June 2005 Archive

Thursday 30th June 2005

LOUISE AND CARA PLAY IN LADIES EURO TOUR EVENTS
The Scottish Ladies Golfing Association has nominated two players to play in forthcoming Ladies European Professional Tour events.
Louise Kenney (Pitreavie), pictured left, will play in the Ladies' English Open at Chart Hills, Kent from July 8 to 10.
Cara Gruber (Royal Dornoch) pictured right, will play in the Wales Ladies Championship of Europe at Machnys Peninsula Golf Club, Llanelli from August 11 to 14.
The Ladies European Tour has extended invitations to the Ladies Golf Union for a select number of amateurs to play in these events. The LGU passes the invitations on to the four home unions.

COUNTY FINALS' DATES WILL NOT  BE CHANGED TO AVOID INTERNATIONALS
Scottish Ladies Golfing Association secretary Dr Sheila Hartley confirmed today that the Scottish county finals at Ranfurly Castle Golf Club will be played on the scheduled dates - Friday-Saturday-Sunday, September 16-17-18.
"We had enough of a problem getting these dates so they will not be changed," she said.
The women's home internationals at Dundalk, Ireland are being played on Wednesday-Thursday-Friday, September 14-15-16.
This means that players chosen for the Scotland team who are members of the counties who qualify for the county finals will miss the first and possibly the second day's play at Ranfurly Castle.
Clare Queen and Jenna Wilson, who are in the Scotland squad of six flying out this weekend to the European team championship in Sweden, were members of the Lanarkshire team who won the West Division championship on Wednesday and thus qualified for the Scottish county finals.
Northern Counties and Borders, who qualified earlier in the week, have no current Scotland international team players in their line-ups.
The East Division inter-county team championship, which will decide the fourth and final qualifier for Ranfurly Castle, will be held at Alloa Golf Club from Monday to Wednesday next week. It contested by East Lothian, Midlothian, Fife and Stirling & Clackmannan.

EGA Rankings
CLARE QUEEN, JENNA WILSON IN TOP 10 OF EUROPEAN RANKINGS
Clare Queen is seventh and Jenna Wilson 10th in the latest European Golf Assocation women's amateur rankings.
Clare, who had been as high as fifth, dropped down two places from fifth spot while Jenna went down from seventh to 10th in the updated table.
Top 20 placings:
1 Maria HERNANDEZ (Spain) 125pt
1 Alexandra Vilatte (France) 125pt
3 Katharina SCHALLENBERG (Germany) 107.50
4 Julie Berton (France) 103
5 Carloto CIGANDA (Spain) 100
5 Louise STAHLE (Sweden) 100
7 Clare QUEEN (Scotland) 99
8 Stephanie Doering(Germany) 97.63
9 Stenna WESTERLUND (Finland) 97
10 Jenna WILSON (Scotland) 90
11 Anne-Sophie Le NALIO  (France) 88
12 Claire COUGHLAN (Ireland) 86.75
13 Martina GILLEN (Ireland) 85.50
14 Kiran MATHARU (England) 81.13
15 Azahara MUNOZ (Spain) 80
16 Anne-Lise Caudal (France) 79.13
17 Kerry SMITH (England) 70
18 Nicole GERGELY (Austria) 70
19 Christel BOELJON (Netherlands) 62.50
19 Lucia MAR (Spain) 62.50
19 Melissa REID (England) 62.50

NatWest Island Games XI, Shetland
Best Wishes from kirkwoodgolf to Shetland and Orkney, whose Ladies’ Golf Teams take part in the Island Games in Shetland, from 9th – 15th July.
This is the first time the Island Games have been held in Shetland, and is the biggest sporting event in Scotland in 2005.
24 Islands from around the world are taking part in a great variety of sports.
Ladies’ Golf Teams are coming from Islands such as Bermuda, Cayman and the Falklands, as well as many Islands from various European Countries.
Shetland, the Host Island, whose Team Manager is Fiona Black from Dale Golf Club, Lerwick, will be represented by Irene Tait and Heather Hogg, also from Dale Golf Club, and Angelina Sandison and Loraine Anderson from Whalsay Golf Club.
This is a Scratch Competition, with both Individual, and Team Events (best 3 scores counting daily) taking place over both Dale Golf Course and Whalsay Golf Course.
Fiona is delighted that Liz Munro, pictured right, a SLGA Rules Official, has accepted their invitation to attend this event.
Watch out for TV coverage on Tuesday 12th July!
Good Luck to all participants, and let’s hope the weather will be kind!
For more information look at www.shetland2005.info

Scottish Schools PhotoAlbum
Apologies for taking so long to publish Colin's photos of the Scottish Schools Championship at St Andrews Bay on 13th June. Photoalbum

Wednesday 29th June 2005

Lanarkshire team with West Division women's inter-county team championship trophy after they beat Renfrewshire, title-holders Dunbartonshire & Argyll and Ayrshire over three days at Lanark Golf Club.
Lanarkshire go forward to join Borders and Northern Counties in the Scottish county finals at Ranfurly Castle GC in September.
Back row (left to right): Sheena Boyd, county captain, Susan Woods, Elaine Cuthill, Ruth Rankin, May Hughes, Elizabeth Nelson, county vice-captain.
Front row (l to r): Clare Queen, Alexandra Young, Jenna Wilson, Lesley Lloyd.

West Division Inter-County Championship
LANARKSHIRE WIN WEST TITLE BUT CLASH OF DATES LIES AHEAD
Lanarkshire won the West Division women's inter-county team championship on home turf at Lanark Golf Club yesterday (Wed) completing a clean sweep of victories by beating Ayrshire 6½-2½.
They now go forward to the Scottish county finals at Ranfurly Castle from September 16 to 18 but, unless the dates are changed, Lanarkshire will be without the services of their two international players, Clare Queen and Jenna Wilson, at least for the first day of the county finals.
The women's home internationals are being played at Dundalk from September 14 to 16.
Queen beat Ayrshire's Debbie Watt 5 and 3 while Wilson beat Catherine Malcolm 2 and 1. Jenna was Lanarkshire's top player over the three days with 4 1/2pt out of six while Clare Queen, who missed the opening foursomes because of Vagliano Trophy team practice at Chantilly, France, had 4pt from five games and Alexandra Young 4pt from six.
Renfrewshire beat defending champions Dunbartonshire & Argyll by a 7-2 margin after taking the foursomes 3-0.
Youngsters Megan Briggs and Clare-Marie Carlton were outstanding for Renfrewshire over the three days. Megan took 5 1/2pt out of six while Clare gained 5pt from six.
Lanarkshire joining Northern Counties and Borders in the Scottish county finals. The fourth and final team will be decided at the East Division inter-county championship at Alloa next week.
Wednesday's details:
LANARKSHIRE 6½, AYRSHIRE 2½
Foursomes: C Queen & J Wilson bt L Hendry & L Williamson 7 and 5; L Lloyd & R Rankin lost to C Malcolm & L Keohone 6 and 5; A Young & S Wood bt A Glennie & M McQueen 3 and 2 (2-1).
Singles: Queen bt D Watt 5 and 3, Wilson bt Malcolm 2 and 1, M Hughes lost to Hendry 2 and 1, Young halved with Glennie, E Cuthill bt Keohone 5 and 4, Rankin bt Williamson 2 and 1 (4½-1½).
RENFREWSHIRE 7, DUNBARTONSHIRE & ARGYLL 2
Foursomes: C-M Carlton & J Jenkins bt S Bishop & L Ruane 3 and 1; M Beriggs & K O'Sullivan bt K Walker & C McNeil 2 and 1; D Jackson & G McGinlay bt G Webster & J Foggo 1 hole (3-0).
Singles: Carlton bt Bishop 3 and 2, Briggs bt Ruane 8 and 6, O'Sullivan lost to H Faulds 2 and 1, G Kyle bt Walker 1 hole, Jenkins bt Foggo 6 and 5, Jackson lost to Webster 2 and 1 (4-2).

West Division Inter-County Championship (morning results)
LANARKSHIRE TAKE STEP NEARER WEST DIVISION TITLE
Lanarkshire, having won their Monday and Tuesday matches, took a step nearer the West Division inter-county team title at Lanark Golf Club by winning the foursomes 2-1 against Ayrshire.
Clare Queen and Jenna Wilson, a potential foursomes pairing for Scotland in next week's European team championships in Sweden, beat Lesley Hendry and Lesley Williamson by 7 and 5.
Ayrshire levelled the scoreline with a good 6 and 5 win by Catherine Malcolm and Liz Keohone over Lesley Lloyd and Ruth Rankin.
But Lanarkshire made it 2-1 at lunchtime with a 3 and 2 win by Alexandra Young and Susan Wood over Alex Glennie and Morag McQueen.
Title-holders Dunbartonshire & Argyll suffered a surprisingly heavy 3-0 defeat by Renfrewshire in their foursomes.
Clare-Marie Carlton and Jennifer Jenkins set the ball rolling for Renfrewshire by beating Sara Bishop and Louisa Ruane 3 and 1.
Then Megan Briggs and Kate O'Sullivan won by 2 and 1 over Kylie Walker and Claire McNeil.
Donna Jackson and Gillian McGinlay completed the victorious morning for Renfrewshire by beating Gemma Webster and Jill Foggo on the 18th green.

Ladies European Tour
LYNN KENNY ACHIEVES HER BEST FINISH SO FAR IN ROOKIE SEASON
Former Scottish women’s amateur champion Lynn Kenny finished tied 12th at the weekend in the Algarve Women’s Open – her best finish so far in her rookie season as a pro.
The Stirling player, who turned 25 on June 19, had rounds of 70, 72 and 75 for a one-over-par total of 217. She was under par for the tournament when she birdied the second and third holes in her final round but then bogeyed the fifth, seventh, 11th, 12th and 14th in halves of 36 and 39.
Her cash reward was 4,390 Euros.
Aboyne exile Julie Forbes was the next best Scot in the Algarve event. She had rounds of 72, 74 and 72 for joint 21st place on 218. She made 3,555 Euros.
Former Solheim Cup skipper Dale Reid from Ladybank tied for 33rd place on 220 with scores of 73, 73 and 74. She earned 2,336 Euros.
In the money table, Julie Forbes is 42nd with 15,033 Euros from six events.
Lynn Kenny is in 61st place with 9,795 Euros from six events. Lynn has missed the cut three times.
New Zealander Liz McKinnon, who retains a base near Inverness with her Scottish husband Roy, is not doing as well as Lynn in what is also her rookie season.
Liz missed the cut on the Algarve with scores of 78 and 83 for 161. Those with 149 or better contested the final round.
Mrs McKinnon is in 92nd place on the money table with 3,924 Euros from nine outings.
At the top of the table it is:
1 Veronique Zorzi (Italy) 134,898 Euros (8 events).
2 Iben Tinning (Denmark) 112,564 Euros (7 events).
3 Ludivine Kreutz (France) 102,816 Euros (9 events).

Children from Uphall Primary School during lesson one of the clubgolf Stage 1 course at Binny Golf Club

clubgolf Press Release
Binny Golf Club joins clubgolf drive to put kids on the fairways
Binny Golf Club has joined forces with Uphall Primary School and Oatridge Agricultural College to ensure that local children are given the opportunity to play golf via Scotland’s national junior golf strategy, clubgolf.
Before this spring the majority of Uphall Primary’s P5 age group had never played golf. But all changed in February when former Open Champion, Paul Lawrie launched firstclubgolf and the programme was added to Uphall Primary’s curriculum.
The strategy’s introductory game, firstclubgolf is played with multi-coloured modified clubs, rubberised balls and Velcro targets, and taught as a safe and exciting introduction to the game. The age of nine has been identified as the best stage for children to learn and become involved with the sport.
“The kids have been really positive about firstclubgolf,” said Meike Bateman, Active Schools Sports Co-ordinator for the Broxburn cluster. “The teachers and support staff have been very encouraging and they were all involved in helping me deliver the training.
“Everybody wanted to give it a go and they loved the equipment because it is bright and attractive. Most have never held a club in their lives but some of them had a real natural swing. Others needed more teaching but have really come on.”
This week 24 of Uphall Primary’s P5 class chose to move on to the next stage of the development pathway, Stage 1 played with real equipment and hosted by Binny Golf Club. The club had prepared itself for the course by sending eight of its members onto the PGA clubgolf Level 1 Training for Volunteers Course, staged at Oatridge Agricultural College.
“I was very pleased that from the original 47 that did firstclubgolf, we have filled the Stage 1 course at the club and just as many girls have signed up as boys,” said Bateman. “It was so popular that we have had to put six other children on the waiting list for the next course.”
Whilst lesson one began with putting, the children will soon learn the art of chipping and pitching before progressing to the full swing.
“It is important to encourage juniors to play the game and hopefully some of these will decided to stay with it and become members,” said Binny Golf Club’s Junior Convenor and volunteer coach, David Barrie.
“There are some good golfers here and they are already showing improvement after just one lesson.  The course runs through to the middle of September and if they keep improving the way they have done we expect them to be proficient enough to play the whole nine holes at the end.”
Those children wishing to become golfers will have the perfect opportunity to pursue the game. As a condition of its funding by sportscotland, the club is a pay and play facility. Unlike many exclusive member-only clubs this means that children will have equal opportunities to play the game.
Oatridge Agricultural College is continuing its commitment to the programme. A group of its green-keeping students are planning to make the club that extra bit more child friendly by cutting the club’s first junior holes.

