SCOTS OUT TO IMPRESS
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AT 'HELEN HOLM'

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE SCOTTISH LADIES GOLFING ASSOCIATION
Pamela Pretswell (Bothwell Castle), Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) and Louise Kenney (Pitreavie) are three Scots out to impress the Curtis Cup selectors at the Helen Holm Scottish Open Stroke Play Championship at Troon on April 23-25.
The Curtis Cup takes place in Massachusetts in June, and the GB and Ireland selectors will name the eight-strong team to take on America on Monday, April 26.
Four Scots were in the 2006 Curtis Cup team that lost to the USA at St Andrews. Watson, who was just 16 at the time, is the only one who has a chance to retain her place. Carly Booth, Krystle Caithness and Michele Thomson have since turned professional.
Pretswell, MacDonald and Kenney are all members of the 16-strong GB and Ireland training squad – the fourth Scot included is 18-year-old Sally Watson, who misses the Helen Holm as she is studying at Stanford University in America.
Pretswell played for GB and Ireland in last year’s Vagliano Trophy, while MacDonald is the Scottish Under-21 Open Stroke-play Champion and Kenney won last year’s Scottish Ladies’ Golfing Association Order of Merit.
MacDonald showed her form at the Helen Holm last year when she finished second, sandwiched in between the talented Irish twins, Leona and Lisa Maguire.
The twins, now 15, are both expected to be in the Helen Holm field and will also be aiming to gain Curtis Cup selection. The last Scot to win the title was Heather Stirling in 2002.
The Helen Holm is a 54-hole event, with 18 holes on Troon Portland on Friday and Saturday being followed by 18 holes over Troon’s famous Open Championship links on the Sunday.
The volcanic ash is likely to have an effect on the numbers starting. The tournament attracted players from all over Europe – 11 nations are represented among the 98 players in the draw – but call-offs are inevitable in the next couple of days. However with a significant number of players from GB & I committed to making the journey the tournament will go ahead as planned.