Spaniard Wins Scottish Open - leading to the next major

Rafael Cabrerra-Bello of Spain won the European Tour's 2017 Scottish Open at the Dundonald Links in Troon,Ayrshire.Rafa finished with a remarkable score of 64 for the fourth round,finishing the tournament at thirteen under par and tied with the young Englishman Callum Shinkwin.He beat Shinkwin in the first hole of a playoff.Several golfers were tied for fourth,including American Matt Kuchar.Fellow American Rickie Fowler finished tied for ninth at -7.
Next on the calendar is The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale in Southport,England,the year's third major,which will see a full field of international stars.Henrik Stenson of Sweden is the defending champion,having prevailed over Phil Mickelson last year.The Open Championship starts on Thursday 20 July at Royal Birkdale,a Liverpool area course.

PGA European Tour Golf:BMW South African Open Leaders,Round 2 (suspended by lightning threat)

BMW SA Open hosted by the City of Ekurhuleni
Glendower Golf Club
The following players have completed the two rounds and currently top the leaderboard.Some other players need to complete the round,as it was suspended by a lightning threat,and will do so early Saturday morning.
1 STORM,Graeme ENG -12
2 UIHLEIN,Peter USA -10
KRUGER,Jbe SA -10
FISHER Jnr,Trevor SA -10
Update:Englishman Graeme Storm,38,went on to win the BMW SA Open,beating Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy in a playoff when both carded a -18 for the tournament.Jordan L. Smith of England was third at -17,while American Peter Uihlein finished tied for seventh at -13.It was Storm's second European Tour win in his long career.*
In the overall PGA European Tour Race to Dubai standings,Australian Sam Brazel is in first place,while American Harold Varner III is in sixth.

Today's Star:Lana Del Ray;European Tour Golf

Tonight is featured a new song from singer/songwriter Lana Del Rey,"Music To Watch Boys To."Its title echoes the old Andy Williams hit "Music To Watch Girls By."The song is from her fourth album "Honeymoon."No,she isn't married.Appearing in the music video with her is her sister-the woman she kisses on the lips in the water.*
Lana Del Rey's real name is Elizabeth Woolridge Grant and she is of Scottish descent.The New York City native,30,grew up in the Winter Olympics town of Lake Placid,New York,attending a Catholic grade school.She came to admire American Civil War era poet Walt Whitman and beat poet Alan Ginsberg.At 5'7",she's also done modeling work,including a Jaguar ad campaign.
Starting her music career as a cantor in a Catholic church choir,Lana studied philosophy at Jesuit institution Fordham University in the Bronx,and has volunteered at homeless youth and drug and alcohol outreach programs.A recovered alcoholic herself,she records for Polydor-Interscope.*
Speaking of Scotland,the European Tour's Alfred Dunhill Links Championship is underway at three Scottish courses:the Old Course at St.Andrews;Carnoustie;and Kingsbarns.Tied for first after the second round are Englishmen newcomer Jimmy Mullen,21,and veteran Anthony Wall,40,at eleven under par.Playing his first tournament in Scotland,American Chris Stroud is tied for third at ten under par with Dane Thorbjorn Olesen;Irishman Paul Dunne;and Jamie Donaldson of Wales.

About DJ Layla;Trophee Hassan II Golf

Tonight is featured another track by DJ Layla&Dee-Dee,"Planet Mars."DJ Layla,27,is a Romania-based DJ who has worked with the Bucharest singer Dee-Dee several times,as well as with vocalists Sianna,Lorina and Alissa.She has become quite popular on the Eurodance music scene since 2009.Closely associated with singer-songwriter and producer Radu Sirbu,her real name is Natalia Ostasina.A native of Moldova,she also lived in Ukraine for a number of years.She studied law at the State University of Moldova.*
The European Tour's Trophee Hassan II golf tournament,named for King Hassan II,is underway at the Golf Palais du Royal in Agadir,Morroco.It is an exclusive golf course actually located on the palace grounds,complete with crenellated,reddish brown palace walls with towers and views of the Atlantic Ocean and Atlas Mountains.The course was designed by Robert Trent Jones,Sr.
After two rounds,the lead was shared by four golfers at six under par:Rafael Cabrera-Bello (ESP);Richard Green (AUS);Richie Ramsay (SCO);and Oliver Farr (WAL).