Colin Young (centre) and his team of coaches from Kilwinning Sports Club with children from Springside and Loudon Montgomery Primary Schools during last week’s Kilwinning Open)

clubgolf Press Release
Kilwinning Open attracts 250 local children
The first ball of the Open Championship at St Andrews will not be struck for almost one month but that did not stop Kilwinning Sports Club running its own Open for local children this month.
The Kilwinning Open was staged on the eve of the first anniversary of the opening of Scotland’s first Social Inclusion pilot. A year ago saw the official unveiling of the club’s six-hole par 3 pitch and putt course and US PGA green with 3 bunkers, all funded by Scotland’s national junior golf strategy, clubgolf. Twelve months on and the response from local children has been little short of overwhelming.
Over 250 children from all seven local primary schools descended on the club for the Open, which incorporated the equipment and skills of the firstclubgolf and Stage 1 game and used all of the club’s new golf facilities. Proving the point that golf is very much a game of equal opportunities, a P5-aged girl from Springside Primary achieved the highest score of the week.
“The Open is aimed at the children who have already done firstclubgolf at school so have some experience of the game,” said Kilwinning Sports Club’s manager, Colin Young.
“The aim was to have a fun competition, we are really pleased with the response and we will definitely be doing this again next year and as the word gets around it should keep growing bigger and bigger. The kids this week all seemed to be very interested and it was obvious that they enjoyed themselves so hopefully the experience will encourage them to move on to Stage 1.”
The seven primary schools – Blacklands, Corsehill, Castlepark, John Galt, Loudon Montgomery, Pennyburn, Springside, St Winnings and Towerlands – have already experienced the multi-coloured, modified clubs, Velcro targets and rubberised balls of firstclubgolf during curriculum time. Young is now hoping that many of those children will progress to clubgolf’s Stage 1 course; 23 hours of coaching in the fundamentals of the game, using real equipment and led by fully trained volunteer coaches at Kilwinning Sports Club and nearby Irvine Ravenspark Golf Club.
“We started the Stage 1 coaching course three weeks ago. Last year we had 120 on the course, this year we hope to have around 400 children and the Open will encourage many more to take part,” he said. “We have also started an all-girls group which has 40 girls signed up from Greenwood secondary.
“Three of our coaches have recently been trained to deliver the next level of the development pathway, Stage 2, which will go into more depth, include bunker play and other areas such as club selection. It’s a 20-week course and all of the 40 girls on Stage 1 have already signed up for it. And we have the option of keeping it going through the winter by using the floodlit Astroturf area.”
Kilwinning Sports Club bridges the gap between the schools that deliver clubgolf’s introductory game, firstclubgolf and local golf clubs which many children have traditionally perceived as elitist and exclusive.
“The more people who get to play clubgolf the quicker it will build and we are running summer courses outwit the main clubgolf programme, so we are looking forward to attracting lots of local children,” said Young.
“Since our official opening a year ago we have opened a practice green, which is perfect for coaching the kids. We are beginning to get the message across that golf is not an expensive sport, anyone can play and there is no reason why we can’t get a Tiger Woods coming from the Kilwinning area.”

Tuesday 28th June 2005

Bridget Jackson Bowl
ANNA COMES BACK FROM US COLLEGE CIRCUIT TO WIN BRIDGET'S BOWL
Anna Scott, 19, from Consett, Co Durham, showed just how much she has improved with an autumn-to-spring season on the American college circuit in 2004-2005, by winning the storm-threatened Bridget Jackson Bowl 36-hole open women's amateur tournament at Handsworth Golf Club near Birmingham today (TUESDAY).
A golf scholarship student at Georgia State University, the 6ft 1in Durham County junior champion in 2003 and 2004, shot rounds of 71 and 70 -against a par and CSS of 72 both rounds - for a total of 141.
In a field of 48 competitors, Miss Scott won by four strokes from Claire Aitken (Mid Kent), 74 and 71 for 145.
Anna had an impressive trio back in joint third place on 146 - Welsh international left-hander Stephanie Evans (Vale of Llangollen), winner of the Pleasington Putter tournament on Sunday, St Rule Trophy winner Naomi Edwards from Ganton, and teenage English women's champion Felicity Johnson from Harborne. Felicity had been the first-round leader with a 70 but faded to a 76 in the afternoon.
"We had a long hold-up after a storm broke over the course. For a while, I thought we would have to decide things over 27 holes  but fortunately it passed in time for us to play the scheduled two rounds," said organiser Bridget Jackson.
SCOREBOARD
(CSS 72 72)
141 Anna Scott (Consett) 71 70.
145 Claire Aitken (Mid Kent) 74 71.
146 Naomi Edwards (Ganton) 74 72, Stephanie Evans (Vale of Llangollen) 73 71, Felicity Johnson (Harborne) 70 76.
147 Natasha Podmore (Delamere Forest) 76 71.
148 Rachel Jennings (Izaak Walton) 78 70, Lucy Gould (Bargoed) 74 74, Emma Sheffield (Newark) 73 75, Becky Dowell (Enmore Park) 71 77.
149 Alex Marshall (Burghley Park) 78 71.
150 Sophie Stubbs (Shifnal) 76 74, Claire Dowling (Copt Heath) 75 75.
151 Rachel Lomas (Hallowes) 77 74, Sahra Hassan (Vale of Glamorgan) 76 75, Emma Lyons (West Surrey) 75 76, Laura Collin (John O'Gaunt) 73 78, Sally Hinton (Bridgnorth) 72 79.
152 Joanne Hodge (Knowle) 79 73, Susan Dye (Delamere Forest) 79 73, Samantha Birks (Wolstanton) 76 76, Ellie Givens (Blackwell Grange) 74 78.
153 Lydia Hall (Royal Porthcawl) 78 75, Melissa Reid (Chevin) 72 81.
154 Claire Howells (Moor Hall) 77 77, Sarah Attwood (Gog Magog) 76 78, Jodi Ewart (Catterick) 76 78, Tracy Atkin (Leamington & Co) 75 79.
155 Linda Carruthers (Broadway) 81 74, Gemma Hardie (Forest Pines) 78 77.
156 Hannah Grant (Enmore Park) 80 76, Charlotte Ellis (Minchinhampton) 77 79, Hannah Coles (Maxstoke Park) 76 80.
157 Fiona Smith (Chelmsford) 86 71, Katrina Holford (Ingestre Park) 83 74.
159 Hayley Selman (Wolstanton) 82 77.
160 Sue Spencer (Whittington Heath) 82 78, Janet Phipps (Exeter) 82 78, Sophie Stubbs (Shifnal) 79 81.
161 Gill Snelson (Branston) 84 77, Claire Starkie (Silsden) 81 80.
163 Laura Cutler (Warley Park) 85 78, Lisa Ball (Matfen Hall) 81 82.
164 Samantha Lovell (Stock Brook Manor) 83 81.
166 Emma Stodart (Rugby) 88 78.
169 Sheila McKinnon (Royal Liverpool) 83 86.
173 Victoria Jones (Sandwell Park) 88 85.
183 Corrine Tooth (Ingestre Park) 90 93.

West Division Inter-County Championship
LANARKSHIRE NOW FAVOURITES TO WIN WEST DIVISION TITLE
LANARKSHIRE beat title-holders Dunbartonshire & Argyll 5 ½-3 ½ to be the only team with two wins out of two going into today's final programme of the West Division women's inter-county team championship at Lanark Golf Club.
Lanarkshire, who beat Renfrewshire 5-4 on the opening day, complete the three-day programme by playing Ayrshire who lost 6 ½-2 ½ to Renfrewshire yesterday (Tuesday) after losing 5 ½-3 ½ to Dunbartonshire & Argyll in their first match.
The champions of the division will go forward to join Northern Counties and Borders in the four-cornered contest for the Scottish county championship at Ranfurly Castle from September 16 to 18.
In hot, tiring conditions, Lanarkshire were able to dent the D&A title hopes even though their top player, Clare Queen, lost by 3 and 2 to Sara Bishop, whose short game on the day was superior to her opponent's, and their No. 2, Jenna Wilson, halved her match against Kylie Walker.
It was the experienced May Hughes, Ruth Rankin and Alexandra Young who got the vital singles wins that redressed the balance for Lanarkshire after the foursomes had been shared.
May beat new British universities champion Gemma Webster 4 and 2; Ruth beat Louisa Ruane 5 and 4 while Alexandra was a 6 and 4 winner against Jill Foggo.
Former Scottish schoolgirls title-winner Elaine Cuthhill added half-a-poit to the Lanarkshire total with a square match against Claire McNeil.
Renfrewshire introduced Gillian Kyle (East Renfrewshire) and Julie Wilson (Williamwood) to their line-up in both sessions of play against Ayrshire.
They teamed up to get a square game against Ayrshire's Lesley Hendry and Liz Keohone in the foursomes. Then Julie lost by 3 and 2 to Lesley Williamson but Gillian beat Liz Keohone 3 and 2.
Renfrewshire, who led by 2pt after the foursomes, got other clinching wins in the singles from Donna Jackson, who beat Ayrshire champion Lesley Hendry 2 and 1, young Megan Briggs and Kate O'Sullivan.
Tuesday's details:
DUNBARTONSHIRE & ARGYLL 3½, LANARKSHIRE 5½
Foursomes: S Bishop & H Faulds lost to C Queen & J Wilson 6 and 5; K Walker & C McNeil halved with E Cuthill & A Young; G Webster & J Foggo beat R Rankin & S Wood 3 and 2 (1½-1½).
Singles: Bishop bt Queen 3 and 2, Walker halved with Wilson, Webster lost to M Hughes 2 holes, L Ruane lost to Rankin 5 and 4, McNeil halved with Cuthill, Foggo lost to Young 6 and 4 (2-4).
RENFREWSHIRE 6½, AYRSHIRE 2½
Foursomes: C-M Carlton & J Jenkins bt D Watt & C Malcolm 3 and 2; G Kyle & J Wilson halved with L Hendry & L Keohone; M Briggs & K Osullivan bt M McQueen & S Lambie 3 and 2 (2½-½).
Singles: D Jackson bt Hendry 2 and 1, Carlton lost to Glennie 4 and 2, Briggs bt Malcolm 4 and 2, Wilson lost to Williamson 3 and 2, Kyle bt Keohone 3 and 2, O'Sullivan bt S Lambie 3 and 2 (4-2).
HOW THEY STAND
Lanarkshire 2 wins, Renfrewshire and Dunbartonshire & Argyll 1 win each, Ayrshire 0 wins.
FINAL MATCHES
Dunbartonshire & Argyll v Renfrewshire, Lanarkshire v Ayrshire.

Borders team with the South Division Inter-County Trophy at the Hirsel yesterday
(Thanks to Jenny Pearson for the photograph)

West Division Inter-county Championship morning report
Title-holders Dunbartonshire & Argyll and host county Lanarkshire shared the morning fouromes on Day 2 of the West Division inter-county team championship at Lanark Golf Club.
Elaine Cuthill and Alexandra Young were three down with four to play but won the next three holes and halved the 18th to finish all square.
Renfrewshire led Ayrshire 2 1/2-1/2 after their foursomes. For Gillian Kyle of East Renfrewshire and Julie Wilson of Williamwood it was their inaugural match in this competition.
They both played very well to halve their match with Lesley Hendry and Liz Keohone.

Northern Counties team with North Division women's inter-county team championship trophy at Elgin Golf Club.
Third year in a row.

clubgolf Press Release
New South Ayrshire Golf Development Co-ordinator helps makes golf a game for all
South Ayrshire is at the forefront of meeting the Scottish Executive's target of introducing every nine year old in Scotland to the game by 2009.
This month South Ayrshire Council joined forces with Scotland's national junior golf strategy, clubgolf to create the West of Scotland’s second ever Golf Development Co-ordinator post, which has been has been awarded to Prestwick’s Catherine Malcolm.
The clubgolf strategy brings together the Scottish Golf Union, the Scottish Ladies Golfing Association, the Professional Golfers' Association, the Golf Foundation and sportscotland. The Scottish Executive is providing £500,000 per year, until 2009 through sportscotland, to fund the programme. clubgolf in partnership with South Ayrshire Council are funding the new Golf Development Co-ordinator position.
Catherine Malcolm has a burning passion for the game. A lifetime golfer, she is a member of Prestwick St Cuthbert and Prestwick St Nicholas Golf Clubs, represents Ayrshire Ladies and has a current handicap of three.
“The beauty of golf is that you can play it no matter what your age or ability, either as part of a group or on your own, it is relatively inexpensive and there are many health benefits,” said Catherine, who previous to her appointment had been Sports Development Officer for South Ayrshire Council.
“In South Ayrshire we are very fortunate to have an abundance of golf courses, including many of the world’s most prestigious. When I was a junior it was quite difficult to find a way to get involved in the game, particularly as a girl, unless you had a relative who played and I was lucky that I did.
“So, as a keen golfer who has always lived in South Ayrshire and has come up through the junior system, I am really excited to now be in the position to help give every child in the South Ayrshire the opportunity to sample the game through schools and then afterwards at a local club.”
The clubgolf strategy’s introductory game, firstclubgolf was launched in Edinburgh this year by the former Open winner, Paul Lawrie and Sports Minister, Patricia Ferguson. Using multi-coloured modified clubs, rubberised balls and Velcro targets it is taught by teachers as a safe and exciting introduction to the game. Children who enjoy the six-week firstclubgolf course can choose to learn the fundamentals at a nearby golf course on clubgolf’s Stage 1 course.
The South Ayrshire Junior Golf Action Plan, the first regional development strategy in the West of Scotland, is set to be unveiled later this month. Catherine’s remit is to roll firstclubgolf and Stage 1 out across the whole of South Ayrshire, achieving the target of introducing 1250 nine year olds to clubgolf every year by 2009.
“We have identified the first two school clusters (out of a total of nine) which are due to come on board with firstclubgolf next spring,” said Catherine.
“We are also speaking to clubs and golfers to enlist their support for Stage 1 roll out. Our clubgolf road show last week was attended by 40 golfers from 10 clubs, which shows that the golfing community is keen to invest in the future of the sport.
Through its pilot programme in 2004, clubgolf introduced over 2,500 primary school children throughout Scotland to the game. Last summer, over 1000 children in the West of Scotland were amongst the first to experience firstclubgolf on their curriculum.
“Having spoken to the cluster group heads, they are confirming that the key strength of clubgolf is that there is already a pathway in place,” said Catherine. “Once the children have experienced firstclubgolf at school, there is a development pathway established at local clubs where they can progress to the level to which they aspire.
“For the first time ever we will be taking golf to the children.”

