April 2004 Archive

Friday 30th April 2004

Aberdeenshire Championship
JULIE AND SHEENA MATCH 77s IN ABERDEENSHIRE Q ROUND
Inverurie's Julie Henderson, the title-holder, and four times past champion Sheena Wood (Aberdeen Ladies) topped the leaderboard with five-over-par rounds of 77 in the qualifying round of the Aberdeenshire women's county golf championship in very wet conditions at Inchmarlo on Friday.
With The Laird's Course playing very long, Julie was out in 41 with 6s at the fourth, fifth and seventh but she matched the inward half par of 36, thanks to a birdie 2 at the short 11th which was cancelled out by a bogey at the 12th.
Sheena did not have a birdie in halves of 38 and 39, shots dropped at the 13th, 16th and 18th costing her the top seeding which went to Julie on the better inward half.
Three youngsters - Murcar's Donna Pocock and Sjavon Wilson and Ellon's Michele Thomson - qualified among the top six.
Qualifiers (CSS 74 non-counting)
77 J Henderson (Inverurie), S Wood (Aberdeen Ladies).
78 D Pocock (Murcar).
79 S Wilson (Murcar).
80 L Urquhart (Murcar), M Thomson (Ellon).
81 F Hay (Deeside), J Harrison (Cruden Bay).
83 K Thomson (Kintore).
84 L McPherson (Deeside).
85 L McLardy (Murcar).
86 C Wilson (Murcar), A Bowman (Ellon), P Wilson (Murcar).
87 A Smart (Banchory).
88 R Dunsmuir (Cruden Bay).
Did not qualify
88 V Riddell (Turriff).
89 I Thomson (Kintore).
90 G Christie (Banchory), K Stalker (Fraserburgh), E Whyte (Aberdeen Ladies), L Murray (Alford).
91 P McGunnigle (Banchory), L Terry (Cruden Bay), J Whitehead (Kemnay).
92 B Duncan (Banchory), E Brown (Aboyne).
93 J Slater (Aboyne).
97 S Gordon (Ballater), Y Moir (Kemnay), M Millership (Deeside).
Saturday's match-play draw (7min intervals):
10.00 Henderson v Dunsmuir, K Thomson v Harrison, Urquhart v Bowman, P Wilson v S Wilson.
10.28 Pocock v C Wilson, McLardy v M Thomson, Hay v McPherson, Smart v Wood.
Quarter-final ties begin 2.30.
Sunday's semi-finals at 10.0 & 10.10. Final at 2.30.

Midlothian Championship
LEADING QUALIFIERS CONTEST MIDLOTHIAN SEMI-FINALS
The form of the leading players in the qualifying round of the Midlothian women's county championship was maintained in the first two rounds of the match-play stages at Newbattle Golf Club on Friday - to such an extent that the top four qualifiers will contest the semi-finals on Sunday morning.
It will be leading qualifier Karen Marshall (Baberton) against former international Claire Hargan (Prestonfield) in the first semi-final and Kirsten Blackwood (Glencorse) versus Fiona De Vries (Baberton) in the second.
Two of the winning Scotland veterans' team - they beat Ireland to retain the Mary McKenna Trophy in Ireland earlier in the week - just failed to progress. Pamela Williamson (Baberton) lost at the 19th to Karen Marshall in the quarter-finals while Noreen Fenton (Merchants of Edinburgh) lost on the 17th green to Kirsten Blackwood.
MIDLOTHIAN WOMEN'S COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP - Newbattle GC
Match-play First round
Karen Marshall beat Rita Dee at 19th hole.
Pamela Williamson beat Kate Rorke 2 holes.
Jennifer Bryans beat Jane Flucker 1 hole.
Claire Hargan beat Tracy Laughland at 19th.
Fiona de Vries beat Linda Caine 5 and 4.
Sheila Lyon beat Jane Turner 1 hole.
Noreen Fenton beat Louise Fraser 2 and 1.
Kirsten Blackwood beat Fiona Hunter 3 and 2.
Quarter-finals
Marshall beat Williamson at 19th.
Hargan beat Bryans 5 and 4.
De Vries beat Lyon 2 and 1.
Blackwood beat Fenton 2 and 1.
Sunday's semi-finals (Marshall v Hargan, De Vries v Blackwood) begin at 10am and the final will tee off at 3.15pm.
B CHAMPIONSHIP
First Round
Pam Townsend beat Carol Fulton 1 hole.
Maureen Knubley w o Sylvia Ritchie scr.
Maureen Gardner beat Eileen McLauchlan 6 and 5.
Pat Wood beat June Oliver 4 and 2.
Gina Thomson beat Margaret McLaren at 19th.
Mary Richardson beat Carole Mason 3 and 1.
Jill Ireland beat Sheelagh Richardson at 19th.
Molly Woolgar beat Judy Wilkie at 22nd.
Quarter-finals
Townsend beat Knubley 4 and 3.
Gardner beat Wood 4 and 3.
Richardson beat Thomson at 19th.
Ireland beat Woolgar 4 and 2.

Lynn makes amateur mistake
Scotland's Lynn Kenny, the surprise omission from the Curtis Cup Team, has been invited to play in the Tenerife Ladies Open at the Buenavista Golf Club this week. Joining Lynn are three other amateurs, Spanish girls Emma Cabrera and Ana Sanso-Rubert, and GB&I Curtis Cup team member Fame More (England).
The full strength Ladies European Tour produced some excellent scores in the first round, with Finn Minea Blomqvist leading the field with a six-under 66, closely followed by Johanna Westerberg (Sweden) and Amanda Moltke-Leth (Denmark) on 67 and Spaniards Nuria Clau and amateur Emma Cabrera on 68.
Lynn was satisfied with her play from tee to green in her first round of 75. Her three strokes over par were directly attributable to three three putts. Imagine her surprise when, on finishing her round, she was penalised two strokes for taking a practice putt at the 12th (her third hole) after the hole was completed. The penalty shots were added to her score at the 13th giving her a bogey 6 instead of a birdie 4, and increased her final score to five over 77.
Practise between holes is allowed in the Rules of Golf (see Rule 7.2) but there is a caveat in Note 2 of Rule 7 which says "The Committee may, in the conditions of a competition (Rule 33.1), prohibit: (a) practice on or near the putting green of the hole last played, and (b) rolling a ball on the putting green of the hole last played."
The Ladies European Tour have probably invoked this Note to Rule 7 to speed up play.
It's a warning to us all to check the Conditions of the Competition before we play in a tournament.
Scotland's Julie Forbes from Aboyne and Lesley Nicholson from Haddington are handily placed on par 72 and one-over 73 respectively. Pam Wright had an 80 and Fame More is on 81. Full scores can be found on the LET website.

Catriona Matthew doing well...
North Berwick's Catriona Matthew, currently in the top ten of the money list in the US, made a great start to the Chick-a-Flick tournament at Eagle's Landing Country Club, Stockbridge, Georgia yesterday with a 68 to be three strokes off the lead. A post round interview can be found here (NB. scroll to the end)

Scottish Womens' University Golf
ORGANISER ANNE FAVOURS JOINING UP MEN'S AND WOMEN'S UNI CHAMPIONSHIPS
The Scottish women's universities golf championship may be played in conjunction with the men's week-long championship at Moray Golf Club, Lossiemouth with effect from March next year. The women's universities event has been played over 36 holes in one day at one venue during the month of April in recent years. This year's title was won by the tournament organiser Anne Ramsay (Heriot Watt University & Kirriemuir Golf Club).
At the conclusion of the prizegiving at Edzell Golf Club on Wednesday, Anne told competitors that she was in favour of staging the women's universities championship alongside the men's championship which has found a home at Lossiemouth during the last week of March for the past few years.
"The girls who had played in this year's championship at Edzell were all in favour of such a move with the proviso that I wouldn't ask them to go all the way to Lossiemouth just to play two rounds in one day," said Anne. "I favour adopting the same format as the British women's universities championship with a couple of qualifying rounds to decide the match-play qualifiers and their places in the draw. So that could be a programme of four days minimum.
"All of this has to be talked through with the organisers of the men's universities championship to see if we can be incorporated into their week at Lossiemouth. "

US College Golf
INGLIS WANTS TO BOW OUT WITH FOUR-TIMER
Walker Cup player David Inglis, pictured right, from Roslin, Midlothian is determined to end his four-year golf scholarship at the University of Tulsa by extending his record as the only player ever to win the Western Athletic Conference golf championship three times in a row. The tournament will be played at the San Joaquin Country Club in Fresno, California from May 3 to 5 (next Monday to Wednesday).

US College Golf
COLETTE IN KENTUCKY TOP 10
Colette Murray (Jacksonville State University), pictured right, from Dumfries finished joint ninth in the Ohio Valley Conference women's college championship at the Country Club of Paducah, Kentucky. Colette had rounds of 83, 82 and 84 for 249 - 15 shots behind winner Nikki Orazine (Murray State) with 80, 77 and 77.
Jacksonville State (989) finished third in the team event behind Murray State (963) and Tennessee Tech (977).

US College Golf
MARTIN LAIRD IS TOP BRIT IN US RANKINGS
Scottish youths champion Martin Laird (Colorado State & Hilton Park), pictured right, is the top-ranked British and Irish player in the Golfweek male US college golf rankings. He is in at No 19 in the latest list.
David Inglis (Tulsa & Glencorse), a regular top-20 man over the last two or three seasons, has dropped to No 37 while Scott Jamieson (Augusta State & Cathkin Braes) is No 190 and Kevin McAlpine (Colorado State & Alyth) is down at No 365. Wallace Booth (Augusta State) and Mark Lamb (Arizona) have not played in enough NCAA tournaments to be ranked as yet.

US College Golf
MVP AWARD FOR LOUISE
Former Scottish girls' champion Louise Kenney from Pitreavie, Fife received the Most Valuable Player award at Iowa State University's annual awards banquet. She averaged 76.7 strokes per round in 28 rounds of college tournaments and was described as "a valuable asset to the team" in the presentation.