Avril Lavigne Releases New Video;Jimenez Leads in Thailand Golf

It hasn't been easy for Avril Lavigne lately,the Canadian singer/songwriter who has been reaching the record charts for more than a decade now.In December 2014,she announced to her fans that she hasn't been feeling well and asked them for their prayers.A private person,she didn't specify the illness.On top of that,her marriage to fellow rock star Chad Kroeger is reportedly on the rocks.
In spite of this,the Ontario native has made a new Vevo music video for her single "Give You What You Like,"which is interspliced with footage from the Lifetime TV movie "Babysitter's Black Book,"about a group of young girls who turn their babysitting business into a prostitution ring to make more money.
Avril turned 30 last September.The recording artist,who is petite at 5'1" tall,also has a perfume called "Wild Rose" and a clothing line known as "Abbey Dawn."She is on her second marriage and just tweeted that she thinks it may be time for her to get a little doggie,now she has the time.*
In Huan Hin Thailand,51-year-old Miguel Angel Jimenez,the oldest man to ever win a tournament on the European tour,is in the lead after two rounds of the True Thailand Classic presented by Black Mountain.Jimenez,who won twice on the European Tour last season at the age of 50,started 2015 with a win on the Champions Tour.He shot an excellent 11 under par 66 today,including seven birdies and one bogey.
I'm very happy,Jimenez said.I am very disappointed to make bogey on the last,but overall I played very solid and made a lot of birdies.I have the flu and I'm very bunged up and slept terribly last night,but apart from that,I'm fine.*
Indeed,Jimenez made an eagle at the ninth hole in the first round.The tournament is being held at the Black Mountain Golf Club.

Grateful Dead to Reunite;Kaymer Tops Abu Dhabi Golf

The Grateful Dead will reunite for a 50th anniversary concert series in Chicago July 3-5,Billboard magazine reported.The iconic 60s rock band,known for its endless touring and improvisational style,will share the stage with guitarist Trey Anastasio of Phish.The concerts will take place nearly 20 years to the day after frontman Jerry Garcia last performed with the band on 9 July,1995,shortly before his death from complications of diabetes.The four surviving members of the Dead are Bob Weir;Phil Lesh;Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann.The shows will be held at Soldiers Field,the home of the NFL's Chicago Bears and site of Garcia's last performance with his bandmates.
The three concerts could draw an estimated 50 million dollars of business into Chicagoland.Bob Weir,74,said the four surviving members will likely never play as a group again following the windy city shows.*
At the European Tour's Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship in the UAE,German Martin Kaymer topped the leaderboard Friday with his second round 13 under par 67.Thomas Pieters of Belgium was second with a 12 under par 67;while Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy,the World Number One,came in third with an eleven under par 66.Australian Richard Green,American Peter Uihlein and France's Alexander Levy were tied for fifth at -8.McIlroy made the first hole in one of his professional career at the fifteenth.The tournament is taking place at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club.

Taking Note:Nicole Scherzinger,Lewis Hamilton,Race To Dubai

Despite being a star for many years,Nicole Scherzinger,36,makes her first appearance in this blog with her video for "Run."For more than a decade,she has been a top performer on both sides of the Atlantic,selling 16 million solo records and 54 million as a member of the girl group The Pussycat Dolls.She has been both a judge and co-host of The X Factor TV programme and had musical theatre roles in "Evita" and "Phantom of the Opera."In 2013,she won a Glamour Award for TV Personality.Born Nicole Prescovia Elikolani Valiente in Honolulu,Hawaii,she is the girlfriend of Formula One race car driver Lewis Hamilton.*
The UK's Lewis Hamilton is the favourite to win the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix,as well as the World Driving Championship,in Sunday's race in the UAE.He needs at least a second place finish to take the WDC.His AMG Petronas Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg of Germany will put up a stiff fight for the race win.
The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will be broadcast on NBCSN at 7:30 am on Sunday,preceded by qualifying at 8 am on Saturday on CNBC.*
Also in the UAE,golf will be prominent as the European Tour's Race To Dubai concludes with the DP World Tour Championship at the Jumeirah Golf Estates.After two rounds,Sweden's Henrik Stenson topped the leader board at ten under par,while World Number One Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland,Richie Ramsay of Scotland and England's Danny Willett shared second place at eight under.