clubgolf Press Release
Alford and Oldmeldrum Golf Clubs pilots bring girl power to golf
Two Aberdeenshire golf clubs are working together with Scotland’s national junior golf strategy, clubgolf to tackle the nationwide issue of a lack of junior females within their memberships.
Currently, there are 198,500 registered male club golfers in Scotland, but fewer than 50,000 females. In the under 18 level, there are 25,000 boys but just 2,700 girls. clubgolf’s target is to double the number of girls playing by the year 2009.
This summer Alford and Oldmeldrum Golf Clubs are piloting girls only clubgolf sessions, which they expect will provide the answers to why so few girls in Scotland play the game, as well as important clues to help attract and retain them in future.
“We have around 150 boys at Oldmeldrum but only a few girls and most of those that went along to the mixed session didn’t enjoy being in a big group of boys and they didn’t last,” said Oldmeldrum ladies captain, Brenda Urquhart.
“They said the boys would use all the equipment and wouldn’t give them a chance to play. They felt outnumbered, intimidated and it was obvious to us that the only way to make a breakthrough with girls’ golf was to set up a girls only section.”
This view is echoed at Alford Golf Club. “We decided to listen to what the kids were saying and it became apparent that some of the girls didn’t like being in the same group as boys,” said Neil Cobban, one of Alford’s 12 clubgolf Level 1 coaches.
Although the need for separate girls and boys groups may have long been apparent to junior convenors, it was not until the formation of clubgolf that a training course existed which clubs could use to convert willing volunteers into coaches.
“When I heard about clubgolf last year I saw this as the perfect opportunity to become trained to coach,” said Brenda Urquhart. “I did the Level 1 training with three other lady members in February and began teaching firstclubgolf to the P5 age group of Meldrum and Tarvis Primary Schools.”
Having introduced the children to firstclubgolf, which utilises modified clubs and velcro targets within school time, Brenda and team began a clubgolf Stage 1 course for girls, using real equipment at Oldmeldrum Golf Club.
“We have had 28 complete beginners on the course which was a fantastic response,” said Brenda. “The attendance has been more or less one hundred percent over the 10 weeks and it has been so successful that we will do the same thing next year, hopefully taking these girls on to the next level and possibly starting a new group to teach Stage 1.”
Meanwhile Alford, which has Scottish Schools Champion Laura Murray on its membership but otherwise has few girls’ members, has attracted 20 girls to its girls only session. 
The clubgolf pilots have benefited from existing research generated in Sweden, long seen as one of the best exponents of encouraging girls into the sport. More than 22,000 girls under the age of 18 play golf in Sweden. This volume of girls playing can be partly attributed to balancing play with the social side of the sport. Coaches in Aberdeenshire are finding this tallies with their own experiences.
“clubgolf organised a group discussion for the girls to find out how to make the game more interesting,” said Brenda Urquhart. “They said they wanted an hour lesson instead of a four hour game of golf, wanted to be able to wear fashionable clothes and they hoped to have a chat with friends afterwards.”
Said Alford’s Neil Cobban, “We are still at a very early stage and learning all the time how to make golf attractive and fun to girls as well as boys but so far the girls only sessions have been a roaring success.
“We will do a questionnaire at the end of the course to find out what has worked and how we can improve on it for the next time. We have already mentioned to the girls that we might have pizza nights and a disco and they are very enthusiastic - the girls’ reaction was ‘golf rocks’”.
With clubgolf setting a national target of doubling the number of girls playing golf by the year 2009, initiatives that encourage more females to play the game, such as girls-only sessions, are high on the organisation’s agenda. If it works at the two Aberdeenshire clubs, then it is likely to be a success at other clubs in Scotland.
“These are exactly the types of initiatives clubgolf is working with clubs to encourage,” said Audra Booth, clubgolf’s newly appointed Grampian Regional Manager who has responsibility for attracting and retaining double the current number of female players in Scotland.
“A lot of girls think that golf is a boys-only sport and until now nobody has ever asked girls what they would like from the game. Fortunately the image is changing and the sport is becoming fashionable and more attractive. 
“The feedback we are getting from the clubs so far is that the girls are far more likely to enjoy it more, stay in the game and make more progress if they begin by learning in a girls only group.
“From the few females that play golf, Scotland is producing top class lady golfers but you do wonder who else is out there that is not being given the opportunity. It is clubgolf’s task to make sure that we find them, give them every opportunity to take part and encouragement them to develop to the level they aspire to.”

Angus team at the North Division Inter-County Championship at Elgin yesterday

Monday 27th June 2005

West Division Inter-County Championship
D&A START TITLE DEFENCE WITH WIN OVER AYRSHIRE
Dunbartonshire & Argyll began the defence of the West Division women's inter-county team golf championship at Lanark Golf Club on Monday with a 5½-3½ win over Ayrshire.
Ayrshire county champion Lesley Hendry was three down after four holes against Dunbartonshire & Argyll title-holder Sara Bishop but got it back to all square at the 10th. She then won the 11th, lost the 12th but scored successes at the 14th, 15th and 17th to win the top singles by 3 and 1.
But D&A, who had shared the foursomes 1½-1½, then got the four singles wins they needed for overall victory. Gemma Webster (Hilton Park), the new British universities women's stroke-play champion, eagled the fifth and 11th and birdied the sixth, 10th and 14th in winning by 2 and 1 over Liz Keohone who herself birdied the fourth, fifth and 16th in a great match.
Kylie Walker (Stirling University) won by 3 and 2 over Debbie Watt, Jill Foggo by 3 and 2 over Lesley Williamson, and Claire McNeil got the match-winning point with a two-hole win against Morag McQueen.
Local memberr Ruth Rankin was the outstanding player in Lanark's 5-4 win over Renfrewshire. Ruth hit a driver off the fairway at the 15th to within a foot of the hole in the morning foursomes - which were shared - and then was three under par in beating Gillian McGinlay by 7 and 6.
Lanarkshire's No 1 singles player, British stroke-play champion Clare Queen was not fielded in the morning because she had flown home late the previous night from the GB&I team practice at Chantilly, France.
Clare did lead off the singles for Lanarkshire and beat Jennifer Jenkins by 5 and 4.
Jenna Wilson, first reserve for the Vagliano Trophy team, was two under par for the inward holes in winning by a3 and 2 over US college student Kate O'Sullivan.
Megan Briggs (Renfrewshire) was five up after eight holes against Alexandra Young who then proceeded to win five holes in a row to square the match. Young Megan kept her nerve and won the 14th and 18th to finish two up.
Clare-Marie Carlton won the final singles for Renfrewshire by beating Susan Woods by 6 and 5. Clare-Marie, a Stirling University student, drove the green at the 250yd fifth.
Donna Jackson, 10 times Renfreshire champion, halved her match with Elaine Cuthill after being two down at the 16th.
Details:
LANARKSHIRE 5, RENFREWSHIRE 4
Foursomes: J Wilson & M Hughes lost to C-M Carlton & J Jenkins 3 and 2; E Cuthill & A Young bt DJackson & G McGinlay 2 and 1; L Lloyd & R Rankin halved with M Briggs & K O'Sullivan (1½1 ½)
Singles: C Queen bt Jenkins 5 and 4, Wilson bt O'Sullivan 3 and 2, Rankin bt McGinlay 7 and6, Cuthill halved with Jackson, Young lost to Briggs 2 holes, S Woods lost to Carlton 6 and 5 (3½-2½).
AYRSHIRE 3½, DUNBARTONSHIRE & ARGYLL 5½
Foursomes: D Watt & C Malcolm bt G Webster & L Ruane 2 holes; A Glennie & S Lambie lost to S Bishop & H Faulds 7 and 5; L Hendry & L Williamson halved with K Walker & C McNeil (1½-1½).
Singles: Hendry bt Bishop 3 and 1, Watt lost to Walker 3 and 2, L Keohone lost to Webster 2 and 1, Williamson lost to J Foggo 3 and 2, M McQueen lost to McNeil 2 holes, Malcolm bt Ruane 3 and 2 (2-4).

North Divison Inter-county Championship
NORTHERN COUNTIES COMPLETE HAT-TRICK:  NOW FOR SCOTTISH TITLE
Northern Counties made no mistake in their final match of the Northern Division women's inter-county golf team championship on another warm day at Elgin Golf Club.
They beat Perth & Kinross 7-2 to finish the three-day programme with a 100 per cent record, thus retaining the area title and so earning the right to defend the Scottish title - which they have also won for the past two years - at Ranfurly Castle in September.
Having lost their star player, New Zealander Liz McKinnon to the pro ranks and with others of the calibre of Pam Mackay and Pat McLennan unavailable, Northern Counties proved once again they have a strength in depth which is the envy of rivals Aberdeenshire, Angus and Perth & Kinross.
Three players - Cara Gruber (Royal Dornoch), Laura Walker (Nairn Dunbar) and Morag Sievewright (Keith) - gained 4½pt out of a possible six and 14-year-old county champion Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) was close on their heels with 4pt.
Cara Gruber beat 13-year-old Carly Booth (Auchterarder) yesterday afternoon by 5 and 4 after being three up at the turn and then going four up at the 10th when Carly had the bad luck to trod on her own ball while looking for it in the rough.
Kelsey MacDonald pitched in from 50yd for a birdie 3 at the ninth and holed a long birdie putt at the 16th on her way to a 2-hole win over Avril Ker (Craigie Hill).
Aberdeenshire bounced back from their defeat by Northern Counties on Sunday to finish runners-up with a 6-3 win over Angus. Shire's top performer over the three days was 16-year-old Laura Murray (Alford), the Scottish schoolgirls champion, who gained 5pt out of 6. The fifth point was a 4 and 3 win over Katie McNicoll (Carnoustie Ladies), the rising Angus star, by 4 and 3 in the top singles. All square at the turn, Laura won the 11th , 12th (with a birdie) and the 15th.
Aberdeenshire's second-most productive player was 17-year-old Michele Thomson (McDonald Ellon) who finished with 4½pt by beating Jane Tough (Brechin) by 4 and 3, winning the 12th, 13th and 14th to go four up.
Monday's details:
ABERDEENSHIRE 6, ANGUS 3
Foursomes: S Wood & L Murray bt D Dewar & A Ramsay 3 and 2; L Urquhart & M Thomson halved with S Raitt & K McNicoll; D Pocock & C Wilson bt M Summers & L Fotheringham 2 and 1 (2½-½).
Singles: Murray bt McNicoll 4 and 3, Wood lost to Fotheringham 4 and 3, L McLardy halved with J Brown, Thomson bt J Tough 4 and 3, Wilson bt Ramsay 3 and 2, Urquhart lost to S Raitt 2 holes (3½-2½)
NORTHERN COUNTIES 7, PERTH & KINROSS 2
Foursomes: L Walker & K MacDonald halved with J Milne & C Booth; C Gruber & K Harper bt D Butchart & A Ker 7 and 5; M Sievewright & J Milne bt E Napper & E Ogilvy 1 hole (2½-½).
Singles: Sievewright halved with Napper, Gruber bt Booth 5 and 4, MacDonald bt Ker 2 holes, Walker bt Milne 3 and 2, Harper bt J Yellowlees 5 and 3, Milne lost to Ogilvy 5 and 4 (4½-1½).
How they finished
1 Northern Counties 3 wins (19pt), 2 Aberdeenshire 2 wins (13½pt), 3 Perth & Kinross 1 win (11pt); 4 Angus 0 wins (10½pt).

South Division Inter-County Championship
BORDERS BOOK PLACE IN SCOTTISH FINAL
Borders whitewashed Galloway 9-0 in the final match at The Hirsel Golf Club, Coldstream to retain the South Division women’s inter-county team golf championship. They had beaten Dumfries-shire 8½-½ on the opening day of the three-cornered contest and go forward to the Scottish women’s county championship finals at Ranfurly Castle in September.
Julie Birdsall-White, Louise Fleming and Wendy Wells won all four ties for Borders over the three days.
Monday’s details:
BORDERS 9, GALLOWAY 0
Foursomes: M Pow & J Anderson bt G Monteith & G Robson 4 and 3; L Fleming & J Birdsall-White bt S Martin & S McMurtrie 3 and 1; W Wells & M Morrison bt A Carson & J Campbell 2 holes (3-0).
Singles: Pow bt McMurtrie 4 and 2, Fleming bt Robson 6 and 5, Wells bt Monteith 4 and 2, Karen Hughes bt Campbell 4 and 3, Birdsall-Whit bt Martin 5 and 3, Anderson bt Jean Brydson 6 and 5 (6-0).
How they finished
1 Borders 2 wins, 2 Dumfries-shire 1 win, 3 Galloway 0 wins.

