Spanish Hi5 Pro Tour Scoreboard

TODAY'S LADIES FINAL TOTALS
Par 216 (3x72)
1-224 Johanna Lundberg (Sweden) 74 79 71.
2-225 Josefin Leijon (Sweden) 76 75 74.
3-228 Mari Suursalu (Estonia) 78 75 75.
4-230 Elin Emanuelsson (Sweden) 81 78 71.
5-231 Emelie Lind (Sweden) 79 79 73.
6-234 Caroline Martens-Larson (Norway) 81 74 79.
7-236 Antonella Cvitan (Sweden) 78 83 75.

+Lloyd Saltman (Aegon) won the men's section. Switch over to www.scottishgolfview.com for the details.

Women's Australian Open at Melbourne

Laura Davies leads by two with a five-under 68

Defending champion Laura Davies shot a five-under-par 68 to take a two-stroke lead after the first round of the Women's Australian Open at Melbourne today
Davies had six birdies and a bogey on the tough, par-73 Commonwealth lay-out where fewer than 25 golfers in the 150-woman field broke par.
There was a six-way tie for second: Yang Soo-jin, Giulia Sergas, Jenni Kuosa, Felicity Johnson, Rebecca Flood and amateur Alison Whitaker all had 70s.
Alexis Thompson, the 15-year-old American amateur who played in the U.S. Open at the age of 12, shot 71 and was in a group tied for eighth.
Karrie Webb, winner last week of the Australian Ladies Masters and a four-time Women's Australian Open champion, shot 73. Playing the tougher back nine first, Webb had three bogeys before making the turn and then made four birdies and another bogey to remain even on the day.
Former US Curtis Cup amateur star Amanda Blumenherst, who led the Australian Masters after the first two rounds, shot 77 while fellow American Christina Kim had a 78.
Davies bailed herself out by some strong putting.
"Luckily I putted really well today," Davies said. "Today we had two 8- or 9-footers for par and they both went right in the middle of the hole. That's the sort of thing that really keeps you going. Then on nine, hoping to two-putt and you roll a 35-footer in so that was a real bonus."
Davies has won the Australian Open twice -- last year at Metropolitan and in 2004 at Concord in New South Wales.
FIRST ROUND LEADERS
Par 73
Players from Australia unless stated.
68 Laura Davies (England).
70 Rebecca Flood, Felicity Johnson (England), Jenni Kuosa (Finland), Giulia Sergas (Italy), Alison Whittaker, Soo-Jin Yang (South Korea).
71 Stefanie Michl (Austria), Alexis Thompson (United States) (amateur).
72 Christel Boeljon (Netherlands), Riikka Hakkarainen (Finland), Katherine Hull, Karine Icher (France), Sarah Oh, Melissa Reid (England), Hede-Kyung Seo (South Korea), Kristie Smith.
73 Elizabeth Bennett (England), He-Yong Choi (South Korea), Lorie Kane (Canada), Ha-Neul Kim (South Korea), Kym Larratt (England), Marjet Van Der Graaff (Neterlands), Karrie Webb.
Selected scores:
74 Krystle Caithness (Scotland), Lynn Kenny (Scotland), Rebecca Hudson (England) (jt 28th).
75 Hannah Ralph (England) (jt 39th).
76 Danielle Bowers (England), Lydia Hall (Wales), Hazel Kavanagh (Ireland), Janice Moodie (Scotland), Azahara Munoz (Spain), Florentyna Parker (England), Sophie Walker (England) (jt 52nd).
77 Becky Brewerton (Wales), Rebecca Coakley (Ireland), Vikki Laing (Scotland), Breanne Loucks (Wales), Becky Morgan (Wales), Georgina Simpson (England) (jt 70th).
80 Alison Walshe (Ireland) (jt 122nd).
84 Gwladys Nocera (France) (jt 141st).

Amanda clickety-clicks to take

one-shot lead in ANZ Masters

FROM THE LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
American rookie Amanda Blumenherst opened with a six-under 66 to lead after the first round of the ANZ Ladies Masters at RACV Royal Pines Resort on the Australian Gold Coast.
The 23-year-old former US Curtis Cup team member, who turned professional at the beginning of May and is just three tournaments into her first full season, birdied four of her last six holes to take a one shot lead over the defending champion, Queensland-based Australian Katherine Hull.
The six-time title holder Karrie Webb, Kristie Smith, Becky Brewerton, Anna Nordqvist and Vicky Hurst finished a shot further back in a share of third.
Blumenherst, who was a three time collegiate player of the year at Duke University, went out in two-under 35 but stepped up on the back nine with birdies on holes 13, 15, 17 and 18.
Blumenherst said she found the course, “Very wet, but it was great. Extremely windy but I prefer that. I kind of like it when the conditions are tough and it makes everyone’s game… kind of… it separates the players. You know, you have to hit that drive really solid and also really focus on how the wind is playing and not just hit it up there.”
The 2008 US Amateur Champion finished 10th at the US Women’s Open in her freshman year at college and led the qualifiers at the LPGA’s Tour School late last year. She was offered invitations to the LPGA’s season-opening tournaments in Thailand and Singapore as a result.
She said that she was most happy with her putting:

“I putted really well and that’s kind of been struggling, really, throughout my entire golf career. So I was able to turn that on. And I’m always a fairly solid ball striker, so I’ve been hitting it close, but now I’m getting the putts so that definitely helps.”
Webb, who opened with a 68, said that she was happy with her score, despite a “scratchy second nine holes.”
“This was probably one of my better starts in probably five or six years, I think,” said Webb, who won the event in 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2005 and 2007. “I’ve had a couple of scratchy rounds in the times that I’ve won but it forces you to have a really low one it you don’t have a great first round. So, it’s definitely better to get a good start and it takes a bit of the pressure off you and if you do shot a low round that really puts you in with a great chance.”
The joint runner-up in 2009, South Australian Tamie Durdin, had the day’s most interesting round. She played the back nine in seven under 28 with a four stroke lead over the field but dropped four shots over the front nine. She posted an inward total of 41 and a round of 69 for a share of eighth place with nine other players.
Last week’s Pegasus New Zealand Women’s Open winner Laura Davies of England shot 70 to tie for 19th position, just four shots off the lead.

FIRST ROUND SCOREBOARD
Par 72
66 Amanda Blumenherst (USA)
67 Katherine Hull
68 Vicky Hurst (USA), Anna Nordqvist (Swe), Karrie Webb, Becky Brewerton (Wal), Kristie Smith
69 Bo-Mee Lee (Kor), Vikki Laing (Sco), Ji-na Lim (Kor), Hee Kyung Seo (Kor), Nikki Garrett, Jessica Noh, Gwladys Nocera (Fra), Caroline Afonso (Fra), Florentyna Parker (Eng), Tamie Durdin, Stacy Lewis (USA)
70 Taylor Leon (USA), Hye youn Kim (Kor), Sarah-jane Smith, Ursula Wikstrom (Fin), Karine Icher (Fra), Iben Tinning (Den), So yeon Ryu (Kor), Pernilla Lindberg (Swe), Rebecca Flood, Laura Davies (Eng), Jeong Jang (Kor)
71 Lindsey Wright, Laurette Maritz (Rsa), Eun Hee Ji (Kor), Christina Kim (USA), Tania Elosegui (Spa), Elizabeth Bennett (Eng), Sandra Gal (Ger), Anna Oh (Kor), Stefanie Michl (Aut), Lisa Jean, Joanne Mills, Yani Tseng (Tai), Wendy Berger, Helen Oh, Bo kyung Kim (Kor)
72 Frances Bondad, Hazel Kavanagh (Irl), Jeong Eun Lee (Kor), Brittany Lincicome (USA), Diana D'Alessio (USA), Virginine Lagoutte-Clement (Fra), Becky Morgan (Wal), Sophie Giquel (Fra), Lynn Kenny (Sco), Breanne Alicia Loucks (Wal), Sarah Kemp, Karen Lunn, He-yong Choi (Kor), Dana Lacey, Julie Greciet (Fra), Lee-Anne Pace (Rsa), Bomi Suh (USA), Krystle Caithness (Sco), Soo-jin Yang (Kor), Sophie Gustafson (Swe)
73 Melissa Reid (Eng), Beth Allen (USA), Katie Futcher (USA), Sarah Oh (Kor), Emma Cabrera Bello (Spa), Vicky Hermina Thomas, Ashleigh Simon (Rsa), Angela Harris (Aut), Alison Walshe (USA), Hee Young Park (Kor), Mina Harigae (USA), Linda Wessberg (Swe), Giulia Sergas (Ita), Bree Turnbull, Louise Stahle (Swe), Angela Tatt, You-na Park (Kor), Justine Lee, Stacy Lee Bregman (Rsa), Ha-neul Kim (Kor)
74 Jane Wall, Jenni Kuosa (Fin), Marianne Skarpnord (Nor), Danielle Bowers (Eng), Donna Southam, Leah Hart, Azahara Munoz (Spa), Anna-Lise Caudal (Fra), Christel Boeljon (Ned), Ju young Park (Kor), Melanie Bryden, Janice Moodie (Sco), Ran Hong (Kor), Lorie Kane (Can), Bettina Hauert (Ger), Veronica Zorzi (Ita), Carmen Alonso (Spa)
75 Felicity Johnson (Eng), Polly Travica, Kate Combes, Nina Reis (Swe), Martina Eberl (Ger), Rebecca Hudson (Eng), Caroline Rominger (Swi), Hanna-Leena Salonen (Fin), Georgina Simpson (Eng), Bree Arthur (Aut), Titiya Plucksataporn (Tha), Leanne Bowditch, Mi-sun Cho (Kor), Wendy Doolan, Rebecca Coakley (Irl), Hyun-soo Kim (Kor), Vikki Tutt
76 Stacy Tate (Nzl), Cherie Byrnes, Shin-ae Ahn (Kor), Marjet Van Der Graaff (Ned), Sunny Park, Sophie Walker (Eng), Michelle Ellis (USA), Stephanie Na, Jessica Ji (Kor), Jane Kim (Kor)
77 Mianne Bagger (Den), Tamara Beckett, Riikka Hakkarainen (Fin), Meaghan Francella (USA), Jody Fleming, Annie Choi (Kor), Carlie Butler, Cathryn Bristow (Nzl)
78 Rachel Bailey (Eng), Jayde Panos
80 Katy Jarochowicz, Lydia Hall (Wal), Nicole Montgomery, Sarah Nicholson (Nzl)
81 Bronwyn Mullins-Lane
83 Verity Knight

Less practice to last a lot longer,

says Laura Davies

FROM THE DAILY TELEGRAPH WEBSITE
By OLIVER BROWN
Laura Davies, fresh from winning her 73rd worldwide title ahead of this week's Australian Masters, offers the most powerful antidote to Padraig Harrington's habit of obsessive practising.
The Surrey-born 46-year-old - in her 25th year as a tour pro - does not hesitate to ascribe either her longevity or resurgent form to a scrupulous lack of work on the range.
"You see so many young players now injured all the time, maybe it has something to do with all the practice," she said at the Royal Pines resort, on the Gold Coast.
"If you want to play the amount of time I have played – this is my 23rd season – you can't stand on the range all day. You have to be sensible."
Davies appears a woman reborn in Australia, to revisit a tournament she has won three times. She has foregone the frequent trips to a nearby casino in favour of betting on horses and Premier League matches, where she has incurred serious losses as a lifelong Liverpool fan. At least it has helped with management of her practice time – more precisely, with limiting it:
"It means I'm getting older, but it's good I'm still competitive. Who knows, I might try to perform over five decades in 10 years' time."

