July 2005 Archive

Sunday 31st July 2005

Mackie Bowl
KYLIE WINS MACKIE BOWL
Stirling University student Kylie Walker, pictured right, won the Mackie Bowl 36-hole women's open tournament at Gullane yesterday (Sunday). She tied with another Scotland international player, Louise Kenney (Pitreavie) on 143.
They had similar rounds of 70 and 73. The tie-breaker was a comparison of their last nine holes in the second round with Kylie coming out on top by that means.
First-round leader Martine Pow (Selkirk) faded to third place on 144 (68, 76) with Heather MacRae (Dunblane New) fourth on 146 (73, 73).
MACKIE BOWL WOMEN'S OPEN
Gullane
LEADING FINAL TOTALS (CSS 74 74)
143 Kylie Walker (Stirling Univ) 70 73, Louise Kenney (Pitreavie) 70 73.
144 Martine Pow (Selkirk) 68 76.
146 Heather Macrae (Dunblane) 73 73.
149 Cara Gruber (Royal Dornoch) 76 73, Jenna Wilson (Strathaven) 76 73.
151 Anne Laing (Vale of Leven) 74 77.
153 Gemma Webster (Hilton Park) 76 77.
154 Jane Turner (Mortonhall) 76 78, Claire Hargan (Mortonhall) 75 79
155 Laura Walker (Nairn Dunbar) 73 82.
156 Jo Carthew 78 78, Katy McNicoll (Carnoustie Ladies) 76 80.
157 Ruth Rankin (Lanark) 79 78.
160 Clare-Marie Carlton (Stirling Univ) 81 79, Emily Ogilvie (Muckhart) 79 81, Lesley Hendry (Routenburn) 78 82, Fiona Gilbert (Carnoustie) 77 83, Rhona Maclennan (Baberton) 76 84.
161 Fiona Prior (Gullane) 79 82, Hannah Harvey (St Leonards) 79 82.
162 Dawn Dewar (Stirling Univ) 80 82.
163 Addi Shamash (Kirkcudbright) 81 82, Emma Fairnie (Peebles) 81 82.
164 Wendy Wells (Dumfries & Co) 84 80.
166 Louisa Ruane (Vale of Leven) 89 77.
167 Kirsty Wells (Dumfries & Co) 83 84,
169 Ann Ramsay (Kirriemuir) 85 84.
172 Elaine Cuthill (Lanark) 91 81.
173 Annabel Niven (Crieff) 89 84, Sharon Paterson (Bothwell Castle) 86 87.

FIONA FADES TO FIFTH IN DENMARK
Scottish champion Fiona Lockhart, pictured left, faded to fifth place in the Danish women’s international amateur golf championship at Silkeborg today (Sunday).
The St Regulus player had rounds of 77, 74 and 81 for a 19-over-par total of 232 – nine shots behind the winner, Denmark’s TgrineBaun Mortensen.
Sara Bishop (Windyhill), the second player sent by the Scottish Ladies Golfing Association at the invitation of the Danish Golf Union, beat the 36-hole but finished ninth equal on 237 with scores of 79, 78 and 80.
Fiona started her final round brightly with a birdie 2 at the second but she ran into double-bogey trouble at the fourth and fifth and had another at the 13th in halves of 41 and 40.
Sara also had an early birdie, at the third and was moving up through the field when she reached the turn in one-over-par 37. But she had double bogeys at the 13th and 16th in taking 43 shots for the inward half.
DANISH WOMEN’S INTERNATIONAL AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
Silkeborg GC
Final totals (Par 71)
223 Trine Baun Mortensen (Den) 78 72 73.
225 Lisbeth Meincke (Den ) 76 73 76.
227 Cathrine Madsen (Den) 78 75 74
228 Mette Randbaek (Den) 75 74 79.
232 Fiona Lockhart (Sco) 77 74 81.
Other total:
237 Sara Bishop (Sco) 79 78 80.

Saturday 30th July 2005

FIONA LOCKHART LYING FOURTH IN DENMARK, SARA BISHOP 11th
Scottish champion Fiona Lockhart (St Regulus), pictured right, was lying fourth and Sara Bishop (Windyhill) 11th after two rounds of the 54-hole Danish international women's amateur championship at Silkeborg Golf Club.
Fiona had rounds of 77 and 74 for a nine-over-par tally of 151 - two shots behind joint pacemakers Lisbeth Meincke and Mette Randbaek of Denmark.
Fiona had a double-bogey 6 at the 15th in her first round but birdied the hole in the second.
Sara Bishop had rounds of 79 and 78. She also had a double bogey, at the 14th in her second round but she bounced back with a birdie at the 15th.
Both Fiona and Sara were sent there as Scotland representatives by the SLGA.
LEADING SCORES
(players from Denmark unless stated)
149 Lisbeth Meincke 76 73, Mette Randbaek 75 74.
150 Trine Baun Mortensen 78 72.
151 Fiona Lockhart (Sco) 77 74.
Also:
157 Sara Bishop (Sco) 79 78.

Scottish Mens' Championship
Glenn Campbell from Blairgowrie is the 2005 Allied Surveyors Scottish Amateur Champion, having beaten Kirkcudbright’s Ben Shamash at the 37th hole in a dramatic final at Southerness. See SGU website for full details.

ENGLISH MENS AMATEUR
WARING CROWNED ENGLISH CHAMPION
Paul Waring is the English Amateur champion. He won the title in front of his own members at his own club of Bromborough when he defeated Cheshire county colleague Steven Capper 3 and 2 in the 36 hole final.
After the morning round in which Capper led for most of the way but finished all square, it seemed the battle would go all the way and possibly beyond the 36 holes. But despite trailing again after six holes of the afternoon, Waring won five of the next seven to take a firm grip. Capper, the 17 year old England boy international, couldn’t find the birdies that had illuminated his play before lunch while the breaks also failed to go his way.
Although Waring fell behind again when he tangled with trees and conceded the par four 23rd, it was a birdie-four at the 25th that got him back on terms and he also won the next when Capper drove out of bounds. But the major turning point came at the par three 28th where Waring holed from 40 feet for birdie and Capper missed from much closer. That put Waring two up and he was three ahead after the long 29th where he got up-and-down superbly from sand while Capper three-putted from the front fringe, missing from three feet for a half.
The end was in sight and it got closer at the par four 31st where Waring went four up, again getting up-and-down from a greenside bunker while Capper failed to match him after chipping poorly from behind the green. Although Capper won the 33rd when Waring’s long par putt finished inches away, a half in threes at the short 34th brought a shake of hands.
“This is unbelievable,” said Waring. “And to win the title in front of my mum and dad and the members at my own club is the icing on the cake. I started the final poorly but got better and better. I knew I had to grind it out and to keep fighting and it came off. But it was my short game that did it for me."
“Also I never got ahead of myself and I have to thank my caddie and best friend Duncan Robertson for that. I caddied for him when he won the club championship here so he owed me for that. Credit to Steve. He was on fire this morning and I had to be sure I didn’t panic. He is a fighter and never gave up.”
Capper, who is in the England team for next week’s Boys Home Internationals at Woodhall Spa, said: “I gutted but I’m happy for Paul. He’s been dogged by injuries and he needed something like this. The turning point was that long putt on the tenth. If it hadn’t gone in the ball would have rolled eight feet past.”

ELGA Press Release
Melissa Reid wins English Girls’ Championship
Derbyshire’s Melissa Reid, pictured right, scored a back-to-back triumph in the English Girls’ Championship when she beat Gloucestershire’s Joanne Hodge 2/1 in the final at Liphook.
The 17-year-old from Chevin is the first player to successfully defend the title since Rebecca Hudson’s second win in 1996.
“I badly wanted to win again, it was definitely one of my goals this season,” said Melissa. “To win once was pretty good, but to win twice would give me a great finale to my junior days. I’m 18 in September and so this is my last year – and I wanted to go out with a win!”
The final proved to be Melissa’s closest match in the championship, which she dominated from day one. She led the strokeplay qualifiers – as she also did last year - and then eased through her matches with increasingly impressive scorelines: 3/1, 5/3, 5/4 and 6/5.
But the final was tightly contested with both girls putting on a good display of low scoring for the crowd of spectators. At one point Melissa was three-under par and only two up.
The match began with a fine show of birdies. Melissa struck first, her three-iron on the opening hole finishing 2ft from the cup and setting up an easy two. Joanne came straight back with a birdie on the second, Melissa had another birdie on the fourth and the two players halved the fifth in birdie fours.
By the time they reached the turn Melissa was two up but then had three consecutive bogeys. Joanne, the 18-year-old Gloucestershire champion, took advantage and the match was back to all square after 12.
They halved the long 13th in birdies, after Melissa played a superb three-wood out of the rough, and were still all square after 14.
The deadlock was broken on the 15th where Melissa scored a steady par four and Joanne three-putted for a bogey.
“That was the turning point,” said Melissa, who won the 16th with a par to go two up. Both players parred the 17th – and the title stayed with the defending champion.
“It was a really good match, you couldn’t relax, you had to keep going for it,” said Melissa.
The second flight final was won by Emily Priest (Enville) who beat Helen White (Worfield) 3/2. Emily, 15, was watched by her grandparents who introduced her to golf.

ELGA Press Release
Strong England team named for girls’ international matches
English champion Felicity Johnson and girls’ champion Melissa Reid will lead England’s defence of the Stroyan Cup at the girls’ international matches at Worplesdon Golf Club, Surrey, from August 3-5.
England is bidding to win the trophy for the sixth consecutive year – and in a season which already includes a gold medal triumph in the European Girls’ Team Championship.
The team, captained by Joy Trafford, is a very strong line-up. The eight caps are: Hannah Barwood (Knowle), Henrietta Brockway (Yeovil), Jodi Ewart (Catterick), Joanne Hodge (Knowle), Felicity Johnson (Harborne), Kiran Matharu (Cookridge Hall), Florentyna Parker (Royal Birkdale) and Melissa Reid (Chevin).
Melissa Reid, 17, has just successfully defended the English girls’ championship and was in the England’s gold medal-winning team at the European championships, alongside Kiran Matharu, 16, and Jodi Ewart, 17.
English champion Felicity Johnson, 18, is fresh from helping Great Britain and Ireland retain the Vagliano Trophy and was part of the England team which won the silver medal in the European Ladies’ Team Championship.
Joanne Hodge, 18, who was runner-up in the English girls’ championship and reached the last 16 in this year’s British amateur, played in the girls’ internationals in 2003. Florentyna Parker, 16, who has just had a top five finish in the European Young Masters, is an experienced member of the side.
Henrietta Brockway, 15, the English U15 champion and Welsh open strokeplay champion, and Hannah Barwood, 15, the joint runner-up in the English schools championship, will both make their debut in these matches.

Friday 29th July 2005

BP Scottish Girls' (Close) Championship, Tain
Sally wins at second attempt
Photo and report courtesy Robin Wilson.
At only her second year of competing in the BP Scottish Girls golf championship Sally Watson (Elie & Earlsferry Ladies), pictured right, lifted the title at Tain today beating Carly Booth (Auchterarder) in the eighteen hole final on the seventeenth green.
Miss Watson (14) showed she had the potential to become a champion when she reached the semi finals of the Scottish Ladies at Cruden Bay earlier this year and then got her first Scottish selection in the recent European girls team champion ships in Switzerland.
Number three seed Miss Booth (13) began the final as favourite but as early as the second hole found that her opponents short game was her strength when Watsons chip struck the pin to half the hole in four.
Watson won the third hole when Booth failed with a nine foot putt and then the favourite was two down after six when Watson again excelled from off the green, this time holing out for a birdie two.
Watson did find trouble in the Tain rough and bunkers at the 7th and 9th holes which let Booth square matters before the start of the inward half. When the Auchterarder girl drove three hundred yards downwind to the edge of the tenth green she looked favourite to take the lead but Watson was first into the hole for birdie with an other good putt.
After losing the 12th to go behind again Booth squared matters with her length advantage at the par five 13th hole, two shots to the edge of the green, but a wayward drive and a penalty drop from her at the next hole once more put Watson one hole in front..
Both players missed makeable birdie putts on the 15th and 16th greens but when the crunch came on the 17th it was Watson who holed out for birdie three from twelve feet and the title at 2 and 1.
BP Scottish Girls (Close) Championship at Tain.
Final S. Watson (Elie & Earlsferry) beat C. Booth (Auchterarder) 2& 1.

Scottish Teams Named at Tain
Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) and Michelle Thomson (McDonald Ellon) have been named in the Scottish girls squad for next weeks Girls Home International matches at Worplesdon Golf Club in Woking, Surrey.
MacDonald (14) is the Northern Counties champion and North of Scotland Girls champion and Thomson (17) is one of the youngest ever holders of the womens North of Scotland Championship when she won at Banchory earlier this month.
The new Scottish champion Sally Watson (Elie & Earlsferry) leads the team and is joined by her elder sister Rebecca (16), the outgoing champion Krystle Caithness (St. Regulus), and the new womens course record holder at Tain, Roseanne Niven (Crieff).
Sally Watson has also been named to join Louise Fleming, the Scottish under 21 stroke play champion from the The Roxburgh as Scotlands duo in the SAAB International Junior tournament at the Royal Golf Club of Belgium in Brussels from August 23 to 27.
The Scottish Ladies Golfing Association also announced at Tain yesterday the Scottish team for the Ladies British Amateur Stroke Play championship at Nairn from August 17 to 19 as, Anne Laing (Vale of Leven), Fiona Lockhart (St. Regulus) and Claire Queen (Drumpelliar).
Girls Home Internationals Carly Booth (Auchterarder), Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm), Krystle Caithness (St. Regulus), Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar), Roseanne Niven (Crieff), Michele Thomson (McDonald Ellon), Rebecca Watson (Elie & Earlsferry), Sally Watson (Elie & Earlsferry).
Reserves Laura Murray (Alford), Pamela Pretswell (Bothwell Castle), Rachael Livingstone (Musselburgh
Old), Amanda Edwards (Liberton)
SAAB International Juniors, Brussels. Louise Fleming (The Roxburgh), Sally Watson (Elie & Earlsferry).
Ladies British Open Stoke Play, Nairn Anne Laing (Vale of Leven), Fiona Lockhart (St. Regulus), Clare Queen (Drumpelliar)

Scottish Mens' Amateur, Southerness
IT'S CAMPBELL VERSUS SHAMASH FOR SCOTTISH TITLE
Glenn Campbell, the Scotland international player who doesn't practise, will meet Ben Shamash, who's been too busy studying to play competitive golf, will cross swords in today's (Sat) 36-hole final of the Allied Surveyors Scottish amateur championship at Southerness links on the Solway coast.
Campbell, a 32-year-old Blairgowrie Golf Club member and greenkeeper at Murrayshall Golf Club, came through a 21-hole quarter-final thriller against the seeded Scott Jamieson (Cathkin Braes) in the morning.
Then Glenn, the quiet family man from Coupar Angus removed the last seed from the championship, Eric Ramsay (Carnoustie) with another no-fuss performance, beating him by 3 and 2 with "down the middle stuff."
"I don't believe in practising and I never do hit balls. I've hit a few shots to the wee pitching green here at Southerness when I've arrived every morning but that's it," said Campbell who was at one time the highest rated golfer in the country with plus 5 of a handicap. He now plays off plus 4.
"When I did try to practise a few years back I used to get bored after half an hour.
Campbell stopped playing golf for three or four years in his mid-20s and then decided to take it up again and see how good he could get. He won the Scottish mid-amateur championship in 1998 but as it was achieved over his home course he never received full credit it for that and it was 2003 before Campbell gained his first full cap for Scotland.
"I wanted a good performance this week to be selected for the home internationals squad for a third year in a row," said Glenn.
Shamash, 21-year-old Edinburgh University student on a economics and mathematics degree, is a Kirkcudbright member with a handicap of one. But he has played in only three club medals this season.
"I've been too busty studying. I just have not had the time to play competitive golf and even if I were to win the Scottish title that wouldn't change anything. My future lies in investment banking and I'm off to London shortly
for seven-week summer internship, when I definitely won't be golfing.
"I am pleasantly surprised how far I've got in the championship this week. But I've had great fun. Coming through that 27-hole quarter-final against Bryan Fotheringham this morning was something else."
In the semi-finals, Ben wore down 40-year-old Sandy Twynholm (Morpeth) to win by 2 and 1. Twynholm led for the first time at the 13th but it was so far and no further for the Newcastle Council employee.
Shamash chipped in from 30ft for a birdie 3 to draw level again and after Twynholm had holed a 20-footer for a half at the 16th, a so-tight match was suddenly all over two holes later.
Twynholm bogeyed the 16th to go one down again and then Shamash reduced the 175yd par-3 17th to a nine-iron and a 7ft putt for a 2 and 1 win.
SEMI-FINALS
Campbell bt *Ramsay 3 and 2.
Shamash bt Twynholm 2 and 1.
*denotes seeded player.

English Girls' Championship
Melissa Reid plays Joanne Hodge in English Girls’ final
Derbyshire’s Melissa Reid and Gloucestershire’s Joanne Hodge will meet head to head for the first time in the final of the English Girls’ Championship at Liphook.
Melissa, 17, (Chevin) is the defending champion while Joanne, 18, (Knowle) is playing in her second final and bidding for her first win in this event.
Joanne gave herself a last chance to become champion before she leaves junior ranks when she beat Laura Harvey (Richmond, Yorkshire) 3/2 in their semi-final. Earlier, she won her quarter-final match against Jodi Ewart (Catterick) by the same margin.
In the semi-final Laura was one-up for most of the outward half, but Joanne squared matters on the ninth and then won the 11th, 12 and 13th, where she had an eagle three, to forge ahead. Halves on the next three holes were enough to see her comfortably into the final.
“It’s going to be a good match, Mel is a good player,” said Joanne. “But anything can happen in matchplay.”
Her appearance in the 2003 final gave her valuable experience. “I learned not to rush,” said Joanne, who is a member of ELGA’s Elite potential girls’ squad, won her first junior cap two years ago and reached the last 16 in the 2005 British amateur championship.
Melissa, meanwhile, made short work of her matches, beating Laura Cutler (Warley Park) 5/4 in the quarter final and then defeating Ellie Givens (Blackwell Grange) 6/5 in their semi-final.
She finished off her afternoon match with a birdie on the 13th and was applauded as she left the course.
“I’m really looking forward to the final,” she said afterwards. “I like finals and, touch wood, I have never lost in a final.
Melissa, a member of ELGA’s Elite Potential U21 squad, is a girl international and helped England win the gold medal in this month’s European Girls’ Team Championship.
In the second flight Emily Priest, Enville GC won 5&4 and will play Helen White, Worfield who won on the 19th.

Scottish Mens' Amateur, Southerness
SHAMASH IN SEMIS AFTER LONGEST TIE OF WEEK AT SOUTHERNESS
Ben Shamash (Kirkcudbright), 21-year-old Edinburgh University maths and economics student, finally landed the knock-out putt against Brian Fotheringham (Forres) after quarter-final lasting 5 hours 20 minutes and 27 holes in the the Allied Surveyors Scottish amateur golf championship at windy Southerness on the Solway coast today.
Fotheringham missed a 5ft birdie putt which would have won him the tie on the 18th green. He holed a 10-footer for a par at the 22nd but it was Shamash who was hanging on to the Highlander's bootlaces after that.
Shamash holed from 12ft for a half at the par-3 25th and then holed a chip shot for a par 4 and a half when he looked certain to be going out of the championship at the 26th.
Fotheringham was the first to crack at the ninth extra hole, a 435yd par-4. He went off the straight and narrow and Shamash, home in two, eventually had two shots to win the tie when he was conceded the hole and the match.
Their tie was the longest of the week but still two holes short of the championship record of 29 holes for the Eddie Hammond v J McIvor second-round tie at Balgownie in 1970.
A second quarter-final went into extra holes and saw the exit of the seeded Scot Jamieson (Cathkin Braes) who had made a brave bid to extricate himself from deep trouble by winning the 16th, 17th and 18th to square his contest against fellow international Glenn Campbell (Blairgowrie).
Campbell, 32, won through with a par at the 21st.Anglo-Scot Sandy Twynholm, at 40 the oldest of the quarter-finals, beat the youngest, 18-year-old Peter McLachlan (Eastwood), by 2 and 1.
It is Morpeth-based Twynholm's first time back in the championship since he reached the semi-finals in 1997.
Young McLachlan, recent winner of the Scottish youths championship, had the better of the outward half and was two up at the turn. Twynholm turned the tide on the inward half, winning five out of the first six holes to go two up.
Australian open amateur title-winner Eric Ramsay (Carnoustie) was the only seed to appear in the semi-finals. He beat John Gallagher (Swanston), the cack-handed British amateur championship beaten finalist, by two holes.
Gallagher never led at any stage and was always playing second fiddle after he ran up a double-bogey 7 at the fifth.
ALLIED SURVEYORS SCOTTISH AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
Southerness Golf Club
QUARTER-FINALS
B Shamash (Kirkcudbright) bt B Fotheringham (Forres) at 27th.
S Twynholm (Morpeth) bt P McLachlan (Eastwood) 2 and 1.
*E Ramsay (Carnoustie) bt J Gallagher (Swanston) 2 holes.
G Campbell (Blairgowrie) bt *S Jamieson (Cathkin Braes) at 21st..
*denotes seeded players.

ENGLISH MENS AMATEUR
SEEDS CRASH OUT AS THE RAIN LASHES BROMBOROUGH
Persistent rain, often heavy, made conditions tough at Bromborough for the last 32 competitors on day four of the English Amateur Championship and it proved a slippery slope for several seeds.
Steven Tiley and Gary Wolstenholme made hasty exits in the morning’s third round while Ross McGowan provided the great escape to reach the last 16.
Tiley, who had not gone beyond the 13th green in his previous three rounds, struggled in the rain and crashed out 4 and 3 to fellow Kent man Michael Hart. Hart, 22, the Sundridge Park club champion, was level par at the finish, which underlined how difficult conditions were in the rain.
“It was tough out there but I played pretty nicely,” said Hart. “I didn’t feel under any pressure facing an international. You just have to believe in yourself.”
Tiley concurred, saying: “He played well but I didn’t. At college in America I’m not used to these conditions, but anyone can win out there.”
The English title continues to elude Wolstenholme. The Walker Cup man met 17 year old David Corsby, 27 years his junior, and went down 3 and 2.
Corsby, from Blackpool, was two up after eight holes and although Wolstenholme closed the gap he never managed to get on terms and when he blocked his second shot to the 14th to go back to two down it was the beginning of the end. At the short 16th, Wolstenholme found a greenside trap and when he failed to get up-and-down Corsby was home but not quite dry. “I knew I could win,” said Corsby. “This is my biggest scalp so far.”
McGowan trailed three down after five holes against Essex-based Ross Wilson and was still two behind with five to play. But he managed to turn the tie around by winning the next four holes, only one with a birdie. “You could call it a great escape and hopefully I won’t put myself in the same position again,” said McGowan.
Adam Gee - “I played rubbish” - and Lawrence Dodd were two more seeds to head for home in a morning of shocks, but Paul Waring survived, much to the delight of the host club where he is a member.
After his one hole victory over Thomas Pulling, Waring was hoping to play another Bromborough member, Alex Evans. But he went out to James Taverner, from Middlesex. Waring then restored the balance by dismissing Taverner 3 and 2 and said: “I started the week badly but I’m playing better with each round. I’m not driving the ball but the short game is looking after the rest.”
Another local hope is Steve Capper from nearby Caldy. After a morning two hole victory over Surrey’s Chris Harmston, he reached the quarter finals at the expense of fellow boy international Seve Benson by 4 and 3.
Of the other surviving seeds, 16 year old Oliver Fisher continued his winning ways as did Matt Cryer, but James Ruth is heading back to Devon after losing a see-saw tussle with Gary Boyd from Northampton on the final green.
Revenge is sweet but it didn’t come any sweeter for James Morrison. The 20 year old from Weybridge wore a big smile after his 7 and 6 demolition of close friend Farren Keenan. The pair had met in the Surrey final which Keenan won so as Morrison booked his place in the last eight he said: “I’m delighted to get my own back.”
Morrison now meets McGowan in another all-Surrey tie while Waring tackles former Durham boy cahmpion Ryan Riley. In the other half of the draw, boys caps Capper and Boyd meet, while the seeded Fisher and Cryer will provide an intriguing match.

ILGU PRESS RELEASE
U-18 Girls’ Home International Matches, Worplesdon Golf Club, Surrey, England
Wednesday 3rd - Friday 5th August, 2005
Recently crowned Irish Girls’ Champion Danielle McVeigh (Royal Co. Down Ladies) leads the Irish team in their quest to win the Girls’ Home Internationals at Worplesdon Golf Club, 3-5 August 2005 for the first time.
Ireland, yet to claim significant honours at this level, produced their best showing in 2004 when they finished second. Having beaten Wales and Scotland, Ireland lost to England while Wales’ victory over England on the final day forced a three-way tie for the championship, which England eventually won on match count back.
Thirteen year-old Stephanie Meadow (Royal Portrush) is sure to create a stir when she makes her debut at this level next Wednesday. Meadow first hit the scene in 2004 when she was beaten by Carlow’s Tara Delaney in the Girl’s Championship final. Meadow went down to beaten finalist Linda Toomey (Limerick) in this year’s event while Delaney continues to make quite an impact at Senior level, already having successfully defended her Irish Women’s Open Strokeplay title at Hermitage Golf Club last weekend.
Joining Meadow are International first-timers Victoria Bradshaw, Laura Holmes and Ann McCormack. Like McVeigh, Fiona Carroll, Sarah Faller and Emma Gilmore will benefit from the experience of Ireland’s first ever participation in the U18 European Team Championships at Lucerne in July. The 8 player team is captained by Co. Louth’s Jackie Quinn (087-2197535) and managed by Munster’s Rose Doyle.
Schedule of matches:
Wednesday, 3rd August:  Ireland –v- Scotland            England –v- Wales
Thursday, 4th August:           Ireland –v- Wales               Scotland –v- England
Friday, 5th August:             Ireland –v- England             Wales –v- Scotland

ILGU Press Release
Menolly Homes ILGU Inter-Club Fourball Regional Finals
Friday 5th August, 2005
The Regional Finals of the Menolly Homes Ltd. ILGU Inter-Club Fourball will take place at 4 venues nationwide on Friday, 5th August 2005.
217 Clubs entered the competition in April 2005, and the final 8 teams have each survived six gruelling rounds to make Friday's Regional Finals. Each finalist is appearing at this stage of the competition for the first time.
Last year's winners Roscommon exited at the first hurdle while beaten finalists Cahir Park were beaten in this year's fifth round.
Winners of the two semi-finals will meet at Carlow Golf Club on Monday, 29th August while the final will once again be hosted by The K Club on Sunday, 18th September.
The schedule of Regional Finals is as follows:-
Region Venue Match
SOUTH Charleville Golf Club Nenagh Golf Club -v- Dooks Golf Club
EAST Roganstown Golf Club Castle Golf Club -v- Greystones Golf Club
NORTH Killymoon Golf Club Greenore Golf Club -v- Ballybofey/Stranorlar
WEST Claremorris Mullingar Golf Club -v- Castlerea Golf Club

Thursday 28th July 2005

Scottish Girls' Championship, Tain (From Robin Wilson)
Sally v Carly in the final tomorrow morning
Sally Watson (Elie and Earlsferry), pictured below left, who turned 14 this month, will meet her girls' international team-mate 13 year-old Carly Booth (Auchterarder), pictured right, in the final of the Scottish Girls Championship at Tain tomorrow morning at 9:00am.
Booth, who just became a teenager last month, is in a hurry to win her first national title. Up until yesterdays semi final against Sally Watson's elder sister, Rebecca (16), the Auchterarder sensation had not been past the fifteenth hole other than in the qualifying rounds. She won the opening three holes against Rebecca and was five up after nine. Taken back to three after losing the first two inward holes Booth might have won again by the fifteenth but for a three putt on the 14th green but she responded brilliantly with a conceded birdie at the next hole to go dormy three up and secured the half at the next to win three and two.
After nine holes in the other semi final it looked that there wound be no Watson in the final for fourth seed Pamela Pretswell (Bothwell Castle) was three up on the younger sibling. But the 10th, 11th and 16th holes all fell to Sally Watson and by driving the green at the 18th for a birdie three she went ahead in the match at just the right time and into the final at only her second year of taking part.
In the quarter finals Sally Watson also had a last hole win over the number one seed Roseanne Niven (Crieff) while Pretswell beat Amanda Edwards (Liberton) on the 17th. Booth was a fifteenth green winner over Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm) and Rebecca Watson birdied the last three holes to beat Rachael Livingstone (Musselburgh Old) by two holes.
The future for Scottish girls golf looks even rosier for winning the final of the Ansley Reid Salver was twelve year old Cara Easton (Dalmahoy) who beat Kirsty Moss (Monifieth) by four and three.
Results
Championship
Quarter Finals S. Watson (Elie & Earlsferry Ladies) beat R. Niven (Crieff) 1 up. P. Pretswell (Bothwell Castle) beat A. Edwards (Liberton) 2&1. C. Booth (Auchterarder) beat M. Briggs (Kilmacolm) 4&3. R. Watson (Elie & Earlsferry Ladies) beat R. Livingstone (Musselburgh Old) 2 holes.
Semi Finals S. Watson beat Pretswell 1 hole. Booth beat R. Watson 3&2.
Ansley Reid Salver
Semi Finals K. Moss (Monifieth) beat E. MacKay (Nairn Dunbar) at 19th. C. Easton (Dalmahoy) beat R. Watton (Baberton) at 19th.
Final Easton beat Moss 4&3.

In this afternoon's semi-finals, Sally beat Pamela Pretswell (Bothwell Castle) in a close encounter by one hole, and Carly beat Sally's older sister, Rebecca Watson, by 3 & 2.
Roseanne Niven (Crieff) who led the qualifiers on Tuesday in the Scottish Girls Championship at Tain, was beaten by one hole by Sally Watson in the first of this morning's quarter final ties. At the other end of the draw, Rebecca also got through to the semifinals with a last green victory over Rachael Livingstone (Musselburgh Old).
Sally's semifinal opponent, Pamela Pretswell (Bothwell Castle), beat Liberton's Amanda Edwards in the morning quarterfinals by 2 & 1 while Carly Booth (Auchterarder), had a 4 & 3 victory over Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm), who knocked out the holder Krystle Caithness, on Wednesday.
Championship results
Quarterfinals
Roseanne Niven lost to Sally Watson 1 hole
Amanda Edwards lost to Pamela Pretswell 2 & 1
Carly Booth beat Megan Briggs 4 & 3
Rachael Livingstone lost to Rebecca Watson 2 holes
Semi-finals
Sally Watson beat Pamela Pretswell 1 hole
Carly Booth beat Rebecca Watson 3 & 2

The Mary McCallay Trophy
DUMFRIESSHIRE LADIES COUNTY GOLF ASSOCIATION
The following is the draw for The Mary McCallay Trophy (36 holes) to be held at Dumfries & Galloway Golf Club (by kind permission) on Sunday 7th August 2005.
Late entries will be accepted by Mrs M F Ross on 01387 250302.
09.00am/1.00pm Martine Pow Selkirk 0, Diane Macdonald Dumfries & County 1
09.08am/1.08pm Susan Dickie Lochmaben 11, Emma Fairnie Peebles 5
09.16am/1.16pm Sara Bishop Windyhill 0, Alexandra Young Halifax 2
09.24am/1.24pm Carol Whyte Windyhill 5, Tracy Milligan Stranraer 6
09.32am/1.32pm Lesley Robertson Ranfurly Castle 3, Emily Ogilvy Muckhart 4
09.40am/1.40pm Claire Hargan Mortonhall 0, Jocelyn Carthew Ladybank 1
09.48am/1.48pm Julie Wilson Williamwood 5, Margaret Morrison Hawick 6
09.56am/1.56pm Ruth Rankin Lanark 4, Megan Briggs Kilmacolm 4
10.04am/2.04pm Lynn Douglas Hawick 9, Eileen Mauchline Lochmaben 10
10.12am/2.12pm Gillian Davidson Saline 8, Margaret McGregor Dumfries & County 7
10.20am.2.20pm Rachel Clark Dumfries & County 11, Lindsey Kirkwood Powfoot 9
10.28am/2.28pm Ashton Ingram Fort William 5, Sharon Paterson Kelso 6
10.36am/2.36pm Wendy Wells Peebles 5, Lesley Williamson Barassie 6
10.44am/2.44pm Fiona Macgregor Thornhill 5, Clare-Marie Carlton Stirling University 3
10.52am/5.42pm Judith Anderson Hawick 5, Kirsty Wells Dumfries & County 5
11.00am/3.00pm Elaine Cuthill Lanark 3, Addi Shamash Kircudbright 2
11.08am/3.08pm Kylie Walker Stirling University 0, Louise Fleming The Roxburghe 2
11.16am/3.16pm Jenna Wilson Strathaven 0
11.24am/3.24pm Sheila Townsley Dumfries & County 15, Eleanor Blount Dumfries & County 19

English Girls Championship
Melissa reaches quarter-finals of English Girls’ Championship
Derbyshire’s Melissa Reid continued her impressive defence of her title by easing into the quarter-finals of the English Girls’ Championship at Liphook.
The 17-year-old from Chevin beat Sarah Tyson (Redlibbets) 3/1 in the first matchplay round and then dismissed Rachel Jennings (Izaak Walton) 5/3. Both Melissa and Rachel are England girl internationals.
Now, Melissa plays Laura Cutler (Warley Park), a member of ELGA’s Elite potential girls’ squad.
The defending champion and top qualifier did not have it all her own way in her opening two matches. In the first round Melissa was one down after 11, before she squared matters and then took control. In the afternoon, she again went one down after bogeying the first two holes.
But then Melissa played faultless golf, with four birdies and nine pars. She was two-up at the turn, birdied the 10th and 13th to hold a four-up advantage and then closed out the match on the 15th.
Other players safely through to the quarter-finals are ELGA’s reigning U15 champion, Henrietta Brockway (Yeovil). She plays Ellie Givens (Blackwell Grange), who had a top ten finish in this month’s English ladies’ strokeplay championship.
In the other half of the draw, Jodi Ewart (Catterick), one of the stars of England’s gold medal triumph in the European Girls’ Team Championship, continued her good form with two comfortable wins. Now, she plays Joanne Hodge (Knowle) a fellow member of the Elite potential girls’ squad. Meanwhile, Laura Harvey (Richmond, Yorkshire) meets Ami Storey (Ponteland).
In the second flight, Lisa Warrilow (Lilleshall Hall) made the most of squeezing into the matchplay competition on countback. She won her first round match against Emilee Taylor (Gainsborough) on the 20th and went on to beat local girl Tracey Willmont (Liphook) 3/2.

