European Junior Ryder Cup team
named for Kentucky match

The 2008 European Junior Ryder Cup, announced by captain Gary Stengl and Fredrik Lindgren from the European Tour is:
Automatic selections:
Lisa Maguire (Ireland)
Leona Maguire (Ireland)
Anna Arrese (Spain)
Carly Booth (Scotland)
Stanislas Gautier (France)
Julien Brun (France)
Moritz Lampert (Germany)
Adrian Oategui (Spain)
Captain's picks:
Kelly Tidy (England)
Daisy Nielsen (Swede)
Chris Lloyd (England)
Matteo Manassero (Italy)

The two-day match will be hosted by The Club at Old Stone Golf Club, Bowling Green, Kentucky on Monday and Tuesday, September 15 and 16.
The programme is:
Day 1: morning foursomes; afternoon mixed fouor-ball.
Day 2: singles.

The teams will also play a nine-hole exhibition match over the Ryder Cup course at Valhalla, also in Kentucky, on the Wednesday.

Park and riding high - Brazilian Angela
leads Evian Masters by one stroke

FROM THE LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Teenager Angela Park birdied the last three holes to maintain a one-stroke lead on 14-under-par 202 after the third round of the Evian Masters at Evian-les-Bains, France today.
The 19-year-old Brazilian, whose mother and father are both South Koreans, holds dual nationality with the United States.
She posted five birdies and one bogey for a four-under-68 and a one-stroke lead over Taiwan’s Candie Kung, who holds a U.S. passport.
Park was the 2007 Rookie of the Year on the LPGA Tour and is seeking her first professional victory. Her career best finish was a tie for second at last year’s U.S. Women’s Open, where she finished in joint third place this year.
Park said: “I was playing mediocre throughout the whole round. Then I told myself: 'You've still got three or four holes left and it's pretty easy holes coming in, so you can get enough birdies out there.' I didn't see anyone go extremely low, so I tried to stay positive, and it came around.”
Park went bogey free for the first 48 holes but dropped her first shot of the tournament at the par-4 13th where she three-putted from 25ft.
“I was very patient out there today and nothing went in the first couple holes, and I kept telling myself that you can't hurry anything, and sooner or later it will come around,” said Park. “So I think tomorrow, even if I have a good start or bad start it doesn't matter but I'm just going to stay out there, stay focused and stay patient.
“I feel like I'm ten years older than last year. I don't know, it's been a tremendous experience.” Kung carded seven birdies and two bogeys for a five-under-par 67, which was the joint best score of the day. She has not been in serious contention since she won three tournaments in 2003 and said: “I think it's mainly just putting for me this year so far. I've been hitting the ball great; just putting's been struggling.”
The Texas-based player learned her golf in the Unites States after she moved there in 1995 from Taiwan.
Inkster, the 2003 Evian Masters champion, moved into third place on 11-under-par 205 after a 69. At the age of 48, a second Evian Masters title would see her become the oldest winner in the history of women’s pro golf.
Following a 63 in the second round, Sweden’s Helen Alfredsson remained in contention. She shot a 71 to finish the day in in fourth place on ten-under-par 206.
South Koreans Shi Hyun Ahn and Na-Yeon Choi share fifth place 207 with four players in a tie for seventh on 208. They include the World No.1 Lorena Ochoa of Mexico, the 2005 Evian Masters champion Paula Creamer, last year’s U.S. Women’s Open champion Cristie Kerr (both from the USA) and South Korea’s Jin Joo Hong.
Ochoa conceded that it would take a low round of seven or eight under par for her to win her first Evian Masters. “I can do it. There were a few low rounds in this tournament and I’m going to be positive and hopefully I’ll start good tomorrow and just go from there,” she said.
“We have perfect weather, not much wind and some pin placements were accessible to make birdies. In my case, I didn’t make any putts, but I was really close to shooting a low round, I just couldn’t make any putts. I’m frustrated and hopefully they’ll drop in tomorrow.”
Tee times begin at 7.49am on Sunday with the final pairing of Park and Kung out at 1.10pm.

Ladies European Tour Scoreboard
EVIAN MASTERS
Evian Masters Golf Club, Evian-les-Bains, France
THIRD ROUND TOTALS
Par 216 (3 x 72)
202 Angela Park (Bra) 66 68 68.
203 Candie Kung (Tai) 66 70 67.
205 Juli Inkster 67 69 69.
206 Helen Alfredsson (Swe) 72 63 71.
207 Na Yeon Choi 71 67 69, Shi Hyun Ahn 69 69 69
208 Paula Creamer 70 69 69, Jin Joo Hong 71 69 68, Cristie Kerr 70 66 72, Lorena Ochoa (Mex) 65 73 70
209 Meena Lee 67 69 73, Eun Hee Ji 71 71 67, Hee Young Park 70 69 70
210 Ya-Ni Tseng 70 70 70, Suzann Pettersen (Nor) 67 74 69
211 Sun Young Yoo 74 68 69, In Kyung Kim 68 68 75, Laura Diaz 67 73 71, Amy Yang 68 73 70
212 Natalie Gulbis 69 71 72
213 Ji-Yai Shin 72 73 68, Sun Ju Ahn 66 74 73, Teresa Lu (Tai) 71 71 71, Momoko Ueda (Jpn) 70 69 74, Young Kim 68 71 74, Annika Sorenstam (Swe) 71 69 73, Morgan Pressel 69 72 72
214 Linda Wessberg (Swe) 69 71 74, Lindsey Wright (Aus) 72 73 69, Jimin Kang 71 71 72, Maria Hjorth (Swe) 73 69 72
215 Giulia Sergas (Ita) 71 74 70, Song-Hee Kim 69 72 74, In-Bee Park 69 72 74, Diana D'Alessio 73 71 71, Becky Brewerton 72 72 71, Christina Kim 72 70 73, Rebecca Hudson (Eng) 72 72 71, Mhairi McKay (Sco) 72 74 69
216 Ji-Young Oh 70 71 75, Ai Miyazato (Jpn) 74 72 70, Se Ri Pak 70 76 70, Carin Koch (Swe) 73 74 69, Trish Johnson 70 75 71, Karine Icher (Fra) 74 70 72
217 Mi-Hyun Kim 71 73 73, Angela Stanford 67 72 78, Sophie Gustafson (Swe) 73 70 74, Pat Hurst 74 73 70
218 Karrie Webb (Aus) 72 75 71, Meaghan Francella 70 72 76, Sarah Lee 71 73 74, Katherine Hull (Aus) 72 72 74
219 Minea Blomqvist (Fin) 74 69 76, Wendy Doolan (Aus) 77 68 74, Jane Park 74 74 71, Brittany Lang 73 73 73, Jeong Jang 74 73 72
220 Sherri Steinhauer 72 74 74, Hwa seon Lee 69 75 76, Julieta Granada (Par) 72 73 75, Hye Jung Choi 73 73 74
221 Laura Davies (Eng) 71 77 73, Rachel Hetherington (Aus) 75 71 75
222 Hee-Won Han 72 74 76, Nicole Castrale 74 74 74
224 Sophie Giquel (Fra) 71 76 77, Catrin Nilsmark (Swe) 70 73 81
225 Emma Zackrisson (Swe) 72 75 78, Martina Eberl (Ger) 75 72 78

Junior Ryder Cup team place consolation for Scot

The first five girls in the 2008 European Young Masters championship. Left to right: Lisa Maguire, Leona Maguire, Anna Arrese, Carly Booth and Kelly Tidy (who was officially placed fifth with the better last round than the others who finished with the same total).

Carly slumps - Irish Maguire
twins finish first and second
in European Young Masters

Leader through the first and second rounds in defence of the European Young Masters girls’ golf championship, Carly Booth suffered an uncharacteristic last-round slump to finish fourth behind the 13-year-old Irish wonder twins Lisa and Leona Maguire, pictured right, at Chantilly Golf Club, France today.
The 16-year-old Curtis Cup player from Comrie, Perthshire, who retained the Scottish Under-18 girls’ match-play championship 10 days ago, had rounds of 72, 72 and 75 for a 54-hole total of level par 219 over the par-73 course.
Carly slipped off her pedestal with an outward half of three-over-par 40, bogeying the first, fifth and eighth. She regained her momentum with three birdies in a row – the 12th, 13th and 14th, but then let it slip again with bogeys at the 16th and 18th.
One consolation for Miss Booth is that fourth place is good enough to gain her automatic selection for the Europe team to play the United States in the Junior Ryder Cup match in Kentucky on September 15 and 16.
Carly played in the 2006 Junior Ryder Cup match when she was only 14.
Lisa Maguire (Slieve Russell), the Irish Under-18 girls champion, got better every day at Chantilly with rounds of 74, 71 and 69 for a brilliant total of five-under-par 214. That closing round, in which she had six birdies, saw Lisa first make up the leeway on Carly Booth and then leave the Scot and the others in her wake.
At the prizegiving, Lisa Maguire said: "I will not forget this golf course. The Chantilly greens are the best I've ever played."
Lisa won by four shots from her sister Leona – the Irish WOMEN’S champion – and Anna Arrese (Spain). Leona had scores of 78, 70 and 70 including five birdies in a row from the 11th in her final round.
(If you scroll down past the scores, you will see the final scorecards for Carly Booth and the Maguire sisters. They make interesting reading).
So the Maguire girls and Anna Arrese join Carly as automatic choices for the Junior Ryder Cup. Gary Strang, captain of the Europe team, has four wild-card choices - two boys and two girls - to add to the leading four boys and leading four girls, to make up a team of 12 who will play the Americans at foursomes and also mixed four-ball on the first day at The Club at Olde Stone Golf Club, Bowling Green, Kentucky, followed by a concluding programme of singles on Day 2.
The European team will also play an exhibition match over nine holes at the actual Ryder Cup course, Valhalla, on the Wednesday.
Kelly Tidy's joint fifth place finish alongside Israel's Laetitia Beck and Jessica Korda (Czech Republic) probably means that the captain will pick two of the three as his girl wild cards.
The other Scot in the girls' championship, Eilidh Briggs finished on a high with an inward half of 35 for a 75 after earlier rounds of 84 and82. She finished joint 30th onf 241.
The Scots in the boys’ championship never got in contention as French boys filled the first two places. Stanislas Gautier won with a two-under-par total of 211 from his compatriot Julien Brun.
Jack Scott from Deeside finished joint 22nd with scores of 83, 74 and 74 for 231.
Andrew McLachlan (Bonnyton) tied for 24th place with 75, 81 and 78 for 232. England's Chris Lloyd finished fifth, one spot outside an automatic selection for the boy representatives in the European Junior Ryder Cup team but close enough to make him favourite for one of the two boy wild-card selections.
The team event, combined boys and girls, at the European Young Masters was won by France (648) from Ireland (656) with Spain (664) third and England (671) fourth. Scotland finished joint eighth on 681. Wales came 13th with 688.

