8am Round-Up: Craig Ross concedes SA Amateur tie

Craig Ross's reign as the Sanlam South African Amateur champion ended in disappointment this morning.

Kirkhill's Craig Ross was three down to fellow Scot Liam Johnston at Humewood Golf Club

The Kirkhill player was forced to concede his last-32 tie against fellow Scot Liam Johnston at Humewood Golf Club due to illness.

Ross, who’d won his first-round tie 4&2 against Clement Charmasson on Tuesday, was three down at the time after seeing his Dumfries & County opponent get off to a fast start.

“I was up sick all last night and just felt weak and dizzy, as well as sweating a lot, this morning,” said Ross. “I tried to play but just was getting worse on the course.”

Ross and Johnston had been left as the last two Scots standing after Calum Fyfe (Cawder), Jamie Stewart from Old Ranfurly and Peebles player Craig Howie all bowed out in the opening round.

Howie went out at the 22nd hole in a marathon match against home hope Jason Smith.

Scottish players have won the event four times in the last six years.

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Gleneagles has been confirmed as an “official supporter” of the Glasgow 2018 European Championships.

The Perthshire venue had already been announced as the venue for the mixed golf tournament that is part of the multi-sport event for the first time.

The event, which is backed by the European Tour and Ladies European Tour, will include a men’s and women’s event along with a ground-breaking mixed competition.

“We’re proud to be associated with what will be a ground-breaking moment in sporting history,” said Bernard Murphy, Gleneagles’ managing director.

“The event will build on Gleneagles’ long history of raising the bar in golf and breaking cultural boundaries in sport – including the first match between British and American professionals in 1921.

“We look forward to continuing that tradition at the European Golf Team Championships, when Europe’s leading men and women compete together for the first time, in what will be a real historic moment for the sport.

“We are therefore delighted to be announced as an official supporter of Glasgow 2018, and look forward to delivering an inspiring event that will strengthen Gleneagles’ reputation as one of the foremost golfing venues in the world.”

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Sandy Scott is in contention after two rounds in the The Prestige at PGA West, a top US college event also featuring Stirling University players.

Nairn star Scott, who is at Texas Tech, followed an opening 72 with a four-under 67 to sit on three-under, five behind leader Jared duToit from Arizona State.

The top Stirling player is Jordan Sundborg, who is sitting joint-15th after rounds of 69 and 73.

LSU lead the team event on one-over, a shot ahead of Stanford, with Texas Tech fifth on eight-over and Stirling 11th on 20-over.

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Ewen Ferguson lost ground on the second day of the Red Sea Little Venice Open, the second Alps Tour event in quick succession at Sokhna in Egypt.

After opening with a 69 to sit joint-fifth, the former Walker Cup player slipped to joint-26th following a 74.

It left him eight shots off the lead, shared by Dutchman Lars Van Meijel and Spaniard Lucas Vacarisas, heading into today’s final round.

Jamie Savage and Daniel Young are now the leading Scots, seven off the pace.

Both Jack McDonald, who’d started his season with a top-10 finish in the Ein Bay Open, and Joe Knox missed the cut.

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Jamie McLeary finished second behind home player Tiago Cruz in the Palmares Classic V, an Algarve Pro Tour event.

A second successive 66, which included two eagles, for a 12-under-par total left the Scot two shots behind Cruz, who shot impressive rounds of 66 and 64.

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15th Club has been appointed by the Ladies European Tour to work with Team Europe ahead of this year’s Solheim Cup in Iowa.

The London-based company will work with European captain Annika Sorenstam and her team to provide detailed performance information and analysis ahead of the match at Des Moines Golf & Country Club in August.

“I have always been a big believer in tracking stats to help improve performance and 15th Club does just that,” said the former world No 1.

“Numbers don’t lie and it will be great to have data on each European player right at my fingertips.”

15th Club, which was founded in 2015 with the aim of helping golfers win by applying intelligence to data, worked with Darren Clarke in the build up to last year’s Ryder Cup at Hazeltine.

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Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs will partner Rory McIlroy in the BMW PGA Championship Pro-Am in May.

Giggs, who made a record 963 appearances for United, will tee it up at Wentworth alongside the current world No 3, a lifelong Red Devils fan.

“It’s a great honour, although a slightly scary one, to be asked to play with Rory,” said Giggs. “I’m a big fan of his so I’m looking forward to catching up with him and seeing for myself how he plays the game.”

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Zane Scotland has been named a global brand ambassador of Golf Citizen, one of the fastest growing online tee time booking engines.

One of the most recognisable and respected faces on the MENA Tour, the 34-year-old Englishman will spearhead an ambitious Golf Citizen campaign.