October 2004 Archive

Sunday 31st October 2004

TRANSSEXUAL LEADS Q SCHOOL ON A BAD DAY FOR THE SCOTS
Transsexual Mianne Bagger, pictured right, shared the lead with Welsh Curtis Cup player Anna Highgate on the two-under-par 70 mark at the end of the first round of the Ladies European Tour Final Qualifying School at Riva dei Tessali Golf Club, near Bari, in Italy yesterday (Sunday).
Danish-born Mianne, born technically a man on Christmas Day, 1966 had an operation in Australia in 1992 to become a woman and won the South Australian State women's amateur golf championship in 1999.
It was a bad opening day for the three Scots, Tracey Craik, Lynn Kenny and Anne Laing, as well as Inverness-based New Zealander Liz McKinnon, all of whom earned their places in the field of 90 by coming through the pre-qualifying 36-hole event last Thursday-Friday.
Only the leading 50 after three rounds will go forward to the final 18 holes on Wednesday.
Former Scottish girls match-play champion Tracey Craik, whose father Derek hails from Edzell and has been the Frilford Heath club pro in Oxfordshire for many years, had a five-over-par 77 and is tied for 49th place.
Tracey, a tour pro for some time, started at the 10th and was four over par by the time she came to the 16th which she birdied. Tracey also double-bogeyed the sixth but birdied the eighth.
Former Scottish women's champion Lynn Kenny from Dunblane, who turned pro only last week, is also on the 77 mark. She too started at the 10th and after bogeying her first two holes she slumped to six over par with double bogeys at the 14th and 16th.
Birdies at the 17th and 18th saw her turn for home in 40 but she slipped up again at the third and fourth and it took a birdie 2 at the short seventh to put Lynn within the leading 50.
Three times Scottish champion and Curtis Cup team member Anne Laing (Vale of Leven) and Liz McKinnon (Nairn) are sharing 75th place on the 79 mark. Anne, playing as an amateur, began from the 10th tee and a triple-bogey 7 at the 14th and a double-bogey at the 18th saw her complete her first nine holes in a sad, six-over 42.
Although she double-bogeyed the first, Anne got back to something like "normal service" by covering her last eight holes in one over par, thanks to a birdie at the sixth.
Northern Counties champion Liz McKinnon, playing as an amateur and starting at the first, did not have a double bogey on her card but dropped strokes at regular intervals. A birdie 4 at the long fourth was the only bright spot of her halves of 38 (two over) and 41 (five over)
LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR FINAL QUALIFYING SCHOOL
Riva dei Tessali Golf Club, Italy
Leading first round scores (Par 72)
70 M Bagger (Den), A Highgate (Wal).
71 P Koivuranta (Fin), M Parmlid (Swe), A Keighley (Eng).
72 M Nagl (Ger), H-S Svenningsson (Swe), S Jelander (Swe), Z Kamasova (Slo), T Schneeberger (Aut), D Simon (Ger), A-S Le Nalio (Fra), E Steinberger (Aut).
73 H Kavanagh (Ire), C Alonso (Spa), R Coakley (Ire), O M Jonsdottir (Ic), C Beauchesne (Can), J Magnusson (Swe).
74 S Heath (Eng), L H Sorensen (Den), A Gertsson (Swe), R Rasmussen (Den), S Carlborg (Swe), E Pilgrim (Wal).
Other scores included:
75 K Phillips (Wal), C Lipscombe (Eng), C Grady (Eng), L Walters (Eng).
76 E Serramia (Spa), R Prout (Eng), S Hunter (Eng).
77 T Craik (Sco), L Kenny (Sco), S Bennett (Eng), F More (Eng), K Evans (Wal).
78 S McKevitt (Eng), K J Fisher (Eng), J Oliver (Eng), K Knowles (Eng).
79 A Laing (Sco), E McKinnon (NZ), E Weeks (Eng), M Gillen (Ire).
80- Y Cassidy (Ire).
81 L Wright (Eng).

Friday 29th October 2004

Ladies European School Qualifying School Stage 1
THREE Scots - Tracy Craik, Lynn Kenny and Anne Laing - plus Inverness-based New Zealander Liz McKinnon figured among the 58 players with 36-hole totals of five-over-par 149 or better who advanced from the Ladies European Tour Qualifying School Stage 1 competition at Metaponto Golf Club near Bari, Italy today.
They will join with players who failed to win enough money this year to retain their players' cards to make up a field of 90 to contest the Final 72-hole eliminator at another Italian course, Riva dei Tessali, from Sunday to Wednesday.
Cara Gruber (Royal Dornoch) just failed by one shot to qualify after taking a double bogey at the 18th (her 9th). She fought back with a 73 for a total of 150.
Other Scots failures in a starting field of 100 were San Francisco-based Troon exile Susie Laing, who shot a 77 for 11-over-155, and Royal Dornoch member Lesley Mackay who had a 76 for 159
Swedish pair Mikaela Parmlid and Sandra Carlborg headed the qualifiers jointly on the six-under-par 138 mark.
Tracey Craik (La Manga Club), the 1984 Scottish girls' match-play champion, was the top Scot with a 72 which saw her finished in joint fifth place on 140.
Former Scottish amateur champion Lynn Kenny from Dunblane, who turned pro only last week, played soundly for a 71 - birdies at the second and seventh, a bogey at the sixth with the rest pars - and a comfortable total of 144.
Three times Scottish amateur champion Anne Laing (Vale of Leven), playing as an amateur, survived a serious wobble on the outward half to return a 78 for 148 - only two shots from disaster.
Anne had a double bogey at the short fifth and also dropped shots at the first, eighth and ninth in five-over 41 to the turn. Her slump continued with bogeys at the 10th and 14th but the Curtis Cup international player and Elmwood College, Cupar lecturer covered the last four holes in one-under-par, thanks to a birdie at the 15th, to ensure she cleared the first hurdle in her bid to become a tour pro.
Kiwi Liz McKinnon, the Northern Counties champion and Nairn member, made it through with nothing to spare, scoring a 74 for 149.
Liz had only two par figures in the first 10 holes. Her outward half of two-over 38 included a double bogey at the third and birdies at the second, fourth and eighth.
Birdies at the 16th and 17th enabled her to salvage a par inward half of 36 which kept her in the hunt for LET playing rights.
LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR QUALIFYING SCHOOL
Metaponto Golf Club, Italy.
Stage 1 (pre-qualifier)
QUALIFIERS (Par 72)
138 M Parmlid (Swe) 68 70, S Carlborg (Swe) 70 68.
139 D Simon (Ger) 68 71, K Lindstrom (US) 70 69.
140 M Blomqvist (Swe) 73 67, E Serramia (Spa) 69 71, T Craik (Sco) 68 72.
141 M Bagger (Den) 69 72, A Highgate (Wal) 71 70, L Wahlin (Swe) 68 73, L K Saether (Nor) 73 68.
142 M Gillen (Ire) 72 70, E Steinberger (Aut) 69 73, E Svenningsson (Swe) 71 71, K Borjeskog (Swe) 69 73.
143 M Beautell (Spa) 70 73, C Beauchesne (Can) 73 70, N C Booth (Eng) 72 71, M Nagl (Ger) 71 71, R Prout (Eng) 71 72.
144 A L Caudal (Fra) 72 72, L Kenny (Sco) 73 71.
145 C Alonso (Spa) 72 73, H Kavanagh (Ire) 76 69, N Hansson (Swe) 73 72, L Walters (Eng) 72 73, K Phillips (Wal) 77 68, S Coverley (Eng0 72 73, C Grady (Eng) 72 73, H Beatty (Aus) 76 69.
146 N Gergely (Aut) 70 76, H McCulkin (Aus) 74 72, N Angehrn (Swi) 73 73, C Quintarelli (Ita) 72 74, S Michl (Aut) 76 70, Z Kamasova (Slo) 73 73, M Marselli (Ita) 75 71, P Schmidt (Thai) 72 74.
147 F More (Eng) 74 73, R Coakley (Ire) 73 74, N Soto (Ivory Coast) 76 71, J Magnusson (Swe) 75 72, A Gertsson (Swe), T H Paterson (Aus) 73 74, L Jean (Aus) 73 74, O M Jonsdottir (Ice) 74 73, C Lipscombe (Eng) 72 75, E Weeks (Eng) 75 72.
148 J Jail (Fra) 73 75, M Skarpnord (Nor) 73 75, A Laing (Sco) 70 78, H-S Sevenningsson (Swe) 73 75, S McKevitt (Eng) 76 72, Y Cassidy (Ire) 76 72, A-S Le Nalio (Fra) 72 76.
149 C Trussoni (Ita) 72 77, K Evans (Wal) 75 74, E McKinnon (NZ) 75 74.
Non-qualifiers included:
150 V Bell (Eng) 77 73, C Gruber (Sco) 77 73.
151 K Hutcherson (Eng) 74 77, T Loveys (Eng) 77 74.
153 M Allen (Eng) 76 77.
154 J Nicolson (Wal) 78 76.
155 S Laing (Sco)78 77, D Barnard (Eng) 80 75.
157 L Davis (Wal) 81 76.
159 L Mackay (Sco) 83 76.

Thursday 28th October 2004

LET Q School
ANGLO TRACEY IS TOP SCOT IN Q SCHOOL FIRST DAY IN ITALY
It's 20 years since Tracey Craik won the Scottish girls' match-play championship at Peebles but she demonstrated today at the age of 37 that she can still play quality golf.
Tracey, daughter of Edzell-born Derek Craig, long-time club pro at Frilford Heath, Oxfordshire, was one of four players sharing the lead on four-under-par 68 at the halfway stage of the Ladies European Tour Qualifying School Stage 1 eliminator at Metaponto Golf Club, near Bari in Italy.
Tracey, a long-time pro who plays out of La Manga Club, had a bogey-free round of four birdies, at the sixth, eighth, ninth and 15th in halves of 33 (three under par) and 35 (one under).
Sharing the pole position with one more round to go before the leaders go forward to the 72-hole Final Qualifying School, beginning on Sunday, are Elisa Serramia, the Spanish girl who won the British women's open amateur championship at Lindrick last year, another successful amateur, Denis Simon (Germany), and Swedish pros Lotta Wahlin and Mikaela Parmlid.
Three times Scottish champion Anne Laing (Vale of Leven), playing as an amateur, could be quite content with a round of two-under-par 70 which left her in joint ninth place overnight. Anne reached the turn in two-under-par 34 with birdies at the first and ninth before dropping her only shot of the round at the long 11th. She compensated for that with a closing-hole birdie.
Former Scottish champion Lynn Kenny (Dunblane), who turned pro last week, is in joint 31st place with a 73, not a bad effort and bogeying the short fifth and long sixth and still be two over par with six to play. Lynn got birdie 2s at the short 13th and 17th but let a shot slip away again at the 18th.
Inverness-based New Zealander Liz McKinnon (Nairn), playing as an amateur, birdied the long seventh but then bogeyed the eighth, ninth, 16th and 18th to finish three over the card on 75.
Cara Gruber (Royal Dornoch) finished on 77 (41-36), one ahead of San Francisco-based Troon exile Susie Laing (39-39) while former Scotland amateur international Lesley Mackay, now an assistant pro at Kirriemuir, had a nightmare start of 7-10 (triple bogey-quintuple bogey) on her way to a 83 (46-37).
LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR QUALIFYING SCHOOL
Stage 1 pre-qualifier
Metaponto Golf Club, Italy
Leading first round scores (Par 72)
68 L Wahlin (Swe), D Simon (Ger), T Craik (Sco), M Parmlid (Swe), E Serramia (Spa).
69 E Steinberger (Aut), K Borjeskog (Swe), M Bagger (Den).
70 A Laing (Sco), K Lindstrom (US), S Carlborg (Swe), N Gergely (Aut), M Beautell (Spa).
71 A Highgate (Wal), M Nagle (Ger), R Prout (Eng), E Svenningsson (Swe), M Holmblad (Swe).
72 M Gillen (Ire), S Coverley (Eng),  C Grady (Eng), C Lipscombe (Eng), N C Booth (Eng), A-S Le Nalio (Fra), P Schmidt (Thai), C Alonso (Spa), C Trussoni (Ita), A L Caudal (Fra), L Walters (Eng), C Quintarelli (Ita).
Other scores:
73 R Coakley (Ire), L Kenny (Sco).
74 F More (Eng), K Hutcherson (Eng),.
75 E Weeks (Eng), L McKinnon (NZ), K Evans (Wal).
76 S McKevitt (Eng), Y Cassidy (Ire), M Allen (Eng), H Kavanagh (Ire).
77 C Gruber (Sco), T Loveys (Eng), K Phillips (Wal).
78 S Laing (Sco), J Nicolson (Wal).
80 D Barnard (Eng).
81 L Davis (Wal).
83 L Mackay (Sco).