Twelve-year-old Kiwi Lydia Ko finishes seventh

Laura Davies' 73rd win is NZ Women's Open

FROM THE LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
England’s Laura Davies came to the Pegasus New Zealand Women’s Open with a star billing and showed why when winning the $400,000 co-sanctioned Ladies European Tour and ALPG event by two shots at Pegasus Town, near Christchurch.
Davies had four birdies and never dropped a shot in her closing round of four-under 68 to finish nine-under par, a win worth $60,000 but more importantly for her it brought her victories world-wide to 73 and meant New Zealand was another country she had ticked off the list.
Not that the win will stop her from returning next year to defend her crown. ``I love to play and love to win – that’s what keeps me motivated,’’ she said. She has won in the United States, most European countries, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand.
``India and Portugal are among the few places I’ve been to and not won and if I get a chance to play in South Africa I’d go there,’’ said the 46-year-old global golf traveller.
Davies started the final round in second place at five-under par, a shot behind Australia’s Sarah Kemp and she had fallen to two behind at the turn with the 24-year-old Kemp having had three birdies on the front nine to Davies’ two.
They were level after Davies birdied the 12th hole and the Englishwoman took the lead when Kemp bogeyed after failing to get up and down from a bunker. Davies holed what she called a ``crucial putt’’ for birdie at the par-5 16th to increase her lead to two and felt then that two pars would be enough to win.
That proved correct, Davies playing the last hole, a par-5 of 460m conservatively, hitting a No 5 iron off the tee, then a No. 6 iron and sand wedge to the green and two-putting.
``I was happy to make par and if she (Kemp) was good enough to eagle it then we would go to a play-off.’’
Davies contested the inaugural New Zealand Open at Clearwater last year, but found the course, with its amount of water and out-of-bounds areas, ``blew her mind’’.
She liked Pegasus at first sight and, seeing she was quoted as a 12-1 chancee on an on-line betting site back home, rang her brother to say she was worth a bet. She didn’t know if he had followed her sage advice.
Kemp, as she did last year, finished joint runner-up after a one-under 71, her third sub-par round.
``She (Davies) was always going to be a tough competitor to beat so if I could pick someone to be in a match-play battle she would be the one – I knew Laura would be the one to beat.
Kemp shared second with first-round leader, Marianne Skarpnord, of Norway, and Sweden’s Pernilla Lindberg, who shot a sensational course record of nine-under 63 with 10 birdies.
Last year’s champion, Gwladys Nocera (France), and Georgina Simpson (England) were tied for fifth on five-under 283 and in a group of six on 284. Tied for seventh was the outstanding little 12-year-old from the Pupuke club in North Harbour, Lydia Ko, who finished with a 69 – her third sub-par round – to be the best of the New Zealanders.
FROM THE STUFF.CO.NZ WEBSITE:
Lydia's performance won widespread admiration, particularly from her playing partner today, Iben Tinning, of Denmark, and Norwegian Cecilie Lundgreen.
Tinning described the youngster as "being unbelievable already" while Lundgreen, a veteran of 11 years on the European circuit, said that "it was incredible how a 12-year-old seemed to be totally unfazed by everything that was going on around her".
Despite conditions fluctuating from calm to almost gale-force noreasterlies over the four days, Ko had three sub-par rounds in her 71, 73, 71, 69 total.
Had it not been for a cold putter last Friday she would have had all four rounds in red figures. The most remarkable was her third round 71, when she was one of only 16 players to break par in a day of carnage.
For Ko, thought to be the youngest player to make the cut in a LET event, handling the bigger crowds and spectator interest was a major plus.
"Playing with more people and more spectators, I think I played pretty well today," she said.
After getting up and down out of the greenside bunker on the second hole, Ko had three birdies over the next four holes to go out in 33. Her only blemish was on the par-three 11th where her tee shot was too strong.
After an indifferent putting performance over the first two days, Ko regained her confidence, both with the line and pace of her putts.
"My coach recorded the message for me 'I love putting' which made me confident for today."
Ko had three goals at Pegasus. One was to make the cut, which meant she could get her mother's approval to get her ears pierced, the second was to beat her international team-mate and friend Cecilia Cho, and the third was to better Cho's equal 14th finish in last year's inaugural New Zealand Open. She accomplished all of them.

BRILLIANT RECORD 63 BY PERNILLA LINDBERG
Rookie Swedish professional Pernilla Lindberg posted a brilliant record score of nine-under par 63 on the final day.
She had 10 birdies in a round which bettered by two the first-day score of Norway’s Marianne Skarpnord and her only bogey, at the 10th, came through having been given the wrong pin placement sheet.
The correct sheet showed the pin had been brought forward and Lindberg, 23, admitted she was ``mad’’ after hitting her approach over the green and dropping a shot after having turned in four-under 32 with birdies at the first, fifth, sixth and ninth.
Lindberg, in her first appearance as a professional on the European Ladies Tour (LET) after turning pro last June – she played five LET events as an amateur – after graduating from Oklahoma State University with a degree in international business - calmed herself and answered by birdieing the next two holes as well as the 14th, 15th, 16th, and 18th for an inward half of 31.
After being 31st overnight and two-over par, she rocketed to equal second and picked up a cheque for almost $30,000 instead of $3000.
She said that rolling in an 8m birdie putt at the first had given her momentum and while she had 10 birdies she gave herself good birdie chances on most of the other holes. The secret of her record round was the four par-5s – she birdied them all and three of them were results of two-putts.
Apart from a 8m downhill birdie putt at the difficult par-3 11th, most of her birdies were from inside 4m.
Lindberg, a member of the Swedish team which won the 2008 world Espirito Santo amateur team championship in Adelaide, has a playeres' card for the LPGA Tour after finishing 19th at Qualifying School last December.
She intends to play about 12 or 13 LPGA and six LET Tour events this year.
Lindberg said she held several course records and had shot eight-under twice before, but 10 birdies and a nine-under finish were personal bests.

LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4x72)
279 Laura Davies (England) 69 71 71 68.
281 Sarah Kemp (Australia) 69 67 74 71, Marianne Skarpnord (Norway) 65 73 75 68, Pernilla Lindberg (Sweden) 73 70 75 63.
283 Georgina Simpson (England) 78 69 67 69, Gwladys Nocera (France) 73 71 72 67.
284 Lorie Kane (Canada) 73 66 74 71, Mina Harigae (United States) 73 73 68 70, Linda Wessberg (Sweden) 72 70 73 69, Iben Tinning (Denmark) 73 71 71 69, Lydia Ko (New Zealand) (amateur) 71 73 71 69, Becky Brewerton (Wales) 72 69 71 72.
285 Diana d'Alessio (United Sttes) 67 68 79 71, Beth Allen (United States) 73 69 74 69, Ashleigh Simon (South Africa) 68 70 78 69, Taylor Leon (United States) 72 75 71 67, You Na Park (South Korea) 73 69 71 72.
Selected scores:
289 Lynn Kenny (Scotland) 786 71 72 70, Rebecca Coakley (Ireland) 72 74 74 69 (jt 31st).
290 Hazel Kavanagh (Ireland) 74 70 75 71, Alison Walshe (Ireland) 72 72 73 73, Becky Morgan (Wales) 73 74 70 73, Krystle Caithness (Scotland) 74 72 72 72 (jt 36th).
293 Elizabeth Bennett (England) 72 73 79 69, Sophie Walker (England) 73 75 74 71, Lydia Hall (Wales) 76 70 74 73, Florentyna Parker (England) 72 75 69 77, Azahara Munoz (Spain) 71 73 77 72 (jt 47th)
295 Melissa Reid (England) 73 74 74 74 (jt 69th).
296 Rebecca Hudson (England) 73 75 73 75, Hannah Ralph (England) 73 75 70 78 (jt 82nd).