Wednesday 27th July 2005

Scottish Girls' Championship, Tain
TITLE-HOLDER KRYSTLE TOPPLED AT TAIN IN SCOTTISH GIRLS
Title-holder Krystle Caithness lost her grip on the BP Scottish Under-18 girls' championship at Tain Golf Club yesterday (Wed). She was beaten 3 and 2 by 16-year-old Megan Briggs from Kilmacolm.
Leading qualifier Roseanne Niven (Crieff) is through to the last eight in which she will meet Sally Watson (Elie & Earlsferry Ladies), a semi-finalist in the Scottish women's championship at Cruden Bay in May.
Sally's older sister Rebecca is also through to the last eight. She will play Rachael Livingstone (Musselburgh Old).
Amanda Edwards (Liberton) will meet Pamela Pretswell (Bothwell Castle) in the second quarter-final and the third will feature 13-year-old Carly Booth (Comrie) who meets Megan Briggs, the conqueror of the defending champion.
It was a bad day for the North and North-east hopes of landing the title. Not one representative is left in the quarter-finals.
Northern Counties chmpion Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar)was outplayed by Carly Booth who beat her by 5 and 4 and is shaping like a potential winner of her first national title.
Results:
BP SCOTTISH GIRLS CHAMPIONSHIP
Tain Golf Club.
First round
R Niven (Creiff) bt S Leslie (Westhill) 6 and 5.
K McNicoll (Carnoustie Ladies) bt M Johnstone (Northern) 1 hole.
H Harvey (St Leonards) bt R Wilson (Monifieth) 4 and 3.
S Watson (Elie & Earlsferry Ladies) bt J Sneddon (Alyth) 3 and 1.
A Edwards (Liberton) bt A Niven (Crieff) 5 and 4.
A Ingram (Fort William) bt L Murray (Alford) 1 hole.
E Fairnie (Peebles) bt S Vass (Tain) 4 and 3.
P Pretswell (Bothwell Castle) bt L Whitehead (Droitwich) 5 and 4.
C Booth (Auchterarder) bt F Blair (Monifieth) 4 and 3.
K MacDonald (Nairn DEunbar) bt M Barbour (North Berwick) 3 and 2.
M Briggs (Kilmacolm) bt N Green (Nairn) 1 hole.
K Caithness (St Regulus) bt A Smith (Kirriemuir) 7 and 5.
J Meldrum (Dullatur) bt J Turner (Mortonhall) 1 hole.
R Livingstone (Musselburgh Old) bt V Smith (Barassie) 7 and 6.
M MacPherson (Turnberry) bt M Thomson (McDonald Ellon) 2 and 1.
R Watson (Elie & Earlsferry Ladies) bt A Bowie (Monifieth) 7 and 5.
Second round - Niven bt McNicoll 1hole, S Watson bt Harvey 2 and 1, Edwards bt Ingram 1 hole, Pretswell bt Fairnie 5 and 3, Booth bt MacDonald 5 and 4, Briggs bt Caithness 3 and 2, Livingstone bt Meldrum 1 hole, R Watson bt MacPherson 7 and 6.
ANSLEY REID SALVER
First round E Briggs (Kilmacolm) bt H MacKay (Tain) 9 and 7, E. MacKay (Nairn Dunbar) bt L MacCallum ( McDonald Ellon) 1 hole, K Moss (Monifieth) bt L Meldrum (Dullatur) and 2, I. Craigie (Torwoodlee) bt L Smith (Kirriemuir) 5 and 4, S Kettlewell (Dunblane) beat H. Peebles (Monifieth) 8 and 6, C Easton (Dalmahoy) bt G Simpson (Baberton) 7 and 6, K Murray (Alford) bt J Pryde (Monifieth) 2 and 1, R Watton (Baberton) bt C MacLeod (Nairn Dunbar) 2 and 1.
Second round - E MacKay bt Briggs 3 and 2, Moss bt Craigie 8 and 6, Easton bt Kettlewell 1 hole, Watton bt Murray 4 and 3.

English Girls Championship
Melissa Reid leads qualifiers in English Girls Championship
Derbyshire’s Melissa Reid shot a three-under par 69 at Liphook today to lead the qualifiers into the matchplay stages of the English Girls’ Championship
Her performance echoed last year, when she was also top qualifier – and then went on to win the title.
But the defending champion is not interested in looking back. She’s keeping her mind firmly on 2005 business: “This is a brand new tournament for me,” said the 17-year-old from Chevin.
“I’ve got to keep concentrating and keep my focus in the matchplay tomorrow. It doesn’t matter that it’s the first match and that I’m playing the 32nd seed – I still have to concentrate as much as if it is the final.”
It’s an attitude which is serving her well. She was joint leader on level par after the first round of strokeplay qualifying and then moved three shots clear of the field with her 69.
“I was pleased with the way I hit it today,” said Melissa. “It was a lot better than yesterday and I gave myself a lot of chances.”
She converted seven of those chances into birdies and was four-under par after the first five holes of the round. A couple of three-putts and a visit into a bunker cost her some shots but she finished her round in style with birdies on the 15th,17th and 18th.
Her closest rivals in qualifying were Joanne Hodge (Knowle), who moved up the leaderboard with a one-under 71, and Bedfordshire’s Holly Aitchison, who was joint leader after the first round. She maintained her form with another level par score.
Hannah Ralphs (Goodwood) was also consistent and her second 73 took her comfortably into the championship flight for the matchplay stages.
Local girl Tracey Willmont, who plays at Liphook, had trolley problems on the 12th and finished the day on 84, for a 162 aggregate. Tracey is the Hampshire girls’ champion.
Leading scores
141 Melissa Reid ( Chevin ) 72 69
144 Joanne Hodge ( Knowle ) 73 71, Holly Aitchison ( Bedfordshire ) 72 72
146 Hannah Ralph ( Goodwood ) 73 73
149 Henrietta Brockway ( Yeovil ) 77 72
151 Hannah Barwood ( Knowle ) 75 76
152 Jodi Ewart ( Catterick ) 75 77, Georgina Hunt ( Lewes ) 74 78
153 Laura Cutler ( Warley Park ) 78 75, Charlie Douglass ( Brocket Hall ) 77 76, Natasha Podmore ( Delamere Forest ) 77 76, Gemma Hardie ( Forest Pines ) 76 77, Anna Perrott ( Kings Norton ) 76 77
154 Caroline Atherton ( Chorley ) 78 76, Emma Sheffield ( Newark ) 76 78, Rachel Jennings ( Izaak Walton ) 76 78, Olivia Higgins ( Royal Jersey ) 74 80, Louisa Tarn ( Highgate ) 73 81
155 Emily Heath ( Calcot Park ) 78 77, Hannah Burke ( Mid-Herts ) 78 77, Georgina Wilkie ( Trentham Park ) 75 80
156 Ami Storey ( Ponteland ) 78 78, Kelly MacPhail ( Ellesmere ) 75 81
157 Kym Larratt ( Kibworth ) 76 81, Gemma Parkes ( Cosby ) 76 81
158 Kirsty Law ( Kings Norton ) 80 78, Laura Jones ( Upton-by-Chester ) 80 78, Hannah Bews ( Broadstone (Dorset) ) 79 79, Eleanor Givens ( Blackwell Grange ) 78 80, Laura Harvey ( Richmond (Yorkshire) ) 77 81, Katie Thompson ( Corhampton ) 74 84
159 Sarah Tyson ( Redlibbets ) 79 80, Emilee Taylor ( Gainsborough ) 78 81, Emily Priest ( Enville ) 78 81
160 Julia Norman ( Exeter ) 82 78, Helen White ( Worfield ) 81 79, Louisa Stirling ( Harwood ) 79 81, Kirsty Rands ( Burhill ) 77 83, Nicole Whitmore ( Woburn ) 77 83, Laura Collin ( John OGaunt ) 73 87

Scottish Mens' Amateur, Southerness
Jonathan King (Glasgow), one of the six surviving seeds, beat Daniel Torrance (Sunningdale) - and his caddie, father Sam - by 5 and 4 in the second round of the Allied Surveyors Scottish amateur championship today.
"I was about two under par for the 14 holes," said Jonathan, a Glasgow-based stockbroker who has travelled 600 miles so far this week backwards and forwards from Southerness Golf Club, near Dumfries, to complete financial deals.
Sixteen-year-old Daniel got the worst possible start - bogeying the first two holes to lose them to pars from his experienced opponet.
King later birdied the sixth, 11th and 14th.
Eric Ramsay (Carnoustie) was another seeded international player to make progress. Eric won by 6 and 4 agaisnt William Milby (Wigtownshire).
"I had only one birdie," confessed Eric, the Australian Open amateur champion who did well in the Open champion at St Andrews. "At the same time, I had only one bogey - so I was quite pleased to be reeling off the pars."
Zack Saltman cheered up the family party at Southerness with a second-round win.The 16-year-old Craigielaw Golf Club junior member beat Cameron Gray from West Kilbride by 2 and 1, taking a one-hole lead by the 12th tee and doubling it over the next three holes.
The win by Zack, the youngest of the three Saltman brothers, followed the shock exit last night by Lloyd, seeded in the championship and a member of the GB&I team to defend the Walker Cup at Chicago Golf Club next month.
ALLIED SURVEYORS SCOTTISH AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
Southerness Golf Club.
SECOND ROUND
Second Quarter
A Dick (Shotts) bt D Weir (Lundin) 1 hole.
R Stewart (Troon Portland) bt J Ferrier (Dumfries & Galloway) 4 and 2.
G Bell (Downfield) bt E McIntosh (Newmachar) 5 and 4.
D McCrone (Southerness) bt N Slater (Nigg Bay) 1 hole.
P McLachlan (Eastwood) bt S Lamb (Peebles) 3 and 2.
D Stewart (Grantown on Spey) bt J Farmer (St Andrews) 6 and 5.
I Fraser (Dumfries & Co) bt N Sinclair (Barassie) 2 and 1.
Z Saltman (Craigielaw) bt C Gray (West Kilbride) 2 and 1.
A Love (Dunbar) bt G Doig (Southerness) 1 hole.
*J King (Glasgow) bt D Torrance (Sunningdale) 5 and 4.
S Clark (Haggs Castle) bt S Graham (Blairgowrie) 2 and 1.
F Henderson (Craigielaw) bt K Truscott (Newmachar) 2 and 1.
*denotes seeded player.

THE BOYS AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP AND BOYS HOME INTERNATIONALS
The Boys Amateur Championship, which is often seen as an indicator of future success in the professional game, returns to Hunstanton for the first time since 1990. From 8 to 13 August, the Norfolk links will expose 256 international competitors to greens that experts acknowledge as being among the slickest in the country.
Jordan Findlay, the 2004 Champion, is used to such conditions and to the elements he might encounter at Hunstanton as he hails from Fraserburgh on Scotland’s Moray Firth coast where windless days are the exception. In last year’s final at Conwy, Findlay was twice three down but showed great determination to become the third Scot in seven years to lift the title.
Accompanying Findlay in the list of 256 competitors attempting to win the title is England Boys’ Captain, Tom Sherreard of Chart Hills, last year’s beaten finalist. Already this year, he has won the McEvoy Trophy and has several victories in the Faldo Series to his name.
Another England player in the field at Hunstanton, and currently showing consistent form, is Hertfordshire’s Thomas Haylock, 17, who finished five shots clear in winning the Carris Trophy at Moor Park.
Steven McEwan of Kilmarnock (Barassie) is another entrant playing well as underlined by his recent two shot victory in the Scottish Boys Stroke Play Championship at Monifieth. Both Scott Henry and Lewis Kirton, joint runners-up, are also competing at Hunstanton.
Hunstanton Golf Club was founded in 1891 and was originally laid out by George Fernie, a professional from Troon. Further modifications by James Braid improved the layout and led to the Club hosting its first major event, the Ladies’ British Open Amateur Championship, in 1914.
The English Amateur and Brabazon Trophy have since been held there on several occasions, while the Boys Home Internationals were staged prior to the 1990 British Boys Amateur Championship.
This year, the Boys Home Internationals will be held from 2 to 4 August at Woodhall Spa, the headquarters of the English Golf Union, where England will be seeking an eighth successive win in the annual four country series. England won all three of its matches last year at Portmarnock and finished the series with an emphatic 11½ - 3½ win over Scotland, thus demonstrating their considerable strength in depth.
That talent has been further highlighted with the selection of 16 year old Oliver Fisher, who played for England Boys last year, for the Walker Cup match against the US at Chicago. He will become the youngest player ever to take part in the matches.
Woodhall Spa’s roots extend back to the early 1900’s when Harry Vardon was contracted to design a course on heathland owned by Colonel S.V. Hotchkin. Later modifications by Harry Colt and then by Hotchkin himself led to a layout that has remained largely unchanged to the present day. The Hotchkin Course is, by repute, one of the finest inland courses in the British Isles.
Each match comprises five morning foursomes followed by ten afternoon singles.
The full list of competitors in the Boys Amateur Championship and teams for the Boys Home Internationals can be viewed at www.randa.org.

LADY GOLFERS WHO SURF WANTED TO SHAPE GOLF’S FUTURE
The LGU is looking for ladies who surf to complete an online survey, helping the governing body and GB&I National Organisations to respond more effectively to the needs of the ladies game.  Already 1200 lady golfers, chosen at random to be a statistically significant sample of the GB&I population, have been surveyed in telephone interviews and more than 370 golf club secretaries have competed a questionnaire online.  The response rate for golf club secretaries at 15%, of 2500 available respondents, is well above average for online polling.
Now it’s the turn of all remaining lady club golfers, all 220,000 of them, to give their views.  Simply visit www.lgu.org and click on the survey ticker at the top of the page.
The study, part funded by The R&A, is the biggest of its of kind ever to be undertaken by The LGU.  Top line results are expected at the end of the summer covering issues such as gender equality in clubs, equal career opportunities in golf and men and women competing on equal terms in elite competition.
The online survey will be posted on the LGU site throughout the Weetabix Women’s British Open at Royal Birkdale 28-31 July and for approximately three weeks beyond the championship.  Global sports researcher Comperio, part of the International Management Group (IMG), are responsible for the survey, which is both secure and confidential.

Tuesday 26th July 2005

Scottish Girls Championship
ROSEANNE SLASHES TAIN RECORD IN HEADING SCOTTISH GIRL QUALIFIERS
Crieff teenager Roseanne Niven slashed two shots off the Tain women's course record with a great score of four-under-par 69 in the first qualifying round of the BP Scottish Under-18 girls' championship at the north of Scotland venue.
Roseanne, a golf scholarship pupil at Loretto School, Musselburgh and the Scottish Under-16 girls champion two years ago, had a fantastic bogey-free inward half of 32 with birdies at the 11th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 17th and 18th.
Miss Niven had begun her round with a double bogey and was still two over par after nine holes. Then things started happening in a big way for Roseanne.
The old Tain record was 71, set by Royal Dornoch player Cara Gruber in 1999.
Roseanne matched the par of 73 in the second round to be the leading qualifier for the match-play stages with an aggregate of four-under-par 142.
Rebecca Watson (Elie & Earlsferry) gained the No 2 seed status with scores of 73 and 70 for 143.
Carly Booth, the 13-year-old Auchterarder player, was the third best qualifier with 75 and 72 for 147.
Defending champion Krystle Caithness (St Regulus) shared fifth place with Amanda Edwards (Liberton). Krystle scored 74 and 75.
Roseanne Niven's younger sister Annabel also figured among the 32 qualifiers with totals of 176 Annabel made it through to the match-play in 28th place with scores of 85 and 86.
BP SCOTTISH GIRLS CHAMPIONSHIP
Tain Golf Club.
QUALIFIERS (Par 73)
142 R Niven (Crieff) 69 73.
143 R Watson (Elie & Earlsferry Ladies) 73 70.
147 C Booth (Auchterarder) 75 72.
148 P Pretswell (Bothwell Castle) 75 73.
149 A Edwards (Liberton) 74 75, Krystle Caithness (St Regulus) 74 75.
150 J Turner (Mortonhall) 76 74.
152 S Watson (Elie & Earlsferry Ladies) 76 76.
155 R Livingstone (Musselburgh Old) 71 84, R Wilson (Monifieth) 77 78.
156 M Briggs (Kilmacolm) 78 78
157 L Murray (Alford) 82 75, E Fairnie (Peebles) 79 78, K MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) 76 81.
158 M Thomson (McDonald Ellon) 81 77.
159 M Johnstone (Northern) 76 83.
161 K McNicoll (Carnoustie Ladies) 77 84.
162 M MacPherson (Turnberry) 81 81.
164 M Barbour (North Berwick) 81 83.
165 S Vass (Tain) 86 79.
166 A Ingram (Fort William) 84 82.
167 N Green (Nairn) 84 83, V Smith (Barassie) 82 85.
168 H Harvey (St Leonards) 86 83.
169 J Sneddon (Alyth) 86 83.
170 J Meldrum (Dullatur) 88 82, A Smith (Kirriemuir) 86 84.
171 A Niven (Crieff) 85 86.
173 L Whitehead (Droitwich) 91 82.
174 F Blair (Monifieth) 90 84.
175 A Bowie (Monifieth) 84 91.
176 S Leslie (Westhill) 87 89
Championship Draw
8:30 Roseanne Niven v Samantha Leslie
Katy McNicoll v Mhairi Johnstone
Rebecca Wilson v Hannah Harvey
Jacqueline Sneddon v Sally Watson
8:58 Amanda Edwards v Annabel Niven
Ashton Ingram v Laura Murray
Emma Fairnie v Sammy Vass
Laura Whitehead v Pamela Pretswell
9:26 Carly Booth v Fiona Blair
Megan Barbour v Kelsey MacDonald
Megan Briggs v Nadia Green
Ashley Smith v Krystle Caithness
9:54 Jane Turner v Jill Meldrum
Vicki Smith v Rachael Livingstone
Michele Thomson v Morag MacPherson
Andrea Bowie v Rebecca Watson
Ansley Ried Salver Draw
10:29 Eilidh Briggs v Hannah MacKay
Eilidh MacKay v Lauren MacCallum
Kirsty Moss v Lauren Meldrum
Louise Smith v Isla Craigie
10:57 Sally Kettlewell v Heather Peebles
Cara Easton v Gillian Simpson
Karen Murray v Jillian Pryde
Chloe MacLeod v Rachael Watton

English Girls' Championship
Melissa and Holly lead English Girls’ Championship
Derbyshire’s Melissa Reid made a confident start to her defence of the English Girls’ Championship at Liphook, sharing the first round lead on level par 72.
“It’s always difficult to defend a title,” said the 17-year-old from Chevin. “It’s more difficult to defend one than to win one, but I am feeling quite confident.”
Joining her at the top of the leaderboard is Bedfordshire’s Holly Aitchison, who produced a grandstand finish when she birdied the last hole to a flurry of applause.
Melissa put on her show of spectacular scoring early in her round. She had an eagle three on the 2nd, where her three-iron approach to the green finished about 4ft from the cup, and she also birdied the long fourth.
She reached the turn at one-under, having bogeyed the 1st and 8th. She dropped another shot on the 10th but then parred her way home, helped by a series of impressive scrambles. “I got up and down three times in the last four holes,” she said.
Melissa has arrived at Liphook still high from her part in England’s gold medal triumph in the European Girls’ Team Championship and she’s pleased with the results of some recent swing changes.
But she aims to improve on her score in the second qualifying round. She commented on her opening 72: “It was OK and I’ll take it – but I could have done better. I wasn’t giving myself that many birdie opportunities and if I hit it a lot closer tomorrow I could be five or six shots better.”
Holly, meanwhile, is hugely enjoying her good form. The 18-year-old says she’s been on a learning curve since last year’s championship when she was knocked out in the first round of the second flight matches.
The Bedfordshire county player and member of ELGA’s Select Midlands squad made few mistakes in the start to her 2005 challenge. Two birdies and two bogeys took her to the turn in level par and she also came home in 36, helped by that birdie on the last.
The joint leaders are just one shot clear of Laura Collin, who is also from Bedfordshire, and Middlesex’s Louisa Tarn.
Other leading scores included 75s from Hannah Barwood (Knowle) who is just back from the European Young Masters, and Jodi Ewart (Catterick) who also played in the European Girls’ Team Championship. A third team-member, Emma Sheffield (Newark), shot 76, one better than Henrietta Brockway, 15, (Yeovil) who is the Welsh open strokeplay champion.
The local challenge was led by Hampshire girls’ champion Tracey Willmont, who is a member at Liphook and returned a solid 78.
Kiran Matharu, one of the pre-tournament favourites and another of the European gold medal winners, withdrew from the event when she became a reserve for the Weetabix British Women’s Open, which starts at Royal Birkdale on Thursday. The 16-year-old from Cookridge Hall in Yorkshire missed out on an automatic spot by just one shot in Monday’s final qualifying event at Hillside.

ELGA Press Release
England team named for European Ladies Championship
Vagliano Trophy heroines Sophie Walker, Kerry Smith and Felicity Johnson, are in England’s Nations Cup team for the European Ladies’ Championship at Santo da Serra, Madeira, from August 21-28.
They will be joined by three other golfers in the six-strong line-up and the full team is: Rachel Bell (Ganton), Felicity Johnson (Harborne), Melissa Reid (Chevin), Faye Sanderson (Heworth), Kerry Smith (Waterlooville), and Sophie Walker (Kenwick Park).
Sophie Walker, Felicity Johnson and Kerry Smith played a crucial part in Great Britain & Ireland’s Vagliano Trophy victory when the team beat the continent of Europe 13-11 in France.
The trio, together with Faye Sanderson, were also part of the England side which won the silver medal in the European Ladies’ Team Championship.
Melissa Reid, the 2004 English girls’ champion, has also been at the forefront of England’s recent international successes, helping to win the gold medal in the European Girls’ Team Championship.
Rachel Bell put on an impressive show when she joined the professionals of the European Tour at the recent Ladies English Open at Chart Hills in Kent. She made the cut with two shots to spare and finished in a share of 38th place.
All six players are members of ELGA’s Sport England, lottery-funded World Class training programme.

ELGA Press Release
Golfers score academic success
Two of England’s leading golfers are both celebrating a high degree of success in the academic world.
Internationals Sophie Walker and Faye Sanderson have combined top-level golf with successful study and have both graduated from university with 2:1 degrees.
Sophie, 20, from Kenwick Park in Lincolnshire, took Sports Science and Management at Loughborough University. Faye, 21, from Heworth, Durham, studied Law at Newcastle University.
Both girls helped England win the silver medal in the European Ladies’ Team Championship earlier this month and Sophie went on to become top scorer for Great Britain & Ireland in last weekend’s successful defence of the Vagliano Trophy.
The mix of university and golf suited both players. “I wouldn’t have changed it for the world,” said Sophie, who was also runner-up in the English ladies championship. “And I don’t think either the golf or the study has suffered.”
Faye, also a member of the Great Britain &Ireland training squad, was “over the moon” with her results. “I have really enjoyed it and made some great friends,” she added.
Now both girls are taking a year out to concentrate on golf.

Monday 25th July 2005

Scots fail at Weetabix Qualifier
It was disappointment day with a capital "D" for the six Scots in the Weetabix Women's British Open golf championship final qualifying at Hillside Golf Club today (Monday).
Not one of them made it through among the 11 qualifiers for the last major of the women's professional season, teeing off at Royal Birkdale on Thursday.
The cut-off point was level par 72 over the 6,301yd course and the closest Scot to that figure was LPGA Tour campaigner Kathryn Marshall from Monifieth.
Kathryn has a 74 (36-38) with one birdie - a 2 at the short seventh - but bogeys at the third, 13th and 15th.
Mhairi McKay, another LPGA Tour player, and Inverness-based New Zealander Liz McKinnon, who is married to a Scot, both failed on 75.
Mhairi, from Glasgow, bogeyed the 10th, 13th and 18th on the home run to slip over the safety line.
Vikki Laing, Julie Forbes and Lynn Kenny missed out on 77. California-based Vikki had double bogeys at the short fourth and 12th while Aboyne exile Julie had 7s at the 11th and 18th - a double bogey, then a triple bogey.
Rookie pro Lynn from Dunblane did not get a birdie until the short 16th by which time she had already six bogeys on her card.
Heather MacRae, also from Dunblane, a member of the victorious Great Britain & Ireland amateur squad in the weekend Vagliano Trophy match at Chantilly, required 41 shots on the inward journey for an 80.
Australian Anne-Marie Knight, 34, showed the low-scoring possibilities with a six-under-par 66 which was five shots better than runners-up Katherine Hull, also from Down Under, and Finland's Rikka Hakkarainen, winner of the Scottish junior women's open stroke-play title at Lanark in 1995.
QUALIFIERS
66 A-M Knight (Aus).
71 K Hull (Aus), R Hakkarainen (Fin).
72 L Walters (Eng), J Leary (Aus), R Hudson (Eng),E Steinberger (Aus), K-M Juul (Den), K Bakken (US), J Kuoisa (Fin), A Moltke-Leth (Den).
Non-qualifiers included:
73 S Heath (Eng), L Hall (Eng), K Matharu (Eng), L Davis (Wal), F Johnson (Eng), R Stevenson (Aus).
74 K Marshall (Sco).
75 L McKinnon (NZ).
77 V Laing (Sco), J Forbes (Sco), L Kenny (Sco).
80 H MacRae (Sco).

Janice Moodie Trophy
27 girls played in the Janice Moodie Trophy over Windyhill on Friday. The Scratch prize was won by Lesley Hendry of Largs Routenburn with a 74 and the overall handicap prize went to Jennifer Linklater (Largs) with a scratch 84 less 26 net 58!
Par 72 CSS 71
Three Age Groups
10 - 14 years 1st Zoe Differ (Dullatur) 81 (13) 68, 2nd C.Mulholland (Hilton Park) 97 (27) 70
15 -17 years 1st N.McNeil (Vale of Leven) 86 (17) 69, 2nd E. Fairnie (Peebles) 75 (5) 70 BIH, 3rd N. Ferguson (Clober) 88 (18) 70
18-21 years 1st S. Herd (Dunblane) 77 (6) 71
Scratch - Lesley Hendry, (Routenburn) 74
Overall Winner Jennifer Linklater (Largs) 84 (26) 58

ELGA Press Release
England girls finish high
England teenagers Florentyna Parker and Hannah Barwood had top five finishes in the European Young Masters at Murhof in Austria.
Florentyna, 16, (Royal Birkdale) came fourth in the girls’ table after shooting scores of 75, 73, 74 for a six-over par total in the 54-hole event. She was third in this tournament last year and went on to help Europe win the junior Ryder Cup.
Hannah, 15, (Knowle) was making her debut in this event and was fifth with scores of 77, 75, 74. She recently finished runner-up in the English Schools’ championship.
The girls’ event at Murhof was contested by 40 players and won by Carlota Ciganda of Spain who was 11-under par with 68, 67, 70
In the Nations Cup, Flori and Hannah teamed up with English boys’ U16 champion Adam Myers, 14, (Northamptonshire County) and junior international Darren Renwick, 15,  (Worthing) and helped England into fifth place. This was an improvement of one place on last year’s result. Renwick, was 12th in the boys’ competition (77, 75, 72); Myers was 19th (75, 75, 79).

Sunday 24th July 2005

Irish Open Strokeplay Championship
KYLIE WALKER RUNNER-UP IN IRELAND
Stirling University student Kylie Walker, pictured right, tied for second place in the Irish women's open amateur stroke-play championship at Hermitage Golf Club, Lucan in County Dublin at the weekend.
Kylie, a member of Buchanan Castle Golf Club, shot rounds of 74, 72 and 75 for a 54-hole total of 221. She shared the runner-up spot with Maura Morrin (The Curragh) two shots behind all-the-way leader Tara Delaney from Carlow.
Defending champion Tara had scores of 70, 72 and 77. Her last round gave Kylie a chance to close the gap and, in fact, the Scot got on level terms with Tara double-bogeyed the 16th.
Then Kylie bogeyed the 17th to let Miss Delaney regain a one-shot lead and the Irish title-holder hit a seven-iron approach at the last hole to within a foot of the flagstick to keep the title by a two-stroke margin.
Louise Kenney (Pitreavie) finished tied seventh on 231 with scores of 77, 78 and 76.
Claire Hargan (Mortonhall) filled 14th place on 236 with scores of 79, 78 and 79.
American college student and Perthshire county player Emily Ogilvie (Muckhart) was another Scot in the top 20. Emily tied for 16th place on 238 with scores of 73, 80 and 85.
Final Results:
IRISH WOMEN'S OPEN AMATEUR STROKE-PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP
Hermitage Golf Club, Co Dublin
LEADING TOTALS
219 T Delaney (Carlow) 70 72 77.
221 K Walker (Stirling Univ) 74 72 75, M Morrin (The Curragh) 75 74 72.
223 D Smith (Co Louth) 73 75 75.
226 C Lee (West Lancs) 74 80 72.
230 M Dunne (Skerries) 75 78 77, L Kenney (Pitreavie) 77 78 76, N Kitching (Claremorris) 75 78 78, F Carroll (Athenry) 78 74 78.
232 S Corcoran (Portumna) 78 78 76, H Nolan (Shannon) 76 79 77.
233 R Wood (Glossop & Dist) 75 80 78, S Hayes (Hermitage) 79 76 78.
236 C Hargan (Mortonhall) 79 78 69.
237 A L Schaffer (Germany) 79 75 83.
238 E Ogilvy (Muckhart) 73 80 85, D McGowan (Ballybofey) 77 81 80.
239 S Phillips (Woodbrook) 79 80 80, C Tucker (Limerick) 80 78 81  R Cassidy (The Island) 77 81 81.
Other Scots scores:
242  Jenna Wilson (Strathaven) 78 85 79.
243 Kate O'Sullivan (Cochrane Castle) 80 82 81, C-M Carlton (Stirling Univ) 84 81 78, J Carthew (Ladybank) 86 77 80
244 C Gruber (Royal Dornoch) 81 77 856.
246 S Wilson (Murcar) 83 80 83.
247 K Marshall (Baberton) 80 82 85.
248 G Webster (Hilton Park) 78 90 80.
250 L Fraser (Kingsknowe) 85 79 86.

Futures Tour
HEATHER JUST BEATS FUTURES CUT
Former Scottish women's amateur champion Heather Stirling made the 36-hole cut with nothing to spare in the Laconia Savings Bank Classic at Beavers Meadow Golf Club, Concord in New Hampshire.
Florida-based Heather had two rounds of 75 to be joint 70th on the 150 mark going into the final round of this latest US Futures Tour event.
Two Koreans are in first and third places. Bo Mi Suh from Seoul is on eight-under-par 136 after a pair of 68s. She leads by two shots from American Meredith Duncan from Shreveport, Louisiana. In third place is Keyong Bae from Seoul with 71 and 69 for 139.

Grey Goose Gateway Tour
ANOTHER TOP-20 FINISH FOR KIRKPATRICK
Edinburgh exile David Kirkpatrick shot 13 under par for four rounds but still finished no better than tied 14th in the Grey Goose Gateway Tour's latest event, at Hammock Creek and Eagle Marsh golf courses in Florida.
Kirkpatrick, based at Lakeland, Florida, had rounds of 72, 68, 65 and 70 for 275. He earned $2,390.
American Brad Klappett won the event with 68, 66, 69 and 64 for 21-under-par 267.
Kirpatrick, who has had four top-20 finishes including runner-up in one, is now eighth on the the satellite tour's money list with $34,257 from six events.
Rookie pro David Inglis failed to survive the halfway cut for the sixth tournament in a row.

