Ladies European Tour Scoreboard
COMUNITAT VALENCUABA EUROPEAN NATIONS CUP
La Sella Golf Resort, Alicante, Spain
THIRD ROUND TOTALS
Par 216 (3x72)
199 Anna Nordqvist & Sophie Gustafson (Swe) 67 62 70
201 Karrie Webb & Karen Lunn (Aus) 69 65 67, Iben Tinning & Lisa Holm Sorensen (Den) 68 66 67
202 Gwladys Nocera & Jade Schaeffer (Fra) 67 69 66, Giulia Sergas & Veronica Zorzi 68 66 68
203 Beth Daniel & Meg Mallon (USA) 67 71 65
204 Tania Elosegui & Emma Cabrera Bello (Spa) 66 65 73, Maria Verchenova & Anastasia Kostina (Rus) 71 68 65
205 Catriona Matthew & Krystle Caithness (Sco) 69 69 67, Becky Brewerton & Breanne Loucks (Wal) 69 70 66
208 Stefanie Michl & Nicole Gergely (Aut) 66 72 70, Christel Boeljon & Marjet Van Der Graaff (Ned) 68 69 71
209 Anja Monke & Bettina Hauert (Ger) 70 71 68, Karen Stupples & Melissa Reid (Eng) 71 69 69,
211 Ursula Wikstrom & Jenni Kuosa (Fin) 73 69 69
212 Caroline Rominger & Frederique Seeholzer (Swi) 71 71 70
216 Cecilie Lundgreen & Caroline Martens larsen (Nor) 72 71 73
219 Rebecca Coakley & Hazel Kavanagh (Irl) 72 75 72

HELEN HOLM SCOTTISH OPEN STROKE-PLAY

Nikki Foster (Pleasington) and Louise Kenney (Pitreavie) right, in action at Troon Portland today (images by Cal Carson Golf Agency; click on them to enlarge).

Louise Kenney and Nikki Foster still locked together

in the lead after a Round 2 fluctuation of fortunes

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
updating as it happens at Troon Portland
Dunfermline schoolteacher Louise Kenney (Pitreavie) and Lancashire teenager Nikki Foster (Pleasington) started the second round of the Helen Holm Scottish women's open amateur stroke-play championship locked together in the lead at eight-under-par 67.
They were still inseparable after the second round at Troon Portland today, both players returning four-under-par 71s for 138.
But these bare figures don't tell the story of the fluctation in fortunes that went on between the joint leaders over today's 18 holes.
Foster,went four shots clear of the field on her own after nine holes of the second round.
But she let her big advantage slip away with bogeys at two short holes, the 14th and the 16th, and she required a birdie at the long 18th to come home in one-over-par 38 for a 71.
That gave the Lancashire girls champion a two-round total of 12 under par 138.
Nikki had surged to the turn in five under par 33 to be 13 under par for 27 holes of the 54 hole tournament, of which the third and last round will be played over the testing Royal Troon links on Sunday.
Louise Kenney picked up a shot on par by covering the first nine holes today in 37 but, at minus nine overall, she was four shots adrift of the English pacemaker.
However, the Fifer slashed the deficit to two shots with birdies at the short 10th and long 12th.
and continued to make up the leeway over the closing holes to finish the day on 71 for 138 and a share of the pole position overnight once again. Louise birdied the 13th, bogeyed the 14th but birdied the long 15th on her way to three-under-par 34 for the homeward journey.
Danielle McVeigh (Royal Co Down Ladies), who returned a first-day 70 despite suffering what she thought was a bout of food poisoning on Thursday night, felt a lot better today - but did not score so well ... but a four-under-par 71 for a 36-hole tally of 141 was only three shots behind the two pacemakers.
Danielle, winner of the British women's open amateur stroke-play championship at Royal Aberdeen last season, took 39 shots to the turn - one over par - with bogeys at the third and short fourth wiping out a birdie at the long second. But the Ulster six-footer, a student at Maynooth University near Dublin, came rattling home in five-under-par 32 despite starting back with a bogey at the short 10th.
Danielle birdied the long 11th, had an eagle 3 at the long 12th, birdied the par-4 13th and 17th and then finished off her round in style with a birdie 4 at the long 18th. She covered her last eight holes in six under par.
Scottish teenager Alyson McKechin had an excellent round of five-under 70, eight shots better than her first-round effort. The Elderslie player birdied the long first and the par-4 fifth and had an eagle 3 at the long sixth and a 2 at the short eighth to reach the turn in five-under-par 33. She dropped her first shot at the 11th but got another 2 at the short 16th to come home in level par 37 for a 70 and a 36-hole tally of 148, the same mark.
Clare-Marie Carlton (Fereneze) was another to hit the 70 mark, which represented an improvement of 11 shots on her first round to put her on 151 alongside Curtis Cup team contenders Pamela Pretswell (Bothwell Castle) (75-76), Amy Boulden (Maesdu) (77-74), Welsh champion Tara Davies (Holyhead) (77-74), former Scottish Under-21 champion Kelly Brotherton (Troon Welbeck) (75-76) and Samantha Birks (Wolstanton) (79-72).
Defending champion Leona Maguire, the 15-year-old twin from the Slieve Russell club in Ireland, was sharing fourth place with another member of the Curtis Cup preliminary squad, England's Rachel Jennings (Izaak Walton). Maguire couldn't match her first-day 69, slipping back to a level par 75 for 144 while Jennings has so far reeled off a pair of 72s.
Leona's talented twin Lisa, officially placed third in this tournament last year, goes into the final round in joint sixth place on 145 after a 71. Also on this mark are former English champion Hannah Barwood (Knowle) (74-71), Charlotte Ellis (Minchinhampton) (76-69) and Kelly Tidy (Royal Birkdale), twice beaten in the final of the British girls championship. Kelly has scored 72-73 so far.
Charlotte Ellis is the only player to break 70 today after three players did so on Friday.
Jane Turner (Craigielaw) is the second Scot on the leaderboard after international team-mate Louise Kenney. The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen student improved by two shots with a72 for 146, the same tally as young Lauren Taylor (Woburn) (75-71) and Emma Brown (71-75), winner of this title as Emma Duggleby in 2004 before she decided prematurely to stand down from international team golf.
Curtis Cup team contender and twice Scottish Under-21 champion Kelsey MacDonald was undone by the short 16th for the second day in a row. It cost her a double bogey 5 with four putts in a first-round 80 and it cost her a double bogey 5 again in what was a nightmare inward half of four-over-par 41 for the Nairn Dunbar member and Stirling University student.
Kelsey, out in one-over 39, bogeyed the long 15th, double-bogey the short 16th and bogeyed the 17th - four shots shed over three of the finishing holes. MacDonald finished the day with an 80 for 153. Last year Kelsey was runner-up to Leona Maguire and her winter form has been outstanding, including winning the R&A Foundation Scholars' Tournament at St Andrews.

SECOND-ROUND TOTALS
Both rounds at Troon Portland
Par 150 (2x75)
CSS 76 76
138 Nikki Foster (Pleasington) 67 71, Louise Kenney (Pitreavie) 67 71.
141 Danielle McVeigh (Royal Co Down Ladies) 70 71.
144 Leona Maguire (Slieve Russell) 69 75, Rachel Jennings (Izaak Walton) 72 72.
145 Lisa Maguire (Slieve Russell) 74 71, Hannah Barwood (Knowle) 74 71, Charlotte Ellis (Minchinhampton) 76 69, Kelly Tidy (Royal Birkdale) 72 73.
146 Lauren Taylor (Woburn) 75 71, Emma Brown (Malton & North) 71 75, Jane Turner (Craigielaw) 74 72.
147 Lucy Williams (Mid Herts) 70 77, Anjelika Hammar (Sweden) 76 71, Gillian O'Leary (Cork) 72 75.
148 Alyson McKechin (Elderslie) 78 70, Sian James (Bristol & Clifton) 75 73, Gemma Bradbury (Cottrell Park) 76 72.
149 Naomi Edwards (Ganton) 73 76, Laura Murray (Alford) 75 74, Rachael Watton (Mortonhall) 75 74
150 Charlotte Dalton (Ladbrook Park) 74 76, Aedin Murphy (Carlow) 77 73, Laura Collin (John O'Gaunt) 76 74, Lisa Ball (Matfen Hall) 75 75.
151 Pamela Pretswell (Bothwell Castle) 75 76, Kelly Brotherton (Troon Welbeck) 75 76, Tara Davies (Holyhead) 77 74, Clare-Marie Carlton (Fereneze) 81 70, Samantha Birks (Wolstanton) 79 72, Amy Boulden (Maesdu) 77 74, Jess Wilcox (Blankney) 77 74.
152 Rachael McQueen (Troon Ladies) 76 76, Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm) 75 77.
153 Holly Clyburn (Woodhall Spa) 79 74, Charlotte Wild (Mere) 74 79, Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) 73 80.
154 Karen O'Neill (Douglas) 81 73, Charlie Douglass (Brocket Hall) 78 76, Becky Harries (Haverfordwest) 78 76.
155 Gabrielle MacDonald (Craigielaw) 76 79, Stephanie McEvoy (Old Fold Manor) 76 79, Rachael Taylor (Hartl Golf Resort, Germany) 79 76, Rebecca Wilson (Grange) 77 78, Sarah Cunningham (Ennis) 81 74, Louise Mernagh (Woodenbridge) 79 76, Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm) 78 77, Maura Diamond (Royal Portrush) 77 78.
156 Emma Sheffield (Newark) 77 79, Bethany Garton (Royal Lytham) 79 77, Victoria Bradshaw (Bangor) 76 80, Rebecca Gee (Wellingborough) 81 75, Gillian Monteith (Portpatrick Dunskey) 78 78, Susan Jackson (Ladybank) 77 79, Hannah Grant (Enmore Park) 80 76.
157 Charlene Reid (Royal Portrush) 81 76.
158 Josephine Janson (Sweden) 79 79, Sarah Garbutt (Ganton) 77 81.
159 Sarah Helly (Enniscrone) 82 77.
160 Rachel Hanlon (St Regulus) 79 81, Ann Ramsay (Kirriemuir) 80 80.
161 Lucy Simpson (Massereene) 80 81.
162 Anne Laing (Vale of Leven) 82 80, Ailsa Summers (Carnoustie Ladies) 83 79.
164 Lesley Atkins (Minto) 82 82, Ciara Butler (Newlands) 84 80.
166 Bronwyn Davies (Trentham) 81 85.
167 Samantha Leslie (Westhill) 86 81.

TEAM EVENT
285 IRELAND (D McVeigh 70 71, Leona Maguire 69 75).

289 SCOTLAND (L Kenney 67 71, P Pretswell 75 76).
298 ENGLAND (H Barwood 74 71, H Clyburn 79 74).
302 WALES (T Davie 77 74, A Boulden 77 74).

WHEN TO SEE THE ACTION AT ROYAL TROON ON SUNDAY

07.30 Samantha Leslie (Westhill), Bronwyn Davies (Trentham).

07.40 Lesley atkins (Gullane), Ciara Butler (Newlands), Anne Laing (Vale of Leven).

07.50 Ailsa Summers (Carnoustie Ladies), Lucy Simpson (Masserene), Rachel Hanlon (St Regulus).

08.00 Ann F Ramsay (Kirriemuir), Sarah Helly (Enniscrone), Sara Garbutt (Ganton),

08.10 Josephine Janson (Sweden), Charlene Reid (Royal Portrush), Victoria Bradshaw (Bangor).

08.20 Emma Sheffield (Newark), Susan Jackson (Ladybank), Gillian Monteith (Portpatrick Dunskey).

08.30 Bethany Garton (Royal Lytham), Hannah Grant (Enmore Park), Rebecca Gee (Wellingborough).

08.40 Gabriella MacDonald (Craigielaw), Stephanie McEvoy (Old Ford Manor), Maura Diamond (Royal Portrush).

08.50 Rebecca Wilson, Megan Briggs, Rachael Taylor.

09.00 Louise Mernagh, Sarah Cunningham, Becky Harries.

09.10 Charlie Douglass, Karen O'Neill, Kelsey MacDonald.

09.20 Charlotte Wild, Holly Clyburn, Eilidh Briggs.

09.30 Rachael McQueen, Kelly Brotherton, Pamela Pretswell.

09.40 Amy Boulden, Tara Davies, Jess Wilcox.

09.50 Samantha Birks, Clare-0Marie Carlton, Charlotte Dalton.

10.00 Lisa Ball, Laura Collin, Aedin Murphy.

10.10 Naomi Edards, Laura Murray, Rachael Watton.

10.20 Sian James, Gemma Bradbury, Alyson McKechin.

10.30 Lucy Williams, Gillian O'Leary, Anjelika Hammar.

10.40 Emma Brown, Jane Turner, Lauren Taylor.

10.50 Kelly Tidy, Hannah Barwood, Lisa Maguire.

11.00 Charlotte Ellis, Leona Maguire, Rachel Jennings.

11.10 Danielle McVeigh, Nikki Foster, Louise Kenney.

Anna Carling joint 13th in Alabama and named to

All-Sun Belt Conference team

Anna Carling from Wales tied for 13th place in the Sun Belt Conference Championships at Muscle Shoals, Alabama and was honoured as an All-Sun Belt Conference selection. The freshman standout matched her best single-round score of the season with a 72 for the final 18 holes and finished with a combined 226.
After finishing the first day tied for 32nd place, Carling improved her score each of the next two rounds to move up 19 places in the final standings.
Carling has top twenty finishes in nine of the ten tournaments she played with five top tens including her first tournament win in Kentucky . She finished the season as Arkansas State University’s number one player with a stroke average this semester of 75.11.
The Conference Championship individual medallist was Kimberley Kim recently named as a member of the USA Curtis Cup team and Sun Belt Conference freshman of the year,
Course:Robert Trent Jones at the Shoals: The Schoolmaster (SBC Champs Par 72 - 6123 yards

