February 2006 Archive

Tuesday 28th February 2006

US College Golf
HEATHER SIX SHOTS OFF PACE AT FRESNO, CALIFORNIA
British women’s open amateur stroke-play golf champion Heather MacRae, a student at San Diego State University, was in joint 10th place after the first round of the Fresno State Invitational women’s college golf tournament at Copper River Country Club, Fresno in California.
Dunblane Golf Club member Heather had halves of 37 and 37 in returning a 73 to be six shots behind leader Selanee Henderson (UC-Irvine).
Heather, a member of the LGU Elite Squad, is hoping to be selected to play for the Great Britain & Ireland team in the Curtis Cup match against the United States at Bandon Dunes, Oregon at the end of July.
Kelly Brotherton from Dollar, winner of the 2003 Scottish Under-18 girls' championship at Newmachar and a former pupil of Loretto Golf Academy, was not a member of the Colorado State University team who played at Fresno nor was she among the other girls Colorado State took along in their travelling party to play in the tournament as individuals.
LEADING INDIVIDUALS
67 Selanee Henderson (UC-Irvine) 34-33.
70 Lehua Wise (New Mexico State) 34-37.
71 Jennifer Parkes (Sacramento State) 37-34, Angela Won (UC-Irvine) 36-35.
Other score:
73 Heather MacRae (San Diego State) 36-37.
LEADING TEAMS
285 UC-Irvine.
294 New Mexico State.
296 Long Beach State.
Other scopre:
316 San Diego State (15th).

US College Golf
MARIA DUNNE JOINT WINNER OF SPRING INVITATIONAL
Dubliner Maria Dunne, a student at Bethune-Cookman College, tied for victory with Gretchen Jewell (Stetson University) in the 36-hole Bethune-Cookman College Spring Invitational women’s golf tournament at Indigo Lake Golf Club, Daytona Beach in Florida.
Both players shot 77 and 80 over the 5,913yd, par-72 course for a total of 157.
There was no indication that a play-off was subsequently held.
Another Bethune-Cookman College team player, Fern Grimshaw from Dorset, finished joint fifth on 161 with scores of 79 and 82.
And a third BBC squad member, Becky Dowell from Thornecombe, England, shared 23rd place with 87 and91 for 178.
Despite having three players in the top 20 or so, Bethune-Cookman did not win the team prize at their own event. That honour was claimed by Jacksonville University with a three-player total of 637 – 26 shots ahead of Bethune-Cookman.
LEADING INDIVIDUALS
157 Maria Dunne (Bethune-Cookman College) 77 80, Gretchen Jewell (Stetson) 77 80.
158 Therese Karlsson (Jacksonville) 78 80.
Other totals:
161 Fern Grimshaw (Bethune-Cookman College) 79 82 (jt 5th).
178 Becky Dowell (Bethune-Cookman College) 87 91 (jt 23rd).
LEADING TEAMS
637 Jacksonville.
663 Bethune-Cookman College.
672 Embry-Riddle.

US College Golf
JORDAN FINDLAY ON TARGET FOR BEST US COLLEGE PERFORMANCE SO FAR
Former British boys’ golf champion Jordan Findlay from Fraserburgh is on course for the best performance of his first year as a golf scholarship student at East Tennessee State University.
Until now, Jordan has not really played to his full potential on the American college circuit.
But, in the current Puerto Rico Classic, at Westin Rio Mar Country Club, Jordan is tied for ninth place in a top-quality field with one round to go.
Findlay has had rounds of 72 and 70 for a two-under-par total of 142 over what is considered a tough, testing 6,945yd River course.
Leading the field is another past British boys’ title-winner, Pablo Martin (Oklahoma State) from Spain. Pablo is three shots clear of the field with rounds of 68 and 67 for 135.
All of East Tennessee State University’s men’s golf team come from Great Britain & Ireland. Their star player has been Rhys Davies – yet another past British boys’ champion – from Bridgend, Wales. Winner of several college tournaments, Davies is back in a share of 24th place on Puerto Rico with a 74 and 70 for 144.
Team-mate Gareth Shaw from Lisburn, Northern Ireland has scored 70 and 73 for a 17th place tie on 143.
The two other East Tennessee State University players in the field are Adam Hodkinson from Dore, England and Cian McNamara from Limerick, Ireland.
Adam has had rounds of 76 and 74 for 150 place to be sharing 59th place while McNamara has scored 79 and 74 for a share of 71st place on 153.
Pablo Martin has inspired Oklahoma State to lead the team event on 563, one shot ahead of Georgia. East Tennessee State (579) are currently in sixth place in the 18-team line-up.
LEADING INDIVIDUALS
135 Pablo Martin (Oklahoma State) 68 67.
138 Chris Kirk (Georgia) 70 69.
140 Brendon Todd (Georgia) 68 72.
Other scores:
142 Jordan Findlay (East Tennessee State) 72 70 (jt 9th).
143 Gareth Shaw (East Tennessee State) 70 73 (jt 17th).
144 Rhys Davies (East Tennessee State) 74 70 (jt 24th).
150 Adam Hodkinson (East Tennessee State) 76 74.
153 Cian McNamara (Limerick) 79 74 (jt 71st).
LEADING TEAMS
563 Oklahoma State.
564 Georgia.
568 Florida.
574 Alabama.
574 Purdue.
579 East Tennessee State.
582 Clemson.

Scottish Institute of Sport Foundation
Foundation unveils culture of winning vision
The “Culture of Winning” vision of the pioneering Scottish Institute of Sport Foundation was welcomed today (19 February) by the First Minister, Jack McConnell and business and sporting leaders.
Founded following discussions between the First Minister and Sir Bill Gammell, chief executive of Cairn Energy PLC and former Scotland rugby internationalist, the business-led Foundation aims to facilitate winning in sport by motivating young Scots to fulfil their sporting potential – especially in the 2014 Commonwealth Games and London 2012 Olympics.
The Foundation has received cash backing from the Scottish Executive, which will contribute up to £500,000 per annum over the next three years, on a matching basis.
Announcing the vision Sir Bill Gammell said: “Scotland needs a winning culture. As a nation we’ve got to have a bigger vision and more self confidence to achieve.
“Winning is in the mind. I want to see Scotland with the best performance, best coaching, best research and best results therefore we will challenge conventional thinking and draw on the similarities between business and sporting skills to develop an ethos of winning and train sportspeople how to think under pressure like a winner.”
The Foundation was inspired by The Scottish Institute of Sport’s successful winning-focused elite athlete strategy. While it is independent of any other body, The Foundation is working closely with the Scottish Executive, the Scottish Institute of Sport and sportscotland in building a single ‘Team Scotland’ culture of winning, from elite to grass roots level.
The First Minister said:
“Scotland may be a small country, but we have big ambitions. Many young Scots have the desire and the drive to be successful, but even more have the talent. And we need to harness their enthusiasm.
“Young Scots need to channel their ambition, and their talents, to develop a winning mentality.
“The Scottish Institute of Sport Foundation has the potential to improve Scotland’s sporting success, whilst underlining our ambition of improving Scotland’s confidence as a nation.
“It will add value and complement the work already being undertaken by the Institute of Sport and sportscotland. More importantly, I hope it encourages people of all ages to get involved in sport. And be more confident in every aspect of their lives.
“I want to see a new generation of young Scots competing for Commonwealth gold medals in years to come. Hopefully that will be in front of a home crowd in Glasgow in 2014.”
Winning Scots
The Culture of Winning programme is focused on working with world class coaches, leaders and thinkers to foster a “Winning Scots” culture, from grass roots through to elite athletes.
Business and sporting leaders have joined The Foundation’s influential advisory board, which comprises Sir Craig Reedie CBE, former chairman of the British Olympic Association and IOC member; Judy Murray, Scotland’s former national tennis coach; Richard Emanuel MBE, founder of DX Communications; Dr Frank Dick OBE, former British Olympic athletics coach and Dr Michael Gray OBE, former chairman of McQueen International and former director of Scottish Enterprise.
Sir Craig Reedie who was a key player in London’s successful Olympic bid commented: “The Olympic movement creates heroes and heroines who inspire young people to greater sporting effort. The Foundation can accomplish the same goals in Scotland.”
And Judy Murray, mother of world ranked number 60 tennis star Andy Murray added: “The Foundation will be of enormous benefit to our potentially world class athletes and will hopefully lead to greater Scottish success in international sport. Every sport needs role models to increase both participation and performance and the more success Scotland has on the world stage the stronger sport will become in our country.”

Mary McKenna with the Spanish Seniors trophy (see 24th February)
Photo courtesy Sherry Club / Spanish Golf Federation

GolfMark steps up a level with Sport England Clubmark alliance
The English Golf Union (EGU) and English Ladies’ Golf Association (ELGA) are delighted to announce an exciting new development to their GolfMark initiative, which identifies junior and beginner friendly golf clubs in England.
From February 2006 the GolfMark award will also integrate Sport England’s generic Clubmark award - a national standard for quality sports clubs recognised across the country. More than twenty other sports, including football, tennis and rugby are also using the alliance to add value to their accreditation schemes and over 5000 sports clubs have been awarded Clubmark or are working towards achieving accreditation.
There are a number of benefits that golf clubs can gain by achieving both Sport England’s Clubmark and GolfMark accreditation including increased membership, raising the club’s profile, further development of coaches and volunteers and greater access to funding.
Sport England’s Interim Chief Executive Stephen Baddeley commented: “We are delighted that golf continues to develop as a sport and is seeking to raise the already high standards of it’s clubs across the country. Clubmark will give added value to the successful GolfMark award.”
The EGU and ELGA have incorporated the new Clubmark criteria into the existing GolfMark programme so avoiding the need for any duplication of effort by golf clubs.
Golf Clubs that have already achieved the Junior GolfMark award will retain their existing accreditation but can also apply to be assessed on the enhanced criteria straight away. Clubs who have not yet gained GolfMark status will be encouraged to apply and will be supported by a Regional Development Officer throughout their application process.
Richard Flint EGU Development Manager added, “Our relationship with Sport England’s Clubmark award is an exciting development to the existing GolfMark accreditation and we look forward to continuing to support affiliated golf clubs to obtain this important recognition which will develop and improve club structures in England.”
Full information on how to apply for GolfMark accreditation is available from the GolfMark website at www.golfmark.org clubs can contact the EGU/ELGA Development Team. A resource pack providing details of Sport England’s Clubmark award can be found on the Sport England website at www.sportengland.org/clubmark.
The GolfMark award is an initiative jointly provided by the EGU and ELGA via the England Golf Partnership’s ‘Whole Sport Plan’ for golf.

Monday 27th February 2006

US College golf
WINNER RHYS TAMES FLORIDA WIND
Rhys Lindquist, the Welshman with the Swedish-sounding surname, won the Bethune-Cookman College Spring Invitational men’s tournament at Indigo Lakes Country Club,. Daytona Beach in Florida.
Lindquist, a senior student at the host college, had rounds of 71 and 75 for 146 – a very good effort in atrocious conditions of winds gusting up to 35mph, laced with rain.
Rhys won by three shots from Bethune-Cookman team-mate, Stefan Strandlund from Sweden. Stefan scored 70 and 78 for 148.
Carl Corbin from Reading, finished fourth on 152 with scores of 78 and 74.
Not surprisingly, Bethune-Cookman won their own tournament team title with a total of 599 – 21 shots ahead of runners-up Sienna College.
LEADING INDIVIDUALS
146 Rhys Lindquist (Bethune-Cookman) 71 75.
148 Stefan Strandlund (Bethune-Cookman) 70-78.
LEADING TEAMS
599 Bethune-Cookman.
620 Sienna College.
627 Stetson.

