Suzann six shots clear after breaking
Ladies European Tour 54-hole record

FROM THE LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE:
Norway’s Suzann Pettersen broke the Ladies European Tour record for the lowest 54-hole total in a 72-hole event after shooting an eight-under-par 64 in the third round of the Deutsche Bank Ladies’ Swiss Open today.
After opening with a 67 and posting a course record-equalling 63 in the second round, the 27-year-old from Oslo emerged six shots clear of the field after 54 holes, on a total of 22-under-par 194 at Golf Gerre Losone.
The record was previously held by Australia’s Karrie Webb, who sat at 18-under-par 198 after three rounds at the 1997 Weetabix Women’s British Open.
The world number three, Pettersen is just three shots away from equalling Laura Davies’ 72-hole scoring record of 25-under-par 267, set at the 1995 Guardian Holidays Irish Open at St Margaret’s.
Pettersen said that she wasn’t that driven by record breaking. “I have my own little goals and we’ll see where it takes me,” she said.
The world number three wears a ball marker with 54 on her cap, in reference to Swedish golf coach Pia Nilsson’s “Vision 54” concept, with the idea being that one birdies every hole. “It’s pretty much the intention when you start on the first hole but this course is all about getting the ball in play and from there trying to be very aggressive. Eight under of course is a great round but it still feels like I left a couple out there. It felt more work than yesterday,” Pettersen added.
South Korean teenager Amy Yang, who has played with Pettersen in every round, recorded her first hole-in-one at the 145yd par-3 seventh hole, for which she won an Omega watch.
The 18-year-old, who won the 2006 ANZ Ladies Masters in Australia as a 16-year-old amateur, shot 65 to finish the third day in outright second on 16-under-par. On her ace Yang said: “I hit a soft seven-iron but I couldn’t see it because of the bushes. I thought, “Wow!””
Yang added that she was impressed by Pettersen’s play: “I think she just plays so easily. Every time she hit the fairway, hit the green and one putt. She plays so easily. I thought I was practising hard enough but after three rounds of playing golf with her I feel I need to practise more and more.”
Yang was especially impressed with the Norwegian’s short game.
Gwladys Nocera, placed third on 15-under-par, conceded that she may be playing for second position. Nocera, who won her maiden title at the same venue in 2006, rocketed up the leader board after lowering her own course record from two years ago with a 10-under-par 62. She enters the final round seven shots behind the Pettersen.
“Even if I finish second behind her it’s still a great performance, I think. I’m just going to play my game and try to see how I stand behind her,” said Nocera, a six time LET tournament champion.
“I played really well. I don’t think I could have hit the ball better than I did today. I was getting frustrated because I have been hitting the ball so well. Yesterday I hit 18 greens and I just made three-under. I was just thinking, “Okay I need to make putts now because I know I can shoot low.”
"It was fun. It feels really good to be back here. Last year was tough. I had a hard time defending my title but I remember so many good things from two years ago. Even last year I didn’t play well but the course is great, I love it and the greens are perfect. I think this is the place for me.”
In the final round Nocera will tee up alongside recent LET winner Lotta Wahlin from Sweden, who had a 66 to finish on 12-under. Meanwhile England’s Laura Davies is in fifth place on 11-under and will play with Norway’s Marianne Skarpnord, one of three players on ten-under.
Pettersen carded seven birdies, one eagle, and her only bogey- at the par-4 14th - in her third round. Even then, she missed several chances, including a 15ft putt for eagle at the par-5 18th.
THIRD ROUND TOTALS
Par 216 (3 x 72)
194 Suzann Pettersen (Nor) 67 63 64
200 Amy Yang (USA) 67 68 65
201 Gwladys Nocera (Fra) 70 69 62
204 Lotta Maria Wahlin (Swe) 71 67 66
205 Laura Davies 69 68 68
206 Paula Marti (Spa) 67 70 69, Marianne Skarpnord (Nor) 71 66 69, Ludivine Kreutz (Fra) 67 70 69
208 Krista Ursula Wikstrom (Fin) 68 70 70, Ellen Smets (Bel) 71 66 71
209 Rebecca Coakley 63 74 72, Veronica Zorzi (Ita) 69 71 69, Maria Verchenova (Rus) 70 71 68, Lisa Hall 67 69 73, Cecillia Ekelundh (Swe) 72 67 70
210 Marina Arruti (Spa) 67 76 67
211 Caroline Afonso (Fra) 72 71 68, Marta Prieto (Spa) 71 70 70, Nicole Gergely (Aut) 68 73 70, Becky Brewerton 71 73 67, Emma Cabrera Bello (Spa) 71 72 68
212 Joanne Mills (Aus) 72 70 70, Dana Lacey (Aus) 70 70 72, Lydia Hall 70 72 70, Anais Maggetti (Swi) 67 72 73, Trish Johnson (USA) 74 71 67, Rebecca Hudson 70 74 68
213 Laura Terebey (USA) 72 69 72, Ana Sanchez (Spa) 68 75 70, Marjet Van Der Graaff (Ned) 69 71 73
214 Kiran Matharu 70 73 71, Iben Tinning (Den) 69 74 71, Martina Gillen 74 67 73, Georgina Simpson 69 73 72, Samantha Head 71 72 71, Johanna Westerberg (Swe) 72 70 72
215 Felicity Johnson 71 75 69, Henrietta Zuel 73 73 69, Lee-Anne Pace (Rsa) 71 70 74, Tania Elosegui (Spa) 72 72 71, Amanda Moltke-Leth (Den) 71 75 69, Fame More 72 69 74, Kaisa Ruuttila (Fin) 75 69 71
216 Rachel Bell 71 75 70, Kirsty S Taylor 69 74 73, Lynn Kenny 71 74 71, Anna-Lise Caudal (Fra) 71 72 73, Lynn t Brooky (Nzl) 73 72 71, Stefania Croce (Ita) 74 69 73, Anna Knutsson (Swe) 74 68 74, Anna Tybring (Swe) 70 71 75
217 Martina Eberl (Ger) 71 72 74, Lara Tadiotto (Bel) 75 70 72, Clare Queen 73 72 72
218 Anja Monke (Ger) 70 74 74, Kate Combes (Aus) 73 70 75, Jenna Wilson 74 71 73, Bronwyn Mullins-Lane (Aus) 70 76 72
219 Laura Cabanillas Gomez (Spa) 72 72 75, Katharina Schallenberg (Ger) 69 76 74, Maria Boden (Swe) 76 70 73, Sophie Sandolo (Ita) 70 74 75
220 Bettina Hauert (Ger) 72 74 74
222 Nikki Garrett (Aus) 68 76 78
223 Denise Becker (Ger) 73 73 77

Skandia Girls Open Round 2 Totals

1 Anna Dahlberg Söderström SWE 6 4 5 4 2 3 3 4 3 34 3 5 4 4 4 2 5 3 4 34 68 143
1 Caroline Hedwall SWE 5 5 4 3 3 4 3 4 4 35 3 5 5 4 4 5 5 3 5 39 74 143
3 Michaela Gunhildrud NOR 5 5 4 4 2 4 3 4 5 36 4 4 6 4 4 3 6 3 4 38 74 146
4 Jacqueline Hedwall SWE 18 5 4 4 4 3 4 3 3 5 35 2 4 6 4 5 3 5 4 5 38 73 147
4 Monica Vestergaard Christiansen DEN 6 5 4 4 3 3 4 4 3 36 2 4 6 3 4 3 5 5 5 37 73 147
6 Malin Enarsson SWE 5 5 4 6 3 4 4 3 4 38 3 4 6 4 4 3 6 2 4 36 74 148
7 Emelie Alonso FRA 6 5 4 4 3 4 4 5 4 39 3 4 5 4 3 3 8 4 4 38 77 149
8 Louise Kristersson SWE 5 7 4 4 4 3 2 5 4 38 6 4 4 4 5 3 6 4 5 41 79 150
8 Sophia Popov GER 6 4 4 4 7 4 3 5 5 42 4 5 5 4 4 3 5 4 5 39 81 150
10 Frida Gustafsson-Spång SWE 5 5 5 4 3 4 4 5 5 40 3 3 5 5 3 4 4 3 4 34 74 152
11 Louise Ridderström SWE 5 5 3 5 3 3 5 4 3 36 3 4 6 4 3 3 6 2 4 35 71 153
11 Noora Tamminen FIN 5 4 5 5 3 4 3 4 4 37 3 4 5 4 5 3 5 3 5 37 74 153
11 Sara Ardström SWE 5 4 5 4 3 4 5 4 5 39 3 5 6 3 4 3 5 3 5 37 76 153
11 Victoria Scherer GER 6 4 5 4 3 4 4 4 4 38 5 5 6 4 5 3 5 3 4 40 78 153
15 Jenny Häggblom FIN 6 4 4 4 4 4 3 4 4 37 3 4 6 4 4 4 5 3 4 37 74 154
15 Jennifer Davidsson SWE 5 6 5 5 4 3 4 4 4 40 4 5 5 3 5 4 5 4 5 40 80 154
17 Tiffany Albath GER 5 4 4 4 3 4 3 5 5 37 3 5 4 4 4 3 6 4 4 37 74 155
17 Moa Duf SWE 6 5 5 4 3 4 3 4 4 38 4 5 5 4 4 3 5 5 4 39 77 155
17 Therése Larsson SWE 5 5 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 37 4 5 5 4 5 4 5 3 5 40 77 155
17 Emelie Lundström SWE 6 5 4 6 3 4 5 5 4 42 3 4 6 4 4 3 6 3 5 38 80 155

Laura Jones helps Oklahoma City

win NAIA college title in US

Chester-born Laura Jones has ended her first year (2007-2008) at Oklahoma City University by helping the team win the NAIA women's college championship for a record-setting fourth time in a row.

Laura, pictured right, a member at Royal Liverpool Golf Club, twice Cheshire girls champion and winner of The Leveret tournament at Formby last year, had rounds of 78, 81, 80 and 79 for a total of 318 in a high-scoring tournament.

The 18-year-old - she will be 19 on July 26 - finished ninth behind the four-stroke winner, Shanna Page (Bethel, Indiana), who scored 75, 78, 78 and 77 for 308.

Oklahoma City totalled 1267 to win the team title by three shots from Embry Riddle with California State San Marcos third of 23 teams on 284.

The tournament was played at Lake San Marcos Country Club, California's 5961yd, par-72 course.

Krystle Caithness makes top 50 in New Mexico

Danielle McVeigh joint 15th

behind Spanish winner of

US college championship

Ireland's Danielle McVeigh (Texas A&M) finished joint 15th and Scotland's Krystle Caithness (Georgia) joint 46th in a quality field of 126 for the weather-disrupted NCAA Division 1 women's college championship, won by Spain's Azahara Munoz at the University of New Mexico course at Albuquerque.

Danielle, pictured above, had rounds of 73, 74, 75 and 73 for a seven-over-par total of 295 at the par-72, 6424yd course which was swept by high winds, rain and even hail storms for most of the four days.

Winner of the women's title at last year's world student golf championship in Thailand, McVeigh, who comes from Kilkeel, Northern Ireland, had birdies at the third, sixth, 10th and 17th in her final round. Double bogeys at two short holes in her third round cost her a top-10 finish.

A member at Royal County Down Golf Club, she is fourth reserve for the GB&I team for the Curtis Cup match against the United States, starting over the Old Course, St Andrews next Friday.

Krystle, who comes from Cellardyke and for whom the Old Course as a St Regulus club member is her home course, is a member of the GB&I team and flies home this weekend to meet up with her team-mates at St Andrews.

Caithness, beginning at the 10th hole in her final round, birdied the 10th and 11th but dropped shots at the 15th, 16th, 18th and first before she collected her third birdie, at the fourth. She then bogeyed the fifth and ninth.

Over the four rounds, she had 10 birdies and two double bogeys.

The third British player in the field, English girls champion Ellie Givens (Denver), finished joint 85th on 311 with scores of 77, 78, 79 and 77.

Munoz tied with US Curtis Cup team member Tiffany Joh (UCLA) with the lowest 72-hole totals of 287, only one under par and an indication of how much the bad weather affected the standard of play.

Azahara, winner of the British girls open title at Lanark in 2004, scored 69, 72, 73 and 73. Tiffany's rounds were 74, 69, 72 and 72. Munoz holed a 25ft birdie putt at the first hole of a sudden-death play-off.

In third place was one of Krystle Caithness's Georgia University team-mates, Garrett Phillips, who is not in the US Curtis Cup team.

Garrett, on her last green, the ninth, faced a 15ft eagle putt which, had she holed it, would have put her into the play-off with Munoz and Joh. Tragically, she FOUR-putted for a closing 73 and third place on 289.

Belen Mozo (Southern California), the Spanish girl who won both the British girls' and women's open championships at Northern Irleand venues in 2006, finished fourth on 290.

Amanda Blumenherst (Duke), who finishes the US women's college golf season as its No 1 and is expected to be their leading player in the Curtis Cup match, finished on a high with a four-under-par 68, the lowest round by anyone in the tournament.

She had an eagle and four birdies as well as a double bogey 7 at the 18th in great round.

Blumenherst tied for fourth place on 291 with Anna Nordqvist (Arizona State), the Swedish girl who was British girls' open champion in 2005 and beaten finalist in the British women's open amateur championhip last year, and Denver's Stephanie Sherlock.

