Queen, Thomson, Laing, Caithness beat halfway cut

Luna out to eclipse the field

at Eindhoven in Netherlands

FROM THE LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Italian Diana Luna grabbed the outright lead after the second round of the ABN AMRO Ladies Open in the Netherlands today.
The 26-year-old from Rome, who resides in Cannes, France, carded a two-under 70 on a windy day at Eindhovensche Golf, Eindhoven.
She leads on eight-under-par by two strokes from Spaniard Tania Elosegui.
Luna started at the 10th and birdied holes 15 and 18 to turn at eight-under. She dropped shots at the first and sixth holes but rallied with two further birdies at the seventh and ninth.
“It was a tough day. The wind was difficult and completely the opposite of the previous day,” said Luna, the 2004 Tenerife Ladies Open champion. “It made it difficult to judge which shot to play because yesterday it was a different course.”
Luna has skipped the event for the last two years due to her husband’s birthday and is playing the course for the first time. “This week is always my husband’s birthday, which is today, so happy birthday Fabio,” she said, adding that she would attempt to bring home the trophy as a present.
Elosegui, who was second to England’s Laura Davies at the Women’s Australian Open in February, is aiming for a maiden Ladies European victory after coming close on several occasions. She carded a 68, which included four birdies and was the lowest round of the day.
She said: “I’m very pleased because I was not hitting the ball very well in the morning but I managed to keep the score going. I made two good putts for par on the third and the seventh.”
First-round leader Titiya Plucksataporn from Thailand and Ireland’s Hazel Kavanagh tied for third on four-under-par. Plucksataporn added a 75 to her opening 65, while Kavanagh was level. “The wind was the main difference from yesterday,” Plucksataporn said. “Today it was one or two clubs more.”
Marjet van der Graaff is the best placed player from the Netherlands in a share of ninth place on one-under-par, with Christel Boeljon and amateur Marieke Nivard tied for 28th on two-over. Two-time winner and defending champion Gwladys Nocera from France was aiming to win the event for the third year running but missed the cut after rounds of 77 and 72.
English rookie Holly Aitchison, 22, scored her first career hole-in-one using a five-iron, but also missed the cut. She aced the 151-yard par-three 11th hole and was awarded €4000 by the tournament’s title sponsor, ABN AMRO.
SECOND-ROUND LEADERBOARD
Par 144 (2 x 72)
136 Diana Luna (Italy) 66 70.
138 Tania Elosegui (Spain) 70 68.
140 Hazel Kavanagh (Ireland) 68 72, Titiya Plucksataporn (Thailand) 65 75.
141 Stefania Croce (Italy) 70 71, Marianne Skarpnord (Norway) 67 74, Veronica Zorzi (Italy) 72 69.
Selected qualifiers:
143 Claire Queen (Scotland) 69 74 (jt 9th).
146 Michele Thomson (Scotland) 72 74, Vikki Laing (Scotland) 71 75 (jt 28th).
147 Krystle Caithness (Scotland) 68 79 (jt 47th).
MISSED THE CUT
149 Gwladys Nocera (France) 77 72, Rebecca Coakley (Ireland) 75 74, Miartina Gillen (Ireland) 74 75.
150 Lynn Kenny (Scotland) 79 71.
151 Pamela Feggans (Scotland) 74 77.

Bennachie Ladies Golf League

HOW THEY STAND
played-won-drawn-lost-for-against-points
Kemnay ........ 2-2-0-0-6-2-4pts
Newmachar .. 2-1-0-1-5.5-2.5-2pts
Newburgh...... 1-1-0-0-2.5-1.5-2pts
Insch ............. 1-1-0-0-2.5-1.5-2pts
Kintore .......... 2-1-0-1-4-4-2pts.
Inverurie ...... 1-0-1-0-2-2-1pt
Oldmeldrum . 1-0-1-0-2-2-1pt
Inchmarlo ..... 1-0-0-1-1.5-2.5-0pt
Dunecht ......... 3-0-0-3-2-10-0pt

Results:
Newburgh 2.5, Newmachar 1.5.
Kemnay 3.5, Dunecht 0.5.
Inchmarlo 1.5, Kemnay 2.5.
Kintore 4, Dunecht 0.
Dunecht 1.5, Insch 2.5.
Inverurie 2, Oldmeldrum 2.
Newmachar 4, Kintore 0.

Last year's British girls' champion

is bound for Purdue University

Two bits of news we missed recently:

Belgium's Laura Gonzalez-Escallon, winner of last year's British girls' open championship at Monifieth, has signed a Letter of Intent to enrol at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana in the autumn ... and she won the 2009 German Ladies Amateur Championship at Dusseldorf last month.

It is the second tournament victory of the season for the La Hulpe, Belgium, native who won the Doral-Publix Junior Golf Classic in a four-hole play-off earlier in the year.
With the win at the German Amateur, Escallon earned a wild card entry into the Ladies German Open, a Ladies European Tour event. Laura, picture by Cal Carson Golf Agency, played as an amateur and made the cut, finishing tied for 46th with a four-round total of 290 (76-70-74-70, +2). She had the second-best finish for an amateur in the tournament.

Editor's Note: For some reason Laura has not entered next week's Ladies British open amateur championship at Harlech.

LPGA Tour Scoreboard
STATE FARM CLASSIC
Panther Creek CC, Springfield, Illinois
SECOND ROUND TOTALS
Par 144 (2 x 72)
134 Se Ri Pak (Kor) 66 68, Suzann Pettersen (Nor) 68 66
135 Jee Young Lee (Kor) 66 69, Moira Dunn 69 66, Kristy McPherson 69 66, Helen Alfredsson (Swe) 72 63, Kris Tamulis 67 68
136 Ji-Yai Shin (Kor) 69 67
137 Seon Hwa Lee (Kor) 69 68, Karen Stupples (Eng) 69 68, In Kyung Kim (Kor) 69 68, Juli Inkster 72 65, Meaghan Francella 69 68, Amy Hung (Tha) 71 66, Angela Stanford 70 67
138 Joo Mi Kim (Kor) 70 68, Taylor Leon 69 69, Morgan Pressel 69 69, Amy Yang 69 69, Hee-Won Han (Kor) 69 69, Cristie Kerr 69 69, Katie Futcher 71 67, Michelle Wie 70 68, Ashleigh Simon (Rsa) 70 68, Janice Moodie (Sco) 69 69, Katherine Hull (Aus) 70 68
139 Mi-Hyun Kim (Kor) 70 69, Eunjung Yi (Kor) 72 67, Jin Young Pak (Kor) 69 70, Beth Bader 69 70, In-Bee Park (Kor) 69 70, Shanshan Feng (Chn) 69 70
140 Anja Monke (Ger) 68 72, Young Kim (Kor) 70 70, Sarah-Jane Smith (Aus) 70 70, Song-Hee Kim (Kor) 71 69, Christina Kim 72 68, Jackie Gallagher-Smith 72 68, Marisa Baena 69 71, Paula Creamer 69 71, Vicky Hurst 72 68, Natalie Gulbis 68 72, Mikaela Parmlid (Swe) 70 70, Allison Hanna-Williams 71 69, Hee Young Park (Kor) 70 70, Kyeong Bae (Kor) 71 69
141 Sun Young Yoo (Kor) 72 69, Meena Lee (Kor) 70 71, Anna Grzebien 71 70, Diana D'Alessio 70 71, Sarah Lee 69 72, Pat Hurst 69 72, Brittany Lang 69 72, Meredith Duncan 69 72, Stephanie Louden 71 70, Ya-Ni Tseng (Tai) 69 72, Ai Miyazato (Jpn) 73 68, Soo-Yun Kang (Kor) 69 72, Anna Nordqvist (Nor) 74 67
142 Chella Choi (Kor) 71 71, Eun Hee Ji (Kor) 70 72, Haeji Kang (Kor) 74 68, Julieta Granada (Par) 69 73, Anna Rawson (Aus) 71 71, Karine Icher (Fra) 70 72, Teresa Lu (Tai) 73 69, Na Yeon Choi (Kor) 72 70, Becky Morgan (Wal) 73 69, Laura Diaz 73 69, Karin Sjodin (Swe) 71 71, Sarah Kemp (Aus) 72 70, Nicole Castrale 70 72
MISSED THE CUT
143 Wendy Doolan (Aus) 73 70, Mika Miyazato (Jpn) 70 73, Giulia Sergas (Ita) 74 69, Jamie Hullett 72 71, Karrie Webb (Aus) 72 71, Wendy Ward 74 69, Kim Hall 72 71, Russy Gulyanamitta (Tha) 71 72, Sung Ah Yim (Kor) 74 69, Lisa Strom 76 67, Alena Sharp (Can) 70 73, Erica Blasberg 73 70, Audra Burks 73 70
144 Minea Blomqvist (Fin) 71 73, Jennifer Rosales (Phi) 73 71, Becky Lucidi 75 69, Stacy Prammanasudh 73 71, Young-A Yang (Kor) 73 71, Il Mi Chung (Kor) 71 73, Shi Hyun Ahn (Kor) 74 70, Paige Mackenzie 75 69, Brandi Jackson 71 73, Michelle McGann 72 72, Carolina Llano 72 72, Jimin Kang (Kor) 75 69, Carri Wood 73 71, Barb Mucha 75 69
145 Lindsey Wright (Aus) 70 75, Heather Young 77 68, Na Ri Kim (Kor) 72 73, Maria Hjorth (Swe) 74 71, Leah Wigger 70 75, Ji-Young Oh (Kor) 74 71, Sophie Giquel (Fra) 72 73, Sophie Gustafson (Swe) 72 73, Marcy Hart 73 72, Mi Jung Hur (Kor) 73 72
146 Candace Schepperle 72 74, Irene Cho 74 72, Brandie Burton 74 72, Young Jo (Kor) 73 73, Vicki Goetze-Ackerman 72 74, Shiho Oyama (Jpn) 74 72, Rachel Hetherington (Aus) 73 73, Jimin Jeong 73 73, Laura Davies (Eng) 69 77
147 Reilley Rankin 73 74, Brittany Lincicome 75 72, Michele Redman 75 72, Sandra Gal (Ger) 69 78, Mindy Kim 73 74, Louise Friberg (Swe) 74 73, Momoko Ueda (Jpn) 76 71, Birdie Kim (Kor) 74 73, Stacy Lewis 70 77, Hye Jung Choi (Kor) 75 72
148 Maggie Will 75 73, Louise Stahle (Swe) 76 72
149 Jeanne Cho-Hunicke 75 74, Eva Dahllof (Swe) 76 73, Angela Park (Bra) 69 80
150 Michelle Ellis 75 75
151 Allison Fouch 78 73, Jeehae Lee (Kor) 71 80
152 Aree Song (Kor) 75 77, Mollie Fankhauser 74 78, Candie Kung (Tai) 76 76
153 Lorie Kane (Can) 80 73, Charlotte Mayorkas 76 77
154 Jane Park 76 78
157 Dorothy Delasin 75 82

