Wednesday 30th April 2003

Helen Holm Scottish Strokeplay Championship Photoalbum Colin has sent me lots of photographs of the Helen Holm held last weekend at Troon which are now in an album. Please note that these photos are covered by © Copyright Laws. You, as an individual, can download and print them but anyone using them in a publication or on the web should get in touch with the Cal Carson Golf Agency

Nathalie David (France) winner of the Helen Holm

US Student News
Anne Walker, assistant coach at University of California, Berkeley, has sent a Newsletter and some photos after CAL's win in the Pac-10 Championships. Go Bears!

Angus Ladies County Golf Association (sorry for delay!)
SHONAGH RAITT IS TOP ANGUS QUALIFIER
Forfar's Shonagh Raitt, the title-winner in 1997, was the leading qualifier by a four-stroke margin when the Angus women's county golf championship began at Royal Montrose last Friday. Report, scores and draw for matchplay

Cardross Past Lady Captains in 2003

Veteran Ladies
SLVGA Midland Division Spring meeting
The SLVGA Midland Division Spring meeting was held at Glenisla on Monday 28th April in wet and blustery conditions. SS 72 CSS 75 Number of entries 51
Scratch E Wilson, Elie 81
Category 2 S Travers, Alloa 84 (10) 74 E Leisk, Stirling 88 (12) 76 (bih) E Miskimmin, Dunblane 83 ( 7) 76 (bih)
Category 3 J Mulgrew, Stirling 84 (13) 71 J Glen, Elie 89 (16) 73 R Rickard, Falkirk 93 (17) 76 Bronze A McBay, Pitlochry 106 (21) 85

Tuesday 29th April 2003

Spanish Under 21s Championship
OLE! AZAHARA (15) IS SHOOTING STAR OF SPANISH GOLF
Azahara Munoz, pictured left, this week won the Spanish Under-21 girls' international open championship in Madrid. Remember the name because she is, even now, four months in advance, a hot favourite to win the British girls' open championship at Pyle & Kenfig in South Wales. Report

Midlothian County Championship
New girl, Claire Hargan (Prestonfield) led the qualifiers in the Midlothian County Ladies Championship qualifying at Duddingston today. Her two round total of 155 (78, 77) put her four shots ahead of nearest rival Fiona de Vries (Baberton /St Rule) who had scores of 80 and 79 for 159. Kingsknowe's Rita Dee took third place with 80, 83 for 163, and Karen Marshall (Baberton) and Hilary Laughland (Prestonfield) were joint fourth on 166.
Claire, who lives and works in Edinburgh, joined Midlothian at the turn of the year from Dunbartonshire and Argyll. Disappointed with her short game today, she must start as favorite for the title.
The holder, Belinda Murphy (Prestonfield) qualified in 13th place with scores of 82 and 88. With a wry smile she said that this was an improvement as she is often last under the wire.
The qualifying mark was at 173. 13-year old Jane Turner (Glencorse) just missed qualifying by one shot with two 87s. She is certainly one to watch in the future.
The new format for the Championship qualifying was warmly appreciated by the players, who enjoyed two rounds on one of Edinburgh's finest golf courses. The match-play stages take place later this week on Friday and Sunday.
Full results and draw are on the MCLGA website

US Student News
VIKKI AGAIN VOTED ON TO THE PACIFIC-10 CONFERENCE TEAM
Vikki Laing, pictured right one of the star players of the University of California women's golf team, has again been selected for the Pacific-10 Conference team of the season. Two teams of six players are chosen by the votes of the conference's coaches at this time every year. The teams never actually play against any opposition but selection means that the players are rated the best in the conference. It is a coveted honour.
Vikki, a Curtis Cup player from Musselburgh, won the Pacific-10 Conference individual championship at Corvallis, Oregon last weekend
The Pac-10 No 1 team is: Erica Blasberg (Arizona), Mikaela Parmlid (Southern California),Charlotte Mayorkas (UCLA), Louise Friberg (Washington), Vikki Laing (California), Sarah Huarte (California).
No 2 team: Becky Lucidi (Southern California), Kim Rowton (Stanford), Kim Welch (Washigton State), Lindsay Morgan (Washington), Ria Quiazon (California), Susie Matthews (UCLA).

US Student News
LOUISE GETS SPECIAL PLACE IN US REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Past Scottish girls champion Louise Kenney from Pitreavie, Dunfermline, has become the first player in the history of the Iowa State University women's golf programme to be selected to compete as an individual in the NCAA regional golf championship at Lincoln, Nebraska next week.
ISU teams have qualified to take part in 1994, 1995 and 1996 but no member has ever been nominated to take part in the regional championship on her own. Normally players go to the regional championship as members of their college team who have qualified to play. When their colleges don't qualify, the NCAA rules permit a handful of leading players to go to the championships and compete as individuals. This is what has happened in Louise Kenney's case.
Here's what the Iowa State University's website says about the Scot:
"Kenney, a sophomore from Dunfermline, Scotland, led an historic assault upon the school's record book (in her magical season of 2002-2003), in which she established a number of benchmarks in ISU history. Kenney's season stroke average of 76.1 smashed the previous record of 77.4, set by former Cyclone Shelley Finnestad in the 1992-93 campaign.
"After a solid freshman campaign, in which Kenney battled the adjustment to a new country and nagging injuries, she broke out in her sophomore year, finishing in the top 10 four times and leading the team in six of the 10 tournaments they entered.
"Her effort at last week's Big 12 Conference Championship was among the best in the school's Big 12 history as well, as she notched the second-best 18-hole round, 54-hole total and individual round in school history at the Country Club in Columbia.
"Kenney also set the new school record in 54-hole scores by firing a 218 at the Mountain View Collegiate in late March, bettering the previous mark by two strokes. Kenney's outstanding play has highlighted a tremendous season for the Cyclones in which the team entered the recored book 22 times and established new school best marks in nearly every team and individual category.
"Only three individual golfers are selected from eachof the three regionals by the NCAA with golfers from competing teams automatically qualifying. Play is slated to begin at the Firethorn County Club in Lincoln, Nebraska next week with a practice round scheduled for Tuesday, May 6. Competition will begin the following day with 54 holes scheduled to complete the tournament.
"Eight teams and two individuals from each region will advance to the NCAA Championship finals at the Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex in West Lafayette, Indiana."

US Student News
NCAA announce Regional fields
Vikki Laing's team, the University of California, heads the line up at the Central Regional Tournament at the Firethorn County Club in Lincoln, Nebraska, (where Louise Kenney is playing as an individual. - see report above) Also in the field is Kent State ranked at No12, where Ireland's Martina Gillen, pictured left, is a student.
The University of San Francisco, (Susie Laing and Lyndsey Devenish, pictured right), is playing in the West Regional at Karsten Golf Course, Tempe, Arizona, hosted by Arizona State University. Pepperdine lead the line up, followed by Southern California. USF is ranked at No 11.
The East Regional event is at the Salem Glen Country Club, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, hosted by Wake Forest University. Duke, Arizona and Auburn are ranked 1-2-3.
All regional tournaments take place from May 8th to 10th and there will be live scoring on Golfstat.
For the complete list of competing teams see this article in Golfweek
Eight teams and two individuals from each region will advance to the NCAA Championship finals at the Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex in West Lafayette, Indiana hosted by the Purdue University on May 20-23.

Monday 28th April 2003

SLGA / St Leonards Under-16 Open Strokeplay Championship
(see reports 17-18 April, event won by Roseanne Niven, pictured right)
Photos have arrived from the Cal Carson Golf Agency. Enjoy!

