May 2006 Archive

Wednesday 31st May 2006

Ayrshire announce team.
The Team for the 2006 West Inter-County Championships is: Lesley Hendry, Jane Finnie, Alex Glennie, Roslyn Kennedy, Liz Keohone, Catherine Malcolm, Morag McPherson and Debbie Watt. Reserves: Audrey Thompson, Roz Purdom.

Irish seniors mens amateur open championship
PAR-BREAKER BARRY LEADS IRISH SENIORS
Barry Reddan from County Louth recorded a one-unde-par 70 to lead the way at Limerick Golf Club after the first round of the Irish seniors amateur open championship, sponsored by the Portuguese Tourist Board.
The former Irish International birdied the second, sixth, eighth and 11th holes. He was the only player to break par on the day. Reddan leads by one from Seamus McParland (Greenore) who, in turn, is a further stroke clear of a group of players including former Walker Cup star, Arthur Pierse (Tipperary)
IRISH SENIOR MEN'S AMATEUR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP
Limerick Golf Club.
First round leading scores
70 B Reddan (Co Louth).
71 S McParland (Greenore).
72 J Baldwin (US), N Duke (Killiney), A Pierse (Tipperary), J O'Donoghue (Tipperary)
73 D Cash (Rosslare), D Lane (England), C Reynolds (England), P Cowley (Cork)
74 T Goode (Lucan), J Gilhooly (Edmondstown), G Rees (Wales), L Isaksson (Sweden), R Mason (Old Conna), H Smyth (Mourne), P Jones (Wales)
75 B McCarroll (Ballyliffin), B Berney (East Brighton), M Kelly (Killeen), C Moir
(England), M Morris (Portmarnock), B Karlsson (Sweden).
Scottish scores:
76 B Edgar.
77 P Kinloch, J Kinloch, J Broadfoot.
78 A Laird.
79 D McCart.
81 R Gill.

ONLY TWO SCOTS IN FIELD FOR EUROPEAN MID-AMATEUR MEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP
Mid-amateur golf championships - for those aged 25 or over - continues to have little or no interest for competitive golfers in general.
The European men's mid-amateur championship starts at the Grand Ducal Golf Club in Luxemburg on Thursday.
There is a field of 144 for the 54-hole stroke-play event.
The biggest "name" is Walker Cup veteran Gary Wolstenholme from Kilworth Springs.
Scotland has two entrants - neither of whom lives in Scotland. Stuart McAllister is a member of the host club while Craig Townsend is playing out of Teignmouth Golf Club, Devon.
On the other hand, competitive golf at senior level (men 55 and over; ladies 50 and over) is getting more and more popular.
++ E-mail us with your view on why mid-am golf is a non-event.

SCOTLAND SENIOR WOMEN BID FOR HAMILTON BREAKTHROUGH
The Scottish Ladies Golfing Association has named a Scotland seniors’ training squad in preparation for the senior women’s home international matches, to be held at Hamilton Golf Club from October 3 to 5. The squad, under the team captaincy of Pam Gordon (Inverness), will have practice sessions at the venue as part of bid to win the over-50s title for the first time.
The first three senior women’s home international series have all been won by England at venues in England, Ireland and Wales.
The Scotland team of seven for the internationals will be named after the Scottish senior women’s stroke play and match-play championships at Machrichanish from August 31 to September.
The training and practice squad is:
Rose Anderson (Huntly), Lorna Bennett (Ladybank), Liz Campbell (Torwoodlee), Fiona De Vries (St Rule), Helen Faulds (Douglas Park), Noreen Fenton (Merchants of Edinburgh), Pat Hutton (Lanark), Christine McAndrew (Nairn Dunbar), Janice Paterson (Drumpellier), Ann Smart (Banchory), Kathleen Sutherland (Royal Montrose), Anna Telfer (Milngavie), Moira Thomson (North Berwick), Margaret Tough (Falkirk), Pamela Williamson (Baberton), Emma Wilson (Elie & Earlsferry).

LESLEY AND ISOBEL SCORE DOUBLE WHAMMIES AT DUNBLANE
Ayrshire champion Lesley Hendry’s trip over to Dunblane for the LGU Challenge Bowls tournament was well worthwhile. The Routenburn player won the Wallace Williamson Bowl for the best scratch score of 68 in a field of 38 and she made it a double whammy by winning the Silver Division’s LGU Challenge Bowl with her net score of 66.
Under the rules of the competition, Lesley could win both trophies but not first prize in the handicap section which went to Jacqueline Sneddon (Alyth) with a net 70 off six. Janette McCartney (Erskine) was runner-up with a net 72 off eight.
For the second year in a row Isobel Millar (Vale of Leven) won both the trophies in the Bronze Division. She took the Scratch Cup with a score of 90 and the Bronze Division LGU Challenge with a net 67 off 23, the same handicap as last year.
Doris Reid (Tillicoultry), with a net 72 off 22, won the first handicap prize in the Bronze Division. Sandra Perrie (Vale of Leven) was runner-up with a net 73 off 25.
The par for the women’s course at Dunblane is 71. The CSS on the day was also 71.

EUROPEAN YOUNG MASTERS WILL DECIDE 10 OF 12 PLACES IN JUNIOR RYDER CUP
Selection for this year's Junior Ryder Cup match - for boy and girl golfers under the age of 16 on January 1, 2006 - will depend on the European Young Masters tournament at Styrian Golf Club, Austria from July 27 to 29.
The leading five boys and the leading five girls will gain automatic selection for the European team to play the United States at Celtic Manor earlier in Ryder Cup week.
Welshman Andy Ingram, skipper of the European junior team, will have the privilege of two captain's picks to complete the 12-strong line-up for the match over the Roam Road course on Monday and Tuesday, September 18 and 19.
Ingram is a former captain of the Welsh boys' team and the Welsh men's side from 1999 to 2003. Under his inspired leadership in 2002, Wales recorded their first victory in the amateur Home Internationals for 70 years.
He said at today's Press Conference: "It was a wonderful honour to captain the Junior Ryder Cup side in 2004 and an even bigger one to be given the chance to defend the trophy close to home at the Celtic Manor Resort in September.
"We were overwhelmed by the hospitality and courtesy we received in America two years ago and Sir Terry Matthews has promised both teams an unforgettable experience here in four months time."
Andy Morgan, president of the European Golf Association, commented: "The Junior Ryder Cup is an outstanding breeding ground for the next generation of golfers and it is satisfying to see so many youngsters who have played in the match go on to make an impact in the game."
Zac Gould, 17, one of Welsh golf's most exciting young prospects and a former European Young Master Golfer, was part of the successful European Junior Ryder Cup team which defeated the United States 8 ½ - 3 ½ at Westfield Group Country Club in Ohio in 2004.
Sergio Garcia won the inaugural European Young Masters at Wentworth Club in England in 1995, thereby qualifying for the first European Junior Ryder Cup Team which travelled to Rochester, New York State, in September that year. Garcia was the first player to represent Europe in the both that junior and men's Ryder Cup Teams and has been hugely supportive of the event ever since his arrival on the scene in 1995.
Europe's Ryder Cup Director, Richard Hills, commented: "The PGA of America and the European Tour are delighted that the Junior Ryder Cup has become an integral part of Ryder Cup week. The contests are always played in a wonderful spirit, fostering close relations between the two continents and providing the perfect launch pad for a glorious weeklong celebration of team golf."
Europe has won the last three Junior Ryder Cups, beating the Americans 10 ½ - 1 ½ at Cape Cod, Massachusetts; 9 ½ - 2 ½ at The K Club in Ireland, in 2002 and 8 ½ - 3 ½ in Cleveland, Ohio, two years ago.

Land Rover announce terrific Golf Show comp!
Land Rover has announced a fantastic competition for visitors to this weekend’s TGI Scottish Golf Show, taking place on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Royal Highland Centre in Ingliston.
The leading car manufacturer are the title-sponsors of Green Fee Savers – the half-price golf discount scheme run by the show’s media partner, Bunkered golf magazine – and they have confirmed that they will be there in force with a fun and easy-to-enter competition.
They will be filling one of their Freelander vehicles with golf balls and will be inviting show visitors to guess how many golf balls are in it. There are superb prizes up for grabs for the winners, with the person who guesses correctly – or closest to the correct number – winning a brand new full set of clubs custom-fitted for them by Mizuno at their custom-fit centre in Cumbernauld.
Second prize wins a weekend break for two to the Hilton Hotel in Dunkeld in Perthshire, with a half-day of off-roading thrown in, whilst third place wins a state-of-the-art his or her’s Land Rover mountain bike and a Land Rover/Bunkered polo shirt.
Rover’s Regional Marketing Manager Mike Currie commented: “The Scottish Land Rover dealers are delighted to be present at the TGI Scottish Golf Show, further underlining our involvement in golf in Scotland. Land Rover’s range of 4x4 vehicles is ideally suited for the adventurous golfer. See the new Range Rover Sport on Stand M4.”
To book your tickets for the TGI Scottish Golf Show, call 0141 950 2400 or log-on to www.tgiscottishgolfshow.co.uk to order online.
Remember, children under 16 years of age go free when accompanied by an adult.

Tuesday 30th May 2006

Latest county teams named for upcoming divisional championships:
ANGUS
Aileen Hunter (Monifieth), Katy McNicoll (Carnoustie Ladies), Frances Millar (Carnoustie Ladies), Susan Murray (Brechin), Ann Ramsay (Kirriemuir),Mary Summers (Panmure Barry), Jane Tough (Brechin), Rebecca Wilson (Monifieth).
LANARKSHIRE
Elaine Cuthill (Lanark), Alyson Hendry (Hamailton), May Hughes (Lanark), Lesley Lloyd (Hayston), Ruth Rankin (Lanark), Jenna Wilson (Strathaven), Susan Wood (Drumpellier), Ales Young (Horsforth).

West Vets Summer Meeting
Marion Stewart (Kilmacolm) had the best scratch score of the day in the Summer Meeting at Drumpellier today with a gross 85. Her net score of 76 was also the best Handicap score in the Silver Division. Moira Hogg (Old Ranfurly) and Anita McMillan (Erskine) were 2nd and 3rd respectively in the Silver Division with Moira receiving the net prize as Marion cannot receive both the Scratch and handicap award. Helen Crichton (Ranfurly Castle) was the winner of the Bronze Division with a net 75.
Have a look at the West Vets Website for all the details plus print out your Handicap exchange letter to take back to your club

Scottish Youths team Back row (left to right): Barclay Howard (team captain), Scott Hendry (Cardross), Paul O'Hara (Colville Park), Lloyd Saltman (Craigielaw). Front row: Peter McLachlan (Eastwood), Stephen McEwan (Barassie), Philip Reid (Peterhead).

Irish Youths Team

SCOTS LOSE TO IRISH BUT SKIPPER BARCLAY STILL DEFIANT
Scotland can still win the European youths championship again this summer. That was skipper Barclay Howard's defiant message after he watched his team go down 5 1/2-3 1/2 to Ireland in a friendly Under-21 interational over the Landsowne course, Blairgowrie today.
"We've got the potential within our squad of players to keep the European title. We've just got to get them to play to that potential," said Barclay.
The damage was done as far as the Scots were concerned in the morning foursomes. Scotland were not able to win any of the three ties. Lloyd Saltman and Paul O'Hara lost by one hole after very tight match against Seamus Power and Aaron O'Callaghan.
Scott Henry and Steven McEwan did come back from one down after 16 to get a square game with Fergal Rafferty and Neil O'Briain but Philip McLean and Peter McLachlan were well beaten, 6 and 4, by Shane Lowry and Simon Ward.
Saltman, O'Hara and Henry won the top three singles for Scotland - which was an encouraging sign with July's European youth championship in mind - but Ireland took the last three singles.
Saltman, who is favorite to win the Scottish open amateur stroke play championship over his home Craigielaw course this coming weekend, was three down after eight holes to Seamus Power, the Irish youths champion.
Then Walker Cup man Lloyd showed his class and grit by fighting his way back to square the match on the 16th. The 17th was halved and then Saltman won the 18th when Power missed the green on the left with his approach and could not get up and down. It was the first time in the tie that the Scot had led.
"If I had holed the birdie putt which Seamus conceded on the last green, I would have been round in level par, which doesn't sound too bad but I felt I could have played a lot better than that," said Lloyd.
Paul O'Hara had amazing run of success after slumping to three down against Aaron O'Callaghan after only eight holes.
"I won six holes in a row from the nine, with two or three birdies and the rest pars. I don't think I've every had a run like that in a match-play tie before, " said a cock-a-hoop O'Hara, who was roughly one under par when he won by one hole.
After an indifferent start against Neil O'Briain, Scott Hendry settled to play steady golf that saw hm go two up after nne and three up after 11 holes.
"I did just enough to win after that," said Scott. "Neil birdied the 13th but we halved the rest of the holes from there."
International debutant Philip McLean from Peterhead was on the receiving end of big defeats in the foursomes and singles but the bare 6 and 5 scoreline against Fergal Rafferty did not do the Buchan lad justice.
"I was only two over par when the match finished. Fergal was five under par. He played some great golf. I enjoyed the experience and I learned a lot from playing at this level for the first time," said Philip.
Scottish youths champion Peter McLachlan lost by 5 and 4 to Shane Lowry in the afternon after sliding quickly out of contention from two down at the turn.
Scottish boys' stroke-play title-holder Steven McEwan was two up after 11 holes on Simon Ward. Had he been able to maintain that position, Scotland would have escaped with a 4-4 draw. But it was not to be. By the 16 tee, the Irishman had turned the tables to be one up and he clinched victory of the Irish by a 2 and 1 margin.
SCOREBOARD
SCOTLAND 3 1/2, IRELAND 5 1/2
Youth international match
Lansdowne course, Blairgowrie
FOURSOMES
L Saltman (Craigielaw) & P O'Hara (Colville Park) lost to S Power (West Waterford) & A O'Callaghan (Douglas) 1 hole.
S Henry (Cardross) & S McEwan (Barassie) halved with F Rafferty (Dungannon) & N O'Briain (Royal Dublin).
P McLean (Peterhead) & P McLachlan (Eastwood) lost to S Lowry (Esker Hills) & S Ward (Co Louth) 6 and 4 (1/2-2)
SINGLES
Saltman bt Power 1 hole.
O'Hara bt O'Callaghan 1 hole.
Henry bt O'Briain 2 and 1.
McLean lost to Rafferty 6 and 5.
McLachlan lost to Lowry 5 and 4.
McEwan lost to Ward 2 and 1 (3-3).