Easter Edition:The Rolling Stones;Demi Lovato;Madonna

Top of this week's blog is The Rolling Stones' "Postcard From Asia" promo for their current 14 On Fire tour,which resumes in Europe in about a month's time.The remainder of the tour's dates are posted at the end of the promo,including the just-released makeup dates for Australia-New Zealand.The tour has been in recess since 17 March because of the death of Mick Jagger's girlfriend,the fashion designer L'Wren Scott.
Coupled with the promo is "Sway,"an officially authorised video from a 2005 concert in Austin,Texas.
"Did you ever wake up to find
A day that broke up your mind
Destroyed your notion of circular time
It's just that demon life has got you in its sway"
This song is the second track on the "Sticky Fingers" LP of 1971.The album was the first Stones LP to hit number one on both the UK and US charts.Pop artist Andy Warhol conceived of the actual zipper on the vinyl record's cover.
The 2005 video features two guitar solos by Ronnie Wood,but the studio recording of 1971 featured their lead guitarist of that era,Mick Taylor.
The new Australia-New Zealand dates are:
25 Oct-Adelaide Oval
29 Oct-Perth Arena
1 Nov-Perth Arena
5 Nov-Melbourne Rod Laver Arena
8 Nov-Macedon Hanging Rock
12 Nov-Sydney Allphones Arena
15 Nov-Hope Estate,Hunter Valley
18 Nov-Brisbane Entertainment Centre
22 Nov-Auckland,New Zealand Mt Sharp Stadium*
Demi Lovato's "Made in the USA" is from her latest album "Demi"(2013).It shows that she can play the guitar and act,as well as sing.Her full name is Demetria Devonne Lovato.*
"Papa Don't Preach" is a Madonna drama from her "True Blue" album.It's a little movie in five minutes,set in an Italian neighbourhood of New York City.Her full name is Madonna Louise Ciccone.*
Pablo Larrazabal of Spain got a lot more than he bargained for in the Maybank Malaysian Open Friday at the Kuala Lumpur Golf&Country Club.A swam of angry hornets chased him into a lake,stinging the golfer more than 20 times.He dried himself off and a doctor gave him some injections so he could continue playing.He indeed did so,scoring a birdie at the 14th hole.Englishman Lee Westwood scored a second round 13 under par 66 to top the leader board.*
Happy Easter,dear readers.

Lakers Halt Warriors;Navy Stops San Jose State

The Los Angeles Lakers(6-7) halted the Golden State Warriors 102-95 Friday night at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.Both teams are hobbled by injuries,with the Lakers missing Steve Nash and Kobe Bryant,while the Warriors lack Stefan Curry.The Lakers handled it better as Pau Gasol stepped us with 24 points,10 rebounds,3 assists and a block.Jordan Farmar and Steve Blake helped with 14 points each.
For the Warriors(8-5),David Lee led with 21 points,13 rebounds,4 assists and a steal.Hamilton Barnes contributed 20 points.
You look at our team,Nash said,there are not a lot of NBA starters.It takes a lot of discipline.Sacrificing yourself for your teammates is paramount.I've had a lot of teammates and coaches who allowed me to be successful.
I like Golden State.That's a championship starting lineup.If they can find a bench,they've got to be in the conversation.
The truth is,a lot of guys have been discarded by their teams.They have a lot of talent.In this system,it does take effort.I think Chris Paul is the best point guard in the league.I love Stef Curry.
The came continues to evolve,the Canadian star observed.He attended Santa Clara University before playing for the Phoenix Suns,Dallas Mavericks,and now the Lakers.He is currently sidelined with a back injury,but says he 18 more months of basketball in him,and he intends to make the most of them.
I got good rhythm going on,Pau Gasol said at halftime,and it was good enough to bring the Lakers within one game of .500.*
In a big college football struggle,the US Naval Academy Midshipmen edged the San Jose State Spartans 58-52 in three overtimes.Navy sophomore quarterback Keenan Reynolds ran for an impressive seven touchdowns,and passed for one more.That brings Navy to a 7-4 record and improves their chances of getting a better bowl invitation.
The Army-Navy game is December 18.*
In European Tour golf,the 2014 season got underway at the South African Open Championship hosted by the City of Ekurhuleni at Glendower Golf Club.After two rounds,Marco Crespi(ITA) topped the leaderboard along with native son Charl Schwartzel(RSA) at -12.Morten Madsen(DEN) held third place at -11.