St Rule Trophy, St Andrews
Entries for the prestigious St Rule Trophy tournament at St Andrews on 31st May & 1st June close at 12 noon this Saturday, 3rd May. For the £25 fee, this event is a real bargain, with a guarantee that you play one round on the New on Saturday, and two rounds on the Old Course on Sunday (weather permitting!). Handicap limit is 6. Scottish entrants please note that this is a SLGA Order of Merit event. Entry forms can be downloaded from the SLGA website

US Student News
MARTIN LAIRD LANDS DOUBLE WHAMMY FOR SCOTS IN UNITED STATES
Former Scottish schoolboys golf champion Martin Laird completed a double whammy for Scotland on the American college circuits by winning the Brigham Young University Cougar Classic open tournament at Riverside Country Club, Provo in Utah. Earlier in the weekend, Curtis Cup Scot Vikki Laing from Musselburgh won the Women's Pac-10 championship at Corvallis, Oregon.
Laird, a member at Hilton Park Golf Club and currently a golf scholarship student at Colorado State University, became the first player in the college's golfing history to win three tournaments when he took the BYU Cougar Classic title by two strokes with a seven-under-par total of 209 for the 54-hole event. It was the in-form Martin's second victory on the American college circuit in a matter of weeks and his third in all since he went to the States from Scotland. Laird fired rounds of 67, 69 and 73, leading from start to finish. Colorado State won the team event by one stroke from Denver and the hosts, Brigham Young. And it was thanks to a birdie at the final hole by Laird.
BYU COUGAR CLASSIC _ Riverside CC, Provo, Utah - Leading final totals _ 209 M Laird (Colorado Stte) 67 69 73. 211 S Wills (Denver) 70 70 71. 212 G Machtaler (BYU) 69 73 70, N Martin (Colorado State) 69 71 72, O Alvarez (BYU) 70 70 72. 214 I Hagen (Nevada) 73 70 71. 215 L Swilor (Utah) 68 74 73. Leading team totals_ 857 Colorado State. 858 Denver, Brigham Young. 867 Utah. 872 Nevada. 887 Boise State.
Report on the Colorado State website.
Full results on the Brigham Young website

Futures Tour
LISA HALL JOINT SECOND IN US FUTURES TOUR EVENT
Lisa Hall from Stoke finished joint second in the latest US Futures Tour event, the Chevrolet Classic at Willowbend Golf Club in Wichita, Kansas on Sunday.
Lisa had rounds of 73, 69 and 69 for a 54-hole total of 211, tieing with Korean Seol-An Jeon (71, 71, 69) behind four-stroke winner Stacy Prammanasudh from Enid, Oklahoma. Stacy, a former University of Tulsa star team member on the college circuit, had three rounds of 69 for a nine-under-par total of 207 for the 6,260yd, par-72 course. She won 9,800 dollars while Lisa and Seol-An each received 6,125 dollars.
Former Curtis Cup player Rebecca Hudson from Doncaster tied for 39th place on 222 after scores of 74, 76 and 72. Her pay check amounted to 338 dollars.
Former Scottish champion Linzi Morton from Alloa missed the 36-hole cut by two shots with a total of 153 (78 and 75).
Last yearÌs Scottish title-winner, Heather Stirling, did not play in this Futures Tour event.
LEADING TOTALS (US players unless stated) 207 Stacy Prammanasudh 69 69 69. 211 Lisa Hall (Eng) 73 69 69, Seol-An Jeon (Kor) 71 71 69. 212 Isabelle Beisiegel 71 70 71. 213 Erika Wicoff 76 69 68, Soo Young Moon (Kor) 69 72 72. Other score: 222 Rebecca Hudson (Eng) 74 76 72.
Futures Tour website is at www.futurestour.com

Sunday 27th April 2003

HELEN HOLM SCOTTISH WOMEN'S OPEN AMATEUR STROKE-PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP

Nathalie David, a 23-year-old from Normandy, became the first French winner in the 30-year history of the Helen Holm Scottish women's open amateur stroke-play golf championship in awful conditions of first wind and then lashing rain over the Royal Troon links today (writes Colin Farquharson).
While overnight leader Clare Queen from Drumpellier and European champion Becky Brewerton were dropping shots on the tough inward holes, Nathalie birdied the 11th and then reeled off seven straight pars for a round of two-over-par 77 and a final total of two-over 227.
That gave her a two-stroke victory from the trio who tied for second place, Clare and Becky and England's Rachel Lomas.
"I have never been in Scotland before but I shall come back even though the weather is not so good," said scratch player Nathalie a fluent English speaker who plays out of La Baule Golf Club.
"The links at Troon are such good golf courses and this is the biggest tournament I have ever won. I tried to shut out of my mind what all the other girls who had a chance of winning were doing. Over the last few holes, I just concentrated on getting a par at each hole and the plan worked."
Becky Brewerton, runner-up for the second year in a row, was level with Mademoiselle David in the lead at two under par with four holes to play but missed a short putt for a birdie at the short 14th and then drove out of bounds to run up a double-bogey 7 at the 15th. That pushed her back to a 77.
Clare Queen, who carried a two-stroke lead into the final round, finished with a disappointing 82.
"I struck the ball well but missed an awful lot of putts. Eventually I lost confidence with the putter and didn't feel I could hole anything. I did get a birdie at the last but it was too little too late," said the 20-year-old Strathclyde University student.
Wales (Becky Brewerton and Anna Highgate) won the team event with a total of 461, one shot ahead of Ireland's Claire Coughlan and Tricia Mangan. Anne Laing, who equalled the Troon Portland course record on Saturday with an eight-under-par 67, and Lynn Kenny totalled 474 for Scotland who finished fourth.

Troon Portland first two rounds; Royal Troon third round.
Final Totals
227 N David (France) 76 74 77.
229 B Brewerton (Abergele) 74 78 77, R Lomas (Hallowes) 75 75 79, C Queen (Drumpellier) 70 77 82.
230 C Coughlan (Cork) 80 77 73.
232 A Highgate (Cottrell Park) 75 79 78 T Mangan(Ennis) 75 76 81, M Allen (Moor Park) 77 77 78.
233 S Jones (Pennard) 77 75 81, N Edwards (Ganton) 73 81 79.
234 S Garbutt (Ganton) 74 84 76, K Phillips (Creigiau) 77 77 80, A Laing (Vale of Leven) 67 85 82.
235 L Ball (Parklands) 72 79 84, A-S Le Nallo (France) 78 76 81, F Lockhart (St Regulus) 79 75 81, C Gruber (Stirling Univ) 76 77 82, P Fraysse (France) 75 74 86.
236 K Hanwell (Northampton) 78 78 80, S Giquel (France) 74 77 85.
237 K Smith (Waterlooville) 76 81 80, D Smith (Co Louth) 77 80 80.
238 E Duggleby (Malton & Norton) 80 75 83, B Loucks (Wrexham) 81 74 83.
239 F More (Chesterfield) 81 72 86, E McKinnon (Nairn) 77 79 83.
240 J Pritchard (Tredegar Park) 80 82 78, F Sanderson (Heworth) 83 76 81, S Birks (Wolstanton) 78 78 84, L Kenny (Stirling Univ) 79 77 84, A Keighley (Lightcliffe) 75 79 86.
241 S Evans (Vale of Llangollen) 77 81 83, C Lipscombe (Cirencester) 79 78 84.
242 M Sapin (France) 82 79 81.
244 F Prior (Cawder) 77 84 83, D Dewar (Monifieth) 79 78 87.
245 S Keane (The Curragh) 82 82 81, L Davis (Conwy) 86 78 81, L Mackay (Stirling Univ) 77 85 83, K Heywood (Crompton & Royton) 83 79 83, P Bengtsson (Gower) 80 75 90.
246 J Nicolson (Wrexham) 80 80 86, J Carthew (Ladybank) 78 81 87, K Hutcherson (Porters Park) 81 77 88.
247 R Fagerberg (Sweden) 77 84 86.
248 L Hall (Royal Porthcawl) 82 85 81.
250 C Lee (Pleasington) 84 86 80, J Jenkins (Ralston) 85 84 81, L Weatherill (Gower) 82 83 85, A Ramsay (Kirriemuir) 84 80 86, K Dobson (The Oaks) 82 81 87, V Power (Brampton Park) 81 79 88.
251 C Hargan (Prestonfield) 81 86 84.
252 R Rankin (Lanark) 81 87 84, S Raitt (Forfar) 82 82 88, K McKenna (Tynemouth) 80 82 90.
253 D McGowan (Ballybofey) 82 86 85.
254 I Brien (Wentworth) 88 83 83.
255 C Afonso (France) 83 83 89.
258 A Young (Torrance House) 82 81 95.
260 J Yellowlees (Murrayshall) 83 89 88, L Barton (Coventry) 87 85 88, J Wilson (Strathaven) 81 87 92.
262 S Walton (Accington & District) 85 91 86.
265 P Lindberg (Swe) 89 89 87, N Ford (Shaw Hill) 86 87 92.
Withdrew: S Wilson (Murcar) 91 92.
No Return: L Moffat (West Kilbride) 78 82.
XX = not known until end of round.
INTERNATIONAL TEAM EVENT
461 Wales (B Brewerton, A Highgate).
462 Ireland (C Coughlan, T Mangan).
471 France (A-S Le Nallo, S Giquel).
474 Scotland (A Laing, L Kenny).
510 Sweden (P Bengtsson, P Lindberg).
475 England (E Duggleby, K Smith).