LGU Press Release
LADIES’ BRITISH AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
In two weeks time, the Ladies British Amateur Championship returns to Royal County Down after a break of over 40 years and little will the 144 players know of the history inexorably linking the championship and the venue.
This will be the eighth time the championship has been played over the rugged links in Newcastle but it was the first there, in 1899, that is etched in the records. Then, May Hezlet, just one week past her 17th birthday, became and remains the youngest ever winner of the title. She went on to win a further two British Championships.
Nowadays, to emulate that win aged only 17 would be almost impossible and with the strength of the field competing at Royal County Down from 13-17 June it is likely that the winner will be a competitor with experience of competition at the highest international level.
Last year at Littlestone Louise Stahle of Sweden successfully defended her title but now, since she has turned professional, the way is open for a new name on the trophy.
Curtis Cup player Claire Coughlan was close to putting her name on the trophy at Littlestone but in the end was edged out by Louise, one of the longer hitters in the amateur circuit. This year Claire will be competing against one of the strongest ever fields with almost 180 players with handicaps as low as +4.5 entered.
Spanish youngster Carlota Ciganda, the 2004 European Ladies’ Champion has shown she can win at the highest level and is quite capable of adding the British to her collection of titles. However French player Jade Schaeffer, last year’s European winner in Madeira is only one of several players from 17 countries who must consider they can lift the trophy.
Dewi Schreefel, one of a strong squad from the Netherlands, had her greatest success to date with her win last week in the NCAA Women’s Division 1 Championship. The 20 year old student at Southern California University shot a final round of 69, three-under-par, to win by two strokes. Other top finishers in the U.S. and travelling to Ireland are Sandra Gal of Germany and Azahara Munoz of Spain
Kiran Matharu, 17, is one of the rising stars of English golf and confirmed that promise last week by winning the English Ladies’ Championship at West Lancs, beating Ganton’s Naomi Edwards 5 and 4 in the final. Both players will be competing at Royal County Down alongside Felicity Johnson, the 2005 English Ladies Champion.
Scotland will be hoping for a good performance from Martine Pow this year’s national title holder, Anne Laing and Fiona Lockhart, both former winners of the domestic title.
The last Irish winner of the Ladies Amateur was Lillian Behan in 1985, one of only four in the past 50 years, none of which were on native soil. In addition to Claire Coughlan, Alison Coffey and Maria Dunne, Tricia Mangan, their 2005 and 2006 Champion and Martina Gillen, this year’s beaten finalist, will be the players on whose shoulders rest the hopes of a nation.
Welsh supporters will be hoping for a title-winning performance from Stephanie Evans, the recent winner of their national title at Tenby.
Susan Simpson, Director of Championships for the LGU said, “We are delighted that after a break of over half a century we are returning to Royal County Down, truly one of Ireland’s great links courses.”
“This reputation is also reflected in the size and quality of the entry which includes many of the world’s top amateurs attempting to add their name to the list of winners of the Ladies’ British Amateur, one of golf’s most revered championships.”
Competitors play one round on each of Tuesday 13 and Wednesday 14 June and the top 64 enter the match play stage starting on Thursday 15 June.

ILGU Press Release
ILGU Selects Teams for Upcoming International Events
The Irish adies Golf Union has selected four underage level teams to represent Ireland at various upcoming International events in June and July.
For the first time in the same year, Ireland will send teams to the Under-21 and Under-18 European Team Championships which take place in the Netherlands and Denmark.“ A new approach to our underage training programme is producing young players capable of competing at both levels simultaneously” commented ILGU Chief Executive Sinead Heraty following the team announcements. “We are pleased with our continued development of the game at all levels and can look forward to a bright and healthy future for our sport” she added.
All players selected on the Under-21 side are experienced Under-18 Internationals who have competed in various international events over the past number of years. The side is captained by Donabate’s Mary McKenna who will bring her vast knowledge as player and Team Captain to the squad. The Under-18 side is not lacking in international exposure either and once again Co. Louth’s Jackie Quinn will be at the helm in Denmark.
Additionally, the Union has announced that Curtis Cup hopefuls Claire Coughlan (Cork), Martina Gillen (Beaverstown) and Tricia Mangan (Ennis) will form the Irish team to play in the British Amateur Championship at Royal Co. Down, 13-17 June. The GB&I Curtis Cup team to play the USA at Pacific Dunes, Oregon, 29-30 July will be announced following the event.
U-21 European Team Championships, Golf Club de Pan, Netherlands, 11-15 July 2006
Fiona Carroll (Athenry), Dawn Marie Conaty (Ashbourne), Tara Delaney (Carlow), Danielle McVeigh (Royal Co. Down Ladies), Sinead O'Sullivan (Galway), Catherine Tucker (Limerick)
Reserves in order: Niamh Kitching (Claremorris), Vicki Power (Brampton Park)
Captain: Mary McKenna (Donabate) Manager: Anita McCaw (Royal Co. Down Ladies)
U-18 European Team Championships, Esbjerg Golf Club, Denmark, 11-15 July 2006
Victoria Bradshaw (Bangor), Sarah Faller (Galway), Holli Snelling (Killarney), Linda Toomey (Limerick)
Reserves in order: Stephanie Meadow (Royal Portrush), Sarah Cunningham (Ennis), Anne McCormack (Roscommon)
Captain: Jackie Quinn (Co. Louth) Manager: Rose Doyle (Shannon)
European Young Masters Styrian, Murhof, Austria, 27-29 July 2006
Sarah Cunningham (Ennis), Stephanie Meadow (Royal Portrush)
Reserve: Ciara Sharkey (Enniscorthy)
R&A Junior Open Heswall Golf Club 17-19 July 2006
Hannah O’Brien (Lahinch)
British Amateur Team Award Team Royal Co. Down, 13-17 June 2006
Claire Coughlan (Cork), Martina Gillen (Beaverstown), Tricia Mangan (Ennis)
Reserve: Tara Delaney (Carlow)

Midlothian announce team
Midlothian Ladies County Golf Association are pleased to announce their County Team for the East Division Matches which will be held at Dunbar Golf Club from Monday June 26th to Wednesday June 28th 2006
County Team
Kirsten Blackwood (Glencorse)
Claire Hargan (Mortonhall)
Hilary Laughland (Mortonhall)
Rachael Livingstone (Musselburgh Old)
Claire MacDonald (Gullane Ladies)
Karen Marshall (Baberton)
Belinda Murphy (Mortonhall)
Wendy Nicholson (Broomieknowe)
Reserves:
Tracy Laughland (Mortonhall)
Jane Turner (Mortonhall)

Monday 29th May 2006

SKIPPER HOWARD LOOKS FOR INSPIRATIONAL LEAD FROM SALTMAN AT BLAIRGOWRIE
Scotland, under the captaincy of Barclay Howard, limber up for their defence of the European youths team championship in Spain in July, with a friendly Under-21 international against Ireland over the Lansdowne course at Blairgowrie tomorrow.
Howard will be looking for an inspirational performance from the 20-year-old star of his line-up, Walker Cup man and Open championship silver medallist Lloyd Saltman (Craigielaw).
Lloyd leads off for Scotland in the morning foursomes (8.30am) and again in the singles (1pm).
Saltman’s foursomes partner is the highly-rated Paul O’Hara (Colville Park). They play Seamus Power (West Waterford) and Aaron O’Callaghan (Douglas).
Saltman will cross swords again in the singles with Seamus Power, the reigning Irish youths champion and the latest generation of the Power golfing dynasty in the Waterford area. Seamus has a handicap of +2.5, so Lloyd will need to be on his game.
Three times Scottish boys’ champion (twice in match-play and once in stroke-play) Scott Henry, recently runner-up in the Craigmillar Park Open, is another big name in the youths’ line-up. He is paired with Steven McEwan (Barassie), last year’s Scottish boys’ open stroke-play champion.
Peterhead’s Philip McLean, with a first-class match-play record in North-east junior circles, makes his international debut with Peter McLachlan (Eastwood) as a partner in the foursomes. McLachlan has been playing on the American college circuit for the University of Kansas-Missouri, since he won the Scottish youths championship at Glenbervie last summer.
PROGRAMME
FOURSOMES
8.30 Lloyd Saltman (Craigielaw) & Paul O’Hara (Colville Park) v Seamus Power (West Waterford) & Aaron O’Callaghan (Douglas).
8.40 Scott Henry (Cardross) & Steven McEwan (Barassie) v Fergal Rafferty (Dungannon) & Neil O’Briain (Royal Dublin).
8.50 Philip McLean (Peterhead) & Peter McLachlan (Eastwood) v Shane Lowry (Esker Hills) & Simon Ward (Co Louth).
SINGLES
1.0 Saltman v Power.
1.10 O’Hara v O’Callaghan.
1.20 Henry v O’Briain.
1.30 McLean v Rafferty.
1.40 McLachlan v Lowry.
1.50 McEwan v Ward.

Ayrshire Girls v Lanarkshire Girls (Thanks to June Kerr for this report)
Ayrshire (pictured above right) were hosts to Lanarkshire (below right) in a friendly match played over Ravenspark yesterday. Although sunny and dry, there was a cold, extremely strong wind blowing which occasionally played havoc with direction! However, the girls coped very well and all looked very weather beaten at the end of their games. The match result was close, Ayrshire just finishing ahead with 5 games to 3. Judging by the laughter and chatting afterwards they all enjoyed the day and no doubt new friendships have been made.
Results are as follows: (Ayrshire names first)
Linzi Allan beat Gillian Scanlon 2/1
Rachel McQueen lost to Anna Paton 4/3
Sarah Hutton lost to Lucy Clark 4/3
Gillian Arnott beat Leanne Jardin 2 holes
Hannah Gaunt beat Sara Jane McKenzie 4/3
Lynsey Weaton beat Jennifer Black 4/3
Katie Macpherson lost to Abigail Gliksten 3/1
Kathryn Rae beat Fiona McKay 7/6

AMERICAN STUDENTS NAMED FOR PALMER CUP MATCH AT PRESTWICK
Brian Harman, a member of the United States’ Walker Cup-winning team at Chicago Golf Club last summer, is in the American line-up for the 10th Palmer Cup student golf match between the United States and Europe at Prestwick Golf Club on June 29 and 30.
The full US team is:
Ryan Blaum (Duke), Ryan Baca (Baylor), Robert Castro, Kevin Larsen (both Georgia Tech), Brian Harman, Chris Kirk (both Georgia), Luke List (Vanderbilt), Clay Ogden (Brigham Young).
Chris Haack (Georgia) will be the American head coach and team manager.
The United States leads the series 5-3 with one halved.

CARLY IN RECORD-BREAKING FORM AT COMRIE
Carly Booth has lowered her own Comrie Golf Club women’s course record from 70 to 69 to 67 in the space of four days.
The 13-year-old – her 14th birthday is on June 21 - was competing in the qualifying rounds of the women’s club championship. Janet Griffiths is the holder.
Comrie’s nine-hole women’s course has a par of 74 and an SSS of 72. Conditions when she shot the 67 were very windy.