Curtis Cup
On my recent visit to the United States, I was thrilled to see the Curtis Cup in pride of place in the Atlanta Athletic Clubhouse.
It was on temporary loan from the USGA. Martha Kirouac, the 2004 US Captain and a member of AAC, had attended a celebration dinner in her honour just the weekend before we arrived.

In her speech, she said that one of the things that spurred on the US team was the sight of all four trophies (Solheim, Curtis, Walker and Ryder) at Formby. The Curtis Cup was the only one not held by Europe/GB&I.
Apparently the presumptiousness of our expectation that we would complete the set riled her girls so much that it made them even more determined to win!

US Student News
STEPHANIE DOWN THE FIELD IN TEXAS
Stephanie Crolla, 2003 East of Scotland Girls' Champion and meantime a student at McLennan Community College near Waco in Texas, tied for 56th place in the Ellingson Fall Classic women's college golf tournament over 54 holes at Livingston in Texas.
Stephanie had rounds of 86, 89 and 81 over the 5,983yd, par-72 Waterwood National course. Her three-round aggregate of 256 was 40 over par. Casey Cain (Lamar University) was the individual winner with 76, 74 and 72 for six-over 222.
McLennan CC (1004) finished 12th, one place ahead of Tyler Junior College (1052) but a long way behind team winners Texas Pan American with a total of 920.

OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP TICKET PRICES
The R&A has announced ticket prices for The Open Championship 2005 at St Andrews and these again give substantial financial incentives to purchase season tickets by 31 January 2005. Before this date, a season ticket, which gives eight days entry to the course from Sunday 10 to Sunday 17 July, costs £130.00, with the purchaser benefiting from a discount of almost 50% on the daily admission rates.
In announcing the ticket prices, David Hill, Director of Championships for The R&A, said, "It is our aim to keep admission prices at an affordable level and to encourage as many spectators as possible to attend The Open at St Andrews. We still feel that The Open represents excellent value when compared to any of the world’s major sporting events and this year’s modest increases have been applied after a freeze on prices last year."
Daily tickets range in price from £5.00 for the first practice day to £45.00 for Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 July, while for senior citizens, prices range from £3.00 to £35.00 and for youths, from £3.00 to £15.00.
The policy of giving under-16’s free admission will continue. Since its introduction in 1997, this has resulted in almost 200,000 youngsters enjoying free access to watch the world’s top golfers.
Ticket applications should be directed to: - Ticket Office, The R&A, St Andrews, Fife, Scotland, KY16 9JD, by telephone on +44 (0)1334 460010 or through on-line purchasing at www.opengolf.com

Perth and Kinross AGM
The P&K County AGM was held on Thursday 21st at Craigiehill. Captain Pam Drysdale welcomed the members and chaired the meeting.

P&K County Committee Members 2004
Back row from Left to right, Gillian Wallace (Glenisla), Jane Yellowlees (Murrayshall), Lenore Kyle (Milnathort) assistant Junior Convenor, Dot Doris (Crieff), Jillian Milne (Craigiehill) Alison Stockley (Stockley) Match Secretary.
Front row left to Right, Janet Griffiths (Comrie) Vice Captain, Pat Colquhoun (Callander) Treasurer, Pam Drysdale (Alyth) Captain, Liz Miskimmin (President) and Dawn Butchart (Strathmore) Secretary.  

The P&K 2004 prizewinners.
Back row left to right Jane Taylor (Strathmore) Gibb Trophy, Dawn Butchart (Strathmore) Order of Merit, Pam Drysdale Captain, Sally Crystal (Taymouth Castle) Captains Day,
Front Row left to right, Cath Irving (Blairgowrie) Crawford Salver and R/up Gibb Trohpy, accepting County Champion Trophy on behalf of Roseanne Niven (Crieff), her sister Annabel Niven. Carly Booth (Auchterarder) Champion of Champions and R/up County Champion, Gillian Wallace (Glenisla) Handicap Quaich. 

Whitemoss duo hit highs in Lowlands
Whitemoss Golf Club’s John Munro and Jackie Brown were the toast of the Borders when they secured the 2004 International Pairs mixed title at the Cardrona Golf Hotel & Country Club.
Munro, who plays off seven, and Brown, a five-handicapper, scored 76 points. It was good enough to finish joint sixth overall and was a fine way to round off an excellent few days.
And now the duo can look forward to representing Scotland at the world finals next June at Celtic Manor, home of the 2010 Ryder Cup.
Munro said: “We’re naturally delighted. It was a fantastic, superbly-organised competition at a brilliant venue. And we hope we get the chance to defend our title next year.”
Munro and Brown, pictured left, were the only mixed Scottish pairing to reach the final, meaning the Scottish title went unclaimed.
Second-placed Janice Kerr, an eight-handicapper and Julian Bates, who plays off three, from Redditch GC, secured the English mixed title.
And it was third time lucky for Matlock Golf Club’s Pauline Bramley, who, after twice winning the English ladies’ title, secured the national ladies’ title with new partner Mary Annable.
The new pairing scored 61 points in the event held at Cardrona Golf Hotel & Country Club in the Scottish Borders, which was enough to beat off all-comers and earn a spot at next year’s world finals in Wales.
Dawn Moor (16) and Jean Lambert (9) totalled 55 points to secure the Scottish ladies’ title, while Jayne Freeman (14) and Kathy Reid (25) were crowned English champions – but no Welsh pair qualified for the final.
The north-south golfing divide was firmly in evidence at the final with northern clubs taking all the available trophies with Damian Simpson and Mick Schofield, from Lofthouse Hill GC, winning the overall title.
Remarkably, once the tens of thousands of entries had been whittled down to the 40 pairs competing in the grand final, every handicap from plus one through to 26 was represented – with the sole exception of 21.
The West Yorkshire duo relied on teamwork. Schofield excelled after the first 18 holes for the overnight leaders - and Simpson pulled them through on the second day for a grand total of 88 points.
After winning their club event by just one point, and scraping through their semi-final at Roxburgh in August, Simpson and Schofield will now represent England in the world finals at Celtic Manor next June.
They edged out Scottish duo Gary Tough and Iain Thomson, who played superbly well off handicaps of plus one and two respectively, to record 82 points over the 36 holes. Their consolation was being crowned Scottish champions.
But the biggest cheer of the day was reserved for the third-placed duo from Wychwood Park, in Cheshire: Robbie Turner and Ian Ritchie – off five and 12 - who at just 16 years of age were only just old enough to participate in the event. They scored 82 points to finish third overall and clinch the English national title.
Llanwern GC provided the Welsh champions in the form of Ian Adams, who played off 14, and 22-handicapper Mark Bruford.
On the back of a tremendous competition in 2004, clubs are already registering for the International Pairs 2005 competition.
Entry to the competition remains just £5 per person – unchanged for the sixth successive year.
Winning pairs from competing clubs progress to a semi-final in Scotland and receive a prize of:
•           Accommodation north of the border
•           An invitation to a special Scottish-themed welcome reception
•           Competition golf on one of the country’s top courses
If they then make the cut they will stay on in Scotland for two more days and experience the golfing event of the year including:
•           Accommodation at the magnificent St Andrews Bay Golf Resort & Spa at the home of golf
•           Two rounds of competition golf at St Andrews Bay on their superb course
•           The championship gala dinner
•           The chance of winning the coveted International Pairs title in the full glare of the country’s media.
To find out how to register call the competition hotline on 08700 330 633; fax (023) 9282 6000 or visit: www.internationalpairs.com.
Final scores:
1, Damian Simpson & Mick Schofield (Lofthouse Hill, Eng) 88pts;
2, Gary Tough & Iain Thomson (Edzell, Scot) 84;
3, Robbie Turner & Ian Ritchie (Wychwood Park, Eng) 82;
4, Les Holmes & Nick Day (Crow Nest Park, Eng) 77;
=5, Lawrence Hardie & John Kerr (Deer Park, Scot), Clive Oliphant  &  Steve Robinson (Durham City, Eng), Chris Fanning & Chris Bromley (Redditch, Eng) 76;
8, Martin Henry & Andrew Mitchell (Crow Nest Park, Eng) 74;
=9, Chris Cash & Nick Thompson (Peover, Eng), Archie MacShannon & Simon Bogdaniec (West Berkshire, Eng), Steve Ayres & Rod Campbell (Manor, Eng) 72;
=12 Stuart Cella & James Cooley (Haste Hill, Eng), Storry Thrower & Guy Chadwick (Bognor Regis, Eng), Ray Standring & Mark Green (Mytton Fold, Eng) 70;
=15 Robert Ashton & Jeff Goodge (Richmond Park, Eng), Paul Campbell  &  Craig Fouka (Strathpeffer Spa, Scot) 69;
=17 Chris Hardy & Phil Gratrix (Glossop & District, Eng), Ian Adams & Mark Bruford (Llanwern, Wales) 67;
=19 Andy Latter & Shane Few (Thorpe Wood, Eng), Graham Hillan & Robert Mcletchie (Mouse Valley, Scot) 66;
=21 Geoff Gunning & Mike Pickup (Selby, Eng), Ian Halstead & Paul Gray (Singing Hills, Eng), Shaun Pantry & Tony Turner (Sitwell Park, Eng) 65;
24, Allan Wyllie & Thomas Stevenson (Charleton, Scot) 62; 25 Maurice Pulley & Lawrence Pallante (Gaudet Luce, Eng) 60; 
=26 Brian Reid & John McKie (Bridgecastle, Scot), Michael Maxwell & Simon Williams (Puckrup Hall, Eng) 59; 28 Allen Brown & Kevin Lawrence (Goldenhill, Eng) 56;
=29 Kevin Alty & Trevor Davies (Charnock Richard, Eng), Gerald Corrighan & Andrew Guest (Skipton, Eng) 54;
31 Bob Murphy & Ian Brown (Castle Hawk, Eng) 53;
32 Brad Sarjantson & Sean Davies (Heron’s Reach, Eng) 31*
*Withdrew after injury
Ladies:
1, Pauline Bramley & Mary Annable (Matlock, Eng) 61;
2, Dawn Moor & Jean Lambert (Southerness, Scot) 55;
3, Jayne Freeman & Kathy Reid (Redditch, Eng) 50;
4, Eileen Tuer & Marcia Kirkman (Selby, Eng) 43.
Mixed:
1, John Munro & Jackie Brown (Whitemoss, Scot) 76;
2, Janice Kerr & Julian Bates (Redditch, Eng) 73;
3, Jo Farley & Paul Farley (Peover, Eng) 69;
4, David Absalom & Kiran Patel (Reigate Hill, Eng) 64.