Saturday 23rd July 2005

Irish Strokeplay
KYLIE IN SECOND PLACE WITH ONE ROUND TO GO IN IRELAND
Tara Delaney from Carlow may be favourite to retain the Irish women's open amateur stroke-play golf championship at Hermitage Golf Club, Lucan in Co Dublin on Sunday but the performance of one of the biggest Scottish entries ever for this 54-hole tournament has been encouraging.
In wet and windy conditions for most of the day, Tara had rounds of 70 and 72 for four-under-par tally of 142. She leads by four shots from Kylie Walker (Stirling University) with scores of 74 and 72.
US college student Emily Ogilvy (Muckhart) has done well to be lying sixth on 153 after scores of 73 and 80.
Louise Kenney (Pitreavie), perhaps a little bit unlucky not to be selected for Scotland's European team squad, had scores of 77 and 78 to be in joint 10th place on 155.
Claire Hargan (Mortonhall) is on 157 and Cara Gruber (Royal Dornoch) on 158. And there are plenty of other Scots further down the list.
In the event of a tie, there will be a three-hole play-off. In the past, a card countback was used as a tie-breaker.
LEADING SATURDAY TOTALS
142 Tara Delaney (Carlow) 70 72.
146 Kylie Walker (Stirling Univ) 74 72.
148 Deirdre Smith (Co Louth) 73 75.
149 Maura Morrin (The Curragh) 75 74.
1562 Fiona Carroll (Athenry) 78 74.
153 Emily Ogilvy (Muckhart) 73 80, Maria Dunne (Skerries) 75 78, Niamh Kitching(Claremorris).
154 Carisande Lee (West Lancs) 74 80, Anne Laura Schaeffer (Germany) 79 75.
155 Rebecca Wood (Glossop & Dist) 75 80, Heather Nolan (Shannon) 76 79, Louise Kenney (Pitreavie) 77 78, Suzie Hayes (Hermitage) 79 76.
156 Gillian O'Leary (Cork) 77 79, Suzanne Corcoran (Portumna) 78 78.
157 Claire Hargan (Mortonhall) 79 78.
158 Mary Dowling (New Ross) 76 82, Darragh McGowan (Ballybofey) 77 81, Catherine Tucker (Limerick) 80 78, Cara Gruber (Royal Dornoch) 81 77.
159 Leigh Whittaker (Germany) 81 78, Sinead Keane (The Curragh) 80 79, Susanne Phillips (Woodbrook) 79 80.
Other Scots scores:
162 Karen Marshall (Baberton) 80 82.
163 Jocelyn Carthew (Ladybank) 86 77, Sjavon Wilson (Murcar) 83 80, Jenna Wilson (Strathaven) 78 85.
164 Louise Fraser (Kingsknowe) 85 79.
165 Clare-Marie Carlton (Stirling Univ) 84 81.
168 Gemma Webster (Hilton Park) 78 90.

GB&I retain the Vagliano trophy.
Great Britain and Ireland retained the Vagliano Trophy at Chantilly, France, today when they beat the Continent of Europe by 13 games to 11 after a two day encounter.
All square with 8 games apiece going into the final set of singles, Ada O'Sullivan's team won 5 games and lost only 3.
GB&I winners were Sophie Walker, Tricia Mangan, Kerry Smith, Felicity Johnston and Martina Gillen. Scot Clare Queen lost to Anne-Lise Caudal 2&1 and Anne Laing, playing tail-gunner for GB&I, lost by 3&2 to Pernilla Lindberg. The third Scot in the GB&I team, Heather Macrae did not play in the afternoon singles.
See the French Golf Federation site for a fuller report.

EGU News
CONSISTENT HAYLOCK WINS CARRIS TROPHY BY FIVE STROKES
Hertfordshire’s Thomas Haylock, showing splendid consistency, cantered to victory in the English Boys under 18 Strokeplay Championship at Moor Park.
Carding two splendid rounds of 70 on the final day, the 17 year old finished on nine under par 283 to join the likes of Ken Brown and Sandy Lyle as a winner of the Carris Trophy.
Haylock finished five strokes clear of Yorkshire’s Daniel Willett, Sam Hutsby from Hampshire, and Essex youngster Daniel Brooks. It was Haylock’s second victory in a week and follows his triumph in the South East Boys Championship.
“That big win last week gave me a lot of confidence coming here,” he said. “This is the one I really wanted to win and I’m really pleased to get my name alongside some famous names in golf.”
After his morning 70, Haylock began the final circuit one shot behind playing partner Richard Gurney from Worcestershire. But when the Midlander double-bogeyed the first hole, the local lad was ahead and stayed there. The gap soon widened and when Haylock went birdie-eagle-birdie from the seventh it was just a case of who would be second.
Standing on the 15th tee at ten under par he was five shots clear but a bogey-five at the 15th after he tangled with trees off the tee cut the lead but did little damage.
“Obviously I knew Richard had dropped shots but I didn’t know if anyone else was catching up,” Haylock added. “But when I saw the scoreboard on the 16th tee I knew that if I parred my way in I could seal it.
That’s exactly what he did for a third successive 70, underlining his obvious talent and sheer consistency.
His closest pursuers all shot under par, Willett with 72, Hutsby 71 and Brooks 70, while England boy captain Tom Sherreard cared the lowest final round with 69 for 294 to finish joint ninth.
Haylock also won the Malcolm Reid Trophy for the lowest aggregate of the McEvoy and Carris Trophies, while the Hazards Salver for the best score by an under 16 was shared by Thomas Lewis from Hertfordshire and Tim Chatfield from Surrey.

ELGA NEWS
Laura-Jane wins English Schools U16 title
Fifteen-year-old Laura-Jane Mabley completed a rare double for Hampshire when she won the NASUWT English Schools’ U16 girls’ championship by three shots.
Her triumph, at Leighton Buzzard, came just weeks after county colleague, 13-year-old Katie Thompson, won the NASUWT English Schools’ National championship at Trentham.
Now Laura-Jane will join Katie in the English Schools’ team for the annual international against Wales at Moseley Golf Club on August 31.
Laura-Jane (Dunwood Manor) won her title with rounds of 77 and 80 on a tight golf course and playing in strengthening winds.
Her closest challengers were Oxfordshire’s Katherine O’Connor (Tadmartin Heath) and Katie Thompson (Corhampton) who both shot 160. Katherine was runner-up on countback.
The shot of the day was played by Lincolnshire’s Holly Clyburn, 14, (Kenwick Park), who had a hole-in-one on the 14th in the afternoon round. It helped her into seventh place.
All four girls are members of ELGA squads and part of the Sport England, lottery-funded World Class training programme.
Leading scores (CSS am 73, pm 72):
157 Laura-Jane Mabley (The Toynbee School, Hampshire) 77, 80.
160 Katherine O’Connor (Warriner School, Oxfordshire) 80, 80; Katie Thompson (Swanmore Technb College, Hampshire) 79, 81.
161 Heidi Baek (Heath Primary School, Suffolk) 80, 81.
165 Lizzie Over (Vale of Ancholme, Lincolnshire) 86, 79; Alice Ruane (Lady Manner, Derbyshire) 84, 81.
166 Holly Clyburn (Humberstone School, Lincolnshire) 85, 81.

ELGA NEWS
Championship wins for Emma and Sian
Teenagers Emma Cutmore and Sian James and are the toast of their regions after both girls claimed championship wins.
Emma, 16, is ELGA’s new South-Eastern girls’ champion while Sian, 17, took the title for the South-Western division.
Emma, from Colne Valley in Essex, was four shots clear of the field in the South-Eastern championship at Stoneham, Hampshire. She shot a one-over par total of 143 (71, 72) in the 36-hole event.
The runner-up was Olivia Higgins (Royal Jersey) who shot a course record 70 – one under par – in the morning round. The U15 scratch cup was won by Sarah Tyson of Kent on 152. Essex (Emma Cutmore and Hannah Moul) won the County Shield.
In the South-Western championship at Dudsbury, Dorset, Sian James (Bristol & Clifton) scored a one-shot win with a 36-hole total of 151, five over par.
The runner-up was Sahra Hassan (Vale of Glamorgan) who also set a course record in the first round, with a one-over par 74.
Eleven-year-old Hannah Turland, from Tidworth Garrison, Wiltshire, won both the U15 Trophy and the handicap salver. Her gross aggregate score was 159, net 129, and her 15 handicap has been sharply reduced.
Gloucestershire (Sian James and Joanne Hodge) won the County Trophy.

ELGA NEWS
Emma Lyons wins South-Eastern Championship
Emma Lyons joined an exclusive group of Surrey golfers - including Jill Thornhill and Laura Davies - when she won ELGA’s South Eastern division championship at the Wildernesse in Kent.
The 22-year-old from West Surrey claimed her first major matchplay victory when she beat her great friend Tara Watters (Muswell Hill) 3/2 in the final.
Emma showed her battling qualities throughout the championship. She qualified for the matchplay stages in 15th place on countback and edged through her quarter-final, beating Rachel Graves (Colchester) on the 20th. In the semi-final she pulled off a heroic comeback, beating Clara Leathers (Ellesborough) by one hole after being three down with five to play.
Kent's Sian Reddick, 2004 English strokeplay champion led the qualifiers with a level par 144 over 36-holes and trounced her opponents in the first two matchplay rounds. But her challenge ran out in the semi-final, against the immaculate play of Tara Watters, who reached her third successive final.
The championship was sponsored for the 16th year by The Lady magazine.
First Round:
Sian Reddick (Sene Valley) bt Katherine Russell (Royal Ashdown Forest) 6&5; Hayley Charlick (Sundridge Park) bt Samantha Round (Tadmarton Heath) 5&4; Tara Watters (Muswell Hill) bt Clarissa Bushell (West Sussex) 6&5; Liz Bennett (Brokenhurst Manor) bt Fiona Smith (Chelmsford) 1 hole; Nicole Whitmore (Woburn) bt Anne Wheble (Dartford) 1 hole: Clara Leathers (Ellesborough) bt Sarah Tyson (Redlibbets) 3&1; Rachel Graves (Colchester) bt Tracey Boyes (Meon Valley) 4&3; Emma Lyons (West Surrey) bt Alex Marshall (Royal Cinque Ports) 2 holes
Quarter finals:
Sian Reddick (Sene Valley) bt Hayley Charlick (Sundridge Park) 5&4; Tara Watters (Muswell Hill) bt Liz Bennett (Brokenhurst Manor) 4&3; Clara Leathers (Ellesborough) bt Nicole Whitmore (Woburn) 3&2; Emma Lyons (West Surrey) bt Rachel Graves (Colchester) 20th.
Semi finals:
Watters bt Reddick 2 holes; Lyons bt Leathers 1 hole
Final:
Lyons bt Watters 3&2.

CLUB TREASURES AND TROPHIES AT RISK
The National Golf Clubs'Advisory Association (NGCAA) is urging golf clubs to check their display cabinets after a 140 year old 'Philp Longnose' putter was sold for £70,000 at an Edinburgh golfing memorabilia auction.
Legendary four-time winner of the Open Championship, Tom Morris, originally used the putter in the 1870s.  It had been sitting in a display cabinet at the North Manchester Golf Club in Middleton for more than sixty years.
Michael Shaw, national secretary of the National Golf Clubs' Advisory Association, said:
"It makes you wonder how many other highly valuable golfing items are hidden away in dusty attics or sitting in faded cabinets in clubs across the country.  The proceeds of the sale of some valuable old golf balls found in the back of a filing cabinet discovered when The Worcestershire Golf Club relocated to a new club house a few years ago provided a very nice windfall when sold by auction.
"The market for sporting memorabilia, particularly golfing memorabilia, is buoyant at the moment, as the sale of this putter proves.  Many golf clubs will have no idea of the real value of items that have become so familiar over time that they hardly get a second glance.
"Clubs should make sure their burglar alarms and security systems are up to date.  They should also check that paintings, trophies and any other historic items are insured at today's market value.  This may be much more they expect.  If something valuable is discovered, it's worth checking the legal ownership of it."
Martin Nugent, insurance broker at UK and Ireland Insurance Services, agrees that too many clubs don't realise their valuables are at risk:
"Golf clubs are just as vulnerable to deception, dishonesty, fraud, theft and natural events like fire, flooding and lightning strikes, as anywhere else.
"If a club owns valuable silver, tableware, paintings, sporting prints, memorabilia, trophies and similar treasures they should always be insured at current value by memorabilia specialists."

Friday 22nd July 2005

VAGLIANO TROPHY HONOURS EVEN AT END OF FIRST DAY AT CHANTILLY
Great Britain & Ireland drew 6-6 with the Continent of Europe at the halfway stage of the Vagliano Trophy match at Chantilly today.
Ada O'Sullivan's team won the first-morning foursomes 2 1/2-1 1/2 with Clare Queen and Heather MacRae combining to win their tie by one hole.
Anne Laing, the third Scot in the GB&I team, had her usual foursomes partner, Claire Coughlan, and they gained a square match.
In the singles, the Continent redressed the balance by winning 4 1/2 pt to GB&I's 3 1/2 pt.
Clare Queen lost the top singles by 3 and 2 to Anne-Lise Caudal.
Anne Laing lost the seventh tie by 3 and 2 to Maria Hernandez.
Heather MacRae was the GB&I player rested in the first-day singles.
ALL THE DETAILS OBTAINABLE THROUGH THE LGU WEBSITE.

Finalist, Rachael Livingstone (Musselburgh Old) and winner Jane Turner (Mortonhall) after the prizegiving at the East of Scotland Girls Championship held today at Dalmahoy

East of Scotland Girls' Championship
Third time lucky for Jane
Spectators were treated to a superb display of golf in today's final of the East of Scotland Girls Championship, between Midlothian juniors, Rachael Livingstone (Musselburgh Old) and Jane Turner (Mortonhall). This was 15 year old Jane's third time in the final. She was runner-up to Laura Aitken in 2002 and to Stephanie Crolla in 2003. It was 17 year old Rachael's first appearance in the final.
Both long hitters, Rachael was the slightly more wayward of the two, and had to concede two holes (the first and the 12th) after losing her drives. An altercation with the trees at the 8th also cost her dear, and those three lost holes added up to the losing margin of the match. Jane won by 3 & 2.
Rachael's golf in between was superb, with five birdies in the 16 holes played. Jane finished two-under par herself and the best ball was 9 under 4's.
One up after the first, Jane held the lead until a birdie 3 from Rachael at the 290 yard 5th squared the match. Jane immediately won back the sixth, but Rachael drove the green at the 245 yard seventh and squared it again. A chip out from the trees at the 8th cost Rachael the hole, and Jane remained one up at the turn. A missed putt from Rachael at the 156 yard 10th put her 2 down, but she immediately birdied the 11th before conceding the 12th when she lost her drive. Both comfortably on the 447 yard par 5 13th in two, they halved in birdies, and then Jane sunk a 12 foot putt at the 14th to be three up with four to play. Rachael then put her second to three feet at the 311 yard 16th and sunk the putt for another birdie to be only two down. Both safely on the green at the 97 yard 16th, Jane putted up to two feet and Rachael went for the putt and missed the return.
In the morning semifinals Rachael beat Arrlene McGarty (Bathgate ) by 6&5 and Jane had a very close match with her fellow County team-mate Amanda Edwards (Liberton) and won by one hole.
Semifinals
Rachael Livingstone (Musselburgh Old) beat Arlene McGarty (Bathgate) 6 & 5
Jane Turner (Mortonhall) beat Amanda Edwards (Liberton) 1 hole
Final
Jane Turner beat Rachael Livingstone 3 & 2

Boyd Quaich
Ben Wesgate from Exeter University won the 2005 Boyd Quaich international students' golf tournament over St Andrews yesterday by 9 shots from South African Oliver Becker (Stellenbosch). Ben's last round 65 was the best of the tournament by far... no-one else had broken 70 previously.
Round 4 Results
Individual Stroke Play
Pos
1 Ben Westgate Exeter, England 71-78-74-65--288
2 Oliver Bekker Stellenbosch, SA 74-74-74-75--297
3 Sean Doherty Leeds Metro, England 75-78-74-71--298
4 Jonathan Holmes UWIC, Wales 74-78-77-70--299
5 Scott Van Der Vord Exeter, England 78-75-78-75--306
Andy Keir Dundee, Scotland 74-75-80-77--306
7 Rhys McGovern Griffith, Australia 75-78-81-73--307
Chris Rossi Strathclyde, Scotland 82-75-77-73--307
9 Nic Slater UHI, Scotland 75-78-79-77--309
10 Billy Hemstock Cardiff, Wales 82-73-81-76--312
11 Richard Pace Leeds Metropolitan, England 78-76-86-73--313
Evan Bryceland Stirling, Scotland 79-76-84-74--313
Richard Warren Nottingham, England 80-76-80-77--313
14 Thomas Pulling Bath, England 82-76-78-78--314
15 Alex Tonge Nottingham, England 82-78-78-77--315
16 Alasdair Leggate Strathclyde, Scotland 79-76-78-83--316
17 Shintaro Yamagishi Keilo, Japan 84-77-79-77--317
Matthew Jones UWIC, Wales 77-84-78-78--317
19 Patrick Dunphy Cork, Eire 80-78-84-77--319
20 Kaku Tashiro Keilo, Japan 77-85-82-76--320
Richard Raye Bournemouth, England 83-79-81-77--320
Daniel Korpela Toronto, Canada 78-75-85-82--320
23 Barry Hickey Glasgow, Scotland 79-83-82-78--322
Ben Wood Griffith, Australia 80-75-81-86--322
25 Riaan Gerber Stellenbosch, SA 76-78-93-76--323
Joseph Chakola Delhi, India 82-76-86-79--323
27 Chris White East Anglia, England 80-78-91-78--327
28 Aidan Claffey Uni College, Dublin, Eire 80-83-84-82--329
29 Paul McDonald University College Dublin, Eir 74-75-NS-78
30 Charles Drury Imperial College London, Engla 81-82-87-NS

Thursday 21st July 2005

Prizewinners at the East of Scotland Girls Summer Meeting at Dalmahoy today.
L to R: Gillian Simpson (Baberton), Arlene McGarty (Bathgate), Hannah Harvey (St Leonards), Amanda Edwards(Liberton), Rebecca Watson (Elie and Earlsferry)

East of Scotland Girls Summer Meeting
Often in the shadow of her younger sister, Sally, 16-year-old Rebecca Watson (Elie and Earlsferry) came out into the sunshine today with a sparkling two over par round of 71 to win the East of Scotland Girls Summer Meeting over Dalmahoy West by three shots from Amanda Edwards (Liberton).
Jane Turner (Mortonhall) and Hannah Harvey (St Leonards) tied for third place on 76, with Jane taking the honours on the better inward half.
Arlene McGarty from Bathgate won the overall handicap award with a net 66 from a handicap of 14, and the handicap age group prizes were as follows:
Under 18 Amanda Edwards (Liberton)74-5=69
Under 16 Hannah Harvey (St Leonards) 76-7=69
Under 14 Gillian Simpson (Baberton) 90-23=67
The top eight scratch scores qualified for the matchplay stage of the East of Scotland Girls' Championship.
Full scoreboard (SSS 69 CSS 68)
71 Rebecca Watson ( Elie and Earlsferry )
74 Amanda Edwards ( Liberton )
76 Jane Turner ( Mortonhall ), Hannah Harvey ( St Leonards )
80 Arlene McGarty ( Bathgate )
85 Louise Macgregor ( Falkirk Carmuirs )
86 Cara Easton ( Dalmahoy )
87 Rachael Livingstone ( Musselburgh Old Course )
88 Megan Barbour ( North Berwick )
90 Gillian Simpson ( Baberton )
94 Emma Bisset ( Elie and Earlsferry )
101 Rachel Watton ( Baberton ), Camilla Tait ( St Regulus )
105 Cathy Wood ( Linlithgow )
107 Helen Goodwin ( Glenbervie )
118 Eilidh McKellar ( Dundas Park )
121 Laura Moffat ( St Regulus )
NR Patricia Watt ( Lundin Ladies )
Draw for Matchplay
Rebecca Watson v Rachael Livingstone
Arlene McGarty v Hannah Harvey
Jane Turner v Louise Macgregor
Cara Easton v Amanda Edwards
East of Scotland Girls Championship over Dalmahoy West
As so often happens, the top seed position can be a poisoned chalice to the unfortunate recumbent. Rebecca Watson, who played so well in the morning, was up against Rachael Livingstone, a Scottish Girl Internationalist, who was out to prove that her poor 87 to scrape into the draw was a mere aberration. Rachael never gave her opponent a chance, and in the latter stages won four holes in a row to close out Rebecca by 6 & 4.
The next tie, between Arlene McGarty and Hannah Harvey, was very close with Hannah squaring the match at the 294 yard 14th after Arlene had to take a penalty drop from an unplayable lie. They halved the 311yard 15th with text book fours, and Arlene won the 97 yard 16th with a par 3. The par 3 17th was shared in threes, and Arlene, dormie one, left her shot to the green short at the 18th, while Hannah was at the back of the green in two. Arlene putted to eight feet, Hannah got it closer but then Arlene slotted her eight footer for the match.
Jane Turner and Louise Macgregor also went all the way to the 18th, with Jane one up as they played it. Louise hit a wayward drive and was unable to go for the green, and Jane made sure she was on the putting surface for two putts and the match.
The last tie started with a bang as first 12 year old Cara Easton slotted a long putt for a birdie three at the first, to be followed in by her 18 year old opponent for a half. Halves in par at the next two promised an exciting match, but Amanda's better short game showed and she gradually pulled away and won by 5 and 4.
The Semifinals are at 9:30am tomorrow and the Final is at 2pm (it might be slightly earlier if we can arrange it). If you are in the area, come along and watch.
First Round results
Rebecca Watson lost to Rachael Livingstone 6 & 4
Arlene McGarty beat Hannah Harvey 1 hole
Jane Turner beat Louise Macgregor 2 holes
Cara Easton lost to Amanda Edwards 5 & 4

Wednesday 20th July 2005

Prizewinners in the North of Scotland Girls' Championship
L to R: Rebecca Wilson (Monifieth), Roseanne Niven (Crieff), Sammy Vass (Tain), Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar), Donna MacKinnon (Durness), Laura Murray (Alford).

North of Scotland Girls' Championship
KELSEY IS NORTH GIRLS CHAMPION
Northern Counties women's champion Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar), pictured right, added the North of Scotland girls' title to her collection over her home course today (Wednesday).
The 14-year-old returned a 77 in high winds to win by one stroke from Scottish schoolgirls champion Laura Murray (Alford) with Roseanne Niven (Crieff) third on 79.
Donna MacKinnon (Durness) won the handicap award with a net 70 off 26. Sammy Vass (Tain), playing off 11, was runner-up with a net 73, the same score as third-placed Rebecca Wilson (Monifieth), playing off six. Sammy had the better inward half.
NORTH OF SCOTLAND GIRLS' CHAMPIONSHIP
Nairn Dunbar Golf Club
Leading scores (CSS 75)
Scratch
Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) 77; Laura Murray (Alford) 78; Roseanne Niven (Crieff), Rebecca Wilson (Monifieth) 79; Michele Thomson (McDonald Ellon), Ashton Ingram (Fort William), Sammy Vass (Tain)  84; Sally Kettlewell (Dunblane) 85; Lauren MacCallum (McDonald Ellon) 88; Nadia Green (Nairn) 89.
Handicap
Donna MacKinnon (Durness) (26) 70; Sammy Vass (Tain) (11) (better inward half), Rebecca Wilson (Monifieth) (6) 73; Louise Smith (Kirriemuir) (27) 75; Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) (2); Laura Murray (Alford) (1), Roseanne Niven (2) , Lauren MacCallum (McDonald Ellon) (11) 77; Nadia Green (11) 78; Sally Kettlewell (Dunblane) (6), Aimee Taylor (Forres) (33), Karen Murray (Alford) (18) 79.
Photos courtesy Cara Gruber.

Boyd Quaich
SOUTH AFRICAN LEADS BOYD QUAICH FIELD
South African student Oliver Bekker from Stellenbosch leads by one shot at the halfway stage of the Boyd Quaich international students' golf tournament over the Old and New Courses, St Andrews.
Bekker had rounds of 74 over both for a 148 tally, one shot ahead of three players - Paul McDonald (University College Dublin), Andy Keith (Dundee) and Ben Westgate (Exeter).
LEADING TOTALS
148 O Bekker (Stellenbosch) 74 74.
149 P McDonald (UC Dublin) 74 75, A Keir (Dundee) 74 75, B Westgate (Exeter) 71 78.
152 J Holmes (UWIC Wales) 74 78.
153 S Van Der Vord (Exeter) 78 75, D Korpela (Toronto) 75 78, Sean Doherty (Leeds Metro) 75 78, Rhys McGovern (Griffith, Australia) 75 78, Nic Slater (University of Highlands & Islands) 75 78.
154 R Gerber (Stgellenbosch) 76 78, R Pace (Leeds Metro) 78 76.
155 B Hemstock (Cardiff) 82 73, E Bryceland (Stirling) 79 76, A Leggate (Strathclyde) 80 75, B Wood (Griffith, Australia) 80 75.

BIDDING OPENS FOR THE ULTIMATE GOLFING DREAM - A PLACE IN THE 2005 DUNHILL LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP
·    Website bidding auction for playing spot in tournament
·    Make a bid on www.qxl.com/dunhilllinks
·    Funds raised to be donated to St Andrews Pilgrim Foundation
·    Play over Old Course at St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns
ST ANDREWS, July 19, 2005 – Bidding has opened in an international online auction for a place in this year’s dunhill links championship. Amateur golfers from all over the world are being offered the chance of a lifetime to play in the same tournament as top professionals and amateurs from the world of sport and entertainment in this year’s web auction.
This year’s dunhill links championship takes place from September 29 – October 2 over the Old Course at St Andrews, the Championship Course at Carnoustie and the highly regarded Kingsbarns Golf Links. The online auction offers amateur golfers throughout the world a rare opportunity to play in this prestigious tournament. The winning bidder will be treated to the very best of dunhill’s world famous hospitality. The package includes one amateur spot in the 2005 dunhill links championship, five nights accommodation at an official tournament hotel (breakfast included), airport transfers from Edinburgh and invitations to the championship's exclusive social events as honoured guests.
The auction runs from July 19 until September 9. Online auctioneers QXL.com are hosting the proceedings. Bids can be made by visiting www.qxl.com/dunhilllinks. Stuart Hawthorne, QXL.com UK Site Marketing Manager commented “www.QXL.com is a trading platform, which enables individuals and small businesses to buy and sell all types of products and services online in an easy, efficient and safe environment. It is also a place where members have a good time, place bids and get involved with the site through our forums.”
The event, which raised just under £18,000 pounds last year, is in aid of the St Andrews-based Pilgrim Foundation, an organisation committed the restoration of historic monuments and buildings in the Home of Golf. The Foundation’s patrons include Sir Sean Connery, Colin Montgomerie, Jack Nicklaus, Seve Ballesteros, Arnold Palmer, Sam Torrance, Tony Jacklin and TV commentator Peter Alliss.
Last year’s dunhill links championship was won by Scotland’s Stephen Gallacher who is to return to the scene of his greatest triumph when he defends his title this autumn.
Amateurs will once again be sharing centre stage with the professionals. Some of the better known amateurs who have played in the past include Boris Becker, Sir Bobby Charlton, Alan Hansen, Jodie Kidd, Kevin Costner, Gary Lineker, Nigel Mansell, Dennis Quaid, Sir Steve Redgrave and Tico Torres.
Entrance to the dunhill links championship will once again be FREE on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. A ticket price of £15 (concessionary £10) will be charged for the final day’s play over the Old Course on Sunday, October 2. Under 16’s and students are FREE. Tickets are available through the ticket hotline on 0870 010 9021 or at the entrance gate. There is free parking for spectators, and a free shuttle bus service will be in operation between courses.

Tuesday 19th July 2005

Scottish Girls' Preview
Jordana Graham (Southerness) has withdrawn from the field for next week's BP Scottish girls (match-play) championship at Tain Golf Club.
That leaves only 50 competitors in the draw but if the championship is short on numbers it certainly does not lack quality. All the top prospects will be there with Krysle Caithness (St Regulus), who won the Menzies Trophy as the leading Under-18 player in last week's BP Scottish junior women's open stroke-play championship at West Kilbride, defending the title.
The last player to win the girls' match-play crown two years in a row was Vikki Laing (Musselburgh). In fact, Vikki set a record by winning the title four years in a row from 1996 to 1999.
Krystle, 16, is young enough to have the opportunity to replicate Miss Laing's feat but it is fair to say there are probably more potential winners around that there were eight or nine years ago.
Krystle's Scotland team-mates in the recent European girls' team championship in Switzerland - Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar), Carly Booth (Comrie) and Sally Watson (Elie & Earlsferry) - are front-rank contenders.
The North-east has not provided the title-winner since Elaine Farquharson (Deeside) in 1985 but in Laura Murray (Alford), 16-year-old winner of the Scottish schoolgirls title at St Andrews Bay in June and now a one-handicap player after shaving three shots off her handicap in the last few weeks, and 17-year-old Michele Thomson (McDonald Ellon), one of the youngest ever winners of the North of Scotland women's championship at Banchory earlier this month, the area must have high hopes of ending the 20 lean years.
Next week's championship starts with two qualifying rounds on the Tuesday. The 32 players with the lowest gross 36-hole totals will go into the championship match-play draw.
The next best 16 gross totals will qualify players for the Ansley Reid Salver, a secondary match-play competition.
That will take care of just about all 50 players.
There is also usually a consolation 18-hole tournament.
Draw for Tuesday (morning and afternoon times)
8.00 12.30 Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar), Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm), Rebecca Watson (Elie & Earlsferry Ladies)
8.09 12.39 Carly Booth (Auchterarder), Michele Thomson (McDonald), Emma Fairnie (Peebles)
8.18 12.48 Laura Murray (Alford), Amanda Edwards (Liberton), Ashton Ingram (Fort William)
8.27 12.57 Rachael Livingstone (Musselburgh Old), Pamela Pretswell (Bothwell Castle), Katy McNicoll (Carnoustie Ladies)
8.36 13.06 Sally Watson (Elie & Earlsferry Ladies), Roseanne Niven (Crieff), Krystle Caithness (St Regulus)
8.45 13.15 Hannah Harvey (St Leonards), Jane Turner (Mortonhall), Sally Kettlewell (Dunblane)
8.54 13.24 STARTER TIME
9.03 13.33 Laura Whitehead (Droitwich), Fiona Blair (Monifieth), Mhairi Johnstone (Northern)
9.12 13.42 Jacqueline Sneddon (Alyth), Sammy Vass (Tain), Isla Craigie (Torwoodlee)
9.21 13.51 Vicki Smith (Kilmarnock (Barassie)), Lauren MacCallum (McDonald), Nadia Green (Nairn)
9.30 14.00 Annabel Niven (Crieff), Jordana Graham (Southerness), Morag MacPherson (Turnberry)
9.39 14.09 Rebecca Wilson (Monifieth), Eilidh MacKay (Nairn Dunbar), Megan Barbour (North Berwick)
9.48 14.18 Kirsty Moss (Monifieth), Ashley Smith (Kirriemuir), Samantha Leslie (Westhill)
9.57 14.27 STARTER TIME
10.06 14.36 Fiona Stewart (Monifieth), Cara Easton (Dalmahoy), Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm)
10.15 14.45 Jillian Pryde (Monifieth), Karen Murray (Alford), Jill Meldrum (Dullatur)
10.24 14.54 Andrea Bowie (Monifieth), Lauren Meldrum (Dullatur), Marsha Hull (Strathaven)
10.33 15.03 Gillian Simpson (Baberton), Chloe MacLeod (Nairn Dunbar), Hannah MacKay (Tain)
10.42 15.12 Rachael Watton (Baberton), Louise Smith (Kirriemuir), Heather Peebles (Monifieth)

Monday 18th July 2005

Aberdeenshire Girls'
LAURA PIPS MICHELE FOR TOP SPOT IN ABERDEENSHIRE GIRLS’ MEDAL
Laura Murray (Alford), pictured left, beat Aberdeenshire women’s county team-mate Michele Thomson (McDonald Ellon), pictured right, on a countback over the last six holes after they had tied with 80s for the top scratch award in today’s Aberdeenshire girls’ medal competition over the Deeside Golf Club course at Bieldside, to the west of Aberdeen.
Neither had played the course before. The ladies’ par of 72 for the 5,692yd course off the red tees is rated difficult to achieve. The Standard Scratch Score is 74 and the CSS for today’s competition was also 74.
Both went out in 39 (two over par) and came home in 41 (six over). One-handicap Laura covered the last six holes in 25 shots to four-handicap Michele’s 27, holing a 6ft birdie putt at the par-5 18th hole. This proved to be the decisive stroke.
The North-east teenagers will renew their friendly rivalry in Wednesday’s North of Scotland girls’ championship over one round at Nairn Dunbar.
Mhairi Johnstone (Northern), the Aberdeen schoolgirls champion, had the third best scratch score of 81 (43-38). Like Laura and Michele, she had not seen the private members’ course previously.
Lauren Duncan (Aboyne) had the lowest net score of 72 off a handicap of 34.
LEADING SCORES
SCRATCH
80 Laura Murray (Alford), Michele Thomson (McDonald Ellon). *Laura won with better last six holes’ total.
81 Mhairi Johnstone (Northern).
85 Sjavon Wilson (Murcar).
87 Lauren MacCallum (McDonald Ellon).
HANDICAP
72 Lauren Duncan (Aboyne) (34).
73 Mhairi Johnstone (Northern) (8).
75 Sarah Whyte (Aberdeen Ladies) (18), Hayley Thomson (Newmachar) (20).
76 Louise McGillivray (Oldmeldrum) (35), L MacCallum (McDonald Ellon) (11), Michele Thomson (McDonald Ellon) (4).
77 Sarah Beattie (Hazlehead) (23), Samantha Leslie (Westhill) (16), Lauren Whyte (Aberdeen Ladies) (17).

Vets' News
HELEN'S DOUBLE WHAMMY IN VETS' COMPETITION AT ALFORD
Helen Edon from Banchory scored a double whammy in today's Scottish Veteran Ladies Golf Association (Northern Division) "Vintage Vets"competition at Alford Golf Club.
Helen won the top scratch prize - the Tony Moffat Clock - with a gross 78 and also the Chris Wilson Quaich for the best handicap return of 66 off 12.
PRIZEWINNERS (CSS 71)
Scratch - Tony Moffat Clock: H Edon (Banchory) 79;  handicap (Chris Wilson Quaich): H Edon (Banchory) (12) 66. Bronze Division - Handicap (Chris Wilson Quaich): A Meldrum (Murcar) (23) 68; K Fouin (Deeside) (24) 72. Rare Vintage prize (Tony Moffat Caithness Glass Bowl): M Fraser (Downfield) (33) 73.

