June 2004 Archive

Wednesday 30th June 2004

From Colin Farquharson
East Division Inter-county Championship
FIFE RETAIN EAST DIVISIONAL TITLE
Fife booked themselves a place in the Scottish women's county finals - at Nairn Dunbar Golf Club from September 17 to 19 - for the second year in a row by retaining the East Division women's county team championship at Mortonhall Golf Club today (Wed).
Fife finished with an impressive 100 per cent record, following up 8 1/2-1/2 wins over both Stirling & Clackmannan and East Lothian with a 7-2 victory over Midlothian. Fife took the foursomes 3-0 and four of the singles through Louise Kenney (Pitreavie), Fiona Lockhart (St Regulus), Elaine Moffat (St Regulus) and Katrina Milne (Kirkcaldy).
Milne, Lockhart and Moffat were the top performers in the three-day event, each winning six games out of six.
Midlothian were runners-up and Stirling & Clackmannan drew 4 1/2-4 1/2 with East Lothian in the match between past champions but, on this occasion, fighting to avoid the wooden spoon.
Stirling & Clackmannan finished third.
Today's details:
MIDLOTHIAN 2, FIFE 7
Foursomes: C Hargan & B Murphy lost to L Kenney & K Milne 1 hole; F De Vries & K Marshall lost to F Lockhart & E Moffat 2 and 1; K Blackwood & C MacDonald lost to K Caithness & D Ford 2 and 1 (0-3).
Singles: Hargan lost to Kenney 5 and 4, T Laughland beat Caithness 1 hole, Murphy lost to Lockhart 3 and 2, Blackwood beat L Bennett 1 hole, MacDonald lost to Moffat 1 hole, L Fraser lost to Milne 4 and 3 (2-4).
STIRLING & CLACKMANNAN 4 1/2, EAST LOTHIAN 4 1/2
Foursomes: L Kenny & H MacRae beat K Brotherton & S Penman 6 and 5; K Mathieson & L Aitken lost to J Smith & L Anderson 3 and 2; S Mitchell & F McArthur lost to F Hindshaw & S McEwan 6 and 5 (1-2).
Singles: N Melville halved with M Thomson, Kenny lost to Brotherton 5 and 3, Mathieson beat S McMaster 1 hole, L Aitken beat Hindshaw 4 and 3, C Kenny lost to Smith 3 and 1, MacRae beat McEwan 1 hole (3 1/2-2 1/2).
Final placings 1 Fife, 2 Midlothian, 3 Stirling & Clackmannan, 4 East Lothian.

From Colin Farquharson
West Division Inter-county Championship
D AND A WIN WEST DIVISIONAL TITLE
Dunbartonshire & Argyll won the West Division women's county team championship on a rain-hit third and final day at Milngavie Golf Club. Play in the morning foursomes was suspended because of flooding. After consultation with the Scottish Ladies Golfing Association headquarters at Perth, it was decided that the foursomes would not be resumed when the course became playable again after lunchtime. Instead, the positions in the morning ties at the moment of suspension were recorded as the results. This meant that Dunbartonshire & Argyll carried over a 2 1/2- 1/2 foursomes lead into the singles against Lanarkshire and they went on for an overall 6 1/2-2 1/2 win which sends Dunbartonshire & Argyll to the Scottish county finals at Nairn Dunbar in September.
Defending champions Ayrshire completed their fall from grace by losing 5 1/2-3 1/2 to Renfrewshire. Ayrshire thus lost all three matches.
Today's details: LANARKSHIRE 2 1/2, DUNBARTONSHIRE & ARGYLL 6 1/2
Foursomes: Clare Queen & Alexandrea Young were all square after five holes against Anne Laing & Sara Bishop. Susan Wood & Elaine Cuthill were two down after four holes to Lois Connell & Helen Faulds. May Hughes and Jenna Wilson were three down after three holes to Kylie Wallker & Claire McNeil. (1/2 - 2 1/2).
Singles: L Lloyd lost to Laing 6 and 5, Queen lost to Bishop 4 and 3, Wilson halved with Walker, S Wood halved with G Webster, Cuthill lost to Connell 4 and 3, Young beat L Ruane 1 hole (2-4).
AYRSHIRE 3 1/2, RENFREWSHIRE 5 1/2
Foursomes: Pamela Feggans & Lesley Hendry were one up after six holes against Jennifer Jenkins & Gillian McGinlay. Catherine Malcolm & Debbie Watt were three up after six holes against Karen Fitzgerald & Kate O'Sullivan. Charlie Taylor & Alex Glennie were three down after five holes against Clare-Marie Carlton & Addi Shamash. (2-1).
Singles: Feggans beat Fitzgerald 1 hole, Watt lost to Carlton 5 and 3, Malcolm halved with O'Sullivan, Glennie lost to D Jackson 3 and 2, Hendry lost to L Robertson 1 hole, Taylor lost to Shamash 2 and 1 (1 1/2-4 1/2).
Final placings - 1 Dunbartonshire & Argyll, 2 Lanarkshire, 3 Renfrewshire, 4 Ayrshire

LGU Press Release
LADIES’ BRITISH OPEN MID-AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
Sarah Walton, the 2003 champion, is one of many top players entered for the Ladies British Mid-Amateur Championship to be played at Hunstanton Golf Club from Friday 2nd to Sunday 4th JULY 2004.
Sarah, from Accrington and District, was a surprise winner last year at Royal Liverpool after tying on 229 with Danish player Stinne Thorsen and will have to carefully negotiate the exposed links at Hunstanton if she is to make a successful defence.
However on the way to that elusive second British title she will have to overcome the challenge from almost 100 players including several from the Continent and further afield.
Other players who might be expected to do well are Elizabeth McKinnon, a former New Zealand Junior Champion and a finalist in this year’s Portuguese Amateur and the 2002 Ladies’ British Senior’s Champion, Ros Page who landed that title at Longniddry.
Hunstanton Golf Club is set on the shores of the Wash and boasts of a history that goes back to 1891. It was extended some years later from 9 to 18 holes at the additional cost of £25.
Its last three holes are particularly challenging where the testing par three 16th is followed by the tough par four 17th before the last which demands an accurate drive into a shallow valley and then a long second shot to the exposed and elevated 18th green.
Competitors play 18 holes on each of the first two days and the 40 lowest scores and ties qualify for the final 18 holes on Sunday 4th June.

Lanarkshire Website now linked
Apologies to Lanarkshire for taking so long to get the link changed in the index on the left. They have a super new website... have a look.. and well done Lanarkshire!

From Colin Farquharson
IN-FORM FELICITY WINS BRIDGET JACKSON BOWL
Felicity Johnson, 17-year-old Harborne player, equalled Trish Johnson's 19-year-old women's course record of 65 in winning the Bridget Jackson Bowl open tournament at Handsworth Golf Club. Felicity, recent winner of the Lawon Trophy Under-18 award at the St Rule Trophy Open at St Andrews, had rounds of 65 and 72 for a 36-hole total of 137, seven shots under the CSS of 72.
Felicity won by four shots from Welsh international Jo Nicolson (Wrexham) with Curtis Cup player Shelley McKevitt, the British open amateur stroke-play champion from Reading, in third place on 142.
LEADING TOTALS
137 F Johnson (Harborne) 65 72.
141 J Nicolson (Wrexham) 73 68. 142 S McKevitt (Reading) 72 70.
143 C Dowling (Copt Heath) 67 76. 144 M Reid (Chevin) 69 75.
145 A Marshall (Burghley Park) 73 72, H Batt (Ashford) 70 75.
146 L Ball (Matfen Hall) 77 69, R Youngman (Oundle) 75 71.
148 S Birks (Wolstanton) 76 72.
149 S Garbutt (Ganton) 72 77. 150 J Hodge (Knowle) 76 75.
151 S Dye (Delamere) 77 74, E Lyons (West Surrey) 77 74, T Atkin (Leamington & Co) 75 76, N Booth (Highcliffe Castle) 74 77, S Walker (Kenwick Park) 74 77, E Sheffield (Newark) 70 81.
152 R Wood (Glossop &Dist) 77 75, S Hinton (Bridgnorth) 76 76.
153 N Edwards (Ganton) 76 77, B Loucks(Wrexham) 74 79.
155 J Ewart (Catterick) 83 72, V Saunders (Cambridge Meridien) 76 78.
156 C Smith (Hallowes) 78 78, V Willdigg (Astbury) 78 68, B McCormck (Ealing) 74 82, C Durbin (Chipping Sodbury) 72 84.
157 L Occleshaw (Landsdown) 78 78.
158 L Davies (Peterborough Milton) 81 77, M Smith (Hallowes) 76 82.
159 S Spencer (Whittington Heath) 81 78.
160 C Howells (Moor Hall) 80 80.
161 M Button (Nuneaton) 84 77.
163 C Hailstone (Griffin) 82 81.
164 B Dowell (Enmore Park) 85 79.
165 H Grant (Enmore Park) 82 83, J Phipps (Gog Magog) 80 85.
167 S Stubbs (Shifnal) 89 78, A Goodman (Notts Ladies) 88 79.
169 D Eaglefield (The Craythorne) 85 84, C Stubbs (Shifnal) 84 85.
170 F Thompson (Ellesborough) 88 82, A M Deeley (Handsworth) 86 84.
172 H Coles (Maxstoke Park) 89 83. 174 L Nicholls (Ingestre Park) 86 88. 175 R Jennings (Izaak Walton) 86 89.
180 E Stodart (Rugby) 94 86.

West of Scotland Girls'
The Jean McCulloch Foursomes were played at West Kilbride on Sunday. Unfortunately there were only 5 competitors due to other events and holidays starting. Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm) played with two partners to allow everyone to play and came first and second with partners Carol McMillan and her sister Eilidh. Only 14 holes were played due to very wet weather.
Result
1. Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm) and Carol McMillan(Airdrie) nett 57
2. Megan and Eilidh Briggs ( Ranfurly Castle) nett 58.5
3. Nichola Ferguson (Clober) and Lisa Byrne (Helensburgh) nett 62.5

Tuesday 29th June 2004

East Division Inter-County Championship
RAMPANT FIFE ON BRINK OF CLEAN SWEEP TITLE DEFENCE
Title-holders Fife scored their second 8 1/2-1/2 victory of the week, following up their comfortable win over Stirling & Clackmannan with an equally one-sided victory over East Lothian in the East Division women's inter-county team championship at Mortonhall Golf Club today (Tuesday).
In the other match, Stirling & Clackmannan regained some of their lost pride after Monday's drubbing by holding Midlothian to a 4 1/2-4 1/2 draw.
Tomorrow's final matches will pit Fife against Midlothian, the only two undefeated teams, with the title and a place in the Scottish county finals at Nairn Dunbar in September at stake.
Katrina Milne, Fiona Lockhart, Krystel Caithness and Elaine Moffat were all double winners for Fife against East Lothian, winning their singles ties as well as their morning foursomes.
East Lothian's half-point came from Scottish girl champion Kelly Brotherton's halved singles tie against Scotland international Louise Kenney.
Midlothian and Stirling & Clackmannan shared the foursomes and the singles with Midlothian's tail-gunners, Tracy Laughland and Belinda Murphy both winning to tie the day's scoreline.
Details:
EAST LOTHIAN 1/2, FIFE 8 1/2
Foursomes: K Brotherton & S Penman lost to L Kenney & K Milne 1 hole; J Smith & L Anderson lost to F Lockhart & E Moffat 2 and 1; S McMaster & S McEwan lost to K Caithness & D Ford 4 and 3 (0-3).
Singles: Brotherton halved with Kenney, Smith lost to Caithness 6 and 5, Mcmaster lost to Lockhart 5 and 4, F Hindshaw lost to L Bennett 2 and 1, M Thomson lost to Moffat 2 and 1, Anderson lost to Milne 5 and 3 (1/2-5 1/2).
STIRLING & CLACKMANNAN 4 1/2, MIDLOTHIAN 4 1/2
Foursomes: L Kenny & H MacRae halved with C Hargan & B Murphy; K Mathieson & L Aitken lost to K Blackwood & C MacDonald 4 and 2; S Mitchell & F McArthur beat F De Vries & K Marshall 1 hole (1 1/2-1 1/2).
Singles: MacRae halved with Hargan, Mitchell halved with MacDonald, Kenny beat L Fraser 4 and 3, N Melville beat Marshall 2 and 1, Mathieson lost to T Laughland 3 and 2, McArthur lost to Murphy 5 and 3 (3-3).

West Division Inter-County Championship
D & A v LANARKSHIRE TITLE DECIDER AT MILNGAVIE
It will be Dunbartonshire & Argyll v Lanarkshire for the title on the final day of the West Division women's inter-county team golf championship programme at Milngavie Golf Club.
Both teams have two wins out of two to their credit while defending champions Ayrshire and Renfrewshire are pointless.
Dunbartonshire & Argyll welcomed back Curtis Cup player and three times Scottish champion Anne Laing to their line-up - she did not play on the first day - and celebrated with a 5 1/2-3 1/2 win over Renfrewshire to follow up their 8-1 thrashing of Ayrshire on Monday. Renfrewshire did well to share the foursomes but were outgunned 4-2 in the singles.
Miss Laing had a 100 per cent record, winning the top foursomes in partnership with county champion Sara Bishop and then beating Renfrewshire champion Karen Fitzgerald 6 and 5 in the No 1 singles tie.
Lanarkshire followed up their first-day 6-3 win over Renfrewshire by beating Ayrshire 7-2, leading 2-1 after the foursomes and taking the singles 5-1. Curtis Cup reserve Claire Queen, Alexandra Young and Jenna Wilson, the Scottish Under-21 champion, all won for Lanarkshire in the morning and afternoon.
Yesterday's results:
DUNBARTONSHIRE & ARGYLL 5 1/2, RENFREWSHIRE 3 1/2
Foursomes: A Laing & S Bishop beat D Jackson & G McGinlay 6 and 5; K Walker & C McNeil halved with C-M Carlton & A Shamash; G Webster & L Ruane lost to K Fitzgerald & K O'Sullivan 3 and 1 (1 1/2-1 1/2).
Singles: Laing beat Fitzgerald 6 and 5, Walker beat O'Sullivan 3 and 2, Webster lost to Shamash 4 and 3, L Connell lost to Jackson 2 and 1, Ruane beat L Robertson 1 hole, Bishop beat Carlton 1 hole (4-2).
LANARKSHIRE 7, AYRSHIRE 2
Foursomes: C Queen & A Young beat P Feggans & G Lockhart 5 and 3; F Prior & E Cuthill lost to C Malcolm & D Watt 2 and 1; M Hughes & J Wilson beat C Taylor & L Hendry 2 and 1 (2-1).
Singles: Wilson beat Watt 1 hole, L Lloyd beat A Glennie 4 and 2, Cuthill, lost to Malcolm 2 holes, S Wood beat Taylor 5 and 3, Young beat Hendry 1 hole, Queen beat Lockhart 8 and 7 (5-1).

South Division Inter-county Championship
Borders booked their usual place in the Scottish county finals at Nairn Dunbar in September by winning the South Division women's inter-county team championship at Dumfries and County Golf Club. Borders beat Galloway 8 1/2-1/2 and Dumfries-shire 8-1. Dumfries-shire had beaten Galloway 5 1/2-3 1/2 in the opening-day match.

West Girls Golfing Association medal
on 28th June 2004 at Cawder Golf Club SS 72 CSS 72
Silver: 1st Handicap Fiona Williamson (9) Gross 81 - net 72, 2nd Handicap Lauren Makin (20) Gross 94 - net 74
Scratch Fiona Williamson 81
Bronze: 1st Handicap Eilidh Briggs (28) Gross 93 - net 65, 2nd Handicap Kathy Cathejo Gross 102 - net 76

Monday 28th June 2004

East Division Inter-County Championship
EAST CHAMPIONS FIFE MADE CONFIDENT START
Fife made a confident start to their defence of the East Division women's inter-county team golf championship when they whipped Stirling & Clackmannan 8 1/2-1/2 on the first day at Mortonhall Golf Club, Edinburgh.
Stirling & Clackmannan were Scottish champions in 2001 and 2002 but even with Scotland caps Lynn Kenny and Heather MacRae in their line-up they were no match for the Fifers who swept the foursomes 3-0.
Louise Kenney (Pitreavie) beat international team-mate Lynn Kenny by 2 and 1 in the top singles title. Heather MacRae (Dunblane New) got Stirling & Clackmannan's half-point in a square match with Krystle Caithness (St Regulus), the Scottish Under-16 girls' champion.
Fife's singles winners were Kenney, Fiona Lockhart, Lorna Bennett, Elaine Moffat and Katrina Milne.
In the other match, Midlothian edged a 5-4 win over East Lothian after taking a 2-1 lead from the foursomes. Wins for Claire Hargan, Belinda Murphy and Claire MacDonald in the singles gave Midlothian the additional points they needed for a winning lead.
Details:
FIFE 8 1/2, STIRLING & CLACKMANNAN 1/2
Foursomes: Louise Kenney & Katrina Milne beat Lynn Kenny & Cecilia Kenny 4 and 2; Fiona Lockhart & Elaine Moffat beat Katie Mathieson & Heather MacRae 5 and 4; Krystle Caithness & Dororthy Ford beat Fiona McArthur & Stella Mitchell 1 hole (3-0).
Singles: Louise Kenney beat Lynn Kenny 2 and 1, Krystle Caithness halved with MacRae, Lockhart beat Mitchell 1 hole, Lorna Bennett beat Nicola Melville 2 and 1, Moffat beat Laura Aitken 3 and 2, Milne beat McArthur 5 and 3 (5 1/2-1/2).
EAST LOTHIAN 4, MIDLOTHIAN 5
Foursomes: Kelly Brotherton & Fiona Hindshaw lost to Claire Hargan & Belinda Murphy 3 and 1; Jayne Smith & Lindsey Anderson beat Tracy Laughland & Karen Marshall 3 and 2; Moira Thomson & Shonagh McEwan lost to Kirsten Blackwood & Claire MacDonald 3 and 1 (1-2).
Singles: Brotherthon lost to Hargan 1 hole, Smith lost to Murphy 2 holes, Sharon McMaster beat Louise Fraser 2 and 1, McEwan lost to MacDonald 2 holes, Thomson beat Fiona De Vries 3 and 2, Anderson beat Laughland 2 and 1 (3-3).

West Division Inter-County Championship
D & A WHIP TITLE-HOLDERS AYRSHIRE
TITLE-holders Ayrshire were crushed 8-1 by Dunbartonshire & Argyll on the first day of the West Division women's inter-county golf team championship at Milngavie Golf Club yesterday (Monday).
Ayrshire's only winners were Scotland international Pamela Feggans and Gillian Lockhart in the foursomes. They had a good one-hole win over Sara Bishop and Helen Faulds. After that it was one-way traffic in favour of Dunbartonshire & Argyll even without the services of Scottish champion and Curtis Cup player Anne Laing.
D&A's players who made a 6-0 clean sweep of the singles were Sara Bishop, Kylie Walker, Claire McNeil, Lois Connell, Gemma Webster and Louisa Ruane.
Lanarkshire beat Renfrewshire 6-3 in the other match on the opning programme. Lanarkshire took the foursomes 2-1 and singles wins by Jenna Wilson, Susan Wood, Alexandra Young and Clare Queen clinched it for Lanarkshire.
Details:
LANARKSHIRE 6, RENFREWSHIRE 3
Foursomes: May Hughes & Jenna Wilson beat Karen Fitzgerald & Kate O'Sullivan 2 and 1; Fiona Prior & Elaine Cuthill beat Jennifer Jenkins & Addi Shamash 4 and 3; Clare Queen & Alexandra Young lost to Clare-Marie Carlton & Donna Jackson 1 hole (2-1).
Singles: Wilson beat Fitzgerald 6 and 5, Lesley Lloyd lost to O'Sullivan 2 and 1, Prior lost to Carlton 2 holes, Susan Wood beat Shamash 1 hole, Young beat Jackson 3 and 1, Queen beat Jenkins 2 and 1.
AYRSHIRE 1, DUNBARTONSHIRE & ARGYLL 8
Foursomes: Pamela Feggans & Gillian Lockhart beat Sara Bishop & Helen Faulds 1 hole; Alex Glennie & Lesley Hendry lost to Kylie Walker & Claire McNeil 2 and 1; Catherine Malcolm & Debbie Watt lost to Gemma Webster & Louisa Ruane 2 and 1 (1-2). Singles: Feggans lost to Bishop 1 hole, Glennie lost to Walker 6 and 5, Malcolm lost to McNeil 5 and 4, Charlie Taylor lost to Lois Connell 1 hole, Lesley Williamson lost to Webster 8 and 7, Hendry lost to Ruane 2 and 1 (0-6).

North Division Inter-County Championship
NORTHERN COUNTIES REACH FINALS AGAIN
SCOTTISH champions Northern Counties retained the Northern Division women's inter-county title at Monifieth yesterday (Monday) and so booked a place in this year's Scottish women's county finals on home territory at Nairn Dunbar Golf Club in September.
Northern Counties took a 3-0 stranglehold on their last-day title decider with Aberdeenshire by making a clean sweep of the morning foursomes.
But Aberdeenshire found their form by winning four of the singles but Northern Counties just made it with a 5-4 victory.
Northern Counties needed only two more points after lunch to ensure victory - and that was all they got. New Zealander Liz McKinnon (Nairn), all square after 13 holes, finished strongly to beat Julie Henderson (Inverurie) 3 and 2 while Cara Gruber (Royal Dornoch), one down to Aberdeenshire champion Sjavon Wilson (Murcar) after 14 holes, won the 15th, 16th and 17th for a 2 and 1 victory.
In the other match, Perth & Kinross avoided the wooden spoon by beating Angus 6-3 after winning the foursomes 3-0
Details:
NORTHERN COUNTIES 5, ABERDEENSHIRE 4
Foursomes: Cara Gruber & Pam Mackay beat Sjavon Wilson & Sheena Wood 1 hole; Liz McKinnon & Jenny Milne beat Donna Pocock & Jill Harrison 3 and 2; Lesley Mackay & Kerri Harper beat Laura McLardy & Linda Urquhart 3 and 2 (3-0).
Singles: McKinnon beat Julie Henderson 3 and 2, Gruber beat S Wilson 2 and 1, L Mackay lost to Wood 5 and 4, Milne lost to Harrison 4 and 3, P Mackay lost to Urquhart 1 hole, Harper lost to Pocock 4 and 3 (2-4).
ANGUS 3, PERTH & KINROSS 6
Foursomes: Dawan Dewar, Shonagh Raitt lost to Emily Ogilvy & Jill Milne 2 holes; Lynne Fotheringham & Susan Arbuckle lost to Jane Yellowlees & Fiona Ramsay 3 and 2; Alexandra Bushby & Ann Ramsay lost to Dawn Butchart & Avril Ker 4 and 3 (0-3).
Singles: Raitt beat Yellowlees 1 hole, A Ramsay beat Ker 4 and 3, Dewar lost to Roseanne Niven 2 and 1, Jackie Brown beat Ogilvy 4 and 3, Lynne Fenton lost to F Ramsay 1 hole, Fotheringham lost to Butchart 4 and 3 (3-3).
FINAL POINTS
Northern Counties 2 1/2pt, Aberdeenshire 2, Perth & Kinross 1, Angus 1/2.