Of the other American Curtis Cup players in the field, Stacy Lewis, Amanda Blumenherst's great rival for the No 1 ranking, came joint eighth on 292 with a closing 72; Jennie Lee (Duke), who began her last round birdie-birdie-eagle (an ace!), finished joint 15th on 295, and Irish-born Alison Walshe (Arizona) from Galway finished joint 28th on 299.

Southern California (1168) won the team title from UCLA (1174) with Duke (1180), who had been bidding for a fourth successive championship, having to settle for third place.

LEADING INDIVIDUAL TOTALS

Par 288 (4 x 72) 6424yd

287 Azahara Munoz (Arizona State) 69 72 73 73, Tiffany Joh (UCLA) 74 69 72 72 (Munoz won play-off at first hole).

289 Garrett Phillips (Georgia) 71 74 71 73.

290 Belen Mozo (Southern California) 69 71 75 75.

291 Amanda Blumenherst (Duke) 75 71 77 68, Anna Nordqvist (Arizona State) 75 73 72 71, Stephanie Sherlock (Denver) 71 73 77 70.

292 Ashley Freeman (Texas A&M) 71 72 75 75, Stacy Lewis (Arkansas) 73 72 75 72, Sydnee Michaels (UCLA) 69 74 75 74, Dewi-Claire Schreefel (Southern California) 73 78 72 69.

Other totals:

295 Jennie Lee (Duke) 74 77 73 69, Danielle McVeigh (Texas A&M) 73 74 75 73 (jt 15th).

299 Alison Walshe (Arizona) 76 74 74 75 (jt 28th).

302 Krystle Caithness (Georgia) 76 74 77 75 (jt 46th).

311 Ellie Givens (Denver) 77 78 79 77 (jt 86th).

LEADING TEAM TOTALS

1168 Southern California.

1174 UCLA.

1180 Duke.

1188 Purdue.

1189 Arizona State.

1191 Denver, Texas A&M.

1194 Arkansas.

1196 Florida.

1197 Georgia, Wake Forest (jt 10th).

24 teams took part.

News from Ladies' European Tour

Suzann Pettersen surges five
shots clear in Swiss Open

FROM THE LADIES' EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE:
Norway’s Suzann Pettersen carded a course record-equalling nine-under-par 63 to claim a five-shot lead at the halfway stage of the Deutsche Bank Ladies Swiss Open at Golf Gerre Losone.
Pettersen finished on a total of 14-under-par after firing nine birdies on a sunny second day in the foothills of the Swiss Alps. Her score matched that of first round leader Rebecca Coakley from Ireland, who had a 63 on the opening day, while France's Gwladys Nocera also shot 63 en route to her maiden tour victory in 2006.

Three Scots figured among those with 36-hole tallies of 146 or better who made the cut - Lynn Kenny, rookie Jenna Wilson and Clare Queen, all on 145. Kathryn Imrie missed out alongwith Inverness-based Kiwi Elizabeth McKinnon.
Pettersen began her second round four shots behind Coakley in a share of second with six others on five-under, but starting from the 10th she birdied her first four holes to draw level with the first round leader. She then recorded further birdies on holes 16 and 18 for an outward total of six-under 31 and a two shot lead over the Irish woman, yet to start her round.
Three more birdies at the third, sixth and ninth holes gave the 27-year-old from Oslo an inward total of 32, three-under-par with a five shot clubhouse lead.
“It feels as though it is really coming together now and it is at just the right time if you think about what is coming up ahead of us in a couple of weeks,” said Pettersen, ranked third in the Rolex Women’s World Rankings after her six worldwide victories last year, including a major championship.
“I’ve just got to keep going and keep doing what I’m doing because it feels good, especially my wedges. It feels like I can attack any pin. I feel a lot more comfortable with my irons, which makes you want to be very aggressive on every hole and sometimes you have to be a little careful. It’s a great feeling. It feels like I can go for the shots 100 percent and its coming along.”
Pettersen faced birdie putts on every hole on the back nine, which meant that her score could have been much lower. “I left a couple out there yesterday and I left a couple out there today that I maybe should have holed but I’m very happy. Of course I feel comfortable playing here in Europe, which is also a reason why I came back,” she added.
Amy Yang, the 2006 ANZ Ladies Masters champion from South Korea, shot a four-under 68 to move into outright second on nine-under. The 18-year old, who now resides in Orlando, Florida, mixed an eagle at the par-5 third hole with three birdies and a bogey.
England’s Lisa Hall shot 69 to take third place on eight-under going into the weekend, while six players, including the first round leader Rebecca Coakley, shared fourth on seven under. Coakley carded a 74 and said: “The front nine was good but on the back nine I hit a few bad iron shots and didn’t get up and down. There were a lot of putts that shaved the hole whereas yesterday they were all going in.
"I haven’t been in this position and it’s a nice feeling but that might have had a bit of an effect playing the last few holes. Even though you try to tell yourself not to think about it it’s still there in the back of the head so you have to deal with it.”
Also on seven-under are Belgium’s Ellen Smets (66), Norway’s Marianne Skarpnord (66), England’s Laura Davies (68), Spain’s Paula Marti (70) and France’s Ludivine Kreutz (67). Recent Garanti American Express Turkish Ladies Open winner Lotta Wahlin shot 67 to finish on six-under with Finland’s Ursula Wikstrom.
SCOREBOARD

Par 144 (2 x 72)
130 Suzann Pettersen (Nor) 67 63.
135 Amy Yang (SKo) 67 68.
136 Lisa Hall (Eng) 67 69.

137 Ludivine Kreutz (Fra) 67 70, Laura Davies (Eng) 69 68, Paula Marti (Eng) 67 70, Ellen Smets (Bel) 71 66, Rebecca Coakley (Ire) 63 74.

138 Ursula Wikstrom (Fin) 68 70, Lotta Wahlin (Swe) 71 67, Marianne Skarpnord (Nor) 71 67.

139 Gwladys Nocera (Fra) 70 69, Anais Maggetti (Swi) (am 67 72, Cecilia Ekelundh (Swe)

72 67.
140 Marjet van der Graaff (Net) 69 71, Dana Lacey (Aus) 70 70, Veronica Zorzi (Ita) 69 71.

141 Martina Gillen (Ire) 74 67, Lee-Anne Pace (SAf) 71 70, Marta Prieto (Spa) 71 70, Anna Tybring (Swe) 70 71, Nicole Gergely (Aut) 68 73, Maria Verchenova (Rus) 70 71, Laura Terebey (US) 72 69, F More (Eng) 72 69.

142 Lydia Hall (Wal) 70 72, Anna Knutsson (Swe) 74 68, Georgina Simpson (Eng) 69 73, Joanne Mills (Aus) 72 70, Johanna Westerberg (Swe) 72 70.

143 Marina Arruti (Spa) 67 76, Caroline Afonso (Fra) 72 72, Kiran Matharu (Eng) 70 73, Kirsty S Taylor (Eng) 69 74, Martina Eberl (Ger) 71 72, Ana B Sanchez (Spa) 68 75, Emma Cabrera-Bello (Spa) 71 72 Iben Tinning (Den) 69 74, Samantha Head (Eng) 71 72, Stefania Croce (Ita) 74 69, Anne-Lise Caudal (Fra) 71 72, Kate Combes (Aus) 73 70.

144 Sophie Sandolo (Ita) 70 74, Anja Monke (Ger) 70 74, Becky Brewerton (Wal) 71 83, Tania Elosegui (Spa) 72 72, Laura Cabanillas (Spa) 72 72, Nikki Garrett (Aus) 68 76, Rebecca Hudson (Eng) 70 74, Kaisa Ruuttila (Fin) 75 69.

145 Jenna Wilson (Sco) 74 71, Lynn Kenny (Sco) 71 74, Katharina Schallenberg (Ger) 79 76, Clare Queen (Sco) 73 72, Trish Johnson (Eng) 74 81, Lynn Brooky (NZ) 73 72, Lara adiotto (Bel) 75 70.

146 Rachel Bell (Eng) 71 75, Amanda Moltke-Leth (Den) 71 75, Bettina Hauert (Ger) 72 74, Henrietta Zuel (Eng) 73 73, Denise-Charlotte Becker (Ger) 73 73, Maria Boden (Swe) 76 70, Felicity Johnson (Eng) 71 75, Bronwyn Mullins-Lane (Aus) 70 76.
MISSED THE CUT
147 Laurette Maritz (SAf) 70 77, Stefanie Michl (Aut) 73 74, Lora Fairclough (Eng) 75 72, Karen-Margrethe Juul (Den) 73 74, Titiya Plucksataporn (Tha) 72 75, Emma Zackrisson (Swe) 74 73, Sara Beautell (Spa) 76 71, Natasha Fink (Aut) 73 74, Natalie Claire Booth (Eng) 71 76, Nathali David-Mila (Fra) 71 76, Melissa Reid (Eng) 71 76, Stacy Lee Bregman (SAf) 75 72, Danielle Masters (Eng) 75 72.

148 Elin Ohlsson (Swe) 73 75, Eva Steinberger (Aut) 74 74, Anne Norman Hansen (Den) 75 73, Florence Luscher (Swi) 75 73, Frederique (Swi) 76 72, Jade Schaeffer (Fra) 73 75, Rebecca Huber (Swi) (am) 70 78, Caroline Rominger (Swi) (am) 71 77, Ana Larraneta (Spa 73 75, Diana Luna (Ita) 73 75, Frances Bondad (Aus) 78 70, Jehanne Jail (Fra) 75 73.

149 Eleanor Pilgrim (Wal) 76 73, Mianne Bagger (Den) 73 76, Vittoria Valvassori (Ita) 71 78, Cassandra Kirkland (Fra) 78 71, Stephanie Arricau (Fra) 74 75, Elizabeth McKinnon (NZ) 76 73, Leah Hart (Aus) 77 72, Lisa Holm Sorensen (Den) 74 75.

150 Itziar Elguezabal (Spa) 74 76, Karen Lunn (Aus) 75 75, Julie Greciet (Fra) 74 76, Asa Gottmo (Swe) 73 77, Elisabeth Esterl (Ger) 76 74, Isabella Maconi (Ita) 73 77.

151 Nora Angehrn (Swi) 76 75, Anna Rossi (Ita) 74 77, Christine Hallstrom (Swe) 77 74, Melodie Bourdy (Fra) 76 75, Kathryn Imrie (Sco) 78 73, Julie Tvede (Den) 78 73.

152 Fanny Vuignier (Swi) (am) 77 75, Federica Piovano (Ia) 73 79, Beatriz Recari (Spa) 76 76.

153 Sophie Walker (Eng) 76 77, Jo Clingan (Eng) 80 73.

154 Joanne Morley (Eng) 75 79, Lill Kristin Saether (Nor) 76 78, Olof Maria Jonsdottir (Ice) 76 78, Margherita Rigon(Ita) 77 77, Cherie Byrnes (Aus) 76 78.
156 Rui Yokomine (Jap) 81 75, M Buus (Den) 73 83.

158 Sofia Renell (Swe) 83 75, Denise Simon (Ger) 83 75, Xonia Wunsch (Spa) 83 75.

159 Camille Fallay (Fra) 79 80.

ELIZABETH PRICE-FISHER DIES AT 85

Golfer-turned-golf writer Elizabeth Price-Fisher, who played in six Curtis Cup matches between 1950 and 1960 and was British women's amateur golf champion in 1959, died today at the age of 85.
She was the women's golf correspondent of the Daily Telegraph between Enid Wilson and Lewine Mair and had been a member of the Association of Golf Writers since 1975.
She was being treated in a nursing home for the last three months for a diabetes-related illness and finally died of a heart attack.
She leaves a daughter, Myfanwy and two grandchildren, Sarah and Sam.

NO CURTIS CUP PLAYERS IN

SUNDAY’S ST RULE TROPHY

FIELD AT ST ANDREWS

Sunday's international field of 72 for the St Rule Trophy women’s golf tournament over the Old Course, St Andrews does not include the current Scottish, English, Welsh or Irish champions.
It is believed to be the first time this has happened since the competition was started in 1984 and has since matured into one of the leading club-run stroke-play events on the European women’s amateur golf calendar.
Michele Thomson (McDonald Ellon), winner of the Scottish title at Lossiemouth last Saturday, assembles with her Curtis Cup team-mates in St Andrews on Sunday when their American opponents also arrive.
The new English champion, Hannah Barwood, has not entered because she has A levels coming up, which is also the reason why the 17-year-old from Bristol has not entered the British women’s open amateur championship at North Berwick from June 11 to 15.
Leona Maguire (Slieve Russell), who beat her 13-year-old twin sister Lisa to win the Irish title at Westport this past week, is perhaps considered a shade too young for the trip to Scotland.
And the surprise winner of the Welsh title at Monmouthshire, also this week, Kirsty O’Connor from Nelson, Lancashire has not entered.
None of the GB&I or United States Curtis Cup team members is playing in the St Rule Trophy. That must have been a blow to the St Rule Club organisers who deliberately reduced this year’s tournament from its traditional three rounds to 36 holes so that it would not be too tiring a prospect for the Curtis Cup players ahead of the three-day match which starts next Friday.
Despite all the “missing” players, it is still a good field which includes 14 players from France, headed by Barbara Genuini, winner of the Helen Holm Scottish open amateur stroke-play championship at Troon last month.