Scots' good start in Dutch LET event

Ladies' European Tour Scoreboard
ABN AMRO LADIES OPEN
Eindhovensche Golf, Valkenswaard, Netherlands
FIRST ROUND
Par 72
65 Titiya Plucksataporn (Tha)
66 Diana Luna (Ita)
67 Marianne Skarpnord (Nor)
68 Hazel Kavanagh, Christel Boeljon (Ned), Krystle Caithness
69 Smriti Mehra (Ind), Lisa Holm Sorensen (Den), Bettina Hauert (Ger), Henrietta Zuel, Jessica Ji (Kor), Lena Tornevall (Swe), Clare Queen
70 Iben Tinning (Den), Tania Elosegui (Spa), Denise-Charlotte Becker (Ger), Stefania Croce (Ita), Emma Lyons
71 Frances Bondad (Aus), Karlijn Zaanen (Ned), Felicity Johnson, Vikki Laing, Ellen Smets (Bel), Lisa Hall, Elizabeth Bennett, Becky Brewerton, Ursula Wikstrom (Fin), Marjet Van Der Graaff (Ned), Sophie Walker, Breanne Alicia Loucks, Trish Johnson (USA)
72 Morgana Robbertze (Rsa), Maria Verchenova (Rus), Nicole Gergely (Aut), Emma Cabrera Bello (Spa), Karen-margrethe Juul (Den), Michele Thomson, Kiran Matharu, Tandi Cuningham (Rsa), Lynnette Teresa Brooky (Nzl), Stacy Lee Bregman (Rsa), Veronica Zorzi (Ita), Katharina Schallenberg (Ger), Marieke Nivard (Ned)
73 Joanne Morley, Jenni Kuosa (Fin), Beatriz Recari (Spa), Malene Jorgensen (Den), Virginine Lagoutte-Clement (Fra), Kyra Van leeuwen (Ned), Cassandra Kirkland (Fra), Lora Fairclough, Karen Lunn (Aus), Jade Schaeffer (Fra), Paula Marti (Spa), Melodie Bourdy (Fra), Johanna Westerberg (Swe), Anna Tybring (Swe), Bronwyn Mullins-Lane (Aus), Margherita Rigon (Ita)
74 Riikka Hakkarainen (Fin), Beth Allen (USA), Nina Reis (Swe), Isabella Maconi (Ita), Rebecca Hudson, Stephanie Na (Aus), Elena Giraud (Fra), Jo Pritchard, Pamela Feggans, Lee-Anne Pace (SAf), Maria Boden (Swe), Sarah Heath, Johanna Lundberg (Swe), Martina Gillen, Marina Arruti (Spa), Samantha Head, Carmen Alonso (Spa)
75 Rebecca Coakley, Christine Hallstrom (Swe), Tara Delaney, Mette Hageman (Ned), Georgina Simpson, Marta Prieto (Spa), Anna-Lise Caudal (Fra), Danielle Masters, Eleanor Pilgrim
76 Lisa Jean (Aus), Zuzana Masinova (Cze), Julie Tvede (Den), Lotta Maria Wahlin (Swe), Marousa Polias (Aus), Florentyna Parker
77 Laura Terebey (USA), Caroline Karsten (Ned), Gwladys Nocera (Fra), Barbara Genuini (Fra), Federica Piovano (Ita), Kirsty Taylor, Caroline Afonso (Fra), Caroline Rominger (Swi), Lill Saether (Nor), Ana Larreneta (Spa), Ludivine Kreutz (Fra), Amanda Moltke-Leth (Den), Laura Cabanillas (Spa)
78 Mianne Bagger (Den), Dana Lacey (Aus), Stefanie Michl (Aut), Nikki Garrett (Aus), Lara Tadiotto (Bel), Kirsty S Taylor, Joanne Mills (Aus), Anna-Karin Salmen (Fin), Emma Zackrisson (Swe), Claire Aitken
79 Laurette Maritz (Rsa), Julie Greciet (Fra), Lien Willems (Bel), Holly Aitchison, Lydia Hall, Lynn Kenny, Camille Fallay (Fra), Anna Knutsson (Swe)
80 Emma Louise Weeks, Sandra Eggermont (Ned), Claire Coughlan-Ryan
81 Eva Steinberger (Aut)
82 Vera Shimanskaya (Rus)
86 Karin Jansen (Ned)