NATALIE WINS PLEASINGTON PUTTER
Natalie Haywood from Rotherham won the Pleasington Putter women's open tournament at the Blackburn course on Sunday. She had rounds of 73 and 72 for an aggregate of 145 (the CSS was 75 and 75).
The defending champion, Julie Ross (Whitley Bay) was runner-up, two shots behind after scores of 72 and 75 for 147.
Sara Garbutt (Ganton) took third place on 149 with scores of 76 and 73.
The best net aggregate was achieved by four-handicap Bingley St Ives member, Helen Butterfield who had net rounds of 78 and 69 for 147.

South Division Inter-County Championship
Yesterday (Sunday) Borders beat Galloway 3-0 in the morning foursomes and in the afternoon singles Borders beat Galloway 5 and a half to a half. Final result Borders 8.5, Galloway 0.5

It's a Watson take-over at Murrayfield
Congratulations to sisters Sally and Rebecca Watson who completed a unique double today. Sally (aged 12) won the Murrayfield Ladies Club Championship by 5&4 and sister Rebecca (aged 15), not to be outdone, won the Murrayfield Junior Club Championship by 7&6.

South v East Girls
South of Scotland Girls played East of Scotland Girls in a six a-side match at Lochmaben on Saturday. The weather was not all that great but the girls had a good time and Lochmaben is a lovely spot. Result was a win for South by 3.5 to 2.5
Alison Tait (12) beat Rebecca Watson (10) 7 & 5
Gillian Monteath (12) halved with Louise MacGregor (10)
Alison Williamson (19) lost to Arlene McGarty (14) 3& 2
Amy Ford (20) beat Rebecca Hyde (18) 2 & 1
Megan Handley (24) lost to Cara Easton (21) 1 hole
Emma McDowall (27) beat Samantha Lamb (26) 2 & 1

Futures Tour
Heather Stirling added a third round 73 to finish on 220 and tie for 36th place in the FUTURES Golf Tour's $70,000 GMAC FUTURES Golf Classic at the 6154-yard, par 36-35 - 71 Blue Fox Run Golf Course yesterday. The tournament was won by Nicole Perrot (Vina del Mar, Chile) on 209 (69-72-68). The winner got $9,800, Heather took home $355.

Sunday 27th June 2004

British Ladies Open Amateur Championship
LOUISE BECOMES FIRST SWEDE TO WIN BRITISH TITLE
[Picture right shows winner Louise Stahle (Sweden), LGU Executive Chairman Jan Bennett and runner-up Anna Highgate (Southerndown) before the start of the final today.
Photo Courtesy and Copyright © Tom Ward]
Louise Stahle, a 19-year-old from Barseback Golf & Country Club, has become the first Swedish player in the 111-year history of the Ladies' British open amateur golf championship to win the title.
She beat Curtis Cup player, 21-year-old Anna Highgate (Southerndown) by 4 and 2 in the 18-hole final over the Gullane No 1 course, East Lothian this afternoon.
Miss Stahle, who won the St Rule Trophy 36-hole tournament at St Andrews last weekend, was roughly two or three under par in the final after being three-under-par in beating Sophie Walker (Kenwick Park) 3 and 2 in morning semi-finals.
Miss Highgate had been three over the card in knocking out the defending champion, 19-year-old Elisa Serramia from Barcelona at the 20th hole in her semi-final.
Louise, who will be enrolling at Arizona State University in the autumn, was never behind after winning the second hole with a par 4 after her opponent hooked her approach shot into the thick rough on the bank above the green.
Miss Stahle, the long, straighter hitter and a dead-eye putter, surged into a three-hole lead with back-to-back birdies at the long third and short fourth. Anna Highgate, who had been complaining about back pains, produced an eagle 3 at the fifth to score her first success of the final.
Louise, with twice Gullane junior champion Alistair Smeaton as her caddie all week, hit back with yet another birdie at the sixth and a par for the Swede was good enough to put her four up after seven holes.
There was a five-minute hold-up in play between the seventh green and eighth tee while Miss Highgate had two "chilling patches" applied to her lower back by championship secretary Susan Simpson.
The patches must have had a bit of magic in them because the Anna birdied three of the next four holes, winning the eighth with a 3, halving the 10th in birdie 4s and winning the long 11th with a 4, where Louise drove into a fairway bunker and took two shots to extricate herself.
With her lead cut to two holes, Miss Stahle was able to get back in the groove with winning pars at the 12th and 13th.
Miss Highgate, four down with four to play after a half in par at the 14th, birdied the long 15th to cut the deficit to three but bogeyed the next to lose by 4 and 2.
Later Anna said:
"I was one under par for the front nine - and three down. So I couldn't really do much about that. Louise played so really well.
"I felt my back when I hit a shot out of the rough at the second hole. But was so much better after I had the patches put on before we went on the eighth tee. And I also took painkillers.
"Then I had a bit of a run after that, birdieing the eighth, the 10th and the 11th and winning two of them to get back to two down.
"I'm disappointed to lose the final but it was to very good play by Louise and, looking at the whole week, I'm pleased with the way I played. Each day was a sort of bonus.
"Will I be back for next year's championship? I don't know yet. We'll see."
New champion Louise Stahle said:
"It's a terrific feeling to have made history in Swedish sport by becoming the first golfer from my country to win the British women's open amateur championship. I played well all week and to be three under par in both the semi-final and the final was more than I could have hoped for.
"I came to Scotland playing well about 10 to 14 days ago. I won a 36-hole event open Sweden to professionals by four shots with a seven under par total just before we left.
So that gave me a lot of confidence for coming over. Then I won the St Rule Trophy at St Andrews with some good figures over the closing holes of the Old Course.
"That was another boost so I came into the British with a lot of confidence.
I got a new set of clubs recently and they've been working well. I drove pretty long and straight all week but I think the biggest plus in my game was that I putted well every day.
I hardly had a three-putt and I took almost all the chances that came my way.
"My local caddie, Alistair, was such a big help as well over a course he obviously knew a lot more about than I did.
"I'm not think about turning professional for a while. I'm going to Arizona State University in the autumn for four years and that's all I'm looking forward to."

North County Matches
ABERDEENSHIRE-NORTHERN COUNTIES TITLE DECIDER
Scottish champions Northern Counties, winners of the divisional title 12 months ago, meet Aberdeenshire at Monifieth on Monday in the title-deciding match of the Northern Division women's county team golf championship.
Aberdeenshire followed up their Saturday 5-4 win over Perth & Kinross by beating Angus 5-4 to be the only team with a 100 per cent record after two days' play.
Northern Counties were held to a 4 1/2-4 1/2 draw by host county Angus on Saturday but scored a convincing 7-2 win over Perth & Kinross yesterday (Sunday).
Details:SATURDAY
PERTH & KINROSS 4, ABERDEENSHIRE 5
Foursomes: J Yellowlees, R Niven beat S Wood, S Wilson 1 hole; E Ogilvy, D Butchart lost to J Harrison, D Pocock 2 and 1; C Booth, J Milne lost to L Urquhart, C Wilson 1 hole (1-2)
Singles: Niven beat S Wilson 4 and 3, A Ker lost to Wood 8 and 6, F Ramsay lost to L McLardy 7 and 5, Ogilvy beat C Wilson 3 and 2, Milne beat Urquhart 2 and 1, Butchart lost to Harrison 4 and 3 (3-3).
NORTHERN COUNTIES 4 1/2, ANGUS 4 1/2
Foursomes: L Mackay, A Scott lost to D Dewar, S Raitt 1 hole; L McKinnon, J Milne beat J Brown, L Fenton 4 and 3; C Gruber, P Mackay halved with A Bushby, A Ramsay (1 1/2-1 1/2.
Singles: L Mackay lost to Dewar 5 and 4, McKinnon beat Ramsay 5 and 4, Gruber beat Fenton 3 and 2, Milne beat S Arbuckle 8 and 7, K Harper lost to Raitt 3 and 2, Scott lost to L Fotheringham (3-3).
SUNDAY
PERTH & KINROSS 2, NORTHERN COUNTIES 7
Foursomes: Yellowlees, Niven beat L Mackay, Scott 2 and 1; Ogilvy, Jill Milne lost to McKinnon, Jenny Milne 1 hole; Booth, Butchart conceded to Gruber, P Mackay five up (1-2).
Singles: Ogilvy lost to McKinnon 7 and 5, Yellowlees lost to Gruber 5 and 3, Niven lost to L Mackay 2 and 1, Ker lost to P mackay 4 and 2, Ramsay lost to P Maclennan 3 and 1, Jill Milne beat Jenny Milne 1 hole (1-5).
ANGUS 4, ABERDEENSHIRE 5
Foursomes: Dewar, Raitt lost to S Wilson, Wood 4 and 3; Bushby, Ramsay halved with Pocock, Harrison; Fenton, Brown lost to Urquhart, McLardy 2 and 1 (1/2-2 1/2).
Singles: Dewar beat S Wilson 4 and 3, Raitt lost to Wood 5 and 4, Bushby halved with Pocock, Brown lost to J Henderson 6 and 5, Fotheringham beat C Wilson 4 and 3, Ramsay beat Harrison 2 and 1 (3 1/2-2 1 1/2).
How they stand
Aberdeenshire 2pt, Northern Counties 1 1/2, Angus 1/2, Perth & Kinross 0.
Monday's final matchess:
Northern Counties v Aberdeenshire, Angus v Perth & Kinross.

South County Matches
DUMFRIES-SHIRE MAKE WINNING START
Dumfries-shire beat Galloway by a 2pt margin in the opening match of the South Division women's inter-county team championship at Dumfries & County Golf Club on Saturday.
Details:DUMFRIES-SHIRE 5 1/2, GALLOWAY 3 1/2
Foursomes: D McDonald, K Wells beat S McMurtrie, C Meldrum 2 and 1; F McGregor, T Lilley halved with J Brydson, G Robson; P Beattie, E Mauchlin beat P Maghill, S Martin 2 and 1 (2 1/2- 1/2).
Singles: McDonald beat McMurtrie 4 and 3, Wells lost to Meldrum 1 hole, F McGregor lost to Robson 2 and 1, Lilley lost to Brydson 3 and 1, Beattie beat Martin 7 and 6, M McGregor beat F Fingland 5 and 4 (3-3).

Janice Moodie Trophy - Windyhill
The Janice Moodie Open will take place at Windyhill G.C. on Wednesday 21st July and they still have some spaces left....There are three age categories which are 10 - 14; 15 - 17 and 18 - 21.
The entry fee is £5 and this should be sent to Celia White - 98 Hillfoot Drive, Bearsden, Glasgow G61 3QG along with the NAME, address, age, handicap and club. Entries can also go directly to Windyhill Golf Club (ladies section).

Nicola wins two Club championships
Nicola Melville not only won the Stirling Ladies Championship today, beating Elaine Allison, the defending champion by 2 & 1, she also won the Bridge of Allan Ladies Championship for the second time last month beating Claire Copocci by 4 & 3.

Futures Tour
Heather Stirling (Bridge of Allan) is still hanging in there at the FUTURES Golf Tour's $70,000 GMAC FUTURES Golf Classic at the 6154-yard, par 36-35 - 71 Blue Fox Run Golf Course. However her two round total of 147 (75, 72) is 10 shots behind leader Stephanie George (Myerstown, PA) on 137 (67.70)
Another Scot Linzi Morton (Tulliallan) who regularly competes in th Futures Tour is home this week and came to support the girls at the British at Gullane. Nice to see you Linzi!

North Inter-Counties
TITLE HOLDERS NORTHERN COUNTIES HELD BY ANGUS IN OPENER AT MONIFIETH
Title-holders Northern Counties were held to a 4 1/2-4 1/2 draw by Angus on the opening day of the Northern Division women's county team championship at rain-soaked Monifieth (on Saturday).
The foursomes were shared 1 1/2-1 1/2 and each side had three wins in the singles - Liz McKinnon, Cara Gruber and Jenny Milne for Northern Counties, while Dawn Dewar, Shonagh Raitt and Lynne Fotheringham won for Angus.
In the other match, Aberdeenshire beat Perth & Kinross 5-4. Carly Booth, making her county debut for Perth & Kinross at the age of 12 and partnered by Jillian Milne, lost in the foursomes by one hole to Linda Urquhart and Carol Wilson.
Aberdeenshire took the foursomes 2-1 and the singles were tied at 3-3. Roseanne Niven, Emily Ogilvy and Jillian Milne were winners in the afternoon for Perth & Kinross. Sheena Wood, Laura McLardy and Jill Harrison won their singles ties for Aberdeenshire who play Angus on Sunday while Northern Counties tackle Perth & Kinross.
First-day results:
PERTH & KINROSS 4, ABERDEENSHIRE 5
Foursomes: J Yellowlees, R Niven beat S Wood, S Wilson 1 hole; E Ogilvy, D Butchart lost to J Harrison, D Pocock 2 and 1; C Booth, J Milne lost to L Urquhart, C Wilson 1 hole (1-2)
Singles: Niven beat S Wilson 4 and 3, A Ker lost to Wood 8 and 6, F Ramsay lost to L McLardy 7 and 5, Ogilvy beat C Wilson 3 and 2, Milne beat Urquhart 2 and 1, Butchart lost to Harrison 4 and 3 (3-3).
NORTHERN COUNTIES 4 1/2, ANGUS 4 1/2
Foursomes: L Mackay, A Scott lost to D Dewar, S Raitt 1 hole; L McKinnon, J Milne beat J Brown, L Fenton 4 and 3; C Gruber, P Mackay halved with A Bushby, A Ramsay (1 1/2-1 1/2.
Singles: L Mackay lost to Dewar 5 and 4, McKinnon beat Ramsay 5 and 4, Gruber beat Fenton 3 and 2, Milne beat S Arbuckle 8 and 7, K Harper lost to Raitt 3 and 2, Scott lost to L Fotheringham (3-3).
Rest of programme:
Sunday: Northern Counties v Perth & Kinross, Aberdeenshire v Angus.
Monday: Northern Counties v Aberdeenshire, Angus v Perth & Kinross.

Lunch-time News
British Open Amateur Championship
WELSH GIRL KOs TITLE-HOLDER IN SEMI-FINALS AT GULLANE
Welsh international and Curtis Cup player Anna Highgate produced a great performance to reach this afternoon's 18-hole final of the British women's open amateur golf championship over the Gullane No 1 course, East Lothian.
Anna, 21-year-old Southerndown GC member, toppled the defending champion, 19-year-old Elisa Serramia from Barcelona, at the 20th hole.
Anna, two up with three holes to play, was rocked by a last-gap fightback from the Spaniard who birdied the 16th and 18th to take the semi-final into extra holes.
But Miss Highgate, the 14th qualifier, won through at the 20th with a par 4 after the Spaniard fluffed a chip.
Anna, the first Welsh player to reach the final since Becky Morgan in 1996, will meet Louise Stahle (Sweden) in the final.
Stahle, a 19-year-old from Barseback and winner of the St Rule Trophy tournament at St Andrews last week, became the first Swedish player to reach the final for many years. She beat Sophie Walker, the 19-year-old Loughborough University student and Kenwick Park Golf Club member, with a sub-par display for a 3 and 2 victory in the first semi-final.
Anna Highgate, a member of the Great Britian & Ireland Curtis Cup team at Formby, knocked out the defending champion, Elisa Serramia (Spain) at the 20th hole in the second semi-final.
Louise Stahle, who starts a four-year golf scholarship at Arizona University in the autumn, won the first hole with a birdie against Sophie and a par at the second was enough to increase her lead to two holes.
Miss Walker, the 29th qualifier, produced a birdie 4 at the long fifth to halve the deficit but then bogeyed the sixth to fall two behind again. Out in one-under-par 35 and two up, the Swedish player birdied the long 10th to increase her lead to three. The 11th was halved in birdies, the first of a sequence of six halved holes which ended the tie on the 16th green.
Louise Stahle was three under par and Sophie Walker level for the holes played.
In the second semi-final, Anna Highgate, the 14th qualifier, went one down to Elisa Serramia, the 23rd qualifier, with a double-bogey 6 at the second after a hooked drive but bounced back with winning pars at the fourth and sixth to be one up before she bogeyed the short ninth to be all square at the turn.
Anna got her first birdie of the match at the long 10th to regaint he lead but Elisa eagled the 11th to square the contest and a par at the next was enough to put the Spaniard one up for the first time since the second hole.
Miss Highgate then won three holes in a row with par-par-birdie figures from the 13th to the 15th to be two up with three to play.
The defending champion then finished strongly with a birdie 2 at the 16th and a conceded birdie 3 at the 18th after a fine approach shot to within 2 1/2ft of the flagstick to square the game and take the second semi-final into extra holes.
After the 19th was halved in par 4s, Miss Highgate won a place in the final with a par 4 at the second where Miss Serramia was just short of the putting surface in two and fluffed her chip, taking another three shots for a bogey 5.
Anna was an approximate three over par for the holes played

Saturday 26th June 2004

British Open Amateur Championship
TWO BRITS IN LAST FOUR AT GULLANE
Two British players are through to Sunday morning's semi-finals of the Ladies' British women's open amateur golf championship over the Gullane No 1 course, East Lothian in Scotland ... and Sophie Walker (Kenwick Park) could meet Anna Highgate (Southerndown) in the 18-hole afternoon final.
First Sophie, a 19-year-old Loughborough University student, must beat Sweden's Louis Stahle and Curtis Cup player Anna must KO the rampant defending champion, 19-year-old Elisa Serramia from Barcelona.
Miss Walker, making her debut in the championship, played brilliant golf in weather that was almost as bad as the wind and rain that virtually wiped out two days' play earlier in the week and forced the Ladies Golf Union organisers to add a day on to the progreamme.
"I like playing in the wind and rain. My opponent (Lisa Jean) comes from Australia so I thought she wouldn't have much experience of playing in conditions like that," said Sophie who was one under par in beating Lisa Jean by 5 and 4.
"That's the best I've struck the ball for a long time, certainly this year. I've not played all that much this season because I've been studying for exams at university. I think the rest from golf has done me good."
Sophie had birdies at the third, fifth, 10th and 12th. A slender one up at the turn, Miss Walker won four of the five holes played on the inward half, peppering the flag with sweetly-hit irons through the rain.
Anna Highgate, 21, won her quarter-final by 3 and 1 against Spain's Carolina Andrade.
"I can't believe I'm made it through to the last four of the British champion. I'm ecstatic," said the Welsh girl. "It was pretty horrible out there all afternoon but I tried to stay focused no matter how wet it got."
Anna birdied the third and the ninth on her way to a one-hole lead at the turn and then she set off for hom with a birdie 4 at the 10th and an eagle 3 at the 11th to surge three up. Miss Highgate's eagle was made up of a drive, four-iron and a 6ft putt through the pouring rain at this 465yd hole.
Miss Andrade won back the 14th but Anna closed her out by winning the 17th.
Elisa Serramia, whom Miss Highgate faces in the second semi-final on Sunday morning, did not lose a hole in beating the No 2 qualifier, Laura Eastwood (Yelverton) by 5 and 4. The Barcelona teenager, who is bound for the University of California in the autumn if she passes the SAT entrance test, birdied the first and also won the second to go two up right away.
Miss Eastwood hung on in there with seven successive holes halved for the remainder of the outward half. Then Elisa, who thinks she is just about the same player she was when she won the British title at Lindrick last year, took a grip on the match by winning the 10th, 11th and 13th with pars.
Louise Stahle, Sofie Walker's semi-final opponent, comes from Barseback, Sweden, where last year's Solheim Cup match was played. The 19-year-old beat a field of Swedish female professionals in a tournament before she came to Scotland and won the St Rule Trophy 36-hole event at St Andrews last weekend by four shots.
Miss Stahle, who will enrol at Arizona State University in the autumn, was one over par in beating compatriot Sofie Andersson. Louise put herself in the driving seat early on by winning the first, third, sixth and seventh to be three up at the turn. Sofie kept plugging away, winning back the 11th and 13th, but Louise, who had been in several bunkers after the turn, won the 14th and the 15th, where she played a great recovery from sand to win the hole and the match by 4 and 3.

Friday 25th June 2004

British Open Amateur Championship
IT'S A SCOTS SHUT-OUT IN BRITAIN AT GULLANE
ALL nine Scots who qualified for the match-play stages of the British women's open amateur golf championship came a cropper at either the first or second hurdle as glorious sunshine returned to the Gullane No 1 links yesterday (Friday).
American college student Louise Kenney, a member of Pitreavie Golf Club, Dunfermline, was the only one still standing as the Flowers of Scotland were cut down by the opposition in the morning first round.
But 21-year-old Louise, a 4 and 2 morning winner over Kristina Rothengatter (Germany), had a Swedish tiger by the tail in the second round and was walloped 6 and 4 by Karin Sjodin, a 20-year-old Oklahoma State University student from Gothenburg and runner-up in the American women's college championship in May.
Karin, whose 8 and 7 victory in the morning over Faye Sanderson (Heworth) was the biggest of the first round, carried on against Miss Kenney where she had left off in the morning. By the turn, Louise was trailing by three holes and the tie ended on 14th green. The powerful Swede birdied all four par-5 holes that were played.
All in all, it was not a particularly good day for the standing of women's amateur golf in Great Britain & Ireland. Only five representatives figure in this morning's round of the last 16 - recent Curtis Cup team members Claire Coughlan (Cork) and Anna Highgate (Southerndown), Kerry Smith, a former Curtis Cup player from Waterlooville where she is the club chef, Sophie Walker (Kenwick Park) and Laura Jane Eastwood (Yelverton).
Both US Curtis Cup players in the field, Annie Thurman (Oklahoma State) and Sarah Huarte (University of California), made their exit in the early evening sunshine. Huarte lost to a birdie at the 19th by the 19-year-old defending champion from Barcelona, Elisa Serramia.
In the black morning for Scots, Royal Dornoch's Lesley Mackay went down by 2 and 1 to Sofie Andersson (Sweden) after being all square at the turn.
Jo Carthew (Ladybank) also lost on the 17th green to Stephanie Kirchmayr (Germany), having been one up after nine holes.
Stirling University student Dawn Dewar (Monifieth) was three down at the turn to Anna Roscio (Italy) and could not halt the slide. She eventually lost by 4 and 3.
Krystle Caithness (St Regulus), only 15 years old and making her debut in the championship, was all square after nine holes against Joanna Klatten, a French girl who then won five holes in a row from the 10th to eliminate the Scot by a 5 and 4 margin.
The Scottish disaster story continued with Heather MacRae (Dunblane New) crumbling from a two-hole lead at the turn to a 2 and 1 defeat by Lisa Jean, the Australian who won the Munross Trophy 36-hole open event at Montrose a fortnight ago.
Heather's San Diego State University team-mate, Jenna Wilson from Strathaven, also lost from a potentially winning position at the turn. Jenna, had a birdie 2 at the fourth and an eagle 2 at the seventh, where she holed a full approach shot, but that only put her one up after nine holes against Kiran Matharu (Sandmoor). The English girl gained the upperhand on the inward half and won on the last green.
See LGU website for full results

Kennedy Salver - Thursday, 24th June
The morning round of the West Division Junior Inter-County Matches at Largs Golf Club, was played in very heavy rain making conditions extremely difficult. Nevertheless, the girls coped and played really well with many of the games having close finishes. Renfrewshire won against Dunbartonshire & Argyll by 4 matches to 1, while Lanarkshire defeated Ayrshire 3 - 2.
Because of the unpleasant weather conditions and casual water around, the afternoon games were reduced to 12 holes. In the 3rd/4th play-off D & A defeated Ayrshire by 3 matches to 1 with one halved. Renfrewshire, the holders of the Kennedy Salver, lost out this year to Lanarkshire in the final, Lanarkshire winning by 4 matches to 1 - Congratulations! and well done to all the girls taking part. Hope you've dried out!