United States Duramed Futures Tour Scoreboard
$100,000 HISTORIC BROWNSVILLE OPEN
Rancho Viejo Resort & Country Club, Texas
FIRST ROUND
Par 71 (36-35). 6,283yd
1 Christi Cano (San Antonio, Texas) 34-33 - 67
Tanya Dergal (Durango, Mexico) 33-34 - 67
3 Briana Vega (Andover, Mass.) 36-32 - 68
Mo Martin (Altadena, Calif.) 36-32 - 68
Pornanong Phatlum (Chaiyaphum, Thailand) 32-36 - 68
6 Gerina Mendoza (Roswell, N.M.) 36-33 - 69
Christina Jones (Jensen Beach, Fla.) 34-35 - 69
Tzu-Chi Lin (Taichung, Taiwan) 37-32 - 69
Angela Oh (Maple Shade, N.J.) 34-35 - 69
Tara Goedeken (Dodge City, Kan.) 37-32 - 69
Christine Cho (Kent, Wash.) 34-35 - 69
Liz Janangelo (West Hartford, Conn.) 35-34 - 69
13 Kitty Hwang (Guayaquil, Ecuador) 37-33 - 70
Ashley Prange (Noblesville, Ind.) 35-35 - 70
Carling Coffing (Middletown, Ohio) 35-35 - 70
Sophie Jang (Seoul, South Korea) 36-34 - 70
Christine Song (Fullerton, Calif.) 37-33 - 70
Tiffany Joh (San Diego, Calif.) 33-37 - 70
Amanda Costner (Claremore, Okla.) 35-35 - 70
Hwanhee Lee (Las Vegas, Nev.) 33-37 - 70
Kylene Pulley (Kokomo, Ind.) 36-34 - 70
Amelia Lewis (Jacksonville, Fla.) 35-35 - 70
Hannah Jun (San Diego, Calif.) 35-35 - 70
Lehua Wise (Kauai, Hawaii) 36-34 - 70
Katie Miller (Jeannette, Pa.) 35-35 - 70
26 Paola Moreno (Cali, Colombia) 35-36 - 71
Jenny Shin (Torrance, Calif.) 36-35 - 71
Chelsea Curtis (New Seabury, Mass.) 37-34 - 71
Sara Brown (Tucson, Ariz.) 36-35 - 71
Sophia Sheridan (Guadalajara, Mexico) 36-35 - 71
Lori Atsedes (Ithaca, N.Y.) 35-36 - 71
Lene Krog (Lier, Norway) 35-36 - 71
Jenny Suh (Fairfax, Va.) 36-35 - 71
Seema Sadekar (Toronto, Ontario) 37-34 - 71
Ryann O'Toole (San Clemente, Calif.) 34-37 - 71
36 Janell Howland (Boise, Idaho) 35-37 - 72
Leanne Bowditch (Queensland, Australia) 38-34 - 72
Kathleen Ekey (Sharon Township, Ohio) 35-37 - 72
Cindy LaCrosse (Tampa, Fla.) 36-36 - 72
Hannah Yun (Bradenton, Fla.) 36-36 - 72
Malinda Johnson (Eau Claire, Wis.) 38-34 - 72
Juli Erekson (Chicopee, Mass.) 37-35 - 72
Benedikte Grotvedt (Nesbru, Norway) 37-35 - 72
Jane Rah (Torrance, Calif.) 38-34 - 72
Tiffany Tavee (Tempe, Ariz.) 36-36 - 72
Lauren Hunt (Little River, S.C.) 36-36 - 72
Miriam Nagl (Berlin, Germany) 36-36 - 72
Sarah-Jane Smith (Queensland, Australia) 36-36 - 72
Marlowe Boukis (Lutherville, Md.) 36-36 - 72
Tracy Stanford (Midland, Texas) 37-35 - 72
Esther Choe (Scottsdale, Ariz.) 36-36 - 72
Nicole Smith (Riverside, Calif.) 33-39 - 72
Sydney Cox (Edmond, Okla.) 36-36 - 72
Whitney Myers (York, Pa.) 38-34 - 72
55 Shasta Averyhardt (Flint, Mich.) 36-37 - 73
Michaela Cavener (Ponca City, Okla.) 40-33 - 73
Jennie Lee (Henderson, Nev.) 39-34 - 73
Kelly Froelich (Raizeux, France) 37-36 - 73
Perry Swenson Livonius (Charlotte, N.C.) 37-36 - 73
Nontaya Srisawang (Chiang Mai, Thailand) 33-40 - 73
Haley Gildea (East Greenwich, R.I.) 38-35 - 73
Rachel Bailey (Faulconbridge, Australia) 38-35 - 73
Alison Walshe (Westford, Mass.) 35-38 - 73
Jessica Shepley (Oakville, Ontario) 37-36 - 73
Kay Hoey (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) 35-38 - 73
Nannette Hill (Pelham, N.Y.) 36-37 - 73
Caroline Larsson (Stockholm, Sweden) 37-36 - 73
Rachel Connor (Manchester, England) 36-37 - 73
69 Carrie Riordan (Spring Valley, Ill.) 37-37 - 74
Jenny Lee (Simi Valley, Calif.) 38-36 - 74
Selanee Henderson (Apple Valley, Calif.) 36-38 - 74
Adrienne White (Red Deer, Alberta) 40-34 - 74
Marina Choi (Los Angeles, Calif.) 39-35 - 74
Heather Burgner (Lakeland, Fla.) 38-36 - 74
Kelly Lagedrost (Brooksville, Fla.) 39-35 - 74
Lisa Ferrero (Lodi, Calif.) 33-41 - 74
Taryn Durham (Glasgow, Ky.) 40-34 - 74
Jessica Carafiello (Coral Springs, Fla.) 38-36 - 74
Erica Moston (Belmont, Calif.) 39-35 - 74
Madeleine Holmblad (Stockholm, Sweden) 39-35 - 74
Jenny Gleason (Clearwater, Fla.) 38-36 - 74
Eileen Vargas (Ibague, Colombia) 37-37 - 74
Whitney Wade (Glasgow, Ky.) 38-36 - 74
84 Bree Arthur (Brisbane, Australia) 38-37 - 75
Y. J. Jin (Seoul, South Korea) 40-35 - 75
Jennifer Bermingham (Long Beach, Calif.) 38-37 - 75
Maggie Simons (Raleigh, N.C.) 38-37 - 75
Susan Nam (Edmonton, Alberta) 39-36 - 75
Veronica Felibert (Caracas, Venezuela) 38-37 - 75
Ai-Chen Kuo (Taiwan) 36-39 - 75
Dewi Claire Schreefel (Diepenveen, Netherland 37-38 - 75
Camila Mori (Santiago, Chile) 39-36 - 75
Danielle Mills (Pointe-Claire, Quebec) 38-37 - 75
Blair Lamb (Flat Rock, N.C.) 38-37 - 75
Min Seo Kwak (Seoul, South Korea) 40-35 - 75
Aimee Cho (Orlando, Fla.) 39-36 - 75
Sofie Andersson (Angelholm, Sweden) 41-34 - 75
Kristen Simpson (Norfolk, Va.) 38-37 - 75
Jackie Barenborg (Vero Beach, Fla.) 37-38 - 75
Rebecca Flood (Coonabarabran, Australia) 37-38 - 75
Laura Bavaird (Grosse Ile, Mich.) 39-36 - 75
102 Hanna Kang (Seoul, South Korea) 38-38 - 76
Angela Buzminski (Oshawa, Ontario) 39-37 - 76
Laura Crawford (Lancaster, S.C.) 39-37 - 76
Ashley Medders (Alma, Ga.) 39-37 - 76
Kirby Dreher (Fort St. John, Canada) 36-40 - 76
Carolina Llano (Medellin, Colombia) 42-34 - 76
Rachel Larson (Longmont, Colo.) 36-40 - 76
Elisa Serramia (Barcelona, Spain) 39-37 - 76
Amanda Mathis (Picayune, Miss.) 38-38 - 76
Caroline Westrup (Ahus, Sweden) 39-37 - 76
Sara Ovadia (Santa Barbara, Calif.) 38-38 - 76
Lauren Doughtie (Suffolk, Va.) 38-38 - 76
114 Sae Hee Son (Seoul, South Korea) 38-39 - 77
Virada Nirapathpongporn (Bangkok, Thailand) 40-37 - 77
Simone DeSouza (Peru) 39-38 - 77
Devan Andersen (Guadalajara, Mexico) 43-34 - 77
Pamela Ontiveros (Gomez Palacio, Mexico) 39-38 - 77
Carmen Bandea (Atlanta, Ga.) 39-38 - 77
Dori Carter (Valdosta, Ga.) 41-36 - 77
Jessi Gebhardt (Chandler, Ariz.) 39-38 - 77
Jasi Acharya (Columbus, Mont.) 40-37 - 77
Jane Chin (Mission Viejo, Calif.) 39-38 - 77
Sarah Olsen (Grosse Ile, Mich.) 41-36 - 77
Danah Ford Bordner (Indianapolis, Ind.) 39-38 - 77
Julie Wells-Shenfield (Wilsonville, Ore.) 40-37 - 77
Noon Huajai (Bangkok, Thailand) 37-40 - 77
Lili Alvarez (Durango, Mexico) 39-38 - 77
Stephanie Connelly (Pasadena, Md.) 42-35 - 77
Kim Augusta (Rumford, R.I.) 40-37 - 77
Ayaka Kaneko (Honolulu, Hawaii) 40-37 - 77
Libby Smith (Essex Junction, Vt.) 42-35 - 77
Jennifer Ackerson (Dallas, Texas) 41-36 - 77
134 Sam White (Potomac, Md.) 43-35 - 78
Lindsey Bergeon (Sarasota, Fla.) 39-39 - 78
136 Mayule Tomimbang (Kissimmee, Fla.) 42-37 - 79
Emma Calderone (Toronto, Ontario) 40-39 - 79
Mallory Blackwelder (Versailles, Ky.) 41-38 - 79
Kristina Langton (Ada, Mich.) 40-39 - 79
140 Dawn Shockley (Estes Park, Colo.) 37-43 - 80
Susannah Aboff (Huntington, N.Y.) 39-41 - 80
142 Stacey Bieber (Winnipeg, Manitoba) 41-40 - 81
143 Brandi Jackson (Greenville, S.C.) 40-42 - 82
144 Ashley Grier (Hagerstown, Md.) 45-39 - 84

SCOTS BEST OF BRITISH AT HALFWAY

Swedes are halfway leaders at Alicante

FROM THE LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Alicante, Spain: Anna Nordqvist and Sophie Gustafson lifted Sweden into a two-shot lead at the Comunitat Valenciana European Nations Cup at the Sella Golf Resort in south-east Spain on Friday. The pair combined for 10 birdies in the Valencian Cup format, which is a variation on Greensomes.
Adding a 62 to their opening 65 in Thursday’s four-balls, Sweden finished the second round at 15-under-par, just three shots behind the previous year’s winning score, after 36 holes. The Spanish duo of Tania Elosegui and Emma Cabrera were placed second at 13-under-par after a round of 65 that included an eagle, a bogey and six birdies.
The Australian team of Karrie Webb and Karen Lunn fired a 65 and shared third at ten-under with Italy, represented by Veronica Zorzi and Giulia Sergas and the Danish duo of Iben Tinning and Lisa Holm Sorensen, playing together for the third year.
“It was all about team work out there. I felt like I had to try to hit the fairway as I knew Sophie was going to stick it close so I could tap it in for birdie. That’s how I felt a lot of the time,” said Nordqvist, who won two tournaments last year in her rookie season as a professional. Gustafson, a winner of 23 international titles, added: “I was focused on getting my shots into the green closer than Anna because I really wanted her to be the one putting for birdies.”
The pair had nine threes on the card in total. They went out in 32 with birdies on the third, fifth, seventh and ninth holes.
With further birdies on holes 10, 12, 14, 15, 16 and 18 they came back in 30 and also made an important par save on the tough par-three 17th hole.
“I think obviously we had some awesome momentum going on the back nine, we played so good coming off birdies on 14, 15 and 16 and then making a par is always important, especially in the end because you want to keep that momentum going all the way to the end and finish well,” Nordqvist said.
“We knew we had to stay short of the pin because it’s pretty fast coming down if you are short of the pin. I thought I hit a good shot but it was the wrong club so I mean, you’ve just got to accept that. Sophie hit a little to the right but thanks to Sophie we managed to save par there so it got us some momentum for 18.”
Tania Elosegui and Emma Cabrera Bello celebrate a birdie putt on the eighth green.
Spain made a fast start on a fine day at La Sella Resort. Cabrera Bello rolled in a 10 foot birdie putt at the first hole, before holing out for eagle from the front greenside bunker on the par-five second hole, which gave her and Elosegui a two stroke lead.
They then birdied the par-four third hole, Cabrera Bello knocking in a three-footer, before moving to 11-under-par when Cabrera Bello again rolled in a tricky putt at the fifth. At the eighth, Cabrera Bello’s putting skills again came to the fore when she nailed a six foot putt and the pair moved to 13-under-par with another birdie at the ninth hole.
They were out in 29 with a three stroke lead over Sweden, however when Spain bogeyed the 11th and Sweden birdied the 14th the two teams were locked at 12-under-par. Spain made another birdie at the tough 17th, lifting them to 13-under in total.
Elosegui said: “I’m very happy. I think it’s a great round and a great score for this format. Sweden shot 62 which is unbelievable but 65 is a very good round.”
Cabrera Bello, whose father was out supporting in the gallery with the Spanish flag, added: “It was very exciting. Actually our first four came at the seventh hole, because I was just doing the score card. It was an amazing start. On the front nine I was putting most of the time and that was working and then on the back nine it was Tania putting and me hitting the second shots.”
Australia were one of the favourite teams coming into the event and they made their move on Friday, Webb holing a bunker shot for eagle at the par-five second hole, with five birdies over the last six holes.
“We just finished well really,” explained Lunn. “We struggled a little bit all day but hung in there and made a few birdies at the end.
“Both of us weren’t gelling at the same time but we were doing enough to make pars and then it really clicked the last six holes,” said Webb, a winner of seven major championships. “I’m having a great time and it’s a really lovely week.”
The Italian team, who tied for second at the 2009 event, shot a second round of 66 and Sergas said: “It was very consistent. We shoot 33, 33, so it was a good round.”
Zorzi said: “Well today was different: sunshine, no rain, good feelings, everything was good today. Everybody put the first shot in the fairway and also we had a chance to choose the ball on the green so we played very good together.”
Scotland's Catriona Matthew and Krystle Caithness are the best place of the British teams in joint eighth position on 138 - nine shots behind the pacemaking Swedes.
Saturday’s third round will be four-ball, better-ball, followed by a final round of “Valencian Cup” on Sunday.

SCOREBOARD
Par 144 (2x72)
129 SWEDEN: Anna Nordqvist & Sophie Gustafson 67 62.
131 SPAIN: Tania Elosegui & Emma Cabrera-Bello 66 65 »»
134 AUSTRALIA:Karrie Webb & Karen Lunn 69 65, ITALY (Giulia Sergas & Veronica Zori 68 66; DENMARK: Lisa Holm Sorensen & Iben Tinning 68 66.
136 FRANCE: Gwladys Nocera & Jade Schaeffer 67 69.
137 NETHERLANDSl Christel Boeljon & Marjet van der Graaff 68 69.
138 SCOTLAND: Catriona Matthew & Krystle Caithness 69 69; UNITED STATES: Beth Daniel & Meg Mallon 67 71, AUSTRIA: Nicole Gergely & Stefanie Michl 66 72.
139 RUSSIA: Maria Verchenova & Anastasia Kostina 71 68, WALES: Becky Brewerton & Breanne Loucks 69 70.
140 ENGLAND: Karen Stupples & MelissaReid 71 69.
141 GERMANY: Bettina Hauert & Anja Monke 70 71.
142 FINLAND: Ursula Wikstrom & Jenni Kuosa 73 69, SWITZERLAND: Carolina Rominger & Frederique Seeholzer 71 71.
143 NORWAY: Cecilie Lundgreen & Caroline Martens 72 71.
147 IRELAND: Rebecca Coakley & Hazel Kavanagh 72 75.

+Official tour scoring and statistics provided by the Ladies European Tour website

Cheshire’s Caroline Marron wins English senior championship
-
NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE ENGLISH WOMEN'S GOLF ASSOCIATION
Cheshire’s Caroline Marron (pictured) achieved her main goal of the season when she won a nailbiting final to become English senior champion at Littlestone, Kent.

She took the title when she holed a testing, downhill 10-foot putt to defeat Buckinghamshire’s Carole Weir on the 18th green. “I am absolutely over the moon. I’m going to cry!” she said.

Meanwhile, Surrey’s Debbie Richards won Flight Two with a 4/2 victory over local member Geraldine Bray. It was her first appearance in an England senior event and she said: “I am just so pleased – but it hasn’t sunk in yet.”

Caroline Marron, the 2001 English strokeplay champion, took an early grip on the championship final as she demonstrated the superb short game which has been her trademark of the week.Carole struggled around the greens over the opening holes but, as she settled into the game, the players matched each other shot for shot and halved eight consecutive holes from the seventh.

However, Caroline extended her lead to three up when she got the better of the slippery 15th green. With just three holes left to play she seemed to have one hand on the trophy – but Carole had other ideas. Her husband-caddy told her: “If you finish four, three, four you can win this.” She almost did it, winning the 16th with a birdie four and the 17th with a great par three after her drive finished in a tricky spot to the right of the green.

On the par five 18th her second shot finished just right of the green, while Caroline was in a similar position for three. Carole chipped up safely, but her ball ran comfortably past the pin and she missed the birdie putt. Caroline putted up the slope to with 10ft of the pin and, when the time came, she demonstrated nerves of steel and rolled the crucial par putt into the hole.

“I’ve been struggling with my driver all week and when you’re under pressure that’s what goes – and it did on the last few holes,” said Caroline, who hit seven fairways in the final. Her boyfriend, Bromborough professional Geoff Berry, has been trying to solve the problem over the phone! Interestingly, both finalists have been working with psychologist Karl Morris through their county training and both paid tribute to his influence.

Caroline said: “I really, really wanted to win this and we’ve been working on goal setting with Karl Morris. This was my goal and I’ve been working on my putting to achieve it.” Carol, who is the Buckinghamshire first team captain, has been working with Karl Morris on her pre-shot routine.

Despite losing she was delighted with her performance: “I am just so proud of myself,” she said. In Flight Two Debbie Richards demonstrated fine ball striking and a neat short game. She was in charge throughout her final after taking the lead at the second hole.

Her opponent sank a number of clutch putts for halves but Debbie won the 15th to go three up and then finished with a flourish: with a birdie on the par five 16th for victory. Debbie, who was a Welsh girl international, is a member at Burhill and Rye, where she is ladies’ champion.

She’s also in the Surrey squad and plays for the second team. Her husband is English Women’s Golf Association non-executive director Bill Richards – who encouraged her to enter this event. Results

Championship flight

Semi-finals

Carole Weir (Beaconsfield) bt Felicity Christine (Banstead Downs) 1 hole.

Caroline Marron (Bromborough) bt Roz Adams (Addington Court Ladies’) 1 hole.

Final

Marron beat Weir 1 hole.

Flight 2

Semi-finals

Debbie Richards (Burhill) bt Pat Wrightson (Huddersfield) 3 and 1.

Geraldine Bray (Littlestone) bt Irene Brien (Wentworth) 6 and 5.

Final

Richards beat Bray 4 and 2.

Lyndsey Hewison

Press & PR Officer

NO HELEN HOLM 36-HOLE CUT AS ENTRY DROPS TO 68

Louise Kenney (left) and Nikki Foster (right). Images taken by Cal Carson Golf Agency at Troon today.

