March 2006 Archive

Friday 31st March 2006

Krystle best of the Scots in the Sherry Cup
Scotland's showing is rather disappointing in the Sherry Cup. The team is lying at the bottom of the league table in 11th position after two rounds with a score of 319, six shots behind Iceland and 26 shots behind the leaders England and Germany on 293.
In the individual event Krystle Caithness (St Regulus) is lying in joint 16th position on 153 (79, 74) and her fellow team members Jenna Wilson and Kylie Walker are at the bottom of the field in joint 34th position on 166 apiece.
[How's your Spanish? ... here is the Spanish Federation website]

EU Equal Treatment Directive
The scope of a new EU directive on the equal treatment of men and women in golf clubs has recently made the headlines following confirmation from the European Commission that the Directive will prohibit discrimination between men and women in the supply of services offered by golf clubs. The LGU have issued a note summarising what the effect of this Directive may be in practice for golf clubs across the UK.

SGU Press Release
Boys Championship Too Close To Call
The 65th staging of the Scottish Boys Match Play Championship at West Kilbride (10-15 April) is teeing up to be one of the most closely contested in the event’s 71 year history.
With double champion, Scott Henry from Cardross now too old to attempt a hat-trick of wins and former British Boys Champion, Jordan Findlay (Fraserburgh) remaining at university in the US, the field is as evenly matched as it has ever been.
Although no clear favourite is emerging there are many who have already shown good form this season. Lewis Kirton (Newmachar), pictured right, who finished joint runner-up at last year’s Scottish Boys Stroke Play Championship, was part of the Scottish Boys team that won the international Boys Quadrangular tournament in France in March, as was James White from Lundin, who lost in the semi-finals of the Scottish Boys last year, and Cameron Gray (West Kilbride) who will be looking to make home advantage count.
The other three members of the winning Quadrangular team, Ross Kellett (Colville Park), James Byrne (Banchory) and Ross Leeds (Muckhart) are also ones to watch.
Others sure to be in contention include Zack Saltman (Craigielaw), whose older brother Lloyd won the Silver Medal for best amateur at last year’s Open Championship at St Andrews, and Daniel Torrance (Sunningdale), son of former Ryder Cup captain Sam, who is in the field for the fourth time.
As a beaten quarter-finalist last year and having claimed fifth place in the 2005 Scottish Boys Under-16 Championship, Frazer Ogston from St Andrews is another leading contender.
One of the youngest competitors, 13 year old Ian Redford from King James VI in Perth, has already proved he is a match for anyone after taking the scratch prize at the Murrayshall Under-18 Junior Open last summer, while still only 12.
The Scottish Boys Match Play Championship is the first major event of the domestic season and one of the Scottish Golf Union’s flagship events. Past champions include European Tour players Andrew Coltart and Steven O’Hara.
The quality of this year’s championship can be best demonstrated by the fact that all 256 competitors play off a handicap of 5.6 or better, the lowest ever qualifying mark. Eight competitors have plus handicaps.
The format is head-to-head match play with the first game teeing off at 6.45am on Monday 10th April. The quarter-finals and semi-finals take place on Friday 14th April with a 36-hole final on Saturday 15th April.
This year’s event will be the ninth time West Kilbride has played host, the last time being in 2002.

Thursday 30th March 2006

ELGA Press Release
Sophie Walker extends lead in Sherry Cup
England’s Sophie Walker has extended her lead to five shots at the halfway stage of the Sherry Cup in Sotogrande, Spain.
Sophie, ELGA’s order of merit title holder, added a second round 71 to her opening 69 to move further away from the field. The closest challenger to the 21-year-old from Kenwick Park is Breanne Loucks of Wales (73, 72).
England have also made up a four-shot deficit to catch Germany at the top of the table in the European Nations Challenge. Both countries are currently tied on 293, two shots ahead of the Italian team.
Both of Sophie’s scores have counted while Kerry Smith (Waterlooville) contributed 78 on the opening day and Naomi Edwards (Ganton) added 75 in the second round.
In the individual competition Kerry is currently tied 16th (78,75), Naomi shares 22nd place (82, 75).

Katy ties first at NSU
Katy McNicoll from Carnousie, a student at Lynn University, tied for first place in the NSU Spring Classic at Woodmont CC Tamarac, Florida this week. Her six-over-par score of 150 (77 73) put her into the playoff with Lynn University colleague Natasha Morgan. Natasha won with a birdie at the third extra hole.
Individual scores
150 Katy McNicoll Lynn 77 73, Natasha Morgan Lynn 75 75 (Natasha won playoff at 3rd extra hole)
151 Sarah Nicholson W. Florida 73 78, Surita Risseeuw DayBch CC 77 74
153 Lina Bjorklund NSU 78 75
154 RemiJin Camping Barry (Fl) 76 78
156 Elise Brandt Lynn 77 79
Team scores
1 Lynn University 307 307 614 +38
2 West Florida, U of 314 315 629 +53
3 Nova Southeastern U. 320 315 635 +59

SGU Press Release
Campbell Toasts Amateur Game at SGU Dinner
Glenn Campbell from Blairgowrie looked forward to another successful year in amateur golf as he collected the Scottish Golfer of the Year Award at the annual Scottish Golf Union Dinner today (30th March) at the Macdonald Inchyra Grange Hotel, near Falkirk.
The award was the culmination of a tremendous 2005 season for 33-year-old Campbell, which was topped by winning the Allied Surveyors Scottish Amateur Championship at Southerness and being part of the victorious Scotland team at the Home Internationals.
Throughout the 16-tournament Order of Merit campaign, Campbell took two winners medals and secured one third place, two fourth places, two fifth place finishes and one sixth place, as he cruised to a 97-point winning margin.
The sixth annual SGU Dinner marked an outstanding year for amateur golf in Scotland with Scots lifting the Australian, Czech, English and Irish Championships, as well as the renowned St Andrews Links Trophy.
Awards to Cardross youngster Scott Henry, who claimed the Junior Tour title for a second consecutive year, George Murray (Earlsferry Thistle) who won the Scottish Golf Ranking, Jonathan King (Glasgow) and John Gallagher (Swanston) were also made at the dinner.
Guest speakers were former football referee, Willie Young and David Kendall, known as the ‘Bank Manager from York’.

Wednesday 29th March 2006

ELGA Press Release
Sophie Walker leads in Sherry Cup
England number one Sophie Walker has a two shot lead over the field after the first round of the Sherry Cup at Sotogrande in Spain.
The 21-year-old from Kenwick Park shot a superb 69 in the opening round of the 72-hole tournament. The closest challengers to ELGA’s order of merit titleholder are the German players, Carolin Loehr (71) and Katharina Schallenberg (72).
England’s other two players are Kerry Smith (Waterlooville), who returned 78 and is currently sharing 17th place; and Naomi Edwards (Ganton), who scored 82 and is sharing 31st place.
In the European Nations Challenge, England are currently lying second on 147, four shots behind Germany and one ahead of Wales.

EGU Press Release
HORSEY AND PARRY EARN FIRST ENGLAND CAPS
England have named two new caps, David Horsey (pictured left - photo courtesy of Tom Ward) and John Parry, in their nine-strong side for the international with France at Golf du Medoc near Bordeaux on 12th and 13th May.
The rest of the team is Matthew Cryer, Robert Dinwiddie, Adam Gee, Jamie Moul, Edward Richardson, Paul Waring and Gary Wolstenholme.
After being beaten by James Heath in the final of the English Amateur at Hollinwell in 2004, Horsey has blossomed. He won the County Champions Tournament at Woodhall Spa last September by seven strokes after a closing course record 64 over the Hotchkin Course.
This year the 21 year old from Cheshire was a member of the victorious England squad in the Costa Ballena Tournament in Spain and finishing tied third in the recent South African Stroke Play Championship.
Parry, at 19, will be the youngest member of the team in France but his record in recent years is second to none. An England boy cap, Parry has also represented GB&I in the Jacques Leglise Trophy, is a past winner of the McEvoy Trophy and has finished runner-up in the Carris Trophy and the Daily Telegraph Junior Championship.
Last year proved exceptional for the Harrogate teenager. He won the Yorkshire Championship then went to Denmark and won their Open Amateur Championship. That earned him an invitation to the Vietnam Open on the Asian Tour in which he played all four rounds.
He had a great start in 2006 by winning the Faldo Series International Trophy at the Hong Kong Golf Club before, like Horsey, playing a part in the successful Costa Ballena team and will be carrying the flag for the EGU in Peru in April.
The other seven members of the side all played in last September’s Home Internationals at Royal St George’s, while Moul and Wolstenholme were members of England’s triumphant European Men’s Team Championships squad.
There are two Walker Cup players in the team, Dinwiddie and Wolstenholme but teenager Oliver Fisher was released from selection as he has been invited to play in the British Masters at The Belfry the same week.
The international with France goes back to 1934 and England have generally held sway. But the improvement in French golf has seen them win three of the past five encounters including two on English soil.
They won 15 - 9 at Sunningdale in 1996 and 12.5 - 11.5 at Royal St George’s two years ago. France also won at Les Bordes in 1998, while England’s last victory came at Chantilly in 2002 by 17.5 - 6.5.
For Wolstenholme, England’s most capped player, this will be his sixth meeting with the French. His first came in 1988 but he missed the 2004 encounter.
England team: Matthew Cryer (Coventry), Robert Dinwiddie (Barnard Castle), Adam Gee (Leatherhead), David Horsey (Styal), Jamie Moul (Stoke by Nayland), John Parry (Harrogate), Edward Richardson (Southern Valley), Paul Waring (Bromborough), Gary Wolstenholme (Kilworth Springs).

Press Release
SCOTLAND COMES TO LONDON
One of Britain's up-and-coming golf stars, Zane Scotland, will be at The London Golf Show next month.
Scotland, 23, from Surrey, was the second-youngest qualifier ever for the Open Championship, when, at the age of 16, he played at Carnoustie in 1999.
During a very successful amateur career, in which he won both the McEvoy and Lagonda trophies, he received numerous invites to European Tour events where his talent attracted eulogies from both Mark James and Nick Faldo.
Quickfire wins in the Portuguese and Spanish Amateur championships signalled he was ready for the pro Tour, but a troublesome injury prevented his anticipated progress.
Now fully recovered, he's well on the road to achieving what was expected off him when he made his initial breakthrough and as one of the faces of the Tommy Hilfiger golf range he will be adding a personal touch to its presence at the show.
In addition, he's expected to demonstrate his renowned short-game skills on the chipping green where compere Matt Lorenzo, from Sky Sports, will commentate; attempt to hole out at the show's famous floating green √ located 122 yards from the quayside; and, as one of the longest drivers on the European Tour, will pit his talents against the Long Drivers of Europe on the longest drive challenge.
He said: ?The London Golf Show will be an enjoyable change from the everyday pressures of the tour - although I imagine there will still be plenty of spectators when I try my hand on the chipping green.
?I'm delighted to be able to represent my sponsor, Tommy Hilfiger, at the event. I've heard a lot of really good things about the show and I'm looking forward to experiencing it all for myself.
?? The London Golf Show returns to ExCeL, London, from April 27-30, and will cover an area the size of five football pitches, with a four-day retail exhibition aimed at all standards of golfer. Check out the website at: www.londongolfshow.com.
For tickets visit www.ticketmaster.co.uk.

Tuesday 28th March 2006

Children from Bannockburn and Dunblane clusters enjoy the clubgolf festival at Stirling GC this week

Press Release
300 children introduced to clubgolf at Stirling’s half millennium golf celebration
Around 300 local school children, all new to the game, enjoyed a firstclubgolf taster this week when Stirling celebrated a golf festival marking the city’s 500 years in the sport.
It was in 1506 when King James IV strode out of his palace in Stirling Castle to play a regal round of golf with the Earl of Bothwell. They played over King’s Park - then royal hunting grounds, today the home of Stirling Golf Club – in what is reputed to be Scotland’s second-ever recorded golf game.
Half a millennium later, at the start of a new season, the old and new of golf collided. The Festival features golf tournaments, a costumed re-enactment with hickory clubs, lectures on the history of the sport, an art exhibition and a golf comedy play.
On Monday and Tuesday the club was transformed into a sea of junior activity when around 300 children from the Bannockburn and Dunblane areas arrived, courtesy of City Sightseeing Stirling and Mackies of Alloa, for the clubgolf festival.
“Our children had a fabulous time today,” said Bannockburn Primary School teachers Liz Wallace and Irene Cremin. Sixty of the school’s children braved the rain.
“They absolutely loved it and the fact they behaved so well is indicative of how much they enjoyed themselves despite the weather. Some of them seemed to have good swings and very few of them have played the game before.”
Provost Colin O’Brien, teeing up events at Stirling Golf Club, said, “The accounts of the Lord High Treasurer of Scotland prove that in early 1506 King James IV bought a dozen golf balls in Stirling. Then as now, golf was popular with all kinds of people. We have a rich history of golf in the Stirling area, many wonderful courses and we want to celebrate our links with the game.”
The celebrations mark a point at which opportunities for children to begin the game have never been better.
This spring clubgolf will be adopted by every primary school in the Balfron, Bannockburn, Dunblane and McLaren clusters. Teachers and school helpers, trained by Stirling Council’s School Sports Team of Active Schools Co-ordinators and Sports Development staff, will give over 500 pupils their first taste of golf.
Those who enjoy the experience can progress to Stage 1 hosted by their local golf clubs – so far seven out of nine clubs in Stirling have signed up to deliver the clubgolf programme.
“All of our P5s, that’s 63 children, will be starting the six week firstclubgolf course at school from Easter,” said Liz Wallace. “Two of us have been trained, we have a bag, we are ready to go and we are looking forward to it.”
Part two of Stirling’s golf millennium begins next month when Sandy Lyle officially launches Central Scotland’s clubgolf Junior Golf Strategy at Stirling Golf Club.

SGU Press Release
NEW WORLD FIRST WEBSITE CENTRAL TO SCOTTISH GOLF SUCCESS
THE Scottish Golf Union has created the world’s first dynamic national internet golf service, which will revolutionise the way Scots and overseas golfers organise their playing in the Home of Golf.
Today (Tuesday March 28) sees the launch of the SGU Golf Central website, which will make golf more accessible for Scots of all ages, from school children to pensioners.
The website – which has been 18 months in the making – aims to increase visitors to the 350 Scottish clubs that have signed up so far, and help to grow golf tourism, which is already worth over £300 million-a-year to Scotland. It will provide a fully comprehensive list of open golf competitions across the country, and the first ever easy to use guide for golfers to search the country for membership vacancies.
Within three clicks of a computer mouse, SGU Golf Central can let the user know which clubs have membership vacancies for all categories of member, whether the golfer is searching for gents, ladies, seniors or juniors. The service also provides a number of tools for golf club managers and secretaries to help improve communication with members and visitors alike.
SGU Chief Executive Hamish Grey, pictured right, said: “The sky is the limit for SGU Golf Central. For the first time ever golfers all over the world from Texas to Troon will be able to book their golf direct with any of the Scottish clubs that have signed up.
“It will be a huge boon to those clubs and the Scottish economy, because wherever golfers go they spend money.”
Mr Grey added that the website will play a key role in bringing more Scots of all ages into the game.
He explained: “Growing the game is a key part of the SGU’s strategy and through our unique membership search tools, golfers will be able to quickly find out which clubs they can join. The perception remains that golf is inaccessible and expensive, whereas in reality the opposite is often true.
“In the last ten years, the number of golf courses has increased by nearly 20% whilst membership has risen by 5%, and just over 1% in the last two years. As a result the membership has been spread thinner, opening up more capacity in many golf clubs. SGU Golf Central will support our clubs in their marketing to potential new members on a national scale,” added Grey.
Part of the SGU’s remit with the development of the website was to help clubs combat the growing issue of discount or 2-for-1 golf schemes and SGU Golf Central offers a tool which puts the clubs in 100% control of their visitor golf offering. Through the website, members of SGU affiliated clubs will be able to access preferential green fee rates at many participating clubs, adding value to being a member of a golf club.
The SGU are also encouraging Scotland’s golfers to participate in more competitive golf and to try out other golf courses across the country. The new website will offer a listing of all club open competitions in Scotland, with men’s, ladies, juniors, seniors and mixed opens detailed, with the opportunity to download entry forms on-line and access draws and results.
“There are now 550 golf courses in Scotland and we obviously have a huge choice here at the Home of Golf. Club open competitions are a great way of playing golf at other courses, and the seniors’ circuit in particular is booming. With SGU Golf Central, we’re bringing a great service to members and visitors alike on-line, making it easier for the ordinary golfer to enter competitions.”
The new website incorporates unique technology, using geographical rather than alphabetical search functions. The user can choose from a radius of 10, 25 or 50 miles and the website will automatically list the clubs available within that radius, depending on the search.
SGU Golf Central is also unique in that clubs were involved in every part of the development process. A working group of 13 golf clubs from across the country took part in an ongoing feedback programme, whilst nearly 30 regional training seminars have taken place over the last five months. More than 350 clubs have now updated the website with their dynamic information on memberships, open competitions and visitor golf packages.
“The SGU have given the golf clubs of Scotland an excellent new service with the development of the SGU Golf Central website. Not only will the website help me promote my club to hundreds of thousands of golfers, it also provides valuable management and communication tools for our business,” said Norman Dyce, Secretary of Kirriemuir Golf Club.
“We can tailor our visitor packages depending on the audience and the time of year, whilst our members will benefit from many of the features within the site, adding value to being a member of our golf club.”
SGU Golf Central has been running a pilot website in recent months, and already clubs have received more than one thousand entries to their open competitions and many membership enquiries. The new service can be located on the existing SGU website at www.scottishgolfunion.org, which has already generated an average of 10,000 unique users per month in the last year, resulting in an 80% increase in traffic.
Mr Grey added: “Our key objective through the launch of SGU Golf Central is to provide the best guide to golfing in Scotland for the ordinary club golfer and visitor. The website also supports our member clubs by helping them market their businesses, cross-sell their products and services and communicate to their customers. As a result of all its functions, SGU Golf Central will help us grow the game in Scotland.”

Monday 27th March 2006

ELGA Press Release
Sportsmatch backs girls' golf in Sussex
Plans to develop girls' golf in Sussex have been boosted by more than £3000 thanks to a local sponsor and the government-funded Sportsmatch scheme.
Sussex County Ladies Golf Association will use the money to offer girls' taster and coaching sessions, as well as competitions.
The sponsorship of £1588 has come from Eastbourne-based company CMS (GB). Chief executive Mr Adrian Teulon said: "I am delighted to be able to put something back into the sport that has given me so much pleasure".
This has been doubled to £3177 by Sportsmatch, which helps fund grass roots and community sports in England by matching new sponsorship money on a pound for pound basis.
The cheques were presented at a ceremony at Royal Eastbourne Golf Club by Mr Teulon and local MP Nigel Waterstone, who represented Sportsmatch. They were received by Sussex county president Diana Langridge and county captain Glenda Ricketts.

ELGA Press Release
Chloe helps England win bronze
Essex golfer Chloe Rogers has scored a Commonwealth Games triumph in Melbourne in her other sport - hockey.
She made certain that England won the bronze medal when she scored the fifth and crucial penalty against New Zealand in the third-place play-off. The medal was decided in a penalty shoot-out after the match finished goalless after extra time.
Chloe - who will be 21 on Thursday - has great ability in both golf and hockey. The Braintree player was Essex ladies' champion in 2004 and a member of ELGA's South East Regional Squad.

Sunday 26th March 2006

Monifeith prizewinners

Monifeith Girls Prizegiving
Monifieth Golf Club junior girls held their winter league prizegiving today in front of a large gathering of friends and family within the club.
The prizes were presented by Jillian Pryde, junior girls captain.
Prize winners were as follows;
Section 1
1st - Louise Smith
2nd - Heather Peebles
3rd - Rebecca Wilson
Section 2
1st - Saphia Matthew
2nd - Gail Wilson
3rd - Alison Pryde
Section 3
1st - Heather Munro
2nd equal - Rosy Hunter and Susan Cameron

Saturday 25th March 2006

Young Reese does it in style!
You'll remember the story of five year old Reece Campbell Murphy who was to play seven Championship courses against seven Pros, sponsored by Highland Spring in aid of Barnardo's. Well he did it... and beat one of the Pros in the process. His Dad sent in this email.......
Dear Gill
I received an yahoo alert directing me to your sight with regards to Reece Campbell Murphy the five year old from Fife taking on the 7 pro's for charity.My name is Steven and I am his daddy aka caddie(well very tired one now after the past 7 days.I thought I would email you with an update of the 7 wonders.
The past 7 days have been amazing.To be part of even though all I am doing is pulling the bag.But to witness it was some kind of magic.To see a little person with the biggest heart and swing do what he did for the children's charity Barnardo's was awe inspiring.
THE SEVEN WONDERS EVENT
The final net scores of all events are as follows;Reece played each course from men's yellow tees.Not junior tees.
1-St Andrews Bay Par 70 6242 yards pro- 90 tiny tour pro- 109 18.03.06
2-Turnberry Par 72 6440 yards pro- 77 tiny tour pro- 87 19.03.06
3-Glasgow Golf Club Gailes Par 71 6322 yards pro- 79 tiny tour pro- 78 20.03.06
4-Burnt island Par 70 6073 yards pro- 71 tiny tour pro- 97 21.03.06 Reece's 6th birthday
5-Gleneagles Par 68 5965 yards pro- 82 tiny tour pro- 90 22.03.06
6-Gullane Par 71 6466 yards pro- 73 tiny tour pro- 85 23.03.06
7-Old Course St Andrews Par 71 6387 yards pro- 82 tiny tour pro- 87 24.03.06
Although unofficial Reece is believed to be the youngest person at five years of age in the world to beat a pro over 18 holes strokeplay format in any golf event.There are also other records at stake such as youngest person to play the most professional golfers 7 and the most holes in a week totalling 126 and the most yardage/distance overall 43,895 yards.
We must have faced all of mother nature's elements this week and it must be taken into consideration that the winter elements are still taking there toll on the course's.I believe as do all the pro's you would see a huge difference in the scores during the summer months.
Here's one dad truly saying His son is his hero and inspiration.
Yours sincerely
Steven Campbell if you need more info either email me or check out his web site www.tinywoods.co.uk

Friday 24th March 2006

St Mary’s Primary School children warm up for Stirling celebration
Nine children from St Mary’s Primary School were given a preview of this week’s golf festival, which marks Stirling’s 500 years in the sport, when Dunblane New Golf Club opened its doors to the national junior golf strategy, clubgolf last week.
clubgolf has been adopted by every primary school in the Balfron, Bannockburn, Dunblane and McLaren clusters this spring. Over 140 children from Dunblane, Newton and St Mary’s primaries have experienced clubgolf’s introductory game, firstclubgolf. Played with modified equipment, rubberised balls and Velcro targets it is designed to give primary school children a safe and exciting introduction to the game.
Last Friday marked the culmination of the St Mary’s firstclubgolf course, when nine children were invited to play at Dunblane New Golf Club.
“The children found firstclubgolf both challenging and great fun,” said Mrs Whitaker, P5 teacher St Mary's. “They were all looking forward to using real clubs and balls and playing at the club and are very excited about being part of next week’s golf celebrations in Stirling. It will be a great experience for them at a fabulous club.”
It was in 1506 when King James IV strode out of his palace in Stirling Castle to play a regal round of golf with the Earl of Bothwell. They played over King’s Park - then royal hunting grounds, today the home of Stirling Golf Club – in what is reputed to be Scotland’s second-ever recorded golf game.
The Festival features golf tournaments, a costumed re-enactment with hickory clubs, lectures on the history of the sport, an art exhibition and a golf comedy play. Stirling Golf Club will transform into a sea of junior activity when some 300 children from the Bannockburn and Dunblane areas arrive, courtesy of City Sightseeing Stirling open top bus tours, for clubgolf sessions.
The celebrations come at a time when opportunities for children to begin the game have never been better.
Seven of Stirling’s nine golf clubs have signed up to deliver the clubgolf strategy and will begin introducing primary school children to their clubgolf Stage 1 courses, the second level of the programme, this spring. Dunblane New Golf Club has identified twelve members who will soon become qualified coaches on two-day PGA clubgolf Level 1 Training for Volunteers Course.
“Juniors are a very important part of our club,” said Dunblane NGC’s volunteer coach Maggi Davidson. “We have 120 junior members at the moment and we want to give more children access to play golf.
“In the past it’s normally only the children whose parent play golf that get the chance to play. But through clubgolf all children will get that opportunity. Last Friday was an opportunity for the children to come along, see the golf club and meet some of the volunteers coaches.
“Our volunteers are all keen to help and are looking forward to starting coaching at the end of April.”
The second half of Stirling’s golf millennium begins next month when Sandy Lyle officially launches Central Scotland’s clubgolf Junior Golf Strategy at Stirling Golf Club.

Bonhams & Butterfields swing by Boston to sell Bobby Jones' golf collection
When Bonhams & Butterfields auctioneers swing by Boston in early May to hold their annual Brookline Sale of motorcars, antiques and marine collectibles, as a first time event, they will bring down the hammer on a number of significant golf collections, including that of the legendary all-American sporting hero Bobby Jones.
Around 25 items from his collection will be sold with important memorabilia on Saturday,6 May at The Larz Anderson Auto Museum, next to Brookline's Country Club, host of the 2004 Ryder Cup.
The name "Bobby Jones" is synonymous with great golf. He was the amateur golfer who never took a lesson yet the Oxford Companion to World Sports and Games describes him as "probably the greatest player the game has known".
The accomplishments of Bobby Jones (1902-1971) cannot be matched in the world of golf, nor can his contribution to the sport be underestimated. From 1923 to1930 he won thirteen major championships and remains the only player to win all four majors in the same year. He won the British and US Amateur and Open tournaments in 1930, before retiring from competitive golf -- when he was just 28 years old. The only player who has come close to achieving this is Tiger Woods, but even Woods has not succeeded in winning all four titles in the same year. In 1934, Jones went on to found the US Masters tournament, held annually in Augusta, Georgia.
Bonhams & Butterfields' first sale of Golfing Memorabilia to be held in the USA, the Bobby Jones Collection, is sure to attract attention amongst enthusiasts. Highlights include a silver metal 1930 USGA National Amateur Championship 'Contestant's' badge, which is expected to fetch $2,000-3,000. It was winning this final leg of the slam that also secured him a place in history. A brass 'Contestant's' badge from the 1928 USGA National Amateur Championship, held at the Brae Burn County Club, West Newton, Massachusetts, will also be featured at $800-1,000. In this tournament, there were 158 entries and 143 starters, with Bobby Jones beating the British Walker Cup player, Phil Perkins in the final 10 and 9.
In addition to the 25 lots on offer from the Bobby Jones Collection, golfing fans will be able to bid on a further 400 lots - 300 of those culled from the US West Coast collector Larry Boone, featuring beautiful golfing ceramics, such as three Lenox mugs dating from 1900, estimated at $3,000 each. From yet another collection, a selection of valuable long nose clubs and irons from the mid 1800s, ranging in price from $1,000 to $20,000, will also be available to bid on.

Thursday 23rd March 2006

US College golf
McALPINE OUTGUNNED IN ARIZONA
Blairgowrie-born Kevin McAlpine, pictured right, in his final term as a golf scholarship student at Colorado State University, tied for 57th place in the Pioneer Classic men’s college tournament at Palm Valley Golf Club, Goodyear in Arizona this week.
McAlpine shot rounds of 77, 70 and 73 over the 7,015yd, par-72 course for a four-over-par total of 220 but he finished well down the field in one of the lowest-scoring 54-hole tournaments of the American college season.
The winner, Canadian James Love (Denver University), had scores of 69, 63 and 67 for a brilliant total of 17-under-par 199 for a four-shot success.
Colorado State (844) finished fifth of 15 behind team winners Louisville (836) with Nebraska (837) pipped by a shot.

SGU Press Release
Two To Go One Better At Sherry Cup
Scots Walker Cup duo Richie Ramsay (Royal Aberdeen) and Lloyd Saltman (Craigielaw) will be part of Scotland’s four-man team looking to go one better than last year when the Sherry Cup gets underway at Sotogrande in Spain next week (29 March – 1 April).
The Scots finished as runners-up to Spain last year, when Ramsay and Saltman played alongside George Murray and Andrew McArthur. This year, the current Scottish Boys Match Play Champion, Scott Henry (Cardross) and Scottish Boys Stroke Play Champion, Steven McEwan (Kilmarnock Barassie) have earned a call-up to challenge for the prestigious trophy.
Last year, despite McArthur and Ramsay sharing second place in the individual event and Saltman finishing in a tie for sixth, the Scots collectively finished five shots behind the host nation and nine clear of third placed England.
Scottish Golf Union national coach Ian Rae said, “Last year we had a good week in Spain and we are even more optimistic this time. All four team members have made a strong start to the season so it looks as though the development work over the winter has again proved successful.”
The format for the Sherry Cup is 72 holes stroke play over four days.