SCOTS IN FINAL QUALIFYING FIELD FOR WOMEN’S BRITISH OPEN
British stroke-play champion Clare Queen is the only Scottish amateur guaranteed a place in the field for the Weetabix Women’s British Open at Royal Birkdale from July 28 to 31.
But GB&I Vagliano Trophy team-mate Heather MacRae (Dunblane) will be doing her level best to join her by finishing in the top 10 of the Final Qualifying competition over 18 holes at Hillside Golf Club on Monday, July 25.
Other Scots in that field of 80 are:
Vhari Carruthers, Julie Forbes, Lynn Kenny, Vikki Laing, Kathryn Marshall and Mhairi McKay.
Inverness-based New Zealand rookie pro Liz McKinnon will is also in the Final Qualifying field.
Clare Queen (Drumpellier) is one of only four amateurs who go straight into the championship field. The others are:
Louise Stahle (Sweden), winner of the British women’s open amateur championship this year and last.
Michelle Wie (US), by special invitation.
Carlota Ciganda (Spain), winner of the 2004 European women’s individual amateur championship last year. Carlota is the same age (15) as Michelle Wie but the Spaniard’s birthday is later and she is the youngest in the field.

MOODIE DOUBLE BOGEY FINISH COSTS HER SECOND PLACE IN CANADIAN OPEN
Janice Moodie finished the Canadian Women's Open with a disastrous double-bogey 7 at the 18th for a round of 75 and a six-under-par total of 282 at Glen Arbour, Halifax in Nova Scotia yesterday (Sunday).
Overnight leader, the Scot would have tied for second place, a shot behind tournament winner Meena Lee, a South Korean rookie, had she achieved a par 5 at the last hole.
Instead she dropped down to a tie for sixth place alongside England's Johanna Head, and two Americans.
The double-bogey cost Moodie several thousand dollars in prize money.
Had she birdied the last hole she would have forced a play-off and might still have won the event.
Meena Lee shot 73, 68, 69 and 69 for a nine-under-par total of 279 - one stroke ahead of Australian Katherine Hull.
LEADING TOTALS
279 Meena Lee (South Korea) 73 69 69 69.
280 Katherine Hull (Australia) 72 70 69 69.
281 Leta Lindley (US) 71 71 71 68, Angela Stanford (US) 69 69 70 73.
282 Janice Moodie (Scotland) 66 69 72 75, Johanna Head (England) 69 71 74 68, Brittany Lang (US) 69 73 72 78, Dorothy Delasin (US) 71 69 69 73.

Sunday 17th July 2005

Janice Moodie leading in the Canadian Open
Janice Moodie has lead through the first three rounds of the Canadian Open golf championship. The Glasgow player has a great chance to achieve her third win on the LPGA Tour.
She has had scores of66, 69 and 72 for nine-under-par 207 and leads by one shot.
In her first round, Janice had six birdies – at the second, third, fourth, fifth, ninth and 18.
In her second round, she hadfour birdies – at the 11th, 13th, 16th and 18th.
And in her final round, Miss Moodie birdied the eighth and 14th.
Let’s hope she can get back on the birdie trail with a vengeance in today’s final round over the 6,285yd, par-72 Glen Arbor course at Halifax, Nova Scotia.
We have her post third-round interview for you to read.
Mhairi McKay beat the halfway cut which fell at 147 with rounds of 69 and 74 but she had a disastrous third-round 82 with double bogeys at the first and 16th. She also double-bogeyed the par-4 first hole in her second round and had further double bogeys on Day 2 at the sixth and 17th but shot enough birdies to finish with a 74.
Kathryn Marshall missed the cut by one shot with scores of 73 and 75 for 148. Kathryn did not play the par-5s well. She was three over par for the long holes alone in the second round and one over for the par-5s in her first round.
Catriona Matthew is not playing in this event. Neither is Annika Sorenstam.
LEADERBOARD
207 (-9) Janice Moodie 6669 72
208 Angela Stanford 69 6970.
209 Dorothy Delasin71 6969,Il Mi Chung 69 68 72.
210 Meena Lee 73 69 69.

Interview with Janice Moodie
MODERATOR: Okay, Janice, third day in a row in the lead, one shot lead. Can we go over your scorecard first?
JANICE MOODIE: Yeah. You're going to have to help me.
MODERATOR: Bogey on 3?
JANICE MOODIE: Bogey on 3, just a 3 putt. The first time I've actually been to the top of that one on the par 5. And just left myself a really difficult chip, never got up there, and 3 putted.
MODERATOR: Birdie on 8?
JANICE MOODIE: Birdie on 8, 3 wood, and then I hit a nice 9 iron into about 12 feet there and holed it.
MODERATOR: Birdie on 14?
JANICE MOODIE: Driver, and then I hit a (indiscernible) into about 12 feet. Really, really good shot. And just missed the putt for eagle.
MODERATOR: And bogey on 15?
JANICE MOODIE: I tried to punch an 8 iron, and that wind was just swirling up in the trees and I really didn't have a clue what the wind was doing. And I just didn't hit the right club, I guess. Ended up in the bunker, didn't get up and down.
MODERATOR: It was pretty windy out there this afternoon and third day in the lead going into the last round. Want to talk a little about going into the last round?
JANICE MOODIE: Really happy about how I played today even though I shot level par (indiscernible) the last two days.
But it was just more of the battle today with the wind. And I think somebody sped up the greens for a us a little bit too. They were definitely faster today than the last two days.
MODERATOR: We'll open it up for some questions.
Q. I apologize if you've already answered this cheesy question one of the two days you've been out there. Nova Scotia is Latin for New Scotland. Are you feeling at home out there?
JANICE MOODIE: I am. I'm feeling real at home. I'm staying at a great house on the 3rd hole here. And I had so much time this morning: I worked out, I did two loads of laundry, you know, watched the Open, went on the Internet about ten times and then got ready for my tee time at 2:40 today.
So I'm glad I'm saying in a home. And I think the four walls would have been coming in on me in the hotel room. So just glad I'm staying with nice people.
Q. How aware were you of the cultural and historical ties between Scotland and Nova Scotia before you arrived here?
JANICE MOODIE: Believe me, Lorie Kane told me. And then I also had a cousin that lived up here. My cousin lived up here. We worked with the bank, Dave Robinson, BMO, he worked there. And he was getting transferred up here, so he was hoping to be up here. So I actually almost had relatives here. He got relocated back further south.
Q. Could you talk more about the wind? It's very difficult to judge the wind out here.
JANICE MOODIE: I mean, it really was right from the first hole. I had 162 in there, and I could only imagine what I hit I think I had 172 the day before. And I'm hitting the same club. And I really have to hit it hard.
So there's just a lot of wind. And I think it's with the trees and the gaps in the trees. You just don't know where the wind is coming from.
Q. Do you have a game plan for tomorrow? Or do you try to stick to what has been working to this point?
JANICE MOODIE: You know, I'm just going to go out and do what I've been doing the last three days, and that is just play the golf course.
Obviously, when you get into the heat of the moment, you'll be looking at who's doing what. But right now I know I'm playing well. And if I can just stay calm and stay focused, you never know what's going to happen.
I know I'm going to miss my flight tomorrow night, but that's all right.
Q. What time were you supposed to head out.
JANICE MOODIE: I'm on the 5:45 flight, and that ain't happening.
MODERATOR: Any other questions? Thanks, Janice.

Saturday 16th July 2005

East of Scotland Girls
Draw for the Summer Meeting at Dalmahoy West on Thursday 21st July

Scottish Ladies Junior Open Strokeplay Championship
The photos from West Kilbride are here.
Courtesy and Copyright © Cal Carson Golf Agency
Pictured right: Louise Fleming (Roxburghe) with Junior Open Strokeplay Trophy. (see reports of Tues/Wed 12/13 July)

LYNN KENNY’S GOOD RUN GRINDS TO A HALT IN HUNGARY
Lynn Kenny’s good run on the Ladies European Tour came to an end in the OTP Bank Ladies’ Central European Open at Old Lake Golf & Country Club, Hungary.
The Dunblane rookie failed to beat the 36-hole cut with disappointing rounds of 77 and 79 for 156 – 12 shots too many to get through to the third and final round.
Not one Scot made it past the cut.
Dale Reid was only one shot outside the pass mark with socres of 74 and 71 for three-over 145.
Julie Forbes had a 77 and 70 for 147.
Inverness-based Kiwi Liz McKinnon had 76 and 74 for 150.
The tournament was won by France’s Ludivine Kreutz who scored 69, 64 and 66 for 14-under-par 199. She won the 24,750 Euros top prize by four shots from three players on the 203 mark – Lora Fairclough from Chorley, Lancashire, another English player, Samantha Head and Finland’s Minea Blomqvist.
Lora score 68, 68 and 67; Samantha 66, 65 and 72 while Minea chalked up 72, 64 and 67.

Friday 15th July 2005

Lancôme Irish Girls’ Close Championship, Charleville Golf Club, Co. Cork
McVeigh Crowned Irish Girls Champion
Danielle McVeigh (Royal Co. Down Ladies) is the new Lancôme Irish Girls Close Champion following a 4/3 victory over Limerick’s Linda Toomey at Charleville Golf Club.
Toomey launched the challenge early with a brave 2 at the 2nd. McVeigh’s birdie on 4 levelled the match and pars at 8 and 9 saw her hold a two hole advantage at the turn. Toomey bogeyed 11 to go 3 behind and a birdie 4 on 13 raced McVeigh into a 4 hole lead. However, McVeigh’s 3 putt on 14 prolonged the duel to the 15th where Toomey found the water hazard left of the green and McVeigh two putted to add the Irish to her Ulster title collected just two weeks ago
Earlier in the day, McVeigh saw off Vicki Bradshaw’s hopes of a first title when she putted solidly to win on the 16th green. Toomey’s battle with Ennis’ Sarah Cunningham was a much closer affair with Toomey 2 to the good on the 17th tee. Cunningham birdied to bring the tie to the 18th but Toomey coolly closed out the match with a regulation par 5. In the plate final, Aedin Murphy birdied 2 of the last 3 holes to beat Alisa Theunis’ on the 15th.
13 Year Old Meadow Selected on Girls Team
13 year old Stephanie Meadow has justly been rewarded for her current form by her selection to the 8 player team partaking in the Girls Home International matches at Worplesdon Golf Club, 3-5 August 2005. Joining Meadow are new caps Victoria Bradshaw, Laura Holmes and Ann McCormack.  Danielle McVeigh leads the Irish challenge who look to avenge last year’s defeat by England when Ireland were narrowly beaten on countback at Strathaven in Scotland. Meadow and her teammates will be on show next weekend when the 81 strong International field play in the Irish Open Strokeplay at Hermitage Golf Club, 22-23 July
Championship (Blake Cup):-
Final:
Danielle McVeigh (RCDL) beat Linda Toomey (Limerick) 4/3
Semi Final:
Danielle McVeigh (RCDL) beat Victoria Bradshaw (Bangor) 3/2
Linda Toomey (Limerick) beat Sarah Cunningham (Ennis) 2up
Plate (Pat Fletcher Trophy):-
Final:
Alisa Theunis (Grand Ducal) beat Aedin Murphy 4/2
Semi Final:
Aedin Murphy (Carlow) beat Aoife Lowry (Tipperary) 2/1
Alisa Theunis (Grand Ducal) beat Holli Snelling (Killarney) 1up
Team for Girls Home International Matches, Worplesdon Golf Club, 3-5 August 2005:
Victoria Bradshaw, Fiona Carroll, Sarah Faller, Emma Gilmore, Laura Holmes, Ann McCormack, Stephanie Meadow, Danielle McVeigh
Reserves: Linda Toomey, Charlene Reid
Team for Harder German Masters, Mannheim, 16-18 August 2005:
Linda Toomey, Ciara Walsh
Reserves: Charlene Reid, Louise Coffey
 

Gold Medal winners - Shetland
L to R: Irene Tait - Angelina Sandison - Fiona Black(Captain/Manager) - Loraine Anderson - Heather Hogg

Island Games, played on Dale and Whalsay GCs, Shetland Islands
The Host team, Shetland Islands, have won the Gold Medal in the Island Games Ladies Golf Team Championship which finished at Whalsay Golf Club today.
Shetland and Bermuda tied on 965 and the competition went to a playoff with Heather Hogg nominated to play extra holes for Shetland and Ebonie Burgess nominated to play extra holes for Bermuda. Shetland took 4 and Bermuda took 5 at the first playoff hole. Isle of Wight took the Bronze medal with 998.
Laura Robinson (Bermuda), the overnight leader in the individual tournament, held on to win Gold from her team-mate Ebonie Burgess. Laura's steady scores of 76, 75, 81 and 76 for a total of 308 put her three ahead of Ebonie who must be regretting her third round 87 in her sequence of 78, 76, 87 and 70 for 311.
Sophie Beardsell of the Isle of Wight took the Bronze medal with a total of 314 and Irene Tait was the best of the Shetland contingent on 316 and took fourth place.
Team Championship
965(+4) Shetland Islands (Loraine Anderson, Heather Hogg, Angelina Sandison, Irene Tait) 247 240 246 232 Gold
965(+5) Bermuda (Ebonie Burgess, Susie Elton, Laura Robinson, Wendy Salvia 236 241 257 231 Silver
998 Isle of Wight (Margaret Ankers, Sophie Beardsell, Margaret Butler, Joanne Wright) 245 250 262 241 Bronze
1022 Isle of Man (Judith Carr, Ruth Pigott, Cath Preston, Kate Sheppard, Christina Skelly) 258 259 253 252
1076 Guernsey (Gillian Burford, Diana Hudson, Marion Richards, Sue Wellfair) 268 272 275 261
1076 Orkney (Shona Croy,Elspeth McLellan, Audrey Poke, Eileen Spence) 268 271 268 269
1196 Alderney (Josephine Archer, Barbara Dale, Jill Guille, Gill Waterfall) 299 298 310 289
1352 Rhodes (Christina Anthoulas, Despina-Ioanna Chatzichristodoulou, Anna Karella
Tsampika Kasioti, Despina Papayianni) 334 326 355 337
Individual Championship
1st Laura Robinson Bermuda 76 75 81 76 308 Gold
2nd Ebonie Burgess Bermuda 78 76 87 70 311 Silver
3rd Sophie Beardsell Isle of Wight 79 81 76 78 314 Bronze
4th Irene Tait Shetland Islands 78 77 81 80 316
5th Heather Hogg Shetland Islands 85 81 84 75 325
6th Shona Croy Orkney 80 88 80 83 331
7th Cath Preston Isle of Man 80 91 79 84 334
7th Angelina Sandison Shetland Islands 86 82 89 77 334
9th Diana Hudson Guernsey 85 88 85 84 342
10th Kate Sheppard Isle of Man 92 83 88 82 345
10th Margaret Ankers Isle of Wight 83 83 98 81 345
10th Margaret Butler Isle of Wight 88 87 88 82 345
10th Loraine Anderson Shetland Islands 84 92 81 88 345
14th Susie Elton Bermuda 82 90 89 85 346
15th Christina Skelly Isle of Man 90 87 86 86 349
16th Joanne Wright Isle of Wight 83 86 98 88 355
17th Sue Wellfair Guernsey 89 90 95 84 358
17th Ruth Pigott Isle of Man 88 89 92 89 358
19th Elspeth McLellan Orkney 94 91 93 96 374
20th Eileen Spence Orkney 96 92 97 90 375
21st Marion Richards Guernsey 94 94 95 93 376
22nd Gillian Burford Guernsey 94 95 95 95 379
23rd Audrey Poke Orkney 94 102 95 96 387
24th Barbara Dale Alderney 100 95 102 94 391
25th Jill Guille Alderney 98 100 102 98 398
26th Despina Papayianni Rhodes 102 102 98 105 407
27th Josephine Archer Alderney 116 103 113 97 429
28th Gill Waterfall Alderney 101 109 106 114 430
29th Wendy Salvia Bermuda 111 103 115 107 436
30th Christina Anthoulas Rhodes 110 121 121 121 473
31st Tsampika Kasioti Rhodes 136 110 136 111 493
DNS Judith Carr Isle of Man 0 0 0 0 0
DNS Despina-Ioanna Chatzichristodoulou Rhodes 0 0 0 0 0
NR Anna Karella Rhodes 122 114 0 0 236
NR Heather Cooper St Helena 116 110 0 0 226

North-East News
TWELVE TEENAGE GRAMPIAN GOLFERS NAMED FOR TEXAS TRIP
Twelve North-east teenage golfers have been named to go to Texas for an all expenses paid 10-day holiday of a lifetime in October.
Every golf club in the area was invited to nominate one junior member - boy or girl - to be considered for a place in this year's Grampian Houston Junior Golf scholarship programme.
The selection committee have chosen 10 boys and two girls.
They are (home golf clubs in brackets):
Liam Sang (Aboyne).
Chris Baron (Oldmeldrum).
James Byrne (Banchory).
Lewis Kirton (Newmachar).
Daniel Littler (Inchmarlo).
Philip McLean (Peterhead).
Graeme Mitchell junior (Northern)
Chris Munro (Westhill).
Adrian Styles (Caledonian).
Lee Vettesse (Nigg Bay)
Laura Murray (Alford)
Michele Thomson (McDonald Ellon).
Grampian Houston Junior Golf was founded in 1992 by Banchory man Bruce Davidson while he was the director and head professional at Kings Links Golf Centre, Aberdeen. Bruce is now director of golf at Rivers Oaks Country Club, Houston where he himself went to university on a golf scholarship.
While the boys and girls are in Texas, they will have the opportunity to play some of the finest courses in the Houston region and be given one-to-one coaching. Invited American college golf coaches will watch them being put through their paces.
Inclusion in the biennial party has led to quite a few of the Grampian teenagers being offered golf scholarships in the States.
The Grampian Houston Junior Golf programme is non profit-making and raises the money to send the party of talented youngsters to Texas every two years via an annual pro-am tournament , contested by 45 teams whc which this year will be held at Murcar Golf Club next Friday (July 22).
An auction of golfing memorabilia at the pro-am dinner in the evening is another prime factor in the raising of a five-figure sum every year.
Quantum Claims company has agreed to sponsor the pro-am for a further two years and to continue its generous contribution of a five-figure sun towards the boys and girls' clothing and equipment for the 10-day trip.
Michele Thomson from Ellon, one of the two girls in the party, won the North of Scotland women's championship at Banchory last week.
She said: "To be able to play and practise golf in front of top-class coaches in the USA is a dream come true. This really is an opportunity of a lifetime for me and hopefully one day I will be good enough to make it on the LPGA Tour."
The other girl, Laura Murray from Alford, won the Scottish schoolgirls championship at St Andrews Bay in June and has cut her handicap four four to one in recent weeks.

CLUBGOLF EXCEEDS ALL EXPECTATIONS
Sports Minister Patricia Ferguson today announced that clubgolf, an initiative to encourage Scottish youngsters to take up golf, has exceeded its targets for participation by more than 20% in its first year.
The original target was to get 10,000 nine-year-olds involved in the introductory stage of the programme in its first year and then encourage 20% of those to move on to receive coaching on a proper golf course.  This has been far exceeded with 12,300 taking part in the introductory course and 40% moving on to the next stage.
Speaking at the clubgolf exhibition at The Open in St Andrews Ms Ferguson said:
"These are extremely encouraging and exciting figures that go far beyond our expectations. Golf is a big part of our culture, our identity and our economy here in Scotland. We are passionate about the game and this early success in the clubgolf programme demonstrates this.
"clubgolf gives youngsters the opportunity to get involved in a sport that really benefits Scotland and the young people who are taking part are the ones who will ensure that the game has a bright future here." 
Hamish Grey, Chief Executive of the Scottish Golf Union and clubgolf board member said: 
"Young people are the life blood of our sport and having exceeded our targets for the first stage of the player development pathway we are well on the way to ensuring that every child in Scotland will have the opportunity to learn the basics of golf by 2009"
"Our targets are ambitious but, with the co-operation of golf clubs and schools and the commitment of local authorities we have shown they are achievable."

ELGA News
Trio of champions
England girl international Katrina Holford is celebrating a championship win – alongside Devon’s Emma Tayler and Lancashire’s Catherine Roberts.
They are the winners of the three ELGA divisional championships played so far this season.
Kat (Ingestre Park) swept the board of honours in the Midland championship at Shrewsbury. She was leading qualifier on the opening day on one-over par 147. Her score also won her the intermediate championship and helped Staffordshire to victory in the team trophy.
The 18-year-old moved steadily through the matchplay stages, winning the title in a low scoring final when she defeated county colleague Samantha Birks (Wolstanton) 1 up.
Rachel Jennings, 16, (Izaak Walton) was the third member of the successful Staffordshire A team and also won the Enid Wilson Trophy for the best gross morning round by a junior in qualifying. She scored a level par 73.
In the Northern championship at Headingley Catherine Roberts (Pleasington) produced sub-par golf to beat Karen Heywood (Crompton & Royton) 5/4 in the final.
Low-scoring was the keynote of the tournament with two new course records created during the strokeplay qualifying rounds, despite heavy and prolonged rain. The first came from Clare Brown (Furness) who had a three-under par 71 in the morning. Then Laura Harvey (Richmond) bettered it by a stroke in the afternoon.
Meanwhile, Laura Holmes (Hessle) won the Slazenger Trophy for 18-25-year-olds with her two round total of 146 (73, 73). The scratch and handicap team trophies were both won by the Yorkshire trio of Cheryl Smith, Laura Holmes and Laura Harvey.
The South-West championship at Trevose was won by Devon’s Emma Tayler (Saunton) who beat Emma Brown (West Wilts) 2/1 in a good-quality final.
The two players dominated the event. Emma Brown was top qualifier on 147 after 36 holes of strokeplay and was also the gross intermediate winner. Emma Tayler won the intermediate handicap prize.
Devon won both the scratch and handicap county team prizes.

More ELGA News
England players prepare for Vagliano Trophy
Three of the players who helped England win silver in the European Ladies’ Team Championship will return to international action next week in the Vagliano Trophy matches.
English champion Felicity Johnson (Harborne), Kerry Smith (Waterlooville) and Sophie Walker (Kenwick Park) are part of the Great Britain and Ireland team which will take on the Continent of Europe at Chantilly next Friday and Saturday, July 22 and 23.
“I can’t wait,” said Sophie Walker as she looked ahead to the matches. “We’ll definitely be taking lots of confidence from the Europeans into next week’s matches and I think we can win.”
Great Britain & Ireland are the holders of the Vagliano Trophy, winning the biannual event by one point at Co Louth in 2003.
The team, captained by Ada O’Sullivan, is: Claire Coughlan (Cork), Martina Gillen (Beaverstown), Felicity Johnson (Harborne), Anne Laing (Vale of Leven), Heather MacRae (Dunblane New), Tricia Mangan (Ennis), Kerry Smith (Waterlooville), Clare Queen (Drumpellier), Sophie Walker (Kenwick Park)
The reserves are:1 Jenna Wilson (Strathaven), 2 Tara Delaney (Carlow), 3 Naomi Edwards (Ganton), 4 Melissa Reid (Chevin).

Thursday 14th July 2005

2005 Lancôme Irish girls closed championship
TOP SEED DANIELLE MARCHES THROUGH TO LAST FOUR
Leading qualifier Danielle McVeigh (Royal Co. Down Ladies) continued her impressive form at Charleville Golf Club, County Cork today, marching into the semi-finals of the 2005 Lancôme Irish girls closed championship.
McVeigh led from the start in both of today’s matches, sweeping aside 16th qualifier Lucy Simpson by 5 and 3 and Under-18 international Emma Gilmore 6 and 4 in the afternoon.
Having led the field by a full six strokes after the 36-hole qualifying test, McVeigh is well on course to add this year’s national title to her Ulster title won three weeks ago.
Victoria Bradshaw advanced to the last four, beating Alice Davis on the 19th hole in the morning. Limerick’s Linda Toomey continued her good form when she disposed of Louise Coffey in the morning and edged out Stephanie Meadow on the final green. Meadow, only 13 years old was one up with four to play but missed the 15th green, found water at the par 3 16th and a birdie-par finish was not enough to make up the one-hole deficit.
The fourth semi-finalist, Sarah Cunningham, beat No 2 qualifier Anne McCormack in the morning and dashed Laura Holmes’ hopes of her first title with a 2 and 1 win in the afternoon.
In the plate, Midland Junior Champion Aedin Murphy needed an extra hole to see off Headfort’s Ciara Walsh while Tipperary’s Aoife Lowry was taken to the 20th by the talented Valerie Power. Championship (Blake Cup)
Semi-finals - Friday
09:16 Danielle McVeigh (RCDL) v Victoria Bradshaw (Bangor)
09:24 Linda Toomey (Limerick) v Sarah Cunningham (Ennis)
Thursday's results:
QUARTER-FINALS
Danielle McVeigh (RCDL) bt Emma Gilmore (Mountbellew) 6 and 4.
Victoria Bradshaw (Bangor) bt Fiona Carroll (Athenry) 4 and 2.
Linda Toomey (Limerick) bt Stephanie Meadow (Royal Portrush) 1 hole.
Sarah Cunningham (Ennis) bt Laura Holmes (Enniscrone) 2 and 1.
FIRST ROUND
McVeigh bt Lucy Simpson (Massereene) 5 and 3.
Gilmore bt Charlene Reid (Gracehill) 7 and 6.
Bradshaw bt Alice Davis (Royal Tara) at 19th.
Carroll bt Sarah Faller (Galway) 7 and 6.
Meadow bt Orla Dunphy (Kilkenny) 3 and 2.
Toomey bt Louise Coffey (Warrenpoint) 1 hole.
Holmes bt Naoimh McMahon (Shannon) 1 hole.
Cunningham bt Anne McCormack (Roscommon) 1 hole.
PLATE (Pat Fletcher Trophy)
Semi-finals - Friday
09:00 Aedin Murphy (Carlow) v Aoife Lowry (Tipperary)
09:08 Alisa Theunis (Grand Ducal) v Holli Snelling (Killarney)
Thursday's results
QUARTER-FINALS
Aedin Murphy (Carlow) bt Ciara Walsh (Headfort) at 19th
Aoife Lowry (Tipperary) bt Valerie Power (Faithlegg) at 20th
Alisa Theunis (Grand Ducal) bt Oula Cunneen (The Island) 3 and 2.
Holli Snelling (Killarney) bt Rachel Cassidy (The Island) 6 and 4.
FIRST ROUND
Walsh bt Leona Maguire (Castle Hume) 7 and 6.
Murphy bt Grainne O'Connor (Galway) 2 and 1.
Lowry bt Sarah Louise Winter (Carnalea) 3 and 1.
Power bt Lisa Maguire (Castle Hume) 4 and 3.
Cunneen bt Daniela Murray (Sao Fernando) 4 and 3.
Theunis bt Kate Gallagher (Claremorris) 1 hole.
Cassidy bt Rachel Graham (Bangor) 4 and 3.
Snelling bt Niamh O'Connor (Worplesdon) 4 and 2.

English women's closed amateur stroke-play championship
LAURA EASTWOOD WINS BY FIVE STROKES
Devon’s Laura Eastwood transformed her golfing fortunes when she stormed away from the field to win the English women's closed amateur stroke-play championship at St Annes Old Links today.
“This is huge for me. I am so chuffed with myself,” said the 21-year-old from Yelverton, who shot a four-under par 68 in the final round and finished with a one-under total of 287 for the 72 holes.
“I forgot to enter the British championship a few weeks ago. I didn’t get picked for the European team championship, which was disappointing. Then the other day I missed out on pre-qualifying for the Weetabix (Women’s British Open) by one shot. So I came here with something to prove," said Laura.
She let her clubs do the talking throughout the tournament. She was lying second at the halfway stage and moved into a share of the lead after the third round, when she returned a level par 72.
Her game plan for the final round was simple: “I just wanted to play my own game and try and get my score into red figures.”
Laura began as she meant to go on, almost holing her approach to the first green and following up with an eagle 3 on the fifth. She reached the turn at one-under par, after a couple of bogeys, and then played flawless golf.
She birdied the 13th before providing the spectators with a grandstand finish, with birdies on the 17th and 18th, which widened the gap between herself and the rest of the field.
Laura, the 2002 English girls’ champion, also becomes the Under-23 and Under-21 English closed stroke-play champion.
Her closest challenger in the tournament was 16-year-old Kiran Matharu (Cookridge Hall) who was runner-up on 292 and also won the Under-18 title. Kiran rocketed through the field after an opening 81, which included an 8 on the first hole of the tournament where she lost a ball.
Her reply was three rounds of sub-par golf: 71, 70, 70, with her third round concluding in spectacular style with scores of birdie, eagle, birdie.
Two shots behind her in joint third place were the long-time tournament leader, 17-year-old Natasha Podmore (Delamere Forest) and England international Lisa Ball (Matfen Hall). Natasha kept pace with Laura Eastwood until the last nine holes of the championship but her challenge fizzled out on the way home.
Lisa Ball had no problems with the closing holes. She covered the last nine in 32, four under par, helped by three birdies and an eagle on 18.
Karen Heywood (Crompton & Royton) broke 70 in competition for the first time when she shot a final round 67, the low score of the tournament, and soared up the leaderboard into a share of fifth place.
Also on 296 was international Julie Ross (Whitley Bay). Another international, Faye Sanderson (Heworth) shared seventh place on 297 with Anna Scott (Consett & District) and Ellie Givens (Blackwell Grange).
Defending champion Sian Reddick (Sene Valley) had a final round 74 and tied for 10th place with Alex Marshall (Burghley Park) on 299.
The final round provided the lowest scores of the tournament with Emma Brown (West Wilts) also breaking 70 with a three-under par 69.
The Under-23 county team trophy was won by Cheshire (Natasha Podmore & Emma McBride) with a score of 299. Devon (Laura Eastwood & Emma Tayler) were runners-up on 303. Leicestershire, Lincolnshire and Kent shared third place.

Wednesday 13th July 2005

English women's closed amateur stroke-play championship
NATASHA RETAINS LEAD
Cheshire’s Natasha Podmore has kept a firm grip on the English women's closed amateur stroke-play championship - with a two-shot lead at the halfway stage. The 17-year-old overnight leader added a three-over par 75 to her opening 70 to hold off the challenge of Ellie Givens (Blackwell Grange) and Laura Eastwood (Yelverton).
They head the top 36 players and ties who have qualified for the final day’s play in the 72-hole tournament. The cut fell at 156, twelve over par for the first two rounds.
Natasha, from Delamere Forest, is looking forward to tomorrow’s challenge.
“I just want to keep playing well and enjoy the day,” she said.
Like many players, she found today’s conditions tricky as the breeze got up and made clubbing difficult, particularly on the downwind holes.
However, it was the greens which caused her most problems.
“My long game was really good and I hit more fairways than yesterday but I struggled a bit on the greens. You think you’ve read them well but you don’t always see the break,” said Natasha, whose birdie putt on the 18th lipped out.
“But overall I did all right and I’m quite happy.”
Ellie Givens was one of only two players to break par – and her one-under 71 was the realisation of an ambition.
“I really wanted to shoot under par in a major competition and I am so chuffed that I’ve done it,” said the 16-year-old, who eagled the long 17th.
“I’ve done it on my home course quite a few times but it’s nice to do it in the English Ladies’ Strokeplay!"
It was also a landmark performance for Ellie after breaking her ankle earlier this year, when she was struck by a golf ball.
“It’s really nice to prove that I’m back,” she said. She shares second place on 147 with Laura Eastwood, 21, who shot 75 today and said: “I left quite a lot out there to be honest. I holed some really nice putts but I had some really sad three putts. It was fine, I’m quite happy with it, but it could have been a bit better.”
One shot behind them is defending champion Sian Reddick, 20, who had two birdies in her 76 – and a number of unlucky bounces.
Among the other players at the head of the tightly packed leaderboard is 15-year-old Rachel Connor (Manchester) who prompted a flurry of applause when she eagled the 18th. Her second shot to the green travelled 190 yards and came to rest 2ft from the cup.
Kiran Matharu (Cookridge Hall), 16, shrugged off her opening 81 and bettered it by 10 shots to return the joint low score of the day. She’s just back from Switzerland where she helped England win the gold medal in the European Girls' Team Championship - and she’s on a high.
“It was one of the best weeks I have ever had,” she said.