Previous Collated results from Colin Farquharson at Troon

Fife Girls Championship
KRYSTLE IS FIFE GIRLS CHAMPION
Krystle Caithness (St Regulus) won the Fife girls' championship for the Patrick Trophy at Dunfermline on Sunday with a round of 83, two strokes ahead of runner-up, Hannah Harvey (St Leonards).
Jennifer McWhiter (Falkland) won the Junior Cup for the best net return with a 71 off 19. Rachel Myles (St Leonards), playing off 24, was second with a net 73. The nine-hole competition was won by Christine Russell (Lundin Ladies) with 43.
scoreboard
FIFE GIRLS CHAMPIONSHIP _ Dunfermline _ Patrick Trophy _ K Caithness (St Regulus) 83; H Harvey (St Leonards) 85. Junior Cup _ J McWhirter (Falkland) (17) 71; R Myles (St Leonards) (24) 73. Nine-hole competition _ C Russell (Lundin Ladies) 43.

Midlothian v Lanarkshire
Results from the Squad practice session are up on the MCLGA website

US Student News
VIKKI HEADS SWEDE AT LAST TO SCORE SECOND U.S. WIN
Vikki Laing, pictured right, won the Women’s Pac-10 Conference championship individual title after a thrilling finish at Trysting Tree Golf Club, Corvallis in Oregon.
The Curtis Cup Scot from Musselburgh, a golf scholarship student at the University of California, shot a final round of one-over-par 73 for a total of level par 216 to edge out Sweden’s Mikaela Parmlid (Southern California) by one stroke. Report

LINZI MORTON MISSES CUT ON FUTURES TOUR
Former Scottish champion Linzi Morton from Alloa missed the 36-hole cut in the latest US Futures Tour event, the $70,000 Chevrolet Classic at Willowbend Golf Club in Wichita, Kansas. Report

SPANISH INTERNATIONAL GIRLS’ OPEN
Four host nation players will contest the semi-finals of the Spanish international girls’ open championship at Villa de Madrid Country Club on Sunday.
All bar one of the 16 qualifiers for the match-play stages were Spaniards so you can look out for at least some of the following players being to the forefront in the British open girls’ championship this summer.
Quarter-final results:
Ana Sanso-Rubert beat Lucia Mar 2 and 1.
Elisa Serramia beat Diana Vazquez 6 and 5.
Asahara Munoz beat Tatiana Morato 3 and 2.
Viviana Millan beat Belen Mozo 1 hole.

JAMIE WINS EDWARD TROPHY
Jamie McLeary (Leven Golf Society) scored an impressive six-stroke win in the prestigious Edward Trophy 36-hole open tournament in very windy conditions over the Glasgow Gailes Golf Club’s links course in Ayrshire on Saturday.
McLeary had rounds of 68 and 70 for four-under-par 138. Runner-up was Scotland team-mate Jonathan King (Glasgow) with a pair of 72s for 144.

Saturday 26th April 2003

Helen Holm Scottish Ladies Open Stroke-play Championship, Troon
Clare Queen, pictured left, leads Helen Holm. Anne Laing slumps with a 10 on her card. France lead team competition .Collated results from Colin Farquharson in Troon..

Renfrewshire County Championship
YOUNGSTER CLARE-MARIE CARLTON WINS RENFREWSHIRE MARATHON FINAL
Clare-Marie Carlton, pictured right, became one of the youngest winners of the Renfrewshire women's county golf championship in atrocious weather at Caldwell GC yesterday. Collated report

Lanarkshire County Championship
MAY HUGHES WINS LANARKSHIRE TITLE AGAIN AFTER 10-YEAR GAP
HISTORY repeated itself for May Hughes in the Lanarkshire women's county golf championship at Cathkin Braes this week. Ten years ago, over the same Rutherglen course, May won the title for the first and only time until today when she again battled her way through to the final and regained the championship trophy. Report

Dunbartonshire and Argyll County Championship
SARA BISHOP WINS D&A TITLE FOR FIRST TIME
Windyhill player Sara Bishop, pictured left, won the Dunbartonshire & Argyll women's county golf championship for the first time at Douglas Park GC on Thursday. In cold, windy conditions, Sara, the leading qualifier, beat the No 2 seed, 17-year-old girl international Gemma Webster (Hilton Park), by 5 and 3. Report

Irish News
LEINSTER WIN IRISH GIRLSÌ PROVINCIAL TITLE AFTER LAST-DAY ABANDONMENT
Leinster were declared the winners of the Irish girlsÌ provincial championship when bad weather forced the abandonment of the final dayÌs play at Warrenpoint Golf Club. Results

US Student News
VIKKI LAING SHARING SECOND PLACE AT PAC-10 CHAMPIONSHIP IN OREGON
Vikki Laing (University of California) is lying in joint second place, only one stroke behind the leader, with one round to go in the WomenÌs Pac-10 Conference championship at Trysting Tree Golf Club, Corvallis in Oregon. Results

Walker Cup
WALKER CUP TICKET PRICES
Tickets for the this yearÌs Walker Cup match at Ganton Golf Club, Yorkshire on September 6 and 7 go on sale to the general public on Thursday, May 1. The R&A expects all 8,000 tickets for each of the two days to quickly sell out. Press Release

SPANISH INTERNATIONAL GIRLS CHAMPIONSHIP
Spain has the best crop of under-18 girlsÌ players in Europe and it shows in the scores after two rounds of the Spanish international girlsÌ open championship at Club de Campo Villa in Madrid.
The top eight players are all Spanish even though the field includes competitors from almost every Continental country with the exception of Great Britain & Ireland.
LEADING SCORES
144 Lucia Mar Ruiperez 73 71, Maria Hernandez Munoz 73 71.
145 Tatiana Morato Beltran 70 75, Elisa Serramia Neundorf 69 76.
146 Diana Vasquez Paredes 75 71, Azahara Munoz Guijarro 72 74.
149 Ines Tusquets Gonzalez 75 74, Ana Sanso Rubert Gonzalez 72 77.

BROCKET HALL, HERTS WILL PLAY HOST TO FALDO JUNIOR FINAL
Nick Faldo has announced that this year's Faldo Junior Series Final will be held at Brocket Hall Golf Club in Hertfordshire from September 2 to 4.
Faldo already enjoys a close relationship with the club which is located a few miles from his home town of Welwyn Garden City. He opened the UK's first Faldo Golf Institute at Brocket Hall in 2002 and was appointed president of the club for 2003 and 2004.
The Faldo Junior Series Final will be played over 36 holes on the par-72 Melbourne Course, designed by Peter Alliss and Clive Clark.
New BP Scottish boys champion Paul Doherty (Vale of Glamorgan) will be defending the title he won after a play-off at Burhill, Surrey last year.
There has been one Faldo Junior Series qualifying tournament so far this year. That was at Loch Lomond. There will be two more, at St Andrews on June 27 and Blairgowrie on July 3 after which the boys and girls who have qualified from the Scottish circuit for the Grand Final at Brocket Hall will be named.