Barbara is pictured above, courtesy of Cal Carson Golf Agency (all rights reserved).
Five Irish players making the trip are Deirdre Smith (Co Louth), Maura Morrin (The Curragh), Niamh Kitching (Claremorris), Karen Delaney (Carlow) and Gillian O’Leary (Cork).
If there is to be a Welsh winner it could be Rhian Wyn Thomas (Vale of Glamorgan) who led the way home from more fancied competitors in the recent Welsh women’s open amateur stroke-play championship.
Leading the Scottish bid to keep the prestigious trophy are home should be Scottish championship beaten finalist Jocelyn Carthew (Ladybank), semi-finalists Kylie Walker (Buchanan Castle) and Laura Murray (Alford), quarter-finalists Louisse Kenney (Pitreavie), Clare-Marie Carlton (Fereneze) and Jane Turner (Craigielaw), not to mention 17-year-old Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) who was the leading qualifier at Lossiemouth before her surprise first-round defeat by 16-year-old Sammy Vass from Tain.
Last year’s runaway winner by eight strokes was Melissa Reid from Chevin, Derby with a record-low score of 18-under-par 209 for one round over the New Course and two rounds at the Old Course.

Melissa would have been a key player in the GB&I Curtis Cup team over the Old Course had she not turned professional during the winter. There does not look to be an English challenger of her calibre in Sunday’s field.

LPGA Tour Scoreboard
CORNING CLASSIC
Corning Country Club, New York State
FIRST ROUND LEADERS
Par 72. 6223yd.
65 Erica Blasberg.
67 Na On Min, Karine Icher.
68 Sherri Turner, Na Yeon Choi, Sandra Gal, Jimin Kang.
Other scores:
70 Becky Morgan, Mhairi McKay (jt 16th).
71 Johanna Head, Janice Moodie (jt 31st).

News from Ladies European Tour

Rebecca Coakley leads with

a 63 in Ladies' Swiss Open

FROM THE LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Ireland’s Rebecca Coakley shot a blistering nine-under-par 63 to grab the first round lead at the Deutsche Bank Ladies Swiss Open.
The 27-year-old former Irish Ladies Close Champion from Carlow takes a four-shot lead into the second round ahead of seven players on five under par 67: Norway’s Suzann Pettersen, England’s Lisa Hall, South Korean Amy Yang, Spaniards Paula Marti and Marina Arruti, Swiss amateur Anais Maggetti and Ludivine Kreutz from France.
Coakley (picture by courtesy of Ladies European Tour website), who hopes to become Ireland’s first representative in The Solheim Cup when it is played at Killeen Castle in 2011, began her round at the 10th hole and was five-under-par on her front nine. She came back in four-under, birdieing her last three holes in drizzling rain at Golf Gerre Losone, near Ticino in the foothills of the Swiss Alps.
Her score equalled the course record set by France's Gwladys Nocera in 2006 en route to her maiden Ladies European Tour victory. Nocera has since won a further five times.
After making birdie at the 10th, Coakley seized the early lead when she holed her second shot from 93 metres with a pitching wedge for eagle at the par-4 12th. She went on to birdie seven more holes: the 13th, 14th, second, fifth, and three in a row from the seventh.
The only mistake on an otherwise perfect score card was a bogey at the sixth hole, where she missed the fairway with her drive and had to chip back on. “I nearly holed the putt for a par but it just lipped out and that was the only mistake during the round. Everything else was good,” said Coakley, who has endured a tough start to the Ladies European Tour season, with her best individual finish a tie for 53rd place at the Spanish Open in Castellon.
“I had only 22 putts. When you hole out with a pitching wedge and putt in from off the green on nine it makes life easy. Today feels great and we will see what tomorrow will bring. If it happens, it happens. If not, it’s not the end of the world.”
Coakley visited the Pelz Academy in Boca Raton, Florida, in March in an attempt to improve her short game and she recently also began playing with a new set of Titleist AT2 irons and woods with graphite shafts; all part of an attempt to lower her scoring average which she now believes is paying off.
“I’m going through a few changes at the moment so I’ve got to keep at it. Some weeks are going to be harder than others. If I can stick to it then hopefully there will be more of this,” she said, referring to her score.
“I learned a lot with putting and on my short game and when you start to learn more about the mechanics it helps. Tomorrow I’m going to do exactly the same. Today I focused a lot on my routine.
"I’ve found that over the last couple of tournaments things were a little quicker than what they were so I’ve gone back to what I was doing three years ago when I first came out on tour.”
In her first and most successful year on the LET in 2005, Coakley played in 15 events and finished 29th in the rankings. Following five events played in 2008, she is placed 91st on the New Star Money List. A few more rounds in the 60s this week would see that improve considerably.
Hall, who finished third in the Swiss event in 2006, currently leads the New Star Money List after a victory at the ANZ Ladies Masters and she kept her momentum going with seven birdies and two bogeys.
“Well, 2006 kind of set me off playing competitively again so I have good memories from here and it’s nice to come back. It was nice playing with Suzann and Amy and we all ended up shooting five-under but in different ways and that’s golf. I look forward to playing with them again tomorrow and having another shoot out,” she said
FIRST ROUND SCORES
Par 72
63 Rebecca Coakley (Irl)
67 Marina Arruti (Spa), Ludivine Kreutz (Fra), Suzann Pettersen (Nor), Lisa Hall (Eng), Amy Yang (Kor), Paula Marti (Spa), Anais Maggetti (Swi)
68 Nikki Garrett (Aus), Ursula Wikstrom (Fin), Nicole Gergely (Aut), Ana B Sanchez (Spa)
69 Veronica Zorzi (Ita), Iben Tinning (Den), Marjet Van Der Graaff (Ned), Georgina Simpson (Eng), Laura Davies (Eng), Kirsty S Taylor (Eng), Katharina Schallenberg (Ger)
70 Rebecca Huber (Swi), Dana Lacey (Aus), Rebecca Hudson (Eng), Bronwyn Mullins-Lane (Aus), Lydia Hall (Wal), Laurette Maritz (Rsa), Kiran Matharu (Eng), Sophie Sandolo (Ita), Anja Monke (Ger), Gwladys Nocera (Fra), Anna Tybring (Swe), Maria Verchenova (Rus)
71 Caroline Rominger (Swi), Vittoria Valvassori (Ita), Natalie Claire Booth (Eng), Nathalie David-Mila (Fra), Emma Cabrera-Bello (Spa), Melissa Reid (Eng), Felicity Johnson (Eng), Marianne Skarpnord (Nor), Samantha Head (Eng), Anne-Lise Caudal (Fra), Rachel Bell (Eng), Lee-Anne Pace (Rsa), Amanda Moltke-Leth (Den), Marta Prieto (Spa), Lynn Kenny (Sco), Martina Eberl (Ger), Becky Brewerton (Wal), Lotta Wahlin (Swe), Ellen Smets (Bel)
72 Laura Terebey (USA), Laura Cabanillas (Spa), Johanna Westerberg (Swe), Cecilia Ekelundh (Swe), Fame More (Eng), Caroline Afonso (Fra), Bettina Hauert (Ger), Titiya Plucksataporn (Tha), Joanne Mills (Aus), Tania Elosegui (Spa)
73 Mianne Bagger (Den), Mette Buus (Den), Natascha Fink (Aut), Ana Larraneta (Spa), Asa Gottmo (Swe), Federica Piovano (Ita), Diana Luna (Ita), Lynn Brooky (Nzl), Isabella Maconi (Ita), Kate Combes (Aus), Stefanie Michl (Aut), Elin Ohlsson (Swe), Karen-Margrethe Juul (Den), Jade Schaeffer (Fra), Clare Queen (Sco), Henrietta Zuel (Eng), Denise-Charlotte Becker (Ger)
74 Stefania Croce (Ita), Stephanie Arricau (Fra), Lisa Holm Sorensen (Den), Martina Gillen (Irl), Itziar Elguezabal (Spa), Jenna Wilson (Sco), Eva Steinberger (Aut), Anna Knutsson (Swe), Emma Zackrisson (Swe), Trish Johnson (Eng), Anna Rossi (Ita), Julie Greciet (Fra)
75 Danielle Masters (Eng), Stacy Lee Bregman (Rsa), Lara Tadiotto (Bel), Kaisa Ruuttila (Fin), Jehanne Jail (Fra), Anne Norman Hansen (Den), Lora Fairclough (Eng), Karen Lunn (Aus), Joanne Morley (Eng), Florence Luscher (Swi)
76 Olof Maria Jonsdottir (Ice), Eleanor Pilgrim (Wal), Sara Beautell (Spa), Cherie Byrnes (Aus), Melodie Bourdy (Fra), Elisabeth Esterl (Ger), Maria Boden (Swe), Beatriz Recari (Spa), Elizabeth Mckinnon (Nzl), Frederique Seeholzer (Swi), Lill Kristin Saether (Nor), Nora Angehrn (Swi), Sophie Walker (Eng)
77 Christine Hallstrom (Swe), Margherita Rigon (Ita), Leah Hart (Aus), Fanny Vuignier (Swi)
78 Cassandra Kirkland (Fra), Kathryn Imrie (Sco), Frances Bondad (Aus), Julie Tvede (Den)
79 Camille Fallay (Fra)
80 Jo Clingan (Eng)
81 Rui Yokomine (Jpn)
83 Denise Simon (Ger), Xonia Wunsch (Spa), Sofia Renell (Swe)

Another bad weather day in New Mexico

Krystle's bogey short hole costs her
a 6 in third round at Albuquerque

Don't mention the weather if you bump into Curtis Cup player Krystle Caithness when she flies home to Fife this weekend!
The forecast was bad for the four-day NCAA Division 1 women's college championship over the University of New Mexico course at Albuquerque. If anything it has been worse than predicted ... high winds, hail and rain, plus, by New Mexico standards, chilly temperatures.
Today is the last day of the scheduled 72-hole tournament but there's a whole bunch of players who could not complete their third rounds yesterday on yet another day of suspensions because of the weather.
Krystle Caithness, a student at Georgia University, had a triple bogey 6 at the short second – the hole cost her a double bogey 5 in the second round – on her way to a third-round five-over-par 77 over the 6474yd course.
She has a running total of 11 over par 227 after rounds of 76 74 77 but it is well nigh impossible to say what her overall position is in the quality field of 126.
Leader in the clubhouse is Azahara Munoz (Arizona State University), winner of the British open girls title at Lanark in 2004. She has shot 69, 72 and 73 for two-under-par 214.
From those who have completed their rounds, Azahara leads by one from US Curtis Cup player Tiffany Joh (UCLA) and another Spanish player, Belen Mozo (Southern California), winner of both the British girls’ and women’s open championships two years ago.
Ireland’s Danielle McVeigh (Texas A&M), England’s Ellie Givens (Denver) and the top two US Curtis Cup players, Amanda Blumenherst (Duke) and Stacy Lewis (Arkansas) are among those who have not yet returned their third-round scorecards.
COMPLETED THIRD ROUND TOTALS
Par 216 (3 x 72) 6424yd
214 Azahara Munoz (Arizona State) 69 72 73.
215 Tiffany Joh (UCLA) 74 69 72, Belen Mozo (Southern California) 69 71 74.
216 Garrett Phillips (Georgia) 71 74 71.
218 Sydnee Michaels (UCLA).
220 Anna Nordqvist (Arizona State) 75 73 72.
Other totals:
224 Alison Walshe (Arizona) 76 74 74.
226 Jennie Lee (Duke) 74 79 73.
227 Krystle Caithness (Georgia) 76 74 77.
Those who have still to complete their third rounds include:
143 Ashley Freeman (Texas A&M) 71 72 (one over par for tournament after 16 holes).
145 Nannette Hills (Wake Forest) 67 78 (three over par after 16 holes), Stacy Lewis (Arkansas) 73 72 (three over par after 15 holes).]
146 Amanda Blumenherst (Duke) 75 71 (five over par after 15 holes).
147 Danielle McVeigh (Texas A&M) 73 74 (seven over par after 16 holes).
155 Ellie Givens (Denver) 77 78 (16 over par after 16 holes).

JAYNE v RUTH FOR EAST LOTHIAN
WOMEN'S COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP

Former Scottish champion Jayne Smith (Gullane), pictured right by Cal Carson Golf Agency (all rights reserved), will play Ruth Carroll (Musselburgh Old) in the final of the East Lothian women's county championship at Craigielaw Golf Club on Friday, May 30. The handicap championship final between Musselburgh clubmates Jane Herd and Irene Gray will be played the same day.
Following the wash-out of the original qualifying round on May 1, a number of the county's leading players were unable to take part in the rescheduled tournament and the number of qualifiers was reduced to eight in the scratch section.
Results:
QUALIFIERS FOR MATCH-PLAY
77 Emma Fairnie (Dunbar).
83 Barbara Biggart (North Berwick).
84 Jayne Smith (Gullane).
85 Ruth Carroll (Musselburgh Old).
87 Elinor Blair (North Berwick), Pam Hall (Royal Musselburgh).
88 Susan Penman (Gullane).
89 Alice Archbold (Longniddry).
MATCH-PLAY
Quarter-finals
Fairnie bt Archbold 5 and 3.
Carroll bt Blair 3 and 2.
Smith bt Hall 5 and 3.
Penman bt Biggart 1 hole.
Semi-finals
Carroll bt Fairnie 1 hole.
Smith bt Penman 5 and 3.
HANDICAP
Quarter-finals
V Skinner (Dunbar) w.o. Betty Walinck (Musselburgh) scr.
Jane Herd (Musselburgh) bt Liz Johnston (Whitekirk) 2 and 1.
Corrine Luca (Longniddry) bt Janice Reid (North Berwick) at 19th.
Irene Gray (Musselburgh) bt Jane McMinn (North Berwick) 3 and 2.
Semi-finals
Herd bt Skinner 4 and 3.
Gray bt Luca 6 and 4.