2005 Lancôme Irish Girls Close Championship
DANIELLE HEADS MATCH-PLAY QUALIFIERS
Current international Danielle McVeigh (Royal Co Down Ladies) shot a 36-hole level par aggregate to win the Muwick Cup and lead the qualifiers at the 2005 Lancôme Irish Girls Close Championship at Charleville Golf Club today
McVeigh struggled over her opening round and stood on the seventh tee at four over par. However she rapidly found her rhythm and recorded birdies at 7, 11, 17 and 18 to card a 2 over par 74 in the morning.
The afternoon’s round saw her birdie five holes from the eighth through 13th, with a par on 12. This, along with birdies on 3 and 18. saw her register a new course record 70, at 2 under par.
Six shots back was Roscommon’s Anne McCormack who recorded a 73 in the damp afternoon conditions to add to her uneventful 77 in the morning. She birdied 2, 4, 6 and 8 to turn two under the card after nine.
Conditions worsened for the late starters and a frustrating back nine saw her card four bogeys and a single birdie on the 17th.
Ever improving Stephanie Meadow (Royal Portrush) birdied 7, 14 and 17 in the afternoon to match her morning 76 while early pace setter Victoria Bradshaw birdied 13, 15 and 17 in her morning 72 but failed to repeat her excellent form carding an 81 in the afternoon.
There were no major "casualties" in this year’s championship with the cut at 161.
McVeigh takes on 16th qualifier Lucy Simpson (Massereene) at 9.40am tomorrow morning while McCormack faces a tough assignment against Ennis’s Sarah Cunningham.
Third seed Meadow plays Interprovincial Orla Dunphy (Kilkenny) while Sarah Faller (Galway) plays current international Fiona Carroll (Athenry).
Championship (Blake Cup)
Draw:-
09.40 Danielle McVeigh (RCDL) –v- Lucy Simpson (Massereene)
09.48 Emma Gilmore (Mountbellew) –v- Charlene Reid (Gracehill)
09.56 Victoria Bradshaw (Bangor) –v- Alice Davis (Royal Tara)
10. 04 Fiona Carroll (Athenry) –v- Sarah Faller (Galway)
10.12 Stephanie Meadow (Royal Portrush) –v- Orla Dunphy (Kilkenny)
10.20 Louise Coffey (Warrenpoint) –v- Linda Toomey (Limerick)
10.28 Naoimh McMahon (Shannon) –v- Laura Holmes (Enniscrone)
10.36 Sarah Cunningham (Ennis) –v- Anne McCormack (Roscommon)
Plate (Pat Fletcher Trophy)
Draw:-
08.30 Ciara Walsh (Headfort) –v- Leona Maguire (Castle Hume)
08.38 Aedin Murphy (Carlow) –v- Grainne O'Connor (Galway)
08.46 Sarah Louise Winter (Carnalea) –v- Aoife Lowry (Tipperary)
08.54 Lisa Maguire (Castle Hume) –v- Valerie Power (Faithlegg)
09.02 Oula Cunneen (The Island) –v- Daniela Murray (Sao Fernando)
09.10 Kate Gallagher (Claremorris) –v- Alisa Theunis (Grand Ducal)
09.18 Rachel Cassidy (The Island) –v- Rachel Graham (Bangor)
09.26 Niamh O'Connor (Worplesdon) –v- Holli Snelling (Killarney)
Championship Qualifying Totals
144 74 70 Danielle McVeigh Royal Co Down Ladies
150 77 73 Anne McCormack Roscommon
152 76 76 Stephanie Meadow Royal Portrush
153 75 78 Sarah Faller Galway
153 72 81 Victoria Bradshaw Bangor
155 78 77 Linda Toomey Limerick
155 76 79 Naoimh McMahon Shannon
156 78 78 Charlene Reid Gracehill
157 80 77 Emma Gilmore Mountbellew
157 79 78 Laura Holmes Enniscrone
157 73 84 Louise Coffey Warrenpoint
158 79 79 Alice Davis Royal Tara
158 78 80 Fiona Carroll Athenry
160 78 82 Orla Dunphy Kilkenny
161 81 80 Sarah Cunningham Ennis
161 80 81 Lucy Simpson Massereene
Pat Fletcher Trophy - Plate Qualifiers
162 79 83 Ciara Walsh Headfort
164 83 81 Holli Snelling Killarney
164 83 81 Oula Cunneen The Island
164 79 85 Valerie Power Faithlegg
166 83 83 Sarah Louise Winter Carnalea
166 82 84 Alisa Theunis Grand Ducal
166 82 84 Rachel Cassidy The Island
167 86 81 Grainne O'Connor Galway
167 84 83 Aedin Murphy Carlow
167 83 84 Rachel Graham Bangor
172 87 85 Kate Gallagher Claremorris
175 90 85 Aoife Lowry Tipperary
175 86 89 Lisa Maguire Castle Hume
176 89 87 Daniela Murray Sao Fernando
178 91 87 Niamh O'Connor Worplesdon
178 89 89 Leona Maguire Castle Hume
Non-qualifiers
179 90 89 Mairead McIntyre Birr
179 89 90 Sara Owens Bangor
179 88 91 Cathy Kavanagh Woodenbridge
180 89 91 Aisling Hyland The Island
180 88 92 Tara Fahey Westport
181 95 86 Rachel Pyne Ennis
181 92 89 Tara Dunne Wexford
181 89 92 Diandra O'Connell Ennis
182 93 89 Louise Mernagh Woodenbridge
184 88 96 Orla Murray Tramore
186 92 94 Emma O'Driscoll Ballybunion
187 94 93 Hannah O'Brien Lahinch
188 95 93 Sarah Edgar Tandragee
188 92 96 Sarah Crowe Tipperary
188 91 97 Sarah Helly Enniscrone
191 100 91 Ruth Lillis Ennis
194 95 99 Carmel O'Connor Westport
195 97 98 Elaine Kelly Ennis
196 99 97 Marie Scales Lahinch
198 97 101 Siobhan Cody Charleville
198 97 101 Ciara Pender Ennis
208 97 111 Caoimhe Tynan Roscrea

Scottish Girls Team for the British Girls International Team Event
SCOTS TRIO NAMED FOR WEST HILL, SURREY
The Scottish Ladies Golfing Association named the following trio to represent Scotland in the international team event staged in conjunction with the qualifying rounds of the Girls' British Open championship at West Hill Golf Club, Surrey from August 8 to 12:
LAURA MURRAY (Alford) (capt).
CARLY BOOTH (Comrie)
KRYSTLE CAITHNESS (St Regulus)
Reserves:
1 ROSEANNE NIVEN (Crieff).
2 MICHELE THOMSON (McDonald Ellon)

Prizewinners at the Scottish junior women's open stroke-play golf championship at West Kilbride
L to R: Claire-Marie Carlton, Louise Fleming, Krystle Caithness

Scottish junior women's open stroke-play golf championship
LOUISE FLEMING FIRST BORDERS PLAYER TO WIN SCOTTISH JUNIOR WOMEN'S TITLE
Kelso teenager Louise Fleming became the first Borders player in the 50-year history of the Scottish junior women's open stroke-play golf championship to win the 54-hole tournament, sponsored by BP, over the West Kilbride Golf Club links today.
The 19-year-old Roxburghe Golf Club member maintained her three-stroke overnight lead with a one-under-par final round of 72 for a final total of one-under-par 218.
Runner-up was playing partner and former Scottish schoolgirls champion Clare-Marie Carlton (Stirling University) who also had a 72 for 221.
Miss Fleming, a golf scholarship student at Jacksonville State University, Alabama, returned from the United States for the summer vacation only four weeks ago and since then has cut her handicap from three to one.
"I was pretty solid over the three rounds - down the middle mostly, which was important on a course like West Kilbride. The rough was pretty tough at some holes." said Louise. "My game has improved 100 per cent since I moved from Minnesota University to Jacksonville State at the start of the 2004-2005 collegte golf season.
"Colette Murray, who comes from Dumfries and is assistant golf coach at Jacksonville State, persuaded me to transfer from Minnesota - and it's been a great move for me. I was a Scotland girl international and won the South of Scotland women's championship in 2001 but I am a far better player now than I used to be .... thanks to playing regularly with and against very good players on the American college circuit."
Louise's outward half on her final round was typical of her new-found steadiness - she parred every hole to keep her challengers, headed by Clare-Marie Carlton, at a safe distance.
After the turn and with the wind behind her at most of the holes, Miss Fleming birdied the 11th, 13th, 15th and 18th and could afford the luxury of bogeys at the 12th, 16th and 17th and still not be in danger of behind headed with two halves of 36.
Miss Carlton birdied the eighth, 11th and 13th and had bogeys at the 10th and 15th in halves of 35 and 37.
Krystle Caithness (St Regulus), the 16-year-old Fifer who will defend her Scottish Under-18 girls' match-play title at Tain later this month, finished third with a 73 for 225. She won the Menzies Trophy for the best aggregate by an Under-18 player.FINAL TOTALS
BP SCOTTISH JUNIOR WOMEN'S OPEN STROKE-PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP
West Kilbride Golf Club
FINAL TOTALS
(Par 73, CSS 73 73 73)
218 L Fleming (The Roxburghe) 73 73 72.
221 C-M Carlton (Stirling Univ) 80 69 72.
225 K Caithness (St Regulus) 73 79 73.
227 G Webster (Hilton Park) 77 77 73.
229 M Thomson (McDonald Ellon) 75 77 77.
230 R Niven (Crieff) 76 79 75, J Wilson (Strathaven) 74 80 76.
231 L Gould (Bargoed) 83 73 75.
232 K Walker (Stirling Univ) 75 84 73.
233 L Murray (Alford) 73 79 81.
234 R Livingstone (Musselburgh Old) 79 80 75, M Briggs (Kilmacolm) 79 78 77.
235 G Easton (Bargoed) 79 81 75, A Ingram (Fort William) 76 79 80.
236 J Rodert (Sweden) 80 81 75.
237 R Watson (Elie & Earlsferry Ladies) 79 83 75.
238 L Walker (Nairn Dunbar) 78 82 78.
239 P Pretswell (Bothwell Castle) 85 79 75.
240 K O'Sullivan (Cochrane Castle) 82 83 75.
241 R Wilson (Monifieth) 85 79 77, L Hendry (Routenburn) 82 81 78, D Dewar (Stirling Univ) 83 78 80.
243 K Harper (Inverness) 81 85 77, A Edwards (Liberton) 80 82 81.
244 S Wilson (Elie & Earlsferry Ladies) 78 86 80.
245 J Turner (Mortonhall) 86 83 76.
246 K Wells (Dumfries & Co) 85 75 86.
247 S Wilson (Murcar) 83 83 81, H Owers-Bradley (Wollaton Park) 81 84 82.
248 E Ogilvy (Muckhart) 88 84 76, K McNicoll (Carnoustie Ladies) 81 87 80.
250 F Blair (Monifieth) 85 80 85, A Wilton (Ladybank) 82 80 88.
252 S Vass (Tain) 89 83 80.
253 S Kettlewell (Dunblane New) 81 85 87.
255 K Thomson (Kintore) 82 87 86.
257 E MacKay (Nairn Dunbar) 83 86 88, L MacGregor (Falkirk) 83 84 90.
258 E Fairnie (Peebles) 89 86 83, H Harvey (St Leonards) 84 89 85.
259 S Herd (Dunblane New) 83 88 88.
262 M MacPherson (Turnberry) 87 89 86.
265 E Briggs (Kilmacolm) 90 88 87.
266 A Niven (Crieff) 86 90 90.
269 L McCallum (McDonald Ellon) 90 97 82, J Graham (Southerness) 86 90 93.
270 K Keith (Woodbury Park) 92 91 87.
271 S Hutton (Troon Bentinck Ladies) 93 90 88, J Sneddon (Alyth) 90 92 89.
273 R McIntyre (Eden) 99 90 84.
280 J Meldrum (Dullatur) 97 92 91.
282 L Allan (Kilbirnie Place) 98 90 94
286 L Meldrum (Dullatur) 97 94 95.
287 S Leslie (Westhill) 101 91 95, A McGarty (Bathgate) 100 101 86.
305 R McQueen (Troon Bentinck Ladies) 104 107 94.
314 A Sargent (Skelmorlie) 106 107 101.
Withdrew: K MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) 86 86 -.

SVLGA (Midland Division) - Summer Meeting 11th July - Stirling GC
CSS77   (36 players)
1st Scratch:  Margaret Tough 78
Donaldson Trophy winner (best nett) = Muriel McPherson 86-10=76 (bih)
1st Handicap 0-12:  Shelagh Quinn 83-6=77.
1st Handicap 13-20:  Hella Bunch 89-13=76.
Championship qualifiers:  M. Tough, L. Bennett, S. Quinn and L. Miskimmin.
Championship - Tuesday, 12th July - Stirling
Semi final:  Margaret Tough beat Liz Miskimmin 1 up
                 Lorna Bennett beat Shelagh Quinn 2/1
FINAL:      Lorna Bennett (Holder) beat Margaret Tough 5/4
Competitions on both days were played in very hot, sunny conditions.

Tuesday 12th July 2005

YANKEE DOODLE GOLF HELPS KELSO KID LOUSE LEAD AT WEST KILBRIDE
Kelso teenager Louise Fleming's experience on the competitive American college circuit has played no small part in establishing her as favourite to win the BP Scottish junior women's open stroke-play golf championship at West Kilbride Golf Club today (WEDNESDAY).
The 19-year-old golf scholarship student at Jacksonville State University shot two par-matching rounds of 73 on a warm but windy day on a fast-running links course for a 146 tally.
With one round to go, Louise, a member of The Roxburghe Golf Club, leads by three strokes from Stirling University student Clare-Marie Carlton whose afternoon, four-under-par 69 for 149 was easily the best score of the day over the 5,782yd Ayrshire links.
Miss Fleming, recruited from Minnesota University's roster by fellow-Scot Colette Murray, now assistant coach of the Gamecocks, was a key member of the Jacksonville State University team who won the Ohio Valley Conference women's college championship earlier this year and thus gained a place in the NCAA
finals for the first time.
Incidentally, Miss Murray, who was brought up in Dumfries and played for Jacksonville State herself until a year or two ago, will be at West Kilbride for the final round with a view to strengthening the JSU team for the 2005-2006 US college golf season and beyond.
Links courses, fast or slow running, don't exist on the American women's college circuit but it's been the regular Sepember to May competition against very good players that has put an edge on Louise Fleming's game that perhaps was not there when she lived and played exclusively in Scotland.
Her first-round 73 was a model of consistency - one bogey (at the 11th) and one birdie (at the 14th), the rest pars. Her afternoon effort came to the same total but was a mixed bag of four birdies at the third, sixth, 13th and 16th, cancelled out by bogeys at the second, seventh, 10th and 11th.
Clare-Marie Carlton, 18-year-old former Scottish schoolgirls champion and a Fereneze Golf Club member, studded her second-round scorecard with six birdies - three in a row from the fifth and then three over the last four holes, at the 15th, 16th and 18th. She bogeyed only the ninth and ninth in halves of 34 (two under par) and 35 (also two under).
Miss Carlton looks the only danger to leader Louise because the trio sharing third place - Scottish Under-18 girls champion Krystle Caithness (St Regulus), recent Scottish schoolgirls' title winner Laura Murray from Alford, and the new North of Scotland women's champion, Michele Thomson (McDonald Ellon) - are six shots off the pace on 152.
"I ran up a couple of 7s in the afternoon in a 79," said Laura whose opening 73 included a three-under-par run for the last eight holes.
Carly Booth (Comrie), 13-year-old one-handicap member of the Scotland team in Switzerland last week for the European girls' team championship alongwith Krystle Caithness, Sally Watson (Elie & Earlsferry) and Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) in Switzerland, withdrew from the championship before it started. The team did not fly back to Scotland until Sunday - their bags of golf clubs followed 24 hours later! - and Carly felt she was too tired to tackle a 54-hole tournament so soon.
The strenuous week - mentally as well as physically - looked as if it had caught up on Kelsey and the rest of the team. The 14-year-old, two-handicap Highlander was a shadow of herself in returning a pair of 13-over-par 86s.
Krystle Caithness, 16, started well to be the joint first round leader on 73 but drifted to a 79 for 152. It was the same pattern for 14-year-old Sally Watson - a 78 followed by an 86 for 164.
=======================================
CORRECTED AND FINAL UPDATE OF SCORES
=======================================
BP SCOTTISH JUNIOR WOMEN'S OPEN STROKE-PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP
West Kilbride Golf Club
SECOND-ROUND TOTALS
(Par 73; CSS 73 73)
146 L Fleming (The Roxburghe) 73 73.
149 C-M Carlton (Stirling Univ) 80 69.
152 K Caithness (St Regulus) 73 79, M Thomson (McDonald Ellon) 75 77, L Murray (Alford) 73 79.
154 J Wilson (Strathaven) 74 80, G Webster (Hilton Park) 77 77.
155 R Niven (Crieff) 76 79, A Ingram (Fort William) 76 79.
156 L Gould (Bargoed) 83 73.
157 M Briggs (Kilmacolm) 79 78.
159 K Walker (Stirling Univ) 75 84, R Livingstone (Musselburgh Old) 79 80.
160 G Easton (Bargoed) 79 81, L Walker (Nairn Dunbar) 78 82, K Wells (Dumfries & Co) 85 75.
161 D Dewar (Stirling Univ) 83 78, J Rodert (Sweden) 80 81.
162 R Watson (Elie & Earlsferry Ladies) 79 83, A Wilton (Ladybank) 82 80, A Edwards (Liberton) 80 82.
163 L Hendry (Routenburn) 82 81.
164 R Wilson (Monifieth) 85 79, S Watson (Elie & Earlsferry Ladies) 78 86, P Pretswell (Bothwell Castle) 85 79.
165 H Owers-Bradley (Wollaton Park) 81 84, F Blair (Monifieth) 85 80, K O'Sullivan (Cochrane Castle) 82 83.
166 S Kettlewell (Dunblane New) 81 85, K Harper (Inverness) 81 85, S Wilson (Murcar) 83 83.
167 L MacGregor (Falkirk) 83 84.
168 K McNicoll (Carnoustie Ladies) 81 87.
169 E MacKay (Nairn Dunbar) 83 86, J Turner (Mortonhall) 86 83, K Thomson (Kintore) 82 87.
171 S Herd (Dunblane New) 83 88.
172 K MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) 86 86, E Ogilvy (Muckhart) 88 84, S Vass (Tain)
89 83.
173 H Harvey (St Leonards) 84 89.
175 E Fairnie (Peebles) 89 86.
176 M MacPherson (Turnberry) 87 89, A Niven (Crieff) 86 90, J Graham (Southerness) 86 90.
178 E Briggs (Kilmacolm) 90 88.
182 J Sneddon (Alyth) 90 92.
183 K Keith (Woodbury Park) 92 91, S Hutton (Troon Bentinck Ladies) 93 90.
187 L MacCallum (McDonald Ellon) 90 97.
188 L Allan (Kilbirnie Place) 98 90.
189 J Meldrum (Dullatur) 97 92, R McIntyre (Eden) 99 90.
191 L Meldrum (Dullatur) 97 94.
192 S Leslie (Westhill) 101 91.
199 R McIntyre (Eden) 99 90, M Hull (Strathaven) 101 98.
201 A McGarty (Bathgate) 100 101.
211 R McQueen (Troon Bentinck Ladies) 104 107.
213 A Sargent (Skelmorlie) 106 107.
Withdrew: F Williamson (Barassie 98 -.

Shetland team + Manager Fiona Black

News from the Island Games in Shetland....
First days play at Dale Golf Club.
Shetland Ladies Team in 3rd place after 1st day. Irene Tait (Dale Golf Club) tied 2nd Individual.
Shetland Scores:   Irene Tait  78
                            Loraine Anderson 84
                            Heather Hogg  85
                            Angelina Sandison  86
Bermuda Ladies in first place, in both Team and Individual.
Also, Cath Preston, pictured right, from Isle of Man had a hole in one.

ELGA NEWS
Natasha Podmore leads English Strokeplay Championship
Cheshire teenager Natasha Podmore eagled her way to a two-stroke lead in todays first round of the English Ladies’ Stokeplay Championship at St Annes Old Links.
The 17-year-old from Delamere Forest was the only player to break par with a two-under 70, returned on a hot, sunny day with some breeze.
It puts her two shots clear of her nearest challengers; defending champion Sian Reddick (Sene Valley), Laura Eastwood (Yelverton) and Hannah Bews (Broadstone, Dorset).
“It was great,” said Natasha. “I played well and I’m really happy.” She came back in three-under 33, helped by an eagle 3 on the 467-yard 17th. She reduced this hole to a five-wood off the tee, a four iron just short of the green and a 40ft putt which rolled straight into the cup.
Sian Reddick made a solid start to her defence of her title but marked herself “could have done better.”
The 20-year-old student at Baylor University, Texas, said; “It wasn’t too bad and I would have taken it at the start of the day, but I made a couple of stupid mistakes.”
She was disappointed with a double bogey five on the 13th and a missed opportunity on the 18th, where her 4ft putt for birdie stayed out of the hole.
However she was one of only three players to beat par on the front nine, going out in a one-under 35, and she had four birdies in her round.
The other players who bettered par by a stroke on the outward half were Laura Holmes of Hessle and Anne Weble of Dartford.

LAURA LEADS P&W GIRL GOLFER RANKINGS
Alford teenager Laura Murray's recent fine run of form has elevated her to the top spot on the Paull & Williamsons Rankings for Scotland's Under-18 girl golfers.
Laura, who will be 17 years old on August 8, reached the final of the Aberdeenshire women's county championship, won the Scottish schoolgirls title at St Andrews Bay in June and led the qualifiers in the North of Scotland women's championship at Banchory.
The top 10 rankings are:
1 Laura Murray (Alford)
2 Krystle Caithness (St Regulus).
3 Carly Booth (Comrie).
4 Sally Watson (Elie & Earlsferry).
5 Roseanne Niven (Crieff).
6 Michele Thomson (McDonald Ellon).
7 Rebecca Watson (Elie & Earlsferry).
8 Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar).
9 Pamela Pretswell (Bothwell Castle).
10 Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm).

THREE PAR-MATCHERS SHARE JUNIOR WOMEN'S LEAD AT WEST KILBRIDE
Scottish Under-18 girls' champion Krystle Caithness (St Regulus), Scottish schoolgirls' title-winner Laura Murray (Alford) and Louise Fleming (The Roxburghe), who plays on the American college circuit for Jacksonville State University, shared the lead at the end of the first round of the 54-hole BP Scottish junior women's open stroke-play golf championship at West Kilbride Golf Club on the sunny Ayrshire coastline today (TUESDAY).
All three matched the par of 73 over the 5,782yd course in this event for which the maximum age is under 21 years on January 1 past.
Krystle, 16, who played for Scotland in the European girls' team championship in Switzerland last week, countered bogeys at the eighth and 10th with late birdies at the 17th and 18th in halves of 37 and 36.
Louise reeled off par figures for the first 11 holes and then bogeyed the 11th. She got the stroke back with a birdie at the 14th before settling back into the par groove for halves of 36 and 37.
Laura, who has cut her handicap from four to one in recent weeks, had a 6 on her card - at the 492yd seventh and dropped further shots at the ninth and 10th but the Alford 16-year-old covered the last eight holes in three under par with birdies at the 11th, 16th and 18th in halves of 38 and 35.
Pre-tournament favourite Jenna Wilson (Strathaven) was only one shot off the lead with a 74 in a breeze that was strong enough to keep the temperature from being oppressive.
In joint fifth place on 75 were new North of Scotland women's champion Michele Thomson (McDonald Ellon) and Kylie Walker (Stirling University), who played for Scotland in the women's home internationals last September.
Carly Booth, a team-mate of Krystle Caithness, Sally Watson (Elie & Earlsferry) and Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) in Switzerland, withdrew from the championship in which she would have been one of the highest-rated players with a handicap of one. The team did not fly back to Scotland until Sunday and
13-year-old Carly felt she was too tired to tackle a 54-hole tournament this week.
SCOREBOARD
BP SCOTTISH JUNIOR WOMEN'S STROKE-PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP
West Kilbride Golf Club
FIRST ROUND SCORES (Par 71)
73 L Fleming (The Roxburghe), K Caithness (St Regulus), L Murray (Alford).
74 J Wilson (Strathaven).
75 K Walker (Stirling Univ), M Thomson (McDonald Ellon).
76 R Niven (Crieff), A Ingram (Fort William).
77 G Webster (Hilton Park).
78 L Walker (Nairn Dunbar), S Watson (Elie & Earlsferry).
79 G Easton (Bargoed), R Watson (Elie & Earlsferry), M Briggs (Kilmacolm), R Livingstone (Musselburgh Old)
80 J Rodert (Sweden), C-M Carlton (Stirling Univ), A Edwards (Liberton).
81 S Kettlewell (Dunblane New), H Owers-Bradley (Wollaton Park), K McNicoll (Carnoustie Ladies), K Harper (Inverness).
82 K O'Sullivan (Cochrane Castle), L Hendry (Routenburn), A Wilson (Ladybank), K Thomson (Kintore).
83 E MacKay (Nairn Dunbar), D Dewar (Stirling Univ), L Gould (Bargoed), S Herd (Dunblane New), L MacGregor (Falkirk), S Wilson (Murcar).
84 H Harvey (St Leonards).
85 R Wilson (Monifieth), F Blair (Monifieth), P Pretswell (Bothwell Castle), K Wells (Dumfries & Co).
86 J Turner (Mortonhall), K MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar), A Niven (Crieff), J Graham (Southerness).
87 M MacPherson (Turnberry).
88 E Ogilvy (Muckhart).
89 E Fairnie (Peebles), S Vass (Tain).
90 J Sneddon (Alyth), L MacCallum (McDonald Ellon), E Briggs (Kilmacolm).
92 K Keith (Woodbury Park).
93 S Hutton (Troon Bentinck).
97 J Meldrum (Dullatur), L Meldrum (Dullatur).
98 F Williamson (Barassie), L Allan (Kilbirnie Place).
99 R McIntyre (Eden).
100 A McGarty (Bathgate).
101 S Leslie (Westhill), M Hull (Strathaven).
104 R McQueen (Troon Bentinck).
106 A Sargent (Skelmorlie).

ASHTON INGRAM EQUALS FORT WILLIAM COURSE RECORD
Results from first Northern Counties LGA county meeting to be held at Fort-William Golf Club.
Ashton Ingram and Sammy Vass cut their handicaps ahead of travelling to West Kilbride  for  the BP Scottish junior women's open stroke-play championship.
Ashton Ingram, pictured right, playing on her home course, equalled the course record of 70 set by Rosemary McIntyre in July 1997.
Ashton's scorecard read:
par 4 4 3 5 5 3 4 4 5  37   5 4 3 3 5 3 3 4 4   34 
      5 4 2 5 5 3 5 4 4  37   4 4 3 4 5 3 2 4 4   33
Birdies at the third, ninth, 10th and 16th.
Bogeys at first, seventh and 13th.
Results (Par 71; SSS 71; CSS 72)
Silver Division
Scratch  
Ashton Ingram  (Fort William) 70   
Handicap
Sammy Vass   (Tain) (13)  66. 
Kathleen Leitch (Fort William) (12)  73 .
Bronze Division
Handicap
Jan Paterson (Fort Augustus) (22)  72  
Gail Anderson (Fort William) (21) 73.
Jean Cameron (Strathpeffer Spa) (28)  77.

SVLGA
SCOTLAND TEAM TO DEFEND VETS' TITLE AT HAYLING ISLAND
Scotland team bidding to win the Veteran Ladies Golf Association area championship for the Miller Stirling Trophy for the third year in a row at Hayling Island Golf Club, Hampshire from August 16 to 18 is:
Lorna Bennett (Midlands), Liz Campbell (Borders), Noreen Fenton (East), Helen Faulds (West), Sheena McDonald (West), Moira Thomson (East), Margaret Tough (Midlands), Pamela Williamson (East).
Joan Marshall is again skipper of a team that shows three changes from that which retained the title at Strathmore Golf Centre, Alyth last year. McDonald, Tough and Faulds replace Karen Ballantyne, Cecilia Kenny and Christine MacAndrew.

Press Release
Catriona Matthew to launch East Lothian clubgolf Junior Golf Strategy
Catriona Matthew, a two-times winner on the LPGA Tour and Scotland’s golfer of the moment, will launch the East Lothian clubgolf Junior Golf Strategy at North Berwick Golf Club’s Junior Golf Course tomorrow (Wednesday 13 July 2005).
The East Lothian clubgolf Junior Golf Strategy mirrors Scotland’s National Junior Golf Strategy, clubgolf, borne out of the Scottish Executive's commitment to introduce every nine-year-old child in Scotland to the game by 2009.
Matthew will give 15 pupils from Law Primary School a golf clinic on the Children’s Course, where she began her highly successful career, from 10.00am before unveiling the plan with Alistair Low, Chairman of the Scottish Golf Union representing clubgolf Executive, at 11.00am.

PRESS RELEASE
PING and the juniors – putting at St Andrews
Thanks to PING, some of the best putting displays at the 134 th Open Championship might not actually be performed by the stars on the Old Course.
For PING – well-known for its support of family golf – is to help hundreds of young boys and girls enjoy something a little extra at The Open this year by sponsoring the clubgolf-Golf Foundation Putting Challenge: a chance for your child to putt like a champion and win a PING putter.
The Junior Golf Centre in the tented village is run by the Golf Foundation and the PGA, supported by the R&A. Found a pitching wedge shot away from the famous Road Hole 17 th on the Old Course, it is expected to welcome up to 4,000 youngsters from July 10 to 17.
Many of these children will take on the Putting Challenge – with a great PING putter up for grabs every day of Open week.
The Golf Foundation – committed to developing junior golf – will run the event alongside its other exciting activities, while the PGA’s team of committed PGA Professionals will be giving free coaching sessions to youngsters every day.
Children from three years old and up can take part in the Challenge using high quality PING putters. The youngsters who post the best score each day will go into a daily draw to win a made-to-measure PING putter that will then be delivered to his/her family home.
"We are thrilled to support the Golf Foundation in this way," said John Clark, Managing Director of PING UK.
"Juniors are the lifeblood of the game and deserve to be supported wherever possible. The clubgolfGolf Foundation Putting Challenge is a great idea – I am sure it will be an outstanding success."
Chief Executive of the Golf Foundation Mike Round said: “PING is highly respected as a company for its strong family ethos and it has been exhibited here by its readiness to help junior golf through the Golf Foundation in this way. We are delighted that PING has been able to provide us with some great putters, which will now be used by many hundreds of children during Open week.
“It is perhaps typical of PING that staff were not content to just supply putters as prizes. As the acknowledged leader in custom fitting, the company has insisted that the prize putters will be fitted to the correct specifications for the winning youngsters. Hopefully, a combination of this attention to detail and the Putting Challenge itself will now help to discover the next Seve, Retief or Annika from among the visiting children.”
To enter, children can just walk in to the Junior Golf Centre and pay £1 to have a go (all money raised goes directly to junior golf development).
The Challenge is just one ingredient in the week of junior activities. Apart from the PGA coaching programme, younger children from three years and up can enjoy all the colourful fun of the Tri-Golf game, through ‘free play’ and organised group sessions – hitting soft balls at targets using lightweight, specially modified plastic clubs.
At this year’s event, for the first time, the Golf Foundation will also be profiling clubgolf, the national partnership for the development of junior golf in Scotland that brings together the SGU, SLGA, PGA, Golf Foundation and sportscotland.
* To find out more about the work of the Golf Foundation go to www.golf-foundation.org

Press Release
YOUNGSTERS TO PAIR UP FOR INTERNATIONAL GLORY
More than 25,000 young golfers now have the opportunity to participate in a nationwide competition after two major organisations joined forces to promote junior golf.
Young Masters Golf has teamed up with the International Pairs – the biggest competition for club golfers in the world - to enable all its members to participate in a new competition: The YMG International Junior Pairs.
When the International Pairs hosts the first day of its UK final on the Torrance Course at St Andrews Bay Golf Resort & Spa on October, 10 pairs of youngsters will fight it out on the Torrance Course for the right to be crowned the first YMG International Junior Pairs champions.
Dave Gosling, managing director of YMG, explained: “The International Pairs concept has proved tremendously successful with hundreds of golf clubs playing in the competition each year.
“We believe it will prove just as popular among YMG Junior Academy clubs. It offers a great opportunity for all our registered youngsters to participate in an established competition format – and to come up against other YMG members from across the British Isles.
“The new competition has the potential to be hugely successful as both YMG and International Pairs have already proved themselves to be market leaders.”
YMG anticipates playing qualifying events at around 150 golf clubs in the UK before the end of August. There will be national finals in each of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Ross Honey, founder of the International Pairs, was delighted to sign the agreement with YMG.
He said: “Young Masters Golf has more than 25,000 junior golfers itching to play in competitions and we have the mechanics of the world’s largest golf competition.
“It was, I believe, what the Americans might call a ‘no-brainer’. All that was left was to work out the actual logistics of the event and to formulate a plan to carry the competition forward.
“Once we’d done that we were in a position to make the announcement.”
Young Masters Golf is a unique programme developed by experienced PGA professional golfers and has more than 550 golf clubs utilising its programme.
It offers the perfect introduction to the game of golf by showing youngsters everything they need to know.
They learn about all the different shots needed, and how to play them; about the fascinating rules and etiquette of golf and why they make the game unique.
Now, in addition to learning all about the game, youngsters can enjoy the unique atmosphere of competition golf.
All YMG registered clubs will be entitled to enter the event – but must hold their qualifying competition on or before August 14 - and each club will send a team to the national final.
The team will comprise one youngster aged under seven; one aged between eight and 11; one aged 12 to 16; and one player must be a girl.
Qualifiers from the national finals will then represent their country at the international final on the fabulous Torrance Course at St Andrews Bay Golf Resort & Spa on October 6.

