The Black Mountain Masters, the Asian Tour's season finale, will offer the winner a minimum 20 Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points in December, officials announced today.

Tournament champions on the Asian Tour generally receive 14 world ranking points but as the season-ending championship this year, the Black Mountain Masters has been awarded the 'Flagship Status' by the Governing Board of the OWGR.

The Australian team of Julia Boland, Stacey Keating and Alison Whitaker are in 19th place following the opening round of the World Amateur Team Championships for the Espirito Santo Trophy in Argentina. Keating posted the best score of the day for the Australians at Buenos Aires Golf Club with an even par 72. Whitaker finished with a 3-over par 75 while Julia Boland finished with a 5-over par 77. With Keating and Whitaker posting the counting scores, Australia is at 3-over par for the championship.

The United States lead the championship at 8-under par. Jessica Korda, daughter of former Australian Open tennis champion Petr Korda, finished with a 4-under par 68, matched by team mate Cydney Clanton (- 4) to give the Americans the lead.

Rory McIlroy needed a storming finish of three consecutive birdies to haul himself back into the tournament at the Egyptian Open presented by SODIC after a disappointing first 15 holes saw him look more likely to miss the cut than win the tournament.

The World Number Nine, who has been making subtle changes to his swing since his unforgettable Ryder Cup debut, admitted that his front nine of one over par 37 at the JW Marriott Mirage City Golf Club in Cairo was “probably the worst nine holes I have played all year” before his cavalier finish saw him post a one under par 71.

World number 16 Ian Poulter will defend his title at the US$6 million Barclays Singapore Open next month, organisers confirmed today. The flamboyant Poulter became the first Englishman to win the tournament in its storied 46-year history with a one-stroke victory over China's Liang Wen-chong at Sentosa Golf Club last year.

Poulter will come into the event still on a high after his heroics at the Ryder Cup where he secured three points for the European team in their dramatic triumph over the United States. He joins a star-studded field chasing the record-high first prize of US$1 million in the joint richest event on the European Tour outside of the Majors and the World Golf Championships.