8am Round-Up: Jimmy Gunn says Bahamas battle in wind has been tough

Jimmy Gunn made the cut in the Web.com Tour event at Sandals Emerald Bay. Picture: Getty Images

Wind gusting up to 40mph saw the cut mark in the Bahamas Great Exuma Classic at Sandals Emerald Bay fall at 11-over-par.

That’s the highest in Web.com Tour history and, though used to playing in the wind, even Dornoch man Gunn has found it a struggle.

“It’s blowing 40mph here and on a really tight course - it’s 10 times tighter than Dornoch and a lot longer,” he said after making it into the final two rounds following rounds of 79 and 72.

“It was close to getting cancelled as balls were rolling off the greens - they are running around seven - on day one.

“Then and yesterday have been the worst wind while spray off the waves in your face has been another challenge.”

The $600,000 event had an unprecedented Sunday start, something that will be repeated at the Bahamas Great Abaco Classic in a fortnight’s time.

“It feels weird starting on a Sunday but, to be honest, I have no idea what day it is as I played my first round Sunday, only played one hole on Monday and played 31 holes today,” added Gunn.

He is five-over after 14 holes in his third round and 12-over for the tournament, sitting tied for 48th.

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Ross Kellett started his 2017 campaign with a top-five finish in a Gecko Tour event at Parador Golf in Malaga.

The Motherwell man, who is preparing for the new Challenge Tour season, added a 72 to his opening 69 for a four-under-par total.

Kellett, who described his performance as “solid”, finished four shots behind home winner Gonzalo Gancedo (64-72).

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World No 5 Jordan Spieth is heading to Asia next week to unveil his new Under Armour signature golf shoe.

The 2015 Master champion is paying visits to Tokyo and Seoul, as well as doing promotion events for the product in Los Angeles and Mexico City.

“I’m really excited about Under Armour’s commitment to allowing me to kind of help make this with them and to spread it around the world,” said Spieth.

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Former Open John Daly will be playing with a “vertical groove” driver on the PGA Tour and Champions Tour this season.

The big-hitting American has signed a multi-year deal with Vertical Groove Golf to play its driver, which is claomed to be the only golf club innovation to enter the market featuring vertical groove technology on the club face.

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Scot David Inglis is set to create a bit of history in the Arnold Palmer Cup, the college equivalent of the Ryder Cup.

The former British Boys champion has been picked as Team Europe’s coach for the event’s 20th anniversary in Atlanta in June.

The appointment sees Inglis, who hails from Roslin and cut his golfing teeth at Glencorse, become the first Palmer Cup player to be a head coach for the match.

“It is a tremendous honour to be chosen to coach the European team at this year’s Arnold Palmer Cup,” said Inglis.

“I was fortunate to be part of the first ever European team in 2003 and now to be coaching the European team is a dream come true.”

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One of the best-known golfing pubs in Scotland has been sold to a group of golf lovers from Canada and the United States who fell in love with it during visits to the sport’s cradle.

The Dunvegan Hotel in St Andrews is a popular watering hole for players and caddies after a round in the Fife town.

After being owned and managed for more than 20 years by Jack and Sheena Willoughby, it was put up for sale last year for just shy of £3 million, attracting interest from around the globe.

A deal has now been sealed with Forth Bridge Capital LLP, which is a consortium of golfing enthusiasts from Canada and the USA.

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Lionel Freedman, the man who made hickory golf fashionable again as the driving force behind the World Hickory Open, has died at the age of 82.

Freedman, who lived in Musselburgh and was a past captain at Craigielaw, passed away on Monday after a short illness.

After moving from the south-east of England to Scotland around 20 years ago, he co-founded the World Hickory Open in 2005 along with Graham Wilson.

“Lionel was our chairman, chief executive and chief bottle washer,” said Wilson in paying tribute to Freedman.