Thursday 24th April 2003

I'm away until Saturday. Fingers crossed that you'll find what you are looking for on HotNews

Tuesday 22nd April 2003

LGU Medal Finals (East)
Jo sets Balbirnie Park record
National Golf Academy staff member Jocelyn Carthew, pictured right, bounced back from defeat in the Fife women's county championship final for the second year in a row on Sunday to set a new Balbirnie Park women's course record of 68 today. Report and scores

DUNBARTONSHIRE & ARGYLL WOMEN'S COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP
Douglas Park
Title-holder Claire McNeil (Milngavie) had the third best gross score of 78 in yesterday's (Tuesday) qualifying round of the Dunbartonshire & Argyll women's county golf championship at Douglas Park.
Sara Bishop (Windyhill) is the top seed in the match-play draw after returning a 72, five strokes ahead of second qualifier Gemma Webster (Hilton Park).
Gemma, beaten finalist in last year's BP Scottish girls' championship, was one of three juniors who figured among the 16 qualifiers. The others were Claire McNeil and Kylie Walker. Results and draw

US Student News
There is live scoring of the Big-12 Championship where Louise Kenney and Laura Wells are playing for Iowa State on Golfstat (tounament finishes tomorrow)
... also Ireland's Suzie Hayes is playing for Notre-Dame in the Big East Women's Championship. Live scoring from Golfstat. (tournament finishes today)
... also Vikki Laing (California) is playing in the Pac10 Conference starting on Thursday through Saturday. Yorkshire's Rachel Bell, winner of the St Andrews Under 23's last year, is playing as in individual for Southern California. Live scoring on Golfstat

Victorious Scottish Vets' Team with Captain Heather Anderson
Back Row: Pam Williamson, Pat Hutton, Moira Thomson, Helen Faulds
Middle Row: Jennifer Mack, Heather Anderson, Christine McAndrew
Front: Rose Anderson and Norren Fenton.

Scotland v Ireland Veterans match last week.
Photos have finally caught up with the text. Thanks to staff photographer Pat Hutton!

Weetabix Challenge
Pat's camera was busy there too. Photos now incorporated into the report

Hot News
There are Fife County Results up on Hot News.
[NB. I'm going to be away from Thursday afternoon to Saturday afternoon (Playing at Hoylake in the British Golf Collectors' Society President's Day)... so if you want any News you are going to have to post it yourselves.... it can be done... just read my instructions.]

French Under 21's
Spanish win both girls' sections in France
SPANISH competitors won both the main girls' event and the Class 2 section on the final day of the French Under-21 girls' open amateur championships at Paris St Cloud (on Monday) Report and results

Monday 21st April 2003

US Student News
LOUISE RETURNS A 79 IN BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP
Louise Kenney was the best Iowa State scorer in the opening round of the Big 12 Championship at Country Club of Missouri, Columbia on Monday. The Pitreavie girl, past winner of the Scottish girls' championship, had a round of 79 (seven over par) while team-mate and fellow Scot Laura Wells from Dumfries returned an 83.
Iowa State were lying 11th coming up towards the end of the first day's play.

US Student News
MARTINA JOINT 12TH IN LADY BUCKEYE
Irish international Martina Gillen (Kent State) finished joint 12th in the Lady Buckeye Spring Invitation over the Ohio State University's Scarlet golf course at Columbus.
Martina had rounds of 76, 78 and 75 for a 12-over-par total of 229 - 15 strokes behind individual winner Kristen White.
Playing over her home course, Kristen shot 66, 74 and 74 for two-under-par 214 and won by nine strokes ... there's nothing quite like local knowledge!
The second Irish player in the field, Heather Nolan, a student at Eastern Michigan University, top-scored for her team with rounds of 80, 77 and 79 for 236. Heather was placed joint 20th.
Ohio State simply slaughtered the opposition on home ground with a total of 886, 30 shots clear of runners-up Kent State, for whom Martina was the third best scorer in the team of six.
Heather's Eastern Michigan camne joint ninth of the 12 competing teams with a total of 975.

Braemar girl wins Aberdeenshire opener at windy Longside.
Fiona Glennie from Braemar made the long trip to Longside Golf Club, near Peterhead a worthwhile journey when she won the Aberdeenshire girls' first competition of the season, a stableford. Report and scores

Scottish Ladies Championship, St Andrews
The SLGA has received 200 entries for the Scottish Championship at St Andrews next month. There are going to be 68 VERY disappointed people. I hear the cut-off is at handicap 8.1

County Page
Now that results are coming in for County Championships, I've started to collate the results here. Please let me or Colin Farquharson know of any County results which would be of interest to readers of this website.

Sunday 20th April 2003

Late News: French Under 21's
IT'S FRANCE v SPAIN IN PARIS U-21 FINAL
Home country player Sophie Giquel will play Maria Hernandez (Spain) in Monday's 36-hole final of the French Under-21 girls' open championship at Paris St Cloud. Report and results

Fife County Championship
Lorna Bennett's fifth Fife title
FORMER Scotland international player Lorna Bennett regained the Fife women's county championship after a nine-year gap when she beat Jo Carthew by two holes in an all-Ladybank members' final over the St Andrews Bay Torrance course today. Report and results

Impressive foursomes win by SLGA over North-east boys
THE Scottish Ladies Golfing Association squad gave the North-east District boys a golf lesson at Cruden Bay today (Sunday) when they beat them 4-0 in a foursomes match designed to help the girls in their preparations for the women's home international matches over the same links in September. Report and results

Early News: French Under 21's
Danielle into last eight in Paris
Danielle Masters, the 20-year-old Rochester & Cobham player, is through to the last eight of the French Under-21 girls' open amateur championship at Paris St Cloud Golf Club. Danielle had two good wins on Saturday when the match-play stages got underway Report and results

LGU Squad at Royal Birkdale
with Fiona Norris (Vagliano Team Manager) and Ada O'Sullivan (Vagliano Team Captain)

Saturday 19th April 2003

Fife County Championship
Young Krystle in Fife semi-finals
Krystle Caithness, pictured left, only 14 years old, reached Sunday morning's semi-finals of the Fife women's county golf championship at St Andrews Bay's Torrance course by knocking out St Regulus club-mate Fiona Lockhart on Saturday evening. Report and results

Scottish Boys Championship
Paul Doherty from Vale of Glamorgan won the BP Scottish boys' championship at windy Dunbar today by a 7 and 5 margin over Gary Wood (Crow Wood) in the 36-hole final.
Doherty was four up after the first 18 holes which were completed in 2hr 50min. The 13 holes in the afternoon took little over 2hr before Doherty won on the 31st green.

Scottish Under 16's
Young Kelsey wins Skills Test
Kelsey MacDonald, pictured right, from Nairn Dunbar won the Royal Bank of Scotland SLGA Skills Test for Under-16 girls at the Scottish National Golf Centre, Drumoig this week. Report

French Under 21's
DANIEL SLIPS BACK BUT STIL TOP GB QUALIFIER IN FRENCH UNDER-21 OPEN
Danielle Masters, the leading British player in the first qualifying round of the French Under-21 open girls’ championship, dropped back with a second-day score of 78 but still qualifying with ease for the match-play stages with a total of 149.
Report

Friday 18th April 2003

Roseanne Niven (Crieff)

SLGA St Leonards Under-16 girls' open stroke-play championship
Scottish junior golf was given an unexpected boost yesterday (Friday) when 14-year-old Roseanne Niven from Crieff shot the best round of her life to win the SLGA St Leonards Under-16 girls' open stroke-play championship at sunny Drumoig, Fife. Report and scores. Full prizelist coming later

Ayrshire County Championship
Ayrshire county Captain, Marian Wilson writes:
The usual sea of green sweaters at a County Championship - not to say the wave of waterproofs - melted away at Costa del Troon as Ayrshire staged the event this week. If last year’s glorious weather at Turnberry was a welcome surprise in a dismal 2002, temperatures in the seventies had shorts, suntan cream and sunglasses the order of the day.
Sharon Lambie was the leading qualifier at her home club but the matchplay threw up some royal battles amongst team players and partnerships as most matches went to the final holes.
Leslie Hendry [West of Scotland Girls’ Champion] made an excellent start in her move from Junior to Senior golf with some impressive golf under pressure and would add to her experience the old lesson of golf that it is easier to come from behind to snatch a win than maintain what seems a comfortable lead.
The winner was Laura Moffat [West Kilbride] who beat Catherine Malcolm [Prestwick St Cuthberts] by one hole after a quality final. Catherine, a former champion, put out the holder and leading qualifier, Sharon Lambie on the eighteenth green in the first semi-final, while Laura beat Morag McQueen from Largs by 4 and 3.