Thursday 24th June 2004

British Open Amateur Championship, Gullane
POW MAKES IT EIGHT SCOTS IN BRITISH MATCH-PLAY AFTER PLAY-OFF DRAMA
Selkirk safety officer Martine Pow flirted with danger before surviving a 2hr play-off to join eight other Scots in the first round of the match-play stages of the weather-hit British women's open amateur golf championship over the Gullane No 1 course yesterday (Thursday).
Stirling University student Lynn Kenny, the former Scottish champion who was also involved in the play-off between 14 players to decide which seven would qualify, was eliminated at the third extra hole with a three-putt bogey 5.
Martine, like Lynn also three-putted the second extra hole, which meant the two Scots had to play another hole with Germany's Stephanie Doering and Azahara Munoz (Spain) with only two places in the match-play draw to be filled.
Miss Pow, 39-year-old semi-finalist in the Scottish women's championship for the past two years and employed in the family scaffolding firm, got a solid par-4 and so too did Munoz. Doering ran up an 8 to join Kenny on the sidelines.
Some 50 players were out on the course when the Ladies Golf Union organisers decided at 10am yesterday (Thursday) morning that the return of Wednesday's wind and rain meant that conditions were too bad to continue for the second day in a row. It was decided that the 64 qualifiers for the match-play would be decided on the first-round scores.
Curtis Cup player and three times Scottish champion Anne Laing (Vale of Leven) would have been a certain qualifier with a 76 but, before the cancellation announcement, she had withdrawn from the tournament with a badly swollen ankle and foot, caused by an insect bite on the last day of the match against the United States, which suddenly turned septic and flared up on Wednesday evening. She was advised by a local doctor that to continue in the championship would risk spreading the infection through her body.
With Miss Laing out of the equation and former Curtis Cup player Sarah Jones (Pennard), who had had a first-round 77, also pulling out with a sore wrist, that meant the play-off for the final seven places in the match-play draw would be contested by the remaining 14 players on the 77 mark.
Those who went through after the 2hr, sudden-death play-off up the first hole, back down the 18th and up the first again, shedding players along the way, were Martine Pow, Azahara Munoz (Spain), Denise Simon (Germany), Carmen Alonso (Spain), Anne-Sophie Le Nallio (France), Lucie Gendronneau (France), Faye Sanderson (Heworth).
Eliminated were Lynn Kenny, Stephanie Doering (Germany), Anne-Catrin Schmitt (Germany), Felicity Johnson (Harborne), Marie Allen (Moor Park), Sarah Kemp (Australia) and Mireille Scalabre (France).
Apart from Martine Pow, the Scots still in the championship are Lesley Mackay (Royal Dornoch), Krystle Caithness (St Regulus), Pamela Feggans (Doon Valley), Louise Kenney (Pitreavie), Dawn Dewar (Stirling University), Jocelyn Carthrew (Ladybank), Heather MacRae (Dunblane New) and Jenna Wilson (Strathaven).
Pamela Feggans will meet defending champion Elisa Serramia from Barcelona in the first round.
The decision to dispense with the second qualifying round deprived some well-known players of the chance to recover from disappointing first-day scores.
Curtis Cup players Emma Duggleby (Malton & Norton) and Shelley McKevitt (Reading) as well as reserve Clare Queen (Drumpellier) and Irish champion Deirdre Smith (Co Louth) were on the 78 mark - one shot away from participating in the play-off.
BRITISH WOMEN'S AMATEUR GOLF DRAW
British women's open amateur championship first-round match-play draw at Gullane No 1 course.
FRIDAY MORNING
First quarter
C Boucher (Can) v A Munoz (Spa), K Jarochowicz (Aus) v E Brown (West Wilts), B Mozo (Spain) v L H Diggle (Celtic Manor), K Quinn (Aus) v L Stahle (Swe), S Andersson (Swe) v L Mackay (Royal Dornoch), S Kirchmayr (Ger) v J Carthew (Ladybank), A Roscio (Ita) v D Dewar (Stirling Univ), J Ross (Whitley Bay) v C Coughlan (Cork).
Second quarter
S Gal (Ger) v D Simon (Ger), M Hernandez (Spa) v M Bazin de Jessey (Fra), J Wilson (Strathaven) v K Matharu (Sandmoor), H MacRae (Dunblane New) v L Jean (Aus), D Andersen (Mex) v R Vilatte (Fra), J Klatten (Fra) v K Caithness (St Regulus), S Walker (Kenwick Park) v E Bennett (Brokenhurst Manor), C Alonso (Spa) v M Gillen (Beaverstown).
Third quarter
L Knowlton (Can) v L Gendronneau (Fra), S J Kenyon (Aus) v N Garrett (Aus), L Ball (Matfen Hall) v H Brockway (Yeovil), V Valvasson (Ita) v A Highgate (Southerndown), A Thurman (US) v K Hanwell (Northampton), L Matthews (Can) v J Hodge (Knowle), K Philips (Creigiau) v C Andrade (Spa), A-S Le Nalio (Fra) v V Drouin (Can).
Fourth quarter
K Sjodin (Swe) v F Sanderson (Heworth), K Rothengatter (Ger) v L Kenney (Pitreavie), E Serramia (Spa) v P Feggans (Doon Valley), I Tusquets (Spa) v S Huarte (US), R Bell (Ganton) v B Recari (Spa), F More (Chesterfield) v K Smith (Waterlooville), J Luciuk (Can) v T Delaney (Carlow), M Pow (Selkirk) v L J Eastwood (Yelverton).

British Open Amateur Championship, Gullane
PLAY ABANDONED AGAIN IN BRITISH WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP
The second qualifying round of the British women's open amateur golf championship at Gullane was abandoned at 10.15am this morning (THURSDAY).
Play had started at 7am but conditions steadily deteriorated into a repetition of Wednesday's high winds and rain which forced a 24hr postponement of the second qualifying round.
The semi-finals and final have already been rearranged for Sunday instead of Saturday but there was no further room for manoeuvre as far as the Ladies Golf Union organisers are concerned.
The 64 qualifiers for the match-play stages will be decided on the first qualifying round alone. There were 58 players with scores of 76 or better on Tuesday with a further 15 on 77. Championship secretary Susan Simpson said the LGU executive had still to decide whether to do a card countback or have a play-off for the last six places in the match-play draw should the weather improve sufficiently later in the day.

British Open Amateur Championship, Gullane
FLY BITE KOs SCOTTISH CHAMPION'S BID FOR BRITISH TITLE AT GULLANE
Curtis Cup Scot Anne Laing pulled out of the British women's open amateur golf championship at Gullane yesterday (Thursday) without playing a shot in the delayed second qualifying round.
A bite, presumably by a horse fly on her left ankle during the Curtis Cup match at Formby (June 12-13), flared up overnight (Wed-Thu) and, on doctor's advice, the three times Scottish champion scratched from the championship.
She had scored a three-over-par 76 in Tuesday's first round and was almost certain to be among the 64 qualifiers for the match-play stages after the completion of the second round.
"I got bitten on the final day at Formby. I thought it was a thorn in the rough at the time it happened. It had obviously been a horse fly or a cleg. It did swell up like a bite but I thought it it had gone over the days since then," said 29-year-old Anne, a member at the Vale of Leven Golf Club, Alexandria and an Aberdour-based lecturer at Elmwood College, Cupar.
"The skin around the bite was still itchy but I thought it was sunburn because I got a bit of that too at Formby then yesterday (Wednesday) it began to get really itchy and the ankle really started to swell up. This morning it's kind of blistered and not very nice to look at.
"It's become infected and it's spread into my foot which is also swollen. So I have to get anti-biotics. The lady doctor who treated me is a member here at Gullane Golf Club. She advised me not to continue in the British tournament. She said that if I did the infection could get worse.
"The ankle and the foot are getting really stiff as well and I'm finding it difficult to put weight on it. I am managing to limp around but it would have been impossible to walk 18 holes today. It's sad because I wanted to do really well in the championship, especially because it's being held in Scotland, but my health's more important."
Miss Laing has said she will never turn professional because she is "not a good enough player to make a living at it." In the recent Curtis Cup she gained three points out of a possible four, and included two foursomes victories over Michelle Wie on her debut against the United States.
Anne retained the Scottish women's amateur title at Prestwick last month, having won the Centenary championship over the Old Course last year. She won the title for the first time at Royal Dornoch in 1996. She also won the inaugural British women's mid-amateur title in 2002.

Wednesday 23rd June 2004

British Open Amateur Championship, Gullane
BRITISH WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP WILL NOW FINISH ON SUNDAY (Final at 1:00pm)
High winds and torrential rain forced a cancellation of today's (WEDNESDAY) play in the second qualifying round in the British women's open amateur golf championship over the Gullane No 1 course, East Lothian.
The tournament had been scheduled to end on Saturday. It will now spill over into Sunday with the semi-finals in the morning and the 18-hole final in the afternoon.
It will be the first Sunday finish in the championship since 1996 at Hoylake where the semi-finals and final were delayed by 24hr because of gale-force winds.
Ten players, including Great Britain & Ireland Curtis Cup team members Emma Duggleby (Malton & Norton) and Claire Coughlan (Cork) had begun their rounds when play was suspended at 7.45am today (Wed).
At 10 am, the Ladies Golf Union organising officials, having learned that the no significant improvement in the weather was forecast, decided to cancel further play for the day which meant that the second qualifying round would re-start for all 142 players in the field from the first tee this morning.
Former British title-holder Emma Duggleby said she was "relieved and delighted" when they were told to mark their balls where they lay and to return to the clubhouse. In the event, the strokes she and the other nine players took before the suspension will not count.
Great Britain & Ireland team-mate Claire Coughlan from Cork, who had already lost a ball in the thick rough before play was halted, said: "That's just about as bad out there as anything I've ever played. It was terrible. I had a problem in getting the putter back to the ball."
On the higher, exposed part of the Gullane links, the North wind blowing in off the Firth of Forth made conditions unplayable. The balls were not remaining stationary on the greens and the players had difficulty in retaining their balance as they were buffeted by the wind and lashed by the rain.
"All the players are happy with the decision, including those from North America and the Continent. If any of them reach the semi-finals, they will be able to play on Sunday," said Susan Simpson, the championship secretary.
"We did consider scrubbing the second round completely and deciding the 64 qualifiers for the match-play stages on the first-round scores but we didn't feel that was the fairest decision and discarded that idea in favour of putting the whole programme back a day."

MICHELLE JUST FAILS TO QUALIFY FOR US MEN'S PUBLIC LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP
Michelle Wie shot a two-under-par 36-hole aggregate of 142 to finish tied for third place in a qualifying round at Hersey, Pennsylvania for the United States MEN'S Public Amateur Links championship.
The first two in the tournament join qualifiers from other venues to make up a field of 64 players for the Publix championship which is decided on match-play at a Minnesota venue. The winner of the championship - Michelle became the youngest player - then 13 years - to win an adult USGA championship when she won the US WOMEN'S Public Amateur Links title.
The winner of the men's US Men's Public Amateur Links championship is invited to join the field for the following year's US Masters tournament at Augusta National, Georgia. That had been Michelle's goal in entering the men's event in which she was the only female entrant.
The Hawaiian ninth-grader will now switch her focus to the US Women's Open, to be held July 1 to 4 in Massachusetts.
Wie finished the first round tied for fourth at one-under-par 71 and then shot another 71 in the afternoon to tie for third place on 142.
She missed a couple of 6ft birdie putts on the fifth and sixth holes but birdied the seventh from 4ft. She failed to convert birdie putts on the eighth and ninth.
Michelle missed the cut by only one shot at the US PGA Tour's Sony Open in January after a second-round 68.
She has finished in the top 20 in three LPGA events this year.

Tuesday 22nd June 2004

British Open Amateur Championship, Gullane.
Intrepid reporter Colin Farquharson writes:-
SCOTTISH Under-16 girls champion Krystle Caithness, pictured right, moved up to the big league in the British women's open amateur golf championship over the Gullane No 1 course on Tuesday - and played a stormer!
Krystle, 15-year-old junior member of St Andrews women's club St Regulus, shared the honour top Scot on one-over-par 74 with fellow Fifers Jo Carthew (Ladybank) and Louise Kenney (Pitreavie) as well as Jenna Wilson (Strathaven).
But what added distinction to young Krystle's effort was the fact that she was out at the tail-end of the field and had to contend with a cool wind and cloudy skies, compared with the bright sunshine and hardly a breeze at all which the first half of the field had enjoyed.
"I enjoyed it a lot ... especially holing a 10ft putt to finish with a birdie," said an excited Krystle whose dad Jim caddied for her.
Miss Caithness had also started with a birdie, hitting her approach to within 6ft of the stick and holing the putt. She drove into Gullane's infamous knee-night rough at the second to drop a shot and one other bogey on the outward half - a 5 at the seventh where she went through the back with her approach.
Out in one-over 37, Krystle improved to level par with a driver and a five-wood on to the par-5, 465yd 11th and two-putts for a birdie 4. Then she shed shots in the wind which made the difficult holes much more testing for the second half of the field.
Krystle bogeyed the 14th and 17th but then finished in champion style with a birdie.
Jo Carthew, one of the first off the tee in the glorious early morning sunshine, did well to finish only one over after running up a double-bogey 6 at the second where she pulled her tee shot into the high grass that borders most of the fairways.
San Diego State student Jenna Wilson had a worse start with a bogey 5, double-bogey 6 and a bogey 6 at the first three holes but she recovered with five birdies over the next eight holes.
Louise Kenney, a student at Iowa State, was one under par after birdieing the 11th but bogeyed the 15th and 18th for 34 back and a 74.
Three times Scottish champion Anne Laing, three under par after six holes, later slumped to a three-over 76 - and then admitted she had "made a mess of it."
Only the leading 64 after Wednesday's second qualifying round will go forward to the match-play stages later in the week.
At the top of the leaderboard it was Canada Day with two representatives in the top three and three in the leading nine, including Christine Boucher, a 21-year-old from Quebec, who eagled the 462yd 10th on her way to a four-under-par 69.
Christine led by a shot from playing partner Laura Jane Eastwood, the 20-year-old Devon county champion who admitted she was inspired to her best score of the year by the Canadian's quality play, and another Canadian, Lindsay Knowlton, 22, from Toronto.
Last year's Irish champion, Martina Gillen (Beaverstown) was on her own in fourth place on 71.
Honest Anne Laing, the 29-year-old Scottish champion of the past two years from the Vale of Leven club, Alexandria, said after her 76: "I don't mind admitting. I just made a mess of it over the closing holes. I had a great start with birdies at the third, fifth and sixth and even bunkering my drive to drop a shot at the seventh didn't knock me back. But the wind really got up in our faces after the turn and I found it affected my putting most of all.
"I bogeyed five holes in a row, from the 13th to the 17th, and it would have been six on the trot but for getting up and down from a bunker to save par at the last."
BRITISH WOMEN'S OPEN AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
Gullane No 1 course, East Lothian.
FIRST ROUND (Par 73; CSS 74)
69 C Boucher (Canada).
70 L Knowlton (Canada), L J Eastwood (Yelverton).
71 M Gillen (Beaverstown).
72 V Drouin (Canada), C Coughlan (Cork), S Andersson (Sweden), K Sjodin (Sweden), S Gal (Germany).
73 R Bell (Ganton), L Jean (Australia), D Andersen (Netherlands), S Huarte (US), L Stahle (Sweden), K Smith (Waterlooville), A Highgate (Southerndown), B Mozo (Spain), A Thurman (US).
74 J Carthew (Ladybank), J Hodge (Knowle), A Roscio (Italy), L Kenney (Pitreavie), J Wilson (Strathaven), L Ball (Matfen Hall), K Philips (Creigau), M Bazin de Jessey (France), E Serramia (Spain), N Garrett (Australia), J Luciuk (Canada), S Walker (Kenwick Park), K Caithness (St Regulus).
75 E Brown (West Wilts), T Delaney (Carlow), E Bennett (Brokenhurst Manor), C Andrade (Spain), S J Huarte (US), M Hernandez (Spain), K Jarochowicz (Australia), K Rothengatter (Germany).
76 H Brockway (Yeovil), D Dewar (Stirling Univ), P Fegggans (Doon Valley), L H Diggle (Celtic Manor), K Hanwell (Northampton), I Tusquets (Spain), J Klatten (France), L Mackay (Royal Dornoch), H MacRae (Dunblane New), K Matharu (Sandmoor), J Ross (Whitley Bay), V Valvassori (Italy), A Laing (Vale of Leven), F More (Chesterfield), S Kirchmayr (Germany), L Matthews (Canada), B Recari (Spain), K Quinn (Australia), R Vilatte (France).
77 F Sanderson (Heworth), M Allen (Moor Park), M Pow (Selkirk), M Scalabre (France). S Doring (Germany), D Simon (Germany), C Alonso (Spain), S Jones (Pennard), L Kenny (Stirling Univ), A-C Schmitt (Germany), A Munoz (Spain), A-S Le Nalio (France), L Gendronneau (France), F Johnson (Harborne), S Kemp (Australia).
78 S Brodie (Delamere Forest), L Davis (Conwy), D Smith (Co Louth), J Nicolson (Wrexham), E Steinberger (Austria), N Edwards (Ganton), E Duggleby (Malton & Norton), T Elosegui (Spain), S Garbutt (Ganton), S Evans (Vale of Llangollen), G Garbaccio (Italy), C Dury (NZ), C Queen (Drumpellier), M Sapin (France), S McKevitt (Reading), A Marshall (Toft), K Walker (Buchanan Castle), R Adams (Addington Court).
79 L Anderson (Gullane), A Bickerton (Canada), K Combes (Australia), L Liguori (Italy), J Schaeffer (France), A Gala Marco (Spain), A Vilatte (France), D Karisson (Sweden), K Leckovic (Canada).
80 K Heywood (Crompton & Royton), A Decharne (France), P Mackay (Royal Dornoch), J Berton (France), C Kirkland (France), R Lomas (Hallowes), A Riguelle (France), M Smith (Hallowes), G O'Leary (Cork), D Roseberry (Durham City), C Smith (Hallowes), E Ogilvy (Muckhart).
81 A-L Caudal (France), P Odefey (Germany), Eom Ji Park (Canada), B Mullins (Australia), A Shamash (Kirkcudbright), M Dunne (Skerries), T Watters (Muswell Hill), E King (West Essex).
82 C Court (Goodwood), C Hargan (Prestonfield), C Gruber (Royal Dornoch), K Werdinig (Austria), V Saunders (Cambridge Meridian), K Froelich (France), E McKinnon (Nairn), B Loucks (Wrexham), L Fleming (The Roxburghe), B Murphy (Prestonfield), L Barton (Coventry).
83 G Colavito (Italy), T Mangan (Ennis), T Boyes (Meon Valley), S-J Eaves (Cosby).
84 K Delaney (Carlow).
85 R Youngman (Oundle).
86 E Cuthill (Lanark).
87 K McKenna (Tynemouth).
88 D Stolarik (US).
89 F Haremza (Germany).
92 E Sheffield (Newark).
94 L Cole (US).

Morison Millar at Craigmillar Park, Edinburgh, Thursday 1st July
Here is the Draw

Ayrshire Girls Team
The following girls have been selected to play for the Ayrshire Girls' Team in the West Inter-County matches to be played at Largs Golf Club on Thursday, 24th June:- Morag MacPherson (Barassie), Vickie Smith (Barassie), Carys McGhee (Barassie), Sarah Hutton (Troon Bentinck), Gillian Arnott (Kilbirnie), Lynsey Weadon (Barassie).

