From Colin Farquharson
Scottish
champion Heather Stirling, who has still not officially relinquished her
amateur status, made a good start to the United States Futures Tour Qualifying
School at Orlando, Florida on Tuesday.
Heather, from Bridge of Allan, matched the par of 72 with a 38-34 card
to be lying tied for 11 place in the huge field of 300 which were divided
between the Eaglebrook, Imperial Lakes and Cleveland Heights courses,
all of them over 6,000yd long with a par of 72.
Rebecca Prout from Sussex, also entered as an amateur, and British women's
amateur champion Rebecca Hudson (Wheatley), who has declared herself a
professional and signed a contract with I M G, came next in the United
Kingdom honours list, joint 61st on the 76 mark.
Miss Proud had halves of 38 and 37 but Rebecca Hudson was one of the few
among the top half of the field who scored more for the inward half than
they did on the outward journey. She had halves of 36 and 40 but, considering
Rebecca needed physiotherapy on a neck injury before she could play the
final round of the Ladies European Tour Qualifying School at Grenoble,
France on Saturday, that was not a bad score at all.
Former Scottish champion Linzi Morton, who went to the States soon after
the home internationals at The Berkshire in August, to prepare for the
Futures Tour Q School with her Florida-based coach, Joe Williams, had
a 78, taking 40 shots for the inward half. Linzi is tied for 108th place.
England international Kirsty Fisher from Royal Lytham had a 79 (43-36)
while Katie Tebbet from Mountsorrel in England and Fiona Watson, entered
from Dumfries, both score 80.
The biggest disappointment from a Scottish point of view was the performance
of 24-year-old Aberdonian Claire Hunter, who has lived in the United States
for the best part of the last six years.
Claire flew over from her Oregon base to play in the European Q School
last week but finished last of those who qualified for the final day and
faces few tournament opportunities on this side of the Atlantic next season.
The Futures Tour, with the "carrot" of gaining automatic admission to
the LPGA Tour if a player finishes among the top three money-winners on
the 2002 Futures Tour, meant so much to Miss Hunter but she had a nightmare
round of 11-over-par 83, 44 blows to the turn and 39 to come home.
Claire, sadly, will start the second round in joint 212nd place.
Miss Hunter was not the worst of the British Isles contingent. Vanessa
Bell from Ipswich had an 88.
Only the leading 100 and ties at the end of 54 holes will go forward to
the final round and after that only the top 38 finishers gain entry to
all the Futures Tour events next year. The next 35 gain Category C status,
which means at least 128 competitors are ahead of them in the pecking
order to have their entries accepted for any of the 19 events which make
up the circuit on America's No 2 women's pro circuit.
French amateur Caroline Goasguen from Montpellier was the leader at the
end of the opening day with halves of 36 and 33 for a three-under-par
69.
SCOREBOARD
(Players from US unless stated; (a) denotes players who have not given
up amateur status).
69 Caroline Goasguen (a) (Fra) 36-33.
70 Nina Laitenen (Fin) 36-34, Kristin Dufour 35-35, Susan Lippin (a) 34-36,
Jennifer Hubbard 35-35, Corina Kelepouris 35-35.
71 Shayne Wild (Zim) 35-36, Soo Young Moon (Kor) 34-37, Lisette Lee 35-36,
Bobby Salmon 35-36.
72 Kitty Hwang (Ecu) 38-34, Tara Batemen 36-36, Jessica Hayes 37-35, Kathy
Choi 36-36, Randi Meadows 36-36, Aree Song Wongluekiet (a) (Thai) 35-37,
Marina Marselli (Ita) 36-36, Heather Stirling (Sco) (a) 38-34.
73 Anne Fraser (a) 36-37, Natalie Aber 38-35, Anna Umemura 37-36, Angie
Blythe 35-38, Trelle Kite 35-38, Nobuyo Nagai 35-38, Jan Dowling (Can)
36-37, Kimberly Adams (a) 35-38, Kim Brozer (Can) 38-35, Kristy McPherson
(a) 36-37, Patty Frohna 37-37, Wendy Hawkes (NZ) (a) 36-37.
Other scores included:
76 Rebecca Prout (Eng) (a) 39-37, Rebecca Hudson (Eng) 36-40.
78 Linzi Morton (Sco) 38-40.
79 Kirsty Fisher (Eng) 43-36.
80 Katie Tebbet (Eng) 40-40, Fiona Watson (Sco) 40-40.
83 Claire Hunter (Sco) 44-39.
88 Vanessa Bell (Eng) 42-46.
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