LET ROOKIE JENNA WILSON
PLAYS FOR PAY FOR FIRST
TIME AT HACIENDA DEL
ALAMO WINTER FESTIVAL

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
The reigning Scottish women's amateur champion, Jenna Wilson from Strathaven, now a Ladies European Tour professional, has entered next month's inaugural Hacienda del Alamo Women's Winter Festival in Murcia, south-east Spain.Last November, Jenna came through the pre-qualifying competition and then the LET Final Qualifying School to gain her player's card for the 2008 season.
"I am going to make my debut on the LET in the Spanish Open in April (17 to 20th) at Panoramica Golf & Country Club (situated between Valencia and Barcelona) so Hacienda del Alamo Golf Resort with its five-star practice facilities will be ideal for some good quality practice and my first competitions as a professional," said 23-year-old Jenna.
"I have some sponsorship set up to finance the start of my new career as a pro golfer. I am getting support from the Cross Garage in Stonehaven and Waterpoint, also based in Stonehouse."
Jenna was the dominant player of Scottish women's amateur golf for the past two seasons. She was a prolific winner of the 36-hole Order of Merit weekend competitions and she finished top of the Scottish Ladies Golfing Association women's rankings in 2006 and again last year. In 2007, Miss Wilson finished ahead of Michele Thomson (McDonald Ellon) and Emily Ogilvy (Auchterarder).
That means the 1-2-3 in the SLGA Rankings for 2007 will all be playing in the Hacienda del Alamo Festival as Michele and Emily, who were Scotland's female pairing in the The Spirit tournament in Texas last autumn, were among the first to lodge their entries.
Jenna was Lanarkshire county champion in 2005 and 2006 and won the Scottish Under-21 girls title in 2003.
But now the days of amateur trophies and international honours - she played for Scotland in the Women's Home Internationals of 2004-2005-2006-2007 - are over. Jenna is entering a play-for-pay golfing career, something she has always wanted to do and which she is quite excited about.
Thanks to the generosity of Aberdeen hotelier Stewart Spence who is underwriting the professionals' prize fund, Jenna will be chasing a first pro prize of at least 500 Euros, maybe more, in each of the individual events at the Festival.
So if she does well in these and the two team events, she could easily have a first take-home pay of 2,000 to 3,000 Euros. That would more than cover the cost of the trip to Spain and set her up for the return trip to make her first appearance on the 2008 Ladies European Tour.
The professionals and the amateurs will play off different tees and have separate prize lists in the inaugural Hacienda del Alamo Women's Festival.
The professionals will play off the Blue Tees at Hacienda del Alamo. That's a course measuring some 6,594yd. The amateurs will play off the Red Tees (6,087yd). The women's par is a uniform 72.
Remember, the deadline for entries by professionals and amateurs to the Festival is Tuesday, January 15. Get your entry off now to colin@scottishgolfview.com

Entries so far:

PROFESSIONALS
Tracey CRAIK (Scotland)
Lauren DIGGLE (Wales).
Maria MARTIN LOPEZ (Spain).
Danielle MASTERS (England)
Natasha MORGAN (Wales)
Marian RIORDAN (Ireland).
Lien WILLEMS (Belgium).
Jenna WILSON (Scotland).

AMATEURS
Orla BARRY (Galway) handicap 5.
Lisa BARTON (Coventry) handicap 2
Jane BINNING (Frilford Heath) handicap 2.
Anna CARLING (Vale of Glamorgan) handicap 4.
Sarah CARTY (The Island, Dublin) handicap 4.
Kimberley CROOKS (Saltburn by the Sea) handicap scratch. Age 16/17.
Charlotte DALTON (Ladbrook Park) handicap 3. Age 18.
Cara EASTON (Dalmahoy) handicap 8. Age 15.
Mandy EASTON (Dalmahoy) handicap 5.
Marion GEOGHEGAN (Navan) handicap 13.
Kate EVANS (Frilford Heath) handicap 7.
Rebecca GEE (Wellingborough) handicap 5. Age 16.
Annie GOWING (Frilford Heath) handicap 5.
Gemma JENNINGS (Navan) handicap 12.
Mary McAREE (Navan) handicap 20.
Judy McCAIRNS (Frilford Heath) handicap 9.
Kirsten MacCALLUM (McDonald Ellon) handicap 20. Age 14.
Lauren MacCALLUM (McDonald Ellon) handicap 7. Age 17.
Mary MacLAREN (Wellingborough) handicap 4.
Meghan MacLAREN (Wellingborough) handicap 7. Age 13.
Caroline MURPHY (Grange, Dublin) handicap 9. Age 17.
Emma O’DRISCOLL (Ballybunion). Handicap 5. Age 15.
Emily OGILVY (Auchterarder) handicap +1.
Karen OGILVY (Auchterarder) handicap 16.
Margaret ROONEY (Navan) handicap 20.
Philomena SHEERAN (Navan) handicap 20.
Rhian Wyn THOMAS (Vale of Glamorgan) handicap 1. Age 20.
Michele THOMSON (McDonald Ellon) handicap +1. Age 19.
Jane TURNER (Mortonhall). Handicap 1. Age 18.
Jane WHIRISKEY (Galway). Handicap 13.