West Lothian children fill clubgolf courses
More than 300 primary school children in West Lothian will have had their first taste of golf through Scotland's junior national strategy, clubgolf, by the end of this year
Most of these children have never played the game but in clubgolf - a partnership between the Scottish Golf Union, the Scottish Ladies Golfing Association, the Professional Golfers' Association and sportscotland - they will be following a tried and tested plan, which has already introduced over 2,500 primary school children across Scotland to the game.
Part of that number are nine children from Bridgend Primary School, who last week became some of the the first children in West Lothian to officially complete clubgolf's Level 1 course on Bridgend Golf Club's neighbouring fairways and greens.
"Although we are right next door to the club, golf wasn't something that had crossed their minds before," said Vicki Robertson, classroom assistant at Bridgend Primary School. "When they were told they could go to the golf club they were over the moon and they were really excited they were getting the opportunity."
Before being invited to Bridgend Golf Club, the nine P5 children had a six-week TOP clubgolf taster using multicoloured, modified equipment during school.
"They thought it was fantastic," said Robertson. "Because the equipment is so attractive it encourages them to play and they've found it very easy to pick up. We can set it out in so many different ways and there are so many warm up games.
"Football has always been their favourite sport but they have really enjoyed being down at the golf club. Golf is new to the majority of the children and it has become something that they are keen to keep going with."
The original approach to Bridgend Primary School came from Active (Primary) Schools, which promotes the development of physical activity and skills in young children by increasing the range, frequency and quality of opportunities for children to participate in physical activity and sport.
Its Linlithgow Cluster Coordinator, Jo Hutton supplied the equipment through the New Opportunities Fund (NOF) and led the children through the course. When the children progressed to Level 1 at the club, two trained volunteer coaches took them through the syllabus.
To sustain the burgeoning interest, teachers and parents have been trained to introduce the game in school. And more volunteer coaches will take part in clubgolf's PGA Level 1 Training for Volunteers Course, qualifying them to teach children the basics on a real golf course. 
"This is a great way to get them into golf," said Jo Hutton. "It's not boring, which was their preconceived idea. TOP clubgolf makes it so much fun and as they get success from it, it makes them want to continue. It was a nice surprise that all nine children wanted to carry on. Their parents have all been  really supportive too.
"clubgolf is way ahead of many other sports. They make sure there is a connection with a local club before we do the first phase. A lot of other sports get the kids interested but there is nowhere to progress to. With clubgolf there is an easy transition to the clubs once they've had the first phase in the schools. Level1 is just the beginning of the plan so hopefully we will have lots more golfers as a result."
Like Bridgend, Pumpherston and Linlithgow Golf Clubs are also running clubgolf's Level 1 course and five out of the eight primary schools in the Linlithgow cluster have a TOP clubgolf programme. By the end of this school year all eight will be on board and each one will have at least one member of staff or a parent trained up to take it in each of the schools.
In the case of Bridgend Primary School, Vicki Robertson will fill this role.
"After we were approached by Active Schools, Jo Hutton came in and started it off for us," said Roberston. "I'll be carrying it on with the next group of 10 children from P4 and P5. A lot of the other children in primary 7 are really keen to have a go as well, seeing every body else have so much fun, so we might go on to introduce it to them as well."
At the conclusion of the course last week, Bridgend GC added a further incentive for the children to continue their golf education by reducing its joining age to nine years old.

Wednesday 27th October 2004

I'm back!
Don't want to make you jealous but I'll tell you anyway.... last week I played the Honors Course at Chattanooga, Tennessee (where the Curtis Cup was held in 1994) and four rounds at the Atlanta Athletic Club in Georgia (two on Highlands where the PGA Championship was held in 2002 and two on Riverside where the USGA Junior Championships were held recently). Temperatures in the 70's and no wind... perfect!
Colin has done a splendid job when I was away and, for the sake of completeness, I've copied his reports from Hot News onto this main news page. I think my prolonged absence has probably proved to you that Colin does all the work! Thanks Colin!

SIX SCOTS AND LIZ TACKLE FIRST HURDLE ON BID TO WIN L E T PLAYERS' CARDS
Six Scots and a New Zealander who lives near Inverness are in a field of 100 who will be putting their Ladies European Tour hopes on the line in Stage 1 of the Qualifying School over the Metaponto Golf Club course near Bari in southern Italy on Thursday and Friday.
Professionals of varying vintages, Tracey Craik (La Manga Club), Lesley Mackay (Total Golf), Lynn Kenny (Prime Staff) and San Francisco-based Susie Laing from Troon tee it up alongside amateurs Anne Laing (Vale of Leven), who has been three times Scottish champion, and two members of the Scottish title-winning Northern Counties team, Cara Gruber (Royal Dornoch) and Liz McKinnon (Nairn), the former New Zealander junior champion who has won the Northern Counties individual title twice in the past three years.
The competition will be fierce in a field which contains three of Anne Laing’s Curtis Cup team-mates from Formby last June- Shelley McKevitt (Reading), Anna Highgate (Southerndown) and Fame More (Chesterfield), former Irish champion Martina Gillen, former Welsh champion Kate Phillips, Elisa Serramia, the young Spaniard who won the British women’s open amateur title last year, Denise Simon (Germany), a prolific winner of international open amateur tournaments on the Continent, and Jo Nicolson (Wrexham), winner of the British mid-amateur championship this year.
And this is only pre-qualifying event! The Final Ladies European Tour Qualifying School runs from Sunday to Wednesday over 72 holes at the Riva dei Tessali course. There will be a field of 90 for that – the qualifiers from the Pre-Qualifier plus the LET members who did not win enough money on the circuit this year to retain their playing cards.

Tuesday, October 26, 2004

HEATHER TAKES YEAR OFF US COLLEGE CIRCUIT TO BOOST 2006 CURTIS CUP GOAL
California-based Scot Heather MacRae has given herself a golfing goal of being selected for the 2006 Curtis Cup match in the United States.
Which is why the 21-year-old from Dunblane is not playing for San Diego State University on the 2004-2005 American women’s college golf circuit.
If that sounds a bit paradoxical, here is Heather’s explanation.
"It’s a long story but basically I am going to be at university in America for five years and, under the NCAA rules, no-one can play collegiate golf for more than four years, so this year I am "red-shirting," which means I won’t be playing in any NCAA tournaments.
"But I will be practising as hard as ever and playing every day as normal, as well as working out with the San Diego State University team. I feel by doing this now, when I come back for my senior year I will have much more time to work on my golf and will need less time to spend on my university work.
"This will, hopefully, allow me to work towards my goal of playing for Great Britain & Ireland in the 2006 Curtis Cup match which will be held here in America. I intend to turn professional in the autumn of 2006."
Heather MacRae, a member of Dunblane New Golf Club, had her 21st birthday on September 29 this year.
She beat the favourite, Louise Kenney (Pitreavie), by one hole in the final to win the BP Scottish Under-18 girls’ match-play championship at Glenbervie Golf Club in 2001. Heather was beaten by Jenna Wilson (Strathaven) in a play-off for the BP Scottish Under-21 girls’ open stroke-play championship at Kilmacolm in 2003.
Both Heather and Jenna made a big impact on the San Diego State University women’s golf team last year, helping them to achieve their best-ever results in many competitions. Jenna decided not to go back to California for a second year.
Miss MacRae has played for Scotland in the women’s home international matches of the past two years, winning all four ties she played in at Cruden Bay in 2003.
That performance earned her inclusion in the Ladies Golf Union Elite Squad for 2003-2004 winter training, which she was unable to take part in because of her golf scholarship at San Diego University but it was an encouraging indication that she did figure in the Great Britain & Ireland team selectors’ thoughts.
Heather was named third reserve for the LGU winter training squad of 2004-2005.

Sunday, October 24, 2004

HARD-UP SUSIE RETURNS FROM U S TO PLAY IN LADIES’ EURO Q SCHOOL
When former Scotland amateur international team player Susie Laing turned professional in the United States – where she spent four years at the University of San Francisco, the 24-year-old Troon exile probably had dreams of following in the footsteps of Catriona Matthew, winner of more than $3.5million since she joined the LPGA Tour in 1995.
But Susie’s hand-to-mouth existence in her rookie season has brought her back to reality with a bump.
Her only income has been $3,000 on a mini-tour on America’s West Coast and Miss Laing twice failed to survive LPGA Qualifying School regional eliminators over the past couple of months.
She has made a flying visit to Europe this week in a bid to get through the Ladies European Tour Qualifying School in Italy, starting with a pre-qualifier on Thursday and Friday before the main event starts on Sunday.
"You could say I have had a horrible end to my season. This year was a learning experience. I went back to the US and struggled to find any money to support me so, basically, I have lived off maxing credit cards and paying rent from what little winnings I’ve had … not quite the glamour life," said Susie.
"However, I have learned from it and am going to spend the next few months really investigating sponsors and trying to get my game on line.
"Vikki Laing and I are great friends. She lives 20 minutes from me in San Francisco and I am trying to get practice facilities at the same club as her so we can practise together.
"We are both strapped for cash and Vikki was just saying recently that sometimes she can only get about a few times a week to practise as she has no transport
"I am in the same boat, which is hard but with perseverance, I know we will both make it. It is funny but as the saying goes, Money makes money.
"Apart from my financial struggles to make ends meet, life in general for me in California is good. I am really enjoying San Francisco and have a great group of supporters there."

CONSISTENT KENNEY RUNNER-UP IN ARKANSAS
Dunfermline-born Louise Kenney had her fourth top-five finish in five autumn tournaments for the Iowa State University women’s golf team when she tied for second place in the Lady Razorback Invitational tournament at Pinnacle Country Club, Rogers in Arkansas.
Louise, a 21-year-old Scotland international team player last year, had rounds of 73, 76 and 72 over the 6,015yd par-72 course for a total of 221, finishing six strokes behind the winner, Iowa State team-mate Lisa Meshke who scored 70, 70 and 75 for 215.
Thanks to Lisa and Louise's efforts, Iowa State won their second team title of the first half of the American women’s college golf season with a total of 905, 11 shots ahead of runners-up Texas A&M.

Saturday, October 23, 2004

GB&I GIRLS’ DISAPPOINTING FINISH IN WORLD TEAM GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP
Great Britain & Ireland’s trio of Clare Queen (Drumpellier), Emma Duggleby (Malton & Norton) and Stephanie Evans (Vale of Llangollen) finished 25th in a field of 40 behind first-time winners Sweden in the women’s world amateur team golf championship for the Espirito Santo Trophy at Rio Mar Country Club, Rio Grande in Puerto Rico.
Captained by Kim Andrew, it was the worst performance by a GB&I team since the biennial tournament was started in 1964. The previous worst was 13th at Vilamoura in 1976, the only previous occasion that the Ladies Golf Union select had finished outside the leading 10.
GB&I’s final-round total (best two from three to count) of 158 was easily their worst of the four days on the Caribbean island.
Clare Queen and Emma Duggleby both scored uninspired eight-over-par 80s (40-40) – also their worst of the week - in the final round while left-hander Stephanie Evans had a 78, despite a quadruple bogey 9 at the 15th and double bogeys at the eighth and 14th in halves of 35 and 43.
Sweden’s historic victory was achieved by three American college students Karin Sjodin (Oklahoma State), Louise Stahle (Arizona State), winner of the British women’s open amateur championship at Gullane and the St Rule Trophy at St Andrews in successive weeks in June, and Sophie Andersson (University of California).
They had a team total of nine-under-par 567 – the second lowest ever record in the world team championship. Starting the final day two shots behind long-time leaders Canada, coached by Dunfermline exile Dean Spriddle, the Swedes had taken up the running by the turn.
Karin Sjodin’s eagle 3 at the long third followed by Sjodin and Louise Stahle both birdieing the par-5 fifth enabled Sweden to join Canada in the lead at nine under par. The Swedes took the lead for good with another Stahle birdie on the par-4 seventh.
Sweden went on to win by three strokes from the United States and Canada who tied on six-under-par 570. The Americans were represented by three members of the winning Curtis Cup team at Formby in June – Jane Park, Paula Creamer and Sarah Huarte.
Canada’s representatives were Laura Matthews, Mary Ann Lapointe and Lindsay Knowlton.
Defending champions Australia finished well out of the picture in 16th place on 597.
Karin Sjodin had to share the unofficial individual title with 17-year-old Julieta Granada (Paraguay), this year’s United States girls’ open champion. Julieta returned the lowest round of the tournament in Puerto Rico, an incredible third round of nine-under-par 63. She finished with a 69 for an eight-under-par total of 280, the same score as Karin Sjodin who closed with a 70.
Jane Park (United States) finished third on 284.
Emma Duggelby was placed joint 35th on 12 over par 300; Clare Queen joint 63rd on 20-over-par 318, and Stephanie Evans joint 74th on 23-over-par 311.
COLLATED SCOREBOARD
WOMEN’S WORLD AMATEUR TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
Rio Mar Country Club, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico.
TEAM PLACINGS (Par: 4 x 144 = 576).
567 Sweden 144 141 142 140.
570 United States 139 147 144 140, Canada 137 145 143 145.
579 Japan 147 147 139 146, Korea 142 148 144 145, Chinese Taipei 143 152 141 143.
581 Colombia 149 140 143 149.
583 Spain 144 145 149 145.
589 Germany 144 152 139 154, New Zealand 152 146 146 145.
590 Venezuela 145 156 144 145, Russian Federation 145 150 144 151.
591 Netherlands 148 150 147 146.
596 Belgium 146 149 152 149, Paraguay 165 151 140 150.
597 Australia 152 154 142 149.
598 South Africa 147 153 147 151.
599 France 149 149 151 150, Philippines 159 156 144 140.
600 Austria 148 154 145 153, Italy 155 151 148 146.
602 Mexico 145 151 151 155.
603 Finland 149 153 151 150, Norway 150 152 148 153.
604 GB&I 149 151 146 158.
Other totals:
607 Chile.
608 Switzereland.
609 Republic of China.
612 Argentina.
614 Brazil.
630 Portugal, Peru.
640 Guyatemala
643 Trinidad & Tobago
647 Czech Republic, Slovakia.
648 Puerto Rico.
651 Bahamas.
652 Bermuda.
676 Egypt.
682 Turkey.
687 Dominican Republic.
712 El Salvador.
718 Croatia.
723 Greece.
742 Panama.
784 US Virgin Islands.
NR Lithuania.
LEADING INDIVIDUALS(Par: 4X72= 288)
280 Julieta Granada (*Paraguay) 76 72 63 69, Karin Sjodin (Swe) 69 70 71 70.
284 Jane Park (US) 69 71 73 71.
285 Maria Martinez (Venezuela) 69 75 71 70, Laura Matthews (Can) 70 70 72 73, Ya-Ni Tseng (Chinese Taipei) 73 74 69 69.
286 Paula Creamer (US) 70 76 71 69.
287 Anastasia Kostina (Rus) 70 73 69 75.
288 Mary Ann Lapointe (Can) 67 78 71 72, Louise Stahle (Swe) 75 71 72 70.
289 Eileen Vargas (Col) 73 70 71 75.
280 Javie Agojo (Phi) 73 78 71 68, Elisa Serramia (Spa) 71 71 74 74.
Other totals:
300 Emma Duggleby (GB&I) 74 75 71 80.
308 Clare Queen (GB&I) 75 76 77 80.
311 Stephanie Evans (GB&I) 77 81 75 78.