SCOTTISH BOYS CHAMPION HEADS EUROPEAN BOYS TEAM
BP Scottish Boys Champion Scott Henry will lead the Scotland charge for the European Boys Team title next month (6 - 10 July) at Kymen Golf Club, Finland.
 Henry has emerged as a promising talent this year, winning the Boys title at Southerness in April, leading the SGU Junior Tour, and guiding Dumbartonshire to victory in the BP Scottish Boys Area Team Championship, himself lifting the Niagara Cup as leading individual in the event.
 The 17-year-old won his first Boys' international cap at the beginning of the year when he was selected for the Boys Quadrangular. He has since played in the Swedbank Open and was promoted to the Youths international team for their clash against Ireland.
 Paul O'Hara is the only surviving member from last year's European Boys team who finished seventh in the Czech Republic. He will be joined by Scottish Under 16 Stroke Play Champion David Addison, Jordan Findlay, Robert McKnight and Garry Wood.
 The team will be looking to improve on last year's performance and replicate Scottish success four years ago. The side in 2000, which included Walker Cup star David Inglis, were crowned champions in the Netherlands after defeating Ireland in the final.
 A total of 24 teams will line up for the five day championship. The event will consist of two phases - 36 holes of stroke play qualifying over the first two days, followed by three days of match play within two flights, the top flight consisting of eight teams.
The full team details are as follows:
David Addison (Kilmarnock Barassie)
Jordan Findlay (Fraserburgh)
Scott Henry (Cardross)
Robert McKnight (Kilmarnock Barassie)
Paul O'Hara (Colville Park)
Garry Wood (Crow Wood)

Scottish Executive Lends Backing to Golf Sector  
Allan Wilson Deputy Minister for the Environment and Rural Development has today (Tuesday 22 June) confirmed the Scottish Executive's continued backing of the environmental golf sector by announcing a further £90,000 funding over the coming year.
 At a conference held by the Scottish Golf Environment Group (SGEG), and supported by the Scottish Golf Union, the R&A, Scottish Natural Heritage, Allan Wilson backed the role of Scotland's golf courses in the conservation of our natural and cultural heritage.
 SGEG have been carrying out a range of important strategic projects to benefit golf clubs and the environmental sector as a whole. 
 With considerable funding from the Scottish Executive over the last 18 months, SGEG has undertaken research and produced guidance into issues such as the impacts of climate change on golf courses, energy efficiency and waste management, and are considered as one of the world's leading national projects on such matters. 
 The Minister announced a further sum of funding over the next twelve months to the group for the continuation of this work.
 At the 'Sustainability in Golf Conference', held at Westerwood Hotel and Golf Resort, Cumbernauld, keynote speaker Mr Wilson MSP, discussed the golf sectors' approach in relation to how Scotland as a whole needs to embrace sustainable development. 
 He emphasised the need for all sectors of society to adapt to climate change, minimise waste and energy consumption, conserve biodiversity and communicate and exchange information on these and other environmental issues.
 At the conference, SGEG reviewed the work the golf sector and individual golf facilities have been undertaking over the past three years, presenting findings of more recent research into issues such as climate change, biodiversity and waste management.
 The conference also acknowledged four of Scotland's courses as the 'Best in Europe' for their care of the environment. Presented with an Environmental Excellence Award from SGEG, the courses lead the way internationally in the environmental management and development of their golf course.
 Many other courses across Scotland and throughout Europe are now working towards this standard. 
 Scotland is world famous as the home of golf, and it houses some of the most beautiful and natural golf courses in the world. It is important that these features and golf's relationship with the environment are conserved.
Colin Wood, Chairman of SGEG said: "Scotland's golf facilities contribute to the conservation of Scotland's environment. 
"A number of courses across the country are leading the way in this, not only nationally, but also internationally.
"Golf's governing bodies and various professional associations are fully supportive of this work, highlighting the fact that the sector as a whole is committed to improving its environmental performance.
"We are delighted to report back such strong progress and provide the opportunity for people to make suggestions on work which should be undertaken in the future."
Hamish Grey, Chief Executive Officer of Scottish Golf Union Limited (SGU) said:  "The SGU, alongside our partner organisations, is proud to lead such an innovative initiative, as we have done since 1996. 
"SGEG continues to deliver practical benefits to our member golf clubs on the ground, as well as coordinate and disseminate valuable research and guidance. 
"Scottish golf and the quality of our golf courses are better as a result of this work.  We view environmental best practice as an important component of achieving high quality golf courses."

Lanarkshire Website
A new website has been made for Lanarkshire Ladies County Golf Association. The new address is www.llcga.co.uk
[I'll change the links in the index on the left when I get more time next week! -Gill]

Monday 21st June 2004

ANNE IS HOPING FOR CURTIS CUP FORM TO BOOST BRITISH BID
From COLIN FARQUHARSON
Scottish champion Anne Laing is hoping she can reproduce the form that made her a Curtis Cup star at Formby when the British women's open amateur golf championship tees off at Gullane with a 36-hole qualifying test on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Only four Scots - Cathy Panton (1976), Belle Robertson (1981), Catriona Lambert (1993) and Alison Rose (1997) - have won the British title in the past 40 years and it is probably tougher for a home player to win it now, given the increasing strength and depth of the Continental challenge.
But 29-year-old Vale of Leven member Anne, a career amateur golfer who is a lecturer at Elmwood College, Cupar, has received a terrific boost to her confidence with her three wins out of four ties against the Americans a couple of weeks ago.
"I have to say I shocked even myself by how well I played in the Curtis Cup. I didn't expect it and I didn't think I'd be played in all four sessions of play. To win three out of four ties was way beyond my wildest dreams. My short game was great and that was the secret," said Anne after completing her final practice round in glorious sunshine at Gullane today (Monday).
"The greens weren't that big at Formby and if you could hit the centre of the green then you were usually not far away from the stick. We knew the course so well by the time the match was played that we were all very comfortable with it.
"It was quite an experience to play against Michelle Wie not once but twice. Loads of memories from that. think I came out of the Curtis Cup - even though we lost 10-8 - on a bigger 'high' and probably more emotionally and physically 'tired' than I thought so that when I went to the St Rule Trophy at St Andrews this past weekend, I wasn't quite as focused on that event as I should have been and it showed in my scores.
"This British championship has been in mind since the Curtis Cup and though I've not got a very good record in this event, I am ready to play and hoping I can click back into my Formby form."
The year Anne scored the first of her three Scottish women's championship victories - 1996 - she failed to qualify for the match-play stages of the "British" in which she admits her record has not improved considerably since then.
"I did reach the last 16 last year at Lindrick before I lost to Fame More. You know I'm not one to make wild predictions about how things will work out this week at Gullane. I will set out first to qualify and then to make steady progress through the match-play.
"The rough is quite high in bits so I think whoever wins the title at the end of this week will be a straight hitter, somebody who thinks their way rough the golf course, hitting the ball to the positions where you should be with your drives and so on. And, of course, a good short game on a links course is a must as well.
"I'm looking forward to the British championship as much as I was looking forward to the Curtis Cup. There are certain golf courses that you feel comfortable on. And I do feel quite comfortable on Gullane."
Scottish girls match-play champion Kelly Brotherton (Tulliallan) withdrew from the tournament on Monday afternoon which did not leave enough time for a replacement to be called in.
Kelly told Ladies Golf Union officials she was not playing well enough. She did not play in the second and last round of the St Rule Trophy at St Andrews on Sunday.
In contrast, Scottish Under-16 girls' open champion Krystle Caithness (St Regulus) was delighted to be told at the weekend that she was off the reserve list and into the field for the championship due to withdrawals.
And Emily Ogilvy (Muckhart) was also called up from the reserve list into the tournament by
championship secretary Susan Simpson on Monday morning.
Elisa Serramia, the Barcelona teenager who won the Ladies' British open amateur championship at Lindrick 12 months ago, heads a formidable overseas challenge for the title at Gullane this week.
There are 10 Spanish competitors in all but the most strongly represented nation outwith the British Isles is France with 15 entrants.
Canada have sent over a squad of eight players and there are eight Australians in the field of 144.
The in-form player going into the two qualifying rounds which will decide the 64 players to go forward to the match-play stages is Louise Stahle, a 19-year-old Swede from Barseback, who won the prestigious St Rule Trophy by four shots over 36 holes at St Andrews on Sunday.
Louise is one of two plus-four handicap players in the field at Gullane - Spain's Tania Elosegui is the other - and her form run began before she arrived in this country for the St Rule Trophy.
Competing in an open professional event in Sweden just before she left for Scotland, Louise shot six or seven under par and won the 36-hole event with something to spare.
Miss Stahle is bound for Arizona State University in the autumn and she would like nothing better than to enrol as the Ladies' British Open Amateur champion.
Eight players who took part in the recent Curtis Cup match at Formby are in the field at Gullane. From the Great Britain & Ireland team there are Emma Duggleby, a previous winner of the "British " title and also a beaten finalist, Scottish champion Anne Laing, Claire Coughlan, Anna Highgate, Fame More and Shelley McKevitt. Missing are Danielle Masters, who has turned professional, and Nicola Timmins, a maths teacher in Kent, who has not entered.
Only two of the United States team of eight stayed on in this country after the Formby match - Annie Thurman, the most succesful of the American players, and Sarah Huarte, the winner of the NCAA Division 1 title in May. Both played in the St Rule Trophy and Annie finished joint second.
The players were warned at the Monday evening competitors' meeting that slow play would be penalised. With the rough grass more than knee-high in places and lost-ball stories likely to be commonplace, there could be quite a few players "on the clock" before the qualifying rounds are completed.

Sarah succeeds Carly as champion
In the absence of Carly Booth who was unable to defend the title - one of three women's club championships she won last season - Sarah Herd, aged 17, beat Sally Kettlewell, aged 15, by 4 and 3 in the final of the Dunblane New Golf Club's women's championship. Sally lost to Carly in last year's final.

Midlothian Junior Golfers
Three Junior Girls have been members of the MCLGA County Squad for 2003-2004. Amanda Edwards (Liberton), Rachael Livingstone (Musselburgh Old) and Jane Turner (Glencorse). Jane Turner is first reserve for the Midlothian County Team.
All three Girls have won their Ladies Club Championships - Amanda for the third year in a row; Rachael and Jane both for the first time. [Amanda and Jane's win have alreay been reported. Rachael won yesterday at Musselburgh Old Course by 4 and 2.]

ELGA Press Release
Dannielle Masters set to turn pro, following playing for her country in the Curtis Cup.
Danni the 21 year old from Tudor Park, Kent has stated she will turn professional the moment she hits her first ball at the English Open on the Chart Hills course near Biddenden.
Having recently made the headlines when more than 8,000 spectators watched at the Curtis Cup, Formby as Annie Thurman (USA) went two up on Danni with two to play in the last of the singles. Danni smiled to the last green under immense pressure as they closed the play. This is not the first time Danni has played at this level as she holed the winning putt in the Vagliano Championship 2003.
Having reached the final stages of last years Tour School Danni will attempt to qualify for the European and US pro tour circuits, ultimately she would like to join the United States School in December.
Danni said “I would not be in this position without ELGA’s structured support and the funding that has been available to me from Sport England. I would like to thank them all for the years of encouragement and the opportunities they have given me”.
All at the English Ladies’ Golf Association wish Danni the very best on the professional circuit and we look forward to following her progress for years to come.

Sunday 20th June 2004

SWEDISH REPEAT IN ST RULE TROPHY
Louise Stahle, pictured right, a 19-year-old from Barseback, Sweden - last year's Solheim Cup venue, forged clear of the field over the last nine holes of the Old Course, St Andrews yesterday (Sunday), to win the St Rule Trophy women's open 36-hole tournament by four shots.
Miss Stahle had been tied for the overnight lead after a four-under-par 71 over the New Course and she had easily the best score over the Old Course - a six-under-par 70 for a 10-under-par total of 141.
She won by four shots from United States Curtis Cup star Annie Thurman (71, 74) and Australian Nikki Garret (74, 71).
Louise, who begins a four-year golf scholarship at Arizona State University in the autumn, is the fourth Swede to capture the title in the tournament's 21-year history and she follows in the footsteps of compatriots Annika Sorenstam (1990), Maria Hjorth (1995) and last year's winner, Karin Borjeskog.
Katrina Milne (Dunfermline), 76-72, and Martine Pow (Selkirk), 74-74, were the top Scots in joint seventh place on 148. Also on that mark was 17-year-old Felicity Johnson (Harborne), pictured left, winner of the Lawson Trophy for the best performance (71-77) by an under-18 year old.
Sweden (288) won the international team event from Australia (292) and Ireland (295).
Stahle did not arrive early enough to practise over the Old Course inward half - and yet she put daylight between herself and the field by birdieing the 10th and 11th, followed by an eagle at the 13th and a birdie at the 14th - a purple patch of five under par for five holes in a row.
She covered the inward half in five-under 33 for her 70.
"My caddie Jeremy Short - he comes from Seattle but he lives in St Andrews - was very good over the two rounds but he was brilliant when it came to the holes I'd never seen. He put the right clubs in my hand every time, told me the line and all I had to do was hit the ball," said Louise who headed off to the British women's open amateur championship, which begins at Gullane on Tuesday.
SCOREBOARD
ST RULE TROPHY WOMEN'S OPEN TOURNAMENT
New Course & Old Course, St Andrews (Par 75-76, CSS 75-75)
FINAL TOTALS
141 L Stahle (Sweden) 71 70.
145 N Garret (Australia) 74 71, A Thurman (US) 71 74.
146 K Jarochowicz (Australia) 72 74.
147 K Sjodin (Sweden) 71 76, M Morrin (The Curragh) 76 71.
148 K Milne (Dunfermline) 76 72, F Johnson (Harborne) 71 77, S Gal (Germany) 73 75, M Pow (Selkirk) 74 74, M Gillen (Beaverstown) 73 75, E Steinberger (Austria) 73 75.
149 F Lockhart (St Regulus) 71 78.
150 B Mullins (Australia) 75 75, R Bell (Ganton) 74 76, S Kemp (Australia) 77 73.
151 S Evans (Vale of Llangollen) 78 73, L Kenney (Pitreavie) 74 77, L Knowlton (Canada) 75 76.
152 L Jean (Australia) 73 79, T Mangan (Ennis) 77 75, K Leckovic (Canada) 74 78.
153 D Smith (Co Louth) 74 79, L McKinnon (Nairn) 77 76, L Mackay (Royal Dornoch) 77 76, S Huarte (US) 78 75, C Dury (NZ) 75 78.
154 S Kirchmayr (Germany) 76 78, C Boucher (Canada) 76 78.
155 M Dunne (Skerries) 79 76, K Combes (Australia) 79 76, S Andersson (Sweden) 78 77.
156 L Kenny (Stirling Univ) 76 80.
157 G O'Leary (Cork) 80 77, J Nicolson (Wrexham) 82 75, L Harvey (Richmond) 80 77, O Briggs (Delamere Forest) 80 77, M Riordan (Tipperary) 81 76, P Mackay (Royal Dornoch) 81 76, T Delaney (Carlow) 80 77, S Doring (Germany) 77 80, A Bickerton (Canada) 79 78.
158 K Caithness (St Regulus) 83 75, J Luciuk (Canada) 75 83.
159 J Wilson (Strathaven) 83 76, L Ball (Matfen Hall) 81 78, H MacRae (Dunblane New) 77 82.
160 A Shamash (Kirkcudbright) 77 83, E Moffat (St Regulus) 79 81, V Drovin (Canada) 78 82.
161 L Walker (Nairn Dunbar) 83 78, D Dewar (Stirling Univ) 80 81.
162 H Brockway (Yeovil) 88 74, L Fleming (The Roxburghe) 82 80, C Booth (Auchterarder) 82 80, A Laing (Vale of Leven) 80 82.
163 C Gruber (Royal Dornoch) 80 83.
164 Eom Ji Park (Canada) 80 84.
165 L Barton (Coventry) 82 83.
166 R Niven (Crieff) 85 81, L Fraser (Kingsknowe) 86 80, C Queen (Drumpellier) 79 87.
168 S Wood (Aberdeen Ladies) 86 82.
169 S Lam (Canada) 85 84.
170 E Cuthill (Lanark) 91 79.
171 J Little (Canada) 83 88.
172 E King (West Essex) 87 85.
178 K Marshall (Baberton) 89 89.
Retired C Lee (West Lancs) 85 Ret, K Delaney (Carlow) 86 Ret, S Keane (The Curragh) 76 Ret, K Brotherton (Tulliallan) 82 Ret.
TEAM EVENT
288 Sweden. 292 Australia. 295 Ireland. 298 England, United States. 302 Germany. 308 Wales. 310 Scotland. 312 Canada.

WALLACE BOOTH WINS SCOTTISH YOUTHS TITLE
Augusta State University student Wallace Booth marked his return home for the summer holidays by winning the Scottish youths open amateur stroke-play championship at Brunston Castle, Ayrshire yesterday (Sunday).
It was a course-record 66 in Saturday's second round that elevated the 18-year-old former British junior wrestling champion into a two-stroke halfway lead and he maintained that advantage to the finish, signing off with two rounds of three-under-par 69 for a 13-under-par total of 275.
It is Wallace's second national title. He was Scottish Under-16 boys' champion in 2000. He will not be 19 years old until July 24. Last year Booth finished third in the Scottish youths championship at Prestwick after driving out of bounds at the last hole.
His sister Carly, whose 12th birthday it is today (Monday), is rated the best female golf prospect in the country.
Father Wally, an Aberdonian former Commonwealth Games silver medallist wrestler, who built a private golf course for Wallace and Carly at their family farm in the Perthshire hills above Comrie, was not at Brunston Castle to see his son's biggest win yet. He was caddieing for Carly in the St Rule Trophy women's open tournament over the Old Course, St Andrews.
Crieff member Booth, capped for Scotland at boys, youths and men's international level last year, won fairly comfortably from the defending champion, Lloyd Saltman (Craigielaw) and Kevin McAlpine (Alyth), a student at Colorado State University. Like the winner, Saltman and McAlpine scored 69 in each of the last two rounds in finishing joint runners-up
Booth put a half-Nelson on the youths title when he had an eagle 3 at the 538yd par-5 sixth and birdies at the par-4 seventh and par-5 ninth to be out in four-under-par 32 in his final round.
Saltman tried to hang on to Wallace's bootlaces but, even with three-under 33 for the same time, he saw the deficit widen to three shots with nine to play.
McAlpine, son of the former Dundee United goalkeeper, took 34 for the outward half in the final round and that put him four strokes behind the pacemaker.
Booth was able to play defensively - certainly not his style - over the inward half and get away with it. Wallace came home in one-over 37 with bogeys at the 11th and 14th and only one birdie, at the long-13th, for a 69.
McAlpine, back in 35, and Saltman, home in 36, were not able to make significant inroads on the lead.
Gavin Dear (Murrayshall), who equalled Booth's record on Sunday morning, finished fourth on 279.
Scottish men's stroke-play champion Richie Ramsay (Royal Aberdeen) moved up into a challenging position with a third-round 69 but fell away with a closing 76 to tie for eighth place on 286.
SCOTTISH YOUTHS OPEN AMATEUR STROKE-PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP
Brunston Castle, Ayrshire. Par 72
275 W Booth (Crieff) 71 66 69 69.
277 K McAlpine (Alyth) 69 70 69 69, L Saltman (Craigielaw) 70 69 69 69.
279 G Dear (Murrayshall) 75 69 66 69.
283 P O'Hara (Colville Park) 71 72 72 68.
284 D Addison (Barassie) 69 75 68 72.
285 G Wood (Crow Wood) 67 75 73 70.
286 T Tavares (Portugal) 73 73 69 71, J Hempstock (Dumfries & Galloway) 70 73 72 71, G Turner (West Linton) 72 73 68 73, R Ramsay (Royal Aberdeen) 72 69 69 76.
288 C Macaulay (TGulliallan) 76 71 72 69.
288 S Henry (Cardross) 67 74 73 74.
289 S Beattie (Ratho Park) 74 74 69 72, P Betty (Hayston) 72 71 74 72.
290 S Clark (Haggs Castle) 74 72 72 72.
291 G McBain (Newmachar) 73 74 73 71, K McNicoll (Carnoustie) 71 73 75 72, M Hillson (Kilspindie) 74 73 70 74.
292 J Findlay (Fraserburgh) 74 75 73 70, A Rosado (Portugal) 71 78 72 71, N Neumann (Germany) 73 75 71 73, S McEwan (Barassie) 74 73 72 73.
293 R Knox (Nairn Dunbar) 72 74 71 76, E Polson (Royal Dornoch) 73 71 72 77.
294 M Breitkopf (Germany) 71 76 73 74, R Dixon (Barassie) 75 72 73 74, R Taylor (Downfield) 70 71 77 76.
295 G Neil (Caprington) 75 72 73 75, J Peters (Germany) 77 68 75 75, S Mann (Carnoustie) 70 74 74 77.
296 S Borrowman (Dollar) 73 72 77 74.
297 M Burnett (Harburn) 75 73 78 71, J Browning (Brunstfield) 75 73 77 72, D Henderson (Hamilton) 76 73 74 74.
298 I Craik (Petrculter) 70 77 75 76.
2998 Z Saltman (Criaigelaw) 71 78 76 74.
300 G Hild (Germany) 73 76 75 76, C Gray (West Kilbride) 73 75 76 76.
303 I Stuart (Brunston Castle) 75 74 76 78, A McCandlish (Kirkhill) 74 74 75 80.
NON-QUALIFIERS
150 E Bryceland (Craigielaw) 74 76, A Ferguson (Hayston) 74 76, S Heads (Hexham) 73 77, E Hogarth (Peebles) 75 75, L Kirton (Newmachar) 77 73, S Larkin (Banchory) 76 74, J McGhee (Duddingston) 78 72, R Noon (Musselburgh) 76 74, A Phillips (Murcar) 75 75, D Stewart (Grantown on Spey) 77 73, M Webb (Auchterarder) 76 74, J Wilson (Newmachar) 79 71.
151 F Bone (Cardross) 77 74, J Donaldson (Brucefield) 73 78, S Hislop (Selkirk) 75 76, A John (Germany) 72 79, G McInroy (Ayr Belleisle) 78 73, B Neumann (Germany) 77 74, A Pugh (Mount Ellen) 71 80, A Rigby (Wike Ridge) 76 75, L Vettese (Nigg Bay) 75 75.
152 T Beattie (Pumpherston) 77 75, C Colraine (Windyhill) 75 77, W Fox (Sand Moor) 79 73, A Gordon (Portpatrick) 78 74, R King (Dumbarton) 76 76, T Klausner (Austria) 77 75, A McKie (Glencruitten) 78 74, R McKnight (Barassie) 69 83, P McLean (Peterhead) 75 77, M Moar (Murcar) 74 78, A Rollo (Elgin) 79 73, C Spriddle (Lundin) 77 75, S Urquhart (Dundas Parks) 73 79, M Watson (Elgin) 75 77.
153 N Brito E Cunha (Portugal) 76 77, C Carson (Cowal) 75 78, P Cormack (Inchmarlo) 76 77, G Davidson (Sotherness) 74 79, R Lando (Colville Park) 77 76, E McIntosh (Newmachar) 75 78, B Rushford (Grangemouth) 75 78, F White (Crieff) 82 71.
154 D Brodie (Newton Stewart) 81 73, N Cameron (King James VI) 75 79, R Hyland (Newmachar) 75 79, E Malcolm (Dunfermline) 77 77, B Paterson (Tillicoultry) 75 79, T Sandro (France) 78 76, F Skene (Tantallon) 78 76, M Spence (Newmachar) 78 76, K Wilson (Moffat) 76 78.
155 M Bruce (Carnostie) 78 77, P Doherty (Vale of Glamorgan) 78 77, K Glen (Royal Musselburgh) 77 78, C Malcolm (Dufnermline) 80 75, B Renfrew (Middlesbrough) 77 78, S Robin (Prestwick St Nicholas) 71 84, B Wallace (Canmore) 78 77, D Yeats (Newmachar) 77 78.
156 C Bell (Shotts) 78 78, A Bews (Murcar) 78 78, C Kelly (Kirkhill) 83 73, J McEwan (Clydebank & Dist) 77 79, K McGowan (Thornton) 81 75, M Thomson (Kintore) 76 80.
157 G Cooper (Hazlehead) 78 79.
158 P Ferreira (Portugal) 76 82, A Hay (Westhill) 78 80, A Keir (Monifieth) 78 80, M Love (Wigtownshire Co) 82 76, B E Sigmarsson (Iceland) 79 79.
159 D Calder (Helensburgh) 76 83, H Fidler (Portpatrick) 81 78, R Graham (Hayston) 81 78, D Lawson (Cochrane Castle) 81 78.
160 G Caine (Innerleithen) 79 81, D McInroy (Ayr Belleisle) 80 80, G Mitchell (Northern) 74 86, S Sheerin (Dullatur) 81 79, D Smith (Wigtownshire Co) 83 77, B St John (Hilton Park) 78 82.
161 P Crolla (Eastwood) 86 75.
162 G Stewart (Lenzie) 79 83.
169 S Burke (Ranfurly Castle) 88 81.
173 D Hunter (Cowal) 90 83.
NRs: C Johnston (Dunbar) NR 85; S Lockhart (Bathgate) 79 NR; S Ferguson (Falkirk Tryst) 83 NR.