First-time leader Sarah Kemp has Big

Laura on her tail in NZ Women's Open

FROM THE STUFF.CO.NZ GOLF NEWS SERVICE
Sarah Kemp has never led into the final round of a professional golf tournament before, but the 24-year-old Australian is keenly awaiting the challenge in the final round of the women's New Zealand Open at Pegasus Golf Club, Christchurch tomorrow, even if she is being stalked by one of the legends of the game in England's Laura Davies.
After a day third round the field was almost brought to its knees by a strong winds, Kemp, pictured above, is six-under par on 210, after shooting a two-over 74 today. That leaves her one clear of Davies, who carded 71, with a further shot to Wales' Becky Brewerton.
Considering that American Diana D'Alessio led the field through two rounds at nine under, the strength of the wind, which grew as the day progressed, turned a pleasant morning stroll into a battle for survival. Only 16 players bettered par today, almost all with early morning starts.
Kemp is better equipped than most to handle coastal windy conditions, having learned her game at the New South Wales Golf Club but even she struggled in today's buffeting conditions.
"I didn't think I kept my focus at all well and didn't feel if I played well, but I hung in there for my two over," Kemp said.
Kemp found the wind affected her putting most.
"I would stand over the ball and it would start to shake. It was causing me to change my routine and I shouldn't have done that. I just have to stand over the ball and be confident."
Kemp had to be mentally strong to keep from being affected by the woes of her playing companions. Overnight leader D'Alessio dropped seven shots in six holes - between the 12th and 17th - in her round of 79 while South African Ashleigh Simon dropped eight shots between the 11th and 16th in her 78.
"I'm heading to the putting green for 20 minutes just to hear the ball dropping into the cup. It will be easy to wipe out today and concentrate on tomorrow," Kemp said.
Whereas tomorrow is new ground for Kemp, it is not the case for Davies, who is in good touch after three weeks in Australia and one in Thailand as preparation for this tournament.
"I started off well with four birdies and two three-putt bogeys, which was disappointing, and was cruising, but we turned into the wind on the eighth and it was a different ball game," Davies said.
"I was swinging pretty well to be honest, but just had to concentrate on making pars, but even that was difficult."
To show the magnitude of the wind, Davies hit an eight iron 211m through the green on the 18th, while on the 475m par-five 16th she hit driver, three iron, three iron compared with driver, four iron, sand iron the day before.
"Hopefully it will be a fine day tomorrow and the good crowds will be able to see players shooting birdies, not just surviving," she said.
Heading the New Zealand charge is Wellington's Sarah Nicholson and 12-year-old amateur Lydia Ko on one-under 215 and in a tie for 11th after rounds of 74 and 71 respectively. Cecilia Cho, the third New Zealander to survive the cut, shot a 76 and is tied for 44th.
Krystle Caithness had a 72 for 218 and fellow-Scot Lynn Kenny a 72 for 219.

ALL THE THIRD-ROUND TOTALS
Par 216 (3x72). Players from Australia unless stated otherwise
210 Sarah Kemp 69 67 74
211 Laura Davies (Eng) 69 71 71
212 Becky Brewerton (Wal) 72 69 71
213 Marianne Skarpnord (Nor) 65 73 75, You-na Park (Kor) 73 69 71, Lorie Kane (Can) 73 66 74, Nina Reis (Swe) 72 70 71
214 Georgina Simpson (Eng) 78 69 67, Diana D'Alessio (USA) 67 68 79, Mina Harigae (USA) 73 73 68
215 Tamara Beckett 71 70 74, Linda Wessberg (Swe) 72 70 73, Hye youn Kim (Kor) 73 69 73, Lydia Ko (Nzl) 71 73 71, Stefanie Michl (Aut) 71 69 75, Caroline Rominger (Swi) 73 72 70, Iben Tinning (Den) 73 71 71, Bettina Hauert (Ger) 75 70 70, Cecilie Lundgreen (Nor) 71 73 71, Sarah Nicholson (Nzl) 71 70 74
216 Karen Lunn 76 71 69, Ashleigh Simon (Rsa) 68 70 78, Beth Allen (USA) 73 69 74, Florentyna Parker (Eng) 72 75 69, An-na Oh (Kor) 68 74 74, Gwladys Nocera (Fra) 73 71 72
217 Becky Morgan (Wal) 73 74 70, Dewi Schreefel (USA) 69 72 76, Louise Stahle (Swe) 74 67 76, Alison Walshe (USA) 72 72 73
218 Taylor Leon (USA) 72 75 71, Hannah Ralph (Eng) 73 75 70, Pernilla Lindberg (Swe) 73 70 75, Christel Boeljon (Ned) 73 73 72, Krystle Caithness (Sco) 74 72 72, Kristie Smith 68 76 74
219 Hazel Kavanagh (Irl) 74 70 75, Lynn Kenny (Sco) 76 71 72, Rebecca Flood 71 71 77, Katie Futcher (USA) 72 71 76, Sarah Oh (Kor) 71 72 76, Leanne Bowditch 74 71 74, Emma Cabrera Bello (Spa) 74 73 72
220 Wendy Doolan 73 69 78, Kym Larratt (Eng) 72 74 74, Rebecca Coakley (Irl) 72 74 74, Lydia Hall (Wal) 76 70 74, Sophie Giquel (Fra) 71 72 77, Lee-Anne Pace (Rsa) 72 74 74, Cecilia Cho (Nzl) 73 71 76, Sarah-jane Smith 72 73 75, Mi-sun Cho (Kor) 74 71 75
221 Jane Park (USA) 76 69 76, Azahara Munoz (Spa) 71 73 77, Melissa Reid (Eng) 73 74 74, Rebecca Hudson (Eng) 73 75 73
222 Sophie Walker (Eng) 73 75 74, Katy Jarochowicz 76 71 75, Leah Hart 74 73 75, Bree Turnbull 71 73 78, Nicole Montgomery 77 71 74
223 Jessica Noh 72 76 75
224 Joanne Mills 75 69 80, Kate Combes 71 75 78, Elizabeth Bennett (Eng) 72 73 79
225 Danielle Bowers (Eng) 74 74 77
226 Caroline Afonso (Fra) 75 71 80

Irish find a way to give cash aid to THEIR

-

aspiring male and female professionals

-

FROM THE IRISH LADIES GOLF UNION WEBSITE
The Team Ireland Golf Trust this week announced grants totalling €217,000 to 17 aspiring male and female golfers who are pursuing their careers on professional golf tours.
Among the golfers receiving the top award of €20,000 are Alison Walshe, Tara Delaney and Martina Gillen.
Walshe, pictured right by Cal Carson Golf Agency, from Co Galway, who has a card on both the Ladies European Tour and LPGA in the United States, has decided to represent Ireland in the professional ranks after having competed as an amateur for the USA in the Curtis Cup match at St Andrews in 2008.
Delaney and Gillen will both play on the Ladies European Tour in 2010. Rebecca Coakley and Hazel Kavanagh will also receive grants of €15,000 to assist their campaigns on the Ladies European Tour and their efforts to qualify for the European Solheim Cup Team in 2011.
Irish golf enjoyed another very successful year in 2009. Team Ireland golfers made their mark with another series of successful performances on the major golf tours.
The Team Ireland Golf Trust, which is unique in Europe, plays an essential part in the development of professional golfers at the start of their tour careers, given the lack of commercial sponsorship.
The impact of these golfers in recent years is also a tribute to the excellent work of the ILGU and GUI in improving the standards of golf in Ireland. The Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Mr Martin Cullen TD, welcomed the allocation of the grants:
"I welcome the great work the Golf Trust has done over the years to assist and encourage talented young golfers to make the transition from amateur to professional international status. Without the initial financial assistance given to them, many of our successful international golfers would not have reached the successes they have achieved.
"Padraig Harrington, Paul McGinley and Shane Lowry are among those who have benefited from the Trust. Padraig was a grant recipient from the original Golf Trust for a number of years, at the time when he was an amateur, and he has often talked of what a great help these grants were to him in his early career.
"I wish the Golf Trust every success as they further develop the talent of our young golfers pursuing their professional careers and, adding significantly, to our country's golf tourism profile abroad."
As part of the Trust’s support package, all golfers can avail of the world-class facilities at the GUI’s National Academy at Carton House. The golfers on the Trust scheme also have free access to the network of service providers such as physiologists, sports psychologists, biomechanists, physiotherapists, and doctors offered by the Irish Sports Council to the athletes on the International Carding Scheme.
Alison Walshe, reacting to her award, commented; “I am thrilled to receive this generous grant from the Golf Trust. I’m starting to play an extensive LET schedule this week in New Zealand and am really honoured to do it as a member of Team Ireland. One of my chief goals is to represent our country in the 2011 Solheim Cup and this support will help tremendously.”
This is the eleventh year of the Trust, which has provided €2.5 million in financial support to golfers to date. The Trust, which is administered by the Irish Sport Council, aims to contribute to an increase in the presence of Irish golf professionals on the various international tours.
It is a partnership between state agencies and the various golf organisations. Financial backing for the Trust is provided by the Irish Sports Council, Fáilte Ireland and the PGA European Tour.
Trust Chairman Padraig O’Huiginn stated: “The Trust was established with a very specific goal in mind, increasing the number of Irish golfers competing and winning on the top tours and hence promoting Ireland, north and south, as a golf destination.
"The proof of the success of the scheme is the presence of many successful Irish golfers in international competition. This brings enormous benefits to the game at home, not least by highlighting Ireland as an important golf tourism destination.”
Established players on the main European Tour, who have benefited from the Trust, are Padraig Harrington, Paul McGinley, Peter Lawrie, Damien McGrane, Gary Murphy, Michael Hoey, Gareth Maybin and Shane Lowry.
The Irish PGA, the Golfing Union of Ireland, and the Irish Ladies Golf Union, along with the state agencies are represented on the Team Ireland Golf Trust committee, which is chaired by Mr. O’Huiginn. John Treacy, CEO of the Irish Sports Council commented
“Irish golf is enjoying a period of unprecedented success. The Trust has played a major part in that success by providing support for top amateur players as they embark on careers as touring professionals”.
Team Ireland Golf Trust Grants 2010
Total €217,000
Jonathan Caldwell, Co Down (Challenge Tour) €15,000
Rebecca Coakley, Co Carlow (Ladies European Tour) €15,000
Tara Delaney, Co Carlow (Ladies European Tour) €20,000
Martina Gillen, Co Cavan (Ladies European Tour) €20,000
Hazel Kavanagh, Dublin (Ladies European Tour) €15,000
Niall Kearney, Dublin (Challenge Tour) €15,000
Richard Kilpatrick, Co Down (Alps Tour/Challenge Tour) €7,000
Brian McElhinney, Co Donegal (Europro Tour/Challenge Tour) €7,000
Michael McGeady, Co Donegal (Challenge Tour) €10,000
Colm Moriarty, Co Westmeath (Challenge Tour) €10,000
Paul O’Hanlon, Co Kildare (Europro Tour/Challenge Tour) €7,000
Peter O’Keeffe, Co Cork (Europro Tour/Challenge Tour) €7,000
Gareth Shaw, Co Antrim (Challenge Tour) €15,000
Simon Thornton, Co Down (European Tour) €20,000
Barrie Trainor, Co Down (Europro Tour/Challenge Tour) €7,000
Niall Turner, Co Cork (Europro Tour/Challenge Tour) €7,000
Alison Walshe, USA & Co Galway (Ladies European Tour) €20,000