Friday, October 22, 2004

CLARE QUEEN HAS NON-COUNTING SCORE BUT GB&I RETURN THEIR BEST TOTAL
Thanks to a six-birdie round of one-under-par 71 by Emma Duggleby, Great Britain & Ireland achieved their best day’s two-scores total but at the end of a weather-hit third round, they had improved only as far as 15th place in the women’s world amateur team golf championship for the Espirito Santo Trophy at Rio Mar Country Club, Rio Grande in Puerto Rico (on Friday).
Welsh left-hander Stephanie Evans, despite a quadruple bogey at the eighth, got a counting score for the first time with a three-over-par 75. Clare Queen from Drumpellier, who ran up a triple bogey at the 17th, shot a 77 which was discarded under the best two from three scores team format.
GB&I’s third-round total of 146, which gave them a running total of 14-over-par 446, compared favourable with 149 in the first round and 151 in the second.
Bad weather halted play from 1.20pm local time to 4.10, taking Emma and Clare off the course when both had only one hole left to complete in the third round.
With two holes still left to play, Canada led the field at eight under par with Sweden, who had shared the pole position for a spell during the third round, lying second at five under par and the United States in third place at two under par.
COLLATED SCOREBOARD
WOMEN’S WORLD AMATEUR TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
Rio Mar Country Club, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico.
THIRD ROUND TOTALS (incomplete)
432 Colombia 149 140 143.
433 Japan 147 147 139.
434 Korea 142 148 144.
435 Germany 144 152 139.
436 Chinese Tapei 143 152 141.
438 Spain 144 145 149.
439 Russian Federation 145 150 144.
444 New Zealand 152 146 146.
445 Netherlands 148 150 147, Venezuela 145 156 144.
446 GB&I 149 151 146.
447 Mexico 145 151 151, Belgium 146 149 152, South Africa 147 153 147.
449 France 149 149 151.
Other totals:
459 Philippines.
465 Republic of China.
468 Brazil.
472 Peru.
477 Portugal.
478 Guatemala.
481 Trinidad & Tobago.
489 Puerto Rico.
491 Slovakia.
492 Czech Republic, Bahamas.
494 Bermuda.
508 Turkey.
INDIVIDUALS (incomplete)
212 Anastasia Kostina (Rus) 70 73 69.
213 Sandra Gal (Ger) 72 74 67.
214 Eileen Vargas (Col) 73 70 71.
215 Mary Ann Lapointe (Can) 67 78 70, Maria Martinez (Ven) 69 75 71.
Other scores:
220 Emma Duggleby (GB&I) 74 75 71.
228 Clare Queen (GB&I) 75 76 77.
233 Stephanie Evans (GB&I) 77 81 75.

LYNN KENNY TURNS PROFESSIONAL
Dunblane-based Lynn Kenny, one of Scotland’s most successful female amateur golfers of the past few years, has turned professional.
Lynn, whose 24th birthday was on June 19, won the Scottish women’s amateur championship at Machrihanish in 2000 and was Scottish Under-21 girls’ champion in 1999 and 2001.
She was a member of the winning Great Britain & Ireland team in last year’s Vagliano Trophy match against the Continent of Europe at Co Louth but was named only as a reserve for the Curtis Cup match against the United States at Formby in June.
Miss Kenny, who was a golf scholarship student at Stirling University for the past four years, was also runner-up in last year’s British women’s open amateur stroke-play championship at Royal Portrush.
"I have got good management – Professional Sports Partnerships, based in London and they have secured me sponsorship from Prime Staff, a Glasgow company who supply well-training, highly-experienced staff to the commercial and industrial sectors," said Lynn tonight.
"I am very lucky to have been given this chance which is why I have turned pro now before the Ladies European Tour Qualifying School next week.
"It also means that I can go to Tour School with a clear mind – knowing that whatever happens I will still be a professional. If I don’t get my card, my management are confident that I can make money doing other things like corporate days, pro-ams, get invitations, and I will also play on the mini-tours around the world in an attempt to learn the trade and successfully gain my card next year."

Thursday, October 21, 2004

CLARE AND EMMA 18 SHOTS OFF PACE IN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Great Britain & Ireland’s girls are 18 shots off the pace being set by Canada – coached by Dean Spriddle from Dunfermline – at the halfway stage of the women’s world amateur team golf championship for the Espirito Santo Trophy at Rio Mar Country Club, Rio Grande in Puerto Rico.
Yorkshire’s Emma Duggleby was again GB&I’s best scorer with a three-over-par 75, one shot more than she took in the first round.
Emma birdied the fifth, eighth and 14th but had bogeys at the second, third, fourth, seventh, 13th and 18th in halves of 37 and 38.
Clare Queen, the British women’s amateur stroke-play champion from Drumpellier, followed up her opening 75 with a 76 (37-39) with only one birdie, at the fifth, and bogeys at the first, ninth, 11th, 14th and 17th.
Welsh left-hander Stephanie Evans (Vale of Llangollen), the third member of the team, failed to produce a counting score for the second day in a row.
Stephanie had four double-bogeys in a nine-over-par round of 81 (41-40).
GB&I’s second-day team total of 151 was two shots more than their first-day effort.
Overnight leaders Canada let their standard slip a bit on the second day, posting a team total of 145, compared with 137 in the first round. But their running team total of 282 still gave them a three-stroke halfway advantage from Sweden whose Karin Sjodin was the individual leader with 69 and 70 for five-under-par 139.
The Swedes leapfrogged over United States into second place with a second-round total of 141 for 285.
The Americans fell back even more than the Canadians with 147 for 286.
WOMEN’S WORLD AMATEUR TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
Rio Mar Country Club, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico.
Second round team totals
282 Canada 137 145.
285 Sweden 144 141.
286 United States 139 147.
289 Colombia 149 140, Spain 144 145.
290 Korea 142 148.
294 Japan 147 147.
295 Belgium 146 149, Russian Federation 145 150, Chinese Taipei 143 152.
296 Germany 144 152, Mexico 145 151.
298 New Zealand 152 146, France 149 149, Netherlands 148 150.
300 South Africa 147 153. GB&I 149 151.
301 Venezuela 145 156.
302 Austria 148 154, Norway 150 152, Finland 149 153.
306 Italy 155 151, Paraguay 155 151, Australia 152 154.
307 Switzerland 154 153.
309 Argentina 146 163.
311 Chile 152 159, Republic of China 157 154.
314 Brazil 156 158.
315 Philippines 159 156.
328 Puerto Rico 164 164.
319 Portugal 154 165.
318 Puerto Rico 164 164.
334 Slovakia 170 164.
335 Czech Republic 165 170.
344 Dominican Republic 176 168.
347 Egypt 180 167.
363 Croatia 192 171.
365 El Salvador 184 181.
395 US Virgin Islands 201 194.
INDIVIDUAL
139 Karin Sjodin (Swe) 69 70.
140 Laura Matthews (Can) 70 70, Jane Park (US) 69 71.
142 Elisa Serramia (Spa) 71 71.
Other totals:
145 Mary Ann Lapointe (Can) 67 78.
146 Paula Creamer (US) 70 76, Louise Stahle (Swe) 75 71.
148 Lindsay Knowlton (Can) 73 75.
149 Sarah Huarte (US) 70 79, Sofie Andersson (Swe) 77 72, Emma Duggleby (GB&IU) 74 75.
151 Clare Queen (GB&I) 75 76.
158 Stephanie Evans (GB&I) 77 81.

FIONA 12TH IN NORTH CAROLINA
Gullane Golf Club member Fiona Hindshaw finished joint 12th in the Patsy Rendleman Invitational women’s college golf tournament at Salisbury, North Carolina.
A golf scholarship student at Pfeiffer University, North Carolina, Fiona had scores of 80 and 78 for a 14-over-par total of 158 over the 5,900yd par-72 course.
Team-mate Nikki Taggart, who comes from Ireland, tied for sixth place on 152 with scores of 73 and 79.
The tournament was won by Paige Haverty (Catawba) with 75 and 69 for 144.
She won by three shots from Dublin-born Dawn-Marie Conaty (North Carolina State) who scored 76 and 71 to tie for second place with NC State team-mate Stephanie Derrey, a sister of Valentine Derrey who was beaten finalist in this year's British girls' open amateur championship at Lanark.

Wednesday 20th October 2004

FIFER DEAN’S CANADIAN GIRLS ARE SITTING ON TOP OF THE WORLD
Fife-born coach Dean Spriddle, Canada’s national golf coach, was sitting on top of the world at the end of the first round of the women’s world amateur team golf championship for the Espirito Santo Trophy.
The Canadian girls who say the Scot has made them the high-class players headed the first-round scoreboard of 48 countries with a seven-under-par team total of seven-under-par 137.
In an all-North American 1-2, the Canadians hold a two-stroke lead from the United States’ trio of Curtis Cup players.
Only two scores of the team of three count and Mary Ann Lapointe got the lowest score of the day at Rio Mar Country Club, Rio Grande in Puerto Rico – a five-under-par 67. She was backed up by Laura Matthews with a 70. Lindsay Knowlton with a 73 was the Canadians’ non-counter.
Great Britain & Ireland could have done with Lindsay’s score because it would certainly have been a counter for them.
British stroke-play champion Clare Queen from Drumpellier rallied from a nightmare outward half to post a respectable score of three-over-par 75.
Clare’s 75 and a 74 by Emma Duggleby from Yorkshire were the two counting Great Britain & Ireland scores for a first-round total of 149.
The non-counting score of the third GB&I team member was a 77 by Welsh left-hander Stephanie Evans (Vale of Llangollen).
Clare Queen bogeyed the short third and then double-bogeyed the par-5 fifth before dropping another shot at the par-4 eighth on her way to four-over-par score of 40 for the front nine.
Then the little Scot showed something like her true form by getting a pair of birdie 2s at the short 10th and the short 14th. Unfortunately, she bogeyed the 17th and finished with a 75.
Emma Duggleby had birdies at the second, fourth and 12th but marred her card with a triple bogey 6 at the short 10th. She also bogeyed the seventh and 17th in halves of 35 and 39 for 74.
Stephanie Evans bogeyed the first and sixth but a birdie 4 at the long eighth helped her to reach the turn in one-over 37. She got back to level par for the round with a birdie at the 13th but then cascaded five shots to par over the last five holes.
The left-handed bogeyed the 14th and 16th and then had a triple bogey 7 at the 17th to take 40 shots for the inward half of a 77.
The United States’ scores from their trio who were members of the winning Curtis Cup team at Formby in June were a 69 from Jane Park and 70s from Sara Huarte and Paula Creamer.
SCOREBOARD
(Two scores to count for team total)
138 Canada (Mary Ann Lapointe 67, Laura Matthews 70, Lindsay Knowlton 73).
139 United States (Jane Park 69, Sarah Huarte 70, Paula Creamer 70).
142 Korea.
143 Chinese Taipei.
144 Germany, Spain.
145 Venezuela, Mexico, Russian Federation.
146 Argentina.
147 South Africa, Japan.
148 Netherlands, Australia.
149 Great Britain & Ireland (E Duggleby 74, C Queen 75, S Evans 77).
150 Norway.
152 Chile.
154 Portugal, Switzerland.
155 Italy.
156 Brazil.
157 Peru, Republic of China.
160 Trinidad & Tobago.
165 Czech Republic.
166 Bermuda.
168 Guatemala.
169 Bahamas.
170 Slovakia.
174 Turkey.
176 Greece, Dominican Republic.
180 Egypt.
183 Panama.
184 El Salvador.
192 Croatia.
201 US Virgin Islands.
208 Lithuania.