MHAIRI BACK IN THE LPGA MONEY
Mhairi McKay enjoyed her best LPGA tournament performance for three years when she finished fourth in the Corning Classic at the weekend.
Mhairi, now 31, had rounds of 70, 67,70 and 68 for a 13-under-par total of 275 to earn $61,950.
She had 20 birdies and an eagle over the four rounds.
South Koreans Hee-Luan Han and Meena Lee tied for victory, only two shots ahead of Mhairi on 273. Hee-Luan Han won the play-off for the £180,000 top prize.

RHIND WINS FISTFUL OF DOLLARS IN TEXAS
Lee Rhind from Uphall, winner of the Scottish boys’ open amateur stroke-play championship at Downfield in 1997, won $2,760 for an eighth-place finish in the latest event on the Tight Lies Tour, the Lubbock Open at Hillcrest Country Club, Lubbock in Texas.
Rhind shot 12-under-par 276 with scores of 72, 68, 69 and 67. In his final round the 27-year-old Lee, based in Midland, Texas, had eagle 3s at the fourth and 11th and birdies at the third, 10th, 15th and 18th.
He also had a double bogey at the eighth and a bogey at the 17th.
The winner of the $13,260 first prize was American Daniel Fox with 18-under-par 270 (67-70-67-66).
Rhind has won $6,262 from the four Tight Lies Tour events he has played in since the end of April.

Glenbervie Ladies Open
There are still some times available for the Glenbervie Ladies' Open on Sunday 11 June. Entry fee is £8 and the handicap limit is 35. There are prizes for Scratch, Silver Handicap, Bronze Handicap and Senior Ladies (!) sections. Raffle proceeds etc are in aid of CHAS. Entry Form

NATIONAL GOLF COACHES ASSOCIATION
2005–2006 DIVISION I AWARD WINNERS
Amanda Blumenherst (Duke) has been named the winner of four awards, including Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year, by the National Golf Coaches Association of America.
The only British or Irish player to get a mention was Ireland’s Tara Delaney (Kent State) who received an “Honorable Mention,” an acknowledgement that she was considered for the First and Second All-American Teams on the basis of her performances during the 2005-2006 US women’s college golf season
The full list of awards:
Division I Player the Year : Amanda Blumenherst – Duke
Division I Freshman the Year: Amanda Blumenherst – Duke
Golfstat Cup: Amanda Blumenherst – Duke
Division I Kim Moore Spirit Award: Hayley Wilkinson – Long Beach State
Dinah Shore Trophy Award: Erica Battle – South Carolina
Edith Cummings Munson Golf Award: Amanda Blumenherst – Duke
Division I National Coach the Year: Devon Brouse – Purdue
Division I Regional Coaches the Year
East Region: Dan Brooks – Duke
Central Region: Devon Brouse – Purdue
West Region: Melissa Luellen – Arizona State

Division I All–American Teams

Sunday 28th May 2006

Does anyone have any photos of the Scottish Ladies Championship at Dunbar that they would like to share with the rest of us? Email me

TARA DELANEY IS TOP BRITISH AND IRISH PLAYER IN FINAL US COLLEGE RANKINGS
BY COLIN FARQUHARSON
You have to look long and hard to find the winner of last week’s NCAA Division 1 women’s championship – the premier tournament of the women’s college golf season in America – in the end-of-season GolfWeek/Sagarin rankings.
To save you the bother, I’ll tell you that Dewi Schreefel, the Dutch girl who is a student at the University of Southern California, is ranked No 45 with a stroke rating of 73.39.
Which gives you some idea of how much of a long-shot outsider Dewi was going into the championship.
Good for Miss Schreefel! But doesn’t it devalue the rankings a bit? What’s the point of being No 1, 2 or 3 if you cannot win the major tournament at the end of the season?
Ironically, her USC team-mate Irene Cho, is No 2 in the rankings with 70.42, second only to Amanda Blumenherst (Duke) who is No 1 with 69.96.
By the way, if the USGA selectors use the final top 10 as the basis of their deliberations over the team of eight to defend the Curtis Cup against GB&I at Bandon Dunes, Oregon at the end of June, it’s going to be a team of unknowns, at least to anyone who does not follow the results on the US college circuit.
Maria Martinez and Azahara Munoz, who finished third and eighth in the rankings, are ineligible to play for the USA anyway. Maria comes from Venezuela and Azahara is the Spanish girl who won the British girls’ open championship at Lanark a couple of years ago.
Only Jane Park (sixth) and Liz Janangelo (seventh) played for the United States in their 10-8 win over GB&I at Formby two years ago.
The top British or Irish player in the rankings was Tara Delaney (Kent State) despite her disappointing performance – well below her best – in the NCAA women’s championship.
She finished 49th with a stroke rating of 73.58. The top British player was Tara’s Kent State team-mate Becky Wood from Glossop in 80th place with 74.28.
Top Scot was Heather Macrae (San Diego State) on 141 with an average of 75.05 from 7 events.
GOLFWEEK/SAGARIN 2005-2006 RANKINGS
1 Amanda Blumenherst (Duke) 69.96
2 Irene Cho (Southern California) 70.42
3 Maria Martinez (Auburn) 70.84
4 Paige Mackenzie (Washington) 70.87
5 Ashley Knoll (Texas A&M) 70.99
6 Jane Park (UCLA) 71.45
7 Liz Janangelo (Duke) 71.59
8 Azahara Munoz (Arizona State) 71.64
9 Taylor Leon(Georgia) 71.72
10 Tiffany Joh (UCLA) 71.73
Other placings;
45 Dewi Schreefel (Southern Cal) 73.39
49 Tara Delaney (Kent State) 73.58
80 Becky Wood (Kent State) 74.28
126 Anna Scott (Georgia State) 74.93
141 Heather Macrae (San Diago State) 75.05
151 Sian Reddick (Baylor) 75.18
256 Gemma Webster (Ohio State) 76.57
328 Emily Ogilvy (Arkansas Little Rock) 77.24
332 Maria Dunne (Bethune Cookman) 77.29
400 Karen Delaney (Kent State) 77.97
431 Louise Fleming (Jacksonville State) 78.18
535 Lucy Gould (East Tennessee State) 79.18
583 Vicki Power (Northern Arizona) 79.68
644 Suzie Hayes (Notre Dame) 80.39
658 Fern Grimshaw (Bethune Cookman) 80.53
683 Sophie Stubbs (Minnesota) 80.85
737 Kate O’Sullivan (High Point) 81.30
761 Ann-Marie Dalton (High Point) 81.71
814 Becky Dowell (Bethune Cookman) 82.43
831 Jenna Kinnear (High Point) 82.70
1019 Stephanie Crolla (Nicholls State) 87.17
++ Kelly Brotherton (Colorado State) had a stroke rating of 77.01 but played in only three events, not enough to earn a official placing in the table.

SALLY WATSON FINISHES SEVENTH IN SWEDEN
Scottish Under-18 girls’ champion Sally Watson from South Queensferry finished a creditable seventh in a field of 49 for the Skandia Junior Girls Open over 54 holes at Kungsback Golf Club, near Gothenburg in Sweden at the weekend.
Sally, only 14 years old and a member of Elie & Earlsferry Golf Club in Fife, had rounds of 78, 76 and 79 for an aggregate of 233. She was the only British competitor in what is one of the leading Under-21 girls’ open events on the Continent.
Sally improved from 13th to joint fifth with a 76 on Saturday but she had her worst nine holes of the three days when she reached the turn in seven-over-par 43 on Sunday.
She had a triple bogey 6 at the short opening hole, another 6 at the long third and a double-bogey 6 at the fifth before going over par again at the seventh and eighth.
A birdie 3 at the ninth cheered up Miss Watson and she covered the inward nine holes in level par 36 with a birdie at the 12th and only one bogey, at the 14th.
Anna Nordqvist, pictured right, from Sweden, winner of the British girls’ open championship last year, outclassed the field with scores of 75, 70 and 73 for a two-over-par total of 218. She won by 10 shots from two compatriots, herese Nilsson and Linn Gustafsson.
Scoreboard
SKANDIA JUNIOR GIRLS OPEN
Kungsbacka Golf Club, nr Gothenburg, Sweden
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 72
218 Anna Nordqvist (Swe) 75 70 73.
228 Therese Nilsson (Swe) 76 78 74, Linn Gustafsson (Swe) 78 73 77.
230 Amalie Val (Nor) 74 77 79.
231 Linda Persson (Sw4e) 80 74 77, Sara Monberg (Den) 72 80 79.
233 Sally Watson (Sco) 78 76 79.

LYNN KENNY'S TOP 30 FINISH IN FRENCH OPEN
Lynn Kenny (Brucefields Family Golf Centre) strung together four steady rounds of 73, 75, 76 and 72 to finish in joint 29th place in the French Women's Open at Le Golf d'Arras.
Lynn's total of 296 earned her 3,217 Euros.
Inverness-based New Zealander Liz McKinnon finished on 297 with scores of 78, 71, 75 and 73 to earn 2,827 Euros for a share of 32nd place.
Veronica Zorzi, with a seven-under-par total of 281, retained the title but only by one shot from Laura Davies.
The Italian had started the final round four shots clear of the field.
SCOREBOARD
281 Veronica Zorzi (Ita) 71 69 69 72 (48,750 Euros).
282 Laura Davies (Eng) 72 73 69 68 (32,750 Euros).
285 Stephanie Arricau (Fra) 73 70 70 72 (22,7850 Euros).
Other totals:
296 Lynn Kenny (Brucefields Family Golf Centre) 73 75 76 72 (3,217 Euros).
297 Liz McKinnon (NZ) 78 71 75 73 (2,827 Euros).

DUNCAN'S A YANKEE DOODLE DANDY BACK OF HOME TURF
Duncan Stewart, just home from a very good season for Jacksonville University, Florida on the American college golf circuit, continued in good form in his first tournament back in Scotland.
Stewart, from Grantown-on-Spey won the North District championship at windswept Lossiemouth on Saturday.
Duncan held his game together over the Moray Golf Club Old Course to post and opening 76, one above the CSS. At that point Duncan was four shots behind defending champion Michael MacDonald (Fortrose & Rosemarkie) and Bruce Thomson (Inverness).
Stewart wiped out three shots of the deficit with birdies at the first, second and ninth holes in 32 to the turn. He then birdie the 13th and 17th - dropping only one shot, at the 17th, in a brilliant score of four-under-par 67 for a total of 143 to win by two shots from MacDonald with Thomson in third place on 146.
John Forbes (Inverness) and Ryan Elder (Nairn Dunbar) tied for the North District youths' championship, staged in conjunction with the main event. The title went to Forbes on the better inward half in their second round 78s.
NORTH DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIP
Old Course, Moray Golf Club, Lossiemouth
LEADING FINAL TOTALS (CSS 75 74)
143 D Stewart (Grantown on Spey) 76 67.
145 M MacDonald (Fortrose & Rosemarkie) 72 73.
146 B Thomson (Inverness) 72 74.
148 R Sheils (Moray) 73 75.
149 M Ross (Elgin) 75 74.
150 G Thomson(Moray) 73 77.
152 J Gunn(Royal Dornoch) 76 76, G Paterson (Moray) 76 76.
YOUTHS CHAMPIONSHIP
153 J Forbes (Inverness) 75 78, R Elder (Nairn Dunbar) 75 78 (Forbes won on better inward half of second rounds).
154 D Hexley (Inverness) 77 77.
157 F Fotheringham (Nairn) 81 76.

