December 2002 Archive

Tuesday 31st December 2002

ANNIKA (13 WINS) SECOND IN GOLF WRITERS' POLL ONCE AGAIN
SWEDEN'S Annika Sorenstam must be wondering what she has to do to win the Association of Golf Writers' Trophy, awarded annually to the person, male or female, who, in the opinion of members of the AGW, have done most for European golf in the preceding year. Report

IN-BEE PARK WINS ORANGE BOWL JUNIOR TITLE BY FOUR STROKES
American-born players failed to fill any of the top placings in either the boys' or girls' sections of the 39th Orange Bowl junior international golf championship - one of the leading events on the world calendar of Under-18 tournaments _ at Biltmore Golf Club, Coral Gables in Florida on Monday. Report

KirkwoodGolf would like to wish you all a Happy New Year... see you in 2003!

Monday 30th December 2002

If you were wondering where I was.... the entire Kirkwood family took off for Vilamoura, Portugal last weekend and spent Christmas Day playing Penina, and David's birthday playing Quinta do Lago, as well as sampling some of the Algarve's other great courses and restaurants. It was shorts and T shirt weather most of the time although we did get wet on Friday, when we had hailstones the size of marbles. Carrie was the big winner, Claire and Ali close runners-up, Mum and Dad tied for fourth!

Meanwhile, Colin has been sending what little News there's been....

"QUEEN BEE" TAKES OVER LEAD IN ORANGE BOWL'S GIRLS' EVENT
In-Bee Park, pictured right, the Korean-born player who won the United States' girls championship at the age of 14 earlier this year, has taken up a one-stroke lead with one round to go in the girls' section of the Orange Bowl international junior golf championship at Biltmore Golf Club, Coral Gables in Florida. Report and scores

ADA APPOINTED VAGLIANO TROPHY AND CURTIS CUP CAPTAIN
Ada O'Sullivan has been selected by the Ladies Golf Union to captain the Great Britain & Ireland teams in the 2003 Vagliano Trophy match - in her native Ireland, at Co Louth on Friday and Saturday, July 25 & 26 - and also the 2004 Curtis Cup match at Formby, Lancashire on June 12 & 13.Report

More News tomorrow!

A Very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all Kirkwoodgolf viewers.

Keep the News coming in!!!!

Friday 20th December 2002

NEWS!!!!!
DAWN, JENNA AND CLARE AMONG SIX ADDED TO SCOTTISH INSTITUTE OF SPORT PROGRAMME
The Scottish Institute of Sport has name six young golfers who join the Institute golf programme, alongside the official announcement of Steve McNally as the High Performance Golf Coach who aims to continue the success Scottish golf has seen in recent years. Report

OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP TICKETS ON-LINE..... NO PASS-OUT SYSTEM INTRODUCED.....
It is now easier than ever for spectators to purchase tickets for The Open Championship following the introduction of on-line ticket sales on the R&AÌs web site, www.randa.org. Report

Corrections
Susan Simpson of the LGU has pointed out that the dates for the British Seniors are 24-26 September and not 23-25 as reported by the European Golf Association (I've corrected the dates sent in by Pam Williamson see 15th Dec) ....
Also... there is still some confusion as to the venue for the European Ladies Team Championship in Germany. Colin Farquharson has checked this week (again) and it has been confirmed by the German Golf Federation that the venue is the Frankfurter Golf Club, and not the Wittelsbacher GC as reported by the European Golf Association.

Monday 16th December 2002

County Fund-raising
Marian Wilson, Captain of Ayrshire, reports that they made about £850 from a Silent Auction for their Junior Girls scheme and "Galloway and I are swapping quiz sheets for future funds. They have raised a few hundred pounds each for Galloway Ladies and Brunston Castle juniors respectively and are worth a thought!" Do any other Counties have schemes for raising funds? Perhaps you could share them here?

Southern Methodist University recruiting for January 2003
As usual, I don't feel too comfortable passing this information on (you can get a perfectly good education at a UK university). However, with the disclaimer that I'm not endorsing them... just providing the information... here are the messages I received at the weekend. Note that SMU is a private University, (fees over $30K per annum and bank guarantee needed) NCAA Division I, currently ranked No 97 in Golfweek.
Hi Gillian, I am the women's golf coach here at SMU in Dallas, TX. I am looking for a player that can start in January of 2003. I really need someone who can come in and help make us a better team. I am only in my third year but still in the process of rebuilding and getting the program back into the rankings. I only have six players so someone could come and play a lot golf this spring.
Thanks for your time and help.
Todd Selders
Women's Golf Coach (Mustangs Website)
Southern Methodist University

Sam Houston State are also recruiting for Fall 2003
Here is a message from the coach, Craig Rex.
Sam Houstion State is NCAA Division I, just getting started, currently ranked at No 160 in Golfweek.