SGU Press Release
SGU Homes In On New HQ
The Scottish Golf Union (SGU) today (23 March) announced it is teeing up a move to new purpose-built headquarters adjacent to the recently remodelled Duke’s course overlooking St Andrews, the home of golf.
The SGU, which governs all aspects of the men’s amateur game in Scotland, is working in partnership with the Kohler Company, owners of the world-famous St Andrews Old Course Hotel and Duke’s course. It is hoped that the SGU will make the move to new 4,500 sq ft offices sometime in 2007.
The building will be owned by the Duke’s course, with the SGU occupying on a long-term lease. In the interim, the SGU will continue to operate from its existing offices in Drumoig.
SGU chief executive Hamish Grey said, “Negotiations with the Kohler Company are at an advanced stage and we have agreed in principle, although full details of the new facility are now subject to planning permission.”
“As part of our ongoing programme of modernisation we are continually looking to the future and see this as a progressive move into St Andrews. The purpose-built offices based at an excellent golfing facility, will provide us with the ideal working environment from which to operate - a base that allows us to build further on the very positive state of Scottish golf.”

Lewis Kirton (Newmachar)

Graeme Mitchell (Northern)

James Byrne (Banchory)

NORTH-EAST TRIO ARE HANDICAP BACKMARKERS FOR SCOTTISH BOYS’ GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP
It’s 11 years since Steven Young from Inverallochy completed a hat-trick of title wins in the Scottish boys’ championship but the trophy could be coming back to the North-east next month.
Handicaps count for nothing in scratch match-play but the three teenagers with the lowest handicaps among the 313 entries for the week-long tournament at West Kilbride from April 10 to 15 all live in the North-east.
They are Lewis Kirton (Newmachar), Graeme Mitchell (Northern) and James Byrne (Banchory).
Kirton, the North-east boys’ match-play champion for the past two years, has the lowest handicap of +1.4 and will play Sean McGarvey (Glencorse) in the first round on the Monday.
Lewis, who played for Scotland in the recent quadrangular boys international match in France, is currently in the United States, seeing for himself the golf and other facilities of universities who have offered him a four-year golf scholarship starting in the autumn.
Mitchell, son of a former Aberdeen Links champion, has a handicap of +0.9. He is the current men’s champion of both Northern and Braemar golf clubs. Graeme will play David Parlane (Helensburgh) on the opening Monday.
Byrne, holder of the North of England boys’ open title, also played for Scotland in France recently and won a junior tournament in Texas over the Christmas-New Year period. James plays off +0.8. His first-round opponent at West Kilbride will be Kristofer Harper (Carnoustie).
Other players with plus handicaps in the West Kilbride field are:
James White (Lundin) +0.7, Ross Kellett (Colville Park) +0.6, Ross Bell (Downfield) +0.6, Zack Saltman (Craigielaw) +0.2, Chris Robinson (Wigtown & Bladnock) +0.2, Steven Mann (Moray) +0.1.
Tom Spencer (Inchmarlo) will have the honour of driving the first ball in the championship at 6.45am on the Monday. He plays Colin Baird (Bothwell Castle).
And when the remainder of the first round programme is completed on the Tuesday, it will be Ross Jack (Alness) who will be first off the tee at 6.45am in a tie against Alistair Graham (Crow Wood).
There was room only for 256 players – 128 ties in the first round - in the starting field and some of those with 5.6 of a handicap were balloted out.
Scott Henry (Cardross), winner of the title for the past two years, no longer meets the age requirement of under-18 years on January 1, so no hat-trick bid by him.
Although he is still young enough to play in boys’ golf this year, former British boys’ open champion Jordan Findlay will not be in the field at West Kilbride. The Fraserburgh teenager is in the first year of a golf scholarship at East Tennessee State University and their commitments on the American college circuit take precedence over Jordan coming home to play in the “Scottish.”

Gary Player’s ‘Global Journey’ Detailed in World Golf Hall of Fame Special Exhibit
St. Augustine, Fla. (March 21, 2006) – The World Golf Hall of Fame unveiled today a special exhibit, “Gary Player: A Global Journey,” that tells the story of the world’s most travelled athlete and explores the impact he has had on the game and beyond.
“I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but after walking through the exhibit I was deeply moved,” said Mr. Player, the Hall of Fame’s Global Ambassador. “It certainly embraces all the facets of my life in a way that brought a tear to my eye.”
“Gary Player: A Global Journey” celebrates his storied life and career through a comprehensive collection of personal memorabilia, historic artefacts, images and video that have not been previously viewed by the public.
“The purpose of this exhibit is to give fans of the game a true sense of who Mr. Player is, providing perspective to the man who is considered one of the greatest ambassadors the game has ever seen,” said Jack Peter, Sr. Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Hall of Fame. “I think we’ve accomplished that and each person who views the exhibit will walk away knowing more about the dynamic man that is Gary Player.”
The Grand Slam area showcases Player’s Grand Slam trophies, plus all of his significant major championship artefacts, including his nine major championship medals, the Black Knight Blade Putter used to win the Grand Slam and more than 100 other worldwide events, scorecards, crystal and commemorative gifts. Additionally, Player’s Green Jacket from the 1961 Masters Tournament is showcased, as is his fibreglass-shafted driver used to win the 1965 U.S. Open.
A selection of other trophies, medals and awards from Player’s career are also on display in The World Stage area of the exhibit, including his 13 South African Open medals, seven Australian Open medals and the scorecard from the 1974 Brazil Open when he shot a 59. Known as the World’s Most Travelled Athlete, the exhibit incorporates stories of his successes on each continent in which he has won.
Since 1983, Player’s philanthropic endeavours have been channelled into the Gary Player Foundation, an organization that initially addressed the education crisis in his native South Africa. The Knight’s Shining Armor area of the exhibit focuses on the undertaking of his Foundation, with particular attention paid to the Blair Atholl Schools, and his work alongside the likes of Nelson Mandela, to better the human race—regardless of colour.
Gary Player is a family man and a global business. The Legend of the Black Knight tells the story of both sides of this great golfer away from the course. Supporting personal stories that give further insight into Player are numerous artefacts that represent his interest in golf course design, fitness, thoroughbred racing and more, including a full-size silver and leather saddle given to him by friend Lee Trevino.
Player’s dedication to family is told in the exhibit as well as through a montage of family photos and items from his early years and his first ventures into the game of golf.
“Gary Player: A Global Journey” will remain on display through early 2007.

Wednesday 22nd March 2006

US College Golf
LOUISE’S TOP-20 FINISH IN ALABAMA
Scottish Under-21 girls champion Louise Fleming, pictured right, from Kelso, a student a Jacksonville State University, Alabama, tied for 14th place in the Samford University Intercollegiate women’s golf tournament at Timberline Golf Club, Calera in Alabama.
Louise had rounds of 75 and 81 for a total of 156 over the par-71, 5,803yd course.
She finished nine shots behind the winner, Emily Klein (Birmingham Southern University).
Another Scot, Stephanie Crolla (Nicholls State University, Louisana) from the Lothians, had rounds of 88 and 85 for 173 and 65th place.
Birmingham Southern (602) won the team event by 14 shots from Jacksonville State with Nicholls State (674) 13th of the 15 competing teams.

US College Golf
SCOTS IN TOP 10 AGAIN IN CALIFORNIA
Gavin Dear from Perth and Carnoustie’s Keir McNicoll – both senior golf scholarship students at Lynn University, Florida - finished joint second and ninth in the California State University-Monterey Bay Otter Invitational tournament at Bayonet Golf Club, Seaside in California (earlier this week).
Dear scored 74 and 70 for a level par tally of 144 – one shot behind the winner, Brian Thompson of the host university. Brian scored 71 and 72 in a tournament which suffered a lot of rain on the opening day.
McNicoll struggled in the wet conditions for a 77 but improved to a 71 second time out for a total of 148 and a share of nine place.
The two Scots also finished in the top 10 in their last tournament.
Lynn University (594) finished runners –up in the team event to CSU-Monterey Bay (587) with Western Washington (602) third of 17 teams.

ELGA Press Release
ELGA members approve vital rise in subscriptions
ELGA members gave the association a vote of confidence when they approved a vital increase in subscriptions at an extraordinary general meeting at Edgbaston Golf Club on Tuesday, March 21.
Cheers rang round the room when it was announced that the Yes vote had carried the day. The approval for the two resolutions will bring in additional income which is crucial to the future of ELGA.
The result means the annual subscription will rise by £1.50 to £7.50 with effect from 1 January 2007. This was approved by 491 votes to 222, a majority of 68.9 per cent.
In addition, the subscription will be increased annually by the rate of inflation, to the nearest 5p. Golf clubs will be advised in February each year of the increase to take effect the following January. This was approved by 481 votes to 220, a majority of 68.6 per cent.
ELGA chairman Ros Weston said afterwards: "This is a fantastic result. This increase is absolutely crucial for ELGA and it means we can go ahead with our plans for the future, which include the modernisation of the association."
Pauline Perla, the association's chief executive, added: "I see this as a vote of confidence in our plans to move forward."
This was the third time the association had put these proposals to members and accountant Mike Hall spelled out in stark terms why approval was necessary.
Without it ELGA would be "struggling to pay the bills by 2007/08 and by 2008/09 would run out of money."
ELGA currently receives £799,000 pa from membership subscriptions and other income which is spent on tournaments, golf development, the website, events for club members, handicapping, volunteer and staff training, marketing, representation to other governing bodies, administration - and more.
The association additionally receives a grant from Sport England, estimated this year at £659,000. This funding is handled separately from subscription income and supports the training of players in the ELGA squads, personal athlete awards and the administration of this work.
Mr Hall outlined the reasons behind ELGA's need for more subscription income. Among these was the news that the association has been given notice to leave its offices at Edgbaston Golf Club because the owners wish to redevelop the building. There are only between six and 12 months remaining on the lease.
In addition, ELGA has operated at a deficit for the last two years and is budgeting for a loss again this year. "This is an unacceptable position to continue," said Mr Hall.
The executive committee wishes to continue its programme of work, which will be further shaped by the modernisation review currently being carried out. Recent progress has included extending the championship rota to include seniors events and introducing on-line tournament entries and payments on the ELGA website. There are also plans to provide live scoring at championships. Investment is needed to grow the game of golf and to help golf clubs attract more members.
Earlier Pauline Perla outlined for members how ELGA had progressed since 1999, increasing its activities and recruiting staff to support this work. This included the establishment of a development team and a training department, the launch of the website, increased marketing to raise the profile of the association and the introduction of an IT system. ELGA, she commented, commanded great respect among golf's other governing bodies.
"If you want the association to continue to grow you must support the increase," she said.

Derek Ferguson, right of target, with sixth formers from Greenock High School

Former football stars give Greenock High pupils a golf lesson
Jim Chapman and Derek Ferguson, Albion Rovers Manager and Assistant Manager respectively, have been at Greenock High School for the past four weeks. The former professional football players have been hard at work putting a dozen of the school’s senior pupils through their paces. But not a single football or goalpost was in sight.
Golf is the flavour of the month at Greenock High and the soccer duo, who are fully qualified regional tutors for the junior national golf strategy, clubgolf, were training the children to become golf coaches as part of their Sports Leader Awards.
A partnership between the Scottish Golf Union, the Scottish Ladies' Golfing Association, the Professional Golfers' Association, the Golf Foundation and sportscotland, the clubgolf strategy has been developed as a direct result of the Scottish Executive's commitment to introduce every nine-year-old child in Scotland to the game by 2009.clubgolf’s introductory game, firstclubgolf, is played with modified equipment, rubberised balls and Velcro targets to give primary school children a safe and exciting introduction to the game. It is this aspect of the programme that the 12 pupils have been learning to teach. At the course’s culmination they gave a lesson to a local primary school, supervised by Chapman and Ferguson.
As clubgolf is rolled out nationally this year, the strategy’s newest coaching recruits will work within local primary schools to introduce P5 age group children to the game.
“We’re doing a lot of work with clubgolf so the more coaches we have in the area to deliver in primary schools or to work with coaches the better,” said Sports Development Officer, Lorna Jackson.
“These children are from the area and will be putting something back into the local community once they have the coaching awards. So we hope they will become role models for the primary children they are teaching.”
Inverclyde may be one of Scotland’s smallest local authority areas but it is has shown impressive leadership with the clubgolf strategy. Over 30 golf club members have already qualified to coach Stage 1 of the programme within local clubs. So well subscribed has the municipal Greenock Whinhill Golf Club’s clubgolf course been that the Club has secured sportscotland funding for a new practice facility.
“Our first step has been to get coaches from local golf clubs trained and we have made an encouraging start,” added Ms Jackson. “We have held open nights to get volunteers interested in becoming qualified. We had 11 people on the recent course to become Level 1 coaches and more have stepped forwards for future courses.”

Tuesday 21st March 2006

SCOT GETS CAMBRIDGE’S ONLY POINT FROM OXFORD AT NORTH BERWICK
Oxford scored a resounding 8-1 win over Cambridge in the inter-university women’s golf match at North Berwick Golf Club today (TUESDAY).
Oxford made a 3-0 clean sweep of the morning foursomes and then took the afternoon singles 5-1.
Edinburgh-born Elaine Evans, a member of Craigielaw Golf Club, lost by 3 and 1 in the foursomes, partnered by Angela Donoghue, but was Cambridge’s only winner when she beat Nicole Saad by 2 and 1 in the singles.
Results:
OXFORD 8, CAMBRIDGE 1
(Oxford names first)
Foursomes (3-0)
Emma Parr & Fiona Johnson bt Lisa Heidemanns & Jo Reeve 6 and 4.
Nicole Saad & Jennifer Andrews bt Jenny Heathcote & Sarah Meados 3 and 2.
Sonavi Chopra & Meredith Riedel bt Elaine Evans & Angela Donoghue 3 and 1.
Singles (5-1)
Parr bt Heathcote 1 hole.
Johnson bt Heidemanns 7 and 5.
Saad lost to Evans 2 and 1.
Andrews bt Donoghue 5 and 3.
Reidel bt Meadows 5 and 4.
Chopra bt Reeve 9 and 7.

Monday 20th March 2006

Midlothian Junior Girls held a Rules night tonight at Baberton Golf Club

KATE TIES FOR 32ND IN SHAMROCK EVENT
Kate O’Sullivan (High Point University), pictured right, tied for 32nd place in a field of 77 for the Shamrock Intercollegiate women’s golf tournament at Tega Cay Golf club, South Carolina.
Kate, a junior-year student, had rounds of 77, 89 and 85 for a total of 251 over the par-72, 5,842yd course.
Team-mate Ann Marie Dalton, a sophomore student from Carlow, Ireland, tied for seventh place on 233 with rounds of 82, 76 and 75. She finished five shots behind individual winner Samantha Widmer (Elon University) who scored 81, 77 and 70 for 228 and a two-shot win.
A third High Point team player, Jenna Kinnear, a junior student from Belfast, finished joint 41st on 256 with scores of 84, 88 and 84.
Elon University (934) won the team event, contested by 13 colleges. High Point (977) finished sixth

BEN WILL TRY FOR A SHAMASH-AND-GRAB WIN AT LOSSIEMOUTH NEXT WEEK
Remember Ben Shamash, the 100-1 shot who reached the final of last summer’s Scottish men’s amateur golf championship at Southerness, last year – and then disappeared from the golfing scene?
The one-time Scottish schoolboys champion steps back into the limelight in next week’s Scottish universities championships, hosted as usual by Moray Golf Club at Lossiemouth.
Shamash is a student at Edinburgh University and he must be among the favourites to follow in the footsteps of Richie Ramsay (2004) and Jamie McLeary (2005) as winner of the men’s individual stroke-play title over 36 holes.
Stirling beat St Andrews last year to regain the men’s team championship and will go close to repeating the feat.
There will be a new women’s champion. Ann Ramsay (Kirriemuir and Heriot Watt University), title-winner for the past years, has graduated since her 2005 success.
Stirling’s Olivia Briggs, who did very well on the Orange Blossom Tour in Florida earlier this year, will be hot favourite to win from team-mates Alex Marshall, who, like Olivia, comes from south of the Border, and Monifieth’s Dawn Dewar
If there is to be an upset it could be provided by Abertay student and Northern Counties team player Kerri Harper who hails from Inverness and should know the Moray course fairly well.
Draws for the individual events:
MEN
Wednesday, March 29, Moray Old
6.45 & 12.0: D Greenshields (E), J Hopwood (UHI); J Bailey (UHI), G Reid (HW), P Mulcahy (G).
7.0 & 12.16: A Robertson (E), N Finlay (G), G Minnes (Sc); R Wilson (A), J Musgrove (E), D Calder (G); T Gillilland (At), F Inglis (G), C Abrahamson (E); R McCormack (A), F Niven (E), R MacLeod (Sc).
7.30 & 12.48: A Leggate (Sc), J Duff (A), E Bryceland (S); A McAlister (At), N Granath (StA), G McInroy (Sc); C Cowie (RGU), A MacDonald (A), M Murray (UHI).
8.0 & 1.16: S Turnbull (S), N Feinberg (StA), F Simmons (D); R Rebecchi (StA), K Shepard (S), J Spaven (G); B Brooke (S), B Soutar (HW), D McIndoy (Sc); I Brown (HW), B Shamash (E), B Rushford (S).
8.30 & 1.48: G Little (StA), S Hume (At), R Hutton (G); N Slater (UHI), E Polson (S), R Lando (StA); R Duncan (HW), G Davidson (StA),A Gordon (Sc); P Okan (StA), M Wilkie (E), F Bone (D).
9.0 & 2.24: M Lindsay (At), S Phillips (A), J Watt (S); B Paterson (S), G Findley (At), M Dickson (StA); R Taylor (At), A Low (HT), P Betty (S); C Harkins (G), G Yates (S), C Colraine (Sc); G McBain (UHI), M Kerr (E), R Dixon (StA).
9.45 & 3.06: M Burt (GC), C Shaw (A), S Finlay (HW); S Robinson (StA), M Ralland (A), R Metayer (UHI).
10.0 & 3.24: G Smith (RGU), D MacLeod (HW), I Thomson (A); C Connolly (A), C Morrison (G), D Evans (GC); M Gordon (RGU), N Keast (UHI), C Wedgeworth (GC); J Godward (A), J Murchie (Sc), D Graham (E).
10.30 & 4.0:V Sinkkonen (G), R MacDonald (E), A Brown (Sc); S Aitken (HW), R Gray (RGU), A Thomson (At); A Fearnside (G), J Varkey (E), A Ramage (RGU); R Aspin (Sc), C Robertson (GC), A Carry (HW).
11.0 & 4.32: G Noblett (UHI), C Callander (RGU), K Ward (At); C Lindsay (RGU), A Sannigan (HW), J Warwick (UHI); L Stevenson (At), M Cushions (RGU), J Gilmour (Sc); G Gordon (UHI), R Moore (GC), R Gordon (RGU); R Black (RGU), G Anderson (At), J Kemp (UHI).
WOMEN
Tuesday, Old Course; Wednesday, New Course.
10.0 & 8.56: O Briggs (S), E Tipping (S), K Harper (At); A Marshall (S), C-M Carlton(S), F Haffey (E); D Dewar (S), C McLoughlin (SA), A Donadelli (StA); C Winstanley (StA), M Macpherson (StA), F Williamson(Sc).
10.32 & 8.25: J Elliot (Sc), D Skinner (A), L Gilmour (G); K Robinson(E), J Glover (Sc), L Johnston (Ed); L Rowan (G), S Patterson (E); K Anderson (G), H Kinkead (Sc).
Abbreviations: A, Aberdeen; At, Abertay; D, Dundee; E, Edinburgh; G, Glasgow; GC, Glasgow Caledonian; HW, Heriot Watt; S, Stirling; StA, St Andrews; Sc, Strathclyde; UHI, Highlands & Islands.

AMERICAN GETS GO-AHEAD FOR £20 MILLION GOLF COMPLEX NEAR INVERNESS AIRPORT
Highland councillors have finally given the go-ahead for work to begin on a £20million golf complex at the Castle Stuart estate next door to Inverness Airport off the Inverness to Nairn road.
The plans included:
*Two 18-hole courses.
*A driving range.
*A clubhouse.
*A 57-bedroom hotel.
*120 timeshare units.
*Two apartment blocks containing 28 flats.
*A spa and leisure complex.
The developers - Cornerstone Golf Development International and Moray Estate Development Co, aim to complete the huge complex on 176 hectares of land at Balnaglack and Lonnie farms by 2012.
The initial work will focus on the construction of the first golf course.
It was in June 2004 that Californian businessman Mark Parsinen, a former Silicon Valley computer executive, revealed his plans for the £20million major development in the North.
Parsinen, one of the key men behind the hugely successful construction of Kingsbarns Links, said at the time he had spent three years searching for a site in Scotland that would rival the Fife venue and finally “discovered” the Castle Stuart estate.
“The Moray Firth setting is ideal,” said Parsinen.
Highland tourism chiefs have hailed the scheme as a major boost for the North.
Nairn councillor Sandy Park, who chaired the planning meeting which gave the green light for the project, said: “I am very pleased that the decision went the way it did. To have a top-class facility on the Moray Firth will be a tremendous boost to the area’s tourist attractions. With the airport doing well, this is a big plus indeed for the Highlands.”
But there is no shortage of objectors to the multi-million pound project.
One of their main concerns is that there is not enough water on tap for the whole development.
Scottish Water says a connection to the public drainage system is not available but the developers have proposed building a private waste water treatment plant to serve the complex.
David Gerrard of Easter Dalcross said he was worried about the environmental impact of the scheme which, he felt, would inevitably lead to increased pollution of a delicate place.

JACKSONVILLE JOCKS SCORE DOUBLE WHAMMY IN EL DIABLO EVENT
The “Jacksonville Jocks” are back on song on the American college golf circuit. The three Scottish students who are on golf scholarships at Jacksonville University, Florida certainly hit the high notes in their weekend tournament.
Duncan Stewart from Grantown-on-Spey won the individual title by six shots with some brilliant golf in the El Diablo Intercollegiate at El Diablo Golf & Country Club, Citrus Springs in Florida.
Team-mates Russell Knox from Inverness and Jamie Kennedy from Edinburgh finished third and 14th respectively in the big field.
And Jacksonville ran away with the team title by the commanding margin of 20 shots from their 18 opposing college line-ups. It was their second team win of the August to May college golf season.
Jacksonville University head golf coach Jim Taketa said:
“Duncan played really well throughout but particularly on the last day when the weather was bad and the conditions tough.
And Russell was right in there in contention as well. All in all, another great team effort.”
Stewart had rounds of 70, 68 and 69 for a nine-under-par total of 207.
Russell Knox scored 69, 72 and 75 for a level par total of 216.
Jamie Kennedy had rounds of 74, 72 and 80 for a total of 226.
All three Scots are junior-year students at Jacksonville University. Duncan is 6ft 1in, Jamie 6ft 2in with Russell, only 5ft 7in, dwarfed by his golfing buddies.
Jacksonville University’s winning team total for the 54 holes was 885. Charleston (905) were runners-up in the field of 19 teams.

Hottest Property In US Women’s Golf
When English-born PGA teaching pro Martin Hall first went to the United States, top coach Chuck Cook told him that in order to get noted he would either need to teach tour professionals or produce good juniors.
Although he has worked with a number of tour professionals in his time he did make a conscious decision to work with juniors. One of those has become one of the hottest properties in women’s golf – Morgan Pressel.
Last year Pressel won the US Women's Amateur, finished second at the US Women's Open and qualified to play on the American LPGA Tour. This year she has started the Tour with a fifth and eleventh and a worst score of 71 from six rounds.
"The thing I could see right away was she could hit the ball," Hall said. "Even when she was nine, she never had much trouble hitting the ball in the middle of the club face. She didn't hit it straight and she didn't hit it far, but she could hit it in the middle of the club. And that's genetics, isn't it?”
Martin has been working with her for almost ten years and says "My job is to help her develop a golf swing that makes the ball go where it's supposed to go."
Martin is guest speaker at the PGA Teaching and Coaching Conference 2006 being held at the Bescot Stadium, Walsall on 22/23 May (PGA members only).

Sunday 19th March 2006

FINDLAY DOWN THE FIELD AT HUMBLE, TEXAS
Former British boys’ champion Jordan Findlay from Fraserburgh, a first-year golf scholarship student at East Tennessee State University, finished joint 79th in a field of 93 for the Hall of Fame Invitational college golf tournament at Redstone Golf Club, Humble in Texas today (SUNDAY USA TIME).
Findlay, who has been showing much improved form recently, saddled himself with an opening round of 85 – 13 over par for the 7,422yd course and his worst score yet on the US college circuit.
He did improve with a second-round 76 but sagged again with a no-birdie 79 for a 24-over-par total of 240 – 32 strokes behind the runaway, eight-shot winner, Anthony Kim (Oklahoma) with 67, 69 and 72 for eight-under-par 208.
East Tennessee State, who were well in contention for the team title after the first round, dropped back to fifth place on 901 behind winners Oklahoma State (880), second-placed Texas A&M (890) and joint third Oklahoma and Texas (899).
Edinburgh-born Rhys Davies from Bargoed, Wales was the top East Tennessee State finisher in sixth equal place with scores of 72, 76 and 72 for 220.
Cian McNamara fell away in his final round to finishe 16th on 224 with 73, 73 and 78. Cian, a former R&A Junior Open winner boged the 15th, double-bogeyed the short 16th and bogeyed the 17th in an inward half of 40 on his final round.
Matt Mills (Texas), Tessa Jowell's son, came joint 18th with 74, 76 and 75, including two early double bogeys in his final round.
Gareth Shaw from Lisburn, Northern Ireland - a team-mate of Jordan Findlay - slumped from a share of ninth place at the start of the day to a joint 30th place. He scored 72, 76 and 79 for 227, double-bogeying the fourth and fifth on the final day.
Yet another ETSU student to have a dreadful last round was Englishman Adam Hodkinson. He plummeted from 24th to joint 50th with scores of 78, 73 and 81. His last round included double bogeys at the 10th and 13th.
Farren Keenan (Texas) from Middlesex came 78th on 239 with 79, 81 and 79.

US College Golf
TEXAS BLUES FOR DANIELLE, SOPHIE AND SIAN
English trio Danielle Roseberry (Tulsa University), Sophie Stubbs (Minnesota) and Sian Reddick ( Baylor) will not have pleasant memories of this year’s Betsy Rawls Longhorn Invitational college tournament over the University of Texas course at Austin.
None of them managed to break 80 over a course measuring 6,353yd with a par of 72. To make matters worse, the final round was played in steady rain.
Danielle tied for 68th place on 249 with scores of 83, 82 and 84.
Sophie finished 76th on 253 with 81, 83 and 89.
Sian scored 82, 89 and 84 for 77th place on 255.
Duke University scored a double whammy by winning the individual and team titles.
Amanda Blumenherst headed the field with 72, 74 and 72 for 218, which was good enough to give her a six-stroke victory from Ashley Knoll (Texas A&M) with 76, 73 and 75.
Duke (907) won the team honours by nine shots from Texas A&M (916) with Purdue (926) third. Baylor and Tulsa (952) tied for 10th place. Minnesota (973) came last of the 15 teams.

US College Golf
WALLACE FINISHES WITH A FLOURISH IN GEORGIA
Former Scottish youths champion Wallace Booth, picured right, from Crieff had one of the best last rounds of the day - a two-under-par 70 - to improve from joint 58th to a final placing of tied 33rd in a field of 75 for the Schenkel Invitational college golf tournament at Forest Heights County Club, Statesboro, Georgia today (SUNDAY USA TIME).
Booth, a golf scholarship student at Augusta State University, had birdies at the first, third, fifth, 12th and 14th as well as bogeys at the second, 13th and 16th in halves of 34 and 36 over the 6,945yd, par-72 course.
Wallace's earlier rounds were 77 and 74, giving him a 54-hole total of 221 - 14 shots behind the winner, Matt Harmon (Michigan State) who scored 68, 69 and 70 for nine-under-par 207.

US College Golf
LEWTON TIES FOR THIRD IN GEORGIA
Stephen Lewton (Tennessee), a senior student from Milton Keynes, finished tied for third place in the Schenkel Invitational college tournament at Forest Heights Country Club, Statesboro, Georgia on Sunday.
Lewton, winner of the Seminole tournament earlier in the month, had scores of 71, 68 and 72 for a five-under-par total of 211 over the 6,945yd course.
Winner of the event was Matt Harmon (Michigan State) with 68, 69 and 70 for 207 – two shots ahead of Robert Reisen (North Carolina) (70-71-68).
Brad Doster (Kentucky) matched Lewton’s total of 211 with 69, 70 and 72.
Lloyd Campbell (Tennessee), a senior student from Kent, finished 25th on 220 with scores of 75, 70 and 75. Campbell had a double-bogey at the short sixth.
Former Scottish youths champion Wallace Booth (Augusta State) from Crieff had rounds of 77, 74 and 70 for joint 33rd place in a field of 75 on 221.
North Carolina (857) won the team title by two shots from Florida with Kentucky (865) third. North Carolina State (876) finished sixth equal while Tennessee (877) were ninth and Augusta State (880) 10TH.