Tiger Woods in Turkey;Arctic Outbreak;Knicks Win

Tiger Woods zeroed in on the Turkish Airlines Open at the Montgomerie Maxx Royal in Antalya,Turkey on Friday,carding a sterling eleven under par 63.Woods logged a bogey-free round-his third of 2013-and scored nine birdies to lift himself within one shot of the lead,jointly held by Henrik Stenson and three others at -12.
Stenson,the 213 FedEx Cup champion,is currently leading the European Tour overall championship run,the Race To Dubai,which culminates next weekend in the UAE.Woods isn't in that overall competition,but has won 39 European Tour tournaments in his career,with a win percentage of 31.2%.
Stenson is complaining of a sore left wrist.I'm just hanging in and it's day by day,the big Swede said.It's not in great shape,but I'm hanging in there.*
1.Justin Walters RSA -12
Ian Poulter ENG -12
Victor Dubuisson FRA -12
Henrik Stenson SWE -12
5.Tiger Woods USA -11
6.Richard Sterne RSA -10
7.Jamie Donaldson WAL -9
Alejandro Carnizares ESP -9
9.Ross Fisher ENG -8
David Lynn ENG -8
An arctic outbreak is on the way south from Canada,and nothing is stopping it,said The Weather Channel.It is a Blue Norther,and will reach all the way to the Gulf Coast.Forecast models disagree on snowfall.One of them shows heavy snow for the Northeast;another one takes it out to sea.*
The New York Knicks cuffed the Charlotte Bobcats 101-91 at Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte Friday night.Carmelo Anthony led the Knicks with 25 points and 8 rebounds,while Kemba Walker contributed 25 points and 3 rebounds to the Bobcat effort before 16,465 fans at the North Carolina contest.*
Catch the latest music pick on Twitter @Businessblogger.
Update:Tiger Woods played poorly in the third round of the Turkish Airlines Open,dropping to six strokes back of the leader,Victor Dubuisson of France.Woods made three bogeys on the back nine and had trouble hitting fairways.Ian Poulter dropped to second place and Henrik Stenson slipped to third alongside Woods and two others.

Montreal and Valais Golf

Windy conditions hindered golfers in Montreal as the Champions League's Montreal Championship got underway at Club de Golf Richlieu Vercheres/Vallee Du Richlieu Rouville.The narrowness of the course increased the difficulty even more for the veteran golfers.
1.Dick Mast USA -3
2.Kenny Perry USA -2
3.Bernhard Langer GER -1
Mark Brooks USA -1
Mike Reid USA -1
Tom Perniece USA -1
David Frost RSA -1
4.Jim Carter USA E
Anders Forsbrand SWE E
Bill Glasson USA E
In Switzerland,the second round of the European Tour's Omega European Masters on The Race To Dubai was held at the historic Crans-Sur-Sierre Golf Club in Crans Montana,Valais.Opened in 1906,the tough course saw the late Seve Ballesteros win three times in the Switzerland High Alps at 5,000 feet altitude.There are also 8,000 km of hiking trails in the area and skiing in winter.
1.Stephen Gallacher SCT -10
Thomas Bjorn DEN -10
2.Richard Finch ENG -9
Miguel Jimenez ESP -9
Danny Willett ENG -9
Victor Dubuisson FRA -9
3.Mark Tullo CHI -8
Anirban Lahiri IND -8
Brooks Koepka USA -8
Next Thursday,the FedEx Cup Playoffs resume with the BMW Championship near Chicago.Henrik Stenson of Sweden is the points leader after two events.
Update:Hall of Fame golfer Bernhard Langer of Germany took the lead at the Montreal Championship Saturday,while Scotsman Craig Lee surged to the top of the Omega European Masters in Crans Montana,Swtzerland.