BYRNE TOP SCOT IN SWEDISH JUNIOR OPEN
Banchory’s James Byrne, finished a creditable joint 11th in a field of 97 for the Skandia Junior Under-21 Open tournament over three rounds at Boras Golf Club, near Gothenburg, Sweden at the weekend.
Byrne, only 17 and beaten semi-finalist in the recent Scottish boys’ championship, had scores of 76, 71 and 71 for a two-over-par total of 218.
He finished the tournament strongly with birdies at the 17th and 18th after reaching the turn in one-under-par 34, thanks to a birdie at the long opening hole and another at the eighth after dropping a shot at the second.
James lost a bit of ground when he shed shots at the 10th and 11th but a birdie at the 12th put him back on course and he dropped only one further shot, at the sixth, before his back-to-back birdies at the last two holes.
The other teenagers who made up the Scottish Golf Union party were Lewis Kirton (Newmachar) who tied for 26th place on seven-over-par 223; Scottish boys champion James White (Lundin), who finished 51st with 230, and Cameron Gray (West Kilbride), 51st with 237.
Kirton, who had rounds of 73, 76 and 74, birdied the third but dropped shots at the fifth, 10th and 12th in halves of 35 and 39 in his final outings.
White had improving scores of 80, 77 and 73, birdieing the 10th and 12th in his final round with bogeys at the ninth, 14th and 15th in halves of 36 and 37.
Gray scored 75, 82 and 80. His last round had halves of 38 and 42, including double bogeys at the 12th and 14th.
The tournament was won by Denmark’s Anders Kristiansen with scores of 72, 70 and 68 for an excellent, six-under-par total of 210.
He won by two shots from Englishman Nick McCarthy (Moortown, Leeds) with scores of 71, 71 and 70, and Sweden’s Jakob Nordstrom (70-71-71).
SCOREBOARD
SKANDIA JUNIOR UNDER-21 OPEN
Boras Golf Club, nr Gothenburg, Sweden.
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
210 A Kristiansen (Nor) 72 70 68.
212 N McCarthy (Moortown) 71 71 70, J Nordstrom (Swe) 70 71 71.
Other totals:
218 J Byrne (Banchory) 76 71 71.
220 D Whitnell (Forrester Park, Essex) 80 70 70.
223 L Kirton (Newmachar) 73 76 74.
230 J White (Lundin) 80 77 73.
227 L Joy (Broadstone) 73 73 81.
237 C Gray (West Kilbride) 75 82 80.

Calling all County Secretaries!
Could you let me or Colin know of your County Team selection so that we can publicise it on this website? Thanks!

ORDER OF PLAY CONFIRMED FOR THE 2006 RYDER CUP AT THE K CLUB
European Captain, Ian Woosnam, has confirmed that the Order of Play for The 2006 Ryder Cup against the United States at The K Club, Straffan, Co. Kildare, Ireland, will follow the same format as the last contest at Oakland Hills Country Club, Michigan, in 2004.
Woosnam has elected to play the two series of four-balls on the mornings of Friday, September 22 and Saturday, September 23 with two series of foursomes each afternoon. The 12 singles ties will complete the 28-point match on Sunday, September 24.
Woosnam has opted for the same format as the one adopted by past captain Seve Ballesteros at Valderrama in Spain in 1997. Sam Torrance, the last captain on European soil at The De Vere Belfry in 2002, started with the four-balls followed by foursomes on Friday, but reversed the order on Saturday.

Saturday 27th May 2006

LYNN KENNY SHARING 35TH PLACE
Lynn Kenny (Brucefields Family Golf Centre) had a third-round 76 for an aggregate of 224 in the French Women's Open championship at Le Golf d'Arras today.
Inverness-based New Zealander Liz McKinnon was also sharing 35th place on 224 after a 75.
Italy's Veronica Zorzi increased her halfway lead to four shots with a repeat 69 for seven-under-par 209.
Laura Davies and Stephanie Arricau (France) are her nearest rivals on 213. Laura had a third-round 68 while Stephanie shot a 70.
LEADING THIRD-ROUND TOTALS
209 Veronica Zorzi (Ita) 71 69 69.
213 Laura Davies (Eng) 72 73 68, Stephanie Arricau (Fra) 73 70 70.
Other scores:
224 Liz McKinnon (NZ) 78 71 75, Lynn Kenny (Brucefields Family Golf Centre) 73 75 76.

TROON TEENAGER TAMES NEWMACHAR ON WAY TO SECOND SGU JUNIOR TOUR WIN
Troon teenager Michael Stewart shot a five-under-par round of 67 over Newmachar Hawkshill course, near Aberdeen today on his way to a second win on the Scottish Golf Union Junior Tour this season.
Stewart, only 16, had six birdies in his brilliant first round which put him five shots clear of the field going into the afternoon round.
Michael had a 74 in the afternoon for a three-under-par tally of 141 – seven shots under the combined CSS - to win by five shots from Chris Robinson (Wigtown) with Ross Kellett (Colville Park) third on 157.
This was the fourth of five 36-hole events that make up the SGU Junior Tour on which participation is by invitation only. Stewart won the second event at North Berwick.
Play was suspended for an hour in the afternoon when torrential rain flooded the greens temporarily.
SGU JUNIOR TOUR - Event No 4
Newmachar Hawkshill Course
LEADING TOTALS (Par 72, CSS 74 74)
141 M Stewart (Troon Welbeck) 67 74.
146 C Robinson (Wigtown & Bladnoch) 72 74.
147 R Kellett (Colville Park) 75 72.
148 G Mitchell (Northern) 72 76.
151 T Higson (Eyemouth) 74 77.
152 M Main (Thornton) 75 77, C Storrier (Downfield) 77 75, N Henderson (The Glen) 74 78, S Fraser (Northern) 77 75, M Bookless (Sandyhills) 78 74, M Williams (Craigielaw) 76 76.
153 S Barras (Helensburgh) 78 75, M Daily (Erskine) 76 77.
154 R Bell (Downfield) 76 78, J Bradley (Paisley) 79 75.
155 S McAllister (Craigielaw) 75 80, S McGarvey (Glencorse) 76 79.
156 K Harper (Carnoustie) 85 75, T Spencer (Inchmarlo) 80 76.
157 A Moir (Thornton) 76 81, Z Saltman (Craigielaw) 80 77, E Brown (Barassie) 79 78.
158 J Meechan (Dullatur) 76 82, K Smith (Barassie) 79 79.
159 K Duncan (McDonald Ellon) 78 81.
160 R Leeds (Muckhart) 77 83, D Fitzpatrick (Greenock) 81 79.
161 A Willemars (Blairgowrie) 79 82, J Neilson (Dunbar) 80 81.
163 S McLaren (King James VI) 83 80.
164 D Morrison (Duff House Royal) 80 84, A Killen (St Andrews) 86 78, K McClung (Wigtownshire) 81 83.
166 J Ferrier (Dumfries & Galloway) 85 81.
171 A Weir (Montrose Mercantile) 89 82.

SALLY IMPROVES TO FIFTH PLACE IN SWEDEN
Scottish girls’ champion Sally Watson from South Queensferry improved to joint fifth position with a second-round 76 for a two-round rally of 154 in the Skandia Junior Girls Open tournament at Kungsbacka Golf Club, near Gothenburg Sweden today (Sat).
Sally, a 14-year-old member of Elie & Earslferry Golf Club, birdied the long 12th but dropped shots at the second, fourth, seventh, 11th and 18th, in halves of 39 and 37. The only British player in the field, she had a 78 in the first round.
Anna Nordqvist, the Swedish girl who won the British girls’ open title last year, is six shots clear of the field of 57 with one round to play. She has had rounds of 75 and 70 for 145.
LEADERBOARD
145 Anna Nordqvist (Swe) 75 70.
151 Linn Gustafsson (Swe) 78 73, Amalie Valle (Nor) 74 77.
152 Sara Monberg (Den) 72 80.
154 Linda Persson (Swe) 80 74, Sally Watson (Sco) 78 76,Therese Nilsson (Swe) 76 78, Sara Wilkstrom (Swe) 75 79.

BYRNE TOP SCOTS BOY IN SWEDEN
James Byrne from Banchory was the best placed of the four Scots in the field of 97 with one round to go in the Skandia Junior Boys’ Open golf tournament at Boras Golf Club, near Gothenburg, Sweden today (Sat).
Byrne has had rounds of 76 and 71 for a three-over-par total of 147 – six shots off the pace.
James had five birdies – at the first, third, seventh, 14th and 18th, in his second round which also included bogeys at the second, fourth, sixth and ninth.
Another North-east teenager, Lewis Kirton from Newmachar, has had scores of 73 and 76 for 149. Lewis had birdies at the ninth, 16th, 17th and 18th in his second round but had double bogeys at the sixth and 10th.
New Scottish boys’ champion James White (Ludin) has had rounds of 80 and 77 for 157. He started his second round with a double bogey 6 but did later birdie the third, fifth, ninth and 10th
Cameron Gray (West Kilbride) has shot 75 and 82 for 157. Cameron had a triple bogey 8 at the 12th in his second round.
Fredrik Qvicker (Sweden) led the field with 71 and 70 for three-under 141.
Nick McCarthy (Moortown, Leeds) was one shot behind after a pair of 71s.
Luke Joy (Broadstone) had a pair of 73s for 146.
Dale Whitnell (Forrester Park, Essex) improved by 10 shots with a 70 for 150.
LEADERBOARD
141 Fredrik Qvicker (Swe) 71 70.
142 Nick McCarthy (Moortown) 71 71.
Other scores:
146 Luke Joy (Broadstone) 73 73.
147 James Byrne (Banchory) 76 71.
149 Lewis Kirton (Newmachar) 73 76.
150 Dale Whitnell (Forrester Park) 80 70.
157 James White (Lundin) 80 77.
157 Cameron Gray (West Kilbride) 75 82.

WELSH CALL OFF STROKE-PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP
The Welsh men's open amateur stroke-play golf championship was cancelled at Southerndown Golf Club today.
The 72-hole tournament was reduced to 54 holes when the course was flooded on Friday It was planned to play one round today with the top 36 advancing to Sunday's final two rounds.
But the weather did not improve overnight and the Welsh Golfing Union finally called off the event, citing "extreme weather conditons" as the reason.
Several leading Scottish players had made the long trip down to Bridgend, South Wales.

Kiran Matharu, 17, wins English championship
Yorkshire teenager Kiran Matharu is the 2006 English Ladies Close Amateur Champion, sweeping away with the title with a 5/4 win over Naomi Edwards in the final at West Lancashire Golf Club.
"This is my first major win and I am so happy," said the 17-year-old international from Cookridge Hall, whose aim now is to win a place in the Curtis Cup team.
Kiran had never before been past the first round of this competition but this year she made no mistakes, comfortably defeating a series of opponents including the holder, Felicity Johnson (Harborne).
In the final, played in windy, overcast conditions, she was three-under par at the end of the match. She was never behind and lost only one hole, the 9th, to reach the turn at 3up.
Kiran went further ahead on the short 12th where she holed a 30-footer for a two and then sealed the title with another - brave - birdie on the long 14th.
"I hit my drive a bit right and had to go over the trees with a five wood. It was bit risky but I went for it anyway, got it on the green and two-putted. Normally I'm quite a safe player - but I wasn't today."
Kiran was determined to win and prepared herself well for the challenge. The green staff were astonished and impressed by the number of questions she asked about the course and the conditions.
She also knew the strength of her opposition. Naomi Edwards, 22, is a fellow Yorkshire player from Ganton and is the English mid-amateur and Welsh open strokeplay champion. "I have played with Naomi quite a lot and I know what she can do.
"I had a good idea of what I need to do and I played really well."
In the past Kiran's strength has been strokeplay and in this event she concentrated on playing the course and achieving sub-par scores. It was a strategy which rewarded her well.
The result was also a pay-off for the hard work she's put in since the Scottish open strokeplay championship earlier this year. "I was awful there," she said frankly "and I've been working hard with my coach since then."
Kiran progressed through the matchplay stages of the tournament by beating Hannah Bews (Broadstone) 3/2; Rachel Jennings (Izaak Walton) 2/1; Clara Leathers (Ellesborough) 3/1; and, in the semi-final, Felicity Johnson (Harborne) 5/4.

