Golf news in brief: Miyazato checks in to lead Safeway Classic

Published on 20/08/2012 02:56

JAPAN’S Mika Miyazato shot a four-under 68 to take a two-stroke lead after the second round of the LPGA Tour’s Safeway Classic. Miyazato, tied for the first-round lead with Sydnee Michaels after a 65, had an 11-under 133 total on Pumpkin Ridge’s Ghost Creek Course.

South Korea’s So Yeon Ryu was second after a 68. Ryu and Miyazato, winless in her four seasons on the LPGA Tour, will be paired together again Sunday after playing in the same group the first two days. Cristie Kerr and Inbee Park shot 70 to reach 8 under, and Michaels had a 72 to join top-ranked Yani Tseng and Paula Creamer at 7 under. Tseng had a 67, and Creamer shot a 69.

Miyazato is enjoying the best stretch of play on the LPGA Tour of late, with second-place ties this summer at the NW Arkansas Championship and LPGA Championship.

“I have so much good experience the last four or five events,” Miyazato said. “I try to focus on my golf game, one shot at a time.”

Robb overcomes Gordon to take north-east title

Chris Robb flies back to the United States today as the new North-east District Open championship winner.

About to start his third year at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, the 21-year-old from Banchory, a member at Meldrum House Golf Club, won the SGU Order of Merit event over Newmachar’s Hawkshill course with a six-under-par total of 210, five shots clear of past Scottish amateur champion Graham Gordon. Robb started the final round with a three-stroke lead over Gordon but bogeyed the third and had a double bogey 6 at the fourth. That mini slump, coupled with Gordon’s birdies at the second and fourth, saw the pair exchange places at the top of the leaderboard – Gordon moving into a one-stroke lead. But Graham, a reinstated amateur who finished runner-up in the previous weekend’s Leven Gold Medal, had five bogeys in seven holes from the ninth. He finished with a 74 for 205. Meanwhile Robb birdied the fourth, 12th, 16th and 18th to emerge winner.

Young pro Walker four shots ahead in Shotts

Ballumbie Castle near Monifieth’s English-born pro Patrick Walker opened up a commanding four-shot lead at the end of the first round of the 54-hole Shotts Young Pros 54-hole tournament. Walker shot a brilliant seven-under-par 63 to lead from Daniel Wood (Hilrsel) with Christopher Robinson (Dumfries and Galloway) lying third on 68 going into the final 36 holes today.

Meanwhile, Hayston’s Stephen Gray and Scott Henderson (Kings Links) were joint winners of the Easter Moffat pro-am at the Airdrie course. They both shot five-under-par 66s to earn £1,018 apiece.

It was Gray’s second shared win of the weekend, following his Saturday success in the Bathgate pro-am.

Five men – Christopher Currie (Caldwell), David Orr (Mearns Castle), Paul McKechnie (Braid Hills), Graham Fox (Rowallan Castle) and Alan Lockhart (Ladybank) – shared third place on 67 and earned £445 each.