FINAL TOTALS
BOYS
Par 213 (3 x 71)
211 Stanislas Gautier (Fra) 72 70 69.
213 Julien Brun (Fra) 68 73 72.
216 Moritz Lampert (Ger) 71 71 74.
217 Adrian Otaegui (Spa) 74 71 72.
219 Chris Lloyd (Eng) 72 76 71.
Also:
222 Rhys Pugh (Wal) 77 74 71 (jt 7th)
226 Paul Dunne (Ire) 81 72 73 (jt 13th).
229 Oscar Sharpe (Eng) 77 75 77 (jt 17th).
231 Jack Scott (Sco) 83 74 74 (jt 22nd).
232 Andrew McLachlan (Sco) 75 81 78 (jt 24th).
235 Oliver Lewis (Wal) 81 80 74 (jt 30th).
239 Chris Selfridge (Ire) 78 79 81 (jt 35th)

GIRLS
Par 219 (3 x 73)
214 Lisa Maguire (Ire) 74 71 69.
218 Leona Maguire (Ire) 78 70 70, Anna Arrese (Spa) 73 72 73.
219 Carly Booth (Sco) 72 72 75.
223 Kelly Tidy (Eng) 77 74 72, Laetitia Beck (Isr) 74 72 77, Jessica Korda (Cze) 77 78 79
Also
234 Amy Boulden (Wal) 77 78 79 (jt 16th).
238 Alex Peters (Eng) 82 78 78 (27th).
241 Eilidh Briggs (Sco) 84 82 75 (jt 30th).
245 Kelly Miller (Wal) 78 88 78 (37th).

TEAM EVENT
(best three from four individual scores counted daily)
648 France.
656 Ireland.
664 Spain
671 England.
672 Czech Rep.
673 Germany.
675 Norway.
681 Scotland, Belgium, Denmark.
684 Netherlands.
687 Italy.
688 Wales.
682 Sweden.
695 Finland.
702 Austria.
717 Slovenia.
720 Israel.
722 Portugal.
723 Iceland.
733 Russia.
744 Turkey, Hungary.
771 Greece.
791 Latvia.

THE LAST ROUND CARDS THAT DECIDED THE GIRLS' CHAMPIONSHIP

LISA MAGUIRE 69 (-4)
4 (birdie)
3 (birdie)
4 (bogey)
4
4
3
4
4 (birdie)
4 (birdie)
Out in 34 (-3)
4
3
4 (birdie)
4 (birdie)
4
4
5 (bogey)
3
4
Back in 35 (-1)

LEONA MAGUIRE 70 (-3)
5
5 (bogey)
3
4
3 (birdie)
3
4
6 (bogey)
5
Out in 38 (+1)
4
2 (birdie)
4 (birdie)
3 (birdie)
3 (birdie
3 (birdie)
5 (bogey)
4 (bogey)
4
Back in 32 (-3)

CARLY BOOTH 75 (+2)
6 (bogey)
4
3
4
5 (bogey)
3
4
6 (bogey)
5
Out in 40 (+3)
4
3
4 (birdie)
4 (birdie)
3 (birdie)
4
5 (bogey)
3
5 (bogey)
Back in 35 (-1)

Vikki makes top 20 start to this weekend's
Futures Tour event in New Hampshire

Vikki Laing was in joint 17th position and Pamela Feggans sharing 34th place at the end of the opening round of the 54-hole USI championship, this weekend's event on the US Duramed Futures Tour over the Beaver Meadow course at Concord, New Hampshire.
Vikki had a one-under-par 71, thanks to birdies at the second, foufrth, 13th and 18th cancelling out bogeys at the fifth, sixth and 16th.
Pamela had a level par 72 with birdies at the second, third, ninth and 13th and bogeys at the first, fifth, eighth and 15th.
Brenda McLarnon from Belfast is in joint 114th position on 77 after a no-birdie day which had a double bogey 6 at the eighth and bogeys at the 10th, 13th and 15th.
Briana Vega is the leader after birdieing four of the last five holes for a five-under-par 67.
She is one ahead of four players, Haeji Kang (South Korea), Sara Brown (Tucson), Carmen Bandea (Atlanta) and Jessica Carafiello (Coral Springs).

Scottish senior women's stroke-play
tee times for Deeside on Tuesday

Order of play for the Scottish senior women's amateur stroke-play championship first round at Deeside Golf Club, Aberdeen on Tuesday is:

8.00 Janice Paterson (Drumpellier), Rose Anderson (Huntly).
8.10 Lynne Terry (Cruden Bay), Mary Smith (Tain).
8.20 Johanna Carrigan (The Australian), Eleanor Fisken (Nairn), Patricia Hutton (Lanark).
8.30 Isobel McIntosh (Inverness), Louise Graham (Carnoustie Ladies), Shelagh Quinn (Stirling).
8.40 Anna Telfer (Milngavie), Alex Glennie (Kilmarnock Barassie), Pat Wilson (Murcar Links).
8.50 Anne Bowman (McDonald Ellon), Rita Dee (Kingsknowe), Sue Penman (Gullane).

9.00 Jennifer Mack (Haggs Castle), Sandy Bushby (Strathmore), Karen Ballantyne (Craigmillar Park).
9.10 Ruth Brown (Lothianburn), Linda McDougall (Greenock), Lesley Johnston (Gullane Ladies).
9.20 Ann Smart (Banchory), Barbara Biggart (North Berwick), Emma Wilson (Elie & Earlsferry Ladies).
9.30 May Hughes (Lanark), Rosaleen Dunsmuir (Cruden Bay), Frances Neish (Forres).
9.40 Jill Harrison (Cruden Bay), Lorna Bennett (Ladybank), Margaret Tough.
9.50 Noreen Fenton (Merchants of Edinburgh), Fiona Hunter (Baberton), Moira Thomson (North Berwick).

10.00 Pamela Williamson (Baberton), Suzanne Cadden (Cardross), Kathleen Sutherland (Royal Montrose).
10.10 Helen Faulds (Douglas Park), Fiona de Vries (St Rule), Heather Anderson (Downfield).
10.20 Carol Fell (Ranfurly Castle), Morag Wardrop (Niddry Castle), Elizabeth Simpson (Murrayfield).
10.30 Nancy Duncan (Brechin), Esme Hill (Dumfries& Co), Carol Whicher (Abedeen Ladies).
10.40 Morag Clapperton (Banchory), Janice Cumming (Inverness), Margaret MacNaughtan (Aberdeen Ladies).
10.50 Winifred MacCallum (Falkirk), Isobel Harvey (St Rule), Dorothy MacKinnon (McDonald Ellon).

11.00 Maureen Neilson (Greenock), Moira Begbie (Murrayshall), Jean Bald (Aberdour).
11.10 Maureen McRobb (Kingsknowe), Elinor Grant (Douglas Park), Norma Smith (Downfield).
11.20 Ann Moffat (St Regulus), Judy Slater (Aboyne), Sheila Reid (Aberdeen Ladies).
11.30 Hazel Kelly (Ladies Panmure Barry), Pam Gordon (Inverness), Stella Hodge (Aberdeen Ladies).
11.40 Doris Dunn (Dunblane New), Helen MacGregor (Hilton Park), Fiona Roger (Ranfurly Castle).
11.50 Maureen Macrae (Dunblane New), Diane Gray (Lanark), Anne Ellen (Nairn).

12.00 Lindsay McNiven (Aberdeen Ladies), Gwynneth Haines (St Regulus), Pat Nile (Banchory).
12.10 Anne Stalker (Aberdeen Ladies), Elizabeth Rose (Aboyne), Anne Terrey (Greenock).
12.20 Stella Bain (Aberdeen Ladies), Catherine Bryce (Ballater), Anne Hood (Dunblane New).

Mhairi McKay beats Evian Masters

cut but Catriona Matthew is out

FROM THE LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Sweden’s Helen Alfredsson shot a course record nine-under-par 63 on Day 2 of the Evian Masters in France to lie in second place going into the weekend at Evian-les-Bains.
Last year’s European Solheim Cup captain, Alfredsson birdied half of the holes on the Evian Masters golf course with four on the front nine and five on the back to finish the day on nine-under-par 135, one stroke behind second round leader Angela Park of Brazil.
Last year’s LPGA Rookie of the Year, Park shot 68 for a ten-under-total of 134. A further five players were a shot further back in a share of third including the 2007 U.S. Women’s Open champion Cristie Kerr from the United States and her compatriot Juli Inkster, the 2003 Evian Masters champion.

Alfredsson, 43, who has 19 worldwide victories to her name, including the 1994 and 1998 Evian Masters, bettered the previous tournament record by a stroke. “It’s fantastic for me and as everybody knows this is my favourite stop. To be able to have a course record here feels unbelievable,” she said.

Alfredsson birdied holes 1, 4, 6, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15 and 18. She added: “I was lucky to make a good par putt on 12 which kept the momentum going.”
The 19-year Tour veteran is experiencing something of a career revival this years as she demonstrated by finishing second in last month’s U.S. Women’s Open at Interlachen Country Club. She put it down to feeling healthy after 15 years of injuries. “I don’t think I’ve been healthy for 15 years. According to the doctors, I had my hamstring detached for 11 years. Looking back and the way my right arm feels, I must have had the other one for six or seven years.”

After taking most of last season off for health reasons, Alfredsson worked out hard over the winter and is finding more consistency on the golf course. “The last few years, every day has been different. It’s hard to get any confidence when every day feels totally different,” she said. “It’s fun when the practise pays off and you see some results.”