England names team for European Lady Juniors' Team Championship.
New English champion Kiran Matharu is a member of the strong England team for next month's European Under 21 Lady Juniors' Team Championship to be held at Ultrechtse De Pann Golf Club, Holland from 11th to 15th July 2006
Captain: Jenny Clink (Lilley Brook)
Jodi Ewart Catterick
Felicity Johnson Harborne
Kiran Matharu Cookridge Hall
Florentyna Parker Royal Birkdale
Melissa Reid Chevin
Anna Scott Consett & District
Reserves (no order)
Joanne Hodge Knowle
Corisande Lee West Lancashire

England names team for the European Girls' Team Championship
Esbjerg Golf Club, Denmark
11th to 15th July 2006
Captain: Lisa Ball (Matfen Hall)
Hannah Barwood Knowle
Rachel Connor Manchester
Eleanor Givens Blackwell Grange
Rachel Jennings Izaak Walton
Reserve: Gemma Hardie Forest Pines

GLENEAGLES DATE FOR JUNIOR MASTERS
The Grand Final of the Scottish Golf USnion Junior Masters tournament will be played of the Queen's Course, Gleneagles Hotel on Sunday, October 8

DUTCH GIRL DEWI WINS NCAA TITLE
20 year old Dewi Schreefel, pictured right, from Deventer in the Netherlands has won the NCAA Women’s Division 1 college championship over the Scarlet course at Ohio State University.
The 5ft 4in sophomore student at Southern California University shot a final round of three-under-par 69 to win the title by two strokes with a two-under-par total of 286.
Dewi – pronounce it DEVI – has been playing in European events since her very early teens. Now all that experience has come together for a great victory.
Only one of the leading five players – runner-up Jennie Lee (Duke) – is an American.
Third-placed Dal Sol Chung (UNLV) comes from Seoul, Korea and joint fourth-placed Sandra Gal and long-time leader Eileen Vargas come from Germany and Colombia respectively.
Another European to do well was Azahara Munoz (Arizona State), the Spaniard who won the British girls’ open championship at Lanark two years ago. Azahara finished joint fifth on 292.
It was not such a happy tournament for the Kent State University, Ohio trio of the Delaney sisters from Carlow and Becky Wood from Glossop.
Becky finished joint 68th with a total of 307 with scores of 77, 79, 77 and 74. She had no birdies in her last round, the best of the four.
Tara tied for 98th place on 315 with scores of 76, 76, 85 and 78. She simply could not keep the really destructive figures off her card. In her final round she had a double bogey a the long fourth and a triple bogey at the short 17th.
Over the 72 holes, Tara had 1 quadruple bogey, one triple bogey and six double bogeys – which is not her style at all.
Sister Karen finished joint 120th on 326 with scores of 85,85, 80 and 80. She had double bogeys at the second and 18th in her final round. Over the four rounds, she had 3 triple bogeys and six double bogeys.
Duke (1167) retained the team title by 10 shots from Southern California with Pepperdine (1887) third. Kent State (1229) finished 21st of 24.
LEADING INDIVIDUALS
286 Dewi Schreefel (Southern California) 73 74 70 69.
288 Jennie Lee (Duke) 76 72 70 72.
291 Sandra Gal (Florida) 74 72 71 74, Eileen Vargas (Pepperdine) 68 71 75 77.

2006 Troon Junior Golf Open for the Tom Lehman Trophies
2006 will mark the ninth anniversary of this hugely successful, and reputedly World’s largest, one-day junior golf tournament. The quality of the Troon Junior Open, in golfing terms, has developed to such an extent that in recent years the boys’ scratch competition over Darley Golf Course has required balloting for handicaps of twelve and under. The two silver replica claret jugs are presented to the best boy’s and girl’s gross score.
The 2006 Troon Junior Golf Open will be held on Tuesday 1st August and will, as in previous years, consist five separate handicap competitions, each open to boys and girls from eight to eighteen years of age.
New for 2006 – South Ayrshire Junior Golf Pre-handicap Open
Monday 31st July 2006 will herald a brand new junior golf event. The South Ayrshire Junior Golf Pre-handicap Open has been introduced for all boys and girls aged between eight and eighteen years of age who have not yet achieved an official golf handicap. The aim is to introduce young golfers to ‘open’ competitions at an early stage and it is hoped that those who play in 2006 will have obtained a handicap and will be able to play in the Troon Junior Open next year.
The competition will be played from specially installed forward junior tees on Troon Fullarton Golf Course with boys and girls playing from the same tees. The emphasis of this competition is on participation and as such a goody bag will be given to each competitor rather than having a prize list that only rewards those who score well.
A trophy will be presented to the lowest score in each age category. The categories will be displayed on the draw sheet.
Do not miss out on the opportunity to play in either of these events. Places are limited
Click here for further information and an entry form.

ST RULE TROPHY ATTRACTS STONG ENTRY
The St Rule Trophy has attracted its strongest entry for many years, reflected in the number of countries represented and in the handicap cut-off at 2.7.
With over 100 players entered for 72 places in the 54-hole stroke play tournament over the Old Course and New Course, St Andrews on 3 and 4 June, its position as one of the top events in the British Isles has been underlined.
The defending champion, Ganton’s Naomi Edwards, is one of 21 English players hoping to take the trophy south of the border for only the third time in ten years and she will be assisted in that quest by a squad of talented players who include youngsters Kiran Matharu and Henrietta Brockway, Sophie Walker and Rachael Bell.
Martine Pow, the winner last week at Dunbar of the Scottish title, heads a strong Scottish entry that includes three-times Scottish champion Anne Laing and 2005 title holder Fiona Lockhart who last year prevented Laing winning a third successive national title. Also from Scotland are 2000 champion Louise Kenny and last year’s winner of the Ladies’ British Stroke Play title, Heather MacRae from Dunblane.
Irish players expected to challenge for the Trophy include 2005 runner-up in the British Amateur at Littleston, Claire Coughlan, 2005 Irish Champion Tricia Mangan, Alison Coffey and Martina Gillen.
The overseas entry is particularly strong with eight of the German national team competing, five players from Australia and players from the United States, Norway and a Swedish entry that includes 2005 British Girls Champion Anna Nordqvist.
All of the 72 competitors will play 18 holes over the New Course on Saturday 3 June and a further 36 holes over the Old Course on Sunday 4 June.

R&A Press Release
R&A PUBLISHES 2005 ANNUAL REVIEW
The R&A, golf’s world rules and development body and organiser of The Open Championship, has published its 2005 Annual Review covering rules, championships, development, course management and heritage activities. The review also reports an increased operating profit for the second year of operations in a corporate structure.
Commercial success is inextricably linked to the performance of The Open Championship and with television and other major commercial rights fully taken up, and near record attendances at the event in St Andrews, operating profit advanced to £9.1m (£5.25m) in the year to 31 December 2005.
Ensuring that The R&A’s worldwide governance role can be guaranteed into the future, the organisation again added to its reserves.
Commenting on the financial outcome R&A Chief Executive Peter Dawson said:
“Revenue is traditionally strongest when The Open is staged at the home of golf in St Andrews and 2005 was no exception, with even more spectators turning out to see Jack Nicklaus play his last championship round”.
“Our stated ambition, to deliver more than £50m of grant aid and other benefits to the game by the end of the decade, from the new ownership structures put in place in 2004, remains on track”, added Dawson.
In the year, R&A development grants to the game totalled £3.7m (£3.6m), and a further £3.5m (£3.3m) was provided to support governance activities and other championship events, including the Amateur, the Walker Cup and the Senior British Open.
Highlights of 2005 included:
- An independent study commissioned by The R&A found The Open at St Andrews to be worth £72m to the Scottish economy
- A new host broadcaster television rights agreement for coverage of The Open Championship was agreed through to 2011 with the BBC
- Open Championship broadcast distribution reached record totals for level of coverage (1,700 hours), the number of broadcasters transmitting coverage (47), and the number of territories reached worldwide (194)
- Lexus joined MMC, Nikon, Rolex, Royal Bank of Scotland and Unisys as a Patron of The Open Championship
- R&A funding support for the China-Scotland Golf Partnership passed £1m in the year
- The Gabonaise and Serbia and Montenegro Golf Associations affiliated to The R&A
- Work started on a new R&A Equipment Test Centre on the St Andrews Links
- Student athlete support from The R&A reached £250,000 in the year
- The R&A took Rules of Golf Schools to: China, Italy, Korea, Singapore, South Africa and Switzerland and ran a tournament organisation seminar in Beijing
- The R&A Best Practice Website on sustainable course management was made available in 5 languages and over 1,600 courses from 93 countries were registered at the year end
- The R&A funded PGA coaching visits to14 countries: Bahamas, Barbados, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Guatemala, India, Iran, Peru, Sri Lanka, Uruguay and Venezuela
- The British Golf Museum, substantially funded by The R&A Foundation, attracted over 63,000 visitors following major front of house and retail redevelopment
During the year The R&A’s founding club, The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews again gifted listed investments to The R&A Foundation, raising net assets at the charity to £11.4m (£6.4m) at the year end.

R&A Press Release
THE JACQUES LEGLISE TROPHY
The Jacques Leglise Trophy match between boys of Great Britain & Ireland and the Continent of Europe will be played at Marianske Lazne Golf Club on 1 & 2 September.
The team will be picked after the Boys Championship at Royal Aberdeen and prior to that, R&A selectors will be in attendance at major events both here and abroad.
Jeff Toye, Chairman of the Boys Selection Committee said, “We have a talented group of youngsters coming through the system and with players now maturing so quickly, it is essential that the selectors attend as many events as possible.
“Although we have several names ‘pencilled in’ for possible selection, there are many players out there who, with good performances between now and August have every chance of making the team.”
In recent years the annual match has been evenly balanced with the Continent winning last year at Royal Porthcawl by 14-10.
R&A Selectors will be in attendance at:
Scottish Boys (West Kilbride) - Already Played
Peter McEvoy Trophy (Copt Heath) - Already Played
European Boys Team Championship - Malmo, Sweden, July 11 - 15
English Boys Strokeplay Championship (Carris Trophy) - Sherwood Forest, July 25 - 27
Scottish Boys Strokeplay Championship - Alloa, July 25 - 27
Welsh Boys Championship - Pennard, July 25 - 27
Boys Home Internationals - Moray, 8 - 10 August
Boys Championship - Royal Aberdeen, 14 - 19 August
The R&A Boys’ Selection Committee is: Roy Case, Richard Cusack, Mark Heames, Jim Miller and Jeff Toye.

Friday 26th May 2006

SALLY WATSON BEST-PLACED SCOT
Scottish Under-18 match-play girls champion Sally Watson was the best-placed Scot with a share of 13th place in a field of 57 players for the girls’ competition when the 54-hole Skandia Junior Open began at Boras Golf Club, near Gothenburg, Sweden.
Sally shot a 78 (39-39). Two-shot leader was Sara Monberg (Denmark) with a 72. British girls’ open champion Anna Nordqvist (Sweden) was joint third on 75.
In the boys' section, Lewis Kirton (Newmachar) was joint 18th with a 73 (35-38), the same score as Luke Joy from Broadstone.
Cameron Gray (West Kilbride) had a poor inward half of 41 after very good play in an outward 34. His 75 put him in joint 31st place.
J ames Byrne from Banchory, had a 76 (39-37) to be joint 46th in a field of 97 boys.
New Scottish boys champion James White (Lundin) had a disappointing 80 after halves of 37 and 43. He is in joint 72nd place alongwith Dale Whitenll (Forrester Park) (44-36).
Christoffer Palfi (Sweden) had a two-shot lead with a 68.
LEADING SCORES
GIRLS
72 Sara Monberg (Den).
74 Rachel Raastad (Nor), Johanna Rodert (Swe).
75 Sara Wikstrom (Swe), Anna Nordqvist (Swe), Anna Wall (Swe).
Also:
78 Sally Watson (Sco).
BOYS
68 Christoffer Palfi (Swe).
70 Jakob Nordstrom (Swe), Mikael J Moberg (Swe), Knut Borsheim (Nor), Niklaez Rasmussen (Den).
Also:
71 Nick McCarthy (Moortown).
73 Lewis Kirton (Newmacdhar), Luke Joy (Broadstone).
75 Cameron Gray (West Kilbride).
76 James Byrne (Banchory).
80 James White (Lundin), Dale Whitnell (Forrester Park).

RECORD ENTRY FOR BRITISH WOMEN'S AMATEUR
A record number of entries for next month's British women's open amateur championship has resulted in the cut falling at 2.2 of a handicap.
All entries with 2.2 or less of a handicap are certain starters in the field.
Among those on the waiting list is Dawn Dewar (Monifieth & Stirling University) in 13th place.
The top players worldwide will converge on The Royal County Down Golf Club, Newcastle in Northern Ireland for the championship, to be played from June 13 to 17.
The prestigious British title carries with it a full exemption for the winner to the Weetabix Women's British Open.
Louise Stahle from Sweden, title-winner in 2004 and 2005, will not be defending the title. She is now a tour professional.

LYNN SURVIVES BUT CLARE, JULIE MISS CUT
Lynn Kenny beat the cut in the French Women's Open but Clare Queen and Julie Forbes are on the sidelines at Le Golf d'Arras.
Lynn, representing Brucefields Family Golf Centre, had rounds of 73 and 75 for four-over-par 148. Players with 152 and better qualified.
Clare had 76 and and 80 (double bogeys at the seventh and 12th) for 156 while Julie scored 80 and 77 for 157.
Italy's Veronicaa Zorzi leads on four-under 140 (71-69) - three shots ahead of England's Kirsty Taylor (71-72) and Stephanie Arricau (France) (73-70).

FIFE WOMEN'S GOLF TEAM FOR DUNBAR
Fife women's county golf team to play East Lothian, Midlothian and Stirling & Clackmannan in the East Division women's inter-county team championship at Dunbar Golf Club from June 26 to 28 is:
Lorna Bennett (Ladybank), Krystle Caithness (St Regulus), Jocelyn Carthew (Ladybank), Becky Copland (Scotscraig), Louise Kenney (Pitreavie), Fiona Lockhart (St Regulus), Elaine Moffat (St Regulus), Katrina Milne (Dunfermline).
The four divisional winners qualify for the Scottish women's county finals at The Hirsel Golf Club, Coldstream from September 22 to 24.

