August 2003 Archive

Sunday 31st August 2003

Northern Counties Girls' Championship
Fort William youngster Ashton Ingram followed up her recent victory in the North of Scotland girls golf championship by winning the Northern Counties girls' championship at Nairn with a round of 81.
She had eight strokes to spare over joint runners-up Kelsey Macdonald (Nairn Dunbar) and Kerri Harper (Inverness).
The handicap title went to Rebecca Grant (Garmouth & Kingston) with a net 80 off a handicap of 11.

Saturday 30th August 2003

European Ladies Individual Championship
Virginie Beauchet of France, with a last round of 73 for a one over par total of 293 won the European Iindividual Ladies title at Shannon Golf club today, two shots ahead of Adriana Zwanck of Spain.
Top Brit was third round leader Sophie Walker (Loughborough University) who slumped to 12th place with a final round of 83 for a total of 301. Clare Queen took 17th place with a final round of 77 for 303, and her fellow Scottish team mate Lynn Kenny matched her 77 for a four round total of 304 and took 21st spot. Lesley Mackay had a 76 for 308 and 38th place, and Lyndsey Devenish had an 80 for 319 and 68th place.

Jacques Leglise Trophy boys' international golf match
Great Britain & Ireland retain Jacques Leglise TrophyGreat Britain & Ireland, leading by 7pt from the first day, retained the Jacques Leglise Trophy with a final scoreline of 16 _-7 _ against the Continent of Europe at the end of the second and final day at Lahinch.
The Continentals made a better fight of it by sharing the Saturday foursomes 2-2 but that left Great Britain & Ireland needing to win only one of the eight afternoon singles to clinch victory in the annual under-18 boys’ golf international match.
The first two afternoon points went to the Continent with wins by Pierre Relecom (Belgium), 2 and 1 over GB&I captain Paul Waring (Bromborough), and by Pablo Martin (Spain) who won six holes in a row from the seventh in beating Tommy Hunter (Ilford) by 6 and 5.
But it was so far and no further for the visitors.
Great Britain and Ireland then landed the next five singles to finish.
Only two boys from either side finished up with 100 per cent records, winning all four ties – British boys champion Rhys Davies from Royal Porthcawl and Lloyd Saltman, the Scottish boys open stroke-play champion from Kilspindie, near Edinburgh.
Saltman continued his brilliant form of the opening day by partnering Ireland's Aaron O'Callaghan to a 2 and 1 foursomes victory and then firing two-under-par figures in beating Matteo Del Podio (Italy) by 3 and 1 in the singles.
The trophy-clinching point was gained by Lloyd Saltman when he won on the 17th green.
"I'm feeling on top of the world," said Lloyd. "All the practice I did during the winter months has finally paid big dividends for me this summer."
Wallace Booth from Crieff, the other Scot in the GB&I side, had a good 4 and 3 win over Michael Lorenzo-Vera (France), clinching victory by winning the 11thm 12th and 13th to surge four up. Booth played only twice over the days. He halved his Friday singles with the top Continental player Pablo Martin after being four down on the 12th tee.
Rhys Davies’ 100 per cent record looked like being smashed when he was one down with two to play against Federico Colombo. But the Italian paid the price for two wayward drives down the 17th and 18th. Davies cashed in to win both holes and emerge a one-hole winner.
Cian McNamara from Limerick finished up with three wins from four outings, rounding off performances with a 3 and 2 win over Stefan Gross (Germany). McNamara had established a three-hole lead after 10 holes and a series of halves ended the contest.
Gareth Shaw from Malone had two wins out of four. He too finished on a high note, beating Berndt Wiesberger by 2 and 1 with successes at the 10th, 13th and 14th holes before the Austrian came back at him.
Aaron O’Callaghan from Douglas, Cork lost by 2 and 1 to Wouter De Vries (Netherlands). Aaron won the eighth to go one up but lost the ninth and the 10th to fall one behind.
He hung on in there by squaring the tie at the 13th but again slipped behind immediately by losing the 14th. De Vries clinched his victory by winning the 17th.
SALTMAN KEEPS 100 PER CENT RECORD IN JACQUES LEGLISE TROPHY MATCH
Lloyd Saltman, the Scottish boys' open stroke-play champion from Kilspindie, maintained his 100 % winning record for Great Britain & Ireland in the morning foursomes of the second day's play against the Continent of Europe in the Jacques Leglise Trophy boys' international golf match at Lahinch on the southwest coast of Ireland today (Sat)
Saltman and his Irish partner Aaron O'Callaghan from Cork beat Wouter De Vries (Netherlands) and Bernd Wiesberger (Austria) by 2 and 1 to level the morning scoreline at 2-2.
Saltman and O'Callaghan had been involved in a nip and tuck match that looked certain to go to the last green. But suddenly the GB&I pair won the 16th and 17th - and it was all over.
The home side started the final session of singles with a 11 1/2-4 1/2 lead, thanks to their 7pt overnight advantage from the first day's play. Great Britain & Ireland needed only one point from the last eight ties to retain the Jacques Leglise Trophy.
Results.
First day: GB&I 9 1/2, Continent of Europe 2 1/2
SECOND-DAY FOURSOMES
(GB&I names first):
Rhys Davies (Wal) & Daniel Denison (Eng) beat Stefan Gross (Ger) & Pierre Relecom (Bel) 3 and 2.
Paul Waring (Eng) & Gareth Shaw (Ire) lost to Pablo Martin (Spa) & Michael Lorenzo-Vera (Fra) 2 and 1.
Cian McNamara (Ire) & Tommy Hunter (Eng) lost to Matteo Del Podio (Ita) & Lorenzo Gagli (Ita) 2 holes.
Lloyd Saltman (Sco) & Aaron O'Callaghan (Ire) beat Wouter De Vries (Net) & Bernd Wiesberger (Aut) 2 and 1.
(2-2)
Overall scoreline (with 8 singles to play): GB&I 11 1/2, Continent of Europe 4 1/2.

SCOTS FAIL TO MAKE IT THROUGH TO LPGA FINAL QUALIFYING SCHOOL
Vikki Laing and Susie Laing (no relation) failed to figure among the 30 players who advanced to the LPGA Final Qualifying School in October from the first regional eliminator which ended at Plantation Country Club at Venice, Florida on Friday (USA time).
Susie from Troon had scores of 75, 75, 76 and 82 for a 19-over-par total of 307. She finished tied for 75th place of those who survived the halfway cut. Vikki from Musselburgh, who would have needed to shoot a fourth-round 68 after earlier scores of 75, 73 and 79 even to get into the play-off on 295 for the
last of the 30 places, was disqualified.
The leading qualifiers were 17-year-old Florida-based Aree Song (Thailand), Seol-An Jeon (Korea) and Kelly Lagedrost (United States), the only left-hander in the field), on four-under-par 284. Kent-born Australian Lindsey Wright made it through in joint ninth place on 290.
All the failures can try again at the second regional eliminator at Mission Hills Country Club, Rancho Mirage in California from September 17 to 20. The Final Qualifying School will be held at Daytona Beach, Florida from October 21 to 24.
LEADING QUALIFIERS
(US players unless stated)
284 Aree Song (Thai) 70 72 68 74, Seol-An Jeon (Kor) 71 70 72 71, Kelly
Lagedrost 69 71 73 71.
285 Hong Mei Yang (Kor) 74 70 70 71.
286 Emily Bastel 73 72 69 72, Kristy McPherson 73 66 72 75.
Other scores:
290 Lindsey Wright (Aus) 73 66 72 79.
Non-qualifiers:
296 Nuria Clau (Spa) 71 74 76 75.
300 Mikaela Parmlid (Swe) 72 74 76 78.#
307 Susie Laing (Sco) 75 74 76 82.
Disq - Vikki Laing (Sco) 75 73 79 -.

Friday 29th August 2003

European Ladies Individual Championship
English women's stroke-play champion Sophie Walker strengthened her claim for inclusion in the Great Britain team of five for the Commonwealth women's tournament in New Zealand in November by leading the European women's individual amateur championship field into the final round at Shannon, Ireland.
Sophie has had rounds of 71, 73 and 74 for a one-under-par tally of 218. She leads from two French girls in second and third positions. Sophie Giquel is lying second on 219 and Virgine Beauchet on 220.
Clare Queen from Drumpellier is in joint 16th place on 226 after scores 75, 75 and 76.
Lynn Kenny is tied for 24th on 227 (77, 73 and 77).
Lesley Mackay is back in 42nd place on 232 (77, 75 and 80) while Lyndsey Devenish (Aberdeen Ladies) just managed to survive the third-round cut with scores of 76, 86 and 77 for 239.
New Zealander Liz McKinnon from Inverness was eliminated on 241 (85, 79, 77.
LEADING SCORES
218 Sophie Walker (England) 71 73 74.
219 Sophie Giquel (France) 72 74 73.
220 Virginie Beauchet (France) 71 74 75.
221 Dewi-Claire Schreefel (Netherlands) 73 77 71.
SCOTTISH SCORES
226 Claire Queen (Drumpellier) 75 75 76.
227 Lynn Kenny (Stirling Univ) 77 73 77.
232 Lesley Mackay (Stirling Univ) 77 75 80.
239 Lyndsey Devenish (Aberdeen Ladies) 76 86 77.
Non-qualifier:
241 Liz McKinnon (New Zealand) 85 79 77.

Jacques Leglise Trophy at Lahinch
SALTMAN, BOOTH STAR FOR GB&I BOYS
Lloyd Saltman from Kilspindie and Crieff's Wallace Booth starred for Great Britain & Ireland as they swept into an a 7pt lead at the halfway stage of the Under-18 boys' international golf match against the Continent of Europe for the Jacque Leglise Trophy at Lahinch on the southwest coast of Ireland.
There was no suggestion of the landslide to come in the afternoon singles when the morning foursomes could have been shared but went 3-1 in favour of Great Britain & Ireland, thanks to a last green win by Cian McNamara (Ireland) and England's Tommy Hunter.
But a rampant Great Britain & Ireland team took the singles 6 1/2-1 1/2 with Saltman, who has hit a rich seam of form this summer, starting with a triumph in the Scottish boys open stroke-play championship at Prestwick, playing the best golf by anyone on a bright but breezy day on the links.
Lloyd, who had won his foursomes tie in partnership with Ireland's Aaron O'Callaghan, went to the turn in four-under-par 32 to stand six up on the hapless Pierre Relecom from Belgium.
The 10th to the 12th were halved in pars and the 13th in birdies, leaving Saltman a 6 and 5 winner with impressive five-under-par figures.
"I worked hard all winter on my game and that has started paying dividends over the past month or two," said Lloyd.
Wallace Booth staged a fightback of "Braveheart" proportions to gain a square match with Spain's Pablo Martin, a former British boys' open champion and beaten finalist at Hoylake recently.
Wallace was four down after 11 holes to three-under-par figures from Martin but then came charging back to win the 13th with a birdie, the 15th and 17th with pars and finally the 18th, where he got up and down from below the level of the green for a birdie 4 while the Spaniard three-putted from 30ft for a bogey 5.
"I never give up in match-play. There's always a chance until you're beaten and I just played each hole as it came," said Wallace who leaves next week for Georgia and a four-year golf scholarship at Augusta State.
JACQUES LEGLISE TROPHY BOYS' INTERNATIONAL MATCH
Lahinch Golf Club, Ireland
First day scoreboard
GREAT BRITAIN & IRELAND 9 1/2, CONTINENT OF EUROPE 2 1/2
(GB&I players first)
Singles
Davies beat Bernd Wiesberger (Austria) 1 hole.
W Booth (Scotland) halved with Martin.
McNamara beat De Vries 1 hole.
Shaw beat Colombo 5 and 4.
Hunter beat Gagli 3 and 2.
Denison lost to Gross 6 and 5.
Saltman beat Relecom 6 and 5.
Waring beat Del Podio 2 holes.
(6 1/2-1 1/2).
SALTMAN WINNING DEBUT FOR GB&I
Scottish boys' open stroke play champion Lloyd Saltman from Kilspindie made a winning debut for Great Britain & Ireland in the boys' golf international match against the Continent of Europe for the Jacques Leglise Trophy at Lahinch on the west coast of Ireland.
Saltman, partnered by Aaron O'Callaghan from Ireland, won by 4 and 3 against the all-Italian pairing of Lorenzo Gagli and Federico Colombo.
Lloyd and Aaron birdied the third, eighth, ninth to be three up at the turn and a further birdie at the 12th re-established a three-hole advantage after they had lost to the 10th.
"We were about two or three under par at the finish," said Lloyd. "We both drive the ball about the same distance so Aaron is just the right foursomes partner for me."
Edinburgh-born Welshman Rhys Davies, the British boys' champion, and England's
Daniel Denison won the lead-off foursomes by 4 and 3 against Spain's Pablo Martin and Wouter De Vries (Netherlands).
Great Britain & Ireland led 3-1 at the end of the first-day foursomes.
Results (GB&I names first):
Rhys Davies (Wales) & Daniel Denison (England) beat Pablo Martin (Spain) & Wouter De Vries (Netherlands) 4 and 3.
Lloyd Saltman (Scotland) & Aaron Callaghan (Ireland) beat Lorenzo Gagli (Italy) & Federico Colombo (Italy) 4 and 3.
Cian McNamara (Ireland) & Tommy Hunter (England) beat Matteo Del Podio
(Italy) & Michael Lorenzo-Vera (France) 1 hole.
Paul Waring (England) & Gareth Shaw (Ireland) lost to Stefan Gross (Germany)
& Pierre Relecom (Belgium) 5 and 4.

LGPA Tour Qualifying School
Susie Laing is lying in 64th place and Vikki Laing is 74th after three rounds in the first LPGA Qualifying School regional eliminator at Plantation Golf Club, Venice in Florida. Susie's third round score of 76 gives her a 9-over-par total of 225 going into the final round. Vikki had a disappointing 79, and is on 227.
Aree Song, is in the lead on 6-under 210 after a third round 68.
Only the top 30 qualify to go on to the Final Qualifying School at Daytona Beach, Florida from October 21 to 24, but those that miss out will have another shot in the second regional eliminator to be played at Mission Hills, California from September 17 to 20.

Thursday 28th August 2003

European women's individual amateur golf championship
Stirling University student Lynn Kenny from Dunblane had one of the best rounds of the second day to be lying in 16th place after 36 holes of the European women's individual amateur golf championship at Shannon on the west coast of Ireland.
Lynn pared four strokes off her first-round effort with a 73 for 150, the same total as Strathclyde University student Clare Queen (Drumpellier) who repeated her opening 75 to be placed 19th.
Lesley Mackay (Royal Dornoch), a Stirling University colleague of Miss Kenny, had a 75 for 152 and is 30th in the standings.
Lyndsey Devenish, now playing out of Aberdeen Ladies, is back in 83rd place after slumping to an 86 for 162.
Liz McKinnon, the Inverness-based New Zealander, improved from an 85 to a 79 for 164 and 85th place.
LEADING SCORES
144 Sophie Walker (England) 71 73, Louise Stahle (Sweden) 70 74.
145 Adriana Zwanck (Spain) 72 73, Virginie Beauchet (France) 71 74.
146 Claire Coughlan (Ireland) 74 72, Azahara Munoz (Spain) 72 74, Hanna-Leena Salonen (Finland) 72 74, Sophie Giquel (France) 72 74.
SCOTTISH SCORES
150 Lynn Kenny 77 73, Clare Queen 75 75.
152 Lesley Mackay 77 75.
162 Lyndsey Devenish 76 86.
164 Liz McKinnon 85 79.