US College golf
TARA SLIPS OUT OF TOP 10 IN LADY PUERTO RICO CLASSIC
Tara Delaney, Irish women’s open amateur stroke-play champion for the past two years, slipped down from fourth place overnight to finish joint 11th in the Lady Puerto Rico Classic women’s college golf tournament at Dorado del Mar Golf Club, San Juan.
Ken State University student Tara, from the Carlow Golf Club, had rounds of 74, 72 and 76 for an aggregate of six-over-par 222 at the par-73, 6,000yd CoCo Beach course.
Tara’s college team-mate Becky Wood from Glossop finished in a share of 18th place with 75, 76 and 73 for 224.
Miss Delaney’s sister, Karen, competing as an individual tied for 66th place with Lucy Gould (East Tennessee State) from Bargoed, Wales on 243. Karen had rounds of 82, 83 and 78 while Lucy scored 87, 79 and 77.
The individual winner was Amanda McCurdy (Arkansas) with 72, 68 and 74 for 214. She finished two strokes clear of Whitney Meyers (Florida).
Florida (885) won a very closely contested team event from the host university, Purdue (887) with Arkansas (888) third. Kent State (903) were placed fifth of the 16 teams.
LEADING INDIVIDUALS
214 Amandy McCurdy (Arkansas) 72 68 74.
216 Whitney Meyers (Florida0 73 69 74.
218 Ann Laney (North Carolina) 68 73 77.
Other totals:
222 Tara Delaney (Kent State) 74 72 76 (jt 11th).
224 Becky Wood (Kent State) 75 76 73.
243 Lucy Gould (East Tennessee State) 87 79 77, Karen Delaney (Kent State) 82 83 78.
LEADING TEAMS
885 Florida.
887 Purdue.
888 Arkansas.
892 Oklahoma State.
903 Kent State.
Other total:
946 East Tennessee State (13th).

US College Golf
VICKI'S POWER HELPS NORTHERN ARIZONA TIE FOR WIN
Irish junior international Vicki Power birdied three of her last five holes to help Northern Arizona University tie for victory with Texas El Paso in the Red Rocks Invitational women’s college golf tournament at Oakcreek Country Club, Sedona.
Cambridge-born Vicki, who transferred to Northern Arizona from Troy State last year, struggled on her outward half with six-over-par 42 to the turn and then bogeyed the 11th and 12th. But she turned her fortunes around by driving the green at the par-4, 315yd 14th which set up a two-putt birdie.
After bogeying the 15th, Miss Power, who has played for Ireland at Under-18 and Under-21 levels, staged a grandstand finish with birdies at the 17th and 18th to match the par of 36 for the inward half.
She had two rounds of 78 for a 10th place individual finish on 156 – eight shots behind the winner, Mary Kate Morgan (Gonzaga) who scored76 and 72.
“I realised I had to do something to help the team. I thought of the back nine as a whole different round (from the first nine). It made me feel good that I can contribute to the team score,” said Vicki.
Team events are, if anything, more important than the individual placings in American college tournaments, so no wonder Northern Arizona University head coach Tom McCurdy was singing Vicki’s praises.
“Vicki had a clutch performance when we needed it,” said Tom. “She had a good attitude and kept her emotions in check which enabled her to finish strongly.”
This is only Vicki's third competition in eight months as she has been recovering from a knee operation in August and a hernia operation in November.
Northern Arizona shared first place with Texas El Paso on 623 – six strokes ahead of third-placed Portland State.
LEADING INDIVIDUALS
148 Mary Kate Morgan (Gonzaga) 76 72.
150 Sophia Choi (Northern Arizona) 74 73.
152 Krista Swanson (Montana) 76 76.
Other total:
156 Vicki Power (Northern Arizona) 78 78.
LEADING TEAMS
623 Northern Arizona, Texas El Paso.
629 Portland State.

Sunday 26th February 2006

US College Golf
VICKI HELPS NORTHERN ARIZONA LEAD
Vicki Power from Cambridge, an Irish Under-18 and Under-21 girls international team player and a junior student at Northern Arizona State University, held joint 11th place at the end of the first round in the 36-hole Red Rock Invitational women’s college golf tournament, hosted by Northern Arizona, at Oakcreek Country Club, Sedona over a par-72 course measuring 6,089yd.
Vicki had a six-over-par 78 with halves of 37 and 41.
Northern Arizona team-mate Sophia Choi shared the lead on 74 with Haley Brown (Portland State).
Vicki and Sophia’s efforts helped Northern Arizona lead the team event with a first-round total of 309 – one ahead of Texas El Paso. Thirteen teams are taking part in this inaugural event.
LEADING INDIVIDUALS
74 Sophia Choi (Northern Arizona) 39-35, Haley Brown (Portland State) 34-40.
Other score:
78 Vicki Power (Northern Arizona) 37-41.
LEADING TEAMS
309 Northern Arizona.
310 Texas El Paso.
312 Portland State.

REBECCA RUNNER-UP IN SOUTH AFRICA
Rebecca Hudson, the amateur star who has never shone as a professional, might be about to change all that. On Saturday, she achieved a career-best second place finish in the Pam Golding Ladies International women’s golf tournament at Dainfern Golf Club, Jonannesburg.
The 26-year-old Doncaster player, a dominant force on the British women’s amateur golf scene but winner of only £5,000 since turning pro in 2002, had rounds of 74, 71 and 67 for a seven-under-par total of 212.
Rebecca earned 25,000 South African Rand for a share of second place behind Switzerland’s Nora Angehrn, a 26-year-old from Zurich who shot 70, 68 and 72 to scoop the first prize of 45,000 SA Rand by two shots with a nine-under-par total of 210 over the par-73 course.
Hudson’s closing six-under-par 67 – the best single round of the 54-hole tournament by any player – shot her up the leaderboard and looked at one stage as if it might carry her to victory. But Angehrn birdied the 10th, 14th and the 16th where she chipped in.
It was Nora’s first win as a professional. Perhaps Rebecca’s overdue breakthrough is going to happen this season.
PAM GOLDING LADIES INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT
Dainfern Golf Club, Johannesburg.
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 73
210 Nora Angehrn (Swi) 70 68 72.
212 Rebecca Hudson (Eng) 74 71 67, Bettina Hauert (Ger) 69 74 69, Cecilie Lundgreen (Nor) 69 74 69.
213 Ashleigh Simon (SAf) (am) 71 74 68, Salimah Mussani (Can) 74 71 68.
Other scores:
214 Marie Allen (Eng) 73 70 71.
219 Liza Walters (Eng) 73 74 72.
222 Sophie Hunter (Eng) 71 76 74.
223 Natalie Booth (Eng) 76 72 75.
226 Clare3 Lipscombe (Eng) 79 71 76, Kelly Hutcherson (Eng) 77 73 76.
Missed cut:
153 Vanessa Bell Eng) 76 77.
156 Laura Wright (Eng) 81 74.
161 Michelle Smith (Eng) 78 83, Cheryl Smith (Eng) 78 83.

US College Golf
TARA FOURTH WITH ONE ROUND TO GO
Ireland’s Tara Delaney (Kent State University) was lying fourth with one round to go in the Lady Puerto Rico Classic women’s college golf tournament at Dorado del Mar Golf Club, San Juan.
Carlow Golf Club member Tara, Irish women’s amateur stroke-play champion for the past two years, has had rounds of 74 and 72 over the par-72, 6,000yd CoCo Beach course.
She is six shots behind the overnight leader Amanda McCurdy (Arkansas) who has had rounds of 72 and 68 to establish a one-stroke advantage from Ann Laney (North Carolina) who has had scores of 68 and 73. She had her first ever hole in one in the first round.
Tara Delaney’s Kent State team-mate Becky Wood from Glossop dropped out of the top 20 with a second-round 76 for 151.
Tara’s sister Karen, playing as an individual, has had rounds of 82 and 83 for 165.
Florida (591) have taken up the running in the hotly-contested team race. They lead by a shot from Purdue and Arkansas. Kent Stent (598) are lying fifth.
LEADING INDIVIDUAL SCORES
140 Amanda McCurdy (Arkansas) 72 68.
141 Ann Laney (North Carolina) 68 73.
142 Whitney Meyers (Florida) 73 69.
146 Tara Delaney (Kent State) 74 72.
Other scores:
151 Becky Wood (Kent State) 75 76.
165 Karen Delaney (Kent State) 82 83.
LEADING TEAMS
591 Florida.
592 Purdue, Arkansas.
596 Oklahoma State.
598 Kent State.

McALPINE (41st) FOUR UNDER PAR IN HAWAII
Alyth Golf Club member Kevin McAlpine (Colorado State University) finished in style with a six-under-par 66 but still managed only a final placing of 41st in the field of 106 for the John Burns Intercollegiate golf tournament on Hawaii.
Kevin had earlier rounds of 74 and 72 over the 6,917yd Leilehaua course at Wahiawa, giving him a final total of four-under-par 212.
The standard of scoring must have been one of the best of the American college golf season. More than half the field were under par with their 54-hole totals.
Brandon DeStefano (Southern Methodist), 68-68-66, and Jay Moseley (Auburn), 66-66-70, headed the field, both scoring 14-under-par 202. DeStefano won the sudden-death play-off at the second hole.
Southern Methodist won the team event with a staggering total of 41-under-par 823. Even then they had only a shot to spare over Brigham Young. Colorado State (832) finished fifth.
LEADING INDIVIDUALS
202 Brandon DeStefano (Southern Methodist) 68 68 66, Jay Moseley (Auburn) 66 66 70 (DeStefano won play-off at second hole).
203 Andrew Scott (San Diego State) 71 64, 68, Derrick Whiting (Colorado State) 67 68 68.
Other total:
212 Kevin McAlpine (Colorado State) 74 72 66 (41st).
LEADING TEAMS
823 Southern Methodist.
824 Brigham Young.
830 New Mexico.
831 San Diego State.
832 Colorado State.

Saturday 25th February 2006

TARA AND BECKY IN PUERTO RICO TOP 20
Tara Delaney from Carlow, winner of the Irish women's open amateur stroke-play championship for the past two years, was sharing 10th place at the end of the first round in the Lady Puerto Rico Classic women's college golf tournament over the CoCo Beach golf course.
Kent State University sophomore student Tara had a round of two-over-par 74 with halves of 35 and 39.
Ann Laney (North Carolina) led by three strokes with a four-under-par 68 (35-33). She had the first hole in one of her golfing life at the 150yd 11th hole.
Tara's team-mate Becky Wood from Glossop was sharing 17th place with a 75 (37-38).
Tara's sister Karen, a junior student at Kent State, playing as an individual, was back in a tie for 65th place with an 82 (41-41).
Purdue, the host university and the third-ranked women's team in the United States, set the pace with a first-round total of 295 - two shots ahead of Kent State.
The tournament is over 54 holes. The course measures 6,000yd and has a par of 72.
LEADING INDIVIDUALS
68 Ann Laney (North Carolina) 35-33.
71 Onnarin Sattayabanphot (Purdue) 36-35.
Other scores:
74 Tara Delaney (Kent State) 35-39 (joint 10th).
75 Becky Wood (Kent State) 37-38 (jt 17th).
82 Karen Delaney (Kent State) 41-41 (jt 65th).
LEADING TEAMS
295 Purdue.
297 Kent State.
298 Arkansas.
299 Florida.
300 Oklahoma State.
301 North Carolina.