Kilmarnock Barrasie Girls Open
37 girls, aged 8 t o 16 played in the Kilmarnock (Barassie) Girls Open Day yesterday over the Hillhouse course. Highlight of the day was the hole in one by Vicki Smith of the home club at the 160 yard second hole. Vicki went on to win the competition with 38 stableford points from a handicap of 16.
Magee Magee, the Junior Convener said "A COLD DAY OUTSIDE BUT A FRIENDLY WARM ATMOSPHERE INSIDE - THE GIRLS WERE ABSOLUTELY SUPER AND REAL CREDIT TO THE GAME. WELL DONE TO ALL THE GIRLS AND THE COMMITTEE OF KBGC FOR THEIR SUPPORT"
RESULTS
18 HOLE STABLEFORD
1ST VICKI SMITH KILMARNOCK (BARASSIE)
2ND CARYS MCGEE (KIILMARNOCK BARASSIE)
3RD MORAG MCPHERSON (KILMARNOCK BARASSIE)
IN THE FIVE HOLE COMPETITION
1ST LINDSAY MCKAY BENTINCK
2ND CLAIRE MORRISON KILMARNOCK (BARASSIE)
IN THE NINE HOLE COMPETITION
1ST ERIN YORKSTON BENTINCK
2ND KENZIE SHARKEY KILMARNOCK (BARASSIE)

Amanda wins for the third time.
Junior member Amanda Edwards has won the Ladies Club Championship at Liberton for the third time in succession. Amanda recently finished a creditable third in the Scottish Schoolgirls Championship.

Becky takes two
Becky Copland of Scotscraig not only won her club's Ladies' Championship last Sunday, she also won the Junior Championship (boys and girls) off the back tees.

Third Junior story in a row
Jane Turner at the age of 14 has won the Glencorse Championship for the first time today beating Anne Hanson by 3&2. Jane was 2 over par for the 16 holes played.

Saturday 19th June 2004

HOME-TOWN GIRL FIONA SHARES LEAD IN ST RULE TROPHY
Home-town girl Fiona Lockhart used her local knowledge to set a hot pace in the first round of the St Rule Trophy 36-hole women's open tournament over the New Course, St Andrews on Saturday.
She was later joined in the pole position of four-under-par 71 by two Oklahoma State University players, American Curtis Cup star Annie Thurman and Sweden's Karin Sjodin, a second Swedish player, Louise Stahle, and Birmingham youngster Felicity Johnson.
Fiona, 27-year-old member of the St Regulus club, plays her golf over the St Andrews links and she was quite at home in a cool, blustery wind which was periodically laced with chilling rain - a typical June day in Scotland!
First off the tee, Miss Lockhart returned a 71 with the big boost of an eagle and a birdie over the closing holes.
In all, Fiona birdied four long holes - the sixth, 10th, 12th and 18th. Her eagle came with a drive and a wedge downwind at the 388yd, par-5 16th in halves of 38 (one over par) and 33 (five-under).
"I was a bit slow to warm up and bogeyed the second and third but I didn't drop another shot after my first birdie at the sixth," said Fiona who is still chasing her first full cap for Scotland. Annie Thurman, 21, from Highland, Utah, the most successful player on the victorious United States team at Formby with 3pts out of four last weekend, had the best outward half of two-under-par 35 but could pick up only two birdies on the relatively easier, downwind inward half.
Karin Sjodin, a 20-year-old from Gothenburg and runner-up in the American NCAA Division 1 championship in May, achieved her 71 with halves of 38 and 33. After the turn, the Swede birdied the 10th, 12th, 16th, 17th and 18th.
Stahle, 19, from Barseback and bound for Arizona State University in the autumn, finished in style with an eagle 3 to share the lead with halves of 37 and 34 for her 71.
Felicity Johnston (Harborne), 17-year-old winner of the Astor Salver open tournament a couple of weeks ago, marked her debut in the event with an eight-birdie, four-bogey card in halves of 36 and 35.
Scottish champion Anne Laing (Vale of Leven), the only member of the GB&I Curtis Cup team to enter, had a disappointing 80, which included a couple of double bogeys. She is, understandably, still tired, more emotionally than physically, after her noble effort of 3pts from four ties at Formby.
Three-handicap Auchterarder prospect Carly Booth, at 11 years the youngest competitor in the field, matched the inward par of 38 for an 82 after two four-putts and four three-putts in an outward 44, in what is her biggest open tournament todate.
The second and final round will be played over the Old Course today (Sunday).
Scoreboard
ST RULE TROPHY WOMEN'S OPEN TOURNAMENT
New Course, St Andrews (CSS 75, Par 75)
FIRST ROUND
71 F Lockhart (St Regulus), K Sjodin (Sweden), A Thurman (US), L Stahle (Sweden), F Johnson (Harborne).
72 K Jarochowicz (Australia).
73 M Gillen (Beaverstown), L Jean (Australia), E Steinberger (Austria), S Gal (Germany).
74 D Smith (Co Louth), M Pow (Selkirk), K Leckovic (Canada), L Kenney (Pitreavie), N Garret (Australia), R Bell (Ganton).
75 B Mullins (Australia), C Dury (NZ), J Luciuk (Canada), L Knowlton (Canada).
76 C Boucher (Canada), L Kenny (Stirling Univ), M Morrin (The Curragh), S Kirchmayr (Germany), S Keane (The Curragh), K Milne (Dunfermline).
77 S Kemp (Australia), L Mackay (Royal Dornoch), A Shamash (Kirkcudbright), S Doring (Germany), L McKinnon (Nairn), T Mangan (Ennis), H MacRae (Dunblane New).
78 S Evans (Vale of Llangollen), S Andersson (Sweden), S Huarte (US).
79 M Dunne (Skerries), A Bickerton (Canada), E Moffat (St Regulus), C Queen (Drumpellier), V Drovin (Canada), K Combes (Australia).
80 D Dewar (Stirling Univ), A Laing (Vale of Leven), Eom Ji Park (Canada), T Delaney (Carlow), O Briggs (Delamere Forest), R Niven (Crieff), L Harvey (Richmond), C Gruber (Royal Dornoch).
81 L Ball (Marfen Hall), P Mackay (Royal Dornoch), M Riordan (Tipperary).
82 L Fleming (The Roxburghe), J Little (Canada), J Nicolson (Wrexham), K Brotherton (Tulliallan), C Booth (Auchterarder), L Barton (Coventry).
83 L Walker (Nairn Dunbar), J Wilson (Strathaven), K Caithness (St Regulus).
85 S Lam (Canada), C Lee (West Lancs).
86 K Delaney (Carlow), S Wood (Aberdeen Ladies), G O'Leary (Cork), L Fraser (Kingsknowe).
87 E King (West Essex).
88 H Brockway (Yeovil).
89 K Marshall (Baberton).
91 E Cuthill (Lanark).
TEAM STANDINGS
142 Sweden. 145 Australia, England. 149 United States, Ireland, Germany. 151 Canada, Scotland. 160 Wales.

CURTIS CUP OVER OLD COURSE IN 2008 MIGHT BE AN THREE-DAY AFFAIR
By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Photos Courtesy and Copyright © Tom Ward.
There is a distinct possibility that the next Curtis Cup match to be played in Britain - over the Old Course, St Andrews in 2008 – could be over three days instead of the traditional two.
Andy Salmon, Chief Executive of the LGU, is a man who has a background of pro golf as a former staff member of the PGA. He is a forward-looking man with enterprising ideas.
"We have agreed with the USGA to review a number of less significant aspects of the Curtis Cup match and I think this will provide the opportunity to discuss further whether the match should be played over three days," Andy told me on Friday.
At the Curtis Cup dinner on the Sunday night he had countered with "We are talking about it" when I suggested to him that it was high time, particuarly in view of the attendance figures at the Formby match, that the Ladies Golf Union and the United States Golf Association followed the professional lead and copied the successful three-day formats of the Ryder Cup and Solheim Cup.
"There are no firm plans at the moment but an extra day would not add significantly to the cost of staging the match. Clearly, we would have to talk to the St Andrews Links Trust before any decisions are made about the 2008 match over the Old Course."
The Walker Cup men’s amateur international match draws much bigger crowds than the Curtis Cup, certainly on this side of the Atlantic, but, as far as I am aware, the R&A and the USGA have never even considered adding a day to their two-day match programme.
The fact that the R&A, who generously give the LGU the best part of £150,000 to stage the Curtis Cup every two years, have never changed the Walker Cup pattern is probably the biggest hurdle Andy Salmon & Co have to clear if they are serious about extending the Curtis Cup.
The R&A, quite rightly, has a huge influence in the world of golf and if their traditionalists don’t think a two-day Curtis Cup is a good idea, then it has little or no chance of happening. Never bite the hand that feeds you!

\
2004 GB&I Curtis Cup Team

HENRY AND WOOD SET HOT PACE IN SCOTTISH YOUTHS CHAMPIONSHIP
Scottish boys' match-play champion Scott Henry from Cardross and Garry Wood (Crow Wood), beaten in the final of that tournament last year, set a hot pace in the first round of the Scottish youths open amateur stroke-play championship at Brunston Castle on Friday.
Both shot five-under-par 67s over the 6,662yd Ayrshire course to surge two shots clear of David Addison (Barassie), American college student Kevin McAlpine (Alyth), son of the former Dundee United goalkeeper, and Robert McKnight (Barassie).
Defending champion Lloyd Saltman (Craigielaw) will start the second of the scheduled four rounds in joint sixth place after a 70.
Richie Ramsay (Royal Aberdeen), winner of the Scottish men's open amateur stroke-play title at Lundin a few weeks ago, matched the par of 72, which was good enough only to share 19th in the huge field of 132.
Henry, rated Scotland's best under-18 prospect for many years after his success at Southerness in April, reached the turn in two-under-par 34, recovering from a bogey at the third to birdie the sixth, sevfenth and ninth. Scott did not drop a shot after the turn in notching up three more birdies, at the 13th, 15th and 16th, for an inward 33.
Wood had a bogey-free round with halves of 33 and 34, studded with five birdies at the second, fourth, ninth, 13th and 16th.SCOTTISH YOUTHS OPEN AMATEUR STROKE-PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP
Brunston Castle GC, Ayrshire
COMPLETE FIRST ROUND SCOREBOARD (Par 72)
67 S Henry (Cardross), G Wood (Crow Wood).
69 D Addison (Barassie), K McAlpine (Alyth), R McKnight (Barassie).
70 I Craik (Peterculter), J Hempstock (Dumfries & Galloway), S Mann (Carnoustie), L Saltman (Craigielaw), R Taylor (Downfield).
71 W Booth (Crieff), M Breitkopf (Germany), K McNicoll (Carnoustie), P O'Hara (Colville Park), A Pugh (Moutn Ellen), S Robin (Prestwick St Nicholas), A Rosado (Portgual), Z Saltman (Craigielaw.
72 P Betty (Hayston), A John (Germany), R Knox (Nairn Dunbar), R Ramsay (Royal Abedeen), G Turner (West Linton).
73 S Borrowman (Dollar), J Donaldson (Brucefield), C Gray (West Kilbride), S Heads (Hexham), G Hild (Germany), G McBain (Newmachar), N Neumann (Germany), E Polson (Royal Dornoch), T Tavares (Portugal), S Urquhart (Dundas Parks).
74 S Beattie (Ratho Park), E Bryceland (Craigielaw), S Clark (Haggs Castle), G Davidson (Southerness), A Ferguson (Hayston), J Findlay (Fraserburgh), M Hillson (Kilspindie), A McCandlish (Kirkhill), S McEwan (Barassie), G Mitchell (Northern), M Moar (Murcar).
75 J Browning (Bruntsfield), M Burnett (Harburn), N Cameron (King James VI), C Carson (Cowal), C Colraine (Windyhill), G Dear (Murrayshall), R Dixon (Barassie), S Hislop (Selkirk), E Hogarth (Peebles), R Hyland (Newmachar), E McIntosh (Newmachar), P McLean (Peterhead), G Neil (Caprington), B Paterson (Tillicoultry), A Phillips (Murcar), B Rushford (Grangemouth), I Stuart (Brunston Castle), M Watson (Elgin).
76 N Briton E Cunha (Portugal), D Calder (Helensburgh), P Cormack (Inchmarlo), P Ferreria (Portugal), D Henderson (Hamilton), R King (Dumbarton), S Larkin (Banchory), C Macaulay (Tulliallan), M Murray (Brora), R Noon (Musselburgh), A Rigbby (Wike Ridge), M Thomson (Kintore), L Vettese (Nigg Bay), M Webb (Auchterarder), K Wilson (Moffat).
77 T Beattie (Pumpherson), F Bone (Cardross), K Glen (Royal Musselburgh), L Kirton (Newmachar), T Klausner (Austria), R Lando (Colville Park), E Malcolm (Dunfermline), J McEwan (Clydebank & Dist), B Neumann (Germany), J Peters (Germany), B Renfrew (Middlesbrough), C Spriddle (Lundin), D Stewart (Grantown on Spey), D Yeats (Newmachar).
78 C Bell (Shotts), A Bews (Murcar), M Bruce (Carnoustie), G Cooper (Hazlehead), P Doherty (Vale of Glamorgan), A Gordon (Portpatrick), A Hay (Westhill), A Keir (Monifieth), J McGhee (Duddingston), G McInroy (Ayr Belleisle), A McKie (Glencruitten), T Sando (France), F Skene (Tantallon), M Spence (Newmachar), B St John (Hilton Park), B Wallace (Canmore).
79 G Caine (Innerleithen), W Fox (Sand Moor), S Lockhart (Bathgate), A Rollo (Elgin), B E Sigmarsson (Iceland), G Stewart (Lenzie), J Wilson (Newmachar).
80 C Malcolm (Dunfermline), D McInroy (Ayr Belleisle).
81 D Brodie (Newton Stewart), H Fidler (Portpatrick), R Graham (Hayston), D Lawson (Cochrane Castle), K McGowan (Thornton), S Sheerin (Dullatur).
82 M Love (Wigtownshire Co), G Paterson (Drumoig), F White (Crieff).
83 S Fewrugson (Falkirk Tryst), C Kelly (Kirkhill), D Smith (Wigtownshire Co).
86 P Crolla (Eastwood).
88 S Burke (Ranfurly Castle).
90 D Hunter (Cowal).
No Return C Johnston (Dunbar).

Friday 18th June 2004

Pictured at the Ladies Golf Union reception in the Formby clubhouse during the Curtis Cup match.
Left to right Lynn Terry (SLGA treasurer), Colin Farquharson (golf writer/photographer),
Mrs Ethel Farquharson (last year's SLGA chairman), Hugh Hunter (president of the Scottish Golf Union).
Photo Courtesy and Copyright © Tom Ward

English Ladies' Golf Association Press release
ELGA are gearing up to host the European Lady Juniors' Team Championship 2004 on the 6 - 10 July at Royal Cinque Ports, Deal, Kent.
The team consists of Sophie Walker (Kenwick Park), Faye Sanderson (Heworth), Felicity Johnson (Harborne), Naomi Edwards (Ganton), Alexandra Marshall (Burghley Park), Laura Eastwood (Yelverton) with Sian Reddick (Sene Valley) and Sarah-Jane Eaves (Cosby) the named reserves.
Felicity is the youngest member of the team age 17, she has previously represented England in the Girls' Home Internationals and the Girls' European team.
Royal Cinque Ports secretary Ian Symington said "We are all looking forward to the event, it will be a very exciting week. I think there should be some very, very good scores."
Spain are the defending Champions and will again be strong contenders for the title, they will be joined by Sweden, Germany, Finland, France, Ireland, Wales, Italy, Netherlands and Scotland. Spectators are welcome for the event and will find the sea wall provides an excellent advantage point, admission is free.

GOLFING PRINCE FINDS HIDDEN GEM OF THE HIGHLANDS
Prince Andrew, a single-figure handicap golfer, has probably played more different courses in the British Isles than any member of the Royal Family ever did - and he recently added Boat of Garten - the so-called "Hidden gem of the Highlands" - to the list.
Paddy Smyth, the Boat of Garten club secretary, explained: "His Royal Highness, having received a recommendation to play Boat of Garten from a previous Royal & Ancient captain, Dr Sandy Mathewson, decided to leave the bustle and drizzle of St Andrews - where as captain of the R&A he had been attending the club's 250th anniversary celebrations - for the sunshine of Strathspey to check out the Speyside course.
"The Duke of York met with club officials and partnered the club vice-president Mel Sim in a friendly four-ball with club members Willie Gray and Gordon Deakin.
"Following the match, the party enjoyed an informal lunch in the Boat of Garten clubhouse. Prince Andrew, who enjoyed his visit very much, felt that a little prior knowledge of the course's characteristics would have been of benefit - and he undertook to return one day."
Prince Andrew told his golfing colleagues for the day: "The Boat of Garten course is no push-over and is a fine example of the work of golf course architect James Braid. The fact that the yardage is below 6,000yd does not in any way reflect on its standing as a golf course. From many aspects it is a significant test of golfing skill."
Secretary Paddy Smyth added: "From the Boat of Garten club's point of view the Prince's visit was a supreme honour and possibly reflects the high esteem in which the club and its course designer are held, not only within the hierarchy of Scottish golf but far beyond.
"The club's membership and staff, from the President down, are justly and immensely proud that His Royal Highness, should choose 'The Boat' for such a relaxed and informal visit. The club very much looks forward to his return."

Royal line-up in front of Boat of Garten clubhouse
(l to r): Paddy Smyth (club secretary), Gordon Deakin (club member), Willie Gray (club member),
HRH Prince Andrew, The Duke of York, Mel Sim, club vice-president,
Ken Wallace (club president), James Ingram (club shop manager).

Thursday 17th June 2004

CARLY GETS CALL INTO ST RULE TROPHY FIELD
Carly Booth, Scotland's mini-answer to 6ft-plus Michelle Wie, has been called up into the field for the St Rule Trophy, this weekend's prestigious 36-hole women's open tournament over the New and Old Courses at St Andrews.
Auchterarder Golf Club member Carly, who will be 12 years old on June 21, was one of 111 players who entered the event but, to reduce the field to the maximum size of 72, the organising committee made a handicap of 3.7 the cut-off point. That left Carly, who had four of a handicap when she submitted her entry as first reserve, even though by now she has trimmed her actual handicap to less than 3.
When Kaja Kerger, one of the four German entries, notified the St Rule Club officials this week that she was withdrawing from the event, that left a space for Miss Booth to play in what will be her highest quality tournament to date.
The field includes Scottish champion Anne Laing, Irish champion Deirdre Smith, Ireland's Gillian O'Leary, winner of the Portuguese women's open amateur title in the spring, two members of the victorious United States Curtis Cup team - Sarah Huarte, the NCAA women's champion from California, and Annie Thurman (Oklahoma State), and the entire Canadian women's international squad.
There is no halfway cut and the field of 72 will play the New Course on Saturday - tee off times in threes at 10min intervals between 9.30 and 1.30pm - and the Old Course on Sunday, also from 9.30 to 1.30.

Wednesday 16th June 2004

Curtis Cup
Highlights of last weekend's Curtis Cup match are going to be on BBC2 on Sunday between 12:45pm and 1:35pm. Don't blink or you'll miss it!
Maybe it was all a bad dream and the real Curtis Cup took place somewhere else?
Maybe I've been reading too much Sandy McCall-Smith in the Scotsman?
[Will need to go and read the instructions about setting my VCR]

PGA Press Release
MICHELLE WIE FUELS INTEREST IN WOMEN'S GOLF
PGA golf professionals are expecting an influx of interest in girls' and womens' golf in the wake of the Michelle Wie phenomenon, and her awe inspiring performance during USA/GB&I's victory in the Curtis Cup matches. [Colin and I did not write this]
Media attention on Michelle, who at just 14 years old is the youngest USA Curtis Cup competitor, has started to fuel a revival of the game amongst the female fraternity.
The American prodigy, who finished the Match with a 2-2 record, is forecast by many media sources to become the World's richest sportswoman in due course, has brought a fresh breath of air into the game, which is now being seen as more fashionable.
Increased equality in golf clubs has already encouraged a new breed of lady golfer to swing into action and newcomers to the game are getting younger all the time.
Further evidence of its growth in popularity is reflected by the number of women taking advantage of free golf lessons from the PGA Bryant Homes 'Bringing Golf to You' Roadshow, which is currently on a nationwide tour.
Such has been the take-up, particularly amongst women, that the schedule for the custom built unit has been extended to include this year's Weetabix Women's British Open at Sunningdale from 29 July - 1 August.
Further details of the Roadshow can be found at www.pga.info or www.bryant.co.uk and by calling the 'Bringing Golf to You' hotline on 0121 355 2640.

