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.

Civil War Songs;Scottish Open Golf

Tonight are featured some songs with a Civil War theme:"Dixie" and a cover version of "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down."
"Dixie" is of uncertain authorship,but dates from the 1850s,before the Civil War,and became one of the most popular American songs of the nineteenth century.Indeed,it was a favourite of Abraham Lincoln,who used it for his campaign rallies.During the Civil War,it became the unofficial anthem of the Confederacy.A new set of lyrics with a military theme were written in the war period,but the sung version given here,by the 2nd South Carolina String Band,uses the original minstrel show lyrics of the prewar period.An instrumental version by the The Canadian Brass and Nexus is also offered.
The cover version of "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" is by American folk singer Joan Baez.Her high quality voice and perfect diction makes listening to it worthwhile.Last time was featured the original version by The Band.Given the current atmosphere in the United States,you have to wonder whether a radio station would dare to play such a song written from the Confederate perspective.Have no fear,dear readers:you can listen to the song on this blog.For that matter,"Dixie" has also been criticised for being racist,even though Lincoln himself loved it.Would a radio station dare to play that song today?This blog will so that you can decide for yourselves.
Will such songs as "Dixie" still be sung in the public schools where we sang them years ago?For that matter,we had Christmas parties at public schools.*
At the Scottish Open at the Gullane Golf Club in East Lothian,Scotland,Englishman Daniel Brooks topped the leader board with his excellent second round eleven under par 65.Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland,American Ryan Palmer and four others shared second place at eight under par.Phil Mickelson,who won the tournament in 2013,was well down the leader board in 48th place with his three under par 68,but will still get to play the weekend and have an outside chance to win.

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.

Out of the Quagmire:Mickelson Brilliant at Scottish Open

Phil Mickelson's career seemed to be on vacation.Last week,he didn't even make the cut at The Greenbrier Classic in West Virginia.Before that,he only tied for 65th place at the U.S. Open and had withdrawn from the Memorial Tournament because of fatigue,a reason that was mocked by TV commentators.On Friday,however,the 42-year old Arizona State alumnus launched an eight under par 64 at the Scottish Open on the Castle Stuart links course at Inverness.Mickelson made an eagle and six birdies on the British style golf course.It's not to the level I would like yet,Mickelson admitted,but I get closer each day.
Mickelson's eagle two was from 60 yards out on his first hole.This level of play was in stark relief to his previous eight rounds over par-the worst stretch in his career.I'm really glad I added this tournament,the popular San Diegan remarked on the European Tour website,and it's very helpful to see my game progress so quickly.Mickelson is preparing for next weekend's British Open,the third major tournament on the PGA Tour calendar.
Swede Alexander Noren topped the leaderboard at Inverness,followed by Argentina's Ricardo Gonzalez.Mickelson was tied for 19th position after Friday's round in the overcast but dry conditions,seven under par for the tournament and five strokes off the lead.
Update:Phil Mickelson had another sharp round on Saturday at the Scottish Open,shooting a seven under par 65,including eight birdies,and moving up to a tie for fifth place on the leaderboard from 19th.Italy's Francesco Molinari took the lead at -17.Mickelson is now -14 for the tournament and three strokes behind Molinari.