Note that if I was a good golfer, thinking about going to the States for my education, I would try to get into a team that was ranked in the top 50, as these teams play in leagues which provide a higher level of competition. In the US, College Golf is a team sport. Your goal is to get your team to the NCAA finals. You have to be in a good team to get there..

Sunday 15th December 2002

Pam Williamson has sent in details of the European Seniors Golf Fixtures for 2003

Portugal Jan 29,30,31
Spain Feb 18,19,20,21 Castellon, Valencia.....4somes and individual stroke play
France March 10,11,12,13 Cannes
France April 2,3 Chantaco
France April 28,29,30 Chantilly....4somes, qualifying and matchplay
Italy May 28,29,30 Pisa
Holland June 4,5,6, Broekpolder
France June 12, 13,14 Chantaco European Individual Championship run by European Golf Assoc
Switzerland June 24,25,26 Zurich
Austria June 23,24,25,26 Gut Altentann
Sweden July 10,11 12 North Pitea
Finland July 25,26,27 Turku
Ireland Sept. 17,18 Seapoint,co. Louth
Britain Sept 24-26 South Staffs

A number of these continental championships have handicap sections so they are not just for low handicap golfers
Further info from LGU and European Golf Assoc. at Place de la Croix Blanche19 PO Box 1066, Epalinges, Swizerland.

Wednesday 11th December 2002

SLGA St Leonards Under 16 Championship
Please note that the dates for the SLGA St Leonards Under 16's Tournament at Drumoig in April have changed to a day later and should now be

• Wednesday 16 April 2003 - Practice Round
• Thursday 17 April 2003 - 1st Round
• Friday 18 April 2003 - 2nd Round

Golf Joke (thanks to Fiona Playfair)
After a particularly poor game of golf, a popular club member skipped the clubhouse and started to go home. As he was walking to the parking lot to get his car, a policeman stopped him and asked,
"Did you tee off on the sixteenth hole about twenty minutes ago?"
"Yes," the golfer responded.
"Did you happen to hook your ball so that it went over the trees and off the course?"
"Yes, I did. How did you know?" he asked.
"Well," said the policeman very seriously, "your ball flew out onto the highway and crashed through a driver's windshield. The car went out of control, crashing into five other cars and a fire truck. The fire truck couldn't make it to the fire and the building burned down. So, what are you going to do about it?"
The golfer thought it over carefully and responded, "I think I'll close my stance a little bit, tighten my grip and lower my right thumb."

Tuesday 10th December 2002

Nothing happening!

Here's a pearl of wisdom from Jim Laurie which struck a chord when I read it in the Scottish Golf newsletter last week....

No matter how bad you are playing, it is always possible to play worse.

It sort of sums up my golf at the moment!

Would any County Secretaries or Junior conveners like to send me some dates for the Fixture list? (or snippets of news, pearls of wisdom or even a joke to relieve the monotony!)

Thanks, Gill

Wednesday 4th December 2002

FIRST AUGUSTA NATIONAL MEMBER TO RESIGN OVER ALL-MALE POLICY
MARTHA Burk's campaign to force the all-male Augusta National Golf Club to admit women members has received a boost.
A former chief executive of CBS has become the first member of the club, which hosts the
U S Masters every year, to resign in protest over the club's refusal to admit a female member. Report

Webfeed from the Scotsman
You might have noticed the new icon on the right..... I've added a web feed from the Scotsman newspaper. Click on the link and you'll be taken to a webpage with the five latest golf articles from the Scotsman. Click on a story and you'll be taken to the Scotsman to read more.
This is a free service from the Scotsman... How is it done?... Budding and novice webmasters click here to find out more Who needs to buy a newspaper now that you've got Kirkwoodgolf?

Tuesday 3rd December 2002

ST ANDREWS LINKS TRUST EVENTS A WEEK EARLIER NEXT YEAR
The staging of the British men's mid-amateur championship over the Jubilee Course from August 13 to 17 next year has had a knock-on effect on the popular programme of multi-day open events organised by the St Andrews Links Trust.
The St Andrews Junior Ladies open championship and the Strathtyrum Trophy women's open tournament, normally played in the second and third weeks of August respectively, have both been brought forward by a week.
That means the St Andrews Junior Ladies open championship next year will be played the same week as the Scottish Ladies Golfing Association's Scottish junior women's open stroke-play championship at Kilmacolm on July 29 and 30.
The Strathtyrum Trophy women's open tournament week will clash with the Veteran Ladies' Golf Association jamboree at Lilleshall Hall, Newport from August 5 to 7.
Scotland will be defending the over-50s' title they won at Seaton Carew this year. Pam Williamson, a former winner of the Strathtyrum Trophy and a regular supporter of the event, was a member of the winning Scotland team.

Monday 2nd December 2002

Aberdeenshire Prizegiving

Here's a happy picture of Aberdeenshire County Players with their trophies after their County Prize-giving recently. Sheena Wood (Aberdeen Ladies'), their County Champion, is in the centre of the front row.

Photograph courtesy of the Cal Carson Golf Agency