SLGA Tournament Assistant

The closing date for applications for the SLGA Tournament Assistant position is Monday 26 May.
See www.slga.co.uk for more details.

Ladies Golf Union Press Release

Record entry of 200+ for Ladies
British Open Amateur
The Ladies’ Golf Union will crown a new Ladies’ British Open Amateur Champion this year. A total of 144 of the best female amateurs from 24 countries, including Australia, New Zealand, India and Morocco, tee off at the renowned West Links, North Berwick from Wednesday, June 11 to Sunday, June 15.
Unfortunately, the 2007 champion, Carlota Ciganda (Spain), is unable to defend this prestigious British title, leaving it up for grabs. With a full exemption to the Ricoh Women's British Open on offer, the event has attracted record entries of over 200 competitors. In the strongest ever field, 116 of the entrants have handicaps of + 0.1 or better.
European countries are particularly well represented this year with France entering 15 players, Sweden 6, Germany 9, the Netherlands 10 and Spain 8.
The home nations also have a strong turn-out, with all of last year’s quarter-finalists hoping to go further. The newly-crowned 2008 Scottish champion, Michele Thomson (McDonald Ellon), along with Breanne Loucks (Wrexham), Elizabeth Bennett (Brokenhurst Manor) and Krystle Caithness (St Regulus) will arrive in North Berwick days after playing for the GB&I side at the Curtis Cup, St Andrews from 30 May – 1 June.
The highly rated Swedish twins, Caroline and Jacqueline Hedwall (Barseback), are among the strong international line up contesting this championship.
Caroline, one of the top players in Europe, comes in as favourite with the lowest handicap (+5.6) on the entry list, while last month, Jacqueline, picture above by Cal Carson Golf Agency (all rights reserved), took the runner up spot in the Helen Holm Scottish Open Stroke Play, scoring a record breaking 67 over Royal Troon. Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist, runner up for the last two years, hopes a third attempt will be lucky for her.
Susan Simpson, LGU’s Director of Championships said, “We are delighted to be holding this Championship at such a historic and challenging golf course. With such a strong field in place it looks like this event will provide a spectacular forum for the players to display their talents.”
Alan Phillips, Captain of North Berwick Golf Club said, “It has been 10 years since we hosted the Vagliano Trophy and we are once again very proud to be hosting a prestigious ladies event over the West Links. There is a very high calibre of entry from across the world so we are looking forward to welcoming these top amateurs and are excited by the prospect of seeing how they meet the unique and testing challenge of our golf course.
"I am sure that, over the week, many of the players will form a life long love of North Berwick and links golf and hope that they take away as many fond memories as they will undoubtedly leave with us."
Competitors in the Ladies’ British Amateur Championship play 18 holes on Wednesday 11 and Thursday 12 June, and the leading 64 players will qualify for the match play stage, culminating in an 18-hole final on the afternoon of Sunday 15 June.
The west course at North Berwick is a true links with commanding views of the sea and great wide sandy beaches over to the dark rocky islets of the Forth estuary and to the green-hilled Fife coast. The volcanic grey and white streaked hump of the Bass Rock and distant May Island can also be seen on the horizon.
An Open qualifying course, North Berwick's West Links has an antiquated charm of its own with walls, burns, and yawning bunkers, and in the 15th hole, “Redan”, probably the most frequently copied short hole in the world.
The North Berwick Golf Club is the thirteenth oldest golf club, second only to St Andrews for continuous play over the same course.
The full list of entrants for the Ladies’ British Open Amateur Championship can be viewed at www.lgu.org.

Elie Sports Club urgently needs a new Assistant to start ASAP.

Ideally, Ian Muir would like to employ someone who is looking to become PGA registered but this is not essential.

Successful applicant must be enthusiastic and personable. Shift work allows time to play and practice.

Send CV, photo with covering letter via email to ianmuir@btconnect.com

Krystle Caithness has second round 74

HIGH WINDS DISRUPT US COLLEGE
WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP

Krystle Caithness returned a creditable two-over-par 74 for a 36-hole halfway tally of 150 before high winds forced a second and final suspension of play on the second day of the NCAA Division 1 women's golf championship over the University of New Mexico course at Albuquerque.
The Scot, who flies home at the weekend to join the rest of the Curtis Cup team for the match against the United States at St Andrews, was one of less than half the field who were able to complete their second rounds before play was halted for the day at 4.55pm.
There had been an earlier suspension from 1.10 to 3.15pm.
Even worse weather is forecast for Friday.
Caithness had birdies at the first, 11th and 13th but a double bogey 5 at the short 2nd knocked her back and she dropped further shots at the eighth and 18th n halves of 39 and 35.
English girls champion Ellie Givens (Denver) has scored 77 and 78 for 155. She had one birdie, at the 13th, in halves of 39.
Ireland's Danielle McVeigh still has to complete her second round.
Spanish players were the leaders in the clubhouse - former British women's open amateur champion Belen Mozo (Southern California) on 140 (69-71) and Azahara Munoz (Arizona State), a past British girls' open title-winner, on 141 (69-72).
CLUBHOUSE SECOND ROUND TOTALS
Par 144 (2 x 72). 6424yd
140 Belen Mozo (Southern California) 69 71.
141 Azahara Munoz (Arizona State) 69 72.
143 Tiffany Joh (UCLA) 74 69, Sydnee Michaels (UCLA) 69 74.
144 Stephanie Sherlock (Denver) 71 73.
Other scores:
146 Amanda Blumenherst (Duke) 75 71.
148 Anna Nordqvist (Arizona State) 75 73.
150 Krystle Caithness (Georgia) 76 74, Alison Walshe (Arizona) 76 74.
153 Jennie Lee (Duke) 74 79.
155 Ellie Givens (Denver) 77 78.

KIRSTY O'CONNOR BEATS THE ODDS
TO WIN THE WELSH CLOSE TITLE

Lancashire-based Kirsty O'Connor (Nelson) is the new Welsh women's close amateur champion.
One of the outsiders for the title after qualifying with a 36-hole total of 154 - eight shots more than top seed and Curtis Cup player Breanne Loucks (Wrexham), who was knocked out by Rhian Wyn Thomas (Vale of Glamorgan) in the second round of the match-play.
O'Connor played better with every round and she had a notable win in this morning's semi-final against Curtis Cup reserve, Sahra Hassan (Vale of Glamorgan).
Kristy won that one on the 18th green and played the No 4 seed Stephanie Evans (Vale of Llangollen) in the final.
It was another close-run thing for O'Connor but again she prevailed on the 18th green, this time by two holes.
Results:
SEMI-FINALS
S Evans (Vale of Llangollen) bt R Wyn Thomas (Vale of Glamorgan) 4 and 3.
K O'Connor (Nelson) bt S Hassan (Vale of Glamorgan) 1 hole.
FINAL
O'Connor bt Evans 2 holes.

Irish Ladies Championship

Leona (pictured above left) and her twin sister Lisa Maguire
with the Irish Ladies Championship trophy

THIRTEEN-YEAR-OLD LEONA BEATS TWIN SISTER IN
FINAL OF IRISH WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP

The Irish women's amateur golf championship was today won by 13-year-old Leona Maguire who beat her twin sister Lisa 3 and 2 in the 18-hole final at Westport Golf Club.
Leona, who won the Scottish Under-16 girls open title last year, is the youngest ever winner of the Irish women's title.
They are both members of the Slieve Russell club in Ballyconnell in Co Carlow.
It is the first time Leona has beaten Lisa in the final of any tournament.
Leona was the leading qualifier for the match-play stages and Lisa was the No 3 seed.
In the two previous finals they have contested - the Leinster girls and the Connacht girls championships, Lisa won both times.
In wild, wet weather in Westport for the historic final, Leona Maguire went one up with a par on the second hole. A birdie double her lead at the fifth but Lisa won back the sixth.
Leona regained the two-hole margin on the seventh hole with a par. However, not to be outdone, Lisa eagled the par-5 eighth hole and at the turn Leona held a slender one-hole advantage.
Lisa levelled the match at the 10th but Leona took a three-hole lead by winning the 11th, 12th and 13th holes. Her lead was reduced to two as Lisa had a par to win the 14th. The 15th was halved but Leona went on to win the match 3 and 2 on the 16th hole.

+What price the Maguire sisters being in the GB&I Curtis Cup team at Nairn Golf Club in four years' time? They will be 17 by then.

THIRTEEN-YEAR-OLD TWIN SISTERS
MEET IN IRISH FINAL

Lisa and Leona Maguire, the 13-year-old twin sisters from the Slieve Russell Golf Club in Co Carlow will meet this afternoon in the final of the Lancome Irish women's amateur golf championship at Westport Golf Club.
The "dream final" followed Lisa's 3 and 2 victory over Gemma Hegarty (Greencastle) in this morning's first semi-final and Leona's 4 and 3 win against Dawn Marie Conaty (Ashbourne) in the second semi-final.

SUMMARIES OF SEMI-FINALS

On a cold, wet and windy final day in Westport the first semi final with Lisa Maguire playing Gemma Hegarty (Greencastle) was all square until the fifth th hole where Lisa went one up with a par. Lisa increased her lead to four up after the 13th with par golf, but Gemma reduced the deficit to three holes on the 14th. However, by the 16th hole Lisa was dormie three and won the match 3 and 2

Leona Maguire started brightly with a birdie on the first hole against Ashbourne’s Dawn Marie Conaty and was twho up through six holes. Dawn Marie birdied the eighth but Leona went on to win the 10th, 11th and 12th in pars and won the match on the 15th by a 4 and 3 margin.

Turnhouse starts girls-only golf coaching

Doubling the number of girls playing golf in Scotland is a clear goal of the national junior golf programme, clubgolf.
Research in 2005 showed there were fewer than 50,000 female golf club members (as opposed to 198,500 male club golf members). In the under 18 level, there were 25,000 boys but just 2,700 girls. Compare that to Sweden, which has more than 22,000 girls under the age of 18 playing golf and drastic action is needed.
Last week Turnhouse Golf Club, the first private club in Edinburgh to sign up for clubgolf in 2005, also became the first club in Edinburgh to begin girls-only coaching for its latest batch of Stage 1 recruits.
“We are desperate to get girls playing golf and hopefully if we can get a good group of girls involved in the girls-only sessions we can get a girls section started,” said Iain Holt, the Club’s stalwart Junior Convenor who, with his team of 13 PGA Level 1 volunteer coaches, and PGA Pro John Murray, is teaching 70 children a week on the clubgolf programme from stage 1 through to stage 3.
“There are nine girls involved from four schools, Corstorphine, Gylemuir, East Craigs and Fox Covert and they seem to be enjoying themselves. If they find it’s more fun to learn the game with other girls then I’m sure they’ll be more committed and stay involved for longer.”
Girls-only golf coaching was first piloted in Grampian two years ago. So successful was it in retaining girls, that last year it was launched officially by tour players, Kathryn Imrie and Clare Queen.
Asked whether they had enjoyed their first session at Turnhouse on Tuesday night, the nine girls responded with a unanimous ‘yes’.
“It was really good because there were no boys interfering and mucking about,” said nine year old Claire Cowan from Fox Covert Primary School. “And we were all given pink tee shirts which was really cool.”
Lucy McCann, a 10 year old from East Craigs agreed, “It was more fun because if you don’t do a good shot the boys kind of tease you. We really enjoyed tonight and we’re going to keep coming back right through the summer.”
Lesson one of the new course covered the basics of putting. Throughout the summer the girls will learn all the fundamentals of the game. If it’s a success, and judging by Tuesday night’s response there’s little doubt it will be, then the plan is to expand the girls-only coaching in the future.
“The coaching involves 13 one hour lessons over the summer and we will invite the girls back next year for 16 lessons, which will complete their Level 1 course,” said Mr Holt.
“The Club is fully behind the girls-only coaching and if it works we will make it bigger next year. Tonight was the first lesson but I can tell it’s going to be a good class.”
Rob Eyton-Jones
clubgolf Media Manager
Official clubgolf wesbite: www.clubgolfscotland.com

++We regret that due to circumstances outwith our control, we cannot display any images on this website for the moment.