Any comments? E-mail them to Colin@scottishgolfview.com

Ladies Asian Tour Scoreboard
THAILAND LADIES OPEN
Vintage Club, Samutprakarn, Thailand
FINAL TOTALS
Par 216 (3x72)
211 Jung Lee Min (Kor) 71 69 71
213 Yu-Ling Hsien (Tpe) 74 69 70
214 Russamee Gulyanamitta (Tha) 72 73 69, Pornanong Phatlum (Tha) 74 70 70, Chang-Hee Lee (Kor) 70 71 73
215 Pei Tsai Ying (Tpe) 74 70 71, Hae Kim Jung (Kor) 73 71 71, Min Nam Ji (Kor) 67 75 73
217 Nontaya Srisawang (Tha) 76 71 70
218 Bo-Mi Suh (Kor) 78 70 70, Ha Choi Young (Kor) 72 75 71, Ornthana Chuenarrom (Tha) 73 73 72, Patcharachuta Kongkapan (Tha) 72 73 73, Tiffany Tavee (USA) 72 72 74
219 A-Ram Cho (Kor) 74 73 72, Tao Yang Li (Chn) 72 75 72, Ji Nam Min (Kor) 73 71 75
220 Hyun-Jin Park 2 (Kor) 73 75 72, Onnarin Sattayabanphot (Tha) 74 73 73, Tzu-Chi Lin (Tpe) 72 74 74
221 Virada Nirapatpongporn (Tha) 74 73 74, Hyun Byun Min (Kor) 76 70 75
222 Da Kim Na (Kor) 76 74 72, Mi Lee Rim (Kor) 74 73 75, Eun Lee Kyoung (Kor) 74 73 75
223 Tiranun Yoopan (Tha) 77 75 71, So Kim Young2 (Kor) 75 75 73, Jaruporn Palakawong (Tha) 72 75 76
224 Solar Lee (Kor) 78 75 71, Xiao Zhong Long (Chn) 78 74 72, Hye-Min Kim (Kor) 79 71 74
225 Hyun Kim Kyung (Kor) 74 77 74, Porani Chutichai (Tha) 71 78 76, I Chen Wen (Tpe) 73 76 76, Chie Sakai (Jpn) 77 71 77, Libby Smith (USA) 73 76 76, Praewnapa Phol-Uayporn (Tha) 74 74 77, Sahra Hassan (Wales) 75 73 77
226 Lidya Jaya Ivana Ina 73 76 77
227 Atsuko Sato (Jpn) 81 72 74, Mina Nakayama (Jpn) 74 77 76
228 Samantha Richdale (Can) 77 76 75, Ming Chen Yen (Tpe) 76 77 75, Wannasiri Sirisampant (Tha) 78 74 76, Emiko Tsuji (Jpn) 78 74 76, Tzu Kuo Chen (Tpe) 72 79 77, Janya Morakotphan (Tha) 75 75 78
229 Thidapa Suwannapura (Tha) 76 77 76, Bo Park Mi (Kor) 75 78 76, Min Kang Joo (Kor) 77 75 77, Momoe Kunimoto (Jpn) 79 72 78, Makoto Nagai (Jpn) 76 74 79, Kai Su Yun (Tpe) 72 75 82
230 Xiao Wei Rong (Chn) 78 75 77
234 Bo Lee Ri (Kor) 75 77 82
237 Miyuki Mitsuyama (Jpn) 75 78 84

Caithness and Kenny survive but Laing misses NZ Open cut

FROM THE AOL GOLF NEWS SERVICE
American Diana D'Alessio carded a second-round 68 to claim a one-shot lead on nine-under-par 135 after 36 holes of the New Zealand Women's Open at Pegasus Golf Club, Christchurch.
Australian Sarah Kemp is one shot adrift at the halfway stage following a 67.
A shot further back are South African Ashleigh Simon and overnight leader Norwegian Marianne Skarpnord, whose 73 was eight shots more than her outstanding first round.
Leading the British challenge is veteran Laura Davies with 69 and 71 for four-under-par 140.
Twelve-year-old Lydia Ko carded a 73 and stands at level par.
To survive the two-round cut, players had to score four-over par 148 or better.
Krystle Caithness (74-72: 146) and Lynn Kenny (76-71: 147) made it with a shot or two to spare but the third Scot in the field, Vikki Laing from Musselburgh, missed out by one shot with scores of 73 and 73 for 149.
SECOND-ROUND TOTALS
Par 144 (2x72)
Players from Australia unless stated otherwise.
135 Diana D'Alessio (US) 67 68
136 Sarah Kemp 69 67
138 Marianne Skarpnord (Nor) 65 73, Ashleigh Simon (Rsa) 68 70
139 Lorie Kane (Can) 73 66
140 Stefanie Michl (Aut) 71 69, Laura Davies (Eng) 69 71
141 Tamara Beckett 71 70, Dewi Schreefel (USA) 69 72, Becky Brewerton (Wal) 72 69, Louise Stahle (Swe) 74 67, Sarah Nicholson (Nzl) 71 70
142 Linda Wessberg (Swe) 72 70, Wendy Doolan 73 69, You-na Park (Kor) 73 69, Hye youn Kim (Kor) 73 69, Beth Allen (USA) 73 69, Rebecca Flood 71 71, Nina Reis (Swe) 72 70, An-na Oh (Kor) 68 74
143 Sophie Giquel (Fra) 71 72, Pernilla Lindberg (Swe) 73 70, Sarah Oh (Kor) 71 72, Katie Futcher (USA) 72 71
144 Hazel Kavanagh (Irl) 74 70, Bree Turnbull 71 73, Cecilia Cho (Nzl) 73 71, Lydia Ko (Nzl) 71 73, Kristie Smith 68 76, Gwladys Nocera (Fra) 73 71, Iben Tinning (Den) 73 71, Joanne Mills 75 69, Azahara Munoz (Spa) 71 73, Alison Walshe (USA) 72 72, Cecilie Lundgreen (Nor) 71 73
145 Caroline Rominger (Swi) 73 72, Jane Park (USA) 76 69, Bettina Hauert (Ger) 75 70, Elizabeth Bennett (Eng) 72 73, Sarah-Jane Smith 72 73, Leanne Bowditch 74 71, Mi-sun Cho (Kor) 74 71
146 Kym Larratt (Eng) 72 74, Kate Combes 71 75, Rebecca Coakley (Irl) 72 74, Lee-Anne Pace (Rsa) 72 74, Krystle Caithness (Scotland) 74 72, Caroline Afonso (Fra) 75 71, Lydia Hall (Wal) 76 70, Christel Boeljon (Ned) 73 73, Mina Harigae (US) 73 73
147 Karen Lunn 76 71, Taylor Leon (US) 72 75, Katy Jarochowicz 76 71, Melissa Reid (Eng) 73 74, Emma Cabrera Bello (Spa) 74 73, Georgina Simpson (Eng) 78 69, Leah Hart 74 73, Becky Morgan (Wal) 73 74, Lynn Kenny (Scotland) 76 71, Florentyna Parker (Eng) 72 75
148 Sophie Walker (Eng) 73 75, Hannah Ralph (Eng) 73 75, Jessica Noh 72 76, Nicole Montgomery 77 71, Danielle Bowers (Eng) 74 74, Rebecca Hudson (Eng) 73 75.

MISSED THE CUT
149 Virginine Lagoutte-Clement (Fra) 75 74, Vikki Laing (Scotland) 76 73, Rachel Bailey (Eng) 76 73, Hanee Song (Nzl) 75 74, Martina Eberl (Ger) 74 75, Ursula Wikstrom (Fin) 74 75, Cathryn Bristow (Nzl) 74 75, Lisa Wright (Nzl) 80 69
150 Vicky Hermina Thomas 73 77, Caroline Bon (Nzl) 78 72, Anna-Lise Caudal (Fra) 74 76
151 Frances Bondad 70 81, Tania Elosegui (Spa) 73 78, Nikki Garrett 77 74, Marjet Van Der Graaff (Ned) 72 79, Susan c Farron (Nzl) 75 76, Bree Arthur (Aut) 80 71, Melanie Bryden 74 77, Stacey Keating 75 76, Zoe Brake (Nzl) 71 80, Jessica Ji (Kor) 82 69, Stephanie Na 77 74
152 Felicity Johnson (Eng) 74 78, Stacy Tate (Nzl) 80 72, Hanna-Leena Salonen (Fin) 76 76, Jenni Kuosa (Fin) 76 76, Ju young Park (Kor) 72 80
153 Tandi Cuningham (Rsa) 75 78, Rebecca Green 81 72, Dana Lacey 79 74, Sunwoo Bea (Nzl) 76 77, Jody Fleming 76 77
154 Riikka Hakkarainen (Fin) 77 77, Polly Travica 75 79, Elizabeth McKinnon (NZ) 79 75, Jane Kim (Kor) 78 76, Carmen Alonso (Spa) 78 76
155 Charlotte Brooks (Nzl) 75 80, Laurette Maritz (Rsa) 79 76, Clare Choi 80 75, Titiya Plucksataporn (Tha) 73 82
156 Mianne Bagger (Den) 76 80, Karen l Pearce 76 80, Julie Greciet (Fra) 77 79, Catherine Knight (Nzl) 78 78
157 Verity Knight 84 73, Donna Southam 78 79, Stacy Lee Bregman (Rsa) 77 80, Kasey Henshaw 77 80
158 Kerrin Starr (Nzl) 78 80, Wendy Hawkes (Nzl) 74 84
159 Helen Oh 78 81, Emily Perry (Nzl) 78 81, Sunny Park 79 80
160 Becky Walsh (Nzl) 82 78
162 Corinne Furnell 81 81, Karen Quinn 83 79
163 Ludivine Kreutz (Fra) 78 85
167 Rica Tse (Nzl) 78 89, Lynn Shaskey (Nzl) 87 80
168 Phillis Meti (Nzl) 80 88
170 Angela Hawkes (Nzl) 81 89
Retired: 89 Jesse Hamilton (Nzl)