Friday 24th February 2006

MARY McKENNA REIGNS IN SPAIN AFTER PAMELA WILLIAMSON SLUMPS OVER LAST SEVEN HOLES
Ireland’s Mary McKenna added yet another title to her illustrious collection amassed over the past five decades when she was crowned Spanish senior women’s amateur international champion at Sherry Golf Club, Jerez in the Cadiz region today (FRIDAY).
On a second day of unusually cold and quite windy weather at the southern Spain venue, Mary from Donabate Golf Club had so-steady rounds of 75 and 77 in the tricky conditions for a total of 152.
She won by two shots from Sweden’s Gunilla Ekman who had a pair of 77s for 154.
Defending champion Cecilia Mourgue d’Algue from France, the current European senior women’s title-holder, was third on 155 with 78 and 77.
Mary McKenna, who will celebrate her 57th birthday on April 29, was eight times Irish women’s amateur champion between 1969 and 1987. She was British women’s stroke-play title-winner in 1979 and British senior women’s champion in 2001.
She played in nine Curtis Cup and nine Vagliano Trophy matches for Great Britain & Ireland.
Mary started the second and final round in second place, one shot behind Scottish senior women’s champion Pamela Williamson (Baberton).
Mary drew level with Pamela with a birdie at the first hole and she also birdied the 10th – most of the 89 competitors could only dream about getting birdies in conditions as tough as they were today.
"It is great to be striking the ball well again and holing crucial putts at key moments in the round" said the Irish legend. "I think a spot of Irish weather tilted the odds in my favour coming down the home stretch" she added wryly.
Mrs Williamson, who reached the turn in 38, was still very much in contention for the title until she suddenly lost her touch over the last seven holes. She dropped nine shots to par in this nightmarish finish and an inward half of 46 saw her round in 84 – 10 shots more than her first round.
Pamela plummeted from the pole position to a final placing of sixth equal on 158 – the same mark as the 1987 Scottish women’s amateur champion Fiona Anderson from Blairgowrie, now a member at Formby Ladies. Fiona had a pair of 79s.
Helen Faulds (Douglas Park) tied for 30th place with 84 and 82 for 166, one shot ahead of Janice Paterson (Drumpellier) who had rounds of 79 and 88.
Noreen Fenton (Merchants of Edinburgh), runner-up in this championship 12 months ago, never got the same momentum going this week and shared 37th place on 172 with an 82 and an 89.
Fiona Roger (Ranfurly Castle) was joint 41st with 84 and 88 for 172.
Jennifer Mack (Haggs Castle) shared 52nd place with 85 and 91 for 176.
Elspeth Hanlon (Gourock) was joint 65th with 87 and 93 for 180.
SPANISH SENIOR WOMEN’S AMATEUR INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Sherry Golf Club, Jerez, Cadiz.
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 72
152 Mary McKenna (Ire) 75 77.
154 Gunilla Ekman (Swe) 77 77.
155 Cecilia Mourgue d’Algue (Fra) 78 77.
156 Cristina Marsans (Spa) 78 78, Vicky Pertierra (Spa) 78 78.
158 Fiona Anderson (Sco) 79 79, Anki Hermanson (Swe) 79 79, 77 81 Erika Annison (Spa) 77 81, Pamela Williamson (Sco) 74 84.
160 Regina Rodriguez (Spa) 78 82, Christina Birke (Swe) 76 84.
161 Catalina Gonzalez (Spa) 82 79.
162 Maria Goizueta (Spa) 81 81, Sue Westall (Eng) 81 81, Cristina Osborne (Spa) 80 82, Hilary Smyth (Eng) 80 82.
163 Jane Rogers (Eng) 82 81, Marianne Copp (Eng) 82 81, Sue Timberlake (Eng) 82 81.
Other totals:
164 Jeannie O’Keeffe (Eng) 83 81, Valerie Hasset (Ire) 80 84, Maj-Britt (Swe) 80 84.
165 Julie Ballard (Eng) 85 80, Diane Williams (Can) 78 87.
166 Helen Faulds (Sco) 84 82.
167 Janice Paterson (Sco) 79 88.
171 Susan Pickles (Eng) 88 83, Noreen Fenton (Sco) 82 89.
172 Fiona Roger (Sco) 84 88.
173 Pat Bennet (Eng) 83 90.
176 Jennifer Mack (Sco) 85 91.
177 Helen O’Donohue (Ire) 88 89.
180 Teresa Taylor (Eng) 90 80, Elspeth Hanlon (Sco) 87 93, Catherine Carty (Ire) 86 94.

R&A Press Release
THE ST ANDREWS TROPHY
The R&A has decided, as a result of the accelerated rate of skills development of amateur golfers, that it will not be naming a GB&I squad from which to select the team for the St Andrews Trophy. This match, against the Continent of Europe, will be held at Marianske Lazne Golf Club, Czech Republic on 1 and 2 September.
As Peter McEvoy, Chairman of The R&A Selection Committee explained: “We feel that as there are so many players in contention for a place in the team, that the squad would be too big to have any real value. Experience over recent years has shown us that young players develop so quickly nowadays, largely due to the quality of coaching and ancillary advice they receive, that previously unheralded players can readily get to the top of the amateur game in a season.
“For that reason, this year we will not be announcing a squad.
“However with the 2007 Walker Cup being played at Royal County Down, next year we intend to re-instate the squad system, as it will be essential that all players in contention for a place are given the opportunity to practice at that demanding links venue.”
R&A selectors will be present at all major events although Peter McEvoy points out that outside these events, player performances will be taken into consideration when selecting the team for the St Andrews Trophy.
Major Events
West of Ireland Championship, 14-18 April, Co Sligo
Lytham Trophy, 5-7 May
Irish Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship, 12-14 May
Brabazon Trophy, 19-21 May, Ganton
Welsh Open Stroke Play Championship, 26-28 May, Southerndown
Scottish Open Stroke Play Championship, 2-4 June, Craigielaw
St Andrews Links Trophy, 9-11 June, Old Course and New Course
Irish Amateur Close Championship, 10-14 June, European Club
Amateur Championship, 19-24 June, Royal St George's
European Youths Team Championship, 11-15 July, La Canada, Spain

Thursday 23rd February 2006

PAMELA LEADS FROM MARY IN SPANISH SENIORS
Scottish senior women’s champion Pamela Williamson from Edinburgh leads by one shot from Irish legend Mary McKenna with other over-50s stalwart, Christina Birke from Sweden in third place at the halfway stage of the Spanish senior women’s international amateur golf championship at Sherry Golf Club, Jerez in the Cadiz region of southern Spain.
In cold, wet and windy conditions, Baberton Golf Club member Mrs Williamson kept her concentration well to return a two-over-par 74 in the first round of the 36-hole competition.
Many times Irish champion Mary McKenna (Donabate) is snapping at the Scot’s heels with a 75 while Christina Birke is on the 76 mark.
Defending champion Cecilia Mourgue d’Algue (France) had a 78.
Former Scottish champion Fiona Anderson (Formby Ladies) is tied for 12th place with Janice Paterson (Drumpellier) on 79.
Noreen Fenton (Merchants of Edinburgh), runner-up in the individual championship 12 months ago, is back in joint 26th place after an 82.
Fiona Rogers (Ranfurly Castle) and Helen Faulds (Douglas Park) both had 84s, one better than Jennifer Mack (Haggs Castle).
Elspeth Hanlon (Gourock) returned an 87.
SPANISH SENIOR WOMEN’S AMATEUR INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Sherry Golf Club, Jerez, Cadiz.
Leading first round scores
74 Pamela Williamson (Sco).
75 Mary McKenna (Ire).
76 Christina Birke (Swe).
77 Erika Annison (Spa), Gunilla Ekman (Swe), Marta Estany (Spa).
78 Cecilia Mourgue d’Algue (Spa), Cristina Marsans (Spa), Diane Williams (Can), Regina Rodriguez (Spa), Vicky Pertierra (Spa).
79 Fiona Anderson (Sco), Janice Patereson (Sco), Anki Hermanson (Swe).
80 Maj-Britt Heden (Swe), Teresa Bagaria (Spa), Valerie Hasset (Ire), Cristina Osborne, Carmet Valls-Taberner.
81 Hilary Smyth (Eng), Maria Goizueta (Spa), Catline Pequignot (Spa), Beatriz Cifuentes, Beatriz Ramirez, Sue Westall (Eng).
Other scores:
82 Noreen Fenton (Sco), Sue Timberlake (Eng), Marianne Copp (Eng).
83 Pat Bennet (Eng), Jeannie O’Keeffe (Eng).
84 Fiona Rogers (Sco), Helen Faulds (Sco).
85 Jennifer Mack (Sco), Julie Ballard (Eng), Jane Rogers (Eng).
86 Catherine Carty (Ire).
87 Elspeth Hanlon (Sco).
88 Susan Pickles (Eng), Helen O’Donohue (Ire).
90 Teresa Taylor (Eng).

US College Golf
ANNA SCOTT’S TOP-20 FINISH IN FLORIDA
Anna Scott from Consett, Co Durham, a student at Georgia State University, was the leading European player in the Miccosukee Challenge women’s college golf tournament at Miccosukee Country Club, Miami in Florida.
Six-footer Anna had rounds of 76, 79 and 74 over the par-73 course for a total of 229 and a joint 18th finish.
Shauna McVeigh (Troy University, Alabama) from Kilkeel, Northern Ireland and Dubliner Maria Dunne (Bethune-Cookman College) tied for 48th place on 237. Shauna had scores of 76, 82 and 79. Maria scored 82, 72 and 83.
Ferne Grimshaw (Bethune-Cookman) from Dorset shared 55th place on 239 with scores of 80, 79 and 80.
A third Bethune-Cookman player, Becky Dowell from Devon, had rounds of 83, 84 and 82 for 249.
Augusta State (897) won the team event by one shot from Brigham Young with Florida International and Georgia State sharing third place on 915.
Bethune-Cookman finished tied for 18th place in a field of 20 with 987

US College Golf
CHARLENE AND NIKKI HELP PFEIFFER FINISH SECOND
Charlene Reid from Antrim and Belfast’s Nikki Taggart helped their American college, Pfeiffer University, to finish second in the team event of the Pfeiffer Old North State Invitational women’s college tournament at Old North State Club, New London in North Carolina.
Charlene had two rounds of 81 over the 5,995yd, par-72 course for an aggregate of 162, which earned her a share of sixth place in the individual event behind Jordan Craig (Wake Forest) and Paige Haverty (Catawba College), who headed the field on five-over-par 149. Jordan had rounds of 75 and 74, Paige 77 and 2.
Nikki finished joint 25th on 174 with scores of 85 and 89.
In the team event Catawba College (651) won from Pfeiffer (657) and Newberry College (675).

Press Release
ROYAL LIVERPOOL GOLF CLUB WEB SITE
Now that the year of Royal Liverpool Golf Club’s 11th Open Championship is well and truly underway the Club has re-launched its web site.
www.royal-liverpool-golf.com features a video that explores the past and present of the RLGC and the famous Hoylake links.
There are also video tips from the Club’s Head Professional, John Heggarty, as well as virtual tours of the Clubhouse recently extended and refurbished at a cost of almost two million pounds.
Elsewhere on the site you can look at stunning new photographs of the course, and at examples of golf memorabilia from a collection that is arguably the finest in Britain outside of St. Andrew’s.
The content of the web site was produced by television producer and Hoylake member, Mark Gorton, and the site was built by Nigel Smith, owner of local web design company, Innerview.
Says Mark: “If you are a prospective Open spectator or visitor to Hoylake, or maybe just a golfer anywhere in the world who wants to know more about a great course that’s back on the Open circuit after almost forty years, then we hope the site will be both informative and entertaining.”

Wednesday 22nd February 2006

US College Golf
PERTHSHIRE PLAYER RUNNER-UP IN TEXAS
Emily Ogilvy from Dunning, Perthshire finished second and helped her American college, the University of Arkansas-Little Rock, to win the team title in the Islander Spring Classic women’s golf tournament at Corpus Christi, Texas.
Emily had rounds of 72, 70 and 76 for a two-over-par tally of 218 for the 6,100yd, par-72 course. But for an 8 on her final card, Miss Ogilvy would have gone close to catching individual winner, Camila Sola (Redlands College) who scored 69, 71 and 74 for 214.
Arkansas Little Rock headed the entry of 16 teams with a two-round total of 899 – eight shots ahead of runners-up Redlands with Texas A&M Corpus Christi, the hosts, third on 920.
LEADING INDIVIDUALS
214 Camila Sola (Redlands) 69 71 74.
218 Emily Ogilvy (Arkansas-Little Rock) 72 70 76.
220 Sara Wilkstrom (Arkansas-Little Rock) 69 75 76, Christy Carter (Oral Roberts) 71 74 75.
LEADING TEAMS
899 Arkansas-Little Rock.
907 Redlands.
920 Texas A&M Corpus Christi.