SIAN REDDICK LEADS BAYLOR TO VICTORY
English stroke-play champion Sian Reddick led the Baylor University, Texas team to victory in the Aztec Fall Invitational women's college tournament in California.
Baylor swept away with the team title, winning by 11 shots.
Sian, from Sene Valley in Kent, set the pace for them with a three-under-par total for 36 holes. Her scores of 70 and 71, also gave her second place in the individual event, one shot behind the winner, Laura Leuthke of Fresno State.
Sian had shared the lead after the first round but Leuthke powered past her with a four-under 68.
The tournament was hit by bad weather which forced a suspension of play in the second round and the cancellation of the third round. Sian, 19, is in her first year at Baylor University.

PAMELA PIPPED BY A BIRDIE FOR FLORIDA TITLE
Scotland international team player Pamela Feggans was deprived of a fifth title on the American women’s college circuit when she was beaten by a birdie at the third extra hole in a play-off for the Unicco Fall Invitational at Tamarac, Florida.
The 22-year-old from Ayrshire, a student at Florida Southern University, after starting the 36-hole tournament with a 77 then shot a three-under-par 69 to tie with West Florida’s Lorena Fortlage (71, 75) on 146 for the individual title.
"That 69 was the lowest round I’ve ever had in America, so I have to be pleased about that but it was a bit disappointing to lose the play-off, even to a birdie," said Pamela who is a member of Doon Valley Golf Club.
Her second-round score was the second lowest ever returned by a Florida Southern University women’s team member.
Florida Southern (610) won the team title by 18 shots from West Florida with Lynn University (630) third.
The Unicco Invitationl was Florida Southern's final tournament of the year. The Lady Mocs return to action in early February at the University of Central Florida Invitational.

Monday 18th October 2004

KELSEY MACDONALD (14) SETS WOMEN'S COURSE RECORD AT SKIBO CASTLE
By ROBIN WILSON (Golfview Magazine)
The 2nd Highland junior championships, supported by Skibo Castle’s Carnegie Club, the Highland Council and the Tulloch Group, attracted an entry of 90, all eager to play the exclusive Carnegie Links.
Kelsey Macdonald recording a women’s course record score of 75 and retained the girls’ Championship.
Her Nairn Dunbar clubmate Neil Howat won the boys’ title with a fine par round of 71 over a very difficult course for juniors. He edged out John Forbes (Inverness) – who also scored a 71 – with a better last nine holes.
Kelsey MacDonald has just turned 14 years of age and already this season she has taken tremendous strides in golfing achievements. With her handicap now reduced to three, she became one of the youngest qualifiers for the match-play stages of the Scottish women’s championship at Prestwick in May and last month was selected for the Northern Counties team who made a successful defence of the Scottish women’s county championship across the road for where she lives at her home course of Nairn Dunbar.
Kelsey made a successful defence of the Grant Trophy over the Carnegie Links with a course record score from the LGU tees of 75. At the end of play David Thomson, head professional to the Carnegie Club, marked the achievement by presenting her with a specially inscribed medal.
The ladies’ par is also 71 for the 5,321yd test and Kelsey matched the outward par of 35 with birdies at both par fives and a birdie at the 221yd seventh hole where she drove the green.
A spot of bother in a bunker at the 12th cost her a couple of shots and she missed her par 3 at the 15th but, had she been able to take advantage of a lucky break at the final hole, she could so easily have scored 74.
The sea inlet below Skibo Castle skirts the final par-5 hole and Kelsey’s second shot was heading for the hazard but, while she was bending over her bag to take out a second ball, her first was rebounding from the rocky shore back on to the fairway.
Kelsey’s third shot to the green was hit heavy and short and with three more to hole out she recorded a second half 40 for 75.
Leading Scores.
GIRLS
Grant Trophy – 75 K MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar).
84 A Ingram (Fortwilliam).
87 N Green (Nairn).
Sutherland Trophy – N Green (Nairn) (13) 74, D McKinnon (Durness) (28) 77, C Macleod (Nairn Dunbar) (28) 78.
BOYS
Duncan Allan Quaich - 71 N Howat (Nairn Dunbar), J Forbes (Inverness).
74 M Watson (Elgin), P. Cameron (F&R).
75 E Polson (Royal Dornoch).
76 B Weatherall (Muir of Ord), D O’Brien (Brora).
77 M Murray (Brora), J. Fair (Fortrose & Rosemarkie), S Kinnaird (F&R).
78 R. Elder Nairn Dunbar), C. Gaitens (F&R), J. Fraser (Royal Dornoch). 79 M. Brand (Tain). 80 D. Hexley (Inverness).
Skibo Trophy – P Cameron (F&R) (5) 69, J Fair (F&R) (6), S Kinnaird (F&R) (6) 71.
Highland Clubgolf Trophy – F MacIntosh (F&R) (11) 70, J Treasurer (Castle Heather) (13) 71, C. Graham (Alness) (12) 72.
The Bonar Shield – C Mackay (Golspie) (21) 68, J. Nicholas (Torvean) (24) 71, C. Sutherland (Royal Dornoch) (19) 72.

GLENEAGLES WINNER ROSS STRIKES AGAIN AT ROYAL DORNOCH
Three days after winning the Bank of Scotland Junior Masters Grand Final at the Queen’s Course, Gleneagles, West Linton’s Ross MacNab triumphed in the Donald Ross Junior Invitation tournament at Royal Dornoch.
Even with the 15 year old’s reduction in handicap from 21 to 18 from his Gleneagles score, he was still able to record 35 points in not too pleasant conditions over Royal Dornoch’s championship links.
MacNab won by two points from Banchory’s James Byrne and Northern Counties girls champion Ashton Ingram (Fort William).
Three handicapper Byrne had the consolation of winning the Royal Dornoch Trophy with a 77 as the leading scratch score and Ingram was the leading girl competitor.
The entry topped the 100 mark with competitors travelling from Denmark, Norway and Sweden to take part. Frida Nilsson, a four handicap girl from Piteaa Golf Club in Sweden, was the second placed girl and Lauren MacCallum from Newburgh came third.

Sunday 17th October 2004

Carly Cummings, winner of the European Golf Writers' Womens title, at the 11th on Mount Juliet on Thursday
(Photo Courtesy and Copyright © Inge Kent)

In case you were wondering where I was last week....
6TH EUROPEAN WRITERS' GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP
October 10- to 15, 2004
Played at Faithlegg, Waterford Castle, Tramore & Mount Juliet courses, South-east Ireland
EASY FOR CARLY BUT CHRIS ADMITS HE IS LUCKY TO BE MEN'S WINNER
by Colin Farquharson
Dorset county team player Carly Cummings (Golf World) romped to a second European writers' golf championship women's title win in three years but Glasgow-born Chris Mann, Editorial Director of Sport & Football First, London, was the first to admit he was very fortunate to win the men's award in South-east Ireland.
It was the first time the six-year-old tournament for golf and holiday travel writers had been played on the Emerald Isle.
Geoff Callister, a Port Stewart-based freelance, led the men's points table by 2pt from Chris Mann, a former Sky TV sports presenter, at the halfway stage of the 72-hole Stableford event after rounds over Faithlegg and Waterford Castle.
Geoff maintained that advantage (103-101) after the third round at Tramore and was still going well over the opening holes of the fourth and final round at Mount Juliet.
It was there, following in the footsteps of Tiger Woods & Co who had played in the American Express championship the previous week, that Callister's bid to win the writers' European crown for the first time, came off the rails.
The tournament was Geoff's golfing comeback after a six-month lay-off due to a serious back and neck injury sustained when a passing motorist, a high speed, ran into the back of his car which he had just parked and from which he was just about to get out to visit a friend's house.
"I felt my back starting to seize up on the seventh hole," said Geoff.
"The pain and discomfort quickly got worse and worse and by the ninth, there was really no option but to stop and retire to the clubhouse. For me the tournament was over."
Callister, who plays off 17 of a handicap, had led the field after some consistent scoring with daily returns of 35, 34 and 34. But he had added only 11pt to his overnight tally when he had to draw a line under his efforts.
A premature clubhouse leader on 114pt, Geoff knew that the only thing in doubt was how far down the final finishing order he would be relegated from the long-time leadership he had held.
In the end, Callister was placed eighth as only seven points spanned the top six finishers.
The title went to 18-handicapper Chris Mann but only by one point from the fast-finishing Steve Jackson (Northants News). Mann had scored 36, 31 and 34 points in the earlier rounds but could muster only 25pt at Mount Juliet for a final total of 126.
That left him vulnerable to a late run by the best of the pursuing back who turned out to be Jackson. Playing off 20, Steve was one of the few players to score as well over the very wet Mount Juliet course as he had done at the earlier venues.
Steve followed efforst of 34, 29 and 29pt with a closing 33pt for 125 - one point away from tieing with Chris Mann at the head of the itnernational field which included representatives from Denmark, Norway, Netherlands, Germany, France and Portugal as well as Great Britain & Ireland.
Scottish-based Englishman Martin Vousden (Scottish Golf), who plays off 11, claimed third place with scores of 33, 34, 26 and 30 for 123pt - one point ahead of Martin Park, the Cheshire-based Press Officer of the Ladies' European Tour.
Martin, whose handicap of one made him the backmarker in the field, had scores of 32, 31, 28 and 31 for 122, one point ahead of Ray Scott (Waterford Radio), the local man who deserved most of the credit for working with the major sponsors, South East Tourism (Ireland) and the Tower Hotel Group), to produce such an attractive four-day programme.
Defending champion Erwin Mulder, a one-handicapper from Amsterdam, finished sixth on 119.
The trip had teed off with a visit to the world-famous Waterford Crystal factory.
Waterford Crystal donated some of the leading prizes. Callaway Golf Europe, who allowed the writers to try out their latest equipment on the practice ground at Waterford Castle, were the major sponsors of the daily and championship prizelists. 
Poole-born Carly Cummins, who now lives and works at Peterborough as a member of the Golf World magazine staff, has four of a handicap - and she outscored everyone - the men included - over the four Stableford rounds.
Carly gave an early indication that she was bang in form by scoring 40pt at Faithlegg on the first day. That was the highest points score achieved by anyone over the four rounds.
Miss Cummins followed that up with 36, 38 and 34 for a brilliant total of 148pt. Carly won the European women writers' title at Estoril & Sintra two years ago and had been Media Masters champion two years in a row in a Costa del Sol event for writers in 2002 and 2003.
She won this year's Euro ladies' crown by the commanding margin of 38pt from a championship debutante, Susanne Kemper, a Chicago-born (she celebrated her birthday during the week), freelance writer based in Switzerland.
Off 10 of a handicap, Susanne scored 32, 28, 30 and 20 for a total of 110 - just enough to hold on to second place ahead of Gullane-based Gillian Kirkwood, a former chairman of the Scottish Ladies Golfing Association. Gillian, playing off 12, scored 27, 30, 28 and 24 for 109.
Defending women's champion Ann Mooney (Irish Daily Mirror) finished sixth with 87pt. There was some consolation for Ann, who had been working on a travel feature in the heat of Dubai the previous week and came into the writers' tournament feeling tired, when her 15-year-old son Ricky won the guests' tournament with the creditable points total of 132. Ricky has been playing golf for little more than a year and has a handicap of 20. This time next year, he will probably be down to single figures.
Gillian Kirkwood's husband, David Kirkwood, captain of Broomieknowe Golf Club and an expert in the world of golfing memorabilia, won the Seniors' tournament by one point from birthday girl Susanne Kemper. David, playing off eight, scored 111pt.
Just to cap Carly Cummins' outstanding week of golf, she beat everyone with only 26 putts in a special writers' challenge competition over Mount Juliet's unique putting course, which has bunkers, water hazards, the lot! Because of a lack of time to play the full 18-hole putting course, the competition was staged over holes 10 to 18.
None of Carly's fellow-competitors doubted that she would still have won if there had been time to play the full 18-hole course.
Full results (Word file)