Belgium International Junior Championship
SCOTS WIPED OUT IN BELGIUM
Scotland's four representatives in the Belgian junior international golf championships were all elminated today at the Royal Golf Club of Belgium, near Brussels.
Former Scottish boys match-play champion Stephen Buckley from Prestonfield, Edinburgh won his first-round tie by 3 and 2 against Taco Remkes (Netherlands) but then lost a thriller at the 19th in the second round to Achim Spannagel (Germany).
Spannagel had beaten the other Scot in the boys' championship, Robert Taylor (Downfield), by one hole in the morning.
Ireland's No 1 qualifier, David Ryan, lost by 5 and 3 to Stefan Wiedergrin (Germany) in the second round after winning by 2 and 1 in the morning against Romain Bechu (France).
Ireland were assured of one boy in the last 16 when Mark Staunton and compatriot J J McCarthy were paired together in the first round. Staunton won that all-Irish tie at the 20th but then lost by two holes in the second round to Benjamin Regent (France).
In the girls' championship, Dawn Dewar (Monfieth) beat Charlotte Smidlin (France) by 3 and 1 in the first round but then lost by 3 and 2 to Amandine Brouwez (Belgium) in round two.
Kelly Brotherton, the Scottish girls Under-18 champion from Taulliallan, lost by 7 and 6 to Tamara Luccoli (Belgium) in the first round.
Ireland's Gillian O'Leary has won her way through to the last eight in which she will playAmandine Brouwez. Miss O'Leary, the No 28 qualifier, beat the No 5 seed, Elodie Wanet (Belgium) 2 and 1 and followed that up with a 3 and 1 win over Tamara Luccoli.
Ireland's other qualifier, Catherine Tucker lost in the first round by 3 and 2 to Ashleigh Simon (South Africa).

LGPA Tour Qualifying School
LAINGS SOLDIER ON BUT DANIELLE AND KIRSTY ARE ELIMINATED
TWO members of the Laing clan - Vikki, left, from Musselburgh and Susie, right, from Troon - survived the halfway cut in the first LPGA Qualifying School regional eliminator at Plantation Golf Club, Venice in Florida (on Wednesday, USA time).
Great Britain & Ireland amateur international player Vikki shot a second-round 73 for a 36-hole tally of four-over-par 148 to be lying in joint 53rd place.
Susie, who had a 74, was one of 17 players on the limit mark of 149. In total 80 players qualified for the last two rounds. Their target is to progress to the Final Qualifying School at Daytona Beach, Florida from October 21 to 24.
Danielle Masters from Kent, heroine of Great Britain & Ireland's narrow Vagliano Trophy win over the Continent of Europe at County Louth last month, failed by three shots. She had a 77 for 152.
Anglo-Scot Kirsty Fisher from Lancashire missed out on 154 after a 74.
All the failures at this eliminator have another chance at the second regional qualifying competition, to be played at Mission Hills, California from September 17 to 20.
Kent-born Australian Lindsey Wright is the joint halfway leader in the current tournament with American Kristy McPherson. Both had second-day 66s for five-under-par tallies of 139.
LEADING SCORES
(Players from US unless stated)
139 Kristy McPherson 73 66, Lindsey Wright (Aus) 73 66.
140 Alena Sharp (Can) 70 70, Kelly Lagedrost 69 71, Kathryn Cusick 68 72.
141 Misia Lemanski 73 68, Seol-an Jeon (Kor).
142 Collette Matthes 75 67, Laura Myerscough 73 69, Aree Song (Thai) 70 72.
Other qualifiers:
145 Nuria Clau (Spa) 71 74.
146 Mikaela Parmlid (Swe) 72 74.
148 Vikki Laing (Sco) 75 73.
]149 Susie Laing (Sco) 75 74.
Non-qualifiers:
152 Danielle Masters (Eng) 75 77.
154 Kirsty Fisher (Eng) 80 74.

Wednesday 27th August 2003

European Womens' Individual Championship
Clare Queen, right, from Drumpellier fared the best of the four Scots in action in the first round of the European women's amateur individual championship at Shannon in Ireland today (Wed).
Clare returned a three-over-par 75 (37-38). Next came Lyndsey Devenish (Aberdeen Ladies) with a 76 (39-37). Lynn Kenny (Stirling University) (39-39) and Lesley Mackay (Stirling University) (41-36) both had 77s. New Zealander Liz Mackinnon (Nairn) is on 85.
Stenna Westerlund from Finland and Sweden's Louis Stahle were the first-round leaders with 70.
SCOREBOARD
70 Stenna Westerlund (Fin), Louis Stahle (Swe).
71 Virginie Beauchet (Fra), Sophie Walker (Eng).
72 Azahara Munoz (Spa), Sarah Jones (Wal), Adriana Zwanck (Spa), Sophie Giquel (Fra).
Other scores:
75 Clare Queen (Sco).
76 Lyndsey Devenish (Sco).
77 Lynn Kenny (Sco), Lesley Mackay (Sco).
YOU CAN FIND ALL THE SCORES ON THE IRISH LADIES GOLF UNION WEBSITE.

SCOTS ON TIGHTROPE IN LPGA QUALIFIER
Nobody said it was going to easy to survive the LPGA's first regional qualifier on the tough road towards getting a player's card for the richest women's pro circuit in the world. And Scots Susie Laing and Vikki Laing, as well as England's Vagliano Trophy-winning heroine, Danielle Masters, have certainly found the going tough at Plantation Golf Club, Venice in Florida.
They were among the 93 players who took the best part of two days to complete their first rounds, playing having been suspended on Tuesday when the courses were flooded by torrential rain.
Only 70 players and those tieing for 70th place will qualify at the completion of the second round for the final two rounds and Susie, Danielle and Vikki are walking the tightrope.
They are among a bunch in joint 72nd place with scores of three-over-par 75. Susie and Danielle were both out in 36 and back in 39 while Vikki was out in 39 and home in 36.
Anglo-Scot Kirsty Fisher from Royal Lytham, whose father and grandfather were both Rugby Union hookers for Scotland, looks out of the hunt. She is tied for 165th place in a field of 186 after struggling home in 42 for an eight-over-par 80.
LEADING FIRST ROUND SCORES
68 Kathryn Cusick.
69 Stephanie George, Kelly Lagedrost, Cherie Byrnes.
70 Lisa Jensen, Marie Josee Rouleau, Aree Song, Alena Sharp, Heather Angell, Becky Lucidi, Jessica Reese.
Also:
71 Nuria Clau (Spain).
72 Mikaela Parmlid (Sweden).
75 Susie Laing (Scotland), Vikki Laing (Scotland), Danielle Masters (England).
80 Kirsty Fisher (England).

Belgian junior international open golf championships
All four Scots competing in the Belgian junior international open golf championships at Royal Golf Club of Belgium, near Brussels have qualified for the match-play stages.
In the boys' event former Scottish boys' match-play champion Stephen Buckley from Prestonfield, Edinburgh qualified in 12th place with a second-round 72 for 147.
Robert Taylor from Downfield claimed the 28th of the 32 places available with a 75 for 151, one shot inside the limit.
David Ryan from Ireland was the leading boys' qualifier with a 74 for 142. Compatriots J J McCarthy and Mark Staunton made it through in 14th and 19th place respectively. McCarthy had a 74 for 147 and Staunton a 76 for 149.
In the girls' championship, Dawn Dewar from Monifieth made it safely through in 13th place despite taking eight more shots in a second-round 82 for 156.
Scottish girls' champion Kelly Brotherton from Tulliallan improved by nine strokes with a 75 for 21st place on 159, four shots inside the limit.
Ireland's Catherine Tucker and Gillian O'Leary qualified on the 160 mark, Catherine with a 78 and Gillian with an 80.
LEADING SCORES
BOYS
142 David Ryan (Ire) 68 74, Pierre Thomas (Bel) 72 70, Benjamin Regent (Fra) 71 71.
145 Nicolo Gaggero (Ita) 79 66, Achim Spannagel (Ger) 72 73, Lasse Jensen (Den) 72 73.
Other qualifiers:
147 Stephen Buckley (Prestonfield) 75 72, J J McCarthy (Ire) 73 74.
149 Mark Staunton (Ire) 73 76.
151 Robert Taylor (Downfield) 76 75.
Non-qualifiers
164 Adam Partington (Wal) 81 83.
167 Mark Trow (Wal) 84 83.
169 Phil Smith (Wal) 84 85.
149 Mark Staunton (Ire) 73 76.
GIRLS
147 Valerie Van Hecke (Bel) 74 73, Myrte Eikenaaar (Newt) 73 74.
149 Melody Bourdy (Fra) 76 73.
150 Morgane Saillour (Fra) 75 75.
Other qualifiers
1567 Dawn Dewar (Monifieth) 74 82.
159 Kelly Brotherton (Tulliallan) 84 75.
160 Catherine Tucker (Ire) 82 78, Gillian O'Leary (Ire) 80 80.

LPGA Qualifying School
SCOTS' NERVES TESTED IN LPGA QUALIFIER
COMPETING in an LGPA sectional qualifying tournament can be a nerve-racking business at the best of times - even worse if your first round is stretched out over two days.
That's what happened to Scots Vikki Laing and Susie Laing (no relation) and England's Kirsty Fisher and Danielle Masters at the Plantation Golf Club in Venice, Florida yesterday (Tuesday USA time).
Play had to be suspended for the day after rainstorms flooded both the Bobcat and Panther courses being used for the first eliminator on the road to gaining players' cards for next year's LPGA Tour.
A total of 93 players had still to complete their first rounds, including Vikki, Susie, Kirsty and Danielle.
Leaders in the clubhouse are Kelly Lagedrost from Brooksville, Florida with a three-under-par 69, one ahead of Canadians Alena Sharp (Hamilton) and Marie Josee Rouleau (Montreal), Lisa Jensen from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and South Korean born Aree Song.
Kent-born Australian Lindsey Wright posted a one-over 73.
LPGA website

European Ladies Individual Championship
This tournament starts today at Shannon Golf Club, Ireland. The ILGU are running the Championship website [Nice site!]

Tuesday 26th August 2003

Belgian international junior open championships
DAWN IS TOP SCOT IN BELGIUM
Dawn Dewar from Monifieth did best of the four Scots in action in the first qualifying round of the Belgian international junior open championships at Royal Golf Club of Belgium, near Brussels today.
Dawn returned a two-over-par 74 to be lying fourth in the girls' tournament for the Louise Van de Berghe Cup. Kelly Brotherton from Tulliallan was in 45th place after a disappointing 84. Only the leading 32 after 36 holes will go forward to the match-play stages.
In the boys' tournament for the Flory Van Donck Cup, former Scottish boys' match-play champion Stephen Buckley from Prestonfield could not recapture his brilliant form of Sunday's am-am competition.
In that he had an astonishing individual round of 11-under-par 61, finishing birdie-birdie-eagle. In the tournament proper yesterday, Stephen shot a three-over 75 to be in 24th place at the halfway stage of the qualifying.
Robert Taylor from Downfield is in 30th spot after a 76.
David Ryan from Ireland set the pace with a four-under 68 and the other Irish entrant, J J McCarthy) achieved 12th place with a 73.
LEADING FIRST QUALIFYING ROUND SCORES
BOYS
68 David Ryan (Ire).
71 Benhamin Regent (Fra).
72 Malte Brenner (Ger), Lasse Jensen (Den), Pierre Thomas (Bel), Adrien Bernadet (Fra), Patrick Hanauer (Bel).
73 Sean Patrick (Can), Mark Staunton (Ire), Achim Spannagel(Ger), Alexander Hurter (Ger), J J McCarthy (Ire), Sebastien Clement (Fra).
74 Anders Foldager (Den), Damian Ulrich (Swi), Marc Lauper (Swi), Maximillian Lacher (Ger), Alexander Barth (Ger), Bergy Horsman (Bel), Romain Bechu (Fra).
Other scores:
75 Stephen Buckley (Prestonfield).
76 Robert Taylor (Downfield).
GIRLS
72 Tanica Van As (SA).
73 Myrte Eikenaar (Net), Elodie Wanet (Bel).
74 Dawn Dewar (Monifieth), Valerie Van Hecke (Bel).
75 Marjet Van der Graaff (Net), Morgane Saillour (Fra).
76 Fabienne In-Albon (Swi), Melody Bourdy (Fra), Tina Andersen (Den), Anna Roscio (Ita).
Other scores:
80 Gillian O'Leary (Ire).
82 Catherine Tucker (Ire).
84 Kelly Brotherton (Tulliallan).

A FIVER MORE TO PLAY THE OLD COURSE IN 2004
THE cost of a round of golf on the most famous Scottish golf course in the world - the Old Course at St Andrews, is going up by £5 to £110 for the high season period, April 1 to October 31.
Prices on the New Course and the Jubilee are also going up by a fiver to £55 and £50 respectively.
For a second year, the St Andrews Links management committee has decided that green fees on the Eden, Strathtyrum and Balgove courses will remain frozen at £30, £20 and £10 respectively.
"Keeping prices on the Eden, Strathtyrum and Balgove Courses at the level set in 2002 illustrates the Trust's commitment to encourage young golfers and those new to the game," said Alan McGregor, general manager of the St Andrews Links Trust.
"It also helps to maintain a broad spectrum of prices across the Links courses, ensuring that there is something for everyone."