US College Golf
JORDAN BACK ON TRACK WITH A 76
Fraserburgh's Jordan Findlay (East TennesseeState) improved by nine shots with a second-round 76 for a 36-hoel tally of 161 which put him in joint 83rd place with one round to go in the Hall of Fame Invitational tournament over the Redstone course at Humble, Texas.
Jordan cut out the double and triple bogeys although he had only one birdie, at the 10th, in halves of 40 and 36.
Anthony Kim (Oklahoma) leads the field by an eight-stroke margin after two great rounds of 67 and 69 for eight-under-par 136.
Joint second are Jonathon Moore (Oklahoma State) (74-70) and Jhonatton Vegas (Texas) (73-73) on 144.
Irishman Cian McNamara has taken over as the best-placed East Tennessee State team member with a pair of 73s for 146 and a share of sixth place.
Team-mates Rhys Davies from Wales and Gareth Shaw from Northern Ireland are bracketed on the ninth position mark at 148. Both have scored 72 and 76.
Tessa Jowell's son Matt Mills (Texas) is in 18th place on 140 with a 74 and 76.
Adam Hodkinson (East Tennessee State) had a good second-day 73 to be in 24th place on 151.
Farren Keenan (Texas) from Middlesex) is not having a good tournament. He is back in 77th place after a 79 and 81 for 150.
Oklahoma State lead the team event with 587 - seven ahead of joint second-placed East Tennessee State and Texas. Oklahoma (599) are in fourth place.

US College Golf
ENGLISH TRIO STILL TRAILING IN TEXAS
English trio Sophie Stubbs (Minnesota), Danielle Roseberry (Tulsa) and Sian Reddick (Baylor) are still trailing as the Betsy Rawls Longhorn Invitational women's college tournament goes into its third and final day at the University of Texas golf course at Austin.
Sophie has had rounds of 81 and 83 for 164 to be sharing 64th place.
Danielle has scored 83 and 82 for 72nd place on 164.
Sian is well below form with 82 and 89 for 171 which puts her in joint 75th place.
Amanda Blumenherst (Duke) leads on two-over 146 (72-74) with Christa Spedding (Texas A&M) second on 147 (70-77).
US Curtis Cup player Elizabeth Janangelo (Duke) is in joint third place on 149 (78-71) alongside Ashley Knoll (Texas A&M) (76-73).
Top-ranked Duke (604) are on course for another team win but Texas (605) might well mount a last-round surge to take the title. Purdue (6-8) are in third place. Tulsa (635) are in 11th place, Baylor (644) 12th and Minnesota (648) are last of 15.

Saturday 18th March 2006

Winners of the Sunningdale Fourssomes - Danielle Masters and Ben Evans
(Photo Courtesy and Copyright © Tom Ward)

DANIELLE AND BEN WIN SUNNINGDALE FOURSOMES
Victories have disappeared off Danielle Masters' CV since the former Curtis Cup and Vagliano Trophy player from Kent turned pro ... that is until this past week's Sunningdale Foursomes.
Danielle teamed up with England Under-21 amateur international Ben Evans to beat James Morrison and Colin Roope by 2 and 1 in the final, coming from behind to lead at the 15th for the first time.
In the semi-finals, Danielle and Ben had a good win over Walker Cup teenager Oliver Fisher and England women's international Sophie Walker.

TWO SCOTS IN EUROPE TEAM TO NZ MATCH
Walker Cup Scots Richie Ramsay (Royal Aberdeen) and Lloyd Saltman (Craigielaw) have been named in the Europe team to play Asia-Pacific in the biennial men’s amateur international golf match for the Sir Michael Bonallack Trophy at Auckland Golf Club, New Zealand from April 26 to 28.
This is the fifth staging of the match and both sides have won twice so far.
Teams are:
EUROPE
Nigel Edwards (Wales), Oliver Fisher (England), Zac Gould (Wales), Julien Guerreir (France), Joos Luiten (Netherlands), Brian McElhinney (Ireland), Rory McIlroy (Ireland), Pedro Oriol (Spain), Richie Ramsay (Scotland), Lloyd Saltman (Scotland), Marius Thorp (Norway), Gary Wolstenholme (England).
Non-playing captain: Gonzaga Escauriaza (Spain).
ASIA-PACIFIC
Andrew Dodt (Australia), Josh Geary (New Zealand), Anujit Hirunratanakom (Thailand), Yuko Ho (Japan), Mu Hu (China), Yuta Ikeda (Japan), Sung Hoon Kang (Korea), Kyung Tae Kim (Korea),Won Jon Lee (Australia), Ben Leong (Malaysia), Michael Purser (New Zealand), Ajeetesti Sandhu (India).
Non-playing captain: Still to be named.

Friday 17th March 2006

We are a grandmother again! Claire and Kenny had a little boy at 4:38pm. He weighs 8lb and 0.5oz. No name yet.
I now have one grandson who is going to play cricket for England and another who is going to play rugby for Ireland.
Where have I gone wrong?

US College Golf
FINDLAY NIGHTMARE IN HUMBLE, TEXAS
American college golf is all about peaks and troughs for Fraserburgh’s Jordan Findlay at the moment. Recently he had his lowest ever score (68) in the United States and his best finish (3rd). Yesterday (Friday USA time), the 17-year-old East Tennessee State University student had his worst round on the American circuit – 12-over-par 85.
Jordan was competing on the opening day of the Hall of Fame Invitational college tournament at the Redstone course, in Humble, Texas.
Starting at the 12th hole, Jordan ran up double bogeys at the long 15th and 17th, then a triple bogey 7 at the 18th. It did not get any better. At one stage he was 14 over par for the 13 holes he had played.
Findlay bogeyed the second and then had double bogeys at the third, fifth and sixth before stringing together three pars to finish with halves of 43 and 42.

US College Golf
JORDAN FINDLAY'S TEAM-MATES CLOSE RANKS TO MOUNT A CHALLENGE
East Tennessee State University produced a big team effort to make up for Jordan Findlay's round of 85 and finished the first day of the Hall of Fame Invitational in third place (295) only two shots behind leaders Texas (293) and one behind Oklahoma State (294).
Edinburgh-born Welshman Rhys Davies and Ulsterman Gareth Shaw both matched the par of 72 over the 7,422yd Redstone course at Humble, Texas.
And Ireland's Cian McNamara produced his best display of the season with a 73 to be in joint seventh place.
Davies and Shaw were models of consistency. Rhys birdied the fourth and seventh and bogeyed the sixth and 11th in halves of 35 and 37. Gareth varied from par only twice, birdieing the third and bogeying the 14th, also for 35 out and 37 home.
McNamara had more birdies - and more bogeys. He birdied the second, 10th and 14th but dropped shots at the third, seventh, 11th and 16th in halves of 37 and 36.
Tessa Jowell's son Matt Mills helped Texas into the team pole position with a round of 74 (39-35). That was a very good effort, considering he had a double-bogey 6 at the sixth. Matt finished strongly with birdies at the 15th and 18th.
LEADING INDIVIDUALS
67 Anthony Kim (Oklahoma).
71 Jhonatton Vegas (Texas).
72 Rhys Davies (East Tennessee State), Pablo Martin (Oklahoma State), Gareth Shaw (East Tennesee State), Eric Schriver (Arkansas).
Other scores:
73 Cian McNamara (East Tennessee State) (jt 7th).
74 Matt Mills (Texas) (jt 13th).
78 Adam Hodkinson (East Tennessee State) (jt 42nd).
79 Farren Keenan (Texas) (jt 49th).
85 Jordan Findlay (East Tennessee State) (jt 90th).
LEADING TEAMS
293 Texas.
294 Oklahoma State.
295 East Tennessee State.
300 Oklahoma.

US College Golf
ENGLISH TRIO UP IN THE 80S IN TEXAS
It wasn't a good day for the three English players in the first round of the Betsy Rawls Longhorn Invitational tournament at the University of Texas course at Austin.
Sophie Stubbs (Minnesota) had triple-bogey 7s at the fourth and 17th in compiling a nine-over-par 81 for a share of 59th place.
Sian Reddick (Baylor) finished with an 82 for a share of 63rd place. Sian never recovered from starting with a double-bogey 6 followed by a bogey at the third although she did birdie the long fifth. Out in 40, Sian had a double bogey 7 at the long 14th and a third double bogey of the round at the 17th.
Danielle Roseberry (Tulas) earned a share of 68th place with an 83, made up of halves of 44 and 39. In her sad outward half, Danielle shed eight shots to par in five successive holes - double bogey at the fourth, double bogey at the fifth, bogey at the sixth, double bogey at the seventh and bogey at the eighth.
Christa Spedding (Texas A&M) leads the tournament with a two-under-par 70. She is two shots clear of Amanda Blumenherst (Duke) and Katie Miller (North Carolina).
Texas A&M (298) lead the team event from Duke (302) with Texas Christian (303) in third place. Tulsa (307) are sharing sixth place. Baylor (320) are back in 13th place while Minnesota (321) are joint 14th in the field of 15.

LAST ROUND DISASTERS FOR CLARE QUEEN
Rookie tour pro Clare Queen from Drumpellier had a disastrous last round of nine-over-par 81 for a 10-over total of 226 to finish joint 47th in the South African Women’s Masters golf tournament at Killarney Golf Club, Johannesburg today (FRIDAY).
Her earlier rounds of 70 and 75 had given her a chance of at least a top-20 finish but she plummeted down the rankings and in the end earned only Rand 1,416.
Last week the Scot, who won the British women’s open amateur stroke-play and both the British girls’ open match-play and stroke-play titles as an amateur, finished joint 22nd in the Telkom Women’s Classic – her first tournament since she gained a top-10 finish in the Ladies European Tour Qualifying School and immediately turned pro.
Ashleigh Simon, pictured right, the brilliant 16-year-old South African amateur, won her native Masters title by one stroke with rounds of 70, 69 and 70 for a seven-under-par total of 209.
The first and second cash prizes were split by joint runners-up Kirsty Fisher, pictured left, an Anglo-Scot from Lancashire, and South African Mandy Adamson. They each earned Rand 39,000 for hitting the six-under 210 mark.
It was Kirsty’s best performance in three years as a pro. Daughter of a former Scotland rugby international hooker, Miss Fisher was capped for England as an amateur. She scored 72, 69 and 69.
Miss Admason scored 72, 70 and 68.
Kirsty’s golfing buddy, Rebecca Hudson from Wheatley, Doncaster, finished joint fifth on 212 with scores of 70, 71, 71. This year’s South African WPGA circuit has seen Rebecca recapture the brilliant amateur form that had been missing since she turned pro three years ago.
Another British player to note was Lauren Hamilton Diggle, playing in her first pro tournament, who finished 10th with scores of 69, 73, 73. She was 5 under with 3 to play on the last day but the television camera's got the better of her " like a rabbit caught in the headlights" was her comment and she dropped four shots in 3 holes.
Rebecca, winner of the South African Women’s Open two weeks ago, topped the SWPGA Order of Merit’s four-event table with earnings of Rand 119,200, well ahead of runner-up Laurette Maritz (South Africa) who collected Rand 76,000, also from four events.
Kirsty Fisher finished sixth with Rand 39,450 from two events.
Clare Queen finished 60th with Rand 5,466 from two events. The Scot will be disappointed at her finish in the SA Women’s Masters but her tour pro career is off and running and she can gain consolation from the fact that she survived the 36-hole cut with comparative ease in both events. If she can continue that habit, Clare will steadily improve her bank balance.
SOUTH AFRICAN WOMEN’S MASTERS
Killarney Golf Club, Johannesburg
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 72
209 Ashleigh Simon (SA) (am) 70 69 70.
210 Kirsty Fisher (Eng) 72 69 69, Mandy Adamson (SA) 72 70 68 (Rand 39,000 each).
211 Florence Luscher (Swi) 71 69 72 (Rand 24,000).
212 Laurette Maritz (SA) 70 71 71, Rebecca Hudson (Eng) 70 71 71 (Rand 16,200 each).
213 Kelli Shean (SA) (am) 74 72 67.
Other totals:
215 Lauren Hamilton Diggle (Wal) 69 73 73 (Rand 7,020).
220 Clare Lipscombe (Eng) 70 73 77 (Rand 3,150).
221 Vanessa Bell (Eng) 76 73 72 (Rand 2,526).
224 Kelly Hutcherson (SA) 71 78 75 (Rand 1,830).
226 Laura Wright (Eng) 75 77 74, Clare Queen (Sco) 70 75 81 (Rand 1,416 each).
227 Sopie Hunter (Eng) 73 78 76 (Rand 1,170).

LEADERBOARD MAKES OFFICIAL BID FOR 2011 SOLHEIM CUP
The Leaderboard Group has announced its intention to bring the 2011 Solheim Cup to England for the first time.
Leaderboard intends to register its official bid with the Ladies’ European Tour (LET) for The Oxfordshire Golf Club to host the prestigious matchplay event involving the cream of Europe and America’s golfers.
The bid from the Leaderboard Group, the owner of The Oxfordshire, is the first to be
submitted officially as the race to stage the Solheim Cup starts in earnest. All bids must be received by the LET by May and a host venue will be chosen in January 2007.
David Walls, the sales and marketing director for the Leaderboard Group, said: “We are the first to state our intention that we want to bring the Solheim Cup to the heart of England.
“European ladies’ golf is a growing concern and is becoming more and more popular and more and more fashionable – something we have first-hand experience of having hosted the Ladies’ English Open successfully at Chart Hills for the past three years.
“Leaderboard is throwing its full weight behind the Solheim Cup bid and aims to use all its vast expertise to bring the tournament to England for the first time.”
The Oxfordshire is no stranger to hosting major championships, having successfully staged four Benson & Hedges Internationals, the Anderson Consulting World Championship and the Ladies’ English Open in the 1990s.
More recently, the stunning Rees Jones-designed creation near Thame has hosted leading seniors tour and amateur strokeplay championships.
Walls added: “The Oxfordshire is a magnificent golf club with an enviable reputation and has the capability on and off the course to host the very best tournaments in golf – and the Solheim Cup certainly comes into that category as arguably the jewel in the crown of the Ladies’ European Tour and the United States-based Ladies Professional Golfers’ Association.
“It’s the biggest and best matchplay event in the world in the ladies’ game and we will do everything in our power to ensure that the 2011 Solheim Cup comes to The Oxfordshire.”
For more details on the Leaderboard Group’s Solheim Cup bid, please contact David Walls on 01580 292106. For details on The Oxfordshire, call marketing manager Jennifer Daniels on 01844 278300 or visit www.theoxfordshiregolfclub.com.

HIGHLAND SPRING HELPS THE TINY TIGER SWING
Scotland’s answer to Tiger Woods, The Tiny Tiger, received a boost from Highland Spring who are sponsoring the five year old’s ‘Seven Wonders of the Golfing World’ event.
The tour, which kicks off on Saturday 18 March at St Andrews Bay Golf Resort & Spa at 12 noon, will see five year old Reece Campbell Murphy from Dunfermline take on some of Scotland’s top players at seven of Scotland’s finest golf courses in aid of Barnardo’s.
As the official natural mineral water supplier to the event, Highland Spring will ensure Reece and the professionals are properly hydrated.
Highland Spring is committed to getting more British kids to drink water and supporting a healthy active lifestyle for families. Suzanne Casey, senior marketing manager for Highland Spring said: “At only five years old Reece is setting a fantastic example to other children. His passion for golf shines through and his tremendous ability will inspire others to take up sport and will set a good example for other children.”
John Kerr resident PGA professional at St Andrews Bay will face Reece on 18 March. He said: “I am looking forward to playing Reece and I’m extremely happy to be involved with his fundraising activities. It’s phenomenal to see this wee boy play golf. The course is a tough test for any golfer never mind when you are just three foot tall. It’s amazing what he has achieved in such a small space of time and I for one will be watching out for him and offering my support for his future golfing endeavours. If I’m lucky enough he might give me a few tips.”
Reece will also play at Turnberry on March 19, Glasgow Gailes on March 20, Burnt Island on March 21, Gleneagles on March 22, Gullane on March 23 and St Andrews Old Course on March 24.

The Golf Foundation Junior Championships 2006
The Golf Foundation Junior Championships 2006 is officially launched today and around 5,000 boys and girls will hope to emulate the likes of Lee Westwood, Justin Rose and Mhairi McKay as they enter their club competition in a bid to reach regional finals and then the Grand Final, at the Marriott Forest of Arden Golf & Country Club, on the 15th and 16th of August.
This is a scratch event for age groups – Under 13, Under 14 and Under 15 – for both boys and girls. Club competitions will run until early May and regional finals will be held between June and early August. One hundred golfers will earn a place in the two-round Grand Final of the event, which was first staged in 1987.
It remains one of junior golf’s most prestigious competitions – with David Howell, Paul Casey, Simon Dyson, Karen Stupples and Curtis Cup player Rebecca Hudson among the big names competing. For a number of today’s Tour stars a victory in their age group has been a first step to the top. Lee Westwood won the Under 15 boys’ event in 1987 (Ian Garbutt winning the Under 16’s in the same year) and Westwood won the Under 16 title a year later. Justin Rose was Under 14 boys’ champion in 1993 while Mhairi McKay, twice a winner on the Ladies European Tour, was the Under 13 girls’ champion in 1987 and Under 14 champion in 1988.
Mike Round, Chief Executive of the Golf Foundation, said: “The Golf Foundation Junior Championships has a wonderful history and it’s exciting to imagine a young Lee Westwood winning the event and wondering what the future holds. This year there will be around 5,000 boys and girls teeing it up at their local clubs and we hope many of the girls involved will emulate the likes of Mhairi McKay and Rebecca Hudson and keep playing the game. This year we are making a concerted effort to bring more girls into the tournament. With its fairly generous handicap restriction (boys’ handicap 24 and better, girls’ 33 and better), this tournament aims to appeal to as many children as possible at a grass roots level and is an inclusive event for a good range of players, while offering a chance of real glory for those who score well and make it to our Grand Final.”
The Golf Foundation Junior Championships has been renamed this year; it was formerly called the Weetabix Age Group Championships. Players in the regional finals and Grand Final will tee up with Titleist NXT balls, as Titleist is Official Golf Ball Supplier to the Golf Foundation. Special packs of tees will be supplied by Pride Golf Tees as Official Tee Supplier, and rainwear brand ProQuip is supporting the Grand Finals by donating junior rainsuits as additional prizes.
Justin Rose is in no doubt of the value of the event. He said: “Winning the Golf Foundation’s Championships gave me the encouragement required to take the game to the next level. I enjoyed playing in this tournament and remember how much winning it meant to me. The Championships are very important for developing junior golfers. It is at this early age that we really need to nurture young golfers’ talent and enthusiasm for the game in order to maintain their interest in golf and prevent losing talented players.”

Kintore's mound

KINTORE’S BIG PROBLEM: MOUND TURNS OUT TO BE BRONZE AGE BURIAL SITE
An Aberdeenshire golf club has had to abandon plans to flatten a big mound on its golf course. It turns out to be a Bronze Age burial site!
Kintore Golf Club secretary Charlie Lindsay, pictiured right, explained:
“A feature of our 16th hole – some members says it is an eye-sore - is a big mound which you have to drive over. Late last year we began looking at trying to remove the mound as part of a plan to lengthen both the 15th and 16th holes and, at the same time, get rid of the blind element of the tee shot from the 15th.
“A plan was formulated. However, while waiting to put this to our members at the annual general meeting, we partially excavated the mound to establish whether it was feasible to remove it. In the interim, a local worthy (a non-golfer) saw what we were doing and we think he contacted Historic Scotland as he was of the opinion that it was a historical cairn.
“An archaeologist from the council came to inspect the mount and was of the same opinion. We then engaged Murray Archaeological Services to explore the site and they came to do a conducted ‘dig.’
“They produced an eight-page report confirming it as a Bronze Age burial side. Fragments of cremated bone, pottery and flint flake were found. The site is now protected.
“It can remain in play as it has done for almost 100 years and we are continuing on this basis although one or two ideas have been discussed with a view to taking the mound of out play.”
Charlie Lindsay says he can hit his tee shot from the 15th over the top of the mound but he is not sure he will be able to clear it in 10 years!
“If you are a low handicap golfer, the mound is no problem. You can quite easily drive over the top of it,” he said.
“But our older members and longer handicap players as well as the ladies have to drive to the side of it, on to the 15th fairway coming down the way.
“This presents a potentially dangerous situation with the possibility of players on the 15th being struck by drives off the 16th.’’
There is, in Charlie Lindsay’s view, a silver lining to the unexpected hitch to Kintore Golf Club’s ongoing drive to keep improving their course.
“Having a Bronze Age Burial site slap bang in the middle of a hole is bound to be an attraction to visiting parties. I should think we can now expect bookings from the golf sections of archaeologist and historical groups,” he said, only half-joking.
Kintore Golf Club was founded in 1911 with a nine-hole course. This was extended to 18 in the early 1990s. Situated only 12 miles outwith the Aberdeen boundary on the road to Inverurie, it has become a very popular course for summer outings by city golfers.

Excavations on Kintore Golf Course

2005: Another Successful Year for Junior and Beginner Golf Coaching
The English Golf Union (EGU) and English Ladies’ Golf Association (ELGA) are delighted to announce that 2005 was another hugely successful year for golf coaching at junior and beginner levels.
In order to evaluate the success of the Junior Club Coaching and the Free Taster Coaching sessions, which are run by clubs with the support of grants provided by the EGU and ELGA, the two organisations have recently audited those clubs who participated in both schemes last year.
593 clubs were involved in the Junior Club Coaching initiative, which represents the second highest level of participation in the seven years that the scheme has been running. On average, over 20 junior golfers received coaching at each golf club. This equates to almost 12,000 children across the country receiving golf coaching in 2005. Over 15% of participating children were girls.
The beginner’s taster session initiative was equally successful with the programme being offered by 193 golf clubs across England in 2005. Over 5,000 beginners, both adults and juniors, were introduced to golf through this scheme. Most promising was the fact that, of those beginners, 76%, representing almost 4,000 golfers, were still participating in the sport after a six-month period.
2006 looks like being another fantastic year for both grant aid schemes. Each has got off to a positive start in 2006 with over 500 golf clubs so far applying for the £125 Junior Club Coaching Grant and almost 300 golf clubs already seeking the £200 Free Golf Coaching Grant. As an extra incentive this year, and to provide further support to member golf clubs, the EGU and ELGA are also offering an extra £25 to any club that participates in both coaching initiatives.
Both schemes are delivered by PGA Professionals at each participating club, who provide the very best in golf tuition. The PGA represents over 5000 qualified professionals, each of whom is qualified to teach not only how best to swing a club but also is well versed in the rules and etiquette of the sport and is an expert in golfing equipment, and therefore best placed to advise juniors and beginners as to how to start off in the sport.
Richard Flint, Development Manager for the EGU commented, “We are very pleased with the feedback from clubs as to the success of the junior and beginners coaching initiatives. We now look forward to working hard to increase the number of opportunities for people to experience golf and become regular participants in the sport”.

Thursday 16th March 2006

CLARE SHARING 18TH PLACE IN SOUTH AFRICA
Clare Queen made her second 36-hole cut in a row with rounds of 70 and 75 to share 18th place in the South African Women’s Masters tournament at Killarney Golf Club, Johannesburg today (THURSDAY).
The rookie tour pro from Drumpellier’s tally of one-over-par 145 was seven shots inside the limit for the leading 60 and ties to qualify for the final round.
Florence Luscher (Switzerland) and 16-year-old South African amateur Ashleigh Simon lead the field on five-under 139. Florence has scored 71 and 68, Ashleigh 70 and 69.
Anglo-Scot Kirsty Fisher, whose father was capped for Scotland as a rugby hooker, and the in-form Rebecca Hudson from Doncaster are among five players sharing second place on 141.
Kristy has scored 72 and 69, Rebecca 70 and 71.
SOUTH AFRICAN WOMEN’S MASTERS
Killarney Golf Club, Johannesburg
Leading qualifiers
Par 72
139 F Luscher (Swi) 71 68, S Ashleigh (SA) (am) 70 69.
141 S Giquel (Fra) 69 73, A-S Le Nalio (Fra) 73 68, K Fisher (Eng) 72 69, R Hudson (Eng) 70 71, L Maritz (SA) 70 71.
142 M Adamson (SA) 72 70, L Hamilton Diggle (Wal) 68 75.
Other English qualifiers:
143 C Lipscombe 70 75.
149 K Hutcherson 71 78.
151 S Hunter 73 78, E Brown 77 74.
152 L Wright 75 77.
Did not qualify:
153 C Smith (Eng) 75 78.
154 S Dickens (Eng) 77 77.
162 M Smith (Eng) 79 83.

US College Golf
TOP-10 FINISH FOR HEATHER BUT LATE TRIPLE BOGEY IS COSTLY IN NEVADA
British women’s open amateur stroke-play golf champion Heather MacRae (San Diego State University) chalked up another top-10 finish on the American college circuit when she tied for ninth place in the UNLV Spring Invitational tournament at Boulder Creek, Nevada.
Heather, 22, from Dunblane had three steady rounds of 73, 74 and 73 for a total of 220 over the 6,1253yd, par-72 Boulder Creek Golf Club course.
Chasing a place in the GB&I team for the Curtis Cup match at Bandon Dunes, Oregon in late July, Heather would have broken 70 in her final round and tied for third place but for a lurch off the straight and narrow when the clubhouse was in sight. She bogeyed the 13th and ran up a triple-bogey 7 at the 15th.
Earlier Miss MacRae, with a solitary bogey at the eighth had birdied the third, 10th, 11th and 12th to get to three under par for the round.
Over the 54 holes, the Scot had one eagle, seven birdies, one triple bogey and three doubles.
Dawn-Marie Conaty (Memphis) from Dublin slumped from a peak of a second-round 72 (one of her best ever rounds in the States) to a closing 85 in which she had a triple bogey at the short 17th and doubles at the second and ninth, having started at the 10th. Her opening-day score was a 79 so Dawn-Marie finished with a total of 236, plummeting from 34th to 63rd of 95 players in the final standings.
Her collated stats included six birdies, one triple bogey and three doubles over the three rounds.
Shannon Johnson (Indiana) was the individual winner at five-under-par 211 after rounds of 68, 75 and 68. She won by four shots from Alejandra Shaw (Campbell) (74-69-72).
UNLV, the host university, won the team event with a total of 879, three ahead of Brigham Young with Campbell (885) third. San Diego State (915) came eighth while Memphis (925) finished 12th of the 19 teams.

US College Golf
TOP 10 FINISH BY MARIA DUNNE
Dubliner Maria Dunne, pictured right, finished joint 10th in the North/South Women’s Collegiate golf tournament at Jacksonville Beach Golf Club, Jacksonville in Florida this week.
Over a par-72 course measuring 5,835 yards, Maria, a Bethune-Cookman College student, had rounds of 77 and 81 for 158 t finish nine shots behind the winner, Stephanie Hicks (Longwood) (76-73).
Maria’s team-mates, Fern Grimshaw from Dorset and Becky Dowell from Thornecombe finished 29th and 36th respectively in a field of 91.
Fern had rounds of 83 and 82 for 165 – two better than Becky who scored 82 and 85.
Bethune-Cookman (652) finished sixth of 17 in the team event won by Jacksonville (621).

SCOTTISH LADIES’ GOLFING ASSOCIATION
The Scottish Ladies’ Golfing Association is the governing body for ladies’ and girls’ amateur golf in Scotland. Applications are invited for the following position which will be based in Perth.
ADMINISTRATION ASSISTANT
(Full time or part time considered)
Applicants must be familiar with the structures of ladies’ golf. They should be self motivated but able to work as part of a team and have strong communication and organisational skills. Fully conversant with Microsoft Office the person appointed will deal with matters relating to team and training squad administration and provide administrative support to the course rating and handicap committees and other committees as required. Attention to detail and the ability to work to tight deadlines are imperative.
Salary and benefits package will be commensurate with experience.
The Scottish Ladies’ Golfing Association is an equal opportunities employer.
Applications, in writing, accompanied by a curriculum vitae should be sent to:
Dr S E Hartley, The Secretary, Scottish Ladies’ Golfing Association, The Den,
2 Dundee Road, Perth PH2 7DW
marking the envelope Ref:AA Private & Confidential.
Closing date for applications: Saturday 25 March 2006.

Wednesday 15th March 2006

GOOD START BY CLARE QUEEN IN SOUTH AFRICAN WOMEN’S MASTERS
Rookie tour pro Clare Queen from Drumpellier was in joint sixth position in a field of 101 at the end of the first round of the South African Women’s Masters tournament, the final event on the Nedbank Tour, at Killarney Golf Club, Johannesburg today (WED).
Clare, who had a top-20 finish in her pro tournament debut last week, shot a two-under-par 70 over the 5,665metres course.
Three players shared the lead on 68 – Helena Alterby (Sweden), Sophie Giquel (France) and Nora Angehrn (Switzerland).
Lauren Hamilton Diggle (Wales) shared fourth place on 69 with South Africa’s Vanessa Smith.
On the same mark as Clare Queen was Rebecca Hudson from Wheatley, Doncaster, who won the South African Women’s Open two weeks ago and was pipped at the final hole for victory in the Telcom Classic.
SOUTH AFRICAN WOMEN’S MASTERS
Killarney Golf Club, Johannesburg
Leading first round scores (Par 72)
68 H Alterby (Swe), S Giquel (Fra), N Angehrn (Swi).
69 L Hamilton Diggle (Wal),V Smith (SA).
70 C Queen (Sco), P Beliard (Fra), S Jelander (Swe), R Hudson (Eng), C Lipscombe (Eng), L Mortiz (SA), A Simon (SA) (am).
Other English scores:
71 K Hutcherson.
72 K Fisher
75 C Smith, L Wright.
76 V Bell.
77 E Brown.
79 M Smith.