World No.1 Lorena Ochoa of Mexico, who led by a stroke on seven-under after the first round, shot 73 to lie in a share of eighth on six-under at the halfway stage of the tournament. “It was a disaster,” she said. “I missed second shots, I missed drivers and I missed putts. Hopefully I can go practise now and be ready for tomorrow. I’m very positive and I also think that I can do it.” She brushed off the suggestion that playing in the annual charity football match the night before had hampered her game. “I only played for 15 minutes,” she said.

Defending champion Natalie Gulbis was still in the hunt after a 71 left her six shots off the lead in a share of 16th place with six others, including the World No.2 Annika Sorenstam and her compatriot Linda Wessberg.

After Alfredsson, Sorenstam and Wessberg were the best placed of the European Tour contingent, followed by South Korean teenager Amy Yang and Norway’s Suzann Pettersen, who were tied for 23rd place with four other players.

Europeans who also made the cut included Maria Hjorth, Minea Blomqvist, Sophie Gustafson, Catrin Nilsmark, Karine Icher, Rebecca Hudson, Becky Brewerton, Trish Johnson, Mhairi McKay (pictured above), Martina Eberl, Carin Koch, Emma Zackrisson, Sophie Giquel and Laura Davies.
Catriona Matthew was one of those who missed the cut.

Ladies European Tour Scoreboard
EVIAN MASTERS
Evian Masters Golf Club, Evian-les-Bains, France
SECOND-ROUND TOTALS
Par 144 (2 x 72)
134 Angela Park (Bra) 66 68
135 Helen Alfredsson (Swe) 72 63
136 Meena Lee 67 69, Juli Inkster 67 69, In Kyung Kim 68, 68Cristie Kerr 70 66, Candie Kung (Tai) 66 70
138 Shi Hyun Ahn 69 69, Na Yeon Choi 71 67, Lorena Ochoa (Mex) 65 73
139 Paula Creamer 70 69, Young Kim 68 71, Momoko Ueda (Jpn) 70 69, Angela Stanford 67 72, Hee Young Park 70 69
140 Linda Wessberg (Swe) 69 71, Ya-Ni Tseng 70 70, Sun Ju Ahn 66 74, Natalie Gulbis 69 71, Jin Joo Hong 71 69, Annika Sorenstam (Swe) 71 69, Laura Diaz 67 73
141 Ji-Young Oh 70 71, Morgan Pressel 69 72, Amy Yang 68 73, Song-Hee Kim 69 72, In-Bee Park 69 72, Suzann Pettersen (Nor) 67 74
142 Jimin Kang 71 71, Teresa Lu (Tai) 71 71, Sun Young Yoo 74 68, Eun Hee Ji 71 71, Meaghan Francella 70 72, Maria Hjorth (Swe) 73 69, Christina Kim 72 70
143 Minea Blomqvist (Fin) 74 69, Catrin Nilsmark (Swe) 70 73, Sophie Gustafson (Swe) 73 70
144 Mi-Hyun Kim 71 73, Sarah Lee 71 73, Becky Brewerton (Gbr) 72 72, Diana D'Alessio 73 71, Hwa seon Lee 69 75, Katherine Hull (Aus) 72 72, Rebecca Hudson (Eng) 72 72, Karine Icher (Fra) 74 70
145 Lindsey Wright (Aus) 72 73, Wendy Doolan (Aus) 77 68, Giulia Sergas (Ita) 71 74, Ji-Yai Shin 72 73, Trish Johnson 70 75, Julieta Granada (Par) 72 73
146 Ai Miyazato (Jpn) 74 72, Rachel Hetherington (Aus) 75 71, Se Ri Pak 70 76, Hee-Won Han 72 74, Mhairi McKay (Sco) 72 74, Sherri Steinhauer 72 74, Brittany Lang 73 73, Hye Jung Choi 73 73
147 Sophie Giquel (Fra) 71 76, Karrie Webb (Aus) 72 75, Carin Koch (Swe) 73 74, Emma Zackrisson (Swe) 72 75, Martina Eberl (Ger) 75 72, Pat Hurst 74 73, Jeong Jang 74 73
148 Laura Davies (Eng) 71 77, Jane Park 74 74, Nicole Castrale 74 74
MISSED THE CUT
149 Na On Min (Jpn) 77 72, Catriona Matthew (Sco) 75 74, Brittany Lincicome 77 72, Gwladys Nocera (Fra) 74 75
150 Jee Young Lee 74 76, Bo-Bae Song 75 75
151 Joanne Mills (Aus) 76 75, Paula Marti (Spa) 75 76, Nikki Garrett (Aus) 76 75
153 Ashleigh Simon (Rsa) 77 76, Lisa Hall (Eng) 80 73, Leta Lindley 80 73
154 Louise Friberg (Swe) 79 75, Anna-Lise Caudal (Fra) 78 76, Reilley Rankin 77 77
155 Lotta Maria Wahlin (Swe) 78 77, Silvia Cavalleri (Ita) 77 78
159 Tao-li Yang (Chn) 80 79
162 Bettina Hauert (Ger) 80 82

CARLY KEEPS THE LEAD IN DEFENCE
OF EURO YOUNG MASTERS TITLE

Defending champion Carly Booth is trying to make every post a winning one as she enters the final day of the European Young Masters at Chantilly Golf Club, France.
The first-round leader with a 72, the 16-year-old Curtis Cup player from Comrie again matched par with a 72 and leads by one shot on 144 with one round to go in the girls' championship.
Her closest rivals on 145 are one of the 13-year-old Irish twins, Lisa Maguire, with 74 and 71, and Spain's Anna Arrese with 73 and 72.
The second of the Irish twins, Leona is in fifth place on 148 with 78 and 70.
Eilidh Briggs from Kilmacolm had an 82 for 166.
In the boys' championship, also over 54 holes, Scots Andrew McLachlan (Bonnyton) and Deeside's Jack Scott are down the field on 156 and 157 respectively, compared with the leading tally of 141 by Jacques Brun.
McLachlan slipped from a 75 to a second-round 81 but Scott improved by nine shots with a 74.

LEADING SECOND-ROUND TOTALS
BOYS
141 J Brun (Fra) 68 73.
142 S Gautier (Fra) 72 70, M Lampert (Ger) 71 71.
Other scores:
148 C Lloyd (Eng) 72 76 (6th)
151 R Pugh (Wal) 77 74 (jt 12th).
152 O Sharpe (Eng) 77 75 (jt 14th).
153 P Dunne (Ire) 81 72 (jt 17th).
156 A McLachlan (Sco) 75 82 (23rd).
157 J Scott (Sco) 83 74 9jt 24th).
158 C Selfridge (Ire) 79 79 (jt 28th).
161 O Lewis (Wal) 81 80 (jt 32nd).
GIRLS
144 C Booth (Sco) 72 72.
145 Lisa Maguire (Ire) 74 71, A Arrese (Spa) 73 72.
146 L Beck (Israel) 74 72.
148 Leona Maguire (Ire) 78 70.
Other scores~
151 K Tidy (Eng) 77 74 (jt 9th).
155 A Boulden (Wal) 77 78 (jt 13th).
160 A Peters (Eng) 82 78 (jt 26th).
166 E Briggs (Sco) 84 82 (jt 37th).
167 K Miller (Wal) 79 88 (jt 39th).

Full list of prizewinners in Scottish Under-21
girls' stroke-play championship at Powfoot

More information from the Scottish Under-21 girls' open amateur championship which finished at Powfoot Golf Club yesterday.
The CSS for each round was 73-72-74.

MENZIES CUP (best Under-18 gross aggregate): Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) 70-70-71: 211.
BEST UNDER-15 GROSS AGGREGATE: Alyson McKechin (Elderslie) 84-81-79: 244.
BEST NET AGGREGATE: Rachael Watton (Elie & Earlsferry Ladies) (5) 210.

FIRST ROUND
Best Scratch U-21: Pamela Pretswell (Bothwell Castle) 71 (better last 3).
Best Scratch U-18: Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) 70.
Best Scratch U-15: Gabrielle McDonald (Craigielaw) 81.
Best Net U-21: Emma Fairnie (Dunbar) (2) 70.
Best Net U-18: Ailsa Mitchell (Hawick) (12) 67.
Best Net U-15: Rebecca Hovell (Glengorse) (27) 65.
SECOND ROUND
Best Scratch U-21: Krystle Caithness (St Regulus) 66.
Best Scratch U-18: Holly Clyburn (Woodhall Spa) 68.
Best Scratch U-15: Christina Kaisler (Germany) 80.
Best Net U-21: Pamela Pretswell (Bothwell Castle) (+1) 68.
Best Net U-18: Gillian Arnott (Kilbirnie Place) (11) 69.
Best Net U-15: Katie McCracken (Powfoot) (22) 70.
THIRD ROUND
Best Scratch U-21: Krystle Caithness (St Regulus) 73.
Best Scratch U-18: Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) 71.
Best Scratch U-15: Alyson McKechin (Elderslie) (3) 79.
Best Net U-21: Rebecca Watson (Elie & Earlsferry Ladies) 72.
Best Net U-18: Rachael Watton (Mortonhall) (5) 69.
Best Net U-15: Katie McCracken (Powfoot) (22) 72.

CHAMPIONSHIP
1st Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) 70-70-71: 211.
2nd Pamela Pretswell (Bothwell Castle) 71-67-74: 212.
3rd Krystle Caithness (St Regulus) 74-66-73: 213.
4th Holly Clyburn (Woodhall Spa) 77-68-72: 217.
5th Rachael Livingstone (Musselburgh Old) 71-72-76: 219.

Meigle's Jacqueline Sneddon

is named an All-American

golfing scholar

Alyth Golf Club member Jacqueline Sneddon from the Perthshire village of Meigle, is one of two students at Grand CanyonUniversity, Arizona who have been named All-American scholars by the National Golf Coaches Association of America.

Both Jacqueline and Brittany Anderson, who will start their second year at the university after the summer holidays, are majoring in Marketing.They have been named to the NCAA Division II academic team.
In short, the girls have been not only good on the golf course but also in the classroom studies.

Student-athletes must maintain at least a 3.5 grade point average qualify for the award.

They must also have competed in at least 50 per cent of the universitiy's regularly scheduled rounds of golf competition.
Jacqueline and Brittany, from Goodyear, Arizona, were two leading members of the Grand Canyon University women's golf team in the 2007-2008 college season.

Jacqueline will be 19 on November 4.

She rates winning the Alyth Golf Club women's championship at the age of 15 - the youngest ever to do so - and playing in the Dixie Women's Amateur invitation touoranment two years ago as her biggest golfing achievements so far.