HARRIS ACADEMY PUPIL ROSS WINS DUNHILL LINKS SCHOOLS GOLF CHALLENGE
Ross Bell, pictured right, from Harris Academy, Dundee had the lowest scratch score of one-under-par 71 over the Torrance Course at St Andrews Bay Golf Resort in the new-look Dunhill Links schools golf challenge contested by pupils from 16 schools from Angus, Tayside and Fife (on Sunday).
Ross said: "It was great fun to play the course and I'm delighted to be the overall winner. I am hoping to go to Arizona University on a full golf scholarship."
One-handicapper Ross took the overall individual scratch title on a sunny but blustery day on the exposed links course.
Martyn Scott (Dunfermline High) won the senior boys' net award with a 67.
Krystle Caithness (Waid Academy), pictured left, the Scottish Under-16 girls champion for the past two years, won senior girls' net category with a 73.
Michael Falls (Madras College) came out on top in the junior boy net scores with a 64.
Rebecca Wilson (Monifieth) had the best net score of 81 in the junior girls' section.
The competition was held in advance of the dunhill links championship, which will again be staged at the Old Course, St Andrews, the Carnoustie championship course and Kingsbarns Links from September 29 to October 2.
All participants of the school golf competition have been invited together with their families and a school representative to the final day of the 2005 dunhill links championship at St Andrews on Sunday, October 2, where the prize giving will take place.
The five winners have also been invited to an exclusive golf clinic, given by coach Robert Baker, at the championship practice range on the final Sunday.
Photo Copyright © Ian Jacobs

East v West Vets
East of Scotland Vets beat West of Scotland Vets by 6 1/2 matches to 2 1/2 matches in their annual encounter over Gullane No 1 last Tuesday (22nd)
East names first                                      
P.Williamson  beat H.Faulds 2/1
M.Thomson beat S.McDonald 4/3
N.Fenton beat P.Hutton 4/2
E.Simpson beat  J.Mack 3/2
K.Ballantyne lost to E.Hanlon  2/1
S.Lyon  beat  R.Donaldson 4/3
B.Anderson  halved with A.Prentice  
R.Dee lost to M.Neilson  2/1
E.Jack beat A.Smith 7/6

West Division Inter-county Championships
Neck and Neck at lunch-time
Morning foursomes results from Day 1 of the West Division women’s inter-county team championship at Lanark Golf Club.
LANARKSHIRE 1 ½, RENFREWSHIRE 1 ½
Jenna Wilson & May Hughes lost to Clare-Marie Carlton & Jennifer Jenkins 3 and 2; Elaine Cuthill & Alexandra Young bt Donna Jackson & Gillian McGinlay 2 and 1; Lesley Lloyd & Ruth Rankin halved with Megan Briggs & Kate O’Sullivan.
AYRSHIRE 1 ½, DUNBARTONSHIRE & ARGYLL 1 ½
Debbie Watt & Catherine Malcolm bt Gemma Webster & Louisa Ruane 2 holes; Alex Glennie & Sharon Lambie lost to Sara Bishop & Helen Faulds 7 and 5; Lesley Hendry & Lesley Williamson halved with Klylie Walker & Claire McNeil.

South Division Inter-County Championship
BORDERS TAKE 3-0 LEAD OVER GALLOWAY
Borders were heading for yet another South Division women's team championship after taking the morning foursomes 3-0 against Galloway on the final day at The Hirsel Golf Club today.
Martine Pow and Judith Anderson won by 4 and 3 against Gillian Monteith and Gwen Robson.
Louise Fleming and Julie Birdsall-White won by 3 and 1 over Susan Martin & Sheila McMurtrie.
Wendy Wells and Mags Morrison won by two holes over Anne Carson and Jill Campbell.
Borders beat Dumfries-shire 8 1/2- 1/2 on Saturday.

Lanarkshire (Red) and Renfrewshire (Navy Blue) get together before their match in the West Division Inter-County Championships at Lanark this morning

Ayrshire (Green/Yellow) and Dunbartonshire and Argyll (Blue) before their match at Lanark this morning

LEFT-HANDER STEPHANIE WINS PLEASINGTON PUTTER
Welsh international left-hander Stephanie Evans from Vale of Llangollden won the Pleasington Putter 36-hole open tournament at Pleasington Golf Club, Lancashire on Sunday.
She had rounds of 77 and 69 for a total of 146 after achieving a hole in one at the 138yd 16th
Three players totalled 148 – Caroline Marron (Bromborough) (77-71), Natalee Evans (76-72) and Rachel Lomas (Hallowes) (73-75). Full scoreboard (rtf file)

A HOME FORE THE FUTURE
 VisitScotland has reached an agreement with the International Pairs which will see the UK final of the competition played north of the border until the end of the decade.
In addition, Philip Riddle, the chief executive of VisitScotland, confirmed the country would play host to the International Pairs world final in 2007, 2010 and 2013.
He made the announcement at a press conference at the five-star St Andrews Bay Golf Resort & Spa, home to this year’s UK final.
He said: “We’re delighted to be again supporting the International Pairs as part of our wider strategy of using golf to promote Scotland as a must-visit, must-return destination at home and abroad.
“In economic terms, golf tourism contributes £300m annually to Scotland’s economy, with the country renowned globally as the Home of Golf - and events such as this help to ensure we maintain this coveted reputation.”
The International Pairs is the largest competition for club golfers in the world. Around 40 countries are expected to contest the world final in 2006.
The 2005 world final victors had travelled all the way from Colombia to wrest the title away from the UK.
The competition is only seven years old, having been designed as an event for Hampshire-based golf clubs to celebrate the Millennium. Yet, the event has expanded exponentially and VisitScotland has reaped the benefit since it first held the UK final in 2003 at, fittingly, St Andrews Bay.
The event’s director of business development, Graeme Dawson, explained: “The relationship between the International Pairs and Scotland has been mutually beneficial – and will continue to be so.
“We are delighted to be able to agree a renewal of the UK contract and to confirm Scotland as the venue for three world finals during the next decade.
“Scotland is recognised as the home of golf and is steeped in the history of the game. “This deal enables us to introduce a host of new players to the game’s roots and develop the profile of the country and the International Pairs across the globe.
“And, as a Scot myself, I’m very proud to have been part of the team which has agreed this unique deal.”

US Womens Open
KOREAN OUTSIDER SCORES FIRST LPGA WIN IN US OPEN AS STARS SLIDE
As Michelle Wie blew up big-time with an 82, Karen Stupples stumbled to a 78 and Morgan Pressel could do no better than 75, it was not Annika Sorenstam who benefited most from the three overnight joint leaders finding the going tough in the final round of the US Women's Open at Cherry Hills, Denver in Colorado.
Annika had problems of her own with a 77 …. No it was a relatively unknown Korean - and there are plenty of them on the LPGA roster - Birdie Kim who shot a one-over-par 72 for a final total of three-over-par 287.
That was good enough for her to win the major title which is her first ever win on the LPGA Tour she joined last year. A graduate of the US Futures Tour, Birdie Kim had achieved one top 10 finish in 13 starts this season. She will be 24 years old on August 26. She is 5ft 9in tall.
Two American amateurs tied for second place - US Curtis Cup player Brittany Lang and young Morgan Pressel, two shots behind Birdie Kim on 289. Brittany finished with a 71.
Catriona Matthew had her worst round of the four - a 77 - to tie for 31st place on 297.
Player Interviews
LEADING TOTALS
287 Birdie Kim (Korea) 74 72 69 72.
289 (a) Brittany Lang (US) 69 77 72 71; (a) Morgan Pressel (US) 71 73 70 75.
Other totals:
292 Karen Stupples (Eng) 75 70 69 78 (tied 10th).
296 Annika Sorenstam (Swe) 72 73 74 77;  (a) Michelle Wie (US) 69 73, 72 82 (tied 23rd).
297 Catriona Matthew (Sco) 73 72 75 77 (tied 31st).

Sunday 26th June 2005

Calling all girls.... Gullane Junior Open
The Junior Open at Gullane is on Friday 1st July. It is held on Gullane No 2, which is an excellent Championship course with SS 73. To date there have been no entries from girls.... If you would like to enter, phone Gullane Golf Club on 01620 842215

South Division Inter-County matches
DUMFRIES-SHIRE RALLY TO BEAT GALLOWAY AT HIRSEL
Dumfries-shire came back from losing the morning foursomes 2-1 to beat Galloway 6½-2½ on the second day of the South Division women's inter-county golf championship at Hirsel Golf Club on Sunday.
Dumfries-shire had lost 8 ½- ½ to title-holders Borders on Saturday in the three-cornered contest to decide who goes forward to the Scottish county finals at Ranfurly Castle in September.
In the last match on Monday, Borders play Galloway.
Details on Sunday's match:
DUMFRIES-SHIRE 6 ½, GALLOWAY 2 ½
Foursomes: Diane MacDonald & Kirsty Wells bt Sheila McMurtrie & Jean Brydson 4 and 3; Fiona McGregor & Trish Lilly lost to Gwen Robson & Gillian Monteith 2 and 1; Margaret McGregor & Lindsey Kirkwood lost to Jill Campbell & Anne Carson 4 and 2 (1-2).
Singles: Wells bt McMurtrie 3 and 2, MacDonald bt Brydson 7 and 6, Pam Kirk bt Monteith 3 and 1, Fiona McGregor bt Campbell 8 and 7, Lilly halved with Susan Martin; Margaret McGregor bt Robson 1 hole (5 ½-½)

Perth & Kinross team pictured after their 5-4 win over Angus on Day 2 of Northern Division women's inter-county team championship at sunny Elgin.
They are sponsored by Highland Spring.

Aberdeenshire team and officials at Northern Division women's inter-county team championship at Elgin

North Division Inter-County matches
NORTHERN COUNTIES OVERPOWER ABERDEENSHIRE IN SINGLES
Title-holders Northern Counties rallied from a 2-1 reverse in the morning foursomes to overpower Aberdeenshire in the singles on the second day of the Northern Division women's inter-county team golf championship at Elgin Golf Club today (Sunday).
Northern Counties took the singles 5 1/2- 1/2 for a 6 1/2-2 1/2 overall win over Shire and they go into tomorrow's (Monday's) final matches as the only team with a 100 per cent success record which makes them favourites to go forward to the Scottish county finals at Ranfurly Castle in September.
Counties did not take long to take command of their fortunes in the afternoon. Cara Gruber beat Donna Pocock 7 and 5 in the top singles; 14-year-old county champion Kelsey MacDonald beat 17-year-old Michelle Thomson 3 and 1; Laura Walker beat Aberdeenshire champion Julie Henderson 7 and 6, and the comeback pair, Linda Smith and Meg Sievewright turned back the clock with wins by 2 and 1 and 4 and 3 over 16-year-old Laura Murray and Carol Wilson respectively.
Aberdeenshire's only crumb of comfort from the singles was a square match secured by Sheena Wood from three times Elgin women's champion Jenny Milne.
Northern Counties, who have won the Scottish title for the past two years, complete their Elgin programme by playing Perth & Kinross who scored a notable, come-from-behind 5-4 win over Angus yesterday.
Angus took the foursomes 2 1/2- 1/2 but, a bit like Aberdeenshire, were swamped in the singles 4 1/2-1 1/2.
On Saturday, Northern Counties beat Angus 5 1/2-3 1/2 while Aberdeenshire beat Perth & Kinross 5-4.
Perth & Kinross's 13-year-old champion Carly Booth was held to a square match in the top singles against Angus by Scottish universities champion Ann Ramsay but Emma Napper, Jane Yellowlees, Jillian Milne and Emily Ogilvy chalked up wins for P and K.
Details:
SUNDAY
ANGUS 4, PERTH & KINROSS 5
Foursomes: D Dewar & A Ramsay bt R Niven & J Yellowlees 5 and 3;
M Summers & L Fotheringham bt A Ker & D Butchart 2 and 1;
S Raitt & K McNicoll halved with E Ogilvy & J Milne (2 1/2- 1/2)
Singles: Ramsay halved with Carly Booth, Dewar lost to Emma Napper 2 holes, Jackie Brown lost to Yellowlees 4 and 3, McNicoll beat Butchart 2 holes, Jane Tough lost to Milne 2 and 1, Summers lost to Ogilvy 3 and 2 (1 1/2-4 1/2).
ABERDEENSHIRE 2 1/2, NORTHERN COUNTIES 6 1/2
Foursomes: S Wood & L Murray bt K MacDonald & L Walker 1 hole;
L Urquhart & M Thomson bt C Gruber & K Harper 4 and 2;
L McLardy & C Wilson lost to M Sievewright & J Milne 3 and 1 (2-1).
Singles: Donna Pocock lost to Gruber 7 and 5 , Thomson lost to MacDonald 3 and 1, Julie Henderson lost to Walker 7 and 6, Murray lost to Linda Smith 2 and 1, Wilson lost to Sievewright 4 and 3, Wood halved with Milne (1/2- 5 1/2).
HOW THEY STAND
1 Northern Counties 2 wins,
2 (equal) Aberdeenshire, Perth & Kinross 1 win,
4 Angus 0 wins.
FINAL MATCHES
Angus v Aberdeenshire, Northern Counties v Perth & Kinross.