Monday 11th July 2005

Scottish Open Under 21 Strokeplay Preview
JENNA BIDS TO REGAIN SCOTTISH JUNIOR TITLE AT WEST KILBRIDE
Jenna Wilson, pictured right, from Strathaven, the only member of the Scotland team who played in the European women's team championship in Sweden last week young enough to enter the event, will start favourite to regain the BP Scottish junior women's open stroke-play golf championship at West Kilbride today (TUESDAY) and tomorrow (WEDNESDAY).
Jenna, 21 last month, won the title at Kilmacolm two years ago but she is unlikely to have it all her own way in the 54-hole tournament which brings together the cream of Scottish girls' golf from all the various age levels.
Gemma Webster (Hilton Park) won the British universities stroke-play title at Murrayshall last month, Kylie Walker (Stirling University) was in contention for a place in the Scotland team for Sweden and Michele Thomson (McDonald Ellon) won the North of Scotland women's championship in impressive fashion at Banchory last week.
Scottish schoolgirls champion Laura Murray (Alford), Emily Ogilvy (Muckhart), Kerri Harper (Inverness), Welsh challenger Lucy Gould (Bargoed), Laura Walker (Nairn Dunbar), Dawn Dewar (Stirling University), Clare-Marie Carlton (Stirling University) and Sjavon Wilson (Murcar) are all capable of producing title-winning performances.
There are also Under-14, Under-16 and Under-18 age categories which give young players of the calbre of Carly Booth (Comrie), Roseanne Niven (Crieff), Krystle Caithness (St Regulus), Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar), Sally Watson (Elie & Earlsferry), Sammy Vass (Tain) and Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm) a chance to shine.

EGU News
SHERREARD NAMED AS ENGLAND BOYS CAPTAIN
Tom Sherreard, who is enjoying a highly successful year, has been appointed England captain for the Boys Home Internationals at Woodhall Spa on 2nd - 4th August.
The 18 year old from Kent has benefited from the national coaching scheme for the past three years and is a burgeoning talent, especially this year.
Sherreard was one of the first to emerge from the restructured Kent coaching set-up a few years ago and he was a member of his county’s side that finished runners-up to Yorkshire in the 2002 Boys County Finals.
He also finished runner-up in the South of England Schools Championship in 2003 and was capped that year at under 16 level against Scotland and the England Girls under 18 team.
Second place again was the outcome when Sherreard represented Kent in the 2003 Boys County Finals at Copthorne, before he achieved another runner-up spot, in the British Boys Championship at Conwy last year.
He also represented England in the Westfriese Young Masters in the Netherlands and in the Turkish Amateur Championship.
After being included in the national under 18 squad at the start of 2005, Sherreard’s game has hit new levels. He won the Peter McEvoy Trophy at Copt Heath in April and helped England to third place in the recent World Boys Team Championships in Japan.
A member of the Chart Hills club, Sherreard is currently on international duty with England in the European Boys Team Championships in Italy.

MOODIE TOP SCOT AS HJORTH MAKES SUCCESSFUL DEFENCE AT CHART HILLS
US-based Janice Moodie was the top Scot in the Ladies English Open at Chart Hills Golf Club, Kent.
She had rounds of 69, 69 and 70 for an eight-under-par total fo 208 which put her in joint sixth place behind the title-winner for a second year in a row, former Stirling University student Maria Hjorth.
The Swede scored 68, 68 and 67 for 12-under-204 to win the £16,500 first prize by one shot from Finland's Minea Blomqvist.
Catriona Matthew, who also flew over from America to take part, finished on 211, the same five-under-par mark as rookie Lynn Kenny. Catriona scored 69, 70 and 72; Lynn 69, 69 and 73. They earned 2,347 Euros each for a joint 15th finish.
Former Solheim Cup skipper Dale Reid tied for 38th place on level par 216 the same total as leading amateur Rachel Bell from Ganton.
Louise Kenney (Pitreavie), nominated by the SLGA to be one of the select amateurs in the pro field, did well to return a three-over-par total of 219 with scores of 71, 74 and 74. She tied for 53rd place.
SCOREBOARD
204 Maria Hjorth (Sweden) 68 69 67.
205 Minea Blomqvist (Finland) 67 69 69.
206 Laura Davies (England) 67 69 70, Becky Brewerton (Wales) 68 68 70
Other totals:
208 Janice Moodie (Scotland) 69 69 70 (tied 6th).
211 Catriona Matthew (Scotland) 70 69 72, Lynn Kenny (Scotland) 69 69 73 (tied 15th).
216 Dale Reid (Scotland) 71 74 71, (am) Rachel Bell (England) 72 71 73 (tied 38th).
219 Louise Kenney (Scotland) 71 74 74 (tied 53rd).

Sunday 10th July 2005

LYNN STAYS IN THE GROOVE IN LADIES ENGLISH OPEN
Lynn Kenny maintained her recent good form to be lying joint ninth - the same mark as Janice Moodie - after two rounds in the Ladies English Open championship at Chart Hills, Kent.
Lynn had a pair of 69s for six-under-par 138 - two shots behind the quartet sharing the top spot on 136: Becky Brewerton (Wales), Rebecca Coakley (Ireland), Minea Blomqvist (Finland) and Laura Davies (England).
Janice Moodie has also returned two scores of 69.
Catriona Matthew is tied 13th on 139 (70, 69) with one round to go.
Dale Reid made the cut with nothing to spare on 145 with scores of 71 and 74.
Two of the four amateurs playing with special invitations made it through to the last day - Rachel Bell from Ganton and Louise Kenney from Pitreavie.
Rachel scored 73 and 71 to be tied for 36th place on 143.
Louise, who won six out of six in the East Division inter-county women's team championship at Alloa last week, scored 71 and 74 for 145.
But St Rule Trophy winner, Naomi Edwards from Ganton, missed out on 150 with scores of 74 and 76.
The fourth amateur in the field, Welsh girl Lucy Gould totalled 162 with scores of 80 and 82.
Inverness-based New Zealander Liz McKinnon failed to qualify on 153 with 75 and 78.
Aboyne exile Julie Forbes is another on the sidelines after 78 and 81 for 159.

SCOTS GIRLS EIGHTH IN SWITZERLAND
Scotland were beaten 4-1 by France to finish eighth in the European girls' team championship at Lucerne Golf Club, Switzerland.
The young Scots were up against it when they lost both the foursomes.
Carly Booth (Comrie) and Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) went down by one hole to Isabelle Boineau and ValentineDerrey. Then Krystle Caithness (St Regulus) and Sally Watson (Elie & Earlsferry) lost by 2 and 1 to Julie Maisongrosse and Lucie Andre.
Carly Booth won her singles by 6 and 4 against Maisongrosse but that was the Scots' only success of the day.
Sally Watson lost by 8 and 6 to Boineau and Krystle Caithness was beaten by one hole by Derrey.
England won the European title, beating Sweden 3-2 in the final. Wales beat Denmark 3-2 to gain the bronze medals.
SCOREBOARD
EUROPEAN GIRLS TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
Lucerne GC, Switzerland
FINAL
England 3, Sweden.
Play-offs
3rd-4th place
Wales 3,Denmark 3.
5th-6th place
Norway 3, Spain 2.
7th-8th place
France 4, Scotland 1.

Saturday 9th July 2005

ELGA Press Release
England’s girls win European gold
England are the golden girls of European golf – snatching victory in the European Girls’ Team Championship in Lucerne with a stunning fight back.
They beat Sweden 3-2, despite trailing in all three singles matches as holes began to run out. “It was an absolutely fantastic victory,” said ELGA’s national coach Pat Smillie.
The teams shared the honours in the two morning foursomes but the Swedes quickly took the upper hand in the singles. After 10 holes Melissa Reid (Chevin) was three down and Jodi Ewart (Catterick) was two down. After 12 holes Kiran Matharu (Cookridge Hall) was also two down.
Then the fight back began. Jodi birdied 14, 15 and 16 to square her match and parred the difficult short 17th to go one up. But, with adrenaline pumping, she over hit into 18 and the match went into extra time. The 19th was halved but the Yorkshire girl settled matters with a birdie on the 20th.
Melissa also made up ground but was eventually beaten 2/1 – and went straight back out to caddy for Kiran. The 16-year-old birdied 14, 16 and 17 to go one up and then won the 18th for a two up score line.
“All of sudden we had pinched it and the Swedes were absolutely speechless,” said Pat Smillie. “It was just a fantastic team effort.”
This is England’s first victory in this tournament and they are only the fourth nation to put their name on the trophy, following Sweden – the defending champions - Spain and Germany.
“This says that we can now compete at European level and that the training and lottery funding is paying dividends,” said Pat.
The England team was completed by Emma Sheffield (Newark) and all four girls are members of ELGA’s Sport England, lottery-funded World Class training programme.
England vs Sweden (England names first). Foursomes: Kiran Matharu & Melissa Reid beat Linn Gustafsson & Anna Dahlberg-Soderstrom 3/2. Jodi Ewart & Emma Sheffield lost to Camilla Lennarth & Anna Nordqvist 4/3. Singles: Reid lost to Nordqvist 2/1. Ewart beat Gustafsson at the 20th. Matharu beat Lennarth 2 up.

European Ladies Team Championship
SCOTS BEAT DUTCH AS SPAIN WIN EURO TITLE IN SWEDEN
Scotland won the Second Flight of the European women’s amateur team golf championship at Karlstadt, Sweden today. They beat Netherlands 4-1 gain ninth position in the final standings.
Having failed to be one of the eight teams who qualified for the championship flight after two rounds of stroke-play, ninth was the best that the Scots could do and they achieved that measure of consolation by beating Denmark 4½-½ on Friday followed by the clear-cut win over the Dutch.
Vagliano Trophy team selections Heather MacRae (Dunblane) and Anne Laing (Vale of Leven) won the foursome by 2 and 1 over Joan van de Kraats and Marie-Louise Weeden.
Then Ayrshire player Pamela Feggans, who flew direct to Sweden from the United States where she is doing summer work at Florida Southern College, beat the No 1 Netherlands player, Dewi-Claire Schreefel, also a US college circuit player, by 2 and 1.
Scottish champion Fiona Lockhart (St Regulus) was Scotland’s only loser on the final day. She lost by 5 and 3 to Myrte Eikenaar after being two down on the seventh tee.
Jenna Wilson (Strathaven), one down on the outward half, battled strongly to beat Marjet van der Graaff on the 18th green.
Clare Queen (Drumpellier), the third Vagliano Trophy team member in the Scots squad of six, came back from three down after six holes to win on the last green against Christel Boeljon.
“We finished the tournament more strongly than we started it which says a lot for the Scottish team. They put their disappointment behind them and got their heads down for the match-play,” said skipper Elaine Farquharson-Black.
Spain retained the title they won in Frankfurt two years ago, beating England 5-2.
SCOREBOARD
Final
England 2, Spain 5
Play-offs:
3rd-4th place
France 4, Sweden 3.
5th-6th place
Germany 3, Ireland 2.
7th-8th place
Finland 4, Switzerland 1.
Second Flight
Final
Scotland 4, Netherlands 1.
11th-12th place
Denmark ½, Italy 4½.
13th-14th place
Czech Republic 3½, Wales 1½

EUROPEAN BOYS TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
Scotland finished sixth in the European boys' team golf championship at Monticello, Italy. They were well beaten, 4-l, by Ireland on the last day (Saturday) in the play-off for fifth place.
Chris Bell (Shotts) and Euan Polson (Royal Dornoch) halved the foursomes against Shane Lowry and Alan Glynn but Scotland's top young guns were beaten in the singles.
Champion Scott Henry (Cardross) was beaten 2 and 1 by Seamus Power and Jordan Findlay (Fraserburgh) lost by a similar margin to Niall Kearns.
Robert McKnight (Barassie) went down by 5 and 4 to Simon Ward and Steven McEwan (Barassie) halved with Brian Keenan.
Netherlands won the title by beating Norway 2-0 in a final abbreviated to the foursomes because of bad weather.
Wales, beaten 3-2 by Spain, were placed eighth.
England who surprisingly failed to qualify for the top flight won the Second Flight and a ninth-place ranking by beating Germany 3 ½- ½
Results:
EUROPEAN BOYS TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
Monticello, Italy
Final: Netherlands 2, Norway 0.
Play-offs
3rd-4th place: Italy 0, Sweden 2.
5th-6th place: Scotland 1, Ireland 4.
7th-8th place: Spain 2, Wales 2.
Other result:
Flight 2
England 3 ½, Germany ½  

Highland Open
HOME WIN IN HIGHLAND AMATEUR AT PITLOCHRY
Home-course player E Muirhead won the Highland women’s open amateur tournament at Pitlochry Golf Club.
She beat R Gilbertson (Prestwick St Cuthbert) by 3 and 1 in the final.
Results:
First round - F McFadzean (Craigmillar Park) bt S Shepherd (Craigmillar Park) 3 and 2, K Dunbar (Aberfeldy) bt S Stickland (West Malling) at 19th, E Muirhead (Pitlochry) bt F Ross (Formby Ladies) 5 and 4, C Dunbar (Aberfeldy) bt M Macrae (Pitlochry) 3 and 2, R Gilbertson (Prestwick St Cuthbert) bt P Campbell (Downfield) 5 and 4, S Waugh (Moor Hall) bt P Deakin (Okehampton) 5 and 4, P Turner (Canmore) wo I Harvey (St Rule) scr, H Harvey (St Rule) bt C Capocci (Bridge of Allan) 1 hole.
Quarter-finals – McFadzean bt K Dunbar 5 and 4, Muirhead bt C Dunbar 5 and 4, Gilbertson bt Waugh 3 and 2, H Harvey bt Turner 5 and 4.
Semi-finals – Muirhead bt McFadzean 6 and 5, Gilbertson bt H Harvey 5 and 4.
Final – Muirhead bt Gilbertson 3 and 1.
Silver Division
Final – K Burden (Cambuslang) (12) bt A Graves (Goodwood) (11) 4 and 3.
Bronze Division
Final – B Evans (West Malling) (21) bt N Buchan (Crieff) (21) 2 and 1.

Friday 8th July 2005

English Ladies' Open Championship at Chart Hills
Two Amateur players have made the cut at English Ladies Open at Chart Hills.
Louise Kenney, Scotland 71, 74 (+1)
Rachel Bell, England 72, 71 (-1)
Well done to both girls, good luck for Sunday. see www.ladieseuropeantour.com

European Girls Team Championship
SPAIN TOO STRONG FOR SCOTS GIRLS
Scotland were beaten 3 ½-1 ½ by the pre-tournament favourites, Spain, on the second day of the match-play stages in the European girls' golf team championship at Lucerne Golf Club, Switzerland.
The best the Scots can now achieve is seventh place in the final standings - and they will have to beat France today  (Saturday) to achieve that.
Carly Booth (Comrie) and Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) lost the first foursome by one hole to Azahara Munoz and Carolina Andrade but Krystle Caithness (St Regulus) and Sally Watson (Elie & Earlsferry) scored a great 20th hole victory over Carlota Ciganda and Marta Silva to level the tie and keep Scotland's hopes alive.
Carly Booth halved the first singles tie against Marta Silva but the two best players in the Spanish team, Carlota Ciganda and Azahara Munoz ,wrapped up victory by beating Kelsey Macdonald (7 and 6) and Krystle Caithness (4 and 2) respectively.
England will meet Sweden in the final. England won 4 ½- ½ against Wales who had shocked Spain on Thursday while Sweden won by a similar wide margin against Denmark.
Results:
CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT
Semi-finals
Wales ½, England 4 ½
Sweden 4 ½, Denmark ½.
5th to 8th place play-offs:
Scotland 1 ½, Spain 3 ½
Norway 4, France 1.
FLIGHT 2
Italy 3, Belgium 2
Germany 2, Austria 3.
Ireland 2, Finland 3.

CARA (13) FROM DALMAHOY WINS SCOTTISH UNDER-14 GIRLS’ TITLE
It’s a long haul from Truro in Cornwall to Craigielaw Golf Club near Edinburgh but for 13-year-old Billy Downing it will be a journey he will remember all his life – even if goes on to win the Open some day!
For Billy scored his first-ever sub-par round – a one-under 70 – to win the Scottish Under-14 boys’ open stroke-play championship, in association with the Loretto Golf Academy yesterday (FRIDAY).
It was also a memorable day for 12-year-old Dalmahoy junior member Cara Easton who had only to travel a fraction of the distance to win the Scottish Under-14 girls’ open title with a net 66 off 18 in a round highlighted for her by the fact that she did not lose any golf balls.
As one of the earlier finishers, Billy had an anxious 5hr wait watching the leaderboard before he could relax knowing he had won.
Spurred on by a ninth place finish in Thursday’s Scottish Under-16 championship, Billy got down to business straight away with an eagle 3 at the second.
Birdies at the 13th, 14th and 16th cancelled out two bogeys and a double bogey, leaving him clear of the field on the 70 mark.
Second place in the boys’ event went to a home course player, Greg Duncan, who had partnered Downing over the 18 holes. His 74 was four behind the winner but one ahead of third placed Daniel Young from Craigie Hill in Perth.
Not losing any balls was the main reason behind Cara Easton’s success in the girls’ championship.
“In the practice round I couldn’t play the 18th because I had lost all my balls!” confessed Cara, who earlier this year won the spring meeting competition at Dunbar and has represented East of Scotland girls.
To earn her second place, 13 year old Samantha Leslie from Westhill, near Aberdeen had to recover from a disastrous start. She dropped six shots to par in the first two holes.
Samantha steadied up with a birdie at the fourth hole and later enjoyed five back-to-back pars from the ninth to the 13th. She also finished on 84 – the same gross score as Cara Easton - but her 17 handicap put her in second place in a championship decided on net scores.
“After the start I decided to relax and enjoy myself and it just started to click” said Samantha.
Rebecca McIntyre from Eden also had a gross 84 but her 16 handicap gave her the third-best net score.
The Under-12 boys’ prize went to George Munsey from Frilford Heath. He had a gross 78. Eilidh Briggs from Kilmacolm won the Under-12 girls’ prize with a net 71 off 16.
FINAL TOTALS
BOYS (Par 71; CSS 70)
Decided on gross scores.
70 Billy Downing (Truro).]74 GregDuncan (Craigielaw).
75 Daniel Young (Craigie Hill).
76 Paul Shields (Kirkhill), David Law (Hazlehead), Mikhail Ishaq (Bondhay).
77 Joe Fraser (Ravensworth), Reeve Whitson (Mourne), Ben Alexander (Craigielaw), Andrew McLachlan (Eastwood).
78 Scott Young (Turnhouse), Peter Eleey (US), Chris Robb (Inchmarlo), William Russell (Dunfermline).
79 Ewan Knox (Kilspindie), Colin Baird (Bothwell Castle), Scott Campbell (Hallowes), Matthew Reid (Downfield), Gary Meechan (Dullatur).
80 Ian Redford (King James VI), Calum Stewart (Brora), Scott Campbell (Wishaw), Jamie Treasurer (Castle Heather).
81 Mark Murphy (Cawder), Andrew Steven (Easter Moffat), Calum Gallagher (Greenock), James Innes (Ham Manor), Michael Donald (Monifieth), Jack Thorburn (Forrester Park), Lewis Jackson (West Hove), Martin Scott (Hamilton).
82 Alan Tulleth (St Andrews), Conor O’Neil (Pollok), Colin Robinson (Skelmorlie).
83 Jamie Binning (Old Ranfurly), Jordon Dimmock (Falkirk), Calum Dunlop, Paul McPhee (King James VI).
84 Andrew Pillans (Kirkcaldy), Joe Stamper (Penrith), Cameron Moore (Falkirk Tryst), Stuart Boyle (Harburn), Ryan Campbell (Grangemouth).
85 Christopher Duncan (Lothianburn), Lloyd Smith (Barassie), Grant Dowie (Alloa), Alasdair Stevenson (Golf House Club), Daniel Muir (Cochrane Castle), Colin Dick (Lothianburn).
86 Gordon Champion (Truro).
87Gordon Reilly (Lochwinnoch), Kieran Howie (West Kilbride).
88 Patrick O’Neil (Pollok), Peter Ramsay (Elgin), Sam Bingham (Haggs Castle), James White (St Andrews New).
89 Calum Cockburn (Turnhouse), Gareth Caldwell (Greenock), William Rennie (Northern).
90 Ross Muir (Prestonfield), Chris Low (Musselburgh Old), Euan Mackay (Torphin Hill).
91 David Crummey (Merchants of Edinburgh), Gary Chalmers (Alloa), David Gallagher (Clydebank & Dist), Gordon Nelson (Thorenhill), Jamie Auchinvole (Glenbervie), Steven Smith (Deeside).
94 Stephen Durnin (Largs),Greig Stewart (Crieff).
92 Blair Todd (Greenburn).
94 Stephen Durnin (Largs), Greig Stewart (Crieff).
95 Craig Jackson (St Boswells).
96 John Henry (Clydebank & Dist).
97 Jamie Burrows (Pitlochry).
105 Ian Murray (Hamilton)
GIRLS (Par 71; CSS 70)
Decided on net scores
66 Cara Easton (Dalmahoy) (18).
67 Samantha Leslie (Westhill) (19).
68 Rebecca McIntyre (Eden) 16).
70 Katie Burman (John O’Gaunt) (15).
71 Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm) (16), Lauren Meldrum (Dullatur) (20).
72 Samantha Colecliffe (Rhuddlan (7), Jill Meldrum (Dullatur) (15), Camilla Tait (St Regulus) (15).
73 Gillian Scanlan (Hamailton) (21), Fiona Fullerton (Huntly) (24),
74 Annabel Niven (Crieff) (11), Amy Stevenson (Lauder) (34).
75 Anne Hakula (Finland) (11), Zoe Differ (Dullatur) (16), Linzi Allan (Kilbirnie Place) (21), Samantha Lamb (Glencorse) (26).
77 Gillian Arnott (Kilbirnie Place) (19), Gillian Simpson (Baberton) (23), Rebecca Cunningham (Ranfurly Castle) (36).
78 Lesley Atkins (Minto) (18).
80 Rachael Watton (Baberton) (23).
84 KirstinScott (Windyhill) (19).
85 Louise Smith (Kirriemuir) (27).
89 Alyssa Balding (Parklands) (20), 91 Jordana Graham (Southerness) (14).

European Ladies Team Championships
SCOTS BEAT DENMARK IN SWEDEN
Scotland found their form too late to win the European women’s team championship in Sweden but they will play in the Second Flight title decider on Saturday against Netherlands.
The winners of that match will earn ninth place in the end-of-tournament rankings, the best that the Scots could achieve after they failed to make the top eight in the 36-hole stroke-play test at the start of the week.
Scotland, not in action on Thursday, beat Denmark 4 ½- ½.
Anne Laing and Heather MacRae won the foursomes tie 3 and 2 against Karina Rosenmeir and Line Cordes.
In the singles, Pamela Feggans was a 6 and 5 winner over Catherine Madsen.
Fiona Lockhart, three down after three and still two down with four to play, got a battling halved match with Lisbeth Meincke, a US college circuit player.
Jenna Wilson, two down after nine, won five holes in a row after that on her way to a 3 and 2 win over Victoria Stefansen.
Finally, Clare Queen won a battle of pars and birdies by one hole against Malene Jorgensen.
Netherlands beat Italy 3 1/2-1 1/2 in the other Flight 2 semi-final
The championship final will feature the top two seeds, England against Spain, who had looked different class to the rest of the field in the qualifying rounds.
Spain beat France 4-3 while England beat Swede 5-=2.
In other Top Flight ties, Ireland beat Finland 4 ½- ½ and Germanybeat Sweden 3-2.
A very hot day at Karlstad Golf Club, Sweden – with temperatures touching 30 degrees, ended in a thunder and lightning storm which may help to clear the air.

Attention North of Scotland Girls.....
North of Scotland Girls Championship
Entries are still being accepted for the North of Scotland Girls Championships at Nairn Dunbar on Wednesday 20th July.  Tee Times start from 11 am.  This competition is open to all girls who are members of clubs in Northern Counties, Aberdeenshire, Perth & Kinross and Angus.
Entries should be sent to Cara Gruber on the forms available from your Junior Convenor or telephone Cara on 07977 222 832.

Thursday 7th July 2005

Winning Lothianburn "B" team at the Morison Millar tournament tonight.
L to R: Elspeth Adair, Ruth Brown, Valerie Thomson.
Sarah Heron was unable to be present at the prizegiving.

Morison Millar - Lothianburn take the honours
The Lothianburn "B" team of Ruth Brown, Sarah Heron, Elspeth Adair and Valerie Thomson won the 36-hole double-foursome Morison Millar tournament at Dalmahoy today with a four round total of 351 less 48 net 303.
The first round of the tournament was played over the challenging and lengthened East Course and the second over the shorter but tighter West course, both in good condition but with punishing rough. Double figure scores at holes were not unusual, and patience was the name of the game.
Lothianburn just pipped the Broomieknowe "A" team of Wendy Nicholson, Jennifer Henderson, Caroline Macintosh and Lyn Cackett (351 less 47 net 304) who took second place on the better last 36 holes from Craigmillar Park "B" (M. Richardson, J. Dickson, I Hamblin, H. Wright )(373 less 69 net 304).
Fourth were Glencorse "A" (Kirsten Blackwood, Gina Thomson, Anne Hanson and Jane Turner) (332-24 net 308)
Anne Brownie and Janet Begrie of Lothianburn "A" won the prize for the best net 36 holes outwith the team prizelist with a net total of 149 on the better last round from Sheila Keddie and L. Lindsay from the host club Dalmahoy.
The Dormie Salver for the best 36 hole scratch was won by Baberton "A" couple Fiona Hunter and Sharon Macpherson with 164.

Broomieknowe "A" team - Runners-up in the Morison Miller tournament.
L to R: Lyn Cackett, Caroline Macintosh, Wendy Nicholson and Jennifer Henderson
Well done girls!

European Girls Team Championship
SCOTLAND LOSE TO ENGLAND
England beat Scotland 3 ½-1 ½ in the first round of the match-play stages of the European girls’ team golf championships at Lucerne Golf Club, Switzerland today.
Scotland trailed 2-0 after the foursomes with Carly Booth (Comrie) and Sally Watson (Elie & Earlsferry) losing by 3 and 2 to Kiran Matharu and Melissa Reid while Krystle Caithness (St Regulus) and Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) went down by a similar margin to Jodi Ewart and Emma Sheffield.
Carly Booth halved with Kiran Matharu in the top singles but Jodi Ewart ensured victory for England by beating Sally Watson 4 and 3.
Scotland won the third and last singles tie with Krystle Caithness beating Melissa Reid 3 and 2.
The best the Scots can do now is to finish fifth. They now play Spain, the No 1 qualifiers, who were surprisingly beaten 3-2 by Wales who won the foursomes 2-0 and then got the singles win they needed from Sahra Hassan.
Ireland, who did not figure among the eight championship-flight qualifiers, were beaten 3-2 by Austria in the Second Flight.
Thurday's results:
EUROPEAN GIRLS' TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
Lucerne GC, Switzerland.
Championship Flight match-play
Sweden 3 ½, France 1 ½
Norway 1, Denmark 4.
England 3 ½, Scotland 1 ½.
Spain 2, Wales 3.

European Ladies Team Championship
DENMARK BEAT WALES AND PLAY SCOTLAND ON FRIDAY
Thursday's results at Karlstad, Sweden:
CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT
Spain (No 2 seed) bt Switzerland (7) 5-2.
France (3) bt Germany 4-3.
Sweden (5) bt Ireland (4) 5-2.
England (No 1 seed) bt Finland (8) 6-1.
Friday's semi-finals:
Spain v France.
England v Sweden.
SECOND FLIGHT
Netherlands (15) bt Iceland (10) 5-0.
Italy (14) bt Czech Republic (11) 3 1/2-1 1/2
Denmark (12) bt Wales 3-2.
(Scotland at ninth qualifiers had a bye into the semi-finals)
Friday's semi-finals:
Netherlands v Italy.
Scotland v Denmark.

Scottish Boys Under 16s
ANGLO-SCOTS 1-2 AT LONGNIDDRY
Anglo-Scots Darren Renwick(Worthing, Sussex) and Billy Fowles (Wentworth, Surrey) finished first and second in the 54-hole Douglas Gillespie Scottish Under-16 boys' championship at Longniddry today.
Overnight leader Fowles was overtaken on the final round by Renwick who shot a closing 67 for 207 - three ahead of Fowles who finished with a 72.
Jack Meehan (Dullatur) and James Byrne (Banchory) were the top home Scots in the final standings. Jack finished with a 72 for 212 and third places; James with a 70 for 213 and fourth place.
LEADING TOTALS
207 Darren Renwick (Worthing) 73 67 67.
210 Billy Fowles (Wentworth) 71 67 72.
212 Jack Meehan (Dullatur) 71 69 72.
213 James Byrne (Banchory) 72 71 70.
214 Frazer Ogston (St Andrews) 76 67 71, David Currie (Barassie) 73 68 73.
215 Graham Davidson (Winterfield) 72 71 72.

FIRST PRO WIN FOR HEATHER STIRLING
Florida-based Heather Stirling has won her first event after three years as a professional golfer on the United States Futures Tour.
The 28-year-old from Bridge of Allan, competing in the annual Heather Wilbur Scholarship charity tournament at Moncton, New Brunswick in Canada, beat Julie Turner from Skaneateles, New York State at the second hole of a sudden-death play-off after they had tied at two-under-par 70 in the 18-hole event which followed two pro-ams to raise funds for scholarships awarded in Wilbur’s name.
Heather Wilbur, who played on the Futures Tour, died of leukemia at the age of 27 in October 2003.
Heather Stirling picked up a cheque for $1,000.
"That’s my first win since the Helen Holm Scottish women’s amateur tournament in 2002," said Heather who caddies in Florida during the winter months to fund her Futures Tour expenses in the summer.
"It's been fun being here in a nice and relaxed place in Canada," said the shy red head. "The community, the people and the cause are great."
Let's hope this change of luck will give Heather the confidence to reproduce the form that won her Curtis Cup honours for Great Britain & Ireland.
A total of 20 players took part in the "shoot-out tournament."
Leading scores:
70 Heather Stirling(Scotland), Jan Turner (New York State). (Heather won play-off at second extra hole).
71 Jan Dowling (Ontario).
72 Libby Smith (Vermont, Stephanie Georgie (Pennsylvania).
73 Kareen Qually (Alberta), Carrie Vaughan (New Brunswick), Kylie Pratt (Australia).
74 Meredith Duncan (Louisiana), Courtney Reno (Michigan), Lori Atsedes (New York State), Dana Lacey (West Australia).

Wednesday 6th July 2005

European Girls Team Championship
SCOTS LASSES QUALIFY IN FIFTH PLACE
Scotland's girls rose to the occasion in great style on the second day of the European girls' golf team championship at Lucerne Golf Club, Switzerland and qualified in fifth place for the championship match-play flight of eight.
Carly Booth (Comrie) shot a brilliant round of two-under-par 71 for an aggregate of 147 which placed her eighth equal in the stroke-play standings.
Krystle Caithness (St Regulus) shaved six shots off her first-day effort with a 72 for 150.
Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) improved by three shots with a 74 for 151.
Sally Watson (Elie & Earlsferry) recovered from a first-day 80 to return a 75 for 155.
It is a mark of the Scots' girls improvement that Sally's 75 was their discarded score.
The top eight qualifiers were:
1 Spain 420.
2 Sweden 431.
3 Norway436.
4 England 447.
5 Scotland 448.
6 Denmark 449.
7 France 451.
8 Wales 454.
Scotland play England in their first round match.
Tomorrow's first round matchplay draw is: Sweden v France; Norway v Denmark, England v Scotland; Spain v Wales.
INDIVIDUAL TOTALS
138 (eight under par) Carlota Ciganda (Spain) 70 68.
139 Anna Nordqvist (Sweden) 74 65.
140 Azahara Munoz (Spain) 73 67.
Other totals:
147 Carly Booth (Scotland) 76 71, Jodi Ewart (England) 71 76.
149 Danielle McVeigh (Ireland) 74 75.
150 Krystle Caithness (Scotland) 78 72.
151 Kelsey MacDonald (Scotland) 77 74.
155 Sally Watrson (Scotland) 80 75.
157 Fiona Carroll (Ireland) 80 77.
158 Emma Gilmore 76 82.
160 Sarah Faller (Ireland) 76 83.

Midlothian with the East Division Inter-County Shield
Back Row L to R: Claire Hargan, Wendy Nicholson, Karen Marshall, Jane Turner
Front Row Belinda Murphy, Amanda Edwards, Kirsten Blackwood, Claire Macdonald
(Photos courtesy Anna Hunter, Stirling and Clackmannan)
Midlothian would like to acknowledge the generous sponsorship of The Ladies Golf Centre
(www.golfing-lady.com)

East Division Inter-County Championship
MIDLOTHIAN'S FIRST TITLE SINCE 1988
Midlothian are through to the Scottish county finals for the first time since 1988.They head for Ranfurly Castle in September as East Division champions after beating Stirling & Clackmannan 7-2 in their final match.
East Lothian, who were level with Midlothian at the top of the table at the start of the final day, were held to a 4 ½-4 ½ draw by Fife who had been seeking to win the divisional title for the third year in a row.
Fife had the player of the tournament in Louise Kenney (Pitreavie), winner of all six ties she played. But Midlothian had the strength in depth that mattered with both Kirsten Blackwood (Glencorse) and Claire MacDonald (Gullane Ladies) earning 5pt apiece; Karen Marshall (Baberton) 3 ½ and Belinda Murphy (Mortonhall) 3pt.
Midlothian's champion, Claire Hargan (Mortonhall) got all the tough ties - but lost only twice out in six outings and finished with one win and three halved ties. Midlothian had beaten Fife 6-3 on the opening day and drawn 4 ½-4 ½ with East Lothian on Day 2.
Midlothian complete the line-up for the four-cornered Scottish county championship finals. Northern Counties, South and Lanarkshire had already book their places by winning their divisional titles.
The start of the Scottish finals - September 16 - clashes with the last day of the women's home internationals at Dundalk but, unlike Lanark who will almost certainly have two players (Clare Queen and Jenna Wilson) on international duty, Midlothian have no current international team members in their line-up.
Wednesday details:
FIFE 4½, EAST LOTHIAN 4½
Foursomes - L Kenney & J Carthew bt J Smith & S McMaster 2 and 1; L Bennett & B Copland lost to S McEwan & F Prior 3 and 2; K Milne & L Fury lost to K Brotherton & F Hindshaw 3 and 1 (1-2).
Singles - Kenney bt Brotherton 2 and 1, Carthew lost to McMaster 1 hole, D Ford lost to Prior 5 and 4, Fury halved with Smith, Copland bt Hindshaw 1 hole, Milne bt McEwan 3 and 2 (3½-2½)
STIRLING & CLACKMANNAN 2, MIDLOTHIAN 7
Foursomes - E Allison & F McArthur lost to K Blackwood & C MacDonald 5 and 3; A Davidson & V Stevenson lost to K Marshall & B Murphy 1 hole; N Melville & M Tough bt C Hargan & J Turner 2 and 1 (1-2).
Singles - Allison halved with Hargan, McArthur lost to Marshall 8 and 7; A Davidson lost to Blackwood 1 hole, Stevenson halved with W Nicholson, Tough lost to MacDonald 1 hole, Melville lost to Murphy 4 and 3 (1-5).
How they finished - 1 Midlothian 2 1/2pt, 2 East Lothian 2pt, 3 Fife 1½pt, 4 Stirling & Clackmannan 0 pt.