Three Scots in the Solheim Cup team
Mhairi Mackay got in automatically in 7th place, Catriona Matthew and Janice Moodie were Captain's picks. See full story on European Women's Tour website

LPGA Regional qualifying School
Four Brits, Kirsty Fisher (England), Susie Laing (Scotland), Danielle Masters (England) and Vikki Laing (Scotland) are competing in the LPGA Sectional Qualifying School at Venice, Florida this week

Monday 25th August 2003

Carnoustie Ladies' celebrated their 130th birthday tonight with a putting competition, cheese and wine, and the cutting of a ceremonial cake. Congratulations!
Check out their website at http://www.carnoustieladiesgolfclub.20m.com/

PAM MACKAY COMEBACK FOR NORTHERN COUNTIES IN SCOTTISH FINALS
Pam Mackay, pictured right, winner of the NCJAA women's college golf title during her two years in America, will make a comeback for the Northern Counties team in the Scottish county finals at Scotscraig from September 19 to 21.
Pam, in a good old Scottish phrased, became "scunnered" of golf a couple of years ago and practically gave the game up completely.
She has become a full-time professional caddie at Royal Dornoch and the visitors' enthusiasm for the game rekindled a spark in Pam and she not only took the clubs out from the back of the garage she was able to cut her handicap from four to one inside four months.
Pam, who will be 24 in November, entered her first SLGA Order of Merit event for a couple of years and finished fourth in the Mary McCallay Trophy at Drumfries & Couonty.
Not only that, Pam broke the Golspie women's course record with a 66 and had her second hole in one at Golspie's 16th.
There will be two changes compared with the Northern Counties team which narrowly held off the challenge of Angus to win the North Division title at Murcar at the end of June.
Former Scottish girls champion Laura Walker (Nairn Dunbar) has returned to college in America, although not the one she left in the spring. Laura is enrolling at the University of Central Arkansas where Fiona Gilbert (Carnoustie) was in 2002-2003.
Sharon Main (Moray), who was selected for the Murcar jamboree but could not play because of a back problem, is still not fit to play.
So Cara Gruber comes back into the team alongwith Pam Mackay giving Royal Dornoch a three representatives in the squad of eight. Scotland international Lesley Mackay, Pam's older sister, is the third Royal Dornoch player.
It is:
CARA GRUBER (Royal Dornoch)
KERRI HARPER (Inverness)
LIZ McKINNON (Nairn)
LESLEY MACKAY (Royal Dornoch)
PAM MACKAY (Royal Dornoch)
PAT McLENNAN (Forres)
JENNY MILNE (Elgin)
MARY SMITH (Tain)

Are the other teams ready to give me their line-ups? email me

WOOD YOU BELIEVE IT?
SUSAN STRIKES AGAIN
Drumpellier player Susan Wood followed up her Scottish women's foursomes title success with clubmate Clare Queen at Alyth on Sunday by scoring a double whammy success at the Scottish Ladies Golfing Association county open meeting which attracted a field of 84 at Glenbervie today.
Susan won the Silver Division Challenge Cup for the best scratch score of 76, one over the CSS and pipping May Hughes (Wishaw), who had the same score, on the better inward half.
Susan also won the leading handicap award in the top division with a net 71 off five of a handicap.
Again it was a close-run thing. Beth Duncan (Banchory), playing off 12, also had a net 71 but she lost out to Susan Wood on the countback of inward halves.
May Hughes, incidentally, gained the G M H Muirhead Tankard for being the scratch runner-up.
In the Bronze Division, the Nisbett Cup for the best scratch round went to Moira Graham (Stirling) for a score of 101, a score also returned by both Chris McGarrity (Hilton Park) NS Jean McKinlay (Grangemouth). The tie-breaker went down to the best last six in favour of Moira.
Chris McGarrity won the Challenge Cup for the best net return of 76 off 25. Jean McKinlay, playing off 24, was runner-up with a net 77.
SCOREBOARD
SLGA COUNTY OPEN MEETING - Glenbervie GC (CSS 75).
Silver Division
Scratch
Susan Wood (Drumpellier) 76 (better inward half)
May Hughes (Wishaw) 76.
Handicap
Susan Wood (Drumpellier) (5) 71 (bih).
Beth Duncan (Banchory) (12) 71.
Angela Duggie (Glenbervie) (16) 72.
Lesley Rolland (Dunfermline) (8) 73.
Bronze Division
Scratch
Moira Graham (Stirling) (101 (best last 6).
Handicap
Chris McGarrity (Hilton Park) (25) 76.
Jean McKinlay (Grangemouth) (24) 77.

CLARE & SUSAN WIN SCOTTISH FOURSOMES TITLE AT ALYTH
Great Britain & Ireland international player Clare Queen and Drumpellier clubmate Susan Wood won the Scottish women's foursomes championship by a single stroke over 36 holes at Alyth Golf Club yesterday (Sunday). Full report and scores

Solheim Cup
America announces their team for Malmo. LPGA News story

Sunday 24th August 2003

FORT WILLIAM GIRL WINS NORTH TITLE
Ashton Ingram from Fort-William won the North of Scotland girls' golf championship for the Ellis & McHardy Salver at Forres Golf Club yesterday (Sunday).
Ashton, a 10-handicapper, had very good gross score of 78, only six over the women's par.
She won by a single stroke from Michelle MacDonald (Buckpool), Kerri Harper (Inverness), Katy Thomson (Kintore) and Roseanne Niven (Crieff) in a very tight finish. Michelle was placed second by virtue of having the better inward half.
The Jean Law Trophy for the best net score went to Fiona Glennie (Braemar) with a 67 off a handicap of 29. This category also went to a card countback with Fiona edging out Samantha Leslie (Westhill) who also had a net 67, off 30, with a better inward half.
Leading returns:
SCRATCH
78 Ashton Ingram (Fort William).
79 Michelle MacDonald (Buckpool), Kerri Harper (Inverness), Katy Thomson (Kintore), Roseanne Niven (Crieff).
HANDICAP
67 Fiona Glennie (Buckpool) (29) bih, Samantha Leslie (Westhill) (30).
68 Chloe MacLeod (Nairn Dunbar) (41).

Saab International Junior (Under 21s ) Championship
Kelly Brotherton (Tulliallan) pictured left, Dawn Dewar (Monifieth) pictured right, Robert Taylor and Stephen Buckley are in Belgium just now representing Scotland at the Saab International Junior Championship U21s. They are staying with host families for the week. The tournament starts off today with an AM-AM for Hosts, organisers and competitors. Tomorrow is practice day then the tournament starts Tuesday with 18 holes on Tuesday and 18 holes on Wednesday. The first 32 qualify for matchplay Thur-Sat.
There is a web site set up for the tournament which is very informative and I'm sure will interest you! It is http://www.sij.be/home.php

European Ladies Individual Championship
This event also starts this week on Wednesday at Shannon Golf Club, Ireland. Lynn Kenny (University of Stirling) and Clare Queen (Drumpellier), who both did so well last week at Royal Portrush in the British Strokeplay, are in the field, as well as Lyndsey Devenish (Aberdeen Ladies'), Lesley Mackay (University of Stirling) and New Zealander Liz Mackinnon (Nairn). Draw

Jacques L'Eglise boys' international match
Ireland has had a busy summer!. The Jacques L'Eglise boys' international match is on Friday and Saturday at Lahinch Golf Club. Expect coverage from there too!

Saturday 23rd August 2003

Euoropean Men's Championship
IRISHMAN WINS EURO TITLE AS GERMAN LEADER BLOWS IT DOWN HOME STRAIGHT
Brian McElhinney, the 20-year-old North of Ireland champion from Donegal, became the third Irishman in the past five years to win the European men's amateur individual golf title over the Nairn links yesterday (Sunday).
McElhinney started the final round of the 72-hole event eight strokes behind long-time leader Michael Thannhauser from Hamburg.
The German was still well clear of the field until his form suddenly nosedived over the closing holes.
In the best conditions of what had been at times a stormy, windy week - dry, bright and almost windless, Thannhauser bogeyed the 12th, 14th and 16th. Then came the most costly slip of all - a lost-ball double-bogey 6 at the 17th.
That dropped the German to four under par for the tournament from a peak of nine under. He then had to birdie the last to force a play-off with McElhinney who had finished half an hour earlier with a 67 to post the clubhouse target of five-under-par 283.
After driving into the rough and taking three to get home, Thannhauser could not hole the 40ft putt for a birdie.
Young Englishman Michael Richardson also came to the last hole needing a birdie 4 to tie with McEhlinney but he drove into a bunker and could not hole a 70ft putt for a 4.
"I started off the day with no thoughts of winning because I thought Thannhauser was too far ahead of everybody. Even when I finished my round I still thought he would win it," said the young man from Donegal who has no thoughts of turning pro just yet.
"I holed four vital putts in the closing holes ... a 14 footer for par at the 14th and then from 3ft, 15ft and 8ft for birdies at the 15th, 16th and 17th. That's what won me the title in the end. But I'm still stunned by the way it turned in my favour over the last half hour's play."
The leading Scots in what was a disappointing week for the host nation's hopes were Jamie McLeary (Leven Golfing Society) and Graeme Brown (Royal Montrose). They were joint 15th on three-over-par 291. McLeary made up some ground with a closing one-under 71; Brown had his worst round of the week, a 75.

BECKY TOP SCOT IN AGE GROUP CHAMPIONSHIPS
Becky Copland from Scotscraig, Fife achieved the highest finish of the five Scottish girls in the Golf Foundation Weetabix Age Group championships' Grand Final.
Becky was third in the Under-16s while Amanda Edwards from Liberton was eighth in this category.
Megan Briggs (Ranfurly) came sixth in the Girls' Under-14s.
Katy McNichol (Carnoustie) was seventh and Ashton Ingram (Fort William) 10th in the Girls' Under-15 section.

FOUR SCOTS EARN TRIP TO DE VERE BELFRY FOR HELP AGED FINAL
Ladybank Golf Club in Fife witnessed some high play in adverse weather conditions, as four amateur golfers from Scotland secured their places at this year's Grand Final of the Help the Aged Golden Charter championship.
Antonia Finch (St Filans) and Anne Wilson (Ladybank) both topped the women's stableford returns with 28pt each. Antonia was placed first on a card countback.
There was a similar tight finish in the men's event with both Neil Harrison (Biggar) and Paul Lambert (Aberfoyle) - not the Celtic footballer - each totalling 35pts. Neil won the countback for first prize on the day.
The finalists had qualified for the Scottish Regional Final by winning their club's Help the Aged medal day of this annual event, now in its 15th year.
Over 300 golf clubs across the UK have held medal day ualifiers to raise valuable funds for the charity that will allow it to continue to champion the causes of older people every where.
All four players will go on to the Grand Final at the world-famous Brabazon course at the De Vere Belfry, headquarters of the PGA and venue for the last Ryder Cup match.
Miss Finch said: "It was an excellent day's golf in aid of a worthy charity and I'm thrilled at the thought of taking on the famous Brabazon course at The De Vere Belfry."

GRAEME BROWN SHOWS TRUE GRIT TO HANG ON IN HALF-GALE AT NAIRN
Graeme Brown, the unsung leading Scot in the tournament, hung on grimly to a top-six placing in the third round of the European men's amateur championship, played in a half-gale over the Nairn links yesterday (Friday).
Royal Montrose member Brown, not included in Scotland's team for the home internationals at Ballybunion next month, battled through the wind to match the par of 72 and be on level par 216 with 18 holes to go today.
"I'm happy in a way to get round in par because with that wind it was very difficult to get the ball close to some of the difficult pin placings," saidthe 23-year-old winner of eight tournaments during his spell at the University of Mobile, Alabama.
"But, having said that, today was an opportunity missed in that the leaders were coming back to me and I could have got a lot closer to them. I rolled the ball so well on the greens but I just couldn't get the putts to drop.
"I'm not trying to prove to anybody that I should have been in the Scotland team for the home internationals. I'm friends with them all. I'm just out to get the highest possible placing in a tournament of this stature."
Ian Rae, the Scottish Golf Union's national coach, said: "I'm delighted to see a new face like Graeme Brown coming through to be the leading Scot going into the final day."
Brown will start the day in joint sixth place, eight shots behind five-stroke leader, Michael Thannhauser from Hamburg, who birdied the 16th and 17th for a 73 and eight-under-par 208.
Matthew Richardson, 18-year-old from Pinner Hill, London, is the German's nearest challenger after a 75 for 213.
Another Englishman, James Heath from Surry is third on his own at two-u8nder 214 after a 72.
Only the leading 70 playerswith 54-hole totals of 229 and better qualified for the last 18 holes. Jamie McLeary (Leven Golfing Society) secured his Saturday game with a 74 for 220. Scotland skipper Craig Watson (East Renfrewshire) was one behind him after a 76.
Eric Ramsay (Carnoustie) was also safe from elimination with a 76 for 223.
Ewan Forbes (Turriff) made it with a 77 for 225.
Craig Gordon (Ratho Park) and Lloyd Saltman, the new Scottish boys' open stroke-play champion from Kilpsindie, were both on 228 after each shot 75.
New Scotland cap Bryan Innes from Murcar joined them on 228 after a 76. The Scots eliminated were last year's Scottish champion Andrew McArthur (Windyhill), who had a 76 for 230, the same total as Bryan Fotheringham (Forres) who had a 73.
Richie Ramsay (Royal Aberdeen) scored a 75 for 232.

Friday 22nd August 2003

British Ladies' Open Amateur Strokeplay Championship, Royal Portrush.
Shelley McKevitt (Reading) posted a final round of 71 and leapt up the field to take the title by one stroke from Scotland's Lynn Kenny (University of Stirling). Shelley's four round total of 306 was made up of rounds of 75, 79, 81 and then that sparkling 71, the best of the tournament.
Lynn, who took the "Under 23" award finished, on 307, (85,72,76,74 ) I bet she is rueing her first round 85! Clare Queen (Drumpellier) took third place on 308 with rounds of 79, 79, 75 and 75. Other Scottish scores were
18th Dawn Dewar (Monifeith) 77, 81,80, 81 = 319
19th Hather Macrae (Dunblane New) 88, 76, 79, 77 = 320
28th Cara Gruber (University of Stirling) 79, 88, 81, 81 = 329
32nd Liz Mackinnon (Nairn) 78, 85, 83, 84 = 330
33rd Lesley Mackay (University of Stirling) 81, 85, 78, 86 = 330
Full scores are on the LGU website

Barnardos Scotland Grand Final
Left to right: Jacky Farrell (Stirling) 3rd, Georgina from Barnardos, Shona Leighton (Blairgowrie) winner, Hilda Liddle (Cupar) 2nd on a countback.

Barnardos Scotland Grand Final
Shona Leighton from Blairgowrie won the Barnardos Scotland Grand Final at Arbroath Golf Club today with a net score of 70, playing off a handicap of six.
She won the top prize by a single shot from Hilda Liddle (Cupar), who plays off seven, and Jacky Farrell, a 28-handicap member of Stirling Golf Club.
Hilda's better inward half gained her second place.
Kay Brown (Inchmarlo) also had a net 71, playing off 20, but she had the worst net inward half of the trio.
SCOREBOARD
70 Shona Leighton (Blairgowrie) (6).
71 Hilda Liddle (Cupar) (7), Jacky Farrell (Stirling) (28), Kay Brown (Inchmarlo (20).
72 Phyllis Annandale (Letham Grange) (22).
75 Jan Ritchie (Arbroath Artisans) (21).
76 Doreen Walker (Dumfries & Co) (16), Liz Henderson (Dunfermliine) (28).
77 Christine Farmer (Balbirnie Park) (11).
78 Hazel Moore (Murrayshall) (17).
79 Rhona Wilson (Milnathort) (12), Jean Reynor (Carnoustie Ladies) (19), Fiona Kenny (Montrose Caledonian) (24), Dorothy Hadden (Oldmeldrum) (8).
80 Katherine Teow (Newmachar) (11), Morag Wood (Cruden Bay) (20), Phyllis Hurrell (Ballumbie Castle) (22), Joan Ross (Crieff) (25).
81 Heather Jolly (Stonehaven) (20), Pam Auckland (Torphins) (23).
84 Betty Orr (Murcar) (24).
85 Jennie Greig (Caledonian Ladies) (27).
85 May Thomson (Loudoun Gowf) (24).
86 Edith Davidson (St Rule) (23), Jane Green (Eastwood) (26).
89 Ruth Dick (Vale of Leven) (30).
92 Joanne McIntosh (Wishaw) (21).