North Division Inter-county Matches (lunch-time news)
Aberdeenshire took a 1pt lead from the foursomes into the afternoon singles against defending champions Northern Counties on a gloriously sunny and very warm second day of the Northern Division women's inter-county championship at Elgin Golf Club today.
The meeting between the teams who won their Saturday matches - Aberdeenshire beat Perth & Kinross 5-4 while Northern Counties beat Angus 5 1/2-3 1/2 - had the potential to be the decisive confrontation of the three-day programme. The team that goes into Monday's closing programme will be favourites to go forward to the Scottish county finals at Ranfurly Castle in September.
Angus lead Perth & Kinross 2 1/2- 1/2 after the foursomes of the other tie at Elgin.
Highlight of the Northern Counties v Aberdeenshire morning play was a tremendous fightback by the champions' top pairing of Kelsey MacDonald and Laura Walker, both members of Nairn Dunbar Golf Club.
They were five down with six holes to play against Sheena Wood (Aberdeen Ladies) and Laura Murray (Alford) but took the tie all the way to the last green before going under by one hole. With a little bit of lucky, the Northern Counties pair would have salvaged a square match.
Angus's Dawn Dewar (Monifieth) and Ann Ramsay (Kirriemuir) had a big win for Angus in the lead-off foursome against Perth & Kinross's Roseanne Niven (Crieff) and Jane Yellowlees.
Dawn and Ann won by 5 and 3.
Perth & Kinross did not field their 13-year-old champion Carly Booth in the heat of the morning foursomes. Carly did tee off in the singles in the No 1 position against Ann Ramsay.
Morning details:
ANGUS lead PERTH & KINROSS 2 1/2-1/2
Foursomes: D Dewar & A Ramsay bt R Niven & J Yellowlees 5 and 3; M Summers & L Fotheringham bt A Ker & D Butchart 2 and 1; S Raitt & K McNicoll halved with E Ogilvy & J Milne (2 1/2- 1/2)
Singles: Ramsay v Carly Booth, Dewar v Emma Napper, Jackie Brown v Yellowlees, McNicoll v Butchart, Jane Tough v Milne, Summers v Ogilvy.
ABERDEENSHIRE lead NORTHERN COUNTIES 2-1
Foursomes: S Wood & L Murray bt K MacDonald & L Walker 1 hole; L Urquhart & M Thomson bt C Gruber & K Harper 4 and 2; L McLardy & C Wilson lost to M Sievewright & J Milne 3 and 1 (2-1).
Singles: Donna Pocock v Gruber, Thomson v MacDonald, Julie Henderson v Walker, Murray v Linda Smith, Wilson v Sievewright, Wood v Milne.

US Womens Open
Karen Stupples from England and two young amateurs, Michelle Wie and Morgan Pressell, share the lead on one over par 214 in the US Womens Open after three rounds at Cherry Hills Country Club, Colorado yesterday.
Catriona Matthew from North Berwick, Scotland, is six shots behind, tied for 26th on 220.
Player Interviews
SCOREBOARD
214 Karen Stupples (Eng) 75 70 69; (a) Morgan Pressell (US) 71 73 70; (a) Michelle Wie (US) 69 73 72.
215 Birdie Kim (Kor) 74 72 69; Young Jo (Kor) 74 71 70; Paula Creamer (US) 74 69 72.
Also:
219 Annika Sorenstam (Swe) 71 75 73 (tied 16th).
220 Catriona Matthew (Sco) 73 72 75 (tied 26th).

Saturday 25th June 2005

North Division Inter-county Matches
NORTHERN COUNTIES, ABERDEENSHIRE WIN ON OPENING DAY AT ELGIN
Northern Counties, bidding for a hat-trick of victories in the Northern Division women's inter-county team championship at Elgin Golf Club, started the three-day programme with a 5 ½- 3 ½ win over Angus.
The 2pt victory margin was achieved in the morning foursomes. The afternoon singles were shared 3-3.
Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar), Northern Counties' youngest-ever champion at the age of 14, was played in the No 2 singles berth and beat Lynne Fotheringham (Abertay) 3 and 2.
Cara Gruber (Royal Dornoch) beat Angus county champion Mary Summers (Panmure Barry) 5 and 4 in the top singles.
Aberdeenshire edged a 5-4 win over Perth & Kinross. Again it was the morning foursomes that were the deciding factor. Shire established a 2-1 lead in the alternate-shot play and then shared the afternoon singles 3-3.
Carly Booth (Auchterarder), the 13-year-old P & K champion, beat Julie Henderson (Inverurie), the Aberdeenshire title-holder, by 4 and 3 in the top singles.
Details:
NORTHERN COUNTIES 5 ½, ANGUS 3 ½
Foursomes
Cara Gruber & Kelsey MacDonald halved with Dawn Dewar & Ann Ramsay;
Kerry Harper & Laura Walker bt Mary Summers & Jane Tough 2 holes;
Meg Sievewright & Jenny Milne bt Shona Raitt & Jackie Brown 2 and 1 (2 ½- ½).
Singles
Gruber bt Summers 5 and 4, MacDonald bt Lynne Fotheringham 3 and 2, Harper lost to Katie McNicoll 3 and 1, Walker bt Dewar 1 hole, Linda Smith lost to Shona Raitt 4 and 3, Christine McAndrew lost to Ann Ramsay 9 and 8 (3-3).
ABERDEENSHIRE 5, PERTH & KINROSS 4
Foursomes
Sheena Wood & Laura Murray bt Carly Booth & Dawn Butchart 3 and 2;
Linda Urquhart & Michele Thomson bt Roseanne Niven & Jane Yellowlees 2 holes;
Donna Pocock & Laura McLardy lost to Emma Napper & Avril Ker 2 and 1 (2-1).
Singles
Julie Henderson lost to Booth 4 and 3, Murray bt Napper 4 and 2, Wood lost to Niven 1 hole, Thomson beat Jillian Milne 4 and 3, Carol Wilson bt Avril Ker 6 and 4, Pocock lost to Emily Ogilvy 2 holes (3-3).

South Division Inter-county Matches
BORDERS TOO GOOD FOR DUMFRIES-SHIRE
Borders began the defence of their South Division inter-county team championship with a convincing win over Dumfries-shire at Hirsel Golf Club today (Saturday).
Borders took the foursomes 2 ½- ½  and then made a 6-0 clean sweep of the singles for an overall 8 ½ - ½ win.
On Sunday, Dumfrieshire play Galloway and the three-cornered contest ends on Monday with Borders playing Galloway.
DUMFRIES-SHIRE ½, BORDERS 8 ½
Foursomes: Diane MacDonald & Kristy Wells halved with Martine Pow & Judith Anderson; Fiona McGregor & Rrish Lilly lost to Julie Birdsall-White & Louise Fleming 1 hole; Margaret McGregor & Lindsey Kirkwood lost to Wendy Wells & Mags Morrison 2 holes ( ½ - 2 ½).
Singles: MacDonald lost to Pow 2 and 1, F McGregor lost to Fleming 3 and 2, Pam Kirk lost to Wendy Wells 5 and 3, Lilly lost to Karen Hughes 3 and 2, Kirkwood lost to Birdsall-White 6 and 4, Kirsty Wells lost to Anderson 1 hole (0-6).

Sian Reddick to defend English Strokeplay Championship
Kent’s Sian Reddick, pictured right, will defend her title when the English Ladies’ Strokeplay Championship is played at St Anne’s Old Links from July 12-14.
The 20-year-old from Sene Valley heads a full field of 120 players, which includes three former champions, a host of internationals and a strong contingent of youngsters.
“I’m looking forward to playing St Anne’s, which has a lot of history attached to it,” said Sian. “I’m just going to go up there and try my best. It’s going to be hard, the course is tricky and there are a lot of good people in the field.”
Sian won last year’s championship at Woodhall Spa by five shots, with a seven-under par total for the 72 holes. Shortly afterwards she set off for the USA and her first year at Baylor University, Texas, where she quickly became a key player on the golf team.
“I just love it over there, it’s so much fun and I think it has made me more confident,” she said.
Since she returned for the summer break Sian has reached the last 16 in the British Amateur at Littlestone and will play for England in the European Ladies’ Team Championship in Sweden from July 5-9. Then it’s straight back for the strokeplay championship.
St Anne’s Old Links is hosting this tournament for the first time although the course has previously been the setting for the English Ladies’ Amateur Championship.
The club, which celebrated its centenary in 2001, is a sought-after venue for top tournament golf. It’s an Open qualifying course, a host for the first week of the European Tour qualifying school, it will hold final qualifying for next year’s Women’s British Open and, with Royal Lytham & St Anne’s, will co-host the Amateur Championship in 2007.
Secretary Steve Mainwaring commented: “It’s a testing course, a traditional links course and, like any links, it needs the wind to provide its teeth. We are hoping for blue skies and wind!”
The par 72 layout has been lengthened by 358 yards for the championship, using a mixture of ladies, men’s and seniors’ tees. It will measure 5988 yards.
Its challenge will be met by a strong field. The internationals include Kerry Smith (Waterlooville), Sophie Walker (Kenwick Park) and Faye Sanderson (Heworth, Durham) who will return, alongside Sian, from the European Team Championships.
Sophie won this event in 2004, following Sara Garbutt (Ganton) and Caroline Marron (Bromborough) who are both playing.
Among the competitors who have already tasted success this season are Naomi Edwards (Ganton), who won the St Rule Trophy at St Andrew’s and 15-year-old Henni Brockway (Yeovil), the Welsh open strokeplay champion.
All 120 players will play 18 holes on each of the first two days of the championship. The leading 36 players and ties qualify for the final 36 holes, which are played on the third day. Spectators are welcome.
Full list of players is available on the ELGA website www.englishladiesgolf.org

US Womens' Open
Annika Sorenstam has not yet given up on her Grand Slam dream but bogeys at the last three holes of a second-round 75 saw her fall six strokes off the lead at the halfway stage of the US Women's Open in Denver, Colorado.
Nicole Perrot, 21, from Chile, returned another 70 to lead on two-under-par 140, two ahead of Michelle Wie, the 15-year-old Hawiaan wonder girl amateur, and Mexico's Lorena Ochoa.
Ochoa, who won last week's LPGA tournament in Rochester, had a 68, the best of the second round, while Miss Wie continued her astonishing run of form at the highest level with a 73.
Here is a transcript of Michelle Wie’s post-round interview at the Media Centre.

DALE AND CATHY WIN SOME DOLLARS ON SENIORS TOUR
Dale Reid tied for 15th place while Cathy Panton-Lewis finished joint 39th in a field of 52 for the Hy-Vee Classic, one of the U S Women’s Senior Tour events, at Hyperion Field Club, Johnston in Iowa.
Dale had rounds of 74 and 72 for four-over-par 146 and did not have a 6 on her card which had consistent halves of 37-37-35-37.
The Fifer earned $7,166.
Cathy scored 77 and 76 for 153 with halves of 38-39-39-37. She earned $4,372.
There is good money to be won in these over-50 events.
The winner, Kathryn Young-Robin collected $75,000 for a four-under-par total of 140 (68-72).
She won by one shot from joint runners-up Cindy Miller (71-70) and Laura Shanahan Rowe (75-66). They each won $33,500.

Friday 24th June 2005

US Womens Open
MICHELLE WIE SHARES US WOMEN'S OPEN LEAD
Michelle Wie returned from an overnight delay to birdie the long 17th on her way to a two under par 69 and a share of the first-round lead in the US Women's Open in Colorado.
Catriona Matthew was also caught up in the darkness suspension at Denver's Cherry Hills Country Club, and she dropped a shot at the ninth (her 18th) for a two over par 73 and was the only British player in the top 20. Laura Davies, playing with Wie, had a disastrous 84.
Wie, second behind Annika Sorenstam in the previous major, the LPGA Championship, finished tied with fellow Americans, 19-year-old amateur Brittany Lang and Angela Stanford, and Karine Icher, from France.

WPGA Event
RECORD SCORE BY SOPHIE HUNTER
The threatened thunder and lightning never appeared but fireworks were certainly provided by Sophie Hunter when she won the Ryder Cup Wales 2010 WPGA One-Day Series event with a six-under-par 66 at Colchester Golf Club this week.
In all she had seven birdies - with just one blemish, three putts on the par-3 fourth, resulting in a lone bogey.
Second, two shots behind Hunter, was Claire Duffy (Sandford Springs). 
Hunter and Duffy were the two qualifiers for the £350,000 Wales Ladies Championship of Europe which will be held at the Nicklaus-designed Machynys Peninsula Golf & Country Club, Llanelli from August 11-14.
A total of 10 places in the championship are being awarded to the top two finishers in five of the Ryder Cup Wales 2010 WPGA One-Day Series events.
Remaining dates for the Ryder Cup Wales 2010 WPGA qualifiers are at Forest Pines (July 5) and Dunham Forest (July 18).
COLCHESTER SCOREBOARD
66 (-6)  Sophie Hunter  (Golfers' Paradise).
68  Clare Duffy  (Sandford Springs).
72 Tracy Loveys  (Broadstone), Sara Clinton (Herne Bay), Jodie Dartford (Upminster).
73 Lindsey Elkins (Oake Manor.
The leading four WPGA professionals in each of the six one-day series events receive points towards the Ryder Cup Wales 2010 WPGA Order of Merit which has prize money of £1,000. The Order of Merit points after three events is as follows:
1 Sara Clinton 17.33pt
2 Joanne Oliver 13.33pt
3 Sophie Hunter 10pt
4 Claire Duffy 8.33pt
5 Laura Wright 3.33pt
6 Tracy Loveys 2.66pt
7 (equal) Alison Johns, Susan Moon, Jodie Dartford 1.33pt.
+Visit www.PGA.info for up todate reports and scores on the Ryder Cup 2010 WPGA One-Day Series.