East Lothian

Fife

Stirling And Clackmannan

European Womens' Team Championship
SCOTS NINTH - FAIL TO MAKE TOP FLIGHT
For the second European women's amateur team championship in a row, Scotland failed to figure among the top eight teams at the end of the 36-hole stroke-play test.
That means the Scots cannot win the title - the best they can do now is to win the Second Flight and finish ninth in the final standings.
Pamela Feggans improved immensely to return a 73.
Fiona Lockhart too slashed a few shots off her first-day effort with a 74.
Clare Queen would not have been happy with a 76.
Jenna Wilson likewise with a 77.
Heather MacRae had a late double-bogey 7 and dropped more shots after that in returning a 79.
Anne Laing had a nightmare 80 and her score was discarded.
The Scots finished with a +40 aggregate. They did improve their day's team total compared with the first day (21 over in Round 1; 19 over in Round 2). But still not enough to get into the top eight.
England are the top seeds with a +7 total. Great rounds of 69 from their young champion Felicity Johnson and a 70 from Sophie Walker.
Spain are second seeds with +8. And the rest are a long way behind.
Germany (+23) were third; Sweden (+25) fourth; Ireland (+31) fifth; France (+32) sixth; Switzerland (+33) seventh) and Finland (+37) eighth.
Well done to Ireland who got the clutch of low scores that Scotland needed. Claire Coughlan, Deirdre Smith andTricia Mangan each scored 73. Heather Nolan got a 75 and Martin Gillen a 76. Ireland's discarded score was a 77 from Tara Delaney.
Wales were 12th in the stroke-play test with a +52 aggregate.
Sarah Jones and Natalee Evans both had 77s. Stephanie Evans and Breanne Loucks both had 78s. Jo Nicolson and Lydia Hall had 81 and 83 respectively.

North of Scotland Championship
TEENAGER MICHELE WINS TITLE
ELLON teenager Michele Thomson, pictured right, came back from two down with six to play to beat Anne Hay (Letham Grange) by one hole in the final of the North of Scotland women's golf championship in very wet conditions at Banchory Golf Club today.
Seventeen-year-old Michele is one of the youngest winners of the trophy. The last teenager to win it was Claire Hunter (Deeside) who was 19 when she won this championship at Murcar in 1997.
For Mrs Hay it was a second losing appearance in the final. She was beaten by Lyndsey Devenish (Cruden Bay) in 2002 at Downfield.
It was thanks to the Banchory greenkeeping staff that the course in general and the greens in particular were kept playable after prolonged and heavy rain overnight continued most of the day.
Miss Thomson, who made her county debut for Aberdeenshire recently, won the first two holes, the second with a birdie but her experienced opponent squared the contest with successes at the fourth and sixth.
Still all square at the turn, Ann Hay looked to have taken a grip on the proceedings when she holed from off the green to win the 10th and was conceded the 12th after Michele landed in the burn off the tee.
Michele's fortunes suddenly changed when she was able to win three holes in a row from the 14th with par figures and survived a wild hook off the 18th tee to get a half in 5 to clinch her victory.
Lauren MacCallum, pictured left, completed a double for junior members of McDonald Ellon Golf Club by beating Mhairi Johnstone (Northern) in the final of the handicap championship. Lauren, winner of the Scottish schoolgirls’ handicap title at St Andrews Bay last month, beat Mhairi by one-hole in a very even contest. Lauren plays off 12 and Mhairi, the Aberdeen schoolgirls title-winner, plays off 10.
NORTH OF SCOTLAND WOMEN'S AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
Banchory Golf Club
Semi-finals - M Thomson (McDonald Ellon) bt A Ramsay (Kirriemuir) 3 and 2; A Hay (Letham Grange) bt K Harper (Inverness) 6 and 4.
Final - Thomson bt Hay 1 hole.
HANDICAP
Semi-finals - M Johnstone (Northern) (10) bt S Vass (Tain) (13) 1 hole; L MacCallum (McDonald Ellon) (12) bt M Clark (Banchory) (12) 5 and 4.
Final - MacCallum bt Johnstone 1 hole.

Windyhill looking for entries
Ann Macdonald, the Ladies Captain at Windyhill has emailed to say that they play host to the Janice Moodie Trophy for Under 21 girls on Friday 22nd July from 10:30am to 14:30 pm. The entry fee is £7.00.
(NB East of Scotland Girls... this clashes with the East of Scotland Girls Championship semifinal and final (see EoS Girls webpage))
In addition, the Windyhill Ladies Open for the Bob Collinson Trophy on Sunday 7th August from 10.00am to 2.00pm is also looking for entries. Entry Fee £7.00.
Entries should be sent to Ladies Secretary, Windyhill Golf Club, Baljaffray Road, Bearsden, Glasgow, G61 4QQ, Tel: 0141 942 2349 e-mail  secretary@windyhill.co.uk

NORTH OF SCOTLAND FINALISTS
Ellon teenager Michele Thomson and Ann Hay (Letham Grange) won their way through to the final of the North of Scotland women's amateur golf championship this morning in very wet conditions at Banchory Golf Club.
Valiant work by the greenkeeping staff to clear areas of excess water meant that play could go ahead.
Michele beat Ann Ramsay (Kirriemuir) by 3 and 2 in the first semi-final. Ann beat Kerri Harper (Inverness) by 5 and 4 in the other.

Tuesday 5th July 2005

Euro Ladies Team Championship
SCOTS NEED SECOND-DAY TO MAKE SURE OF CHAMPIONSHIP PLACE
Scotland need some improvement if they are to qualify among the top eight countries for the championship match-play flight in the European women's team championship at Karlstaad, Sweden.
After the first qualifying round, the Scots are on a tightrope in joint eighth place with Ireland on the 21 over par mark. Ireland had the lower discarded sixth score so technically, the Irish are eighth and the Scots ninth going into the second and decisive round.
In windy conditions and "glassy" greens, Anne Laing played well to match the par of 72. She held it all together over the last six holes which she covered in one under par with the help of a birdie at the 14th.
Clare Queen also showed the stuff she's made of with a gritty one-under-par run over the last five holes. She birdied the 15th and finished on 75.
Heather MacRae had two halves of 38 for a 76.
Fiona Lockhart had a 78.
Jenna Wilson doubled the 14th and then had bogeys at three of the late holes for a disappointing 80.
Pamela Feggans brought up the rear with an 81. She obviously has not acclimatised to European conditions after playing in America for the past year and a bit.
Scotland skipper Elaine Farquharson said: "We just hit too many loose shots."
Spain are leading at two under par. Maria Hernandez tied for the day's best score with a 69.
England did well to be lying second at one over par.
Then there's a big gulf to the rest of the nations. Switzerland, for whom Fabienne In-Albon had a 69, are lying third on 10 over par.
France fourth on 12 over par.
Wales have a mountain to climb from joint 11th place overnight on 26 over par. Champion Sarah Jones, struggling with a wrist injury for months, had a nightmare score in the high 80s.

East Division Inter-County Championship
All to play for tomorrow!
HEADING FOR PHOTO FINISH TO EAST DIVISIONAL AT ALLOA
The East Division women's inter-county team golf championship is heading for the tightest of  finishes at Alloa today (Wed) after East Lothian and Midlothian, the two teams who won their opening matches, drew 4 ½-4 ½ yesterday (Tuesday).
Fife, the defending champions, kept their hopes alive with a crushing 8-1 win over Stirling & Clackmannan.
In theory, East Lothian, Midlothian or defending champions Fife each has a winning chance if the results work out their way.
Midlothian look slight favourites to win the title which would be theirs if they beat Stirling & Clackmannan while East Lothian fail to beat Fife.
Top singles ties on Day 2 saw former international Claire Hargan, playing No 1 for Midlothian, beat East Lothian champion Kelly Brotherton by 3 and 2.
In the Fife v Stirling & Clackmannan match, Louise Kenney (Pitreavie) beat Alison Davidson (Stirling) by 2 and 1.
Tuesday's details
EAST LOTHIAN 4½, MIDLOTHIAN 4 ½
Foursomes: J Smith & L Anderson lost to K Blackwood & C MacDonald 3 and 1; S McEwan & F Prior bt K Marshall & A Edwards 3 and 2; K Brotherton & F Hindshaw halved with C Hargan & J Turner (1 ½-1 ½).
Singles: Brotherton lost to Hargan 3 and 2, S McMaster lost to Blackwood 1 hole, Anderson bt W Nicbolson 4 and 3, Prior bt Turner 3 and 2, Hindshaw lost to MacDonald 3 and 1, McEwan bt B Murphy 1 hole (3-3).
FIFE 8, STIRLING & CLACKMANNAN 1
Foursomes: L Kenney & J Carthew bt A Davidson & V Stevenson 3 and 2; L Bennett & B Copland bt E Allison & L Robertson 2 and 1; K Milne & L Fury bt N Melville & M Tough 3 and 2 (3-0).
Singles: Kenney bt Davidson 2 and 1, Carthew bt Robertson 1 hole, D Ford bt S Mitchell 6 and 5, K Sharp lost to Allison 6 and 5, Copland bt F McArthur 6 and 4, Milne bt Melville 3 and 2 (5-1).
How they stand:
1 (equal) East Lothian and Midlothian 1½pt each; 3 Fife 1pt; 4 Stirling &Clackmannan 0pt.
Final matches: 9.0 & 1.30 Fife v East Lothian; 9.30 & 2.15 Stirling & Clackmannan & Midlothian.

NORTH OF SCOTLAND WOMEN'S GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP
Scottish universities champion Ann Ramsay (Kirriemuir), beaten in last year's final, is through to the last four of the North of Scotland women's amateur golf championship at Banchory Golf Club tomorrow (WED).
Ann, organiser of student women's golf in Scotland over the past few years, had a good 5 and 3 win over her Angus county foursomes partner, Dawn Dewar (Monifieth) in yesterday's quarter-finals.
"We had a lot of birdies between us but I had a few bogeys as well so I must have been around level par at the finish," said Ann, a former Angus county champion.
Dawn, the last of the 16 qualifiers, failed to reproduce the short-game expertise that had seen her claim the scalp of the top seed, 16-year-old Laura Murray (Alford) by 3 and 2 in the first round of the match-play.
Ann Ramsay now plays 17-year-old Michele Thomson (McDonald Ellon) who, alongwith Laura, made her debut for Aberdeenshire recently. Michele beat Linda Urquhart, 21 times women's club champion at Banchory, by 2 and 1 in a game that could have gone either way until Linda went through the back of the short 16th to go two down. Michele had birdied the 11th and 12th to go two up but lost the 13th.
The other semi-final will feature Ann Hay (Letham Grange), beaten in the 2002 final at Downfield, against Abertay University student Kerri Harper from Inverness. Ann knocked out two Murcar players during the day - former Aberdeenshire champion Sjavon Wilson on the 18th green in the morning and Carol Wilson by 2 and 1 in the quarter-finals.
Kerri Harper squeezed through to the last four by holing a 12ft birdie putt at the 19th against Susan Murray (Brechin). Kerri recovered from losing the first two holes to lead for the first time at the 12th but three-putted the 18th green to allow Susan back on terms with a pitch-and-putt 4 from a bank behind the green.
Sammy Vass (Tain), 13-year-old daughter of former Scotland junior international, Northern Counties team player and secretary Margaret Vass, has reached the semi-finals of the handicap championship for the second year in a row.
Last year at this time Sammy had 26 of a handicap, little over a year after taking up the game. Now she is playing off 13 and, at the present rate of improvement, will be a scratch player by the time next year's North of Scotland championship at Montrose comes around!
Sammy, last of the 16 qualifiers, beat the top handicap seed, Liz Thoms (Panmure Barry) (17) at the 19th and then swept through to the semi-finals with a 5 and 4 win over Liz Webster (Aberdeen Ladies), playing off 15.
Now Miss Vass will play someone nearer her own age, Aberdeen schoolgirls champion Mhairi Johnstone (Northern) who had brought her handicap down to 10 this season. In the other semi-final, Banchory's Marjory Clark will play the third teenager in the semi-finals, Lauren MacCallum (McDonald Ellon) who won the Scottish schoolgirls handicap trophy last month.
Tuesday's results:
NORTH OF SCOTLAND WOMEN'S AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
Banchory Golf Club
First round - D Dewar (Monifieth bt L Murray (Alford) 3 and 2, A Ramsay (Kirriemuir) bt A Smart (Banchory) 4 and 2, M Thomson (McDonald Ellon) bt S McGregor (Edzell) 6 and 4, L Urquhart (Banchory) bt A Ingram (Fort William) 3 and 2,  C Wilson (Murcar) bt D Pocock (Murcar) 4 and 3, A Hay (Letham Grange) bt S Wilson (Murcar) 1 hole, S Murray (Brechin) bt A Bowman (Ellon) 1 hole, K Harper (Inverness) bt M Millership (Deeside) 4 and 3.
Quarter-finals - Ramsay bt Dewar 5 and 3, Thomson bt Urquhart 2 and 1, Hay bt C Wilson 2 and 1, Harper bt Murray at 19th.
Semi-finals at 9.0 and 9.07. Final at 2.15.
HANDICAP
First round - S Vass (Tain) (13) bt L Thoms (Panmure Barry) (17) at 19th, L Webster (Aberdeen Ladies) (15) bt P Nicoll (Banchory) (14) 1 hole, A Gowie (Inverness) (10) bt H Kelly (Panmure Barry) (13) 3 and 2, M Johnstone (Northern) (10) bt M Joss Goddard (Banchory) (27) 4 and 3, L Whyte (Abedeen Ladies) (17) bt H Omand (Banchory) (26) 6 and 4, M Clark (Banchory) bt V Harper (Deeside) (12) at 22nd, M Faulkner (Royal Montrose) (15) bt C Robertson (Dunkeld & Birnam) (19) 4 and 3, L MacCallum (McDonald Ellon) (12) bt B Duncan (Banchory) (13) 3 and 1
Quarter-finals - Vass bt Webster 5 and 4, Johnstone bt Gowie 3 and 2, Clark bt Whyte 1 hole
MacCallum bt Faulkner at 19th.
Semi-finals at 9.15 and 9.22. Final at 2.0.

Euro Girls
DISAPPOINTING DAY FOR SCOTS GIRLS IN SWITZERLAND
Carly Booth, one of the youngest competitors in the field, was the best of the four Scots in a disappointing day for the Scottish Ladies Golf Association representatives in the European girls' team golf championship at Lucerne, Switzerland.
Carly, 13, from Comrie had a three-over-par 76 and was tied for 19th place in the individual standings as the players went into Wednesday's second stroke-play round which will decide which eight countries contest the championship match-play flight.
Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) was in joint 30th place after a 77.
Krystle Caithness, Scotland's Under-16 girls' champion for the past two years, was tied for 37th place. The St Regulus teenager had a 78.
Sally Watson (Elie & Earlsferry), who will be 14 years old on Sunday, had an 80 which left her tied for 49th place.
Leading the field were the brilliant Spanish girl, Carlota Ciganda and Lene Krog (Norway) on the three-under-par 70 mark. Ciganda won the European women's individual championship two years ago.
SCOREBOARD (Par 73)
70 Lene Krog (Norway), Carlota Ciganda (Spain).
71 Marina Kotnick (Austria), Ann Kristin Solvang (Norway), Jodi Ewart (England).
Scots scores:
76 Carly Booth (Comrie) (tied 19th).
77 Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) (tied 30th).
78 Krystle Caithness (St Regulus) (tied 37th).
80 Sally Watson (Elie & Earlsferry) (tied 49th).

Prince at Deeside Opening
HRH The Duke of York is to perform the official opening ceremony for Deeside Golf Club's new £1.87million clubhouse on Thursday, July 14.
Prince Andrew will arrive at the clubhouse at Bieldside on the western suburbs of Aberdeen at 5.15pm and conduct an inspection of the facilities  before unveiling a commemorative plaque at approximately 6pm.
It will be a members-only occasion for the exclusive private golf club which was founded in 1903. A security check will be carried out at the car park entrance and members are advised that they must produce their swipe cards as proof of membership.
The club's two courses will be closed from 1.30pm on the day of the Royal visit and the clubhouse will be closed from 2pm.
Vehicular access to the club's car park will not be permitted after 4.50pm.
Prince Andrew is a five-handicap golfer and former captain of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club. He is patron of the Golf Foundation and has his own tournament for promising young golfers - The Duke of York Young Champions Trophy.

East Division Inter-County Championship
East Lothian and Midllothian shared the honours this morning.
Fife 3-0 in the lead against Stirling and Clackmannan
(Please excuse this totally un-biased (!) report from a Midlothian supporter)
Midlothian's Kirsten Blackwood (Glencorse) and Claire Macdonald (Gullane Ladies) quickly got to three up after five on Jayne Smith and Lindsey Anderson (both Gullane Ladies) and the scoreline fluctuated from 3up to 2up and back again for the rest of the match.
One of the highlights was Kirsten's wedge shot from waist high rough over the back of the fifth, which would have been deemed unplayable by most people (including her caddy (me!) and her partner!). Kirsten managed to get it to about 12 feet and Claire sank the putt to win the hole when they looked like losing it.
Second highlight was a delicate little wedge shot which Kirsten holed at 17 to clinch the match. She was just off the green and it was only perhaps 10ft but she played it out of a rough lie exquisitely.
Jayne and Lindsey, both ex Scottish Champions, had flashes of brilliance at some holes but for the most part, Claire and Kirsten played steadily and patiently to win.
East Lothian's Shona McEwan and Fiona Prior (both Gullane Ladies) were always up on Karen Marshall (Baberton) and Amanda Edwards (Liberton) and the match finished at the 16th.
Midlothian's Claire Hargan and Jane Turner (both Mortonhall) were two up with two to play against Kelly Brotherton (Loretto School) and Fiona Hindshaw (Gullane Ladies) but could not quite close them out in the final stages and their match was halved.
Fife won all three of their morning foursomes and Stirling and Clackmannan are going to have quite a job on their hands to turn it around.
East Lothian 1.5 Midlothian 1.5 (East Lothian names first)
Jayne Smith and Lindsey Anderson lost to Kirsten Blackwood and Claire Macdonald 3 & 1
Shona McEwan and Fiona Prior beat Karen Marshall and Amanda Edwards 3 & 2
Kelly Brotherton and Fiona Hindshaw halved with Claire Hargan and Jane Turner
Fife 3 Stirling and Clackmannan 0 (Fife names first)
Louise Kenney and Jocelyn Carthew beat Alison Davidson and Vicki Stevenson 3 & 2
Lorna Bennett and Becky Copland beat Elaine Allison and Linda Robertson 2 & 1
Katrina Milne and Lorna Fury beat Nicola Melville and Marget Tough 3 & 2

Monday 4th July 2005

NORTH OF SCOTLAND WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP
Banchory Golf Club
SCHOOLGIRLS CHAMP LAURA LEADS FIELD AT BANCHORY WITH 69
Scottish schoolgirls golf champion Laura Murray from Alford maintained her grand form of the past few weeks by heading the 16 qualifiers for the match-play stages of the North of Scotland women's championship at Banchory Golf Club.
Laura lifted the tone of the tournament with an excellent round of two-under-par 69 on a glorious sunny day.
Miss Murray, who won't be 17 years old until next month, squeezed six birdies into halves of 33 (two under par) and 36 (level par) She birdied the second, fourth, sixth, 11th, 17th and 18th. She bogeyed the ninth, 10th, 13th and 14th.
The No 2 seed in the draw is Kerri Harper from Inverness with a 72. She was on her way to a brilliant score when she reached the turn in three-under 32 with birdies at the second, fourth and seventh but she ran up a double bogey 5 at the short 12th and dropped further shots at the 13th, 16th and 17th before fishing with a birdie for 40 home.
Including Laura Murray, there are three teenagers among the qualifiers - Aberdeenshire county player Michelle Thomson (McDonald Ellon) and Ashton Ingram, who made the long trip across country from Fort-Willam. Ashton was alongside SLGA Clark Rosebowl winner Donna Pocock (Murcar) on the 73 mark while Michele had a 77.
Stirling University student Dawn Dewar claimed the last of the 16 places with a 79.
Katy McNicoll (Carnoustie Ladies), the youngster who reached the semi-finals 12 months ago and returned a gross 70 round the Old Course, St Andrews in the St Rule Trophy recently, failed to make it with an 81.
Other surprise non-qualifiers included former Scottish veterans' champion Rose Anderson (Huntly) 82, one more than Lynne Terry (Cruden Bay), the SLGA treasurer who lost in the final of the Scottish veterans' championship two or three years back.
Scratch qualifiers (Par 71, CSS 71)
69 L Murray (Alford).
72 K Harper (Inverness)
73 D Pocock (Murcar), A Ingram (Fort William).
74 S Wilson (Murcar), S McGregor (Edzell).
76 A Ramsay (Kirriemuir), A Bowman (McDonald Ellon), A Smart (Banchory), S Murray (Brechin).
77 C Wilson (Murcar), M Millership (Deeside), A Hay (Letham Grange), M Thomson (McDonald Ellon), L Urquhart (Banchory).
79 D Dewar (Monifieth).
First-round match-play draw (7min intervals):
8.30 L Murray v Dewar, Smart v Ramsay, McGregor v Thomson, Urquhart v Ingram.
8.58 Pocock v C Wilson, Hay v S Wilson, S Murray v Bowman, Millership v Harper.
Quarter-finals from 2.15pm.
Non-qualifiers included:
81 S Arbuckle (Panmure Barry), K McNicoll (Carnoustie), L Terry (Cruden Bay).
82 R Anderson (Huntly), F Blair (Monifieth), E Brown (Aboyne), B Duncan (Banchory).
83 A Gowie (Inverness), J Taylor (Kirriemuir), E Whyte (Aberdeen Ladies), S Easton (Brechin).
84 M Clark (Banchory), V Harper (Deeside), R Roy (Ballater), G Dowling (Inverness), G Chalmers (Banchory), P Wilson (Banchory), G Christie (Banchory).
85 M Burgess (Aboyne), H Kelly (Panmure Barry), K Stalker (Fraserburgh), L McCallum (McDonald Ellon), H Backhouse (Ballater), N Chalmers (Banchory).
86 S Vass (Tain), Y Richal (Meldrum House), P Nicoll (Banchory), J Slater (Aboyne).
87 L Webster (Aberdeen Ladies), J Petrie (Panmure Barry), J Knight (Kirriemuir), S Belton (Kirriemuir).
Handicap match-play draw
(7min intervals)
9.26 L Thoms (Panmure Barry) (17) 69 v S Vass (Tain) (13) 73, P Nicoll (Banchory) (14) 72 v L Webster (Aberdeen Ladies) (15) 72, H Kelly (Panmure Barry) (13) 72 v A Gowie (Inverness) (10) 73, M Joss Goddard (Banchory) (27) 73 v M Johnstone (Northern) (10) 70, H Omand (Banchory) (26) 70 v L Whyte (Aberdeen Ladies) (17) 73.
10.0 V Harper (Deeside) (12) 72 v M Clark (Banchory) (12) 72, M Faulkner (Royal Montrose) (15) 72 v C Robertson (Dunkeld & Birnam) (19) 72, L McCallum (McDonald Ellon) (12) 73 v B Duncan (Banchory) (13) 69.

East Division Inter-County Matches
MIDLOTHIAN AND EAST LOTHIAN FIRST DAY WINNERS IN EAST DIVISION JAMBOREE
Fife's hopes of completing a hat-trick of title triumphs in the East Division women's inter-county team golf championship at Alloa were dented on the opening day when Midlothian beat them 6-3
In the other match, East Lothian beat Stirling & Clackmannan 5-4.
Fife and Midlothian shared the foursomes 1 1/2pt each but the defending champions were surprisingly outgunned in the singles. Louise Kenney (Pitreavie) was Fife's only winner. She beat another former international, Claire Hargan (Mortonhall) by 2 and 1.
Jo Carthew (Ladybank) and Karen Marshall (Baberton) halved the second singles before Midlothian made a clean sweep of the remaining four ties.
Kirsten Blackwood (Glencorse), Wendy Nicholson (Broomieknowe), Claire MacDonald (Gullane Ladies) and Belinda Murphy (Mortonhall) all chalked wins.
Stirling & Clackmannan took the foursomes 2-1 from East Lothian but lost the singles 4-2
Kelly Brotherton (Tulliallan) beat former Curtis Cup player and past British and Scottish champion Alison Davidson (Stirling) by 2 and 1 in the top tie.
Then followed wins for Lindsey Anderson, Shonagh McEwan and Fiona Prior.
Fiona McArthur and Nicola Melville won the last two ties for Stirling & Clackmannan but it was too little too late.
Monday's details:
EAST LOTHIAN 5, STIRLING & CLACKMANNAN 4
Foursomes: K Brotherton & S McMaster lost to A Davidson & V Stevenson 4 and 3; L Anderson & J Smith bt E Allison & L Robertson 3 and 2; F Prior & S McEwan lost to N Melville & M Tough 3 and 1 (1-2)
Singles: Brotherton bt Davidson 2 and 1, Anderson bt Stevenson 5 and 4, McEwan bt Robertson 2 and 1, Prior bt S Mitchell 4 and 3, M-L Renton lost to F McArthur 1 hole, Smith lost to Melville 3 and 2 (4-2).
FIFE 3, MIDLOTHIAN 6
Foursomes: L Kenney & J Carthew bt K Blackwood & C MacDonald 3 and 2; L Bennett & B Copland lost to K Marshall & A Edwards 2 holes; K Milne & L Fury halved with C Hargan & J Turner (1 1/2-1 1/2).
Singles: Kenney bt Hargan 2 and 1, Carthew halved with Marshall, Bennett lost to Blackwood 2 and 1, Fury lost to W Nicholson 4 and 3, Copland lost to MacDonald 4 and 2, Milne lost to B Murphy 1 hole (1 1/2-4 1/2).

European Team Championship
SCOTS ARE SWINGING WELL
Message from Scotland skipper Elaine Farquharson-Black in Karlstaad:
"We are all set for the first qualifying round on Tuesday. The players are all swinging well and we have worked hard on course management as it is a course where placement is more important than length. Will be a long day as I will be up with Fiona Lockhart at 6am and on the course until Clare Queen finishes at 4.30pm."
European Ladies Team Championship results will be at www.golfdata.se/live/euro2005.asp

SCOTTISH BOYS & GIRLS UNDER 14 OPEN AMATEUR STROKE PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP
In association with The Loretto Golf Academy
Craigielaw Golf Club, July 5.
Family rivalry and one-upmanship will be to the fore when the Scottish Boys and Girls Under 14 Stroke Play Championships take place at Craigielaw Golf Club in Edinburgh on 8th July.
While 13 year old Andrew McLachlan from Eastwood tries to emulate big brother Peter’s triumph in this event four years ago, sisters Lauren and Jill Meldrum from Dullatur will both be on the course in a head to head challenge.
Several talented youngsters return for another crack at the Under 14 titles, having only just missed out a year ago. In the boys’ event, Tom Lewis (Mid Herts), Ben Alexander (Craigielaw) and Mark Murphy (Cawder), who finished joint third, fifth and eight respectively, are back in the field.
Lewis will have the distinction of being the lowest handicap player (1.6) in the field while Alexander, one of the youngest competitors, should benefit from local knowledge of his home course. The youngest competitor in the boys’ event is eleven year old Stephen Machin from Cowglen.
Four girls who finished in the top 10 twelve months ago are also back to try again. Samantha Colecliffe from Rhyl, joint second last year, tees up again along with Eilidh Briggs from Ranfurly Castle who finished fifth, Annabel Niven (Crieff) who finished eighth and Kirriemuir’s Louise Smith who came tenth.
Peter McLachlan won the Under 14 Championship in 2001 and has continued his success, winning this year’s Scottish Youth’s Stroke Play Championship at Glenbervie in June.
Eighty-four boys and 26 girls will play at Craigielaw with the USA, United Arab Emirates and Finland represented in addition to the home countries.
Order of play:
7:30 Joe Fraser Ravensworth, Alan Tulleth St Andrews, Ewan Knox Kilspindie
7:40 Ross Muir Prestonfield, Jamie Binning Old Ranfurly, Andrew Pillans Kirkcaldy
7:50 David Crummey Merchants of Edinburgh, Paul Shields Kirkhill, Patrick O'Neil Pollok
8:00 Findlay Ingram United Arab Emirates, Ian Redford King James VI, Conor O'Neil Pollok
8:10 Stephen Durnin Largs, Lewis Reid Fortrose & Rosemarkie, Scott Young Turnhouse
8:20 Greig Stewart Crieff, Calum Stewart Brora, Christopher Duncan Lothianburn
8:30 Jordon Dimmock Falkirk, Mark Murphy Cawder, Daniel Young Craigie Hill
8:40 Lloyd Smith Kilmarnock (Barassie), Joe Stamper Penrith, Andrew Steven Easter Moffat
8:50 Gary Chalmers Alloa, Ross Taylor Bothwell Castle, Calum Gallagher Greenock
9:00 Colin Baird Bothwell Castle, Peter Ramsay Elgin, Gordon Reilly Lochwinnoch
9:10 Billy Downing Truro, David Gallagher Clydebank & District, Greg Duncan Craigielaw
9:20 David Law Hazlehead, Peter Eleey USA, George Champion Truro
9:30 Calum Dunlop Wishaw, Grant Dowie Alloa, James Innes Ham Manor
9:40 am Kieran Howie West Kilbride, Zac Clark Royal Aberdeen, Calum Cockburn Turnhouse
9:50 Cameron Moore Falkirk Tryst, Michael Donald Monifieth, Chris Robb Inchmarlo
10:00 Fraser McNeill Haggs Castle Gareth Caldwell Greenock, Scott Campbell Hallowes
10:10 Jack Thorburn Forrester Park, Chris Low Musselburgh Old, Paul McPhee King James VI
10:20 Scott Campbell Wishaw, Stuart Boyle Harburn, William Rennie Northern
10:40 Anne Hakula Finland, Samantha Colecliffe Rhuddlan
10:50 Jamie Burrows Pitlochry, Reeve Whitson Mourne, Ryan Campbell Grangemouth,
11:00 Annabel Niven Crieff Jordana Graham Southerness, Samantha Leslie Westhill
11:10 Jamie Treasurer Castle Heather, Matthew Reid Downfield, Thomas Lewis Mid Herts
11:20 Eilidh Briggs Kilmacolm, Katie Burman John O’Gaunt, Zoe Differ Dullatur
11.30 Lewis Jackson West Hove, Alasdair Stevenson Golf House Club, Gary Meechan Dullatur
11:40 Lesley Atkins Minto, Cara Eaton Dalmahoy, Jill Meldrum Dullatur
11:50 Gordon Nelson Thornhill, Ben Alexander Craigielaw, Colin Robinson Skelmorlie
12:00 pm Camilla Tait St Regulus, Rebecca McIntyre Eden, Gillian Arnott Kilbirnie Place
12:10 William Russell Dunfermline, Mikhail Ishaq Bondhay, Euan Mackay Torphin Hill
12:20 Kirstin Scott Windyhill, Lauren Meldrum Dullatur, Linzi Allan Kilbirnie Place
12:30 Jamie Auchinvole Glenbervie, Andrew McLachlan Eastwood, James White St Andrews New Club
12:40 Gillian Scanlan Hamitlon, Gillian Simpson Baberton, Alyssa Balding Parklands
12:50 Steven Smith Deeside, John Henry Clydebank & District, Martin Scott Hamilton
1:00 Rachael Watton Baberton, Samantha Lamb Glencorse, Fiona Fullerton Huntly
1:10 Craig Jackson St. Boswells, Blair Todd Greenburn, Daniel Muir Cochrane Castle
1:20 Louise Smith Kirriemuir, Amy Stevenson Lauder, Rebecca Cunningham Ranfurly Castle
1:30 pm Grant Carnegie Dunblane, Damien Bunn Hunley Hall, Stephen Machin Cowglen
1:40 Joshua Nordbo Largs, George Munsey Frilford Heath, Colin Dick Lothianburn