Geoff Callister, Martin Vousden, Carly Cummings and Chris Mann on the first tee at Tramore
(Photo Courtesy and Copyright © Inge Kent)

12 year old Carly Booth Second in Faldo Series Event last week
Kiran Martharu, an English Girl Internationalist, romped home to win by 11 shots from Scotland's Carly Booth and England's Florentyna Parker. Full report on ELGA website
Full results on Faldo website

Saturday 16th October 2004

LGU TRAINING SQUAD
Curtis Cup players, Claire Coughlan, Emma Duggleby, Anna Highgate, Anne Laing and Shelley McKevitt form the nucleus of the 12-strong Training Squad announced today by the Ladies' Golf Union.
The squad consists of players with experience at the highest level and a long list of national and international titles to their names. However, as Andy Salmon, CEO of the Ladies' Golf Union pointed out, this does not preclude other lesser known players from being added to the squad.
He said, "We are aware that there are many young players on the fringe of international selection and they are very much part of our plans for the future. We have intentionally selected our strongest squad but want to make it clear that any player who performs well, irrespective of age, has the opportunity of being selected to represent GB&I. In addition, some of the squad named are intending to attend qualifying school for either the LET or LPGA Tour and if successful, will obviously drop out of the squad, creating an opportunity for other players to be brought in."
In addition to the five Curtis Cup players the others are, Tara Delaney, the Irish Stroke Play champion; Stephanie Evans, a member of the Espirito Santo team for Puerto Rico; Welsh Match Play Champion, Sarah Jones; Curtis Cup reserve Lynn Kenny; Clare Queen, the Ladies' British Stroke Play Champion and Espirito Santo team member; Kerry Smith, the English Ladies' Champion and lastly Sophie Walker, an English International and reserve for Puerto Rico.
The players will meet with captain Ada O'Sullivan for a number of training sessions throughout the winter and these will be aimed towards a successful defence of the Vagliano Trophy at Chantilly in July.
Squad  
Claire Coughlan, Cork
Tara Delaney, Carlow
Emma Duggleby, Malton & Norton
Stephanie Evans, Vale of Llangollen
Anna Highgate, Cottrell Park
Sarah Jones, Pennard
Lynn Kenny, Stirling University/Dunblane
Anne Laing, Vale of Leven
Shelley McKevitt, Reading
Clare Queen, Drumpellier
Kerry Smith, Waterlooville
Sophie Walker, Kenwick Park
Reserves
Martina Gillen, Beaverstown
Tricia Mangan, Ennis
Heather Macrae, Dunblane
Faye Sanderson, Heworth (Durham)

Ranfurly Castle team with the Greenlees Trophy after the presentation ceremony and lunch at Lenzie on Thursday... Well done girls! (Photo Courtesy and Copyright © Carol Fell, Renfreshire webmaster)

Daily Telegraph Junior Championship, Sun City, South Africa
Findlay and Reid survive slips to emerge triumphant
British Boys' Champion from Fraserburgh, Jordan Findlay, and England Girls' Champion Mel Reid clinched the starring roles from an original cast of more than 40,000 when they won their respective Daily Telegraph Junior Championship titles at the Gary Player Country Club here yesterday. Well ahead going into the final round, they both survived major wobbles to come through in style when the going got tough..... Read more in Claire Middleton's report on the Daily Telegraph website

HATS OFF TO KIRSTEN
One golfer is certainly feeling the cold just now after having had her hair shorn for charity : Kirsten Blackwood.  As reported on this site on 4th October, Kirsten (a member of West Linton and Glencorse GCs and of Midlothian’s County Team) was to have her head shaved in order to raise funds for the Maggie Centre in Edinburgh.
The deed was done on Sunday 10th October – in front of a crowd of her family, friends and colleagues, at the Queensway Leisure Centre in Penicuik. As the photos show, Kirsten wasn’t quite sure what she was letting herself in for and her hair certainly flew off leaving not much to keep the autumnal chill at bay. Still, it was all in a good cause with over £1,800 being raised.
Kirsten would like to thank ALL her sponsors, including golfers from all over Scotland as well as colleagues, customers, friends and family for supporting her.
(We told you you’d need a woolly hat rather than your usual baseball cap, Kirsten!)
(Photos Courtesy and Copyright © Harvey Wood, Words by Anne Brownie)

Before........

......during.......

.......and after

Monday 11th - Friday 15th October 2004

On holiday!!

Sunday 10th October 2004

Prize-winners at the Bank of Scotland Junior Masters on Sunday

Bank of Scotland Junior Masters
RACHAEL AND ROSS WIN TITLES AT GLENEAGLES
West Linton's Ross MacNab and Rachael Livingstone (Musselburgh Old Course) won the boys' and girls' titles respectively in the Bank of Scotland Junior Masters' Grand Fina7l over the Queen's Course at Gleneagles Hotel on Sunday.
For 21-handicapper Ross it was third time lucky - he played without success in the Grand Finals of 2002 and 2003. His outstanding Stableford points total of 42 - thanks mainly to a gross inward half of 37 in a round of 85 - saw him finish five points clear of the 46 boy qualifiers
Shaun McGowan (Arbroath Artisan), who plays off 16, was the boys' runner-up with 37 and Tommy Mitchell, a five-handicapper at Longside, finished third with 36pt.
Rachael Livingstone, who plays off five and gained her first Scotland cap in the girls' home internationals at Strathaven in August, won the girls' title with the very good total of 40pt.
Rachael had a gross score of 75 with halves of 40 and 35 to win by 7pt from Katy McNicoll (Carnoustie Caledonia Ladies), who plays off five).
Lauren Whyte, a 16-handicap member of Aberdeen Ladies), was one of three girls who finished on the 32pt mark. Lauren gained third place with a better inward half than Ashton Ingram (Fort William) and Sally Kettlewell (Dunblane New).
Collated scoreboard
BANK OF SCOTLAND JUNIOR MASTERS GRAND FINAL
Queen's Course, Gleneagles Hotel.
Stableford points totals
BOYS (Par 68, CSS 70)
42 Ross McNab (West Linton) (21).
37 Shaun McGowan (Arbroath Artisan) (16).
36 Tommy Mitchell (Longside) (5).
35 Jamie McPhail (Linlithgow) (7), Justin Coyne (Cowglen) (8).
34 Andrew Dingwall (Peterculter) (9), Robert Cahn (Kilmacolm) (20).
32 Duncan Ross (Cupar) (16), Neil Durno (Cruden Bay) (11), Iain Murray (Inverurie) (22), Jonathan Russell (North Berwick) (11).
31 John Fair (Fortrose & Rosemarkie) (6).
30 Graeme McDougall (Bishopbriggs) (11), Liam McLaughlan (Kingsknowe) (4), James Devaney (Windyhill) (12), Conor Bennet (Castle Heather) (12).
29 Sean Moran (King James VI) (14), Andrew Wright (The Roxburghe) (17), Jamie Ogilvie (Hopeman) (22), James Hughes (Lothianburn) (18).
28 Mark Crozier (Murrayshall) (10), Graeme Robertson (Glenbervie) (3), Graeme Millar (Pitlochry) (16), William Russell (Dunfermline) (9).
27 Paul McGregor (Scotscraig) (21), Josh Nordbo (Largs) (11), Dale Pennycuick (Carrickvale) (18), Matthew Duncan (Duns) (16), Charles Beck (Forres) (15), Craig Rorison (Sanquhar) (14).
26 Chris Brown (Stonehaven) (8), Ryan Bathgate (Ladybank) (12), David Armstrong (Kirkcudbright) (11), Cameron Craig (Wigtownshire County) (18).
25 James Polley (Tillicoultry) (12), James Polley (Tillicoultry) (12).
24 Innes MacLennan (Huntly) (10).
23 Calum Stewart (Brora) (17).
22 Kevan Boyd (Irvine Ravenspark) (10), Christopher Graham (Alness) (12).
21 Robbie McCreath (Kirkcudbright) (9).
19 Andrew Sproull (Longniddry) (5), Adam Foley (Ayr Belleisle) (12), Daniel Cairns (Nairn Dunbar) (19).
18 Dean Clark (Balbirnie Park) (22), Euan McIntosh (McDonald Ellon) (18).
17 Jack Thorburn (Forrester Park) (7).
GIRLS (CSS Reduction Only).
40 Rachael Livingstone (Musselburgh Old) (5).
33 Katy McNicoll (Carnoustie Caledonia Ladies) (5).
32 Lauren Whyte (Aberdeen Ladies) (16), Sally Kettlewell (Dunblane New) (7), Ashton Ingram (Fort William) (7)
31 Kirsten Scott (Windyhill) (22), Rachael Shewan (McDonald Ellon) (31), Lauren MacCallum (McDonald Ellon) (14), Natalie Hogg (Fortrose & Rosemarkie) (15).
30 Jane Turner (Glencorse) (4), Gillian Simpson (Baberton) (29), Rebecca Watson (Elie & Earlsferry) (6), Nicola McAuley (Stonehaven) (18), Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm) (5), Nadia Green (Nairn) (13), Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) (3).
28 Emma Burns (Balmore) (20), Michele Thomson (McDonald Ellon) (5).
27 Gillian Arnott (Kilbirnie Place) (29).
25 Rachel Watton (Baberton) (26), Emma Fairnie (Minto) (6), Chloe Macleod (Nairn Dunbar) (27).
24 Andrew Bowie (Monifieth) (16), Samantha Lamb (Glencorse) (26).
23 Lynn Tangny (Balmore) (24), Megan Handley (Dumfries & Galloway) (19).
22 Claudine Scott (Ladybank) (32), Emma Duncan (Ayrshire Girls) (33).
20 Megan Barbour (North Berwick) (9).
19 Samantha Leslie (Westhill) (17).

Emma Wilson (Vice-Chairman SLGA) and SGU President Hugh Hunter with the winners,
Ross McNab (West Linton) and Rachael Livingstone (Musselburgh Old)

Saturday 9th October 2004

Top table guests at the SLGA Centenary Lunch at the Balmoral Hotel
Back row L to R: Cathy Panton-Lewis (Guest speaker (VG!!)) Patricia Hutton (Chairman, SLGA), Richard Cole-Hamilton (Captain R&A, who replied on behalf of the guests), Nancy Chisholm (President, SLGA), Hugh Hunter (President SGU), Jan Bennett (Chairman, LGU) Jill Edwards (President WLGU)
Seated L to R: Joyce Cooper (immediate Past President, SLGA), Ita Butler (President ILGU), Maureen Lockett (President ELGA)

SLGA Centenary Lunch Photoalbum
330 Golfers from all over Great Britain and Ireland congregated in the Balmoral Hotel, Edinburgh, today to celebrate the Centenary of the Scottish Ladies Golfing Association.
At the pre-lunch reception, the LGU presented the SLGA with a framed print of St Andrews, and the R&A gave a silver salver, both of which were graciously accepted by SLGA President, Nancy Chisholm.
A delicious lunch was followed by four excellent speakers, led off by professional golfer, Cathy Panton-Lewis, one of the founding members of the Ladies European Tour, who toasted the SLGA, and regaled the audience with tales of her own younger days and expressed her gratitude to the SLGA for all they had done to develop her into a professional golfer.
In reply, SLGA President Nancy Chisholm reminded the audience of the early beginnings of the Association, and spoke of the original Rules, which are still relevant today.
Vice-Chairman, Emma Wilson, toasted the guests and Richard Cole-Hamilton, Captain of the R&A, replied. The whole event was ably co-ordinated by SLGA Chairman Pat Hutton, and the Vote of Thanks was given by Vice-President, Margo Bauer.
Those attending were delighted to catch up with old acquaintances and make many new ones. It was a super day, very well organised and enjoyed by all. Well done to those involved!