PAMELA AND DIANE JOINT THIRD IN SPANISH SENIOR WOMEN'S INTERNATIONAL DOUBLES
The Scottish-Canadian partnership of Pamela Williamson (Baberton) and Diane Williams finished joint third in the Spanish senior women’s international doubles championship at Sherry Golf Club, Jerez in the Cadiz region of southern Spain.
Pamela, the current Scottish senior women’s match-play and stroke-play champion, and Diane combined for a foursomes round 77 in very cold and windy conditions.
Added to their opening-day, better-ball score of 75, their 36-hole final aggregate of 152 was bettered only the title-winning favourites, Vicky Pertierra (Spain) and France’s Cecilia Mourgue d’Algue who scored 74 and 73 for 147 and runners-up, Spain’s Ana Vilella and Marta Estany with 71 and 77 fo4 148.
The new champions were the lowest handicap players among the 43 couples in the championship. Cecilia has an actual handicap of +0.8 while Vicky plays off 3.4
The Swedish pairing of Ann-Catrin Sveningson and Gunilla Ekman (77-75) shared third place with Pamela Williamson and Diane Williams.
Former Scottish women’s champion Fiona Anderson (Formby Ladies) and her English partner, Jane Rogers, did well to share fifth place on 154 with England’s Hilary Smyth and Sue Pickles.
Jane and Fiona had scores of 75 and 79 for 154 while Hilary and Sue scored 74-80.
Scotland had two more representatives in the top 10 – Helen Faulds (Douglas Park) and Noreen Fenton (Merchants of Edinburgh) who finished ninth with 78 and 78 for 157 – one shot and one place ahead of Ireland’s Mary McKenna and Valerie Hasset (76-82).
Elspeth Hanlon (Gourock) and Janice Paterson (Drumpellier) shared 17th place on 162 with scores of 78 and 84.
Jennifer Mack (Haggs Castle) and Fiona Roger (Ranfurly Castle) took 31st place with an 85 and an 89.
All the Scots, with the exception of Pamela Williamson and Fiona Anderson, had to cope with the stress of their luggage and golf clubs not arriving until 7pm on the eve of the tournament. They managed only nine holes of practice with borrowed clubs.
The Spanish senior women’s international individual championship will be decided over 36 holes over the next two days. Cecilia Mourgue d’Algue is the defending champion. Noreen Fenton (Merchants of Edinburgh) was runner-up 12 months ago.
SPANISH SENIOR WOMEN’S INTERNATIONAL DOUBLES
Sherry Golf Club, Jerez.
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
(first round better-ball; second round foursomes).
147 Vicky Pertierra (Spa) & Cecilia Mourgue d’Algue (Fra) 74 73.
148 Ana Vilella (Spa) & Marta Estany (Spa) 71 77.
152 Pamela Williamson (Sco) & Diane Williams) Can) 75 77; Ann-Catrin Sveningson (Swe) & Gunilla Ekman (Swe) 77 75.
154 Fiona Anderson (Sco) & Jane Rogers (Eng) 75 79; Hilary Smyth (Eng) & Sue Pickles (Eng) 74 80.
Other totals:
157 Helen Faulds (Sco) & Noreen Fenton (Sco) 78 79.
158 Mary McKenna (Ire) & Valerie Hasset (Ire) 76 82.
159 Sue Timberlake (Eng) & Sue Westall (Eng) 76 83.
162 Elspeth Hanlon (Sco) & Janice Paterson (Sco) 78 84.
169 Helen O’Donohue (Ire) & Catherine Carty (Ire) 80 89; Jeannie O’Keeffe (Eng) & Teresa Taylor (Eng) 81 88.
174 Jennifer Mack (Sco) & Fiona Roger (Sco) 85 89.

US College Golf
LOUISE WINS TITLE IN ALABAMA
Scottish Under-21 girls’ champion Louise Fleming (Jacksonville State University) from Kelso won the Birmingham Southern University Shoot-out by four strokes at Bent Brook golf course, Alabama.
Louise matched the par of 72 in both totals for a total of 144. Her nearest rival was Allison Mitchell of the host university with a pair of 74s.
Louise also led Jacksonville State University to a third straight win in the team event.
Starting the final round nine shots off the pace, the Gamecocks finished at the top of the pack with a total of 607 – one shot ahead of Birmingham Southern.
LEADING INDIVIDUALS
144 Louise Fleming (Jacksonville State) 72 72.
148 Allison Mitchell (Birmingham Southern) 74 74.
149 Emily Klein (Birmingham Southern) 76 73, Michelle Toth (South Alabama) 75 74.
LEADING TEAMS
607 Jacksonville State.
608 Birmingham Southern.
616 South Alabama.

US College Golf
SCOTS TRIO WIN TEAM TITLE FOR JACKSONVILLE
Three Scots won the Charleston Southern University Invitational men’s college golf team title for Jacksonville University, Florida at Coosaw Creek Country Club, Charleston in South Carolina.
Duncan Stewart from Grantown-on-spey, Russell Knox from Inverness and Edinburgh-born Jamie Kennedy totalled 871 in the 54-hole event – eight shots ahead of runners-up Campbell University with Radford University (880) third of the 12 competing teams.
Duncan Stewart led the individual competition after 36 holes but dropped back to a share of fourth place with Knox in the final standings. Kennedy was placed sixth.
Shawn Hill (Charleston Southern) won with a two-under-par total of 211.
LEADING INDIVIDUALS
211 Shawn Hill (Charleston Southern) 71 73 67.
212 Aaron Summers (Radford) 71 70 71, Frederic Sundberg (Campbell) 69 72 71.
213 Duncan Stewart (Jacksonville) 74 66 73, Russell Knox (Jacksonville) 72 71 70.
215 Jamie Kennedy (Jacksonville) 71 75 69.
LEADING TEAMS
871 Jacksonville.
879 Campbell.
880 Radford.

US College Golf
GEMMA TIES FOR 20TH PLACE IN FLORIDA
Scotland’s Gemma Webster (Ohio State) tied for 20th place in a field of 75 for the Central District Invitational women’s college golf tournament at River Wilderness Golf Club, Parrish in Florida.
Gemma, a member at Hilton Park Golf Club and the current British universities stroke-play champion, had rounds of 76, 78 and 75 for an aggregate of 229 over the par-72 course.
In her final round, Miss Webster, who transferred to Ohio State University from a dentistry course at Dundee University last year, bogeyed the second and fifth and then birdied the sixth, eighth and 11th to be challenging for a top-10 finish.
But Gemma double-bogeyed the par-4 16th – her second double-bogey of the tournament – and then also dropped shots at the 17th and 18th holes to drop back into a tie for 20th place. She was the third of three Ohio State players in the leading 20.
Sian Reddick (Baylor) from Folkestone was the leading European player with rounds of 76, 74 and 74 for a total of 224 which earned her eighth place.
Sian, whose performance helped Baylor University (896) from Texas to win the team event by 11 shots from Ohio State (907) in a field of 14 teams, birdied the fourth, ninth and 17th in her final round.
She would have gone close to finishing third overall but for a double bogey at the 14th and bogeys at the third, fifth and 18th on the last day. Miss Reddick also had a double bogey in her first round.
Dubliner Suzie Hayes (Notre Dame) tied for ninth place on 225 with scores of 73, 77 and 75. Suzie birdied the first but then bogeyed the third, eighth, 10th and 15th in her last round.
Lacey Jones (Southern Methodist) was the individual winner with scores of 72, 73 and 70 for one-under-par 215. She won by four shots from Stephanie Ruiz (Nebraska).
LEADING INDIVIDUALS
215 Lacey Jones (Southern Methodist) 72 73 70.
219 Stephanie Ruiz (Nebraska) 73 75 71.
221 Meredith Jones (Baylor) 76 72 73.
Other scores:
224 Sian Reddick (Baylor) 76 74 74 (8th).
225 Suzie Hayes (Notre Dame) 73 77 75 (jt 9th).
229 Gemma Webster (Ohio State) 76 78 75.
LEADING TEAMS
896 Baylor.
907 Ohio State.
908 Southern Methodist.
914 Nebraska.
Other total:
932 Notre Dame (11th).

US College Golf
AZAHARA STARS FOR ARIZONA STATE
Azahara Munoz, the Spaniard who won the British girls’ open championship at Lanark two years ago, led Arizona State to a notable team victory over the top-ranked Duke University in the Arizona Wildcat Invitational college tournament over the Arizona National Course at Tucson.
Azahara had rounds of 71, 68 and 70 to be one of four players who tied for third place on four-under-par 209.
Arizona State (840) won by six shots from Duke (846) with California and UCLA sharing third place on 859.
Vanderbilt University don’t provide many individual winners on the American women’s college circuit but Jacqui Concolino strung together three very good rounds – 70, 68 and 66 – to head the field of 96 players with a brilliant nine-under-par total of 204.
Jacqui pipped Sophia Sheridan (California) by one shot.
LEADING INDIVIDUALS
204 Jacqui Concolino (Vanderbilt) 70 68 66.
205 Sophia Sheridan (California) 69 67 69.
Other totals:
209 Azahara Munoz (Arizona State) 71 68 70.
LEADING TEAMS
840 Arizona State.
846 Duke.
859 California, UCLA.

Tuesday 21st February 2006

Spanish Seniors
SCOTS TO THE FORE IN SPANISH SENIOR WOMEN’S DOUBLES CHAMPIONSHIP
Former Scottish women’s amateur golf champion Fiona Anderson, pictured right, from Blairgowrie and Pamela Williamson, the current Scottish women’s senior champion from Baberton, Edinburgh, were well in the picture at the end of the first round of the Spanish senior women’s open amateur doubles championship at Sherry Golf Club, Jerez in the Cadiz region of southern Spain.
Fiona, now based in Manchester and skipper of the Scotland women’s home international team, teamed up with England’s Jane Rogers to return a creditable score of three-over-par 75 in the opening day’s better-ball format.
On the same mark were Pamela Williamson and her Canadian partner, Diane Williams.
Leading the field in the 36-hole event, which precedes the individual two-round championship at the same venue, were Spain’s Ana Vilella and Marta Estany with a very good score of 71.
They lead by three shots from England’s Hilary Smyth and Sue Pickles, as well as Spain’s Beatriz Ramires and Cristina Marsans.
The Scots in the field – with the exception of Pamela Williamson and Fiona Anderson who arrived earlier – did not too badly, considering that their golf clubs and luggage did not arrive until 7pm on the eve of the tournament.
Helen Faulds (Bearsden) and Noreen Fenton (Merchants of Edinburgh) returned a 78, the same score as Elspeth Hanlon (Gourock) and Janice Paterson (Drumpellier).
Jennifer Mack (Haggs Castle) and Fiona Roger (Ranfurly Castle) had an 85.
FIRST-ROUND SCOREBOARD
(Players from Spain unless stated)
71 Ana Vilella & Marta Estany.
74 Hilary Smyth (Eng) & Sue Pickles (Eng), Beatriz Ramires & Cristina Marsans.
75 Catalina Gonzalez & Sonja Gottschalch (Den), Jane Rogers (Eng) & Fiona Anderson (Sco), Maj-Brit Heden (Swe) & Marianne Copp (Eng), Christina Birke (Swe) & Anki Hermanson (Swe), Pamela Williamson (Sco) & Diane Williams (Can).
Other scores:
76 Sue Timberlake (Eng) & Sue Westall (Eng), Julie Ballard (Eng) & Pat Bennet (Eng), Mary McKenna (Ire) & Valerie Hasset (Ire).
78 Helen Faulds (Sco) & Noreen Fenton (Sco), Elspeth Hanlon (Sco) & Janice Paterson (Sco).
80 Helen O’Donoghue (Ire) & Catherine Carty (Ire).
85 Jennifer Mack (Sco) & Fiona Roger (Sco).

US College Golf
SCOT LOUISE LEADS IN ALABAMA
Scottish Under-21 girls’ champion Louise Fleming, a golf scholarship student at Jacksonville State University, Alabama, led by two strokes at the halfway stage of the 36-hole Birmingham Southern University Shoot-out women’s college tournament.
Louise, from Kelso, shot an even-par 72 (34-38) over the 6,001yd, par-72 Bent Brook course in conditions that must have made her feel at home - unusually very cold and wet conditions at the Alabama venue.
She will start the final round clear of host university favourite Allison Mitchell who had halves of 36 and 38 for a 74.
Louise’s good round pushed defending champions Jacksonville State up into third place on 314 behind Birmingham Southern (305) and South Alabama (312) in the team event contested by 15 universities.

Cambridge v Oxford
The Cambridge University Ladies' Golf team for this year's Varsity match against Oxford has just been announced. The team is as follows: Jenny Heathcote, Elaine Evans, Lisa Heidemann, Angela Donoghue, Sarah Meadows, Jo Reeve and Birte Feix (reserve). This year's match is being held in North Berwick on the 21st March, and supporters are more than welcome to come and watch. The Cambridge team are currently seeking sponsorship - if there are any local businesses or individuals who could possibly help Cambridge out (we don't need much!), please get in touch with Elaine Evans (eme22@cam.ac.uk).