Nikki Foster and Louise Kenney share first-round

lead on eight-under-par 67

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Dunfermline teacher Louise Kenney and Lancashire lass Nikki Foster surged two shots clear of the field to share the overnight lead on eight-under-par 67 after the first round of the Helen Holm Scottish women’s open amateur stroke-play golf championship at Troon Portland links, Ayrshire today (Friday).
On an overcast day with a chilly wind blowing off and on, 27-year-old Louise and 18-year-old Nikki generated the most heat with their eagle-birdie blitz of the course which has a generous par of 75 off the LGU tees.
“That was just the start I was praying for,” said Kenney who is a member of the short leet for the GB&I Curtis Cup team to play the United States at Essex County Club, Massachusetts in June.
“I don’t know where that round came from! I wasn’t that brilliant in my practice rounds but it all fell into place today, just when I needed it. I was so steady. Eight under par is my best ever score, anywhere, anytime.
“I felt so relaxed after I pitched and putted for a birdie 4 after going through the back at the first hole. I was just hitting my approach shots so close. I only had one bogey – three putts at the fifth – but that was the exception.”
Kenney birdied the long first, the third, the short fourth, the long sixth and the long ninth to turn in four-under-par 34. The Fifer from the Pitreavie club, who spent four years on the American college golf circuit as a student at Iowa State University, carried on shooting the lights out after the turn. She got a 2 at the short 10th and a 4 at the long 11th, and birdies at two more long holes, the 15th and 18th.”
Nikki Foster, on the other hand, is not in the preliminary Curtis Cup squad named by the LGU selection committee as a guide several months ago …. “but winning this tournament might change things,” said the 18-year-old full-time amateur with a smile.
The last time she was in Scotland was as a member of the England team in the women’s home internationals at Irvine last September.
“I’ve never played in the Helen Holm before so obviously my only experience of Troon Portland was in practice but I love the links courses in Lancashire and now I have to say in Ayrshire.”
Nikki, whose father-caddie Trevor played 108 times for Lancashire, is that county’s girls champion.
“I struck the ball well and I putted really well and that was it. I hit 14 greens in regulation and I think I have benefited tremendously from playing golf through the winter in Florida at a holiday home.”
Foster’s birdies came at the long second, the thired, the long sixth, the seventh, the short eighth and the long ninth in reaching the turn in six-under-par 32. She got to nine under the card with a birdie at the long 11th and an eagle 3 at the long 12th before she dropped her only shot of the round by being over the back of the green with her tee shot to the short 14th. But she retrieved that stroke by birdeing the long 18th.
Kenney and Foster will start the second round, also over Troon Portland, with a two-shot lead over the 15-year-old defending champion, Leona Maguire from the Slieve Russell club in Ireland.
Slightly bigger and stronger than she was 12 months ago, Leona had an eagle 3 at the ninth where she chipped in from 20 yards and birdies at the first, fifth, sixth, 11th and 18th. S~he took had one bogey, a three-putt at the 16th.
“No, I don’t feel under pressure as defending champion. I leave that to the older girls and I am not thinking about the Curtis Cup. I am focused on winning this title two years in a row and that’s enough for me to think about,” said the slightly shy Leona, one half of the wonder twins who are certainties to be chosen on Sunday night for the Curtis Cup team.
Sister Lisa, who finished third last year, is lying joint 12th on 74th.
After Louise Kenney, the next best Scot is another Curtis Cup candidate, Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) whose 73 included a four-putt double bogey 5 at the 16th.
“You can’t win it on the opening day so I’m happy enough,” said the Stirling University student who was runner-up to Leona Maguire last year.
eneds
The field has come tumbling down from 99 entries to only 68 - due mainly to Continental players being unable to get flights in time to reach Ayrshire for Wednesdsay/Thursday's practice rounds - by the time play started this morning.
Because of that, the Scottish Ladies Golfing Association organisers have decided to scrap the normal cut after 36 holes to the leading 66 and ties.
FIRST-ROUND SCORES
Troon Portland
Par 75
67 Nikki Foster (Pleasington), Louise Kenney (Pitreavie).
69 Leona Maguire (Slieve Russell).
70 Danielle McVeigh (Royal Co Down Ladies), Lucy Williams (Mid Herts).
71 Emma Brown (Malton & Norton).
72 Gillian O'Leary (Cork), Rachel Jennings (Izaak Walton), Hannah Barwood (Knowle), Kelly Tidy (Royal Birkdale).
73 Naomi Edwards (Ganton), Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar).
74 Charlotte Wild (Mere), Lisa Maguire (Slieve Russell), Charlotte Dalton (Ladbrook Park), Jane Turner (Craigielaw).
75 Rachael Watton (Mortonhall), Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm), Lisa Ball (Matfen Hall), Kelly Brotherton (Troon Welbeck), Pamela Pretswell (Bothwell Castle), Lauren Taylor (Woburn), Sian James (Bristol & Clifton), Laura Murray (Alford).
76 Victoria Bradshaw (Bangor), Gemma Bradbury (Cottrell Park), Laura Collin (John O'Gaunt), Anjelika Hammar (Sweden), Gabrielle MacDonald (Craigielaw), Stephanie McEvoy (Old Fold Manor), Rachael McQueen (Troon Ladies), Charlotte Ellis (Minchinhampton).
77 Tara Davies (Holyhead), Amy Boulden (Maesdu), Aedin Murphy (Carlow), Sara Garbutt (Ganton), Jess Wilcox (Blankney), Susan Jackson (Ladybank), Maura Diamond (Royal Portrush), Emma Sheffield (Newark), Rebecca Wilson (Grange).
78 Becky Harries (Haverfordwest), Gillian Monteith (Portpatrick Dunskey), Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm), Alyson McKechin (Elderslie), Charlie Douglass (Brocket Hall).
79 Louise Mernagh (Woodenbridge), Samantha Birks (Wolstanton), Holly Clyburn (Woodhall Spa), Rachel Hanlon (St Regulus), Rachael Taylor (Hartl Golf Resort, Germany), Bethany Garton (Royal Lytham), Josephine Jansson (Sweden).
80 Ann B Ramsay (Kirriemuir), Hannah Grant (Enmore Park), Lucy Simpson (Masserene).
81 Bronwyn Davies (Trentham), Claire-Marie Carlton (Fereneze), Rebecca Gee (Wellingborough), Sarah Cunningham (Ennis), Karen O'Neill (Douglas), Charlene Reid (Royal Portrush).
82 Anne Laing (Vale of Leven), Sarah Helly (Enniscrone), Lesley Atkins (Minto).
83 Ailsa Summers (Carnoustie Ladies).
84 Ciara Butler (Newlands).
86 Samantha Leslie (Westhill).

TEAM EVENT STANDINGS

139 IRELAND (Leona Maguire 69, D McVeigh 70).

142 SCOTLAND (L Kenney 67, P Pretswell 75).

153 ENGLAND (H Barwood 74, H Clyburn 79).

154 WALES (A Boulden 77, T Davies 77).

Big weekend for Curtis Cup team selection candidates

Louise believes her 2009 form

-

will stand her in good stead

FROM THE SCOTSMAN WEBSITE

By MARTIN DEMPSTER

While aware that a strong showing in the Helen Holm Scottish Open Stroke Play Championship over the next three days at Troon will do her no harm whatsoever, Louise Kenney is hoping the Great Britain & Ireland selectors will be paying just as much attention to last year's results when it comes to deciding on a Curtis Cup team.
That is due to be announced on Monday and Kenney, pictured by Cal Carson Golf Agency, a 27-year-old who lives in Dunfermline and is a nursery school teacher in North Queensferry, is one of the Scots in the frame for the biennial match against the Americans, to be played in early June
at Essex County Club in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts.

"Along with everyone else, I am sure the Curtis Cup is going to be in the back of my mind this weekend but, at the same time, I think it is important not to put too much emphasis on that during the event," said Kenney, a member of Pitreavie.

"It would be nice to think the selectors are looking at results over the past year because, in topping the Scottish Order of Merit in 2009, I was never outside the top ten and, in most of the counting tournaments, finished in the top five."

Coached by Spencer Henderson, Kenney caught the Curtis Cup bug when she watched four of her then Scottish team-mates – Carly Booth, Krystle Caithness, Michele Thomson and Sally Watson – don the GB&I colours at St Andrews in 2008.

Watson, the only member of that quartet still in the amateur ranks, is not playing at Troon due to college studies in America but she is in the current GB&I training squad along with Kenney, Nairn Dunbar's Kelsey MacDonald and Pamela Pretswell of Bothwell Castle.

"It might be difficult to get four Scots in the team again but I certainly think a few of us deserve it," added Kenney. "To be honest, I don't think any of us know where we stand going into the Helen Holm but, in my case anyway, I am hoping results will speak for themselves."

Pretswell played for GB&I in last year's Vagliano Trophy, while MacDonald is the Scottish Under-21 Open Strokeplay champion. She also finished second at Troon 12 months ago, sandwiched in between the talented 15-year-old Irish twins, Leona and Lisa Maguire. MacDonald has taken a semester out from her sports studies degree at Stirling University in a bid to try and make the Curtis Cup and the 19-year-old is hoping she can reproduce the sort of form this weekend that saw her sign for a seven-under-par 29 back nine in winning an event in Spain earlier in the year.

"It's probably going to be the case that most of the selections are going to be based on this one event and that shouldn't be the case," she said. "However, I'm playing really well at the moment and I've come here this week to win."

Heather Stirling, in 2002, was the last Scot to achieve that feat in the Helen Holm, which sees competitors play 18 holes over Troon Portland today and tomorrow with the third and last round over Royal Troon on Sunday.

*The full article above appears in The Scotsman newspaper today.

East Lothian Spring

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Meeting

The East Lothian Girls Spring Meeting took place at Haddington Golf Club.
On a bright but cold day the scratch prize and East Lothian Girls Strokeplay Championships went to Keren Ward (North Berwick) with a fantastic 75.
In the handicap event the first prize went to Lara Frostwick (Gullane Ladies) with a nett score of 69 winning on the better inward half from her clubmate Rachel McAnany.
Below are selected scores from the day
Par – 73, CSS – 72
East Lothian Girls Strokeplay Championship and scratch prize -
Keren Ward - 75 (5) 70
1st Handicap – Lara Frostwick – 87 (18) 69 BIH
2nd Handicap – Rachel McAnany – 116 (47) 69
3rd Handicap – Clara Young – 76 (6) 70
4th Handicap – Jenny Sewell - 88 (13) 75

Austrians - one set of clubs between two - share lead

with a 66 in European Nations Cup at Alicante

FROM THE LADIES' EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
She had no golf clubs, had to borrow clothes and had little sleep, but after an amazing dash from America, Austria’s Stefanie Michl made it to Spain on Wednesday night, to join Nicole Gergely at the Comunitat Valenciana Nations Cup in Dénia.
After arriving at Madrid airport late on Wednesday evening without her golf clubs and luggage, Michl met Gergely at La Sella Resort at around 12.30am and the pair agreed to share clubs, as is allowed in team competition as long as there are no more than 14 in the bag.
Since both players use similar Titleist AP2 clubs and a Scotty Cameron putter, it couldn’t have worked out better.
The pair gelled phenomenally well and fired a superb six-under-par 66 in the four-ball better-ball format to share the lead with the Spanish duo of Tania Elosegui and Emma Cabrera Bello in the 18-nation event.
They finished one shot ahead of three teams at five-under-par. In a share of third were the French duo of Gwladys Nocera and Jade Schaeffer, Beth Daniel and Meg Mallon representing the United States and Sweden, represented by Anna Nordqvist and Sophie Gustafson.
The Icelandic volcano caused travel chaos leading up to the tournament and Michl was the last player to arrive. Originally booked on a flight from Orlando, she eventually flew from Miami to Frankfurt and from Frankfurt to Madrid, arriving jet lagged less than nine hours before her tee time.
With no suitcase, she borrowed a skirt and a polo shirt from Russian Maria Verchenova and rain wear from a marshal in the morning drizzle.
The Austrians obviously felt they had something to prove and Gergely struck with the first of the team’s five birdies at the par-five second hole. They bogeyed the par-four seventh, making the turn in level par 36, but Gergely picked up two more birdies at the 11th and 12th holes, followed by another at the 16th, where she rolled in a 10-metre putt.
Michl finished with a birdie on 17 followed by an eagle at the par-five 18th, when she holed out from 34 metres.
Michl said: “I felt I was hitting her irons really well. With the woods and the driver I struggled a bit but I felt comfortable because I knew she would play well and help me out. I did as much as I could.
“You don’t hole a 34 metre pitch every day. It came off the club nicely and I saw it was nice but it disappeared.
“I felt a bit tired this morning but I knew it was time to wake up and play the tournament and play well. I was a little bit let down when I saw that my clubs had not turned up but we found out that I could use Nicole’s and they are pretty similar. She is a Titleist player as well so that was good and I felt good.”
Gergely, who last year became the first Austrian to win a Ladies' European Tour title with her maiden victory at the Vediorbis/Randstad Open de France Dames, added: “We played okay. We had a few chances on the front nine. When I saw her third shot for eagle, I thought: that’s great!”
They were later caught by Spain, who recorded seven birdies and one bogey. Tania Elosegui birdied the third, fifth, sixth, ninth, 12th and 18th holes. Emma Cabrera Bello birdied the 17th and joked: “We went through a strategy: I make the pars and leave the birdies for Tania.”
Elosegui added: “That’s a very good start. I think we are both happy with today. We fight out there. I think we were struggling a little bit on the back nine but Emma holed a very important putt on 15 to save par because we dropped one shot on 14 so that par was very important.”
Defending champions Christel Boeljon and Marjet Van der Graaff of the Netherlands shot 68 and shared sixth place with Denmark and Italy.
Friday’s second round will be “Valencian Cup”, which is a variation on greensomes where players tee off then switch and play their partner’s ball for the next shot (on par 4s) and for the next 2 shots (on par 5s) before selecting the best ball and completing the hole in alternate shot (foursome) format. On par 3s the best tee shot is selected before completing the hole with alternate shots.
Four-ball, better-ball will be played on Saturday followed by a final round of Valencian Cup on Sunday.

SCROLL DOWN TO READ ALL THE FIRST-ROUND SCORES

Top seed Fiona Anderson falls at first hurdle

Caroline beats title-holder Chris Quinn in quarters

NEWS RELEASE FROM THE ENGLISH WOMEN'S GOLF ASSOCIATION
Cheshire’s Caroline Marron found a magical touch on the greens to defeat title-holder Chris Quinn in the quarter-finals of the English senior championship at Littlestone, Kent today.
Now, she faces Roz Adams of Surrey in the semi-finals. In the other side of the draw, Felicity Christine of Surrey will play Carole Weir of Buckinghamshire.
Caroline Marron put her success down to two hours of practice. “I spent an hour on the putting green last night and another hour this morning and that’s what made the difference. Chris struck it better than me but I holed the putts when I needed to.”
She holed out magnificently throughout the match but delivered the killer blow on the 15th. At that stage Caroline held a two-hole lead but, with her approach short of the putting surface and her opponent looking at a very makeable birdie putt, it seemed odds on that her advantage would be cut to one hole.
However, Caroline rolled her monster putt into the cup for a birdie, Chris missed hers – and Caroline was three up with three to play. After a sporting half on the 16th, Caroline was through to the semi-finals to play Roz Adams.
Chris Quinn, who won both English senior titles last year, said afterwards: “Caroline deserved it. She putted superbly.”
Caroline is a past winner of the English stroke-play championship who made her senior debut in this event last year. On that occasion she failed to make the match-play stages although she later became Northern vets champion; this year she’s through to the final four.
Roz Adams claimed her semi-final place after a close tussle with new senior Annie Gowing of Oxfordshire. Annie took the early lead with birdies on the first two holes but was pegged back and then overtaken. She, too, praised her opponent’s short game.
Felicity Christine defeated Janet Melville, who had reached the championship matchplay stages via a play-off and went on to knock out top qualifier, former Scottish champion and Vagliano Trophy player Fiona Anderson, in the first round.
Carole Weir won her quarter-final match against Barbara Laird of Cheshire, who struggled on the greens.
Results
Championship flight
Round 1
Janet Melville (Sherwood Forest) bt Fiona Anderson (Formby Ladies) 1 hole.
Felicity Christine (Banstead Downs) bt Pat West (Spalding) 3 and 1.
Carole Weir (Beaconsfield) bt Carole Caldwell 3 and 2.
Barbara Laird (Sandiway) bt Judy McCairns (Oxford Ladies) 1 hole.
Annie Gowing (Frilford Heath) bt Jo Ashmore (Barnham Broom) 2 and 1.
Roz Adams (Addington Court Ladies) bt Julie Ballard 6 and 5.
Caroline Marron (Bromborough) bt Judy Butler (Malton & Norton) 3 and 2.
Chris Quinn (Hockley) bt Sandra Paul (Huddersfield) 8 and 7.
Quarter finals
Christine bt Melville 4 and 2.
Weir bt Laird 4 and 3.
Adams bt Gowing 3 and 1.
Marron bt Quinn 3 and 2.
Semi final draw
Christine v Weir
Adams v Marron
Flight Two
Round 1
Pat Wrightson (Huddersfield) bt Anne Bridges (Mentmore) 3 and 2.
Hilary Smyth (Pannal) bt Carol Wild (Notts Ladies) 3 and 1.
Debbie Richards (Burhill) bt Ruth Lindley (Hartlepool) 4 and 2.
Paula Parker (St Neots) bt Cathy Armstrong (Ellesborough) 3 and 2.
Geraldine Bray (Littlestone) bt Linda Noblet (Darwen) 3 and 1.
Rosemary Smallman (Littlestone) bt Alison Gee (Clandon Regis) 6 and 5.
Liz Moverley (Copt Heath) bt Vivien Saunders (Cambridge Meridian) 3 and 1.
Irene Bren (Wentworth) bt Sue Heathcote (Minchinhampton) 7 and 5.
Quarter finals
Wrightson bt Smyth 6 and 5.
Richards bt Parker 5 and 4.
Bray bt Smallman 4 and 3.
Brien bt Moverley 2 holes.
Semi final draw
Wrightson v Richards
Bray v Brien

Details: www.englishwomensgolf.org
Lyndsey Hewison
Press & PR Officer

ROSEANNE NIVEN FINISHES AHEAD OF

-

SALLY WATSON IN PAC-10 CHAMPIONSHIP

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Crieff Golf Club member Roseanne Niven, coming to the end of her four years at the University of California-Berkeley, slipped out of the top 20 with a final round of 79 in the Women's Pac-10 golf championship at Eugene Country Club, Oregon.
Roseanne, pictured right, from Tibbermore, near Perth, had earlier rounds of 74 and 73, which included seven birdies, but she could not get a single birdie in her final round which was marred by a double bogey 6 at the first hole.
As it was the former British women's open amateur stroke-play champion finished a creditable joint 21st on 226 in a quality field of 50 players, 13 places and 10 strokes ahead of fellow Scot Sally Watson, the Curtis Cup player and candidate for a place in the 2010 team.
Stanford University student Sally opened satisfactorily with a 73 but then had nightmare rounds of 81 and 82, her final round including a score of 47 for holes 10 to 18, two triple bogey 7s and a double bogey 6 for a total of 236 and a share of 34th place.
Former British open amateur champion Carlota Ciganda from Spain tied with Arizona State University team-mate Juliana Murcia for victory on 214, Carlota shooting 71-72-71 to Julian's 68-77-69.
Although Arizona State also had a player who was one of four in joint third place on 219, they were robbed of the team title by a virus which laid low two of their players, Giulia Molinaro and Jennifer Johnson. They were confined to bed after the first round in which Giulia had a 74 and Jennifer a 72. Without the necessary scores from five players in each round, Arizona State technically had a "No Return" in the team event in which they were defending the championship.
Rivals Arizona (878) won the title ahead of UCLA (881) with Oregon (889). California (909) finished sixth of the 10 competiting teams.