Message from Pam Gordon
When I got home there was a message from Pam Gordon, Captain of the Senior Home International team who finished runners-up in Ireland this week. She sends her apologies for not being at the lunch as she is away on holiday today.
Pam said "I would like to personally thank all those who send cards and good wishes to the Scottish Senior Home International team. We were absolutely delighted by the result. I'd like to thank the team. It was a pleasure being involved with such a wonderful bunch of girls."

FAME MORE MAKES IT BUT DANIELLE MASTERS FAILS TO CLEAR LPGA HURDLE
Curtis Cup player Fame More was the only British player among the 30  who will advance to the LPGA Final Qualifying School in early December after finishing joint ninth in the 2nd Regional Eliminator at Venice, Florida on Friday (USA time).
But Great Britain & Ireland team-mate Danielle Masters from Kent failed to make it, finishing tied for 36th place on 301 after scores of 73, 77, 73 and 78.
Fame, from Chesterfield, shot rounds of 76, 73, 72 and 75 - her most consistent scoring for a long time to total 296, which was 12 shots behind the eliminator winner, China's Hong Mei Yang who finished eight strokes clear of the field on four-under-par 284 with scores of 70, 69, 72 and 73.
A total of 30 players with 72-hole aggregates of 11-over-par 299 and better made it through to the five-round Final Qualifying School test at Daytona Beach, Florida from December 1 to 5. They will join the 30 qualifiers from the 1st Regional Eliminator in California plus those from the LPGA Tour who fail to finish among the leading 90 money-winners this season.
Other Brits who failed to qualifying were Georgina Simpson (Cleckheaton) on 304 (76, 74,80, 74) and Phoenix-based Lisa Meredith-Seary (Reading) on 306 (74, 76, 80, 76)

Friday 8th October 2004

LPGA Pre-qualifying School
Curtis Cup players Fame More and Danielle Masters look set to qualify for the LPGA Final Qualifying School but Georgina Simpson and Lisa Meredith-Seary – the only other British players to survive the halfway cut in the 2nd and last Regional Qualifying Eliminator at Plantation Golf and Country Club, Venice in Florida – need to produce something special in their fourth and final rounds.
Only the leading 30 and ties at the end of the 72-hole event will go forward alongwith the qualifiers from the first Regional Qualifier in California plus players from the LPGA Tour who have not won enough money to figure in the top 90 for the 2004 season – almost certain to include Vikki Laing and Kathryn Marshall – to make up the field for the Final Qualifying School at Daytona Beach, Florida from December 1 to 5.
Fame More (Chesterfield), finding some of the form that has deserted her over the past 12 months, has shot 76, 73 and 72 for a five-over-par tally of 221 and joint 10th place.
Danielle Masters from Kent, is tied for 22nd place on 227 after scores of 73, 77 and 73.
But George Simpson (Cleckheaton) and Lisa Meredith-Seary (Reading), now a teaching pro in Phoenix, are in joint 64th place on 230. Georgina has scored 76, 74 and 80 while Lisa has made 74, 76 and 80.
Hong Mei Yang from China is leading the field at five-under-par 211 after scores of 70, 69 and 72.
She leads by four shots from Los Angeles-based Hana Kim who is on 215 with scores of 70, 69 and 76.

Thursday 7th October 2004

Senior Home Internationals
SENIOR SCOTS RUNNERS-UP TO CHAMPIONS ENGLAND
Scotland finished with a flourish, beating Ireland 5 ½-1 ½, to take the runners-up spot behind defending champions England in the senior women's home golf internationals at Kilkeel Golf Club, County Down.
Last year, the Scots were wooden spoonists in the inaugural internationals for the over-50s. This time round, skipper Pam Gordon's team won twice, beating Wales on the opening day and the Irish today (Thursday).
The Scots took a 1 ½- ½ lead from the morning foursomes and then did not lose any singles ties with Lorna Bennett (Ladybank), Moira Thomson (North Berwick), Anna Telfer (Milngavie) gaining victories while Pam Williamson (Baberton) and Noreen Fenton (Merchants of Edinburgh) halved their games.
Moira Thomson the most successful Scot over the three days, winning five out of five ties. Scottish veterans' champion Lorna Bennett was next best with 3 1/2pt.
England whitewashed Wales 7-0 in their concluding fixture to retain the title with a 100 per cent record. At over-50s level, the English are a cut above the other countries.
Christine Quinn (South Winchester) was the only player from all four teams to win all six ties she played in. Vivien Saunders (Cambridge Meridian) and Christine Watson (Beaconsfield) had five out of five records.
Collated scoreboard
SENIOR WOMEN'S HOME INTERNATIONALS
Kilkeel Golf Club, County Down.
Day 3
WALES 0, ENGLAND 7
Foursomes: V MacKenzie & C Thomas lost to E Boatman & C Quinn 2 and 1; H Joyce & J O'Connor lost to V Saunders & C Watson 2 holes (0-2).
Singles: MacKenzie lost to Quinn 3 and 2, A Briggs lost to C Caldwell 8 and 6, O'Connor lost to C Stirling 3 and 2, Joyce lost to Saunders 3 and 2, L Jones lost o Watson 2 and 1 (0-5).
SCOTLAND 5 ½, IRELAND 1 ½
Foursomes: L Bennett & N Fenton halved with J Allen & R English; M Thomson & E Campbell beat M Madden & M Breathnach 2 and 1 (1 ½- ½).
Singles: P Williamson halved with V Hassett, Bennett4 beat Allen 2 and 1, Thomson beat English 2 holes, A Telfer beat A Moloney 3 and 2, Fenton halved with Madden (4-1).
FINAL PLACINGS
1 England 3pt, 2 Scotland 2pt, 3 Wales 1pt, 4 Ireland 0pt.

US Student Golf
FIONA AND NIKKI FINISH FOURTH AND FIFTH IN SOUTH CAROLINA
Fiona Hindshaw, pictured right, a member of Gullane Ladies' Golf Club and Haddington, and Nikki Taggart from Ireland, are now on golf scholarships at Pfeiffer University in North Carolina.
Former Scottish men's amateur champion Andrew McArthur was a star member of the Pfeiffer University men's team two or three years ago.
It was only in 2003 that Pfeiffer add a women's golf team to their athletics programme.
Fiona finished fourth and Nikki fifth in the recent Top-Flite/Rafferty's Inter-collegiate women's tournament at Regent Park Golf Club, South Carolina.
Leigh Anne Hunter (Shorter College) tied with Paige Haverty (Catawba) for victory on eight-over-par 152 in the 36-hole event. Miss Hunter had scores of 79 and 73 and Miss Haverty 75 and 77.
Morgan Reich (Winthrop) was third on 153 (75 and 78).
Then came Fiona Hindshaw on 155 (78 and 77), a shot ahead of Nikki Taggart with a pair of 78s.
The efforts of Fiona and Nikki helped Pfeiffer (642) finished runners-up to Winthrop (638) in the team event.
"We are now ranked 14th in the nation for Division 2 colleges and we will hopefully go on to take part in the regional championships at this rate. If we play well, we could make it to the NCAA Finals," Fiona told www.kirkwood.co.uk

Portlethen Golf Club juniors, coached by club professional Muriel Thomson (centre back row),
with their Golf Foundation "Golf Passport" certificates after completing the required number of coaching sessions.

CURTIS CUP PLAYER JOINS SUSIE FROM TROON ON LPGA SIDELINES
No surprise that former Scotland amateur international Susie Laing, a Troon exile based in San Francisco, failed to survive the halfway cut in the LPGA Final Regional Eliminator for the Qualifying School in early December.
But the big shock was the failure of Curtis Cup player Shelley McKevitt from Reading to figure among the leading 70 and ties who will contest the final 36 holes at Plantation Golf & Country Club, Venice in Florida.
Susie had rounds of 81 and 78 for a total of 159 while Shelley sagged from a first-round par 72 to a second-day 83 and her 155 aggregate was four shots too many to keep her American dream alive.
Anglo-Scot Kirsty Fisher, whose father and grandfather played rugby for Scotland, also failed on 163 with a 79 and 84.
Two members of the Great Britain & Ireland Curtis Cup team this year are still in contention to be among the leading 30 and ties at the end of the four-round tournament and go forward to the LPGA Final Q School at Daytona Beach.
They are Fame More from Chesterfield and Kent's Danielle Masters. Fame shot 76 and 73 to be lying joint 42nd on 149, a shot more than Danielle who had 73 and 77 for a 54th place tie on 150.
Also on 150 are Reading's Lisa Meredith-Seary (74,76), pictured right, now based in Phoenix, Arizona, and Georgina Simpson (76,74) from Cleckheaton.
COLLATED SCOREBOARD
LPGA Q SCHOOL FINAL REGIONAL ELIMINATOR
Plantation Golf & Country Club, Venice, Florida.
Leading second-round totals
139 Hong Mei Yang 70 69, Hana Kim 70 69.
141 Sue Horton 70 71.
British totals:
149 Fame More (Chesterfield) 76 73.
150 Georgina Simpson (Cleckheaton) 76 74, Lisa Meredith-Seary (Reading) 74 76, Danielle Masters (Kent) 73 77.
Non-qualfiers:
155 Shelley McKevitt (Reading) 72 83.
159 Susie Laing (Troon) 81 78.
161 Jo Clingan (Gloucester) 78 83.
163 Kirsty Fisher (Lytham St Annes) 79 84.

DAWN DEWAR TOP SCOT IN US COLLEGE EVENT
Dawn Dewar, pictured right, from Monifieth was the best placed of the four Stirling University students in the final standings for the Edean Ihlanfeldt Invitational women's college golf tournament at Sahalee Country Club in Washington State.
Dawn had scores of 84, 84 and 81 for a 33-over-par total of 249, which earned her joint 60th place in the field of 71.
English-born players Olivia Briggs and Alex Marshall came next in 66th and 67th places respectively. Olivia scored 82, 86 and 86 for 254 while Alex had 86, 85 and 84 for 255.
Clare-Marie Carlton (Fereneze) finished last of 71 with a total of 273, made up of scores of 92, 88 and 93.
Sweden's Karin Sjodin won the individual title with scores of 70, 73 and 70 over the 6,192yd, par-72 course for a three-under-par total of 213. She won by nine shots from Oklahoma State University team-mate Annie Thurman, who played for the winning United States team in this year's Curtis Cup match at Formby.
Annie scored 74, 70 and 78 for 222.
Oklahoma State (899) won the team event easily from Washington State and Oregon, both on 918 with Southern California fourth on 926.
Stirling University came last of 14 with a total of 1031.