CLARINS LEINSTER LADIES CHAMPIONSHIP
Defending champion and Irish international Maria Dunne (Skerries) has safely made it through to the semi-finals of the CLARINS Leinster women's amateur golf championship at Grange Golf Club.
Dunne will face strongly fancied Curtis Cup hopeful Martina Gillen (Beaverstown) in the first semi-final.
Martina beat Sinead Keane (Curragh) and Anne McCormack (Roscommon) on the 19th earlier today.
Dunne was pushed all the way to the 17th green by local favourite and recently crowned Irish senior champion Therese O'Reilly while O'Reilly herself had disposed of clubmate Sheena O'Brien Kenney on the home green in the morning.
Play continues at Grange Golf Club at 9am on Saturday morning with the final due to tee off at lunchtime.
FRIDAY'S RESULTS:
FIRST ROUND
Martina Gillen (Beaverstown) beat Anne McCormack (Roscommon) at 19th
Sinead Keane (Curragh) beat Ann Geoghegan (Atrhlone 3 and 2.
Maria Dunne (Skerries) beat Miriam Abernethy (Cork) 4 and 3.
Therese O’Reilly (Grange) beat Sheena O’Brien Kenney (Grange) 1 hole.
Maura Morrin (Curragh) w/o Sinead O’Sullivan (Galway) scr.
Vicki Power (Brampton Park) beat Deirdre Walsh (Milltown) 4 and 3.
Dawn Marie Conaty (Ashbourne) beat Sue Phillips (Woodbrook) 3 and 2.
Jennifer Gannon (Co. Louth) beat Gillian O’Leary (Cork) 4 and 2.
SECOND ROUND
Gillen beat Keane 4 and 3.
Dunne beat O’Reilly 2 and 1.
Morrin beat Power 5 and 3.
Gannon beat Conaty 5 and 4.
CLARINS LEINSTER JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP FIRST ROUND
Sheila Richardson (Kilcoole) beat Anne Barry (Glen of the Downs) 5 and 4.
Triona McAllister (Grange) beat Mary Inglis (Foxrock) 2 holes.
Audrey Kavanagh (Grange) beat Ciara Bourke (Foxrock) 1 hole.
Sandra McCaffrey (Lucan) beat Marie Sudway (Carton House) 6 and 5.
Anne Hayden (Foxrock) beat Deirdre Malone (Beech Park) 6 and 5.
Angie O'Briain (Glen of the Downs) beat Patricia Collins (Lucan) 3 and 2.
Sandra Smyth (Grange) beat Paula Murray (Naas) 3 and 2.
Oralith Keogh (St. Anne's) beat Genevieve McKenna (Grange) 2 holes.
SECOND ROUND
Richardson beat McAllister 3 and 2.
McCaffrey beat Kavanagh 5 and 4.
O'Briain beat Hayden 1 hole.
Smyth beat Keogh 4 and 3.

KIRAN (17) PLAYS NAOMI FOR ENGLISH TITLE
Internationals Kiran Matharu and Naomi Edwards will battle it out in an all-Yorkshire final of the English women's close amateur championship at West Lancashire Golf Club on Saturday.
Kiran, 17, beat defending champion Felicity Johnson (Harborne) by 5 and 4 to claim her place in the final. This is the first time the Cookridge Hall player has got past the first round of this event and she's determined to make the most of her chance.
"I'm really hoping and wanting to win this," said Kiran, who was two-under-par when she closed out 19-year-old Felicity with a birdie on the long 14th. Miss Matharu dominated the semi-final, winning the first hole and reaching the turn at 3 up.
"This is the best I've played in the championship so far," added Kiran, who has been working hard with coach Peter Tupling on swing changes and short game technique. "It's all paying off," added the teenager.
Naomi Edwards, the reigning English mid-amateur champion, Welsh open stroke-play champion and last year's St Rule Trophy winner, claimed her place in the final when she beat Danielle Montgomery (Lambourne) 4 and 2.
The Ganton player was never behind in the semi-final but she said: "It was tough out there in the strong winds and it was an up and down match. I was really pleased to win."
This will be Naomi's second final. She was runner-up in the 2003 English championship at Aldeburgh. "I shall give it a shot and see how it goes," she said.
Kiran is the No 4 seed whilte Naomi qualified in 18th place.
Friday's results:
QUARTER-FINALS
F Johnson beat E Duggleby 2 holes.
Kiran Matharu beat Clara Leathers 3 and 1.
Danielle Montgomery beat Corisande Lee 2 and 1.
Naomi Edwards beat Rachel Bell 3 and 1.
SEMI-FINALS
Matharu beat Johnson 5 and 4.
Edwards beat Montgomery 4 and 2.

WELSH OPEN STROKE-PLAY HIT BY WEATHER
Friday's bad weather is nationwide. No play was possible today in the Welsh men's open amateur stroke-play championship at Southerdown Golf Club. The championship has been reduced from 72 to 54 holes with the cut being made after one round. Only the leading 36 players and ties will contest the final two rounds.

LOCHWINNOCH PRO-AM ABANDONED
The Lochwinnoch Golf Club pro-am was abandoned today when the greens began to flood after incessant rain. The last group were on the third green when conditions became impossible. It is hoped to rearrange the pro-am for later in the season.

PAUL LAWRIE SCHOOLS TEAM CHALLENGE
The Paul Lawrie Schools Team Challenge at Peterculter Golf Club, near Aberdeen on Monday, September 4 is open to all schools in Scotland. Each school can enter a team of three (boys and/or girls) for the 18-hole event in which the Paul Lawrie Trophy goes to the school team (all three scores to count) with the lowest gross aggregate.
The A T Personnel Trophy goes to the school team with the lowest net aggregate.
Tournament organiser is Derek Johnstone of Torry Academy, Aberdeen. Deadline for entries is June 30 and the entry fee, payable by the school, is £21 per team (cheques made payable to Torry Academy).
It is hoped that Paul Lawrie will be available to make the presentations and meet the competitors.
ends

JOHNSON v MATHARU, MONTGOMERY v EDWARDS IN ENGLISH WOMEN'S AMATEUR SEMI-FINALS
Felicity Johnson (Harborne) has found her form just in time to defend the English women's close amateur championship at West Lancashire Golf Club this week.
This morning, the Birmingham player beat Emma Duggleby (Malton & Norton), one of the leading English players over more than a decade, in the first quarter-final. Felicity won by two holes.
Miss Johnson will now play teenager Kiran Matharu (Cookridge) for a place in the final. Kiran won by 3 and 1 against Clara Leathers in the second quarter-final.
The other semi-final will feature another teenager, Danielle Montgomery, who has arrived from Australia this year, against Naomi Edwards.
Danielle bt Corisande Lee 2 and 1 while Naomi beat Rachel Bell 3 and 1.
So the semi-finals line-up is:
Johnson v Matharu.
Montgomery v Edwards.

US College golf - NCAA Championships
TARA RUNS UP A 9 IN NIGHTMARE 85
Tara Delaney had one of her worst rounds since she went to Kent State University, Ohio on the third day of the NCAA Division 1 women's college championship over the Ohio State University Scarlet course at Columbus.
The Irish international player shot a 13-over-par 85 to be in joint 102nd place on 21-over-par 237 with one round to go.
Tara started at the 10th and ran up double bogeys at the 11th and 17th - but much worse was to come. She had a quadruple bogey 9 at the long fourth and that seemed to dispirit her. Tara then bogeyed the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth for an "inward" half of 45. Her only bogey had come at the 14th.
Team-mate Becky Wood from Glossop had a 77 for 233 and a share of 77th place while Karen Delaney returned and 80 for 246 and joint 122nd place.
Duke have taken over the team leadership from Southern California.
LEADING INDIVIDUALS
214 Eileen Vargas (Pepperdine) 68 71 75.
217 Sandra Gal (Florida) 74 72 71, Jennie Lee (Duke) 73 72 72, Dewi Schreefel (Southern California) 73 74 70, Jennifer Tangtiphaiboontana (Stanford) 74 71 72.
Also:
223 Azahara Munoz (Arizona State) 73 74 76 (jt 23rd).
233 Becky Wood (Kent State) 77 79 77 (jt 77th).
237 Tara Delaney (Kent State) 76 76 85 (jt 102nd).
246 Karen Delaney (Kent State) 83 83 80 (jt 122nd).
LEADING TEAMS
876 Duke.
889 Southern California.
894 Pepperdine.
Also:
923 Kent State (21st of 24).

Thursday 25th May 2006

STEPHEN ELLIS WINS SCOTTISH SENIORS' TITLE
Stephen Ellis, a 59-year-old from Yorkshire who now lives in Cowal , won the Scottish seniors' open amateur stroke-play championship on a final day of fluctuating fortunes at Ranfurly Castle.
American John Baldwin posted the clubhouse target of 225 early in the afternoon after a third-round 69, the lowest score of the tournament.
Only one of the later finishers was able to beat Baldwin's score – Ellis, a Scotland senior international team member, who finished with a 75 for 224.
Defending champion Gordon MacDonald (Callander) posted a final score of 75 to be one of four players who matched John Baldwin's aggregate of 225. The American was officially placed second because he had the lowest last round.
Overnight leader Jim Watt (Edzell) finished a creditable seventh with a 79 for 227.
LEADING FINAL TOTALS AT RANFURLY CASTLE
CSS 74-74-72
224 S Ellis (Cowal) 73 74 75.
225 J Baldwin (US) 77 79 69, G MacBryde (Newcastle-under-Lyme) 74 80 71, B Grieve (King James VI) 72 81 72, G MacDonald (Callander) 73 77 75, D Lane (Goring & Streatley) 73 76 76.
227 J Watt (Edzell) 73 75 79.
228 J Johnston (Royal Aberdeen) 76 79 73, I C Hutcheon (Monifieth) 74 80 74
229 C Christy (Kilmacolm) 74 79 76.
230 B Edgar (Blackpool North) 79 77 74, O Browne (The Richmond) 74 80 76.
231 Donald McCart (Castlerock) 77 79 75, N Swenson(US) 76 78 77, D Miller (Murrayfield) 78 77 76.
232 J Kinloch (Cardross) 76 80 76, B Humble (Kilspindie) 75 81 76.
233 R Walker (Crewe) 74 82 77, S MacDonald (Dunfermline) 76 80 77, G Payne (Prestbury) 76 79 80.

English women's amateur championship
TOP SEEDS GO OUT: IT'S EMMA DUGGLEBY v FELICITY JOHNSON IN LAST EIGHT
Defending champion Felicity Johnson will take on twice title-winner Emma Duggleby in the quarter finals of the English Ladies' Close Amateur Championship at West Lancashire Golf Club on Friday.
Emma (Malton & Norton) eased comfortably through her first two matches. In the first round she beat international Jodi Ewart (Catterick) 4 and 3 before going on to knock out the top seed, Kerry Smith (Waterlooville), by the same margin.
"That's the best I have played in the championship so far and I really enjoyed the course," she said. "Now, bring on the next round!"
Meanwhile Felicity, (Harborne) 19, beat two teenage stars to prove that she has found her form after struggling in the qualifying stages.
In the first round she ground out the pars to beat English girls' and Helen Holm Scottish open stroke-play champion Melissa Reid (Chevin), 18, by 2 and 1. Then, with growing confidence, Felicity beat 16-year-old girl international Florentyna Parker (Royal Birkdale) 4 and 3.
Corisande Lee continued to fly the flag for West Lancashire, where she is a member. She reached the quarter-finals with a good second-round win over girl international Joanne Hodge (Knowle).
Her next match is against 17-year-old Danielle Montgomery (Lambourne) who is making impressive progress through her first championship after recently moving to England from Australia.
The upset of the tournament was provided in the first round by Jenny Pease (Braintree), the 31st qualifier, who knocked out the No 2 seed and last year's runner-up, Sophie Walker (Kenwick Park).
Jenny won her place in the match-play only after taking part in a six-way play-off and she held her nerve again through a tight match with Sophie, eventually holing a birdie putt on the 18th to win by one hole.
However, her run was ended by English mid-amateur champion Naomi Edwards (Ganton) who won their second round encounter 5 and 4..
ALL THURSDAY'S RESULTS
:FIRST ROUND
K Smith bt S-J Eaves 2 holes.
E Duggleby bt J Ewart 4 and 3.
F Johnson bt M Reid 2 and 1.
F Parker bt L Ball 4 and 3.
L Jones bt E Lyons 1 hole.
C Leathers bt C Aitken 1 hole.
R Jennings bt L Eastwood 4 and 2.
K Matharu bt H Bews 3 and 2.
D Montgomery bt S Tyson 3 and 2.
C Warrington bt F Sanderson 1 hole.
J Hodge bt J Ross 5 and 4.
C Lee bt H Fitzgerald 3 and 1.
E Sheffield bt E Bennett 5 and 4.
R Bell bt T Boyes 2 and 1.
N Edwards bt C Gray 3 and 1.
J Pease bt S Walker 1 hole.
SECOND ROUND
Duggleby bt Smith 4 and 3.
Johnson bt Parker 4 and 3.
Leathers bt Jones 6 and 5.
Matharu bt Jennings 2 and 1.
Montgomery bt Warrington 1 hole.
Lee bt Hodge 3 and 2.
Bell bt Sheffield 6 and 5.
Edwards bt Pearce 5 and 4.
QUARTER-FINAL LINE-UP
Duggleby v Johnson
Leathers v Matharu.
Montgomery v Lee
Bell v Edwards

AMERICAN SHOOTS 69 TO POST SENIORS' TARGET
American John Baldwin posted the clubhouse target of 225 after returning the lowest score so far of the 54-hole tournament - a three-under-par 69 in the Scottish senior men's open stroke-play championship at Ranfurly Castle today.