US College Golf
CURTIS CUP AMERICANS OCCUPY THREE OF TOP FOUR COLLEGE RANKING PLACES
The selectors of the United States Curtis Cup team for Formby on June 12-13 could claim, at the moment, that, as far as the five college players in their eight-strong line-up are concerned, they have got it nearly right.
The latest Golfweek rankings have Liz Janangelo (Duke University), pictured right, at No 1, Brittany Lang (also Duke University) at No 3 and Erica Blasberg (Arizona) at No 4. Not selected but ranked No 2, with a clutch of wins this season to her credit, is Charlotte Mayorkas (UCLA).
Supporters of the GB&I team should be grateful that the US selectors did not think the California girl was good enough to be selected - not even as a reserve!
The two other US team members in the rankings are Sarah Huarte, who is having a slightly disappointing season for California and is rated No 17, while Annie Thurman (Oklahoma State) is down at No 26 but won her most recent tournament by seven strokes and could be running into form just in time for Formby.
The leading British and Irish players in the Golfweek rankings are Rachel Bell (Southern California & Ganton) at No 88, and Irish champion Martina Gillen (Kent State & Beaverstown) at No 99. Jenna Wilson (San Diego State & Strathaven) is the top Scot at No 109. Team-mate Heather MacRae (Dunblane) is ranked 134th and Louise Kenney (Iowa State & Pitreavie) is 213rd.
Other rankings include: 305 Danielle Roseberry (New Mexico State & Sunderland). 518 Karen Delaney (Kent State & Carlow). 549 Suzie Hayes (Notre Dame).

US College Golf
East of Scotland Girls Champion, Stephanie Crolla, (McLennan College) is the only Scottish girl playing in the National Junior College Championship at Daytona Beach, Florida from 17/5/04 to 24/5/04. She has a lot to live up to, as Scots have dominated this event in recent years. Claire Hunter, Heather Stirling, Linzi Morton, Angela Finlay, Pamela Feggans and Heather Macrae all cut their teeth in this tournament. Stephanie is looking forward to the challenge! Good luck Stephanie!

YOU CAN PHONE THE SLGA AGAIN
The Scottish Ladies Golfing Association is now back in contact with the outside world after a brief hiatus following the transfer of its headquarters from Drumoig to Perth.
The telephone number is: 01738 442357
The postal address is: The Den, 2 Dundee Road, Perth.
Don't all phone at once!

Thursday 29th April 2004

HEATHER AND JENNA ARE BOUND FOR TIGER WOODS' OLD STAMPING GROUND
San Diego State University's "Tartan Twins" - Heather MacRae (left) and Jenna Wilson (right) - will be playing in the NCAA women's college regional golf championships next week but another Scot, Louise Kenney at Iowa State University, has missed out on end of the season play-offs.
MacRae from Dunblane and Wilson from Strathaven have been a big hit in their first college golf season for San Diego State who, thanks to their combined efforts, have qualified to play in the West Regional championship at Stanford University golf course - where Tiger Woods used to play - California from May 6 to 8.
Danielle Roseberry from Sunderland, a student at New Mexico State University, is also playing in the Stanford event.
There are 21 college teams competing at three regional championship venues. Only the top eight will go forward to the NCAA championships from May 18 to 21 at Auburn University's Grand National Lake course in Opelika, Alabama.
Louise Kenney's Iowa State University team failed to qualify from their local conference championship and Louise, a member at Pitreavie, Dunfermline, has not been in good enough form to be invited to play as an individual, as was the case last year.
Ireland's Martina Gillen and Karen Delaney - both students at Kent State University - will be competing in the Central Regional championship from May 6 to 8 at Illinois State University's course at Normal, Illinois.
Notre Dame and Southern California are also in the field of 21 teams at this venue. Suzie Hayes from Dublin is at Notre Dame while England's Rachel Bell (Ganton), beaten finalist in the British girls' championship at Blairgowrie in the year 2000, is a member of the Southern Cal team.
Five members of the United States' Curtis Cup team - Liz Janangelo and Brittany Lang (Duke), Sarah Huarte (California), Annie Thurman (Oklahoma) and Erica Blasberg (Arizona) - will be in action in the various regional championships. They will almost certainly be further sharpened up for the Formby match on June 12-13 by taking part in the NCAA champions from May 18 to 21, less than three weeks before the American squad of eight (the other three are only at high school) fly to Britain.

MUSSELBURGH GETS R&A CALL IN 2006
Musselburgh Golf Club will become the Scottish regional qualifying venue for the Open championship from 2006 onwards. The Open is being played at Royal Liverpool that year.
Although there are 16 venues for the one-round regional qualifiers, normally held on the first Monday in July, only one of them is in Scotland.
In recent years, the Royal & Ancient Golf Club has used Lanark, Deer Park, then Glenbervie and latterly Renfrew. In contrast to Scotland,
England, Wales and Ireland have 15 regional qualifying venues between them. In 2006 they will be Ashridge, Little Aston, Minchinhampton, Notts, Orsett, Pleasington, Prestbury, Rochester & Cobham Park, Royal Ashdown Forest, Silloth-on-Solway, The Island, Trentham, Effingham, Old Fold Manor and Pannal.

ORGANISER ANN RAMSAY WINS UNI TITLE
Ann Ramsay (Heriot Watt University), organiser of Scottish women students' golf competitions, won the Scottish women's university title for the first time at Edzell yesterday (Wednesday).
[Picture (right) shows Ann receiving the trophy from Edzell Ladies Captain Kate Caithness, © Cal Carson Golf Agency]
Ann, a five-handicap member of Kirriemuir Golf Club and a former Angus women's county champion, tied with English-born Alex Marshall (Stirling University) on 153, both having similar rounds of 75 and 78. Miss Ramsay took the title on the better inward half in the second round, played in the afternoon rain.
Dawn Dewar (Stirling University) led the field after a first-round 73 but slipped back to third place with an 84 for 157. But Dawn did help
Stirling to win the team title with a total of 303. Her team-mates were Alex Marshall and another English student, Olivia Briggs.
Robert Gordon University (326) were runners-up. Fiona Mahoney (St Andrews), who plays off 27, won the handicap award with a net total of 143.
Collated scoreboard
SCOTTISH WOMEN'S UNIVERSITY CHAMPIONSHIP Edzell GC FINAL TOTALS 153 Ann Ramsay (Heriot Watt) 75 78, Alex Marshall (Stirling) 75 78. 157 Dawn Dewar (Stirling) 73 84. 159 Olivia Briggs (Stirling) 82 77. 160 Kirsty Wells (Dundee) 79 81. 161 Kerri Harper (Abertay) 85 76. 163 Gillian Davidson (Robert Gordon) 84 79, Lesley Williamson (Robert Gordon) 84 79. 175 Katie Brown (Edinburgh) 90 85. 177 Catherine Patterson (St Andrews) 92 85. 181 Suzanne Graham (Edinburgh) 89 92. 186 Deli Skinner (Aberdeen) 98 88. 197 Fiona Mahoney (St Andrews) 94 103. 213 Melissa Nicholson (St Andrews) 111 102.
HANDICAP PRIZELIST 143 F Mahoney (St Andrews) (27). 145 K Brown (Edinburgh) (15), G Davidson (Robert Gordon) (9).
TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP 303 Stirling (A Marshall, D Dewar, O Briggs). 327 Robert Gordon (G Davidson, L Williamson). 356 Edinburgh (S Graham, K Brown). 373 St Andrews (F Mahoney, C Patterson, M Nicholson).

St Andrews team who won the Scot Unis Women's league over the winter.
Catherine Paterson, Melissa Nicholson and Fiona Mahoney

St Andrews University's men's and women's golf teams pulled off a double by winning their respective Scottish championships. The St Andrews men won their title after a week of endeavour at Moray Golf Club, Lossiemouth at the end of March.
The St Andrews University ladies team came through a longer haul to win the winter-long league championship by a clear margin from Stirling with Edinburgh third.
The final placings were: 1 St Andrews 32pt 2 Stirling 17. 3 Edinburgh 14. 4 Heriot Watt 8.5 5 Abertay 5.5 6 Strathclyde 4. 7 Robert Gordon 3.

US College Golf
SCOT LAMB HELPS US COLLEGE WIN TITLE
Mark Lamb from Haddington, now a golf scholarship student at Arizona University, helped his college win the Pacific 10 Conference title at Marana, Arizona. Mark, Scottish boys' open stroke-play champion in 2002, had rounds of 76, 76, 76 and 74 over the monster, 7,435yd course at The Gallery at Dove Mountain for a total of 14-over-par 302. That placed him joint 28th in the overall standings. Team-mate Henry Liaw won the individual title with nine-under 279 (69, 70, 72, 68). The Arizona team of six, including Mark Lamb, came from nine shots behind over the last round with five counting scores to total 1450 and beat their great rivals Arizona State University by five shots for the title.
LEADING INDIVIDUALS 279 Henry Liaw (Arizona) 69 70 72 68. 283 Alejandro Canizares (Arizona State) 781 72 66 74, Chez Reavie (Arizona State) 69 70 70 74. Other score: 302 Mark Lamb (Arizona) 76 76 76 74.
LEADING TEAMS 1450 Arizona. 1455 Arizona State. 1470 UCLA.

Wednesday 28th April 2004

Helen Holm Scottish Open Strokeplay
The photographs are here... slightly surreal, as the mist rolled in... that's Colin's excuse anyway.

KIWI LIZ FAVOURITE TO REGAIN NORTHERN COUNTIES TITLE ON HOME NAIRN COURSE
Tain's Mary Smith, pictured below left,, faces a stern test at Nairn this weekend when she opens her defence of the Northern Counties women's county championship. Local scratch player Liz McKinnon (right) will start as favourite.
New Zealander McKinnon won the title at her first attempt two years ago at Moray. Then defending at Tain last year, Liz was surprisingly beaten in the quarter final by Inverness teenager Kerri Harper. Mrs McKinnon, whose husband Roy caddies for her, has had a great start to the season, recently reaching the final of the Portuguese women's open amateur championship before losing to Ireland's Gillian O'Leary.
Incidentally, Liz will be returning to Portugal early next month, courtesy of the Portuguese Federation. The winner of their open amateur championship always receives an all-expenses-paid place in the Ladies European Tour Portuguese Open. Gillian O'Leary cannot take her place in that event as the amateur champion so the Portuguese Federation have invited Mrs McKinnon to take her place.
Missing from the 90+ field at Nairn - they will play one qualifying round on Saturday followed by two days of match-play - are Royal Dornoch's top three players, sisters Lesley and Pam Mackay and Cara Gruber.
Gruber, an SLGA selection, travels with the Scottish squad to Ashburnham to play in the Welsh women's open amateur stroke-play championship on the South Wales coastline. Lesley Mackay is going to America and Pam MacKay is unable to get time off work. Pam, who attempted to get her pro tour playing card in Portugal last winter, finishes off her winter job in Inverness this weekend and returns to Royal Dornoch as a caddie to fund her intended full season on the leading women's amateur events.