Krystle Caithness leading Scot with a first-round 74

Skarpnord, out in 29, leads NZ Women's Open

A sensational front nine of seven-under 29 provided the foundation for a seven-under 65 by Norwegian golfer Marianne Skarpnord, who has a two-shot lead after the first round of the New Zealand Women's Open at Pegasus Town, near Christchurch, today.
The 24-year-old Skarpnord, winner of the British girls' open amateur championship in 2003, started spectacularly with eight successive threes, one of which was an eagle at the par-5 446m fifth hole. She was seven-under after seven and missed a 15-foot putt for birdie at the ninth that would have given her a record 28 for nine holes in an European Ladies Tour (LET) event.
A stiff north-easterly wind presented Skarpnord with a harder challenge on the more testing back nine and she put the 29 to the back of her mind and concentrated on every shot, playing the back nine in par 36 with her only bogey at the 12th which was offset by a birdie at the 15th.
Skarpnord is two shots to the good of American Diana D'Alessio, who birdied her last two holes to take second outright, a shot ahead of South African, Ashleigh Simon, Korean An-Na Oh, and West Australian Kristie Smith, who shot her 68 when the wind blew from the north-west in the morning.
On three-under 69 and tied for sixth were Dutchwoman Dewi-Claire Schreefel, multiple international winner, Laura Davies (England) and Australian Sarah Kemp, who tied for second last year.
The leading New Zealand trio after rounds of one-under 71 were Wellington professional, Sarah Nicholson, and amateurs, Zoe Brake (Whakatane) and 12-year-old Lydia Ko (Pupuke).
Skarpnord, in her seventh year as a professional after an amateur career which was highlighted by her victory in the 2003 British Girls Championship and being a member of the winning European Junior Solheim Cup the same year, had her best year on the LET Tour in 2009 when she won twice and had seven other top-10 finishes.
She was laid back after her 65 today, saying she holed a "couple of long putts, felt comfortable throughout and had a lot of fun with her new caddy".
"I didn't think about it (29) as the wind picked up for our last 12 to 13 holes and I had to focus on every shot. I was just trying to get the ball in the hole."
Skarpnord she intended doing nothing different in the second round.
"I'll forget what happened today and start all over again. I feel confident but I won't be thinking about holding my score together - I'll go out and have fun."
D'Alessio, winner of more than $US1.2 million on the LPGA Tour in America, never had a bogey. Starting off the back nine, she birdied 13 and 15 and went three-under after her third birdie at the fourth. She finished with a flourish with birdies at the eighth and ninth.
After tomorrow's second round, the field of 130 will be cut to the top 65 and ties.
FIRST-ROUND SCORES
Par 72.
Players from Australia unless stated
65 Marianne Skarpnord (Norway)
67 Diana D'Alessio (US)
68 Ashleigh Simon (South Africa), An-na Oh (Kor), Kristie Smith
69 Dewi Schreefel (US), Laura Davies (England), Sarah Kemp
70 Frances Bondad
71 Tamara Beckett, Kate Combes, Bree Turnbull, Lydia Ko (Nzl), Sarah Oh (South Korea), Stefanie Michl (Austria), Azahara Munoz (Spain), Sophie Giquel (France), Rebecca Flood, Zoe Brake (Nzl), Cecilie Lundgreen (Norway), Sarah Nicholson (Nzl)
72 Taylor Leon (US), Linda Wessberg (Sweden), Kym Larratt (England), Rebecca Coakley (Ireland), Nina Reis (Sweden), Lee-Anne Pace (South Africa), Elizabeth Bennett (England), Sarah-Jane Smith, Becky Brewerton (Wales), Jessica Noh, Marjet Van Der Graaff (Netherlands), Katie Futcher (USA), Ju young Park (Kor), Florentyna Parker (England), Alison Walshe (Ireland/US)
73 Hannah Ralph (England), Tania Elosegui (Spain), Hye youn Kim (South Korea), Melissa Reid (England), Beth Allen (US), Rebecca Hudson (England), Gwladys Nocera (France), Caroline Rominger (Swi), Vicky Hermina Thomas, Becky Morgan (Wales), Christel Boeljon (Netherlands), Titiya Plucksataporn (Thailand), Mina Harigae (US), Wendy Doolan, Lorie Kane (Can), Cecilia Cho (Nzl), Iben Tinning (Den), Sophie Walker (England), You-na Park (South Korea), Pernilla Lindberg (Sweden)
74 Hazel Kavanagh (Ireland), Felicity Johnson (England), Martina Eberl (Germany), Danielle Bowers (England), Louise Stahle (Swe), Krystle Caithness (Scotland), Ursula Wikstrom (Fin), Emma Cabrera Bello (Spain), Leah Hart, Wendy Hawkes (Nzl), Anna-Lise Caudal (Fra), Melanie Bryden, Mi-sun Cho (South Korea), Leanne Bowditch, Cathryn Bristow (Nzl)
75 Polly Travica, Charlotte Brooks (Nzl), Tandi Cuningham (South Africa), Virginine Lagoutte-Clement (France), Caroline Afonso (France), Bettina Hauert (Germany), Susan c Farron (Nzl), Joanne Mills, Stacey Keating, Hanee Song (Nzl)
76 Karen Lunn, Mianne Bagger (Denmark), Karen Pearce, Katy Jarochowicz, Jenni Kuosa (Finland), Vikki Laing (Scotland), Rachel Bailey (England), Sunwoo Bea (Nzl), Jane Park (US), Hanna-Leena Salonen (Finland), Lydia Hall (Wales), Lynn Kenny (Scotland), Jody Fleming
77 Riikka Hakkarainen (Finland), Julie Greciet (France), Stacy Lee Bregman (South Africa), Nikki Garrett, Nicole Montgomery, Stephanie Na, Kasey Henshaw
78 Caroline Bon (Nzl), Kerryn Starr (Nzl), Emily Perry (Nzl), Rica Tse (Nzl), Donna Southam, Georgina Simpson (England), Helen Oh, Catherine Knight (Nzl), Ludivine Kreutz (France), Jane Kim (South Korea), Carmen Alonso (Spain)
79 Dana Lacey, Laurette Maritz (South Africa), Sunny Park, Elizabeth McKinnon (Nz.)
80 Stacy Tate (Nzl), Bree Arthur (Austria), Clare Choi, Phillis Meti (Nzl), Lisa Wright (Nzl)
81 Rebecca Green, Corinne Furnell, Angela Hawkes (Nzl)
82 Becky Walsh (Nzl), Jessica Ji (South Korea)
83 Karen Quinn
84 Verity Knight
87 Lynn Shaskey (Nzl)
89 Jesse Hamilton (Nzl)

Rosie Jones to captain US in 2011 Solheim Cup match in Ireland

Rosie Jones has been named by the LPGA to captain the United States in next year's Solheim Cup match against Europe at Killeen Castle in Ireland from September 23 to 25.
Jones is a 13-time winner on the LPGA Tour and has played in seven Solheim Cup matches, the last of which was at Crooked Stick in 2005 when she was unbeaten in three games.
The United States leads the series 8-3, including three victories in a row.

'Realistic' Catriona Matthew rules out
-
trying to qualify for Open at St Andrews

FROM THE SCOTSMAN NEWSPAPER
By Mark Garrod
Supermum she may be, but Catriona Matthew draws the line at getting involved in a battle of the sexes.
The 40-year-old Scot's amazing victory at last year's Ricoh Women's British Open – just 11 weeks after giving birth to her second daughter Sophie – entitles her to try to qualify for the Open at St Andrews this July.
But Matthew has not given a moment's thought to the possibility of becoming the first woman to attempt it.
"I really don't see the point," said Matthew, from North Berwick but now in Singapore for the HSBC Women's Champions event. "You've got to be realistic – we can't hit it as far and can't compete distance-wise (with the male pros).
"I've always loved playing St Andrews (she was seventh in the 2007 Women's Open there), but I've not heard any talk of anybody wanting to do it. (The idea of) Women in the Open has kind of drifted away."Michelle Wie's performance at the US Tour's Sony Open six years ago – aged 14 she missed the cut by only one shot – led to a change in the rules for the Open from 2006. Now anybody finishing in the top five at any of the women's majors can enter regional qualifying, but not one player has tried yet.
Wie always seemed the likeliest to give it a go, but the more she tried in men's events the more she struggled and, for the time being at least, the 20-year-old has given up. Not that any top woman player would have given much consideration to it this year if they studied the Open Championship entry form.
The regional qualifying is at 16 courses around Britain on Monday, June 21 and the LPGA Championship, the second of their own majors, starts in New York three days later. There appears to have been a mistake made on the form in any case. It states that the top five in New York that week can enter a qualifier ... which has already taken place!
Those who think the men-only Royal and Ancient Club do not really want women playing the Open will point to this as evidence. Matthew is excited enough about the possibility of challenging for more major honours in the women's game. Her record last year was played one, won one.
Her defence of the Women's British Open starts at Royal Birkdale on July 20, but before that comes the Kraft Nabisco in California from April 1 to 4, the LPGA Championship and then the US Women's Open at Oakmont from July 8 to 11.
Her pregnancy and then the birth of Sophie last May prevented her playing those three last year and to win at Lytham so soon afterwards was one of the golfing stories of the year. So stunning, in fact, that many would like to have seen her a contender for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award.
"I thought a nomination would be the best I could do, but unfortunately not," says Matthew. "It's always tough to compare sports, but it was nice to be there."
The age of her two children – Katie is three – will mean a re- assessment of her career with husband-caddie Graeme in a few years, but for the time being it is all systems go. And she is still pinching herself that she now has one major under her belt.
"The plan after the birth was to go and play about 10 tournaments, just to get back in the swing of it, thinking that this year would be really starting again."
Her return came at the Evian Masters in France in July and after the drama of having to escape from a hotel blaze there (her husband suffered burns), the Women's Open was just a week later.
"The fire was one of those things that are always worse when you look back and think what could have happened," she said.
"At the time you just react and rush out. Then later you think 'My God, that could have been a lot worse'."
At Lytham her week could not have been any better. Her second-round 67 included back-to-back eagles, one of them a hole in one, and an inward 30 which stands as a record for any competition male or female on the famous links.
"It's been very busy since, but I would not change it for anything," she said.
The New Year brought an MBE and she is hoping to hear soon when the ceremony at Buckingham Palace will take place.
"When I was second at the Kraft Nabisco I was getting to the stage where you think you might never have a better chance to win a major," she said. "So to do it two years later in front of a British crowd was just incredible."
+The full article above appears in The Scotsman newspaper.