KRYSTLE TEES OFF WITH A 76 IN
NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP

Krystle Caithness began her last tournament - the NCAA Division 1 women's championship - before next week's Curtis Cup match at St Andrews with a four-over-par round of 76 over the University of New Mexico golf course at Albuquerque.
Starting at the 10th tee, the 19-year-old from Cellardyke, Fife and a student at the University of Georgia, bogeyed the 11th, 13th, third and fourth before she got her first and only birdie, at the sixth. She had one more bogey, at the eighth on a testing course of 6,424yd with a par of 72.
That put her in a tie for 68th place in a field of 126 of the very best female college golfers in America.
Last year's English girls champion, Ellie Givens (Denver University) had a 77 and is sharing 85th place.
Ellie, starting at the 10th, bogeyed the 13th, 14th, 15th, 17th, second and fifth before finishing with a birdie 4 at the long ninth.
Ireland's Danielle McVeigh (Texas A&M) had 17 pars and a bogey at the 17th for a 73 and a share of 23rd place.
Nannette Hill (Wake Forest) was the surprise first-round leader with a five-under 67 which equalled the course record on a relatively calm day. High winds are forecast for the remainder of the 72-hole tournament.
Five members of the US Curtis Cup team for the Old Course contest against GB&I were in action and they did not set the heather on fire. Stacy Lewis (Arkansas) was the best of the bunch with a 73, one better than team-mates Jennie Lee (Duke University) and Tiffany Joh (UCLA).
Amanda Blumenherst (Duke University), the top-ranked US college player, could manage only a 75 while Irish-born Alison Walshe (Arizona University), from Galway, the last of the five US Curtis Cup players, was on the76 mark alongside Krystle Caithness.
Duke University, bidding to win the team title for the fourth year in a row, have the proverbial mountain to climb from a current position of 18th in a field of 24 teams. On 299, Duke are 15 shots behind leaders Southern California.
LEADERBOARD
Par 72, 6424yd
67 Nannette Hill (Wake Forest).
69 Sydnee Michaels (UCLA), Belen Mozo (Southern California), Azahara Munoz (Arizona State), Alexandra Phelps (New Mexico),Candace Schepperle (Auburn).
70 Lene Krog (Virginia), Paola Moreno (Southern California).
Other scores:
73 Stacy Lewis (Arkansas).
74 Jennie Lee (Duke), Tiffany Joh (UCLA).
75 Amanda Blumenherst (Duke), Anna Nordqvist (Arizona State).]
76 Krystle Caithness (Georgia), Alison Walshe (Arizona) (jt 68th).
77 Ellie Givens (Denver) (jt 85th).
LEADING TEAMS
284 Southern California.
289 UCLA, Auburn.
290 Arizona State.
293 Denver, Wake Forest.
294 Oklahoma State.
295 Texas A&M.
Also:
297 Georgia (jt 11th).
299 Duke (18th of 24 teams).

REPORT FROM THE GOLF WORLD WEBSITE

Round 1 at the NCAA Women's Champinoship wasn't very auspicious for either Arkansas' Stacy Lewis or Duke's Amanda Blumenherst, as the two play this week to decide, among other things, who will win national player of the year.
Lewis' one-over 73 at the University of New Mexico Championship Course left her in a tie for 23rd place, six behind leader Nannette Hill of Wake Forest, and was two shots better than Blumenherst's 75 (T-53).
"I'm kind of frustrated on how I played today," Lewis said. "I need to figure out the elevation changes because I'm hitting the ball way too far."
When asked about trying to become the first player to defend her NCAA title, Lewis hold back her thoughts on the goal.
"I don't think there is any added pressure on defending," Lewis said. "I'm here to repeat and I'm here to win. Last year was last year, and it's a whole new year."
Blumenherst hit 15 greens and 10 fairways but needed 36 putts en route to her three over round. Most costly was a double bogey on the 15th hole where she slipped while hitting her drive, the ball coming to rest next to a tree.

Ayrshire Girls' Medal

Super scores were the order of the day in the Ayrshire Girls' Medal played over Troon Portland on Sunday, 18th May. Results are as follows:-

Silver 1st Gillian Arnott (Kilbirnie) 81(12) 69
2nd Linzi Allan (Kilbirnie) 80(8) 72

Bronze 1st Rachel Irvine (Largs) 91(28) 63
2nd Katie McGarva (Barassie) 92(25) 67

SSS 75 CSS 74

Rachel Irvine and Katie McGarva qualify for the Junior Masters Regional Finals for Under 16's.

HDA FESTIVAL STAR RHIAN CLAIMS
SCALP OF CURTIS CUP PLAYER
BREANNE LOUCKS IN "WELSH"

The defeat of title-holder and top seed Breanne Loucks (Wrexham) in the quarter-finals of the Welsh women's close amateur championship at Monmouthshire Golf Club today means that Curtis Cup skipper Mary McKenna will have only one national champion in her squad of eight - Michele Thomson who won the Scottish title at Lossiemouth on Saturday.
Florentyna Parker lost in the English final.
Breanne's conqueror was Rhian Wyn Thomas (Vale of Glamorgan) who was one of the amateur stars of the inaugural Hacienda del Alamo Women's Winter Golf Festival in Spain back in February.
Winner of the Welsh women's open stroke-play two or three weeks ago, Rhian, the eighth best qualifier in this week's championship, will play Stephanie Evans (Vale of Llangollen), the No 4 seed, in Wednesday morning's first semi-final.
In the other, Vagliano Trophy player Sahra Hassan (Vale of Glamorgan), the No 3 qualifier, will play Kirsty O'Connor (Nelson).
RESULTS
FIRST ROUND
B Loucks (Wrexham) bt H Bulden (Llandudno Maesdu) 7 and 5.
R Wyn Thomas (Vale of Glamorgan) bt L Gould (Bargoed) 5 and 4.
H Jenkins (Cradoc) bt B Davies (Mold) 2 and 1.
S Evans (Vale of Llangollen) bt S Birks (Wolstanton) 3 and 2.
S Hassan (Vale of Glamorgan) bt R Lewis (Newport) 5 and 4.
K Miller (Penrhos) bt L Watkins (Bircester) 4 and 3.
S Morgan (Mountain Ash) bt B Harries (Haverfordwest) 2 and 1.
QUARTER-FINALS
Thomas bt Loucks 1 hole.
Evans bt Jenkins 3 and 2.
Hassan bt Miller 7 and 6.
O'Connor bt Morgan 3 and 2.

TWIN SISTERS (13) COULD MEET IN
FINAL OF IRISH CHAMPIONSHIP

Thirteen-year-old twin sisters Lisa and Leona Maguire of Slieve Russell Golf Club, Ballyconnell in Co Carlow are through to the semi-finals of the Lancome Irish women's close championship at Westport Golf Club.
Lisa is the No 1 seed and Leona was the No 3 qualifier. They could meet in the final - and what an occasion that would be!
Today's results:
SECOND ROUND
Lisa Maguire (Slieve Russell) bt Gillian O’Leary (Cork) 5 and 4.
Mary Dowling (New Ross) bt Sarah Helly (Enniscrone) 3 and 2.
Gemma Hegarty (Greencastle) bt Niamh Kitching (Claremorris) by 1 hole
Jennifer Gannon (Co Louth) bt Tara Delaney (Carlow) 3 and 1.
Leona Maguire (Slieve Russell) bt Carla Reynolds (Seapoint) 9 and 8.
Darragh McGowan (Ballybofey & Stranorlar) beat Ciara Butler (Newlands) by 1 hole
Dawn Marie Conaty (Ashbourne) bt Ann Marie Dalton (Coollattin) 6 and 5.
Una Marsden (Tullamore) bt Sarah Carty (The Island) 5 and 4.
QUARTER FINALS
Lisa Maguire bt Mary Dowling 3 and 1.
Gemma Hegarty bt Jennifer Gannon 5 and 4.
Leona Maguire bt Darragh McGowan 1 hole.
Dawn Marie Conaty bt Una Marsden 8 and 7.

ITA WALLACE (PLATE)
SEMI-FINALS
Catherine Tucker (Limerick) bt Julie O'Gara (Roscommon) at 22nd.
Tara Gribben (Warrenpoint) bt Violet McBride (Belvoir Park) 5 and 4.
FINAL
Catherine Tucker bt Tara Gribben 2 and 1.

Breanne Loucks top seed at
Welsh championship

Title-holder and Curtis Cup player Breanne Loucks (Wrexham) is the No 1 qualifier in the Welsh women's close championship at Monmouthshire Golf Club.
She had rounds of 77 and 69 for a total of 146, which matched the combined CSS of 73 and 73.
Vagliano Trophy player Sahra Hassan (Vale of Glamorgan) and Becky Harries (Haverfordwest) both finished on 148. The No 2 seed spot went to Becky with the better second round of 71.

QUALIFYING TOTALS
CSS 73 73
146 Breanne Loucks (Wrexham) 77 69.
148 Becky Harries (Haverfordwest) 77 71, Sahra Hassan (Vale of Glamorgan) 72 77.
149 Stephanie Evans (Vale of Llangollen) 72 77.
150 Beth Davies (Mold) 74 76.
151 Kelly Miller (Penrhos) 76 75.
152 Rhian Wyn Thomas (Vale of Glamorgan) 73 79, Lucy Gould (Bargoed) 72 80.
154 Kirsty O'Connor (Nelson) 77 77.
155 Tara Davies (Holyhead) 79 76, Hannah Jenkins (Cradoc) 78 77.
158 Samantha Birks (Wolstanton) 82 76.
159 Rachael Lewis (Newport) 77 82.
160 Anna Carling (Vale of Glamorgan) 76 84.
161 Laura Watkins (Bicester) 76 75).
163 Sarah Morgan (Mountain Ash) 83 80.
165 Katherine O'Connor (Tadmarton Heath) 81 84.
166 Hayley Boulden (Llandudno Maesdu) 88 78.
167 Samantha Colecliffe (Rhuddlan) 87 80.
171 Georgia Thomas (Tenby) 84 87.
181 Rhiannon Evams (Langland Bay) 90 91.
MATCH-PLAY DRAW
Breanne Loucks v Hayley Boulden
Lucy Gould v Rhian Wyn Thomas
Beth Davies v Hannah Jenkins
Samantha Birks v Stephanie Evans
Sahra Hassan v Rachael Lewis
Tara Davies v Kelly Miller
Laura Watkins v Kirsty O'Connor
Sarah Morgan v Becky Harries.

DORSET WIN PLACE IN ENGLISH
COUNTY FINALS AT LONG ASHTON

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY ENGLISH WOMEN'S GOLF ASSOCIATION
Dorset have beaten off the challenge of five rivals to play their way into the final of the English women's county championship.
The county finals take place at Long Ashton Golf Club, Bristol, from September 15-19 and will be contested by the winners of the county match weeks in each of the six regions of the English Women’s Golf Association.
Dorset booked their place when they hosted the South West county matches at Dudsbury Golf Club and won four of their five matches. Their closest rivals were Devon, with three points, followed by Somerset and Cornwall, who each scored 2½. Wiltshire won two matches while Gloucestershire had one win.
Dudsbury was a good viewing course for spectators and an interesting challenge for players and referees – with water on 13 of the 18 holes.
The Dorset team was:
Carly Cummins (Parkstone), Ilona Davidson (Yeovil), Hayley Davis (Ferndown), Sue Ellis (Ferndown), Fern Grimshaw (Weymouth), Georgia Hall (Ferndown), Kerry Anne Haskell (Broadstone), Marketa Mann (Broadstone), Melissa McMahon (Yeovil), Harriet Legg (Ferndown) and Chantal Scott (Dudsbury).
Reserve: Jordan Mabb (Weymouth).
Melissa McMahon and Hayley Davis are both members of EWGA’s Select South West Squad. Kerry Anne Haskell is a past winner of the English girls’ championship and Sue Ellis was the 2007 English seniors’ champion.
Results.
Day 1:
Wiltshire bt Gloucestershire 5½-3½.
Cornwall bt Devon 5-4.
Dorset bt Somerset 5½-3½.
Day 2:
Devon bt Somerset 6½-2½.
Dorset bt Gloucestershire 5½-3½.
Cornwall bt Wiltshire 6-3.
Day 3:
Wiltshire bt Devon 5-4.
Somerset bt Gloucestershire 6-3.
Dorset bt Cornwall 7-2.
Day 4:
Cornwall halved with Somerset.
Dorset bt Wiltshire 5-4.
Devon bt Gloucestershire 6½-2½.
Day 5:
Somerset bt Wiltshire 7½-1½.
Devon bt Dorset 6½-2½.
Gloucestershire bt Cornwall 5½-3½.

McDonald Ellon Golf Club officials line-up with the new Scottish champion, Michele Thomson. Left to right: ladies captain Elaine Shaw, club captain Jim O'Brien, Michele, vice-captain Dave Heap, club tour pro Ross Cameron. And, below, Jim O'Brien presents Michele with her scroll of honorary life membership.

Michele Thomson says she

will probably go to Tour

School at end of season

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Michele Thomson was made a honorary life-time member of McDonald Ellon Golf Club in a little informal ceremony at the club today.

Club captain Jim O'Brien presented the scroll of honorary membership to the 20-year-old who won the 94th Scottish women's amateur championship over the Moray Golf Club Old Course links at Lossiemouth on Saturday.

Also present were McDonald Ellon ladies' captain Elaine Shaw, club vice-captain Dave Heap and Ross Cameron, the club's tournament playing professional who has played a big part in Michele's development into Scottish champion.

Michele's father, oil executive Graham Thomson, meantime based in Abu Dhabi, told "Kirkwoodgolf" "It was Ross Cameron who was instrumental in convincing Michele that there was an alternative to golf in the USA - she cut shot a four-year golf scholarship at Jacksonville State University, Alabama after only six months in December 2006 - and while Michele's full-time coach is Neil Marr of Meldrum House Golf Club, Ross Cameron has continued to provide her with support and advice whenever she feels it necessary.

"I know that Michele feels a little guility that she did not mention Ross's contribution to her success during her winner's speech at Lossiemouth but it was purely a slip in the heat of the moment.

"Ross Cameron actually deserves a lot of credit."

Michele was also interviewed for Scottish Television today. When asked if she would consider turning professional, she said: "I am only 20 and there's plenty of time to turn pro later but I will probably go to the Ladies European Tour Qualifying School at the end of the season."