Her outstanding memory of her first year at Grand Canyon University is being a member of the golf team and visiting all the places in America she had only read about before, including Hawaii and Pebble Beach, California

English women's closed stroke-play championship

Parker blows up and Ewart beats

Bennett at fourth play-off hole

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY ENGLISH WOMEN'S GOLF ASSOCIATION
Yorkshire’s Jodi Ewart won a sudden death play-off at the fourth hole to successfully defend her title in the English women’s stroke-play championship at The Berkshire.

She defeated Hampshire’s Liz Bennett after the two Curtis Cup players had tied on three-under par at the end of 72 holes of regulation play.

“This is incredible, it’s got to be my best individual win,” said Jodi, who plays at Catterick and is a student at New Mexico University in the USA . “It was wonderful to win last year but the field is much better this year and so it’s more special.”

The 20-year-old, pictured right by Cal Carson Golf Agency (all rights reserved), also won the Under-21 and Under-23 trophies.

However, with one round to play the outcome of the championship had looked very different. Lancashire’s Florentyna Parker, who had been in front from the first day, had extended her lead over the field to seven shots.She was on eight-under par while her four closest challengers were on one-under.

Alongside Jodi and Liz Bennett (Brokenhurst Manor) were English champion Hannah Barwood (Knowle) and Kerry Smith (Waterlooville).

“I didn’t think I had a chance,” said Jodi. “To be honest I went out to play for second place.” Florentyna, who also played in the Curtis Cup, was still seven-under at the turn and well clear of the field. But her lead fell away on the back nine as she dropped a series of shots and she eventually came in with an 80 and a level par total 288 for the tournament.

Meanwhile Liz , who was playing three groups ahead, took the clubhouse lead when she returned a final round 70 for a total of three-under par 285. Jodi, who knew the situa tion, birdied the 17th to get to four-under but then dropped a shot at the 18th, where her approach found a greenside bunker.

The two golfers returned to the course for the sudden death play-off and halved holes one, two and 17 in par before coming to the 399-yard 18th where Jodi took the title with a textbook 4. Liz, who had chipped impressively on the first two play-off holes, just failed to get up and down on this occasion.

“At lunchtime I certainly didn’t expect to be in a play-off,” said Liz. “I played solidly all week and I’m pleased with that.”

The next big date for all three Curtis Cup players comes on Monday when they return to The Berkshire, alongside five other English amateurs, to play for places in the Ricoh Women’s British Open.

Gloucestershire won the Under-23 county team trophy, thanks to Charlotte Ellis and Hannah Barwood whose combined scores from the first two rounds totalled 287.

Next year’s English stroke-play championship will be an OPEN tournament and will take place at Enmore Park, Somerset, from August 4-6.

LEADING FINAL TOTALS

Par 288 (4 x 72) CSS 77 76 76 76

285 Jodi Ewart (Catterick) 70 69 76 70, Liz Bennett (Brokenhurst Manor) 71 73 71 70 (Ewart won play-off at fourth extra hole).
288 Ellie Givens (Blackwell Grange) 73 74 72 69, Kerry Smith (Waterlooville) 72 70 73 73, Florentyna Parker (Royal Birkdale) 69 68 71 80.

289 Rachel Jennings (Izaak Walton) 74 74 72 69.

291 Charlotte Ellis (Minchinhampton) 72 72 74 73.

292 Emma Brown (Malton & Norton) 74 71 74 73.

293 Hannah Ralph (Cowdray Park) 76 73 74 70, Naomi Edwards (Ganton) 71 77 72 73.

294 Hannah Barwood (Knowle) 70 73 72 79.

295 Holly Aitchison (Befordshire) 69 76 78 72.

296 Sian James (Bristol & Clifton) 77 71 72 76, Hannah Burke (Mid-Herts) 72 69 76 79.

297 Laura Collin (John O’Gaunt) 75 74 71 77.

Full details and hole-by-hole scoring: www.englishwomensgolf.org
Lyndsey Hewison

Press & PR Officer

Lexus Cup women's pro match returns to Singapore

PRESS RELEASE
Lexus Cup 2008 organisers revealed today that the final event of the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) season will be returning to Singapore where the tournament was inaugurated.
Singapore Island Country Club (Bukit) will play host to the fourth edition of this prestigious women’s team event on its renowned Bukit Course, one of only three golf courses designed by legendary James Braid outside the United Kingdom.
From November 28 to 30, 24 of the world’s top professional women golfers will form Team International and Team Asia, pitting their skills against each other over three exciting days of match play golf in foursomes, four-balls and singles for bragging rights by winning the prestigious Lexus Cup.
Team International will be looking to take revenge on a devastating loss in 2007 when they lost by a whopping margin of 9 and 15. Annika Sorenstam will return for the fourth year to captain Team International and aim to avenge the defeat in her final LPGA event of the season.
Team Asia will see the return of sophomore captain Se Ri Pak. The Korean golf icon led her team to a commanding win over Team International last year and this time around, they will hope to do the same in Singapore where they have had success previously.

Nick Faldo Junior Series' Grand Final
to be held in Brazil in October

PRESS RELEASE
Nick Faldo today announced details of an exciting new development for the Faldo Junior Series with news that the 2008 Grand Final will be held in Brazil.
Some 80 finalists from over 30 Faldo Series tournaments in the UK, Europe and South America will be invited to the Costa do Sauipe Golf Resort on the northern coast of Brazil from October 25 to 31 when they will compete for the title of Faldo Series champion 2008.
This is the first time that the Faldo Series Grand Final has been held outside of the UK, a decision that marks Faldo’s commitment to taking his unique development programme to a truly global stage.
Supported by the European Tour, The R&A and the PGA, the Grand Final field will consist of European players from the UK, Russia, Turkey, Ireland and Iceland as well as finalists from the inaugural Faldo Series South America Championship and the age-category winners from the Faldo Series Asia, which now holds tournaments in 10 Asian countries.
Nick Faldo will host the event, giving participants a chance to meet and draw inspiration from Britain’s best ever golfer.
The six-time Major winner commented: “I’m really excited that we will be taking the Faldo Series Grand Final to South America this year. With our South America Championship there as well, I am keen to create a real presence in the region and bring our blend of competition and education to as many South American golfers as possible.
"This is our biggest Grand Final to date, with more competitors from more countries throughout the world than ever before and I’m thrilled to be offering these young golfers a tournament of truly global proportions.”
This announcement will come as a pleasant surprise and a big incentive for young golfers from the UK already half-way through the 2008 Faldo Series season, as well as the players that have already qualified for this event from Ireland, Russia, Iceland and Turkey.
The move to Brazil is part of a three-year agreement to host the Grand Final in South America and it is hoped that the Faldo Series can replicate in that continent the successful growth of its efforts in Europe and Asia.

Lorena Ochoa shows her class

to lead Evian Masters with

seven-under-par 65

FROM THE LADIES' EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
By BETHAN CUTLER
World No 1 lady golfer Lorena Ochoa posted a flawless seven-under-par 65 to lead by one stroke after the first round of the Evian Masters at Evian-les-bains, France today.
The 26-year-old from Mexico, who took over from Annika Sorenstam as the World No 1 15 months ago, posted seven birdies in total, with six on the back nine.
Gunning for her seventh victory this season and her first Evian Masters, Ochoa said: “I'm just glad I'm at the top, you know. I'd like to stay there and continue that.
“I made birdie on the first hole and then didn't give myself a lot of birdie chances for a spell. Then on the back nine, I had a break on 10 and 11. I got really good confidence, and started feeling good over the ball and the putting.
"And I finished making six birdies on the back, so I have no complaints. I'm really happy. I didn't make birdie on the last hole, but I made a long putt today, so it's fine.”
Ochoa returned to competitive action for the event after a three-week break and said she was feeling rejuvenated ahead of her defence of next week’s Ricoh Women’s British Open, the final major championship of the season, to be played at Sunningdale.
“You know, I have my goal for the second part of the season. I'm very motivated to continue playing good, and I'm glad I got a good start today. I would like to go in that direction,” she added.
Ochoa was third in last year’s Evian Masters, won by Natalie Gulbis, and was feeling confident that she could win her 24th career title. “I think it's all about how do you feel on the course. And this is a course I feel very comfortable on,” said Ochoa. “I feel a lot of support from the fans, and I'm ready to do it. Hopefully, this is my time.”
South Korea’s Sun Ju Ahn, Brazilian Angela Park and Taiwan’s Candie Kung shared second on six-under-par 66, one shot behind the leader. Ahn competes on the Korean LPGA Tour, where she has won four tournaments, and she finished joint sixth alongside Annika Sorenstam in the tournament last year.
“Today the putting was good and I hit some great iron shots,” said the 21-year-old from Seoul. “This course is very long with wide fairways, which is good. I like long courses.” Kung has won three times on the US LPGA Tour, while Park has yet to win as a professional.
Norway’s Suzann Pettersen, South Korea’s Meena Lee and the United States trio of Laura Diaz, Angela Stanford and Juli Inkster, who won the event in 2003, finished tied for fifth place on five-under 67.
Diaz, a two-time tournament winner on the LPGA Tour, was delighted with her performance as she was injured earlier this year when her two-year-old son Robert Cooper kicked her in the right rib.
“This is following an injury from my son so I’m just very happy to be here,” said the four-time Solheim Cup player, who resides in Florida. “I didn’t hit it very close but I made a lot of long putts.”
South Korean teenager Amy Yang, who recently won the HypoVereinsbank Ladies German Open, tied for 10th place on four-under with compatriots Young Kim and In-Kyung Kim.
For World Number 2 and 10-time Major winner, Annika Sorenstam, her final Evian Masters didn’t get off to quite the start for which she had hoped. She reached three-under after 14 holes but had to settle for a 71 and a share of 30th after bogeys on holes 15 and 16.
“I wish I could have had a little better round today,” said Sorenstam, who has won three tournaments this year. “I had a few chances up there, got off to a very good start, felt very good about everything and then wasn’t able to close.
“The hardest thing was controlling my approach shots. I had a lot of shots in and three that just didn’t release. I had three that released, and I don’t know where they came from. So it varied, and it’s hard to play that way.
“Today I left a few out there. Tomorrow, obviously I can’t do that. I have to capitalise on every single shot tomorrow; make up some ground.”
FIRST-ROUND SCOREBOARD

Par 72

65 L Ochoa (Mexico) 35-30.

66 Sun Ju Ahn (South Korea) 33-33, A Park (Brazil) 35-31, C Kung (Taiway) 33-33.

67 L Diaz (US) 36-31, M Lee (South Korea) 33-34, A Stanford (US) 33-34, S Pettersen (Norway) 33-34, J Inkster (US) 33-34.