ENGLISH WOMEN'S AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
SOPHIE WALKER'S SHOCK DEFEAT IN ROUND 1
West Lancashire Golf Club
FIRST ROUND
K Smith bt S-J Eaves 2 holes.
E Duggleby bt J Ewart 4 and 3.
F Johnson bt M Reid 2 and 1.
F Parker bt L Ball 4 and 3.
L Jones bt E Lyons 1 hole.
C Leathers bt C Aitken 1 hole.
R Jennings bt L Eastwood 4 and 2.
K Matharu bt H Bews 3 and 2.
D Montgomery bt S Tyson 3 and 2.
C Warrington bt F Sanderson 1 hole.
J Hodge bt J Ross 5 and 4.
C Lee bt H Fitzgerald 3 and 1.
E Sheffield bt E Bennett 5 and 4.
R Bell bt T Boyes 2 and 1.
N Edwards bt C Gray 3 and 1.
J Pease bt S Walker 1 hole.

ABERDEENSHIRE TEAM FOR CRIEFF
Aberdeenshire women’s golf team to compete against Angus, Northern Counties and Perth & Kinross in the Northern Division inter-county team championship at Crieff Golf Club from June 24 to 26 is:
Jill Harrison (Cruden Bay), Laura McLardy (Murcar Links), Laura Murray (Alford), Donna Pocock (Murcar Links), Katie Thomson (Kintore), Michele Thomson (McDonald Ellon), Carol Wilson (Murcar Links), Sheena Wood (Aberdeen Ladies).
Reserves: 1 Kim Moggach (Hazlehead), 2 Lynne Terry (Cruden Bay), 3 Sjavon Wilson (Murcar Links).
Linda Urquhart (Banchory) has retired from county golf after being a member of the Aberdeenshire team for 21 consecutive years.
“Linda’s contribution and wisdom will be greatly missed,” said Aberdeenshire county captain Ros Dunsmuir (Cruden Bay).
Julie Henderson (Inverurie), last year’s county champion and beaten finalist this year, declined selection along with Fiona Hay (Deeside) due to personal commitments.

CHRISTINE STIRLING DEFENDS TITLE
Hampshire's Christine Stirling will defend her title when the Senior English Ladies' close amateur stroke-play championship is played at Hillside Golf Club on June 6 and 7..
The two-handicapper from Meon Valley is among 99 players who have entered the 36-hole championship.
They include the new English seniors' champion, Christine Watson (Beaconsfield), who will be aiming to complete a double with a win in this event.
The field ranges in handicap from the scratch golfer and former champion, Carole Caldwell (Sunningdale) to players off 13.
The field will compete over the par-75 ladies' course at Hillside, which measures 5,919yd and they will play one round on each day of the championship. Competitors will be divided into two divisions: plus to six handicap and seven and over.
This is the first time ELGA has run this championship following the merger with the English Senior Ladies' Golf Association at the end of last year.
As a result, ELGA now runs an extended tournament schedule for senior ladies. These events are open to all its members aged over 50.

ANOTHER 76 BY TARA DELANEY
Ireland’s Tara Delaney dropped to joint 49th at the halfway stage with a second round of four-over-par 76 for a tally of 152 in the NCAA Division 1 women’s college championship at Ohio State University, Columbus.
Tara started her second round with a double bogey 6 and finished it with a double bogey 6.
She did birdied the ninth, 11th and 14th but three double bogeys over 36 holes have been costly at the highest level in women’s college golf over a course measuring 6,203yd with a par of 72.
Kent State University, Ohio team-mate Becky Wood from Glossop had no birdies in here second-round 79 for 156 and a share of 88th place.
Tara’s sister Karen Delaney had an 81 for 166 to be sharing 123rd place in a field of 126. She had a triple bogey 7 at the 16th but did birdie the fifth and seventh.
Leading the field with 36 holes to go is Eileen Vargas (Pepperdine) on 139, four strokes clear of Jennifer Osborn (Arizona State).
Arizona State (586) lead the team event by three shots from Duke. Kent State (619) are 23rd in a field of 24.
LEADING INDIVIDUALS
139 Eileen Vargas (Pepperdine) 68 71.
143 Jennifer Osborn (Arizona State) 70 73.
Also:
147 Azahara Munoz (Arizona State) 73 74, Dewi Schreefel (Southern California) 73 74 (jt 10th).
152 Tara Delaney (Kent State) 76 76 (jt 49th).
156 Becky Wood (Kent State) 77 79 (jt 88th).
166 Karen Delaney (Kent State) 85 81 (jt 123rd).
LEADING TEAMS
586 Arizona State.
589 Duke.
591 Southern California.
Also:
619 Kent State (23rd of 24).

Wednesday 24th May 2006

ELGA Press Release
Kerry Smith and Sophie Walker lead qualifiers in English championship
Internationals Kerry Smith, pictured right, and Sophie Walker shared top billing at the end of the strokeplay qualifying rounds in the English Ladies' Close Amateur Championship at West Lancashire Golf Club.
Both players returned 36-hole totals of 153 but Kerry - who won this title in 2004 - is top seed for the matchplay by virtue of her better second round.
The Waterlooville player added a two-over par 76 to her opening 77 - and was disappointed not to do better. She reached the turn at one-under par but was tricked by the strong winds on the way home, dropping three shots on the last four holes.
Now she plays Sarah-Janes Eaves (Cosby) who had to battle to the 9th extra hole in a marathon play-off, which finished after 9pm, to claim the final place in the knockout stages.
Sophie, (Kenwick Park) who is ELGA's order of merit titleholder, also dropped shots on the inward half as she battled the 30 mph winds to return 79. She will play Jenny Pease (Braintree) in the first round of matchplay. Jenny also won her place in the play-off, in her case on the third extra hole.
Four shots behind in third place is Danielle Montgomery of Lambourne, Buckinghamshire, who has recently moved from Australia to England to play the amateur golf circuit.
She's one shot clear of 17-year-old international Kiran Matharu (Cookridge Hall) and local heroine Corisande Lee, who is a member of the host club.
Defending champion Felicity Johnson (Harborne) repaired the damage of her first day's 86 - which included an 11 - with an 81. It helped her to climb the leaderboard safely into the 32 qualifying places, and now she meets Melissa Reid (Chevin) the English girls' and Scottish open strokeplay champion.
Six players who all finished on 170 took part in the play-off for the final two places in the matchplay stages. The unsuccessful competitors were Georgina Dunn (Peterborough Milton) who went out on the first extra hole, Gemma Hardie (Forest Pines) on the second extra hole, Hannah Moul (Chelmsford) on the third extra hole and Rachael Goodall (Wirral Ladies) on the 9th extra hole.
ENGLISH WOMEN’S CLOSED CHAMPIONSHIP
West Lancashire Golf Club, Liverpool
QUALIFIERS FOR MATCH-PLAY
153 K Smith (Waterloville) 77 76, S Walker (Kenwick Park) 74 79.
157 D Montgomery (Lambourne) 80 77.
158 K Matharu (Cookridge Hall) 82 76, E Lyons (West Surrey) 81 77, C Lee (West Lancs) 80 78.
159 E Bennett (Brokenhurst Manor) 81 78.
160 F Parker (Royal Birkdale) 82 78, M Reid (Chevin) 83 78, T Boyes (Meon Valley) 82 79.
162 J Ross (Whitley Bay) 83 798, C Leathers (Ellesborough) 82 80, L Eastwood (*Yelverton) 80 82.
163 C Warrington (Sickleholme 83 80, C Gay (Rothley Park) 82 81, J Edward (Catterick) 81 82, E Duggleby (Malton & Norton) 80 83, N Edwards (Ganton) 79 84.
164 F Sanderson (Heworth) 82 82.
165 R Jennings (Izaak Walton) 85 80, C Aitken (Mid-Kent) 80 85.
166 J Hodge (Knowle) 83 83, R Bell (Ganton) 83 83.
167 F Johnson (Harborne) 86 81, L Ball (Matfen Hall) 79 88.
168 E Sheffield (Newark) 86 82, H Fitzgerald (Links) 84 84.
169 L Jones (Royal Liverpool) 86 83, H Bews (Broadstone) 86 83, S Tyson (Redlibbets) 84 85.
170 S-J Eaves (Cosby) 89 81, H Moul (Chelmsford) 86 84.
(Four players on 170 were eliminated in a nine-hole play-off: J Pease (Braintree) 86 84, G Dunn (Peterborough) 84 86, G Hardie (Forest Pines) 80 90, R Goodall (Gog Magog) 76 94).
MATCH-PLAY DRAW
K Smith v S-J Eaves.
E Duggleby v J Ewart.
M Reid v F Johnson.
L Ball v F Parker.
E Lyons v L Jones.
C Aitken v C Leathers.
L Eastwood v R Jennings.
H Bews v K Matharu.
D Montgomery v S Tyson.
F Sanderson v C Warrington.
J Ross v J Hodge
H Fitzgerald v C Lee
E Bennett v E Sheffield
R Bell v T Boyes
C Gray v N Edwards
J Pease v S Walker.

Calling all West of Scotland Old Girls!
Are you remembering it's the 50th anniversary of West of Scotland Girls to be held at Ladies Golf Club, Troon, on 9th August?
Entries close on 9th June so get your entry in now!
Entries to chairman Marjorie Seymour , 5 Thorn Drive, Burnside, Rutherglen G73 4RH , Tel 0141 570 3925
Entry cost £15 includes buffet lunch - entry open to all current, former West Girls and committee members
The format is tri am stableford - emphasis on fun - non counting!
Come along and see old friends and meet new ones....

JIM WATT LEADS AFTER TWO ROUNDS OF SCOTTISH SENIORS CHAMPIONSHIP
Edzell's Jim Watt is the surprise leader after 36 holes of the Scottish senior men's amateur stroke-play championship at Ranfurly Castle.
Perhaps not so much a surprise because Watt is an experienced county player for Angus and he played well as an amateur in last year's British Seniors Open at Royal Aberdeen.
Jim has had rounds of 73 and 75 for a tally of 148 and a one-stroke lead with 18 holes to go.
Englishman David Lane (Goring & Streatley), winner of the title in 2001 and 2002, is sharing second place with Stephen Ellis (Cowal) on 149.
Defending champion Gordon MacDonald slipped from an opening 73 to a 77 but is by no means out of the hunt on the 150 mark.
Overnight leader Brian Grive from Perth slipped even further ... from 72 to an 81 for 153.
LEADING 36-HOLE TOTALS
148 Jim Watt (Edzell) 73 75.
149 Stephen Ellis (Cowal) 75 74, David Lane (Goring & Streatley) 73 76.
150 Gordon MacDonald (Callander) 73 77.
153 Jonathan Marks (Woodbridge) 76 77, Colin Christy (Kilmacolm) 74 79, Brian Grieve (King James VI) 72 81.
154 Ian Hutcheon (Monifieth) 74 80, Glen MacBryde (Newcastle-under-Lyme) 74 80.
155 Lindsay Gordon (Turnhouse) 73 82, Derek Miller (Murrayfield) 78 77, George Payne (Prestbury) 76 78, Howard Moxon (Royoal Cinque Ports) 76 79, John Johnston (Royal Aberdeen) 76 79

East Lothian Team announced
The East Lothian Team for the County Matches at Dunbar 26-28 June is as follows:
Kelly Brotherton, Emma Fairnie (Dunbar), Lynne Fortune (Kilspindie), Sharon McMaster (Gullane Ladies), Line Mortensen (Gullane Ladies), Fiona Prior (Gullane Ladies), Jayne Smith (Gullane Ladies), Moira Thomson (North Berwick)

ENTRY DEADLINE FOR BRITISH MID-AMATEUR AT NAIRN
June 19 is the deadline for entries to the British women's mid-amateur stroke-play golf championship, to be hosted by Nairn Golf Club from July 7 to 9.
Entry fee is £30 and you can enter through the Ladies Golf Union website (www.lgu.org).
Sara Bishop (Windyhill) was runner-up at Walton Heath last year and Anne Laing was the winner of the inaugural tournament at The Berkshire in 2002.
Competitors have to be over 25 years of age on January 1, 2006.