Thursday 21st August 2003

British Ladies' Open Amateur Strokeplay Championship, Royal Portrush.
Lynn Kenny (University of Stirling) had the best score of the day - a 72 - on a day of wind and lashing rain. She finished top Scot on 157 after two rounds. Tricia Mangan (Ennis) with scores of 77 and 74 (151) led the 40 qualifiers who are playing their final two rounds tomorrow.
Other Scottish Players who qualified for the final two rounds
158 Clare Queen (Drumpellier), Dawn Dewar (Monifieth)
163 Liz Mackinnon (Nairn)
164 Heather Macrae (Dunblane New)
166 Lesley Mackay (University of Stirling)
167 Cara Gruber (University of Stirling)

Irish News
I.L.G.U. PRIZES – ALL IRELAND FINAL - GORT GOLF CLUB - 25 AUGUST 2003 Draw

More Irish News
GIRLS SMURFIT INTER CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP
Castle beat Killarney by two matches to one in the final held at Lucan Golf Club on Monday Results

Wednesday 20th August 2003

British Ladies' Open Amateur Strokeplay Championship, Royal Portrush.
Adriana Zwank, Nicola Timmins and Shelley McKevitt lead the field with one over par 75 returned in windy conditions at Royal Portrush. Dawn Dewar (Monifieth), pictured right, is the best of the Scots on 77. New Zealander Liz Mackinnon (Nairn) had a 78, and Clare Queen (Drumpellier) and Cara Gruber (University of Stirling) are on 79.

Scottish Ladies' Foursomes, Alyth Golf Club
Sunday 24th August Draw

Doubts about Danielle
Vagliano Trophy heroine Danielle Masters from Kent - she gained the match-winning half-point on the final green in the final match against the Continent of Europe at Co Louth - has been named in the England squad of eight for the women's home internationals at Cruden Bay from September 10 to 12. But there is a doubt about her availability. Danielle has entered the first LGPA Tour School Sectional Qualifying tournament at Plantation Golf Club in Venice, Florida from August 26 to 29. If she failed to figure among the qualifiers for the Final Q School at Daytona Beach, Florida during the week beginning October 20, Danielle would have another chance in the second Sectional Qualifying event at Mission Hills, California from September 17 to 20.
Claire Lipscombe is the first reserve for Cruden Bay.
The only new cap in the England team is former English girls champion Sophie Walker, who won the English stroke-play a few weeks ago.
Team is:
EMMA DUGGLEBY (Malton & Norton)
SARA GARBUTT (Ganton)
ALEX KEIGHLEY (Lightcliffe)
DANIELLE MASTERS (Bearsted).
FAME MORE (Chesterfield)
KERRY SMITH (Waterlooville)
NICOLA TIMMINS (Sene Valley)
SOPHIE WALKER (Kenwick Park)
Reserves:
1 CLAIRE LIPSCOMBE (Cirencester).
2 LAURA EASTWOOD (Yelverton).
3 MARIE ALLEN (Moor Park).

WELSH ACE BECKY PLAYS AT CRUDEN BAY
Reports that Welsh ace Becky Brewerton would have turned professional before next month's women's home internationals have proved to be unfounded. The Great Britain & Ireland player from Abergele has been named in the Wales squad of eight for Cruden Bay from September 10 to 12.
The team is:
BECKY BREWERTON (Abergele)
NATALIE EVANS (Pleasington)
STEPHANIE EVANS (Vale of Llangollen)
ANNA HIGHGATE (Cottrell Park)
SARAH JONES (Pennard)
JO NICOLSON (Wrexham)
KATE PHILLIPS (Creigiau)
JO PRITCHARD (Tredegar Park)
Natalie Evans and Jo Nicolson have been added the Welsh squad of six who did best of all the four home countries in the European women's team championship Frankfurt in early July. Wales lost a play-off to France for third place. England finished seventh. Scotland and Ireland did not qualify for the top flight and, on the last day, Ireland beat Scotland in the play-off for ninth place.

SVLGA West V East Foursomes Strathaven Golf Club
West 4 East 1
This year the teams were playing for a rather splendid silver salver presented by Audrey Robertson (East). The salver will be known as the ASP SALVER. There is a Latin inscription (three words initials A.S.P.)on the salver. Not being a classical scholar I cannot give you the correct information, but a rough translation was "to celebrate the matches being played in a spirit of friendship which they always are". Audrey, known as Asp, presented the salver to Constance Wright, West Captain, and congratulated her and her team on being the first winners of this trophy. In response Constance said how delighted the West were to have won the Salver and that during it's stay in the West it would be displayed in the clubhouse of the Ladies Club Troon. [Thanks to Sheila Goudie for the information]
Results (East Names first)
Nancy Gow & Kate Milne lost to Anne Burden &Jean Cameron
Nancy Lickrish & Jill Scott lostto Lana MacDonald & Sheila Goudie
Asp Robertson & Martha Beatson lost to Merope Dunlop & Moira Hogg
Vera Ross & Ellice Cackett lost to Susan Young & Sheila Shaw
Avril Robertson & Careen Sinclair beat Angela Sharp & Hatty Forrest

Tuesday 19th August 2003

CLARE QUEEN'S CHANCE TO GO ONE BETTER IN BECKY BREWERTON'S ABSENCE AT ROYAL PORTRUSH
A new name is destined for the trophy as 101 players from 12 countries compete for the Ladies’ British open amateur stroke-play championship, which will be played at Royal Portrush from Wednesday to Friday.
Welsh ace Becky Brewerton, the winner last year and also in 1999, is unable to defend her title - increasing speculation that she is on the verge of turning professional- and that leaves the way open for one of a number of contenders, including Scotland's Clare Queen, the 2002 runner-up, to fill the vacancy.
Last year at Hunstanton, Clare, picured right, a past British girls' match-play and stroke-play champion, finished three shots adrift of Brewerton but since then has been rewarded with a place in the Vagliano side that successfully defeated their Continental opposition at County Louth.
In that winning team, and also competing at Royal Portrush, are Emma Duggleby and Fame More of England, Trisha Mangan of Ireland and Lynn Kenny of Stirling University and Dunblane New. Lynn played well in last year's championship.
Duggleby, in particular, has a string of titles to her name yet has still to add the British stroke-play trophy to her collection of silverware. She was the Ladies British amateur champion in 1994 and followed up her win in the 2000 English Championship with a repeat performance this year at Aldeburgh.
Sophie Walker, the English stroke-play title winner a few weeks ago, is also in the field while Martina Gillen of Beaverstown, the Irish champion, must be in a strong position to put in a good performance in front of home supporters.
Competitors play one round on each of the first two days, Wednesday and Thursday, with the players who return the 40 lowest scores (and ties) qualifying for a further 36 holes on Friday.
Centenary Scottish champion Anne Laing (Vale of Leven) has not entered because she does not want to ask too much time off her work at Elmwood College, Cupar where she is a lecturer.

First hole-in-one for Belle in competition
Belle Robertson, playing for Buchanan Castle GC in a scratch league match at Dunblane New GC, had her first hole in one in competitive golf. She started her match birdie, birdie, eagle - the eagle being a hole in one at the third. This hole is 162 yards in length to an elevated two tier green, Belle aced this hole with a three wood played "down the shaft".

Monday 18th August 2003

Futures Tour
HEATHER AND LINZI

Former Scottish amateur champions Heather Stirling, left, and Linzi Morton, right, finished 59th and 95th respectively on their rookie professional seasons on the US Futures Tour whose 17-event programme ended at the weekend. Report

Aberdeenshire Girls'
MICHELLE WINS ABERDEENSHIRE PRIZE ON BETTER INWARD HALF
Michele Thomson (McDonald Ellon) won the leading scratch prize in the Aberdeenshire girls' medal competition at Turriff Golf Club today after she and Vicki Riddell, a member of the host club, had tied on 79. Michele had the better inward half. Sara Thomson (Murcar) was third, a shot behind on 80. Sara's younger sister Natalie headed the net returns with a 63 off 32 of a handicap. She had two shots to spare from Sam Leslie (Westhill), playing off 33.
LEADING RETURNS (CSS 71) SCRATCH 79 Michele Thomson (Ellon) bih, Vicki Riddell (Turriff). 80 Sara Thomson (Murcar). 81 Laura Murray (Alford).
HANDICAP 63 Natalie Thomson (Murcar) (32). 65 Sam Leslie (Westhill) (33). 66 Lauren MacCallum (McDonald Ellon) (27), Michele Thomson (McDonald Ellon) (13). 69 Sara Thomson (Murcar) (11). 70 Vicki Riddell (Turriff) (9). 73 L Johnston (Aberdeen Ladies) (19), Laura Murray (Alford) (8). 76 Katie Thomson (Kintore) (5), Karen Murray (Alford) (18). 83 Jennifer Jones (McDonald Ellon) (16). 85 Amy Edgar (Peterculter) (23), Marie Templeton (Westhill) (45). 87 Marie Johnstone (Northern) (22). 91 Hilary Thomson (Newmachar) (26).

Futures Tour
LINZI WINS $729 IN FINAL US EVENT
Linzi Morton from Alloa found her form too late on her rookie pro season on the US Futures. After struggling for most of the summer to reproduce the amateur scores that won her the Scottish women's championship among other titles, the Scot finished tied 28th and earned $729 in the final event, the York Newspaper Classic at Regents Glen Country Club, York in Pennsylvania.
Linzi had rounds of 73, 71 and 74 for a two-over-par total of 218 - 11 shots behinid the $10,500 winner Candy Hannemann from Brazil.
Miss Morton was the top British player in the tournament, finishing ahead of Lisa Hall from Stoke (219), Heather Stirling from Bridge of Allan (224) and Rebecca Prout from Surrey (229). Heather earned $270 for her tied 51st finish.
Collated final scoreboard (Sunday)
US FUTURES TOUR _ York Newspaper Classic _ Regents Glen CC, York, Pennsylvania _ Leading final totals (Players from US unless stated) 207 Candy Hanneman (Brazil) 69 68 70. 208 Michelle Murphy 66 71 71. 210 Lee Ann Walker-Cooper 69 73 68, Virada Nirapathpongporn (am) (Thailand) 70 72 68, Kathy Choi-Rogers 67 69 74. 211 Soo Young Moon (Korea) 68 76 67.
Other totals: 218 Linzi Morton (Scot) 73 71 74. 219 Lisa Hall (Eng) 71 74 74, Lindsey Wright (Aust) 70 74 75. 224 Heather Stirling (Scot) 77 74 73. 229 Rebecca Prout (Eng) 77 74 78. Did not qualify 155 Jo Clingan (Eng) 78 77.

Scottish Senior Ladies' (Close) Amateur Championship
The first round draw for the Scottish Seniors Championship, to be played at Ballater Golf Club on Monday/Tuesday 8th/9th September has been published. There is an excellent entry, with 99 participants. Pam Williamson (Baberton) is defending the title she won a Crail last year.

Marjory Ferguson -Funeral arrangements
The funeral for Marjory Ferguson is at 3pm on Friday 22nd August at Mortonhall Crematorium, Edinburgh

ROSEANNE BIDS FOR NORTH OF SCOTLAND GIRLS' TITLE
ROSEANNE Niven from Crieff, winner of the SLGA St Leonards Under-16 girls' open stroke-play championship at Drumoig earlier in the season, is one of the top prospects in the field for the North of Scotland girls' championship over 18 holes at Forres Golf Club on Sunday, August 24.
Roseanne's younger sister Annabel is also in the field. Other sisters competing at Forres are twins Karen and Laura Murray from Alford.
Competitors will tee off in pairs at 10min intervals and the draw is:
12.20 Samantha Leslie (Westhill), Chloe MacLeod (Nairn Dunbar).
12.30 Lauren McCallum (McDonald Ellon), Fiona Glennie (Braemar).
12.40 Amy Edgar (Peterculter), Emma Barton (Moray).
12.50 Jennifer Jones (McDonald Ellon), Eilidh Mackay (Nairn Dunbar).
1.00 Nadia Green (Nairn), Michele Thomson (McDonald Ellon).
1.10 Annabel Niven (Crieff), Karen Murray (Alford).
1.20 Ashton Ingram (Fort William), Sally Kettlewell (Dunblane).
1.30 Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar), Laura Murray (Alford).
1.40 Kerri Harper (Inverness), Katy Thomson (Kintore).
1.50 Roseanne Niven (Crieff), Michell MacDonald (Buckpool).

VICTORIA WINS ELGA'S ABRAHAM TROPHY
Victoria Harris of Beaconsfield Golf Club has won the Abraham Trophy, a prestigious title contested by England's most improved girl golfers, in a one-day, 18-hole stroke-play competition at Aldenham Golf Club. Report and scores

Sunday 17th August 2003

Futures Tour
LONG WAIT FOR HEATHER
Heather Stirling posted a second-round score of 74 for a 36-hole aggregate of seven-over-par 151 early on Saturday afternoon - and then had to wait until mid-Sunday morning to see if she had qualified for the final 36 holes in the York Newspaper Classic, the last event of the US Futures Tour season, at Regents Glen Country Club, York in Pennsylvania.
After the Scot from Bridge of Allan was back in the clubhouse, lightning and rainstorms halted play for the rest of the day.
Linzi Morton from Alloa is one of 60 players due to restart at 7.30am (Sunday USA time) where they were on the course when they were called in because of the weather.
Linzi had a first-round 73.
The leading 70 and ties after the second round has been completed will go out again in a two-tee start.

VIKKI LAING TURNS PROFESSIONAL AND SIGNS UP WITH EDINBURGH MANAGEMENT COMPANY
VIKKI Laing has officially rung down the career on a highly successful career as an amateur and signed up with Edinburgh-based sports management company Bounce to guide her affairs as a tournament professional player.
Vikki, 22, from Musselburgh, says her aim is to play in Tour Qualifying Schools on both sides of the Atlantic in the forthcoming months. Her aim is to have a players' card for not only the lucrative LPGA Tour in the United States but also the Ladies' European Tour.
Miss Laing, who played for Great Britain & Ireland in last summer's Curtis Cup match at Fox Chapel, Pitttsburgh and also in the team that won the Vagliano Trophy match against the Continent of Europe at County Louth, Ireland a couple of weeks ago.
She won the Scottish Under-18 girls' championship a record-setting four years in a row from 1996 to 1999.
Vikki never won the Scottish women's amateur championship but it could be argued that this was due to her four years at the University of California Berkeley. That also prevented her playing for Scotland in the home internationals after 1997 and 1998 although she did make apperances in the European Under-21 and women's team championships.
Miss Laing's other victories included three in a row in the Welsh open stroke-play championship and the St Rule Trophy.
She became one of the top players on the American college circuit and won the Pacific-10 individual championship earlier this year. She was ranked just outside the top 10 nationwide in the States in her final September to May season for California.
It will be interesting to see if she follows in the footsteps of Janice Moodie and Mhairi McKay who were also successful college players in the States and have put that experience to good use on the LPGA Tour.
"I feel I have achieved all I set out to do, boht academically and in amateur golf," said Vikki. "I am very excited about the prospect of playing golf as a professional.
She is the first female golfer to join the Bounce "stable." Male golfers who have been signed up before her include Andrew Oldcorn, Gary Emerson, Stephen Dodd and Doug McGuigan.
There is, of course, no guarantee that a brilliant amateur career automatically leads to a brilliant professional career.
One has to look no further than Rebecca Hudson, arguably the most talented British female amateur of the past decade. She failed to gain an LGPA Tour card and is eligible to play in only a few European women's events.