French withdraw en bloc from 'Helen Holm'

... Friday's field is reduced to 80 players

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
The field for the first big event of the domestic women’s amateur golf calendar – the Helen Holm Scottish women’s stroke-play championship at Troon – has been decimated by withdrawals due to the travel situation.
Only 80 players will tee it up in Friday's first round at Troon Portland compared with an entry of 99 before the volcanic ash hit the fan.
The biggest loss to the prestige of the 54-hole event is the total drop-out of the 16 French players who had been entered. They included top notchers Lucie Andre, No 1 in the European Golf Association rankings at the end of 2009, Emilie Alonso and Rosanna Crepiat.
The good news is that the 14-strong Irish entry is intact, headed by the wonder twins, 15-year-old Leona and Lisa Maguire from the Slieve Russell club. Leona won the ‘Helen Holm’ last year and Lisa was finished officially third.
Leona has already retained the French Under-21 title this year.
Both are certainties to be named on Monday in the GB&I squad of eight for the Curtis Cup match against the United States at Essex County Club, Massachusetts in June.
Other members of the preliminary squad named several months ago who will be seeking to
grab this last chance to impress the selectors will be:
Hannah Barwood (Knowle), Amy Boulden (Maesdu), Gemma Bradbury (Cottrell Park), Holly Clyburn (Woodhall Spa), Charlie Douglass (Brocket Hall), Rachel Jennings (Izaak Walton), Louise Kenney (Pitreavie), Danielle McVeigh (Royal Co Down), Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar), Pamela Pretswell (Bothwell Castle) and Kelly Tidy (Royal Birkdale).
Others from the short leet, Sally Watson (Elie & Earlsferry Ladies), Lucy Gould (Bargoed) and Stephanie Meadow (Royal Portrush), are not playing in the 'Helen Holm,' because they are students at American colleges.
Welsh champion Tara Davies (Holyhead) was not in the original list but finished fourth in the Portuguese open amateur championship in January and is likely to be considered by the selectors.
The revised first and second-round draws at Troon Portland - and it should be well worth going along to have a look at the best female amateurs in the country if you live in Ayrshire - is:
(The number listed before each player is their competitor's number, which should be displayed prominently on their golf bags to help you (and the referees) identify them:

9.00am Friday & 11.30am Saturday
28 Bronwyn Davies (Trentham) England
11 Victoria Bradshaw (Bangor) Ireland
9.10 Friday & 11.40 Saturday.
54 Anne Laing (Vale of Leven) Scotland
29 Tara Davies (Holyhead) Wales
9.20 Friday & 11.50 Saturday
95 Rachael Watton (Mortonhall) Scotland
16 Ciara Butler (Newlands) Ireland
10 Gemma Bradbury (Cottrell Park) Wales
9.30 Friday & 12.00 Saturday
17 Clare-Marie Carlton (Ferenze) Scotland
40 Rebecca Gee (Wellingborough) England
25 Sarah Cunningham (Ennis) Ireland
9.40 Friday & 12.10 Saturday
12 Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm) Scotland
72 Louise Mernagh (Woodenbridge) Ireland
7 Samantha Birks (Wolstanton) Wales
9.50 Friday & 12.20 Saturday
82 Ann B Ramsay (Kirriemuir) Scotland
9 Amy Boulden (Maesdu) Wales
74 Aedin Murphy (Carlow) Ireland
---------------------------
Starter's time on Saturday
---------------------------
10.0 Friday & 12.40 Saturday.
23 Laura Collin (John O'Gaunt) England
43 Anjelika Hammar (Torekov) Sweden
45 Becky Harries (Haverfordwest) Wales
10.10 Friday & 12.50 Saturday
73 Gillian Monteith (Portpatrick Dunskey) Scotland
38 Sara Garbutt (Ganton) England
78 Gillian O'Leary (Cork) Ireland
10.20 Friday & 1.00 Saturday
4 Lisa Ball (Matfen Hall) England
13 Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm) Scotland
96 Jess Wilcox (Blankney) England
10.30 Friday & 1.10 Saturday
48 Susan Jackson (Ladybank) Scotland
36 Maura Diamond (Royal Portrush) Ireland
41 Hannah Grant (Enmore Park) England
-----------------------------
Starter's Time on Friday
-----------------------------
10.50 Friday & 9.00am Saturday
14 Kelly Brotherton (Troon Welbeck) Scotland
66 Leona Maguire (Slieve Russell) Ireland
34 Naomi Edwards (Ganton) England
11.00 Friday & 9.10 Saturday.
86 Emma Sheffield (Newark) England
22 Holly Clyburn (Woodhall Spa) England
84 Sarah Helly (Enniscrone) Ireland
11.10 Friday & 9.20 Saturday
71 Danielle McVeigh (Royal Co Down Ladies) Ireland
51 Rachel Jennings (Izaak Walton) England
97 Charlotte Wild (Mere Golf & Country Club) England
11.10 Friday & 9.30 Saturday
81 Pamela Pretswell (Bothwell Castle) Scotland
90 Lauren Taylor (Woburn) England
80 Mireia Prat (Caballeria Montanya) Spain
11.20 Friday & 9.40 Saturday
67 Lisa Maguire (Slieve Russell) Ireland
5 Hannah Barwood (Knowle) England -
15 Emma Brown (Malton & Norton) England
11.30 Friday & 9.50 Saturday
44 Rachel Hanlon (St Regulus) Scotland
87 Lucy Simpson (Massereene) Ireland
62 Gabrielle MacDonald (Craigielaw) Scotland
11.50 Friday & 10.00 Saturday
68 Stephanie McEvoy (Old Fold Manor) England
57 Samantha Leslie (Westhill) Scotland
76 Elizaveta Nikulina (Moscow City) Russia
12.00 Friday & 10.10 Saturday
79 Karen O'Neill (Douglas) Ireland
91 Rachael Taylor (Hartl Golf Resort, Germany) Scotland
3 Lesley Atkins (Minto) Scotland
12.10 Friday & 10.20 Saturday
39 Bethany Garton (Royal Lytham & St Annes) England
69 Alyson McKechin (Elderslie) Scotland
70 Rachael McQueen (Troon Ladies) Scotland
12.20 Friday & 10.30 Saturday
83 Charlene Reid (Royal Portrush) Ireland
99 Rebecca Wilson (Grange) Scotland
88 Ailsa Summers (Carnoustie Ladies) Scotland
-------------------------------------------
Starter's Time on Friday & Saturday
-------------------------------------------
12.40 Friday & 10.50 Saturday
37 Nikki Foster (Pleasington) England
49 Sian James (Bristol & Clifton) England
75 Laura Murray (Alford) Scotland
12.50 Friday & 11.00 Saturday.
98 Lucy Williams (Mid Herts) England
27 Charlotte Dalton (Ladbrook Park) England
63 Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) Scotland
1.00 Friday & 11.10 Saturday
50 Josephine Janson (Ringenas) Sweden
31 Charlie Douglass (Brocket Hall) England
52 Louise Kenney (Pitreavie) Scotland
1.10 Friday & 11.20 Saturday
35 Charlotte Ellis (Minchinhampton) England
94 Jane Turner (Craigielaw) Scotland
92 Kelly Tidy (Royal Birkdale) England

+The leading 66 players and ties after two rounds will go forward to Sunday's third and final round at Royal Troon where the players will go out in reverse order of their scores, i.e. leaders last.

Ladies' European Tour Scoreboard
EUROPEAN NATIONS CUP
La Sella Resort, Alicante, Spain
FIRST ROUND
Par 72
66 AUSTRIA: Nicole Gergely & Stefanie Michl.
66 SPAIN: Tania Elosegui & Emma Cabrera-Bello.
67 FRANCE: Gwladys Nocera & Jade Schaeffer.
67 UNITED STATES: Beth Daniel & Meg Mallon.
67 SWEDEN: Anna Nordqvist & Sophie Gustafson.
68 DENMARK: Iben Tinning & Lisa Holm Sorensen.
68 ITALY: Giulia Sergas & Veronica Zorzi.
68 NETHERLANDS: Christel Boeljon & Marjet van der Graaff.
69 WALES: Becky Brewerton & Breanne Loucks.
69 AUSTRALIA: Karrie Webb & Karen Lunn.
69 SCOTLAND: Catriona Matthew & Krystle Caithness.
70 GERMANY: Bettina Hauert & Anja Monke.
71 SWITZERLAND: Caroline Rominger & Frederique Seeholzer.
71 RUSSIA: Maria Verchenova & Anastasia Kostina.
71 ENGLAND: Karen Stupples & Melissa Reid.
72 NORWAY: Cecilie Lundgreen & Caroline Martens.
72 IRELAND: Rebecca Coakley & Hazel Kavanagh.
73 FINLAND: Ursula Wikstrom & Jenni Kuosa.

*Official tour scoring and statistics provided by the Ladies European Tour

Jane looking for short-game improvement
-
to pay off in 'Helen Holm' this weekend
-
FROM THE EDINBURGH EVENING NEWS WEBSITE
By MARTIN DEMPSTER
Lothians star Jane Turner feared the early part of her season might have been a wash-out due to the fact her practice base was flooded for so long over the winter.
But the 20-year-old, pictured right by Cal Carson Golf Agency, is confident she's back on track after winning the British Universities Championship for the second year running. Turner, a member of Craigielaw, retained her title last week at Dundonald Links, where rounds of 76, 74, 75 and 74 gave her a one-shot victory.
It has given her timely boost ahead of the Helen Holm Scottish women's open amateur stroke-play championship, starting at Troon tomorrow and Turner is delighted to have a win under her belt already after a difficult winter.
A second year graphic design student at Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, she works on her game with Stephen Murray at the Aspire Golf Centre but that was hit particularly bad by the weather at the end of last year.
"It was under four foot of water in November and was closed for a long time, which meant that I didn't have access to the facilities I needed," said Turner.
"I have been pretty much been playing catch-up since this side of Christmas but, thankfully, I am now at the point where I'm happy about the things Stephen and I are working on.
"I feel there's a big difference in my pitching and putting in particular as a result of the stuff we've been doing from 100 yards and in."
While the SLGA are expecting some withdrawals due to the disruption caused by the volcanic ash cloud, the 'Helen Holm' is still likely to boast the strongest ladies' field of the season so far. For some, it will be the last chance to stake their claim for involvement in the Great Britain & Ireland Curtis Cup team that is due to be announced on Monday and Turner is certainly relishing her latest trip to Ayrshire.
"Last year, I finished just inside the top twenty and I'm hoping for better than that this time," she added. "I feel I'm a better player than I was a year ago and hopefully I can cut out the one bad round that I tend to have on Troon Portland (it stages the first two rounds before the action switches to Royal Troon for the third and final round on Sunday).
"The fact the Curtis Cup team is being announced after the event is exciting but I'm not in the preliminary squad for that so I think that would be a long shot for me this year. I'll still be playing amateur golf when the next one comes around at Nairn (in 2012] so hopefully I can be in with a shout for that match."
One definite target for Turner this year is to retain her place in the Scottish women's side after being in the team that was pipped for the Home International title by Wales at Irvine last September.
"Out of the eight who played there, six are still amateurs (Carly Booth and Kylie Walker are the odd ones out after they turned professional) and I certainly want to try and hold on to my place," said Turner.
"I also aim to push for a Scotland team place in the European Team Championship, having been a reserve for that last year. So hopefully I can produce some strong performances over the coming weeks."
While events like the 'Helen Holm' – she'll be joined at Troon by Craigielaw clubmate Gabrielle MacDonald as well as Mortonhall's Rachael Watton and Gullane's Lesley Atkins – are the main focus for Turner these days, she will never lose sight of her golfing roots.
"I came through the Midlothian County Ladies and they are really good with juniors," she reflected."It's a really good county and I was delighted to see Midlothian had won the Cuthbertson Cup for the fifth year in a row. I played in three of those winning teams."
+The full article above appears in the Edinburgh Evening News newspaper today.

Lyle and Eleanor Highland schools champions

Lyle MacAlpine (Invergordon Academy) and Eleanor Tunn (Thurso Royal High School) won the boys' and girls' championships respectively in the Highland Schools Golf Association championships at Fortrose & Rosemarkie Golf Club.
MacAlpine shot a 69 (two under par) and Eleanor a 90.
Jamie Kelly (Golspie High School) won the Over-16 boys' handicap event. Schoolmate Michael MacLean took the Under-16 boys' handicap title.
Kaylan Grainger (Dingwall Academy) landed the girls' handicap award.
Invergordon Academy won the boys' team event by a narrow margin from Fortrose Academy.

KATIE MUNDY JT FOURTH IN CALIFORNIA

Katie Mundy (Western Texas), a member of Hampshire's Dunwood Manor club, finished joint fourth in a field of 34 players at the Sonoma State Spring Invitational women's college tournament at Fountain Grove Golf Club, Santa Rosa in California this week.
Over a par-72 course of 5,825yd, Katie had scores of 78 and 76 for 154 - only four shots behind the winner Dayna Bersamin (Hawaii-Hilo University) whose rounds of 76 and 74 for 150 gave her a three-stroke winning margin.
Katie's team-mate, Hollie Weatherburn from Cumbria) finished seventh on 159 with scores of 79 and 80.
Sonoma State (637) won the team title ahead of Western Texas (652) in a field of six squads.

Abbey and Nicole (jt 4th) help Nova SE win Sunshine State team title

Nova Southeastern University, Florida's two English students, Abbey Gittings from Tamworth and Nicole Whitmore from Milton Keynes, shared fourth place in the Women's Sunshine State Conference Championship at Grand Oaks Golf Club, Davie in Florida this week.
Abbey had rounds of 73, 76 and 75 for 224 while Nicole had the same total with scores of 77, 73 and 74.
In a field of 40 players, they finished six strokes behind the winner and team-mate, Sandra Changkija who won by four shots with very good scores of 72, 77 and 69 for a total of 218 over a par-71 course of 6,073yd.
Nicole and Abbey's performance helped Nova Southeastern win the conference team title by 21 shots from Florida Southern (903) with Rollins (916) a distant third in a field of eight teams.

Natasha Podmore just outside top 10 in California

Natasha Podmore (San Francisco), a senior-year student from Warrington and a member at Delamere Forest GC, tied for 11th place in a field of 25 at the West Coast Conference Championship at Hiddenbrooke Golf Club, Vallejo in California.
Natasha had round s of 88, 77 and 78 for 243.
Individual winner was Lisa McCloskey (Pepperdie) with scores of 77, 74 and 74 for a total of 225 which gave her a two-shot victory over a par-72 course of 5,949yd.
Pepperdine (906) won the team title ahead of San Francisco (938) in a field of five teams.

Stacey's top 20 finish in Indiana
Stacey Rodgers from West Hove, a senior student at Missouri State University, finished joint 15th in a field of 540 at the State Farm MVC Championship at Rolling Hills Country Club, Newburgh in Indiana.
Stacey had scores of 80, 81 and 75 for 236 - 17 shots behind the winner, Olivia Lansing (Drake) who won by three strokes with rounds of 72, 75 and 72 for 219.

Linzi Allan finishes joint sixth in Oklahoma

Ayrshire's Linzi Allan, a student at Newman University, Wichita, was back in action this week and did very well indeed to tie for sixth place in a field of 44 players for the Heartland Conference Tournament at Rose Creek Golf Club, Edmond in Oklahoma.
Over a par-72 course of 6,150yd, Linzi had rounds of 76 and 75 for 151 - five shots behind the winner, Emily Kvinta (St Edwards University) who scored 72 and 74.
Linzi's team-mate Alyssa Balding from Northumberland shared 18th place on 160 with scores of 81 and 79.
Newman (624) finished third behind St Edwards University (592) and Incarnate Word University (620) in a field of nine teams.
+Linzi's dad tells Kirkwoodgolf that Linzi will not be back in Scotland in time to play in the Scottish women's championship at Craigielaw next month.