Wednesday 6th October 2004

Senior Home Internationals
SCOTS ARE ENGLAND'S SECOND VICTIMS
England took another step towards retaining the senior women's home internationals golf title at Kilkeel Golf Club, Co Down yesterday (Wed) when they beat Scotland 5-2.
The Scots' hopes of following up their first-day win over Wales were boosted when the foursomes were shared 1-1, Moira Thomson (North Berwick) and Liz Campbell (Torwoodlee) beating Carole Caldwell and Christine Stirling 3 and 1 to cancel out a 5 and 3 defeat for the lead-off Scots pairing of Pamela Williamson (Baberton) and Lorna Bennett (Ladybank) by Elizabeth Boatman and Christine Quinn.
But England's superior strength in depth surfaced in the five singles in which Scotland's only winner was Moira Thomson by two holes over Elizabeth Boatman.
Wales beat Ireland 5-2 in the other match after taking the foursomes 2-0.
In today's final programme, England play Wales and Scotland meet Ireland.
collated scoreboard
SENIOR WOMEN'S HOME INTERNATIONALS
Kilkeel Golf Club, Co Down.
Day 2
ENGLAND 5, SCOTLAND 2
Foursomes: E Boatman & C Quinn beat P Williamson & L Bennett 5 and 3; C Caldwell & C Stirling lost to M Thomson & E Campbell 3 and 1 (1-1). Singles: Quinn beat Williamson 2 and 1, C Watson beat Bennett 2 and 1, Boatman lost to Thomson 2 holes, Caldwell beat A Telfer 3 and 2, V Saunders beat N Fenton 2 and 1 (4-1).
IRELAND 2, WALES 5
Foursomes: V Hassett & A Moloney lost to V MacKenzie & C Thomas 5 and 3; M Madden & M Breathnach lost to H Joyce & J O'Connor 3 and 2 (0-2).
Singles: J Allen lost to MacKenzie 6 and 5, Madden beat A Briggs 3 and 2, Hassett lost to O'Connor 3 and 2, Breathnach beat Thomas 1 hole, R English lost to Joyce 1 hole (2-3).

US Student Golf
CLAIRE McNEIL FOURTH AFTER TEXAS WASH-OUT ON OPENING DAY
Claire McNeil from Windyhill is finding out that the weather in the state of  Texas is not necessarily any better at this time of the year than it is in her native Scotland.
Claire and Sjavon Wilson (Murcar) started golf scholarships at Tyler Junior College, Texas at the end of the summer holidays. Sjavon will not be able to play golf for Tyler until after the New Year because she was on McLennan Community College's roster this time last year.
This week's TJC Women's Invitational tournament at the Oak Hurst golf course (par 72, 5,887yd) at Bullard, Texas was supposed to be over two days and 36 holes. The first day's play was cancelled because of bad weather.
That meant everything would be decided by the second-day scores and Claire McNeil had the fourth best score of 87 on a course where there was no run on the fairways.
Tyler Junior College (341) won the team title from Lon Morris College (388) with UT-Tyler (402) third and Le Tourneau University (426) last of four.
The leading individual scores were:
82 Kristin Salinas (Tyler Junior College), Alicia Connell (Tyler Junior College).
84 Starla Pittman (Tyler Junior College).
87 Claire McNeil (Tyler Junior College).
88 Sharon Lewis (Tyler Junior College), K McNeil (Lon Morris College).

US Student Golf
IRISH EYES ARE SMILING IN US COLLEGE TOURNAMENT
Ireland's Suzie Hayes (Notre Dame) and the Delaney sister, Tara and Karen (both Kent State) all gained top-20 finishes in the Shootout at the Legends women's college tournament over the 6,134yd, par 72 Legends course at Franklin, Indiana.
Scotland's Louise Fleming (Minnesota) tied for 42nd place.
Suzie Hayes, from Dublin, is co-captain of the Notre Dame team this season and she helped the Fighting Irish win the team title by eight shots with a total of 908.
Kent State, thanks to the performance of the Delaneys, finished fifth on 923. Minnesota (960) came ninth).
SCOREBOARD
222 (+6) Megan Godfrey (Illinois) 72 78 72.
223 Gabby Wedding (Kansas State) 73 73 77, Sofia Gorelik (Campbell) 74 75 74.
Other totals:
230 Suzie Hayes (Notre Dame) 76 78 76 (14th tie).
231 Tara Delaney (Kent State) 78 78 75  (17th tie).
232 Karen Delaney (Kent State) 79 78 75 (19th tie).
243 Louise Fleming (Minnesota) 82 83 78 (42nd tie).
LEADING TEAMS
908 Notre Dame.
916 Illinois State.
917 Campbell, Michigan.
923 Kent State.
Also:
960 Minnesota (9th).

LPGA Pre-Qualifying School
SUSIE STRUGGLING TO AVOID HALFWAY CUT IN VENICE
Ayrshire exile Susie Laing's hopes of making it through to the LPGA Final Qualifying School in December looked bleak after an opening round of nine-over-par 81 (43-38) in the last regional qualifier at Venice Golf Club, Florida (on Tuesday, USA time).
Former Scotland amateur international Susie, based in San Francisco since her university years, was tied for 137th place in the field of 156 going into the second round at the end of which only the leading 70 and ties will go forward to the final two rounds.
Anglo-Scot Kirsty Fisher, whose father and grandfather played rugby for Scotland, was also needing a small miracle after a 79 (39-40) to be in joint 121st place.
Curtis Cup players Shelley McKevitt from Reading and Danielle Masters from Kent were better placed to survive. Shelley was tied for 19th place after a level par 72 (33-39) and Danielle was tied for 27th after a 73 (38-35).
Another GB&I Curtis Cup team member at Formby in June, Fame More from Chesterfield was tied for 69th place after a 76 (37-39).
Americans Kim Kouwabunpat and Brooke Tull set the pace on three-undere-par 69.
COLLATED SCOREBOARD
LPGA QUALIFYING SCHOOL _ Final Regional eliminator
Venice Golf Club, Florida
LEADING FIRST ROUND SCORES
(players from US unless stated)
69 Kim Kouwabunpat, Brooke Tull.
70 Kimberly Freeman, Sue Horton, Virada Nirapathpongporn, Hana Kim, Hong Mei Yang (Chinda), Meredith Ward, Danielle Downey.
British scores|:
72 Shelley McKevitt (Reading).
73 Danielle Masters (Kent).
74 Lisa Meredith-Seary (Reading).
76 Georgina Simpson (Cleckheaton), Fame More (Chesterfield).
79 Kirsty Fisher (Lytham St Annes).
81 Susie Laing (Troon).

US Student Golf
LOUISE JOINT 17TH IN US TOURNAMENT
Louise Kenney from Pitreavie, Fife - a golf scholarship student at Iowa State University -  has finished out of the first five in a US women's college tournament for the first time since her return from Scotland after the summer holidays.
Scotland international Louise had rounds of 75 and 76 for an aggregate of 151, which earned her joint 17th place in the Jeannine McHaney Invitational tournament over The Rawls course at Lubbock, Texas.
Katie Brophy (Notre Dame) won the individual title by two shots with scores of 69 and 72 for 141.
Notre Dame (593) won the team title from Oklaohoma (597). Iowa State (621) finished 10th of 18.

US Student Golf
LAURA AND EMILY FINISH IN TOP 20 ON TRIP TO NEW MEXICO
Nairn exile Laura Walker, a golf scholarship student at Arkansas Little Rock University, finished joint 12th in the quaintly-named Price's Give 'Em Five Invitational women's college tournament over the New Mexico State University golf course at Las Cruces this week.
Laura, a Nairn Dunbar Golf Club member and Scottish girls' match-play champion in 2002, had rounds of 75, 76 and 76 over the par-72, 6,319yd course for an aggregate of 227. In her previous tournament last month, Laura finished fourth.
Emily Ogilvie from Dunning, also a student at Arkansas Little Rock, was placed 15th on 228 with scores of 79, 75 and 74 at Las Cruces.
English girl Danielle Roseberry, a New Mexico State student playing over her home course, came 10th equal with scores of 75, 76 and 75 for 226.
The event was won by American Kim Kolb (Texas Tech) with a two-under-par tally of 214 (73, 69, 72).
She finished four shots ahead of Sweden's Louise Stahle, who has enrolled at Arizona State University since winning the St Rule Trophy and the British women's open amateur championship at Gullane in June, and home-course player Erin Kato (New Mexico State).
Arizona State (893) won the team event from Texas Tech (902) with Baylor (904) third and New Mexico State (918) fourth.
Arkansas Little Rock (931) came eighth.
LEADING SCORES
214 Kim Kolb (Texas Tech) 73 69 72.
218 Louise Stahle (Arizona State) 71 74 73, Erin Kato (New Mexico State) 78 69 71.
Other scores:
226 Danielle Roseberry (New Mexico State) 75 76 75 (10th tie).
227 Laura Walker (Arkansas Little Rock) 75 76 76 (12th tie).
228 Emily Ogilvie (Arkansas Little Rock) 79 75 74 (15th tie).

STIRLING BOTTOM OF THE CLASS IN US COLLEGE EVENT
Stirling University's women golfers are bottom of the class with one round to go in the Edean Ihlanfeldt Inviational college tournament at Sahalee Country Club in Washington State.
The Stirling squad of Dawn Dewar (Monifieth), Clare-Marie Carlton (Fereneze) and English students Olivia Briggs and Alex Marshall are a collective 111 over par after 36 holes for a team total of 687. They are in last of 14 position behind leaders Oklahoma State (597) and Oregon (604).
Olivia Briggs and Dawn Dewar are tied for 62nd place on 24-over-par 168. Olivia had a second-round 86 (44-42) with a quadruple bogey at the 17th and a triple bogey at the ninth.
Dawn repeated her opening 84 (43-41) after running up a quadruple bogey 9 at the second hole. She did birdie the fourth.
Alex Marshall is back in 67th place on 171 after an 85 (45-40). She had one double bogey, at the ninth.
Clare-Marie is last of the 71 competitors on 180 after a second-round 88, which was four shots better than her opening-day effort. She was on course to make an even bigger improvement when she reached the turn in 40 but required 48 shots for the inward half, the lowest point of which was a stretch from the 10th to the 14th over which she dropped nine strokes to par, with double bogeys at the 10th, 13th and 14th and a triple bogey at the 12th.
Sweden's Karin Sjodin continues to lead the field afteer a 73 for one-under 143. She is one shot ahead of Oklahoma State University team-mate Annie Thurman who was a member of the United States' Curtis Cup team at Formby in June. Annie has scored 74 and 70.
The Sahalee CC course is 6,192yd with a tough women's par of 72.
COLLATED SCOREBOARD
EDEAN IHLANFELDT INVITATIONAL
Sahalee Country Club, Washington State.
LEADING SECOND-ROUND TOTALS
143 Karin Sjodin (Oklahoma State) 70 73.
144 Annie Thurman (Oklahoma State) 74 70.
Stirling University scores:
168 Olivia Briggs 82 86, Dawn Dewar 84 84.
171 Alex Marshall 86 85.
180 Clare-Marie Carlton 92 88.

Email from Dawn Dewar
Dawn Dewar, currently playing for Stirling University in the tournament above, has emailed to say...
Just a short note to update you on our progress at the University of Washington tournament in Seattle Washington.  We have had a fabulous experience so far, the tournament is organised fantastically well, the golf course is in in fabulous condition on one of the toughest venues we will ever experience in our lives.  Sahalee Country Club is a tree lined course measuring 6,500 yards that has hosted the 1995 USPGA and the 2002 World Golf Championships.  The greens are fast and sloping and the rough unlike anything we would have back home. 
It is fair to say that the Stirling team has struggled to play well.  We are in last place currently.  However we hope to perform must better tomorrow and work our way up an impressive field consisting of some of the top NCAA institutions. 
One of the highlights of the tournament is staying with host families.  They are extremely friendly and hospitable and we are having great fun being in their company. 
Overall, this trip has been a wonderful life time experience.  We have had an opportunity to travel and compete as a team at an overseas competition, play a world class golf course and make new friends and colleagues along the way.  No other university in Europe could help in the way that Stirling has in making this trip happen.  We hope that sometime in the near future we could host a invitational competition in Scotland that would allow many of the best American Universities to come to Scotland and experience golf on our side of the Atlantic.  Maybe the SLGA could work with Stirling in making this a reality??  Hope to bring you good news when we get back. 

Tuesday 5th October 2004

Scotland Senior International Team at Kilkeel yesterday
Back Row L to R: Lorna Bennett, Liz Campbell, Moira Thomson, Anna Telfer, Pam Williamson, Noreen Fenton.
Seated L to R: Nancy Chisholm (President, SLGA) Pam Gordon (Captain), Pat Hutton (Chairman, SLGA)
Photo Courtesy and Copyright © Tom Ward
I think Tom must have said something particularly funny!

SENIOR HOME INTERNATIONALS AT KILKEEL GOLF CLUB:
SCOTS SENIORS BREAK DUCK IN HOME INTERNATIONALS
Scotland scored their first ever win at senior women's home internationals golf level when they beat Wales 4-3 on the opening day of the 2nd stagi