Saturday 16th August 2003

Stirling and Clackmannan County Junior Championship
Arlene McGarty from Bathgate won the Stirling and Clackmannan County Junior Championship at Tulliallan yesterday with an 83, just pipping Stirling's Vicki Stevenson on the better inward half. Arlene's fine score included an eagle 3 at the 387 yard par 5 16th. The Handicap Prize was won by Hannah Dalrymple of Glenbervie with 95 less 27 net 68. Runner-up was Morag Crichton of Tillicoultry (108-35=73). Full results

HEATHER BLOOMS AGAIN IN CALDWELL CENTENARY PRO-AM
Heather Anderson, 72-year-old former Scottish women's amateur champion, helped the host club's women's team to win the Caldwell Golf Club Centenary Invitational pro-am yesterday (Friday).
Heather, a member of the club all her life and still playing off a handicap of five, teamed up with Christine Wilson (handicap 10) and Liz McPherson (15) to partner Fereneze professional Haldane Lee to a net team score of 19-under-par 123.
They won by one shot from three teams on the 124 mark.
No individual pro scores were returned.
LEADING TEAMS
123 Haldane Lee (Fereneze) and Caldwell GC Ladies: Christine Wilson (10), Liz McPherson (15), Heather Anderson (5).
124 Gary Howie (West Kilbride) and Crown Leisure: Steven Tindsley (16), James Gilligan (17), Claire Morris (15); ADS Signs & Light Co: James McNulty (22), Jim Hamilton (18), Cliffe Jones (Glencorse); Ross Aitken (North Gailes) and Eclomatic: Gordon Lawson (11), Bob Granger (14), Richard Muir (11).

Futures Tour
LINZI'S STEADY START IN US FUTURES TOUR EVENT
Linzi Morton from Alloa was lying in joint 31st place after a one-over-par 73 (35-38) in the first round of the York Newspaper Classic, the final event of the US Futures Tour season at Regents Glen Country Club, York in Pennsylvania (on Friday).
Heather Stirling from Bridge of Allan was back in a tie for 74th place with a score of 77 after taking 40 shots for the outward half.
The leading British player was Lisa Hall from Stoke with a 71 (37-34).
Defending champion Michel Murphy from Tacoma Washington led at the end of the first day in the 54-hole event with a six-under 66. Her halves were 31 and 35.
Collated scoreboard
US FUTURES TOUR _ York Newspaper Classic _ Regents Glen CC, York, Pennsylvania _ Leading first round scores (US players unless stated)
66 Michelle Murphy.
67 Lori Atsedes, Kathy Choi-Rogers.
68 Soo Young Moon (Kor), Walailak Satarak (Thai), Michele Fuller.
69 Candy Hannemann (Braz), Katherine Hull (Aust), Kristy McPherson, Lee Ann Walker-Cooper.
Other scores:
70 Lindsey Wright (Aust).
71 Lisa Hall (Eng).
73 Linzi Morton (Sco).
77 Rebecca Prout (Eng), Heather Stirling (Sco).
78 Jo Clingan (Eng).

English News
Schoolteacher Nicola Timmins won the English Ladies Golf Association's Open Intermediate Championship at Notts Ladies Golf Club today. She beat Laura Eastwood by 2 and 1 in the final

Friday 15th August 2003

GLENMUIR WOMEN'S CLUB PROFESSIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Torrance Course, St Andrews Bay Golf Resort
Cathy Panton-Lewis, pictured right, birdied the last two holes to get into a play-off and then bogeyed the first extra hole to lose out to mum-to-be Alison Gray from Ormskirk in the Glenmuir women's club professional championship over the Torrance Course at St Andrews Bay today.
Alison, five months pregnant, earned the £1,000 first prize with a par 4, two-putting uphill from 40ft after Cathy, having bunkered her second on the left side of the green, came out to 15ft and could not hole the par-saving putt.
Mrs Panton-Lewis had rounds of 76 and 72 for 148, a total matched by Mrs Gray's two rounds of 74.
The hard luck story of the 36-hole tournament belonged to overnight leader Sarah Burnell from Fingle Glen, Exeter. She was bang in contentention when she sent her approach shot to within 6ft of the flagstick at the last. If she holed the putt, Sarah would win; if she two-putted she would figure in the play-off. What did she do? Three-putted to finish in a tie for third place.
FINAL TOTALS 148 Cathy Panton-Lewis (The Berkshire) 76 72, Alison Gray (Ormskirk) 74 74 (Gray won play-off at first hole). 149 Sara Forster (Herne Bay) 75 74, Sarah Burnell (Fingle Glen). 150 Sarah Claridge (The Kendleshire) 74 76. 153 Alison Johns (Tydd St Giles) 77 76. 156 Kirsty Thomas (Branston) 79 77. 157 Adrienne Engleman (Cambridge) 78 79. 175 Suzy Watt (Twickenham Park) 88 87.

English Intermediate Open Championship
Jenna Wilson (Strathaven), recent winner of the BP Scottish Under-21 girls' open stroke-play championship at Kilmacolm, reached the quarter-finals of the English Intermediate Open championship at Notts Golf Club this week. She lost to Lauren Hamilton Diggle, the No 3 qualifier for the match-play stages, by 4 and 3.
Heather MacRae (Dunblane New), beaten by Jenna in a play-off for the title at Kilmacolm, also qualified for the match-play stages but lost by one hole in the first round to Rebecca Wood.
Big surprise of the match-play stages was the failure of Curtis Cup player Fame More (Chesterfield) to survive even one round. She lost by one hole to Karen Heywood.
In the semi-finals today it will be No 1 seed Nicola Timmins v Clare Lipscombe and Lauren Hamilton Diggle versus Laura Eastwood.

English Under 13 and Under 15 Championships
England are staging their Under 13 and Under 15 Championships this week at Aldenham Golf Club. Semifinals and final are today. Full results can be found on the ELGA website

Thursday 14th August 2003

Girls' Home Internationals
England win the Stroyan Cup, Scotland second in a games-won countback
Well.. I said in yesterday's bulletin that Scotland had better pull their socks up to avoid the wooden spoon in the Girls Home Internationals at Pyle and Kenfig golf club. They must have heard me, for they turned a two games to one foursomes deficit into a win against Wales by five games to four this afternoon, and have finished second to England on a games-won countback.
Roseanne Niven (Crieff) & Dawn Dewar (Monifieth) earned our solitary point in the morning foursomes, but Scotland went out in the afternoon determined to win. At the halfway stage there were no red Welsh names on the scoreboard as Scotland were either up or all square in all their games. Scottish Girls' Champion Kelly Brotherton (Tulliallan) came in with one hole victory against Lucy Gould in the top match, and wins by Dawn Dewar, Gemma Webster and tail-gunner Krystle Caithness put five points on the board, and Scotland had their first success in the tournament.
England beat Ireland by 7.5 games to 1.5, and were unbeaten in the series. Scotland, Ireland and Wales won one match each, but Scotland had the most games-won points (12) and, from being bottom of the table, were elevated to second place. Well done girls!
Results (Scottish names first) Scotland 5 Wales 4
FOURSOMES:
Kelly Brotherton & Kate O' Sullivan lost to Lydia Hall & Breanne Loucks 4/2
Gemma Webster & Louise Fleming lost to Lucy Gould & Donna Jones 3/1
Dawn Dewar & Roseanne Niven beat Sahra Hassan & Sam Birks 2&1
SINGLES
Kelly Brotherton beat Lucy Gould 1 up
Kate O'Sullivan lost to Donna Jones 1 up
Dawn Dewar beat Melanie Peake 2/1
Roseanne Niven lost to Breanne Loucks 3 / 1
Gemma Webster beat Sam Birks 1 up
Krystle Caithness beat Lydia Hall 5/3

CATHY HANGS ON IN THERE IN ST ANDREWS BAY WIND
Ascot-based Scot Cathy Panton-Lewis salvaged a four-over-par score of 76 after a dreadful start in the Glenmuir women's club professional 36-hole tournament over the windswept Torrance Course at St Andrews Bay today ere(Thursday).
"I bogeyed the first three holes and dropped another at the seventh so I was really up against it," said the 48-year-old daughter of John Panton, the Grand Old Man of Scottish golf.
"I felt better after birdieing the eighth and ninth to get out in two over. Then I overclubbed at the 10th and ran up a triple bogey 8. But I parred from there in, which wasn't bad in that wind."
Sarah Burnell from Fingle Glen, Exeter led the small field of WPGA members with a 73 at the end of the first day in the chase for the £1,000 prize.
SCOREBOARD 73 Sarah Burnell (Fingle Glen). 74 Alison Gray (Ormskirk), Sarah Claridge (The Kendleshire). 75 Sara Forster (Herne Bay). 76 Cathy Panton-Lewis (The Berkshire). 77 Alison Johns (Tydd St Giles). 78 Adrienne Engleman (Cambridge). 79 Kirsty Thoms (Branston). 88 Suzy Watt (Twickenham Park).

Wednesday 13th August 2003

Girls' Home Internationals
Scotland lost to England by six matches to three on the second day of the Girls' home International series at Pyle and Kenfig Golf Club. We only managed to scrape a half point from the morning foursomes from Kate O'Sullivan & Kelly Brotherton who halved their match with Felicity Johnson & Roeseann Youngman.
Leading the troops in the afternoon, Kelly had a decisive 6 and 5 win over Kerry Anne Haskell, and Kate O'Sullivan, playing No2, also won her match on the last green. Unfortunately the remainder could only muster a half point which came from 14 year old Krystle Caithness' game against Felicity Johnson.
Wales beat Ireland by six matches to three. Scotland will need to pull their socks up and win their last match against Wales if they are to avoid the wooden spoon.
Results (English Names first) England 6 Scotland 3
FOURSOMES
Felicity Johnson & Roseann Youngman halved with Kate O`Sullivan & Kelly Brotherton
Alex Marshall & Kiran Matharu beat Gemma Webster & Louise Fleming 4/3
Claire Aitken & Melissa Reid beat Dawn Dewar & Roseanne Niven 4/3
SINGLES
Kerry Anne Haskell lost to Kelly Brotherton 6 / 5
Roseann Youngman lost to Kate O'Sullivan 1up
Kiran Matharu beat Dawn Dewar 3/2
Jo Hodge beat Sjavon Wilson 5/4
Felicity Johnson halved with Krystle Caithness
Melissa Reid beat Gemma Webster 3/2

FORMER CURTIS CUP PLAYER MARJORY FERGUSON DIES AT NORTH BERWICK HOME
Marjory Ferguson, one of the best known figures in Scottish women's golf, has died suddenly at her home in North Berwick at the age of 66.
A former Curtis Cup international player and past chairman of the Scottish Ladies Golfing Association, Mrs Ferguson first came to the fore as Marjory Fowler, winner of the inaugural Scottish junior women's open stroke-play title at Erskine in 1955. She won the title again in 1957 at Kilmacolm.
Marjory, who was a member of Gullane Ladies Golf Club and an honorary member of North Berwick Ladies, was a playing contemporary of Belle (McCorkindale) Robertson and she lost to her in the Scottish women's amateur championship finals of 1966 at Machrihanish and again at Royal Dornoch in 1971.
But Mrs Ferguson did win her fair share of tournaments, not only in Scotland. She was Portuguese women's open amateur champion at her peak as a player. Marjory was one of three Scots in the Great Britain & Ireland team for the Curtis Cup match against the United States at Hot Springs, Virginia in 1966. The others were Belle Robertson and Joan Hastings who would become Mrs Joan Rennie. Marjory made her debut for Great Britain & Ireland in the Vagliano Trophy match of 1965 against the Continent of Europe.
A girl international team player, Mrs Ferguson's appearances for the Scotland side in the women's home internationals and the European team championship spanned 26 years - from 1959 to 1985.
She was also a very successful county player and helped East Lothian to win not only the East Division title but also the Scottish county championship on many occasions. She was East Lothian and East of Scotland champion several times.
Marjory was chairman of the Scottish Ladies Golfing Association girls' committee in the 1980s and became an influential member of the Scottish Ladies Golfing Association executive committee and was chairman in 2000-2001.
Joyce Cooper, president of the SLGA, said: "I knew Marjory from our days in girls' golf. We played in the same Scotland girls' team but she went on to much higher things as a player. She had an illustrious career, both as a player and an administrator. Marjory got a lot out of the game but then she put so much back into the Scottish game as an official over a number of years."

East of Scotland Girls' Golfing Association
Marjory Ferguson started the East of Scotland Girls' Golf Association 26 years ago and was still secretary. She took great pride in the number of players such as Alison Davidson, Catriona Matthew, Lesley Nicholson, Heather Stirling and Vikki Laing who developed through her competitions into international-class players. East of Scotland Girls owe her a great debt of gratitude for the time and effort she put into the Association. She will be truly missed.
NB. Could EoS Girls who wish to enter the EoS Girls' Autumn Meeting at Haddington on 6th September, please send their entry forms to me, Gillian Kirkwood, Mossdale, Erskine Road, Gullane, East Lothian EH31 2DQ or email me

STUDENTS GOLF CANCELLED
The British universities' home internationals golf tournament, arranged for the Moray Golf Club links at Lossiemouth in September, has been cancelled.
"Financial constraints have resulted in the British Universities Sports Association not being in a position to be able to support this event," said administrator Lucy Crickmore.
"The projected cost for hiring the course in Lossiemouth and the travel costs for managers has also proven to be much more expensive than anticipated." London-based Lucy added:
"A further concern was that the structure of the competition was being compromised to enable the event to proceed. Reducing the size of both the men's and women's teams would not have offered the ideal situation with which to ensure that the quality of the home internationals is consistent across the board."
"It is felt that the best course of action is to prepare ourselves for the 2004 home internationals, which Royal Porthcawl have kindly offered to host."
[NB. There's more to the story than this...
BUSA used up most of their golf money participating in that Student "World Invitational" Golf extravaganza at St Andrews Bay last year. It is disappointing that this flash-in-the-pan men-only tournament should have been allowed to impact upon core funding for the annual home nations tournament.
The University Golf Bursary adminstrators are trying hard to plan and build a prestigious golf programme for the Bursars to play in, and the annual home nations tournament is a key element in this programme. Lack of funding at the administration level is seriously harming the development of student golf in the UK. - GK]

Scottish Golf Open Amateur Mixed Foursomes
The Scottish Golf Open Amateur Mixed Foursomes is to be played at Lanark Golf Club on Sunday 14 September 2003. Please note that the closing date is Friday 15 August. Entry forms can be found on the SLGA website

Girls' Home Internationals
The Girls' Home Internationals are being played at Pyle and Kenfig Golf Club, Wales. Up-to-date information on the matches can be found on the LGU Website

Scottish Girls' team at Pyle and Kenfig Golf Club for the British Girls' Home Internationals.
Back row L to R: Gemma Webster (Hilton Park), Kate O'Sullivan (Cochrane Castle), Ethel Farquharson (SLGA Chairman), Lindsay Anderson (Captain), Joyce Cooper (SLGA President), Karen Dallas (Coach), Sjavon-Dee Wilson (Murcar), Dawn Dewar (Monifieth)
Front row L to R: Krystle Caithness (St Regulus), Kelly Brotherton (Tulliallan), Louise Fleming (The Roxburghe) and Roseanne Niven (Crieff)
Photo courtesy and copyright © Tom Ward, official LGU photographer

