MARC Warren, one of Scotland’s leading golfers, has admitted he’s being driven off Twitter by Old Firm trolls, describing abuse he received in the wake of a meltdown in last year’s Scottish Open as “ridiculous”.

MARTIN Laird’s hopes of securing a spot in this year’s Open Championship at Muirfield through the International Final Qualifier in America appeared slim after he could only muster a two-over-par 72 in yesterday’s opening round at Gleneagles Country Club in Texas.

STEPHEN Gallacher has paid for a replica of his Dubai Desert Classic trophy to be presented to the winner of a new event being hosted by his Foundation in the Borders this weekend.

WHILE the outcome is surely inevitable, there is still a certain amount of intrigue surrounding today’s press conferences on either side of the Atlantic that will determine if “anchoring” is being consigned to the depths of the golfing seas.

GOLF: Clara Young became the youngest player to reach the final of the Scottish Ladies’ Amateur Championship at Longniddry last week – and the North Berwick High School pupil is one of the first of Scotland’s ClubGolf programme to make a serious mark in the game.

Graeme McDowell expressed his delight at becoming the first Irish winner of the Volvo World Match Play Championship as he joined an illustrious list of champions with a hard-fought victory over Thongchai Jaidee in Bulgaria.

HAVING discovered someone who is prepared to work even harder than him, Kevin Craggs knows full well that Catriona Matthew has no intention of taking her foot off the gas for a while yet.

TWO years after winning the event for the first time, Fife regained the GolfKings Scottish Area Team Championship with victory over record holders Lothians in a weather-affected event at Crail.

MARTIN Laird is amongst the hopefuls in today’s Open Championship qualifier at Gleneagles Country Club In Texas.

STIRLING’S Craig Lee missed out on a breakthrough European Tour win as American Peter Uihlein shot four birdies on the back nine to claim the Madeira Islands Open by two shots.

Ian Poulter yesterday labelled his performance as “disgusting, disgraceful and unacceptable” as he crashed out of the Volvo World Match Play Championship in Bulgaria.

Elliot Saltman was pipped for the £10,000 prize in a three-man play-off at the Astbury Hall Classic at the Cheshire venue.

SCOTLAND’S Craig Lee moved into a one-shot lead at the Madeira Islands Open yesterday courtesy of a four under par second round of 68, on a weather-affected day when former US Amateur Champion Peter Uihlein threatened the magic number 59.

PETITE as they come, Clara Young looks more cut out for a pommel horse than pummeling away with a golf club but today, in her native East Lothian, the 16-year-old will bid to follow in the spikemarks of Scotland’s greatest lady golfer.

World No 2 Rory McIlroy is set to leave Horizon Sports Management to create his own management group.

A FORMER prisoner of war camp which once held some of Hitler’s crack SS troops could be given a new lease of life - as a temporary home for the army of volunteers at next year’s Ryder Cup clash in Scotland.

FORMER champion Keegan Bradley last night shrugged off two bogeys around the turn to set a course record with a sizzling 10-under-par 60 in the opening round of the Byron Nelson Championship in Irving, Texas.

DEFENDING champion Nicolas Colsaerts and former winner Ian Poulter face a battle to remain in the Volvo World Match Play Championship after losing their opening group games in Bulgaria yesterday.

IT’S a mix of old and new at Longniddry this week.

SCOT Lloyd Saltman hailed a virtually flawless round after equalling his best 18 holes as a professional on the first day of the Madeira Islands Open.