Opening of clubgolf driving range at Nairn Dunbar

Press Release
Nairn Dunbar Golf Club, designated as one of eight Regional Training & Development Centres in Scotland, has received a further boost in the form of a three and a half ton, three-bay, all-weather driving range.
The Pro-Drive Driving Bay, a £13,000 investment by clubgolf partner sportscotland, is intended to support long term player development in Highland, and will cover all abilities from complete beginner to elite player.
The new bay was opened officially today. Those present were Nairn Provost and Highland Councillor, Sandy Park; Highland Institute of Sport Chair Cllr Angus Dick; SGU Chief Executive Officer Hamish Grey; SLGA Senior Home International Team Captain Pam Gordon; Highland Active Schools Manager Allan Clark; clubgolf Junior Facilities & Services Manager Martin Bowie; clubgolf Highland Regional Manager Willie MacKay; Nairn Dunbar GC Manager Scott Falconer; the club’s PGA Professional David Torrance; Captain Sandy Goodall; and children from Nairn Academy and Primary schools.
“By having this mobile driving range in Highland we are giving golfers - young, old and elite - the opportunity to continue practising in poor weather and in the dark,” said Willie MacKay, Junior Golf Development Officer for Highland, who was instrumental in the installation of Highland’s first transportable driving range at Thurso Golf Club fourteen months ago. We also hope to prove to clubs how accessible and affordable a practice facility can be.”
The new arrival at Nairn Dunbar follows the club’s recent news that it has been designated by the Scottish Golf Union as one of only eight Regional Training & Development Centres in Scotland where the SGU Academy Programme will run.
“We are delighted to have been identified as a Regional Centre, which has come about through a combination of factors,” said the club’s PGA Professional David Torrance, who has been selected as an SGU Academy Coach.
“You need the right facility, the right geographical spot and a PGA Professional trained to deliver the Academy programme. Our local juniors who have been selected for Academy coaching and have had to go Royal Dornoch for regular coaching will now not need to travel so far for their coaching.
“Nairn Dunbar is a superb golfing facility and we have an enviable reputation for junior development, both in terms of number and performance. The new bay will benefit everyone from our oldest seniors to our 200-plus junior members who will be able to use it during inclement days and, as soon as we install lighting, throughout the winter months after school.”
clubgolf’s plan to introduce mobile driving ranges to Scottish clubs is a key component to the strategy’s ultimate target of introducing 50,000 nine year olds in Scotland to the game annually by 2009 and retaining 20,000 in Stage 1 of the programme. As part of the drive to generate and improve facilities for juniors, a further three bays are touring Scotland to demonstrate the benefits of a cost effective, all-weather facility and encourage clubs to invest in their own.
“Supporting golf clubs in providing a player development pathway is a high priority and Nairn Dunbar Golf Club is taking the lead having been identified as a Regional Centre,” said Martin Bowie, clubgolf’s Junior Facilities & Services Manager.
“Transportable ranges, situated for a temporary period, generally do not require planning permission and they can be leased rather than bought. They avoid the capital outlay of building costs, models are updated regularly and when you have finished with them you just hand them back. The bay we installed in Thurso has been extremely popular with all the local golf clubs and we have no doubt that this new bay at Nairn Dunbar will be equally successful.”
Nairn Dunbar’s driving bay will not only benefit beginner and regular golfers. It will be key in developing the area’s elite performers from the SGU and SLGA’s national coaching programme. Nairn Dunbar will allow players from its squad - one of seven regional squads in Scotland - the opportunity to work on their programmes throughout the winter, unaffected by the weather.
“It is vital that our young Highland golfers have the same opportunities to train and develop as their counterparts across Scotland do,” said SGU Chief Executive Officer Hamish Grey.
“Ensuring that a national programme is in place in each area of Scotland is essential for the development of our talented junior players. We compliment Nairn Dunbar Golf Club for being an outstanding example of a proactive junior club.”
Three young Highland golfers are benefiting from Highland Institute of Sport’s recent decision to welcome golf as a core sport.
The Highland Institute’s golfers can reap the benefits of sports science back up, medical support, a fully integrated strength and conditioning programme, sports and athlete career and education services. With the new driving bay they will have access to a local sports-specific facility which will help them train harder in bad weather and during the winter months.
“We fully endorse this driving bay which will provide our athletes with a top quality facility for specific training,” said Highland Institute of Sport’s Manager, Chris Hildrey. “We thank sportscotland for giving Highland this opportunity and we also acknowledge their support for our project of building a Strength & Conditioning unit within the Aquadome.
“Nairn Dunbar Golf Club is becoming a hub for excellence and we will continue to play our part by ensuring that coaches such as David Torrance, Nairn Dunbar and Stuart Morrison at Royal Dornoch, can benefit from the best training and development opportunities we have to offer. By giving coaches access to use our full range of service providers our athletes will ultimately reap huge rewards.”
The opening of Nairn Dunbar’s driving bay coincides with a review of the first three years of clubgolf since Willie MacKay started in March 2003. Last week he finalised the next 3-year plan that sets the targets and plans up to 2009. In Highland, clubgolf has trained over 120 volunteer coaches so far.
“We need at least another 150 volunteer coaches spread across Highland’s forty plus golf clubs to cope with the success of our schools programme,” said MacKay. “This year the Active Schools Programme will introduce 1800 Primary 5 children to the firstclubgolf game and I expect 500 to 600 of those will make the transition to Stage 1 coaching at golf clubs. We will need new coaches to work with these beginners and many coaches will continue to work with last year’s juniors as they progress along the player development pathway to Stage 2.
“The clubgolf programme is inclusive, not selective. The opportunity is available to all primary schools and club development does mean all golf clubs. The programme of advanced coaching from experienced PGA Professionals was always in place, but with the SGU North District and the SGU National Performance Programme in place, expanding the opportunities for long-term player development are realistic and achievable.
“The clubgolf programme is creating jobs within golf. I look forward to the next three years with more junior golfers making the grade to be considered for being invited onto the Highland Institute of Sport Programme.”

Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings unveiled, first-ever sanctioned women’s golf rankings
Sorenstam tops list, Creamer 8.82 points behind
Annika Sorenstam is the number-one player in women's golf. Not that anyone was prepared to dispute that fact, but thanks to a joint unveiling today by the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA), Ladies European Tour (LET), Ladies Professional Golfers’ Association of Japan (JLPGA), Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA), Australian Ladies Professional Golf (ALPG) and the Ladies’ Golf Union (LGU) women's golf now has its first official rankings system, the Rolex Women's World Golf Rankings.
The Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings—which were developed at the May 2004 World Congress of Women’s Golf—is the first-ever world rankings system for women’s golf sanctioned by the five major women’s professional golf Tours: the LPGA; LET; JLPGA; KLPGA; and the ALPG, as well as the LGU, which administers the Weetabix Women’s British Open. The Rolex Rankings are the only women’s world rankings that incorporate player performances from the five major tours and the Duramed Futures Tour, the official developmental tour of the LPGA.
“Rolex is delighted to become the founding sponsor of the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings,” said Jean-Noel Bioul, co-director of sponsorship at Rolex S.A. “The Rolex commitment to golf is substantial and widespread and the addition of the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings is confirmation of the company’s support for the women’s game worldwide.
“The Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings create the opportunity to bring all the women’s golf around the world together as one family. Golf and Rolex are perfect partners.”
The five major golf tours and the LGU developed the Rolex Rankings and the protocol that governs the rankings, while R2IT, an independent software development company was retained to develop the software for the Rolex Rankings and will continue to maintain the rankings on a weekly basis. The Rolex Rankings will be updated and released every Tuesday following the completion of the previous week’s tournaments around the world.
Sweden’s Annika Sorenstam, who has 21 worldwide wins in the last two years, is ranked first on the inaugural Rolex Rankings with 18.47 points, while Paula Creamer, of the United States, is second with 9.65 points. Michelle Wie (USA) is third, while Yuri Fudoh (Japan) and Cristie Kerr (USA) round out the top five, respectively.
“ Historically, it has always been difficult to determine who the best women golfers in the world were. Now for the first time, this will be possible with the advent of the Rolex Rankings’” said Andy Salmon, LGU Chief Executive. “We are delighted to fully endorse the Rolex Rankings with the cooperation of the ALPG, JLPGA, KLPGA, LET and LPGA and are indebted to Rolex for their sponsorship of this exciting new initiative which will support the raising profile of women’s golf.”
The formation of the Rolex Rankings provides a unified and authoritative reference source to the relative performance of the world’s leading players. Rolex Rankings shares the established men’s world rankings philosophy of awarding points based on field strength and evaluates players performance over a rolling two-year period weighted in favor of the current year with even more importance placed on the most recent 13 weeks. A divisor is used to take into account the number of tournaments played by each ranked player, and players must compete in at least 15 events over the two-year rolling period in order to be ranked.
The official events from all of the world’s five major tours will be taken into account and points will be awarded according to the strength of the field with exception to the four major championships on the LPGA Tour schedule and the Futures Tour events, which will have a fixed point distribution. The number of points distributed to each player is dependant upon her finish and scale of points allocated on the basis of the number and rankings of players in the field.
Women's World Rankings, 21 February:
1 Annika Sorenstam Swe 18.47 average points
2 Paula Creamer US 9.65
3 Michelle Wie US 9.24
4 Yuri Fudoh Jpn 7.37
5 Cristie Kerr US 6.94
6 Ai Miyazato Jpn 6.58
7 Lorena Ochoa Mex 6.10
8 Jang Jeong SKor 4.91
9 Han Hee-won SKor 4.49
10 Juli Inkster US 4.11
Leading British players:
19 Catriona Matthew Sco 3.38
33 Karen Stupples Eng 2.71
47 Laura Davies 2.23.
Link to World Rankings page on LGU website

US College Golf
GEMMA JOINT 24TH IN FLORIDA EVENT
Scotland international player Gemma Webster, a student at Ohio State University, was in joint 24th place with one round to go in the Central District Invitational women’s college golf tournament at the River Wilderness Golf Club, Parrish in Florida (Monday, USA time).
Hilton Park GC member Gemma had rounds of 76 and 78 for a tally of 154 over the par-72, 6,099yd course.
Gemma had birdies at the sixth, eighth and 14th in her second round but had a costly double bogey 5 at the short 12th in her first round.
The leading European players were Suzie Hayes (Notre Dame) from Dublin and Sian Reddick (Baylor) from Folkestone. They were tied for ninth place on 150. Suzie score 73 and 77, Sian 76 and 74.
Suzie birdied the 14th and 15th in her second round. Sian birdied the fourth and 10th in her second round but had a double bogey 6 at the second in her first circuit.
Alice Kim (Northwestern) set the pace after 36 holes with scores of 70 and 74 for level par 144 and a one-shot lead from Lacey Jones (Southern Methodist) (72-73)
Gemma Webster’s effort helped Ohio State to obtain a share of second place in the team event overnight with a total of 609 – nine behind leaders Baylor..
LEADING INDIVIDUALS
144 Alice Kim (Northwestern) 70 74.
145 Lacey Jones (Southern Methodist) 72 73.
Other scores:
150 Suzie Hayes (Notre Dame) 73 77, Sian Reddick (Baylor) 76 74.
154 Gemma Webster (Ohio State) 76 78.
LEADING TEAMS
600 Baylor.
609 Ohio State, Missouri, Southern Methodist.
610 Northwestern, Nebraska.
Other score:
623 Notre Dame (11th).

US College Golf
EARLY END TO PLAY AT TUCSON
Darkness forced an early stoppage to the first day’s play in the Arizona Wildcat Invitational at Arizona National golf course, Tucson.
The players will complete their second rounds with early starts on Tuesday before going out again for the third and final round.
Sophie Sheridan (California) led at seven under par for 34 holes after a first-round 69 for the 6,166yd, par-71 course. She led by two shots from Jennifer Osborn (Arizona State) who had also played 34 holes. Jennifer had a 68 in the first round.

CLUBS TURN UP IN TIME FOR SCOTS TO PLAY IN SPANISH SENIORS’ TOURNAMENT
Six Scottish competitors, whose golf clubs and luggage went missing between Gatwick and Jerez in southern Spain, were able to tee up after all in the first round of the Spanish senior women’s open doubles event at Sherry Golf Club today (TUESDAY).
“The luggage arrived at the 11th hour literally,” said Jennifer Mack from Haggs Castle Golf Club.
“We were not able to play a practice round yesterday and we had made all sorts of contingency plans to enable us to play after coming all this way from Scotland. We did not want to be thwarted so were were going to buy golf shoes and borrow golf clubs and clothes.
“The mood wasn’t great among the girls but suddenly it has got better with the arrival of our luggage.”
Apart from Mrs Mack, the other members of the Scottish party are:
Helen Faulds (Douglas Park), Fiona Roger (Ranfurly Castle), Elspeth Hanlon (Gourock), Janice Paterson (Drumpellier) and Noreen Fenton (Merchants of Edinburgh).
They flew from Glasgow to Heathrow with British Airways and then by Iberian Airlines to Madrid and an internal flight to Jerez.
Scottish senior women’s champion Pamela Williamson (Baberton) and Canadian Diane Williams, a close friend and golfing partner, escaped the lost-in-flight nightmare. They travelled out to Jerez last week.
The four days of over-50s’ championship golf begins with a two-round doubles event in which the first 18 holes is decided on better-ball and the second 18, on Wednesday, by foursomes play.
Then, on Thursday and Friday, there is the 36-hole individual championship.
Noreen Fenton finished runner-up in the individual event last year.