EUROPEAN NATIONS CUP STARTS THURSDAY

Catriona Matthew makes it to Alicante in

-

time after all to team up with Krystle

-

FROM THE LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE

All 18 teams of two will be present to represent their countries when the third Comunitat Valenciana European Nations Cup begins at 8.45am on Thursday at La Sella Resort in Dénia, Alicante, Spain.
With the Icelandic volcano having caused chaos with air travel in Europe over the past week, it was feared that some teams wouldn’t be able to make it to the tournament, however many players spent three days travelling across the continent in a desperate attempt to make it to the tee by Thursday.
Austrian Stefanie Michl was scheduled to arrive at 10.25pm tonight (Wednesday), less than 12 hours before her 9.09am tee time. She has flown from the United States to Frankfurt and from there to Madrid.
North Berwick’s Catriona Matthew, pictured above, the Ricoh Women’s Open champion, arrived on site at around 2pm today with her caddie-husband Graeme, in plenty of time to join her playing partner Krystle Caithness on the tee at 10.09am on Thursday.
Speaking from Alicante, Matthew said: “We actually flew from Newcastle to Alicante, which was pretty amazing. Now we’re looking forward to getting some sun.
“Suddenly they opened up the whole of Britain at about five or six last night. We held out because I wasn’t going to do that drive. Our car is only a little runaround when we’re at home in Scotland so we didn’t think it could take that journey. It is 30 driving hours from Scotland to get here. We nearly went with Karrie Webb’s caddie Mikey but it took him 60 hours altogether going on the Eurostar. We looked at that but they were fully booked.”
The Ladies European Tour fixture, which was successfully launched in 2008, has attracted a world class field of 18 teams comprising 16 countries from Europe, whilst Australia and the United States received the two sponsor invitations.
Fortunately for Australian Karrie Webb, travelling from the United States with the American duo of Meg Mallon and Beth Daniel, an early arrival last Saturday saw them avoid the flight chaos. Making the most of the extra days in Spain, they enjoyed a football match between Real Madrid and Valencia at the Bernabeu Stadium.
A picture of the tournament mascot ‘Birdy’, on which the players painted their national flags.
Australian Karen Lunn’s journey, proved to be the longest and most enduring. She commenced her trip with a Coolangatta to Sydney flight last Thursday.

She reported: “I arrived in Abu Dhabi en route to London and was stuck there for two nights. Realising it was unlikely I would get to London and then Spain in time (for the tournament) I decided to buy a new ticket to Alicante via Doha and Madrid.

"Ninety hours door to door, five flights and five days later I finally made it. It was an expensive exercise but I wouldn’t have missed this event for anything. Karrie and I had a good practice day on Tuesday and are both playing well so should be a good week.”
Of the Britons, Melissa Reid and Karen Stupples drove from England, Breanne Loucks drove from Wales and Krystle Caithness drove with her caddie from Scotland.
Reid explained her journey: “I drove from Loughborough, which was 1400 miles away and took 22 hours. It was punishment and got a bit tedious for the last six hours. We drove straight through. We left Loughborough at 2am on Monday and arrived around midnight so it was less than 24 hours. We took the ferry from Dover.

"We were pretty tired yesterday (Tuesday). My neck and back stiffened up. I have problems with my back anyway but a bit of practising and gym and it sorted itself out. A little bit of practise and I’m back to my normal self.
“I’m playing the course for the first time in the pro am and it looks nice. I think when they cut the greens and they run a bit faster they will be running a bit better. It’s in pretty good condition and the fairways are nice.”
Only one team, Germany, has seen a change. Bettina Hauert will be joined by the recent Lalla Meryem Cup winner Anja Monke, who has replaced Sandra Gal.
“I am extremely happy that Anja drove up here from Hannover today,” said Hauert, who had driven for 17 hours from Cologne, starting on Sunday. “I think Sandra made a great decision to give Anja the chance to play. It’s not easy to step back and let someone else take your spot; that’s really fair play and shows great character. Sandra wanted to play really badly but she just couldn’t find another flight from the United States to Europe. Both Sandra and Anja are great players so either way I think Germany has a strong team.”
Monke added: “I will never complain about waiting for a plane again after that drive.”
Finland’s Jenni Kuosa drove the furthest: 3,800 kilometres from Helsinki and arrived on Tuesday evening to partner Ursula Wikstrom, who drove from Switzerland, along with Gwladys Nocera and Jade Schaeffer, from France.
Russian Maria Verchenova took a train from Moscow to Vienna en route to the event to join playing partner, Anastasia Kostina, who took a convoluted route from Miami in Florida, to Valencia in Spain. The Irish team of Hazel Kavanagh and Rebecca Coakley took a three day trip from Dublin via the Holyhead ferry.
The Dutch team of Christel Boeljon and Marjet van der Graaff will defend the title they won in 2009 when they defeated Australia (Nikki Garrett & Joanne Mills), France (Gwladys Nocera & Anne-Lise Caudal) and Italy (Veronica Zorzi & Giulia Sergas) into second place.
The event format will see four rounds played as follows:
Thursday: Four-ball, better-ball – each player plays her own ball and the best score of the two is recorded for each hole.
Friday: “Valencian Cup” format where players tee off then switch and play their partner’s ball for the next shot (on par 4s) and for the next 2 shots (on par 5s) before selecting the best ball and completing the hole in alternate shot (foursome) format. On par 3s the best tee shot is selected before completing the hole with alternate shots.
Saturday : Four-ball, better-ball.
Sunday: Valencian Cup format
The winning team will share €84,000.

Fiona Anderson in action with her characteristic style. Image by courtesy of Leaderboardphotography.

Fiona leads qualifiers for English senior championship

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY ENGLISH WOMEN'S GOLF ASSOCIATION

(with a few additional words by Colin Farquharson)
Five times Scottish women's amateur championship finalist Fiona Anderson, originally from Blairgowrie, leads the qualifiers for the match-play stages of the English senior championship at Littlestone, Kent.

Fiona, who spent her working life as a banker, has lived in Lancashire for the past 16 years and plays at Formby Ladies.

She beat Christine Middleton (Cruden Bay) in the 1987 Scottish final at Nairn but lost in four other finals to players of the calibre of Belle Robertson (1980), Gillian Stewart (1983), Shirley Lawson (1988) and Catriona Lambert, Matthew to be (1991).

Miss Anderson took the top spot at Littlestone with a second-round score of one-over 74 and a 36-hole total of 152. In the first round she will play England senior international Janet (Collingham) Melville who won a play-off for the 16th and final place in the championship matchplay flight.

"I’m delighted,” said Fiona. “It was much easier today. The wind was not as strong but it was quite cold and so the ball was not travelling so far. But it was gorgeous and the course is in excellent condition and the greens are superb.”

Fiona, who was also a GB&I international (1987 Vagliano Trophy match) and captained Scotland internationals teams, played very steadily, with two bogeys on the way out and one birdie on the way home. Otherwise it was pars all the way.

She had just one three-putt, for bogey on the third, and was happy to settle, mostly, for two putting. However, she did find the hole with one putt when necessary, for example when she got up and down for par from a “deadly” place on the sixth, and for birdie on the 12th.

“I haven’t had the pleasure of playing here before but I do realise it’s a course that takes a lot of knowing and that there are some places that are no-go areas!”

Defending champion Chris Quinn, from Hampshire, is the second seed after she moved up the leaderboard with a two-over 75. Chris - who won both English senior titles last year - opened her challenge with a first-round 81 which she described as “defensive”. But normal service was resumed with her 75:

“Today was a lot better. At this stage you have to be careful not to be too defensive, you have to play decent golf on this course.”

She got off to an excellent start with birdies on the first two holes and produced two matching halves, each of one-over par. It might have been better: she was on the front of the long 16th in two, but three-putted for par.

But as Chris pointed out: “That was my only three-putt of the day, instead of four yesterday.”

The leading 16 players qualified for the championship match-play flight and the next 16 went into Flight Two. Pat Wrightson (Huddersfield), who lost the play-off for the last championship place, became the top qualifier in Flight Two.

Three Littlestone members are involved in the match-play stages. Julie Ballard qualified for the championship flight while Geraldine Bray and Rosemary Smallman are in Flight Two. The matches will begin at 8.30am tomorrow, starting with the championship flight, and spectators are welcome.

QUALIFIERS

Par 146 (2x73)

152 Fiona Anderson (Formby Ladies) 78 74.

156 Chris Quinn (Hockley) 81 75.

158 Annie Gowing (Frilford Heath) 82 76, Barbara Laird (Sandiway) 80 78.

160 Carole Caldwell (Sunningdale) 79 81, Rozalyn Adams (Addington Court Ladies).

163 Caroline Marron (Bromborough) 84 79, Felicity Christine (Banstead Downs) 80 83.

164 Pat West (Spalding) 79 85.

165 Judy Butler (Malton & Norton) 85 80, Julie Ballard (Littlestone) 83 82, Carole Weir (Beaconsfield) 83 82, Judy McCairns (Oxford Ladies') 82 83, Jo Ashmore (Barnham Broom) 81 84, Sandra Paul (Huddersfield) 80 85.

166 Janet Melville (Sherwood Forest) 83 83, Pat Wrightson (Huddersfield) 83 83.

167 Irene Brien (Wentworth) 87 80, Linda Noblett (Darwen) 85 82, Cathy Armstrong (Ellesborough) 83 84, Ruth Lindley (Hartlepool) 83 84.

168 Rosemary Smallman (Littlestone) 86 82, Vivien Saunders (Cambridge Meridian) 84 84, Hilary Smyth (Pannal) 83 85; Carol Wild (Notts Ladies') 83 85, Liz Moverley (Copt Heath) 82 86.

168 Alison Gee (Clandon Regis) 81 87.

169 Debbie Richards (Burhill) 86 83, Paula Parker (St Neots) 85 84, +Sue Timberlake (Edgbaston) 80 89.

170 Geraldine Bray (Littlestone) 87 83, Sue Heathcote (Minchinhampton) 85 85.

171 Anne Bridges (Mentmore) 88 83.

+Sue Timberlake withdrew from the match-play stages.

Championship flight

Fiona Anderson v Janet Melville

Pat West v Felicity Christine

Carole Caldwell v Carole Weir

Judy McCairns v Barbara Laird

Annie Gowing v Jo Ashmore

Julie Ballard v Roz Adams

Caroline Marron v Judy Butler

Sandra Paul v Chris Quinn

Flight Two

Pat Wrightson v Anne Bridges

Carol Wild v Hilary Smyth

Ruth Lindley v Debbie Richards

Paula Parker v Cathy Armstrong

Linda Noblett v Geraldine Bray

Alison Gee v Rosemary Smallman

Vivien Saunders v Liz Moverley

Sue Heathcote v Irene Brien

Full details and hole-by-hole scoring: http://www.englishwomensgolf.org/

Lyndsey Hewison

Press & PR Officer

English students Siviter and Campbell of Belmont

-

Abbey College win Carolinas titles

FROM THE BELMONT ABBEY COLLEGE WEBSITE, NORTH CAROLINA
The Belmont Abbey men's and women's golf teams were crowned the 2010 Conference Carolinas champions and Abbey freshman Melissa Siviter (from the West Midlands) and senior Joe Campbell (from Cheltenham) claimed medallist honours after three days of competition at Tanglewood Park in Clemmons, North Carolina.
In the women's tournament, the Abbey, which is ranked fifth in the nation, led wire-to-wire as four of the five Crusader players finished in the top four. Belmont Abbey led by 26 shots after the first day, 41 on the second and won by a margin of 55 shots over Pfeiffer and Queens, which finished in a tie for second with scores of 987.
Melissa Siviter, pictured, a Staffordshire county team player and the Conference Carolinas Freshman of the Year, won by three shots from team-mate Liz Cortez and six over third-placed Carley Warrington from Bradwell.
Siviter bookended rounds of 76 between a second round 78. Cortez entered the final round leading Siviter by one stroke, but her final round of 80 left her in second place.
The men's tournament turned into a two-team race, as the Abbey entered the final round leading Barton by seven strokes. The Bulldogs rallied to take a two-shot lead with the final group still on the course, but Campbell's even par 70 proved to be the difference as the Abbey won by a razor-thin margin of three shots.
Senior year student Campbell won the individual title by nine strokes as he carded rounds of 73-68-70. Barton posted a final round 297 to the Abbey's 301, but the second round edge was just enough as the Crusaders held on with a final score of 885 to Barton's 888.
All-Tournament Teams
MEN
Jay Goldenberg, Coker
Daniel Claytor, Barton
Clark Rose, Mount Olive
Stephen Harrison, Barton
Peter Tarver Jones, Belmont Abbey
Adam Hedges, Belmont Abbey
Pureum Lee, Queens
Thomas Muto, Jr., Barton
Daniel Castleberry, Barton
WOMEN
Jackie McMenimon, Pfeiffer
Alison Cowles, Pfeiffer
Camilla Mallberg, Queens
Michele Low, Belmont Abbey
Tegan Skripstas, Mount Olive
Meagan Wallace, Belmont Abbey
Valentina Urquiola, Mount Olive
Carley Warrington, Belmont Abbey
Liz Cortez, Belmont Abbey

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Ayrshire student confirms No 3 WAGR behind Byrne, Kellett

Michael Stewart scores second win on US college circuit

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Troon's Michael Stewart, winner of the Scottish boys' match-play championship in 2008, has scored his second win on the United States men's college golf circuit.
The 20-year-old second-year student, pictured right, at East Tennessee State University, Jefferson City, birdied the last hole, getting down in two shots from 111yd, to win the Coca Cola Wofford Invitational at CC of Spartanburg in South Carolina.
Stewart's scores were 72, 66 and 71 for a seven-under-par total of 209. The 66 was, by three strokes, his best of the 2009-2010 college season.
Runners-up on 210 were Irish team-mate Seamus Power from Waterford with 68-71-71 for 210 and Jacobo Pastor (Charleston Southern) who hit the same mark with rounds of 72, 70 and 68.
“I told our assistant coach (Keith Nolan) on the 18th hole that I wanted to know what I had to do to win outright,” Stewart said. “He showed me three fingers, indicating I needed a birdie 3. I had 111 yards to go after my drive and I hit a 54-degree wedge to four feet, and made the putt. It’s a big confidence booster to be playing well like this."
Other East Tennessee State students in the top 25 were Paul O'Kane from Castledawson, Northern Ireland in joint sixth place with scores of 73, 69 and 71 for 213; Garth McGee from Banor in a share of 18th place on 218 (72-71-75) and Rhys Enoch from Cornwall on 220 (jt 24th) with rounds of 75, 73 and 72.
East Tennesssee State (847) won the team title ahead of USC Upstate (862) and Wofford College (863) in a field of 13 teams.
Stewart's indiviual win over a good-class field of 70 players confirmed his position as the No 3 Scot in the latest update of the R&A World Amateur Golf Rankings.
Banchory's James Byrne, a student at Arizona State Univesity, is the top Scot in 31st position overall, down one place from last week.
Ross Kellett (Colville Park) has gone up one place to No 49 while Stewart's victory earned him a rise of 21 places to No 167.
The leading Scots in the R&A WAGR this week are:
31 James Byrne (-1).
49 Ross Kellett (+1).
167 Michael Stewart (+21).
261 Glenn Campbell (-3).
308 Mark Hillson (-8).
319 James White (-12).
383 David Law (+2).
412 Stuart Ballingall (+119).
440 Philip McLean (-11).
510 Fraser McKenna (-15).
516 Steven McEwan (-16).
545 Bobby Rushford (-25).
567 Kris Nicol (-17).
592 Greg Paterson (-13).
611 Peter Latimer (-17).
619 Daniel Sommerville (-43).
637 Scott Crichton (+3).
662 James Ross (-12)./
684 Gordon Yates (-14).
721 Gordon Stevenson (-37).
760 Paul Ferrier (-3).
766 Paul Shields (+28).
786 Craig Watson (-22).
816 Scott Borrowman (-15).
870 Sam Binning (+1).
905 Andrew Gusnon (-38).
932 Fraser Fotheringham (-36).
942 Paul Betty (-37).
962 Michael Daily (-27).
975 Alexander Culverwell (+4).
1018 Steven Rennis (-22).
1047 Adam Dunton (-24).
1077 Neil Henderson (-82).
1078 Ross Crowe (+232).
1171 Chris Harkins (-32).
1176 Matthew Clark (-32).
1212 Lewis Kirton (-118).
1223 Stephen Speirs (-193).
1257 Colin Thomson (+37).
1296 Nicky Barr (-19).
1297 Ross Bell (-19).
1354 Allyn Dick (-27).
1405 Chris Robb (-26).
1495 Grant Forrest (+429).
1561 James Hendrick (-37).
1576 David Addison (-35).

THE TOP FIVE IN THE R&A WAGR THIS WEEK ARE:
1 Matteo Manassero (Italy) (no change).
2 Nick Taylor (Canada) (no change).
3 Victor Dubuisson (France) (no change).
4 Peter Uihlein (US) (+1).
5 Tommy Fleetwood (England) (+1).