Tuesday 12th August 2003

Girls' Home Internationals
Scotland lose to Ireland
Scotland lost narrowly to Ireland by five matches to four on the first day of the Girls' Home International Matches at Pyle and Kenfig Golf club today. Scotland were 2-1 up at lunchtime thanks to last green wins by Gemma Webster (Hilton Park) & Louise Fleming (Roxburghe) and Dawn Dewar (Monifeith) & Roseanne Niven (Crieff). However we could only muster two points in the afternoon. These came from halved matched by Kelly Brotherton (Tulliallan) and Krystle Caithness (St Regulus) and a last green win from Gemma Webster.
England beat Wales by 7.5 matches to 1.5.
Results (Scottish names first) Scotland 4 Ireland 5
Foursomes
Kate O`Sullivan & Kelly Brotherton lost ot Karen Delaney & Tara Delaney 3 / 1
Gemma Webster & Louise Fleming beat Danielle McVeigh & Charlene Reid 1 up
Dawn Dewar & Roseanne Niven beat Sinead O`Sullivan & Catherine Tucker 1 up
SINGLES
Kelly Brotherton halved with Tara Delaney
Dawn Dewar lost to Karen Delaney 3 / 1
Sjavon Wilson lostot Vicki Power 2 / 1
Krystle Caithness halved with Niamh Kitching
Gemma Webster beat Sinead O`Sullivan 2 up
Kate O`Sullivan lost to Catherine Tucker 7 / 6

Veteran Ladies News
Northern beat Highland 5 1/2-3 1/2 in a Scottish Veteran Ladies Golf Association inter-divisional match at Kemnay yesterday (Monday). Results and photos

Monday 11th August 2003

Futures Tour
LINZI MORTON WINS $370 IN WEATHER-HIT US TOURNEY
It's an ill wind that blows nobody no good ... former Scottish amateur champion Linzi Morton from Alloa picked up $370 in the weather-shortened Betty Puskar Classic, the weekend US Futures Tour event at Morgantown, West Virginia. Rainstorms and lightning cut the 54-hole event down to two rounds and Linzi had scores of 73 and 72 for one-over-par 145 - one of her best 36-hole totals of her rookie year to finish tied for 37th place.
Heather Stirling, another past Scottish champion from Bridge of Allan, completed her two rounds on Saturday before the decision was made to abandon hopes of playing a third round. She had to hang around Sunday to find out that her scores of 76 and 70 for 146 had placed her joint 42nd with a pay-out cheque of $294.
Just for a change, the 1-2-3 in this Futures event were all Americans. Not a Korean in sight! Reilley Rankin from Hilton Head, South Carolina shot a pair of 67s for a 10-under-par winning total of 134. She earned the top cash prize of $9,800. Runner-up, two shots adrift, was Lisa Strom with 66-70 for 136 and $7,000. Kristy McPherson and Stacy Prammanasudh, a native of Enid, Oklahoma despite the Thailand-sounding surname. tied for third place on 137 and each gained $4,725.
LEADING FINAL TOTALS (US players unless stated) 134 Reilly Rankin 67 67. 136 Lisa Strom 66 70. 137 Kristy McPherson 70 67, Stacy Prammanasudh 69 68.
Other totals: 142 Lindsey Wright (Aus) 70 72. 145 Linzi Morton (Sco) 73 72. 146 Heather Stirling (Sco) 76 70. 147 Lisa Hall (Eng) 74 73. 148 Rebecca Prout (Eng) 72 76. 151 Jo Clingan (Eng) 75 76.
+The Futures Tour management has announced that the leading five players in the 2003 money-winners' table at the cut-off point of end of play on Sunday, August 17 will automatically gain full-exemption playing cards for the LPGA Tour's 2004 season.

US Womens' Amateur
VIRADA WINS US WOMEN'S AMATEUR CROWN
Virada Nirapathpongporn from Bangkok, Thailand, a senior golf scholarship student at Duke University, won the United States women's amateur championship by beating American Jane Partk 2 and 1 in the 36-hole final over a 6,368yd course at Philadelphia Country Club's on Sunday. Virada, who won the 2002 NCAA women's individual championship, was two holes up at the end of the first round. Miss Nirapathpongporn lost to Michelle Wie in June in the final of the US Women's Amateur Public Links championship.

Veterans' Triumph at Lilleshall Hall
More photos have caught up with the story... Collated report

Sunday 10th August 2003

LYNN KENNY WINS MARY McCALLY TROPHY AT DUMFRIES
Great Britain & Ireland squad player Lynn Kenny (Stirling University) pipped her Vagliano Trophy team-mate, Anne Laing (Vale of Leven), for the Mary McCallay Trophy, the latest SLGA 36-hole Order of Merit women's amateur tournament, at Dumfries & Galloway Golf Club yesterday (Sunday).
Lynn came right back to her best form with a second-round 66, six-under-par for a total of 137 - one better than defending champion Anne who had a 67 and 71 for 138.
Pam Mackay (Royal Dornoch), younger sister of Scotland international team member Lesley, made a welcome return to the competitive fold and finished a creditable third on 140 with rounds of 68 and 72.
Leading totals
137 Lynn Kenny (Stirling Univ) 71 66.
138 Anne Laing (Vale of Leven) 67 71.
140 Pam Mackay (Royal Dornoch) 68 72.
143 Diane Macdonald (Dumfries & Co) 73 70.
144 Addi Shamash (Kirkcudbright) 72 72, Jenny Jenkins (Ralston) 72 72.
147 Martine Pow (Selkirk) 71 76.
148 Linda Robertson (Ranfurly Castle) 74 74, Louise Kenney (Pitreavie) 73 75.
149 Colette Murray (Dumfries & Co) 72 77.
150 Clare Queen (Drumpellier) 76 74, Lesley Mackay (Stirling Univ) 76 74.

Title-winning Scottish Vets team, after their victory at Lillieshall Hall Golf Club this week
Back row L to R: Helen Faulds, Lynn Terry, Noreen Fenton, Moira Thomson
Front Row L to R: Christine McAndrew, Rose Anderson, Heather Anderson (Captain), Pat Hutton and Pam Williamson
Well done Girls!

Leven Gold Medal
FORMER Tartan Tour professional Jim White silenced the Fife pundits who said he could not win a four-round tournament these days by making all the running in the Standard Life Leven Gold Medal tournament over his home Leven links at the weekend.
That was quite a feat for a heavily-built six-footer who says he'll be 39 on his next birthday with a "dodgy knee" in strength-sapping temperatures. What made it all the more extraordinary were the runaway margin of victory and the brilliance of the scoring.
White achieved a win by nine strokes over the strongest field, handicap-wise, ever assembled in the presitigious event's 133-year history.
And he set a tournament low record of 22-under-par 262, one lower than the mark set by Jack Doherty only 12 months ago.
Jimmy's final-round flourish of eight-under-par 63 was studded with nine birdies, at the first, third, sixth, seventh, 10th, 12th, 14th, 15th and 16th, in halves of 30 (four under par) and 33 (four under par). He had one bogey, at the 11th.
White's gold medal win was no fluke. On paper, his handicap of plus 4.2 made Jimmy the best player in the field, ahead of even new Scottish champion Graham Gordon (Newmachar) and fellow Walker Cup team selection David Inglis (Glencorse).
At the end of June, White was five strokes clear of the field going into the last round of the 72-hole East of Scotland Open at neighbouring Lundin Links and faded out of the pole position.
But there was no repeat performance of that late slump as White led through each round with scores of 65, 66 and 68 to carry a four-shot lead over Murcar clubmates Neil Mitchell and Ronnie Brechin into the final round at Leven.
Mitchell and Brechin both finished with scores of 67 and 68 for 13-under-par totals of 271. They were joined on that mark by George Murray (Earlsferry Thistle) who came surging up through the field with the Sunday best of 64 and 66 Gordon Arthur, the sponsors' representatives promptly decided that each of the three should receive a silver medal. Scores

Futures Tour
HEATHER FINISHES DAY EARLY IN US
A combination of rainstorms and lightning for the second day in a row has forced the US Futures Tour organisers to cut the Betty Pusker Classic tournament at The Pines Country Club, Morgantown in West Virginia from 54 to 36 holes.
Former Curtis Cup player Heather Stirling from Bridge of Allan is lying joint third in the clubhouse with a completed two-round total of 146 after a good second-round score of two-under-par 70 on Saturday before the decision was taken to cancel the third round.
A total of 89 players have still to finish their second rounds, including another past Scottish champion, Linzi Morton from Alloa, who had a 73 on the first day.

U.S. WOMEN'S AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP FINALISTS
Virada Nirapathpongporn, the No 8 qualifier, will play the No 7 qualifier, Jane Park, in the final of the United States women's amateur championship at Philadelphia.
Virada beat In-Bee Park 3 and 1 and Jane beat Paula Creamer by 2 and 1 in the semi-finals.
Full reports in the championship website.

Saturday 9th August 2003

NORWEGIAN WINS BRITISH GIRLS' TITLE
Marianne Skarpnoord (Norway) is the new British girls' open amateur champion. She beat Beatriz Recari (Spain) by 2 and 1 in the 18-hole final at Newport Golf Club today.
Marianne was two up after three holes, four up after eight and one up after 10.
She is the eighth non-British winner of the title since 1994. Last year's tournament was washed out before the final could be played.

US WOMEN'S AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
SEMI-FINALISTS AT PHILADELPHIA
Paula Creamer, pictured left, from Pleasanton, California, who played in last year's R&A Junior Open at Royal Musselburgh Golf Club, is one of the semi-finalists in the United States women's amateur championship at Philadelphia Country Club.
The others are: Virada Nirapathpongporn from Thailand, In-Bee Park from Eustis, Florida and Jane Park from Oak Valley, California.
Full details available on the championship website: uswamateur.org

KAREN BEATS FIONA IN THE STRATHTYRUM FINAL
Karen Marshall (Baberton), pictured right, beat St Andrews hotelier Fiona De Vries (St Rule) by 4 and 3 in the final of the Strathtyrum Trophy, the five-day women's open scratch match-play tournament run by the St Andrews Links Trust over the Eden course.
In the morning semi-finals, Karen had to go to the 19th to eliminate Jenny Tootell (Blackpool North Shore) while Mrs De Vries had a 3 and 1 win over Laura Archer (Market Drayton).
In the Strathtyrum Salver handicap tournament, Jane Graham (Moor Park), playing off 13, had a 6 and 5 win in the final over Pat Vickers (St Annes Old Links) (15).
Results from the final day of the popular men's and women's five-day events:
WOMEN
STRATHTYRUM TROPHY (Scratch)
Semi-finals
Karen Marshall (Baberton) beat Jenny Tootell (Blackpool North Shore) at 19th.
Fiona De Vries (St Rule) beat Laura Archer (Market Drayton) 3 and 1.
Final
Marshall beat De Vries 4 and 3.
STRATHTYRUM SALVER (Handicap)
Semi-finals
Jane Graham (Moor Park) (13) beat Dawn Pearson (Germany) (12) 3 and 1.
Pat Vickers (St Annes Old Links) (15) beat Pearl Smeaton (Willesley Park) (19) 4 and 3.
Final
Graham beat Vickers 6 and 5.
MEN
EDEN TOURNAMENT (Scratch)
Semi-finals
Kenny Stirling (St Andrews) beat Keith Leahy (Millride) 1 hole.
James Corfield (Bearwood Lakes) beat James Sharp (Woolaton Park) 4 and 3.
Final
Corfield beat Stirling 2 and 1.
EDEN TANKARD (Handicap)
Semi-finals
Mark Shaw (West Sussex) (5) beat Carl James (Bowring) (6) 6 and 5.
Stewart Rennie (St Andrews) (7) beat Stephen Smith (Washington) (6) 5 and 4.
Final
Rennie beat Shaw 2 and 1.

Irish News
IRISH fears that they might have to compete in the women’s home internationals at Cruden Bay from September 10 to 12 without two of their best players, champion Martina Gillen and beaten finalist Maria Dunne, because of problems over release from their American college commitments have proved unfounded. Report and team lists

More Irish News
Munster clinched the AIB Irish inter-provincial women's amateur team championship at Galway Golf Club with an 11-0 victory over Connacht. Munster topped the final table with 2 1/2pt, half a point more than runners-up Leinster, with Ulster third on the 1pt mark and Connacht the wooden spoonists with half a point to their credit. Report and results

Futures Tour
Former Scottish amateur champion Linzi Morton from Alloa was the leading British player on a weather-affected opening day in the Betty Puskar Classic, the latest event on the US Futures Tour, at The Pines Country Club, West Virginia (on Friday USA time).
Linzi had a one-over-par 73 after matching par for the opening half of 35 but dropping a shot on an inward 37.
England's Lisa Hall from Stoke and Jo Clingan from Gloucester both had 74s, Lisa coming home in 40 and Jo in 39.
Heather Stirling from Bridge of Allan, a Curtis Cup player 12 months ago, had 76, made up of two halves of 38.
A total of 18 players have still to finish their first round after thunderstorms caused a 2hr hold-up in the afternoon.
Americans are lying first and second with Lisa Strom from Huntersville, North Carolina on 66 (32-34), one ahead of Reilly Rankin from South Carolina (32-35).