CHARLENE, NIKKI HELP PFEIFFER FINISH SECOND
Pfeiffer Universtiy students Charlene Reid from Antrim and Nikki Taggart from Belfast finished seventh and 29th respectively in the Lady Bear women’s college golf tournament at Rock Barn Golf Club, Hickory in North Carolina.
Charlene had scores of 88 and 80 for 168 while Nikki had 96 and 93 for 189.
Winner of tournament by eight strokes was Elizabeth Cortez (Belmont Abbey) with 79 and 76 for 155.
Catawba College (671) won the team event by seven shots from Pfeiffer in a field of nine.

US College Golf
TOP-20 FINISH FOR LOUISE AT PINEHURST
Scottish Under-21 girls’ open stroke-play champion Louise Fleming from Kelso did not have one of her better displays in the Pinehurst Challenge women’s golf tournament this week – but she was still the top scorer on the Jacksonville State University team.
Louise had scores of 79, 78 and 77 for a total of 234 over the Pinehurst No 8 course, North Carolina (5,954yd, par-72) to finished joint 18th behind Michelle Jarman (North Carolina-Wilmington) who won with 72, 78 and 71 for five-over-par 221.
Jacksonville State (956) finished 10th of 18 in the team event won by Maryland (917).

US College Golf
HEATHER, DAWN-MARIE FALTER AFTER EARLY BIRDIES AT BOULDER CREEK
Heather MacRae (San Diego State), pictured left, from Dunblane dropped two places from 12th to 14th while Dawn-Marie Conaty (Memphis), pictured right, from Dublin made a big step up from 57th to 34th in the second round of the 54-hole UNLV Spring Invitational women’s college golf tournament at Boulder Creek Golf Club, Boulder Creek City in the state of Nevada.
Heather has had rounds of 73 and 74 for a tally of three-over-par 147 over the 6,153yd, par-72 course. Starting at the 10th, the British women’s open amateur championship was closing in on the leaders when she birdied the 13th, 15th and 16th.
Her troubles began when she dropped a shot at the 17th, followed by a double bogey at the 18th which made her level par for her first nine holes.
Then Heather had another double bogey – her third in 36 holes – at the long fifth. But she kept her nerve and parred every other hole on what was for her the inward half.
Dawn-Marie Conaty, the 2001 Irish girls’ champion who has transferred to Memphis University from North Carolina State, has scored 79 and 72. Like Heather, Dawn-Marie started at the 10th and got in among the birdies right away.
She birdied the 10th, 12th, 13th and 14th before bogeying the 15th. Covering her first nine in three-under-par 33, Miss Conaty bogeyed the first, sixth and seventh for a second nine of 39 but a par 72 was still one of her best rounds ever on the American college circuit.
In the team event, UNLV (579) lead from Long Beach State (585). San Diego State and Memphis (608) are sharing ninth place.

THE PGA OF AMERICA ANNOUNCES DATE FOR THE 2008 RYDER CUP AT VALHALLA
The PGA of America has announced that The 37th Ryder Cup at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, USA, will be played from September 19-21, 2008. The biennial contest will be the largest international sports event held in Kentucky while the Jack Nicklaus-designed Valhalla - which opened in 1986 - has been host to the 1996 and 2000 US PGA Championships, the 2002 PGA Professional National Championship and the 2004 Senior PGA Championship.
The date for The 2008 Ryder Cup was announced by PGA of America President, Roger Warren, who said: "The PGA of America joins the City of Louisville and the Commonwealth of Kentucky with great anticipation of The 37th Ryder Cup coming to Valhalla Golf Club, Kentuckians know what it means to be outstanding hosts and model sports fans. The 37th edition of The Ryder Cup will be an opportunity to showcase Louisville, Kentucky and the game of golf to the world."
Valhalla Golf Club, ranked Number 70 in the most recent list of "America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses," by Golf Digest, was the scene of Tiger Woods' US PGA Championship play-off victory over Bob May in 2000.
The 36th Ryder Cup at The K Club, Straffan, Co. Kildare, Ireland, will be played from September 22-24 this year. The Celtic Manor Resort in Wales will host The 2010 Ryder Cup; Medinah Golf Club, Illinois, in 2012; The Gleneagles Hotel, Scotland, in 2014; Hazeltine National Golf Club, Minnesota in 2016 and Whistling Straits, Wisconsin in 2020.

HSBC WEE WONDERS REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN
The UK’s leading golf competition, for 5 to 12 year olds, the HSBC Wee Wonders Open Golf Championships, is now open for registration. Now in its 12th year, the Championships continues to lead the way in grassroots golf, with over 3,000 young aspiring golfers each year enjoying the challenges and thrills of competitive golf. With a qualifying round registration fee of £6, a record number of entrants are expected this year, so parents and children are advised to sign up now by visiting www.hsbcweewonders.co.uk or by calling the Wee Wonders golf team on 020 7862 0060.
Played on a par 3 course, the Championships allow competitors to play 36 shots and place their flag where their final shot finishes, with the winners being those achieving the greatest distance around the course. This format makes it an enjoyable for all levels of golfer. Winners of each boys and girls age category proceed through the tournament stages (68 local qualifiers, 9 regional finals) to the Grand Final at the home of golf, St Andrews.
In addition to their day at St Andrews, the Grand Final winners of the boys and girls 11-12 year age categories will be provided with the unique opportunity to showcase their talent at this year’s HSBC World Match Play Pro-Am day alongside their heroes, including last year’s winner Michael Campbell.
Giles Morgan, Head of Sports Sponsorship & Marketing, HSBC said “HSBC take pride in programmes which help to bring golf to the community. It is through grassroots golf initiatives such as HSBC Wee Wonders, that we can ensure young UK talent has an avenue to grow and develop “.

Tuesday 14th March 2006

EAGLE HELPS HEATHER RECOVERY IN NEVADA
Heather MacRae (San Diego State) from Dunblane was sharing 12th place at the end of the first round of the 54-hole UNLV Spring Rebel Invitation women’s college golf tournament at Boulder Creek Golf Club, Boulder City in Nevada.
Heather shot a one-over-par 73 over the 6,153yd course despite starting with a double bogey and then bogeying the fifth and seventh to be out in four-over-par 40.
The British women’s open amateur stroke-play champion stopped the rot with a birdie at the 11th and then got an eagle 3 at the long 15th in an inward half of 33.
Dubliner Dawn-Marie Conaty, who has transferred from North Carolina State University to Memphis, had a 79 to be sharing 57th place at the end of the first day. She birdied the 16th but bogeyed the 17th and double-bogeyed the 18th.
Kay Hoey (Long Beach State) and Shannon Johnson (Indiana) were joint first-round leaders on 68 – two shots ahead of a group of four players.
San Diego State (306) are in 11th place behind Long Beach State (289) in the team event. Memphis (308) are in joint 12th place.

US College Golf
JORDAN FINDLAY THIRD IN SOUTH CAROLINA
Fraserburgh teenager Jordan Findlay, pictured below right, continued his recent run of much improved form to finish third – his best performance so far on the United States golf circuit – in the General Hackler Invitational tournament over the TPC of Myrtle Beach course at Murrells Inlet, South Carolina.
Jordan’s efforts, alongwith those of another past British boys’ champion, Rhys Davies from Bargoed, Wales, and Ulsterman Gareth Shaw, enabled their university, East Tennessee State, to score their first team win since 2001.
Every member of the East Tennessee State squad of five players comes from Great Britain or Ireland.
Davies finished runner-up, one shot behind winner Alex Coe (Pepperdine) who shot six-under-par 210.
Findlay had rounds of 70, 70 and 73 for three-under 213. Shaw finished joint fifth on 215.
Findlay had an eagle 3 – at the par-5 14th in his first round – and 10 birdies over the 54 holes. Bogeys at the 15th and 18th in his closing round cost him a share of second place with Davies.
“It’s easier to play well when the other guys in the team are also playing well,” said Jordan.
East Tennessee State (867) won the team title by 10 shots from Coastal Carolina with Pepperdine (887) another 10 shots farther back in third place.
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
210 Alex Coe (Pepperdine) 70 71 69.
211 Rhys Davies (East Tennessee State) 69 70 72.
213 Jordan Findlay (East Tennessee State) 70 70 73.
Other East Tennessee State placings:
215 Gareth Shaw 70 75 70 (jt 5th).
231 Adam Hodkinson 77 77 77 (58th).
232 Cian McNamara 78 74 80 (jt 62nd).
TEAMS
867 East Tennessee State.
877 Coastal Carolina.
887 Pepperdine.

US College Golf
PETER LOSES TOP SINGLES
Scottish youths champion Peter McLachlan (Eastwood), now a golf scholarship student at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, lost the top singles as his college beat North Dakota State University 3-1 in a match-play contest at Kansas City.
McLachlan lost by 2 and 1 to Eric Johnson.
Peter’s Scottish team-mate, Stephen Clark (Haggs Castle) was unable to play his tie because of a back injury.

MICHELE SIGNS UP FOR AMERICAN COLLEGE
By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Ellon teenanger Michele Thomson, winner of the North of Scotland women’s title last year and a member of the Scotland girls’ and schoolgirls’ teams in 2005, has become the latest teenager from North of the Border to sign up for an American college.
Michele, 18, a member of McDonald Ellon and Murcar golf clubs, will enrol at Jacksonville State University, Alabama after the summer holidays.
There are 24 Scottish student golfers – 14 boys and 10 girls – currently on golf scholarships at American universities.
They are:
Richard Hyland, Keir McNicoll, Duncan Stewart, Gavin Dear, Stephen Clark, Jamie Kennedy, Russell Knox, Kevin McAlpine, Mark Lamb, Wallace Booth, Jordan Findlay, Adam Lindsay, Stuart Geddes, Peter McLachlan, Emily Ogilvy, Heather MacRae, Katy McNicoll, Louise Fleming, Kate O’Sullivan, Gemma Webster, Stephanie Crolla, Sjavon Wilson, Fiona Gilbert and Kelly Brotherton.
Top teenage Scottish prospects have been lured by the American dream for the past two or three decades. Pamela Wright, Janice Moodie, Mhairi McKay and Kathryn Marshall used their US college circuit experience as a stepping stone to become LPGA Tour professionals.
The fact that Louise Fleming from Kelso, the current Scottish Under-21 girls’ stroke-play champion, is already a leading member of the Jacksonville State University women’s team helped Michele and her father, Graeme, to make the decision she should go there for the next four years after they had both visited the Alabama college’s campus and excellent golf facilities a few weeks ago.
The long-hitting Michele also received signing offers from Charleston Southern, Western Kentucky, San Diego State, Texas Tech, North Carolina-Wilmington and Minnesota universities.
“I am really delighted that JSU have offered me the opportunity to
further my golf career while at the same time study for my degree.
Although I have always wanted to play and study in America I still
can't believe all this has happened so quickly,” said Michele.
“As soon as I visited Jacksonville State, met the people, saw the facilities, and played their golf course, my heart was set on going there. The coaches there have a great game plan covering the next four or five years and they want me to be a big part of that.”
Some Scottish universities, mainly Stirling, have managed to reduce the talent drain to a minor extent by setting up very good golf facilities and offering four-year golf scholarships.
But what Britain lacks is college tournament circuit (and the weather in the southern states) on a par with the United States where most of the best young players in the world are competing against each other regularly from coast to coast during their September to May college golf season.
American college golf works wonders for some and not for others. One of the most notable Scottish successes in recent years has been Andrew McArthur who was a little-known player when he went across the Atlantic to become a regular tournament winner with Pfeiffer University. He returned to win the Scottish men’s amateur championship in 2002.
His successor as Scottish champion in 2003 was Graham Gordon who attended Midland Junior College in Texas for two years.

Falkirk children using firstclubgolf equipment in Callendar Park

Press Release
Falkirk golf clubs start new drive to local attract children
Four local golf clubs are the first in the Falkirk area to join the nationwide drive to make golf accessible to every child in Scotland.
Inspired by the opportunity to encourage local children to take up the sport, Bonnybridge, Falkirk Carnmuirs, Falkirk Tryst and Polmont Golf Clubs have signed up for the national junior golf strategy, clubgolf. Taking things a step further they have joined forces with clubgolf and Falkirk Council’s Active Schools and Sports Development Team to form the Falkirk Junior Golf Partnership.
Over the last two weekends 11 members from the four clubs stepped forward for training on clubgolf’s PGA Level 1 Training for Volunteers Course, to acquire the tools and qualification to introduce local children.
The Falkirk golfers have a three-week wait to find out if they have all qualified to teach juniors but plans are already in place to welcome the community’s first group of children.
“The course was well presented and a good experience,” said Hamish Mullen from Bonnybridge GC. “We had four members on the course, we don’t know if we have all passed but our intention is to begin our coaching sessions before the summer.
“We are looking at it as a long term development for golf in the area and we are aiming to bring and develop some new young members, particularly girls.”
Four of Falkirk’s eight school clusters have already adopted clubgolf and local primary schools could potentially feed in clubgolf Stage 1 coaching programmes that will be offered by local golf clubs. These schools have given many of their classes an experience of golf through firstclubgolf, the strategy’s introductory game that uses multi-coloured modified clubs, rubberised balls and Velcro targets. Taught in school by link workers, the six-week course has been designed as a safe and exciting introduction to the game for nine year olds.In the last year over 200 children in Falkirk have experienced firstclubgolf. The difference now is that with four local clubs on board the second stage of a pathway, which will help them develop and hone their skills, is now in place.“To have clubs on board is a big move forwards and as soon as the volunteers have qualified we can invite the children to go to the clubs,” said Active Schools Co-ordinators, Gillian Malone. “We are finding that the children love the firstclubgolf equipment and they want to move on to the golf clubs and use the real equipment.
“Most of these children would probably not have had the opportunity to play golf before but now there is a pathway in place for the kids to progress.”
Meanwhile clubgolf courses, run successfully in Callendar Park by Falkirk Council Sports Development last year, will resume again this month. Fifteen children are expected for each of clubgolf’s Stage 1 and Stage 2 programmes, beginning this weekend.
For further information on the coaching programmes at Callendar Park please contact Alistair Mitchell on 01324 506938

Montrose PGA Professional Jason Boyd has announced he will be targeting 12-18 year olds by introducing Level 2 of the Total Golf Coaching Programme.
This follows the success of levels 3 and 4 which Jason introduced 2 years ago and has seen participation grow to around 200 children.
In all sports a participation drop off rate of around 85% is not uncommon in teenagers. Jason is confident he can reverse this trend after seeing the success of Total Golf 2 at Kirriemuir Golf Club where the numbers have swelled over the past three years.
At the two locations where Total Golf is practiced, Montrose and Kirriemuir, over 400 children benefit from Professional coaching. The programme is self funded and although volunteer coaches are used their purpose is to assist the Professional who is fully responsible for the child’s golf development.
Karyn Dallas, the Professional who wrote the programme, is adamant that children must be given Professional coaching as soon as they start playing golf and that a child taught the basics early, by a professional, will develop quickly and develop fewer of the recurring faults which haunt most golfers.
It’s difficult to argue with Karyn who saw four of her juniors finish in the top five of the Angus County Junior Order of Merit last year. Currently writing a commercial version of the programme Karyn is looking for 20 PGA Professionals, who are keen to develop their junior coaching, to pilot the programme in the next year.
Total Golf are aiming high, it is hoped that over the next five years there will be 80 professionals onboard offering professional coaching to around 16,000 children. Anyone looking for more information can find it at www.tgolf.info.

Monday 13th March 2006

New challenge at the Old Course
The Old Course at St Andrews will present golfers playing its medal format with a new challenge from early next month.
This year’s changes to several key holes on the Old Course will bring some of its many natural hazards back into play. Despite lengthening the course the changes will also reduce the amount of time it takes to play a round at the Home of Golf by ensuring that golfers should not have to wait as long to play from certain tees.
As of Tuesday, April 4, nine new tees come in to play taking the Old Course up to 6,721 yards from the plaques, an increase of 112 yards. The Standard Scratch Score from the medal tees will become 73 instead of 72.
Over the past few months several former championship tees have been converted to medal tees while others have been brought into line with the official measurements used for the Opens of 2000 and 2005.
The major adjustments are to holes 3, 9, 10 and 13 which, between them, account for 100 of the extra yards. The biggest change is to the 9th hole, which gains 40 yards and will now play at 347 yards.
Alan McGregor, general manager of St Andrews Links Trust, which maintains and administers the Old Course, said, “These changes are designed to improve the experience of playing the Old Course for golfers playing in medals. We continually monitor the pace of play on the Old Course and it has become apparent that delays can take place on some holes, such as the ninth. The extra yardage on these holes will enable golfers to hit their drives before the green is clear and so speed up play. It will also bring some features back into play off the tee such as the Kruger bunkers and the heather on the ninth. This can only add to the enjoyment of playing here.”
Other changes to the Old Course include the lengthening of the 10th hole to 340 yards, an increase of 22. The 13th hole, which played as the second toughest during last year’s Open, is now the third longest par 4 on the Old Course, at 418 yards.
Hole 3 has received an extra 18 yards, to bring it up to 370, creating a longer carry to the fairway. The remaining five holes that have been changed, 1, 11, 17 and 18, are now playing at exactly championship distance: 370, 174, 455 and 357 respectively. The 14th is now measured at 530 yards, an increase of seven yards, following the repositioning of the medal tee to the right of the teeing area.
The medal course is now only 212 yards shorter than the course set-up for the Opens of 1984, 1990 and 1995, which produced champions of the calibre of Seve Ballesteros, Nick Faldo and John Daly.
Despite the lengthening of the Old Course, the Jubilee Course retains its position as the longest medal course on the Links at 6,742 yards.

R&A Press Release
HESKETH GOLF CLUB TO HOST 2008 JUNIOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP
The R&A has confirmed that Hesketh Golf Club, the oldest of the Southport clubs, will host the Junior Open Championship in 2008.
Hesketh lies at the northern end of south-west Lancashire's sand dune system with half of the holes winding through these dunes and the other half setting a quite different yet equally testing challenge on land bordering the Ribble Estuary.
It was on part of the property now occupied by the club that it was founded as Southport Golf Club in 1885. For a brief number of years it moved inland, only to return to a much expanded layout and to be renamed Hesketh Golf Club after the landowner who was instrumental in planning the new course.
The English Golf Union owes its existence to Hesketh as it was a former Club captain who was behind its formation and who thereafter was the first Union President.
The Junior Open Championship, a biennial tournament which this year will be played at Heswall Golf Club from 17 to 19 July, involves players from around the world competing in age and regional categories for a range of coveted trophies. Jordan Cox of the U.S was the Junior Open Champion in 2004 at Kilmarnock (Barassie), two shots clear of England's Oliver Fisher and Samuel Shin of New Zealand.

ENTERING INTO A NEW UNION
The world’s largest golf event for club golfers, International Pairs, has received the official backing of the Scottish Golf Union.
This accolade cements further the event’s unique relationship with the Home of Golf which, in the summer of 2005, signed a deal to host the UK final of the competition until 2010.
Scotland will also host the world final in 2007, 2010 and 2013.
The Scottish Golf Union is responsible for growing the game, developing talent and supporting clubs in Scotland, running 17 national amateur championships and Scotland’s international amateur teams - and its patronage is much appreciated by the International Pairs.
Ross Honey, the man who founded the competition as a county event eight years ago, said: “We have been talking to the Scottish Golf Union for some time now. As the governing body for amateur and club golf in Scotland, it obviously can’t enter into any such partnership without scrutinising the competition.
“So to receive the support of the Scottish Golf Union is a vindication of everything we are trying to achieve.
“The relationship is mutually beneficial, with many marketing and PR opportunities opening up for the SGU.”
Ross Duncan, the SGU’s Marketing & Sponsorship Manager, said; “The key reason for our endorsement is the growth of the International Pairs over the last few years and the opportunity for our ordinary club golfers to compete in a prestigious event.
“It’s one of, if not the largest handicap competitions in the world, and obviously we’re keen to see it grow within Scotland – particularly as we are hosting the world final in the near future.”
He added: “The International Pairs is a great concept and it gains a lot of media coverage. It’s important we recognise the tournaments that target the average club golfer, not just those at the top end.”
The International Pairs has been working closely with the Scottish tourism authority, VisitScotland, since 2003 when the UK final was first hosted in the country at St Andrews Bay.
Since then, the final qualifying rounds of the UK event have been rotated around the country, visiting no fewer than 24 courses and bringing an estimated £1.3m-worth of tourism revenue into Scotland and press coverage valued at £2.5 million according to a VisitScotland report.
The competition was also recognised for its work with VisitScotland in 2005 by being nominated for two Scottish Thistle Awards - the Events and Festivals award and the Small Business Marketing Initiative.
The International Pairs is the largest competition for club golfers in the world. Around 40 countries are expected to contest the world final in 2006.
The competition is only seven years old, having been designed as an event for Hampshire-based golf clubs to celebrate the Millennium. Yet, the event has expanded exponentially and Scotland has reaped the benefit since it first held the UK final.

KAREN IMPROVES 23 PLACES ON FINAL DAY OF TEXAS A&M TOURNAMENT
Karen Delaney (Kent State University) from Carlow recaptured some of the form that won her the Irish girls’ championship in 2002 and 2003 when she shot a 76 over the tough Traditions course at Bryan, Texas in the final round of the Texas A&M Mo-Morial women’s college tournament.
Karen made significant improvement from an opening 90 to a second-round 81 and then that 76 which still included a couple of double-bogey 7s in halves of 33 and 43 over a very testing 6,307yd, par-72 course.
She birdied the fourth, sixth, eighth and 17th for a 54-hole total of 247 and improved 23 places on the final day to finish tied 55th in a field of 96.
Karen’s younger sister Tara Delaney, also a Kent State student, had rounds of 85, 75 and 79 for 239 – the same total as team-mate Becky Wood from Glossop who scored 80, 81 and 78. They were joint 28th.
Tara had a double-bogey at the 10th but birdied the eighth in halves of 37 and 42 in her final round.
Becky had two halves of 39 and she birdied the fifth.
Danielle Roseberry (Tulsa) from Sunderland went the other way in the final standings. Starting the day tied for 22nd place, she sagged to joint 55th place with rounds of 83, 75 and 89 for 247. Danielle had three double bogeys and a triple bogey at the 13th in halves of 42 and 47. But she did birdie the third and 10th – thank goodness!
No birdies for Dubliner Suzie Hayes (Notre Dame). She scored 91, 87 and 97 for a total of 274 and a final placing of 93rd. The lowest point of a sad final round for Suzie was a quintuple bogey 10 at the 14th. She also had two triples, and four doubles in halves of 45 and 52.
Ashley Knoll (Texas A&M) scored 74, 70 and 74 for a two-over-par winning total of 218. She finished seven strokes clear of runner-up Elin Emanuelsson (Texas Christian) who had rounds of 77, 73 and 75. Stacy Lewis (Arkansas) was third on 226 (75-72-79).
You don’t often get a dead-heat in the college team events but Arkansas and Texas A&M both finished at 923 on top of the heap. Texas Christian (935) were third. Kent State (945) finished seventh and Tulasa (948) eighth. Notre Dame was last of the 18 teams with 1012.

ANNA FINISHES STRONGLY AT GAINESVILLE IN LADY GATOR INVITATIONAL
Anna Scott (Georgia State) from Consett, Co Durham finished on a high at the Lady Gator Invitational at Gainesville, Florida.
The six-footer had rounds of 79, 77 and 73 for a total of 229 and finished 24th in a field of 78 behind the German-born winner, Sandra Gal (Florida) who scored 74, 71 and 72 for seven-over-par 217 over her home college course (5,906yd, par-70).
Anna had birdies at the sixth and 10 in her final round.
Florida, the host university, scored a double whammy by winning the team title as well as the individual one. Florida (884) had 14 shots to spare over Purdue with South Florida (901) third. Georgia State (929) finished eighth of the 14 teams.

NOTHING TO WRITE HOME ABOUT FROM LUCY AND SOPHIE IN SOUTH CAROLINA
Twice Welsh girls champion Lucy Gould (East Tennessee State) from Bargoed and Sophie Stubbs (Minnesota) from Telford will not look back with any pleasure on the Lady Gamecock Classic, played over the par-72, 5,996yd course at Blythewood, South Carolina.
Lucky finished 56th with a total of 249, made up of disappointing rounds of 85, 81 and 83.
She had a double bogey at the fifth and a birdie at the eighth – only her second birdie over the 54 holes – in her final round.
Sophie scored 87, 86 and 77 for 57th place on 250. In her final round, she birdied the second and ninth but double-bogeyed the fifth and dropped shots at the third, fourth, seventh, 13th and 14th in halves of 39 and 38. Over the three rounds, Miss Stubbs had one quadruple bogey and seven double bogeys.
The pair finished well behind the individual winner, Maria Martinez (Auburn) from Venezuela. Maria, 22, scored 73, 68 and 70 for a five-under-par total of 211.
Maria, who rates a hole in one over the Old Course, St Andrews in the 2000 R&A Junior Open as the high point of her golfing life so far, won by five shots from Sweden’s Caroline Westrup (Florida State) who had rounds of 70, 74 and 72 for 216.
Auburn (879) won the team title with ease from Tennessee (897) with Florida State (899) in third place. East Tennessee State (934) finished 10th and Minnesota (971) last of the 11 competing teams.

Sunday 12th March 2006

US College Golf
TOP-10 FINISH FOR KATY IN FLORIDA
Katy McNicoll, in only her second American college tournament, achieved a top-10 finish in the Springlake Inviational 36-hole event at Sebring, Florida on Saturday.
The Carnoustie teenager – he had her 18th birthday only in February - is a student at Lynn University, Boca Raton in Florida. She put together rounds of 78 and 72 over the 5,850yd, par-72 course for an aggregate of 150 and a share of ninth place.
Christine Brijalba (Texas State) was the individual winner with scores of 70 and 69 for 139.
Katy’s good effort helped Lynn University score their third team win of the 2005-2006 college golf season. Lynn (596) won by four strokes from Gonzaga with Nova South-eastern (601) third of the 18 teams.

DISTANCE-MEASURE DEVICES: SUSAN SIMPSON CLARIFIES LGU POSITION
What is the position with regard to the use on a golf course of the distance-measuring devices which are now readily available on the market?
At least one men’s satellite professional tour in the United States has given its members permission to use them during a competitive round.
But there seems to be stiff opposition to such a move in the United Kingdom if recent action by the four counties of the Scottish Ladies Golfing Association’s Northern Division is anything to go by.
Aberdeenshire, Angus, Northern Counties and Perth & Kinross have banned the use of the devices in any event under their auspices, including the Northern Division inter-counties team championship and the North of Scotland women’s championship.
One of the county captains concerned said they were following the example set by the Ladies Golf Union and the Royal & Ancient Golf Club.
But as Susan Simpson, championships secretary of the Ladies Golf Union, explained today, there is no need for individual associations and bodies to adopt banning procedures.
“The way it works is that you have to adopt a Local Rule which permits you to use these distance-measuring devices,” said Susan..
”The LGU is currently adopting the same view as the R&A and thus will NOT be introducing such a Local Rule. No-one really needs to say that they are banned or introduce a rule to ban them - you need to introduce a rule to allow the devices to be used - thus status quo for the LGU and no need to issue a Press Release or anything.”
Similarly, the R&A is not advocating the introduction of a Local Rule permitting the use of distance-measuring devices and is not introducing such a Local Rule for any of its own amateur championships or matches, or the Open Championship.
“It is for each individual committee to decide whether it wants to allow the use of distance-measuring devices for play on its course or in certain of its competitions,” says the R&A.
“In the absence of a Local Rule, the use of such a device is contrary to the Rules of Golf. If the committee wishes to introduce such a Local Rule, the following wording is recommended:

REBECCA FINDS HER AMATEUR GAME AT LAST IN THE PROFESSIONAL RANKS
In three weeks, former ace amateur Rebecca Hudson, pictured right, from Wheatley, Doncaster, has turned her professional golf career around.
Playing on the South African LGPA Tour, 26-year-old Rebecca finished second in the Pam Goulding event, then won the South African Open and on Saturday she was pipped at the very last hole for the Telkom Classic.
Rebecca was leading defending champion Laurette Maritz by one stroke with two holes to play. Then Miss Hudson bogeyed the short 17th and could only par the par-5 18th.
Playing partner Laurette got home in two shots for a two-putt birdie at the last to keep the title.
But no tears from Rebecca. She is laughing all the way to the bank!
With a haul of Rand 103,000 from three events, she leads the South African LPGA money table going into the final tournament this week.
Drumpellier's Clare Queen, with an encouraging joint 22nd finish and a cheque for 4,050 Rand in her pocket from her pro tournament debut, will also be playing in the Nedbank Women's Classic at Killarney Golf Club, Johannesburg, starting on Wednesday.
Good luck to both girls!