Monday 20th February 2006

NO CLUBS – SCOTS MISS OUT ON PRACTICE ROUND FOR SPANISH SENIORS CHAMPIONSHIP
Six Scottish competitors in the Spanish senior women’s open championship go into Tuesday’s opening round at Sherry Golf Club, Jerez in southern Spain without a practice round.
The players arrived in plenty of time – but their golf clubs and their suitcases were still in transit somewhere tonight.
“I just hope the golf clubs arrive in time for the girls to play in the tournament,” said Ron Fenton, whose wife Noreen hopes to be trying to follow up her performance in the championship last year when she finished runner-up to the winner, Cecilia Mourgue d’Algue (France).
Mrs Fenton is a member of Merchants of Edinburgh Golf Club.
The other Scots are:
Helen Faulds (Douglas Park), Fiona Roger (Ranfurly Castle), Jennifer Mack (Haggs Castle), Elspeth Hanlon (Gourock) and Janice Paterson (Drumpellier).
They flew from Glasgow to Heathrow with British Airways and then Iberian Airlines to Madrid and an internal flight to Jerez.
Scottish senior women’s champion Pam Williamson (Baberton) and Canadian Diane Williams, a close friend and golfing partner, escaped the lost-in-flight nightmare. They travelled out to Jerez last week.

R&A Press Release
AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP DATES FOR 2009
Formby Golf Club will celebrate the 125th Anniversary of its inauguration with a welcome return of The Amateur Championship in 2009 after a break of 25 years.
In association with West Lancashire, Formby is one of six venues named by The R&A, to host championships and international matches in 2009, the others being Sunningdale (New Course), Royal St George’s, Prestwick and Prestwick St. Nicholas, Blairgowrie (Rosemont) and Ganton.
In 1984 when The Amateur Championship was played for a third time at Formby, it produced a classic final in which Jose Maria Olazabal defeated Colin Montgomerie 5/4 in the final. With that victory, Olazabal became one of three of the best known names in golf to win there, coming after American Walker Cup player Bob Dickson in 1967, the same year that he won the U.S. Amateur, and Reid Jack, one of Scotland’s finest ever players in 1957.
The Boys Home Internationals will be played at one of Surrey’s finest clubs, Sunningdale New Course, while competitors in the Boys Championship will be set a challenge of an entirely different nature at Royal St George’s. While the Sandwich based club has hosted The Open Championship and Amateur Championship many times, this will be the first time that any R&A boys event has been played over its testing and exposed links.
Prestwick, one of the oldest clubs in the world and the founding club in 1860 of The Open, has also been graced by many R&A Championships and now it will host the Seniors Open Amateur Championship for a third time. 1991 was the last time the over-55’s competed there and then, it was the irrepressible Charlie Green who at 59, won his fourth successive Seniors title in his record breaking tally of six. Prestwick St Nicholas will be jointly hosting the Seniors.
Blairgowrie’s tree-lined Rosemount course will host the 2009 British Mid-Amateur Championship and the Jacques Leglise Trophy, played between boys of GB&I and the Continent of Europe will take place at Ganton, venue in 2003 of the third successive win by GB&I over the U.S. in the Walker Cup.
2009 Venues & Dates
The Amateur Championship, Formby and West Lancashire, 15-20 June
The Boys Home Internationals, Sunningdale (New Course), 4-6 August
The Boys Amateur Championship, Royal St George's, 10-15 August
The Seniors Open Amateur Championship, Prestwick and Prestwick St Nicholas, 6-7 August
The British Mid-Amateur Championship, Blairgowrie (Rosemount), 12-16 August
Jacques Leglise Trophy, Ganton, Date TBC

US College Golf
TILLEY DOWN THE FIELD IN GATOR INVITATIONAL
Steve Tilley (Georgia State) from Kent finished joint 37th in the Gator Invitational tournament at Gainesville, Florida on Sunday. Steve had rounds of 75, 76 and 74 over the 6,701, par-70 University of Florida course for a total of 225.
Tilley finished 15 shots behind Brett Stegmaier (Florida) and Sam Korbe (Tulsa) who headeded the field of 75 with matching totals of level par 210.
Korbe, who birdied five of the last nine holes to set the clubhouse target, won the play-off at the second extra hole against long-time leader Stegmaier with a par figure.
Florida, the hosts, won the team event for the 20th time in the tournament’s 29-year history with an aggregate of 855 – six ahead of Tulsa.
LEADING INDIVIDUALS
210 Sam Korbe (Tulsa) 73 70 67, Brett Stegmaier (Florida) 65 69 76 (Korbe won sudden death play-off at second hole).
211 Mark Haastrup (Georgia State) 70 70 71.
Other total:
225 Steve Tilley (Georgia State) 75 76 74.
LEADING TEAMS
855 Florida.
861 Tulsa.
869 Florida State.
875 Georgia State.
881 Louisiana State.

SGU Press Release
Order Of Merit And Golf RankingTo House New Sponsor
On the back of a highly successful playing season both on and off the course last year, the Scottish Golf Union has announced a new sponsor for the 2006 Order of Merit and Golf Ranking, www.polarisworldpropertyresales.com
A marketing partner of the Jack Nicklaus endorsed Polaris World, the company was founded by former Hearts and St Johnstone footballer, Paul Cherry, now based at the Mar Menor Golf Resort in the south of Spain. www.polarisworldpropertyresales.com was set up to assist buyers and sellers in a number of popular Spanish golf resorts.
“We are delighted to be working with the Scottish Golf Union and sponsoring the 2006 Order of Merit and Golf Ranking. The profile of amateur golf in Scotland has increased significantly in the last few years and the SGU run some fantastic events.”, said Cherry, the company’s managing director.
“Our business philosophy is to treat people the way that you would like to be treated yourself therefore we place a great emphasis on providing a first class professional service to all our clients. There is a great deal of interest from Scotland already and we hope to build on that through our sponsorship activity.”
Ross Duncan, the SGU’s marketing & sponsorship manager, added: “Securing www.polarisworldpropertyresales.com as a sponsor for our Order of Merit is a great coup for the Scottish Golf Union as we continue to grow our sponsorship income. There are strong synergies between the two parties, with Spain being a popular destination for many Scottish club golfers.”
“As we raise our profile and improve communication with clubs and members, we are being seen as an attractive proposition for many potential sponsors and we hope to announce more new partners in the near future.”
Polaris World Property Resales operate within five luxury golf resorts in the Murcia region of Spain, each built around an 18-hole championship golf course designed by Jack Nicklaus. For further information, visit www.polarisworldpropertyresales.com.

Sunday 19th February 2006

Attention: East of Scotland Girls....
The Spring Meeting is at Stirling Golf Club on Monday 3rd April.
Entry forms are now available on the website. If you have not yet paid your subscription, please download a form and send it with your subscription to the East of Scotland Girls' Secretary, Irene Collins.

PORTUGUESE TITLES GO TO FRANCE AND SPAIN
Adrien Bernadet, 21-year-old Racing Club de Paris player, won the Portuguese men's amateur international championship over the Porto Santo course, Madeira today.
The Frenchman, the No 2 qualifier, beat Finnish left-hander Antti Ahokas by one hole in the 36-hole final.
Earlier in the tournament, Bernadet beat Bryan Fotheringham (Forres) by 3 and 2 in the second round and Ahokas beat Paul O'Hara (Colville Park) by 2 and 1 at the same stage.
Anne-Lise Caudal failed to complete a title double for France. She lost by 3 and 2 to Marta Silva from Spain in the 36-hole women's championship final.

BEN PARKER WINS TASMANIAN OPEN
ENGLISH teenager Ben Parker, the only British player in the field, won the Toyota Tasmanian Open amateur golf championship today (Sunday).
The 18-year-old son of Tim Parker, club professional at Gut Waldhof near Hamburg, beat Steve Dartnall (Western Australia) with a par at the first hole of a sudden-death play-off at Davenport Golf Club.
They had tied on 16-under-par 264 after the regulation 72 holes.
Ben’s rounds were 62, 66, 66 and 70 over the par-70 course. Dartnall scored 67, 63, 66 and 68.
Seven weeks ago Parker, who is a Royal Birkdale Golf Club member, became the first British player to follow in the footsteps of Tiger Woods by winning the Junior Orange Bowl in Florida between Christmas and New Year.
Parker made all the running in the Tasmanian event after starting with a brilliant, eight-under-par 62. He was joined in the halfway lead at 12-under-par 128 by Tristan Lambert but the New South Wales man faded over Sunday’s final 36 holes.
Ben then cam under pressure from Dartnall who started the final round two shots behind the Englishman and caught him with a closing 68 to 70. But Master Parker kept his cool and won the play-off with a par at the first extra hole.
Parker and Dartnall finished two shots ahead of Won Joon Lee (New South Wales) who beat Walker Cup veteran Gary Wolstenholme in the final of the recent New South Wales open amateur match-play championship after they had finished first and second in the preceding NSW open stroke-play championship.
Won Joon Lee shot 64, 66, 67 and 69 in the Tasmanian event.
(Photo Courtesy and Copyright © Tom Ward)

Saturday 18th February 2006

TEENAGER PARKER SHARES HALFWAY LEAD IN TASMIAN OPEN AMATEUR
Junior Orange Bowl winner Ben Parker, the 18-year-old son of Tim Parker, the club pro at Gut Waldhof Golf Club near Hamburg, is sharing the lead at the halfway stage of the Tasmanian Open amateur championship at Devonport Golf Club.
Parker, a member of Royal Birkdale and the first British player to win the Junior Orange Bowl tournament in Florida over the Festive holidays, has had rounds of 62 and 66 for 12-under-par 128.
Tristan Lambert (New South Wales) matched that total with similar rounds.
They lead by two shots from two players, Won Joon Lee (New South Wales) and Steve Dartnall (Western Australia).
Lee recently beat Gary Wolstenholme in the final of the New South Wales match-play championship after winning the NSW stroke-play title the week before.
Lee has had rounds of 64 and 66; Dartnall scores of 67 and 63.

SCOTS’ CONQUERORS WILL MEET IN PORTUGUESE MEN’S FINAL
Antti Ahokas (Finland), conqueror of Paul O’Hara (Colville Park) in the second round, will meet Frenchman Adrien Bernadet, who beat Bryan Fotheringham from Forres at the same stage, in Sunday’s 36-hole final of the Portuguese men’s amateur international championship over the Porto Santo course on the islands of Madeira.
Ahokas has recently returned from the United States where he was the star player on the University of Minnesota team. Antti, 21, decided to return to Europe – much to the disappointment of his college head coach - after only one semester so that he could pursue his ambition to become a European Tour professional player.
Ahokas, who comes from Lappeenranta in the south-east of Finland, will not get much golf in his home land for several weeks yet. He beat the US amateur champion Edoardo Molinari from Italy by 4 and 3 in the 18-hole semi-finals today (Saturday).
In the other semi-final, Bernadet, who is also 21 and a member of Racing Club de Paris, beat England’s Adam Wainwright by two holes.
The women’s championship final on Sunday will be contested by Marta Silva (Spain), the eighth seed, and Anne-Lise Caudal from France, the No 2 qualifier.
The five United Kingdom players – three from Scotland and two from England – failed to figure among the 16 qualifiers for the match-play stages.
MEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP
SECOND ROUND
A Ahokas (Fin) bt P O’Hara (Sco) 2 and 1.
J P Sousa (Por) bt J Grillon (Fra) 3 and 2.
E Richardson (Eng) bt M Evans (Eng) 1 hole.
E Molinari (Ita) bt P Figueiredo (Por) 2 and 1.
A Wainwright (Eng) bt M Bush (Eng) 2 and 1.
G Blainey (Eng) bt R McKnight (Sco) 2 and 1.
T Raillard (Fra) bt M Lowe (Eng) 2 and 1.
A Bernadet (Fra) bt B Fotheringham (Sco) 3 and 2.
QUARTER-FINALS
Ahokas bt Sousa 4 and 3.
Molinari bt Richardson.
Wainwright bt Blainey.
Bernadet bt Raillard 3 and 2.
SEMI-FINALS
Ahokas bt Molinari 4 and 3.
Bernadet bt Wainwright 2 holes.
WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP QUARTER-FINALS
M Silva (Spa) bt E Alonso (Fra) 7 and 6.
L Gendronneau (Fra) bt J Schaeffer (Fra) 2 and 1.
J Berton (Fra) bt M Bernard (Fra) 3 and 2.
A-L Caudal (Fra) bt C Andrade (Spa) 2 and 1.
SEMI-FINALS
Silva bt Gendronneau.
Caudal bt Berton.
+Apologies for some missing winning margins. The Portuguese Federation website does not have them on display.