Aberdeenshire women's county championship draw

PORTLETHEN GOLF CLUB – Friday, April 30.
15.00 D Pocock (ML), F Seedhouse (AL)
15.08 L McLardy (DHR), L Urquhart (B)
15.16 F Hay (D), S Wood (AL)
15.24 J Harrison (CB), C Wilson (ML)
15.32 K Stalker (CB), K Vannet (P)
15.40 R Polson (P), M Duncan (A)
15.48 L Duncan (A), S Leslie (W)
16.00 L McGillivray (B), S Mathieson (RM)
16.08 H Thomson (N), F Fullerton (MH)
16.16 L Terry (CB), E Mauchline (N)
16.24 L Whyte (H), marker
16.40 E Brown (A), L Tough (N)
16.48 J Lees (W), M Johnstone (ML)
17.00 D Gordon (W), L Carnie (Nb)

Abbreviations – AL Aberdeen Ladies; A Aboyne; B Banchory; CB Cruden Bay; D Deeside; DHR Duff House Royal; H Hazlehead; ML Murcar Links; MH Meldrum House; Nb Newburgh-on-Ythan; N Newmachar; P Peterculter; RM Royal Musselburgh; W Westhill

Portlethen Golf Club have kindly offered all competitors a complimentary practice round beforehand and they can also take a guest with them at the special rate of £12. Please phone the club on 01224 782571 to book a time in advance.
There will be 16 qualifiers who progress to match play. The first round of the match play will be held on Saturday, May 1, starting at 10am. The quarter finals will take place on the same day at 2.30pm. The semi finals will start at 10am on Sunday, May 2 with the final scheduled to start at 2.30pm.
Should any competitor have to withdraw, please will she contact Karen Stalker on 01346 513308 as soon as possible.

Louise Coffey wins Zara Bolton Scratch Trophy

by three strokes at Royal Portrush

Louise Coffey (Malone) won the Zara Bolton Scratch Trophy by three strokes from Bangor’s Victoria Bradshaw at Royal Portrush on Sunday.
Louise led by one stroke at lunchtime after an opening 77 and a course record, two under par 73 saw her blitz the field in the afternoon. Victoria and Gemma McClenaghan (Greencastle) recorded fine level par 75s in the afternoon.
FINAL TOTALS
Par 150 (2x75). CSS 76-76
150 Louise Coffey (Malone) 77 73.
153 Victoria Bradshaw (Bangor) 78 75.
157 Jessica Carty (Holywood) 80 77.
159 Gemma McClenaghan (Greencastle) 84 75.
164 Charlene Reid (Royal Portrush) 81 83, Lucy Simpson (Massereene) 85 79, Sonya Verschuur (Royal Portrush) 82 82.
165 Tara Gribben (Warrenpoint) 80 85.
167 Maura Diamond (Portstewart) 83 84.
168 Paula Grant (Lisburn) 79 89.
174 Collette McNicholl (Royal Portrush) 89 85 S O'Neill (Larne) 87 87.
175 Olivia Mehaffey (Royal Co Down) 83 92.
176 Jessica Boal (Larne) 87 89 Carmel Cahill (Hermitage) 88 88 Laura Grant (Lisburn) 91 85 Holly Robinson (Rosses Point) 88 88 Nicky Smyth (Royal Portrush) 88 88.
177 Kath Stewart-Moore (Royal Portrush) 90 87 Pamela Telford (Castlerock) 89 88 180 Ann Monteith (Castle Hume) 87 93.
181 Rebecca Tulley (Holywood) 90 91.
186 Yvonne Mitchell (Castlerock) 92 94.
190 Zoe Allen (Lurgan) 97 93.
193 Maura Newman (Castle Hume) 94 99 Aisling Parker (Greenore) 92 101, Katherine Stevenson (Spa) 104 89.
194 Mandy Murphy (Spa) 93 101.
196 Julie Blair (Castle Hume) 97 99.
203 Claire McGonagle (Portsalon) 101 102.
208 Gillian Earls (Spa) 102 106.
209 Lilly O'Connell (Castle Hume) 103 106.
239 Doreen Frazer (Castle Hume) 120 119
NR Jenny Thompson (Castle Hume) 108 NR
NR Toni McDonagh (Fortwilliam) NR 97.
NR R O'Neill (Larne) 102 NR.
NR Agatha Mullan (Portstewart) 121 NR.
NR Kelsey Coey (Clandeboye) 80 NR.
NR Mary Glover (Portstewart) 99 NR.
NR Nicolle Morelli (Portstewart) 101 NR.
NR Lisa McMeekin (Massereene) 82 NR

Cork Scratch Cup - All the final totals
Par 148 (2x74) CSS 73-74
144 Mary Dowling (New Ross) 71 73.
145 Karen O Neill (Douglas) 71 74.
149 Gillian O'Leary (Cork) 76 73.
150 Aedin Murphy (Carlow) 78 72.
151 Orla Barry (Galway) 80 71.
152 Maria Dunne (Skerries) 74 78.
153 Niamh Kitching (Claremorris) 76 77.
155 Eadaoin Cronin (Bantry) 80 75, Linda Twomey (Limerick) 75 80, Ann McCormack (Roscommon) 73 82, Lillian Harrington (East Cork) 72 83.
158 Kate Gallagher (Claremorris) 75 83, Emma O Driscoll (Ballybunion) 75 83.
161 Olivia Conroy (Longford) 79 82.
162 Ann Geoghegan (Athlone) 83 79, Gertie Mc Mullan (The Island) 81 81, Margaret McAuliffe (Newcastle West) 77 85.
163 Barbara Cooney (Laytown/Bettystown) 81 82, Mary Geaney (Killarney ) 80 83, Shauna O Brien (Clonmel) 79 84.
164 Mary Sheehy (Tralee) 79 85, Emma Murphy (Wexford) 79 85.
165 Mary Leahy Browne (Kilkenny) 86 79, Laura Dempsey (Enniscorthy) 83 82, Laura McCarthy (Muskerry) 80 85, Aoife Lowrey (Tipperary) 78 87.
166 Val Shannon (Douglas) 81 85, Catherine Kavanagh (Mitchelstown) 81 85, Chloe Ryan (Castletroy) 80 86, Charlott Jeffrey (Glengarrif) 79 87.
167 Mary Lowney (Dunmore) 88 79, Olivia Hayes (Lahinch) 87 80, Jenny Hennessy (Ennis) 82 85.
168 Nicola King (Enniscorthy) 85 83, Trish Doyle (Kanturk) 82 86, Jean O Driscoll (Muskerry) 82 86.
170 Nora O Connor (Mallow) 86 84.
171 Clare Keating (Killarney) 87 84, Carmel Kearney (Mallow) 84 87.
172 Sinead Sexton (Lahinch) 88 84, Miriam Abernethy (Cork) 82 90.
173 Amanda Welch (Cork) 87 86.
174 Deirdre Calahan (Nenagh) 89 85, Fidelma O Connor (Kanturk) 85 89, Sarah Crowe ( Tipperary ) 84 90, Maureen Clarke (Cork) 84 90.
175 Connie Doyle ( nniscorthy) 82 93.
176 Ailish Thompson (Douglas) 87 89, Julie Coyne (Youghal) 86 90.
177 Siobhan O Herlihy (Muskerry ) 94 83.
178 Marian Finn (Thurles) 92 86, Emer Foley (Castlecomer) 90 88.
180 Katherine Morrissey (Cahir Park) 88 92.
181 Deirdre Deasy (Cork) 90 91182 Edel Coyne (Youghal) 88 94.
184 Bernie Swords Cox (Carlow) 85 99.
185 Geraldine Galvin (Macroom) 91 94.
186 Lynda Maher (Charleville) 96 90

P & K lose friendly to Stirling & Clackmannan at Gleneagles

NEWS FROM THE PERTH & KINROSS WEBSITE
Gleneagles was the host today (Sunday, April 18) for our second inter-county match of the season. Unfortunately the day did not go P&K's way with a 3-1 loss to Stirling & Clackmannan.
The only (home) winners on the day were Emily Ogilvy and Dawn Butchart who won their match 4 and 2.
The full results were (P&K names first):
Emily Ogilvy & Dawn Butchart bt Linda Allan & Karen Burns 4 and 2.,
Alex Bushby & Fiona Ramsay lost to Claire Capocci & Jill Harris 1 hole.
Gillian Wallace & Julie White lost to Vikki Stevenson & Trisha Chillas 4 and 3.
Gwen Lambie & Jane Yellowlees lost to Mahri Hall & Fiona McArthur 1 hole.
The weather was awful with lots of rain and also very very cold so well done to all the girls who took part.
Posted by Dawn at 10:10 PM

Manchester's Alex Hogben wins at Iowa City

Manchester's Alex Hogben, coming up to the end of his four years at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, scored his second win on the US college circuit - his first since he was a freshman - in the Hawkeye-TaylorMade/Adidas Invitational college tournament at Finkbine Golf club, Iowa City.
Over a long par-72 course of 7,223yd, Hogben, pictured, spreadeagled the field of 60 players with a brilliant last round of eight-under-par 64 which included five birdies in his first eight holes and three birides in his last four. His round equalled the lowest ever score returned in the history of the UKMC golf programme.
Alex's earlier rounds were 73 and 72. So he finished with a seven-under-par total of 209 and won by six strokes.

Top-10 finish for Tom Berry in Texas

In the Aggie Invitational at the Traditions Golf Club, Bryan in Texas, San Diego's two students from Surrey, freshman Tom Berry and sophomore Andrew Cooley finished tied eighth and 50th respectively.
Berry scored 70, 68 and 74 for 212, four under par for the 7,146yd, par-72 course.
Cooley started badly with an 80 but shot 72 and 71 in his later rounds for a total of 223.
Winner with a 1o-under-par total of 206 was Jordan Russell (Texas A&M). Playing over his home course, he had scores of 70, 69 and 67 to win by a shot from team-mate Geoff Shaw in a tournament dominated by Texas A&M players.
Texas A&M won the team title by 21 shots from Oklahoma State with texas Tech (1067) third and San Diego Staate (1087) fourth of 12.

Roz Adams leads from Fiona Anderson
-
in English seniors' qualifying in Kent

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY ENGLISH WOMEN'S GOLF ASSOCIATION
Surrey’s Roz Adams scored two-over par 75 to take the halfway lead in qualifying for the English senior championship at Littlestone, Kent today.
The senior international coped well with a tricky wind and finished three shots clear of the field. Her closest challenger, on 78, is Lancashire’s former Scottish champion, Fiona Anderson (pictured right by Cal Carson Golf Agency), from Blairgowrie, while Lincolnshire’s Pat West and Surrey’s Carole Caldwell are a shot further back.
Defending champion Chris Quinn of Hampshire – who won both English senior titles last year – is handily placed in a share of ninth place after returning 81.
Littlestone’s Julie Ballard leads the local challenge after she scored a very steady 83 to share 16th place. Her club colleague Rosemary Smallman finished with a birdie for 86 and is in a group in 35th place.
The first round was played in bright sunshine but cool temperatures, particularly in the morning, and the changing direction of the wind made club selection challenging.
“The wind made it interesting,” said Roz Adams, who had three birdies in her round. “It was a case of trying not to make too many mistakes and holing a few putts. The greens are beautiful, absolutely stunning - if you can’t putt on these, you can’t putt on anything!”
Overall, she declared herself: “Very pleased. It’s still early in the season and it’s nice to put in a steady round.”
Spalding’s Pat West completed her round in style, playing the last five holes in one-under par. “I enjoyed it,” she said afterwards. “The wind was moving around and made you think about the clubs all the time, but I has some lucky bounces and managed to sink some good putts. Today the gods were with me!”
After tomorrow’s second qualifying round the top 16 players will go forward to contest the championship match-play. The next 16 will play in Flight Two.
LEADING SCORES
Par 73
75 Rozalyn Adams (Addington Court Ladies).
78 Fiona Anderson (Formby Ladies).
79 Pat West (Spalding), Carole Caldwell (Sunningdale).
80 Sue Timberlake (Edgbaston), Barbara Laird (Sandiway), Felicity Christine (Banstead Downs), Sandra Paul (Huddersfield).
81 Alison Gee (Clandon Regis), Jo Ashmore (Barnham Broom), Christine Quinn (Hockley).
82 Judy McCairns (Oxford Ladies), Marion Bridgen (Walton Heath), Annie Gowing (Frilford Heath), Liz Moverley (Copt Heath).
83 Christine Watson (Beaconsfield), Janet Melville (Sherwood Forest), Pat Wrightson (Huddersfield), Hilary Smyth (Pannal), Ruth Lindley (Hartlepool), Cathy Armstrong (Ellesborough), Julie Ballard (Littlestone), Carole Weir (Beaconsfield), Carol Wild (Notts Ladies).
Full details and hole-by-hole scoring: http://www.englishwomensgolf.org/

Mexican star ending her career at the age of 28

Lorena Ochoa, World No 1 female

-

golfer, announces her retirement

Lorena Ochoa, the world's No 1 lady professional golfer, has stunned the golfing world by announcing her retirement today at the age of 28.
She had been three years as the world's top ranked female golfer, taking over the mantle from Sweden's Annika Sorenstam.
Mexican-born Ochoa confirmed her decision in a short statement, saying she will hold a Press conference on Friday to explain her decision.
"Lorena Ochoa confirms her retirement from the LPGA, as news reports in some media have said today," her statement said.
================================
Links to more golf news:
Obama plays much more golf than Bush
Golfer's 'yips like writer's cramp'
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"The reasons and more details on the matter will be given by Lorena personally in a press conference on Friday in Mexico City. Lorena will share this news of a new stage in her life with her sponsors, family members and friends."
The newspaper Reforma said on Tuesday that Ochoa was retiring to concentrate on her family and charities.
Ochoa was married in December to Andres Conesa, the CEO of Aeromexico airline. He has three children from a previous marriage.
She was set to play next week in the Tres Marias Championship in Morelia, west of Mexico City. It was not clear if she will play there or if this month's Kraft Nabisco Championship in California, where she finished fourth in the year's first major, was her finale.
Ochoa was following the path of former No 1, Annika Sorenstam, who was married last year just weeks after ending her career. Annika gave birth to a baby girl in September. Ochoa has also talked openly about wanting to have children of her own.
Last year she began travelling more on charity work within Mexico, playing less, and had more off-course obligations, which include her charity foundation.
"Personally, it's more important the things that I do outside the golf course," Ochoa said last year before a tournament she hosts in her hometown of Guadalajara. "And that's been my main focus right now."
Sorenstam was a commanding player, and Ochoa was expected to take over the mantle. Sorenstam's departure probably increased the pressure on Ochoa, who won two majors among her 27 victories on the US LPGA Tour - including the 2007 Ricoh Women's British Open by four strokes over the Old Course, St Andrews - but didn't quite pull the crowds the way Sorenstam did.
The retirement of its No 1 player will be a major blow to the US LPGA, which is struggling in a tough economy and has seen its number of tournaments decline in recent years.

'I want to be home, with my husband, not living out of a suitcase,"

said Lorena Ochoa

FROM THE GOLFWEEKWEBSITE

COMMENT BY BETH ANN BALDRY

Lorena Ochoa began every news conference with the sweetest “Hello” in golf. Now, at a mere 28 years old, she’ll say goodbye to a tour that she dominated for several years. While the timing of Ochoa’s impending retirement came as a shock, the fact that she’s walking away so early in her career was expected.
Ochoa long has made it clear that she would not mix family and golf. She married AeroMexico CEO Andres Conesa in December and began a new chapter in life. Most assumed Ochoa would play until 2012, when she’d qualify for the LPGA Hall of Fame after 10 seasons, but accolades have never meant more to Ochoa than family.
“Well, I think life is too short, and I always say that I want to play golf and be there 100 percent and be very competitive, and my goal is to stay in that No. 1 position as long as I play,” Ochoa said at the Kraft Nabisco Championship.

And then will come a different stage for my life (when starting a family) when I want to be home. I want to be with my husband. I want to every day do things and be at one place, not traveling with a suitcase. I have that very clear.”
Ochoa’s thoughts won’t be known until her Friday news conference in Mexico City, but good friend Sophia Sheridan said the word in Ochoa’s camp is that she simply wasn’t enjoying the game anymore. That was obvious in Ochoa’s actions. The World No. 1’s on-course tantrums were becoming routine.
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about legacy. My church pastor (First Baptist of Orlando, where the late Payne Stewart attended) has spent the past several weeks on legacy, even quoting part of Billy Payne’s speech on Masters Sunday. While the men’s World No. 1 tries to find ways to connect with fans beyond his mind-blowing stats and swing, Ochoa never needed that lesson.
“I hope (Tiger) can come to understand that life’s greatest rewards are reserved for those who bring joy to the lives of other people,” Payne said.
Consider Ochoa highly rewarded.
But while no one will ever question the joy Ochoa brought to others in and around the game, the happiness she received in return seemed to have taken a turn in the past year.
People have been asking “What’s wrong with Lorena?” for quite some time. At last year’s event in Phoenix, an Ochoa tantrum was caught on TV. The next week in Rancho Mirage, a volunteer who had watched Ochoa for years, walked up in shock after seeing Ochoa throw her ball down several times in disgust on her way to the tee. This year at the Kraft, she spiked her ball so hard on a green that she had to repair her own divot.
Ochoa’s frustrations were mounting, and one got the feeling her heart was somewhere else. Perhaps there wasn’t enough heart to go around.
At the 2005 U.S. Women’s Open, Ochoa broke down in tears after hitting an awful 3-wood off the tee on the 72nd hole. “I just gave it away,” she said.
That kind of competitive fire blazed within Ochoa for so many years, many will wonder how someone so competitive can just walk away, especially having won only two majors among her 27 career victories.
Well, Annika Sorenstam walked away at the end of 2008 and hasn’t thought twice about her decision. She’s as consumed by her family and business ventures as she used to be with collecting trophies. Ochoa, though 11 years younger, will be the same.
After all, golf never was the center of Ochoa’s life. God and family always have been her core. She’ll pour herself into the lives of Conesa’s three children and start planning for more. She’ll keep bringing the game to the masses in Mexico and expand her academies around the world. She’ll continue to educate the poor.
In Conesa, Ochoa has a well-respected businessman and provider who carries a lot of clout in Mexico. They maintain a Hollywood power-couple status in Mexico City, where security always is tight. That kind of fish-bowl existence can be exhausting.
Ochoa’s entire golf career was centeed on becoming World No. 1. The rate she was going lately, however, it was only a matter of time (maybe weeks) before that position was taken away. If Ochoa can’t find the drive to stay at No. 1, she’s not the type to stick around.
There’s too much pressure back home in Mexico. Too many questions, too many expectations. A club-throwing, ball-spiking, thigh-slapping flurry of agitation is not the legacy Ochoa aimed to leave. Like many women, she decided she couldn’t do it all. No shame in that.
Beyond Ochoa’s millions of fans, plenty of whom should be in attendance when she tees it up next week in Morelia, Ochoa’s benevolence toward her peers, family and country will define her legacy. Ochoa’s eight years on the LPGA provided a platform she undoubtedly will use for good as long as she lives.
Where Ochoa goes, joy will follow.