Aberdeeen Asset Management to be title sponsor of

Ladies Scottish Open at Archerfield Links in August

FROM THE SCOTSMAN WEBSITE
By MARTIN DEMPSTER
The Ladies Scottish Open, which will return to the calendar this year at Archerfield Links in August, has received a further boost with the news that Aberdeen Asset Management is to be its title sponsor.
The company supported the event, which is presented by Event Scotland, in 2008, the second of its two stagings at the Carrick on Loch Lomond, and chief executive Martin Gilbert, a keen golfer who partners Paul Lawrie in the Dunhill Links Championship each year, is excited about its switch to the East Lothian venue on 18-20 August.
"Aberdeen Asset Management remains committed to golf at all levels of the game and, as a company headquartered in Scotland, we are proud to support this prestigious Scottish event," he said.
"August is set to be a busy month for many of our Aberdeen ambassadors – Mhairi McKay will return to her native Scotland to compete in the Aberdeen Ladies Scottish Open, the Scottish amateur team will compete in the Home Internationals in Wales and Colin Montgomerie will also be making his Ryder Cup captain's picks at Gleneagles."
Andrew White, chief executive of the event promoters, WSM Sponsorship, added: "We are grateful to have the support of this truly Scottish business for the 2010 event."
+The full article above appears in The Scotsman newspaper.

La Nivelle Ladies Open snowed off at Biarritz ... lady

pros can still enter next week's Spanish Festival

FROM THE LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR ACCESS SERIES WEBSITE
Unfortunately the first event on the 2010 LET Access Series, La Nivelle Ladies Open, has been called off for this weekend due to bad weather.
Thursday’s first round was postponed and then today’s re-scheduled round was cancelled as the course (near Biarritz in south-west France) was still covered in snow. The organisers are looking for an alternative date to re-schedule the event.
The next tournament will be the Terre Blanche Ladies Open , from 31st March to 3rd April at Golf de Terre Blanche near Nice.
Editor's note: When the organisers saw how bad the weather was in southwest France, they could have moved the La Nivelle Ladies Open lock, stock and barrell to south-east Spain - there's absolutely no snow at Hacienda del Alamo Golf Resort in Murcia, where the 3rd Hacienda del Alamo Women's & Girls' Festival tees off tomorrow (Saturday) with a better-ball pairs tournament.
We would have put on lady pro events but we did not receive a single inquiry. Maybe they'll change their mind now with the cancellation of La Nivelle Ladies Open.
If any of the lady pros want to play in the Festival 36-hole event (Monday-Tuesday next week) and/or the 54-hole open (next Thursday-Friday-Saturday), e-mail Tournament Controller Lee Harrington at marshall@hdagolf.com or phone Director of Golf Billy Sim (0034 6902 95650) and they'll be delighted to create lady pro categories in both events.

Snow hits first day of LET Access Series in France

The first Ladies European Tour Access Series event has been reduced to 36 holes after heavy snow at La Nivelle Golf Course in southern France…
First round play at La Nivelle Ladies Open was abandoned at noon today due to snow.
There is a re-draw for Friday, starting from two tees at 10.30am. The weather forecast for the next few days in Ciboure, near Biarritz in France, is three to four degrees with a strong breeze from the north.
The tournament is still scheduled to finish on Saturday with hopefully 18 holes played each day. .

Royal Canadian GA announces developmental

tour for women professionals and amateurs

NEWS RELEASE FROM ROYAL CANADIAN GOLF ASSOCIATION
CN and the Royal Canadian Golf Association (RCGA) are pleased to announce the championship schedule for the 2010 CN Canadian Women’s Tour, Canada’s only developmental golf tour for women.
This season’s scheduled Tour events, which include a practice round, 9-hole Pro-Am and 36-holes of competition will be held:
May 5-7 at Quilchena Golf & Country Club in Richmond, British Columbia.
June 27-29 at Blue Springs Golf Club in Acton, Ontario.
July 11-13 at Club de golf Rivermead in Gatineau, Quebec.
A notable addition to the 2010 campaign is that the top three players on the CN Canadian Women’s Tour season-ending order of merit will be awarded direct entry and entry fees paid into both LPGA Tour Sectional Qualifying Tournaments (a $5,000 value each).
As well, the champion of each CN Canadian Women's Tour event is eligible to compete in Duramed Futures Tour events for the remainder of the 2010 season.
Total season prize money for the 2010 season is Canadian $180,000 for three events. Each 36-hole championship purse will be Canadian $60,000 with the champion being awarded a Canadian $10,000 winners’ cheque.
“This year the CN Canadian Women’s Tour season is going to be one of our best yet,” said Richard Kuypers, Tournament Coordinator for the CN Canadian Women’s Open. “The top three players on the order of merit will receive their fees into the LPGA Tour Sectional Qualifying Tournaments. This important enhancement to our Tour will undoubtedly help to attract the best possible field of competitors to our championships.”
The winner from each of the three Tour events will receive an exemption directly into the CN Canadian Women’s Open with the additional three exemptions being awarded based on the CN Canadian Women’s Tour Order of Merit standings.
Quilchena Golf & Country Club will open the Tour’s 2010 season, hosting their first RCGA sanctioned event, while Blue Springs Golf Club, a ClubLink property and home of the Canadian PGA, will be the Tour’s second stop of the season.
Many of Canada’s elite female golfers have used the CN Canadian Women’s Tour to hone their skills and develop as athletes both on and off the course.
Player bios for golfers who regularly play in CN Canadian Women’s Tour events and additional information is now available online at http://www.cncanadianwomenstour.com/.
Eligibility
The CN Canadian Women’s Tour is open to female professionals, and female amateur and junior golfers who have a handicap factor of 4.0 or better.
Entry Fees
The entry fee for each championship is Canadian $375 for professionals and Canadian $275 for amateurs. There is no qualifying tournament or membership fee.

NEW SOUTH WALES WOMEN'S OPEN

Laura loses it with a final round of 74

Overnight leader and defending champion Laura Davies left the door open for her challengers with a third and final round of 74 in the $100,000 Bing Lee Samsung New South Wales Women's Open.
First through the door was New South Wales player Sarah Oh who turned over seven shots of big Laura (pictured) on the final day with a 67, after earlier rounds of 67 and 73, for a nine-under-par total of 207 to win the title and the $15,000 first prize.
Oh won by a single shot from Queensland's Katherine Hull who had scores of 68, 72 and 68 for 208 to collect the runner-up cheque for $10,250.
Laura Davies and Rebecca Coakley (Team Ireland) were the leading European finishers in joint 10th place on 213. Laura's scores were 69, 70 and 74 for 213; Rebecca 70, 71 72. Both earned $2,008.
FINAL TOTALS
Par 216 (3x72) 5494metres
1 SARAH OH (New South Wales) 67 73 67 207 ($15,000).
2 KATHERINE HULL (Queensland) 68 72 68 208 ($10,250).
3 NIKKI CAMPBELL (Australian Capital Territory) 70 75 64 209 ($6,000).
3 KAREN LUNN (New South Wales) 69 71 69 209 ($6,000).
5 SARAH-JANE SMITH (Queensland) 70 72 68 210 ($3,950).
5 RACHEL L BAILEY (New South Wales) 68 72 70 210 ($3,950).
7 WENDY DOOLAN (New South Wales) 69 72 71 212 ($3,066).
7 CATHRYN BRISTOW (New Zealand) 68 74 70 212 ($3,066).
7 SARAH NICHOLSON (New Zealand) 66 75 71 212 ($3,066).
10 LAURA DAVIES (England) 69 70 74 213 ($2,008).
10 VICKY THOMAS (13th Beach) 70 75 68 213 ($2,008).
10 STEPHANIE NA (South Australia) 70 74 69 213 ($2,008).
10 REBECCA COAKLEY (Team Ireland) 70 71 72 213 ($2,008).
10 JOANNE MILLS (New South Wales) 70 70 73 213 ($2,008).
15 LEANNE BOWDITCH (Queensland) 73 72 69 214 ($1,475).
15 SOPHIE WALKER (England) 70 72 72 214 ($1,475).
17 JESSICA NOH (New South Wales) 73 72 70 215 ($1,275).
17 NIKKI GARRETT (New South Wales) 72 74 69 215 ($1,275).
19 JANE KIM (New South Wales) 74 71 71 216 ($1,093).
19 SARAH KEMP (New South Wales) 73 73 70 216 ($1,093).
19 FRANCES BONDAD (New South Wales) 72 73 71 216 ($1,093).
19 KAREN PEARCE (Queensland) 71 73 72 216 ($1,093).
19 KRISTIE SMITH (Western Australia) 71 70 75 216 ($1,093).
19 DANA LACEY (Western Australia) 70 73 73 216 ($1,1093).
25 TAMARA BECKETT (Queensland) 74 71 72 216 ($930).
25 STACEY TATE (New Zealand) 72 74 71 217 ($930).
27 MELANIE BRYDEN (Victoria) 70 74 74 218 ($814).
27 REBECCA FLOOD (New South Wales) 71 76 71 218 ($814).
27 STACEY KEATING (Victoria) (amateur) 68 78 72 218.
27 KATE COMBES (Victoria) 70 77 71 218 ($814).
27 LEAH HART (Queensland) 74 73 71 218 ($814).
27 BREE ARTHUR (Queensland) 70 74 74 218 ($814).
33 JESSICA SPEECHLEY (Western Australia) (amateur) 72 75 72 219.
33 JEAN CHUA (Malaysia) 72 75 72 219 ($730).
33 ALLYCE WATKINSON (The Lakes) (amateur) 71 79 69 219.
33 ASHLEY ONA (Australia) (amateur) 71 74 74 219.
37 SUSIE MATHEWS (South Australia) 77 74 69 220 ($710).
38 SU-HYUN OH (South Korea) (amateur) 69 80 72 221.
38 ELISSA ORR (Victoria) (amateur) 74 72 75 221.
38 BRONWYN MULLINS (Queensland) 73 75 73 221 ($690).
38 BREANNA ELLIOTT (Victoria) (amateur) 73 73 75 221.
38 ESTHER YOON (Australia) (amateur) 72 76 73 221.
43 COURTNEY MASSEY (Southport GC) (amateur) 73 76 73 222.
43 JODY FLEMING (Victoria) 75 76 71 222 ($670).
43 ELLE SANDAK (New South Wales) (amateur) 77 73 72 222