DUNBAR STAGES WOMEN'S HOME INTERNATIONALS
Dunbar Golf Club, 150 years old this year, will host another major women's amateur golf tournament in 2007 - the women's home internationals from September 12 to 14.

US College Golf
TARA 76 AFTER LATE DOUBLE BOGEY IN NCAA DIVISION 1 WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP
Ireland’s Tara Delaney, pictured right, had a hat-trick of birdies and a double bogey on her way to a round of four-over-par 76 on the opening day of the NCAA Division 1 women’s championship over the Scarlet course at Ohio State University, Columbus.
Tara, a student at Kent State University, Ohio, started at the 10th with a bogey and also bogeyed the 11th, 17th, second and third before she birdied the fourth, fifth and sixth. She then gave back two shots to par with a double-bogey 6 at the seventh.
She will start the second round in a share of 46th place.
Ohio State team-mates Becky Wood from Glossop and Tara’s sister, Karen Delaney, had scores of 77 and 85 respectively to be in 70th and 124th place.
Eileen Vargas (Pepperdine) had the lowest score of the first round, an excellent four-under-par 68 over a longish, 6,203yd course.
Tiffany Chudy (Florida) was her nearest rival on 69 with Jennifer Osborn (Arizona State) in third place on 70.
Spaniard Azahara Munoz (Arizona State), winner of the British girls’ open title at Lanark a couple of years ago, was in joint 10th place after a 73, the same score as Holland’s Dewi Schreefel (Southern California).
Southern California (291) lead the team event by one stroke from Arizona State with Florida (293) in third place. Kent State (321) were in 23rd place in a field of 24 teams.

Renfrewshire team announced
The Renfrewshire team for the Inter CountyJamboree (Monday 26th June - Wednesday 28th June) has been selected and it is as follows:-
Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm), Clare - Marie Carlton (Fereneze), Donna Jackson (Cochrane Castle), Jennifer Jenkins (Ralston), Gillian Kyle (East Renfrewshire), Gillian McGinlay (Cochrane Castle), Kate O'Sullivan (Cochrane Castle) and Lesley Robertson (Ranfurly Castle)

New Open Championship Exhibition at British Golf Museum
Four stunning new exhibitions have been unveiled at The British Golf Museum.
The new Open Championships since 1946 Gallery takes the visitor on a unique tour of the venues of The Open Championship around the United Kingdom since 1946. The exciting new exhibits bring the events at each venue to life through various objects including 'Poulter's Pants', trousers designed in a BBC competition for Ian Poulter and worn by him on the first day of the 2005 Open and clubs used by Champions such as Paul Lawrie, Roberto de Vicenzo and Lee Trevino when they won the coveted title. The exhibition is accompanied by film of each Open Championship from 1923 right up until last year's memorable 2005 Open in St Andrews.
Three new temporary exhibitions have also opened. The new International Team Events display focuses on the Solheim Cup, the Ryder Cup, the Curtis Cup and the World Amateur Team Championship. Colourful image panels alongside an array of objects from our exceptional collections bring this exhibit to life.
A remarkable new Cabinet of Curiosities highlights some of the more quirky parts of the museum's collections and the ephemera of the game.
Finally there is the new R&A Room, which tells the story of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club and that of The R&A. The colourful space recounts the story of the Club's 250th Anniversary in 2004 and guides the visitor through the governance and championship activities of The R&A. The highly acclaimed inter-active DVD's Pages of History from The Royal and Ancient Golf Club and What is The R&A accompany the display.
Take the perfect break from playing golf and see the new exhibitions from May 2006.

CLARE, LLOYD TO GET EUROPEAN MEDALS
The European Golf Association championship and executive committees have decided that the European Amateur Rankings, introduced last year, should receive formal recognition.
Subsequently, the top three-placed men and ladies will be awarded EGA medal prizes at a formal gathering.
Lady winners for 2005 will be awarded their medals this year at the European women's individual championship in Hamburg, Germany at the end of August. The top three ranked lady players for 2005 were:
1 Alexandra Vilatte (France) 225pt
2 Maria Hernandez (Spain) 175pt
3 Clare Queen (pictured right), (Scotland) 160pt
Other Scottish top-20 placings
11 Jenna Wilson 132.50pt
19 Heather MacRae 114.13pt
Men's winners for 2005 will be awarded their medals this year at the St. Andrews Trophy in the Czech Republic. The top three ranked men's players for 2005 were:
1 Lloyd Saltman (Scotland) 302.50pt
2 Edoardo Molinari (Italy) 226.53pt
3 Joost Luiten (Netherlands) 225pt
Other Scottish placings:
7 Richie Ramsay 209.50.
20 Andrew McArthur 120.50.

HEATHER LEADS P&W RANKINGS
New Scottish women’s amateur golf champion Martine Pow from Selkirk is only ninth in the updated Paull and Williamsons SLGA Stroke-Play Rankings.
But Heather MacRae (Dunblane New), beaten by Martine in the semi-fnals at Dunbar last week, takes over at No 1 with an average of 2.2 strokes under the CSS after two events.
Only the qualifying rounds from the “Scottish” counted towards the stroke-play averages and Miss MacRae was leading qualifier with a total of 138, eight under the CSS at Dunbar.
In contrast, Miss Pow shot 141, five under the CSS, but not enough to wipe out her seven-over tally from the opening event at Troon, the Helen Holm Scottish stroke-play championship.
Sara Bishop (Windyhill) is in second place with an average score of 1.5 under CSS. Anne Laing, beaten last week in her seventh appearance in the final, is joint third on -1.4 with Louise Kenney (Pitreavie) who smashed the Dunbar course record with a score of 65.
Wendy Nicholson (Broomieknowe) is sharing seventh place with Ann Ramsay (Kirriemuir).
LATEST RANKINGS
1 Heather MacRae (Dunblane New) -2.2.
2 Sara Bishop (Windyhill) -1.5.
3 Anne Laing (Vale of Leven) -1.4.
3 Louise Kenney (Pitreavie) -1.4
5 Krystle Caithness (St Regulus) -1.0.
6 Jenna Wilson (Strathaven) -0.4.
7 Wendy Nicholson (Broomieknowe) 0.0.
7 Ann Ramsay (Kirriemuir) 0.0.
9 Martine Pow (Selkirk) 0.4.
10 Fiona Lockhart (St Regulus) 1.0.
10 Elaine Cuthill (Lanark) 1.0
10 Elaine Moffat (St Regulus) 1.0
10 Emily Ogilvy (Auchterarder) 1.0.
14 Carly Booth (Comrie) 1.3.
15 Sheena Wood (Aberdeen Ladies) 1.5
16 Roseanne Niven (Crieff) 2.0.
16 Aileen Hunter (Monifieth) 2.0
16 Michele Thomson (McDonald Ellon) 2.0
19 Kerri Harper (Inverness) 2.5.
20 Claire Hargan (Mortonhall) 2.6

World Golf Hall of Fame to Have Presence at 2006 Open Championship
St. Augustine, Fla. (May 24, 2006) – The World Golf Hall of Fame will have an exhibition on display at the 2006 Open Championship at Royal Liverpool Golf Club, Hoylake, England. The Hall of Fame’s stand will be on display in the Exhibition Marquee the week of the tournament, Monday, July 17 through Sunday, July 23.
“We look forward to sharing the fascinating and historically significant stories of Hall of Fame members and their connections to Hoylake with The Open Championship spectators, who are among the most passionate golf fans in the world,” said Jack Peter, Sr. Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Hall of Fame. “We are grateful to our supporting organization, The R&A, for the opportunity.”
The exhibition will tell stories of Hall of Fame members with ties to the tournament at Hoylake, including J.H. Taylor, Walter Hagen, Bobby Jones, Peter Thomson and Roberto de Vicenzo, plus John Ball Jr. and Harold Hilton, who were natives of the area. The exhibition also will give spectators an opportunity to learn more about the Hall of Fame and its mission.
This exhibition will mark the first time the Hall of Fame has had a presence at The Open Championship. The Exhibition Marquee will be open to spectators Monday, July 17 through Saturday, July 22 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, July 23 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information about the 2006 Open Championship, visit www.opengolf.com. For more information about the World Golf Hall of Fame, visit www.wgv.com.
About World Golf Hall of Fame
World Golf Hall of Fame, located in St. Augustine, Fla., is the ultimate destination for the celebration and recognition of golf’s greatest players and contributors and an inspiration to golfers and fans throughout the world. A collaboration of 26 national and international golf organizations support the Hall of Fame, including the PGA TOUR, LPGA, USGA, PGA of America and The R&A. The museum houses interactive exhibits and historic and personal artefacts that tell the stories of its members and the game of golf. Adjacent is the World Golf Hall of Fame IMAX® Theatre. For more information, visit www.wgv.com.

SGU Press Release
SALTMAN AIMING TO MAKE HOME ADVANTAGE COUNT
Scotland’s leading amateur Lloyd Saltman will be back on home turf hoping to make full use of his local knowledge when the Scottish Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship gets underway at Craigielaw on Friday 2nd June.
Following a stout defence of the Brabazon Trophy at Ganton where he finished sixth and fresh from making the cut in only his second European Tour event at the British Masters, Saltman goes into the Championship in good form.
However, the 20-year old isn't the only host club star hoping to make home advantage count, with elder brother Elliot and younger brother Zack also in the field for the SGU’s premier stroke play event.
An impressive line-up has been assembled for the thirty-ninth staging of the championship on the impressive East Lothian links, with amateur stars from Scotland, the rest of the UK and further afield aiming to join Colin Montgomerie, Stephen Gallacher and Alistair Forsyth as winners.
Saltman’s Walker Cup team-mate Richard Dinwiddie (Barnard Castle) returns to Scotland to defend the title he won at Royal Aberdeen last year, on the back of his success at the Brabazon Trophy at Ganton last week. The County Durham man now has the distinction of holding the Scottish, English and Welsh stroke play titles at the same time and few would bet against him adding to his tally at Craigielaw.
Earlsferry Thistle’s George Murray is another man on form just now, with several top five finishes under his belt already this season, and the Fifer will be looking to emulate his 2004 Scottish Amateur success which he won just a few miles down the road at Gullane.
Richie Ramsay (Royal Aberdeen) takes a welcome break from his studies at Stirling University to make a bid for the title he won two years ago, whilst newly crowned Scottish Boys champion James White (Lundin Links) will be looking to make his mark among the men.
No fewer than eleven nationalities are represented in the field, with competitors from as far afield as Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the United States and among the favourites from outwith the host country will be Welshman Rhys Davies. The Walker Cup star is currently one of the leading players on the American collegiate circuit and he will be aiming to become the event’s fourth non-Scottish winner in the last six years.
The 6,678 par 71 Craigielaw course is one of Scotland’s best new courses, set on the Firth of Forth coastline just outside Aberlady. Director of Golf Derek Scott believes that the modern links will provide a tough test for the strong field:
“We are looking forward to hosting what is one of the best events in European amateur golf. I’m sure the players will enjoy the challenge Craigielaw presents and they can expect the course to be in great condition.”
“The greens are quick and true with some tricky slopes to contend with and if the wind blows off the sea, then low scoring won’t be easy,” he added.

Tuesday 23rd May 2006

Welsh Ladies Championship
BY THE LEFT - STEPHANIE WINS WELSH TITLE
Left-hander Stephanie Evans (Vale of Llangollen) won the Welsh women's amateur golf championship for the first time on Tuesday. Stephanie, beaten finalist last year and leading qualifier on Sunday, beat Becky Harries (Haverfordwest), the No 6 qualifier, by 3 and 2 in the final at Tenby Golf Club.
Vicki Thomas (Carmarthen), winner of the Welsh title eight times between 1979 and 1994, retained the Welsh seniors' title. She beat Janet Roleman (Rushcliffe) by 5 and 4 in the final.
Lucy Gould (Bargoed) bt Rosie Vaughan Jones (Cardigan) by 7 and 6 in the Valentine Plate final.
RESULTS
CHAMPIONSHIP
First round
S Evans (Vale of Llangollen) bt L J Roberts (Holyhead) 4 and 3, H Watkins (Tenby) bt K Milloer (Penhros) at 19t