Other scores:

70 T Johnson (Eng) (jt 20th).

71 L Davies (Eng), A Sorenstam (Swe) (jt 30th).

72 R Hudson (Eng), M McKay (Sco) 36-36, B Brewerton ()Wal) (jt 41st).

75 C Matthew (Sco) 37-38 (jt 70th).

80 L Hall (Eng) 38-42 (jt 86th).

Leading prizewinners at the Scottish Under-21 girls' open stroke-play championship with host club ladies' captain Margaret Morrin at Powfoot (Image by courtesy of Mrs Pat Wilson).

Kelsey keeps nerve to win Scottish Under-21 title

Like number seven buses that come in bunches after not appearing at all, Kelsey MacDonald is enjoying a Scottish title bonanza.

A few weeks ago she claimed her first ever national title, the Scottish schoolgirls championship at Banchory. Then, last week, she almost won the Scottish Under-18 match-play title, losing in the final to Carly Booth at Alyth.

And today Kelsey made it two out of three by capturing the Scottish Under-21 girls' open amateur stroke-play championship at Powfoot Golf Club on the shores of the Solway Firth.

Nairn Dunbar’s Kelsey, who won’t be 19 until October, had three fine sub-par rounds of 70, 70 and 71 against the women’s par of 74 for an 11-under-par total of 211.
She led at the end of the first round, was headed by Scottish universities title-holder Pamela Pretswell (Bothwell Castle) at the end of the second round but kept her nerve and her touch to prevail by one shot from Pamela after the third and final round.
Pamela had shot a seven-under 67 to surge to the front after 36 holes but she could manage “only” a par 74 at the last time of asking and that left the door open for MacDonald’s more consistent level of scoring to win the day.
In the final analysis, Kelsey had to get down in two from the back of the green for a par 4 at the last to avoid a play-off. She did it by holing a 10ft putt.
It was a great win for MacDonald who beat a field that included two Curtis Cup players, Krystle Caithness (St Regulus) and Michele Thomson (McDonald Ellon) and a host of other players with very low handicaps.
Krystle, the Under-21 champion at Stirling two years ago, revived memories of that phenomenal week of scoring with an eight-under-par 66 in the second round at Powfoot. Had she been able to finish with another round of that class, she would have regained the title but it proved beyond her. A closing 73 for 213 gave her a creditable third-place finish.
Up and coming English player Holly Clyburn (Woodhall Spa) had a 68 in her middle round on her way to fourth place on 217.

Scottish Under-21 girls' open
stroke-play championship
POWFOOT GOLF CLUB
FINAL TOTALS
Par 222 (3 x 74)
Kelsey MacDonald Nairn Dunbar 70 70 71 211
Pamela Pretswell Bothwell 71 67 74 212
Krystle Caithness St Regulus 74 66 73 213
Holly Clyburn Woodhall Spa 77 68 72 217
Rachael Livingstone Musselburgh Old 71 72 76 219
Roseanne Niven Crieff 76 71 74 221
Eve Muirhead Pitlochry 73 76 74 223
Jane Turner Craigielaw 75 75 74 224
Rachael Watton Mortonhall 76 75 74 225
Laura Murray Alford 77 74 74 225
Michele Thomson McDonald 74 75 78 227
Elle Sandak Concord Sydney 75 72 82 229
Gillian Monteith Portpatrick Dunskey 79 72 78 229
Harriet Owers-Bradley Wollaton Park 76 76 77 229
Emma Fairnie Dunbar 72 73 85 230
Annabel Niven Crieff 74 76 80 230
Megan Briggs Kilmacolm 76 77 79 232
Jill Meldrum Dullatur 77 77 78 232
Rebecca Watson Elie & Earlsferry Ladies 81 77 74 232
Rebecca Wilson Monifieth 77 76 82 235
Sammy Vass Tain 79 75 81 235
Ashleigh Wilton Ladybank 79 74 83 236
Isla Craigie Torwoodlee 77 76 84 237
Katy McNicoll Carnoustie Ladies 79 82 78 239
Gillian Arnott Kilbirnie Place 78 79 84 241
Jordana Graham Southerness 83 77 81 241
Rachael McQueen Troon Ladies 78 79 85 242
Jennifer Linklater Largs 77 84 81 242
Rebecca McIntyre Eden 79 79 85 243
Fiona Blair Monifieth 76 79 89 244
Eilidh MacKay Nairn Dunbar 75 85 84 244
Alyson McKechin Elderslie 84 81 79 244
Ashton Ingram Fort William 78 81 86 245
Jacqueline Sneddon Alyth 77 82 86 245
Christina Kaisler Munchener Germany 82 80 83 245
Hollie Weatherburn Furness 80 83 83 246
Louise McGillivray Banchory 82 80 86 248
Louise MacGregor Falkirk 79 89 80 248
Gillian Simpson Murrayfield 83 79 88 250
Natasha Qayum Ranfurly Castle 82 84 85 251
Cara Easton Dalmahoy 83 85 83 251
Linzi Allan Kilbirnie Place 83 87 82 252
Kate McIntosh Broomieknowe 82 84 87 253
Katie McCracken Powfoot 85 84 84 253
Lesley Cosh Cowglen 83 84 89 256
Gabrielle MacDonald Craigielaw 81 83 93 257
Jessica Wycherley Musselburgh 82 83 94 259
Julie Vass Tain 87 86 87 260
Ailsa Mitchell Hawick 80 91 90 261
Zoe Differ Dullatur 89 91 84 264
Hannah Dalrymple Glenbervie 89 89 89 267
Lauren Duncan Aboyne 89 84 95 268
Tara MacTaggart Minto 92 86 92 270
Edwina Lowrey-Gold Eaton 99 82 91 272
Gail Wilson Monifieth 89 87 97 273
Kelly McNulty Tynemouth 90 88 95 273
Rebecca Hovell Glencorse 84 95 95 274
Alison Goodwin Glenbervie 89 88 99 276
Helen Goodwin Glenbervie 95 101 90 286
Abigail Gliksten Strathaven 100 92 95 287
Rachel Howie West Kilbride 97 95 96 288
Gillian Scanlan Hamilton 83 76 RD
Samantha Leslie Murcar Links 80 79 RD
Emily Aird Strathmore 93 103 WD
Megan Aird Strathmore 93 108 WD

Scots trio enter Euro women's individual championship

Only three Scots have filed entries for the European women's individual amateur championship at Golf Club Schloss Schonborn, Austria from August 26 to 28.
They are Lauren Mackin, who lives on Majorca, and home-based Kylie Walker (Buchanan Castle) and Gemma Webster (Hilton Park).

Carly leading girls' field in European
Young Masters despite late bogeys

The European Young Masters' girls' trophy is not going to be easily removed from the grasp of Comrie 16-year-old Carly Booth.
The Curtis Cup player from Perthshire ended the first day of her title defence at Chantilly Golf Club, France, still in the No 1 position she occupied at the end of last year's championship.
Carly shot a one-over-par 72 to lead by one from Anna Arrese (Spain) but the Scot was not over the moon about that effort.
Out in three-under-par 33 with birdies at the fourth, sixth and ninth, Carly had the chance to spreadeagle the field of 49 girls. But she let the golden chance slip through her fingers with bogeys at the 13th, 16th, 17th and 18th.
Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm), the other Scot in the field, had a disappointing 84 after double bogeys at the first and fourth and not a single birdie in sight in halves of 44 and 40. She will start the second round in joint 37th place.
In the boys' championship at Chantilly, Andrew McLachlan from Bonnyton is sharing 11th place after a four-over-par 75 while Jack Scott (Deeside) is tied for 36th place after an 83.
McLachlan had birdies at the first, third and 12th and bogeys at the second, eighth, ninth and 10th but with a couple of holes to play he was only one over par. Then a triple bogey 6 at the short 17th blotted his card.
Scott never recovered from a disastrous start which saw him run up a triple bogey 7 at the second and a double bogey 5 at the short third. Out in nine-over 45, Jack did birdie the 14th but it was the one bright spot on his card.

SCOREBOARD
FIRST ROUND
Par 71
LEADING BOYS
68 J Brun (Fra).
71 M Lampert (Ger).
72 S Gautier (Fra), C Lloyd (Eng).
Other scores:
75 A McLachlan (Sco) (jt 11th).
77 O Sharpe (Eng), R Pugh (Wal) (jt 16th).
79 C Selfridge (Ire) (jt 23rd).
81 P Dunne (Ire), O Lewis (Wal) (jt 34th).,
83 J Scott (Sco) (jt 36th).
LEADING GIRLS
72 C Booth (Sco).
73 A Arrese (Spa).
74 J Korda (Cze), Lisa Maguire (Ire), L Beck (Israel), C Hedberg (Spain).
Other scores:
77 K Tidy (Eng), A Boulden (Wal) (jt 14th).
78 Leona Maguire (Ire) (jt 19th).
79 K Miller (Wal) (jt 23rd).
82 A Peters (Eng) (jt 31st).
84 E Briggs (Sco) (jt 37th).