European Palmer Cup team announced
GOLF COACHES ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA
The European Palmer Cup selection committee named the European squad for the 2004 matches. The European team, which will be coached by Sweden’s Magnus Grankvist and Graham Kaye of Switzerland, will include Lars Brovold; Alejandro Canizares and Gonzalo Castano of Spain; Rhys Davies of the United Kingdom; Ireland’s Gareth Maybin; Francesco Molinari of Italy; Sweden’s Alex Noren; and Switzerland’s Martin Rominger.
Brovold (Alabama), Canizares (Arizona State), Davies (East Tennessee State), Maybin (South Alabama), Noren (Oklahoma State) and Rominger (South Carolina) play college golf in the United States.
Norway, Italy and Switzerland will be represented for the first time in the Palmer Cup, which will be presented by Monster and played Aug. 6-7 at Ballybunion Golf Club in County Kerry, Ireland.
Canizares and Castano competed in the 2003 Palmer Cup.
The Spaniards were playing partners in the four-ball and foursomes matches with each earning a 3-1 record and helping Europe to a 14-10 victory.
The United States leads the series, 4-2-1.
[Only one R&A Bursar in the team... Francesco Molinari of Italy]

CARLY BOOTH TO MAKE NORTH OF SCOTLAND CHAMPIONSHIP DEBUT
There is a disappointingly poor entry from the North for the North of Scotland women's amateur golf championship at Strathmore Golf Centre, Alyth from July 5 to 7.
Audrey Scott (Tain) is not defending the title she won at Royal Dornoch and beaten finalist Cara Gruber (Royal Dornoch) and Northern Counties champion Liz McKinnon (Nairn) are also absent.
The field does include Sjavon Wilson (Murcar), the Aberdeenshire county champion, Lynne Fotheringham (Abertay), the Angus county champion, and Anne Ramsay (Kirriemuir), the Scottish universities title-holder.
Perth & Kinross county championship runner-up Carly Booth (Auchterarder), who will have her 12th birthday on June 21 and has an exact handicap of less than 3, will make her debut in the championship.
Competitors will tee off in threes at alternating seven and 8min intervals in the qualifying round for the match-play stages on the Monday. Draw

SHORT LEET NAMED FOR SCHOOLS GOLF INTERNATIONAL v ENGLAND
The Scottish Schools Golf Association selection committee have named the following short leet of boys and girls for the schools international match against England at Southport & Ainsdale Golf Club on Monday, September 6:
BOYS - Chris Bell (N Lanarkshire), Andrew Connell (N Ayrshire), Alan Ferguson (E Dunbartonshire), Jordon Findlay (N Aberdeenshire), Andrew Gordon (Dumfries & Galloway), Richard Graham (Stirling), Scott Henry (W Dunbartonshire), Simon Hislop (Borders), Richard Hyland (Aberdeen), Robbie King (W Dunbartonshire), Lewis Kirton (N Aberdeenshire), Alan McCandlish (S Lanarkshire), Peter McLachlan (Glasgow), Graeme Malloy (N Lanarkshire), Richard Rebecchi (Inverclyde), Stuart Robin (S Ayrshire), Bobby Rushford (Falkirk), Colin Scott (Falkirk), Graham Stewart (E Dunbartonshire), Finlay White (Perth & Kinross).
GIRLS - Carly Booth (Perth & Kinross), Clare-Marie Carlton (Renfrew), Kelly Brotherton (Edinburgh), Krystle Caithness (Fife), Amanda Edwards (Edinburgh), Lesley Hendry (N Ayrshire), Rachael Livingstone (E Lothian), Kelsey MacDonald (Highland), Roseanne Niven (Edinburgh), Jane Turner (Edinburgh), Kylie Walker (Glasgow), Sally Watson (Edinburgh).
The combined Scotland team of 12 boys and six girls will be announced at a later date.

[Photos are: above right: Chris Bell (Shotts), winner of the Schoolboys title and left: Claire-Marie Carlton (Fereneze) winner of the SchoolGirls title.
Courtesy and Copyright © Cal Carson Golf Agency]

Tuesday 15th June 2004

Aberdeenshire Watt Duffus Trophy
Here are pictures from Aberdeenshire women's county club stroke-play championship at McDonald Ellon Golf Club on Monday.

Winning team Murcar - Carol Wilson, Sjavon Wilson, Laura McLardy, Donna Pocock.	Best individual scratch - Donna Pocock (Murcar).
Winning handicap team Newmachar - Mary Horn, Lynn Joss, Diane Massie (Fourth team memeber Susan Tait could not stay for prizegiving).	Best individual handicap - Anne Bowman - one of MURIEL THOMSON'S TRIPLET SISTERS.

MURCAR WIN WATT DUFFUS TROPHY
MURCAR'S regained the Watt Duffus Trophy, which they last won in 2000, by a six-stroke margin at McDonald Ellon Golf Club.
With a team of four county-class players - new champion Sjavon Wilson, Donna Pocock, Laura McLardy and Carol Wilson - Murcar were always favourites to win the Aberdeenshire women's county team stroke-play championship, and they justified the rating on a hot but very blustery day with a team total of 239.
Banchory and Cruden Bay 1 were their closest rivals with 245.
Newmachar (Mary Horn, Lynn Joss, Diane Massie and Susan Tait) were comfortable winners of the handicap team trophy with a net score of 221, seven shots lower than runners-up Banchory 1.
Donna Pocock (Murcar) won the Mrs J P Kennaway Cup for the best individual scratch round of 77. Anne Bowman (Ellon), playing off eight, won the handicap cup with a net score of 71, beating Diane Massie (Newmachar), handicap 20, on the better inward half.
SCOREBOARD SCRATCH (best three from four for team total)
239 Murcar 1 (D Pocock 77, S Wilson 79, L McLardy 83, C Wilson 85).
245 Banchory 1 (L Urquhart 81, A Smart 82, P McGunnigle 82, M Clapperton 92), Cruden Bay 1 (R Dunsmuir 79, J Harrison 80, L Terry 86, E Cruickshank 89).
254 Deeside 1 (L McPherson 82, F Hay 86, M Millership 86, F Reiss withdrew).
261 Aberdeen Ladies 1 (S Wood 84, E Whyte 88, C Whicher 89, L Hardie 90).
262 Ballater (S Gordon 81, M Joss 89, E Christie 92, M Sey 103), Cruden Bay 2 (S Imlah 84, K Esslemont 89, H Gray 89, M Miller 97).
263 Hazlehead (C Eddie 81, F Prouse 85, L Thomson 97, L Ingram 104).
265 Murcar 2 (S Thomson 86, F Neish 87, R Mitchell 92, M Robinson 93).
266 Banchory 2 (G Chalmers 86, M Clark 90, H Edon 90, B Duncan 95).
267 Fraserburgh (K Stalker 86, M Attfield 87, E Parker 94, A Bell 96).
269 Aboyne 1 (E Rose 86, M Burgess 89,S Mortimer 94, K White 102).
270 Peterculter 1 (G Hall 85, R Anderson 89, L Moore 96, M Garden 100).
271 Deeside 2 (S Shepherd 87, K Teow 92, A Harper 92, V Harper 93).
272 Newmachar (S Tait 90, M Horn 91, L Joss 91, D Massie 91).
274 McDonald Ellon (A Bowman 79, E Shaw 96, J Forbes 99, M Hart 105), Huntly (R Anderson 83, P Duthie 94, J Green 97, E Thain 99).
280 Aberdeen Ladies 2 (A Stalker 92, P Twinn 93, K Watt 95, E Thomson 97).
288 Aboyne 2 (M Sime 92, H Mackenzie 98, E Anderson 98, E Thomas 105).
301 Peterculter 2 (W Jones 99, S Hall 100, B Newlands 102, H Van de Laar 107).
HANDICAP (Best two net from three for team total).
221 Newmachar: D Massie (20) 71; S Tait (15) 75; L Joss (16) 75; M Horn (13) 78).
228 Banchory 1. 229 Murcar 1. 230 Cruden Bay 2.
231 Cruden Bay 1, McDonald Ellon, Hazlehead.
234 Aboyne 1. 235 Fraserburgh.
236 Ballater, Deeside 1, Murcar 2.
237 Huntly.
239 Banchory 2, Deeside 2.
241 Aberdeen Ladies 1, Aberdeen Ladies 2, Peterculter 1.
248 Aboyne 2, Peterculter 2.

Monday 14th June 2004

CHRIS AND CLARE-MARIE WIN SCOTTISH SCHOOLS TITLES
Chris Bell (North Lanarkshire) and Clare-Marie Carlton (Renfrew) won the individual titles at The Royal Bank of Scotland Scottish schoolgirls' individual championships over the Murrayshall courses, Perth today (Monday).
Chris, a 6ft 5in one-handicapper from St Aidans High, Motherwell, had rounds of 72 and 69 - against the CSS of 73 and 71) for a very good aggregate of 141 on a very hot but very windy day.
In the tightest of finishes, Chris won the title by one shot from Richard Graham (Stirling) with Andrew Gordon (Dumfries & Galloway) third on 144.
It was just as close in the boys' team championship with Dumfries & Galloway (454) triumphing by two shots from Falkirk (456) with West Dunbartonshire) snatching third place on a countback from North Aberdeenshire who also totalled 457.
Clare-Marie Carlton, a 17-year-old pupil at St Andrews High, Paisley, had scores of 76 and 73 for 149.
She took the title by one shot from Rachael Livingston (East Lothian) with Amanda Edwards (Edinburgh) third on 151 after a card countback with Pamela Pretswell (South Lanarkshire), also on 151.
The "big names" from Scottish girls golf - including Kelly Brotherton, Roseanne Niven, schools title-holder Kylie Walker, Gemma Webster and Carly Booth - all finished outside the top three on a day of heat and high winds over courses that punished players who missed the fairways.

Scoreboard (Murrayshall No 1 course first; Lynedoch No 2 course second)
BOYS (CSS 73, 71)
141 C Bell (N Lanarkshire) 72 69.
142 R Graham (Stirling) 69 73.
144 A Gordon (D&G) 72 72.
146 B Rushford (Falkirk) 74 72.
147 A McCandlish (S Lanarkshire) 75 72, R King (W Dunbartonshire) 74 73..
148 R Hyland (Aberdeen) 73 75, G Malloy (N Lanarkshire) 74 74.
149 J Findlay (N Aberdeenshire) 77 72, S Robin (S Ayrshire) 78 81.
150 S Hislop (Borders) 80 70.
151 G Stewart (E Dunbartonshire) 75 76.
152 S Henry (W Dunbartonshire) 72 80, C Scott (Falkirk) 75 77, P McLachlan (Glasgow) 77 75, L Kirton (N Aberdeenshire) 74 78.
153 R Rebecchi (Inverclyde) 77 76, A Connell (N Ayrshire) 75 78.
154 G Turner (Edinburgh) 71 83, F Niven (Perth & Kinross) 74 80, G Mitchell (Aberdeen) 77 77, J Shamash (D&G) 78 76, M Murray (Highland) 73 81.
155 G Paterson (Fife) 83 72, S Borrowman (Clackmannan) 82 73, A Ferguson (E Dunbartonshire) 77 76, D Arbuckle (Dundee) 78 77.
156 I Stoddart (W Lothian) 76 80, F White (Perth & Kinross) 76 80, C Robinson (D&G) 85 71, M Watson (Moray) 74 82, R Hutton (S Ayrshire) 80 76, C McLaughlin (N Ayrshire) 81 75, N Howat (Highland) 76 80.
157 B Lewis (W Lothian) 81 76, C Marr (E Lothian) 81 76, P Keeling (E Lothian) 82 75, J Murchie (N Ayrshire) 79 78, P McLean (N Aberdeenshire) 79 78.
158 E Malcolm (Fife) 79 79, G Robertson (Falkirk) 80 78, S Moore (W Dunbartonshire) 78 80, C Munro (S Aberdeenshire) 79 79.
159 L Vettesse (Aberdeen) 81 78, M Devlin (S Lanarkshire) 83 76, S Henderson (S Ayrshire) 78 81.
160 P Fletcher (S Lanarkshire) 83 76.
161 G Watson (Dundee) 82 79.
162 J Gardner (Angus) 78 84, J White (Fife) 83 79, S Moffat (Clackmannan) 78 84.
163 A Munro (S Aberdeenshire) 81 82.
164 D Pender (Stirling) 81 83, M Williams (E Lothian) 85 79, L Dunn (S Aberdeenshire) 83 81.
167 S Keane (Glasgow) 84 83.
168 C Grant (W Lothian) 87 81, R Elder (Highland) 87 81.
169 K Donaldson (Borders) 81 88.
171 G Minnes (E Dunbartonshire) 87 84.
173 J Walsh (Inverclyde) 86 87.
174 S George (Edinburgh) 85 79, J Alexander (N Lanarkshire) 83 91.
176 G McEwing (Dundee) 86 90, M Paterson (Moray) 89 87.
179 D Pringle (Borders) 92 87.
BOYS' TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
454 Dumfries & Galloway (A Gordon, J Shamash, C Robinson.
456 Falkirk.
457 West Dunbartonshire, North Aberdeenshire.
461 Aberdeen City.
463 North Lanarkshire.
464 South Ayrshire.
466 South Lanarkshire, North Ayrshire.
475 East Dunbartonshire, Fife.
478 East Lothian, Highland.
481 West Lothian.
485 South Aberdeenshire.
492 Dundee.
498 Borders.
NRs Angus, Clackmannan, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverclyde, Moray, Perth & Kinross, Stirling.
GIRLS (CSS 73, 70)
149 C-M Carlton (Renfrew) 76 73.
150 R Livingstone (E Lothian) 74 76.
151 A Edwards (Edinburgh) 75 76, P Pretswell (S Lanarkshire) 73 78.
152 R Niven (Edinburgh) 79 73.
153 K Walker (Glasgow) 75 78, L Hendry (N Ayrshire) 78 75.
154 K Brotherton (Edinburgh) 79 75.
156 G Webster (Glasgow) 77 79.
156 S Watson (Edinburgh) 76 80.
157 J Turner (Edinburgh) 74 83.
158 K Caithness (Fife) 84 74, K MacDonald (Highland) 78 80.
159 C Booth (Perth & Kinross) 75 84.
160 H Harvey (Fife) 74 86.
161 M Briggs (Renfrewshire) 79 82.
163 M Thomson (N Aberdeenshire) 77 86, R Watson (Edinburgh) 86 77.
165 V Stevenson (Forth Valley) 81 84.
166 R Wilson (Angus) 88 78, F Blair (Angus) 84 82.
167 K McNicoll (Angus) 79 88.
168 L Murray (S Aberdeenshire) 91 77.
169 M McPherson (S Ayrshire) 85 84.
173 A Ingram (Highland) 88 85.
174 M Barbour (E Lothian) 89 85.
176 D Neilson (Glasgow) 83 93.
177 A Tait (D&G) 80 97.
178 L McGregor (Forth Valley) 88 90.
179 M MacDonald (Moray) 91 88.
180 L MacCallum (N Aberdeenshire) 90 90.
182 A Smith (Dundee) 94 88, C Easton (Edinburgh) 92 90.
183 K Differ (N Lanarkshire) 93 90.
184 P Meiklejohn (Fife) 97 87, K Murray (S Aberdeenshire) 98 86, V Smith (S Ayrshire) 91 95, K Moss (Angus) 99 87.
186 L Whyte (Aberdeen) 93 93.
190 A Niven (Perth & Kinross) 91 99, C McMillan (N Lanarkshire) 92 98, S Horsburgh (E Lothian) 88 102.
194 G Monteith (D&G) 98 96, S Paterson (Glasgow) 96 98.
195 L Bannerman (Glasgow) 95 100, M Johnstone (Aberdeen) 94 101.
197 A McGarty (W Lothian) 98 99, L Falconer (Angus) 100 97.
198 L Mackin (Glasgow) 90 108.
201 F Stewart (Angus) 106 95.
215 J Pryde (Angus) 108 107.
225 J Jones (N Aberdeenshire) 118 107.
GIRLS' TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
306 Edinburgh (K Brotherton, R Niven).
309 Glasgow.
310 Renfrewshire.
318 Fife.
325 Angus.
331 Highland.
338 North Aberdeenshire.
343 Forth Valley.
349 Perth & Kinross.
352 South Aberdeenshire.
355 South Ayrshire.
371 Dumfries & Galloway.
381 Aberdeen City.
NR South Lanarkshire.

AUSSIE WINS MUNROSS TROPHY
Australian Lisa Jean from Huntingdale warmed up for the forthcoming St Rule Trophy and British women's open amateur golf championship at Gullane by winning the Munross Trophy 36-hole women's open tournament over the Montrose Links
yesterday (Sunday).
Lisa had rounds of 71 and 69 for a total of 140 - one shot ahead of Curtis Cup first reserve Lynn Kenny (Stirling University who scored 72 and 69.
Heather MacRae (Dunblane) and Clare Queen (Drumpellier), another Curtis Cup reserve) shared third place on 142. Third prize went to Heather with the better second round, a 69 to a 70.
Hannah Harvey (St Leonards) won the Handicap Aggregate Trophy with a net total of 141.
MUNROSS TROPHY WOMEN'S OPEN - Montrose Links - Final totals (CSS 72 72)
140 L Jean (Aus) 71 69.
141 L Kenny (Stirling Univ) 72 69.
142 H MacRae (Dunblane) 73 69, C Queen (Drumpellier) 72 70.
144 S Bishop (Windyhill) 72 72, L Kenney (Pitreavie) 72 72, K Coombes (Long Island) 71 73.
154 L Hendry (Routenburn) 78 76, K Harper (Inverness) 79 75, J Carthew (Ladybank) 75 79, R Rankin (Lanark) 80 74.
155 J Wilson (Strathaven) 80 75, J Jenkins (Ralston) 78 77, K Mathieson (Glenbervie) 77 78.
156 D Carcary (Montrose Mercantile) 80 76.
157 A Ramsay (Kirriemuir) 79 78, C Gruber (Royal Dornoch) 72 85.
159 H Harvey (St Leonards) 81 78, D Dewar (Monifieth) 81 78.
160 C Whyte (Windyhill) 80 80.
162 A Wilton (Ladybank) 85 77.
165 C McLoughlin (Kilspindie) 86 79.
170 S Mitchell (Dunbracken) 87 83.
172 I Harvey (St Rule) 85 87.
185 S Willoughby (St Regulus) 89 96.

East of Scotland Vets Summer Meeting.
(I think it was at the Glen, North Berwick)
Silver: C.Ross 85 H'Cap I.Hastings (14) 74, E.Guy (18) bih, D.Simpson (19) bih, M.Matthews(20) bih 77
Bronze: D.Marsh (23) 81, H.Millard (21) 83

Borders Team for South Jamboree - Dumfries & County Golf Club - Sat 26th - Mon 28th June:-
Martine Pow (Selkirk), Judith Anderson, Mags Morrison (Hawick), Louise Fleming,Julie Birdsall-White (Roxburghe), Sheila Cuthbertson (Peebles), Emma Fairnie (Minto) ans Sharon Paterson (Kelso)

Curtis Cup USA 10, GB&I 8
Well... what an exciting match it was... I know we're all very disappointed at the result, but the spirit it was played in was tremendous, and as both the American Captain, Martha Kirouac and the GB&I Captain Ada O'Sullivan both said at the closing ceremony, "The real winner was Women's Golf".
Other sports, and indeed other sectors of the golf world should take note that a match can be played in a friendly fashion, with good shots acknowledged for their expertise and not for which side played them. Members of both teams were gracious in victory and took defeat without rancour. A lesson for us all.
Our girls played well under terrific pressure and it could have gone either way... indeed there was a point in the middle of Sunday afternoon when we were up in three, down in two and even in one, but unfortunately it did not last long.
Well done to Scottish Champion, Anne Laing, who won both her foursomes in the company of Claire Coughlan from Cork against a certain 14 year old girl wonder from Honolulu, AND won her singles on the last afternoon to take three points out of a possible four. Anne's partner Claire Coughlan and England's Emma Duggleby also matched Anne's three point scoreline.
Congatulations to the American team. They were young, and most of them had never experienced foursomes, links golf or pot bunkers, and yet they still won. Confidence in their own abilities, and a superb attitude when under pressure, were probably the reasons for their success.
We have some talented youngsters coming up through the ranks and some will be the Curtis Cup stars of tomorrow. Let us give them the opportunities to develop their skills in the best possible environment. If we don't nurture Junior Golf, we won't have a chance.

Couldn't resist showing you this one!
Yours truly with Michelle's Mum and Dad, Bo and BJ Wie. Pity I have my eyes closed!
What a nice couple, absolutely delighted with their daughter's success.

Sunday 13th June 2004

STIRLING'S DAVID SMITH STILL EUROPEAN CHAMPION
Stirling's David Smith produced a marvellous performance to retain the European men's seniors amateur championship after a nerve-racking, five-hole play-off at La Baule Golf Club, France.
And, making it a double whammy for the Scots, Smith, Harvey Brown and Brian Grieve won the men's Nations Cup...
Last year David Smith had to come through a three-way, six-hole play-off to win the individual title, also in France. This time round, it was a straight, head-to-head over extra holes with the Roy Smethurst from Crewe, winner of the British senior men's amateur title, also after a play-off, at Blairgowrie last summer.
Smethurst shot a final round of three-under-par 69 to tie with Smith, who signed off with a 70, on three-under-par 213. Smethurst's earlier rounds were 71 and 73. Smith had scored 71 and 72. They finished five strokes clear of the bronze-medal winner Per Hildebrand (Sweden).
Smith triumphed over Smethurst at the fifth extra hole.
In the team event, Scotland (290) edged out England (291) for the gold medals. Ireland tied with Italy for third place on 296.
In the European women's senior amateur championship, played at the same venue, Sweden's Maj-Britt Heden, third last year, won the gold medal with a total of 220, three shots ahead of runner-up Rita Ruland (Germany) with former champion Cecilia Mourgue d'Algue (France) third on 224.
Edinburgh's Pamela Williamson (Baberton) tied for ninth place on 232 with scores of 79, 76 and 77.
Pamela and Ruth Brown (Lothianburn), who did not qualify for the third round, finished eighth on 328 in the women's Nations Cup won by Germany (297) from Sweden (299) with France (305) third.
Scoreboard
EUROPEAN SENIOR AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIPS
La Baule GC, France
FINAL TOTALS
Men
213 D Smith (Sco) 71 72 70, R Smethurst (Eng) 71 73 69 (Smith won play-off at fifth extra hole.
218 P Hildebrand (Swe) 73 73 72.
219 F Lang (Ita) 72 72 75.
220 L Trenor (Spa) 74 73 73.
222 H-H Giesen (Ger) 69 80 73, D Arnold (Eng) 71 76 75, A Grufman (Swe) 68 75 79.
Other totals:
223 J Murphy (Ire) 78 73 72.
224 M Morris (Ire) 78 73 73, J Marks (Eng) 72 76 76.
225 D Lane (Eng) 73 77 75.
227 I Mason (Eng) 75 74 78, B Grieve (Sco) 75 74 78.
228 A Ferguson (Sco) 76 74 78, M Hayes (Eng) 72 76 80.
230 M Toole (Eng) 78 76 76, G Broster (Eng) 74 79 77.
231 I Stewart (Ire) 72 82 77, H Brown (Sco) 80 72 79.
232 D Martin (Eng) 83 77 72, D Millar (Sco) 76 74 82.
233 O Browne (Ire) 84 75 74, C Moir (Eng) 78 77 78.
234 R Gill (Sco) 79 80 75.
235 A Hewison (Eng) 79 80 76.
236 S Quinn (Sco) 76 82 78, M Illingworth (Eng) 73 83 80, D Swan (Ire) 76 78 82, A McNaught (Sco) 75 78 83.
237 R Walker (Eng) 77 81 79.
238 D Jamieson (Eng) 75 85 78.
239 B Knott (Eng) 75 79 81, M Moseley (Ire) 76 81 82, J Hayes (Ire) 78 77 84.
240 J Hindshaw (Eng) 79 80 81.
241 J Astin (Eng) 81 78 82.
WOMEN
220 M-B Heden (Swe) 73 74 73.
223 R Ruland (Ger) 74 73 76.
224 C Mourgue d'Algue (Fra) 74 74 76.
226 A Remoleur (Fra) 77 76 73.
229 A Lanrezac (Fra) 75 76 78.
230 C Marsans (Spa) 81 78 71, B Ramirez (Spa) 77 76 77, C Vidor (Net) 75 77 78.
232 P Williamson (Sco) 79 76 77, M Buscaini ((Ita) 73 79 80.
Other total:
234 M Madden (Ire) 82 74 78.
NATIONS CUP
Men
290 Scotland. 291 England. 296 Ireland, Italy. 298 Germany. 299 France. 300 Denmark. 304 Sweden. 305 Spain. 309 Norway. 318 Belgium. 320 Switzerland. 329 Netherlands.
Women
297 Germany. 299 Sweden. 305 France. 312 Spain. 313 Netherlands. 314 Switzerland. 319 Ireland. 326 Scotland. 328 Denmark. 329 Belgium.