Duramed Futures Tour Scoreboard
$110,000 LADIES TITAN TYRE CHALLENGE
Hunters Ridge Golf Course, Marion, Iowa
FIRST ROUND
Par 72 (36-36). 6,423yd
1 Mina Harigae (Monterey, Calif.) 30-34 - 64
2 Stephanie Connelly (Pasadena, Md.) 35-33 - 68
2 Garrett Phillips (St. Simons Island, Ga.) 32-36 - 68
2 Cindy LaCrosse (Tampa, Fla.) 33-35 - 68
5 Ashley Knoll (The Woodlands, Texas) 32-37 - 69
5 Kim Welch (Sacramento, Calif.) 35-34 - 69
5 Whitney Myers (York. Pa.) 33-36 - 69
5 Ashley Prange (Noblesville, Ind.) 33-36 - 69
5 Pornanong Phatlum (Chaiyaphum, Thailand) 35-34 - 69
10 Jennie Lee (Henderson, Nev.) 35-35 - 70
10 Angela Buzminski (Oshawa, Ontario) 34-36 - 70
10 Melissa Eaton (Port Shepstone, South Africa) 34-36 - 70
10 Tzu-Chi Lin (Taichung, Taiwan) 33-37 - 70
10 Laura Crawford (Lancaster, S.C.) 33-37 - 70
10 Lisa Ferrero (Lodi, Calif.) 34-36 - 70
16 Aimee Cho (Orlando, Fla.) 34-37 - 71
16 Sophia Sheridan (Guadalajara, Mexico) 35-36 - 71
16 Lisa Meldrum (Montreal, Quebec) 37-34 - 71
16 Lee Ann Walker-Cooper (Southport, N.C.) 35-36 - 71
16 Caroline Larsson (Stockholm, Sweden) 35-36 - 71
16 Susan Nam (Edmonton, Alberta) 36-35 - 71
16 Praewnapa Phol-Uayporn (Bangkok, Thailand) 34-37 - 71
16 Libby Smith (Essex Junction, Vt.) 36-35 - 71
16 Kelly Froelich (Raizeux, France) 36-35 - 71
16 Mallory Hetzel (Summerville, S.C.) 34-37 - 71
16 Samantha Richdale (Kelowna, British Columbia) 37-34 - 71
16 Lucy Nunn (Lawton, Okla.) 36-35 - 71
28 Camila Mori (Santiago, Chile) 37-35 - 72
28 Maggie Simons (Raleigh, N.C.) 34-38 - 72
28 Gina Umeck (Redlands, Calif.) 37-35 - 72
28 Pernilla Lindberg (Bollnas, Sweden) 36-36 - 72
28 Alison Walshe (Westford, Mass.) 34-38 - 72
28 Christine Song (Fullerton, Calif.) 37-35 - 72
28 Courtney Mahon (Lee's Summit, Mo.) 37-35 - 72
28 Yoora Kim (Seoul, South Korea) 34-38 - 72
28 Seo-Jae Lee (Seoul, South Korea) 36-36 - 72
28 Whitney Wade (Glasgow, Ky.) 36-36 - 72
28 Janell Howland (Boise, Idaho) 34-38 - 72
28 Misun Cho (Cheongju, South Korea) 35-37 - 72
28 Carol Robertson (Virginia Beach, Va.) 35-37 - 72
28 Liz Janangelo (West Hartford, Conn.) 36-36 - 72
28 Blair Lamb (Flat Rock, N.C.) 37-35 - 72
43 Jennifer Ackerson (Dallas, Texas) 34-39 - 73
43 Perry Swenson (Charlotte, N.C.) 36-37 - 73
43 Nicole Jeray (Berwyn, Ill.) 36-37 - 73
43 Briana Vega (Andover, Mass.) 37-36 - 73
43 Jasi Acharya (Columbus, Mont.) 35-38 - 73
43 Dewi Claire Schreefel (Diepenveen, Netherland 36-37 - 73
43 Mo Martin (Altadena, Calif.) 35-38 - 73
43 Jean Reynolds (Newnan, Ga.) 36-37 - 73
43 Jenny Suh (Fairfax, Va.) 37-36 - 73
43 Taya Battistella (Bend, Ore.) 37-36 - 73
43 Danah Ford (Indianapolis, Ind.) 37-36 - 73
43 Marcela Leon (Monterrey, Mexico) 38-35 - 73
43 Tiffany Tavee (Tempe, Ariz.) 36-37 - 73
43 Samantha Troyanovich (a) (Grosse Pointe, Mich 39-34 - 73
43 Alejandra Shaw (Vina Del Mar, Chile) 37-36 - 73
58 Rak Kyung Oh (Seoul, South Korea) 37-37 - 74
58 Brenda McLarnon (Belfast, Ireland) 36-38 - 74
58 Christine Cho (Kent, Wash.) 38-36 - 74
58 Lauren Doughtie (Suffolk, Va.) 35-39 - 74
58 Tiffany Prats (Williston, Fla.) 37-37 - 74
58 Song Yi Choi (Seoul, South Korea) 37-37 - 74
58 Kelly Lagedrost (Brooksville, Fla.) 38-36 - 74
58 Jessica Shepley (Oakville, Ontario) 37-37 - 74
58 Kimberly Goedecke (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.) 35-39 - 74
58 Nontaya Srisawang (Chiang Mai, Thailand) 37-37 - 74
58 Jenny Gleason (Clearwater, Fla.) 36-38 - 74
58 Michelle Jarman (Wilmington, N.C.) 36-38 - 74
58 Violeta Retamoza (Aguascalientes, Mexico) 36-38 - 74
58 Sofie Andersson (Angelholm, Sweden) 36-38 - 74
58 Rachel Bailey (Faulconbridge, Australia) 37-37 - 74
58 Lehua Wise (Kauai, Hawaii) 36-38 - 74
58 Nicole Hage (Coral Springs, Fla.) 38-36 - 74
58 Jane Chin (Mission Viejo, Calif.) 36-38 - 74
Selected scores:
Benedikte Grotvedt (Nesbru, Norway) 36-39 - 75
Madeleine Holmblad (Stockholm, Sweden) 38-37 - 75
Maria Hernandez (Pamplona, Spain) 38-37 - 75
Stephanie Oukeo (Paris, France) 39-39 - 78
Anastasia Kostina (Nakhabino, Russia) 36-43 - 79

Dean Robertson leads

Europe to victory over

US in Palmer Cup

FROM THE PALMER CUP WEBSITE
Europe stymied a late American rally to claim a 13-11 win at the 2009 Palmer Cup presented by Fisher Capital Partners at Cherry Hills Country Club in Cherry Hills Village, Colo.
The victory was the Europeans' second in a row and their fourth in the last six annual contests. They won at Glasgow Gailes in 2008 and this was their second on American soil (they won at Kiawah Island in 2003). The win evened the all-time series, 6-6-1.
After splitting the morning’s foursomes matches - which left Europe needing only 2 1/2 points to retain the Palmer Cup, Europe roared out to big leads in each of the first three singles matches. Team USA briefly cut into Europe’s lead when Mike Van Sickle when he posted the largest singles victory in Palmer Cup history with an 8 and 7 win.
The Europeans quickly responded with a 5 and 4 victory by Stephan Gross and Jorge Campillo downing Bud Cauley, 2 and 1. Tim Sluiter looked poised to close out the matches after building a four-hole lead through four holes against Morgan Hoffmann and leading by the same margin after No. 12.
Hoffmann claimed four of the next five holes to move the match to all square after 17 with the Americans leading or all square in the remaining matches. However, Hoffmann’s tee shot on No. 18 went into the water to the left of the fairway and Sluiter made par to give Europe the team victory.
Cameron Tringale (1-up), Trent Leon (2 and 1) and Adam Mitchell (3 and 2) would claim wins for the U.S. while Italy’s Andrea Pavan and Erik Flores halved the final match for a final team score of 13-11.
“Our team played extremely well this week and had a tough fight today against the U.S.,” said Europe's head coach, Dean Robertson (pictured above by Cal Carson Golf Agency) from Scotland.
“It was a privilege to play at a course with the history of Cherry Hills and have Arnold Palmer in attendance all week.”
FINAL RESULT
EUROPE 13, UNITED STATES 11
Friday details:
Foursomes (2-2)
European names first
Jorge Campillo & Tim Sluiter bt Bud Cauley & Mike Van Sickle 5 and 4.
Stephan Gross & Chris Paisley lost to Erik Flores & Steve Ziegler 1 hole.
Leonardo Motta & Andrea Pavan bt Trent Leon & Adam Mitchell 3 and 2.
Henrik Norlander & Robin Wingardh lost to Morgan Hoffmann & Cameron Tringale 1 hole.
Singles (3 1/2-4 1/2)
Campillo bt Cauley 2 and 1.
Gross, Europe bt Ziegler 5 and 4.
Sluiter bt Hoffmann 1 hole.
Paisley lost to Tringale 1 hole.
Motta lost to Van Sickle 8 and 7.
Pavan halved with Flores.
Wingardh lost to Leon 2 and 1.
Norlander lost to Mitchell 3 and 2.

Carly will spearhead P&K line-up

as they defend title at Dornoch

Curtis Cup teenager Carly Booth (Comrie), unable to play in the recent Scottish women's championship because of school exams, will spearhead the Perth & Kinross women's county golf team in their defence of the Northern Division team championship at Royal Donroch from June 27 to 30.
Carly also missed the P&K county championship because she will ill at the time but she did play in the St Rule Trophy at St Andrews over the past weekend and played very well indeed to finish runner-up to Kylie Walker and win the Under-21 trophy.
Carol Muir (Craigie Hill), recent winner of the P&K county title, and British women's open amateur stroke-play champion Roseanne Niven (Crieff) declined invitations to play from county captain Dawn Butchart.
Roseanne's younger sister, Annabel, will play at Royal Dornoch.
"Carol decided last year to retire from the county team and although she was invited she decided to stand by her decision. Roseanne declined as she has decided to play fewer tournaments this year," said Dawn.
The winners of the round-robin tournament featuring Aberdeenshire, Angus, Northern Counties and Perth & Kinross, will go forward to the Scottish county finals at Baberton Golf Club, Edinburgh from September 18 to 20.
P&K team for Dornoch is:
Carly Booth (Comrie).
Alex Bushby (Strathmore).
Eve Muirhead (Pitlochry).
Annabel Niven (Crieff).
Emily Ogilvy (Auchterarder).
Fiona Ramsay (Crieff).
Laura Walker (Muckhart).
Jane Yellowlees (Murrayshall).
Reserves:
1 Jillian Milne (Craigiehill).
2 Gwen Lambie (Dunkeld).

All-American honour for Jodi Ewart

after stellar season on college circuit

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY ENGLISH WOMEN'S GOLF ASSOCIATION
English stroke-play champion Jodi Ewart has been honoured for her stellar performances on the United States women’s college circuit over its 2008-2009 season.

The University of New Mexico student has been named to the Duramed National Golf Coaches Association Division I All-American First Team.

It’s over 20 years since a University of New Mexico woman student was named first team All-American.

"It puts the cherry on top of the sundae for Jodi's season," said college head coach Jill Trujillo. "It has been her main goal for the entire year. She is a rare player that sets that type of goal and works her hardest to reach it.”