US College Golf
NO BIRDIES FOR ANNA TO WATCH
Anna Scott (Georgia State) from Consett, Co Durham had no birdies in a second-round 77 for a 36-hole tally of 156 in the Lady Gator Invitational tournament at Gainesville Florida.
Anna, dropping to a share of 50th place after starting the day in joint 39th position, had halves of 43 and 36 over the 5,906yd course which has a testing par of 780. She double-bogeyed the sixth, seventh and 13th in her first-round 79.
Mallory Blackwelder (Florida) (70-73) and Miss Scott’s Georgia State team-mate, Lisbeth Meincke (71-72) are sharing the lead on 143 with one round to go.
Florida, playing over their home course, not surprisingly lead by 10 shots with a team total of 583. Purdue (593) and Alabama (597) are their nearest challengers in a field of 14. Georgia State are in eighth position with 612.

US College Golf
EUROPEANS IMPROVE ON SECOND DAY IN TEXAS
It was improvement day for most of the Irish and English competitors in the second round of the Texas A&M Mo-Memorial tournament over the tough Traditions Golf Club course at Bryan, Texas after they had been brought to their knees 24 hours earlier.
Danielle Roseberry (Tulsa University), pictured right, from Sunderland showed the way by moving up from a share of 53rd place to joint 22nd position with a 75 – an eight-shot improvement – for a 36-hole tally of 158. Danielle birdied the second, sixth and 11th in halves of 37 and 38.
Irish stroke-play champion Tara Delaney (Kent State) from Carlow made almost as big a jump up the leaderboard. She moved from joint 64th to joint 30th with a 10-shot improvement (85 to 75) in the second round for a total of 160.
Tara birdied the long sixth and the short 16th in halves of 38 and 37.
Sister Karen, also Kent State, had a smaller climb, from 89th to 79th with an 81, but it still represented an improvement of nine shots over the first round.
Karen had a birdie at the 12th but double bogeys at the short 11th and 18th in halves of 40 and 41.
Becky Wood, another Kent State player, went the opposite way – from a share of 29th place to a share of 37th place with an 81 (one shot worse than her first round). Becky, from Glossop, birdied the third and 16th but dropped seven shots in the course of five holes straddling the turn. She had double bogeys at the second, eighth and 10th
Suzie Hayes (Notre Dame) from Dublin followed an opening 91 with an 86 for 177 and is in 91st place, one spot better than the previous day.
There are 96 players in the field who are being led by Ashley Knoll. The Texas A&M player is the only player to have matched par after 36 holes – 74 and 70 for 144. She leads by two strokes with one round to go.
Arkansas (608) lead from Texas A&M (610) with SMU (626) in third place.
Tulsa (629) are in sixth place; Kansas State (635) in eighth, and Notre Dame (666) are 17th of the 18 teams.

US College Golf
LUCY AND SOPHIE IMPROVE SLIGHTLY
Lucy Gould (East Tennesee State) from Bargoed, Wales and Sophie Stubbs (Minnesota) from Telford made slight improvements in the second round of the Lady Gamecock Classic over the 5,996yd, par-72 72 course at Blythewood, South Carolina.
Lucy moved from 85 to 81 for 56th place on 166. She had a triple bogey 8 at the long 14th in halves of 40 and 41.
Sophie shaved a shot off her opening 87 with halves of 43. Even so, she had three double bogeys and is in 58th place.
Maria Martinez (Auburn), 68 for 141, leads by two shots from team-mate Hicole Hagg and Nicole Smith (Tennessee).
In the team event, it’s Auburn (582) ahead of Tennessee (588) with Virginia (591) third. East Tennessee State (611) are in 10th place and Minnesota (653) are last of the 11 teams with one round to go.

US college golf
MILLS LOSES IT OVER LAST EIGHT HOLES
Londoner Matt Mills, pictured right, a golf scholarship student at the University of Tecxas, crashed from a share of 11th to joint 47th place after 36 holes of the three-round Southern Highlands Collegiate tournament at Las Vegas in Nevada.
Matt, the top-ranked English player in the American college standings, has had rounds of 74 and 80 for a total of 154 over the Southern Highlands Golf Club course which is of Open championship length at 7,510yd with a par of 72.
Matt started at the 10th, and wasn’t doing to badly at one under par after having played 11 holes with birdies at the 12th, 17th and third. Then the roof fell in on the British Cabinet Minister’s son. He dropped eight shots over his last eight holes, with a triple bogey at the ninth, double bogeys at the fourth and seventh, plus single shots dropped at the fifth and eighth for a nine-hole score of 44.
Texas team-mate Farren Keenan from Middlesex fared no better. He plunged from joint 32nd to joint 66th with an 81 – four shots worse than his opening effort - for a total of 158 with one round to go.
Farren also started at the 10th and had double bogeys at the 10th, 17th and sixth.
Chris Kirk (Georgia) leads on four-under 140 with rounds of 73 and 67. He is two clear of Daniel Im (UCLA) (69-73) with Spain’s Pablo Martin (Oklahoma State) (73-71) and Vince Hatfield Clemson) (72-72) sharing third place on level par 144.
It’s tight at the top of the team race with UNLV and Georgia locked together in the pole position at 589 – only two shots ahead of UCLA with Oklahoma State (592) in fourth place.
Texas (628) are back in 14th place in the field of 15 teams.

Saturday 11th March 2006

EDWARDS WINS SA MATCH-PLAY TITLE
Walker Cup veteran Nigel Edwards, pictured right, from Whitchurch Golf Club, Cardiff – conqueror of Scott Jamieson (Cathkin Braes) in the semi-final – won the South African men’s amateur match-play championship at Zarze Golf Club near Cape Town today (Saturday).
Edwards beat Australian Won Jon Lee by two holes in the 36-hole final after being three up with nine to play and then losing the 28th, 29th and 30th to be pulled back to all square.(Photo Courtesy and Copyright © Tom Ward)

CLARE QUEEN FINISHES JOINT 22ND IN SOUTH AFRICAN TOURNAMENT
Rookie tour pro Claire Queen from Drumpellier, playing in her first event since gaining playing rights at the Ladies European Tour Final Qualifying School, finished joint 22nd in the Telkom Women’s Classic at Zwartkop Country Club, Pretoria today (Saturday).
Clare had rounds of 73, 75 and 70 for a 54-hole total of two-over-par 218. The former British women’s stroke-play champion earned 4,050 South African Rand.
South African Laurette Mauritz made a successful defence of the title with scores of 73, 66 and 68 for nine-under-par 207 to win the 45,000 SAR top prize. She was 10 under par for the last 36 holes.
Laurette won by a single shot from Rebecca Hudson from Doncaster, winner of the South African Women’s Open last week. Rebecca, now beginning to find the form that made her a top amateur after three lean years as a tour pro, had scores of 71, 69 and 68 for 208 to win 33,000 SAR.
Teenage South African amateur Ashleigh Simon finished third with 69, 71 and 69 for 209.
TELKOM WOMEN’S CLASSIC
Zwartkop CC, Pretoria.
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 72. Cash totals are South African Rand.
207 Laurette Maritz (SA) 73 66 68 (45,000).
208 Rebecca Hudson (Eng) 71 69 68 (33,000).
209 Ashleigh Simon (SA) (am) 69 71 68.
211 Tania Elosegui (Spa) 75 68 68 , Helena Algerby (Swe) 72 70 69 (21,000 each).
212 Mandy Adamson (SA) 68 70 74 (14,000).
213 Andrea Hirschhorn (SA) 78 71 64, Kirsty Fisher (Eng) 72 71 70, Rikke Rasmussen (Den) 73 71 69 (10,450.
214 Sara Jelander (Swe) 74 69 71 (7,650).
215 Emma Sackrisson (Swe) 73 73 69, Marianne Skarpnord (Nor) 68 74 73 (6,450).
216 Lumien Lausberg (SA) (am) 73 72 71, Lill Kristin Saether (Nor) 72 71 73 (5,550).
217 Anne-Sophie Le Nalio (Fra) 72 69 76, Sophie Hunter (Eng) 72 72 69, Nina Hansson (Swe) 69 78 70, Lee-Anne Pace (SA) 72 74 71, Elisa Serramia (Spain) 76 69 72, Nathalie David-Mila (Fra) 73 68 76 (4,735 each).
218 Clare Queen (Sco) 73 75 70, Francis Botha (SA) 72 79 67, Antonella Cvitan (Swe) 76 74 68 (4,050 each).
Other totals:
219 Suzanne Dickens (Eng) 73 76 79 (3,525).
220 Natalie Booth (Eng)74 74 72 (3,075).
221 Laura Wright (Eng) 75 75 71 (2,5376).
221 Vanessa Bell (Eng) 73 71 77 (2,537).
223 Lauren Hamilton Diggle (Wal) 76 75 72 (1,830).
224 Marie Allen (Eng) 73 74 77, Clare Lipscombe (Eng) 80 71 73, Kelly Hutcherson (Eng) 75 76 73 (1,522 each).
234 Emma Brown Eng) 74 76 84.

TARA DELANEY TOP RANKED GB&I FEMALE PLAYER IN AMERICA
The highest placed British or Irish player in the latest Golfweek-Sagarin women’s American college Divisions 1 golf rankings is Ireland’s Tara Delaney, pictured below right, a student at Kent State University, Ohio.
Tara, winner of the Irish women’s open stroke-play championship for the past two years, is ranked at No 51.
England’s Sian Reddick (Baylor) comes next at No 58.
Scotland has Gemma Webster (Ohio State) at No 155, nine places ahead of Heather MacRae (San Diego State), the British women’s open amateur stroke-play championship winner at Nairn last summer.
The list reads:
1 Amanda Blumenherst (Duke).
2 Anna Grzebien (Duke).
3 Maria Martinez (Auburn).
Other rankings:
51 Tara Delaney (Kent State).
58 Sian Reddick (Baylor).
64 Becky Wood (Kent State).
122 Anna Scott (Georgia State).
155 Gemma Webster (Ohio State).
164 Heather MacRae (San Diego State).
307 Maria Dunne (Bethune-Cookman College).
308 Emily Ogilvy (Arkansas-Little Rock).
350 Shauna McVeigh (Troy).
416 Danielle Rose berry (Tulsa).
418 Louise Fleming (Jacksonville State).
462 Fiona Brunton (Bethune-Cookman College).
502 Suzie Hayes (Notre Dame).
517 Karen Delaney (Kent State).
597 Lucy Gould (East Tennessee State).
669 Sophie Stubbs (Minnesota).
689 Fern Grimshaw (Bethune-Cookman College).
718 Vicki Power (Northern Arizona).
958 Becky Dowell (Bethune-Cookman College).
1074 Jenna Kinnear (High Point).

US College Golf
TEXAS TRIBULATIONS FOR IRISH AND ENGLISH
The Traditions Golf Club’s women’s course of 6,307yd with a par of 72 at Bryan, Texas inflicted a great deal of pain and mental torture on the competitors in the Texas A&M Mo-Morial women’s college tournament – and the Irish and English were among the worst sufferers.
On a first day when a level par 72 by Julianne Kim (Texas El Paso) was good enough to give her a two-stroke lead, Becky Wood (Kent State) from Glossop had an 80 (but is still in the top 30) … Danielle Roseberry (Tulsa) from Sunderland had an 83 … repeating Irish women’s stroke-play champion Tara Delaney (Kent State) from Carlow had an 85 ….
Karen Delaney (Kent State) from Carlow a 90 … and Suzie Hayes (Notre Dame) from Dublin a 91.
Becky Wood (jt 29th) ran up a quadruple bogey 8 at the second and a double bogey at the 18th
Danielle Roseberry (jt 53rd) had a triple bogey and a double bogey in halves of 45 and 38.
Tara Delaney (jt 64th) ran up a 10 at the par-5 10th and had halves of 38 and 47.
Sister Karen (jt 89th) had two triple bogeys and four double bogeys in halves of 48 and 42.
Suzie Hayes (jt 92nd) had two 8s (a quadruple and a triple) in her halves of 48 and 43.
In the team event, Texas A&M (306) lead by one stroke from Arkansas with Oklahoma (315) third. Kent State (321) are tied for seventh and Tulsa (325) sharing 10th place in the field of 10 teams.

US College Golf
MATT MILLS TOP BRIT IN LAS VEGAS
Londoner Matt Mills (Texas University), son of a British Government minister, was the top placed British student at the end of the first round of the Southern Highlands Collegiate tournament at Southern Highlands golf course, Las Vegas, Nevada.
Over the par-72, 7,510yd course, Matt was sharing 11th place with a 74 which included a birdie at the sixth and bogeys at the 11th, 17th and fifth (he started at the 10th).
Another English player on the Texas team roster, Farren Keenan was placed joint 32nd after a 77 which included a double bogey at the fifth but birdies at the 13th and 15th.
Daniel Im (UCLA) led the field with a very good round of 69. Former British boys’ open champion Pablo Martin (Oklahoma State), the top-ranked male college golfer in the States, had a 73 to share fifth place overnight.
In the team event, Georgia and UNLV shared the lead on 295 – two strokes ahead of Georgia Tech.
Texas (311) were sharing 11th place in the field of 15 teams.

Friday 10th March 2006

Certainly one of the "biggest" cheques for tour professional Barry Hume's career ... in size if not value.
The $14,000 prize was for winning the Tarheel Tour match-play championship at Oldfield Country Club, South Carolina.
To the left of Barry is Paul Wortham, the co-owner of the tour, and to the right is Jon Hundley, head professional of the Oldfield Country Club.

BARRY HUME WINS MATCH-PLAY TITLE IN USA
Glasgow’s Barry Hume, who had to come through a pre-qualifying round on the eve of the tournament, finished up winning the Tarheel Tour match-play championship at Oldfield Country Club, Bluffton in South Carolina today (Friday USA time).
Hume, winner of the Scottish amateur championship at Downfield in 2001 and now a tour pro with playing rights for the Asian Tour, beat Cory Kauf man by 2 and 1 in the semi-final and then accounted for another American, local player Tommy Schaff, by 3 and 2 in the 18-hole final.
Haggs Castle man Barry, 24 in January, has been a house guest of twice former Scottish youths champion Joel Henry from Elgin, who now lives at Hilton Head.
Hendry made an early exit from the match-play event after he too had come through a qualifying round.
Hendry is now heading for the Nationwide Tour, America’s No 2 pro circuit, while Hume heads over to Houston, Texas to join up with Aberdonian Scott Henderson as they compete on the Tight Lies Tour for a spell.
After that Barry will campaign on the Asian Tour.
TARHEEL TOUR MATCH-PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP
Oldfield CC, Bluffton, South Carolina.
SEMI-FINALS
Barry Hume bt Cory Kaufman 2 and 1.
Tommy Schaff bt Kyle Bradley 2 holes.
FINAL
Hume bt Schaff 3 and 2.

Scott Jamieson
(Photo Courtesy and Copyright © Tom Ward)

SCOTT JAMIESON PIPPED AT 19TH IN SEMI-FINALS
Scotland international Scott Jamieson was beaten at the 19th hole by Walker Cup Welshman Nigel Edwards in the semi-finals of the South African amateur match-play golf championship at Zalze Golf Club near Cape Town today (FRIDAY).
Cathkin Braes Golf Club member Jamieson had won his quarter-final tie by 3 and 2 over Estislao Goya 3 and 2 while Edwards had a 2 and 1 win over Walker Cup team-mate Robert Dinwiddie, Anglo-Scottish winner of both the Scottish and Welsh open stroke-play titles.
In the other semi-final Won Joon Lee beat fellow-Australian Andrew Tampion 5 and 4.
Lee won the New South Wales 72-hole stroke play and match-play titles last month, beating Scott Jamieson by 3 and 2 in the 36-hole semi-finals and then Gary Wolstenholme at the 37th in the final.
SOUTH AFRICAN AMATEUR MATCH-PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP
Zalze Golf Club, near Cape Town.
QUARTER-FINALS
S Jamieson (Sco) bt E Goya (Arg) 3 and 2.
N Edwards (Wal) bt R Dinwiddie (Eng) 2 and 1.
A Tampion (Aus) bt C Basson (SA) 3 and 2.
Won Jon Lee (Aus) bt J Guerrier (Fra) 1 hole.
SEMI-FINALS
Edwards bt Jamieson at 19th.
Won Jon Lee bt Tampion 5 and 4.

ROOKIE CLARE MAKES CUT IN SOUTH AFRICA
Rookie tour pro Clare Queen from Drumpellier survived the second-round cut by a comfortable margin in the Telkom Women’s Classic golf tournament at Zwartkop Country Club, Pretoria.
Clare, who had a one-over-par 73 in the first round, got off to a poor start and was in danger of slipping over the cut-off point but she birdied three of the last four holes to salvage a 75 for a 36-hole total of 148.
The qualifying mark was 151 although the second round will not be completed until Saturday morning. Bad light forced an early halt on the second day’s play with two or three groups at the end of the field still two or three holes away from the clubhouse.
Defending champion Laurette Maritz posted a clubhouse target of five-under-pat 139 after returning a six-under-par 66 before play was suspended.
Mandy Adamson (South Africa), joint leader on 68 at the start of the day, will resume her second round at five-under-par for the tournament.
South African teenage amateur Ashleigh Simon, Doncaster’s Rebecca Hudson, last week’s winner of the South African Women’s Open, and two French girls, Ann-Sophie La Nalio and Nathalie David-Mila, were all three-under-par for 33 holes.

US College Golf
BAD DAY FOR LUCY AND SOPHIE IN SOUTH CAROLINA
Twice former Welsh girls champion Lucy Gould, left, from Bargoed and Sophie Stubbs, right, from Telford, England had nightmare rounds on the first day of the Lady Gamecock Classic at Blythewood, South Carolina.
Lucy, a freshman student at East Tennessee State University, returned an 85 - 13 over par for the 5,996yd course.
Miss Gould, Welsh girls' title-winner in 2002 and 2003, started at the 10th and covered her first nine holes in seven-over-par 43. After parring the first four holes, she fell into a rut of bogeys and even ran up a double-bogey 5 at the short 17th.
Things did not improve when she tackled holes 1 to 9. She had a double-bogey 5 at the short fourth and required 42 shots for the half.
Sophie Stubbs, a junior student at Minnesota, fared even worse than Lucy. She had an 87. Starting at the 10th, Sophie had a double bogey there, followed by a horrific quadruple-bogey 9 at the 14th on her way to 44 shots (8 over par) for her first nine.
She did birdie the long fifth but then double-bogeyed the long sixth and the short eighth in requiring 43 shots for her second nine.
Caroline Westrup (Florida State) was the first-round leader with a 70 - two ahead of Golda Johansson (Tennessee).
Tennessee (300) led from Furman (301) in the team event in which East Tennessee (319) were 10th and Minnesota (330) last of 11.

US College Golf
CORBIN FOURTH IN FLORIDA
Bethune-Cookman College students Carl Corbin from Reading and Rhys Lindquist from Carmarthen, South Wales finished fourth and joint 24th in the Treasure Coast Classic at Indian Hills Gollf Club, Fort Pierce in Florida.
Over a 6,800yd, par-72 course, Corbin scored 71 and 70 for 141 - three shots behind winner John Stoltz (Johnson & Wales) (70-68) - while Lindquist scored 78 and 74 for 152.
Johnson & Wales University, Florida (576) won the team title by three shots from Bethune-Cookman. There were nine teams in the field.

EARLY HALT IN SOUTH AFRICA
The second round of the Telkom Women’s Classic golf tournament will be completed at Zwartkop Country Club, Pretoria on Saturday morning. Bad light forced an early halt to the second day’s play.
Defending champion Laurette Maritz posted a clubhouse target of five-under-pat 139 after returning a six-under-par 66 before play was suspended.
Mandy Adamson (South Africa), joint leader on 68 at the start of the day, will resume her second round at five-under-par for the tournament.

P&K ban Measuring devices
Janet Griffiths, Captain of Perth and Kinross County has written in to say
" In concurrence with the other counties in the Northern Division, Perth & Kinross Ladies County Golf Association has decided to prohibit the use of measuring devices at County fixtures. Having consulted the other County Captains in our division, this will also apply to the Northern Division Inter Counties Team Championships at Crieff Golf Club on 24th, 25th & 26th June 2006."

EDINBURGH-BORN RHYS IS TOP BRITISH PLAYER IN GOLFWEEK US COLLEGE MEN’S RANKINGS
Spaniard Pablo Martin (Oklahoma State University), a former British boys’ open champion, heads the GolfWeek men’s American college Division 1 rankings issued this week.
The top British player is Edinburgh-born Welshman Rhys Davies (East Tennessee State) in fourth place. Davies made his Walker Cup debut in Chicago last summer and is also a former British boys’ open title-winner.
Another East Tennessee State team player, Gareth Shaw from Lisburn, Northern Ireland, is the next best British player in the rankings in 39th place.
The leading English-born player is Londoner Michael Mills (Texas University) in 51st place. Michael’s mother is Tessa Jowell, who has made a few headlines of her own recently.
The best-placed Scot is Russell Knox (Jacksonville) from Inverness. He is occupying 150th place.
Fraserburgh’s Jordan Findlay (East Tennessee State), like Martin and Davies a past British boys’ open champion, is ranked well down the list at 544th but he will start rocketing up the standings when his recent very good performances work their way into the GolfWeek ranking system.
Here are the rankings:
1 Pablo Martin (Oklahoma State).
2 Chris Kirk (Georgia).
3 Garrett Osborn (UAB).
4 Rhys Davies (East Tennessee State).
Other rankings:
39 Gareth Shaw (East Tennessee State).
51 Matthew Mills (Texas).
71 Stephen Lewton (North Carolina State).
119 Lloyd Campbell (Tennessee).
150 Russell Knox (Jacksonville).
220 Farren Keenan (Texas).
229 Jamie Kennedy (Jacksonville).
339 Duncan Stewart (Jacksonville).
349 Kevin McAlpine (Colorado State).
430 Wallace Booth (Augusta State).
544 Jordan Findlay (East Tennessee State).
551 Mark Lamb (Arizona).
622 Adam Hodkinson (East Tennessee State).

US College Golf
VICKI HELPS MAKE IT A HAPPY BIRTHDAY FOR NORTHERN ARIZONA UNI GOLF COACH
Irish junior international Vicki Power helped Northern Arizona University win the Bobcat Desert Classic team title at Palm Valley Golf Club, Goodyear in Arizona.
It was Northern Arizona’s second team win in the row – and they have not done that since 1997.
And there was a double whammy for the university as Sophia Choi won the individual honours.
It was a great birthday present for NAU head golf coach Tom McCurdy as he watched his team come from a long way back to finish up top of the 16 teams.
“We are winning with heart. When our talent catches up with our heart, will be a very good team,” said Tom.
Vicki, from Cambridge, is only now coming back to regular competitive golf after two sidelining operations last year.
She had rounds of 77, 80 and 80 for a total of 157 over the par-72, 6,215yd course. That earned Vicki 20th place.
Team-mate Sophia Choi scored 75, 76 and 75 for 226 and a three-stroke win from Marry Hasselberg (Montana) (80-74-75).
Every putt by every team member counted in the final analysis because Northern Arizona (937) pipped Sacramento State (938) by a single shot with Montana (939) a further stroke behind in third place.

BARRY BATTLES THROUGH TO LAST FOUR
Barry Hume has not lost the match-play expertise that won him the Scottish amateur championship at Downfield in 2001.
The Haggs Castle player, now a tour pro with playing rights on the Asian Tour, has battled his way through to the semi-finals of the Tarheel Tour match-play championship over the Oldfield Country Club course at Bluffton, South Carolina.
Barry, who had to come through a qualifying round to get into the field of 64, beat former Nationwide Tour player Tommy Biersbenk by 2 and 1 yesterday (THURSDAY) and, after lunch, knocked out Frank Adams, another American, at the 22nd hole of their quarter-final in which there was never more than a hole in it either way.
Hume holed a birdied putt at the par-5 at the fourth extra hole. He now plays Cory Kaufman for a place in the 18-hole final.

SLGA Press Release
The following are the attendees at our winter training camp at Pals, Spain from March 11 to 25 with National Coach Karyn Dallas:

SLGA officials in attendance
Both weeks:
JANET WAKE & PAT WILSON
Week 1:
MARGARET RODGERS
Week 2:
PAMELA MacKENZIE

Press Release
Easter comes early to Kemnay Primary School
An Aberdeenshire primary school has received an early Easter present this month in the form of a bag of golf equipment.
Kemnay Primary was one of a number of local schools which received a golf demonstration last autumn from the national junior golf strategy, clubgolf. Audra Booth, clubgolf’s Grampian Regional Manager, gave the three classes a lesson in firstclubgolf, the strategy’s introductory game launched by Paul Lawrie last year, which uses multi-coloured modified clubs, rubberised balls and Velcro targets.
So impressed was one of the parents that he bought the school all the equipment they would need to run their own golf sessions.
“My two daughters are at Kemnay Primary School and when Audra mentioned firstclubgolf and showed me the set, I decided right away to buy a set and donate it to the school,” said Roland McLean, who assists the Pro in the shop at Kemnay Golf Club.
“Hopefully we can get a couple of our own coaches in to the local schools to show the kids the rudiments of the game.”
In the 18-hole Kemnay Golf Club, described by Mr McLean as the ‘jewel in the crown of north east golf courses’, local children have the perfect course to progress in a game which until now had been inaccessible to many. Six of the club’s members recently became qualified to coach Stage 1 of the clubgolf programme and 16 children completed the course. A further four members are training to become volunteer coaches this month.
Admittedly the club’s junior membership has slipped over the past decade but that decline is being reversed. This year’s 16 clubgolf graduates are ready to progress to Stage 2 of the programme. A new intake of children is due to begin Stage 1 this spring.
“When I started work here two years ago, the junior membership was down to just half a dozen boys, there were no girls, and no Junior Convenor at the helm,” said Mr McLean.
“Junior members are the future of the club so with the help of Richard Temple, who has taken on Junior Convenor role we decided to start at the local schools, with hopefully the knock on effect benefiting the club.
“If we can get the fun element into it at school then by the time the kids are 10 and 11 they will be right into it. If they do grab it, the rest of the kids will follow and you can see the junior membership here going through the roof.”
Staff at Kemnay Primary’s have little doubt that firstclubgolf will be a success at the school.
“We asked Audra if she could come along to the school and do some golf sessions during our health week after the October holiday,” said Head Teacher, Ann Laing.
“She worked with our P5, P6 and P7 classes and it was very successful - the children absolutely loved it.
“It was extremely generous of Roland to give us the equipment. It has been well thought out so the children can develop these skills at a younger age. It will give the children another opportunity, another recreational idea for them to pick up on.
“It’s an excellent sport for them and to get them started at a younger age can only be a positive move. We hope to get golf going using the equipment this spring.”

Thursday 9th March 2006

STEADY START BY ROOKIE CLARE
Rookie professional Clare Queen from Drumpellier was sharing 18th place in a field of 116 after the first round of the 54-hole Telkom Women’s Classic at Zwartkop Country Club, Pretoria in South Africa today (THURSDAY).
Clare shot a one-over-par 73 to five shots behind joint leaders Mandy Adamson (South Africa) and Marianne Skarpnord (Norway).
Rebecca Hudson from Doncaster, winner of last week’s South African Open, was tucked in behind the leaders on 71.
TELKOM WOMEN’S CLASSIC
Zwartkop CC, Pretoria, South Africa.
Par 72
Leading first round scores
68 Mandy Adamson (SA), Marianne Skarpnord (Nor).
69 Ashleigh Simon (SA) (am), Nina Hanson (Swe).
70 Zuzana Kamasova (Slo).
71 Beatriz Minchiotti (Spa), Rebecca Hudson (Eng), Frederique Seeholzer (Swi).
Other scores:
72 Kirsty Fisher (Eng) (jt 9th).
73 Clare Queen (Sco), Suzanne Dickens (Eng) (jt 18th).
74 Natalie Booth (Eng), Emma Brown (Eng) (jt 33rd).
75 Kelly Hutcherson (Eng), Laura Wright (Eng) (jt 44th).
76 Sophie Hunter (Eng) (jt 54th).
80 Clare Lipscombe (Eng) (jt 90th).
83 Michelle Smith (Eng) (jt 104th).

