Funk

EUROPEAN CHALLENGE TOUR: English Challenge at The Stoke by Nayland Golf and Spa $225,000 Inaugural event

JAPAN PGA TOUR: Sun Chlorella Classic Ottaro Country Club, Hokkaido, $1.5 millio Last year’s winner: Ryo Ishikawa

ASIAN TOUR: Brunei Open , Empire Hotel & Country Club, $300,000 Last year’s winner: Darren Beck

The latest World Rankings as at Tuesday, 27 July 2010

Top 20 Australians
1 Robert Allenby (ranked 14 in the world)
2 Geoff Ogilvy (33)
3 Adam Scott (46))
4 Jason Day (64)
5 Michael Sim (65)
6 Marc Leishman (94)
7 John Senden (101)
8 Marcus Fraser (110)
9 Brendan Jones (128)
10 Richard Green (133)
11 Greg Chalmers (150)
12 Andrew Dodt (152)
13 Nick O’Hern (155)
14 Mathew Jones (157)
15 Stuart Appleby (159)
16 Brett Rumford (161)
17 Mathew Goggin (166)
18 Scott Strange (180)
19 Nathan Green (187)
20 David Smail (197)

Top 5 World Rankings
1 Tiger Woods (averaged points 9.9)
2 Phil Mickelson (9.2)
3 Lee Westwood (9)
4 Steve Stricker (7.3)
5 Jim Furyk (6.6)

Top 20 Rolex World Rankings in Australia
1 Karrie Webb (ranked 10 in world)
2 Katherine Hull (28)
3 Lindsey Wright (37)
4 Nikki Campbell (51)
5 Tamie Durdin (92)
6 Kristie Smith (109)
7 Sarah Jane Smith (118)
8 Karen Lunn (136)
9 Sarah Kemp (146)
10 Anna Rawson (220)
11 Wendy Doolan (227)
12 Rachel Hetherington (229)
13 Nikki Garrett (252)
14 Frances Bondad (255)
15 Stephanie Na (310)
16 Joanne Mills (337)
17 Rebecca Flood (340)
18 Dana Lacey-Johnston (375)
19 Stacey Keating (426)
20 Vicky Uwland (452)

Top 5 Rolex Rankings
1 Ji-Yai Shin (10.6)
2 Ai Miyazato (10.2)
3 Cristie Kerr (10.18)
4 Suzann Pettersen (10.14)
5 Yani Tseng (8.3)

Copyright Warning
Information for this news service has been gathered from industry sources and every effort is made to ensure its accuracy. The PGA of Australia accepts no responsibility for any inaccurate information reported. Other than for purposes stated under the Copyright Act and subject to the conditions of the Act, no part of any edition or special release of PGA Mail may be reproduced or stored by any means or transmitted without prior written approval of the publisher. Amounts listed are in Australian Dollars unless otherwise stated.