LGU Press Release
Ladies British Open Mid-Amateur Championship
Curtis Cup player Alison Coffey, pictured right, is one of a number of top players entered for the Ladies British Open Mid-Amateur Championship to be played at Walton Heath Golf Club from 1-3 July.
Alison represented GB&I in the 2002 match at Fox Chapel, the third year of a spell of outstanding golf in which she twice won the Irish Close Championship. If she is to win a first elusive British title, she will have to overcome the challenge from over 100 players including several from the Continent and further afield.
Ms Coffey, is the backmarker in the field, and one of five players entered off a + handicap.
Others who might be expected to challenge for honours are Rebecca Halpern and Sally Krueger of the U.S. and English players Lisa Ball, Rachael Lomas and Michelle Smith.
An added bonus for the winner is a place directly into Final Qualifying for the Weetabix Women’s British Open. This is played immediately prior to the Championship which is returning to Royal Birkdale for the fourth time.
Walton Heath, set in rural Surrey, is an ideal setting for championship golf and earlier this month hosted International Final Qualifying for the U.S. Open. Over the years it has been the venue for many top tournaments and on three occasions, 1968, 1982 and 2000 was the setting for the Ladies’ British Open Amateur Championship.
Competitors play 18 holes on each of the first two days and the 40 lowest scores and ties qualify for the final 18 holes on Sunday 3 July.
he full list of competitors can be viewed at www.lgu.org.
NB Scots who have entered are :-
Pat Bennett (Reading). Handicap 9.1.
Sara Bishop (Windyhilll). Handicap 1.2.
Fiona Clark (HankleyCommon. Handicap 10.4.
Frances Finney (Gread Hadham). Handicap 3.9.
Anne Macgregor (Lingdale). Handicap 5.6.
Fiona Sinclair (Carnoustie Caledonia). Handicap 10.6.

North Division Inter-County Matches
Northern Counties have won the Northern Division women’s inter-county golf team title and gone on to take the Scottish championship as well for the past two years.
Can they make it a hat-trick of regional titles at Elgin by beating Angus, Aberdeenshire and Perth & Kinross over the three-day programme starting on Saturday? Perhaps, but it looks the most open divisional championship for years.
Northern Counties have lost their classy No 1 player, New Zealander Liz McKinnon to the pro ranks and with Pat McLennan (Forres), a hard-to-beat middle-order team player, not available for selection, the title-holders have had to turn the clock back to choose Meg Sievewright (Keith) and Linda Smith (Buckpool) whose last county team appearances were not yesterday.
On the plus side, Northern Counties have in 14-year-old Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) one of the best prospects in the country and well used to county-level pressure. She played in the national title-winning team at Nairn Dunbar last year.
Aberdeenshire, the only county apart from Northern Counties, to have won the divisional title in recent years also blood two teenagers who are going places – Laura Murray (Alford), winner of the Scottish schoolgirls title a week or two ago, and long-hitting Michele Thomson (McDonald Ellon), who won the girls’ section of the latest Nick Faldo Junior Series Qualifier at Blairgowrie on Thursday.
Perth & Kinross have their best chance of making a run at the title for years. Carly Booth (Auchterarder), recently turned 13 years of age, has one of a handicap and is the P&K county champion.
Roseanne Niven (Crieff) is only 16 but she won the Scottish Under-16 girls’ title a year ago and beat Carly Booth to the P&K women’s title by a year.
Emily Ogilvy (Muckhart) has made steady improvement on the American college circuit and finished a creditable fourth in the Munross Trophy at Montrose last Sunday.
Angus too have a teenager who is capable of great things. Katy McNicoll (Carnoustie Ladies), only 17, covered the Old Course, St Andrews in a brilliant 70 shots during the St Rule Trophy this year. That is some going.
With experienced players like county champion Mary Summers (Panmure Barry) around to give her support, Katy could be an inspiration to the Angus camp.
PROGRAMME
Saturday
Northern Counties v Angus, Aberdeenshire v Perth & Kinross.
Sunday
Angus v P&K, Northern Counties v Aberdeenshire.
Monday
Angus v Aberdeenshire, P&K v Northern Counties.
TEAMS
ABERDEENSHIRE: Julie Henderson (Invereurie), Laura McLardy (Murcar), Laura Murray (Alford), Donna Pocock (Murcar), Michele Thomson (Ellon), Linda Urquhart (Banchroy), Carol Wilson (Murcar), Sheena Wood (Aberdeen Ladies).
ANGUS: Jackie Brown (Monifieth), Dawn Dewar (Monifieth), Lynne Fotheringham (Abertay), Katy McNicoll (Carnoustie Laties), Shona Raitt (Forfar), Ann Ramsay (Kirriemuir), Mary Summers (Panmure Barry), Jane Tough (Brechin).
NORTHERN COUNTIES: Cara Gruber (Royal Dornoch), Kerri Harper (Inverness), Christine McAndrew (Nairn Dunbar), Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar), Jenny Milne (Elgin), Meg Sievewright (Keith), Linda Smith (Buckpool), Laura Walker (Nairn Dunbar).
PERTH & KINROSS: Carly Booth (Auchterarder), Dawn Butchart (Strathmore), Avril Ker (Craigie Hill), Jillian Milne (Craigie Hill), Emma Napper (Craigie Hill), Roseanne Niven (Crieff), Emily Ogilvy (Muckhart), Jane Yellowlees (Murrayshall).

South Division Inter-County Matches
Borders, the 2004 winners, are hosting the event at the Hirsel this coming weekend.
PROGRAMME
Saturday
Borders V Dumfries 9.30 and 2.30
Sunday
Dumfries V Galloway 9.37 and 2.30
Monday
Borders V Galloway 9.30 and 2.30
TEAMS
BORDERS: Judith Anderson, Julie Birdsall White, Emma Fairnie, Louise Fleming, Karen Hughes, Mags Morrison, Martine Pow, Wendy Wells
DUMFRIESHIRE: Diane Macdonald, Trisy Lilly, Kirsty Wells, Margaret McGregor, Fiona Macgregor, Pam Kirk, Lyndsey Kirkwood,  Eileen Scott.

Thursday 23rd June 2005

Faldo Series
Michele Thomson wins second Faldo Qualifier
Michele Thomson, pictured below, from Ellon, pipped by Carly Booth for the top spot at Carnoustie, gained a measure of revenge by winning the girls' category with a four-over-par 77 in the 2nd Scottish Qualifier of the Nick Faldo Junior Series over Blairgowrie’s testing Lansdowne course, Blairgowrie today.
Michelle began encouragingly with a birdie at the long first but ran up a double-bogey at the short fifth and bogeys at the sixth and ninth to be out in three-over 40.
She had further bogeys at the 11th and 13th but covered the last five holes in one under par with the help of a birdie at the long 17th. She came back in one-over 37 to her 77.
Pamela Pretswell (Bothwell Castle), like Michele Thomson a four-handicapper, was runner-up with a 79 (39-40). Pamela had a bogey at the first and a double-bogey 6 at the third but a birdie at the seventh helped her to reach the turn in two-over 39. She dropped shots to par over the early inward holes but steadied up to par in for 40 home.
Carly Booth, now a one-handicapper and past her 13th birthday, usually plays well at Blairgowrie – but not this time! She finished third on 81 after taking 42 blows to the turn. Carly had bogeys at the third, fifth, sixth and ninth and a double bogey-7 at the long eighth.
Coming home, she dropped shots at the 10th, 11th, 15th and 16th but gained her only birdie of the day at the long 17th for 39 home.
The players are given points for where they finish within the category and the girls’ current totals, adding together those gained at Carnoustie and those at Blairgowrie today, see Michelle Thomson in the lead with 27pt – two ahead of Carly Booth with Pamela Pretswell (22) in third place.
The third and final Scottish qualifier will be played at Kilmarnock Barassie on August 30. Only the winner (most points) of each category will go forward to the Nick Faldo Junior Series Grand Final at a venue still to be decided – probably near London – in the autumn.
Scotland junior cap Frazer Bone (Cardross) shot an excellent five-under-par 67 to be have the best overall score at Blairgowrie yesterday. In fact, Frazer's fine effort equalled the lowest score ever achieved in a regional round of the annual series.
In glorious, warm conditions, Bone's bogey-free round had birdies at the seventh, ninth, 14th, 15th and 17th in halves of 34 (two under par) and 33 (three under par) off the white medal tees, a course of 6,834yd.
Frazer won the Under-21 section on the day by seven shots.
Scott Borrowman (Dollar) won the Under-18s category with a par-matching 72, despite a double-bogey 6 at the 11th.
Tom Higson (Eyemouth) and Ross Kellett (Colville Park) shared the top honours in the Under-17s, also with 7s.
There was also a tie in the Under-16s, with James Byrne (Banchory), who was the overall winner at Carnoustie, and Andrew Wallace (Glenbervie) having matching 72s.
Michael Stewart (Troon Welbeck) won the Under-15s by 10 shots with a great score of four-under-par 68.
SCOREBOARD
FALDO SERIES
2nd Scottish Qualifier
Lansdowne course, Blairgowrie
BOYS
Under-21
67 F Bone (Cardross). 73 J Donaldson (Brucefields), J Gardiner (Montrose Mercantile). 78 S Larkin (Banchory). 79 J Walkden (Royal Montrose), Evan Bryceland (Craigielaw), A McKie (Glencruitten). 82 F Skene (Tantallon), J Forbes (Inverness). 84 R McKen.
Points totals: 27 F Bone. 20 J Donaldson. 19.5 Fraser Skene. 17.5 J Gardiner. 17 J Walkden. 13 S Larkin. 12.5 J Forbes. 12 Evan Bryceland. 9.5 R McKen. 8.5 A McKie. 3 K Truscott (Newmachar). 1.5 R Lando (Colville Park).
Under-18
72 S Borrowman (Dollar). 73 R King (Dumbarton). 75 M Watson (Elgin). 76 P McLean (Peterhead). 77 E Malcolm (Dunfermline). 81 S Robin (Prestwick St Nicholas). 84 P Latimer (St Andrews New). 85 B Rushford (Grangemouth) 87 J Lockie (Tantallon).
Points totals: 27 R King. 20.5 S Borrowman. 20 P McLean. 19 E Malcolm. 18.5 M Watson. 14 S Robin. 12.5 J Lockie. 9 P Latimer, B Rushford. 5.5 S Neilson.
Under-17
72 T Higson (Eyemouth), R Kellett (Colville Park). 73 G Mitchell (Northern). 74 S McAllister (Craigielaw). 75 T Bassett (Warley Park). 76 R Bell (Downfield). 78 Z Saltman (Craigielaw). 79 J Neilson (Dunbar). 80 G Robertson (Glenbervie). 81 D Torrance (Sunningdale). 82 G Stevenson (Golf House, Elie), S Henderson (Barassie). 83 J Mackay.
Points totals: 22.5 S McAllister (Craigielaw). 18.5 J Neilson. 17.5 T Higson. 17 G Mitchell. 16.5 R Bell. 15 T Bassett. 14 R Kellett. 11 G Stevenson. 8.5 Z Saltman. 7 J Mackay. 5.5 D Torrance. 5 J Findlay (Fraserburgh). 4.5 G Robertson. 1.5 S Henderson.
Under-16
72 J Byrne (Banchory), A Wallace (Glenbervie). 73 C Gray (West Kilbride). 75 K Harper (Carnoustie). 78 M Daily (Erskine), J Caldwell (Greenock). 79 N Kearns (Omagh) 86 S Barras (Helensburgh), D Parlane (Helensburgh).
Points totals: 28.5 J Byrne. 21.5 A Wallace. 21 K Harper. 18 C Gray. 15.5 M Daily. 14.5 S Barras. 13 J Caldwell. 9 N Kearns. 8.5 D Parlane. 5.5 N Henderson (The Glen).
Under-15
68 M Stewart (Troon Welbeck). 78 G Duncan (Craigielaw). 79 T Mitchell (Longside). 80 S Fraser (Northern), J Hendrick (Pollock), K Smith (Troon St Meddans). 82 S Binning (Old Ranfurly), 83 N Avanzo (Milan). 85 A Abercrombie (Largs), F Lawrie (Largs).
Points totals: 30 M Stewart. 20 G Duncan, K Smith. 17.5 S Fraser. 16 T Mitchell. 15.5 S Binning. 11 J Hendrick. 9.5 A Abercrombie, F Lawrie. 9 Navanzo.
GIRLS
77 M Thomson (McDonald Ellon). 79 P Pretswell (Bothwell Castle). 81 C Booth (Auchterarder). 88 G Monteith (Portpatrick Dunskey), J Turner (Mortonhall), R Wilson (Monifieth). 105 J Sneddon (Scotscraig).
Points totals: 27 M Thomson. 25 C Booth. 22 P Pretswell. 15 G Monteith. 14 J Sneddon. 8 J Turner, R Wilson 8.