JAMIESON TOPPLES NO 1 SEED IN SOUTH AFRICA
Scott Jamieson from Cathkin Braes knocked over the top seed on his way to the quarter-finals of the South African amateur match-play golf championship at Zalze Golf Club, near Cape Town today (THURSDAY).
Jamieson, the only Scot among the 32 qualifiers from the 72-hole stroke-play championship, first beat Frenchman Alexandre Kaleka by 4 and 3.
Then Jamieson, a former Scottish boys’ open stroke-play champion and past Augusta State University team player on the American college circuit, took on the winner of the stroke-play title, South Africa’s Branden Grance – and beat him by 2 and 1.
Great Scott now plays Estislao Goya (Argentina) for a place in the semi-finals.
The only other British players in the last eight are Anglo-Scot Robert Dinwiddie, winner of the Scottish open amateur stroke-play title at Balgownie last summer, and fellow Walker Cup player, Nigel Edwards from Wales.
Unfortunately, Dinwiddie and Edwards meet in Friday morning’s quarter-finals. The winner will play the winner of the Jamieson v Goya tie in the afternoon semi-finals.
SOUTH AFRICAN AMATEUR MATCH-PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP
De Zalze Golf Club, nr Cape Town.
FIRST ROUND
B Grace (SA) bt K Davidse (SA) 6 and 5.
S Jamieson (Sco) bt A Kaleka (Fra) 4 and 3.
R Thomas (Wal) bt J Day (Aus) 3 and 2.
E Goya (Arg) bt J Grillon (Fra) 3 and 2.
R Dinwiddie (Eng) bt F Colombo (Ita) 1 hole.
M Van de Venter (SA) bt M Brown (Aus) 3 and 2.
N Edwards (Wal) bt D Neumeyer (SA) 1 hole.
A Ahokas (Fin) bt J Du Buisson (SA) 3 and 2.
D Horsey (Eng) bt J Ruth (Eng) 2 and 1.
C Basson (SA) bt J Granberg (SA) 4 and 3.
A Tampion (Aus) bt J Moul (Eng) 2 and 1.
A Gee (Eng) bt S Saavedra (Arg) 2 and 1.
E Richardson (Eng) bt J Kruger (SA) 1 hole.
Won Joon Lee (Aus) bt A Dodt (Aus) 2 holes.
J Guerrier (Fra) bt L Gagli (Ita) 3 and 1.
G Wolstenholme (Eng) bt O Fisher (Eng) 5 and 4.
SECOND ROUND
Jamieson bt Grace 2 and 1.
Goya bt Thomas 3 and 2.
Dinwiddie bt Van de Venter 1 hole.
Edwards bt Ahokas 1 hole.
Basson bt Horsey 2 and 1.
Tampion bt Gee 3 and 2.
Lee bt Richardson 4 and 3.
Guerrier bt Wolstenholme at 21st.

MURRAY, SALTMAN GO OUT EARLY IN CONSOLATION EVENT
Walker Cup player Lloyd Saltman (Craigielaw) and former Scottish champion George Murray (Earlsferry Thistle) bowed out in the first round of the South African match-play championship’s consolation tournament for the Godbold Trophy.
Saltman lost by 3 and 2 to South Africa’s Alphius Kelaphile while Murray went down by 2 and 1 to another South African, Dewald Smit.

US College Golf
KATE JOINT 26TH IN NORTH CAROLINA
Kate O’Sullivan (High Point University) from Paisley tied for 26th place in the Fighting Camel Classic over Keith Hills Country Club’s No 2 course at Buies Creek, North Carolina.
Kate had rounds of 82, 79 and 83 over the 6,020yd, par-72 course for a total of 244.
Team-mates Jenna Kinnear from Belfast and Ann Marie Dalton from Carlow finished joint 34th and joint 47th respectively.
Jenna scored 87, 82 and 82 for 251 while Ann Marie had rounds of 87, 85 and 85 for 257.
Chelsea Curtis (Georgetown) won the individual honours by two strokes with 72, 72 and 81 for 225.
Georgetown (937) won the team event from Campbell (950) with North Carolina-Greensboro (954) third. High Point (1002) finished sixth.

US College Golf
GEMMA HITS FORM TOO LATE AT GUADALAJARA
Scotland international player Gemma Webster (Ohio State) returned to her best form in the Guadalajara Invitational women’s college tournament too late to improve her final position about a share of 33rd place in a quality field.
Hilton Park Golf Club member Gemma had scores of 76, 81 and a par-matching 72 over the 6,529yd Guadalajara Country Club course in Mexico.
Miss Webster’s total of 13-over-par 229 was the third best in the Ohio State team as the Scot searches for a more consistent level of performance.
Irene Cho (Southern California), who broke the course and tournament record with an eight-under-par 64 in the second round, signed off with a 69 for a 13-under-par total of 203.
She won by 10 strokes from Jane Park (UCLA).
Azahara Munoz (Arizona State), winner of the British girls’ open title at Lanark two years ago, finished 10th on 218.
UCLA (864) won the team event by seven strokes from Southern California with the top-ranked Duke (874) in third place.
Ohio State (904) finished eighth.
LEADING TOTALS
INDIVIDUALS
203 Irene Cho (Southern California) 70 64 69.
213 Jane Park (UCLA) 72 69 72.
Other totals:
218 Azahara Munoz (Arizona State) 75 72 71 (10th).
229 Gemma Webster (Ohio State) 76 81 72 (jt 33rd).
TEAMS
864 UCLA.
871 Southern California.
874 Duke.
882 Arizona State, Georgia.
Other total:
904 Ohio State (8th).

HUME MARCHES ON IN SOUTH CAROLINA
Former Scotland amateur champion Barry Hume (Haggs Castle) reached the last 16 of the Tarheel Tour match-play championship at Oldfield Country Club, Bluffton, South Carolina.
Hume, on his way to play a few Tight Lies Tour events in Texas before rejoining the Asian Tour, won by 2 and 1 over the No 2 seed, Chad Wilfong.
Barry now plays Tommy Biershank for a place in the quarter-finals.

Wednesday 8th March 2006

US College Golf
FINDLAY NAMED CONFERENCE GOLFER OF MONTH
Jordan Findlay, pictured right, from Fraserburgh has been named Atlantic Sun Conference golfer of the month for February. He finished fifth in last month’s Puerto Rico Classic college tournament, his best performance in his freshman year at East Tennessee State University.
The 17-year-old former British boys’ champion had a 70.67 stroke average as ETSU rose to No 11 in the national college team rankings.
“Obviously this is a big thing for me. It gives me a lot of confidence to know I can compete at this level. It’s an honour and a nice surprise to win,” said Findlay.

JAMIESON LONE SCOT IN SOUTH AFRICAN CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH-PLAY STAGES
Scott Jamieson (Cathkin Braes) was the only Scot to figure among the leading 32 who qualified for the match-play championship stages of the South African amateur golf tournament at De Zalze and Stellenbosch Golf Clubs near Cape Town today (Wednesday).
Jamieson dropped from an overnight position of sixth to joint 14th after a fourth-round 76 for an aggregate of 287.
The former Scottish boys’ open stroke-play champion and American college circuit player had a double bogey at the fifth and bogeys at the third, ninth, 17th and 18th in halves of 39 and 37. His highlights were birdies at the eighth and 13th.
The leading qualifier was South African Branden Grace on 277 with Walker Cup teenager Oliver Fisher from West Essex runner-up on 279. A third English player, Dave Horsey, was joint third on 280.
Another Englishman, Edward Richardson dropped out of the overnight lead into sixth place on 282 after a fourth-round 78.
Jamieson will play Frenchman Alexandre Kaleka in the first round of the championship match-play.
The cut-off point was 291, on which mark Walker Cup veteran Gary Wolstenholme made it by the skin of his teeth while two players on that total were eliminated on a card countback.
George Murray (Earlsferry Thistle) and Walker Cup player Lloyd Saltman (Craigielaw) will compete in the match-play for those who finished from 33rd to 64th position in the stroke-play.
Former Scottish champion Murray ended up in a share of 35th place on 292 after a final round of 76 which included double bogeys at the second, 12th and 16th. He also dropped a shot at the 15th but had birdies at the third, fifth and 17th in halves of 36 and 40.
Saltman shared 43rd place on 294 after a closing round of 75 which included bogeys at the first, fourth, ninth and 12th and a solitary birdie, at the 10th, in halves of 39 and 36.
SOUTH AFRICAN AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
De Zalze and Stellenbosch Golf Clubs, nr Cape Town.
Leading match-play qualifiers:
277 Branden Grace (SA) 68 72 67 70.
279 Oliver Fisher (Eng) 70 71 68 70.
280 Johan Du Buisson (SA) 72 68 69 71, Dave Horsey (Eng) 70 68 73 69.
Other qualifiers included:
282 Edward Richardson (Eng) 68 68 68 78, Adam Gee (Eng) 69 73 69 71.
290 Robert Dinwiddie (Eng) 70 73 74 73, James ruth (Eng) 71 71 77 71.
291 Gary Wolstenholme (Eng) 73 72 72 74.
Qualifiers for the consolation match-play included:
292 George Murray (Sco) 73 73 70 76.
293 Brian McIlhenney (Ire) 71 70 77 75, Zac Gould (Wal) 72 71 73 77.
294 Lloyd Saltman (Sco) 73 73 73 75.

US College Golf
FINDLAY’S FORM NOSEDIVES IN FINAL ROUND
Jordan Findlay’s rich seam of form came to an abrupt end in the third and final round of the Seminole Intercollegiate golf tournament at Golden Eagle Country Club, Talahassee in Florida.
The Fraserburgh teenager – his 18th birthday is next month – was bang in contention for victory after rounds of 70 and 68 and his college, East Tennessee State, were hot on the trail of the team title.
Then Jordan came off the rails with an 84 for a six-over-par total of 222.
He plummeted down the final standings to finish in a share of 37th position.
Stephen Lewton (North Carolina State), pictured right, a 22-year-old six-footer from Milton Keynes won a play-off for the individual title after a tie with Dustin Johnson (Coastal Carolina) on 13-under-par 203.
East Tennessee State, who have only British and Irish students in their golf squad, slipped back to a final placing of fourth on 861, 10 shots behind the winners, Coastal Carolina.
Edinburgh-born Welshman Rhys Davies, like Jordan Findlay a former British boys’ open champion, had scores of 70, 69 and 73 to finish sixth.
LEADING INDIVIDUALS
203 Stephen Lewton (North Carolina State) 70 66 67, Dustin Johnson (Coastal Carolina) 66 67 70 (Lewton won play-off).
207 Martin Ureta (North Carolina)69 77 72.
Other East Tennessee State individual totals:
212 Rhys Davies 70 69 73 (6th).
216 Gareth Shaw 70 70 76 (jt 16th).
220 Adam Hodkinson 77 71 72 (jt 27th).
222 Jordan Findlay 70 68 84 (jt 37th).
228 Cian McNamara 72 76 80 (jt 52nd).
LEADING TEAMS
851 Coastal Carolina.
854 North Carolina State.
859 North Carolina.
861 East Tennessee State.

US College Golf
LOUISE JUST OUTSIDE TOP 20 IN ALABAMA
Scottish junior women’s stroke-play champion Louise Fleming, a student at Jacksonville State University, Alabama, finished joint 21st in the Lady Jaguar Invitational women’s college golf tournament at Azalea City golf course, Mobile in Alabama.
Louise, from Kelso, had rounds of 76 and 77 for an aggregate of 153 – the lowest total of anyone in the Jacksonville State team.
Michelle Toth (South Alabama) won the individual honours by three strokes with rounds of 74 and 68 for 142 over the par-72, 5,821yd course.
Jacksonville State (626) finished eighth in the team event behind winners Middle Tennessee (592) but ahead of any other Ohio Valley Conference college in the field.
LEADING INDIVIDUALS
142 Michelle Toth (South Alabama) 74 68.
145 Maggie McGill (Middle Tennessee) 74 71.
Other total:
153 Louise Fleming (Jacksonville State) 76 77.
LEADING TEAMS
592 Middle Tennessee./
595 South Alabama.
604 Western Carolina.
Other total:
626 Jacksonville State (8th).

US College Golf
GEMMA STRUGGLES IN GUADALAJARA
Ohio State University player Gemma Webster from Glasgow struggled to a second-round 81 to be lying joint 45th on 157 with one round to go in the Guadalajara Invitational women’s college golf tournament at Guadalajara Country Club, Mexico.
Irene Cho (Southern California University) showed the low-scoring possibilities over the par-72, 6,529yd course by following up her first-round 70 with an eight-under-par 64 for a 10-under tally of 134.
Irene’s score was the lowest of her golfing life and also a course record and a tournament low record.
She leads by seven shots from Jane Park (UCLA) who has scored 72 and 69 for 141.
Ohio State (612) are lying ninth of the 11 teams behind Southern California (575).
LEADING INDIVIDUALS
134 Irene Cho (Southern California) 70 64.
141 Jane Park (UCLA) 72 69.
Other score:
157 Gemma Webster (Ohio Steate) 76 81 (jt 45th).
LEADING TEAMS
575 Southern California.
578 UCLA.
585 Arizona State.
590 Duke.
Other total:
612 Ohio State (9th).

US College Golf
MIXED LUCK FOR CARNOUSTIE BROTHER AND SISTER IN FLORIDA TOURNAMENTS
Carnoustie brother and sister Keir and Katy McNicoll have had mixed fortunes playing for the golf teams of Lynn University at Boca Raton, Florida this week.
Keir, 21, a 6ft 2in senior student at Lynn, helped the men’s team score their third win of the American 2005-2006 college golf season.
They took the team title in the Buccaneer Invite over the Westview Country Club course, near Miami by 12 shots with a total of 870.
Keir scored 77, 69 and 74 for a four-over-par total of 220, which earned him seventh place behind team-mate Hoyt McGarrity who took the individual honoures with a three-under-par score of 213.
Gavin, 21, Dear from Perth, also a senior student at Lynn Universtiy, tied for 36th place with rounds of 74, 77 and 76 for 227.
Meanwhile, Katy McNicoll, 18-year-old first-year student at Lynn, was a member of the college’s women’s golf team who finished fifth of 13 in the Peggy Kirk Bell Invitational at Tuscawilla Country Club, Winter Springs in Florida.
Katy scored 81, 83 and 81 to take a share of 29th place in a field of 73 with a total of 245. Samantha Richdale (Illinois State) won the individual title with rounds of 71, 73 and 77 for 221.
Rollins College (913), the tournament hosts, won the team title by a runaway margin with a total of 913. Florida Southern (944) were runners-up. Lynn totalled 956.

Something to smile about!
Scottish Boys team after their victory last week in the Boys Quadrangular matches against Sweden, France and Italy at St Cyprien
Photo courtesy and copyright © French Golf Federation

US College Golf
JACKSONVILLE JOCKS SLUMP IN CALIFORNIA
It all went haggis-shaped for the “Jacksonville Jocks” on the final day of the Braveheart Classic college golf tournament over the Oak Glen course at Beaumont, California.
Jamie Kennedy from Edinburgh had been leading the field with a 68 at the end of the first round and the back-up efforts of Russell Knox from Inverness with a 71 and Duncan Stewart from Grantown on Spey (74) had given Jacksonville University, Florida a share of second place in the team event.
Kennedy, who had a second-round 70, crashed out of the pole position with a third-round 82 over the par-72, 7,003yd course. A total of 220 saw him finished joint ninth.
Russell Knox was Jacksonville’s highest finisher with second and third rounds of 73 and 70 for two-under-par 214. That earned him joint second place behind five-shot winner Chris Heintz (UCLA) with 69, 70 and 70 for seven-under-par 209.
Duncan Stewart finished tied for 39th place with later rounds of 74 and 79 for 227.
Jacksonville (892) came seventh of the 19 teams behind joint winners Cal Poly and Santa Clara University on 884.
Jacksonville head golf coach Jim Taketa was quite philosophical about the Dolphins’ last-round slump.
“Our play this week got us an invitation to return next year as well as another prestigious tournament on the West Coast next year. This is going to be a great learning experience for us because this is by far the best field we’ll play in all season and we were right there until the final round,” he said.
LEADING INDIVIDUALS
209 Chris Heintz (UCLA) 69 70 70.
214 Lucas Lee (UCLA) 73 72 69, Russell Knox (Jacksonville) 71 73 70.
Other scores:
220 Jamie Kennedy (Jacksonville) 68 70 82 (jt 9th).
227 Duncan Stewart (Jacksonvilel) 74 74 79 (jt 39th).
LEADING TEAMS
884 Cal Poly, Santa Clara.
886 San Diego.
Other total:
892 Jacksonville (7th).

BARRY WINS BUT JOEL OUT AT 22nd
Former Scottish amateur champion Barry Hume, pictured right, from Haggs Castle advanced to the second round of the Tarheel Tour match-play championship with a 3 and 1 win over Stan Gann at Oldfield Country Club, South Carolina.
Hume, heading for Texas to play some events on the Tight Lies Tour before going back to the Asian Tour for which he has a players’ card, now plays the No 2 seed, Chad Wilfong.
Barry has been a house guest of Joel Hendry, twice winner of the Scottish youths title, at the Elgin-born player’s Hilton Head Island home. Joel lost his first-round tie at the 22nd to Pete Popovich.
Both Barry and Joel came through a qualifying round on Monday.
Joel, who made it through to the US PGA Tour Final Qualifying School, will soon be starting his first campaign on the Nationwide Tour, the No 2 men’s pro circuit in the United States.

Tuesday 7th March 2006

GREAT SCOTT! JAMIESON JUMPS INTO SOUTH AFRICAN LIMELIGHT
Scott Jamieson, pictured right, from Cathkin Braes birdied seven of his last 13 holes to surge into a share of sixth place in the South African stroke-play golf championship at De Zalze and Stellenbosch Golf Clubs near Cape Town today (Tuesday).
Jamieson, a former Scottish boys’ open stroke-play champion who spent four years on the American college golf circuit with Augusta State University, looked as if he would do well to match his earlier rounds of 71 and 72 when he double-bogeyed the third and then dropped another shot at the fifth to be three over par in the third round.
Then Scott moved into overdrive. He birdied the sixth, seventh and nine to reach the turn in level par 36. Then he birdied the 13th, 14th, 16th and 17th for a splendid 32 home for a four-under-par 68.
That gave him a 54-hole tally of five-under-par 211 – seven shots behind England’s Edward Richardson, the new leader on 204 after reeling off three 68s in a row.
Former Scottish champion George Murray (Earlsferry Thistle) had his best round yet – a two-under-par 70 – to add to a pair of opening 73s. He is sharing 20th place on level par 216.
Walker Cup man Lloyd Saltman (Craigielaw) has not yet ignited his game in South Africa. He has had three uninspired 73s in a row to be joint 38th on 219 with one round to go in the stroke-play stage of the championship.
Only the leading 32 players at the end of 72 holes will contest the South African amateur match-play championship.
SOUTH AFRICAN AMATEUR STROKE-PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP
De Zalze & Stellenbosch Golf Clubs, near Cape Town.
LEADING THIRD ROUND SCORES
Par 72
207 Edward Richardson (Eng) 68 68 68.
207 Branden (SA) 68 72 67.
208 Andrew Dodt (SA) 69 68 70.
209 Oliver Fisher (Eng) 70 71 68, Johan Du Buisson (SA) 72 68 69.
211 Scott Jamieson (Sco) 71 72 68, Dave Horsey (Eng) 70 68 73, Adam Gee (Eng) 69 73 69, Jamie Moul (Eng) 71 68 72, Michael Van de Venter (SA) 70 71 70, Federico Colombo (Ita) 69 66 76.
Other scores included:
214 Nigel Edwards (Wal) 74 69 71.
216 George Murray (Sco) 73 73 70, Zac Gould (Wal) 72 71 73.
217 Gary Wolstenholme (Eng) 72 73 72, Rob Dinwiddie (Eng) 70 73 74.
218 Brian McIlhinney (Ire) 71 70 77.
219 Seamus Power (Ire) 76 68 75, Lloyd Saltman (Sco) 73 73 73, James Ruth (Eng) 71 71 77.

LOUISE FIVE OFF THE PACE IN ALABAMA
Scottish Under-21 girls’ champion Louise Fleming, pictured right, from Kelso, a golf scholarship student at Jacksonville State University, Alabama, returned a first-round 76 – four over par – to be sharing 19th place at the end of the first round of the Lady Jaguar Invitational women’s college golf tournament at Azalea City golf course, Mobile in Alabama.
Louise’s halves were 40 and 36. She had the best individual score of the Jacksonville State University team who were lying ninth on 314 behind Middle Tennessee and South Alabama, both on 297, in the field of 20 for the team event.
Louise, winner of her last tournament, was five shots behind first-round leader Preaw Phoi-Uayporn (Florida Atlantic).

STEPHEN GETS USA COLLEGE GOLF HONOUR
Glasgow-born Stephen Clark, pictured left, a 21-year-old member at Haggs Castle Golf Club, has been named Mid-Continent Conference men’s golf athlete of the week following his second-place finish at the rain-shortened Anteater Invitational college tournament at Mesa Verde, Los Angeles.
Clark recently transferred from Pfeiffer University, North Carolina to the University of Kansas Missouri – where Scottish youths champion Peter McLachlan is already a member of the golf team – and this was his debut appearance for the Kangaroos.
“I played pretty solidly and the second round was a real battle as it was torrential rain from start to finish. I was really happy to get off to a good start for UMKC,” said Stephen who was Glasgow boys’ match-play champion in 2002 and 2003.
“My goal this year is to get back into the Scotland international set-up. I’ve not been involved since I won my two matches at Under-16 level!” said Stephen who is a good friend of former Scottish amateur champion and Haggs Castle member Barry Hume.
“Barry has helped me a lot with my golf game over the last 18 months.”
Clark is still eligible to play in the Scottish youths championship this summer. He has finished 15th and 11th over the past two years but he wants to have a crack at making the Scotland men’s team.
“It means playing very well in the open tournaments when I come home for the summer, but I should be in good nick through playing on the American college circuit,” said Stephen.

JACKSONVILLE’S SCOTS RISE TO OCCASION IN BRAVEHEART CLASSIC IN CALIFORNIA
Jacksonville University, Florida’s three golfing Scots – Jamie Kennedy from Edinburgh, Russell Knox from Inverness and Duncan Stewart of Grantown-on-Spey – might have been expected to rise to the occasion in an American college tournament named the Braveheart Classic.
And they did!
In the 54-hole tournament over the par-72 Oak Glen course at Beaumont, California, 6ft 2in Jamie was looking down on the field after shooting a 68 in the first round.
“Jamie’s 68 was really big for us,” said Jacksonville head golf coach Jim Taketa, “but it was also a very good team performance, good back-up scores from Russell and Duncan.”
Russell Knox also got under par with a 71 while Duncan Stewart had a 74.
Jacksonville – the Dolphins – are looking for their second straight team win and their third in all during the autumn to spring college golf season in the States.
All their wins have been on the back of excellent performances from the Scots trio, who are junior golf scholarship students.
In the Braveheart Classic, Jacksonville are sharing second place with UCLA on 21, two shots behind leaders Loyala Marymount.
Rain prevented the second round from being completed as scheduled on the first day.

JORDAN FINDLAY’S BEST YET IN UNITED STATES
Fraserburgh teenager Jordan Findlay, pictured right, returned his lowest one-round score on the American college golf circuit so far when he posted a four-under-par 68 in the second round of the Seminole Intercollegiate tournament over the Golden Eagle Country Club course at Tallahassee, Florida.
Findlay, who had a first-day 70 in the 54-hole event, is lying fourth on 138 with one round to go, five shots behind the leader, Dustin Johnson (Coastal Carolina).
Last week the Buchan boy – he won’t be 18 until next month – finished joint fifth in the Puerto Ricao Classic college tournament, which was his highest finish todate.
After an inconsistent start to his golf career in the States last autumn, Jordan has recaptured his British form with the restart of the American college season after the winter mid-season break.
Former British boys’ open champion Findlay is a first-year golf scholarship student at East Tennessee State University and he has helped them to establish a five-stroke lead in the team event.
Stephen Lewton (North Carolina State) from Milton Keynes is the best-placed European player in third place on 136.
Jordon Findlay’s highly-rated team-mate, Edinburgh-born Rhys Davies from Bridgend, Wales, is in fourth place on 139 (70-69) with another East Tennessee State player, Gareth Shaw from Lisburn, Northern Ireland, sharing sixth place on 140 with a pair of 70s.
LEADING INDIVIDUALS
133 Dustin Johnson (Coastal Carolina) 66 67.
135 Martin Ureta (North Carolina) 69 66.
136 Stephen Lewton (North Carolina State) 70 66.
138 Jordan Findlay (East Tennessee State) 70 68.
139 Rhys Davies (East Tennessee State) 70 69.
140 Giwon Suh (UCF) 69 71, Gareth Shaw (East Tennessee State) 70 70.
Other scores:
148 Adam Hodkinson (East Tennessee State) 77 71, Cian McNamara (East Tennessee State) 72 76.
LEADING TEAMS
560 East Tennessee State.
565 Coastal Carolina.
574 North Carolina State.

GEMMA 76 DOWN MEXICO WAY
Glasgow’s Gemma Webster was sharing 30th place at the end of the first round of the Cal Invitational women’s college golf tournament at Guadalajara Country Club, Mexico (Monday USA time).
Gemma, a golf scholarship student at Ohio State University, having transferred from Dundee University last summer, had a round of 76 to be seven shots behind leader Paide Mackenzie (Washington).
UCLA (291) led the team event from Southern California (292) with Ohio State eighth with 302.

Monday 6th March 2006

CAMPBELL, KING FAIL TO SURVIVE HALFWAY CUT
Scottish champion Glenn Campbell from Blairgowrie and Jonathan King (Glasgow) failed to survive the halfway cut in the South African open amateur stroke-play championship at De Zalze and Stellenbosch Golf Clubs near Cape Town today (MONDAY).
Campbell had rounds of 77 and 75 for an aggregte of 151 - one better than King who scored 78 and 75.
Scott Jamieson (Cathkin Braes) continued to lead the Scottish challenge with a 71 and 72 for 143 to be sharing 18th place going into the third round.
Former Scottish champion George Murray (Earlsferry Thistle) and Walker Cup player Lloyd Saltman were joint 48th on 146. Both scored 73 in the first andd second rounds.
Federico Colombo (Italy) led the field on 135 with a 69 and 66 - one shot ahead of England's Edward Richardson (68-68).
Sharing third place on 138 were Australia Andrew Dodt (69-69) and England's David Horsey (70-68).
The first four rounds are for the stroke-play championship. The leading 32 players at the end of four rounds will go forward to the match-play championship.
The world men's amateur team championship for the Eisenhower Trophy is being played over the Stellenbosch course in October.

REBECCA WINS SOUTH AFRICAN OPEN
Rebecca Hudson, such a brilliant golfer as an amateur, seems at last to have turned the corner as a tournament professional.
The week after finishing joint second in the Pam Golding Ladies International tournament in South Africa, the 26-year-old Doncaster player won the Acer South African Women’s Open at the weekend.
It was her first big win at a professional, earning her a cheque for South African Rand 45,00 at the Durban Country Club at the weekend. That pushed up her earnings in two weeks to around the Rand 70,000 mark, which put her at the top of the Nedbank Tour money table.
Prior to her South African trip, the former Curtis Cup player and British champion had won little more than £5,000 in total since she turned pro in 2002.
Top three placings in the Acer South African Women’s Open:
217 (two under par) Rebecca Hudson (Eng) 72 73 72.
221 Cecilie Lundgreen (Nor) 74 74 73.
222 Bettina Hauert (Ger) 74 75 73.
223 Ashleigh Simon (SA) (am) 74 74 75.
Rookie pro Clare Queen from Drumpellier has flown out to South Africa to play in the next two events on the Nedbank Tour.

SCOTT JAMIESON TOP SCOT IN SOUTH AFRICA
Scott Jamieson (Cathkin Braes) led the Scottish challenge in the first round of the South African open amateur championship at De Zalze and Stellensboch Golf Clubs near Cape Town.
Scott had a round of 71 - three shots behind joint leaders Edward Richardson (England) and South Africans Branden Grace and Trevor Mahone.
Lloyd Saltman (Craigielaw) and George Murray (Earlsferry Thistle) were both on the 73 mark.
Scottish champion Glenn Campbell (Blairgowrie) had a 77 and Jonathan King (Glasgow) a 78.
The first four rounds are for the stroke-play championship. The lead 32 players at the end of four rounds will go forward to the match-play championship.
The world men's amateur team championship for the Eisenhower Trophy is being played over the Stellenbosch course in October.