Golf Gurus in Nairn
Highland golfers were treated to a unique event last Wednesday at the Newton Hotel in Nairn. At the invitation of European Tour Professional and coach Gillian Stewart, golfing gurus Dr Karl Morris and Jamie Edwards presented a Seminar on how to ‘Train your Golf Brain’. Report

NORTH GOLF CLUB WINS INTERNATIONAL AWARD
Fortrose & Rosemarkie Golf Club on the Black Isle, north of Inverness has been named the winner of the 2004 International Environmental Golf Course award and a cheque for £1,500 by the Friends of Conservation and GolfPlanet Holidays for promoting wildlife-friendly practices. The judges considered nominations from around the world in making their decision.
The money is to be used for creating wildlife woodland corridors around the course. The ecology of the course includes a variety of important species such as breeding skylarks, linnet, yellowhammer, whitethroat, grey partridge, brown hare, red kite and peregrine falcons. Its grasslands are rich in wildflowers and butterflies.
"Fortrose & Rosemarkie are setting an excellent example to golf courses everywhere. As golf tour operators and enthusiastic golfers ourselves we are keen to promote and reward initiatives that enhance our golf courses and the wider environment," said Morgan Clarke, managing director of GolfPlanet Holidays.
Ironically, Fortrose & Rosemarkie Golf Club is losing its head greenkeeper Stuart Hogg. He has been appointed course manager of St Annes Old Links, Lytham with effect from July after 12 years on the Black Isle.

UK Student Golf
Womens' ScotUnis at Edzell
The Scottish Women Students are playing two rounds at Edzell today in the Scottish Universities Championship. Go and watch if you are in the vicinity. They could do with some support!!!
Here are results from the last league game. St Andrews head the League Championship with 32 points.
1st Scratch - Ann Ramsay 76 (5pts) 2nd Scratch - Kerri Harper 83 (4pts) 3rd Scratch - Theresa Caban 95 (3pts)
1st Handicap - Melissa Nicholson 71 (5pts) 2nd Handicap - Fiona Mahoney 72 (4pts) 3rd Handicap - Lyndsey Johnston 80 (3pts)
League Points after 3 games 1st St Andrews 32pts 2nd Stirling 17pts 3rd Edinburgh 14pts 4th Heriot Watt 8.5pts 5th Abertay 5.5pts 6th Strathclyde 4pts 7th RGU 3pts

Tuesday 27th April 2004

Midlothian County Championship
KAREN HEADS MIDLOTHIAN QUALIFIERS
Baberton's Karen Marshall headed the qualifiers for the match-play stages of the Midlothian women's county golf championship at Newbattle on Tuesday. Karen had scores of 76 and 74 for 150, one shot ahead of No 2 seed Kirsten Blackwood (Glencorse) who had rounds of 79 and 72.
Defending champion Claire Hargan (Prestonfield) was the fourth qualifier on 155 with a 79 and a 76.
The championship continues at Newbattle on Friday with the semi-finals and final on Sunday (10am and 3pm).
Karen Ballantyne (Craigmillar Park), the current Scottish senior women's champion, was a surprise non-qualifier with a 36-hoe total of 167 (84 and 83).
QUALIFIERS (CSS 72 72)
150 Karen Marshall (Baberton) 76 74
151 Kirsten Blackwood (Glencorse) 79 72
152 Fiona de Vries (St Rule) 76 76
155 Claire Hargan(Prestonfield) 79 76
156 Jennifer Bryans (Harburn) 76 80
157 Jane Turner (Glencorse) 80 77, Noreen Fenton (Merchants) 76 81
158 Pamela Williamson (Baberton) 83 75, Kate Rorke (Kingsknowe) 80 78
159 Louise Fraser (Kingsknowe) 78 81
160 Sheila Lyon (Kingsknowe) 82 78
161 Jane Flucker (Craigmillar Park) 80 81 Tracy Laughland (Mortonhall) 80 81
162 Linda Caine (Merchants 83 79
164 Fiona Hunter (Baberton) 79 85.
166 Rita Dee (Kingsknowe) 85 81.
+Jane Williamson (Mortonhall) scored 160 (82 78) but withdrew from the match-play stages.
NON-QUALIFIERS
166 Elizabeth Simpson (Murrayfield) 84 82.
167 Aileen Kennedy (Harburn) 85 82, Karen Ballantyne (Craigmillar Park) 84 83, Betty Anderson (Deer Park) 83 84.
168 Hilary Laughland (Prestonfield) 80 88.
169 Mairi Pollock (Craigmillar Park) 86 83.
171 Wendy Nicholson (Broomieknowe) 91 80, Anne Hanson (Glencorse) 87 84.
172 Letty Mackinnon (Kingsnowe) 83 89.
Match-play draw (Friday): 9.0 Marshall v Dee, Rorke v P Williamson, Bryans v Flucker, Laughland v Hargan. 9.30 DeVries v Caine, Lyon v Turner, Fenton v Fraser, Hunter v Blackwood.
Also See www.mclga.co.uk for the scores and championship qualifiers

Borders Championship
Judith Anderson led the qualifiers in the Borders County Championship at the weekend. The matchplay stages continue over the Roxburghe Golf Course on Sat and Sunday 1st and 2nd May. The draw is
1 JUDITH ANDERSON v 16 MARNY WADDELL
9 MAGS MORRISON v 8 WENDY WELLS
5 JULIE B-WHITE v 12 LIZ CAMPBELL
13 JACKIE PRESTON v 4 KATIE MASSIE
3 SHEILA CUTHBERTSON v 14 KAREN HUGHES
11 ALISON RUTHERFORD v 6 SHARON PATTERSON
7 ANNE DODS v 10 KIRSTY INKPEN
15 GILLIAN OLIVER v 2 EMMA FAIRNIE

Joan Marshall, captain of the victorious Scottish team, holding the Mary McKenna Salver,
surrounded by the Scottish and Irish teams, after their match at the Hermitage, Dublin last week.
Photo Courtesy of Pat Hutton... thanks Pat!

Welsh Strokeplay
Here is the Draw (Excel file) for the Welsh Open Strokeplay to be held at Asburnham at the weekend

£4 MILLION PURSE FOR THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP
Total prize money for The Open Championship at Royal Troon will be £4 million, an increase of £100,000 on the 2003 figure. The 2004 Champion will receive a cheque for £720,000, an increase of £20,000 from last year. The additional £100,000 will be distributed amongst the 70 players and ties who make the cut, with an average increase of 2.6%.
"We have increased The Open Championship prize money in line with inflation and this again keeps The Open purse highly competitive," said Peter Dawson, Chief Executive of The R&A Group of Companies.
The increase in prize money should prove attractive to overseas competitors, particularly those from the United States, with the prize fund equating to U.S. $7.1 million at today's exchange rates. In recent years prize money has been substantially increased and in the seven years since Justin Leonard won at Royal Troon, the first prize has increased almost three-fold, from £250,000 to £720,000, and the total prize fund from £1.6 million to £4 million.

West Vets Spring Meeting Sandyhills 26th April SSS 73 Par 74 CSS 75
Scratch H. Anderson 77
Silver 1. H. Anderson (5) 72 2. I. McVicar (14) 74 bih 3. J. Graham (10) 74
Bronze 1. M. Gray (29) 79 2. M. Doonan (24) 80 3. J. Thomson (22) 82

Roehampton Gold Cup
Irish champion in 2000 and 2001, Alison Coffey bowed out of international golf after the Curtis Cup of 2000 at Ganton. More's the pity, some might say as the 2004 match against the United States is fast approaching at Formby on June 12-13. Alison felt she hampered her career as a civil engineer by have a brief fling at winning golf titles and honours and it was time to move from Northern Ireland - she played out of the Warrenpoint club, near Newry - to the London area in furtherance of her job. She became a member at Worplesdon where she still has plus two of a handicap. And in Saturday's (April 24) Roehampton Gold Cup - one of the few female tournaments open to amateur AND professionals - Miss Coffey showed she still has a golf game to match the best. Alison put together rounds of 74 and 72 for a two-over-par aggregate of 146 - two under the CSS (74+74) to win by two shots from Colchester professional Sarah Bennett who had 73 and 75 for 148. The professionals dominated third place with four of them tieing on 151 - Kirsty Taylor, Claire Duffy, Claire Lipscombe and Kathryn Evans.
Curtis Cup team selections Fame More (Chesterfield) - winner of the Roehampton Golf Club in 2002 - and Danielle Masters (Bearsted) elected to play at the London venue instead of joining five more of skipper Ada O'Sullivans team at Troon for the Helen Holm Trophy 54-hole Scottish women's open stroke-play championship. Ada would have been pleased with their performance. Fame (80, 73) and Danielle (75, 78) finished on 153, joint ninth overall.
LEADING FINAL TOTALS (CSS 74 74) 146 A Coffey (Worplesdon) (am) 74 72. 148 S Bennett (Colchester) 73 75. 151 K Taylor (Sandford Springs) 72 79, C Duffy (Sandford Springs) 74 77, C Lipscombe (Cirencester) 80 71, K Evans (Wales) 78 73. 152 S Moon (US) 76 76, L Walters (Horsley Lodge) 77 75. 153 F More (Chesterfield) (am) 80 73, D Masters (Bearsted) (am) 75 78, K Hutcherson (Porters Park) 78 75. 154 A Keighley (Lightcliffe) 79 75, K Knowles (England) 75 79, S Foster (Herne Bay) 77 77, E Weeks (Fleming Park) 78 76. 156 C Aitken (Mid-Kent) (am) 79 77, C Leathers (Ellesborough) (am) 77 79, J Oliver (Knebworth) 78 78, W Dicks (Hacienda del Alamo 81 75. 157 S Lovell (Stockbrook Manor) (am) 82 75, L Hamilton-Diggle (Celtic Manor) (am) 75 82, V Bell (England) 80 77. 158 K Shepherd (Guildford) (am) 82 76, S Heath (England) 81 77. 159 N Evans (Pleasington) (am)75 84, C Hall (Filton) 82 77. 160 F Brown (Silvermere) 86 74. 161 J Hodge (Knowle) (am) 81 80, T Boyes (Meon Valley) (am) 80 81, C Grady (Dunston Hall) 81 80. 162 E Lyons (West Surrey) (am) 82 80, E Brown (West Wilts) (am) 79 83, H Burke (Mid-Herts) (am)76 86, A Radford (Rochester & Cobham) 81 81. 163 A Silk (Corhampton) (am) 84 79. 164 J Phipps (Gog Magog) (am) 81 83. ends

Monday 26th April 2004

US College Golf
Strathaven's Jenna Wilson (San Diego State), pictured right, the holder of the Scottish U21 Stroke Play title, was her University's top performer as she carded a two-over par 215 to finish fifth, the low freshman in the field, in the Mountain West conference, held at the Sunriver Resort, Meadows Course, Sunriver, Oregon, over the weekend. Jenna shot 71 on Friday and Saturday after opening with a two-over 73. Her team-mate, 2002 Scottish Girls' champion, Heather MacRae, from Dunblane, finished the tournament in 12th place after shooting 75 for a 220 total. San Diego State finished in fourth place and wait to see whether they have qualified for the NCAA regionals, which should be announced later today.
Another past Scottish Girls Champion, Louise Kenney (Iowa State) was a disappointing 46th in the Big 12 conference held at College Station, Texas. Her scores were 80 and 79. The third round was cancelled due to rain. Annie Thurman (Oklahoma State), a member of the US Curtis Cup team, blew the field apart with a seven stroke lead over the next competitor. Her scores were 69 and 68 for a seven under 137. Iowa State finished 11th and will not be progressing any further in the NCAA's this year.
And a third ex Scottish Girls Champion, Nairn Dunbar's, Laura Walker, a student of Arkansas - Little Rock, finished in 28th place in the Sun Belt conference last week with scores of 85, 82 and 77 for 244. Her team-mate Fiona Gilbert from Carnoustie had scores of 78, 88 and 84 (250) and took 35th place. England's Danielle Roseberry from Sunderland, a student of New Mexico State, took 12th place with scores of 82, 77 and 73 (232).