The Barclays Golf;Belgium Grand Prix

The golf world is crackling with activity this weekend.In the US,The Barclays is in progress at Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City,New Jersey.The first of the four FedEx Cup Playoffs features striking views of the New York skyline,including the Statue of Liberty and One World Trade Center,or Freedom Tower,rising from the ashes of the 9-11 attack,as well as ferry boats and other watercraft on the Hudson River.Responding to all this scenery is Matt Kuchar,35,who tops the leader board with his -10.The Florida native and Georgia Tech man is number two on the money list,with two wins this season and seven top tens.He is Mr.Consistency,having made 19 of 20 cuts.*1.Matt Kuchar(USA)-10 2.Gary Woodland(USA)-9 2.Webb Simpson(USA)-9 4.Justin Rose(ENG)-7 4.Rickie Fowler(USA)-7 4.Adam Scott(AUS)-7 8.Brendon de Jonge(ZIM)-6 8.Henrik Stenson(SWE)-6 8.Jim Furyk(USA)-6*In LPGA action,The CN Canadian Women's Open is at Royal Mayfair Golf&Country Club in Edmonton,Alberta.Korean Inbee Park and American Cristie Kerr are tied for the lead at -8.*On the European Tour,The Race to Dubai,the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles,Scotland is being led by Argentinian Ricardo Gonzalez at -14.American rookie Brooks Koepka is in fifth at -10.*In motor sport,the August break is over and the Belgium Grand Prix is at the Spa Francorchamps circuit on Sunday.F1 series leader Sebastian Vettel of Germany came in first in the first practice session on Friday,ahead of teammate Australian Mark Webber.Update:At The Barclays,Matt Kuchar now shares the lead with Gary Woodland,29.Woodland has two career wins on the PGA Tour,including one this season at the Reno-Tahoe Open.He is known for his ball-striking power,although not an especially big man.He said he is pleased to be paired with Kuchar for the final round as they are close friends.*At the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles,Scotland,Ricardo Gonzales now shares the lead with Tommy Fleetwood of England,who has yet to win on the European Tour,while Gonzales has five wins.*The starting grid for Sunday's Belgium Grand Prix features Lewis Hamilton(GBR)in pole position,followed by Sebastian Vettel(GER) and Mark Webber(AUS).*Sweden's Caroline Hedwall took the lead at the CN Canadian Women's Open in Edmonton,Alberta.She is followed by Suzann Petterson of Norway and amateur Lydia Ko of New Zealand.