Saturday 12th June 2004

SCOT DAVID SHARES MEN'S LEAD, PAMELA IN TOP 10
Stirling's David Smith is making a stout defence of the European senior men's amateur golf championship at La Baule Golf Club in France.
David shares the lead after rounds of 71 and 72 for a one-under-par tally of 143.
On the same mark is Anders Grufman from Sweden. He has scored 68 and 75.
Smith and Grufman lead by one shot from England's Roy Smethurst and Federico Lang (Italy).
Brian Grieve (149), David Millar (150), Alan Ferguson (150), Harvey Brown (152), Alan McNaught (153), Sandy Quinn (158) and Robert Gill (159) were other Scots among the 74 players with totals of 160 and better who survived the cut.
In the European senior women's championship at the same venue, Pamela Williamson (Baberton) was in 10th place after scores of 79 and 76 for 155 - eight shots behind joint pacemakers Rita Ruland (Germany) and Maj-Britt Heden (Sweden) on 147.
Ruth Brown from Scotland had rounds of 91 and 80 for 171 - seven shots too many to be among the 33 players who qualified.
SCOREBOARD
EUROPEAN SENIOR AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIPS - La Baule GC, France.
WOMEN - Leading scores
147 R Ruland (Ger) 74 73, M-B Heden (Swe) 73 74.
148 C Mourgue D'Algue (Fra) 74 74.
154 A Lanzerac (Fra) 75 76.
Other scores:
155 P Williamson (Sco) 79 76.
156 M Madden (Ire) 82 74.
DID NOT QUALIFY
166 V Hassett (Ire) 87 79.
168 A Moloney (Ire) 84 84.
171 R Brown (Sco) 91 80.
Men - Leading scores
143 D Smith (Sco) 71 72, A Grufman (Swe) 68 75.
144 F Lang (Ita) 72 72, R Smethurst (Eng) 71 73.
146 P Hildebrand (Swe) 73 73.
147 L Trenor (Spa) 74 73, D Arnold (Eng) 71 76.
Other scores:
148 M Hayes (Eng) 72 76, J Marks (Eng) 72 76, J Harder (Eng) 70 78.
149 I Mason (Eng) 75 74, B Grieve (Sco) 75 74.
150 D Millar (Sco) 76 74, A Ferguson (Sco) 76 74, D Lane (Eng) 73 77.
151 M Morris (Ire) 78 73, J Murphy (Ire) 78 73.
152 H Brown (Sco) 80 72.
153 A McNaught (Sco) 75 78, G Broster (Eng) 74 79.
154 M Toole (Eng) 78 76, D Swan (Ire) 76 78, I Stewart (Ire) 72 82.
155 J Hayes (Ire) 78 77, C Moir (Eng) 78 77.
156 M Illingworth (Eng) 73 83.
158 B Knott (Eng) 79 79, R Walker (Eng) 77 81, S Quinn (Sco) 76 82.
159 O Browne (Ire) 84 75, J Astin (Eng) 81 78, R Gill (Sco) 79 80, A Hewison (Eng) 79 80, J Hindshaw (Eng) 79 80.
160 D Martin (Eng) 83 77, D Jamieson (Eng) 75 85.
DID NOT QUALIFY
161 J Deas (Sco) 83 78.

Friday 11th June 2004

ANNE MAKES CURTIS CUP DEBUT AGAINST MICHELLE WIE
Scottish champion Anne Laing will make her Curtis Cup debut appearance against the United States golfing wondergirl Michelle Wie at 8.30 on Saturday morning at Formby Golf Club on Merseyside.
Vale of Leven member Anne, a 29-year-old lecturer at Elmwood College, Cupar and the only Scot in the Great Britain & Ireland team of eight, has been paired with Claire Coughlan from Cork, the only Irish player in the squad, by Irish skipper Ada O'Sullivan in the opening set of three foursomes.
And their American opposition in the third tie off the first tee are 14-year-old Michelle Wie from Hawaii and Brittany Lang, one of the crack college players in the United States team led by Martha Kirouac.
"People have been asking me since the teams were announced how I would feel if I was drawn against Michelle Wie," said Anne. "Excited is the short answer. But I'll give it my best shot. I can't do any more. As long as Great Britain & Ireland finish up with more wins than the United States come Sunday evening, that's the main objective," said Anne.
"We'll win win some, we'll lose some but I honestly think we will take trophy away from them. We had a very strong original squad of 16 and it stands to reason that the eight chosen from that are a very strong team.
"I count myself lucky and honoured to be one of the team of eight. I'm never going to turn professional so, hopefully, I might play in a few more Curtis Cup matches before I get too old but this weekend - my very first one - will be a memory to treasure."
Skipper O'Sullivan, who never played at Curtis Cup level in her own amateur international career but who could TALK for Great Britain & Ireland till the cows come home, inspired the squad to victories in the Vagliano Trophy at Co Louth last summer and against the Ladies European Tour squad in the Weetabix Challenge over the Formby course only a few weeks ago.
"I aim to give every one of my squad an outing on Saturday, whether it is in the foursomes or the singles because I don't think it is fair on any player to go into Sunday's programme without a match under their belts and expect them to play well," said Ada.
The one surprise in the United States foursomes line-up is the omission of Liz Janangelo, the top-ranked player on the American women's college circuit with a handful of wins to her credit in the 2003-2004 season.
The foursomes line-up:
(GB&I names first)
8 am Shelley McKevitt & Emma Duggleby v Paula Creamer & Jane Park.
8.15 Nicola Timmins & Danielle Masters v Sarah Huarte & Anne Thurman.
8.30 Anne Laing & Claire Coughlan v Brittany Lang & Michelle Wie.

PAMELA, DAVID MAKE SOLID START AT LA BAULE
Pamela Williamson (Baberton) was tied for 13th place after a first-round 79 in the European senior women's amateur championship at La Baule Golf Club, France.
Maj-Britt Heden (Sweden), third in the event last year, and Marina Buscaini (Italy) set the pace on 73.
Stirling's David Smith made a solid start to his defence of the men's title.
He returned a first-round 71 to be lying joint fifth behind leader Anders Grufman (Sweden) going into the second round.
SCOREBOARD
EUROPEAN SENIOR AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIPS
La Baule GC, France
WOMEN - Leading first round scores
73 M-B Heden (Swe), M Buscaini (It).
74 C Mourgue d'Algue (Fra).
75 E Jacob (Ger), C Vidor (Net), A Lanzerac (Fra).
Other scores:
79 P Williamson (Sco).
82 M Madden (Ire).
84 A Moloney (Ire).
87 V Hassett (Ire).
91 R Brown (Sco).
MEN
68 A Grufman (Swe).
69 H-H Giesen (Ger).
70 J Harder (Ger), C Thorsen (Den).
71 D Arnold (Eng), R Smethurst (Eng), D Smith (Sco), B Ronning (Nor).
Other scores:
72 I Stewart (Ire), J Morris (Eng).
73 D Lane (Eng), M Illingworth (Eng).
75 B Grieve (Sco), A McNaught (Sco), I Mason (Eng), D Jamieson (Eng), S Quinn (Sco).
76 A Ferguson (Sco), D Swan (Ire), M Moseley (Ire), D Millar (Sco).
77 R Walker (Eng), P Bradley (Eng).
78 C Moir (Eng), J Hayes (Ire), M Morris (Ire), M Toole (Eng), J Murphy (Ire).
79 J Hindshaw (Eng).
81 J Astin (Eng).
82 G Steel (Eng).
83 J Deas (Sco), F McCarroll (Ire), D Martin (Eng).

Thursday 10th June 2004

Wednesday 9th June 2004

Colin Farquharson reporting:
FELICITY JOHNSON WINS ASTOR SALVER
Runner-up in Monday's Critchley Salver at Sunningdale, Felicity Johnson from Harborne went one better two days later in the Astor Salver at The Berkshire Golf Club.
Felicity had scores of 72 over the Blue Course and an excedllent 66 over the Red Course for a 36-hole total of 138.
She won by three shots from the English women's champion, Kerry Smith (Waterlooville) and youngster Henrietta Brockway (Yeovil), both on 141.
Kerry, who had finished joint third in the Critchley Salver, had scores of 71 and 70 while Henrietta scored 70 over the Blue and 71 over the Red for her 141.
Young Natalia Cruse, who won the "Critchley" over her home course at Sunningdale, performed creditably to finish joint ninth on 147.
Former Curtis Cup player Sarah Jones from Pennard was the only player apart from Felicity Johnson to score in the 60s over the shorter Blue Courese. She had a 69 which, coupled with a 74 over the Blue, gave her a total of 143 and fourth place.
LEADING TOTALS
(Blue Course scores first; Red scores second)
138 F Johnson (Harborne) 72 66.
141 K Smith (Waterlooville) 71 70, H Brockway (Yeovil) 70 71.
143 S Jones (Pennard) 74 69.
145 A Wheble 71 74.
146 E Brown (Weswt Wilts) 75 71, K Matharu (Sandmoor) 71 75, E Bennett 71 75.
147 J Nicolson (Wrexham) 74 73, N Cruse (Sunningdale) 72 75, A Marshall (North Foreland) 72 75.
149 R Lomas (Hallowes) 76 73, S Evans (Vale of Llangollen) 71 78.
151 E Sheffield (Newark) 76 75, F Smith (Chelmsford) 76 75, N Booth (Highcliffe Castle) 75 76, J Hodge (Knowle) 74 77, K Hanwell (Northampton) 73 78.
152 L Ball (Matfen Hall) 77 75.
153 K Shepherd 79 74, M Allen 76 77.
154 T Woodyer 81 73, J Collingham 79 75, K Hamilton 76 76, L Occleshaw 78 76, C Starkie 78 76.
155 C Partridge 77 78, E Lyons 75 80.
156 T Jeary 79 77.
157 L Clarke 81 76.
158 T Boyes 85 73, J Wheaton 77 81.
159 S Dye 80 79, F Thompson 73 86, K Russell 73 86.
160 K Thompson 82 78.
161 C Rogers 82 79, E Saggers 81 80.
162 C MacLagan 83 79.
163 E King 83 80, L Barton 81 82, B McCormack 80 83, H Barwood 78 85.
164 D Morgans 82 82, J Rees 80 84.
166 S Saggers 86 80.
167 I Brien 80 87, S Hewer 80 87.
168 H Legg 87 81, J Phipps 82 86.
172 A Yeates 85 87.
173 C Leathers 87 86.

SUNNINGDALE YOUNGSTER SCORES HOME WIN IN CRITCHLEY SALVER
Natalia Cruse, a young member of host club Sunningdale, won the Critchley Salver 36-hole women's open tournament over the Old and New Courses on Monday, June 8.
Natalia virtually won the two-round event with a brilliant score of 67 - seven under par and seven under the CSS - for the Old Course. That was five shots better than the next best over the Old Course, a 72 by Felicity Johnson.
Miss Cruse scored a 72 - two under par and two under the CSS - over the New Course for a splendid total of nine-under-par 139.
She had seven shots to spare from runner-up Felicity Johnson (146) with Claire Aitken, Rachael Lomas and new English champion Kerry Smith joint third on 148.
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
(Old Course score first; New Course second; Par and CSS for both courses 74 both am and pm).
139 Natalia Cruse 67 72.
146 Felicity Johnson 72 74.
148 Claire Aitken 77 71, Rachel Lomas 74 74, Kerry Smith 76 72.
149 Stephanie Evans 76 73, Tiffany Woodyer 74 75.
150 Tracey Boyes 78 72.
151 Sarah Jones 75 76.
152 Alexandra Marshall 78 74.
154 Emma Lyons 78 76, Chloe Rogers 80 74, Keeley Disney 76 78.
155 Jo Nicolson 74 81, Sarah Saggers 77 78.
157 Susan Dye 81 76, Lea Occleshaw 76 81.
158 Emma Brown 81 77, F Smith 74 84, Lisa Ball 81 77, Claire Starkie 85 73, Natasha Podmore 80 78.
159 Chloe Court 81 78, Henrietta Brockway 79 80.
160 Anne Wheble 84 76.
161 Hannah Barwood 80 81, Natalie Haywood 81 80.
162 Emma Sheffield 82 80, Janet Collingham 84 78, Katherine Shepherd 84 78, Maggie Lowe 83 79.
163 Carolyn MacLagan 79 84.
164 Annabel Silk 83 81, Janet Phipps 81 83, F Thompson 82 82.
Other totals:
165 Jordanna Williams.
166 Sharon Hewer, Amanda Mayne, Judith Wheaton.
167 Diane Morgans.
168 Lisa Barton.
169 Lucinda Davies, Lucy Clarke.
170 Harriet Legg.
172 Liz Slack, Emma McBride, Sarah Waugh.
174 Katherine Russell.
177 Suzie Bridges.
179 Amy Yeates.
181 Elizabeth King.
182 Diana Gritt.
188 Jane Stillwell.

St Rule Trophy
The Scottish Ladies Golfing Association has named the following three players to compete for Scotland in the international team event, which is run in conjunction with the St Rule Trophy at St Andrews on Saturday and Sunday, June 19 and 20.
It is:
Anne Laing (Vale of Leven).
Heather MacRae (Dunblane New).
Louise Kenney (Pitreavie)
Reserves
1 Jenna Wilson (Strathaven).
2 Fiona Lockhart (St Regulus).
The organising St Rule Club report that six countries have so far named players for the international team event.
Apart from Scotland, Sweden, Germany, Canada and Australia will be taking part.
There is a good chance that England and Wales will be added to the list before the weekend of the event.
Both countries have players entered as individuals and the St Rule Club have asked the English Ladies Golfing Association and the Welsh Ladies Golf Union if they would care to nominate players for the international team event.

Sorry folks...

I'm at the Curtis Cup from Wednesday 9th June until Monday 14th June and won't be able to update this web page while I am away.

However do not despair! Hot News will carry any news worth reading and the LGU website will have live scoring on Saturday and Sunday.

Try the Bulletin Board if you want to put News up yourself...

Hope to see you at Formby!

Tuesday 8th June 2004

Northern Vets Championship
L/R Agnes Freeman (Panmure Barry) Northern Division Champion, Avril Willox (Murcar) Bronze Division Champion, Pam Forrest (Deeside) Bronze Division runner-up, Lynne Terry (Cruden Bay) Runner up to Championship

AGNES BEATS LYNNE IN CRUDEN BAY FINAL
Carnoustie player Agnes Freeman (Panmure Barry) beat title-holder Lynne Terry (Cruden Bay by 3 and 2 in the final of the Scottish Veteran Ladies Golf Association North Division championship at Cruden Bay on Tuesday.
Both players had won their semi-finals by 6 and 5, Agnes overpowering Aberdeenshire county captain Morag Clapperton (Banchory) and Lynne being too strong for Stella Hodge (Aberdeen Ladies).
Agnes took a grip on the final by winning the second, third, sixth, seventh and eighth - with a birdie - to be four holes up at the turn, Lynne's only success on the outward half coming at the fifth.
Agnes went five up by winning the 10th before Lynne mounted a revival by winning the 11th and 14th to cut the deficit to three holes. The 15th and 16th holes were halved, leaving Agnes winner for the first time of the trophy by 3 and 2, a victory that will send her to Blairgowrie in the autumn to contest the Scottish Veteran Ladies Golf Association championship with the seven other divisional champions.
Results:
Semi-finals _ A Freeman (Panmure Barry) beat M Clapperton (Banchory) 6 and 5, L Terry (Cruden Bay) beat S Hodge (Aberdeen Ladies) 6 and 5.
Final _ Freeman beat Terry 3 and 2.
Bronze Division:
Semi-final: Avril Willox (Murcar) beat Hilda Fowlie (Cruden Bay) 5 & 4 Pam Forrest (Deeside) beat Sadie Craig (Cruden Bay) 1 hole
Final: Avril Willox beat Pam Forrest 6 & 4

KIRTON SHOWS HIS CLASS IN WINNING NE BOYS TITLE
Scotland Under-16 cap Lewis Kirton (Newmachar) showed his international class with a four-birdie performance to beat Kevin Duncan (McDonald Ellon) by 6 and 4 in the final of the North-east District boys' match-play championship at Oldmeldrum Golf Club on Tuesday.
Kirton took up the game over the same course four years ago and his local knowledge helped him win this title after securing the Under-16 boys' district championship on Sunday.
Duncan won the first - but bogeyed the second to be pulled back to all square.
Kirton won four holes in a row from the fourth, including birdies at the fifth and sixth but then went out of bounds to lose the eighth before slipping back into the groove with a birdie at the ninth to be four up at the turn.
Kirton wrapped up the title and the capture of the Bill Brown Trophy with a winning par at the 12th and a birdie at the 14th.
Results:
Semi-finals - K Duncan (McDonald Ellon) beat R Young (Nigg Bay) 2 holes; L Kirton (Newmachar) beat K Truscott (Newmachar) 4 and 3.
Final - Kirton beat Duncan 6 and 4.

A LINK WITH PAST SUCCESS
The GB & I Curtis Cup team will have some hidden help on their side when they tee up in their match against the Americans at Formby GC in June.
All eight team members of the 2004 GB & I team have been given a QLink pendant in the hope that it will help them to replicate the result at the 2002 Ryder Cup at The Belfry.
"Two years ago Sam Torrance asked us to provide a QLink for each of his team members and it seemed to help because his side went on to record a thoroughly deserved victory," said Kristina Locke, the marketing director at QLink. "When we heard the Curtis Cup team were also interested in the product, we were only too pleased to help."
Locke travelled to Formby for the GB & I Curtis Cup team’s recent training weekend where the team members and their managers were all tested for a QLink.
"We were interested to find that a lot of the girls knew all about QLink which I don’t suppose is all that surprising given the success we have had on the LPGA Tour and many of the other Tours around the world," said Locke.
Speaking on behalf of the Ladies Golf Union, Chief Executive Officer Andy Salmon commented "We wanted to make sure that we could give the girls every possible advantage, the support from QLink is a great example of this. If they work as well for us as they did for the Ryder Cup team we will be delighted".
Over the last few seasons, QLink has become one of the hottest products on Tours on both sides of the Atlantic. More than 300 Tour professionals, including some of the biggest names in the game, now wear the pendant and many of them have experienced a marked improvement almost as soon as they started wearing the pendant.
One of those is veteran, Rosie Jones, a winner of 13 events on the USLPGA Tour, who last year went through the $7 million barrier in career earnings.
"There once was a time when I had a hard time controlling my emotions but, after wearing the QLink, I’ve been extremely calm," she said. "There is no doubt it has helped."
The QLink pendant was first developed for the health market in 1995 and was introduced to the golf market in April, 1999 through direct distribution to Tour players. To date, thousands of golfers, both amateur and professional, have participated in independent FDA-registered stress testing that demonstrates the QLink’s ability to reduce stress levels and place the wearer in the "zone". Results show that over 97% of those tested showed improvement in their overall stress levels after wearing a QLink for even less than a minute. Additionally, it is also been found to heighten focus and concentration, improve sleep, help to reduce jet lag and promote an overall sense of wellbeing.
The QLink pendant uses the manufacturer’s proprietary Sympathetic Resonance Technology (SRT), developed in conjunction with scientists at Stanford University and the University of Carolina. For more information about the QLink please visit www.qlinkworld.co.uk or call either Neil Gray at GMS on +44 (0)1438 718399 (neil@gmsgolf.co.uk) or Kristina Locke at QLink on +44 (0)207 349 7120 (Kristina.locke@qlinkworld.co.uk).

THE OPEN ENTRY
A total of 2220 players from around the world have entered for The Open Championship that will be played at Royal Troon from 15–18 July.
This figure includes approximately 450 of the top 500 in the Official World Golf Rankings that, for the first time, are being used for entry into International Final Qualifying and not simply for Open exemption categories.
International Final Qualifying has been or will be played on five continents and with 12 players already qualified from Africa, Australasia and Asia, a further minimum of 24 will come from IFQs in America and Europe on Monday 28 June. The IFQs at Congressional and Sunningdale each have fields of 120 players.
Approximately 1650 players have entered the 16 Regional Qualifying competitions on Monday 5 July and the changes in the structure of qualifying will now allow in the region on 20 players to progress from each venue to Local Final Qualifying on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 July at Glasgow, Irvine, Turnberry Kintyre and Western Gailes.
In announcing the figures Michael Tate, Director of The R&A said: "We are delighted with the size and quality of The Open entry and in particular with the standard of players who wished to compete in International Final Qualifying. We introduced IFQ with the aim of making it as easy as possible for top ranked non-exempt players to attempt to qualify on their own continent. The fields in IFQ certainly justify their introduction while there has been no reduction in the number of players entering Regional Qualifying or Local Final Qualifying."