Helen Holm CSS
The CSS for the three rounds of the Helen Holm tournament was 75, 74 and 76 respectively.

Ayrshire Girls
The following girls have been selected to play for the Ayrshire Girls in a match against Dumbartonshire & Argyll at Clober on 2nd May 2004.
Morag MacPherson (Barassie), Roslyn Fleming (Ballochmyle), Vicki Smith (Barassie), Claire Brawley (Barassie), Sarah Hutton (Troon Bentinck) and Katie MacPherson (Barassie).

Irish Schools Championship
Results

US College Golf
The current North-east youths champion, Greg McBain is having a tremendous season in America. He currently leads the NJCAA Division II individual men's ranking table with a stroke average of 70.938, having been best player in the Tyler Junior College team for the last five events.
Newmachar Golf Club member Greg also notched up two second place finishes in the "All tournament Team" standings at Galveston and Eagles Bluff.
Tyler notched fourth place with a 54-hole total of 920 at the Garden Valley Golf Resort's Dogwood course. in the Texas State Junior College championship. Odessa College won its second straight state title and was the only team to break 900. The Wranglers fired a final-round 295 for an 889 total. McLennan Community College was second at 914, and Midland College was third at 915. All three teams compete in Division I, while Tyler is the defending Division II national champion.
Greg led the way with 228. He shot 75-78 on Monday, then carded a 3-over 75 on Tuesday.
"It played really tough both days," McBain said of the 6,754yd Dogwood course.
"The weather wasn't great on the Monday and it was quite windy on the Tuesday and the greens were really hard. It was hard to stop the ball on the greens. The pin placements were really tough."
McBain's final round included two birdies and one eagle - a chip-in on No. 18. He also had five bogeys and one double bogey, mostly the result of three-putting.
"I couldn't get the pace of the greens right," McBain said.
Greg is now looking forward to the end of the month when Tyler will be hoping to retain their Division II national title in Arizona, and then it's home to defend his North-east youths' title at Oldmeldrum.

Sunday 25th April 2004

Emma Duggleby holding the Helen Holm trophy

Emma wins Helen Holm with a Record Score
Curtis Cup team selection Emma Duggleby gave herself a big boost for the June 12-13 match against the United States by winning the Helen Holm Scottish women's open amateur stroke-play championship with a record low total of 14-under-par 211 at Troon today..
Emma, 32-year-old former British and English women's champion from Yorkshire, had rounds of 71 and 69 over Troon Portland on Saturday and forged clear of the field for an impressive five-shot victory with a four-under-par final round of 71 at the Open championship venue, the Royal Troon links.
Four years ago Miss Duggleby and Rebecca Hudson set the previous tournament record in tieing on 213 before Rebecca won the play-off.
"That's about as well as I can play at Troon," said a delighted Emma who works in her home club Malton & Norton's administration office and pro's shop.
"I could never play full-time golf. I would be bored to tears. This way I have the best of both worlds. I have actually been playing less and less golf over the past couple of years but it does not seem to have affected my play. If anything, I'm getting better results!"
Miss Duggleby, Faye Sanderson from Heworth, Durham, and France's Marion Sapin, started the final round locked together in the lead at 10-under-par 140. Emma birdied the first hole, Marion parred it, and Faye took two shots in a bunker to run up a double-bogey 6.
That put Emma clear in the pole position and she steadily pulled away from the field with further birdies at the second, fourth, 11th, 12th and 18th in halves of 34 (three under) and 37 (one under).
Miss Duggleby did not drop a shot until the 16th where she missed the green on the left and she stayed out of Royal Troon's punishing bunkers until the short 17th where she took no chances and did not go for the flag with her recovery and finished up with her second and last bogey.
Claire Coughlan from Cork, another member of the Great Britain & Ireland team for Formby, finished runner-up on 216 with rounds of 74, 71 and 71.
Dawn Dewar, 19-year-old Stirling University student from Monifieth, finished the top Scot in sixth place with a total of five-under-par 220, following up a 71 and a 75 at Troon Portland with a gutsy 74 over Royal Troon.
Dawn was four under par for her final round with birdies at the second, fourth, sixth and 12th but ran up a double bogey 6 at the 13th, squeezed in another birdie at the 15th before bogeying the last two holes for an inward half of 40.
Emma Duggleby and Shelley McKevitt (Reading), pictured right, won the international team event for England after a tie on 437 with Ireland's Claire Coughlan and Maura Morrin. The tie-breaker was the better final-round aggregate.
Collated scoreboard
HELEN HOLM SCOTTISH WOMEN'S OPEN AMATEUR STROKE-PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP
Troon Portland & Royal Troon
FINAL TOTALS
211 E Duggleby (Malton & Norton) 71 69 71.
216 C Coughlan (Cork) 74 71 71.
217 K Ruutila (Finland) 71 70 76.
219 S Harkonen (Finland) 74 72 73, N Edwards (Ganton) 74 71 74.
220 D Dewar (Monifieth) 71 75 74.
221 J Schaeffer (Strasbourg) 77 72 72, S Jones (Pennard) 77 71 73, K Smith (Waterlooville) 72 72 77, M Morrin (The Curragh) 74 70 77.
222 S Westerlund (Finland) 73 75 74, M Bourdy (Bordelais) 77 71 74, M Smith (Hallowes) 73 69 80, M Sapin (Deauville) 72 68 82.
223 E Lind (Bro-Balsta) 79 67 77.
224 K Matharu (Sandmoor) 71 73 80, F Sanderson (Heworth) 71 69 84.
225 S Garbutt (Ganton) 77 74 74, A Highgate (Southerndown) 75 75 75, M Pow (Selkirk) 71 76 78, D Smith (Co Louth) 73 74 78, A Laing (Vale of Leven) 74 73 78.
226 A-S Le Nalio (Val Queven) 78 77 71, S McKevitt (Reading) 72 78 76, C Queen (Strathclyde Univ) 78 71 77, J Nicolson (Wrexham) 75 73 78, J Klatten (St Cloud) 76 71 79.
227 L Kenny (Stirling Univ) 77 74 76, L Gendronneau (La Baule) 73 76 78, R Lomas (Hallowes) 76 73 78.
228 C Gruber (Royal Dornoch) 82 72 74, C Westrup (Kristianstads) 76 73 79, S Evans (Vale of Llangollen) 73 74 81.
229 M Allen (Moor Park) 74 78 77, E Giraud (Racing Club de France) 74 75 80, E McKinnon (Nairn) 75 73 81.
230 M Scalabre (St Germain) 80 77 73, L Ball (Matfen Hall) 81 74 75, K Hanwell (Northampton) 75 77 78, C Hargan (Prestonfield) 76 74 80.
231 C Frick (Jonkopings) 80 74 77, S Keane (The Curragh) 78 75 78, J Ewart (Catterick) 71 78 82.
232 H Nolan (Shannon) 78 77 77, A Scott (Consett) 79 74 79, E Sheffield (Newark) 76 75 81, S Harju (Finland) 76 74 82.
233 M Hallanoro (Finland) 77 75 81, F Johnson (Harborne) 72 77 84, K Heywood (Crompton & Royton) 75 73 85.
234 O Briggs (Delamere Forest) 76 76 82.
235 G O'Leary (Cork) 74 78 83, N Haywood (Rotherham) 74 78 83.
236 M Snickars (Finland) 78 76 82, J Ross (Whitley Bay) 79 75 82, L Mackay (Royal Dornoch) 78 74 84, S Birks (Wolstanton) 75 74 87.
238 J Carthew (Ladybank) 82 72 84.
241 K Brotherton (Tulliallan) 79 78 84, K Dobson (The Oaks) 81 76 84.
242 A-C Gourinat (Porcelaine) 81 81 80.
243 K McKenna (Tynemouth) 80 84 79, A-K Salmen (Finland) 80 82 81, E Cuthill (Lanark) 87 74 82.
245 D Jackson (Cochrane Castle) 83 79 83, S Brodie (Delamere Forest) 75 83 87.
246 R Svahn (Finland) 84 78 84, R Youngman (Oundle) 80 79 87.
251 R Rankin (Lanark) 87 77 87, C Lee (West Lancashire) 88 75 88.
257 C Taylor (Troon Ladies) 81 84 92.
INTERNATIONAL TEAM EVENT
437 England (E Duggleby & S McKevitt), Ireland (C Coughlan & M Morrin) (England won trophy on better third-round aggregate).
439 Finland (K Ruutila & S Westerlund).
446 Wales (A Highgate & S Jones).
448 France (A-S Le Nalio & M Sapin).
452 Scotland (L Kenny & A Laing).
459 Sweden (C Frick & C Westrup).

Fife championship
KATRINA WINS FIFE COUNTY TITLE
Katrina Milne, playing over her home course, won the Fife women's county golf championship at Dunfermline Golf Club today. The No 4 qualifier for the match-play stages, Katrina beat the seventh seed, Dorothy Ford (Scotscraig) by 3 and 1 in the final. Dorothy had beaten former Scottish champion Elaine Moffat (St Regulus) in the quarter-finals and No 3 seed Fiona Lockhart, also St Regulus, in the semi-finals.
Katrina beat 15-year-old Krystle Caithness (St Regulus), the No 1 qualifier and recent winner of the SLGA St Leonards Scottish open Under-16 girls' stroke-play championship, by one hole in the morning semi-finals.
Miss Milne got off to a good start in the final and was four up at one stage before Dorothy fought back to slash the leeway to only one hole.
Then Katrina clinched the title by winning the 16th and 17th.