Scottish Open Golf;Popocatepetl Volcano

The Scottish Open is underway at Castle Stuart Golf Links,Inverness.The tournament is on Scotland's Northeast coast along the Moray Firth,looking across to Black Isle and the town of Fortrose.It is an important practice session for next weekend's Open Championship at Muirfield. Phil Mickelson shot a second round eight under par 70 at Castle Stuart Friday,tying for 13th place on the leader board and staying in contention.Fellow American Peter Uihlein did even better with his eleven under par 66 for second place.Uihlein won earlier in the season on the European Tour,and his chances for a second victory certainly looked excellent as of Friday's round. Mickelson got himself out of trouble several times with his much-admired bunker skills.A classic flop shot out of a hazard or rough is pure Mickelson.He seems to be at his best in such difficult situations,excelling at the most challenging moments. It is Mickelson's 11th Scottish Open.His best finish to date was second place at Loch Lomond in 2007. The top ten on Friday were as follows: Christopher Doak(SCO) -12 Peter Uihlein(USA) -11 Matthew Southgate(ENG) -11 Ross Fisher(ENG) -11 Joachim B Hansen(DEN) -11 Henrik Stenson(SWE) -10 Simon Khan(ENG) -10 Lorenzo Gagli(ITA) -10 James Morrison(ENG) -10 Victor Dubuisson(FRA) -10 Mexico's snowy Popocatepetl volcano,about forty miles from the capital,Mexico City, continued to send up a four mile high cloud of ash and steam Friday,coating nearby communities with ash and closing Puebla International Airport,about 20 miles from the eruption. Several airlines have been canceling flights to the area as a precaution.In communities near the mountain,water may not be used for drinking or bathing,since it comes from snowmelt on the mountain,which is 17,930 feet high,or 5465 meters. Update:Phil Mickelson fired off six birdies in the third round of the Scottish Open on Saturday,his excellent 14 under par 66 lifting him from 19th to a tie for 2nd place,two shots behind leader Henrik Stenson at -16.It was vintage Phil,momentum taking hold once he started to roll.At one point,he made four birdies in an hour.

Golf's Two Woods:Tiger Woods and Chris Wood On Top

Men with sylvan surnames topped the leader boards of their respective tournaments Friday and Saturday as professional golf was fully underway in the warmer areas of the planet.Full slates of name players were in the early stages of their quest for glory at either ends of the globe.
At Torrey Pines Golf Course along the Pacific Ocean in San Diego,California,Tiger Woods shot an eleven under par 65 at the Farmers Insurance Open.Fellow American Billy Horschel was in second place with his nine under par 69.Canada's Brad Fritsch held third at -8 with several others.
Woods has won seven times at Torrey Pines and wants to bring the US Open back to the public golf course.
The course is named after the torrey pine tree(Pinus torreyana).It is one of only two sites in the world where the endangered species grows naturally.The other site is Santa Rosa Island off the coast of Santa Barbara,California.The broad,open-crowned trees have an IUCN status of VU,or Vulnerable.There are about 3,000 of them left in the wild.
Across the globe,the European Tour's Commercial Bank Qatar Masters was led by England's Chris Wood with his third round 15 under par 64 at the Doha Golf Course.Second place was shared by fellow Englishman Simon Khan,Sweden's Alexander Noren and Michael Campbell of New Zealand at twelve under par.
Chris Wood has three career second place finishes on the European Tour.
Parts of the Mid-Atlantic region were coated with a light amount of powder snow on Friday,delighting the local ski resorts.

Euro-zone Leaders Agree;Montana Grizzlies Win

Leaders of 17 European nations which use the Euro as their currency have agreed to a series of measures designed to prevent the current debt crisis from occurring again;the U.K. rejected the pact,and several other European countries are studying it further.This contented the stock market for now,sending the major averages up on the week.The Dow gained 1.37%,while the S&P rose 0.88 and the NASDAQ added 0.76.The S&P remains slightly down on the year at -0.19.
In college football,the Montana Grizzlies drew on boisterous hometown support at Washington Grizzly Stadium in Missoula to take a quarterfinal game in the NCAA Division I Championship series,crushing the Northern Iowa Panthers 48-10.Student fans cheered on concrete during the game,having destroyed the seats in their enthusiasm.The Grizzlies will play the winner of the Montana State and Sam Houston State quarterfinal match-up for the title.Fireworks were launched in celebration and a gigantic M was lit up on the mountain behind the stadium at elevation 700 feet.It was 23 degrees F at game time,but the Grizzlies went bare-armed anyway.
In golf,Spaniard Alvaro Quiros leads the Dubai World Championship through two rounds at the Earth Course of the Jumeirah Golf Estates in the United Arab Emirates with a twelve under par 64.Luke Donald of England,the current world number one,is in contention to capture the overall European Tour title at the tournament.
Next week,Wall Street will continue to monitor European developments,as well as an OPEC oil cartel meeting in Vienna on Wednesday.FedEx and General Mills will report their earnings.The S&P futures were up a strong 22.80 on Friday evening,while bond index futures declined.
FedEx(FDX),General Mills(GIS)