Jodi’s 2008-09 season was the best-ever by a UNM woman golfer. The three-time Mountain West Conference Player of the Year finished the season ranked ninth nationally in the Golfweek/Sagarin Performance Index . She had seven top-five finishes in 10 tournaments, including two wins.

Jodi, from Catterick Golf Club in Yorkshire, is an England international and a Curtis Cup player.

Europe leads United States by three

points at halfway in Palmer Cup

FROM THE PALMER CUP WEBSITE
Following a dominant morning four-ball session, Europe rode an early winning streak in afternoon singles matches to hold a 7 1/2-4 1/2 lead at the end of the first day's play in the two-day 2009 Palmer Cup students' international match, presented by Fisher Capital Partners, at Cherry Hills Country Club in Cherry Hills Village, Colorado.
Europe claimed the first three matches of the morning four-ball session. Henrik Norlander and Robin Wingardh gained the first points of the matches when the won five straight holes - including a stretch when the Swedes went eagle-birdie-birdie-birdie - to down Erik Flores and Adam Mitchell.
The pairing of Jorge Campillo and Tim Sluiter and the Italian duo of Leonardo Motto and Andrea Pavan pushed Europe’s lead to 3-0 after each claimed 2-up victories.
Morgan Hoffmann and Cameron Tringale earned the only American points of the opening session - 2-up - in a match it led for all but four holes.
Bud Cauley pulled Team USA to within a point by earning the day’s first singles victory, but the Europeans won three of the next four matches.
Campillo needed seven birdies - including on his last three holes - to edge Mike Van Sickle, 1-up, in a back-in-forth match.
Cameron Tringale led for nine holes before halving with Holland’s Sluiter. Motto grabbed the lead on No. 11 versus Hoffmann before eventually winning 2-up. Stephan Gross recorded the first of seven birdies to win the first hole in his match against Erik Flores and led throughout in a 3 and 1 triumph.
The Americans attempted a late-round rally when Steve Ziegler won four-straight holes - and tallied four birdies in five holes - for a come-from-behind, 2 and 1 victory against Pavan.
Adam Mitchell took advantage of a Chris Paisley bogey on No. 13 and double bogey on No. 14 and followed with a pair of birdie holes for a four-hole run of his own to win 4 and 2.
Norlander dashed Team USA’s hope of pulling any closer when he downed Trent Leon, 3 and 2, to give Europe a 7.5-4.5 lead at the close of the day.
“The four-ball and foursomes in any team sport play a huge part and we got off to a good start with a 3-1 victory,” said Europe head coach Dean Robertson. “The Swedish boys came out hot and we had good performances by Jorge (Campillo) and Tim Sluiter and the Italian boys Leonardo Mott and Andrea Pavan.”
FIRST DAY SCOREBOARD
EUROPE 7 1/2, UNITED STATES 4 1/2
Four-Ball Matches
Europe 3, United States 1
(European names first)
Jorge Campillo & Tim Sluiter bt Bud Cauley & Trent Leon 2 holes.
Henrik Norlander & Robin Wingardh bt Erik Flores & Adam Mitchell 6 and 4.
Leonardo Motta & Andrea Pavan bt Mike Van Sickle & Steve Ziegler 2 holes.
Stephan Gross & Chris Paisley lost to Morgan Hoffmann & Cameron Tringale 2 holes.
Singles
Europe 4 1/2, United States 3 1/2
Wingardh lost to Cauley 4 and 3.
Campillo bt Van Sickle 1 hole.
Sluiter halved with Tringale.
Motta bt Hoffmann 2 holes.
Gross bt Flores 3 and 1.
Pavan lost to Ziegler 2 and 1.
Paisley lost to Mitchell 4 and 2.
Norlander bt Leon 3 and 2.

FRIDAY'S FOURSOMES LINE-UP
Jorge Campillo & Tim Sluiter v Bud Cauley & Mike Van Sickle.
Stephan Gross & Chris Paisley v Erik Flores & Steve Ziegler.
Leonardo Motta & Andrea Pavan v Trent Leon & Adam Mitchell.
Henrik Norlander & Robin Wingardh v Morgan Hoffmann & Cameron Tringale.

Sophie and Emily named by England

for European Young Masters

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY ENGLISH WOMEN'S GOLF ASSOCIATION
Talented teenagers Sophie Godley and Emily Taylor will represent the English Women’s Golf Association at next month’s European Young Masters in France.
The competition takes place on the Albatros course at Golf National, near Paris, from July 23-25.
Both girls put in impressive performances at the recent English women’s amateur championship at Lindrick, Yorkshire, where they reached the match-play stages.
Sophie Godley, 15, is a member at Lindrick. She represented England at U16 level last season and also played for the English schoolgirls’ team.
Emily Taylor, 14, plays at Royal Lytham & St Annes. Last year she was runner up in the English girls’ U15 and the Lancashire girls’ championships.
Both Sophie and Emily are members of EWGA’s Select North Squad.
The European Young Masters includes individual events for boys and girls and a mixed Nations Cup. The English Golf Union will be represented by English U16 champion Sebastian Crookall-Nixon (Workington, Cumbria) and U14 champion Toby Tree (Worthing, Sussex).
Lyndsey Hewison
Press & PR Officer

Amanda Norman wins first

EGWA East Region title

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY ENGLISH WOMEN'S GOLF ASSOCIATION
Suffolk’s Amanda Norman produced an impressive three-day performance to win the inaugural EWGA East Region championship at Aldeburgh.
The Felixstowe Ferry player was top qualifier for the match-play stages. Rounds of 70 and 71 put her four shots clear of her closest rival.
Amanda then moved steadily through the knock-out rounds to the final where she faced 17-year-old Daisy Dyer of Chigwell, Essex. The teenager took control of the match in its early stages and was three up after 11 holes. But Amanda staged a remarkable recovery, winning five holes in a row to be two up with two to play.
She claimed the title when the short 17th was halved in par.
The losing semi-finalists were both from Norfolk: former county champion Karen Young (Eaton) and 13-year-old prospect Amber Ratcliffe (Royal Cromer). Daisy Dyer and Amber Ratcliffe are both members of EWGA squads.
Match-play results
First round:
Amanda Norman (Suffolk) bt Cheryl Chisholm (Suffolk) 6 and 5.
Harriet Key (Herts) bt Vicki Inglis (Suffolk) 5 and 4.
Amy Skoulding (Norfolk) bt Lucinda Mileham (Herts) 2 and 1.
Karen Young (Norfolk) bt Sarah Saggers (Herts) 3 and 2.
Janet Phipps (Cambs & Hunts) bt Sharon Luckman (Suffolk) at 19th.
Amber Ratcliffe (Norfolk) bt Claire Partridge (Herts) 4 and 3.
Lucy Williams (Herts) bt Sarah Smith (Cambs & Hunts) 5 and 4.
Daisy Dyer (Essex) bt Charlotte Presland (Norfolk) at 19th.
Quarter-finals:
Norman bt Key 2 holes.
Young bt Skoulding 4 and 3.
Ratcliffe bt Phipps 6 and 5.
Dyer bt Williams 2 holes.
Semi-finals:
Norman bt Young 7 and 5.
Dyer bt Ratcliffe 4 and 3.
Final:
Norman bt Dyer 2 and 1.

A recent claim that Heather MacRae would be the first female to play in the Scottish professional golf championship was quickly withdrawn when Colin Farquharson reminded his fellow golf writers about Meg Farquhar. Colin interviewed Meg in 1988 for the article below.