Fife Championship Lunch-time results
IT'S KATRINA v DOROTHY FOR FIFE TITLE
Katrina Milne, playing over her home course, and Dorothy Ford (Scotscraig) won their way through to the final of the Fife women's county golf championship at Dunfermline Golf Club today (Sunday).
Katrina beat 15-year-old Krystle Caithness (St Regulus), the No 1 seed and recent winner of the SLGA St Leonards Scottish open Under-16 girls' stroke-play title, by one hole in the first semi-final.
In the second semi-final, there was a form upset when Dorothy Ford won by 3 and 2 over Fiona Lockhart (St Regulus), the No 3 qualifier. Earlier Dorothy had beaten former Scottish champion Elaine Moffat (St Regulus) by one hole.
Collated results so farFIFE WOMEN'S COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP _ Dunfermline GC
Match-play first round _
K Caithness (St Regulus) beat G Davidson (Saline) 5 and 4.
J Sharp (Kirkcaldy) beat M Campsie (Scotscraig) 3 and 1.
L Rolland (Dunfermline) beat L Bennett (Ladybank) 2 and 1.
K Milne (Dunfermline) beat S Millar (Kirkcaldy) 7 and 6.
F Lockhart (St Regulus) beat L Fair (Kirkcaldy) 2 and 1.
A Wilton (Ladybank) beat K Webster (Ladybank) 1 hole.
D Ford (Scotscraig) beat B Copland (Scotscraig) 6 and 5.
E Moffat (St Regulus) beat E Hodgetts (Balbirnie Park) 6 and5.
Quarter-finals _
Caithness beat Sharp at 20th.
Milne beat Rolland 3 and 2.
Lockhart beat Wilton 5 and 3.
Ford beat Moffat 1 hole.
Semi-finals
Milne beat Caithness 1 hole.
Ford beat Lockhart 3 and 2.

Saturday 24th April 2004

EMMA LEADS BUT SHE'S NOT COUNTING HELEN HOLM CHICKENS AT TROON(pictured right) and Faye Sanderson, and Marion Sapin from France share the lead on 10-under-par 140 with one round to play over this year's Open championship venue, the Royal Troon links, tomorrow (Sunday).
In the opening rounds over the par-75 Troon Portland course, Curtis Cup team selection Duggleby of the Malton & Norton club shot 71 and 69, the 6ft-plus Sapin from Deauville had a 72 and 68 and late finisher Sanderson from Heworth, Durham returned 71 and 69.
Emma, a former British women's champion, will not be counting her chickens just yet ....
In last year's third and final round, Emma ran up a 10 at the par-5 15th on her way an 83.
Miss Duggleby had everything from an eagle 3 to a triple bogey 6 in her second round. She had her eagle at the second and birdied the first, fourth and sixth to be five under par after only six holes.
Then Emma went from the sublime to the ridiculous with a 6 at the par-3 eighth which measures only 127yd. That was the only blip on a brilliant round which took off again with a run of birdie-birdie-birdie from the 10th to the 12th. A seventh birdie followed at the 15th on her way to an inward half of four-under-par 33.
Marion, 24-year-old beaten finalist in last year's French women's championship, bogeyed the 16th with three putts and went out of bounds to run up a double bogey at the 17th or else she could have gone clear of the field in the second round.
She had started with an eagle and then birdied the second, sixth, eighth, ninth, 11th, 12th, 15th and 18th in halves of 32 and 36.
Collated scoreboard
HELEN HOLM SCOTTISH WOMEN'S OPEN AMATEUR STROKE-PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP
Troon Portland Golf Club
SECOND ROUND TOTALS
140 E Duggleby (Malton & Norton) 71 69, M Sapin (Deauville) 72 68, F Sanderson (Heworth) 71 69.
141 K Ruutilla (Finland) 71 70.
142 M Smith (Hallowes) 73 69.
144 K Smith (Waterlooville) 72 72, M Morrin (The Curragh) 74 70, K Matharu (Sandmoor) 71 73.
145 C Coughlan (Cork) 74 71, N Edwards (Ganton) 74 71.
146 E Lind (Bro-Balsta) 79 67, S Harkonen (Finland) 74 72, D Dewar (Monifieth) 71 75.
147 A Laing (Vale of Leven) 74 73, M Pow (Selkirk) 71 76, S Evans (Vale Llangollen) 73 74, J Klatten (St Cloud) 76 71, D Smith (Co Louth) 73 74.
148 S Jones (Pennard) 77 71, M Bourdy (Bordelais) 77 71, S Westerlund (Finland) 73 75, E McKinnon (Nairn) 75 73, J Nicolson (Wrexham) 75 73, K Heywood (Crompton & Royton) 75 73.
149 E Giraud (Racing Club de France) 74 75, C Westrup (Kristianstads) 76 73, C Queen (Strathclyde Univ) 78 71, J Schaeffer (Strasbourg) 77 72, F Johnson (Harborne) 72 77, R Lomas (Hallowes) 76 73, L Gendronneau (La Baule) 73 76, S Birks (Wolstanton) 75 74, J Ewart (Catterick) 71 78.
150 A Highgate (Southerndown) 75 75, S McKevitt (Reading) 72 78, C Hargan (Prestonfield) 76 74, S Harju (Finland) 76 74.
151 L Kenny (Stirling Univ) 77 74, S Garbutt (Ganton) 77 74, E Sheffield (Newark) 76 75.
152 L Mackay (Royal Dornoch) 78 74, M Hallanoro (Finland) 77 75, M Allen (Moor Park) 74 78, K Hanwell (Northampton) 75 77, O Briggs (Delamere Forest) 76 76, G O'Leary (Cork) 74 78.
153 S Keane (The Curragh) 78 75, A Scott (Consett) 79 74.
154 J Ross (Whitley Bay) 79 75, C Frick (Jonkopings) 80 74, J Carthew (Ladybank) 82 72, M Snickars (Finland) 78 76, C Gruber (Royal Dornoch) 82 72.
155 A-S Le Nalio (Val Queven) 78 77, L Ball (Matfen Hall) 81 74, H Nolan (Shannon) 78 77.
157 K Brotherton (Tulliallan) 79 78, M Scalabre (St Germain) 80 87, K Dobson (The Oaks) 81 76.
158 S Brodie (Delamere Forest) 75 83.
159 R Youngman (Oundle) 80 79.
161 E Cuthill (Lanark) 87 74.
162 A-K Salmen (Finland) 80 82, A-C Gourinat (Porcelaine) 81 81, R Svahn (Finland) 84 78, D Jackson (Cochrane Castle) 83 79.
163 C Lee (West Lancs) 88 75.
164 R Rankin (Lanark) 87 77, K McKenna (Tynemouth) 80 84.
165 C Taylor (Troon Ladies) 81 84.

Helen Holm, first round scores
MARTINE'S LATE SLIPS BUT SHE STILL SHARES "HELEN HOLM" LEAD
Borders champion Martine Pow, pictured right, from Selkirk gave up the chance of defending that title to make her debut in the Helen Holm Scottish women's open amateur stroke-play championship this weekend - and shot a four-under-par 71 to share the early first-round lead with Curtis Cup player Emma Duggleby from Lancashire over Troon Portland course today (Sat).
"The Borders championship always clashes with the 'Helen Holm' so I've never been able to play at Troon in the past but this year I decided I would miss out on the qualifying round for my local championship," said Martine.
After bogeying the second, had a glory run of five consecutive birdies and an eagle between the seventh and the 12th, where she got an eagle 3. Another birdie at the 14th put her seven under par but she slipped up with a three-putt bogey at the 16th and two-shots in a bunker to double-bogey the 17th.
FIRST ROUND SCORES
71 E Duggleby (Malton & Norton), M Pow (Selkirk).
72 K Smith (Waterlooville), S McKevitt (Reading), F Johnson (Harborne).
73 S Westerlund (Finland).
74 A Laing (Vale of Leven), C Coughlan (Cork), E Giraud (Racing Club de France), N Edwards (Ganton), M Morrin (The Curragh).
75 A Highgate (Southerndown), E McKinnon (Nairn),.
76 C Westrup (Kristianstads).
77 L Kenny (Stirling Univ), S Jones (Pennard), M Bourdy (Bordelais), S Garbutt (Ganton), J Schaeffer (Strasbourg).
78 C Queen (Strathclyde Univ), L Mackay (Royal Dornoch), A-S Le Nalio (Val Queven).
79 E Lind (Bro-Balsta), K Brotherton (Tulliallan), J Ross (Whitley Bay).
80 M Scalabre (St Germain).
81 C Taylor (Troon Ladies).
87 R Rankin (Lanark).

SARA RETAINS D AND A TITLE
Windyhill's Sara Bishop repelled the young challenge of Scottish schoolgirls champion Kylie Walker (Buchanan Castle) to win the Dunbartonshire and Argyll women's county championship for the second year in a row at Hilton Park on Friday.
Sara won by 4 and 3. Earlier she had beaten Claire McNeil (Cawder) by 3 and 2 in the semi-finals.
Kylie beat Gemma Webster (Hilton Park) at the 19th in the first semi-final.
The county bronze division championship was won by Margaret Douglas (Windyhill). She beat Jackie Sinclair (Hilton Park) by 2 and 1 in the final.
Results:
Semi-finals - K Walker (Buchanan Castle) beat G Webster (Hilton Park) at 19th, S Bishop (Windyhill) beat C McNeil (Cawder) 3 and 2.
Final - Bishop beat Walker 3 and 2.
Bronze Division championship - Final - M Douglas (Windyhill) beat J Sinclair (Hilton Park) 2 and 1.

D&A County Captain Anna Telfer with Hon President Belle Robertson

Friday 23rd April 2004

D&A Championship
It's Kylie v Sara for D&A title
Scottish schoolgirls champion Kylie Walker (Buchanan Castle) and title-holder Sara Bishop (Windyhill) were the finalists in the Dunbartonshire & Argyll women's county golf championship at Hilton Park Golf Club today (Friday). Kyle, the top qualifier for the match-play stages, beat another top prospect, Gemma Webster (Hilton Park) at the 19th in a very good first semi-final this morning. Sara, the No 2 seed, won by 3 and 2 in the second semi-final against Claire McNeil (Cawder).
Results: Semi-finals - K Walker (Buchanan Castle) beat G Webster (Hilton Park) at 19th, S Bishop (Windyhill) beat C McNeil (Cawder) 3 and 2.