Friday 8th August 2003

GIRLS BRITISH OPEN AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP 2003
NORWAY v SPAIN IN BRITISH GIRLS FINAL
Marianne Skarpnord (Norway) conquered leading qualifier Emma Cabrera (Spain) with an eagle at the 18th hole on her way to Saturday's 18-hole final of the British girls' open amateur championship at Newport.
Marianne, the No 8 qualifier, plays another Spaniard, Beatriz Recari, the seventh qualifier, for the title.
Alex Marshall (Toft Hotel) won the subsidiary competition for the Todd Bowl. She beat Joanne Klatten from France by 2 and 1 in the final.
LIVE SCORING AND RESULTS

British Senior Mens' Open Amateur Championship, Blairgowrie
CHARLIE TOP SCOT AS ROY LAYS HIS BRITISH SENIORS TITLE BOGEY
SCOTTISH golfing legend Charlie Green, 72 years young on his next birthday, produced a remarkable last day charge in heat-wave conditions to finish joint fourth behind the title-winner, 61-year-old Roy Smethurst from Crewe, who finally laid his British senior men's open amateur golf championship hoodoo at Blairgowrie today - but only after a play-off.Report and scores

Strathtyrum Tournament, St Andrews
KAREN MARSHALL KNOCKS OUT DEFENDING CHAMPION LYNDA
LYNDA Brabender, the defending champion from Greenock, lost in the quarter-finals of the Strathtyrm Trophy - the St Andrews Links Trust women's five-day open tournament - over the Eden Course on Thursday. Lynda, 30, lost by 4 and 3 to Karen Marshall (Baberton), pictured right, three times a finalist and winner of the title six years ago. Another former winner in this year's semi-finals is St Andrews hotelier Fiona de Vries. She ended the hopes of 14-year-old Krystle Caithness (St Regulus) who makes her debut for Scotland in the girls' home internationals at Pyle & Kenfig in South Wales next week. Fiona won by two holes. Mrs De Vries went on to score another last-green win by the same margin over Judith Anderson from Hawick.
Results: STRATHTYRUM TROPHY (Scratch) Second round D Anisimova (Moscow City) beat A Wilson (Haggs Castle) 2 and 1. J Tootell (Blckpool North Shore) beat J Bainbridge (Arcot Hall) at 21st. K Marshall (Baberton0 beat N Whitmore (Woburn) 2 and 1. L Braben der (greenock) beat R Cassidy (The Island) 3 and 2. J Anderson (Hawick) beat S Stubbs (Shifnal) 3 and 1. F De Vries (St Rule) beat K Caithness (St Regulus) 2 holes. D Ross (Arcot Hall) beat A Wood (Furness) 3 and 1. L Archer (Market Drayton) beat V Kirkwood (Furness) 2 and 1.
Quarter-finals Tootell beat Anisimova 2 and 1. Marshall beat Brabender 4 and 3. De Vries beat Anderson 2 holes. Archer beat Ross 4 and 3.
STRATHTYRUM SALVER (Handicap) First round P Henderson (Carlisle) (20) beat E Hutchison (Burton on Trent) (21) at 20th. D Pearson (Germanhy) (12) beat E Surtees (Appleby) (20) 5 and 4. J Graham (Moor Park) (13) beat T Parkin (Furness) (16) 1 hole. S Oldman (Glencorse) (16) beat M Wilson (Brampton) (14) 3 and 1. B Lumb (Waterlooville) (13) beat A Cousin (Appleby) (16) 2 holes. P Smeaton (Willesley Park) (19) beat J Slater (Worksop) (17) 5 and 4. E Routledge (Burton on Trent) (19) beat J Frith (Oakmere Park) (17) 4 and 3. P Vickers (St Annes Old Links) (15) beat M Rhodes (Furness) (16) 4 and 2.
Quarter-finals Pearson beat Henderson 5 and 4. Graham beat Oldman 7 and 6. Smeaton beat Lumb 6 and 4. Vickers beat Routledge 7 and 6.

TWO WALKER CUP SCOTS IN QUALITY FIELD AT LEVEN
TWO of the three Scots in the Great Britain & Ireland team for next month's Walker Cup match against the United States at Ganton are in the quality field for the Standard Life Leven Gold Medal golf tournament over 72 holes, organised by the Leven Golfing Society on Saturday and Sunday.
As luck would have it, new Scottish champion Graham Gordon from Newmachar and David Inglis (Glencorse) will be playing partners at least for the first two rounds. They tee off together at 10am and 3pm.
Stuart Wilson (Forfar), beaten by Gordon in last Saturday's Scottish championship final over The Duke's, is on honeymoon.
Jack Doherty (Vale of Glamorgan), the disgruntled first reserve for the GB&I team - by all accounts he is so upset at failing to be selected for the Walker Cup team that he is advancing his plans to turn professional - is the holder of the Leven Gold Medal. He set a tournament low record in winning the event 12 months ago and though it is too late to influence the R&A selectors, Jack would obviously gain a great deal of personal satisfaction if he were to win again this weekend with Graham Gordon and David Inglis trailing in his wake. Doherty tees off on Saturday at 8am and 1pm with Eric Ramsay (Carnoustie). Former
Scottish boys' match-play champion Lee Harper (Musselburgh), who has pulled a muscle, is one of the late withdrawals.

DUNBAR LADIES' OPEN MEETING
Thursday August 7th 2003 LGU SS 73 CSS 73
On a beautiful windless, sunny day, with the mist swirling a little the Winner of the Maxton Rose Bowl in the Dunbar Ladies' Annual Open Meeting was Hayley Kirkpatrick (Gullane) 88 (19) 69 bih
Silver Division Scratch - Sharon McMaster 75 Handicap - 1st Hayley Kirkpatrick (Gullane) 88 (19) 69; 2nd Wendy Slack (Dunbar) 83 (13) 70) bih; 3rd Dawn Stuart (Dunbar) 82 (12) 70; 4th Janette Buchanan (Musselburgh) 90 (19) 71; 5th Val Sim (Seahouses) 84 (12) 72 bih
Bronze Division Scratch - Sheila McComiskie (Turnhouse) 95 Handicap - 1st Margaret Smith (Dunbar) 99 (30) 69; 2nd Nancy Seed (Duns) 103 (33) 70 bih; 3rd Moira Brown (Dunbar) 101 (31) 70; 4th Jean Tennant (Musselburgh) 97 (29) 71; 5th Kirsten McKenzie 99 (26) 73 bih.

Student News
Scottish Mens' Team for the BUSA Home internationals at the Moray Golf Club, Lossiemouth from Tuesday -Thursday 9 -11 September is Andrew Lynch (Stirling), Kevin Kean (Stirling), David Sutton (Stirling), Justin Rae (Stirling), Mark Kerr (Edinburgh), James Shield (St Andrews) Non-travelling reserves: Colin Girvan (Stirling) and Jimmy Dale (Aberdeen)

Thursday 7th August 2003

Irish News
Results from Day 2 of AIB Ladies Interprovincials at Galway Golf Club.

Scots vets retain Miller Stirling Trophy
SCOTLAND retained the Miller Stirling Trophy in an exciting finish to the three-day Veteran Ladies Golf Association area team championship at Lilleshall Hall Golf Club, Shropshire.
The Scots were the hot favourites to win the title after beating North and Midlands but they fell at the final hurdle, losing 5 1/2-3 1/2 to South.
That meant Scotland and South both finished with two wins apiece at the top of the table. The tie-breaker was a countback of games won and Scotland prevailed by the slender margin of 1pt.
The Scots' squad contained the "player of the tournament" in Moira Thomson from North Berwick. She won all of her six ties.
Other stalwarts for Heather Anderson's team were Pam Williamson (Baberton) with 4 1/2pt out of six, Rose Anderson (Huntly) with 4pt and Lynn Terry (Cruden Bay) with 3pt.
Results:
SCOTLAND 3 1/2, SOUTH 5 1/2
Foursomes _ P Williamson (Baberton), R Anderson (Huntly) lost to C Stirling, S Millar 3 and 2; H Faulds (Douglas Park), N Fenton (Merchants of Edinburgh) lost to L McCombe, V Morgan 3 and 2; M Thomson (North Berwick), L Terry (Cruden Bay) beat R Watters, J Wheaton 5 and 4 (2-1).
Singles _ Anderson lost to Stirling 5 and 4, Williamson halved with Millar, Thomson beat McCombe 8 and 7, Terry lost to Watters 5 and 4, C McAndrew (Nairn Dunbar) lost to C Larkin 5 and 3, P Hutton(Lanark) lost to Morgan 4 and 3 (1 1/2-4 1/2).
NORTH 6 1/2, MIDLANDS 2 1/2
Foursomes: 2 1/2-1/2.
Singles: 4-2.
Final placings _ 1 Scotland (after countback) 2pt, 2 South 2pt, 3 Midlands 1pt, North 1pt.

British Senior Mens' Amateur Championship
GRIEVE HEADS 10 SCOTS IN FINAL ROUND OF BRITISH SENIORS CHAMPIONSHIP
PERTH player Brian Grieve headed the 10 Scots among the cosmopolitan group of 53 players with 36-hole aggregates of 152 or better who qualified for Friday's third and final round in the British senior men's open amateur golf championship at Blairgowrie. Story and scores

British Girls, Newport
DAWN DEWAR LOSES AT 19TH HOLE
Dawn Dewar (Monifieth), right, who qualified for the Todd Bowl supplementary match-play competition at the British girls open amateur championship at Newport, lost a thrilling first round tie to Emma Sheffield.
The Newark girl beat the Scot at the 19th and will play Alex Marshall (Toft Hotel) in the second semi-final.
The first semi-final will be between Melissa Reid (Chevin) and Joanna Klatten (France).
Spain has five players in the last eight of the championship flight.
The line-up for Friday is:
Emma Cabrera (Spain) v Marianne Skarpnord (Norway).
Dewi-Claire Schreefel (Netherlands) v Azahara Munoz (Spain).
Adriana Zwanck (Spain) v Isabel Alvarez (Spain).
Beatriz Recari (Spain) v Kelly Froelich (France).
Check out the LGU website for live scoring.

Irish News
Results from Day 1 of AIB Ladies Interprovincials at Galway Golf Club.

Strathtyrum
Results from first round of the St Andrews Links Trust five-day women's open tournament for the Strathtyrum Trophy over the Eden Course:
Aileen Wilson beat Marilyn Henderson 1 hole. Daria Anisimova beat Andrea Stockdale 2 holes. Jenny Tootell beat Elizabeth Burns 6 and 4. Jane Bainbridge beat Holly Aitchison 3 and 1. Karen Marshall beat Alison Corke 3 and 2. Nicole Whitemore beat Becky Copland 3 and 1. Rachel Cassidy beat Penny perkins 2 holes. Lynda Brabender beat Lauren McArtur 3 and 1. Sophie Stubbs beat Dee Lewis 2 and 1. Judith Anderson beat Karen Lobb 4 and 2. Krystle Caithness bewat Jennifer Graham 3 and 1. Fiona De Vries beat Lesley Williamson 2 and 1. Debbie Ross beat Elizabeth Goodwin 2 holes. Alyson Wood beat Louise Birrell at 19th. Valerie Kirkwood beat Jennifer Jenkins 2 and 1. Laura Archer beat Maria Dolphin 5 and 4.

Wednesday 6th August 2003

British Girls' Championship, Newport
No Scots qualified for the British Girls' Championship at Newport. Scottish Girl Internationalist Dawn Dewar (Monifieth), with scores of 78 and 74 (152) will play in the subsidiary Todd Bowl.
Top qualifiers were Emma Cabrera (Spain), Belen Mozo (Spain) and Caroline Westrup (Sweden) all on 138.
Five Spanish girls are in the top seven. Only eight Brits qualified, the best of which was Sian Reddick (Sene Valley) in 14th place. Scores and results are on the LGU website

SCOTLAND VETS MARCH ON IN TITLE DEFENCE
Scotland stayed on course to retain the Miller Stirling Trophy by beating Midlands 6 1/2-2 1/2 to be the only team with a 100 per cent record at the end of the second day in the Veteran Ladies Golf Association area team championship at Lilleshall Hall, Shropshire.
South, who beat North 5 1/2-3 1/2 in the other match, are Scotland's final opponents. Scotland shared the morning foursomes with Midlands but then swept into an invincible position with singles wins by Rose Anderson (Huntly), Pam Williamson (Baberton), Moira Thomson (North Berwick), Helen Faulds (Douglas Park) and Christine McAndrew (Nairn Dunbar).
Results: MIDLANDS 2 1/2, SCOTLAND 6 1/2
Foursomes: D Parker, A Burtt beat R Anderson (Huntly), P Williamson (Baberton) 4 and 2; S Timberlake, A Dawson lost to L Terry (Cruden Bay), M Thomson (North Berwick) 3 and 2; P West, A Booth halved with P Hutton (Lanark), C McAndrew (Nairn Dunbar) (1 1/2-1 1/2).
Singles: C Gibbs lost to Anderson 4 and 3, West lost to Williamson 2 holes, Parker lost to Thomson 3 and 2, Timberlake lost to H Faulds (Douglas Park) 2 and 1; Burtt lost to McAndrew 1 hole, Dawson beat Terry 4 and 3 (1-5).
SOUTH 5 1/2, NORTH 3 1/2 (Foursomes - 2 1/2-1/2. Singles _ 3-3).

British Men's Senior Amateur Champoinship, Blairgowrie
Roy Smethurst leading Report and scores

KELLY WINS SEVENTH SCOTTISH BLIND TITLE
Gerry Kelly from Troon won the Scottish blind match-play golf championship for a seventh time at the King's Links, Aberdeen today (Wed) - and then said he owed it all to his wife Mary who is his golfing guide-caddie.
"It's Mary who lines up every shot for me and she knows my game inside-out. I was exhausted after going to the 19th in the semi-final and I didn't play well," said Gerry, a member at Troon Welbeck. "But Mary got me up early this morning to go to the driving range. She made me hit drives and irons until I got my timing back and the result was I produced my best form of the week in the final.
"I drove well and I putted well, holing a couple of 20-footers for halves at a vital stage. The seventh win feels just as good as the first. But I'm only half a champion. Mary is the other half."
In the final, Gerry, who plays off 17, beat Stuart Wilkie, a 19-handicapper at Auchterarder, by 3 and 2 after being four up at the turn.

Strathtyrum Trophy, St Andrews
Sea mist disrupted the second day's programme in the St Andrews Links Trust Strathtyrum Trophy and Eden Trophy five-day open tournaments on Tuesday. The second qualifying round in the women's event had to be cancelled because there was simply not enough light left to complete it at the end of the day. The qualifying process was decided on scores record in the first qualifying round. Draw

British Girls, Newport
Check out the LGU website for on-line scoring

Tuesday 5th August 2003

SCOTLAND VETS START TITLE DEFENCE WITH A WIN AT LILLESHALL HALL
SCOTLAND started their defence of the Miller Stirling Trophy with a 5 1/2-3 1/2 win over North in the Veteran Ladies Golf Association area championship at Lilleshall Hall, Shropshire yesterday (Tuesday).
In the other match, Midlands beat South 5 1/2-3 1/2.
The Scots took a 2-1 lead in the morning foursomes, thanks to wins by Rose Anderson (Huntly) and Pam Williamson (Baberton) in the top tie and also by debutante Lynne Terry (Cruden Bay) and Moira Thomson (North Berwick).
In the singles, Rose, Pam and Moira all won again while Pat Hutton (Lanark) secured half a point.
Results:
NORTH 3 1/2, SCOTLAND 5 1/2
Foursomes: B Lindley & I Williams lost to R Anderson & P Williamson 2 and 1; I Bratten & R Pickup lost to L Terry & M Thomson2 and 1; A Vine & P Wrightson beat P Hutton & C McAndrew 5 and 4 (1-2).
Singles: Lindley lost to Anderson 3 and 2, Vine lost to Williamson 4 and 3, J Smith lost to Thomson 4 and 3, Wrightson beat H Faulds 5 and 4, Williams halved with Hutton, H Smyth beat N Fenton 3 and 2 (2 1/2-3 1/2).
SOUTH 3 1/2, MIDLANDS 5 1/2

SCOTS HARD PUSHED TO QUALIFY FOR BRITISH GIRLS' MATCH-PLAY
THE five Scots in the field for the British open girls' championship, which began at Newport today (Tuesday), will be hard pushed to figure among the leading 32 players who will go forward to the top flight of the match-play stages at the end of the second qualifying round.
Their scores in the first round, when the CSS was 73,were:
Dawn Dewar (Monifieth) 78
Roseanne Niven (Crieff) 79
Kerri Harper (Inverness) 82
Fiona Hindshaw (Gullane) 83
Sjavon Wilson (Murcar) 83
The best scores of a hot and sultry day when play was suspended three times because of forecasts of lightning in the area were returned by:
Caroline Westrup (Sweden) 66
Azahara Munoz (Spain) 68
Belen Mozo (Spain) 69
Emma Cabrera (Spain) 69

SCOTLAND'S SQUAD PLAY MATCH OVER FAST-RUNNING CRUDEN BAY
Scotland's squad for the women's home internationals at Cruden Bay from September 10 to 12 had their last practice session together over the Buchan links today before the big event comes along in five weeks.
Four of the players - Laura Wells and Louise Kenney to Iowa State University, Heather MacRae to San Diego State and Pamela Feggans to Florida Southern - fly back to American colleges over the next couple of weeks.
They will be flown back across the Atlantic at Scottish Ladies Golfing Association expense the weekend before the home internationals and will return to their colleges immediately after ... to keep their college golf coaches happy.
Lynn Kenny, Lesley Mackay, Anne Laing and Clare Queen were the other players in action in a practice match against a men's team that included Meldrum House director of golf John Caven, North-east youths' champion Greg McBain, who is a golf scholarship student at Tyler College in the United States, and Jonathan Black, husband of the Scotland skipper Elaine Farquharson-Black and the Braemar club champion.
No results were officially recorded but Elaine seemed to be happy with the foursomes partnerships she tried out.
Laura, Louise, Heather and Pamela were seeing the Cruden Bay links for the first time. If there is no substantial and sustained rainfall between now and September 10, the home internationals are going to be played on true links conditions - a course burned brown, fast-running with unpredictable bounces.
Karyn Dallas, the SLGA national coach, took a day out from her Kirriemuir club duties, to join the squad and skipper at Cruden Bay.