Walker Cup
SALTMAN AND RAMSAY SELECTED FOR MATCH AT CHICAGO G C
Gary Wolstenholme and Nigel Edwards, both members of the 2003 Walker Cup team that successfully defended the Cup at Ganton, have been selected for the match against the United States at Chicago Golf Club, Illinois, on August 13 and 14.
Included in the team of top amateurs from Great Britain and Ireland is Oliver Fisher, who at 16 years of age, will be the youngest player ever to play in the biennial Walker Cup. The previous youngest players were Justin Rose (1997), Ronan Rafferty (1981) and Peter Baker (1985) all of whom were 17.
Peter McEvoy, Chairman of the Selection Committee of The R&A said:
"At the beginning of the season we lost a few players to the professional ranks and I was concerned about the strength of the side. However many players have improved enormously and have had successful seasons as a consequence."
"This team, I believe, is a very, very strong one."
Rhys Davies has spent the last three years in America where he finished ranked No 3 in the 2005 Golfweek Sagarin College rankings. To date his major win on this side of the Atlantic has been the 2003 British Boys Championship at Hoylake which followed his place in the final the previous year at Carnoustie. He was captain of the 2002 Jacques Leglise Team in Lausanne.
Robert Dinwiddie came into Walker Cup reckoning with back-to-back wins in the Scottish and Welsh Stroke Play Championships. Dinwiddie recently graduated from Tennessee State University and with six wins on the 2004 college circuit, was ranked the No 1 English golfer in the U.S. Surprisingly, he was not selected by England for their six-man European team.
Nigel Edwards, Golf Co-ordinator for the Welsh Golfing Union, played in his first Walker Cup match at Ocean Forest in 2001 and followed that with a successful series at Ganton in 2003. It was Edwards’ halved match with Lee Williams that secured the retention of the Cup and shortly after, Stuart Manley’s win gave GB&I a winning margin of 12½ – 11½. Throughout the current season, Edwards has had many top-ten finishes.
Oliver Fisher, 16, enters the record books as the youngest player for either side. When the match is played next month, he will be 16 years 11 months 0 days old, one month and ten days younger than Justin Rose when he played at Quaker Ridge in 1997. Fisher is a product of English Golf Union coaching and has also been a member of the Nick Faldo Junior Series. In 2004 he won the under-21 section at Burhill by four shots with a score of 133 and the English Boys under-16 title at Didsbury. This year he was runner-up in the Brabazon Trophy but saved his best performance for the Amateur Championship where he reached the semi-finals only to lose the eventual winner Brian McElhinney.
Penrith based Gary Lockerbie currently leads the English Order of Merit as result of outstanding performances in major stroke play tournaments. He won the Lytham Trophy, was joint third in the St Andrews Links Trophy and partnered professional Paul Jenkinson to win the Sunningdale Foursomes. He earned his first full English cap in 2003 following his win in the English Amateur at Alwoodley.
Ireland’s Brian McElhinney won the European Championship at Nairn in 2003 and added to that with his victory in the Amateur Championship at Royal Birkdale. At the end of a tough week, he had a comfortable win in the final over John Gallagher of Scotland and with that behind him and selection for the Walker Cup confirmed, he can now go into the Irish Amateur Close Championship with renewed confidence, to defend the title he won last year at Donegal.
Over the past two years Royal Aberdeen player Richie Ramsay has been a consistent top finisher in major events. He followed his three wins in 2004 that included the Scottish Stroke Play title with a third place in the same event over his home course this year and a win in the Irish Open Amateur.
Matthew Richardson from Middlesex is a former English Boy cap who made his full English debut against Spain in 2003. Last year was his most successful to date with victories in the Brabazon Trophy and the European Amateur in Sweden. He has already represented GB&I in the St Andrews Trophy team that defeated the Continent of Europe last year at Nairn.
Performances in 2005 have marked Lloyd Saltman as the most consistent player in the British Isles. The 19 year-old from the Craigielaw club won the Brabazon Trophy and followed that by winning the St Andrews Links Trophy the following week. It was no surprise therefore that he reached the semi-finals of the Amateur at Birkdale. Selection for the Walker Cup gives him the opportunity of reacquainting himself with Chicago Golf Club, which, as he states, is best course he has so far played.
Gary Wolstenholme, 44, will be playing in his sixth Walker Cup match and holds the unique record of having played in four Cup winning teams (1995, 1999, 2001 and 2003). Only Sir Michael Bonallack and the late Joe Carr have played in more matches although Gary’s record of 17 matches played, nine won and eight lost, stands comparison with the best. He is England’s most capped player and this year has won the New South Wales Medal and the Sherry Cup
The Walker Cup was first contested in 1922 when The R&A sent a team to play against the U.S. at the golf Links of America, New York.
Team:
Rhys Davies, 20, Royal Porthcawl
Robert Dinwiddie, 22, Barnard Castle
Nigel Edwards, 36, Whitchurch
Oliver Fisher, 16, West Essex
Gary Lockerbie, 22, Penrith
Brian McElhinney, 22, North West
Richie Ramsay, 22, Royal Aberdeen
Matthew Richardson, 20, Buckinghamshire
Lloyd Saltman, 19, Craigielaw
Gary Wolstenholme, 44, Kilworth Springs
Reserves:
Andrew McArthur, 26, Windyhill
Jamie Moul, 20, Stoke-by-Nayland
Captain:
Garth McGimpsey, 50, Bangor

Student News
University of Stirling students in Open Qualifying
No fewer than 6 golfers will fly the flag for the University of Stirling as they attempt this week to qualify for the Open Golf Championship staged at St. Andrews from 14th –17th July 2005. Renfrew GC, Glasgow is the Scottish venue for the 1st phase of Regional Qualifying. The successful few will join a field of 288 1st phase qualifiers from venues across Britain and head to the Fife coast over the weekend to gain one of the coveted 12 places available for the Open Championship itself.
University golf coaches Gordon Niven and Gordon Sherry are amongst the early starters at Renfrew. They are joined by current scholarship students Jamie McLeary (Computing Science), Richie Ramsay (pictured right) and Gordon Yates (both Sports Studies). First year freshman, Scott Borrowman, has his first opportunity to compete alongside his new team mates when he tees off around midday.
The day may prove to be even more profitable for McLeary and Ramsay as they await news of selection for the Great Britain team to compete against the USA in the prestigious Walker Cup in Chicago in mid-August. Ramsay is a strong contender after winning this year’s Irish Strokeplay Championship and putting in a strong display for Scotland at last week’s European Team Championships at Hillside.
Meanwhile, Euan Polson, pictured left, another September recruit for Stirling, is preparing to represent Scotland at this week’s European Boys Team Championship at Monticello Golf Club, Italy from 5th – 9th July 2005. Polson, the beaten finalist at this year’s Scottish Boys’ Championship, is joined by national champion Scott Henry, Jordan Findlay, Robert McKnight, Chris Bell and Steven McEwan. Scotland last won the European trophy in 2000.

NEWMACHAR WIN JOURNAL CUP OVER HOME COURSE
NEWMACHAR won the North-east District club team golf championship for the Journal Cup over their own Hawkshill course yesterday (SUNDAY).
Richard Hyland, Greg McBain and Kevin Riley totalled 453 to finish five shots ahead of defending champions Cruden Bay with Royal Aberdeen and Murcar joint third on 459.
The Newmachar trio will go forward to the Scottish club championship grand final at Torwoodlee Golf Club in the Borders on Sunday, September 25.
Newmachar's only previous success was over the Deeside course in 1994.
The James Morrison Shield for the best individual aggregate was by Mark Halliday (Royal Aberdeen) - his second success of the weekend. On Saturday he won the Braemar Open
Halliday and Richard Hyland (Newmachar) actually tied on two-over-par 146 - against a CSS of 76 for both rounds. Halliday's better second round - a 70 to a 72 - won him the individual trophy.
The top four individuals qualified for the North-east District match-play championship for the Jaffrey Cup, to be contested over the Hawkshill course over the next two evenings. Halliday, Hyland, Barrie Edmond (Bon Accord) and Bryan Innes (Murcar) were the top four and in the semi-finals, Halliday will
play Innes and Hyland will meet Edmond.
FINAL TOTALS (Par 72; CSS 76 76)
453 Newmachar 229 224 (G McBain 77 74, R Hyland 74 72, K Riley 78 78).
458 Cruden Bay 235 223 (L Phillips 76 74, R Cooper 78 72, M Buchan 81 77).
459 Royal Aberdeen 232 227 (M Halliday 76 70, S Buchan 77 84, M Wilson 79 73), Murcar 227 232 (B Innes 71 78, T Mathieson 77 75, B Main 79 79).
471 Fraserburgh 231 240 (K Nicol 77 77, J Mitchell 77 80, M Maclean 77 83).
478 Nigg Bay 238 240 (L Vettese 77 77, M Hay 75 81, N Slater 86 82).
479 Turriff 240 239 (G Robertson 82 69, J Williamson 74 79, A Smith 84 81).
480 Kintore 238 242 (A Neish jun 79 77, J Coutts 78 81, J Gray 81 84).
485 Deeside 248 237 (D Halliday 91 77, A Reith 74 83, A Campbell 83 77).
488 Kemnay 246 242 (P Don 73 81, C McDonald 94 81, B Gibson 79 80).
491 Meldrum House 245 246 (D Scott 86 79, P Edwards 81 86, N Robson 78 81).
495 Portlethen 247 248 (L Shand 84 78, I McGibben 80 84, C Erskine 83 86).
497 Inverurie 252 245 (C Glennie 82 78, S Reid 87 84, M Ingram 83 83); Stonehaven 250 247 (E Kennedy 82 79, K Douglas 84 82, G Graham 84 86); Duff House Royal 254 243 (I Angus 82 75, D Clark 86 83, D Stadames 86 85), Peterculter 252 245 (I Craik 83 80, J Callan 89 83, P Robb 80 82).
499 Hazlehead 260 239 (K Duthie 86 79, M Lynch 92 81, B Wood 82 79).
500 Banchory 256 244 (A Lindsay 91 88, D Considine 83 75, L Smart 82 81).
507 Inverallochy 240 267 (B Wisely 81 86, A Ritchie 82 88, D Wade 77 93).
509 Peterhead 267 242 (M Christie 85 78, G Cruden 90 76, B Zanre 92 88).
515 McDonald Ellon 258 257 (M Garvie 86 93, K Duncan 84 86, J Goddard 88 78).
521 Ballater 256 265 (S Barclay 85 85, F Grant 85 91, S Gow 86 89).
522 Westhill 264 258 (S Green 94 85, P Ewan 89 87, C Simpson 81 86)
524 Longside 264 260 (E Brocklehurst 86 82, T Mitchell 85 90, W Wallace 93 88).
527 Newburgh 266 261 (R McKen 88 82, C McKen 92 89, P Johnston 86 90).

RECORD ENTRY FOR WEETABIX WOMEN’S BRITISH OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP
A record number of 315 players from 29 countries have entered the Weetabix Women’s British Open Championship to be played at Royal Birkdale from 28-31 July. Of these, 135 players are currently exempt. With 5 qualifying places available at the Jamie Farr Classic in the US next week and a further 10 places at Final Qualifying at Hillside on 25 July, a total of 150 players will be teeing it up at Royal Birkdale in pursuit of victory at the final major of the year.
Karen Stupples, the winner at Sunningdale last year must be viewed as one of the favourites for the title after challenging for the U.S. Women’s title last month. In the end, it was a spectacular holed bunker shot at the 72nd hole that gave Birdie Kim her first major title. In doing that she denied World No. 1 Annika Sorenstam the third leg of her attempt to win the 2005 Grand Slam.
Annika, who already has a considerable collection of major titles to her name, will be hard to beat at Birkdale and displayed her liking for links golf when she won the championship at Royal Lytham in 2003. There she came from behind to defeat Se Ri Pak by a single shot and it was somewhat of a shock to her followers that she never challenged for the title last year at Sunningdale.
In a display of spectacular scoring it was Karen Stupples who charged to a five shot win with what was surely a record start in any major – eagle, albatross – in her final round of 64.
There are currently four amateurs in the field, Louise Stahle, the 2005 Ladies’ British Amateur Champion, Clare Queen, the 2004 Ladies’ British Stroke Play Champion and two highly talented 15-year-olds, Michelle Wie and Carlotta Ciganda.
Carlotta, the youngest player in the field, is there is a result of her win in the 2004 European Ladies’ Championship while Michelle has accepted a special exemption from the Ladies’ Golf Union to play in the Weetabix.
When she tees off at Royal Birkdale, Ms Wie will be making only her second competitive appearance in the British Isles, following her first experience of links golf in the 2004 Curtis Cup match at Formby where she won both her singles but was defeated in both foursomes.
The Women’s British Open has been played at Royal Birkdale on three previous occasions, in 1982 when Marta Figueras-Dotti was the winner, in 1986 with Laura Davies lifting the trophy and most recently in 2000 when Sophie Gustafson won the title.
The full list of exempt players and those playing in Pre-Qualifying and Final Qualifying can be viewed at www.lgu.org

HSBC World matchplay
BAENA WINS FINAL BETWEEN "UNKNOWNS"
Marisa Baena beat Meena Lee by one hole in the final of the HSBC women's world match-play championship.
Wendy Ward beat Candie Kung 2 and 1 in the 3rd place play-off.
In the semi-finals Lee beat Ward by one hole while Baena beat Kung by two holes.
Marisa who? READ ALL ABOUT ON THE LPGA WEBSITE

European Ladies Team Championship
Starts tomorrow in Sweden.
Website is www.golfdata.se/live/euro2005.asp

Sunday 3rd July 2005

BRITISH WOMEN'S OPEN MID-AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
Walton Heath GC, Surrey
SARA BISHOP RUNNER-UP IN MID-AM AFTER LEADING WITH 4 HOLES TO GO
Windyhill's Sara Bishop, pictured right, birdied the 14th in the final round to take a one-stroke lead in the British women's mid-amateur open championship at Walton Heath, Surrey but was relegated to second place by a strong finish from Lisa McGowan of Worplesdon.
Lisa, a two-handicapper who won the Surrey women's county championship in 1996 and 2001 and knows the course very well, birdied the 16th to draw level, and then got a birdie 2 at the short 17th to go one ahead.
Then, like Sara, Lisa bogeyed the last to clinch a one-shot victory over Miss Bishop, champion of Dunbartonshire & Argyll for the past three years.
Lisa McGowan scored 77, 72 and 75 for a two-over-par final total of 224 in this championship over a par-74 course for the over-25s.
One-handicapper Sara Bishop scored 75, 74 and 76 for 225.
Overnight leader Caroline Marron (Bromborough) and Rachael Lomas (Hallowes) tied for third place on 226.
Sara Bishop's final card included birdies at the second and 14th but, crucially, bogeys at the fourth, sixth, 10th and 18th in halves of 38 (one over par) and 38 (one over par).
Lisa McGowan birdied the second, fourth, 16th and 18th and had bogeys at the fifth, sixth ninth, 13th and 18th in halves of 38 and 37.
Lisa's victory earns her exemption from the pre-qualifying round of the Weetabix Women's British Open.
The championship, won its inaugural year of 2002 by three times Scottish champion Anne Laing (Vale of Leven), will be played in Scotland for the first time next year - July 7 to 9.
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
224 Lisa McGowan (Worplesdon) 77 72 75.
225 Sara Bishop (Windyhill) 75 74 76.
226 Rachael Lomas (Hallowes) 75 79, 72; Caroline Marron (Bromborough) 72 76 78.
227 Rebecca Halpern (US) 76 74 77.
228 Lisa Ball (Matfen Hall) 70 79 79.
230 Helen Batt (Chart Hills) 81 75 74.
235 Lulu Houseman (Highgate) 81 77 77.
238 Alison Coffey (Worplesdon) 80 77 81.
Other Scottish totals:
248 Frances Finney (Great Hadham) 85 80 83 (tied 26th).
254 Pat Bennett (Reading) 85 82 87 (tied 34th).

East Division Inter-county Championship Preview
FIFE BID FOR EAST TITLE HAT-TRICK WITHOUT FIONA AND KRYSTLE
The last of the four women’s divisional women’s inter-county team golf championships will be played at Alloa Golf Club’s Schawpark course over the next three days, Monday to Wednesday.
The winners will join Borders, Lanarkshire and Northern Counties in the four-cornered contest for the Scottish county team championship at Ranfurly Castle Golf Club from September 16 to 18.
Fife have won the East title for the past two years and did it at Mortonhall 12 months ago in comprehensive fashion, beating East Lothian and Stirling & Clackmannan both by 8½-½ and Midlothian by a 7-2 margin.
But this week Fife are unable to call on the services of the current Scottish champion, Fiona Lockhart and St Regulus clubmate Krystle Caithness, the Scottish Under-16 girls champion for the past two years.
Fiona is in Sweden to play for Scotland in the European women’s team championship and Krystle is in Switzerland, ready to play for her country in the European girls’ team championship.
Midlothian are missing young Sally Watson who had such an impressive run through to the semi-finals of the Scottish women’s championship at Cruden Bay in May.
Stirling & Clackmannan – in the hey day of Heather Stirling, Linzi Morton, Lynn Kenny and Alison Davidson – used to dominate the East Division jamboree. Only Mrs Davidson of the four is still an amateur and a good one at that. The former Curtis Cup player and past British and Scottish champion leads the S&C line-up as county champion for a fourth time at Schawpark.
Vagliano Trophy team player Heather MacRae (Dunblane) could have made a difference for S&C but she is in Sweden with the Scotland women’s team.
Laura Aitken (Falkirk Tryst) has withdrawn from the Stirling & Clackmannan team because of a dental problem.
That leaves only East Lothian able to field the team they wanted to field. They were the dominant team in the East Division prior to Stirling & Clackmannan’s ascendancy and, with former Scottish girls under-18 and under-21 champion Kelly Brotherton (Loretto School & Tulliallan), the county title-winner, spearheading their experienced line-up, East Lothian might be considered Fife’s leading rivals for the title and a ticket to the Scottish finals.
Miss Brotherton, bound for Colorado State University late next month, would not be available to play for East Lothian, should they make it through to the Scottish finals in mid-September.
PROGRAMME
Monday
9.0 & 1.30: East Lothian v Stirling & Clackmannan.
9.30 & 2.15: Fife v Midlothian.
Tuesday
9.0 & 1.30: East Lothian v Midlothian.
9.30 & 2.15: Fife v Stirling & Clackmannan.
Wednesday
9.0 & 1.30: Fife v East Lothian.
9.30 & 2.15: Stirling & Clackmannan v Midlothian.
TEAMS
EAST LOTHIAN
Jayne Smith (Gullane Ladies).
Sharon McMaster (Gullane Ladies).
Shonagh McEwan (Gullane Ladies).
Fiona Prior (Gullane Ladies).
Lindsey Anderson (Gullane Ladies).
Kelly Brotherton (Tulliallan).
Mary Lou Renton (Gifford).
Fiona Hindshaw (Gullane Ladies).
FIFE
Lorna Bennett (Ladybank).
Jo Carthew (Ladybank).
Becky Copland (Scotscraig).
Dorothy Ford (Scotscraig).
Lorna Fury (Thornton).
Louise Kenney (Pitreavie).
Katrina Milne (Dunfermline).
Elaine Moffat (St Regulus).
MIDLOTHIAN
Kirsten Blackwood (Glencorse).
Amanda Edwards (Liberton).
Claire Hargan (Mortonhall).
Claire MacDonald (Gullane).
Karen Marshall (Baberton).
Belinda Murphy (Mortonhall).
Wendy Nicholson (Broomieknowe).
Jane Turner (Glencorse)
STIRLING & CLACKMANNAN
Elaine Allison (Stirling).
Alison Davidson (Stirling).
Fiona McArthur(Falkirk Tryst).
Nicola Melville (Bridge of Allan).
Stella Mitchell (Falkirk Tryst).
Linda Robertson (Falkirk Tryst).
Vicki Stevenson (Stirling).
Margaret Tough (Falkirk Tryst).

BANCHORY HOSTS NORTH OF SCOTLAND CHAMPIONSHIP OVER NEXT THREE DAYS
The three-day North of Scotland women's open amateur golf championship begins tomorrow (MONDAY) at Banchory Golf Club, celebrating its Centenary Year, with a qualifying round to determine the 16 qualifiers for the scratch match-play and the 16 qualifiers for the handicap match-play.
Scottish universities champion Ann Ramsay(Kirriemuir), beaten in last year's final at Strathmore, and former Angus county champion Dawn Dewar (Monifieth & Stirling University), who both play off two, have the lowest handicaps in the field of 120.
Scottish schoolgirls champion Laura Murray (Alford), Katy McNicoll (Carnoustie), Donna Pocock (Murcar), Emily Ogilvy (Muckhart) and Michelle Thomson (McDonald Ellon), Sjavon Wilson (Murcar) and Linda Urquhart, playing over her home course, are also expected to be among the leading contenders for the title.
Alexandra Bushby (Strathmore) is not defending the title which in years gone by has been won by players of the calibre of Gillian Stewart (Inverness), Pamela Wright (Aboyne), Kathryn (Imrie) Marshall (Monifieth).

HSBC women’s world match-play championship
TWO UP WITH FIVE TO PLAY NEVER WINS
… Annika Sorenstam would subscribe to that golfing adage after losing by one hole to Candie Kung in the quarter-finals of the $2million HSBC women’s world match-play championship at Hamilton Farm Golf Club, Gladstone, New Jersey.
Annika was indeed two up with five to play in their quarter-final match and then …. “All of a sudden I just couldn’t seem to make a single putt,” said the Swedish world No 1.
You can see why generally sponsors and players don’t like match-play tournaments. The semi-finals line-up is hardly likely to pull the galleries in or have millions glued to their TV sets:
Candie Kung v Marisa Brown.
Meena Lee v Wendy Ward.
Marisa beat Karrie Webb by 2 and 1.
Meena, a rookie, beat Pat Hurst by one hole.
And Wendy Ward beat Sophie Gustafsson by 2 and 1.]

Saturday 2nd July 2005

BRITISH WOMEN'S OPEN MID-AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
Walton Heath GC, Surrey
SARA ONE OFF THE LEAD WITH ONE ROUND TO GO IN MID-AM
Windyhill's Sara Bishop has a real chance of following in the footsteps of her county team colleague, Anne Laing, by winning the British women's open mid-amateur championship over Walton Heath, Surrey on Sunday.
Sara's steady second round of 74 - matching the par - gave her a 36-hole total of one-over-par 149 and she goes into the final round in a triple tie for second place, only one shot behind leader Caroline Marron from Bromborough Club Club on Merseyside.
Caroline had a 76 for 148.
Sara, Dunbartonshire & Argyll county champion for the past three years, had birdies at the second, sixth and 16th and bogeys at the fourth, seventh and ninth in halves of 38 and 36.
Her inward half of eight pars and a birdie augurs well for her chances of mounting a final-day challenge.
Alongside Miss Bishop on 149 are first-round leader Lisa Ball (Matfen Hall) who had a 79 second time out and Lisa McGowan (Worplesdon) whose 72 was the lowest second-round score.
Some 40 players with 36-hole totals of 171 or better qualified for the final round. Two other Scots survived - Frances Finney (Great Hadham), joint 23rd on 165 (85-80) and Pat Bennett, an eight-handicap member of Reading Golf Club. She scored 85 and 82 to be lying joint 25th on 167.
Curtis Cup player and Scotland international Anne Laing won the inaugural British women's open mid-amateur championship at The Berkshire Golf Club 2002.
Next year's championship will be played in Scotland for the first time - hosted by Nairn Golf Club from July 7 to 9
LEADING QUALIFIERS
148 Caroline Marron (Bromborough) 72 76.
149 Sara Bishop (Windyhill) 75 74, Lisa McGowan (Worplesdon) 77 72, Lisa Ball (Matfen Hall) 70 79.
150 Rebecca Halpern (US) 76 74.
154 Rachael Lomas (Hallowes) 75 79.
156 Helen Batt (Chart Hills) 81 75.
157 Alison Coffey (Worplesdon) 80 77.
Other Scottish qualifiers:
165 Frances Finney (Great Hadham) 85 80.
167 Pat Bennett (Reading) 85 82.
Scottish non-qualifiers:
179 Fiona Clark (Hankley Common) 92 87.
185 Anne MacGregor (Lingdale) 92 93.
189 Fiona Sinclair (Carnoustie Caledonian) 96 93.

Scotland's Team at Edinburgh Airport on their way to Switzerland this morning to play in the European Girls' Team Championship at Lucerne Golf Club.
Back: L to R: Dorothy Gordon (SLGA) , Sally Watson, Sheena Wood (Captain), Krystle Caithness, Margaret Rodgers (SLGA).
Front: L to R: Kelsey Macdonald, Carly Booth
Good Luck Girls!
(Photo courtesy Graham Watson)

ENGLISH UNDER-16 BOYS' OPEN STROKE-PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP
Radcliffe on Trent Golf Club, Nottingham.
BANCHORY BOY TIES FOR 12TH IN ENGLISH U-16 CHAMPIONSHIP
Banchory's James Byrne finished a creditable joint 12th in the English Under-16 boys' open stroke-play golf championship for the McGregor Trophy at Radcliffe on Trent Golf Club, near Nottingham yesterday (Friday).
It was a third-round 78 - his worst of the three days by far - which cost James a top-10 or even a top-five final placing.
Byrne had rounds of 74, 73, 78 and 71 for an aggregate of 296 (CSS for each round was 71).
The only other Scot to qualify for the last two rounds, Michael Daily (Erksine) tied for 35th place on 302 with scores of 76, 74, 76 and 76.
Adam Myers (Northants County) won the trophy with scores 72, 72, 72 and 70 for 286. He won by a single stroke from Tommy Fleetwood (Formby Hall) with Tim Sluiter (Netherlands) third on 289.
Leading final totals (CSS 71 71 71 71)
286 Adam Myers (Northants Co) 72 72 72 70.
287 Tommy Fleetwood (Formby Hall) 70 73 70 74.
289 Tim Sluiter (Netherlands) 70 72 75 72.
292 Andrew Johnston (North Middlesex) 74 76 75 67, Billy Downing (Truro) 73 73 76 70, Henry Smart (Walton Heath) 70 73 74 75.
Other scores:
296 James Byrne (Banchory) 74 73 78 71.
303 Michael Daily (Erskine) 76 74 76 76.

Junior Girls Open Day at Barassie
Maggie Magee of Kilmarnock (Barassie) writes:-
" Kilmarnock (Barassie) Junior Girls Open Day will take place on Thursday 11th August, 2005. There are categories and prizes for both handicap, high handicap and non handicap players playing either 18 or 9 holes over both the Barassie Links Course and the Hillhouse Course.
Enter by e-mailing me DOCMAGEE2000@AOL.COM or telephone 01563 572005.
We would love to see girls from many clubs joining us at Kilmarnock (Barassie).
Last year was our first Open Day and 37 girls took part, the highlight of the day was Vicki Smith's "hole in one" at the 11th!"

Friday 1st July 2005

BRITISH WOMEN'S OPEN MID-AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
Walton Heath GC.
SARA SHARES THIRD  PLACE AFTER FIRST DAY IN BRITISH MID-AMATEUR
Windyhill's Sara Bishop, pictured right, champion of Dunbartonshire & Argyll for the past three years, will start the second round of the British women's open mid-amateur championship in joint third place at Walton Heath Golf Club on Saturday morning.
Sara and Rachael Lomas (Hallowes) shared the lead on one-over-par 75 over the 6,067yd course until first Lisa Ball from Matfen Hall, Northumbria  came in with a four-under-par 70.
Then late finisher Caroline Marron from Bromborough on the Wirral, Merseyside slipped through into second place with a 72.
Lisa Ball, pictured below right, had a bag of seven birdies - at the seventh, eighth, ninth, 13th, 14th, 16th and 18th, counter-balanced by three bogeys, at the second, 11th and 15th in halves of 35.
Sara Bishop, Dunbartonshire & Argyll county champion for the past three years, started tentatively with a bogey at the first but settled after that to birdie the second, fourth and 14th. She had further bogeys at the fifth, sixth and 10th in halves of 38 (one over par) and 37 (par).
Alison Coffey, the former Curtis Cup player from Northern Ireland and a +1 player, was the pre-tournament favourite but she could no better than an opening 80.
The mid-amateur tournament, over 54 holes of stroke-play, is open to players who were 25 years or over on January 1.
Sara Bishop's county team-mate, Curtis Cup player Anne Laing (Vale of Leven) won the inaugural British women's mid-amateur championship in 2002 at The Berkshire.
It will be played in Scotland for the first time next year - at Nairn Golf Club (July 7-9).
Leading first-round scores (Par 74)
70 Lisa Ball (Matfen Hall).
72 Caroline Marron (Bromborough).
75 Sara Bishop (Windyhill), Rachael Lomas (Hallowes).
76 Rebecca Halpern (US).
77 Lisa McGowan (Worplesdon).
79 Moira Page (Glen Gorse), Julia Brook (Croham Hurst), Sally Krueger (US), Pamela Brown (US).
80 Alison Coffeey (Worplesdon), Paula Carver (Worthing), Thuhashini Selvaratnam (Sri Lanka), Lizzie Taylor (West Essex).
Other Scots scores:
85 Pat Bennett (Reading), Frances Finney (Great Hadham).
91 Anne MacGregor (Lingdale).
92 Fiona Clark (Hankley Common).
96 Fiona Sinclair (Carnoustie Caledonia).

Ayrshire Launch New Website
Ayrshire, who up until now have been relying on the kirkwoodgolf Bulletin Board to keep their members up to date, have launched a new website www.ayr-lcga.ik.com. I've changed the link on the list on the left of this page so that you can find it easily.
Ayrshire Captain Eila Maclennan tells me that Shona Malcolm has been instrumental in setting it up. Well done Shona and well done Ayrshire! Go and explore.

ELGA PRESS RELEASE
Katie Thompson wins English Schools Championship
Hampshire 13-year-old, Katie Thompson, is the new English Schools Association girls’ champion and will play for their national team in the annual matches against Scotland and Wales.
Katie, from Corhampton, won her title at Trentham in Staffordshire where she shot 77, 72 for a one-shot victory over 14-year-old Hannah Barwood (Knowle) and Nicole Whitmore 16, (Woburn).
The leading six girls in the championship were selected for the annual schools’ international against Scotland at Glasgow Gailes on September 19.
Katie, Hannah and Nicole will be joined by Edwina Lowrey-Gold from Norfolk; Rachel Connor, Lancashire; and Gemma Parks, Leicestershire.
Katie and Hannah will also be in the team to play Wales at Moseley Golf Club on August 31.
Katie, Hannah, Nicole and Rachel are all members of ELGA squads and part of the Sport England, lottery-funded World Class training programme.
National Schools Association girls’ championship.
Leading scores (CSS 72).
149 Katie Thompson (Swanmore College, Hampshire) 77, 72. 150 Hannah Barwood (Oldfield Girls School, Avon) 77, 73; Nicole Whitmore (Denbeigh School, Hampshire) 74, 76. 151 Edwina Lowrey-Gold (City of Norwich School, Norfolk) 77, 74. 153 Rachel Connor (Our Lady’s R.C. Lancashire) 76, 77. 154 Gemma Parkes (Dixie GS, Leicestershire) 75, 79. 155 Hannah Lovelock (Woolner Hills School, Surrey) 79, 76. 156 Nicola Race (John Brampston School, 75, 81; Laura Harvey (Richmond HS, Yorkshire) 74, 82.

SGU LADS FOR AUSTRIA
Cameron Gray (West Kilbride) and Michael Stewart (Troon Welbeck) have been nominated by the Scottish Golf Union to play in the European Young Masters' tournament for Under-16s at Styrian Golf Club, Murhof in Austria from July 21 to 23.
In 1998, Barry Hume (Haggs Castle) won the boys' title and Jack Doherty (Vale of Glamorgan) was third.

ENGLISH UNDER-16 BOYS' OPEN STROKE-PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP
Radcliffe on Trent GC, Nottingham
TWO SCOTS BEAT THE CUT IN ENGLISH U-16 BOYS' EVENT
Banchory's James Byrne, pictured right, and Michael Daily (Erskine) were the only two Scots to survive the halfway cut in the English Under-16 boys' open stroke-play golf championship for the McGregor Trophy at Radcliffe on Trent Golf Club, near Nottingham yesterday (THURSDAY).
Byrne will go into today's final two rounds in joint 12th place after scores of 74 and 73 for a 36-hole total fo 147 moved him up some 17 places on the leaderboard.
Daily shot 76 and 74 for 150 - one shot inside the qualifying mark of 151 which cut the field to 48 players for the last day.
Tim Sluiter (Netherlands) and Joe Vickery (Newport) are the joint front runners on 142. Sluiter scored 70 and 72; Vickery 69 and 73.
Cameron Gray (West Kilbride) was close to making in three Scottish qualifiers but he finished one stroke above the cut-off mark with rounds of 75 and 77 for152.
Jonathan Caldwell (Greenock) totalled 157 with 79 and78.
Craig Wyper (Campsie) scored 82 and 76 for 158.
Andrew Campbell (Dumbarton) finished on 160 with 77and 83.
Sean McGarvey (Glencorse) and Michael Stewart (Troon Welbeck) both hit the 165 mark. Sean   scored 85 and 80. Michael made a brave bid to recover from an opening 90 with a creditable 75.
Sam McLaren (King James VI) failed to make it with 81 and 85 for 166.
Leading qualifiers
142 T Sluiter (Net) 70 72, J Vickery(Newport) 69 73.
143 T Fleetwood (Formby Hall) 70 73, Henry Smart (Walton Heath) 70 73.
Scottish qualifiers:
147 J Byrne (Banchory) 74 73.
150 M Daily (Erskine) 76 74.
Scottish non-qualifiers:
152 C Gray (West Kilbride) 75 77.
157 J Caldwell (Greenock) 79 78.
158 C Wyper (Campsie) 82 76.
160 A Campbell (Dumbarton) 77 83.
165 S McGarvey (Glencorse) 85 80, M Stewart (Troon Welbeck) 90 75.
166 S McLaren (King James VI) 81 85.