Helen Holm Preview
Lynn and Clare out to make the selectors squirm
by Colin Farquharson
Five members of the Great Britain & Ireland Curtis Cup team for the June 12-13 match against the United States will be in action this weekend at the Helen Holm Scottish women's open amateur stroke-play championship over the Troon Portland and Royal Troon courses. Scottish champion Anne Laing (Vale of Leven), Claire Coughlan (Cork), Emma Duggleby (Malton & Norton), Shelley McKevitt (Reading) and Anna Highgate (Southerndown) will be seeking to endorse the selectors' confidence in them by playing well in this first 54-hole open event of the domestic season.
In contrast, Lynn Kenny (Stirling University) and Clare Queen (Drumpellier), two Scots who played in the winning GB&I team in the Vagliano Trophy match against the Continent of Europe at Co Louth last summer but were surprisingly relegated to reserve status for the Curtis Cup, will be seeking to make the selectors squirm by winning this prestigious event.
The same applies to Kerry Smith (Waterlooville), Sarah Jones (Pennard), Tricia Mangan (Ennis), Kate Phillips (Creigiau), who all played in the LGU Elite Squad's memorable win over the Ladies European Tour Select in the Weetabix Challenge last Saturday.
It is one of the strongest entries on record for the "Helen Holm" with quality players from France, Finland, Sweden, Germany in the maximum field of 72 with handicaps ranging from plus three to a "normal" three.
There is room for only 11 Scots, which means that none of Scotland's current crop and bright young prospects, such as Carly Booth (Auchterarder), Roseanne Niven (Crieff), Krystle Caithness (St Regulus) and Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar), all with handicaps of four or five, can gain valuable experience by playing in a class field such as this.
Elaine Farquharson-Black, the former Scottish champion and past Curtis Cup player who captained the Scotland women's team for the past three seasons, has been advocating for the past few years the introduction of a Scottish women's closed stroke-play championship, "closed" in that it would be open only to those who were born or live in Scotland. Perhaps, with one eye on the development of young players, the Scottish Ladies Golfing Association should give the suggestion serious consideration.

D&A Championship
TOP YOUNGSTERS MEET IN D AND A SEMI-FINALS AT HILTON PARK
Kylie Walker (Buchanan Castle) and Gemma Webster (Hilton Park), two of the best teenage female golf prospects in Scotland, meet in the first semi-final of the Dunbartonshire & Argyll women's county golf championship at Hilton Park this morning (Friday). Kylie, the current Scottish schoolgirls champion and No 1 qualifier for the match-play stages, needed only 25 holes to win her first two ties yesterday. Gemma, playing over her home course, was also in devastating form with wins by 7 and 5 and 6 and 5. The other semi-final is between the defending champion, Sara Bishop (Windyhill) and Claire McNeil (Cawder), the second and third qualifiers.
The Bronze Division championship final will be between Jackie Sinclair (Hilton Park) and Margaret Douglas (Windyhill).

Renfrewshire Championship
KAREN WINS RENFREWSHIRE TITLE FOR THIRD TIME
Turnberry's Karen Fitzgerald won the Renfrewshire women's county championship for the third time at Haggs Castle yesterday (Thursday). Karen added to her title triumphs in 1993 and 1998 by beating Jennifer Mack, playing over her home course, 5 and 3 in the final. Karen had been the No 2 qualifier for the match-play stages, having the same score as the No 1 seed Lesley Robertson (Ranfurly Castle). Mrs Mack was the fifth qualifier. Jennifer had a good win in the semi-finals, beating Lesley Robertson, the 1997 title-winner, at the 19th while Karen won by 2 and 1 against the young defending champion, Claire-Marie Carlton (Fereneze).
Semi-finals _ J Mack (Haggs Castle) beat L Robertson (Fereneze) at 19th, K Fitzgerald (Turnberry) beat C-M Carlton (Fereneze) 2 and 1.
Final _ Fitzgerald beat Mack 5 and 3.

Thursday 22nd April 2004

LGU Divisional Medal Finals
JOCELYN BEST SCRATCH BUT MISSES OUT ON LGU PLACE AT CRIEFF
Ladybank's Jocelyn Carthew had the best scratch score of 73 - one over the CSS - in the East Division Ladies Golf Union Medal final at Balbirnie Park - but she did not figure among the six qualifiers for the Grand Final at Crieff on June 6.
Qualification is decided on the best three net scores in the Silver and Bronze Divisions and Marilyn Rowan (St Rule), Eileen Gillespie (Lochend), Alyson Scrimgeour (Dundas Park), Laura Reekie (Baberton), Val Smith (Lochend) and Pat Jessett (Glenrothes) were those who earned a place at Crieff.
Collated scoreboard LGU MEDAL FINAL _ East Division - Balbirnie Park (CSS 72) -
Silver Division - Scratch - J Carthew (Ladybank) 73; handicap - M Rowan (St Rule) (11), E Gillespie (Lochend) (12), A Scrimgeour (Dundas Park) (9) 71; F Comrie (Falkirk Tryst) (18) 72 (bih).
Bronze Division _ Scratch - S Peebles (Elie & Earlsferry) 95; handicap - L Reekie (Baberton) (23) 70; V Smith (Lochend) (26) 72; P Jessett (Glenothes) (33) 73; A Cosgrove (Harburn) (26) 74.
Qualifiers for Grand Final at Crieff, June 6: M Rowan, E Gillespie, A Scrimgeour, L Reekie, V Smith, P Jessett.

Renfrewshire County Championship
Donna Jackson (Cochrane Castle), nine times winner of the title, was knocked out in the first round of the match-play stages of the Renfrewshire women's county golf championship at very windy Haggs Castle yesterday (Wed). Donna, who had qualified in third spot with the same score (77) as Nos 1 and 2 seeds Lesley Robertson (Ranfurly Castle) and Karen Fitzgerald (Turnberry) went down by two holes to Sara Harman (Williamwood) who lost in the afternoon to the young defending champion, Claire-Marie Carlton (Fereneze). In this morning's (Thu) semi-finals, Lesley Robertson will play Jennifer Mack (Haggs Castle) while Karen Fitzgerald meets Claire-Marie Carlton.
Collated scoreboard
RENFREWSHIRE WOMEN'S COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP _ Haggs Castle _ Match-play _ First round _ L Robertson (Ranfurly Castle) beat M Begbie (Kilmacolm) 5 and 4, F Campbell (Erskine) beat C Whyte (Windyhill) 2 holes, J Mack (Haggs Castle) beat J Graham (Haggs Castle) 6 and 4, G McGinlay (Cochrane Castle) beat M Mitchell (Cathcart Castle) 4 and 3, S Harman (Williamwood) beat D Jackson (Cochrane Castle) 2 holes; C-M Carlton (Fereneze) beat J Wilson (Williamwood) 2 holes, L Brabender (Greenock) beat F Roger (Ranfurly Castle) 6 and 5, K Fitzgerald (Turnberry) beat L Harvey (Cowglen) 7 and 6.
Quarter-finals _ Robertson beat Campbell 6 and 5, Mack beat McGinlay 2 holes, Carlton beat Harman 5 and 4, Fitzgerald beat Brabender 4 and 3.

D&A County Championship
Scottish schoolgirls title-holder Kylie Walker (Buchanan Castle), right, headed the qualifiers for the match-play stages of the Dunbartonshire & Argyll women's county golf championship at a very windy Hilton Park, Glasgow yesterday (Wed). Kylie earned the No 1 seeding with a battling score of 78 - two over the CSS. She finished one ahead of the defending champion Sara Bishop (Windyhill). Three junior girls figured among the 16 qualifiers - Kylie, Gemma Webster (Hilton Park) with an 84 which included an eagle 2 at the ninth, and Gillian Barraclough with a 93.
Collated scoreboard
DUNBARTONSHIRE & ARGYLL WOMEN'S COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP _ Hilton Park (CSS 76) _ Qualifiers _ 78 K Walker (Buchanan Castle). 79 S Bishop (Windyhill). 83 C McNeil (Cawder). 84 G Webster (Hilton Park). 85 H Faulds (Douglas Park). 87 F McLean (Hilton Park), A Struthers (Buchanan Castle), A Telfer (Milngavie). 88 K Maxwell (Clober), M Dalglish(Balmore). 90 I Harvey (St Rule), A Wilson (Clydebank & Dist). 93 N Grant (Hilton Park), G Barraclough (Hilton Park), L MacDonald (Hilton Park). 98 M Barr (Erskine).
Bronze Division championship qualifiers _ 106 F Thomson (Helensburgh), D Harrow (Hilton Park). 107 M Douglas (Windyhill), F McArthur (Cardross). 110 M Dunan (Milngavie). 111 M McGhee (Balmore). 112 P Johnson (Cardross). 113 J Sinclair (Hilton Park).

Nick Faldo Junior Series
Scottish boys champion Scott Hendry (Cardross) and Carly Booth (Auchterarder) were the star performers in the first Scottish qualifying round of the Nick Faldo Junior Series at Loch Lomond. Hendry birdied four out of six holes after the turn on his way to a best-of-the-day, one-under-par round 71 - three shots under the CSS.
Carly Booth's score of 73 - one under the women's par - included a birdie at the par-5 13th. She won the girls' section by six strokes from Roseanne Niven (Crieff) and English challenger Melanie Temple (Seascale).
After further Scottish qualifying rounds at Blairgowrie and St Andrews Eden, the players with most points in each category will qualify for the Grand Finals at a south of England venue.
Collated scoreboard
NICK FALDO JUNIOR SERIES _ Scottish qualifier - Loch Lomond (CSS 74)
BOYS Under-21 74 David McLure (Ballochmyle, Blair Paterson (Tillicoultry), Evan Bryceland (Craigielaw). 75 A Phillips (Murcar). 77 P Betty (Hayston), S Clark (Haggs Castle). 78 F Skene (Tantallon). 80 Ewan Hogarth (Peebles). 83 M Casson (Kirkby Lonsdale). 84 G Docherty (King James VI). 85 C Malcolm (Dunfermline),C Heuchan (Colvend).
Under-18 74 P Waugh (Hexham). 76 P O'Hara (Colville Park), C Paisley (Stocksfield). 77 K Truscott (Newmachar). 78 R Hyland (Newmachar). 84 G Aitken (Renfrew) 87 S Larkin (Banchory). 92 A Weir (Portlethen). 93 S Bordon (Carnwatch).
Under-17 71 S Hendry (Cardross). 75 B Rushford (Grangemouth. 76 Darren Watson (Peterhead), J Gair (Hamilton). 77 S Robin (Prestwick St Nicholas). 78 E Malcolm (Dunfermline). 79 G Stewart (Lenzie). 81 S McEwan (Barassie). 82 S Borrowman (Dollar). 83 R McKnight (Barassie), P McLean (Peterhead). 84 M Spence (Newmachar).
Under-16 73 G Mitchell (Northern). 74 R Kellett (Colville Park). 78 S Chalmers (Dollar). 79 D Van den Denger (Netherlands), G Robertson (Glenbervie), S Stuart (Shaw Hill). 80 T Higson (Eyemouth), J Denwood (Eden), J Findlay (Fraserburgh). 85 P Keeling (North Berwick). 92 K Duncan (McDonald Ellon).
Under-15 78 O Smith (Eden). 79 S Barras (Helensburgh). 80 J Byrne (Banchory). 81 C Gray (West Kilbride), J Caldwell (Greenock). 82 K Harper (Carnoustie). 84 C Fairweather (Knock). 85 D Borthwick (Perth). 87 D Parlane (Helensburgh).
Girls 73 C Booth (Auchterarder). 79 M Temple (Seascale), R Niven (Crieff). 86 L Hendry (Routenburn). 89 P Pretswell (Carluke). 90 B Copland (Scotscraig). 94 D Neilson (Hilton Park).