Lossiemouth assistant Meg

Farquhar played in men's

pro championship of 1933

+This feature article was published in The Press and Journal in January, 1988 (pictured right).
By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Never, never claim that something has not happened before in the world of sport. That was my New Year resolution after billing Sarah MacLennan of Ballater as the first female assistant professional golfer in Scotland.
No sooner had the article appeared in the Press and Journal, than I was bombarded by phone calls and letters from the Lossiemouth area.
“Haven’t you heard of Meg Farquhar?” was the question repeated over and over again.
To my eternal shame, I had not. But once the error of my ways have been pointed out, there was nothing for it but to go to Lossiemouth and speak to Meg in person. The story she had to tell me is well worth a place in the “Thanks for the Sporting Memory” series.
Margaret Farquhar was born at Lossiemouth April 29, 1910 – My father was a fisherman, a skipper, in fact.”
She learned how to play golf as a youngster more of less by trial and error … “I never had a lesson in my life” … over the Moray Golf Club relief course. Her self-taught swing was so impressive that it triggered off a chain of events which led her into the professional ranks prematurely.
“Johnny McAndrew, who ran a golf school down in Glasgow, saw me play and said: ‘I like your swing. Come down to Glasgow and work for me,’ ” recalls Meg.
“I was in my teens and looking for a job, thinking possibly about a future in nursing but I told my parents about Mr McAndrew’s offer. They were not in favour of me going off to Glasgow.
“My father went off to see George Smith (the Moray Golf Club professional) on his own and came back to tell me that George would take me on if I was serious about wanting a golfing job.
“Willie Souter, one of George’s assistants, was leaving for America at the time, so there was an opening and George Smith had seen me swing a club, so he did not think twice about giving me a job.”
Meg Farquhar admits now she did not realise the full implications of becoming an assistant professional.
“To me it was a job and one I knew I would like. But it was a mistake because as a teenage girl I did not realise I was cutting myself off from amateur golf completely. I did not even have a handicap. I really should have achieved something as an amateur before getting a job as a professional.”
In the years between the World Wars, when package trips to Spain, Portugal, France, etc had not even been thought about, places like Lossiemouth, which could boast a classic links golf course, would draw in every summer people from the south who had the money to spend on holidays away from home.
“I used to spend my summers giving golf lessons to visitors and their children. I became well enough known for some visitors to make a point of asking for me. It was unusual, of course, for a woman to be able to get lessons from a professional of her own sex.
“And some visitors used to pay me to go out and play rounds with them. I met some wonderful people and I have a friend in Edinburgh I taught to play in 1929. I still hear from her.”
So how good a golfer was Meg in her own estimation?
“I could fair hit a ball - and remember I started in the days of the hickory shafts – and I could pitch and putt. We used to get long, hot summers in those days and the Moray greens would become very hard and very fast, which was the way I liked them.”
In 1933 came the event which put Meg Farquhar’s name in the golfing history books. She became the first woman to play in the Scottish professional championship.
“It was to be played that year at Lossiemouth and George Smith encouraged me to enter. There was nothing in the constitution to keep me out. All I had to do was became a member of the PGA and that’s what I did.”
Even in the enlightened 1980s, one can imagine the consternation that would be cause by a similar move but Meg Farquhar does not remember any concerted opposition to her joining the all-male field for what was Scotland’s premier professional golf championship.
“They just accepted me for what I was. I could play golf and I made my living at the game, even though I was paid in pandrops!”
But at the age of 21 and with no tournament experience whatsoever, wasn’t Meg just a little bit apprehensive about placing her female golfing skills in the spotlight and on the same platform as the male professionals.
“Not at all. I knew I could make rings round some of them. I had confidence in my own ability over the Moray course I knew so well.”
Peter Craighead (later to become News Editor) reported on the championship for the “Press and Journal” and described Meg as being of “sturdy build and calm demeanour … the smiling-faced Diana of the links.”
And the biggest galleries were drawn by the local Lossie heroine … “With her went a large number of blue-jerseyed fishermen. It was an intensely patriotic following.”
The format for the “Scottish” in those days would have had the modern tournament pro throwing up his hands in horror – it was all over in two days with two rounds being played on each.
With scores in the 80s and 90s not uncommon, Meg was pleased to be only four shots behind the first-round leader with a 79 (40-39). Her round included a 7 at the eighth but there was encouragement from golf writer Craighead.
“At the last hole, Meg’s tee shot against the wind covered 300 yards. At most of the holes she outdrove the male professional who partnered her.”
But Meg Farquhar started her afternoon second round disastrously – 6 6 5 – and took two shots to get out of “Hell Bunker” below the plateau 18th green which cost her a closing 6. All that added up to an 85.
Meg’s first-day efforts were featured prominently in “The P and J” but her second-day peformance was reduced to a footnote. Perhaps that was a tribute to her acceptance by then as a competitor and not a female interloper.
English-born Mark Seymour was the winner of the 1933 Scottish pro title at Lossiemouth. He had rounds of 75, 72, 70 and 75 for an aggregate o 292 and his second victory in the tournament in three years. Seymour had five strokes to spare over joint runners-up; James McDowall (Turnberry) and William Spark (Balmore).
Meg “putted weakly” according to the “P and J” in fishing with rounds of 86 and 81 – remember the third and fourth rounds were played on the second day – for a four-round aggregate of 331, 40 shots behind winner Seymour but her final placing of 50th was by no means last in the field of Scotland’s top professionals of the day.
The publicity she gained that week did produce one reward – a new set of steel0-shafted clubs with the complments of Accles & Pollock made up for her by Nicolls o’ Leven. Steel shafrfgts had been legalised in1929 but Meg was still playing with hickory-shafted irons at the time of the Scottish championship of 1933.
Meg still has the marked card for a round over 70 (37-33) she had over the Moray course only two years later in 1935. She has a v ague recollection of also playing in the Northern Open – first played in 1933 – at a later date but I was unable to get verification of that.
She seved five years asn assistant to george Smith at the Moray club and did try to get jobs within golf after that but could find “nothing suitable.”
Meg Farquharson, whowas to become Mrs Main after World War II, was reinstated as an amateur in 1949 at the age of 39 and she still had +1 of a handicap as late as 1957, when plus handicaps, particularly in the ranks of amateur ladies were few and far between.
She made her debut in the Scottish womens amateur championship in 1949 at Troon and got as far as the semi-finals before being beaten by Jean Donald who went on to beat Helen Holm in the final.
The following year, at St Andrews, Meg again lost to the competitor who would go on to be crowned champion that week – the legendary Helen Holm – on the 18th green.
In 1951, Meg reached the last eight at Gullane where Jessie Valentine was the champion.
No wonder Meg was picked to play for Scotland in the women’s home internationals in 1950 and 1951.
She recalls that she won all her matches – but, astonishingly, she was never selected to play for her country again, even through she continued to play high-class golf almost to the end of the 1950s.
Meg was nine times Moray women’s club champion and five times Northern Counties title winner after the belated start to her amateur career.
Jessie Valentine, five years younger than Meg, was also a member of the Scotland team at that time and she remembers her as a long-hitting player.
Aberdeen Ladies veteran Charlotte Lyon (92) recalls that Meg was one of the most powerful female golfers she played against.
“She was still a very good player in her 40s when I knew Meg,” Jessie told me at her home in Perth. “She made a mistake in turning professional at the time she did. You can only guess at what she might have achieved had she remained an amateur, particularly at her peak in her 20s in the years leading up World War II.”
Meg Main is a widow now and 7 going on 78 she has swung a golf club for the last time. She was made an honorary member of Moray Golf Club in 1979 and her story will fill a page or two of the book Dr John McConachie is writing to mark the club’s centenary in 1989.
Still a cheerful, outgoing personality at Lossiemouth, Meg has absolutely no regrets about her golfing life.
“Maybe I could have become a famous amateur player before World War II if I hadn’t taken the job as an assistant professional. And I’m sure I could have made a living from it, if there had been a women’s professional circuit in my day.
“But you can’t live your life wishing and wondering. The only thing I would say is that if I had my time over again, I would have gone in for nursing!”
+The above article was published in The Press and Journal on January 19, 1988. Meg Farquhar died later that year, on November 9, aged 78.

Stacey Keating from Australia with the club and ball she used to ace the seventh hole on the Red Course in the Astor Salver.

Whitney from Australia

wins Astor Salver by 3

at The Berkshire

It was Australia Day in The Berkshire Golf Club's Astor Salver prestigious 36-hole open women's tournament at the Ascot course on Wednesday.
Whitney Hillier, pictured above, the 18-year-old Australian girls cham from Joondalup, Perth in Western Australia, won the trophy by three shots.

Compatriot Julia Boland from New South Wales finished joint sixth and another player from Down Under, Stacey Keating from Victoria, had a hole in with with a five iron at the 173yrd seventh hole on the Red Course. Stacey finished 10th overall.
Whitney had rounds of 70 over the Blue Course (par 72) and 66 over the Red Course (par 73) for an impressive nine-under-par total of 136. The CSS was 74 for both courses.
Whitney's impressive worldwide CV includes victory in the 2008 San Diego Junior Masters in California, a joint fourth in the Callway World Junior Championships in 2007 and success in the St Andrews Junior Ladies Open in 2006. Now she can add a victory in England.