Lyon Inter-Club Foursomes at Inchmarlo

Murcar Links will be defending the trophy in the Aberdeenshire Ladies County Golf Association's Lyon Inter-Club Foursomes at Inchmarlo Golf Centre on Monday and Tuesday, August 4 and 5.
Draw:
MONDAY
First Round
0900 Aberdeen Ladies 1 v Kemnay
0915 Dunecht House v Peterculter
0930 Aberdeen Ladies 2 v Hazlehead
0945 Newmachar v Deeside
1000 Cruden Bay v Inchmarlo
1015 Aboyne 1 v Aboyne 2
1030 Banchory v Murcar Links 2
1045 Ballater v Murcar Links 1

The subsequent rounds are scheduled to commence:-

Quarter finals - 1430 on Monday 4th August
Semi finals - 0900 on Tuesday 5th August
Final - 1400 on Tuesday 5th August

Pamela takes over lead at Powfoot
as Krystle shoots a 66

Scottish universities champion Pamela Pretswell (Bothwell Castle) displaced Nairn Dunbar's Kelsey MacDonald as the leader with a fine second round of seven-under-par 67 for a 36-hole tally of 138 in the Scottish Under-21 girls' open stroke-play golf championship at Powfoot Golf Club on the Solway Firth.
Kelsey repeated her first round 70 to be lying second with the 2006 title-winner Krystle Caithness (St Regulus) on 140 with one round to go. Caithness revived memories of her outstanding scoring in the event two years ago with an eight-under-par second round of 66.
English challenger Holly Clyburn (Woodhall Spa) was one of only three players to break 70 in the second round. She had a six-under 68 to be sharing fifth place on 145.
Rachael Livingstone (Musselburgh Old) is in fourth place on 143 after rounds of 71 and 72.

SECOND-ROUND TOTALS
Par 148 (2 x 74)
138 P Pretswell (Bothwell Castle) 71 67.
140 K MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) 70 70, K Caithness (St Regulus) 74 66.
143 Rachael Livingstone (Musselburgh Old) 71 72.
145 Emma Fairnie (Dunbar) 72 73, H Clyburn (Woodhall Spa) 77 68.
147 E Sandak (Concord Sydney) 75 72, R Niven (Crieff) 76 71.
149 E Muirhead (Pitlochry) 73 76, M Thomson (McDonald Ellon) 74 75.
150 A Niven (Crieff) 74 76, J Turner (Craigielaw) 75 75.
151 R Watton (Mortonhall) 76 75, L Murray (Alford) 77 74, G Monteith (Portpatrick Dunskey) 79 72.
152 H Owers-Bradley (Wollaton Park) 76 76.
153 A Wilton(Ladybank) 79 74, I Craigie (Torwoodlee) 77 76, R Wilson (Monifieth) 77 76, M Briggs (KIlmacolm) 76 77.
154 J Meldrum (Dullatur) 77 77, S Vass (Tain) 79 75.
155 F Blair (Monifieth) 76 69.
157 R McQAueen (Troon Ladies) 78 79, G Arnott (Kilbirnie Place) 78 79.
158 R McIntyre (Eden) 79 790.
158 R Watson (Elie & Earlsferry Ladies) 81 77.
159 G Scanlan (Hamilton) 83 76, S Leslie (Murcar Links) 80 79, A Ingram (Fort William) 78 81, J Sneddon (Alyth) 77 82.
150 J Graham (Southerness) 83 77, E MacKay (Nairn Dunbar) 75 85.
161 J Linklater (Largs)( 77 83, K McNicoll (Carnoustie Ladies) 79 82.
162 G Simpson (Murrayfield) 83 79, C Kaisley (Germany) 82 80, L McGillivray (Banchory) 82 80.
163 H Weatherburn (Furness) 80 83.
164 G MacDonald (Craigielaw) 81 83.
165 J Wycherley (Musselburgh) 83 83, A McKechin(Elderslie) 84 81.
166 N Qayum (Ranfurly Castle) 82 84, K McIntosh (Broomieknowe) 82 84.
167 L Cosh (Cowglen) 83 84.
168 L MacGregor (Falkirk) 79 89, C Easton (Dalmahoy) 83 85.
169 K McCracken (Powfoot) 85 84.
170 L Allan (Kilbirnie Place) 83 87.
171 A Mitchell (Hawick) 80 91.
173 J Vass (Tain) 87 86, L Duncan (Aboyne) 89 84.
176 G Wilson (Monifieth) 89 87.
177 A Goodwin (Glenbervie) 89 88.
178 H Dalrumple (Glenbervie) 89 89, T MacTaggart (Minto) 92 86.
179 R Hobell (Glencorse) 84 95.
180 Z Differ (Dullatur) 89 91.
181 E Lowrey-Gold (Eaton) 99 82.
192 A Gliksten (Strathaven) 100 92, R Howie (West Kilbride) 97 95.
196 H Goodwin (Glenbervie) 95 101, E Aird (Strathmore) 93 103.
201 M Aird (Strathmore) 93 108.

Going with the Flo! Parker leads by two
in English women's stroke-play

Lancashire’s Florentyna Parker is seven-under par and the halfway leader of the English women’s strokeplay championship at The Berkshire. She holds a two-shot lead over her fellow Curtis Cup player and defending champion, Jodi Ewart of Yorkshire.
They’re among five players who are below par after two rounds. Florentyna, 19, set the target early in the day when she came in with a four-under 68 to add to her opening 69.
“It was a roller coaster,” said the Royal Birkdale player. “I started bogey, bogey and then made par on an easy par five, which was like another dropped shot. But I got it back with birdies on the 4th and 5th and another one on the 8th, after I’d bogeyed the sixth.”
The roller coaster came to a sharp halt on the back nine, where Flory played immaculate golf with four birdies and five pars. “My golf was so much better in the first round, today I wasn’t so consistent, but I got better towards the end and just took my chances.”
Jodi Ewart soon followed her in with a three-under 69 which put her five-under for the tournament. “I’m very pleased with where I’m placed,” she said. “I like to come from behind.”
The Catterick golfer has been enjoying the positive effects of recently shortening her standard-length putter by two inches. “It was 34 inches and I’m only 5ft 5in and I wasn’t able to control it very well. I decided to get it cut down and it seems to have helped a lot.”
Jodi is a student at New Mexico University and played the second round alongside Hertfordshire’s Hannah Burke who is also at college in the USA, at Baylor, Texas, and also returned a second round 69.
She came home in a sparkling five-under par on the back nine. "I had a couple of bad holes on the front nine but I recovered on the back nine where I put it close and holed a few putts,” said Hannah, who plays at Mid-Herts. Hampshire’s Kerry Smith also returned a sub-par 70 in the second round and is two-under for the tournament.
One shot behind is English champion Hannah Barwood from Knowle in Gloucestershire. Curtis Cup player Liz Bennett (Brokenhurst Manor) and Gloucestershire’s Charlotte Ellis (Minchinhampton) are both on level par, followed by a group which includes Emma Brown of Yorkshire and Holly Aitchison of Bedfordshire.
Gloucestershire’s Sian James (Bristol & Clifton) played one of the most eyecatching shots of the day when she holed a gap wedge on the fifth for an eagle two. It helped her to one-under score of 71 and a 36-hole total of four over.
The youngest player to qualify for the final two rounds of the championship is 13-year-old Lauren Taylor of Rugby who returned impressive scores of 73, 74. The final two rounds will be played tomorrow by the leading 36 players and ties.

LEADING SECOND-ROUND TOTALS
137 Florentyna Parker (Royal Birkdale) 69 68.
139 Jodi Ewart (Catterick) 70 69.
141 Hannah Burke (Mid-Herts) 72 69.
142 Kerry Smith (Waterlooville) 72 70.
143 Hannah Barwood (Knowle) 70 73.
144 Charlotte Ellis (Minchinhampton) 72 72, Liz Bennett (Brokenhurst Manor) 71 73.
145 Emma Brown (Malton & Norton) 74 71, Holly Aitchison (Bedfordshire) 69 76.
147 Ellie Givens (Blackwell Grange) 73 74, Lauren Taylor (Rugby) 73 74, Georgina Dunn (Peterborough Milton) 73 74.
148 Sian James (Bristol & Clifton) 77 71, Olivia Jordan-Higgins 72 76, Rachel Jennings (Izaak Walton) 74 74, Tracey Boyes (Meon Valley) 71 77, Naomi Edwards (Ganton) 71 77.
149 Lisa Ball (Matfen Hall) 74 75, Laura Collin (John O’Gaunt) 75 74, Alison Franklin (Harpenden) 75 74, Sarah Attwood (Gog Magog) 73 76, Hannah Ralph (Cowdray Park) 76 73, Katie Laud (Worplesdon) 76 73, Sian Evans (Faversham) 70 79.
150 Emilee Taylor (Gainsborough) 74 76, Fern Grimshaw (Weymouth) 76 74, Anne Wheble (Dartford) 79, 71.
151 Tara Watters (Muswell Hill) 76 75, Charlotte Wild (Mere) 74, 77.
152 Nikki Dunn (Harrogate) 77 75, Charlotte Dalton (Ladbrook Park) 74 78.
153 Hannah Grant (Enmore Park) 75 78.
154 Rachel Drummond (Beaconsfield) 77 77, Faye Sanderson (Heworth, Durham) 80 74, Nicole Whitmore (Woburn) 77 77, Claire Starkie (Silsden) 76 78.
Lyndsey Hewison
Press & PR Officer

Kelsey first-round leader

at Powfoot with a 70 (-4)

+We regret that we are unable to give you the second-round scores because they have not been posted on the SLGA website.

Kelsey MacDonald (pictured left by Cal Carson Golf Agency, all rights reserved) made the early running in the Scottish Under-21 girls' open stroke-play championship which began today at Powfoot golf course on the shores of the Solway Firth.
The Nairn Dunbar teenager, beaten in last week's Scottish Under-18 girls' match-play final by Carly Booth, again showed her aptitude for stroke-play - she was leading qualifier at Alyth last week and at Lossiemouth in the Scottish women's amateur championship - with a fine round of four-under-par 70. The CSS for this the first of three rounds over two days was 73.
But Kelsey's score by no means put her well clear of the field.
Rachael Livingstone (Musselburgh Old) had a 71 and so too had Scottish universities champion Pamela Pretswell (Bothwell Castle).
Dunbar's Emma Fairnie was on her own in fourth place on 72, one shot ahead of Eve Muirhead (Pitlochry).
Curtis Cup player Krystle Caithness (St Regulus), winner of the stroke-play title two years ago and the favourite at Powfoot in the absence of Carly Booth, defending the European Young Masters title at Chantilly, France from Thursday to Saturday, had a 74.
Michele Thomson (McDonald Ellon), the other Curtis Cup player in the good-class field, also had a 74.
Also on the 74 mark was 16-year-old Annabel Niven, a trophy winner in the recent R&A Junior Open at Hesketh, Lancashire. Annabel outscored sister Roseanne in the first round. Roseanne had a 76.
LEADING FIRST ROUND SCORES
Par 74. CSS 73
70 K MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar).
71 P Pretswell (Bothwell Castle), R Livingstone (Musselburgh Old).
72 E Fairnie (Dunbar).
73 E Muirhead (Pitlochry),
74 K Caithness (St Regulus), M Thomson (McDonald Ellon), A Niven (Crieff).
75 J Turner (Craigielaw), E Sandak (Concorn Sydney), E MacKay (Nairn Dunbar).
76 M Briggs (Kilmacolm), R Niven (Crieff), H Owers-Bradley (Wollaton Park), R Watton (Mortonhall), F Blair (Monifieth).
77 H Clyburn (Woodhall Spa), L Murray (Alford), R Wilson (Monifieth), J Sneddon (Alyth), J Linklater (Largs), I Craigie (Torwoodlee), J Meldrum (Dullatur).
78 R McQueen (Troon Ladies), G Arnott (Kilbirnie Place), A Ingram (Fort William).
79 K McNicoll (Carnoustie Ladies), G Monteith (Portpatrick Dunskey), S Vass (Tain), R McIntyre (Eden), L MacGregor (Falkirk), A Wilton (Ladybank).