Thursday 17th April 2003

The KirkwoodGolf Website is one year old today

Ayrshire County Championship
Laura Moffat wins first Ayrshire title
FORMER Scottish girls' golf champion Laura Moffat won the Ayrshire women's county championship for the first time at Troon Portland today. The West Kilbride player, who has spent the last four years at the University of California Los Angeles, beat Catherine Malcolm (Prestwick St Cuthbert), a former winner of the event, by one hole in a evenly-contested final.
In the morning semi-finals, Catherine toppled the defending champion and seven times winner in all, Sharon Lambie (Troon Ladies), the leading qualifier, by one hole while Laura beat Morag McQueen (Largs) by 4 and 3.
Semi-finals:C Malcolm (Prestwick St Cuthbert) beat S Lambie (Troon Ladies) 1 hole, L Moffat (West Kilbride) beat M McQueen (Largs) 4 and 3.
Final: Moffat beat Malcolm 1 hole.

French Junior Championship
Danielle in third place after first round in Paris
England's Danielle Masters did very well to be lying in third place at the end of the first qualifying round of the French Under-21 girls' open championship at Paris St Cloud on Thursday. Report and scores

SLGA St Leonards Under 16 Open StrokePlay Championship
Florentyna Parker, the girl with the lowest handicap in the field, played even better than her rating of two with a fine scratch score of 72 to lead the field by one shot at the end of the first day of the SLGA St Leonards Under-16 girls' open stroke-play championship. Report and scores

Midlothian Ladies
The draw for the Qualifying for the County Championship is up on the MCLGA website

US Student News
Pamela Feggans third in Sunshine State Conference
Florida Southern, led by Pam Feggans from Ayrshire, took third place in the five team Sunshine State Conference at the Rio Pinar G. C., Orlando Florida this week. Pamela's scores of 74 81 78 for 17 over par 233 put her in third place behind Jennifer Beames ( 227) and Charlotte Campbell (229) both of Rollins College.
Louise Kenney (Pirtreavie) set to break Iowa State Stroke Average Record see story on Iowa State site

Renfrewshire launch website www.rlcga.co.uk
I'm delighted to announce, on this site's first birthday, the launch of a new site for the Renfrewshire Ladies' County Golf Association. (See Link on left menu)
Carol Fell (Ranfurly Castle) has worked hard at producing an excellent site, which already has results from this year's Spring Meeting and April medal, plus draws for the next month's competitions. Congratulations to Carol and Renfrewshire! It looks great!
Do any other Counties have websites? Or would like advice on how to get started? Please also consider subscribing to my Hot News site, where you can publish your results without my intervention... (There are going to be times when I'm not here....) email me

Wednesday 16th April 2003

AYRSHIRE WOMEN'S COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP
Defending champion Sharon Lambie (Troon Ladies) and Scotland international player Laura Moffat (West Kilbride), the two top seeds, stayed on course today to meet in tomorrow afternoon's final of the Ayrshire Ladies County Golf Association championship at Troon Portland. Report

Susie Laing sets San Francisco All-WCC selection record
Susie Laing sets San Francisco All-WCC selection record
Troon Ladies member Susie Laing, pictured right, has played a major part in enabling the University of San Francisco women's golf team to finish runners-up in the 2003 West Coast Conference championship at Riverbend Golf Club, Fresno in California (tournament finished Monday USA time).
The Scotland international's individual performance also earned her selection for the All-West Coast Conference first-team for the fourth year in a row. No-one in the history of the USF women's golf programme has achieved that distinction previously and only two players from all the other West Coast Conference colleges have ever been picked four times in succession.
The All-WCC team is not chosen for the purpose of playing a representative match, as would be the case in the British Isles. It is the United States tradition in most sports to select conference or league teams that indicate who are the most highly-rated players in that particular conference, or group of colleges.
Susie had rounds of 78, 69 and 72 for a 54-hole total of level par 219. She finished third behind two players from Pepperdine University at Malibu, Carolina Llano and Kent-born Lindsey Wright, a member of the Australian team who won the women's world amateur team championship for the Espirito Santo Trophy at Kuala Lumpur last autumn. Llano had scores of 70, 72 and 69 for eight-under-par 211 and an impressive seven-shot win from Miss Wright who scored 74, 72 and 72 for one-under 218.
North of Scotland women's champion Lyndsey Devenish, pictured left, from Cruden Bay finished 10th with scores of 77, 75 and 73 for six-over 225.
Pepperdine won the team event with a six-under par total of 858, five ahead of San Francisco. The two team leaders were well clear of the opposition with third-placed Santa Clara totalling 14-over 878.

SLGA St Leonards Under 16 Championship starts tomorrow at Drumoig.
Scotland and England have both entered A and B teams for the Kirkwood Team Trophy (wee plug!). Preview of teams
Read Colin's review of the field.

Tuesday 15th April 2003

Veteran Ladies Golf
MARY McKENNA TROPHY (veteran women's international)
Prestwick GC
Scotland beat Ireland for the first time in a veteran women's golf international, winning the Mary McKenna Trophy by the convincing margin of 9 1/2-2 1/2 at the end of the two-day match, the fourth in the series, in summer-like conditions at Prestwick Golf Club today. Report and results

Kelsey wins Highland junior title at age of 12
Kelsey MacDonald, pictured right, a 12-year-old junior member at the Nairn Dunbar club, warmed up for the St Leonards SLGA Scottish Under-16 girls championship at Drumoig on Thursday and Friday this week by winning Report and scores

Scotland ladies line-up v NE boys at Cruden Bay
A current British champion, a past British title-holder and three former Scottish champions are all in a strong Scottish Ladies Golf Association Select to play a North-east District Under-18 boys' squad at Cruden Bay on Sunday afternoon. Preview

Midlothian Ladies Spring Meeting, Broomieknowe
EARLY BIRD FIONA IN FINE FORM
St Andrews hotelier Fiona de Vries was up at 7am to achieve her best ever score over the Old Course, St Andrews, playing to one of a handicap with a 76 in the St Rule club championship qualifying. Then she drove to Edinburgh to win the Midlothian County Ladies Golfing Association spring meeting top scratch prize over the Broomieknowe course in the afternoon. Fiona and Wendy Nicholson (Broomieknowe) both returned 77s (CSS 73) and Mrs De Vries gained the Cormack Salver by virtue of a better inward half.
Fiona, driving long and straight, had birdies at the sixth and 10th but missed a couple of short putts and took 4s at a couple of short holes.
The best overall net score came from a junior, Amanda Forrest (Broomieknowe), with a net 67 off 20. Two other juniors, Katie Brown (Murrayfield) and Sarah Devenish (Kingsknowe) also figured on the handicap prize list.
Results on the Midlothian website

Ayrshire County Championship
Troon Ladies' player Sharon Lambie, chasing her fourth Ayrshire women's county championship since 1998, made a good start at Troon Portland on Tuesday when she headed the 16 qualifiers for the match-play stages with a solid round of 76, one over the CSS, in a field of 112.
The No 2 seed is former Scotland international player Laura Moffat (West Kilbride) who has not played in the county championship since she went to the University of California Los Angeles on a golf scholarship. Laura, Scottish Under-18 girls champion in 1995 and Under-21 title winner in 1996, had a round of 77.
Young Lesley Hendry (Routenburn) was the third best qualifier with an 80. Report and scores

US Student Golf
Heather wins American college event
Heather MacRae, pictured right, the 2001 Scottish girls champion, has won one of the leading women's junior college tournaments in the state of Texas, the Brownsville Invitational.
Heather had rounds of 76 and 73 over the testing par-71 Roy Kizer course at Austin for a 36-hole total of 149, five strokes ahead of runner-up Ashley Slavich (Tarleton State) who led with a 75 at the end of the first round but was overhauled on the second day by Heather. Ashley had a second-round 79 for 154.
Heather is a student at McLennan Community College near Waco, Texas. The college women's golf team are called the "Highlassies," and they lived up to that name by winning the Brownsville Invitational team title with a total of 627 (313+314), 14 strokes ahead of second-placed Tarleton State (314+327) with Tyler Junior College third on 651 (325-326).
Miss MacRae, coming up to the end of her second year at McLennan, which is a junior college, will move on to a major university in California, San Diego State, after the summer holidays for another two years in America.