'Helen Holm' latest news

Claire Hargan, SLGA Tournament Director:
"I have heard from the Swedish Federation that a couple of their players are going to try and take the boat over and are hoping to be able to participate."

SCOTT CRIGHTON NAME ROCKY MOUNTAIN

-
CONFERENCE GOLFER OF THE WEEK

Dalgety Bay's Scott Crighton, coming up to the end of four successful golfing and educational years at Western New Mexico University, achieved one of his many top-10 finishes on the US college golf circuit, thanks to a final round of 69 in the Hanny Stanislau Invitational men's tournament at Turlock Golf & Country Club in California.
Scott had rounds of 74, 75 and 69 for a two-over-par total of 218 over the par-72, 6,641yd course. His final round was the fifth lowest of a tournament contested by 88 players.
On the strength of his finish, Crighton was named Rocky Mountain Athletics Conference Golfer of the Week for the third time this year.
The winner of the event, Gene Webster (CSU San Bernardino) had a spectacular course-record 63 after earlier rounds of 68 and 67 for a brilliant total of 18-under-par 198, 10 shots below the previous tournament record. No surprise that Webster won by 12 strokes, Crighton finishing only eight shots behind the runner-up.
Crighton, a former pupil at Inverkeithing High School, finished runner-up in the 2009 Scottish youths championship during his summer holidays from Western New Mexico University whose head golf coach Kent Beaty had this to say:
"Scott has shown remarkable improvement in his three years at WNMU. He is a fierce competitor, has a model short game, and his ball striking gives him many opportunities to make birdies. He's one of the best players in the region, and he will only get better ... Throw that in with the fact that he is a 4.0 student, and you have the total package. We will be sorry to see him go back to Scotland for good."

Ellie's top-10 finish helps Georgia
-
State win team title at Hot Springs


Ellie Robinson from Middlesbrough, who made the last 32 at Harlech in last June's British women's open amateur championship, is now a first-year student at Georgia State University - and she is doing well in her freshman year.
The 20-year-old's latest top-10 finish was in the CAA Women's College Championship at Hot Springs, Virginia over a par-72 course of just over 6,000 yards.
It was a testing course and the weather was apparently a factor as well . Ellie had rounds of 79, 81 and 76 for a total of 236 and a share of ninth place.
At the same tournament, two Irish students who are students at Old Dominion University, Norfolk in Virginia, junior Emma Gilmore and senior Laura Holmes, had totals of 250 and 259 respectively.
Emma, from Moylough, had scores of 82, 86 and 82 to finish joint 28th while Laura from Ballina, Co May scored 83, 88 and 88 for a share of 41st place.
Even the winner in a field of 50 was over par for the 54 holes -- Charlotte Lorentzen, a Georgia State team-mate of Ellie Robinson, scoring 75, 73 and 69 for one-over 217. That final round was a brilliant effort, all things considered. No wonder Charlotte won by 10 strokes from Nicole Sakamoto (James Madison University) who had rounds of 74, 76 and 77 for 227.
Ellie had more than just her share of ninth place to celebrate for she played her part in Georgia State University winning the team event with a total of 923 - nine shots ahead of James Madison University.

Harriet Owers-Bradley joint 15th at Spook Rock, New York
Harriet Owers-Bradley from Nottingham, a junior-year student at Yale Universtiy, finished joint 15th in a field of 75 for the quaintly-named Roaree Invitational women's college tournament at Spook Rock Golf Club, Mamaroneck in New York State.
Harrier had scores of 77 and 78 for 155 - seven shots behind the joint winners, Mia Kabasakalis (Harvard) (72-76) and Nancy Shon (Columbia) (71-77), on 148.
Harvard (603) won the team title in a field of 12 squads by 10 shots from Pennsylviania with Yale (619) third.

SCOTS OUT TO IMPRESS
-
AT 'HELEN HOLM'

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE SCOTTISH LADIES GOLFING ASSOCIATION
Pamela Pretswell (Bothwell Castle), Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) and Louise Kenney (Pitreavie) are three Scots out to impress the Curtis Cup selectors at the Helen Holm Scottish Open Stroke Play Championship at Troon on April 23-25.
The Curtis Cup takes place in Massachusetts in June, and the GB and Ireland selectors will name the eight-strong team to take on America on Monday, April 26.
Four Scots were in the 2006 Curtis Cup team that lost to the USA at St Andrews. Watson, who was just 16 at the time, is the only one who has a chance to retain her place. Carly Booth, Krystle Caithness and Michele Thomson have since turned professional.
Pretswell, MacDonald and Kenney are all members of the 16-strong GB and Ireland training squad – the fourth Scot included is 18-year-old Sally Watson, who misses the Helen Holm as she is studying at Stanford University in America.
Pretswell played for GB and Ireland in last year’s Vagliano Trophy, while MacDonald is the Scottish Under-21 Open Stroke-play Champion and Kenney won last year’s Scottish Ladies’ Golfing Association Order of Merit.
MacDonald showed her form at the Helen Holm last year when she finished second, sandwiched in between the talented Irish twins, Leona and Lisa Maguire.
The twins, now 15, are both expected to be in the Helen Holm field and will also be aiming to gain Curtis Cup selection. The last Scot to win the title was Heather Stirling in 2002.
The Helen Holm is a 54-hole event, with 18 holes on Troon Portland on Friday and Saturday being followed by 18 holes over Troon’s famous Open Championship links on the Sunday.
The volcanic ash is likely to have an effect on the numbers starting. The tournament attracted players from all over Europe – 11 nations are represented among the 98 players in the draw – but call-offs are inevitable in the next couple of days. However with a significant number of players from GB & I committed to making the journey the tournament will go ahead as planned.

Some of the competitors at Largs Golf Club on Sunday.

Ayrshire Girls' Spring Medal

Rachel Irvine, pictured right, playing over her home course, won the Ayrshire girls' spring medal at Largs Golf Club on Sunday, but only on the better inward half from Grace Mackie of Troon. Both returned net 75s, Rachel off 15, Grace off 17.
Nine girls competed in the 18-hole competition, while 13 pre-handicap girls played 10 holes from forward junior tees.
Results
Silver Division
1st Rachel Irvine (Largs) 90 (15) 75 bih
2nd Grace Mackie (Troon Ladies) 92 (17) 75.
Bronze Division
1st Hope Lyden (Skelmorlie) 115 (35) 80.
2nd Alexandra Brown (Turnberry) 115 (31) 84.

Pre-Handicap
10-11 years 12-13 years
1st Lindsay Scott (Troon Bentinck) ................ Megan McCaig (Barassie)
2nd Rachael Blair (Largs) ................................. Jemma Wylie (Barassie)
3rd Bethan Muir (Troon Bentinck) ................. Emma Paterson (Loudoun)

Dean Robertson out to
-
nurture Patrick
-
Spraggs' talent

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY UNIVERSITY OF STIRLING
By DAVID CHRISTIE
Former European Tour professional Dean Robertson has vowed to dedicate his time to University of Stirling emerging star Patrick Spraggs.
Spraggs, a first year Sports Studies scholar at Scotland's University for Sporting Excellence, won the 2010 R&A Foundation Scholars Tournament - victory bringing with it a place on the European Team for the Palmer Cup match against the United States in Northern Ireland.
Robertson, the European team coach, watched Spraggs pull away from the rest of the field at St Andrews' Castle Course to win comfortably and was then looking on as the 19-year-old finished a creditable fourth at the British Universities and Colleges Sport Individual Strokeplay final over the Dundonald Links last week.
Spraggs is the only Scottish-based golfer to be named among the eight European students who will take on their American counterparts at Royal Portrush County Golf Club from June 24 to 26.
And Robertson, who along with his assistant Walle Danewid, coached the Europe Palmer Cup team to victory at Cherry Hills last year, is keen to help Spraggs flourish.
He said: "Having won on the European Tour and also played in the Walker Cup, I bring a lot of experience for the guys to tap into and my primary focus is Patrick. I've watched him twice now and his game is most impressive so I'm sure he is going to fit in well with our team.
"There is no doubt he has the talent, but now we need to nurture it so he can prevail on what will be the biggest platform for his game to date. The aim is for him, in terms of his golf, to arrive a boy and leave a man.
"Royal Portrush is one of the best and toughest links in the world and the players will require a lot of craft - it's not just about power. Many of the Americans we faced last year will still be eligible. They went on to play in the Walker Cup team which demolished Europe and I expect the USA team to be very strong."
At the BUCS event, a final-round 72 left Spraggs, supported by a Winning Students scholarship, to rue an earlier round of 81 - the only blot on his copybook in a 295 total over 72 holes.
His performance, combined with that of David Booth (9th), Alex Culverwell (14th) and Bobby Rushford (15th), ensured the University of Stirling ran away with the team title (pictured above).
Spraggs, from Westhorpe in Suffolk, said: "My second round was disappointing and so while I'm happy to have finished fourth, I'm a little frustrated as I feel I could have won it. But on the whole I'm playing well at the moment so I can't complain.
"I'm hitting more greens and using my head a bit more rather than going gung-ho. It is great for Stirling to win the team title. Everyone gets on really well and it is a great set-up so even practising is fun. The camaraderie helps us all to play better and win tournaments."
Other Stirling students' finishing positions at Dundonald Links:
Men - Colin Baird (18th), Colin Thomson (22nd), Andrew Wallace (25th), Fraser Moore (34th) and Graeme Robertson (36th).
Women - Rebecca Wilson (4th) and Harriet Beasley (12th).

+The winning University of Stirling team at Dundonald Links is pictured above (left to right):
David Booth, Patrick Spraggs, Alex Culverwell and Colin Baird (Colin stood in for Bobby Rushford who was unavailable at the time).

Linzi Allan just outside top 20 in Texas

Ayrshire girl Linzi Allan, a freshman student at Newman University, Wichita, Kansas, finished joint 21st in a field of 93 players at the Tarleton State Coca-Cola Classic tournament at the par-72 6,216yd championship course at Harbor Lakes in Granbury, Texas.
Linzi, pictured, had rounds of 77 - 79 for a total of 156, She finished nine shots behind the winner, Carla Cooper from Tarleton State, with rounds of 73-74 for 147.
Linzi will be in action this week for Newman University in the Heartland Conference Championship’s which takes place at Rose Creek GC, Edmond in Oklahoma.

Also competing at Harbor Lakes were England's Alyssa Balding and Megan Birdsey, team-mates of Linsi Allan at Newman University.

Alyssa, from Northumberland, had scores of 84 and 83 for a shared of 68th place on 167 while Megan, from Bedfordshire, had rounds of 87 and 85 for 172 and a share of 83rd place in the big field.

Midlothian's winning line-up (left to right): Rachael Watton, Kate McIntosh, Gabrielle Macdonald, Hannah Scott (reserve) and Gillian Simpson (image courtesy of Tracy Laughland).

MIDLOTHIAN GOLF GIRLS MAKE IT FIVE

IN A ROW AT CUTHBERTSON CUP

Midlothian Under-18 girls golf team have won the Cuthbertson Cup for the fifth year in a row. They beat Fife 3 1/2-1/2 in the final at Ratho Park while East Lothian beat Stirling & Clackmannan 2-0 in the play-off for third place in cold and wet conditions.
In the semi-finals, Midlothian beat Stirling & Clackmannan 4-0, and Fife had a 2 1/2-1 1/2 win over East Lothian.
Results:
Semi-finals
MIDLOTHIAN 4, STIRLING & CLACKMANNAN 0
Rachael Watton bt Alison Goodwin 5 and 4.
Gabrielle Macdonald bt Alexis Hutton 5 and 3.
Gillian Simpson bt Tiffiny Wood 5 and 3.
Kate McIntosh bt Nicole Underhill 4 and 2.

FIFE 2 1/2, EAST LOTHIAN 1 1/2
Rachael Hanlon halved with Keren Ward.
Samantha Munro lost to Clara Young 1 hole.
Lauren Whyte bt Catherine Small 8 and 7.
Shannen McGuire bt Jenny Sewell 3 and 2.

Final
MIDLOTHIAN 3 1/2, FIFE 1/2
Rachael Watton halved with Rachel Hanlon.
Gabrielle Macdonald beat Samantha Munro 5 and 4.
Gillian Simpson beat Lauren Whyte 3 and 2.
Kate McIntosh beat Shannen McGuire 5 and 3.

Third-place play-off

EAST LOTHIAN 2, STIRLING & CLACKMANNAN 0
Keren Ward & Clara Young bt Alison Goodwin & Tiffiny Wood 5 and 4.
Catherine Small & Jenny Sewell bt Alexis Hutton & Beth Donaghue 5 and 4.

Krystle's longest drive ....

Krystle Caithness is so determined to keep her date with Women's British Open champion Catriona Matthew at the Nations Cup in Spain this week she has become golf’s equivalent of Steve Martin – minus the planes!
For the Cupar-based 21-year-old Fifer, who learned to play golf over the Old Course, St Andrews, has taken to trains, boats and automobiles to represent Scotland for the first time as a professional.
Due to the widespread cancellation of flights throughout Europe, Krystle and caddy Scott Barry are currently working their way to the Alicante, Spain venue.
Starting out on Sunday, the 110sport golfer travelled by train to London from Edinburgh, then took a car on Monday to Dover for a ferry crossing to Dunkirk.
And from there it was back to four wheels again for the drive south.
"It's not everyday you get the opportunity to travel across Europe by different methods of transport. It's an adventure and an experience but one that I’ve been enjoying,” said Krystle.
“I’m desperate to represent Scotland – so much so that a volcano in Iceland isn’t going to stop me.”
Krystle represented Great Britain & Ireland as an amateur in the 2008 Curtis Cup match against the United States over the Old Course, St Andrews. She was also a regular member of the Scotland women's amateur team.

Manchester pair win Northern foursomes

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY ENGLISH WOMEN'S GOLF ASSOCIATION
Manchester’s Elaine Clark (a Scot!) teamed up with a new partner to win the Northern ladies’ foursomes for the second year in succession. This year, at Pontefract and District, Elaine paired with club colleague Jennifer Fallows, having previously partnered Karen Clayton.
The champions had a 2 and 1 win in the final over two of Yorkshire’s rising stars, Megan Lockett and Holly Morgan.The losing semi-finalists were the Pontefract ladies’ captain Lynn Peace and vice-captain Helen Roe; and another Yorkshire pair, Helen Searle and Charlotte Austwick. Results
Challenge Cups
Winners: Elaine Clark & Jennifer Fallows (Manchester)
Runners up: Megan Lockett and Holly Morgan (Huddersfield/ Lees Hall)
Semi-finalists: Helen Roe & Lynn Peace (Pontefract & District), Charlotte Austwick & Helen Searle (Pike Hills/West End).
Stableford event
34 pts Kath Hetherington & Sheila Stubbs (Pontefract); Trixie Stott-Johnson & Di Hunt (Royal Liverpool); Marilyn Chapman & Jill Ware (Low Laithes)
Four team event
74 pts Kath Hetherington & Shelia Stubbs (Pontefract), Christine Davison & Julie Ludwell (Pontefract).
66pts Christine Hamiliton & Christine Cole (Cleckheaton), Jean Waring & Olivia Hamilton (Ripon/Cleckheaton)
Lyndsey Hewison
Press & PR Officer

Helen Holm Scottish women's 'major' starts on Friday

Leona Maguire from the Slieve Russell Club, only 14 years of age at the time of last year's "Helen Holm" triumph at Troon. Twin sister Lisa was officially placed third (image by Cal Carson Golf Agency).

Continentals' conundrum: How to get to

Troon in time for Thursday practice

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

This weekend's Helen Holm Scottish women's open amateur stroke-play championship - the first major event of the domestic women's amateur golf season - could be severly affected if the volcanic ash grounding of flights all over Europe is not relaxed within the next 24 to 48 hours.