Eve Muirhead - the Pride of Pitlochry

Better late than never! The above picture of Eve Muirhead (Pitlochry) with the Highland Women's Open championship trophies - winner and leading qualifier - was sent to Kirkwoodgolf.co.uk by P&K county captain Dawn Butchart a week or two ago. But with Colin Farquharson moving about the country in pursuit of tournament news, it was never published on the website.
It is such a nice picture, we felt you would like to see it.

Aitchison and Parker share lead

on three-under-par 69

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY ENGLISH WOMEN'S GOLF ASSOCIATION
Bedfordshire’s Holly Aitchison defied injury to score a three-under par 69 and share the first- round lead in the English women’s stroke-play championship at The Berkshire today.

She is tied with Curtis Cup player Florentyna Parker (picture right by courtesy of Tom Ward) of Lancashire who posted her score after 7pm at the end of a day of glorious weather and many compliments for the Blue course.

They are one shot clear of the defending champion, Curtis Cup player Jodi Ewart of Yorkshire, English champion Hannah Barwood of Gloucestershire and 16-year-old Kent girls’ champion Sian Evans.

Among those a further stroke back, on one-under par, is another Curtis Cup player, Liz Bennett of Hampshire, and the 2007 English champion Naomi Edwards of Yorkshire.

Other major contenders include Yorkshire’s Emma Brown – nee Duggleby – who recently won the Astor Salver at The Berkshire, and Staffordshire’s Rachel Jennings, the French lady junior champion. Both returned scores of 74.

Holly Aitchison, from the Bedfordshire, has been troubled with a hip injury all season. When it’s at its worst she struggles to walk and, at any time, it hurts when she coughs, sneezes or laughs. “I’m very pleased with 69 after thinking I might not be able to play – it’s all the sweeter because of that,” said Holly, who was the 2007 Portuguese champion.

She had five birdies in her round, including one on the 16th and another on the 18th. Jodi Ewart, from Catterick, also carded five birdies and described her first-round outing as “a good day.”

She went on: “I’m pretty happy with my game overall and hopefully more putts will drop tomorrow.”

Jodi, who has just completed her second year at the University of New Mexico in the USA, demonstrated good stroke-play form in the recent European team championship in Sweden, where she was nine-under par for the two qualifying rounds.

Sian Evans, from the English Women’s Golf Association Select South East Squad, is also enjoying a good season. As well as winning her county girls’ title, she also captured the Kent schools’ championship and last weekend, in a competition at her club, Faversham, she was five-under par. But she rates her two-under 70 in this event as her best-ever round, based on the quality of the field and the challenge of the course.

It included seven birdies and she was delighted with her putting. “I holed a 30-footer on the 17th, a couple a bit closer than that, and several from around 6ft.”

Another youngster, 13-year-old Lauren Taylor from Rugby, also put in an impressive performance when she returned a one over par 73.

After Wednesday's second round the field of 120 players will be cut to the leading 36 and ties who will play the final two rounds on Thursday.

LEADING FIRST ROUND SCORES

Par 72

69 Holly Aitchison (Bedfordshire), Florentyna Parker (Royal Birkdale).

70 Sian Evans (Faversham), Jodi Ewart (Catterick), Hannah Barwood (Knowle).

71 Naomi Edwards (Ganton), Liz Bennett (Brokenhurst Manor), Tracey Boyes (Meon Valley).

72 Olivia Jordan-Higgins (Royal Jersey), Kerry Smith (Waterlooville), Charlotte Ellis (Minchinhampton), Hannah Burke (Mid-Herts).

73 Lauren Taylor (Rugby), Georgina Dunn (Peterborough Milton), Ellie Givens (Blackwell Grange), Sarah Attwood (Gog Magog).

Full details and hole -by-hole scoring: www.englishwomensgolf.org

Lyndsey Hewison

Press & PR Officer
Visit the EGWA web site at http://www.englishwomensgolf.org/

Christel Boeljon not going back to

US college - plans to turn pro

Christel Boeljon from the Netherlands, who has not got past the second round of the British women's open amateur championship for the past two years but finished in the top 10 in a recent Ladies European Tour event, has set her sights on the Qualifying School process later in the year.

She has informed the coaches at the University of Purdue that she will not be coming back for her fourth and final senior year at college and plans to turn pro.

Boeljon, pictured right by Cal Carson Golf Agency, was No 14 in the Golfweek US college women's rankings at the end of the 2007-2008 season.

Seven Scots in Final Qualifying field
for Ricoh Women's British Open

Seven Scots are in the field for the Ricoh Women's British Open golf championship Final Qualifying competition at The Berkshire Golf Club on Monday.
They are professionals Clare Queen, Kathryn Imrie and Lynn Kenny plus amateurs Michele Thomson, Emily Ogilvy, Krystle Caithness and Carly Booth. Thomson, Caithness and Booth did not have to play in the preliminary pre-qualifier because of their current Curtis Cup status. Ogillvy came through the preliminary test.
Carly Booth is defending the girls' championship at the European Young Masters which ends at Chantilly, France on Saturday. She will have to look sharpish to fly over to London and get in a practice round on the Sunday.
LPGA Tour pros Catriona Matthew, Mhairi McKay and Janice Moodie are exempt from pre-qualifying and go straight into the field for the Ricoh Women's British Open which starts on Thursday, July 31.

No Carly but still quality field

for Under-21 girls at Powfoot

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

The Scottish Under-21 girls' open stroke-play amateur golf championship has produced two runaway victories in the past two years.
Krystle Caithness (St Regulus) won the title by 11 shots with an astonishing 20-under-par performance for the 54 holes at Stirling in 2006.
Comrie's Carly Booth had nine shots to spare when she took the Under-21s title with a three-under-par total at Auchterarder last year.
Carly, who retained her Scottish Under-18 girls' match-play title at Alyth last week, can't be in two places at once so this week she is defending the European Young Masters' girls' title in Chantilly, France instead of the Scottish junior crown at Powfoot.
There will, however, be two Curtis Cup players in what is a field of quality on the shores of the Solway Firth.
Krystle, pictured above with her Curtis Cup "warpaint" (Cal Carson Golf Agency, all rights reserved) is joined by GB&I team-mate Michele Thomson from the McDonald, Ellon club. Krystle, 19, and 15-year-old German challenger Kristina Kaisler from Munich are the backmarkers in the field, both playing off +2.
Michele has a +1 rating and so too have Roseanne Niven (Crieff), Pamela Pretswell (Bothwell Castle) and Laura Murray from Alford.
On top of that there are four scratch players in the field - Rachael Livingstone (Musselburgh Old), Katy McNicoll (Carnoustie), Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm) and Jane Turner (Craigielaw).
It's 27 years since an English player - Kitrina Douglas - won the championship. Their best chance of ending the lean years would appear to be Holly Clyburn, a one-handicapper from Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire.

English eightsome hope to make
opposition reel in Ricoh Women's
British Open Final Qualifying

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY ENGLISH WOMEN'S GOLF ASSOCIATION
Eight English amateurs will play for a place in the Ricoh Women’s British Open when final qualifying takes place on Monday over the Blue course at The Berkshire.
They will be well practised: all eight are in the field at this week’s English stroke-play championship which is being played over the same course!
Five of them, led by Gloucestershire’s Charlotte Ellis, have come through pre-qualifying, which also took place at The Berkshire. Charlotte, from Minchinhampton, won the event with a superb six-under par 66 which put her five shots clear of the field.
The former English mid-amateur champion had eight birdies on her card. Among those who will join her at The Berkshire are 2007 English champion Naomi Edwards (Ganton) and Manchester’s Rachel Connor, who helped England win the silver medal at the European girls’ team championship. They both shot one-under 71 at pre-qualifying and were in a group in second place.
International Kerry Smith, from Waterlooville in Hampshire, claimed her place with a one-over 73. Meanwhile, Hertfordshire’s Charlie Douglass (Brocket Hall) birdied the 18th to squeeze in on the cut mark with a three-over 75.
Curtis Cup players Liz Bennett (Brokenhurst Manor), Jodi Ewart (Catterick), and Florentyna Parker (Royal Birkdale) are all exempt through to final qualifying.
Altogether, 85 players will compete at final qualifying, where 18 championship spots are available, together with four alternate places. The Women’s British Open takes place at Sunningdale from July 31-August 3.
Lyndsey Hewison
Press & PR Officer
Visit the EGWA web site at http://www.englishwomensgolf.org/

Maureen Lockett nominated as
Ladies Golf Union President

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY LADIES GOLF UNION
The Executive Council of the Ladies’ Golf Union is pleased to nominate Mrs Maureen Lockett as President of the Union. The term of office of the current President, Mrs Joan Neville JP, expires at the Annual General Meeting in January 2009, and Maureen will stand for election at that meeting.
Chairman of the Ladies’ Golf Union in 2002, Maureen will bring a wealth of golf knowledge and experience to the role of President. A keen golfer since taking up the game as a junior at Thonock Golf Club, now The Gainsborough Golf Club, she played to a high standard, representing Yorkshire in the early seventies and achieving a handicap of 2.
Always one to put something back into the game she loves, Maureen became involved in golf administration in the late seventies and served as Club Captain and Centenary Lady President at Hallamshire Golf Club in Sheffield, where she is now an Honorary Member, and as Yorkshire County Captain.
More recently, she served as President of the Yorkshire Ladies’ County Golf Association.
Maureen’s skills as an administrator soon got her noticed at national level, and she was Chairman of the English Ladies’ Golf Association in 1995, before taking on the role of English Councillor on the Ladies’ Golf Union between 1999 and 2002. One of her main interests is junior golf, and, as an original member of the English Junior Golf Partnership, she remains committed to encouraging junior participation in the sport.
Husband Brian, grown-up children Julia and Christopher, grandsons Alan, Tony and Marcus, and her sprightly 95-year-old mother are delighted at Maureen’s nomination as President of the Ladies’ Golf Union and offer their full support in her term of office.
Maureen says
“I still find it hard to believe that I have been invited to take on this prestigious position but I will do my best to uphold the long traditions of the LGU. These are exciting and challenging times for ladies’ golf but I firmly believe that the Ladies’ Golf Union has an important role to play.
"The changing needs of our younger golfers must be catered for while we should also endeavour to maintain the legacies of the past upon which our modern game is based. I look forward to supporting the ongoing modernisation initiatives and also to meeting many of you in the coming months and years."