Aberdeen Ladies team with the Lyon Trophy after their success in the two-day Aberdeenshire Ladies inter-club double foursomes tournament over Aberdeen Ladies' home course at Balgownie.
Back row (l to r): Ellie Whyte, Leslie Hardie.
Front row (l to r): Sheena Wood, Aberdeen Ladies club captain Dr Gill Bruce, Carol Whicher.

Aberdeen Ladies win title on home course
ABERDEEN Ladies made the most of home course advantage to win the Aberdeenshire Ladies' Lyon Inter-Club Foursomes match-play tournament at Balgownie yesterday (Tuesday). It was their first win in the double foursomes event since 1994.
In the final, the Aberdeen Ladies 1 team beat Murcar by an overall one-hole in a match that was not won until the 18th green of the second tie.
Sheena Wood and Ellie Whyte, the Aberdeen Ladies lead-off pairing, had finished all square with Murcar's Laura McLardy and Carol Wilson, the last hole being halved in birdie 4s.
Carol Whicher and Leslie Hardie of Aberdeen Ladies then beat Frances Neish and Pat Wilson of Murcar by winning the last hole after being two down on the 13th tee and then winning three holes in a row before losing the 17th.
Results:
SEMI-FINALS
Aberdeen Ladies 1 beat Cruden Bay by three holes (S Wood, E Whyte 2, C Middleton, S Imlah 0; C Whicher, L Hardie 1, R Dunsmuir, K Esslemont 0).
Murcar beat Banchory by 11 holes (L McLardy, C Wilson 5, A Smart, M Clapperton 0; F Neish, P Wilson 6, M Clark, H Edon 0).
FINAL
Aberdeen Ladies 1 beat Murcar by one hole (Wood, Whyte 0, McLardy, C Wilson 0; Whicher, Hardie 1, Neish, P Wilson 0).

SCOTS DEFEND TITLE AT LILLESHALL HALL
Scotland are defending the Miller Stirling Trophy they won at Seaton Carew 12 months ago when the Veteran Ladies Golf Association jamboree starts at Lilleshall Hall, Shropshire today (Tuesday). The English areas of North, South and Midlands complete the annual four-cornered contest. "It's a treelined course that should be a good match-play venue," said Pat Hutton (Lanark), vice-chairman of the Scottish Ladies Golfing Association and a regular member of the veterans' team which is captained this year by former Scottish champion Heather Anderson (Caldwell) with Joan Marshall (Baberton) her vice-captain.
Scotland squad for the three-day programme is: Rose Anderson (Huntly), Helen Faulds (Douglas Park), Noreen Fenton (Merchants of Edinburgh), Pat Hutton (Lanark), Christine McAndrew (Nairn Dunbar), Lynne Terry (Cruden Bay), Moira Thomson (North Berwick), Pam Williamson (Baberton).

KELLY AND DAWN BOUND FOR BELGIAN JUNIOR TOURNAMENT
The Scottish Ladies Golfing Association selection committee has nominated Kelly Brotherton (Tulliallan), the BP Scottish Under-18 girls champion and third in the BP Scottish Under-21 girls stroke-play championship, and Dawn Dewar (Monifieth), a past Angus women's county champion, to represent Scotland in the Belgian Junior International Open at Royal Belgique Golf Club, Brussells from August 26 to 30.
Lyndsey Devenish (Aberdeen Ladies) was the original choice to make the trip with Kelly Brotherton for what is an Under-21 years tournament but it clashes with the European women's individual amateur championship at Shannon, Ireland from August 27 to 30. Miss Devenish had already been nominated by the SLGA to play at Shannon as a replacement and was, therefore, unavailable for Belgium.

DEESIDE GO DOWN BUT CRUDEN BAY HEAD FOR FOURTH FINAL IN A ROW
DEESIDE, holders of the Lyon Inter-Club Foursomes title, fell at the first hurdle in this year's tournament which began at Balgownie on Monday.
Given a bye in the first round, Deeside's Fiona Hay, Lynne McPherson, Mareeva Millership and Vivien Harper lost by 14 holes to host club Aberdeen Ladies' No 1 team of Sheena Wood, Ellie Whyte, Carol Whicher and Lesley Hardie. Aberdeen Ladies' semi-final opponents on Tuesday morning are Cruden Bay who have reached the final for the past three years - and lost each time. The other semi-final, is between Banchory and Murcar. Results

TOUGH GOING FOR COMPETITORS IN ST ANDREWS LINKS EVENT
COMPETITORS in the first qualifying round of the Strathtyrum women's five-day open tournament, organised by St Andrews Links Trust, found the going tough over the New and Eden Courses. No player broke 80 over the New Course which has a women's par of 75 and nobody got within striking distance of the Par of 73 at the Eden Course.
Report and scores

Monday 4th August 2003

Walker Cup team announced.
New Scottish Champion Graham Gordon (Newmacher), David Inglis (University of Tulsa/Glencorse) and Stuart Wilson (University of Abertay/Forfar) are included in the 10-strong team to play at Ganton in September.
R&A Press Release

Sunday 3rd August 2003

ANNE LAING WINS RICCARTON ROSEBOWL FOR THIRD TIME
Centenary Scottish women's champion Anne Laing, Fife-based but a member at Vale of Leven, won the Riccarton Rosebowl SLGA 36-hole order of merit event for a third time at Hamilton Golf Club today.
On a day of low scoring, Anne had rounds of 71 and 67 for a six-under-par total of 138.
The first six places were all filled by members of the Scotland team for the women's home internationals at Cruden Bay next month. A seventh, Clare Queen (Drumpellier) finished joint ninth.
Heather MacRae (Dunblane New) and Laura Wells (Dumfries & Co), who fly out to United State Colleges later this month, tied for second place on 141 with Laura shooting 72 and 69 while Heather had 69 and 72.
Lesley Mackay (Stirling University) had one of her best rounds for some time, a 67 in the afternoon, to fill fourth place on 142.
The best score of the day was a seven-under-par 65 - believed to be a women's course record - by Louise Kenney (Pitreavie). The Iowa State University student improved by 14 shots on her morning round to finish in fifth place in a field of 42.
LEADING SCORES
138 Anne Laing (Vale of Leven) 71 67.
141 Laura Wells (Dumfries & Co) 72 69, Heather MacRae 69 72.
142 Lesley Mackay (Stirling Univ) 75 67.
144 Louise Kenney (Pitreavie) 79 65.
145 Lynn Kenny (Stirling Univ) 72 73.
146 Addi Shamash (Kirkcudbright) 72 74, Claire Hargan (Prestonfield) 71 75.
148 Clare Queen (Drumpellier) 76 72, Fiona Prior (Cawder) 71 77.
149 Katrina Milne (Dunfermline) 73 74.
150 Jenna Wilson (Strathaven) 79 71.
151 Jo Carthew (Ladybank) 80 71.
152 Cara Gruber (Stirling Univ) 76 76, Lesley Hendry (Routenburn) 77 75.

INTERVIEW WITH NEW WEETABIX WOMEN'S BRITISH OPEN CHAMPION ANNIKA SORENSTAM

JODIE DOES AMATEUR-PRO DOUBLE AT FORMBY
JODIE Davidson won last year's Leveret Trophy 36-hole women's open tournament at Formby as an amateur. She defended it as a professional on Saturday and won again, this time by two strokes, with two par rounds of 71 for 142.
Runner-up to Jodie, a teaching pro at Fishwick Hall, near Preston, in a field of 49 was Karen Heywood (Crompton & Royton) with scores of 71 and 73 for 144. Report and scores

Saturday 2nd August 2003

JO BOOSTS CLAIM FOR PLACE AT CRUDEN BAY INTERNATIONALS
JO Nicolson from Wrexham boosted her prospects of being selected for the Wales team for the women's home internationals at Cruden Bay in September when she won the Royal Birkdale Scratch Trophy 36-hole open tournament in a thrilling finish yesterday (Friday).
Jo, a reserve for the Wales squad of six for last month's European women's team championship in Frankfurt, beat last year's English women's stroke-play champion, Sara Garbutt (Ganton) at the second hole of a sudden-death play-off.
They had tied on 144, five under the combined CSS of 149 (75, 74). Jo Nicolson had been the first-round leader with a fine score of 69, one ahead of compatriot Stephanie Evans (Vale of Llangollen and six in front of Sara Garbutt.
In the second round, Jo drifted to a 75 for 144, a total equalled by Sara's splendid, best of the day 68.
Stephanie Evans fell away to a 78 for 148 and third place went top Jacqueline Gregg from Newmarket who had rounds of 75 and 70 for 145.
LEADING TOTALS (CSS 75 74)
144 Jo Nicolson (Wrexham) 69 75, Sara Garbutt (Ganton) 75 68 (Nicolson won sudden death play-off at second hole).
145 Jacqueline Gregg (Newmarket) 75 70.
148 Shelley McKevitt (Reading) 78 70, Laura Eastwood (Yelverton) 75 73, Sarah Walton (Accrington) 72 76, Fiona Thompson (Ellesborough) 72 76, Stephanie Evans (Vale of Llangollen) 70 78.
149 Lisa Ball (Parklands) 79 70, Corisande Lee (Royal Birkdale) 76 73.
150 Danielle Robeberry (Durham City) 77 73.
151 Rachael Lomas (Hallowes) 77 74, Natalee Evans (Pleasington) 76 75, Kelly Hanwell (Northampton) 75 76.
152 Cheryl Smith (Royal Birkdale) 72 80.
155 Mrs Anne Lowe (Royal Birkdale) 78 77, Karen Heywood (Royal Birkdale) 78 77, Tracy Atkin (Leamington) 72 83.

English Girls'
Kerry-Anne Haskell (Broadstone) beat Joanne Hodge (Knowle) 4&3 in the final
see ELGA website for details

Friday 1st August 2003

Photo albums
The Cal Carson Golf Agency has been out with its cameras during July and captured some excellent shots of all the action...

• European Ladies Team Championship, Frankfurt, Germany
• BP Scottish Girls Championship, Newmacher
• Vagliano Trophy, Co Louth Golf Club, Ireland
• BP Scottish Junior Open Stroke-play Championship, Kilmacolm
  
  next time you see Colin Farquharson, please smile!!!

ANNE AND CLARE FOR TEXAS
The Scottish Ladies Golfing Association has selected Centenary Scottish women's amateur champion Anne Laing (Vale of Leven), right, and Clare Queen (Drumpellier), left, who also played for the winning Great Britain & Ireland team in the recent Vagliano Trophy match against the Continent of Europe, to be half Scotland's team in the inaugural The Spirit International tournament at Whispering Pines Golf Club, north of Houston, Texas from October 15 to 18. Lynn Kenny (Stirling University), a third Scot in the Vagliano Trophy team, is reserve.
The two male members of the Scotland line-up have still to be named by the Scottish Golf Union who, presumably, are waiting for the conclusion of their championship at The Duke's Course, St Andrews.
The format of the tournament is 72 holes four-ball stroke-play with all four players' scores counting for a team aggregate. The Spirit International event is to be played every odd year when the men's and women's world team championships for the Eisenhower Trophy and Espirito Santo Trophy are not being played.

ALEX TURNING PRO TO BECOME A COACH
Alex Keighley, the pint-sized England women's amateur international player, may not be available for the home international matches at Cruden Bay from September 10 to 12.
A 22-year-old scratch player from Halifax, Alex is turning professional in the autumn. "My ambition is not to be a tour player, although I would still like to play in some pro events," said Alex in Ireland where she turned up at County Louth Golf Club to support the Great Britain & Ireland team in the Vagliano Trophy match against the Continent of Europe. "I want to gain PGA qualifications with the ultimate aim of being a top coach, someone like Pat Smillie, the club pro at Wilton near Redcar. Pat is the English Ladies Golf Association national coach and I am going to sign up to do my training with her." A member of the Ladies Golf Union Elite Squad, Alex was English women's intermediate champion and Yorkshire champion in 2001. She was a member of the England squad of six for the European women's team championship in Frankfurt in July. Away from golf, Alex has played hockey for Bradford and Yorkshire and was "player of the year" and scored "goal of the year."

English Girls' Team
The England team to play Scotland, Ireland and Wales in the girls' home internationals at Pyle & Kenfig GC, South Wales, from August 12 to 14 is: Claire Aitken (Mid Kent), Kerry-Anne Haskell (Broadstone), Joanne Hodge (Knowle), Felicity Johnson (Harborne), Alexandra Marshall (Toft), Kiran Matharu (Sand Moor), Melissa Reid (Chevin), Roseann Youngman (Oundle). Reserves: Florentyna Parker (Royal Birkdale), Sian Reddick (Sene Valley). Captain: Angela Caton (Pleasington).

European Young Masters - Germany
Scotland has a great crop of young players at the moment... should we be sending them to Europe to gain experience? Can we afford not too?
Story and scoreboard

BP Scottish Under-21 Girls' Open Stroke-play Championship
Full prizelist has been added to the collated report.

English Girls' Championship
IT'S JOANNE v KERRY-ANNE FOR ENGLISH GIRLS' TITLE
Friday's final of the English girls close championship at Porters Park GC, Hertfordshire will be between two competitors from the southwest of the country - Joanne Hodge (Knowle) from Bristol and Kerry-Anne Haskell (Broadstone) from Dorset. Both won their semi-finals on Thursday by 3 and 2. Joanne beat Clare Aitken. Kerry-Anne beat Anna Scott. The Flight 2 final will feature Laura Cutler (Warley Park) against Henrietta Brockway (Yeovil).
Flight 1 results on Thursday:
QUARTER-FINALS Clare Aitken beat Rachel Jennings 3 and 1. Joanne Hodge beat Hannah Coles 2 and 1. Anna Scott beat Felicity Johnson 1 hole. Kerry-Anne Haskell beat Kirsty Law 3 and 2.
SEMI-FINALS Hodge beat Aitken 3 and 2. Haskell beat Scott 3 and 2.