Thursday is the last day for practice. The tournament starts with one round over Troon Portland links on Friday.

The high-quality field includes 14 entries from France, 16 from Ireland, 2 from Norway, 6 from Sweden, 2 from Spain (including Majorca-based Scot Lauren Mackin) and one from Russia.

The Irish contingent should have no problems if they set off early enough to catch a ferry but remember the Ireland v Scotland senior women's international (due to be played on Sunday and today at Portmarnock) had to be postponed when the Scots team, their flight plans scrapped, could not get on any of the fully-booked ferries to Ireland.

The Scottish Ladies Golfing Association website is displaying the following message:
"The Helen Holm Scottish Open Stroke Play Championship 2010 will go ahead as planned despite the flight restrictions currently in place across much of Europe.
"There are likely to be significant changes to the published draw for both Friday 23 and Saturday 24 April. A revised draw will be published on this web-site at 3pm on Thursday 22 April.
"Alternatively, players who are unable to access the web-site should call the SLGA mobile after 3pm on Thursday 22 April for their revised times."

Claire Hargan, the SLG Tournament Director, commented this afternoon:

"As you would expect we have had some cancellations from quite a few of the European players due to their flights being cancelled and I expect there will be some more.
"I did speak to Rachel Taylor’s father (Rachel is a Germany-based Scotland girl international) this morning and he said that they were currently looking into options to try and make it from the South of Germany (i.e. they are considering driving to Belgium and then getting the ferry from there!).
The Ladies Golf Union's selection committee will meet at Troon on Sunday night to select the Great Britain & Ireland team of eight for the Curtis Cup match against the United States at Essex County Club, Massachusetts from June 11 to 13.
They will be out in force running an eye over candidates in the "Helen Holm" - although three members of the preliminary squad selected last autumn, Lucy Gould (Bargoed), Stephanie Meadow (Royal Portrush) and Sally Watson (Elie & Earlsferry Ladies), are students at American colleges.
Three other members of the squad have since turned professional - Kylie Walker (Buchanan Castle), Carly Booth (Comrie) and Rhian Wyn Thomas (Vale of Glamorgan).
Last year's top 10 in'Helen Holm'

Par 225: First two rounds over Troon Portland (par 75), final round at Royal Troon (par 75)

219 Leona Maguire (Ireland) 69 77 73.

221 Kelsey MacDonald (Scotland) 75 72 74.

222 Lisa Maguire (Ireland) 74 74 74, Emma Brown (England) 74 73 75.

223 Danielle McVeigh (Ireland) 74 76 73, Tara Davies (Wales) 77 71 75.

224 Louise Kenney (Scotland) 76 73 75, Lucie Andre (France) 74 74 76.

225 Naomi Edwards (England) 76 74 75.

226 Charlotte Wild (England) 74 78 74, Rhian Wyn Thomas (Wales) 73 77 76, Laura Murray (Scotland) 75 74 77.

Left to right: Handicap champion Wilma Murray, Eilidh McTavish, scratch champion Cara Gruber and Alison Bartlett after today's presentation of trophies in the Moray clubhouse. Images courtesy of Dorothy Marshall.

Cara Gruber wins Northern

Counties title No 4 at Lossie

Royal Dornoch's Cara Gruber today won the Northern Counties women's championship for the third year in a row and the fourth time since her first victory in 2001.
She beat clubmate Alison Bartlett by 2 and 1 in a closely-contested final in which Gruber only really mastered her oponent over the last three holes.
The match was all square at the eighth before Gruber went two up with successes at the 10th and 11th.
Bartlett hit back to square the contest by winnin the 12th and 13th. After the 13th and 14th were halved, Cara made the decisive more by winnng the 15th and 16th and halving the 17th for a 2 and 1 victory.
A Royal Dornoch double was completed in the handicap final when Wilma Murray, who plays off 16, beat 15-year-old Elgin junior, Eilidh McTavish (Elgin) by one hole.
Eilidh, who had her handicap cut from 26 to 24 in heading the handicap match-play qualifiers, was two up at the eighth but then lost the ninth to a birdie from Wilma who also won the next holes to go one up.
They halved the 12th and 13th before young Eilidh won the 14th to bring it back to all square. A bad tee shot from Eilidh on the short 15th, where Wilma hit the green with hers - saw Murray go one up again.
It was still a ding-dong final with Murray winning the 16th and McTavish the 17th.
Murray, one up on the 18th tee, was able to halve the hole and win the handicap title by one hole.
Both handicap finalists were making their debuts in the Northern Counties championship and for Eilidh it was the first time she had ever played in a match-play competition.
Today's results:
SCRATCH CHAMPIONSHIP
Semi-finals
Cara Gruber (Royal Dornoch) bt Jenny Milne (Elgin) 8 and 6.
Alison Bartlett (Royal Dornoch) bt Mary Smith (Tain) 1 hole.
Final
Gruber bt Barlett 2 and 1.
HANDICAP CHAMPIONSHIP
Semi-finals
Eilidh McTavish (Elgin) (24) bt Sally Rowan (Inverness) (22) 2 holes.
Wilma Murray (Royal Dornoch) (16) bt Alison Burnett (Royal Dornoch) (21) 4 and 3.
Final
Murray bt McTavish 1 hole.

University golf

Good article on the state of university golf in Britain, written by Lewine Mair,  can be found on Global Golf Post at digital.globalgolfpost.com/globalgolfpost/20100419?sub_id=BApMIicq7HBub#pg19

Volcanic ash not stopping L E T players from getting

to the Nations Cup at Alicante, Spain this week

FROM THE LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Despite travel challenges due to the volcanic ash cloud across Europe, its full steam ahead for this week’s Comunitat Valenciana European Nations Cup at La Sella Resort in Dénia, Alicante, Spain.
With planes grounded, England’s Melissa Reid, who is due to compete with Karen Stupples, made the epic trek from the UK by car with Breanne Loucks from Wales. Her playing partner Becky Brewerton was already at her holiday home in Spain practising.
Golfers have been driving in from all around Europe, including Ursula Wikstrom, who drove all the way from Finland, a journey of several thousand miles
Dutch duo Christel Boeljon and Marjet van der Graaff set off from Holland by car over the weekend determined to arrive in time to defend their title. However it looks unlikely that Maria Verchenova will be able to travel from Moscow in Russia in time.
Beth Daniel and Meg Mallon are both flying in from the United States, while Sweden’s Sophie Gustafson and Anna Nordqvist will be coming from Jamaica, where Nordqvist won the Mojo6 tournament on Sunday. Their flights were delayed after Barcelona airport was closed, but it has since re-opened. Germany’s Sandra Gal was also heading the same way.
In a marathon effort, Australian Karen Lunn made it from Abu Dhabi, changing flights several times to ensure she would arrive to compete with Karrie Webb.
The players are all looking forward to representing their respective countries at the tournament, which will receive daily international television coverage.
Nightly highlights will be broadcast on Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland, Sport TV in Portugal, ESS in Asia, Viasat Sport in Scandinavia, Golf+ in Spain and Fox Sports in Australia.
Additional highlights will be shown on The Golf Channel in America, Sport + in France and on a number of other channels in various countries throughout the world.

Ann and Alex Peters, winners of the Mothers & Daughters foursomes for a third year in a row (images by courtesy of Sally Phipps Hornby, a member of Royal Mid Surrey GC).

A MOTHERS AND DAUGHTERS’
-
HAT-TRICK FOR PETERS

By JO THESIGER
Sixteen-year-old, Alexander Peters and her mother Ann from Notts Ladies were in unbeatable form as they claimed their third successive victory in the Mothers and Daughters 27-hole scratch foursomes at Royal Mid Surrey Golf Club on SaturdaY.
Alex, the Daily Telegraph Junior Champion, who plays off plus-two, played immaculately with her five-handicap mother, to score a virtually flawless level par 71 in their morning round. The only blot on their card, a double bogey 6 on the long par 4, 14th hole was completely hidden by their three birdies on the back nine on the 11th, 13th and 16th.
The Peters, who have played in the event for the last six years, were delighted with their lowest 18-hole score, which gave them a six-shot lead ahead of their playing partners Sue and Hayley Todd from Royal Ashdown Forest, who carded a creditable round of 77, and Elizabeth and Flora McPhail from Frilford Heath who also scored six-over-par in the morning.
Alex’s mother, Ann Peters, admitted that nerves got the better of her in the afternoon, and blamed herself for the pair squandering a few shots to finish with a disappointing six-over-par, 41, over the remaining nine holes .
Nevertheless, their magnificent morning round had given the holders an unassailable lead which the other contenders were unable to catch.
Jennifer Fallows and Kathryn McGawley from Manchester played the best golf of the afternoon with a two-over-par 37, to finish in second place, a position they have had to settle for on several occasions before!
With many young golfers competing this year, it was the very youngest, Martha Lewis, aged only ten, who outplayed the large field of 64 couples with her mother Evelyn to score a brilliant 123 gross, net 99, to win the 27-hole handicap prize. It was an outstanding, nerveless, performance by the minute Martha, a 23-handicapper, who said the highlight of their round was a 2 on the par-3 sixth, followed by another birdie on the par-5 seventh hole!
Alex Peters was also ten when she first played in the Mothers and Daughters and to have won a hat-trick of titles by the age of 16 is a remarkable feat that has never been achieved before. Ann Peters praised her daughter’s golf, admitting in her winner’s speech, that she was very lucky to have such a brilliant partner.
“Any mother playing with Alex would win!” said Mrs Peters modestly.
FINAL TOTALS
27 holes foursomes
Par 71 (18 holes) and 35 (nine holes): 106
112 Ann Peters (Notts Ladies) & Alexandra Peters (Notts Ladies) 71 & 41.
116 Jennifer Fallows (Manchester) & Kathryn McGawley (Manchester) 79 & 37.
117 Elizabeth McPhail (Frilford Heath) & Flora McPhail (Frilford Heath) 77 & 40; Christine Griffith (Walton Heath) & Charlotte Griffith (Walton Heath) 79 & 38.
118 Sue Todd (Royal Ashdown Forest) & Hayley Todd (Royal Ashdown Forest) 77 & 41.
121 Bea Cummins (Parkstone) & Carly Cummins (Parkstone) 79 & 42; Gillian Atwood (Gog Magog) & Sarah Atwood (Gog Magog) 78 & 43.
122 Sue Stradling (Worplesdon) & Annie Stradling (Worplesdon) 82 & 40; Wendy Laud (Thurlestone) & Katie Fewster (Worplesdon) 83 & 39.
123 Evelyn Lewis (St George's Hill) & Martha Lewis (St George's Hill) 83 & 40; Pat Huntley (Frilford Heath) & Sarah Webb (Frilford Heath) 82 & 41.
124 Judy Kendall (Wentworth) & Vicky MacDonald (Worplesdon) 83 & 41; Linda Sneath (Puttenham) & Hannah Sneath (Puttenham) 83 & 41; Vi Dolton (Basingstoke) & Diana Holt (Basingstoke) 84 & 40; Jill Thornhill (Walton Heath) & Caroline Weeks (Walton Heath) 83 & 41;
Elaine Barrow (Brockenhurst Manor) & Laura Barrow (Brockenhurst Manor) 85 & 39.
125 Barbara Round (Tadmarton Heath) & Sam Round (Cotswold Hills) 81 & 44; Elsie Provan (East Herts) & Sarah Saggers (East Herts) 86 & 39.
126 Jenny Hamilton (Dartford) & Nicole Hamilton (Dartford) 84 & 42; Alison Taylor (Walton Heath) & Katie Taylor (Walton Heath) 81 & 45; Sue Heeles (Royal Norwich) & Rebecca Heeles (Royal Norwich) 85 & 41.

Mary Dowling wins Cork Scratch Cup

Mary Dowling of New Ross claimed the first scratch cup title of her career with a 36 hole total of four under par at the Women's Cork Scratch Cup, sponsored by Ford on Saturday.
Dowling produced a superb opening round of three under par, which was matched by Douglas Golf Club's Karen O'Neill, before adding a second round of one under par to finish with a total of 144 and win by a single stroke ahead of O'Neill.

Prizewinners at Portlethen (left to right): Becky Flaherty, Louise McGillivary, Shannon McWilliam, Olivia Borwick, Eve Manson. Image by Cal Carson; click on it to enlarge.

WEE SHANNON (only 10) WINS SHIRE

-

GIRLS' OPENER AT PORTLETHEN

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Shannon McWilliam, a 10-year-old from Aboyne Golf Club with 22 of a handicap, won the first event of the 21st consecutive year of organised Aberdeenshire girls' golf competitions.

Shannon, pictured right, who lives at Torphins, totalled 38 Stableford points at Portlethen Golf Club today to be the overall winner with a scorecard which included a gross birdie at the 489yd 13th hole where the pint-sized youngster managed to hit the green in two shots and two putt. It gave her a net 2 at the hole and earned her 5pt under the Stableford scoring sytem.

Shannon, who will be competing in the Wee Wonders world final in the United States this summer, had a gross score of 93 (48-45) for a net 71 over the par-73 women's course at Portlethen.

Louise McGillivary (Banchory) won the Silver Dvision with 37pt off seven, while another Banchory junior, Becky Flaherty, had the best points score of 37 off 26 in the Bronze Division.

LEADING POINTS SCORES

Shannon McWilliam (Aboyne) (22) 38pt

Louise McGillivary (Banchory) (7), Becky Flaherty (Banchory) (26) 37pt

Eve Manson (Deeside) (21) 36pt

Olivia Borwick (McDonald Ellon) (17) , Lauren Watson (Deeside) (24) 34pt

Kirsten MacCallum (Newburgh) (10), Sophie Alexander (Deeside) (6) 33pt

Fiona Sutherland (Deeside) (28) 28pt

Hannah Bycroft (Alford) (14) 27pt

Caroline Campbell (Aberdeen Ladies) (29) 26pt.

AILSA SUMMERS KEEPS

ANGUS GIRLS' TITLE

Ailsa Summers (Carnoustie Ladies) has retained the Angus girls golf championship at Montrose. She beat Heather Munro (Monifieth) by 8 and 7 in the rearranged final which was postponed due to bad weather on April 6. Summers took a grip on the outcome when she covered the first nine holes in two-under-par 34.

Ailsa is pictured by Cal Carson Golf Agency; click on image to enlarge.

Gruber and Milne, last year's finalists, meet

in Northern Counties semi-finals at Lossie

Defending champion Cara Gruber (Royal Dornoch) and No 1 seed will, tomorrow morning, meet the 2007 title-winner and No 5 qualifier, Jenny Milne (Elgin) in the semi-finals of the Northern Counties women’s county golf championship over the Moray Golf Club links at Lossiemouth.
It will be a replay of last year’s final when Gruber won the title for a third time, adding to successes in 2001 and 2008.
The other semi-final will feature the No 2 seed, Mary Smith (Tain) against the No 3 qualifier, Alison Bartlett (Royal Dornoch).
Mary, champion in 2003, should have been playing for Scotland against Ireland in a senior women’s two-day international at Portmarnock but when it was cancelled because the Scots team could not get a flight due to the volcanic dust crisis or on a fully-booked ferry, Smith quickly got a late entry into the Northern Counties championship and dashed back up north to Lossiemouth to play in Saturday’s qualifying round.
In the handicap section for the Chetham Trophy, title holder Sally Rowan from the Inverness club, in Monday morning's semi-finals plays the No 1 qualifier, Eilidh MacTavish (Elgin), the only player to have her handicap cut in Saturday's qualifying stages. Her handicap came down from 26 to 24.8.

CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH-PLAY QUALIFIERS
81 Cara Gruber (Royal Dornoch).
82 Mary Smith (Tain).
83 Alison Bartlett (Royal Dornoch).
88 Kay Vincent (Moray).
89 Jenny Milne (Elgin).
90 Marion Howieson (Inverness).
92 Susan Mackenzie (Elgin), Anne Ryan (Tain).
93 Julie Vass (Tain).
96 Dorothy Phillips (Garmouth).
97 Eilidh MacKay (Nairn Dunbar), Susan MacVicar (Gairloch).
100 Gillian Dowling (Inverness).
101 Denise McBride (Royal Dornoch), Fiona Bell (Inverness), Margot Barr (Gairloch).

MATCH-PLAY
First round – Gruber bt Barr 6 and 4, Ryan bt Vass 3 and 2, Milne bt MacVicar 5 and 4, Vincent bt Dowling 1 hole, MacKay bt Howieson 3 and 2, Mackenzie bt Phillips 1 hole, Smith bt Bell 7 and 5.
Quarter-finals – Gruber bt Ryan 4 and 3, Milne bt Vincent 4 and 2, Bartlett bt MacKay 4 and 2, Smith bt Mackenzie 5 and 4.
HANDICAP
Qualifiers
78 Eilidh McTavish (Elgin) (26).
85 Ann Harding (Royal Dornoch (26).
86 Wilma Murray (Royal Dornoch) (16), Sally Rowan (Inverness) (22), Monica Grant (Moray) (24).
90 Sheila Duncan (Royal Dornoch) (19).
91 Alison Burnett (Royal Dornoch) (21).
92 C Dingwell (Muir of Ord) (11).
MATCH-PLAY
QUARTER-FINALS - McTavish bt Dingwell 6 and 5, Rowan bt Grant 3 and 2, Murray bt Duncan 3 and 2, Burnett bt Harding 1 hole.

Website Maintenance

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Gill