Alex Peters (14) becomes youngest

Notts county champion

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY ENGLISH WOMEN'S GOLF ASSOCIATION

Fourteen-year-old Alex Peters has become the youngest winner of the Nottinghamshire women's county championship. She took the title at Sherwood Forest, following in the footsteps of her mother, Ann, who is a previous winner.

They are the only mother and daughter to have both won this championship. What’s more, Alex shot scores of six-under par 67 and 71 in qualifying and has now cut her handicap to +1.

Alex, a member at Notts’ Ladies, was the top qualifier for the knock-out stages. She won her first two matches on the 13th and closed out her semi-final on the 15th.

In the final she met former British champion Janet Collingham and, after a tight tussle, emerged as the winner by one hole.

Alex, picture above by courtesy of Tom Ward, is a member of the English Women’s Golf Association Under-18 Squad, and has enjoyed a string of successes already this season. She won the girls’ title at the Fairhaven Trophy, the Nottinghamshire girls’ championship and, partnered by her mum, the prestigious Mothers and Daughters competition.
Lyndsey Hewison

Press & PR Officer

English Women's Golf Association

Irish women's close championship at Westport

TITLE-HOLDER KAREN
DELANEY, MAURA
MORRIN EARLY EXITS

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY IRISH LADIES GOLF UNION
Lisa Maguire (Slieve Russell), only 13, with three birdies over the first four holes paved her way to the last 16 with victory over Ann Geoghegan (Athlone) on the opening day of the match-play stages of the Lancome Irish women's close championship at Westport Golf Club.
Top qualifier Lisa followed up with birdies on the seventh and 10th and won the match on the 14th hole.
Current international Gillian O’Leary (Cork) had a tight start against past international Sinead Keane (The Curragh) but took the lead with birdies on the seventh and eighth and followed this up with another on 13 before winning the match with a birdie on the 16th.
Sarah Helly (Enniscrone) was thrilled with her result against fellow Connaught player Anne McCormack (Roscommon) and now looks forward to taking up the challenge against Mary Dowling (New Ross) who had stiff competition against Helen Jones (Strabane).
Mary said of the friendly encounter: “I missed a short putt on the 18th but made up for it with a birdie to win on the 19th”
Niamh Kitching played steady golf with great club support from Claremorris and comes up against Gemma Hegarty (Greencastle) who has displayed fine consistency herself over the tournament to date.
Jenny Gannon (Co Louth) commented: “I had a few birdies and holed a few putts and that made all the difference." Jenny meets a fired up Tara Delaney (Carlow) who defeated local Sarah Gallagher (Claremorris) 9 and 8.
Lisa's twin sister Leona Maguire (Slieve Russell), playing in the bottom half of the draw as the No 3 seed, defeated defending champion Karen Delaney (Carlow), pictured above, 5 and 3. Lisa plays Leinster Under-18 inter-provincial player Carla Reynolds (Seapoint) who had a 2 and 1 win against Karen O’Neill from Douglas.
Darragh McGowan (Ballybofey & Stranorlar) had a fine 4 and 3 win against in-form Under-18 inter-pro player Emma O’Driscoll (Ballybunion).
Ann Marie Dalton (Coollattin), who chalked up a victory on the American college circuit recently, commented “I hit the ball well and the putts dropped.” She won her Westport match on the 11th hole against Muskerry’s Laura McCarthy. Ann Marie now plays Leinster inter-provincial and past girls international Dawn Marie Conaty (Ashbourne) in the last 16.
The biggest upset of the day was the defeat of Maura Morrin, runner-up in the Leitrim Cup. She was favourite to win her match against Sarah Carty (The Island), but Sarah has proved herself to be a great match player and won with a birdie on the 20th hole.
Now Sarah plays Una Marsden (Tullamore) who had a great 5 and 4 win against another upcoming Under-18 player Sarah Crowe (Tipperary).

TUESDAY'S CHAMPIONSHIP TIES
SECOND ROUND
9:0 Lisa Maguire (Slieve Russell) v Gillian O’Leary (Cork)
9:09 Sarah Helly (Enniscrone) v Mary Dowling (New Ross)
9:18 Gemma Hegarty (Greencastle) v Niamh Kitching (Claremorris)
9:27 Jennifer Gannon (Co. Louth) v Tara Delaney (Carlow)
9:36 Leona Maguire (Slieve Russell) v Carla Reynolds (Seapoint)
9:45 Darragh McGowan (Ballybofey & Stranorlar) v Ciara Butler (Newlands)
9:54 Ann Marie Dalton (Coollattin) v Dawn Marie Conaty (Ashbourne)
10:03 Una Marsden (Tullamore) v Sarah Carty (The Island)
FIRST-ROUND RESULTS
Lisa Maguire (Slieve Russell) bt Ann Geoghegan (Athlone) 5&4
Gillian O'Leary (Cork) bt Sinead Keane (The Curragh) 3&2
Sarah Helly (Enniscrone) bt Anne McCormack (Roscommon) by 1 hole
Mary Dowling (New Ross) bt Helen Jones (Strabane) at 19th
Gemma Hegarty (Greencastle) bt Caoimhe Quinn (Dungannon) 3&2
Niamh Kitching (Claremorris) bt Deirdre Smith (Co. Louth) 4&3
Jennifer Gannon (Co. Louth) bt Maria Dunne (Skerries)7&6
Tara Delaney (Carlow) bt Sarah Gallagher (Claremorris) 9&8
Leona Maguire (Slieve Russell) bt Karen Delaney (Carlow) 5&3
Carla Reynolds (Seapoint) bt Karen O'Neill (Douglas) 1 hole
Darragh McGowan (B/Stranorlar) bt Emma O'Driscoll (Ballybunion) 4&3
Ciara Butler (Newlands) bt Sarah Faller (Galway)
Ann Marie Dalton (Coollattin) bt Laura McCarthy (Muskerry) 8&7
Dawn Marie Conaty (Ashbourne) bt Suzanne Corcoran (Portumna) 3&1
Una Marsden (Tullamore) bt Sarah Crowe (Tipperary) 5&4
Sarah Carty (The Island) bt Maura Morrin (The Curragh) at 20th.
ITA WALLACE (PLATE)
SECOND ROUND
14:15 Doireann Carney (Galway) v Julie O'Gara (Roscommon)
14:24 Fiona Moclair (Ballinasloe) v Catherine Tucker (Limerick)
14:33 Hannah O'Brien (Lahinch) v Tara Gribben (Warrenpoint)
14:42 Violet McBride (Belvoir Park) v Trish Doyle (Kanturk)
FIRST ROUND RESULTS
Doireann Carney (Galway) beat Sue Phillips (Woodbrook) 3&2
Julie O'Gara (Roscommon) beat Orla Barry (Galway) at 20th
Fiona Moclair (Ballinasloe) beat Olivia Conroy (Co. Longford) 1 hole
Catherine Tucker (Limerick) beat Lynda Maher (Charleville) 5&4
Hannah O'Brien (Lahinch) beat Vivienne Houston (City of Derry) 4&3
Tara Gribben (Warrenpoint) beat Shauna McVeigh (Royal Co. Down Ladies) 2 holes
Violet McBride (Belvoir Park) beat Linda Toomey (Limerick) 3&2
Trish Doyle (Kanturk) beat Fiona McComb (Ballycastle) 1 hole

STRONG SCOTLAND TRIO

NAMED FOR 'BRITISH'

AT NORTH BERWICK

New native champion Michele Thomson (McDonald Ellon) will form a very strong Scotland trio with Curtis Cup team-mates Carly Booth (Comrie) and Krystle Caithness (St Regulus) for the international team event staged in conjunction with the qualifying rounds of the British women’s open amateur championship at North Berwick from June 11 to 15.
Michele, picture left by Cal Carson Golf Agency (all rights reserved), who reached the quarter-finals of this championship last year before losing on the 18th green to the eventual champion, Carlota Ciganda (Spain), has been given the honour of captaining the trio.
The reserves are:
1 Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar), 2 Kylie Walker (Buchanan Castle), 3 Roseanne Niven (Crieff).

JOCELYN CARTHEW REWARDED
WITH TRIP TO IRISH STROKE-PLAY

Scottish championship beaten finalist Jocelyn Carthew (Ladybank), picture right by Cal Carson Golf Agency (all rights reserved), has been rewarded by the Scottish Ladies Golf Association selectors for her great run at Lossiemouth last week.
The Kirkcaldy-based one-handicapper, who has a job at Cupar, is being sent, all expenses paid, to play in the Irish women's open amateur stroke-play championship at Elm Park Golf Club, Donnybrook, a few miles south of Dublin, on June 28 and 29.
On top of that, Jocelyn, who has never played for Scotland, has been made captain of the Scotland team of four for the trip.
The other players are: Louise Kenney (Pitreavie), Clare-Marie Calrton (Fereneze) and Jane Turner (Craigielaw).
Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm) and Claire MacDonald (Gullane Ladies) are reserves.

Other SLGA teams named today:

St Rule Trophy, Old Course, St Andrews, Sunday, May 25.
Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar).
Laura Murray (Alford).
Kylie Walker (Buchanan Castle).
Reserves:
1 Louise Kenney (Pitreavie).
2 Jane Turner (Craigielaw).
3 Jocelyn Carthew (Ladybank).

British women's open amateur championship, North Berwick, June 11-15.
Carly Booth (Comrie).
Krystle Caithness (St Regulus).
Michele Thomson (McDonald Ellon) (capt).
Reserves
1 Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar).
2 Kylie Walker (Buchanan Castle).
3 Roseanne Niven (Crieff).

Focus on Scots on Futures Tour

VIKKI LAING FINISHES IN TOP TWENTY
BUT LATE BOGEYS PROVE COSTLY

Vikki Laing gained a top-20 finish thanks to a last round of 72 in the Mercedes-Benz of Kansas City women's professional golf championship on the US Futures Tour on Sunday.
The 27-year-old former Curtis Cup player from Musselburgh, whose earlier rounds were 76 and 73, finished on eight-over-par 221 over the 6274yd, par-72 Leawood South Country Club course.
She earned $815 for a joint 17th place finish behind the 18-year-old first-time winner, Mindy Kim from California.
Mindy scored 68, 69 and 73 for six-under-210 and a $12,600 first prize.
But for a couple of late bogeys, at the 15th and 16th, Vikki would have finished 12th and earned around $1,200.
Pamela Feggans from Patna, Ayrshire received $521 for coming joint 51st on 227 with scorfes of 79, 73 and 75. After birdieing the long first hole, the Ayrshire player bogeyed the fourth, seventh, 10th, 12th and 16th in her final round.
LEADING TOTALS
Par 213 (3 x 71)
210 Mindy Kim (California) 68 69 73 ($12,600).
214 Jessica Shepley (Canada) 74 70 70 ($9,000).
215 Kim Welch (California) 73 74 68, M J Hur (South Korea) 72 67 76 ($5,469 each).
217 Ashley Prange (Indiana) 75 75 67, Jean Reynolds (Georgia) 72 76 69, Sophia Sheridan (Mexico) 75 70 72, Cindy Figg-Currier (Texas) 75 69 73, Jin Young Pak (South Korea) 74 68 75, Andrea VanderLende (Florida) 69 72 76 ($2329 each).
Other totals:
221 Vikki Laing (Musselburgh) 76 73 72 (jt 17th) ($815).
227 Pamela Feggans (Patna, Ayrshire) 79 73 75 (jt 51st) ($521).

Scot earns $114,360 in LPGA event

Catriona Matthew in five-way tie for
second place behind Lorena Ochoa

Lorena Ochoa scored her sixth win of the season on the LPGA Tour by one shot in the Sybase Classic at Clifton, New Jersey today.
She signed off with a 71 to win from five players in joint runner-up position, including Catriona Matthew from North Berwick. The Scot earned $114,360 for her performance in which she finished with a 67 to make up four shots on the winner over the last round.
Sweden's Sophie Gustafson made a late run at the leader. When she birdied the 16th, she had narrowed Ochoa's lead to two shots, which became only one when the Mexican bogeyed the 17th.
Both players reached the par-5 18th in three. Gustafson missed a 10-footer to tie and then Ochoa, who missed 10 birdie putts of 20 feet or less, simply had to two-putt from 8 feet to become the fastest player on the LPGA Tour to reach $12 million in career earnings.
Ochoa missed the first putt, and then tapped in.
Morgan Pressel, who carded a final round of 66, figured in the logjam for second place alongwith Matthew, Na Yeon Choi, Brittany Lang and Gustafson.
Sorenstam, who announced on Tuesday that this would be her final year on tour, started the final round five shots behind Ochoa and never got into contention after bogeying the first hole. The Hall of Famer, who led after the first round, shot a 71 and finished at 211, five shots behind Ochoa.
LEADING FINAL TOTALS

Par 216 (3 x 72)

206 L Ochoa 68 67 71 ($300,000).

207 M Pressel 70 71 66, C Matthew 68 72 67, Na Yeon Choi 70 68 69, B Lang 68 71 68, S Gustafson 69 68 70 ($114,360 each).