Monday 14th April 2003

Veteran Ladies Golf
SCOTLAND TAKE FIRST DAY LEAD OVER IRISH
Rose Anderson, pictured right, and Pam Williamson lead the way
SCOTLAND could be on the brink of their first win over Ireland in the fourth veteran women's amateur golf international match for the Mary McKenna Cup at Prestwick Golf Club. Report

Fife County Championship
Susan Miller pips Fiona Lockhart for top spot
Title-holder Susan Miller (Kirkcaldy) earned the top seed rating for this year's Fife women's county championship with a better inward half than Fiona Lockhart (St Regulus) after both went round in 80 (against the CSS of 76) in very windy conditions for the qualifying round over the St Andrews Bay Torrance course on Sunday. Report, scores and draw

US Student News
Troon's Susie Laing (University of San Francisco) pictured left, led her team to a fourth place finish in the prestigious Peg Barnard Classic hosted by Stanford University. She scored 74-79 for 153 and took joint 7th place individually. Team-mate Lyndsey Devenish (Cruden Bay) had 83-80 for 163 and finished 41st.
Iowa State finished 12th in the Lady Boilermaker tournament hosted by Purdue in Indiana. Louise Kenney (Pitreavie) tied for 8th place with scores of 73.79 74 = 226 and team-mate Laura Wells scored 79 81 79 = 239 for 41st place.

US Student News
Rankings Update
Curtis Cup player Vikki Laing from Musselburgh has risen to one of her highest individual rankings on the American women's college nationwide circuit on the back of her team (University of California Berkeley) scoring their fifth victory of the season earlier this week. Report from Colin

South African Pro Tour
East Lothian's Lesley Nicholson had her best finish so far in the South African Pro Series at the Telkom Women's Classic at the Country Club, Johannesburg. Her final round 68, the best of the day, drew her up to two over par 218 and a share of 7th place (75 75 68 = 218). She won 6,600.00 Rand. England's Sarah Heath was one stroke worse on 219 and took 10th palce and R 5,000.00. Results

Dr Sheila Hartley takes the helm today in the SLGA office

The new SLGA Secretary, Dr Sheila Hartley with
Fiona Lockhart (administration), Gillian Roy (tournament officer) and Mary Bird (finance)

Sunday 13th April 2003

WEETABIX CHALLENGE FORMAT MAY HAVE TO CHANGE
A crushing victory by the Ladies European Tour professionals over the Ladies Golf Union Elite Squad of amateurs in Saturday's Weetabix Challenge match at Royal Birkdale would seem to indicate that some sort of change in the format is necessary to balance up what has become a lopsided annual contest. Report

US Student News
Pitreavie's Louise Kenney (Iowa State) is tied for 11th place after two rounds of the Lady Boilermaker tournament, hosted by Purdue University at the Kampen Golf Club, West Lafayette, Indiana. Her scores of 73 and 79 for 152, put her just four shots behind the leaders. Ireland's Martina Gillen (Kent State) scored 77 78 and is in 21st place.
Play in the Peg Barnard Classic hosted by Stanford University, has been deleayed by rain. Susie Laing and Lyndsey Devenish, playing for the University of San Francisco are competing.

Saturday 12th April 2003

Stirling and Clackmannan win the Cuthbertson Cup.

Stirling and Clackmannan team
Louise Macgregor, Nicola Melville, Vikki Stevenson and Laura Aitken

The Stirling and Clackmannan junior team won the Cuthbertson Cup today at Falkirk Tryst in a thrilling final against Fife. Report and Results

PROS ROUT AMATEURS IN WEETABIX CHALLENGE
The Ladies Golf Union Elite Squad of amateurs were no match for the Ladies European Tour professionals in the Weetabix Challenge match which drew close on 2,000 spectators to Royal Birkdale Golf Club yesterday (Sunday) in gloriously warm, sunny weather. Report and results

ELIE BOYS AND GIRLS COMPETITION RESULTS
Niall Finlay won the Andrew Burns Cup for under 18 boys at Elie this week when he beat Lloyd Saltman of Kilspindie in the final. Roseanne Niven from Crieff took the Under 16 girls title with an extra holes victory over Becky Copland (Scotscaig) Report and scores

Cuthbertson Cup
The Junior teams of the four counties in the East Division compete today for the Cuthbertson Cup at Falkirk Tryst. Midlothian play Stirling and Clackmannan and Fife play East Lothian in the morning, and the winners play each other in the afternoon. Team list

Friday 11th April 2003

ALL-SCOTS MATCH IN WEETABIX CHALLENGE FOURSOMES AT ROYAL BIRKDALE
Read Colin Farquharson's Preview and draw

SLGA St Leonards Under 16 Strokeplay Championship
Preview of Team competition and Draw

2003 HELEN HOLM SCOTTISH LADIES' OPEN STROKE PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP
Draw

Scottish Veteran Ladies Golf Association
Pam Williamson (Baberton) scored a two-under par 71 on Gullane No 2 this week to take the scratch prize in the East Division Spring Meeting (CSS 73)
Results Scratch Pam Williamson 71
Silver Handicap 1. Catriona Sheddon (20) 68, 2. Elizabeth Simpson (9) 71 bih, 3. Moira Thomson (4) 71 last 6, 4. Sylvia Boyd (8) 71
Bronze Handicap 1. Morag Younie (21) 75, 2. Alacoque Cowan (22) 77

US Student News
Louise Kenney (Pitreavie and Iowa State) ranked 15th in Big 12 conference
Article on Iowa State website

US Student News
Ayrshire and Scotland's Pam Feggans (Florida Southern) scored 82 84 74 for 240 in the Ryder Florida Women's College Championships at Don Shula's Golf Resort Miami Lakes, Florida earlier this week and finished tied for 23rd. Full results
Perthshire's Emily Ogilvy representing Sam Houston State and Fiona Gilbert from Carnoustie, representting Arkansas Little Rock played in the Susie Maxwell Berning Classic at Jimmie Austin G.C. Norman, Oklahoma earlier this week. Emily had three 81s for 243 and a tie for 27th place, and Fiona scored 86 90 86 for 262 and took 75th place. Full results

Thursday 10th April 2003

Happy Birthday to my Mother-in-law, Kathreen Kirkwood who is 91 today!

R&A Bursars Day, St Andrews
Student golfers who have been awarded golf bursaries by the R&A congregated at St Andrews today for the annual R&A Bursars day over the Old Course.
Richard Hooper, a last minute substitute from the local University of St Andrews, won. His 68 was two shots better than Ewan Forbes of Aberdeen who had a better inward half (33) from David Watt (University of Dundee) (35)
Sophie Walker, pictured right, of Loughborough University took the womens' title with a 78, one shot ahead of Zoe Humphris (University of Birmingham). Elaine Cuthill (Strathclyde) took third place with a scratch 80.
Unfortunately three of the Elite women Bursars, including the holder, Clare Queen (Strathclyde), and Lynn Kenny and Lesley Mackay (both Stirling) could not attend as they are preparing for the Weetabix match against the European Women's Professional team this coming weekend.

Wednesday 9th April 2003

US Student News
University of San Francisco (909) took second place to UNLV (906) at the Brigham Young Dixie Classic at Sunbrook Golf Course, St. George, Utah yesterday. Susie Laing (Troon Ladies') and Lyndsey Devenish (Cruden Bay) finished 18 and 19 over par respectively. Their San Francisco team-mate, Jordan Auten, won individual honours with a two over par total of 218 (73 72 73)
T36 Lyndsey Devenish 77 76 81 234
T39 Susannah Laing 75 81 79 235

US Student News
Anne Walker (Strathaven), assistant coach of the Cal Bears team (Vikki Laing's team), has sent a Newsletter

Nick Faldo Junior Series
SOUTH of the Border day tripper Alex Murrell tied with Glasgow's Paul Betty for the honour of having the lowest score at Loch Lomond yesterday (Tuesday) in the first of three Nick Faldo Junior Series Scottish qualifying competitions.
Murrell, a member of the Eden club near Carlisle, and Betty from Hayston GC both had 72s in the Under-21 boys' category. Report and scores

Midlothian Juniors
Results from the Midlothian Juniors Spring Meeting are up on the MCLGA website

Tuesday 8th April 2003

US Student News
University of San Francisco are leading in the BYU Dixie Classic
Susie Laing (Troon Ladies') and Lyndsey Devenish (Cruden Bay) are 6 over and 9 over par and are currently tied for 19th and 43rd places respectively after 27 holes in the Brigham Young University Dixie Classic at Sunbrook Golf Course, St. George, Utah. Their teammates Jordan Auten and Joan M. Shimozaki are currently tied for the lead at even par. There is live scoring on Golfstat