43 CHANTAL HODSON (New South Wales) (amateur) 76 74 72 222.
47 BREE TURNBULL (Western Australia) 71 80 72 223 ($600).
48 TAMARA HYETT (Victoria) 76 73 75 224 ($553).
48 CLARE CHOI (Victoria) 74 75 75 224 ($553).
48 JOO LEE YEOM (South Korea) 71 79 74 224 ($553).
51 KASEY HENSHAW (New South Wales) 75 76 74 225 ($520).
51 DONNA SOUTHAM (New South Wales) 75 76 74 225 ($520).
51 EBONY HEARD (South Australia) (amateur) 70 78 77 225.
51 HIROMI KAMATA (Japan) 67 77 81 225 ($520).
55 YEON SU CHO (South Korea) (amateur) 76 73 77 226.
55 JASMINE FINLAY (Queensland) (amateur) 75 76 75 226.
55 AMANDA CHIN (Malaysia) (amateur) 74 77 75 226.
55 ALIZAH KENDLER (Monash GC) (amateur) 74 76 76 226.
55 JANE WALL (New South Wales) 73 77 76 226 ($500).
55 SAKI SUZUKI (Japan) (amateur) 76 75 75 226.
61 VIKKI TUTT (New South Wales) 77 74 77 228 ($500).
MISSED THE CUT
CARLY BECK (New South Wales) (amateur) 78 74 152.
CORINNE FURNELL (New South Wales) 77 75 152.
KAREN QUINN (New South Wales) 75 77 152.
CLAUDIA LIM (New South Wales) (amateur) 73 79 152.
HELEN OH (New South Wales) 73 79 152.
POLLY TRAVICA (New South Wales) 75 78 153.
EMMA ASH (South Australia) (amateur) 72 81 153.
SUNNY PARK (New South Wales) 73 80 153.
ANGELA TATT (Victoria) 75 78 153.
CORINNE SWAN (Queensland) (amateur) 77 76 153.
HONEY KAMATA (Japan) 77 76 153.
PHILLIS METI (New Zealand) 78 75 153.
NERIDA GREGORY (New South Wales) (amateur) 74 79 153.
KATY JAROCHOWICZ (New South Wales) 78 76 154.
YEE YEON KIM (South Korea) (amateur) 78 76 154.
JUSTINE LEE (Bankstown GC) (amateur) 76 78 154.
CATHLEEN SANTOSO (New South Wales) (amateur) 75 79 154.
VERITY KNIGHT (South Australia) 74 80 154.
ADRIANA BRENT (The Lakes GC) (amateur) 74 80 154.
SHEREE HASSON (Queensland) (amateur) 77 78 155.
REBECCA GREEN (South Australia) 75 80 155.
SHARON HEMPSTOCK (Queensland) 79 77 156.
MICHELLE COETZEE (Queensland) (amateur) 78 78 156.
BELINDA DIAMOND (South Korea) (amateur) 81 75 156.
WENDY HAWKES (New Zealand) 76 80 156
CARA GUEST (South Australia) (amateur) 80 77 157.

OLIVIA WILSON (New South Wales) (amateur) 78 79 157.

AMY SMITH (New Zealand) (amateur) 78 79 157.

SUZANNE FAIRHURST (New South Wales) (amateur) 77 80 157.

ANGELA HARRIS (Queensland) 80 78 158.

NICKY HENDERSON (New South Wales) 80 78 158.

LAURA HOLDSWORTH (New South Wales) (amateur) 78 80 158
TEGAN SMITH (New South Wales) 77 81 158.

CHRISTABEL GOH (Singapore) 75 83 158.

ANGELA TUNCHON (New South Wales) 75 83 158.

ANGELA HAWKES (New Zealand) 75 84 159.

GILLIAN RAE (New South Wales) 81 78 159.

GRACE LENNON (Victoria) (amateur) 84 77 161.

JOANNE BANNERMAN (New South Wales) 79 82 161

JANA WELSFORD (Australian Capital Territory) (amateur) 82 80 162.

ELLY CHEON (South Korea) (amateur) 74 88 162.

Selected scores:

TAMRA MOORE (Norway) (amateur) 82 82 164.

KATIE DUKE (Canada) 86 81 167.

ASHLEE CLAYDON (Canada) 88 NR.

Laura Davies leads in New South Wales Women's Open

England’s Laura Davies enjoyed the English type weather to take the lead into the final round of the New South Wales Women’s Open in Sydney on Saturday. The former winner of the event took advantage of the better morning conditions to card a 2-under par 70 to finish at 5-under par 139 after 36 holes.
Overcast conditions greeted the morning field, with the wind picking up mid way through their round, while the afternoon players contended with strong gusty winds and squally showers making club selection and scoring difficult.
“Overall I played pretty well but it could have been a lot better than that had the putts gone in but I think the pins were difficult today, moreso than yesterday.” Davies said after the round. Her round included three birdies and one bogey, with her birdies all came on the par 5’s on the front nine, at the 4th, 6th and 8th holes. Her only bogey came on the 17th when she overshot the green for her second shot and couldn’t get up and down.
The former World No. 1 heads a jam-packed leaderboard with 14 players within four shots of the lead, including the three previous winners of the tournament; Davies, Joanne Mills and Sarah Oh.
The New South Wales quartet of Karen Lunn (71), Mills (70), Oh (73) and Rachel Bailey (72) and Queensland’s Katherine Hull (72) are all at four-under par, 140 total. Ireland’s Rebecca Coakley posted a 71 for 141 total, with West Australian Kristie Smith carding a 70, New South Wales Wendy Doolan, 72 and first round leader New Zealand’s Sarah Nicholson shot a 75 to be all at 141 and sharing seventh position.
Davies, will be in search of her second NSW Women’s Open title and with the experience of winning over 70 titles worldwide, she will be hard to beat.
A total of 61 players made the cut including 46 professionals who will compete for their share of the $100,000.
SCOREBOARD LATER

Suncoast Pro Golf Tour Ladies Series
West Orange Country Club, Florida
FINAL TOTALS
Par 213 (3x71). 6,190yd
209 Stacy Lewis (Texas) 70 69 70 ($2,200).
212 Sandra Gal (Germany) 74 68 70 ($1,200).
216 Naon Min (South Korea) 76 70 70, Christine Song (California) 74 70 72 ($900 each).
218 Cindy Lacrosse (Florida) 70 76 72, Hannah Yun (Florida) 72 71 75, Maria Hjorth (Sweden) 74 68 76 ($700 each).
Selected score:
243 Katy McNicoll (Carnoustie) 76 86 81 (jt 24th).

Rhian Wyn Thomas in action for the winning Wales team at the women's home internationals at Irvine Golf Club last September. Click on the Cal Carson Golf Agency image to enlarge.

Rhian Wyn Thomas leads Spanish pro tour's women's event

Rhian Wyn Thomas, a member of the title-winning Welsh team in the women's home internationals at Irvine GC last September, is now campaigning as a professional.

She is leading the women's section of the Spanish Hi5 Pro Tour's Valle del Este Open in the Murcia region of south-east Spain.

There are only three female competitors and Rhian leads with a 73 from Caroline Martens (Norway) with a 75 and Switzerland's Sabina Imboden with an 84.

Lloyd Saltman leads the men's event - switch over to http://www.scottishgolfview.com/ to see the scores and read the report.

SECOND-ROUND LATEST: Rhian Wyn Thomas now leads the women's field by 11 shots after a 71 for 144.

Hoylake venue for Ricoh Women's British Open

in September 2012 (avoiding Olympics clash)