Other totals:

211 B Morgan 70 72 69, A Sorenstam 67 73 71 (jt 11th) ($34,274).

LISA MAGUIRE (13) LEADING QUALIFIER
IN IRISH CHAMPIONSHIP AT WESTPORT

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY IRISH LADIES GOLF UNION
Thirteen-year-old Lisa Maguire (Slieve Russell) won the Leitrim Cup - four shots ahead of the field - as leading qualifier for the match-play stages of the Lancome Irish women's close amateur championship at Westport Golf Club with an impressive total of five-under-par 143 after 36 holes.
The youngster now faces Ann Geoghegan (Athlone) tomorrow morning.
With a fresh and windy start at Westport, the first year school student continued her devastating form with back-to-back birdies at the third and fourth on her way to reaching the turn in one under par.
Further birdies at the 15th and 18th, where she chipped in, saw Lisa complete her level par round of 74 after an opening round of 69.
Maura Morrin (The Curragh) continued her steady form. She was level par over the front nine followed by two bogeys and a birdie on the back nine to finish with a 75 and a total of 147.
Twin sister Leona Maguire (Slieve Russell) was the only player to finish under par on Day 2 with a birdie at the first hole and level par thereafter for a 73.
QUALIFYING RESULTS
Par 148 (2 x 74). SS 78, CSS 77 77.
143 Lisa Maguire (Slieve Russell) 69 74
147 Maura Morrin (The Curragh) 72 75
148 Leona Maguire (Slieve Russell) 75 73
151 Tara Delaney (Carlow) 74 77
152 Gemma Hegarty (Greencastle) 76 76
153 Ciara Butler (Newlands) 76 77
155 Ann Marie Dalton (Coollattin) 77 78 Mary Dowling (New Ross) 76 79
156 Anne McCormack (Roscommon) 79 77 Dawn Marie Conaty (Ashbourne) 77 79
157 Emma O'Driscoll (Ballybunion) 78 79
158 Niamh Kitching (Claremorris) 80 78, Jennifer Gannon (Co. Louth) 79 79, Carla Reynolds (Seapoint) 78 80 Una Marsden (Tullamore) 78 80
159 Sinead Keane (The Curragh) 83 76, Gillian O'Leary (Cork) 80 79, Sarah Crowe (Tipperary) 77 82
160 Karen O'Neill (Douglas) 82 78, Naoimh McMahon (Shannon) 77 83
161 Maria Dunne (Skerries) 85 76, Deirdre Smith (Co. Louth) 80 81, Darragh McGowan (Ballybofey & Stranorlar) 79 82
162 Suzanne Corcoran (Portumna) 81 81 Sarah Helly (Enniscrone) 80 82, Helen Jones (Strabane) 79 83
163 Laura McCarthy (Muskerry) 86 77, Sarah Faller (Galway) 80 83
164 Caoimhe Quinn (Dungannon) 81 83
165 Sarah Gallagher (Claremorris) 77 88
166 Karen Delaney (Carlow) 87 79, Sarah Carty (The Island) 83 83, Ann Geoghegan (Athlone) 81 85
167 Sue Phillips (Woodbrook) 87 80 Trish Doyle (Kanturk) 82 85 Vicki Power (Dundalk) 77 90
168 Hannah O'Brien (Lahinch) 85 83
169 Catherine Tucker (Limerick) 85 84, Fiona Moclair (Ballinasloe) 83 86
170 Ailish Thompson (Douglas) 87 83, Tara Gribben (Warrenpoint) 87 83, Violet McBride (Belvoir Park) 85 85, Julie O'Gara (Roscommon) 82 88
171 Orla Barry (Galway) 83 88
173 Linda Toomey (Limerick) 91 82, Shauna McVeigh (Royal Co. Down Ladies) 88 85, Olivia Conroy (Co. Longford) 86 87.
174 Marie Sudway (Glasson) 89 85
175 Lynda Maher (Charleville) 90 85
176 Vivienne Houston (City of Derry) 90 86, Fiona McComb (Ballycastle) 86 90
177 Doireann Carney (Galway) 89 88
178 Carmel O'Connor (Westport) 82 96
180 Maria Cahill (Abbeyleix) 89 91, Aoife McHale (Castlebar) 87 93.
181 Laura Boylan (Skerries) 89 92
182 Mai McCann (Narin & Portnoo) 93 89
185 Margaret Corcoran (Bray) 95 90
186 Theresa Delahunty (Rathdowney) 99 87
187 Susan McGann O'Brien (Tuam) 92 95

MONDAY'S MATCH-PLAY DRAW

10:12 Lisa Maguire (Slieve Russell) v Ann Geoghegan (Athlone)
10:21 Gillian O'Leary (Cork) v Sinead Keane (The Curragh)
10:30 Anne McCormack (Roscommon) v Sarah Helly (Enniscrone)
10:39 Helen Jones (Strabane) v Mary Dowling (New Ross)
10:48 Gemma Hegarty (Greencastle) v Caoimhe Quinn (Dungannon)
10:57 Deirdre Smith (Co. Louth) v Niamh Kitching (Claremorris)
11:06 Jennifer Gannon (Co. Louth) v Maria Dunne (Skerries)
11:15 Sarah Gallagher (Claremorris) v Tara Delaney (Carlow)
11:24 Leona Maguire (Slieve Russell) v Karen Delaney (Carlow)
11:33 Karen O'Neill (Douglas) v Carla Reynolds (Seapoint)
11:42 Emma O'Driscoll (Ballybunion) v Darragh McGowan (B/Stranorlar)
11:51 Sarah Faller (Galway) v Ciara Butler (Newlands)
12:00 Ann Marie Dalton (Coollattin) v Laura McCarthy (Muskerry)
12:09 Suzanne Corcoran (Portumna) v Dawn Marie Conaty (Ashbourne)
12:18 Una Marsden (Tullamore) v Sarah Crowe (Tipperary)
12:27 Sarah Carty (The Island) v Maura Morrin (The Curragh)

Michele delights her Curtis Cup
skipper in Dublin ... and her
dad in Abu Dhabi, of course!

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Michele Thomson’s victory in the 94th Scottish women’s amateur championship final at Lossiemouth was toasted in Dublin by Curtis Cup team skipper Mary McKenna.
And a bit farther away in Abu Dhabi, Michele’s oil executive dad Graham celebrated the news of his 20-year-old daughter’s 2 and 1 victory against Jocelyn Carthew well into the night (Graham and Michele Thomson pictured right by Cal Carson Golf Agency, all rights reserved).
McDonald Ellon Golf Club have reacted quickly to what is a third Scottish championship win by one of its members by bestowing honorary life membership on Michele.
Maurice Moir from Ellon won the Scottish boys’ title in 1954 and Angus Moir, no relation, won the Scottish men’s amateur championship in 1984.
Now Michele has completed a club national hat-trick spread over 54 years.
She is the first Aberdeenshire born-and-bred player to win the Scottish women’s championship since Elaine Farquharson (Deeside) at Machrihanish in 1990.
Mary McKenna she was “thrilled to bits” that her team of eight who will try to take the Curtis Cup out of the grasp of the Americans over the Old Course, St Andrews from May 30 to June 1, would include the Scottish champion.
There are, of course, four young Scots in the Great Britain & Ireland team, but three of them, Krystle Caithness, Sally Watson and Carly Booth, could not play at Lossiemouth because they are at college in the United States.
“Michele’s victory will spark the other Scots girls to show what they can do in the Curtis Cup,” said Mary.
“So, I am really thrilled for Michele. She had extra pressure on her going into the Scottish championship, having made the Curtis Cup team. It will give her extra confidence for St Andrews. She deserves to be a champion because she has worked really hard over the winter and has competed well since January in places like Florida and Portugal.”
Florentyna Parker, another member of the GB&I team, lost in the final of the English women’s championship at Ganton while Michele Thomson was giving the performance of her life in the Lossiemouth sunshine.
Michele’s father Graham said he was a nervous wreck while the Lossiemouth final was being played because he was flying between Brunei and Singapore and couldn’t get the planned text messages from the course because of the ban on mobile phones being used on board aircraft.
"When the match started I was being driven from Miri in Sarawac across the border to Brunei to catch a flight to Singapore and then back to Abu Dhabi. The car journey and check-in at the airport took a couple of hours and when the plane doors closed and I was reminded to switch my phone off, for the fifth or sixth time by the way, Michele was one up playing the 11th," said Graham.
"Both my son Mark and sister Carol were sending me text messages at each hole. I was not too concerned about Michele falling behind early on as she always puts up a fight and has an uncanny ability to stay relaxed and wait for the match to turn her way, which it did.
"That said, the 2hr plane journey was torture with the not knowing what was happening at Lossiemouth. As soon as we landed and the doors opened my phone started going crazy with text messages and E-mails saying that she had won. I called her and she reminded me what I had asked her to do before the tournament started and that was 'Go win me a big cup' and she certainly did that.
"I am extremely pleased for her. I know how hard she works on her golf and over the past six months she is getting some serious payback.
"Over the winter, she voluntarily increased her fitness programme to four sessions in the gym per week. She felt the benefit in the early months of the year in Florida and Portugal and probably by the end of a long, hard and tiring week at Lossiemouth.
“Michele says she does not feel the extra training has improved her golf but physically and mentally she feels much stronger and able to concentrate better when coming down the home straight of a tournament.”
"Winning the Scottish was on Michele's agenda since losing in the semi-finals last year. She desperately wanted this title and I am very proud of her for achieving her goal. I am very keen to see my 'big cup' and my daughter up close, but with my travel schedule and Michele's Curtis Cup selection, this won't happen until at least the opening ceremony at St Andrews on May 29. Hopefully we will be having a double celebration on Sunday, June 1.
"With four Scots in the Curtis Cup team, and many other Scottish players pushing for international selection and playing so well at Lossie this week, Scottish Ladies Golf looks to be in great shape."
Michele, quite understandably, at the age of 20 is hard to pin down on the subject of her future. As a full-time amateur golfer, she is enjoying living in the present rather than planning for the future. Her father, who is quite happy to pay her bills, is a wee bit more forthcoming on the subject of his daughter turning professional.
“Yes, it is very much on the cards that Michele will turn professional eventually, but there is absolutely no pressure or no time set for her doing this. She is really enjoying amateur golf at the level she is now playing, representing Scotland, representing Great Britain & Ireland, trips to foreign countries and so on,” said Graham Thomson.
“She still has a number of goals to fulfil before she makes the switch, winning the Scottish title was certainly one of them. This year was all about playing in more international competitions to gain more experience and that continues to be the aim for the rest of the year.”
Back to the Scottish championship final itself. I have been reporting on the SLGA finals since the early 1970s – and I have even caddied in two of them! And I have to say I cannot remember a final packed with so many birdies – and played at a pace which used to be the norm 30 or 40 years ago.
Michele and Jocelyn between them produced 13 birdies over the 17 holes the final lasted. And they had been on the course just over three hours when it finished.
The tone was set at the first hole when both players drove the green which is close on 300yards from the ladies’ tee. Off the red tees on the Moray club’s Old Course, there are seven par-5s. None of them was out of reach to the best players in the Scottish field, although both finalists chose to lay up with their second to the 17th.
Michele, a +1 player, a seasoned international and a full-time amateur who has been playing competitively this year since the first week of January, entered the final as hot favourite to beat 30-year-old Jo Carthew, an uncapped one-handicapper who had never progressed past the second round of the national championship before and a player who works for a living.
But Carthew let the big gallery – and her more highly-rated opponent - know she wasn't just there to make up the numbers when she won the first two holes with birdies - both players drove the green at the 295yd first hole - and then halved the third with her third birdie in a row.
Thomson, the longer-hitter, then rolled up her sleeves and won the next four holes with a par-birdie-birdie-birdie burst that saw her jump from two down to two up.
Carthew came back off the ropes to win the eighth with a great putt for a birdie but turned two down again when Thomson holed a 15ft birdie putt at the ninth.
Out in five-under-par 33 to Carthew's two-under 36 and two holes to the good, Thomson had by no means subdued underdog Jo. The pair of them produced nine birdies between them in a high-class outward half.
Carthew won the 10th with a birdie, lost the 11th to a birdie and then got back to one down again when Thomson had her first bogey of the day.
This was the low point, quality-wise in the match, the 13th being halved in bogeys.
Normal service was resumed with a half in birdie 4s at the long 14th before Thomson regained a two-hole lead when Carthew three-putted.
The writing was on the wall for the elegant Ladybank player then. Two down with three to play, she could only halve the 16th and 17th, leaving Thomson a worthy 2 and 1 winner.
Thomson was five under par at the finish and Carthew two under par … proof that it was a quality final with 13 birdies in all.
"I can hardly wait for the Curtis Cup to come along now at the end of the month," said Michele.
"The best thing I took out of this week is that I can play under pressure. I came to Lossiemouth under pressure, as a Curtis Cup pick, to do well ... and I did. In the semi-final against Laura Murray I was four down after seven holes and I trailed in others, including this final, so that gives me confidence for the Curtis Cup.
"I would like to thank my coach Neil Marr for making me able to produce the shots to win holes in pressure situations."

Ladybank coach says Jo

Carthew golfing career

can take off in big way

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Jocelyn Carthew was a wee bit disappointed but certainly not down in the dumps after losing by 2 and 1 to Michele Thomson in Saturday's final of the 94th Scottish women's amateur golf championship at Lossiemouth.
And neither should she have been! The 30-year-old Glasgow-born player who lives in Kirkcaldy, works in Cupar and is a member at Ladybank Golf Club, played an slmost equal part in one of the highest quality Scottish Ladies Golfing Association finals in living memory.

Picture of Jo Carthew (right) is by Cal Carson Golf Agency (all rights reserved).