P&K Junior Championship
EVE IS P AND K JUNIOR CHAMPION
Eve Muirhead (Pitlochry) won the Perth & Kinross junior championship, played at King James VI Golf Club, Perth. Eve had a round of 82.
Runner-up was Annabel Niven (Crieff) with an 89 (better inward half).
Jillian Sneddon (Alyth), playing off 27, was the handicap champion with a net 72 (better inward half). Runner-up was Julienne Peebles (Craigie Hill) with a 72 off 17.
Ailie Burnett (Dunkeld & Birnam) was third with a net 76 off 36.
CS was 72.
Nine girls played 18 holes and 25 pre-handicap girls played 4, 5, 6,8 and 9 holes.
Winner was Erin Millar (Pitlochry) with 35. Rachel Clark (Strathmore) was runner-up with 37 and Megan Aird (Pitlochry) third with 39.

Aberdeen Schools Golf Team Championship
GRAMMAR SCHOOL SCORE UPSET WIN IN SCHOOLS GOLF FINAL
Aberdeen Grammar School scored a convincing 3-0 win over the favourites, Robert Gordon's College, in the final of the Aberdeen schools golf team championship over the Hazlehead No 1 course last night (THURSDAY).
Grammar's biggest win in the three foursomes ties was achieved by the partnership containing the only girl in the match - Mhairi Johnstone. Mhairi, who won the Aberdeen schoolgirls' title last week, teamed up with Donald McAndrew to beat Ewen Milne and John Geddie by 6 and 4.
Grammar's other winning combinations were Nick McAndrew and David Law, and Kevin Bass and Mark Wareham.
Details (Grammar players first):
Nick McAndrew and David Law beat Tom Rennie and Robert Gallon 2 holes.
Donald McAndrew and Mhairi Johnstone beat Ewen Milne and John Geddie 6 and 4.
Kevin Bass and Mark Wareham beat Andrew Hardie and Tom Agnew 1 hole.

Irish News
TRISH MANGAN WINS IRISH TITLE FOR FIRST TIME
Tricia Mangan, 31-year-old Vagliano Trophy player from Ennis, has won the Irish women’s closed amateur championship for the first time.
Tricia beat another first-time finalist, 19-year-old Catherine Tucker (Limerick) by 3 and 2 in the 18-hole final yesterday at Portsalon Golf Club.
Tucker won the first with a cast iron par 4 and held that lead until her bogey 5 on the 3rd. She nudged ahead again when Mangan found an unplayable lie off the tee at the fourth but was soon pegged back when she bunkered her tee shot at the next.
Mangan then parred the next two to go two up. That lead was cut to one when Tucker holed out with an eight-iron approach for an eagle 2 at the ninth.
Tucker fell two holes behind again when she bogeyed the 11th. Mangan's approach to the 13th and she conceded that hole to be only one up with five to play.
Tucker bunkered her tee shot to the par-3 15th and failed to hole a par-saving 6ft putt across the hill to go two behind.
Mangan's approach to the 16th flew over the flag and when she bottled the return eight-footer for a birdie - it was all over.
A delighted Mangan tearfully rejoiced: "It was absolutely brilliant. I was so thrilled to see the last putt drop. It was worth every minute of all the hours of practice I've spent.
"I've been really close many times but it's fabulous to finally be crowned Irish champion. What a wonderful couple of weeks I’ve had,” she added, referring to her run in the British women’s open amateur championship which clinched a place in the GB&I team to play the Continent of Europe in the Vagliano Trophy at Chantilly next month.
Tricia paid tribute to the battling qualities of her opponent and predicted a strong future for the talented 19 year old.
In the morning semi-finals Tucker had scored a stunning 5 and 4 win over Karen Delaney. She birdied the first, the 11th, the 12th (pitching in for a 2), the 13th and 14th to win by 5 and 4.
The Tricia Mangan v Marian Riordan semi-final was a very different game entirely. Both players matched par on the outward nine and Riordan finally broke the deadlock with a birdie 2 at the 10th.
Mangan replied swiftly with a birdie 4 at the 11 and again both continued to match par through to the 16th.
At the 17th, Mangan holed her approach shot for an eagle 3 to take a slender lead to the 18th tee. Mangan's approach to the par-5 hole finished left of the green while O'Riordan's finished 25ft short of the hole.
Mangan pitched to 3 feet while O'Riordan's putt just failed to take the break and squeezed by. Mangan duly holed her 3-footer to clinch victory.
Tricia now leads the Irish squad of six at the European team championships at Karlstad, Sweden from July 5 to 9.
It is:
Claire Coughlan (Cork).
Tara Delaney (Carlow).
Martina Gillen (Beaverstown).
Tricia Mangan (Ennis).
Heather Nolan (Shannon).
Deirdre Smith (Co Louth).
Reserves:
Catherine Tucker (Limerick).
Maria Dunne (Skerries).
Maura Morrin (Curragh).
The Irish squad for the European Under-18 girls’ team championship at Lucerne, Switzerland from July 5 to 9 is:
Fiona Carroll (Athenry), Sarah Faller (Galway), Emma Gilmore (Mountbellew), Danielle McVeigh (Royal Co Down Ladies)
Reserves
Victoria Bradshaw (Bangor), Linda Toomey (Limerick)

New Fraserburgh record
Mrs Margaret Attfield set a new women's course record of three-under-par 71 in the Fraserburgh Golf Club women's championship last night (WED).
Her figures were:
OUT: 555 445 334 - 38
    IN: 444 434 334 - 33
Margaret had birdies at the eighth, ninth, 15th, 16th and 18th. She had two early bogeys, at the third and fifth in going out in level par 38 and home in three-under-par 33.
The CSS was 71 and her handicap was cut from eight to six as a result.
The previous record of 72 was set by Audrey Barclay and equalled by Elaine Farquharson, Jill Harrison and Sheena Wood.

Wednesday 22nd June 2005

BRITISH UNIVERSITIES STROKE-PLAY CHAMPIONSHIPS
Murrayshall GC, Perthshire
Yorkshire county player Will Shucksmith, a 21-year-economics student at Durham University, rallied over the final nine holes to regain the lead and win the British universities' men's stroke-play championship at Murrayshall Golf Club, Perthshire today (WED).
Dundee University dental student Gemma Webster, a 19-year-old member of Hilton Park Golf Club and a Scotland junior international, won the women's title by two shots from halfway leader Samantha Birks (Manchester University), a Welsh junior cap and member at Wolstanton GC.
Shucksmith, who hails from Leeds and plays off +2, led by two shots overnight but was joined on the 210 mark by Danish-born Christian Abrahamsen (Edinburgh) who shot a 71 to Will's 73 in the third round over the Lynedoch course.
Abrahamsen, 25, who reduced his handicap from four to two during the event, took up the running with 37 to Shucksmith's 39 over the first nine of the closing round over Murrayshall.
But Christian bogeyed the 10th and the 11th to lose his advantage and it all finally boiled down to the 199yd par-3 18th. On level pegging on the tee, both men were just off the green with their tee shots. Shucksmith got down in two, holing from 6ft for a par 3, a round of 73 and a total of one-under-par 283.
Abrahamsen chipped to just under 5ft - and missed the putt that would have forced a play-off. A bogey 4 for 74 gave him a total of level par 284.
Blair Paterson (Stirling University) made up a considerable amount of ground with closing rounds of 69 and 68 to finish third on 284.
Conor Doran (Ulster University), who did not survive the halfway cut, won the BUSA Order of Merit for the students' golf season with 1100pt, 50 ahead of runner-up Simon Lee (Northumbria) with Blair Paterson third on 1000.
In the women's event, Gemma Webster started the day four shots behind halfway leader Samantha Birks but cut the leeway to one shot with a third-round 73 to her rival's 76 over the Murrayshall course.
Playing together in the final round over the Lynedoch lay-out, both Gemma and Samantha had inward halves they would rather forget but Miss Webster's closing score of 76 (35-41) for 298 saw her finish clear of Miss Birks who signed off with a 79 (37-42).
The decisive hole in the final round was the par-5 14th which Gemma parred while Samantha ran up a triple-bogey 8 which included three putts.
Scotland women's international Kylie Walker (Stirling Univerity), a member at Buchanan Castle GC, finished third on 302, only four shots behind the winner.
Kylie closed with a 75 over the Lynedoch course - 10 shots better than her first attempt at the No 2 circuit.
English-born Olivia Briggs (Stirling University), pictured right, won the BUSA Women's Order of Merit for the season. By finishing fourth today (Wed), she earned 350pt for a final total of 1350. Monifieth's Dawn Dewar (Stirling University), level with Olivia at the top of the table going into the championships, gained only 175 pt for eighth place and finished runner-up with 1175pt.
Gemma Webster, with 600pt for her victory at Murrayshall, came third on 1125pt.
MEN: FINAL TOTALS
Order of rounds: Lynedoch (Par 69) 1 & 3, Murrayshall (Par 73) 2 & 4.
283 W Shucksmith (Durham) 66 71 73 73.
284 C Abrahamsen (Edinburgh) 68 71 71 74.
285 B Patterson (Stirling) 78 70 69 68.
286 C Colraine (Strathclyde) 74 71 70 71.
287 G Yates (Stirling) 69 74 69 75.
289 M Read (Bournemouth) 75 72 69 73, G Dickson (Ulster) 70 73 70 76, S Lee (Northumbria) 66 77 69 77.
290 N Scholey (Northumbria) 72 72 68 78, P Graham (Northumbria) 74 69 70 77.
291 J McLeary (Stirling) 67 75 72 77.
292 D Taylor (Nottingham0 73 71 74 74, R Raye (Bournemouth) 71 72 77 72.
294 C Wilkinson (Northumbria) 78 71 73 72.
295 D Graham (Edinburgh) 74 72 71 78.
296 I Brown (Heriot Watt) 76 74 69 77.
297 G Finlay (Abertay) 76 76 72 73, E Bryceland (Stirling) 68 78 75 76.
299 N Cameron (Stirling) 79 71 73 76, G Evans (Middlesex) 72 77 74 76, R Laino (Durham) 69 77 79 74, A Nelson (Strathclyde) 73 72 79 75.
300 A Keir (Dundee) 73 79 72 76.
301 C Swann (Bournemouth) 78 73 78 72, M Lindsay (Abertay) 77 74 77 73, J Cheetham (Birmingham) 75 74 75 77, C Kerr (Warwick) 73 76 72 80.
302 S Ruddle (Bournemouth) 75 74 76 77.
304 T Pulling (Bath) 78 73 75 78, F Inglis (Glasgow) 75 77 76 76, S Shepard (Birmingham) 73 75 77 79.
305 B Brooke (Stirling) 77 75 81 72.
307 R Hutton (Glasgow) 75 77 76 79.
308 T Gibbs (Birmingham) 75 74 75 84.
310 R James (Glamorgan) 70 79 78 83.
311 M Harrington (Northampton) 77 75 83 76.
Withdrew: R Ramsay (Stirling) 73 69.
BUSA MEN'S ORDER OF MERIT
Leading final points totals
1100 C Doran (Ulster). 1050 S Lee (Northumbria). 1000 B Paterson (Stirling). 793 N Scholey (Northumbria). 693 M Hilson (St Andrews). 650 G Yates (Stirling). 500 G Cooper (Centrea Lancs). 443 T Spence (Ulster). 400 B Eestgate (Exeter). 360 A McCloy (Ulster)
WOMEN: FINAL TOTALS
Order of rounds: Murrayshall (Par 73) 1 & 3, Lynedoch (Par 69) 2 & 4.
298 G Webster (Dundee) 79 70 73 76.
300 S Birks (Manchester) 75 70 76 79.
302 K Walker (Stirling) 71 85 71 75.
304 O Briggs (Stirling) 76 80 73 75.
309 A Ramsay (Heriot Watt) 77 77 81 74.
311 S Round (Gloucestershire) 79 82 77 73, C-M Carlton (Stirling) 81 82 71 77.
318 D Dewar (Stirling) 75 84 75 84.
322 J Campbell (Warwick) 82 87 76 77.
328 M Temple (Exeter) 86 81 79 82.
333 S Morgan (Glamorgan) 85 85 78 85.
339 N Ford (Stirling) 87 89 84 79.
345 G Davidson (Robert Gordon) 81 92 80 92.
355 F Williamson (Strathclyde) 83 102 83 87.
383 A Creasy (Middlesex) 95 100 90 98.
BUSA WOMEN'S ORDER OF MERIT
Final points totals
1350 O Briggs (Stirling). 1175 D Dewar (Stirling). 1125 G Webster (Dundee). 1000 C-M Carlton (Stirling). 950 A Ramsay (Heriot Watt). 800 A Marshall (Stirling), S Birks (Manchester). 775 K Walker (Stirling). 625 S Morgan (Glamorgan). 600 K Wells (Dundee). 500 E Tipping (Stirling). 400 M Temple (Exeter). 375 S Round (Gloucestershire). 350 M Costello (York). 300 S Birks (Manchester), S Turner (Sheffield Hallam). 200 L Wetherill (York).

ELGA Press Release
Joanne Hodge wins Harper Salver
England teenager Joanne Hodge won the Harper Salver by four shots in the Bristol and District Lady Golfers’ Open Championship at Bath.
The 18-year-old from Knowle, Gloucestershire, carried on the form which took her into the last 16 in the British amateur championship and was four-under par for the day, returning scores of 71 and 73.
Her closest rival was16-year-old Hannah Grant from Enmore Park, near Bridgewater, who was the losing finalist in the Somerset county championship.
England U13 champion Kelly Tidy from Manchester was also in the prizes, returning a two-under par 72 in the morning round.
Joanne and Kelly are both members of ELGA’s Sport England, lottery-funded World Class training programme. Joanne is in the Elite Potential Girls squad, while Kelly is in the Select North squad.
Leading scores:
144 Joanne Hodge (Knowle) 71, 73.
148 Hannah Grant (Enmore) 75, 73.
150 Lauren Diggle (Celtic Manor) 76, 74; Elizabeth Bennett (Brokenhurst Manor) 73, 77; Julia Norman (Exeter) 73, 77.
Best am gross: Kelly Tidy (Manchester) 72.
Best pm: Laura Jones (Upton by Chester) 75.
 