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY I M G
Royal Liverpool Golf Club at Hoylake in Wirral is today announced as the host venue for the 2012 Ricoh Women’s British Open, the first time that the club has hosted this prestigious Championship.
The Royal Liverpool Golf Club, also known as Hoylake, is the second oldest seaside links golf course in England. Built on a racecourse in 1869, this famous course has played host to some of golf’s most historical moments, including holding the inaugural men’s amateur championship in 1885, the first international match in 1902 between Scotland and England and in 1921, the first international match between Great Britain and the United States, later known as the Walker Cup.
Between 1897 and 2006, Hoylake has hosted the men’s Open Championship 11 thrilling times, including the 1930 famous victory of Bobby Jones who went on to win a grand slam that year. More recently, after a gap of nearly 40 years, the Open Championship returned to Hoylake in 2006 with Tiger Woods triumphing during a week of unusually benign weather.
Ominously the club’s website highlights Bernard Darwin’s famous quote; "Hoylake, blown upon by mighty winds, breeder of mighty champions" and there is no doubt that the course will test the strategic strengths for which the world’s best women are so renown.
During his 2006 victory, where for once the winds did not blow, Tiger Woods’ respect for the penal bunkers was such that he struck his driver only once during the tournament.
The Championship Committee has also announced a new date for 2012, ensuring the tournament does not clash with the London Olympics. It will now take place at the later date of September 13 to 16. Once again, the Committee has triumphed in its quest to hold the most international Women’s Major in golf on one of the world’s best courses.
Shona Malcolm, the Ladies’ Golf Union’s CEO explained, “We are absolutely delighted to be introducing Royal Liverpool Golf Club at Hoylake to the Ricoh British Women’s Open course rotation. The Ladies’ Golf Union is committed to playing the Women’s British Open at the best British courses and it is a great coup for the top players to be heading to such an esteemed venue. Adding this news to previously announced Carnoustie for 2011 and as well our return to St Andrews in 2013 for a second time, we have a thrilling few years ahead of us.”
Kieran O’Brien, Chairman of Council of Royal Liverpool Golf Club added, “The Ricoh Women’s British Open has gone from strength to strength in recent years and is truly one of the great sporting events held in the UK today. We are very proud of our Club’s rich heritage and the many memorable golfing moments we have played host to over the years and are happy that we will now be playing such an important role in the women’s game too. We are thoroughly looking forward to working with the LGU and IMG in 2012.”
The staging of the 2012 Championship has been made possible not only by the strong support of Royal Liverpool Golf Club and its Members, but also by Wirral Council which has committed to providing significant infrastucture and operational support together with funding from the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) which should to ensure that the 2012 Championship is just as successful as The Open played at Hoylake in 2006.
The partnership formed to bring the Ricoh Women’s British Open to Wirral proves once again how forward thinking the Council is and how it has realised just how significant major sporting events are to the region.
Cllr Steve Foulkes, Leader of Wirral Council added, “This is fantastic news for Wirral and is further evidence of how we are determined to build on the legacy of ‘The People’s Open’ in 2006. By hosting the Ricoh Women’s British Open we will attract new visitors to the Borough as well as returning golf fans who enjoyed themselves with us four years ago. Such a prestigious golf championship will provide not only Wirral but the whole of the Northwest with a huge boost and we look forward to welcoming the world’s best female golfers to Wirral in 2012.”
Steven Broomhead, Chief Executive of the NWDA, said, “This is fantastic news, not just for Royal Liverpool and Wirral, but for the whole of the Northwest. The return of the Women’s Open to the region in 2012 underlines the great golfing that we have here in the Northwest and justifies the claim that we are England’s Golf Coast. We have a whole host of international championships across the region over the next few years, including the Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St Annes in 2012, which will ensure that the spotlight will be on England’s Golf Coast.”
This announcement comes on the back of another major announcement made during the 2009 Championship, won by Scotland’s Catriona Matthew, that Ricoh will continue as title sponsors until at least 2013.
Simon Sasaki, Chairman and CEO, Ricoh Europe PLC commented, "The Ricoh Women's British Open is an excellent platform for Ricoh to combine its sponsorship activities with its overall business goal of helping customers move their business forward. It also aligns with the brand attributes of Ricoh; Innovation, Expertise and Sustainability. This is magnified at the Tournament by the professional players, whose performances get better and better, year on year. We are delighted to hear that Royal Liverpool Golf Club will be hosting the Championship in 2012. I’ve heard so much about the course and remember vividly the magnificent Open Championship played there in 2006. We look forward to 2012 and being part of another significant moment in the history of this great Tournament."
The Ricoh Women’s British Open was founded by the Ladies’ Golf Union in 1976 and is staged in conjunction with IMG, the world’s largest sports marketing company. The event has been co-sanctioned by the LPGA and LET since 1994 and gained Major status in 2001.

Rookie Amanda Blumenherst gets sponsor's invite to HSBC Champion of Champions' event in Singapore

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY I M G
The battle for the coveted ‘Champion of Champions’ title heated up today when it was confirmed that the world’s top 10 female professional golfers will be in Singapore to compete for top honours at the 2010 HSBC Women’s Champions from February 25 to 28.
Leading the charge are past champions and the world’s top two players for the 2009 season, Lorena Ochoa (1) of Mexico and Korean sensation Jiyai Shin (2). The remaining eight players in the top 10 of the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings are all champions from the past two seasons and will be eager to get the 2010 season off to a solid start as Singapore takes the second week on this year’s Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) calendar with a prize purse of US$1.3 million.
Joining the stellar line-up will be the exciting 23-year-old LPGA rookie Amanda Blumenherst who has been awarded one of the coveted sponsor’s invites to this month’s tournament. Blumenherst, from Arizona, turned professional in June 2009 following multiple accolades in her amateur career including the US Women’s Amateur title in 2008 and the only three-time National Player of the Year at Duke University.
“I am very excited to have been invited to take part in the HSBC Women’s Champions and look forward to competing amongst the best players in the world,” said Blumenherst.
“I am really grateful to HSBC for giving me the opportunity to play with such an elite field and I am practising and training incredibly hard so that I can be ready for this fantastic opportunity to play alongside all these great champions.”
Acknowledged by golfing experts as a champion of the future, Blumenherst competed in the 2006 US Women’s Open and tied for 10th position, sharing the amateur honours with Jane Park.

At the Kraft Nabisco Championship in 2008, Blumenherst finished in 30th spot and also helped the US claim victory at the Curtis Cup in both years. During her first year as a professional, she played on the Futures Tour and recorded three top-ten finishes and went on to win the final stage of the LPGA Q School to book her place as one of 28 rookies on the LPGA Tour in 2010.
A total of 63 players will tee-off for four days of stroke-play in Singapore. Along with the two sponsors invites, the field will be completed by Singaporean amateur Joey Poh who won the two day Local Qualifying event earlier this month.

ROLEX WOMEN’S WORLD GOLF RANKINGS
1 Lorena Ochoa MEX
2 Jiyai Shin SKOR
3 Suzann Pettersen NOR
4 Anna Nordqvist SWE
5 Cristie Kerr USA
6 Yani Tseng TPE
7 Paula Creamer USA
8 Ai Miyazato JPN
9 Angela Stanford USA
10 Michelle Wie USA

Creamer and Wie in field for HSBC event in Singapore

NEWS RELEASE FROM IMG
World No 7 Paula Creamer and No 10 Michelle Wie have confirmed they will play in the third edition of the HSBC Women’s Champions which takes place from February 25 to 28 at the Tanah Merah Country Club, Singapore.
A total of 63 players will tee-off for four days of stroke play. Along with two sponsor's invites, the field will be completed by the winning Singaporean amateur or professional of a two-day local qualifying tournament taking place at TMCC today and tomorrow (January 20-21).

Anna Nordqvist will headline the star-

studded field for ANZ Ladies Masters

FROM THE LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Queensland can boast a piece of golfing history following today’s confirmation that the 2010 ANZ Ladies Masters has secured the strongest field ever assembled for a golf tournament in Australia. The prestigious event, to be contested at the RACV Royal Pines Resort on Queensland’s Gold Coast between the 4 and 7 March has confirmed the appearance of three of the four major champions from 2009. This marks the first time in Australian golfing history that three current major champions will contest the same event on Australian soil. Kraft Nabisco Champion, American Brittany Lincicome, Women’s US Open Champion, South Korean Eun Hee Ji and McDonalds LPGA Championship winner and World No. 7, Swede Anna Nordqvist, pictured by Cal Carson Golf Agency, will headline the star-studded field.
Supporting and challenging the current major champions will be a plethora of top 20 players from the Rolex Women’s World Golf rankings. These include World No.3 Suzann Pettersen, World No. 6 Yani Tseng, South Korean Na Yeon Choi (No.12), our own World Golf Hall of Famer and six times Masters Champion Karrie Webb (No.13), South Korean Song-Hee Kim (No. 14), European No.1 and World No. 18 Sophie Gustafson.
The international players do not stop there, South Koreans Hee Young Park (36), Hee Kyung Seo (No. 42) and M.J Hur (No. 45), Americans Stacey Lewis (No. 47) and the flamboyant Christina Kim (No.48) are all heading to the magnificent RACV Royal Pines Resort, most for the first time.
A field comprising 8 of the top 20 and 15 of the top 50 world ranked players, is also unprecedented statistic for an Australian professional golf tour event.
Three Australians have previously won the ANZ Ladies Masters. Webb is a six times champion, Jane Crafter won twice in the 90’s and Katherine Hull is the defending champion. Hull, Webb and fellow compatriots including World No. 28 Lindsey Wright, Nikki Campbell and Tamie Durdin, both of whom won on the LPGA of Japan in 2009, three time LPGA tournament winner Wendy Doolan, LET multiple title winners Nikki Garrett, Joanne Mills and Karen Lunn will be fighting to keep the title in Australian hands.
The established players will however need to look over their shoulders, as the tournament has a reputation of uncovering a rookie star who upstages the stars.
Young Australian rising stars including Kristie Smith, Rebecca Flood, Leanne Bowditch, Kate Combes and Sarah Oh will be keen to repeat the efforts of 2006 champion, 16 year old Amy Yang, as they relish in the strongest field on the biggest stage of their fledgling careers.
No one will discount former World No.1, winner of over 70 titles worldwide including three Ladies Masters titles, reigning Women’s Australian Open Champion and crowd favourite England’s Laura Davies, who will be as keen as ever to add another title to her unparalleled list of international victories.
ANZ Managing Director Strategy and Marketing David Lindberg said ANZ was looking forward to its tenth ANZ Ladies Masters and welcomed elite golfers from here and around the world. “With some of the world’s top ranking female golfers competing, the 2010 ANZ Ladies Masters looks set to be one of the most thrilling tournaments yet.
It’s not difficult to see why it is now firmly established as one of the key features of the international golf calendar,” Mr Lindberg said.
ANZ is proud to continue its support of the ANZ Ladies Masters which reflects not only our commitment to women’s golf, but also our commitment to Queensland and the Gold Coast, as a thriving global destination.
Queensland’s Acting Premier Andrew Fraser is pleased at the news. “This is a great result for a great Queensland based event. The ANZ Ladies Masters is synonymous with the Gold Coast and Queensland and I am impressed at the quality of the field that has been announced today,” said Mr Fraser.
“There is no better place to play a tournament of this nature and to have a field that is this strong is a testament to the event itself and its organisers. The Queensland government is pleased to be a major supporter of this event through our own Queensland Events.”
Tournament Director Ben Tuohy stated “This is definitely the one to watch. The 2010 ANZ Ladies Masters will showcase the best field – in men’s or women’s golf - ever assembled in Australia. Sports fans should grab this opportunity with both hands, either come and watch the girls ‘live’ at RAVC Royal Pines Resort, or at home ‘live’ on Channel 10 and ONE HD.”