Santa Anas Blast SoCal;McIlroy and Quiros Lead

The San Gabriel Valley was rocked by hurricane force Santa Ana winds this week in a rare event the likes of which are seen only once in 5-10 years.The tremendous gusts decimated the urban forests of Southern California as communities lost hundreds of treasured trees,losing power and even water in the process.Pasadena was particularly hard hit,with some 450 street trees being toppled by the winds.Homes were damaged in these lands along the San Gabriel Mountains,where gusts of up to 80 mph were recorded.
The fire risk was described as explosive by a weather service official.The Santa Anas are known for the catastrophic wildland fires they often contribute to in the region.
Rumors of European progress and positive manufacturing and employment trends protected the market this week.All major averages posted gains north of 7%.For the week,the S&P 500 rose 7.39.On the year,the S&P is still down 1.06,however.
The Race To Dubai,The European Tour,made its next to last stop at the Hong Kong Golf Club.After two rounds of the UBS Hong Kong Open,Alvaro Quiros of Spain and Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy topped the leader board.Luke Donald of England led the series going into this weekend,followed by German Martin Kaymer and McIlroy in second and third place,respectively.
Next week will be back-loaded by an important Friday summit in Brussels on changes to the EU treaty for fiscal discipline.Other influential events will include the Institute for Supply Management's service sector report on Monday and a consumer sentiment reading also on Friday.The S&P futures were basically flat at -0.10 Friday evening,while bond index futures rose.

Market Loses Ground;Swedish Golfer Gains Some

The market again struggled with Euro debt worries and an inadequate U.S. employment report,posting a decline on the week.The Dow lost 2.03,while the NASDAQ dropped 1.86 and the S&P fell 2.48.Next week should see more of the same with a light data calendar and few major earnings reports.Among those who will report earnings next week are consumer-oriented General Motors,Macy's and Disney.
The market will be open on Friday,Veterans Day,but banks and the post office will be closed.Consumer sentiment data will be released on Friday.
The S&P futures continued the decline Friday evening,being down another 4.60,while bond index futures rose.
At the World Golf Championship-HSBC Champions in Shanghai,the European Tour continued its Race to Dubai,where the Tour will conclude on December 9.Through the fifth hole of the third round on Saturday,with Asian birds singing distinctively back in the trees along the steamy course,Sweden's Fredrik Jacobson cooly held the lead at fourteen under par for the tournament.Australia's Adam Scott and South African Louis Oosthuizen-pronounced "West hayzen"-were tied for second at -11.Pro golf will only have a one month holiday,as the 2012 PGA Tour starts in Hawaii on January 6.
HSBC Holdings,PLC(HBC),General Motors(GM),Macy's(M),Disney(DIS)

Rare October Snowfall Developing

Winter Storm Warnings are posted for the interior Northeast and Mid-Atlantic as a rare October nor'easter threatens the regions.Widespread power outages may occur as heavy snow coats leafy trees,bringing limbs down on power lines.Baltimore,Maryland has not had October snow since 1903.Upwards of a foot of snow could blanket the Appalachian Mountains,aggravating residents who are looking forward to Halloween on Monday.
Wall Street was not aggravated this week,hailing European leaders for devising a broad outline for handling the Euro debt crisis.Gains were muted on Friday,however,as traders soberly contemplated the U.S. deficit and the prospects for the Europeans now agreeing on details.
For the week,the broadly based S&P added 46.83 points,bringing it up 2.18% on the year.Large cap stocks are leading the way,with the Dow thirty up 5.65% on the year.
Scores were high at the Andalucia Masters at the Valderrama Golf Club in Sotogrande,Spain on Friday.Scotsman Richie Ramsay topped the leader board with a five under par 72.France's Gregory Havret and Spaniard Sergio Garcia shot a 71 and a 70,respectively,on the very hilly course.
Next week will be back loaded by the employment report on Friday.The Institute for Supply Management will also release important manufacturing data.The S&P futures were basically flat in response on Friday evening,barely declining at -0.13,while bond index futures rose.