The West of Scotland Junior Jamboree was held at sunny Clober Golf Club on Tuesday, June 21st. In the morning rounds, Ayrshire beat Dunbartonshire and Argyll 4 - 1 and Lanarkshire beat Renfrewshire also by 4 - 1.
In the afternoon's play, D & A beat Renfrewshire by 3 - 2 to claim third spot, while in the final, Ayrshire triumphed 3.5 - 1.5 over Lanarkshire to win the Kennedy Salver.
The photo shows the victorious Ayrshire team and the Lady and Gentleman Captains of Clober G.C.

Tuesday 21st June 2005

British Universities Sports Association
RAMSAY, McLEARY POISED FOR LAST-DAY SURGE AT MURRAYSHALL
Durham's Will Shucksmith is the halfway leader on 137 - two shots ahead of Christian Abrahamsen (Edinburgh) - but the expectation is that either or both of the pre-tournament favourites, Scotland caps Richie Ramsay and Jamie McLeary, will come surging through to the front over the last two rounds of the
British universities men's stroke-play championship at the Perthshire venue tomorrow (WED).
The Stirling University team-mates are sharing third place on 142, McLeary coming back to form with a two-under-par 67 at the Lynedoch course while Walker Cup team near-certainty Ramsay had an incredible last four holes over the same No. 2 lay-out where he went from the sublime (out in 32) to the ridiculous (back in 41).
Richie, whose four-under-par 69 led the field over the No 1 Murrayshall course on Monday, had improved to six under for the tournament with birdies at the second and eighth in an outward 32 and a birdie 2 at the 13th which cancelled out a bogey at the 12th.
Then the Aberdonian winner of the Irish open amateur stroke-play title this season played his worst four holes of the season - back to back. He had a double-bogey 6 at the 294yd 15th; dropped shots at the 16th (355yd) and 17th (201yd); and finished off with another how-did-he-manage-that? double-bogey 6
at the 363yd 18th, a pitch-and-putt hole for a man of Ramsay's calibre.
McLeary birdied the fifth, seventh and 10th and bogeyed only the 15th in halves of 32 and 35.
Shucksmith, who has a handicap of +2 (Ramsay is +3.6 and McLeary +3.2), followed up his Monday 71 over the Murrayshall No 1 with a 66 at the shorter Lynedoch. He had no bogeys and three birdies, at the eighth, 10th and 18th in halves of 33.
Abrahamsen is playing way above his four-handicap rating with a 68 over Lynedoch in the first round and a 71 over Murrayshall yesterday.Stirling University won the men's team event, decided over the first two
rounds. They totalled 422 with Northumbria (431) second and Bournemouth (437) third.
In the women's individual championship, Samantha Burkes (Manchester) goes into the final two rounds with a four-shot lead from Gemma Webster (Dundee) with Anne Ramsey (Heriot Watt) third. Samantha shot a two-over-par 75 over the Murrayshall course for a 36-hole tally of 145. She had birdies at the second, third and 15th in halves of 38 and 37.
Gemma, overnight leader on 70, sagged with a 79 for 149 while Anne, the Scottish women's universities champion, duplicated her first-day 74 for 154.Kylie Walker (Stirling) had by far the best women's score of the day - an excellent two-under-par 71 over Murrayshall. She must be rueing her error-strewn 85 over the shorter Lynedoch course on Monday. On 156, Scotland international Kylie has 11 shots to make up on Samantha Burkes over the final two rounds.
Collated scoreboard
BRITISH UNIVERSITIES STROKE-PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP
Murrayshall (Par 73) & Lynedoch (Par 69) courses
MEN - QUALIFIERS
Murrayshall scores first
137 W Shucksmith (Durham) 71 66.
139 C Abrahamsen (Edinburgh) 71 68.
142 R Ramsay (Stirling) 69 73, J McLeary (Stirling) 75 67.
143 S Lee (Northumbria) 77 66, R Raye (Bournemouth) 72 71, G Dixon (Ulster) 73 70, G Yates (Stirling) 74 69, P Graham (Northumbria) 69 74.
144 N Scholey (Northumbria) 72 72, D Taylor (Nottingham) 73 71.
145 C Colraine (Strathclyde) 71 74, A Nelson (Strathclyde) 72 73.
146 D Graham (Edinburgh)72 74, S Hanna (Liverpool) 73 73, R Laino (Durham) 77 69, E Bryceland (Stirling) 78 68.
147 M Read (Bournemouth) 72 75.
148 B Patterson (Stirling) 70 78, D McInroy (Strathclyde) 75 73, S Shepard (Birmingham) 75 73.
149 C Wilkinson (Northumbria) 71 78, J Cheetham (Birmingham) 74 75, T Gibbs (Birmingham) 74 75, G Evans (Middlesex) 77 72, S Ruddle (Bournemouth) 74 75, R James (Glamorgan) 79 70, C Kerr (Warwick) 76 73.
150 I Brown (Heriot Watt) 74 76, N Cameron (Stirling) 71 79.
151 G McInroy (Strathclyde) 72 79, M Lindsay (Abertay) 77 74, T Pulling (Bath) 73 78, C Swann (Bournemouth) 73 78.
152 F Inglis (Glasgow) 77 75, G Findlay (Abertay) 76 76, R Hutton (Glasgow) 77 75, M Harrington (Northampton) 77 75, R Hutton (Glasgow) 77 75, A Keir (Dundee) 73 80.
DID NOT QUALIFY
153 A Tonge (Nottingham) 76 77, R Warren (Nottingham) 76 77, B Brooke (Stirling) 75 78.
154 A McCloy (Ulster) 73 81, A Love (Heriot Watt) 80 74, C Hurst (Northumbria) 73 81, M Lee (Sunderland) 76 78.
155 T Light (Nottingham) 72 83, C Rossi (Strathclyde) 78 77, R Duncan (Heriot Watt) 78 77, D Murray (St Andrews) 78 77, B Brown (Ulster) 75 80, M Clinch (Dundee) 74 81, I Leadbetter (Liverpool) 77 78.
156 A Windsor (Birmingham) 78 78, D Evans (Dundee) 75 81, A Higgin (Sunderland) 85 71, A Fearnside (Glasgow) 77 79, A Leggate (Strathclyde) 75 81, C Brown (Birmingham) 77 79.
157 S Horne (Nottingham) 81 76, D Johnstone (Nottingham) 78 79, M Tansley (Durham) 78 79.
158 S Bennette (Sunderland) 73 85, A Price (UW Newport) 74 84, S Presho (Sunderland) 79 79.
159 N Finlay (Glasgow) 80 79, A Thompson (Abertay) 79 80, D Davidson (Glasgow) 78 81, M Adler (St Andrews) 78 81.
160 L Summerill (Glamorgan) 85 75, W Mutch (Durham) 81 79, R Sluming (Liverpool) 73 87.
161 C Mooney (Liverpool) 87 74, E Campbell (Abertay) 81 80.
162 A Aitlafkih (Stirling) 73 89.
163 S Essex (Warwick) 81 82, J Peart (Northumbria) 79 84.
165 J Varkey (Edinburgh) 85 80, A Laino (Durham) 82 83.
167 I Metcalfe (Sunderland) 89 78.
169 W Jones (Warwick) 83 86.
171 J Giblin (Strathclyde) 94 77
173 B Crotty (Nottingham) 85 88.
188 T Ehlers (Warwick) 97 91.
WOMEN
(Lynedoch scores first)
145 S Burkes (Manchester) 70 75.
149 G Webster (Dundee) 70 79.
154 A Ramsay (Heriot Watt) 77 77.
156 K Walker (Stirling) 85 71, O Briggs (Stirling) 80 76
159 D Dewar (Stirling) 84 75.
161 S Round (Gloucestershire) 82 79.
163 C-M Carlton (Stirling) 82 81.
168 L Williamson (Robert Gordon) 90 78
169 M Temple (Exeter) 81 88, J Campbell (Warwick) 87 82.
170 S Morgan (Glamorgan) 85 85.
173 G Davidson (Robert Gordon) 92 81.
176 N Ford (Stirling) 89 87.
185 F Williamson (Strathclyde) 102 83.
195 A Creasy (Middlesex) 100 95.

Irish Close Matchplay Championship
New Irish Champion a certainty
Semi-finals (Wed, 21 June):
09.00 Karen Delaney (Carlow) -v- Catherine Tucker (Limerick)
09.09 Tricia Mangan (Ennis) -v- Marian Riordan (Tipperary)
Quarter final report:
CURTIS Cup star Claire Coughlan from Cork bowed out of this year’s Irish women’s closed amateur championship at Portsalon today. She was beaten 2 and 1 by a back-in-form Karen Delaney (Carlow).
Claire missed a birdie putt which would have wiped our her one-hole defricit at the short 15th and Karen closed the door with birdies at the 16th and 17th.
Sinead Keane (Curragh), having beaten Martina Gillen (Beaverstown) at the 20th in the morning, went out to Catherine Tucker (Limerick) at the 20th in the afternoon.
Keane led from early on but lost the 16th and 17th before winning the 18th to take the tie into extra holes.
Tricia Mangan (Ennis) always had the advantage in the all-Clare duel with fellow-international Heather Nolan (Shannon) and holed from 8 feet at the 16th for victory. Heather had ended the defence of title-holder Deirdre Smith in the morning. Deirdre was four up at one stage.
Tara Delaney (Carlow) came from behind to win 17 and halve 18 in par with Marian Riordan (Tipperary). Both hit solid drives at the 19th and Riordan almost holed for an eagle 2 with her approach. Her tap-in birdie was enough to see her through to a semi-final tie with Tricia Mangan.
Either way, a new Irish champion will lift the title on Wednesdayu as all four semi-finalists have never won the title previously.
1/4 Final results (Tues, 21 June):
Karen Delaney (Carlow) beat Claire Coughlan (Cork) 2&1
Catherine Tucker (Limerick) beat Sinead Keane (Curragh) at 20th
Tricia Mangan (Ennis) beat Heather Nolan (Shannon) 3&2
Marian Riordan (Tipperary) beat Tara Delaney (Carlow) at 19th
Consolation Plate
Pat Doran (Donabate) beat Naoimh Quigg (City of Derry) by 2& 1 to win the Ita Wallace Plate, which she also won at Murvagh in 2003.
Semi finals (Tues, 21 June):
Pat Doran (Donabate) beat Charlene Reid (Gracehill) 1up
Naoimh Quigg (City of Derry) beat Nikki Taggart (Belvoir) on 23rd
Second round report:
Champion Deirdre Smith (Co. Louth) bowed out of this year's Lancome Close championship after a mamoth battle with fellow International Heather Nolan (Shannon). After a birdie 2 at the 10th, Smith held a four hole lead only to lose the next. She maintained that lead and was still 3 ahead thru 15. Nolan then found a higher gear and won 16, 17 and birdied 18 to take the match to extra time where a par on 19 put an end to Smiths hopes of back-to-back victories.
Elsewhere, Catherine Tucker (Limerick) beat Maura Diamond (Royal Portrush), conquerer of the leading qualifier on 18. Sinead Keane (Curragh) beat strongly fancied Martina Gillen (Beaverstown) on tie holes while Claire Coughlan saw off fellow International Sinead O'Sullivan on 18. The Delaney sisters continue their return to form while the all-Clare pairing of Tricia Mangan (Ennis) and Heather Nolan (Shannon) ensures a Munster representative in tomorrow's semi finals.
Round 2 (Tues, 21 June):
Catherine Tucker (Limerick) beat Maura Diamond (Royal Portrush) 1up
Sinead Keane (Curragh) beat Martina Gillen (Beaverstown) at 20th
Claire Coughlan (Cork) beat Sinead O’Sullivan (Galway) 1up
Karen Delaney (Carlow) beat Gemma Hegarty (Greencastle) 4&2
Tricia Mangan (Ennis) beat Darragh McGowan (Ballybofey & Stranorlar) 5&4
Heather Nolan (Shannon) beat Deirdre Smith (Co. Louth) on 19th
Marian Riordan (Tipperary) beat Mary Dowling (New Ross) 3&2
Tara Delaney (Carlow) beat Helen Jones (Strabane) at 20th

BRITISH UNIVERSITIES SPORTS ASSOCIATION
BRITISH UNIVERSITIES GOLF ANNUAL STROKEPLAY CHAMPIONSHIPS
20 – 22 JUNE 2005 MURRAYSHALL GOLF COURSES, PERTH
ROUND 1 – REPORT
Players make reserved start on Day 1 of BUSA
The first day of the British Universities Golf Championships proved to be a frustrating one for the majority of the 122 golfers competing. The field, split evenly, between the Murrayshall Championship course and its sister course, the Lynedoch, failed to take advantage of ideal scoring conditions with the greens receptive and the weather clear and calm.
The women completed their first rounds over the Lynedoch course from the men’s forward tees, allowing the track to measure just over 5,100 yds. Best scores came from t