Irish Team selected for Junior European Team Championships
Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club 6th – 10th July 2004
Tara Delaney (Carlow) Maria Dunne (Skerries) Gillian O’Leary (Cork) Sinead O’Sullivan (Galway) Vicki Power (Brampton Park) Catherine Tucker (Limerick)
Reserves Karen Delaney (Carlow) Suzie Hayes (Hermitage) Shauna McVeigh (Royal Co Down Ladies)

HENRY GOES FOR TITLE DOUBLE IN SCOTTISH SCHOOLS CHAMPIONSHIPS
Scott Henry, an impressive winner of the Scottish Golf Union's Scottish boys' match-play championship at Southerness in April, will be bidding to complete a national double when he competes in the Scottish Schools Golf Association-organised Scottish schools' championships, sponsored by The Royal Bank of Scotland, over the Murrayshall courses, near Perth on Monday, June 14.
Both the schoolboys' and schoolgirls' individual championships are over 36 holes and the girls' event brings together all the leading under-18 female players from last year's Scottish champion Kelly Brotherton, to this year's Scottish Under-16 girls title winner Krystle Caithness, not to mention rising star Carly Booth, who had her 12th birthday earlier this month.
There are also schoolboys' and schoolgirls' team events, based on the area from which they are entered.
Order of play (7min intervals):
BOYS Murrayshall course times first; Lynedoch courses times second
8.56 and 1.56 - A Gordon (D&G), G Paterson (F), R Graham (S); R Hyland (A), B Rushford (Falk), F White (P&K); J White (F), S Borrowman (Cl), A Ferguson (ED); E Malcolm (F), L Vettesse (A), C Robinson (D&G); G Mitchell (A), R Neil (Fal), G Minnes (ED).
9.31 and 2.31 - F Niven (P&K), S Moffat) (Cl), J Shamash (D&G); G Robertson (Fal), G Watson (D), K Henderson (St); S Ferris (ED), D Arbuckle (D), D Pender (St); G McEwing (D), C McParland (Cl), C White (P&K).
9.59 and 2.59 - Highland representative, J Murchie (N), P McLachlan (G); C Munro (SA), Highland rep, C McLaughlin (NA); A Munro (SA), Inverclyde rep, A Connell (NA); Highland rep, Inverclyde rep, J McLeish (G); Inverclyde rep, S Keane (G), L Dunn (SA).
Lynedoch course times first; Murrayshall course times second.
8.56 and 1.56 - J Gardner (Ang), S George (E), West Lothian representative; D Saunders (Ang), G Turner (E), West Lothian rep, S Davie (Ang), J Moran (E), W Lothian rep; L Kirton (NA), S Henry (WD), A McCandlish (SL); R King (WD), S Hislop (Borders), J Findlay (NA).
9.31 and 2.31 - P McLean (NA), P Keeling (EL), S Moore (WD); M Devlin (SL), C Marr (EL), D Pringle (B); P Fletcher (SL), K Donaldson (B), M Williams (EL); M Watson (M), R Hutton (SA), G Malloy (NL); S Mann (M), S Robin (SA), C Bell (NL).
10.06 and 3.06 - M Paterson (M), S Henderson (SA), J Alexander (NL).
GIRLS Murrayshall course times first; Lynedoch course times second
8.0 and 1.0 - K Brotherton (E), K Caithness (F), K Walker (G); G Webster (G)k, C Booth (P&K), K MacDonald (H); L Hendry (NA), R Niven (E), F Hindshaw (E);; C-M Carlton (R), A Edwards (E), K McNicoll (Ang); J Turner (E), A Ingram (H), R Livingstone (EL).
8.35 and 1.35 D Neilson (G), M MacDonald (M), M Briggs (R); L Murray (SA), V Stevenson (FV), G Monteith (D&G); H Harvey (F), M Thomson (NA), S Watson (E).
Lynedoch course times first; Murrayshall course times second.
8.0 and 1.0 - M McPherson (SAyr), R Wilson (Ang), A Lewis (G); F Blair (Ang), P Meiklejohn (F), A Tait (D&G); G Weir (F), A Niven (P&K), R Watson (E); K Murray (SAb), V Smith (SAyr), K Moss (Ang); L McGregor (FV), M Barbour (EL), A McGarty (WL).
8.35 and 1.35 - L Falconer (Ang), L Bannerman (G), A Smith (D); J Jones (NAb), M Johnstone (A), J Pryde (Ang); F Stewart (Ang), L Mackin (G), L Whyte (A). 10.13 and 3.13 - S Horsburgh (EL), P Pretswell (SL), A McIvor (SL); S Paterson (G), C McMillan (NL), L MacCallum (NAb); S Lamb (Mid), C Easton (E), K Differ (NL).
Abbreviations: A, Aberdeen; Ang, Angus; Cl, Clackmannan; D, Dundee; D&G, Dumfries & Galloway; E, Edinburgh; ED, East Dunbartonshire; EL, East Lothian; F, Fife; Fal, Falkirk; FV, Forth Valley; G, Glasgow; H, Highland; M, Moray; Mid, Midlothian; NAb, North Aberdeenshire; NAyr, North Ayrshire; NL, North Lanarkshire; P&K, Perth & Kinross; R, Renfrewshire; SAb, South Aberdeenshire; SAyr, South Ayrshire; St, Stirling; SL, South Lanarkshire; WD, West Dunbartonshire; WL, West Lothian.

AGNES FREEMAN PIPS LYNNE TERRY FOR NORTH VETS' DAVIDSON TROPHY
Panmure Barry's Agnes Freeman headed the four qualifiers for the Scottish Veteran Ladies Golf Association Northern Division championship at Cruden Bay on Monday.
Her gross score of 82, six over the CSS, earned her the Davidson Trophy for the best scratch round after a card countback against title-holder Lynne Terry (Cruden Bay) who also had an 82. Agnes had the better inward half.
Aberdeenshire county captain Morag Clapperton (Banchory) and Stella Hodge (Aberdeen Ladies) were the other scratch qualifiers. Both had 83s. Morag won the Lyon Bowl for the lowest net score of 73 off 10.
The championship semi-finals on Tuesday morning are: Agnes Freeman v Morag Clapperton. Lynne Terry v Stella Hodge.
The Bronze Division championship qualifiers and semi-final pairings are: Avril Willox (Murcar) v Hilda Fowlie (Cruden Bay). Pam Forrest (Deeside) v Sadie Craig (Cruden Bay).
Prizewinners (CSS 76)
SILVER DIVISION Scratch (Davidson Trophy): Agnes Freeman (Panmure Barry) bih, Lynne Terry (Cruden Bay) 82. Handicap (Lyon Bowl): Morag Clapperton (Banchory) (10) 73; Marion Donald (Aberdeen Ladies) (12) 74.
Senior Prize: Sheila Reid (Aberdeen Ladies) (8) 79.
BRONZE DIVISION (CSS 67) Scratch (Edwards Trophy): Avril Willox (Murcar) 82; Sadie Craig (Cruden Bay) 90./ Handicap (Lyon Bowl): Pam Forrest, Deeside, (29) 56; Hilda Fowlie (Cruden Bay) (25) 67.
Senior Prize: May Walker (Aboyne) (26) 69.
Strawberry Bowl: Pam Forrest (Deeside).

Monday 7th June 2004

MUNROSS TROPHY DRAW
Lynn Kenny (Stirling University) and Clare Queen (Drumpellier), two of the Great Britain & Ireland reserves for this weekend's Curtis Cup at Formby, will be competing in the Munross Trophy women's open 36-hole tournament at Montrose on Sunday.
Last year's winner of the Munross Trophy, Anne Laing (Vale of Leven), is the only Scot in the GB&I team to play the United States.
Players will tee off mainly in pairs at 8min intervals.
Draw is: Abbreviations: BC, Bothwell Castle; C, Crieff; D Drumpellier; Db , Dunblane; Dun, Dunbracken Ladies; G, Glenbervie; H Huntingdale; I Inverness; K Kirriemuir; Kil, Kilspindie; Kirk, Kirkcudbright; L Lanark; Lb, Ladybank; LI, Long Island; Lib, Liberton; M Muckhart; ME, Merchants of Edinburgh; MML, Montrose Mercantile Ladies; P, Pitreavie; R, Routenburn; Ral, Ralston; RD Royal Dornoch; S, Strathaven; Sal, Saline; St L, St Leonards; St R, St Rule; SU, Stirling Univ; W, Windyhill.
9.0 and 1.30 H Harvey (St L), G Davidson (Sal).
9.08 and 1.38 I Harvey (St R), C McLoughlin (Kil).
9.16 and 1.46 C Whyte (W), A Edwards (Lib).
9.24 and 1.54 K Mathieson (G), D Carcary (MML).
9.32 and 2.02 A Davies (BC), A Ramsay (K), K Harper (I).
9.40 and 2.10 R Niven (C), L Hendry (R).
9.48 and 2.18 S Mitchell (Dun), R Rankin (L).
9.56 and 2.26 J Jenkins (Ral), K Combes (LI).
10.04 and 2.34 E Ogilvy (M), N Fenton (ME).
10.12 and 2.45 J Carthrew (Lb), P Mackay (RD).
10.20 and 2.50 I Jean (H), C Gruber (RD).
10.28 and 2.58 S Bishop (W), A Shamash (Kirk).
10.36 and 3.06 J Wilson (S), C Queen (D).
10.44 and 3.14 H MacRae (Db), L Kenney (P), L Kenny (SU).

Scottish Team for the British Universities' Home Nations tournament
Scottish Team for the British Universities' Home Nations tournament at Nefyn and District, Wales on 16th - 18th August:
Dawn Dewar (Stirling), Olivia Briggs (Stirling), Alex Marshall (Stirling), Ann Ramsay (Heriot-Watt), Kerri Harper (Abertay), Kirsty Wells (Dundee)

Futures Tour
ONLY A FEW DOLLARS FOR LINZI
Former Scottish women's amateur champion Linzi Morton from Alloa pulled herself up to a final placing of joint 57th in the Bank of Ann Arbor Futures Tour Classic at Lake Forest Golf Club in Michigan with a final round of two-over-par 72. That gave the US-based Scot a final total of eight-over-par 224 but earned her only $183 after earlier rounds of 74 and 76 had beaten the 36-hole cut with nothing to spare.
Kent-born Australian Lindsey Wright won the $8,400 first prize with scores of 69, 67 and 72 for 208 - one shot ahead of Jimin Kang (Korea) and American Kathrin Cusick who tied for second place/ Jimin Kang was one of seven Chinese or Korean players in the top 20.
Rebecca Prout from Surrey tied for 30th place on 219 with scores of 74, 71 and 74. She earned $364.
Former Curtis Cup player Heather Stirling from Stirling failed by three shots to qualify for the final round.

BORDER GIRLS CHAMPIONSHIP
The Borders Girls Championship was held at Hawick on Sunday.
Trophy winner & Border Girls Champion - Emma Fairnie (pictured right) (Minto) - 79
Handicap Trophy - Joanne Thomson (Eyemouth) - nett 76.

Borders results
Border Ladies held a 9 hole Lady/Junior Girl Greensome at St Boswells on Friday. 17 pairs took part.
Results were - Handicap Section:- Sarah Whiteley & Linda Geatons (Minto)- nett 29 (best 6), Emma Fairnie & Caroline Fairnie(Minto)- nett 29, Katie & ally Wood (Duns) - nett 31 (best 6)
Non- Handicap Section:- Lesley Atkins & Dot Elliot (Minto) - nett 35, Emma Hodge & Anne Wood (Duns) - nett 37 (last 6), Charlotte Brown & Lorraine Scott (Hawick) - nett 37.
Border Ladies thank St Boswells Golf Club for the courtesy of the course which was presented in superb condition.

Border Ladies and Juniors after Friday's event

Sunday 6th June 2004

East and West Girls get together for a joint picture at Pitreavie today.
Lesley Hendry and Krystle Caithness hold the Mhairi McKay trophy.

East of Scotland Girls beat West of Scotland Girls by 4.5 matches to 3.5.
East Girls gave West Girls full handicap difference in their match at Pitreavie this afternoon, and still managed to win by the close margin of one game. The final result was 4.5 matches to 3.5 matches. In the top match, Krystle Caithness halved with Lesley Hendry, giving two shots.
Mhairi McKay, an "old" West Girl and now a star on the LPGA tour, has donated a trophy for annual competition between the two sides. East Girls are delighted to be the first to have their names on the trophy.
The organisers would like to thank Pitreavie golf Club very much for giving the Courtesy of the Course for the match. The course was in excellent condtion and we had a delicious meal afterwards in the clubhouse. We'd also like to thank the parents for their support.
Results (East Names first, handicaps in brackets)
Krystle Caithness (St Regulus, 3) halved with Lesley Hendry (5)
Amanda Edwards (Libertson, 6) lost to Morag McPherson (9) 4 and 3
Rachel Livingstone (Musselburgh Old, 7) lost to Pamela Prestwell (10) 3 and 2
Nicola Melville (Bridge of Allan, 7) halved with Alison Lewis (13)
Jane Turner (Glencorse, 5) beat Carol McMillan (18) 4 and 3
Claire McLaughlin (Kilspindie, 6) halved with Caris McGhee (18)
Ashleigh Wilton (Ladybank, 8) beat Vickie Smith (16) 3 and 2
Hannah Harvey (St Leonards,9) beat Roslyn Fleming (20) 2 and 1

LGU MEDAL WINNERS AT CRIEFF
Edinburgh golfer Eileen Gillespie (Lochend) and Lauren Whyte, a junior member of Aberdeen Ladies, won the gold and silver medals respectively in the Ladies Golf Union Medal Scottish Final at Crieff Golf Club on Sunday.
From a starting field of over 400 at club qualifying level, the final was contested by 24 qualifiers.
Eileen won the Silver Division with a net 73 off 11 ahead of Gale Andrew (Loudon Gowf), net 76 off 5 (better inward half) and Jackie Brown (Whitemoss), net 76 off 7.
Young Lauren headed the Bronze Division with a net 71 off 21. Runner-up was Jean Snodgrass (Hilton Park) with a net 73 off 23. She had a better last six holes than Robyn McCulloch (Stranraer) who also returned a net 73 off 19. Robyn, like Lauren Whyte, is a junior member at her home club.
The CSS was 74.
Collated scoreboard
LGU MEDAL SCOTTISH FINAL _ Crieff (CSS 74) _ Silver Division _ Eileen Gillespie (Lochend) (11) 73; Gale Andrew (Louden Gowf) (5) bih, Jackie Brown (Whitemoss) (7) 76. Bronze Division _ Lauren Whyte (Aberdeen Ladies) (21) 71; Jean Snodgrass (Hilton Park) (23), best last six holes, Robyn McCulloch (Stranraer) (19) 73.

DOUBLE WHAMMY FOR MICHELE
Last year's Bank of Scotland Junior Masters' winner, Michele Thomson (McDonald Ellon) had the best scratch and net scores in Sunday's Aberdeenshire girls' medal competition at Ballater Golf Club.
Michele returned a scratch 76 - one better than Aberdeenshire women's county champion Sjavon Wilson (Murcar) - and a net 68 off eight of a handicap, which was one ahead of Hayley Thomson (Newmachar) who had a net 69 off 25.
Collated golf return
ABERDEENSHIRE GIRLS _ Ballater medal (CSS 71) _ Leading scratch _ M Thomson (McDonald Ellon) 76; S Wilson (Murcar) 77; L Murray (Alford) 79; K Thomson (Kintore) 83; handicap _ M Thomson (McDonald Ellon) (8) 68; H Thomson (Newmachar) (25) 69; K Beveridge (Aboyne) (36), S Whyte (Aberdeen Ladies) (23) 70; N Thomson (Murcar) (24), J Murray (Ballater) (26), L Murray (Alford) 71; S Wilson (Murcar) (5) 72.

Futures Tour
Former Scottish Champion Linzi Morton (Tulliallan) just got under the wire at the half way stage of the FUTURES Golf Tour's $60,000 Bank of Ann Arbor FUTURES Golf Classic at the 6212-yard, par 36-36 - 72 Lake Forest Golf Club, Chicago yesterday. Her second round total of 150 (74,76) is fourteen shots behind leader Lindsey Wright (Albury, Australia) on 136 (69,67). Heather Stirling (Bridge of Allan) added a 76 to her first round 77 and missed the cut by three shots.

Saturday 5th June 2004

US College Golf
MARK LAMB 24TH IN TOP US COLLEGE CHAMPIONSHIP
Former Scottish boys' open stroke play champion Mark Lamb from Haddington finished tied for 24th place in the NCAA Division 1 championship played over The Cascades at The Homestead, Hot Springs in Virginia (June 1 to 4).
Lamb, a golf scholarship student at the University of Arizona, had rounds of 72, 69, 73 and 73 over the 6,679yd, par-70 course.
Three members of the United States Walker Cup team defeated at Ganton last year - Ryan Moore (UNLV), Bill Haas (Wake Forest) and Chris Nallen) - dominated the top three placings in the 72-hole event.
Moore won the prestigious title with six shots to spare, shotting a 13-under-par aggregate of 267 with scores of 67, 70, 64 and 66.
Haas and Nallen tied for second place on 273.
California (1134) won the team title by six shots from UCLA (1140) with Arizona (1148) third, Texas (1149) fourth, Georgia Tech fifth (1151). Florida and Washington tied for sixth place on 1152.
LEADING INDIVIDUAL TOTALS
267 Ryan Moore (University of Nevada Las Vegas) 67 70 64 66.
273 Bill Haas (Wake Forest) 70 68 67 68, Chris Nallen (Arizona) 69 66 67 70.
274 Michael Putnam (Pepperdine) 74 65 67 70.
Other total:
287 Mark Lamb (Arizona) 72 69 73 73.
LEADING TEAM TOTALS
1134 California.
1140 UCLA.
1148 Arizona.
1149 Texas.
1151 Georgia Tech.
1152 Florida, Washington.

Futures Tour
Former Scottish Champions Linzi Morton (Tulliallan) and Heather Stirling (Bridge of Allan) are playing in the FUTURES Golf Tour's $60,000 Bank of Ann Arbor FUTURES Golf Classic at the 6212-yard, par 36-36 - 72 Lake Forest Golf Club, Chicago.
Their 74 and 77 are six and nine shots off the pace set by the joint leaders Hong Mei Yang (Si Chuan, China) and Nadine Ash (Richards Bay, South Africa) who had 68s.

Friday 4th June 2004

The new online open competition diary for every golfer.
Announcing an additional service available to golf clubs and committees.
Highlight your open days for "late availability" by using the online editor. It's simple and free so why not make the most of it if your open days are not full, or if the worst happens and rain stops play and you have to reschedule. Let everyone know about the alternate day on line.
If you club is not advertising your open days or there are still places available that you want to fill at the last minute let Janette know and they can soon be added.
All golf clubs in Scotland have been sent user names and password to access the editor so if your club is not featured contact Janette now.

The British Golf Museum Helps The Royal and Ancient Golf Club Celebrate 250 Years
A special exhibition about the history of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club has been unveiled at the British Golf Museum to coincide with the Club's 250th Anniversary.
Four banners take the visitor on a whistle stop tour of those 250 years and a fifth celebrates the 150th anniversary of the world famous Royal and Ancient Golf Clubhouse.
One of the highlights of the 250th Anniversary display is the golf ball used by the current Royal and Ancient Golf Club Captain, HRH The Duke of York, KCVO, ADC when he drove into office last September. When he officially opened the recently refurbished shop and reception of the Museum on 14th May, he took time to sign the ball.
Sam Groves, the Museum Curator, said " We are delighted that the Captain signed and dated the ball as this continues the tradition by royal captains. Also on display is the signed ball used by the then Duke of York, who drove into office in 1930 and later became King George VI."

Thursday 3rd June 2004

East Division Inter-County Championship
Fife will be defending the East Division women's county team championship at Mortonhall from June 28 to 30 against East Lothian, Midlothian and Stirling & Clackmannan.
Fife went on to finish runners-up to Northern Counties in the Scottish county finals last year.
This year the four divisional champions will contest the Scottish finals at Nairn Dunbar from September 17 to 19.
Teams for Mortonhall are:
EAST LOTHIAN - Lindsay Anderson, Kelly Brotherton, Fiona Hindshaw, Shonagh McEwan, Sharon McMaster, Susan Penman, Jayne Smith, Moira Thomson.
FIFE - Lorna Bennett, Krystle Caithness, Jocelyn Carthew, Dorothy Ford, Louise Kenney, Fiona Lockhart, Katrina Milne, Elaine Moffat.
MIDLOTHIAN - Kirsten Blackwood, Fiona de Vries, Louise Fraser, Claire Hargan, Tracy Laughland, Claire MacDonald, Karen Marshall, Belinda Murphy.
STIRLING & CLACKMANNAN - Laura Aitken, Elaine Allison, Cecilia Kenny, Lynn Kenny, Heather MacRae, Katy Mathieson, Fiona McArthur, Stella Mitchell.

SJAVON DEBUT FOR SHIRE
New county champion Sjavon Wilson (Murcar) will make her debut for Aberdeenshire in the Northern Division women's team championship against Angus, Northern Counties and Perth & Kinross at Monifieth from June 26 to 28.
Team is: Jill Harrison (Cruden Bay), Julie Henderson (Inverurie), Laura McLardy (Murcar), Donna Pocock (Murcar), Linda Urquhart (Banchory), Carol Wilson (Murcar), Sjavon Wilson (Murcar), Sheena Wood (Aberdeen Ladies).
Reserves - Fiona Hay (Deeside), Laura Murray (Alford), Michelle Thomson (McDonald Ellon).
The programme of matches at Monifieth is:
Saturday Aberdeenshire v Perth & Kinross Northern Counties v Angus
Sunday Aberdeenshire v Angus Northern Counties v Perth & Kinross
Monday Angus v Perth & Kinross Northern Counties v Aberdeenshire

Wednesday 2nd June 2004

LYNN SHOOTS 10 BIRDIES IN LOWERING DUNBLANE RECORD
Former Scottish women's amateur champion Lynn Kenny from Dunblane has reduced her handicap to plus 3 with a run of good scores, including a women's course-record 63 (eight under par) round in the Dunblane New Golf Club women's medal this week.
At the weekend, Stirling University student Lynn won the Stirling Open women's Festival Trophy with a three-under-par score of 71, which was four under the CSS.
"I am fighting back from the disappointment of not being selected for the Curtis Cup match. and ironically I seem to be peaking in June - which I normally do - which is when the match against the United States is played," said Lynn.
Her record 63, which trimmed two shots off the previous record set by Heather MacRae last year, included an astonishing 10 birdies - at the first, second, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, ninth, 10th, 15th and 16th - and also bogeys at the eighth (three putts) and 13th in halves of 31 (six under par) and 32 (two under).

Midlothian announce Inter-County Team
Kirsten Blackwood (Glencorse), recent runner-up to Claire Hargan in the County Championships, joins the Midlothian County Team for the East Division Matches which will be held at Mortonhall Golf Club Edinburgh from June 28th - 30th 2004
Team: Kirsten Blackwood (Glencorse) Fiona deVries (St Rule) Louise Fraser (Kingsknowe) Claire Hargan (Prestonfield) Tracy Laughland (Mortonhall) Claire MacDonald (Gullane) Karen Marshall (Baberton) Belinda Murphy (Prestonfield) Reserves: Jane Turner (Glencorse) Jane Williamson (Mortonhall)

Baberton Ladies Foursomes
Baberton Golf Club Ladies Section are holding a Charity Open Ladies Foursomes in aid of Multiple Sclerosis on Tuesday 8th June. Entry £10 per couple There are some free times. (Early and late afternoon times). Please telephone Hon Sec: May Hardy: 0131 333 2446

Tuesday 1st June 2004

June!!!!

LGU CHALLENGE BOWLS ABANDONED
THE Ladies Golf Union Challenge Bowls competition at Murrayfield Golf Club today was abandoned when torrential rain flooded the course. The event has been rearranged for September 22. (Photo courtesy Carol Fell)
Scottish Schools Champion Kylie Walker (Buchanan Castle) was one of only 2 people to complete. She had a gross 70 net 67 and is now cut to 1.9
See www.rlcga.co.uk for report

North of Scotland Ladies Golf Championship
The North of Scotland Ladies Golf Championship is being hosted by Perth and Kinross this summer and will be held at Strathmore Golf Club on July 5th 6th and 7th.
The competition is open to all County members of Perth & Kinross, Angus, Northern Counties and Aberdeen.
Please send you entries to Dawn Butchart, 16 Airlie Street, Alyth, Blairgowrie PH11 8AJ.
Entry fee is £12.00. Please make cheque's payable to The North of Scotland Ladies Golf Championship.
If you cannot download and open this entry form then please provide Dawn with details of your name, address, telephone number, handicap and home club.