US Student News
Dumfrieshire's Colette Murray had a last round, two over par, 74 in the Louisiana State/Cleveland Golf Classic at The University Club Baton Rouge, LA to take 53rd spot (88,77,74=239). Her team, Jacksonville State, finished 6th in the tournament, won by North Carolina Wilmington. Results

US Student News
Two Irish and one Scot were playing in the Indiana Invitational at the Indiana University G.C. Bloomington, Indiana at the weekend. Ireland's Martina Gillen (Kent State) had 76, 76, 77 for 229 to finish tied for 6th. The event was won by Purdue. Results
T 6 Martina Gillen Kent State 76 76 77 229 +7
T 40 Suzie Hayes Notre Dame 81 83 85 249 +27
67 Fiona Gilbert AR-L. Rock 92 92 88 272 +50

SKY SPORTS IN NEW TELEVISION AGREEMENT WITH THE EUROPEAN TOUR
Sky Sports has secured exclusive live rights to The Ryder Cup Matches, two Major Championships and a minimum of 34 tournaments on The European Tour International Schedule in a series of new long-term agreements. Press release

Seniors
IRELAND VETS NAMED FOR PRESTWICK
Irish golfing legend Mary McKenna, pictured right, will be playing captain of her country's team of eight for the annual veteran women's match against Scotland for the Mary McKenna Trophy - yes, she donated it three years ago - at Prestwick Golf Club on Monday and Tuesday, April 14 and 15.
The team is: Catherine Carty (Dullamore). Roma English (Larne). Rona Fanagan (Milltown). Mary McKenna (Donabate), capt. Eileen McMullen (Donegal). Mary Madden (Ballinasloe). Anna Moloney (Clonmel). Terry Sextion (Dun Laoghaire).
The match will consist of four four-ball ties on the Monday followed by a programme of eight singles on the Tuesday. The teams will enjoy a practice round over the Old Prestwick course on Sunday.
See February archive for Scottish team

Irish News
MARTINA AND TRICIA TOP IRISH SPORTS COUNCIL GRANT AWARDS
Martina Gillen, pictured right, and Tricia Mangan have each been awarded É3,000 towards their expenses through 2003 by the Irish Sports Council. Martina, a member of Beaverstown and currently studying at Kent State University in Michigan, and Tricia (Ennis) are the only Irish players on the Ladies Golf Union International Panel. They were nominated for grants by the Irish Ladies Golf Union training committee chaired by Brigid McCaw.
Other players nominated for Sports Council funding are the top four on the Order of Merit Maria Dunne (Skerries), Sinead Keane (Curragh), Marian Riordan (Tipperary) and Claire Coughlan (Cork) who each receive É1,600.
The top eight players on the Junior Order of Merit will each receive É1,285. They are Karen Delaney (Carlow), Heather Nolan (Shannon), Tara Delaney (Carlow), Danielle McVeigh (Royal County Down Ladies), Dawn Marie Conaty (Ashbourne), Sinead O'Sullivan (Galway), Roma Convery (Cairndhu) and Alison Kingston (Bandon).

US Student News
Glencorse's David Inglis (University of Tulsa) flies home for Walker Cup squad practice. Scotsman article

Monday 7th April 2003

Roehampton Gold Cup
Tracy Loveys, a professional from Broadstone, Dorset won the top £1,000 first prize with an aggregate of 147 in the Roehampton Gold Cup tournament, played over 36 holes and open to amateurs and professionals. Report

Irish News
Cork Scratch Cup
LGU squad player, Tricia Mangan (Ennis), pictured right, won the Cork Scratch Cup in beautiful weather on Saturday with a two under par total of 146 (74,72). Clare Coughlan was second with 4 under 70 in morning and 79 in afternoon (149). The Cork course hosted the Home Internationals in the 80s.

US Student News
California win fifth title
Vikki Laing's team, University of California, won the prestigious Arizona State Invitational by just one shot yesterday at the Karsten Golf Club, Tempe, Arizona. Four teams finished within four shots of each other, California taking the title with a 12 over par total of 876 from Texas (877), UCLA (878) and Southern California (879).
Charlotte Mayorkas of UCLA won the individual title with a 7-under 209 (66 71 72). Runner-up was Vikki's team-mate Sarah Huarte (California) on 3 under 213 (70, 70, 73). Vikki tied for 9th, on 4 over 220 (72 72 76). Report on Caifornia website

Sunday 6th April 2003

Futures tour
Colleen Cashman (Plantation, FL) with scores of 68-70-71 for 209 has won the $9,100 first prize in Tampa Bay's Next Generation FUTURES Golf Classic at the 6302-yard, par 36-36 - 72 Rogers Park Golf Course today. Lisa Hall, Rebecca Hudson and Rebecca Prout finished "in the money". Futures tour website

French Seniors
Claudine Chartrier of France won the French Seniors Championship at Chantaco near Biarritz last week with scores of 77 and 73 over the par 72, Colt-designed course. Valerie Hasset of Ireland scored 79, 80 to take 10th place. Pam Williamson (Baberton) had two rounds of 82 in 17th place, Jennifer Mack scored 85, 84 for 24th spot and Fiona Rodgers was 89, 88 for 35th in a field of 48. The weather was good for the practice day, horrible day one with rain and wind, and cold and windy day two. Conditions will be quite different in June (more growth / some sun) when the European Seniors will be held over the same course.

East of Scotland Girls' Spring Meeting at Falkirk Carmuirs
Laura Aitken, pictured right, of neighbouring Falkirk Tryst romped away from the rest of the field with a two over par 74 over the Falkirk Golf Club at Carmuirs today. Her nearest rival was Becky Copland (Scotscraig) with an 84.
Top handicap prize was won by Bathgate's Arlene McGarty with a net 68 from a handicap of 23. Rebecca Hyde (Kikcaldy) won the Under 16 Category with 92 less 22 net 70, and Jane Turner (Glencorse) took the under 14 prize with 85-10=75.
Competition was reduction only, CSS=71. Scores

European News
Sherry Cup
GERMAN LADIES FIRST AND THIRD IN SHERRY CUP
Germany's Bettina Hauer won the prestigeous Spanish international women's open amateur four-round tournament for the Sherry Cup at Sotogrande on Saturday. And compatriot Denise Simon finished third.
English Walker Cup player Gary Wolstenholme won the men's section of the Sherry Cup at Sotogrande for the third time in four years. Report and scores

US Student News
California leading tournament
Vikki Laing, playing for the University of California, added another par 72 for a total of 144 after the second round of the Arizona State Invitational at the Karsten Golf Club, Tempe, Arizona yesterday, to take 5th place overall. Charlotte Mayorkas of UCLA is leading with 66 71 = 137 and Vikki's team-mate Sarah Huarte is second on 140.
California are leading the tournament by four shots, closely followed by Texas and UCLA. Live scoring on Golfstat

US Student News
Martin Laird has another top10 finish
Scotland's Martin Laird, playing for Colorado State took sixth place in the Border Olympics tournament, played on the par-72, 7,125-yard Laredo Country Club, Laredo, Texas yesterday. His three under par 213 (75-66-72) put him eight shots behind winner Andrew Dahl, Arkansas (65-71-69 = 205)
Texas A&M won in a playoff against Arkansas, both teams finishing on 5 under 859s. Colorado State finished 8th.Golfweek article

Futures Tour
Liz Earley (St. Catharines, Ontario) 71-67 - 138 and Colleen Cashman (Plantation, FL) 68-70 - 138 lead the field in the $65,000 Tampa Bay's Next Generation FUTURES Golf Classic at the 6302-yard, par 36-36 - 72 Rogers Park Golf Course.
Lisa Hall (Stoke-on-Trent, England) is top Brit in 46th place with 74-75 - 149
Kirsty Fisher (Lancashire, England) 79-71 - 150, Rebecca Hudson (Doncaster, England) 73-77 - 150 and Rebecca Prout (Sussex, England) 73-78 - 151 made the cut.
Linzi Morton (Alloa, Scotland) 77-76 - 153 and Heather Stirling (Stirling, Scotland) 79-75 - 154 failed to qualify for the final round. Futures tour website