All three Australians had played in the St Rule Trophy at St Andrews the previous weekend with Whitney Hillier faring the best with a joint eighth finish behind winner Kylie Walker. Next stop for the touring Aussies is North Wales and next week's Ladies' British open amateur championship over the Royal St David's Golf Club links.
In the Astor Salver, the runner-up on 139 with scores of 67 (Blue Course) and 72 (Red Course) was Laura Jones (Royal Liverpool Golf Club), who plays on the US college circuit as a golf scholarship student at Oklahoma City University.
Last year's English women's amateur champion Hannah Barwood (Knowle) tied with youngster Hannah Turland (Tidworth Garrison) - she will be 15 years old on June 8 - on the 140 mark. Both scored 72 over the Blue and 68 over the Red.
FINAL TOTALS
Par 145 (1x73, 1x72): Red Course 73; Blue Course 72.
CSS 74 74.
136 Whitney Hillier (Joondalup, Australia) 70 66.
139 Laura Jones (Royal Liverpool) 67 72.
140 Hannah Barwood (Knowle) 72 68, Hannah Turland (Tidworth Garrison) 72 68.
141 Ellis Keenan (Sunningdale) 73 68.
142 Hannah Jenkins (Cradoc) 72 70, Julia Boland (Tamworth, Australia) 67 75.
143 Hannah Burke (Mid Herts) 76 67.
144 Charley Hull (Kettering) 73 71.
145 Ellie Robinson (Brass Castle, Middlesbrough) 71 74, Kym Larratt (Kibworth) 70 75.
146 Stacey Keating (Victoria, Australia) 75 71, Sian Evans (Faversham) 71 75.
147 Tara Watters (Muswell Hill) 73 74, Rozalyn Adams (Addington Court) 72 75, Hannah Ralph (Cowdray Park) 71 76.
148 Sarah Attwood (Gog Magog) 77 71, Charlotte Dalton (Ladbrook Park) 75 73, Rebecca Flood (Pennant Hills, Australia) 72 76.
149 Charlotte Wild (Mere) 75 74, Alexandra Peters (Notts) 74 75.
150 Sian James (Bristol & Clifton) 77 73, Anne Wheble (Dartford) 75 75, Alison Franklin (Harpenden) 73 77, Holly Clyburn (Woodhall Spa) 73 77.
151 Charlie Douglass (Brockett Hall) 75 76, Nikki Foster (Pleasington) 73 78.
152 Katherine O'Connor (Tadmarton Heath) 78 74, Chloe Court (Bognor Regis) 78 74, Charlotte Ellis (Minchinhampton) 77 75, Emma Cutmore (Colne Valley) 76 76.
153 Natalie Lowe (Prestbury) 78 75, Laura Collin (John O'Gaunt) 76 77.
154 Tilly Holder (Woburn) 79 75, Laura Cutler (Warley Park) 79 75, TraceyBoyes (Meon Valley Hotel) 78 76, Lucy Gould (Bargoed) 75 79, Lisa Barton (Coventry) 72 82.
155 Nikki Dunn (Harrogate) 80 75, Charlotte Hope (Wrotham Heath) 79 76, Hermione Fitzgerald (Newmarket Links) 76 79, Nicola Whitmore (Woburn) 76 79.
156 Katie Mundy (Durwood Manor) 78 78, Danielle Gibb (Rochester & Cobham Park) 75 81.
157 Rachel Drummond (Beaconsfield) 78 79, Jane Binning (Frilford Heath) 77 80.
158 Katherine Russell (Royal Ashdown Forest) 80 78, Gemma Easton (Bargoed) 80 78, Hannah Coles (Maxstoke Park) 79 79, Hannah Grant (Enmore Park) 78 80.
159 Fiona Thompson (Ellesborough) 84 75, Alex Banham (Elton Furze) 79 80, Carley Warrington (Sickleholme) 78 81, Anna Carling (Vale of Glamorgan) 71 88.
161 Nicola Smith (Walton Heath) 82 79, Georgina Brown (Mere) 82 79, Stacey Rodger (West Hove) 77 84, Jerry Lawrence (Rochester & Cobham Park) 75 86.
162 Harriet Beasley (Woburn) 79 83.
163 Mel Buxton (Broadstone) 83 80, Kym Horlock (Broadstone) 82 81.
165 Amanda Johnston (London) 85 80, Dana Greenslade (Wentworth) 80 85, Julia Brook (Croham Hurst) 80 85, Caroline Bon (Northland, New Zealand) 78 87.
167 Annabel Silk (Corhampton) 87 80, Tana Churchill (Surrey Downs) 81 86.
168 Belinda Yeadon (Hampton Court Palace) 83 85.
169 Alison Gee (Clandon Regis) 85 84.
170 Clara Leathers (Ellesborough) 82 88.
171 Sharon Hewer (Royal Birkdale) 83 88.
172 Tara Dayer-Smith (Chesfield Downs) 88 84.
173 Jane Rees (Hendon) 87 86.
174 Delyth Roberts (Maldon) 91 83.
189 Joanne Herd (Boyce Hill) 91 98.

Palmer Cup starts today at Cherry Hills

The Palmer Cup international students' two-day match tees off today at Cherry Hills Country, Denver, Colorado.
Here are the opening ties and the complete programme (local times):

UNITED STATES v EUROPE

FOUR-BALLS

7.30am - Bud Cauley (Jacksonville) & Trent Leon (Dallas) v Jorge Campillo (Spain) & Tim Sluiter (Netherlands).

7.44am - Erik Flores (Grass Valley, California) & Adam Mitchell (Chattanooga, Tennessee) v. Henrik Norlander (Sweden) & Robin Wingardh (Sweden).

7.58am - Mike Van Sickle (Wexford, Pennsylvania) & Steve Ziegler (Broomfield, Colorado) v Leonard Motta (Italy) & Andrea Pavan (Italy).

8.12am - Morgan Hoffman (Saddle Brook, New Jersey) & Cameron Tringale (Laguna Nigel, California) v Stephan Gross (Germany) & Chris Paisley (Newcastle, England).

Afternoon matches
Singles
Eight ties at 1:00; 1:14, 1:28, 1:42, 1:56, 2:10, 2:24, 2:38pm.

Friday, June 5
Morning matches
Foursomes
Four groups at 7:30, 7:44, 7:58, 8:12a.m.
Afternoon matches
Singles
Eight ties at 1:00; 1:14, 1:28, 1:42, 1:56, 2:10, 2:24, 2:38pm.
Closing Ceremony – approximately 7pm.

BLACK DAY FOR WPGA SCOTS

Black day for Scots quartet in

WPGA event at Cardiff

The four Scots competing in the Ryder Cup Wales 2010 WPGA One-Day Series event at Cardiff Golf Club today went home empty-handed.

Cathy Panton Lewis (The Berkshire) had a five-over-par 78 (37-41), the same score as Anglo-Scot Frances Finney (East Herts (43-35).

Cathy's lowlight was a double bogey 7 at the 11th. She had one birdie, at the long sixth.

Heather MacRae (Gullane), pictured right by Cal Carson Golf Agency, had an off-day, scoring an eight-over-par 81 which included a triple bogey 7 at the 14th and a double bogey 5 at the short ninth in halves of 42 and 39. Highlights were birdies at three long holes - the 10th, 11th and 17th.

Karyn Burns (Mearns Castle Golf Academy) was disqualified.

Laura Eastwood (Teign Valley) won the £350 top prize with a three-under-par round of 73 which included an inward half of 33. She had five birdies and an eagle in a seven-under-par run from the eighth to the 16th inclusive.

Runner-up Katie Tebbet (Rothley Park) arned £275 for a 71 which had a double bogey 7 at the seventh but she came roaring home in 33 with birdies at the 10thy, 13th, 14th, 16th and 17th.

SCORES (Par 73)

70 Laura Eastwood (Teign Valley) 37-33 (£350).

71 Katie Tebbet (Rothley Park) 38-33 (£275).

75 Joanne Oliver (Knebworth) 40-35, Rachel Adby (North Foreland) 39-36, Katrina Holford (The Belfry) 39-36 (£108.33 each).

77 Lucy Clarke (Chelmsford), Marie Tulley (West Cornwall), Alexandra Keighley (Huddersfield), Rachel Bailey (Braston), Hannah Dargan (Pannal), Tracy Loveys (Bigbury), Nicky Lumb (Hambrook) (£7.14 each).

78 Clare Anna Hobbs (Chippenham), Frances Finney (East Herts) 43-35, Cathy Panton-Lewis (The Berkshire) 37-41.

79 Clare Lipscombe (Blue Mountain).

80 Marie Allen (Onlinegolf.co.uk), Rachael Lomas (Naas).

81 Heather MacRae (Gullane) 42-39.

82 Katy Edwards (Ross on Wye).

83 Leanne Cooper (Llanwrn).

87 Kerry Knowles (Wentworth).

90 Joanne Lee (3L Golf).

Disqualified - Karyn Burns (Mearns Castle Golf Acad).

Stacey has an ace in Astor Salver first round

Stacey Keating, one of the leading Australians touring Europe at the moment, had a hole in one at the seventh hole (173yd) of The Berkshire's Red Course today.
Stacey, who tied for 15th place in the St Rule Trophy at St Andrews at the weekend, is competing today in the prestigeous 36-hole women's tournament, the Astor Salver.
We hope to have the scores on display later this evening.

Midlothian team for East championship at Falkirk

Midlothian team for the East Division women's inter-county team championship at Falkirk Golf Club from June 29 to July 1 is:
Kirsten Blackwood (Craigmillar Park), Louise Fraser (Kingsknowe), Claire Hargan (Mortonhall), Claire MacDonald (Gullane Ladies), Karen Marshall (Baberton), Wendy Nicholson (Broomieknowe), Jane Turner (Craigielaw), Rachael Watton (Mortonhall).
Reserves: Gabrielle Macdonald (Craigielaw), Gillian Simpson (Murrayfield).
The winners of the round-robin competition also involving Scottish champions Fife, East Lothian and Stirling & Clackmannan will go forward to the Scottish county championship finals at Baberton Golf Club from September 18 to 20.