US College Golf
RED-HOT CHARLOTTE (and she's not in the US Curtis Cup team) WINS PAC-10 TITLE
Charlotte Mayorkas - not selected for the United States Curtis Cup team - won the Pacific-10 Conference women's college title at Saticoy Country Club, Somis in California. It was the second-year UCLA student from Chula Vista, California's fifth title of her college golf career and her fourth win in her last five tournaments. She is the first UCLA winner of the Pac-10 individual title in 13 years. UCLA team-mate Hannh Jun was runner-up and UCLA won the team title for the first time since 1991. Charlotte's rounds were 74, 71 and 73 for a two-over-par total of 218. She won by two shots from Hannah Jun (75, 70, 75) with Erica Blasberg (Arizona), who is in the American team for the Formby match against GB&I on June 12-13, in third place, three shots behind the winner with rounds of 71, 75 and 75. Sarah Huarte (California), another member of the US Curtis Cup team, tied for 12th place with disappointing scores of 76, 82 and 74. England's Rachel Bell (Southern California) from Ganton) finished joint 37th with scores of 84, 76 and 82 for 242.
LEADING FINAL INDIVIDUAL TOTALS 218 Charlotte Mayorkas (UCLA) 74 71 73. 220 Hannah Jun (UCLA) 75 70 75. 221 Erica Blasberg (Arizona) 71 75 75. 224 Alissa Kuczka (Arizona State) 76 73 75. Other totals: 232 Sarah Huarte (California) 76 82 74. 242 Rachel Bell (Southern California) 84 76 82.
LEADING FINAL TEAM TOTALS 902 UCLA. 920 California. 923 Arizona. 928 Southern California, Arizona State. 930 Washington.

US College Golf
SCOTS DOWN THE FIELD IN NORTH CAROLINA
SCOTS Jamie Kennedy from Edinburgh, Duncan Stewart (Grantown on Spey) and Russell Knox (Inverness) - all students at Jacksonville University - finished tied 31st, 40th and 48th respectively in the Atlantic Sun men's college golf championship at Keith Hills, Buies Creek in North Carolina. Kennedy had scores of 78, 72 and 74 for eight-over-par 224. Stewart shot 76, 76 and 74 for 227 and Knox had 80, 74 and 79 for 233. Barry Roof (Central Florida) was the winner by two shots with an 11-under-par aggregate of 205.
Central Florida (845) won the team event from Georgia State (851). Jacksonville (901) came 10th in a field of 11.

US College Golf
US CURTIS CUP PLAYER WINS ACC TITLE
Speaking of the American Curtis Cup team, Brittany Lang, a member of the crack Duke University team, won the ACC individual women's college championship at Salem Glen Country Club, at Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Brittany shot 67, 68 and 68 for a final total of nine-under-par 204 - impressive scoring to win by two shots from Meaghan Francis (North Carolina. Liz Janangelo, another Duke player who is in the US team for Formby and the top-ranked female college golfer in the States, finished fourth on one under par 212.
LEADING INDIVIDUALS 204 Brittany lang (Duke) 67 69 68. 206 Meaghan Francis (North Carolina) 66 69 71. 207 Ashley Prange (North Carolina) 69 71 67. 212 Liz Janangelo (Duke) 73 73 66.
LEADING TEAMS 838 Duke. 857 Wake Forest. 861 North Carolina.

Wednesday 21st April 2004

MAY STILL LANARKSHIRE CHAMPION
May Hughes, pictured right, retained the Lanarkshire women's golf championship at windswept Lenzie Golf Club yesterday (Wed). The Lanark player beat the dark horse of the tournament, leading qualifier Liz Lees (Hamilton) by 6 and 5 in the final. In the semi-finals, May beat clubmate Elaine Cuthill by one hole while Liz beat Alexandra Young (Torrance House) 4 and 3.
Collated scoreboard
LANARKSHIRE WOMEN'S COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP _ Lenzie _ Semi-finals _ L Lees (Hamilton) beat A Young (Torrance House) 4 and 3, M Hughes (Lanark) beat E Cuthill (Lanark) 1 hole. Final - Hughes beat Lees 6 and 5.

SCOTS RALLY TO KEEP MARY McKENNA TROPHY
Scotland's tail wagged to produce a come-from-behind victory in the veteran women's international golf match against Ireland at The Hermitage Golf Club, Dublin today (Wednesday). The Scots retained the Mary McKenna Trophy by a 7-5 margin after Ireland had led 5-4 with three singles to finish.
Rose Anderson (Huntly), Liz Campbell (Torwoodlee) and Noreen Fenton (Merchants of Edinburgh) saved the day for skipper Joan Marshall's team by beating Terry Sexton, Anna Maloney and Roma English respectively. Anderson and Campbell won on the 18th green while Fenton was a 4 and 3 winner of the final singles.
Earlier singles winner for the Scots, who had also finished strongly to share the foursomes 2-2 after trailing 0-2, were Scottish seniors champion Karen Ballantyne (Craigmillar Park) and Moira Thomson (North Berwick).
Mary McKenna, who donated the trophy for annual competition among the over-50s three or four years ago, withdrew from the Ireland line-up following a family bereavement. Collated scoreboard

Scot Pam Williamson (Baberton points out a vital landmark to new girl Cecilia Kenny (Dunblane New) at the Hermitage, Dublin

VETERAN WOMEN'S INTERNATIONAL - Ireland 5, Scotland 7 (at The Hermitage GC, Dublin). Results (Irish names first): Foursomes _ V Hassett (Ennis) & M Madden (Ballinasloe) beat C Kenny (Dunblane) & L Campbell (Torwoodlee) 4 and 2; R Fanagan (Milltown) & R English (Larne) beat P Williamson (Baberton) & R Anderson (Huntly) 4 and 2; T Sexton (Dun Laoghaire) & V James (Bangor) lost to K Ballantyne (Craigmillar Park) & M Thomson (North Berwick) 1 hole; A Maloney (Clonmel) & D O'Sullivan (Hermitage) lost to N Fenton (Merchants of Edinburgh) & L Bennett (Ladybank) 3 and 2 (2-2). Singles _ Fanagan beat Kenny 4 and 3, O'Sullivan lost to Ballantyne 3 and 2, Hassett beat Williamson 3 and 1, James lost to Thomson 3 and 2, Madden beat Bennett 3 and 2, Sextion lost to Anderson 1 hole, Maloney lost to Campbell 1 hole, English lost to Fenton 4 and 3 (3-5).

Winning Scottish Vets team with their Captain Joan Marshall.

US College Golf
SCOTS STRUGGLE IN US
Scots Jamie Kennedy (left) from Edinburgh, Duncan Stewart (right) (Grantown on Spey) and Russell Knox (below right) (Inverness) - all members of the Jacksonville University golf team - were well down the field after two rounds of the Atlantic Sun men's college championship at Keith Hills, Buies Creek in North Carolina. Jamie has had rounds of 78 and 72 for 35th place on 150; Duncan a pair of 76s for 39th spot on 152, and Russell is back in 46th place after an 80 and a 74 for 154. Russell Knox had won the Geico Direct Spring Invitational in Savannah in late March. Sonny Nimkhum (Central Florida) leads with 71 and 66 for 137.

US College Golf
US CURTIS CUP ACE LEADS PAC-10 CHAMPIONSHIP
US Curtis Cup team member Erica Blasberg (Arizona University) set the pace in the first round of the Pac-10 women's college championship at Saticoy Country Club, Somis in California. Erica shot a one-under-par 71 over the 6,406yd course - 100yd longer than the Formby course for the GB&I v United States match on June 12-13 - to open up a two-stroke lead from Sofie Andersson (California).
Another US Curtis Cup player, Sarah Huarte (California), was lying tied ninth after a 76.
Rachel Bell from Ganton, a student at Southern California University, had a bad day with an 84.
UCLA - with Charlotte Mayorkas and Hannah Jun in the top seven - were the early team leaders on 308, one ahead of Washington with Stanford third on 310.
LEADING INDIVIDUAL SCORES 71 Erica Blasberg (Arizona). 73 Angela Rho (Stanford). 74 Sofie Andersson (California), Tiffany Tavee (Arizona State. 75 Irene Cho (Southern California). 74 Charlotte Mayorkas (UCLA) 75 Hannah Jun (UCLA), Lindsay Morgan (Washington).
LEADING TEAM SCORES 308 UCLA. 309 Washington. 310o Stanford. 312 California, Southern California, Arizona. 314 Arizona.

Tuesday 20th April 2004

SCOTS AND IRISH DRAWING 2-2 IN MARY McKENNA TROPHY
SCOTLAND, the holders, and Ireland were drawing 2-2 at the end of the first day of the veteran women's international golf match for the Mary McKenna Trophy at the Hermitage Golf Club, near Dublin. The Irish jumped into a 2-0 lead with a 5 and 4 win for Valerie Hassett (Ennis) and Mary Madden (Ballinasloe) over Cecilia Kenny (Dunblane) and Liz Campbell (Torwoodlee) and a 4 and 2 victory by Rhona Fanagan Milltown) and Roma English (Larne) over Pam Williamson (Baberton) and Rose Anderson (Huntly). But the Scots rallied to share the foursomes honours with a one-hole win by Karen Ballantyne (Craigmillar Park) and Moira Thomson (North Berwick) over Terry Sexton (Dun Laoghaire) and Val James (Donabate) and a 3 and 2 success for Noreen Fenton (Merchants of Edinburgh) and Lorna Bennett (Ladybank) over Anna Maloney (Clonmel) and Denise O'Sullivan (Hermitage).