EGU Press Release
WOLSTENHOLME SEEKS FIFTH SHERRY CUP SUCCESS
Gary Wolstenholme (pictured left - photo courtesy of Tom Ward) has the chance of adding to his already impressive list of successes in the Sherry Cup when he defends the title at Royal Sotogrande Golf Club in Spain on 29th March - 1st April.
The EGU has named Wolstenholme in a strong four-man team that will also be bidding to regain the Nations Cup won in 2004 but which had to settle for third place last year behind winners Spain. This year’s team, all members of England’s Elite Squad, will comprise Robert Dinwiddie (Barnard Castle), Oliver Fisher (West Essex), Jamie Moul (Stoke by Nayland) and Wolstenholme (Kilworth Springs).
Wolstenholme has a wonderful record in the Sherry Cup. He won the individual title in 2000, 2001, 2003 and last year, but missed the event in 2004 as he was competing in the United States.
The 45 year old from Leicestershire has already come close this year to adding to his ever-increasing array of victories worldwide, having finished runner-up in the New South Wales Medal and New South Wales Amateur in Australia. England’s most capped player has lost none of his appetite and enthusiasm for competition at the highest level of the amateur game and is sure to be targeting the major titles again this summer.
Durham-based Dinwiddie, 23, enjoyed a highly successful 2005 including his Walker Cup debut in Chicago last August. This followed victories in the Scottish and Welsh Open Strokeplay Championships in successive weeks and he rounded off the year by winning the individual title in the Simon Bolivar Cup in Caracas, Venezuela. A former Durham boy champion, under 16 cap, and the 2004 Northern Counties champion, Dinwiddie also played in the Home Internationals having graduated from Tennessee State University where he enjoyed considerable success.
Fisher also made his Walker Cup debut in Chicago being, at 16, the youngest player ever to represent GB&I in the event. One of the finest prospects to emerge in recent times, Fisher, now 17, has achieved a string of successes in the past two years. Capped at under 16 and boys levels, he was a member of the team that won the European Boys Team Championship in Finland in 2004 and was runner-up in the R&A Junior Championship and represented Europe in the Junior Ryder Cup the same year.
Last year, Fisher finished runner-up in the Brabazon Trophy, reached the semi-finals of the Amateur and English Amateur Championships, represented England in the World Boys Team Championships in Japan and helped England triumph in the European Men‘s Team Championship at Hillside.
Moul, 21, was capped for the first time against France at Royal St George’s in 2004, and after being a reserve for two successive Home Internationals he was recalled for the international with Spain last April and was a member of the triumphant England team that took the European Men‘s Team Championship in July 2005.
Also last year, he played in the 2005 Home Internationals and was a reserve for the Walker Cup. Playing alongside Fisher and two representatives from the England Ladies team, Moul won the Spirit International in America last autumn. This year he has already competed in Australia and is currently in South Africa with the rest of the England Elite Squad.
The Sherry Cup is competed for over 72 holes with the best three cards each day counting towards the team event. The individual competition runs simultaneously with the Nations Championship, the champion collecting a Gold Sherry Wine Trophy and the Amateur Masters Jacket. If the Championship ends in a tie, the teams involved will nominate one player to compete in a sudden death play-off.
Apart from Wolstenholme, other winners of this prestigious event include Padraig Harrington (1991), and Sergio Garcia (1997 and 1998).

Sunday 5th March 2006

Our grandson Harry David John Armstrong was christened today at Fettes Chapel, Edinburgh.
Here he is with his proud parents, Carrie and Alastair, flanked by his godparents Malcolm Rennie and Alison Kirkwood

Carlota Ciganda, who won the Spanish Womens' Open Amateur Championship today
(Photo Courtesy and Copyright © Tom Ward)

SPANISH WOMEN’S OPEN AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
CARLOTA (15) RETAINS SPANISH TITLE
Carlota Ciganda, only 15 years old, made a successful defence of the Spanish women’s open amateur golf championship at Isla Canela Golf Club, Huelva today (Sunday)
She beat Caroline Hedwall (Sweden) by chipping in for a birdie 2 at the 19th hole.
Both players struggled to get par figures in very windy conditions and were both seven over par for 18 holes.
Miss Ciganda was never behind and never more than one hole up after winning the sixth with a par but her Swedish opponent pulled her back to square three times, including the 18th after five holes in a row had been halves.
It was Carlota’s third appearance in a row in the final of her native championship.
She also won the European women’s amateur title and the European Young Masters’ girls crown, both in 2004.
Welsh teenager Breanne Loucks from Wrexham, the only surviving British player, lost at the 19th to Marta Silva (Spain) in Saturday’s quarter-finals. Breanne had toppled the No 1 qualifier, Anna Nordqvist (Sweden), the British girls’ open championhip, by 3 and 2 in the second round.
SPANISH WOMEN’S OPEN AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
Isla Canela Golf Club, Huelva.
Quarter-finals
M Silva (Spa) bt B Loucks (Wal) at 19th.
C Hedwall (Swe) bt D Becker (Ger) 5 and 3.
C Ciganda (Spa) bt K Ruuttilla (Fin) 4 and 2.
B Toumpsin (Bel) bt H Saskia (Ger) 3 and 1.
Semi-finals
Hedwall bt Silva at 20th.
Ciganda bt Toumpsin 5 and 4.
Final (18 holes)
Ciganda bt Hedwall at 19th.

Sam Hutsby, winner of the Spanish Amateeur Championship in action
(Photo Courtesy and Copyright © Tom Ward)

SAM THRASHES OFF-FORM ITALIAN TO WIN SPANISH OPEN AMATEUR TITLE
Hampshire teenager Sam Hutsby, conqueror of only Scots qualifier Steven McEwan (Barassie) at the 19th in the second round, went on to win the Spanish men’s open amateur golf championship in a stunningly one-sided 36-hole at Sherry Golf Jerez Cadiz today (Sunday).
Lee-on-Solent Golf Club member Hutsby, only 17, won by 7 and 6 against Edoardo Molinari (Italy), who will be playing in next month’s US Masters after winning the United States amateur championship last summer.
Molinari, pictured right, had a nightmare day. He was five over par for the first 18 holes to be five down to the young Englishman at lunchtime.
And it did not get any better for Edoardo. He was five over again for the 12 holes in required in the afternoon for sporting Sam to register the best win so far of his rising-star career by 7 and 6.
No 3 qualifier Hutsby, who had birdied the second and third holes in the morning to jump into a two-hole lead, was one over par for the first 18 holes and three over the card in the afternoon.
Molinari won only two holes, the 12th with a par 3 and the 26th with a birdie 3.
Perhaps the fact that Edoardo qualified only in 16th place indicated that the Italian was not on song in Spain although he did beat top seed Jordi Garcia (Spain) 2 and 1 in the second round of the match-play and killed off hopes of an all-England final by beating Gary Boyd 7 and 6 in the final while Hutsby was taken to the last green by Gonzalo Berlin (Spain).
McEwan was the only Scot among the 32 qualifiers for the match-play stages England had 15 qualifiers of whom four reached the eighth quarter-finalists.
Molinari (Photo Courtesy and Copyright © Tom Ward)
SPANISH MEN’S OPEN AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
Sherry Golf Jerez, Cadiz.
Quarter-finals
E Molinari (Ita) bt L Collins (Eng) 2 and 1.
G Boyd (Eng) bt J Palmer (Eng) 3 and 2.
S Hutsby (Eng) bt A Bernadet (Fra) 3 and 1.
G Berlin (Spa) bt M Trow (Wal) 1 hole.
Semi-finals
Molinari bt Boyd 7 and 6.
Hutsby bt Berlin 2 holes.
Final (36 holes)
Hutsby bt Molinari 7 and 6.

ENGLISH TEENAGER FIVE UP IN SPANISH FINAL
Sam Hutsby, pictured right, from Lee-on-Solent Golf Club, Hampshire was five up on US amateur champion Edoardo Molinari (Italy) after the first round of the scheduled 36-hole final of the Spanish men's open amateur championship at Sherry Golf Jerez, Cadiz today.
Although Hutsby birdied the second and third to take a very early two-hole lead he did not need to play sub-par golf to establish a commanding lead over the out-of-touch Molinari.
Sam also birdied the seven to go three up but a bogey 5 was good enough to put him four up at the nine.
A par 5 at the 11th saw Hutsby moved into a five-hole lead.
Molinari scored his first success with a par 3 at the 12th but he bogeyed the 15th to fall back to five down. The 17th was halved in birdies.
Hutsby was one over par for the first 18 holes; Molinari five over par.
(Photo Courtesy and Copyright © Tom Ward)

SPANISH WOMEN’S OPEN AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
BREANNE BEATEN AT 19TH IN SPAIN
Today’s final of the Spanish women’s open amateur championship is between the defending champion, Spanish teenager Carlota Ciganda and Sweden’s Caroline Hedwall at Isla Canela Golf Club, Huelva.
Breanne Loucks, 17-year-old Welsh international player from Wrexham, was beaten at the 19th by Marta Silva (Spain) in the quarter-finals. Marta then lost to a birdie at the 20th by Miss Hedwall in the semi-finals.
Carlota Ciganda won the European women’s title and the European Young Masters girls’ tournament in 2004. She beat Belgium’s Benedicte Toumpsin by 5 and 4 in Saturday’s semi-finals.
QUARTER-FINALS
Marta Silva (Spa) bt Breanne Loucks (Wal) at 19th.
Caroline Hedwall (Spa) bt Denise Becker (Ger) 5 and 3.
Carlota Ciganda (Spa) bt Kaisa Ruuttila (Fin) 4 and 2.
Benedicte (Bel) bt Hausladen Saskia (Ger) 3 and 1.
SEMI-FINALS
Hedwall bt Silva at 20th.
Ciganda bt Toumpsin 5 and 4.

Fellas and Fees Drive Women Off The Tees
Article by Jeremy Watson in Scotland on Sunday today

HAS YOUR GOLF CLUB ARRANGED A QUALIFYING ROUND FOR THE LADIES MOROCCAN SALVER?
Last year Mary Summers and her young daughter Ailsa from Carnoustie won the Grand Final of the Ladies Moroccan Salver over the Palmeraie Golf Palace and Hotel course.
It’s a greensome Stableford competition and the Scottish Regional final of this year’s tournament will be held on Wednesday, September 13 at Pitreavie Golf Club in Fife.
There are 10 regional finals in all – but only one in Scotland – and they are contested by the winners of the eliminating competitions arranged and organised by golf clubs up and down the country.
The winning pair from each regional final will go forward to the Grand Final in Morocco from November 20 to 24.
John Southwick, the organiser, would like to hear before April 1 from all golf clubs who want to arrange their own qualifying competitions if they have not already taken the necessary steps to register.
All the details and an entry card to be filled in by club officials are available on www.golfworldwideholidays.com
If you have any queries you can telephone John at 07802 672 430 or E-mail him at golf@golfworldwideholidays.com
The tournament raises funds for the Douglas Bader Foundation, of which Lady Bader OBE is the president.

Saturday 4th March 2006

US College Golf
EMILY FINISHES FIFTH IN RIO VERDE INVITATIONAL
Perthshire county player Emily Ogilvy finished a highly creditable fifth despite slumping to four double bogeys in the first round of the Rio Verde Invitational women’s college golf tournament at the Rio Verde Country Club, Arizona.
Emily, a 21-year-old golf scholarship student at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock, had rounds of 82, 69 and 72 for a 10-over-par total of 223 over the 6,078yd, par-71 White Wind course.
In her final round she was able to move up one notch in the standings by birdieing the 13th and 18th after bogeys at the seventh, ninth and 12th
The Dunning player finished eight shots behind tournament winner Amy Schmucker (Michigan University) who had scores of 75, 69 and 71 for a two-over-par total of 215.
Emily also helped her college to achieve one of its best finishes against a quality field of 17 teams. Arkansas-Little (911) came third behind Northwestern University (889) and Michigan (907).
LEADING INDIVIDUALS
Par 71
215 Amy Schmucker (Michigan) 75 69 71.
218 Brittany Johnston (Northwestern) 76 69 73.
222 Jennifer Hong (Northwestern) 75 74 73, Anita Ojeda (Arkansas-Little Rock) 81 70 70.
223 Emily Ogilvy (Arkansas-Little Rock) 82 69 72.
LEADING TEAMS
889 Northwestern.
907 Michigan 907.
911 Arkansas-Little Rock.
916 Texas Tech.
925 Western Michigan.
828 Iowa.

SPANISH MEN’S OPEN AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
ENGLAND TEENAGER IN SPANISH FINAL
Hampshire teenager Sam Hutsby (Lee-on-Solent), pictured left, will play Italy’s Edoardo Molinari, pictured right, the current United States open amateur champion, in the 36-hole final of the Spanish men’s open amateur golf championship at Sherry Golf Jerez, Cadiz on Sunday.
Hutsby, 17, conqueror in the second round of Steven McEwan (Barassie), the only Scot to qualify for the match-play stages, beat Gonzalo Berlin (Spain) by two holes in Saturday’s 18-hole semi-finals.
Molinari had a comfortable win in the other semi-final, beating England’s Gary Boyd by 7 and 6.
SPANISH MEN’S OPEN AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
Sherry Golf Jerez, Cadiz
Quarter-finals
E Molinari (Ita) bt L Collins (Eng) 2 and 1.
G Boyd (Eng) bt J Palmer (Eng) 3 and 2.
S Hutsby (Eng) bt A Bernadet (Fra) 3 and 1.
G Berlin (Spa) bt M Trow (Wal) 1 hole.
Semi-finals
Molinari bt Boyd 7 and 6.
Hutsby bt Berlin 2 holes.

US College Golf
EMILY IMPROVES BY 13 SHOTS WITH A 69 IN ARIZONA COLLEGE TOURNAMENT
Emily Ogilvy from Dunning, Perthshire produced one of her best rounds on the American college circuit to shoot up into sixth place in the Rio Verde Invitational women’s college tournament at Rio Verde Country Club, Arizona.
Emily, a 21-year-old golf scholarship student at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock, matched the lowest score of the second round – a two-under-par 69 – over the White Wing course.
She improved by a staggering 13 shots on her first-day performance when her score of 82 included four double bogeys.
Her 36-hole tally of 151 is seven shots behind the leader, Amy Schmucker (Michigan) with one round to go.
Miss Ogilvy began her round at the 14th and a bogey at that hole gave no hint of what was to come. She then birdied the 18th and the second, bogeyed the sixth before finishing on a high with birdies at the 10th and 13th for her 69.
Emily’s brilliant performance almost enabled her university to return the lowest team total (293) by far in the second round. That was an improvement of 29 strokes on their first-round aggregate. UALR (615) go into the final day in fourth place on the 17 teams. Northwestern (597) lead.
LEADING INDIVIDUALS
Par 71
144 Amy Schmucker (Michigan) 75 69.
145 Brittany Johnston (Northwestern) 76 69.
147 Megan Dowdy (Texas Tech) 76 71.
Other score:
151 Emily Ogilvy (Arkansas-Little Rock) 82 69.
LEADING TEAMS
597 Northwestern.
607 Michigan.
613 Texas Tech.
615 Arkansas-Little Rock.
621 Western Michigan.
622 Eastern Michigan.

Friday 3rd March 2006

SPANISH WOMEN’S OPEN AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
BRITAIN’S LAST HOPE BREANNE TOPPLES NO 1 SEED
Seventeen-year-old Wrexham golfer Breanne Loucks, pictured right (Photo Courtesy and Copyright © Tom Ward), toppled the No 1 seed Anna Nordqvist (Sweden), the current British girls’ open champion, to reach the quarter-finals of the Spanish women’s open amateur championship at Isla Canela Golf Club, Huelva.
Breanne was the only British survivor in the tournament after two Scots – Krystle Caithness (St Regulus) and Jenna Wilson (Strathaven) – and four English players were knocked out in the first-round ties.
Breanne, a full Wales international player and the 16th of the 31 qualifiers, opened her match-play campaign by beating Pia Halbig (Germany), the No 17 qualifier, by 3 and 2.
Then Miss Loucks upset the form book with a 3 and 2 win over Anna Nordqvist who had trounced Russian Maria Verchenova, the No 32 qualifier, by 6 and 5.
Anna could obviously have done with playing more holes because she had a tiger by the tail in Breanne who ran out the winner by 3 and 2.
The Welsh prospect, a member of the Ladies Golf Union Squad and as such a contender for a place in the Great Britain & Ireland team for the Curtis Cup match against the United States at Bandon Dunes, Oregon at the end of July, now plays Spain’s Marta Silva who had a very good one-hole win over her highly-rated compatriot Emma Cabrera.
Second round
Loucks bt Nordqvist 3 and 2.
Silva bt Cabrera 1 hole.
Hedwall bt Westrup 1 hole.
Becker bt Hoffmeiseter at 19th.
Ruuttilla bt Lennarth 2 and 1.
Ciganda bt Terol 3 and 2.
Toumpsin bt Dahlberg 1 hole.
Saskia bt Vlander 4 and 2.

SPANISH MEN’S OPEN AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
YOUNG SCOT LOSES TO NO 3 SEED AT 19TH
Steven McEwan (Barassie) bowed out of the Spanish men’s amateur golf championship after an nerve-racking second-round tie against England’s Sam Hutsby, the No 3 qualifier, at Sherry Golf Jerez, Cadiz.
Young McEwan was the only Scottish qualifier for the match-play stages and continued his good form by beating Adrian Carretero (Spain) by two holes in his first-round match.
That put Steven, the No 14 qualifier, in against the in-form Hutsby in a late afternoon match which went to the 19th hole before the Englishman won to reach the last eight.
Second round
Molinari bt Jordi Garcia 2 and 1.
Collins bt Dodd 2 and 1.
Palmer bt Harris 2 holes.
Boyd bt Ion Gardia 1 hole.
Huts by bt McEwan at 19th.
Bernadet bt Savolampi 3 and 2.
Berlin bt McGowan 2 and 1.
Trow bt Freeman 4 and 3.

SCOTS BOYS WIN QUAD TITLE IN FRANCE
Scotland got their competitive season off to a great start in France today when they won the boys’ international quadrangular match against Italy, Sweden and France at St Cyprien Golf Club near Perpignan in southern France.
It was the Scots’ first win in the annual tournament since 1995 and they did it in style with three wins out of three.
They completed their 100 per cent record by beating Sweden 6-3 while France scored their first win of the week, 5-4 over Italy.
Scotland finished with 3pt while Italy, Sweden and France all had one point to their credit.
Cameron Gray (West Kilbride) shared with Jesper Kennegard (Sweden) and Lorenzo Scott (Italy) the honour of being the most successful player in the three-day tournament. Each had four wins and a halved match for 4 1/2pt out of six.
The secret of the young Scots’ success was their strength in depth.
Ross Kellett (Colville Park) and James White (Lundin) each gained 4pt while Lewis Kirton (Newmachar) and James Byrne (Banchory) finished the programme with 3 1/2pt apiece.
Ross Leeds (Muckhart) won twice and halved twice for a 3pt total.
FRIDAY SCOREBOARD
SCOTLAND 6, SWEDEN 3
Foursomes (2-1)
Cameron Gray & Lewis Kirton lost to Jesper Kennegard & Christofer Arvidsson.
James Byrne & Ross Leeds bt Bjorn Akesson & Pontus Widegren.
Ross Kellett & James White bt Robin Wingardh & Rasmus Astrand.
Singles (4-2)
Kirton bt Kennegard 4 and 3.
Gray bt Arvidsson 2 and 1.
Byrne bt Widegren 5 and 4.
Leeds lost to Astrand 3 and 1.
White bt Akesson 2 and 1.
Kellett lost to Wingardh 5 and 3.
ITALY 4, FRANCE 5
Foursomes (1 ½-1 ½)
Cristiano Terragni & Ludovico Righetto halved with Remi Menard & Damien Perrier.
Andrea Chiapuzzo & Nunzio Lombardi lost to Romain Schneider & Charles Levitte 5 and 4.
Lorenzo Scotto & Joon Kim bt Vaita Guillaume & Edouard Dubois 1 hole.
Singles (2 ½-3 ½)
Lombardi halved with Levitte.
Chiapuzzo bt Perrier 2 holes.
Righetto lost to Schneider 3 and 2.
Terragni lost to Menard 3 and 2.
Scotto bt Dubois 1 hole.
Kim lost to Guillaume 6 and 4.
FINAL PLACINGS
1 Scotland 3pt
2 France, Sweden, Italy 1pt each.

SPANISH MEN’S OPEN AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
YOUNG McEWAN MARCHES ON IN SPAIN
Steven McEwan (Barassie), the only Scottish qualifier for the match-play stages of the Spanish men’s open amateur golf championship at Sherry Golf Jerez, Cadiz, continued his good form to reach the last 16.
McEwan, 14th of the 32 qualifiers rounds of 73 and 72 for 145 – Bryan Fotheringham (Forres) (73-75) was eliminated on a card countback involving 10 players on the 148 mark, beat Adrian Carretero (Spain) by two holes in a first-round tie.
SPANISH MEN’S OPEN AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
Sherry Golf Jerez, Cadiz
First round match-play
Players from Spain unless stated
J Gardia bt H Proos (Eng) 6 and 5, E Molinari (Ita) bt A Rosado (Por) 4 and 3, L Dodd (Eng) bt T Hunter (Eng) 2 holes, L Collins (Eng) bt A Ulvio (Fin) 2 and 1, R Harris (Eng) bt B Neumann (Ger) 2 and 1, J Palmer (Eng), bt C McDonnell (Eng) 1 hole, G Boyd (Eng) bt A Doniga 2 and 1, I Garcia bt J Morrison (Eng) 4 and 2.
S Hutsby (Eng) bt M Lowe (Eng) 3 and 2, S McEwan (Sco) bt A Carretero 2 holes, J P Savolampi (Fin) bt S Menendez 5 and 4, A Bernadet (Fra) bt I Elvira 3 and 1, R McGowan (Eng) bt D Marmion (Eng) 2 and 1, G Berlin bt M Jordan (Ger) 5 and 4, M Trow (Wal) bt D Belch (Eng) 2 and 1, J Freeman (Eng) bt D Borda (Spa) 2 and 1.

SPANISH WOMEN’S OPEN AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
BAD DAY FOR BRITS IN SPAIN
Breanne Loucks, pictured right, from Wales is the only British player left in the Spanish women’s open amateur golf championship at Isla Canela Golf Club, Huelva.
Breanne, who won by 3 and 2 against Germany’s Pia Halbig, now plays the current British girls’ open champion and the leading qualifier, Anna Nordqvist (Sweden) for a place in the quarter-finals.
A total of four English players and two Scots were knocked out in the first round of the match-play.
Fife teenager Krystle Caithness (St Regulus) lost by one hole to the 14th qualifier Kaisa Ruuttila (Finland).
Jenna Wilson (Strathaven) went down by 4 and 3 to Sweden’s Camilla Lennarth, the No 3 seed.
Laura Eastwood (Yelverton), the No 2 seed, lost by one hole to the 31st qualifier, Kim Vlander (Sweden).
Ganton’s Naomi Edwards, last year’s St Rule Trophy winner at St Andrews, was beaten on the last green by Emelie Westrup (Sweden).
Danielle Montgomerie lost by 2 and 1 to Diana Terol (Spain).
SPANISH WOMEN’S OPEN AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
Isla Canela GC, Huelva.
First round match-play results
(Players from Spain unless stated)
A Nordqvist (Swe) bt M Verchenova (Rus) 6 and 5, B Loucks (Wal) bt P Halbig Ger) 3 and 2, E Cabrera bt M Van der Graaff (Net) 6 and 5, M Silva bt B Mozo 3 and 2, C Hedwall (Swe) bt C Perez-Narbon 3 and 2, E Westrup (Swe) bt N Edwards (Eng) 1 hole, T Hoffmeister (Ger) bt A Rossi (Ita) 4 and 3, D Becker bt C Andrade 1 hole.
C Lennarth (Swe) bt J Wilson (Sco) 4 and 3, K Tuuttila (Fin) bt K Caithness (Sco) 1 hole, D Terol bt D Montgomery (Eng) 2 and 1, C Ciganda bt J Ross (Eng) 2 holes, B Toumpsin (Bel) bt L Gustafsson (Swe) 5 and 4, A Dahlberg (Swe) bt A Felgueroso 4 and 3, H Saskia (Ger) bt K Schallenberg (Ger) 3 and 2, K Vlander (Swe) bt L Eastwood (Eng) 1 hole.

McEWAN ONLY SCOTTISH QUALIFIER IN SPAIN
Only one Scot – Steven McEwan (Barassie) – figured among the 32 qualifiers for the match-play stages of the Spanish men’s open amateur golf championship at Sherry Golf Jerez in the Cadiz region of southern Spain.
Steven was one of a group of players who were unable to complete their second qualifying round because of falling darkness on Wednesday night.
He went out at 8am this morning (FRIDAY) and played extremely well under pressure to match the par of 72 for an aggregate of 145 to qualify with ease in 14th place.
Bryan Fotheringham (Forres), seemingly assured of qualifying when he was in joint 19th place on 148 overnight after completing his second round with a 73 for 148.
But the returns from the players who had to resume their second rounds this morning transformed the situation – and Bryan was left on the sidelines as the match-play started.
There were, in all, nine players, on the 148 mark. Only two of them – James Freeman (75-73) and Harry Proos (75-73) – got through to the match-play in 31st and 32nd places.
In a card countback, Freeman (home in 36) beat Proos (home in 38) and Fotheringham (home in 38). It went down to the last six holes to separate Proos and Fotheringham. Proos totalled 25 for the last six. Fotheringham totalled 26.
Bogeys at the 16th and 18th cost the Forres man dearly.
Elliot Saltman (Craigielaw), who, like McEwan, was not able to complete his qualifying rounds until this morning, did not do so well as Steven. Elliot, the North of Scotland open amateur champion, had a 77 after his first-day 73 so an aggregate of 150 left him outside the cut-off mark of 148.
LEADING QUALIFIERS
140 Jordi Garcia 68 72.
142 David Borda 70 72.
143 Sam Hutsby 75 68, Ion Garcia 73 70, Bernhard Neumann 73 70.
Scottish qualifier:
145 Steven McEwan (Barassie) 73 72 (14th place).
Scottish non-qualifiers.
148 (after card countback) Bryan Fotheringham (Forres) 75 73.
150 Elliot Saltman (Craigielaw) 73 77.
152 John Gallagher (Swanston) 72 80.
160 Scott Henry (Cardross) 80 80.
162 Paul O’Hara (Colville Park) 81 81.

US College Golf
EMILY STRUGGLES IN ARIZONA TOURNAMENT
Perthshire player Emily Ogilvy from Dunning had a nightmare round of 11-over-par 82 in the first round of the Rio Verde Collegiate Invitational women’s golf tournament at Rio Verde Country Club, Arizona.
Emily, a student at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock, began her round at the 10th hole at which she ran up the first of four double bogeys on her scorecard. She also double-bogeyed the fourth, fifth and eighth in halves of 40 and 42.
Miss Ogilvy starts the second round in joint 69th place in the field of 106, some eight shots behind the three joint leaders, Bari Erais (Bradley University), Missy Linnens (Missouri State) and Jenna Walter (Western Michigan).
Arkansas-Little Rock (322) is sharing 13th place behind Northwestern University (302) in the team event which has a field of 17 teams.

Thursday 2nd March 2006

KRYSTLE SPARKLES TO QUALIFY WITH JENNA FOR MATCH-PLAY STAGES IN SPAIN
Fife teenager Krystle Caithness, pictured right, swept through to the match-play stages of the Spanish women’s open amateur golf championship with a splendid second-round 73 for a qualifying aggregate of 152 at Isla Canela Golf Club, Huelva.
Krystle, who turned 17 in January, had looked in danger of not making the leading 32 for the match-play after a first-round 79 but the St Regulus Golf Club member produced her best form when she needed it to qualify in 19th place.
Her Scotland international team-mate, Jenna Wilson (Strathaven) had a pair of 77s for 154 – and survived the cut with not a shot to spare in 30th place.
As luck would have it, if the Scots pair win their first-round ties, they will meet in the second round.
Krystle plays 11th qualifier Danielle Montgomery from England while Jenna plays the 14th qualifier, Kaisa Ruuttila (Finland).
The third Scottish entry, Stirling Universtiy’s Kylie Walker (Buchanan Castle) did not qualify for the match-play. She finished in joint 55th position on 160 after rounds of 81 and 79.
Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist, pictured below right, winner of last year’s British girls’ open championship, was the leading qualifier by a four-shot margin after rounds of 72 and 68.
England’s Laura Eastwood is the second seed with a pair of 72s for 144.
SPANISH WOMEN’S OPEN AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
Isla Canela GC, Huelva.
Leading qualifiers
140 Anna Nordqvist (Swe) 72 68.
144 Laura Eastwood (Eng) 72 72.
145 Camilla Lennarth (Swe) 75 70, Carolina Andrade (Spa) 73 72.
146 Caroline Hedwall (Swe) 73 73, Carlota Ciganda (Spa) 71 75.
148 Benedicte Toumpsin (Bel) 71 77.
149 Marta Silva (Spa) 78 71, Emma Cabrera (Spa) 77 72, Anna Dahlberg-Soderstrom (Swe) 76 73, Danielle Montgomery (Eng) 74 75.
150 Naomi Edwards (Eng) 76 74, Anna Rossi (Ita) 75 75.
Other qualifiers:
151 Breanne Loucks (Wal) 75 76.
152 Krystle Caithness (Sco) 79 73.
154 Julie Ross (Eng) 78 76, Jenna Wilson (Sco) 77 77.
Non-qualifiers included:
158 Rachel Bell (Eng) 80 78.
159 Sahra Hassan (Wal) 82 77, Sarah Attwood (Eng) 81 78.
160 Kylie Walker (Sco) 81 79, Elizabeth Bennet (Eng) 79 81.
161 Faye Sanderson (Eng) 80 81.
163 Corisande Lee (Eng) 81 82.
164 Lydia Hall (Wal) 85 79, Stephanie Evans (Wal) 82 82.
165 Emma Sheffield (Eng) 84 81.
167 Joanne Hodge (Eng) 83 84.
174 Katie Thompson (Eng) 85 89.