LYNNE TERRY WINS

NORTHERN DIVISION

VETERANS' TITLE AT

PETERCULTER

Cruden Bay's Lynne Terry scored two good wins to end the day as the Scottish Veteran Ladies Golf Association's Northern Division champion at Peterculter Golf Club today.
In the semi-finals, Lynne, fourth of the four match-play qualifiers, toppled the No 1 seed and title-holder Kathleen Sutherland (Royal Montrose) by one hole. Then, in the final, Dr Terry beat Jen Petrie (Panmure Barry), again on the 18th green.
Pictured above, courtesy of Rhoda Keith, are (left to right): Lynne Terry, Jen Petrie and captain Morag Clapperton.
Jill Macaulay (Banchory) beat Elizabeth Rose (Aboyne) in the final of the Silver Division handicap section while Olive Rae (Inverurie) beat Elizabeth Herries (Banchory) in the Bronze final.
Results:
SCRATCH
Semi-finals - L Terry (Cruden Bay) bt K Sutherland (Royal Montrose) 1 hole, J Petrie (Panmure Barry) bt M Clapperton (Banchory) 2 holes.
Final - Terry bt Petrie 1 hole.
HANDICAP
Silver Division
Semi-finals - J Macaulay (Banchory) bt H Kelly (Panmure Barry) 2 and 1, E Rose (Aboyne) bt M Donald (Aberdeen Ladies) 2 and 1.
Final - Macaulay bt Rose 1 hole.
Bronze Division
Semi-finals - O Rae (Inverurie) bt V Kelly (Deeside) at 19th, E Herries (Banchory) bt A Gall (Cruden Bay) 2 holes.
Final - Rae bt Herries 1 hole.

e

Jodi and Hannah only to GB players in US top 100

US colleges are not recruiting the top


British and Irish teenage prospects


The best of British & Irish girl golfers are not attracted these days by four years on the American college golf circuit.
That's about the only conclusion that can be drawn from a study of the end-of-the 2008-2009 US women's college rankings.
There are only two English players in the top 100.
Curtis Cup player Jodi Ewart (New Mexico) is ranked No 9 and Hannah Burke (Baylor University, Texas) is ranked No 84.
In 104th position is Anna Scott (Georgia State) from Consett, Co Durham.
Ellie Givens (Denver) from Darlington is No 129.
Gemma Webster (Ohio State) from Glasgow is No 200.
Also:
208 Olivia Jordan-Higgins (Charleston Southern).
219 Natasha Podmore (San Francisco).
230 Sarah Faller (Denver).
232 Sinead O'Sullivan (East Tennessee State).
367 Hannah Lovelock (Missouri).
386 Harriet Owers-Bradley (Yale).
392 Claire Starkie (Georgia State).
396 Portia Abbott (Jacksonville State).
436 Hannah Coles (Radford).
453 Laura Cutler (Jacksonville State).
465 Rebecca Watson (Tennessee).
544 Roseanne Niven (California Berkeley).
611 Ami Storey (Kansas State)

SVLGA- North Division Championship Scoreboard


At Peterculter Golf Club.
Today's scores (CSS 72):
Scratch
74 K Sutherland (Royal Montrose).
81 J Petrie (Panmure Barry).
82 M Clapperton (Banchory) (better inward half).
82 L Terry (Cruden Bay).
Handicap
70 H Kelly (Panmure Barry) (13).
73 M Donald (Aberdeen Ladies) (15).
73 E Rose (Aboyne) (14)
75 J Macaulay (Banchory) (19).
Bronze
68 O Rae (Inverurie) (22).
76 E Herries (Banchory) (21).
77 A Gall (Cruden Bay) (21).
78 V Kelly (Deeside) (23).

Another first for Heather MacRae: She

wins PGA Player of Month award

NEWS RELEASE FROM THE PGA
A number of notable performances caught the eye but none more so than that of Gullane’s Heather MacRae – who is the first female to win the monthly Sunderland of Scotland PGA Player of the Month award.
MacRae clinched the award, which wins her one of Sunderland’s new UV Protection range shirts, on the back of becoming the first woman since 1933 to qualify for the Tartan Tour’s flagship event – the Scottish PGA Championship.
MacRae’s two-over-par 75 at Downfield was more than sufficient to assure her of a place at Gleneagles last this month. That performance came on the back of winning the opening event of the Ryder Cup Wales WPGA One Day Series at Dunham Forest, where she was the only player under par.
The Tartan Tour had two further strong candidates to claim the monthly honour in Craig Lee and David Orr.
Lee’s record of played one won one, that being the Northern Open, thrust him to the top of the OOM.
A place behind him is Orr, who secured the share of two pro-am victories and two top ten finishes in the opening OOM events.
The PGA Player of the Month award will run until October.
For more information on Sunderland log on http://www.sunderlandgolf.com/

Tyler Ogston impresses in Flag

competiton at Turriff

By MURRAY CARNIE of the Paul Lawrie Foundation Trust
Our mini-tour moved on to Turriff Golf Club at the weekend. The course was in outstanding condition for this time of the year and the weather played its part too.
The standard of play in the flag event continues to impress with the Under-12 boys' section being hotly contested. Several competitors ended up around the ninth green.
Careful measuring was also required in the Under-10 Boys on the eighth green.
Tyler Ogston continues to impress. He was the only competitor to go beyond the ninth hole yet again!
The tour moves on to Alford and Deeside for our next competition where there are only a limited number of spaces left.

FLAG COMPETITION WINNERS
Girls U10
1st Carla Banks
2nd Emma Logie
3rd Jodie Astridge

Girls U12
1st Eve Manson
2nd Nicole Yeats
3rd Becky Flaherty

Boys U10
1st Tyler Ogston
2nd Tom Flaherty
3rd Cameron Black

Boys U10
1st (equal) Liam Allan, Jordan Wiseman.
3rd (equal) Jack Brown, Craig Watson
4th Euan Gray

STABLEFORD RESULTS
Boys
Par & SSS 68. CSS 67.
Girls
Par & SSS 71. CSS 74.

1st Kyle Taylor (Turriff) (16) 40 pts
2nd Steven Singer (Turriff) (23) 40
3rd Finlay McPherson (Hopeman) (20) 39
4th Lewis Mackenzie (Turriff) (17) 36
5th Calvin Cheyne (Newburgh) (17) 35

Other scores:
J Banks 35, Kerr Taylor 34, K Spence 33, J Moir 33, D Smith 33, J Flaherty 32, A Fisher 31, G Colleran 31, T Sievwright 30, C Morrison 28, Z Marr 27, S Chalmers 27, C Prudence 25, C Ogg 25.

Munross Trophy tee times at Montrose on Sunday

09.00/14.00 K Vannet (P); A Alston (RML); F Fullarton (MH)
09.10/14.10 R Polson (P); A Smith (Mon); F Sinclair (CC)
09.20/14.20 A Summers (CL); L McGillivray (Ban); J Grubb (MML)
09.30/14.30 H McCook (Ab); J Linklater (L); J Jenkins (R)
09.40/14.40 A McKechin (E); F Blair (CL); R Rankin (Lan)
09.50/14.50 S Leslie (Wh); M MacPherson (TL); A Niven (C)

10.00/15.00 M Summers (CL); A Wilton (Lb); J Meldrum (D)
10.10/15.10 M Johnstone (N); LM Fraser (K); L Atkins (M)
10.20/15.20 N Fenton (Dun); R Wilson (Mon); R Watton (Mor)
10.30/15.30 E Briggs (Kil); J Brown (Mon); S Raitt (F)
10.40/15.40 S Jackson (Lb); E Fairnie (Dun)
10.50/15.50 A Ramsay (Kir); M Briggs (Kil)

Abbreviations:
Ab Abernethy M Minto
Ban Banchory MH Meldrum House
C Crieff MML Montrose Mercantile Ladies
CC Carnoustie Caledonia Mon Monifieth
CL Carnoustie Ladies Mor Mortonhall
D Dullatur N Northern
Dun Dunbar P Peterculter
E Elderslie R Ralston
F Forfar RML Royal Montrose Ladies
K Kingsknowe TL Troon Ladies
Kil Kilmalcolm W Westhill
Kir Kirriemuir
L Largs
Lan Lanark
Lb Ladybank

West of Scotland Girls retain the Mhairi McKay trophy

East girls in pale blue and West girls in pink

from Margaret McPherson
The annual match between West Girls and East Girls was played today in brilliant sunshine at Pollok Golf Club, Glasgow.
The matches were contested in excellent spirit, with great golf being played in spite of very hot conditions. Several matches were very close, with three going to the last hole, but in the end the West Girls were successful and retained the Mhairi McKay Trophy.
Thank you to Pollok Golf Club for the courtesy of the course and for a warm welcome in the clubhouse.