Lanarkshire County Golf
LEES GLORY RUN CONTINUES AT LENZIE
Hamilton player Liz Lees continued to be the dark horse of the Lanarkshire women's county golf championship at Lenzie yesterday (Tuesday). The surprise top seed - by virtue of a better inward half than Lesley Lloyd (Hayston) - beat Marcia Stirling (Airdrie) by 7 and 6 in the first round of the match-play and then ousted Gillian Brodie (Lenzie) at the 20th in the quarter-finals.
Liz now plays Alexandra Young (Torrance House) this morning (Wed) for a place in the afternoon final.
The other semi-final is between former Scottish schoolgirls champion Elaine Cuthill (Lanark) and title-holder May Hughes (Lanark) who beat Lesley Lloyd (Hayston) by 2 and 1 in a repeat of the 2003 final.
Collated scoreboard:
LANARKSHIRE WOMEN'S COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP _ Lenzie - Match-play - First round _ L Lees (Hamilton) beat M Stirling (Airdrie) 7 and 6, G Brodie (Lenzie) beat P Warlow (Cathkin Braes) 3 and 1, A Young (Torrance House) beat J Christie (Lenzie) 8 and 7, M Reid (Lanark) beat E Crosbie (Lenzie) 2 holes, J Gardner (Drumpellier) beat G Campbell (East Kilbride) 7 and 6, E Cuthill (Lanark) beat M Anderson (Drumpellier) 2 holes, M Hughes (Lanark) beat A Prentice (Bothwell Castle) 5 and 4, L Lloyd (Hayston) beat E Nelson (Hamilton) 8 and 7. Quarter-finals _ Lees beat Brodie at 20th, Young beat Reid 6 and 5, Cuthill beat Gardner 2 and 1, Hughes beat Lloyd 2 and 1.

Renfrewshire County Golf
THREE PAST CHAMPIONS LEAD RENFREWSHIRE QUALIFIERS
Three past title-winners, Lesley Robertson (Ranfurly Castle), Karen Fitzgerald (Turnberry) and Donna Jackson (Cochrane Castle), shared the lead with 77s - three more than the CSS - in the qualifying round of the Renfrewshire women's county golf championship in a mixture of sun, hail, heavy showers and, at times, wind at Haggs Castle yesterday (Tuesday).
A countback of the cards made Lesley the No 1 seed, Karen No 2 and Donna No 3.
Defending champion Clare-Marie Carlton (Fereneze) qualified in sixth place on 79.
Sheila Robson (Whitecraigs), winner of the Peggy Clark Trophy in the handicap section with a net 68 off 13, is unable to play in the match-play.
Collated scoreboard
RENFREWSHIRE WOMEN'S COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP _ Haggs Castle (CSS 73) _ Qualifiers - 77 L Robertson (Ranfurly Castle), K Fitzgerald (Turnberry), D Jackson (Cochrane Castle). 78 G McGinlay (Cochrane Castle). 79 J Mack (Haggs Castle), C-M Carlton (Fereneze). 80 L Brabender (Greenock). 81 F Campbell (Erskine), C Whyte (Windyhill). 82 F Roger (Ranfurly Castle), J Wilson (Williamwood), J Graham (Haggs Castle), M Mitchell (Cathcart Castle). 83 S Harman (Williamwood). 84 L Harvey (Cowglen). 85 M Begbie (Kilmacolm). Peggy Clark Trophy (handicap _ S Robson (Whitecraigs) (13) 68; F Roger (Ranfurly Castle) (11) 71; G McGinlay (Cochrane Castle) (6) 72 bih.

US College Golf
HEATHER AND JENNA ARE KEY PLAYERS FOR SDSU IN CONFERENCE TITLE BID
from the San Diego State website:-
SAN DIEGO - SDSU begins the quest for its first conference title, April 22-24, as it heads to Sunriver, Ore. for the Mountain West Conference Championships. In 23 years of competing for a conference title, the Aztecs have come up empty each time but have recorded five runner-up finishes, including the 2001 and 2002 seasons. A year ago, SDSU got off to a slow start, in part to cold, snowy weather, and never recovered as they finished fifth.
The 2004 Aztecs have a much different look with two newcomers from Scotland leading the way. Freshman Jenna Wilson (left) and junior Heather MacRae (right) have combined for nine top-10 finishes in their inaugural year on the Mesa to lead SDSU to a No. 43 national ranking. Add to that the experience of seniors Shayna Miyajima and Sandy Kim and sophomore Toni Lutz and the Aztecs look to be a postseason threat.
Held at the par-72, 5,851-yard Meadows Course at the Sunriver Resort in Oregon, the MWC Championship is a 54-hole event with 18 holes played each day beginning at 10 a.m. The championship has been held in Sunriver for each of the last three years, except for last season's first round which was forced to a different venue because of snow.
Aztec Notes
* San Diego State (No. 43 Golfweek/No. 49 Golfstat) is enjoying arguably its best season ever. The Aztecs earned their first victory since 2000 when it fired a school record 878 at the Aztec Invitational in the fall and have posted three straight top four finishes. The Aztecs have put themselves in solid position to return to the NCAA tournament after a two-year hiatus as they are currently ranked 13th in the western region according to Golfweek, with 21 teams making the tournament.
* Senior Shayna Miyajima has posted top-10 results in each of her two MWC Championships. Last season, she led SDSU with a ninth place finish and placed fourth in 2002. This year's championship will be the fourth for Sandy Kim, who has recorded two 14th place finishes for the Aztecs at the MWC tournament. In addition, Aztec newcomers Jenna Wilson (5th in MWC with a 75.04 avg.) and Heather MacRae (five top-10 finishes, 7th in MWC with a 74.39 avg.) both have legitimate chances of earning MWC all-conference honors this season. Wilson, MacRae, and Miyajima are all within 20 total strokes of each other on the season and each are currently on pace to break the SDSU scoring record for an individual season, which currently stands at 76.10 by Joanne Clingan in 2000-01. Sophomore Toni Lutz will play in her second straight MWC Championship after posting solid scores in the final two rounds last season.
MacRae Continues Strong Play
* Heather MacRae (Dunblane, Scotland (McLennan CC) posted her third straight top-10 finish at the BYU Dixie Classic as she shot 223 to finish fifth. MacRae leads SDSU in the spring with a 74.83 stroke average and is second for the season at 75.39.
* MacRae was named the MWC golfer of the month for March after posting top-10 results in both of SDSU's tournaments. MacRae recorded a career best second-place finish at the Dr. Thompson Invitational in Kaneohe, Hawai'i, and led SDSU to a runner-up finish. She followed that performance with a seventh place finish at the Mountain View Collegiate in Tucson, Ariz. MacRae shot five-over 221 in both events, her second best 54-hole score of the year. She also posted three rounds of even par 72. Overall, MacRae has recorded six rounds of par or better this season, which leads the team.
* MacRae leads SDSU with five top-10 finishes and six top-20 finishes in eight tournaments this year. Her best score of the year, a 219, came at the Las Vegas Intercollegiate to finish sixth against a tough field. MacRae has also been incredibly consistent, recording 20 straight rounds of 79 or better, the longest streak on the team, which dates back to the first tournament of the season. MacRae has been climbing the rankings and is currently 102nd in Golfstat's listings.
Fabulous Freshman Jenna Wilson
* Freshman Jenna Wilson (Strathaven, Scotland/ Strathaven Academy) has posted some incredible numbers in her first season on the Mesa. She currently leads SDSU with a 75.04 stroke average, which is the best in school history and ranks fifth in the MWC this season.
* Wilson also won the Aztec Invitational in the fall by shattering the SDSU 54-hole scoring record by six strokes when she fired a five-under 211. A SDSU-record 67 in the second round propelled Wilson to the first victory for an Aztec since 2000. She also set the 36-hole scoring record two weeks before when she shot 145, including a second round 68, to place second at the Heather Farr Memorial.
* The spring results have also been eye-catching as Wilson has tallied three straight top-20 finishes including a second and fourth to finish the regular season. Overall, Wilson has led the Aztecs in scoring a team-high four times and has five top-20 finishes. She is currently the Aztecs top-ranked player at No. 72 by Golfstat.

ELGA Announce 2004 Team Captains
Pat Skelton (Henbury), will captain the European Lady Juniors Team Championships that will be hosted by England at the Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club from 6 - 10 July 2004. Pat has a wealth of experience having captained the European Girls' Team in 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003 and the Girls International Team regaining the Stroyan Cup in 2000, which was retained in 2001 and 2002.
Angela Caton (Pleasington) will captain the Girls' European Team at the Championships at Golf National Golf Club Paris from 6 – 10 July 2004. Angela who led the winning Girls' Home International team last year has also accompanied players to the European Young Masters.
Beverley New (Landsdown) will captain the Home International Team at Royal Porthcawl from September 8 - 10. Beverley who won the English championship at 19, played in the Vagliano and Curtis Cup teams before turning Professional. She regained her amateur status in 2001.
Joy Traffford (Woodhall Spa) takes over as captain of the Girls' Home International team for the matches at Strathaven Scotland from August 11 - 13. Joy Trafford has been involved with junior golf for many years and is currently Divisional Training Officer for the Midlands.
For the second time Bridget Jackson (Handsworth) will Captain the team that defends the Seniors Home International title when the event is held at Kilkeel Golf Club, Ireland in early October. Bridget has great experience as a player and Captain having represented England at the highest level since 1954. Her junior career included playing for the English Girls v Scotland and as a player and Captain in the first World Team Championship in 1964. She represented England nine times in the Home International Matches between 1955 and 1966 and was non playing Captain in 1973 and 1974. The team of six will be selected following the Senior Ladies' Close Amateur Championship at Trevose Golf Club in September. Bridget's keen involvement with ladies golf has seen her hold many key administrative roles including Chairman of ELGA 1970 -1971, President of ELGA 1993 -1995 and President of the LGU from 1998 to 2001. She also served 6 years as an International Selector.

IRISH LADIES' GOLF UNION APPOINT CHIEF EXECUTIVE
The Irish Ladies' Golf Union has introduced the post of Chief Executive to head up their headquarters at Clonskeagh in Dublin. Longford born Sinead Heraty, who is well known in banking and golf circles in this country, will fill the new position. Her primary and secondary education was at the Convents of Mercy in Longford and Newtownforbes before beginning a long and successful career in banking. She furthered her education by taking the Certificate of Banking Exams (Institute of Bankers) and is a qualified financial advisor (Institute of Bankers). Her current position in the Bank of Ireland is manager of the Data Authority Unit, which involves leading and managing the overall structure and design of customer information/data so that it meets business needs. She brings to the ILGU a variety of skills including budget management, people management and motivational leadership and the ability to communicate articulately on the business side. She also has a strong golfing background both as a player and administrator in the Castle Golf Club in Dublin.
"I thought I would be a life-long banker. When this opportunity came up I saw it as one not to be missed, an opportunity to work at my hobby. Not many people get that. Golf is changing and the Union is changing. I like what I s