Golf Monthly news digest

CASEY SPLITS WITH CADDY

Paul Casey has split with his caddy Craig Connolly after three years on his bag. Irishman John Mulrooney will take over this week while Casey decides on a permanent replacement.

The announcement comes shortly after Colin Montgomerie split with caddy Alastair McLean just days before the US Open. The Scotsman is also yet to decide on a permanent replacement.

MONTGOMERIE AND DALY WITHDRAW FROM BMW

Colin Montgomerie and John Daly have both withdrawn from this weeks BMW International Open in Germany.

Montgomerie fell ill while returning from a pro-am in Canada after the US Open. Daly stated that he was unable to leave the United States due to personal reasons. The announcement comes after Daly alleged that his wife had tried to attack him with a steak knife.

LADIES TEAM ANNOUNCED FOR VAGLIANO TROPHY

All five of the players who won the Commonwealth Tournament for Britain last month in South Africa, have been selected by the Ladies? Golf Union to represent GB&I in the Vagliano Trophy against the Continent of Europe. The match will be played at Fairmont St Andrews on July 27 and 28.

The five, Krystle Caithness, Naomi Edwards, Breanne Loucks, Melissa Reid and Kerry Smith are joined by Rachel Bell, Liz Bennett, Tara Delaney and Sahra Hassan will defend the title that GB&I won at Chantilly, France in 2005.

Mary McKenna, Captain of the team said, ?I am happy and pleased with the team that has been chosen and am honoured to be involved with such a strong selection of players.?

There is no question that they will work hard and at St Andrews, with home support, I am sure that we can successfully defend the Trophy.?

TIGER 2/7 TO END SEASON WITHOUT A MAJOR

Tiger Woods is quoted at 2/7 to end the season without a Major to his name by William Hill who offer him at 3/1 to have one Major at the end of the season, 10/1 to have two. "Ironically, we ended up rooting for Tiger at the end of the US Open ? one of our clients had £1,000 each-way on Cabrera at 150/1 and made a profit of just under £190,000!" said Hill's spokesman Graham Sharpe.

After yet another failure by British players to challenge for honours despite being there or thereabouts on the final day, Hills offer 9/2 for a British winner at the Open and 5/2 a British winner at either the Open or USPGA.

WOODS is 11/4 favourite to win the Open with Hills who also offer 12 Mickelson; 16 Els, Singh; 25 Furyk; Goosen; Harrington; A Scott; 33 Casey; Donald; Rose; Stenson; 100 Montgomerie.

DRAW ANNOUNCED FOR OPEN REGIONAL QUALIFYING

The draws for The Open Championship Regional Qualifying on Tuesday 3 July (Royal Dublin) and Wednesday 4 July (15 venues) are now available and are posted on www.opengolf.com - Qualification - Regional Qualifying.

Venues new to 2007 are Enville, Gog Magog and Royal Dublin.

A total of 1,789 players entered Regional Qualifying and approximately 288 will go through to Local Final Qualifying on Monday 9 and Tuesday 10 July. The number from each of the 16 venues will be in proportion to the number of players starting at each course. The sixteen venues are:

Ashridge, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire

Effingham, Effingham, Surrey

Enville, Stourbridge, Staffordshire

Gog Magog, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire

Minchinhampton, Stroud, Gloucestershire

Musselburgh, Musselburgh, East Lothian

Notts, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire

Old Fold Manor, Barnet, Hertfordshire

Pannal, Harrogate, North Yorkshire

Pleasington, Blackburn, Lancashire

Prestbury, Macclesfield, Cheshire

Rochester & Cobham Park, Rochester, Kent

Royal Ashdown Forest, East Grinstead, East Sussex

Royal Dublin, Dublin, Dublin

Silloth on Solway, Wigton, Cumbria

Trentham, Trentham, Stoke-on-Trent