EGU Press Release
SOUTH STAFFORDSHIRE CLUB TO HOST BOYS INTERNATIONAL
South Staffordshire Golf Club has graciously agreed to be the host club for the boys under 16 international between England and Scotland in 2008.
The annual ten-a-side match, which is staged alternately in England and Scotland, will take place on 5th October 2008.
The South Staffordshire club, situated three miles west of Wolverhampton, is one of the best in the county and is a host club for county and regional matches and competitions.
Its current Director of Golf is Peter Baker, twice a former England boy champion and Brabazon Trophy winner. He went on to play in Walker and Ryder Cups and is Vice Captain of this year's European Ryder Cup team.

Friday 17th February 2006

O’HARA TOPPLES NO. 1 SEED IN PORTUGUESE CHAMPIONSHIP
Motherwell’s Paul O’Hara toppled the No 1 seed and home favourite Tiago Cruz in the first round of the match-play stage of the 76th Portuguese international men’s amateur golf championship over the Porto Santo course on the island of Madeira today.
Colville Park member Paul squeezed through the qualifying rounds in the last of the 32nd places. That put him in against the leading qualifier, Tiago Cruz from Portugal – and Paul matched him shot for shot to win by one hole.
There are two other Scots in the last 16 – Bryan Fotheringham from Forres and Robert McKnight (Kilmarnock Barassie).
Fotheringham, the 15th qualifier, won by two holes against Nunzio Lombardi (Italy).
McKnight had a very good one-hole win over the sixth seed, Julien Guerrier (France).
Robert now has a chance to avenge the defeat of clubmate, Steven McEwan, the Scottish boys open stroke-play champion. Steven lost by one hole to England’s Gregg Blainey who plays McKnight for a place in the quarter-finals.
John Gallagher (Swanston), who was the seventh best qualifier, fell at the first hurdle. He lost by one hole to England’s Michael Lowe, the 26th qualifier.
PORTUGUESE INTERNATIONAL MEN’S AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
Porto Santo, Madeira.
First round
P O’Hara (Sco) bt T Cruz (Por) 1 hole, A Hokan (Fin) bt B McCarroll 2 and 1, J P Sousa (Por) bt B Evans (Eng) 1 hole, J Grillon (Fra) bt G Brito (Por) 5 and 4, M Evans (Eng) bt A Rosado (Por) at 19th, E Richardson (Eng) bt L Gagli (Ita) at 20th, P Figeuiredo (Por) bt R Harris (Eng) 1 hole, E Molinari (Ita) bt M Montgaillard (Fra) 4 and 3.
A Wainwright (Eng) bt R Santos (Por) at 19th, M Bush (Eng) bt M Baroche (Fra) 5 and 4, G Blainey (Eng) bt S McEwan (Sco) 1 hole, R McKnight (Sco) bt J Guerrier (Fra) 1 hole, M Lowe (Eng) bt J Gallagher (Sco) 1 hole, T Raillard (Fra) bt A Kaleka (Fra) 6 and 4, B Fotheringham (Sco) bt N Lombardi (Ita) 2 holes, A Bernadet (Fra) bt G Seegmuller (Bel) 6 and 5.

Thursday, February 16, 2006

KYLIE, CLARE-MARIE AND ROSEANNE FAIL TO QUALIFY FOR PORTUGUESE MATCH-PLAY
Scotland's three entries in the Portuguese women's amateur international golf championship found the par-72 Porto Santo course on the island of Madeira too tough a propositon.
Stirling University students Kylie Walker (Buchanan Castle) and Clare-Marie Carlton (Fereneze) and Loretto Golf Academy student Roseanne Niven (Crieff) all failed to figure among the leading 16 players who went forward to the match-play stages after two qualifying rounds.
Kylie got closest. She finished 19th with scores of 85 and 82 for 167 - 23 over par.
She had halves of 40 and 42 in the second round, including a triple bogey at the short 13th and double bogeys at the fourth and 15th. On the bright side Miss Walker birdied the 10th and 14th.
Clare-Marie came 20th with 81 and 87 for 168. She bogeyed eight of the first nine holes for an outward 44 in her second round. Then came a purple patch of back-to-back birdies at the 10th and 11th before she crashed to triple bogeys at the 13th and 14th and a double bogey at the 15th on her way to an inward half of 43.
Roseanne finished 23rd in the field of 32 - two of whom did not show up for the second round. Miss Niven had rounds of 81 and 88 for 169. She had a nightmare 11 at the par-5 third and struggled to the turn in nine-over 45, having birdied the short seventh.
It did not get much better for the Crieff lass on the inward half with a triple bogey at the 13th and other shots dropped at the 12th, 14th, 16th and 17th for 43 home.
Neither of the England entries - Danielle Montgomery and Sarah Attwood made it through to the match-play. Danielle finished 18th with 86 and 81 for 167 while Sarah Attwood came 21st with 86 and 83 for 169.
French players filled the first five seeded positions with Isabelle Boineau the top qualifier with 78 and 75 for 153.

GALLAGHER IS BEST OF FIVE SCOTS QUALIFIERS FOR PORTUGUESE MEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP
Five of the seven Scottish entries qualified for the match-play stages of the Portuguese men’s amateur international golf championship over the Porto Santo course on the island of Madeira.
Only the leading 32 after two qualifying rounds went forward and John Gallagher (Swanston) was the top Scot in seventh place with rounds of 71 and 74 for 145 – four behind the top seed Tiago Cruz (Portugal).
Bryan Fotheringham (Forres) qualified in 15th place with 76 and 73 for 149.
The Barassie pair, Steven McEwan and Robert McKnight, survived in 22nd and 27th place respectively with totals of 151 (76-75) and 152 (75-77).
Paul O’Hara (Colville Park) made it though with nothing to spare. He was the last of the 32 match-play qualifiers with scores of 77 and 76 for 153.
The Scots who were sidelined were Philip McLean (Peterhead) with 80 and 79 for 159 and Ross McAuslin with 84 and 79 for 163.

US College Golf
GEMMA HAS CATASTROPHIC LAST ROUND IN CALIFORNIA
Scotland international Gemma Webster from Glasgow had a nightmare third and final round in the Northrup Grumman Regional Challenge women’s college golf tournament at Palos Verdes Golf Club, California.
The Ohio State University student slumped from rounds of 76 and 72 over the 5,932yd par 71 course to a catastrophic closing score of 87 for a final total of 235.
Hilton Park Golf Club member Gemma plummeted from ninth place overnight to a final standing of 41st equal among the 76 finishers.
Gemma started her last round at the sixth hole and ran up the first of her four double bogeys at the seventh.
She then bogeyed the 10th, 11th and 13th before having a double bogey 6 at the 14th. Gemma then dropped shots at the 15th, 16th and 17th
Turning for home, she bogeyed the first and second before double-bogeying the third and fourth. Her halves were 43 and 44.
The former Dundee University dentistry student, who transferred to Ohio State University after winning last year’s British universities’ stroke-play championship at Murrayshall, finished 21 shots behind the winner, Irene Cho (Southern California) who had rounds of 75, 68 and 71 for one-over 214.
Azahara Munoz (Arizona State), the Spaniard who won the British girls’ open title at Lanark two years ago, finished joint eighth on 224 with rounds of 73, 74 and 77 but helped her university win the team event with a total of 892 – one shot ahead of Southern California with California (908) third and Wake Forest (909) fourth.
Ohio State (923) came 10th of the 14 teams competing.
LEADING INDIVIDUALS
214 Irene Cho (USC) 75 68 71.
215 Jennifer Osborn (Arizona State) 70 73 72.
217 Sofie Andersson (California) 72 73 72.
Other totals:
224 Azahara Munoz (Arizona State) 73 74 77 (jt 8th)..
235 Gemma Webster (Ohio State) 76 72 87 (jt 41st).
LEADING TEAMS
892 Arizona State.
893 USC.
908 California.
909 Wake Forest.
Other total:
923 Ohio State (10th of 14).

Wednesday 15th February 2006

TOUGH DAY FOR SCOTS GIRLS IN PORTUGUESE CHAMPIONSHIP
Scotland’s girls had a tough first day in the Portuguese women’s amateur international championship on the island of Madeira on Wednesday.
Clare-Marie Carlton (Stirling University & Fereneze) and Roseanne Niven (Loretto Golf Academy & Crieff) both scored nine-over-par 81s in the first qualifying round before the match-play stages.
Clare-Marie had one birdie, a 2 at the short third in halves of 40 and 41. She had double bogeys at the third and the 16th.
Roseanne birdied the ninth in halves of 40 and 41. She had a triple bogey at the long eighth.
Kylie Walker (Stirling University & Buchanan Castle) had an 85 with halves of 44 and 41. She began with a triple bogey 7, had a double bogey 7 at the long third, a double bogey 6 at the seventh and a triple bogey at the 11th.
Mind you, none of the girl competitors found the course easy. The lead was shared on five-over-par 77 by Lucie Gendronneau (France) and Spain’s Marta Silva.
In the men’s championship over the same course, John Gallagher from Swanston was lying in joint fourth place with a 71 – two shots behind leader Julien Guerrier (France).
Robert McKnight (Barassie) was on 75.
Leading first qualifying round scores:
WOMEN
(Par 72)
77 Lucie Gendronneau (Fra) 38-39, Marta Silva (Spa) 36-41.
78 Julie Berton (Fra) 41-37, Julie Maisongrosse (Fra) 40-38, Anne-Lise Caudal (Fra) 40-38, Isabelle Boineau (Fra) 36-42.
Other scores:
81 Clare-Marie Carlton (Sco) 40-41, Roseanne Niven (Sco) 40-41.
85 Kylie Walker (Sco) 44-41.
86 Danielle Montgomery (Eng) 46-40, Sarah Attwood (Eng) 43-43.
MEN
(Par 72)
69 Julien Guerrier (Fra) 35-34.
70 Matthew Evans (Eng) 34-36, Ricardo Santos (Por) 33-37.
71 Michael Bush (Eng) 37-34, Edoardo Molinari (Ita) 35-36, John Gallagher (Sco) 35-36.
Other scores:
74 Ben Evans (Eng) 36-38.
75 Robert McKnight (Sco) 38-37, Richard Gurney (Eng) 38-37.
76 Edward Richardson (Eng) 41-35, Laurence Allen (Eng) 39-37, Steven McEwan (Sco) 38-38, Bryan Fotheringham (Sco) 37-39.
77 Scott Henry (Sco) 40-37, Michael Lowe (Eng) 39-38, Paul O’Hara (Sco) 39-38.
80 Philip McLean (Sco) 41-39.
84 Ross McAuslin (Sco) 44-40.

US College Golf
HEATHER PIPPED FOR TITLE IN CALIFORNIA
British women’s open amateur stroke-play champion Heather MacRae from Dunblane finished runner-up in her first American college golf tournament of the year.
Heather, a student at San Diego State University, California, had rounds of 76 and 78 for a total of 154, one shot behind title-winner Jessica Huss (California Polytechnic) in the Lady Braveheart Challenge at Oak Valley Golf Club, Beaumont in California.
Jessica trailed Heather by six shots after a first-round 82 but came storming up the leaderboard on the second day with a one-under-par 71, the only sub-par score of the tournament over the 6,162yd course.
Miss MacRae, a member of the Ladies Golf Union Elite Squad and a live contender for a Great Britain & Ireland Curtis Cup team place against the United States at Bandon Dunes, Oregon in late July, had the satisfaction of leading San Diego State University to an eight-shot victory in the team event.
The “Aztecs” totalled 624 – eight shots ahead of runners-up UC Davis with Santa Clara University third of the 10 teams on 645.

SCOTS GIRLS FOR SPAIN
Three Scots – Krystle Caithness (St Regulus), Kylie Walker (Stirling University & Buchanan Castle) and Jenna Wilson (Strathaven) – are being sent to Spain to play in the Sherry Cup women’s amateur 72-hole tournament at Sotogrande from March 29 to April 1.
Their trip is being funded by the Scottish Institute of Sport.