Saturday 5th April 2003

US Student News
California are in third place with an even par 288 after the first round of Arizona State Invitational at the Karsten Golf Club, Tempe, Arizona yesterday. UCLA, at six under par lead the tournament.
Musselburgh's Vikki Laing, pictured right, playing in her Senior year for California, scored an even par 72 and is currently tied for 10th place individually. See Golfstat for full results

Futures Tour
Colleen Cashman of Florida and Ju Kim of Korea lead with 68s after the first round of the $65,000 Tampa Bay's Next Generation FUTURES Golf Classic at the 6302-yard, par 36-36 - 72 Rogers Park Golf Course. Best Brits are Rebecca Hudson and Rebecca Prout, both on 73. Tulliallan's Linzi Morton had a disappointing 42 on her outward half but came back strongly wih 35 for a 77 which put her in joint 85th place. Heather Stirling had halves of 38 nd 41 and recorded a 79. Futures Tour website

South African Pro Tour
Pam Golding Invitational Tournament
Laurette Maritz of South Africa won the Pam Golding Invitational tournament at Park View Golf Club. Her final round of 69 for a seven under total of 209 put her three shots ahead of nearest rival Elisabeth Esterl of Germany. Kerry Knowles was leading Brit with a 220 total and Scotland's Lesley Nicholson took 17th place with scores of 74, 73 and 76 for a total of 223. Lesley won 3.500 Rand for her efforts. Full results
1 Laurette Maritz 71 69 69 209 -7 R 30,000.00
2 Elisabeth Esterl (Ger) 69 72 71 212 -4 R 22,000.00
3 Carina Vagner (Den) 74 72 67 213 -3 R 14,100.00
3 Mandy Adamson 74 70 69 213 -3 R 14,100.00
13 Kerry Knowles (Eng) 73 71 76 220 +4 R 3,900.00
17 Lesley Nicholson (Sco) 74 73 76 223 +7 R 3,500.00

French Seniors, Chantaco near Biarritz
The tournament concluded on Thursday but still no sign of any results. Sorry folks!

Friday 4th April 2003

79th Scottish Universities Golf Individual Championship for the MacNeil Trophy
Moray Golf Club, New and Old Courses
Stirling retain Scottish Universities Golf Team Championship

Robin Macpherson writes: Friday saw the final day's play in the Scottish Universities' Golf Team Championship at Moray Golf Club. On a day when the windy weather from earlier in the week improved a little, the final match between old rivals St Andrews and Stirling, proved to be something of a one-sided affair. Double Scottish and British champions Stirling were too strong for their rivals and retained their championship with ease, taking the final 11 matches to 4.
Morning foursomes play was close with Stirling edging out St Andrews 3-2. The afternoon however was dominated by a rampant Stirling side with the team losing only one match out of a possible ten. Captain, Justin Rae, said "It was a fantastic day. A number of the boys were down early on in their matches but I knew they would come good in the end. Having been involved in four years of university golf, this is definitely one of the strongest performances any team has given. It is a great feeling."
Elsewhere, Aberdeen beat Glasgow for third place after a six hole place (the match having ended tied at 5-5) and Edinburgh beat Strathclyde for fifth. Final Results

US Student News
There's live scoring on Golfstat of the Arizona State Invitational where Vikki Laing is playing for California. Last time I looked she was 2 under after 12.

US Student News
Martin Laird fourth in Bite/Pacific Coast Intercollegiate
Scotland's Martin Laird, pictured right, playing for Colorado State, took joint fourth place in the Bite/Pacific Coast Intercollegiate tournament at Sandpiper G.C. Santa Barbara, California this week. This 7044 yard par 72 course took a hammering from the students, with no fewer than 31 of them finishing even par or better. The scoring looks as good as any Pro tournament, with the winner Nick Watney of Fresno State a massive 17 under par with a 199 total (67 64 68). Tied for second place on 8 under 208 were Brendan Steele (UC-Riverside) 69 68 71 and Mike Lavery (UC-Irvine) 70 67 71.
Martin Laird from Hilton Park, Glasgow, had scores of 71, 65 and 73 for seven under 209 to finish in joint fourth place with Michael Wilson (California) 68 70 71.
Needless to say, Fresno State, led by Nick Watney, took the team tournament with a 23 under total of 841. Colorado State took eighth place with a one under total of 863.
Full results

Thursday 3rd April 2003

Women's Golf Open tournaments at Nairn
Hats off to Nairn and Nairn Dunbar Golf Clubs for making it easier for players who do not live in the immediate area to enter both club's annual women's open tournaments. For the second year in a row, the 18-hole events will be played back-to-back, on June 14 and 15. More information
Colin adds the comment that the combination of these two tournaments could be added as a 36 hole event to the SLGA Order of Merit. Email me with your comments.

Midlothian Draw for the Spring Meeting at Broomieknowe
The draw for the MCLGA Spring Meeting on Tuesday 15th April is up on their Website www.mclga.co.uk

South African Pro Golf
England's Kerry Knowles is leading Brit in the Pam Golding International Open held at the Parkview Golf Club. Her scores of 73 and 71 for a level par 144 puts her in joint 5th place. Laurette Moritz of South Africa leads the tournament with four under 71,69 for 140, one stroke better than Elizabeth Esterl of Germany (69,72). Scotland's Lesley Nicholson is 16th place with 74.73 =147. Full results. The tournament concludes tomorrow.

US Student News
David Inglis second in National Invitational tournament in Tuscon Arizona.
Glencorse's David Inglis led his Tulsa teammates to a sixth place finish in the National Invitational Tournament held at Tuscon Arizona this week.
From the Tulsa website "David Inglis, who hovered around the top-20 mark during the first two days of the tournament, scorched the field on Tuesday as he carded a three-under par 69 and completed the Invitational with a two-under par 214, which put him a three-way tie for second place. Inglis aced the front nine holes with a five-under par 31 and finished with a two-over par 38 on the back-nine holes."

Wednesday 2nd April 2003

Scottish Universities Mens' Individual Championship
Two St Andrews Students took first and second places in the Scottish Universities Mens' Individual Championship held at Old Moray today. Stewart Elder, with rounds of 74 and 72 for 146, just beat his team-mate Gary Russell ( 76, 71 = 147) by one stroke to win the Individual crown Full report. Full results
The Universities are up in Lossiemouth for the week, and took a break today from their match schedule. They are in two leagues playing in a Round Robin format, the winners of each league will play each other at the end of the week for the team Championship. St Andrews have already won their league, and Stirling have won three out of three so far..... Click here for an Excel spreadsheet of the current situation. (When you see it you'll realise why I haven't tried to convert for the web! Very sorry for those of you who haven't got Excel.... I will try harder tomorrow if I get sent the info before bedtime!!!))

Jenny takes fight for equal members status to House of Commons
NAIRN Golf Club in particular and most Scottish/British golf clubs in general, who are dragging their feet at best or failing completely at worst‹ to give equal rights to women members, will be put under the Parliamentary spotlight soon‹ … questions in the House of Commons, no less.
Jenny Louden, pictured right, Nairn member and immediate past Northern Counties girls’ organiser, has received the backing of her MP, David Stewart, in her fight to have equal status membership implemented in full, right across the golfing spectrum. Full story

I've added www.businessladiesgolf.com to my list of links

April Fools
Yesterday's lead article was a joke :-) We have a quaint custom in this country called April Fools Day. I'm sorry if I misled anyone and huge apologies to the R&A and Royal and Sun Alliance who do a grand job formulating and publishing the Rules.

Tuesday 1st April 2003

R&A working on new Rule book for Ladies.
"We're fed up with all the complaints that we're misogynist pigs, so we've decided that we'll publish a Rule book for the fairer sex." said an R&A spokesman. "All references to "he", "him" and "his" in the text will be replaced with "she" and "her". We hope the Ladies will enjoy reading the Rules in this new format." The new Rule book will become available in January 2004, when the next revision of the Rules takes place. . Royal and Sun Alliance have agreed to publish it with two covers, blue for boys and pink for girls.

Borders v Midlothian
Borders played Midlothian Ladies in a friendly warm-up squad match at the weekend at Minto Golf Club. Results can be found on the Midlothian Ladies website www.mclga.co.uk