It was almost certainly the best as far as sub-par scoring is concerned since the championship was first played over the Old Course, St Andrews in 1903.
It is only over the past 10 to 15 years that the improvements in golf balls and equipment have made an impact of the Scottish ladies' amateur game. Now, even legends like the late Jessie Valentine, Helen Holm and Jean Donald, did not drive the ball in their heyday nearly as far as the top Scottish female amateurs can in 2008.
For instance, the tone was set for a splendid 3hr show at Lossiemouth when Thomson, who has +1 of a handicap, and Carthew, a one-handicapper, both drove the green at the Moray club's first hole which measures close on 300yd from the LGU tees.
They produced 13 birdies between them over the 17 holes. Michele was five under par at the finish and Carthew two under par.
And they completed the 17 holes in just over three hours! What a great advertisement for Scottish female amateur golf (remember Sammy Vass and Kelsey MacDonald played their 18-hole first-round tie in under 2hr 30min).
Miss Carthew, who did not take up golf until she was 16 even though her father was pro at Crow Wood Golf Club, Glasgow, paid tribute to how much Ladybank professional Sandy Smith had improved her game.
Sandy himself said today:
"Jo and I have been working on her game for around nine months. She has always been a very good player who can hit it a good distance and has a good short game. I just felt that with all her undoubted talent, she wasn't achieving what she was capable of.
"So we took an overview of her whole game and decided that we needed to focus on three main areas - (a) create a better, less destructive 'bad' shot; (b) steepen her angle of attack into the ball to produce a lower ball flight that generated a littl e more spin on the ball and, finally, improve the quality of her practice habits.
"To be honest, it has been very easy working with Jo. Her work ethic is very good. She doesn't have the same free time as some of the other golfing girls as she works full time but she uses what spare time she has very effectively."
Coach Smith is convinced that people outside of Ladybank and Fife are going to hear a lot more about Jo Carthew in future.
"There is no doubt that Jo would love to get international recognition. Playing in the final of the Scottish championship won't have done her any harm on that front. However, she is more than aware that this is just the start of an exciting journey. With the golfing patterns she now has in place, I'm sure there will be more success in the near and long-term future.
"I think that her achievement at Lossiemouth will give her the confidence and the belief she needs to push her on towards all the thing she wants to achieve in the game."

Golf is a hard sport to win at

but with your dad on your

bag, it's a lot of fun, says

Sally Watson (16)

REPRODUCED FROM THE TIMES ONLINE WEBSITE
Interview by HELEN STEWART

Graham Watson, 50, the founder and executive director of the Scottish Institute of Sport Foundation, and his daughter Sally, who at 16 has been picked for the GB and Ireland Curtis Cup team, love to spend time together on the golf course. Picture of Sally by Cal Carson Golf Agency (all rights reserved).

SALLY WATSON:
Dad's never been a scratch golfer, but he has a great insight into the competitive psyche. He knows me inside out. He's been very successful in his field, corporate finance, so he must have some insight into how things work.
It was when we lived in San Francisco and he coached our basketball team that he really got into sports for all. That's what made him start the foundation, I think, when he saw how positive community games could be.
With him being so busy, it should have felt like Dad wasn't around, but it was the opposite. I remember him working in New York, then catching the red-eye home so he could watch us play on Saturday mornings. He never missed a game that involved me and my big sister, Rebecca.
Mum was at home, the best thing she could have done for us despite the fact it meant stopping her own career. My parents have sacrificed a lot so we could achieve our dreams, even holidays. The whole family is geared towards taking us to tournaments to give us the opportunity to succeed. Rebecca is doing great at business school in America on a golf scholarship. Maybe that's the kind of thing I'll do too.
Whenever he can, I get Dad to caddy for me and he's always happy to. It has to be someone you really trust, who knows your game and your emotions and can spot the signs of stress. The point of having them there is to help you relax and Dad is better than anyone at that.
Five hours on the course is a lot of time to get negative and feel the pressure, but Dad keeps me laughing.
We crowd-watch and we see how Mum is doing. She gets so into it that it makes me smile to see the intensity on her face. Dad's better at taking a step back and seeing things from a different perspective. He finds a little something to say, we focus on the shot and move on.
Golf is a hard sport to win, but with your dad on your bag it's a lot of fun. Really, what 16-year-old girl can say they'd want to hang around with their dad for that length of time?
I know they miss me and my sister because we're both in America, but despite the distance we are close. We talk every day, sometimes a quick call to say I love them, sometimes a long call to tell them everything I'm thinking.
It's a different relationship than if I was coming in from school in Edinburgh and running upstairs to do homework, but I think it's better for it. If you're away from your parents at this age, it really makes you appreciate what you've got.

GRAHAM WATSON
My wife, Maggie, and the girls used to spend summers at our cottage in Elie, and I commuted from work in Edinburgh, so when they were younger Rebecca and Sally had sporting activities morning, noon and night.
In many respects Elie's an unusual place, there's an 18-hole and a 9-hole golf course, tennis courts and, of course, the lure of diving off the pier. There'd be a golf lesson at 9am, tennis at 11am, then more playing in the afternoons.
All the children there are really active, they love it. Maggie and I thought it was important to give our girls the chance to try everything. Not to mention the fact that by night-time they were exhausted, which is no bad thing for a parent.
Having a big sister made Sally want to stretch herself. It's hard to predict excellence, but we saw she enjoyed competing. My daughters are very different, Rebecca has an easy-going, caring personality. Not to say she's not competitive and strong, because she is, but you wouldn't necessarily see it at first glance.
Without that personality and with a younger sister like Sal, she could have become disillusioned with her own considerable achievements. Thankfully, it's not in her to be like that, and Rebecca is her sister's number one supporter.
Sally has always been competitive and determined, she's the type to set herself a task and go to every possible length to achieve it. She gives 150% every time. At one golf event for youngsters, for example, Sal won every age group in her time and held plenty of course records, but still looked at the photo of the time Rebecca competed in the same group and won and said, “That's the year she beat me, that was tragic.”
We tease her about it, but that's the person she is, highly focused. You don't get into the Curtis Cup team without that ability.
She is very strong mentally. I've learnt a lot about the winning mentality through my work with the foundation, and I'd say she's got a world-class athlete's mind, but her great strength is that she hasn't changed.
Despite all the attention and being educated in America, she still enjoys it. We had friends over the other day and their young son came in, talking about golf. Sal just said, “Do you want to go and play?” and off they went to play nine holes, just the same as any normal kid in this place would be.
If she keeps that down-to-earth level-headedness she'll be fine. And I'll be there, carrying her clubs for her.

LPGA Tour Scoreboard
SECOND-ROUND TOTALS
Par 144 (2 x 72)
135 Lorena Ochoa (Mex) 68 67
137 Teresa Lu (Tai) 68 69, Sophie Gustafson (Swe) 69 68
138 Na Yeon Choi (Kor) 70 68, Hye Jung Choi (Kor) 70 68
139 Brittany Lang 68 71
140 Annika Sorenstam (Swe) 67 73, Catriona Matthew (Sco) 68 72, Kristy McPherson 71 69
141 Lindsey Wright (Aus) 70 71, Taylor Leon 72 69, Ai Miyazato (Jpn) 69 72, Momoko Ueda (Jpn) 73 68, Morgan Pressel 70 71, Christina Kim 69 72, Helen Alfredsson (Swe) 70 71
142 Stacy Prammanasudh 71 71, Wendy Ward 71 71, Song-Hee Kim (Kor) 67 75, Pat Hurst 68 74, Sherri Turner 73 69, Jimin Kang (Kor) 73 69, Eunjung Yi (Kor) 70 72, Kyeong Eun Bae (Kor) 72 70, Becky Morgan (Wal) 70 72, Carolina Llano (Col) 68 74
143 Minea Blomqvist (Fin) 71 72, Ya-Ni Tseng (Kor) 71 72, Na On Min (Jpn) 70 73, Sandra Gal (Ger) 72 71, Nicole Castrale 71 72
144 Young-A Yang (Kor) 73 71, Sun Young Yoo (Kor) 75 69, Irene Cho 74 70, Brandie Burton 71 73, Michele Redman 71 73, Diana D'Alessio 72 72, Dorothy Delasin 72 72, Ji-Young Oh (Kor) 73 71, Sung Ah Yim (Kor) 71 73, Rachel Hetherington (Aus) 67 77, Ashleigh Simon (Rsa) 72 72, Sarah Jane Kenyon 70 74, Tracy Hanson 70 74, Hwa seon Lee (Kor) 70 74
145 Jamie Hullett 72 73, Cristie Kerr 69 76, In-Bee Park (Kor) 72 73, Katie Futcher 71 74, Jee Young Lee (Kor) 73 72, Michelle Ellis 73 72, Mikaela Parmlid (Swe) 70 75, Carri Wood 73 72, Emily Bastel 74 71, Wendy Doolan (Aus) 71 74, Jin Joo Hong (Kor) 73 72, Ashli Bunch 71 74, Virada Nirapathpongporn (Tha) 73 72, Eva Dahllof (Swe) 73 72, Erica Blasberg 73 72, Leah Marie Wigger 70 75
146 Giulia Sergas (Ita) 72 74, Shi Hyun Ahn (Kor) 69 77, Karrie Webb (Aus) 76 70, Jane Park 73 73, Meena Lee (Kor) 73 73, Jean Bartholomew 72 74, Angela Park 74 72, Mollie Fankhauser 72 74, Natalie Gulbis 73 73, Soo-Yun Kang (Kor) 70 76, Amy Hung (Tha) 72 74, Allison Hanna-Williams 74 72
MISSED THE CUT
147 Jackie Gallagher-Smith 73 74, Onnarin Sattayabanphot (Tha) 75 72, In Kyung Kim (Kor) 71 76, Silvia Cavalleri (Ita) 75 72, Alena Sharp 73 74, Nancy Scranton 73 74, Heather Daly-Donofrio 73 74, Julieta Granada (Par) 74 73
148 Cindy Rarick 69 79, Jill McGill 73 75, Liz Janangelo 72 76, Russamee Gulyanamitta (Tha) 74 74, Liselotte Neumann (Swe) 74 74, Dina Ammaccapane 72 76, Meaghan Francella 73 75, Meg Mallon 74 74, Shanshan Feng (Chn) 75 73
149 Jennifer Rosales (Phi) 72 77, Becky Lucidi 78 71, Anna Grzebien 73 76, Meredith Duncan 76 73, Leta Lindley 69 80, Vicki Goetze-Ackerman 73 76, Sophie Giquel (Fra) 72 77, Allison Fouch 76 73, Sarah Kemp (Aus) 73 76, Katherine Hull (Aus) 75 74
150 Nicole Perrot (Chi) 75 75, Gloria Park (Kor) 72 78, Carin Koch (Swe) 75 75, Yu Ping Lin (Tai) 76 74, Kim Hall 75 75
151 Beth Bader 76 75, Candie Kung (Tai) 74 77, Becky Iverson 70 81, Candy Hannemann 74 77, Michelle McGann 76 75, Lisa Strom (Gbr) 73 78, Paige Mackenzie 75 76, Sherri Steinhauer 75 76, Danielle Downey 76 75, Hee Young Park (Kor) 76 75
152 Hannah Jun 74 78, Jimin Jeong 78 74, Nina Reis (Swe) 72 80, Reilley Rankin 76 76, Audra Burks 74 78, Karin Sjodin (Swe) 76 76, Marcy Hart 74 78
153 Simi Mehra (Ind) 75 78, Kelli Kuehne 82 71, Anna Rawson (Aus) 69 84, Lee Ann Walker-Cooper 79 74
154 Maggie Will 77 77, Kris Tschetter 75 79, Janice Moodie (Sco) 76 78
155 Kate Golden 77 78, Seol-An Jeon (Kor) 81 74, Siew-Ai Lim (Mal) 76 79, Kris Tamulis 75 80, Karine Icher (Fra) 75 80
158 Hilary Lunke 79 79
168 Danielle Ammaccapane 84 84

VIKKI, PAMELA MAKE CUT BUT
WELL BEHIND FUTURES LEADER

Scots Vikki Laing from Musselburgh and Pamela Feggans from Patna, Ayrshire both made the 36-hole cut in the US Futures Tour event, the Mercedes Benz of Kansas City women's championship.
Vikki has scored 79 and 73 for a seven-over-par tally of 149 over the par-71, 6274yd lay-out at Leawood South Country Club. She birdied the long sixth, the short 13th and par-4 15th but, with bogeys at the second, third, 12th, 16th and 18th, made too many errors to challenge 18-year-old leader Mindy Kim from Calidornia (68-69 for 137).
Pamela made the cut with one shot to spare with rounds of 79 and 73 for 152. Pamela dropped four shots after the turn with a double bogey at the 14th and bogeys at the 11th and 17th. Fortunately, she had earlier birdied the long first and short second.
LEADERBOARD
Par 142 (2 x 71)
137 Mandy Kim (US) 68 69.
139 M J Hur (SKo) 72 67.
141 Andrea VanderLende (US) 69 72.
142 Jin Young Pak (SKo) 74 68, Misun Cho (SKo) 72 70, Courtney Mahon (US) 72 70.
144 Jessica Shipley (Can) 74 70, Cindy Figg-Currier (US) 75 69, Christi Cano (US) 74 70.
Other scores:
149 Vikki Laing (Sco) 76 73 (jt 29th).
152 Pamela Feggans (Sco) 79 73 (jt 58th).
MISSED THE CUT (153 or better)
157 Brenda McLarnon (NIr) 80 77.