FOTHERINGHAM SITTING PRETTY IN SPAIN
Forres man Bryan Fotheringham is likely to be the only Scot involved in the match-play stages of Spanish men’s open amateur golf championship for the King’s Cup at Sherry Golf Jerez, Cadiz.
Fotheringham returned scores of 75 and 73 for an aggregate of 148 before darkness prevented the second qualifying round from being completed. Early-morning fog had delayed the start of play.
Bryan is joint 19th of the players who have completed their two rounds. The projected cut is 149 but everything will depend on the players who will go out at 8am to finish their second rounds.
They include Steven McEwan (Barassie) and North of Scotland open champion Elliot Saltman (Craigielaw) who each had a 73 in the first round.
Whatever happens John Gallagher (Swanston), Scottish boys’ champion Scott Henry (Cardross), Robert McKnight (Barassie) and Paul O’Hara (Colville Park) will not figure among the 32 players who go forward to the match-plays tages.
Gallagher slumped from a 72 to an 80 for 152 to be joint 46th in the clubhouse. Henry had a pair of 80s for 160, the same total as McKnight with an 83 and 77. O’Hara had two 81s for 162.
SPANISH MEN’S OPEN AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
Sherry Golf Jerez, Cadiz
Play suspended because of darkness with several players still to compelte second qualifying round.
Leaders in clubhouse
143 Ion Garcia 73 70, Bernhard Neumann 73 70.
144 Antti Ulvio 71 73, Tommy Hunter 70 74.
Scottish scores included:
148 Bryan Fotheringham 75 73.
152 John Gallagher 72 80.
160 Scott Henry 80 80, Robert McKnight 83 77.
162 Paul O’Hara 81 81.
Still to complete second round:
Steven McEwan (Barassie) (73), Elliot Saltman (Craigielaw) (73).

RHYS DAVIES ON SHORT LEET FOR 2006 BEN HOGAN AWARD
Edinburgh-born Rhys Davies from Bridgend, Wales – a student at East Tennessee State University – is one of four Europeans in a short leet of 27 players named by the 2006 Ben Hogan Award selection committee.
The Ben Hogan Award is presented annually to the top men's NCAA Division I, II or III, NAIA or junior college golfer, taking into account all collegiate and amateur competitions during the last 12 months.
Davies, winner of several college tournaments for East Tennessee State, is one of two past British boys’ open championship on the list.
The other is Spain’s Pablo Martin who attends Oklahoma State University.
Alejandro Canizares (Arizona State) is a second Spaniard on the Ben Hogan Award list.
The fourth European is Oscar Floren (Texas Tech) from Sweden.

SCOTS BOYS MAKE IT TWO WINS OUT OF TWO IN SOUTHERN FRANCE
Scotland’s under-18 golf team have an outstanding chance of winning the international boys’ quadrangular tournament at St Cyprien Golf Club, near Perpignan in southern France.
The Scots followed up their first-day 6-3 win over Italy by beating France 5 ½-3 ½. At the same time, Italy were beating Sweden 5 ½-3 1/2.
Sweden had beaten France in their first match, which means that Scotland are the only team with a 100 per cent record going into the final day when they meet Sweden.
After the foursomes were shared 1 ½-1 ½, the Scots took the singles 4-2 against the French. Lewis Kirton, Cameron Gray, Ross Leeds and Ross Kellett were the afternoon victors for Scotland.
Second-day details:
FRANCE 3 ½, SCOTLAND 5 ½
Foursomes (1 ½-1 ½)
Charles Levitte & Vaita Guillaume lost to Cameron Gray & Lewis Kirton 3 and 2.
Romain Schneider & Remi Menard bt James Byrne & Ross Leeds 3 and 2.
Damien Perrier & Edouard Dubois halved with Ross Kellett & James White.
Singles (2-4)
Schneider lost to Kirton 6 and 5.
Menard lost to Gray 2 and 1.
Perrier bt Byrne 12 hole,
Guillaume lost to Leeds 1 hole.
Levitte bt White 3 and 2.
Dubois lost to Kellett 2 and 2.
ITALY 5 ½, SWEDEN 3 ½
Foursomes (2-1)
Andrea Chiapuzzo & Nunzio Lombardi lost to Jesper Kennegard & Christofer Arvidsson 1 hole.
Lorenzo Scotto & Joon Kim bt Bjorn Akesson & Pontus Widegren 2 and 1.
Cristiano Terragni & Ludovico Righetto bt Robin Wingardh & Rasmus Astrand 1 hole.
Singles (3 ½-2 ½)
Lombardi lost to Kennegard 3 and 1.
Chiapuzzo halved with Arvidsson.
Scotto bt Widegren 6 and 4.
Kim bt Astrand 2 and 1.
Righetto lost to Akesson 3 and 2.
Terragni bt Wingardh 1 hole.
HOW THEY STAND
1 Scotland 2 wins; 2 Sweden & Italy 1 win each; 4 France 0 wins.
FINAL MATCHES
Scotland v Sweden, France v Italy.

ABERDEENSHIRE LADIES BAN DISTANCE-MEASURING DEVICE
Aberdeenshire Ladies County Golf Association's management committee has banned the use of any distance-measuring device in events under its auspices in the 2006 season.
"I understand that by taking this action we are also following the same approach that the Ladies Golf Union, Scottish Ladies Golfing Association and the Royal & Ancient have adopted for their championships and international matches," said Aberdeenshire county captain Ros Dunsmuir (Cruden Bay), pictured right.
"Our decision will be reviewed in 2007."
Decision 14-3/0.5 in the 2006-2007 Decisions on the Rules of Golf enables a committee to introduce a local rule permitting golfers to use a distance- measuring device during a round.

SGU Press Release
Five Scots On Course In South Africa
Five of Scotland’s leading amateur golfers are in South Africa preparing to contest the Sanlam South African Amateur Championship which takes place next week (5-11 March 2006).
Lloyd Saltman (Craigielaw), George Murray (Earlsferry Thistle), Jonathan King (Glasgow), Scott Jamieson (Cathkin Braes) and Glenn Campbell (Blairgowrie) have travelled with Scottish Golf Union national coach Ian Rae for a squad training week prior to the event.
The championship is being played at the De Zalze and Stellenbosch Golf Clubs, which will also host the Eisenhower Trophy, the 2006 World Amateur Team Championships, in late October (26-29).
The format for the Sanlam South African Amateur Championship is 72 holes strokeplay played over the first four days, with the leading 32 players progressing to matchplay stages.

THREE SCOTS IN WITH CHANCE OF QUALIFYING FOR SPANISH OPEN AMATEUR MATCH-PLAY
Only three of the sevenScots in the field of 132 have a realistic chance of qualifying for the match-play stages of the Spanish men’s open amateur golf championship for the King’s Cup at Sherry Golf Jerez in the Cadiz region of southern Spain.
Only the leading 32 players after Thursday’s second qualifying round will go on to the remainder of the championship.
At the end of the first round Spaniard Jodi Garcia was the leader with a four-under-par 68.
John Gallagher (Swanston) was sharing 13th place with a 72.
Steven McEwan (Barassie) and Elliot Saltman (Craigielaw) were joint 22nd on 73.
Bryan Fotheringham from Forres might still make it with a very good second round after an opening 75 which left him in joint 62nd place.
Scottish boys champion Scott Hendry (Cardross) and Paul O’Hara (Colville Park) look to be ready for a quick exit after scoring 80 and 81 respectively. Scott started the second day in a tie for 118th place while Paul O’Hara (Colville Park) was joint 126th.
Robert McKnight (Barassie) was only one place off the bottom of the heap after an 83 for a share of 130th place.
FIRST QUALIFYING ROUND
LEADING SCORES
Par 72
68 Jodi Garcia.
69 John Allen.
70 David Borda, Reinier Saxton, Ignacio Elvira, Tommy Hunter, Seve Benson, Edoardo Molinari.
Scottish scores:
72 John Gallagher (Swanston).
73 Steven McEwan (Barassie), Elliot Saltman (Craigielaw).
75 Bryan Fotheringham (Forres).
80 Scott Henry (Cardross).
81 Paul O’Hara (Colville Park).
83 Robert McKnight (Barassie).

EGU Press Release
DONALD STEEL INSTALLED AS EGU PRESIDENT
Donald Steel (pictured left - photo courtesy of Tom Ward), a former England international, accomplished golf writer and course architect, has taken office as President of the English Golf Union for 2006.
He took over at the Union’s Annual Meeting at Woodhall Spa this week and succeeds Fred Caröe.
“I am really looking forward to the year,” he says. “I’m particularly looking forward to going back to what I used to do and that is watching golf, but this time I won’t have to write a daily report. I’m also looking forward to meeting a lot of old friends and perhaps some old rivals from my playing days.”
Steel knows he is going to witness many future stars as he tours the country with the various EGU championships. “The standard of amateur golf has never been higher, you only have to look at the scoring to see that,” he adds. “The running of the EGU has changed tremendously over the last 20 or 30 years, not least in coaching and there is nothing more worthy than encouraging youngsters at club, county or international level.”
Not that the presidency role will strike fears into him. In recent times he has filled similar positions with the Association of Golf Writers, the British Institute of Golf Course Architects, and the Public Schools Golfing Society.
Born in Hillingdon, Middlesex, Steel’s education was at Fettes College in Edinburgh and at Christ’s College, Cambridge, where he was a member of the golf team for three years. He has been a member of Denham Golf Club for over 50 years, of the R&A since 1962, and he is also a member of West Sussex and Royal Worlington. County-wise, he represented BB&O from 1958 to 1972 and recalls beating Howard Clark, then playing for Yorkshire, at the 20th, in the deciding match of the County Championship at Woodhall Spa in 1972.
During his time in Fleet Street, he reported on all the major championships and Ryder Cups until, in 1990, he turned full time to course design work. His company has been active at many sites at home and abroad, not least in the reshaping of the Royal Liverpool course at Hoylake, which will host this year’s Open Championship.
Steel, 68, has designed around 70 courses in 20 countries since 1987 including the Bracken Course at EGU headquarters at Woodhall Spa.
He was capped by England for the 1970 Home Internationals, a team that has now produced four EGU Presidents, Sir Michael Bonallack (1982), Dr David Marsh (1988), Geoff Marks (1995), and now Steel.
“That might be some sort of record,” he adds.

Press Release
THE FUTURE’S BRIGHT – THE FUTURE’S GOLFSMART
The world of golf could be revolutionised with the technology on offer from Live Fore Golf.
However, the company is not offering a ground-breaking new driver or anything to help you on the course; instead it is applying everyday technology to change the way golfers interact wherever they are.
Live Fore Golf has launched GolfSmart SMS, a new service which has the potential to benefit golfers in addition to all companies working within the sport.
GolfSmart SMS allows clubs to use text messages to market their services and events directly to golfers’ mobile phones.
The rapid delivery of messages at relevant times can effectively turn members’ mobiles into a club’s own electronic message board.
As well as benefiting golf clubs, the service could prove successful for any companies wishing to communicate with golfers.
The internet-based technology enables users to send messages to targeted recipients at the touch of a button. They will be received within seconds, and the cost is up to five times cheaper than traditional mailshots.
Golfers who sign up can benefit from text messages about reduced green fees, available tee times, discounted equipment, information from their chosen golf clubs and free prize draws.
And there is no need to worry about receiving unwanted texts as users choose what information they wish to receive.
Jamie Hall, sales director for GolfSmart SMS, said: “Today nearly everyone has a mobile phone with them all the time, so it’s the perfect way to get in touch with people.
“Text messages are proven to have a greater response rate than traditional marketing methods, as well as being cheaper, and this can translate into increased revenue streams. Our service has the potential to increase attendance at club functions which could significantly increase the income of some clubs.
“Alternatively it can be used to get reserves for a club match or to wish members a merry Christmas – there are any number of ways GolfSmart SMS can benefit the running of a club.”
For more information on GolfSmart SMS, or to sign up, call 0870 2000 418.

Wednesday 1st March 2006

JENNA BEST OF SCOTS IN SUNNY SPAIN
Scotland’s representatives, Jenna Wilson (Strathaven), Krystle Caithness (St Regulus) and Stirling University’s Kylie Walker (Buchanan Castle) were sharing 22nd, 40th and 58th positions respectively in a field of 102 at the end of the first qualifying round of the Spanish women’s open amateur golf championship at Isla Canela Golf Club, Huelva today (WED).
On a sunny day with little or no wind, Jenna had a score of five-over-par 77, Krystle a 79 and Kylie an 81.
Only the leading 32 players at the end of the second qualifying round will go forward to the match-play stages for the Queen’s Cup.
Defending champion Carlota Ciganda shared the first-day lead with Belgium’s Benedicte Toumpsin on one-under 71.
LEADING FIRST ROUND SCORES
Par 72
(Players from Spain unless stated)
71 Carlota Ciganda, Benedicte (Bel).
782 Anna Nordqvist (Swe), Laura Eastwood (Eng).
73 Caroline Hedwall (Swe), Carolina Andrade.
74 Danielle Montgomery (Eng).
75 Patricia Sanz Barrio, Emelie Westrup (Swe), Katharina Schallenberg (Ger), Ines Tusquets, Belen Mozo,. Anna Rossi (Ita), Camilla Lennarth (Swe), Breanne Loucks (Wal), Diana Terol.
76 Teresa Puga, Anna Dahlberg-Soderstrom (Swe), Marjet Van der Graaff, Desiree Karlsson (Swe), Naomi Edwards (Eng).
77 Jenna Wilson (Sco), Emma Cabrera, Nina Holleder (Ger), Valerie Sternebeck (Ger), Kim Vlander (Swe), Maria Verchenova (Rus), Linda Persson (Swe), Kaisa Ruuttila (Fin), Araceli Felgueroso.
Other scors:
78 Julie Ross (Eng) (jt 31st).
79 Krystle Caithness (Sco), Elizabeth Bennett (Eng) (jt 40th).
80 Faye Sanderson (Eng), Rachel Bell (Eng) (jt 52nd).
81 Kylie Walker (Sco), Lee Corisande (Eng), Sarah Attwood (Eng) (jt 58th).
82 Stephanie Evans (Wal), Sahra Hassan (Wal) (jt 69th).
83 Joanne Hodge (Eng) (jt 79th).
84 Emma Sheffield (Eng) (jt 86th).
85 Lydia Hall (Wal), Katie Thompson (Eng) (jt 91st).

GOOD START BY SCOTS BOYS IN FRANCE
Scotland made a good start to the boys’ quadrangular golf match at St Cyprien Golf Club, near Perpignan, France today (WED).
They beat Italy 6-3 after sharing the foursomes 1 ½-1 ½ and taking the singles 4 ½-1 ½.
In the other match, Sweden beat France 5 ½- 3 ½.
In Thursday’s programme, Scotland play France and Italy meet Sweden.
Results:
SCOTLAND 6, ITALY 3
Foursomes (1 ½-1 ½)
Cameron Gray & Lewis Kirton halved with Ludovico Righetto.
James Byrne & Ross Leeds halved with Joon Kim & Lorenzo Scotto.
Ross Kellett & James White halved with Andres Chiapuzzo & Nunzio Lombardi.
Singles (4 ½-1 ½)
Kirton lost to Terragni 5 and 3.
Gray bt Righetto 4 and 3.
Byrne bt Scotto 3 and 1.
Leeds halved with Kim.
White bt Chiapusso 3 and 2.
Kellet bt Lombardi 4 and 3.
SWEDEN 5 ½, FRANCE 3 ½
Foursomes (2-1)
Jesper Kennegard & Christofer Arvidsson bt Charles Levitte & Vaita Guillaume 1 hole.
Bjorn Akesson & Pontus Widegren halved with Romain Schneider & Remy Menard.
Robin Wingardh & Rasmus Astrand halved with Damien Perrier & Edouard Dubois.
Singles (3 ½-2 ½_
Kennegard halved with Levitte.
Arvidsson lost to Guillaume 2 and 1.
Akesson bt Perrier 1 hole.
Widegren bt Menard 1 hole.
Wingardh bt Schneider 5 and 4.
Astrand lost to Dubois 2 holes.

Callaway Golf Debuts HX Pearl Golf Ball
A 3-PIECE GOLF BALL SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO FIT A WOMAN’S GAME
[NO...IT'S NOT THE FIRST OF APRIL.. ALTHOUGH THIS STORY HAS A CERTAIN RING TO IT! GGK]
Callaway Golf Company today announced the debut of the HX® Pearl Golf Ball, a 3-piece, high-performance golf ball specifically designed to provide women golfers with exceptional distance and amazingly soft feel. The 3-piece HX Pearl Golf Ball features the same revolutionary HEX Aerodynamics used in the tour-proven HX Tour and HX Tour 56 golf balls, for optimum distance and accuracy.
The new HX Pearl Golf Ball will be available at retail beginning March 15 with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of £22 per dozen.
“The introduction of the new HX Pearl Golf Ball underscores our commitment to women’s golf,” said George Fellows, President and CEO of Callaway Golf. “Women golfers have told us they want the same high-tech performance golf balls men play, but they want them to be designed for their style of play. We listened to them, and the result is the HX Pearl, a superior performance ball that delivers exceptional distance and soft feel tee to green.”
At the heart of the HX Pearl Golf Ball is its soft yet resilient rubber core. Its unique formulation helps to increase ball speed off the clubface, which translates directly to more consistent and impressive distance for golfers with slower swing speeds.
The cover of the HX Pearl Golf Ball has a striking pearlised finish, giving the ball a unique lustrous glow that makes it easy to spot on the golf course. Beneath the luminescent cover is a thin boundary layer of DuPont™ HPF, which lends resiliency and reacts like rubber for optimised feel and ball speed.
Like each premium golf ball offered by Callaway Golf, the HX Pearl also features HEX Aerodynamics, a revolutionary design that creates 100% surface area coverage for optimal lift and drag characteristics and virtually seamless geometry for a more stable ball flight, greater potential distance and consistent performance on every shot.

SLGA launch new web-site
The SLGA website address has changed to www.slga.co.uk
Check it out and admire!

US College Golf
HEATHER’S TOP 10 FINISH AT FRESNO
Curtis Cup team contender Heather MacRae, pictured below right, from Dunblane finished joint ninth in the Fresno State Invitational women’s college golf tournament at the Copper River Country Club, Fresno in California.
Dunblane Golf Club member Heather, 22, winner of the British women’s open amateur stroke-play title at Nairn last summer and in her final year of a golf scholarship at San Diego State University in California, had rounds of 73 and 74 for a total of 147 over the 6,004yd, par-72 course.
The Curtis Cup match between Great Britain & Ireland and the United States is being played at Bandon Dunes, Oregon at the end of July.
Selanee Henderson (UC-Irvine) won the individual title by the surprisingly large margin of six shots over only 36 holes. She had rounds of 67 and 70 for 137. UC-Irvine (571) also won the team event by nine shots.
San Diego State (621) finished 15th of the 19 competing teams, mainly because Heather MacRae had no close support. Her next team-mate was joint 47th in the individual standings, some six shots behind the Scot.
LEADING INDIVIDUAL
137 Selanee Henderson (UC-Irvine) 67 70.
143 Hayley Wilkinson (Long Beach State) 74 69.
145 Angela Won (UC-Irvine) 71 74, Kay Hoey (Long Beach State) 76 69.
Other total:
147 Heather Macrae (San Diego State) 73 74 (jt 9th).
LEADING TEAMS
571 UC-Irvine.
580 Long Beach State.
596 New Mexico State.
597 San Jose State.
600 Oregon State, Fresno State.
Other total:
621 San Diego State (15th).

ELGA Press Release
Beverley New resigns as England's Home International captain
Beverley New has resigned as the captain of England's Home International team because of work commitments.
Beverley, who steered England to victory in the 2005 matches, has started a new job as assistant secretary at Burnham & Berrow Golf Club in Somerset.
"This was a big decision to make," she said. "I enjoyed being captain, it was a fantastic challenge and it was brilliant to do it and to do it well.
"But I know how much time I put into it last year and I just haven't got that amount of time this year. It's not just about the week of the event, I need to be at tournaments, I need to watch the girls play and I need to be involved in selection."
Beverley first captained the Home International team in 2004 and last year she also took charge for the European Ladies' Team Championship, when England won the silver medal.
She has had long-standing ambitions to move into the world of the golf club secretary and she describes her new post as "a wonderful opportunity."
It's the latest stage in an illustrious golfing career for the Somerset player.
Beverley, from Lansdown, was a top amateur who then pursued a professional career which brought her wins in four countries. She returned to amateur ranks in 2001, immediately winning the Somerset county title for the sixth time - and added yet another victory in that event last season.

STEPHANIE DOWN THE FIELD
2003 East of Scotland Girls Champion, Stephanie Crolla (Nicholls State University) tied for 48th place in the Centenary Ladies Spring Invitational college tournament at Shreveport Country Club, Louisiana.
Stephanie had rounds of 93 and 87 for a total of 180 over the 5,818yd, par-71 course.
Christy Carter (Oral Roberts) and Jessica Garza (Centenary College) finished joint first with 153, Christy scoring 74 and 79 to Jessica's 77 and 76.
Oral Roberts (625) won the team event from McLennan College (644) with Lamar (646) third. Nicholls State (680) finished eighth of the 13 competing teams.

US College Golf
ENGLISH PAIR DOWN FIELD IN CALIFORNIA
Lloyd Campbell from Kent and Leicester’s Charles Ford – golfing team-mates at Tennessee University – finished joint 41st and 48th respectively in a field of 80 for the Ashworth Invitational men’s college tournament at North Ranch Country Club, Westlake Village in California.
Senior student Campbell had rounds of 74, 76 and 74 for an aggregate of 225 over the 6,742yd, par-71 course.
Sophomore Ford scored 74, 81 and 72 for 227.
Anthony Kim (Oklahoma) spreadeagled the field to win by seven shots with a nine-under-par total of 204, made up of 68, 69 and 67.
Tennessee (880) finished seventh behind team winners Pepperdine.
LEADING INDIVIDUALS
204 Anthony Kim (Oklahoma) 68 69 67.
211 Zack Miller (Stanford) 72 71 68.
Other totals:
225 Lloyd Campbell (Tennessee) 74 76 75 (jt 41st).
227 Charles Ford (Tennessee) 74 81 72 (jt 48th).
LEADING TEAMS
861 Pepperdine.
870 Southern California.
873 Stanford.
875 UCLA, Oklahoma.
876 Brigham Young.
880 Tennessee.

US College Golf
STEPHEN CLARK’S IMPRESSIVE FIRST OUTING FOR MISSOURI KANSAS CITY
Glasgow’s Stephen Clark made an impressive debut for the University of Missouri Kansas City golf team in the Anteater Invitational college tournament which was cut short by bad weather at Costa Mesa, California (on Monday, USA time).
Haggs Castle GC member Clark, who had one win and five top-10 finishes for Pfeiffer University, North Carolina, recently transferred to Missouri Kansas City where Peter McLachlan, the current Scottish youths champion is on the golf squad.
Clark had rounds of 73 and 70 over the 6,695yd, par-70 course at Mesa Verde Golf Club for a 36-hole tally of 143 to be lying second to leader Travis Bertoni (Cal Poly) (69-70) on one-under 139.
Any hopes that the Scot had of making up the four-shot leeway over the final round were dashed when torrential rain swept in to wash out the last day’s play.
Former Scottish boys’ open stroke-play champion Mark Lamb from Haddington – playing for the University of Arizona B team, shared seventh place on 146 with scores of 71 and 75.
Stephen Clark’s performance far outshone that of his new Kangaroos’ team-mates – which is why UMKC finished seventh of the eight competing teams with a total of 611, compared with 578 by the winners, Santa Clara, and 584 by runners-up Arizona B.
Peter McLachlan finished a disappointing 48th with 82 and 80 for 162.
LEADING INDIVIDUALS
Par 70
139 Travis Bertoni (Cal Poly_ 69 70.
143 Stephen Clark (Missouri Kansas City) 73 70.
144 Michael Nicolem (Santa Clark) 74 70, Tim Lynch (Santa Clara) 73 71.
Other totals:
146 Mark Lamb (Arizona B) 71 75 (jt 7th).
162 Peter McLachlan (Missouri Kansas City) 82 80 (48th).
LEADING TEAMS
578 Santa Clara.
584 Arizona B.
586 UC-Irvine.
589 Cal Poly.
598 Pacific.
610 UC-Riverside.
611 Missouri Kansas City.

US College Golf
FINDLAY FINDS HIS FEET IN AMERICA WITH JOINT FIFTH IN PUERTO RICO
Fraserburgh’s Jordan Findlay, joint fifth in this week’s Puerto Rico Classic, delighted the East Tennessee State University head golf coach with his best finish so far in his few months on the American college circuit.
Jordan had rounds of 72, 70 and 70 for a four-under-par total of 212 over the par-72, 6,945yd River course at Westin Rio Mar County Club.
“Jordan played well throughout the tournament and I thought the course was even tougher in the third round,” said Fred Warren. “But it was a great team effort as well. To have three of our guys in the top 20 of a field of this quality, was a very good sign.”
Findlay, who won’t be 18 until April 16, was probably the youngest player in the field of 90. East Tennessee State University, all of whose golf team members are British or Irish, snapped up the Buchan teenager before last summer to ensure that they did not “lose” him to another American college.
Jordan won the British boys’ open championship in 2004 and reached the final again last year. He is still young enough to play in the boys’ home internationals at Lossiemouth from August 8 to 10 and then the British boys’ open championship at Balgownie from August 14 to 19.
But Findlay is now such an important member of the ETSU golf team that head coach Warren would be very reluctant to release him to fly back to Scotland for the Scottish boys’ match-play championship at West Kilbride from April 10 to 15. Which is a pity because Jordan would be favourite to win his native title.
“I really tried to be more disciplined out on the course and I think I improved my game with a lot of practice over the winter break. It’s been really encouraging to play well this week,” said Jordan who struggled to find his feet in golfing terms in the States over the first half of the 2005-2006 American college season.
Until this tournament, Rhys Davies from Wales – another former British boys’ champion – had been regarded as East Tennessee State’s No 1 player with a clutch of tournament wins and top-10 performances to his credit.
But now Jordan Findlay has flexed his golfing muscles – and coach Fred Warren is looking forward to playing the tournaments with two aces in his hand.
The Puerto Rico Classic individual title was won by Chris Kirk (Georgia) who had rounds of 70, 68 and 67 for 11-under-par 205. He covered the last nine holes in 30 shots to pip Spain’s Pablo Martin – British boys’ champion in 2001 and beaten finalist by Rhys Davies in 2003.
Martin score 68, 67 and 71 for 206.
Rhys Davies from Bridgend, Wales had scores of 74, 70 and 72 for a share of 18th place on 216. On the same mark was ETSU team-mate Gareth Shaw from Lisburn, Northern Ireland with scores of 70, 73 and 73.
Two more ETSU players –Adam Hodkinson from Dore, England and Cian McNamara from Limerick, Ireland – finished joint 55th and joint 63rd respectively.
Hodkinson scored 76, 74 and 75 for 224 while McNamara had rounds of 79, 74 and 73 for 226.
Stephen Lewton (North Carolina State) from Milton Keynes finished on the same mark of 216 as Davies and Shaw.
Georgia also won the team title with a 21-under-par total of 843, finishing four shots ahead of Florida.
East Tennessee State, claiming fifth place with 867, finished ahead of several more highly-ranked teams in the field of 18.
Team placings are regarded, if anything, as more important than individual performances on the US college circuit because the success or failure – and the funding – of a university’s golf programme is judged on team victories or high placings.
LEADING INDIVIDUALS
205 Chris Kirk (Georgia) 70 68 67.
206 Pablo Martin (Oklahoma State) 68 67 71.
210 Matt Every (Florida) 70 72 69, Brendon Todd (Georgia) 68 72 70.
212 Jordan Findlay (East Tennessee State) 72 70 70, Alejandro Canizares (Arizona State) 74 70 72.
Other totals:
216 Rhys Davies (East Tennessee State) 74 70 72, Gareth Shaw (East Tennessee State) 70 73 73, Stephen Lewton (North Carolina State) 72 71 73 (jt 18th).
224 Adam Hodkinson (East Tennessee State) 76 74 74 (jt 55th)
226 Cian McNamara (East Tennessee State) 79 74 73 (jt 63rd).
LEADING TEAMS
843 Georgia.
847 Florida.
862 Oklahoma State.
865 Alabama.
867 East Tennessee State.
870 Arizona State.

SGU Press Release
Six Of The Best Tee Off In Spain
Hopes are high for Scottish success in the International Spanish Amateur Championship which gets underway at Sherry Golf Jerez this week (1st – 5th March 2006).
Six of Scotland’s best amateur golfers, John Gallagher (Swanston), Bryan Fotheringham (Forres), Paul O’Hara (Colville Park), Scott Henry (Cardross) and Kilmarnock Barassie duo Steven McEwan and Robert McKnight, have travelled with the Scottish Golf Union looking to repeat the form that brought success at the Portuguese Championship two weeks ago.
The Spanish event mirrors the format in Portugal, with two rounds of strokeplay leading to the top 32 progressing to matchplay stages.
In Portugal, five out of the six Scots made it to the matchplay rounds. Having won his first round match, Bryan Fotheringham was only narrowly beaten in the second round by the eventual tournament winner, Adrien Bernadet of France. Paul O’Hara also lost in the second round, this time to the beaten finalist, Finland’s Antti Ahokas. In the first round O’Hara defeated top-seed, Tiago Cruz from Portugal.
McKnight also made it through to the second round, while Gallagher and McEwan lost on the last green in round one.