West Girls 5½ East Girls 2½

Results (West names first)
Jill Meldrum beat Gabrielle Macdonald 3/2
Alyson McKechin beat Rachel Hanlon 5/4
Linzi Allan beat Nicky Taylor 1 hole
Natasha Qayum beat Lauren Whyte 1 hole
Linsey Stevenson halved with Samantha Munro
Mhairi McKay beat Helen Goodwin 4/2
Emma Caddow lost to Alison Goodwin 4/2
Rachel Irvine lost to Shannen McGuire 3/2

A famous backdrop for a famous win by Kylie Walker in the St Rule Trophy - two years in a row which makes her only the third player to have back to back wins. Image by courtesy of John Stewart of St Andrews Links Trust. Click to enlarge.

KYLIE RETAINS ST RULE

TROPHY and SCOTLAND

WIN TEAM TITLE

Kylie Walker (Buchanan Castle) today won the St Rule Trophy 54-hole women's open golf tournament for the second year in a row at St Andrews over the weekend.

The Scotland international and Vagliano Trophy preliminary squad member is only the third player to chalk up back-to-back wins in what has become one of the premier stroke-play tournaments on the European amateur women's golf calendar.

Christine Middleton was the first in 1988-89. Catriona (Lambert) Matthew was the second with victories in 1993 and 1994.
Kylie had rounds of 76 over the New Course on Saturday, when there was a high wind, and then two rounds of 71 over the Old Course in much calmer and hotter conditions on Sunday for a total of nine-under-par 218. The New Course has a ladies' par of 75 and the Old Course is 76.

Miss Walker said she had been good around the greens and had only the odd wayward shot.
She won by two shots from Curtis Cup teenager Carly Booth (Comrie) who had rounds of 79, 70 and 71 for 220.
Carly will be rueing going out of bounds at the 16th in her final round. A par there could have led to a play-off climax to the tournament. Miss Booth did win the trophy for the best aggregate by an Under-18 player, finishing eight shots ahead of her nearest rival, Kelly Tidy, the Royal Birkdale player who reached the final of the British girls' championship at Monifieth last summer.

Pamela Pretswell (Bothwell Castle), who dominated the stroke-play stages of the recent Scottish women's amateur championship, finished third on 225 with descending scores of 77, 75 and 73.

Scottish Under-21 champion Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar & Stirling University) shared fourth place with Danielle McVeigh (Royal Co Down), winner of the Welsh women's open amateur stroke-play championship a week or two previously.

Kelsey scored 80, 72 and 74 for 226, Danielle 81, 74 and 71.
There are not all that many birdies recorded at the Road Hole 17th - but Ann Ramsay (Kirriemuir) did even better than that. She had an eagle 3 on her way to a closing 79 for 239.

Kylie Walker, Pamela Pretswell and Louise Kenney (Pitreavie), recent beaten finalist in the Scottish women's amateur championship at Southerness, won the team event for Scotland with a total of 443 - 14 shots ahead of runners-up England (Rachel Jennings, Kelly Tidy and Charlotte Wild) with Wales third on 458 and Ireland fourth on 460.

The winning Scots are pictured above (l to r: Kenney-Walker-Pretswell), again courtesy of John Stewart of the St Andrews Links Trust.

FINAL TOTALS

Par 227 (1x75, 2x76)

Order of rounds: 1 New Course (par 75), 2-3 Old Course (par 76). CSS 78 76 76
218 K Walker (Buchanan Castle) 76 71 71.
220 C Booth (Comrie) 79 70 71.
225 P Pretswell (Bothwell Castle) 77 75 73.
226 D McVeigh (Royal Co Down) 81 74 71, K MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) 80 72 74.
227 E Ogilvy (Auchterarder) 75 78 74.
228 K Tidy (Royal Birkdale) 83 70 75.
230 L Kenney (Pitreavie) 79 77 74, W Hillier (Joondalup, Australia) 82 75 73, T Davies (Holyhead Bay) 77 76 77.
231 Nikki Foster (Pleasington) 80 71 80, Tilly Holder (Woburn) 73 82 76, Katy McNicoll (Carnoustie Ladies) 87 71 73, Rhian Wyn Thomas (Vale of Glamorgan) 80 74 77.

233 Lisa Ball (Matfen Hall) 80 77 76, Julia Boland (Pennant Hills, Australia) 82 78 73, Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm) 78 76 79, Stacey Keating (Victoria, Australia) 79 80 74, Jane Turner (Craigielaw) 82 76 75, Charlotte Wild (Mere) 79 80 74.

234 Rachel Connor (The Manchester) 81 76 77, Rachel Jennings (Izaak Walton) 82 79 73, Laura Murray (Alford) 78 78 78, Rebecca Watson (Holston Hills, USA) 75 79 80.

236 Alexandra Peters (Notts Ladies) 78 78 79.

236 Samnanbtha Birks (Wolstanton) 86 74 76.

237 Charlotte Ellis (Minchinhampton) 83 72 82, Susan Jackson (Ladybank) 81 78 78, Sian James (Bristol & Clifton) 85 75 77, Elaine Moffat (St Regulus) 79 80 78.

239 Niamh Kitching (Claremorris) 80 79 80, Gillian O'Leary (Cork) 78 83 78, Ann Ramsay (Kirriemuir) 77 83 79.

240 Jerry Lawrence (Rochester & Cobham) 80 77 83.

241 Clare-Marie Carlton (Fereneze) 86 77 78, Karen Delaney (Carlow) 86 80 75, Cara Gruber (Royal Dornoch) 80 81 80.

241 Claire Hargan (Mortonhall) 84 79 79, Lauren Taylor (Woburn) 81 83 78, Caroline Bon (Northland, New Zealand) 85, 79 79.

244 Manon de Roey (Rinkven, Belgium) 87 77 80, Rebecca Flood (Pennant Hills, Australia) 84 77 83, Joelle van Baarle (Cleydael, Belgium) 86 76 82.

245 Lesley Atkins (Minto) 84 79 82.

246 Anne Laing (Vale of Leven) 85 85 76, Roseanne Niven (Crieff) 83 80 83, Sheena Wood (Aberdeen Ladies) 83 81 82.

248 Emma Fairnie (Dunbar) 83 84 81, Claire MacDonald (Gullane) 87 79 82.

253 Rozalyn Adams (Addington Court Ladies) 87 86 80.

256 Alexandra Bushby (Strathmore) 91 80 85.

257 Susan Wood (Drumpellier) 89 89 79.

259 Natalie Lowe (Prestbury) 87 89 83, Rachael McQueen (Troon Ladies) 80 84 95.

262 Ashleigh Wilton (Ladybank) 94 84 84.

273 Carmen Simpson (La Costa, US) 91 84 98, Sammy Vass (Tain) 98 89 86.

UNDER-18s

220 Carly Booth.

228 Kelly Tidy.

231 Nikki Foster.

235 Alexandra Peters.

242 Lauren Taylor.

244 Manon de Roey.

245 Lesley Atkins.

273 Sammy Vass.

INTERNATIONAL TEAM EVENT

Two from three scores to count per round.

443 SCOTLAND (Kylie Walker, Louise Kenney, Pamela Pretswell).

457 ENGLAND (Rachel Jennings, Kelly Tidy, Charlotte Wild).

458 WALES (Rhian Wyn Thomas, Tara Davies, Samantha Birks).

460 IRELAND (Niamh Kitching, Danielle McVeigh, Gillian O'Leary).

461 AUSTRALIA (Staceyt Keating, Rebecca Flood, Julia Boland).

488 BELGIUM (Manon de Roey, Joelle van Baarle).

Low scoring over Old Course under bright blue skies

Kylie leads from Carly with

one round to go in 'St Rule'



Defending champion Kylie Walker (Buchanan Castle) leads the St Rule Trophy field into the final round of the 54-hole tournament at St Andrews.
Kylie, pictured right by Cal Carson Golf Agency, shot a great round of 71 over the Old Course in sunny conditions with a slight breeze off the sea this morning.
Coupled with her New Course 76 from Saturday, Miss Walker was on four-under-par 47.
Curtis Cup teenager Carly Booth, who managed to get into the field off the waiting list comparatively late in the day, did even better than the leader with a brilliant 70 over the Old Course.
That was nine shots better than her New Course score, giving her a 36-hole tally of 149.
Blackburn's Nikki Foster (Pleasington) also had a low round over the Old Course this morning - a 71, which represented a nine-stroke improvement on her first-round New Course effort.





LEADING SCORES


Par 151 (75-76)


147 Kylie Walker (Buchanan Castle) 76 71.


149 Carly Booth (Comrie) 79 70.


151 Nikki Foster (Pleasington) 80 71.