ENGLAND TRIO FOR SHERRY CUP
The English Ladies Golf Association has named a team of three to represent England in the Sherry Cup at Sotogrande in Spain from March 29 to April 1.
The three internationals are:
English mid-amateur champion Naomi Edwards (Ganton).
Former English champion Kerry Smith (Waterlooville).
Sophie Walker (Kenwick Park), winner of the ELGA 2005 Order of Merit.
The Sherry Cup is a prestigious 72-hole tournament contested by teams from across Europe. An individual competition runs simultaneously.

US College Golf
SCOTS TIE FOR NINTH IN FLORIDA
Gavin Dear from Perth and Carnoustie’s Keir McNicoll, both golf scholarship students at Lynn University, Boca Raton in Florida, finished joint ninth in a field of 71 for the Matlock Collegiate Classic at Grasslands Golf & Country Club, Lakeland, Florida.
Gavin had rounds of 75, 73 and 76 for a total of 224 over the 7,065yd, par 72 course.
Keir scored 78, 69 and 77 for 224. He had the lowest score of the second round.
Both finished nine shots behind the winner, Greg Koch (Florida Southern College) who had rounds of 69, 72 and 74 for a one-under-par tally of 215 and a four-stroke victory.
The Scots’ good efforts helped Lynn University (894) finished a close third of 15 behind Florida Southern (891) and West Florida University (893) in the team contest.

US College Golf
GEMMA IN TOP TEN IN CALIFORNIA
Scotland international team player Gemma Webster, a former Dundee University dentistry student who transferred to Ohio State University last year, is lying ninth in a field of 80 for the Northrup Grumman Regional Challenge college tournament at Palos Verdes Golf Club, California.
Gemma has had rounds of 76 and 72 for a six-over-par tally of 148. Starting at the 10th in her second round, Miss Webster, winner of the British universities stroke-play championship at Murrayshall last summer, bogeyed the 12th, 14th and 17th but she covered her last 10 holes in two under par with birdies at the sixth and long seventh.
Gemma, a Hilton Park Golf Club member, is six shots behind the leader, Sophia Sheridan (California) with one round to go. Sophia scored 70 and 72 for a level-par total of 142 over the 5,912yd par-71 course. She leads by one stroke lead from Irene Cho (USC), Paola Moreno (USC) and Jennifer Osborn (Arizona State).
Azahara Munoz (Arizona State), the Spaniard who won the British girls’ open title at Lanark in 2004, is sharing seventh place on 147.
USC (591) lead the team event from Arizona Stqte (592) and Oklahoma State (598). Ohio State (616) are in joint eighth place in the field of 14 teams.

Tuesday 14th February 2006

SGU Press Release
SGU TO STAGE REGIONAL SEMINARS IN EARLY MARCH
The Scottish Golf Union is staging a series of regional seminars in early March for golf club secretaries, managers and officials.
They are aimed at addressing key business issues facing clubs today.
The seminars will be split into two half-day sessions. The morning session will be presented by Niche Marketing’s Nick Hunter. He will take clubs through recent research findings on some of the challenges facing the golf market.
Mr Hunter will also offer advice on marketing and membership recruitment, attracting visitors and developing clubhouse services.
The afternoon presentation will introduce clubs to the SGU’s new website business tool – SGU Golf Central.
This will feature training on how to use the new system and outline how clubs can benefit from using this new technology. The presentation will include instruction on promoting memberships, open competitions and visitor golf.
For detailed information on the seminars is available by contacting the SGU Golf Services Team on 01382 549 506 or e-mail f.lockhart@scottishgolfunion.org.
Dates and venues for the six SGU regional seminars are (9am-12.30 & 1.30-4pm):
Wednesday, March 1 – Inverness Golf Club.
Thursday, March 2 – Newmachar Golf Club.
Friday, March 3 – Glenbervie Golf Club.
Wednesday, March 8 - Paisley Golf Club.
Thursday, March 9 – Kingsknowe Golf Club.
Friday, March 10 – Hamilton Golf Club.
Representatives from any affiliated SGU golf club are invited to attend the seminars.

US College Golf
GEMMA SHARES 25TH PLACE IN CALIFORNIA
British universities champion Gemma Webster from Glasgow, pictured right with BUSA trophy, now a student at Ohio State University, was sharing 25th place in a field of 80 at the end of the first round of the Northrup Grumman Regional Challenge college golf tournament at Paolos Verdes Golf Club, California.
Gemma, playing in her first competitive event of the year, had a five-over-par round of 76 over the 5,912yd course. Starting at the 10th, she bogeyed the 14th, 16th, second, third and eighth.
Hilton Park Golf Club member Miss Webster, who played for Scotland in last autumn’s women’s home internationals, had the second best score of the eight Ohio State University players in the competition.
Setting the pace on 70 were Susie Matthews (UCLA), Jennifer Osborn (Arizona State) and Sophia Sheridan (California).
Azahara Munoz (Arizona State), the Spaniard who won the British girls’ title at Lanark in 2004, had a 73.
Arizona State (293) lead the team event from USC and California, both on 296. Ohio State (314) are 13th of the 14 competing teams.
LEADING INDIVIDUALS
Par 71
70 Susie Matthews (UCLA), Jennifer Osborn (Arizona State), Sophie Sheridan (California).
72 Sophie Andersson (California), Nannette Hill (Wake Forest), Pernilla Lindberg (Oklahoma State).
Other scores:
73 Azahara Munoz (Arizona State).
76 Gemma Webster (Ohio State).
LEADING TEAMS
293 Arizona State.
296 USC, California.
301 UCLA, Wake Forest.
Other score:
314 Ohio State.

Monday 13th February 2006

SCOTS GIRLS FOR PORTUGUESE CHAMPIONSHIP
Stirling University's Kylie Walker (Buchanan Castle) and Clare-Marie Carlton (Fereneze) and Loretto Golf Academy's Roseanne Niven (Crieff) are in the field of 36 for the Portuguese women's amateur international championship which begins over the Porto Santo course on the island of Madeira on Wednesday.

SGU Press Release
Lucky Seven Roll Up For Portuguese Challenge
Scotland’s top amateur golfers will face top class European opposition as they challenge for the Portuguese International Amateur Championship title this week (15-19 February).
John Gallagher (Swanston), Bryan Fotheringham (Forres), Scott Henry (Cardross), Paul O’Hara (Colville Park), Philip McLean (Peterhead), together with Robert McKnight and Steven McEwan (both Kilmarnock Barassie) have travelled with the Scottish Golf Union to the Seve Ballesteros-designed Porto Santo Golf Course, Madeira for the event.
The format of the event is two rounds of qualifying stroke play, followed by three days of match play competition for the top 16 qualifiers, with the winner gaining entry to the Portuguese Open in late March/early April.

ST RULE TROPHY ENTRY FORMS AVAILABLE
Entry forms for the St Rule Trophy on Saturday and Sunday June 3 and 4 are now available from The St Rule Club, 12 The Links, St Andrews KY16 9JB (telephone and fax 01334 472988 or E-mail: struleclub@fsmail.net).
The maximum field is 60 - handicap limit 6.4 - and everyone is guaranteed three rounds, consisting of one round over the New Course, St Andrews on the Saturday and two rounds over the Old Course on the Sunday.
Courtesy practice rounds will be allowed only on the official practice day, which is Friday, June 2.
The entry fee is £30 and the closing date is 12 noon on Saturday, May 6.

US College Golf
Iowa Wesleyan golf team win award
Two Scots - Stuart Geddes (second left in white shirt) and Adam Lindsay (fourth left in dark blue jumper) - were among the Iowa Wesleyan College men's golf squad who were presented with an honorary plaque by college president Mr Johnston at half-time of a recent basketball game.
The presentation was to mark a piece of college sports history achieved in the 2005 NAIA Region VII tournament.
The Iowan Wesleyan College team posted a school-best runner-up regional finish, landed three individuals in the top seven and placed two players o n the All-Region team.
Adam Lindsay comes from Banchory where, last year, he followed in the footsteps of his dad Eric by winning the club men's championship. When Stuart Geddes is home, he plays at Renfrew Golf Club.
Well played, lads

SGU Press Release
Young Golfers Ready For Quadrangular Challenge
Lewis Kirton from Newmachar will head the Scottish challenge in the Boys Quadrangular golf tournament at St Cyprien in France at the beginning of March.
The Scottish team, looking to improve on last year’s joint runners-up spot, also features James Byrne (Banchory), Cameron Gray (West Kilbride), Ross Kellett (Colville Park), Ross Leeds (Muckhart) and James White (Lundin). Team reserve is Michael Stewart (Troon Welbeck).
“2005 was a tremendous year for all these lads, individually and in team events,” said Scottish boys team captain, Barrie Douglas. “They know each other well and I’m confident we’ll feature strongly.”
Among their many international team appearances, Lewis Kirton was in the Boys Quadrangular team last year and was joined by James White and Ross Kellett at the Boys Home Internationals in August. Cameron Gray, James Byrne and Michael Stewart all played in the Gordon McInnes Scotland v England Boys Under-16 International at the end of last season.
In individual events, James White was a beaten semi-finalist in last year’s BP Scottish Boys Matchplay Championship at Murcar and Lewis Kirton finished joint second in the Boys Stroke Play Championship at Monifieth. Kirton also secured third place in the Scottish Golf Union Junior Tour, with James White in eighth and James Byrne one place further back.
Byrne took fourth place in the Douglas Gillespie Scottish Boys Under 16 Championship at Longniddry, the same tournament that had seen Kellett finish joint third the year before, with White, Byrne and Leeds all featuring on the final leader board.
The Boys Quadrangular event, which marks the start of the boys’ amateur golf season, also features teams from Sweden, Italy and France.
Scotland shared joint first place in 1997 and last won the event outright in 1995.

ELGA Press Release
England squad selected for French championship
ELGA has selected an England squad of eight players for the French Lady Junior Championship at St Cloud Golf Club from April 13-17.
It includes English champion Felicity Johnson (Harborne), English girls’ champion Melissa Reid (Chevin), Daily Telegraph girls’ champion Jodi Ewart (Catterick) and Faldo Series girls’ champion Kiran Matharu (Cookridge Hall).
They are joined by girl internationals Joanne Hodge (Knowle) and Florentyna Parker (Royal Birkdale). The squad is completed by Rachel Jennings (Izaak Walton) and Natasha Podmore (Vale Royal Abbey)
The teams for the Vilmorin Cup are: A – Felicity Johnson, Kiran Matharu and Melissa Reid. B – Jodi Ewart, Joanne Hodge, and Florentyna Parker.

EGU Press Release
ELITE SQUAD TARGETING SOUTH AFRICAN AMATEUR
The English Golf Union is sending its entire Elite Squad plus James Crampton and Oliver Fisher to compete in the South African Amateur Championship early next month.
The 13-strong party, arguably the most powerful ever sent overseas, will contest the championship at Stellenbosch and De Zalze Golf Clubs on 5th - 11th March.
The full party is: Matthew Baldwin (Royal Birkdale), James Crampton (Spalding), Matthew Cryer (Coventry), Robert Dinwiddie (Barnard Castle), Oliver Fisher (West Essex), Adam Gee (Leatherhead), David Horsey (Styal), Jamie Moul (Stoke by Nayland), John Parry (Harrogate), Edward Richardson (Southern Valley), James Ruth (Tavistock), Paul Waring (Bromborough), Gary Wolstenholme (Kilworth Springs)
Baldwin, Gee and Waring made the same trip a year ago, Gee finishing joint runner-up in the stroke play before going out in the quarter finals of the match play.
Five of the party, Fisher, Horsey, Parry, Ruth and Waring, were members of the England squad that retained the Costa Ballena title in Spain last month.
Baldwin (pictured left - photo courtesy of Tom Ward), who will turn 20 at the end of this month, is a former England under 16 champion and Lancashire champion and England boy captain, while 33 year old Crampton won the England County Champions tournament in 2003, the Chiberta Grand Prix the following year, and made his England debut in the 2005 Home Internationals.
Cryer, 30, who has won many titles in the Midlands, finished runner-up in the Portuguese Amateur last year and reached the quarter finals of the English Amateur. He also made his England debut in last September's Home Internationals.
Dinwiddie, 23, the 2004 Northern Counties champion, won the Welsh and Scottish Strokeplay Championships in successive weeks last summer and was a member of the GB&I Walker Cup team that went to Chicago in August. He has been a full England international for the past two years.
Fisher, one of the finest talents to emerge in golf in recent years, was unbeaten in his singles as he became the youngest ever GB&I Walker Cup player in Chicago, prior to his 17th birthday in September. He has a string of successes including the McGregor Trophy, the Duke of York's Champion