Here we go again ... Michelle Wie to
play in Men's Tour event next week

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Will she - or her advisors - never learn?
Just when we thought Michelle Wie was getting back to her old game, give or take the odd disqualification, the Hawaiian teenager has decided to tee it up against the men, again. She will play next week in the Legends Reno-Tahoe Open,.
It will be her eighth time playing on the US PGA Tour - and she has yet to make a cut.
“It's not every day that a woman is given the opportunity to play on the greatest tour in the world,” Wie said in a statement. “This is a tremendous opportunity for me to learn from these great players and take those lessons to the LPGA. This is another step in the process of making me a better player.”
Wie, who is 18 and attends Stanford University, California part time, has no status on any tour. She has only one sponsor’s exemption left on the LPGA Tour this year. She will be playing her seventh and final LPGA event of this year at the CN Canadian Women's Open next month.
The Reno-Tahoe Open starts at Montreux Golf & Country Club, Nevada on July 31. It is regarded as one of the weakest fields on the US PGA Tour, held opposite the World Golf Championship in Ohio.
“This will be a great experience for the community to see a player like Michelle in this setting,” tournament director Michael Stearns said in a statement. “Michelle is getting her game together, she's getting back in the swing of things and we have no problem extending her this opportunity.”
Wie showed signs of improvement last weekend at the LPGA Tour's State Farm Classic in Illinois. She was a shot off the lead going into the final round when officials discovered that she had left the scoring area without signing her scorecard after Friday’s second round.
Wie finished her round Saturday, and after officials spoke with her about the scorecard problem, she was disqualified.A win or high finish would have all but guaranteed her enough money to finish in the top 80 LPGA players this year, the cut-off for automatic inclusion in next year's tour.
There’s been speculation Wie would concentrate solely on women's competition, especially after last year when she injured both wrists and made only two cuts.
Wie's chances of securing a 2009 LPGA card now rest with her winning roughly $80,000 in her final tournament, which probably would take a top-three finish.
Otherwise, she could be headed to the first of two stages of the LPGA Qualifying School.
“I think the qualifying conflicts with school, so I probably won’t go to that,” Wie said last month. But that was when she had greater hopes of winning enough money to become exempt for next year.
Her father made it sound as though Q-school was a distinct possibility at the time.“What other options do we have?” he said.

Mackie Bowl draw for Sunday at Gullane

9.0 & 1.18: Emma Fairnie (Dunbar) and Louise Fraser (Kingsknowe).
9.06 & 1.24: Cara Easton (Dalmahoy) and Alyson McKechin (Elderslie).
9.12 & 1.30: Linda Bain (Lochend) and Gemma Dryburgh (Beaconsfield).
9.18 & 1.36: Carly McLachlan (Withington) and Mandy Easton (Dalmahoy).
9.24 & 1.42: Lesley Atkins (Gullane Ladies) and F Millar (Carnoustie Ladies).
9.30 & 1.48: Mary Summers (Panmure Barry) and Ruth Rankin (Lanark).
9.36 & 1.54: Fiona Blair (Carnoustie Ladies) and Stephanie Crolla (Duddingston).
9.42 & 2.00: Louisa Ruane (Cardross) and partner (reserve to be confirmed).
9.48 & 2.06: STARTER'S TIME.
9.54 & 2.12: Louise Kenney (Pitreavie) and Laura Walker (Muckhart).

10.00 & 2.18: Laura Murray (Alford) and Pamela Pretswell (Bothwell Castle).
10.06 & 2.24: Kylie Walker (Buchanan Castle) and Claire MacDonald (Guillane Ladies).
10.12 & 2.30: Katy McNicoll (Carnoustie Ladies) and Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm).
10.18 & 2.36: Roseanne Niven (Crieff) and Jane Turner (Craigielaw).
10.24 & 2.42: Clare-Marie Carlton (Fereneze) and Lesley Hendry (Routenburn).
10.30 & 2.48: Alexandra Bushby (Letham Grange) and Ann Ramsay (Kirriemuir).
10.36 & 2.54: Jocelyn Carthew (Ladybank) and Cara Gruber (Royal Dornoch).
10.42 & 3.00: STARTER'S TIME.
10.48 & 3.06: Annabel Niven (Crieff) and Rachel Watton (Mortonhall).
10.54 & 3.12: Jennifer Linklater (Largs) and Jacqueline Sneddon (Alyth).

11.00 & 3.18: Louise MacGregor (Falkirk) and Jill Meldrum (Dullatur).
11.06 & 3.24: Ashlleigh Wilton (Ladybank) and Elaine Cuthill (Lanark).
11.12 & 3.30: Carol Whyte (Windyhill) and Samantha Leslie (Westhill).

Aussie amateur champion bows out with
US North & South championship win

Kristie Smith, the Australian women's amateur champion, did not make much of a show in the British women's open amateur championship at North Berwick last month (she was beaten in the first round of the match-play), but she has now ended her amateur career by winning America's North & South amateur championship at Pinehurst 2.
Kristie, daughter of a professional, beat Chelsea Curtis (Georgetown) by 8 and 7 in the 36-hole final at the North Carolina venue.
Curtis won the first hole and never led again. Smith was two up after 18 holes and was five up after 24 holes. “It’s been a special week,” Smith said. “To win at Pinehurst is awesome.”
Later results;
Quarter-finals
Blair Lamb bt Garrett Phillips 2 holes.
Kristie Smith bt Marika Lendl 3 and 2.
Cindy LaCrosse bt Catherine O'Donnell 2 and 1.
Chelsea Curtis bt Sydney Crane at 19th.
Semi-finals
Smith bt Lamb 3 and 2.
Curtis bt LaCrosse 5 and 4.
Final (36 holes)
Smith bt Curtis 8 and 7.

Quote Of The Week

“If you have the right inflection in your voice, it works.”- LPGA Tour player Christina Kim, when asked about her habit of talking to her golf ball during a round.

South Korean beats Taiwanese in
LPGA Tour play-off

Second-year pro Ji Young Oh, 20, of South Korea won her first LPGA Tour event on Sunday, the State Farm Classic at Panther Creek Country Club, Springfield in Illinois.
She beat 19-year-old Taiwanese rookie Yani Tseng at the first hole of a sudden-death play-off..
Tseng, the leader coming into Sunday, chipped her third shot over the green and into the rough, then pitched her ball to about 6 feet from the cup.
Tseng, who shot a 66 in each of the first three rounds before her even-par 72 on Sunday, said after her loss that her nerves got the better of her.
Tseng, who won the LPGA Championship for her first career victory, said three of her closest losses—as a pro and an amateur—have come to South Koreans.
"I really don't like playing with Koreans," she joked.
Na Yeon Choi finished in third place at 17 under for the tournament.
On a day dominated by youth, Chinese LPGA rookie Shanshan Feng shot a 9-under 63—the second best round of the tournament along with Christina Kim's first round—and finished the tournament at 16 under par, tied for fourth place with Stacy Prammanasudh and Hee-Won Han. Michelle Wie was disqualified after she finished her round Saturday—a 5-under-par 67 that had her a stroke off the lead—for failing to sign her second-round scorecard a day earlier.
Wie was chased down by a tournament volunteer after she left the course without signing her card. LPGA officials say they didn't learn about Wie's faux pas until after play started Saturday morning.
A win or high finish would have all but guaranteed her enough money to finish in the top 80 LPGA players this year, the cut-off for automatic inclusion in next year's tour.
Wie, a part-time golfer and full-time student at Stanford, played at the State Farm on a sponsor exemption. The LPGA allows non-touring players six of those a year, and Wie has one left.
She has said she would play at the Canadian Women's Open next month.
Wie was playing what might have been the best golf of the tournament, and the best she's played this year.
Oh, though, said Wie's absence didn't cheapen her win.
"I didn't think about it much," Oh said. "No one knows how well she would have played."
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4 x 72) 6,608yd
270 Ji Young Oh 66 66 69 69 ($255,000), Yani Tseng 66 66 66 72 ($156,6002). Oh bt Teseng at first hole of play-off.
271 Na Yerun Choi 67 676968 ($113,169).
272 Sahshen Feng 70 70 69 63, Stacy Pramanasudh 69 66 68 69, Hee-Won Han 69 71 61 71.
Other total:
278 B Morgan (Wal) 70 69 68 71 ($14,017)
MISSED THE CUT (141 or better)
143 M McKay (Sco) 71 72.
144 J Head (Eng) 73 71.

Kim Welch wins Futures Tour play-off
against Jin Young Park at fourth

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY DURAMED FUTURES TOUR
Kim Welch of Sacramento, California captured her first professional win following a four-hole play-off postscript to Sunday's final round of the Alliance Bank Golf Classic presented by BILL RAPP SUPERSTORE.
Welch edged out Jin Young Pak of Kang Leung, South Korea, and overcame separate weather delays to claim a $12,600 check and finish the tournament at nine-under par 204.
First-round leader Lisa Meldrum of Montreal, Quebec, pulled in at third with a three-day total of 206 (-7).
Welch outlasted Pak through four holes after regulation with a 6ft par putt. After Welch and Pak traded par putts through the first three holes of extra play, it came down to who could have the closer approach shot.
Welch stuck a gap wedge from 107 yards out to about six feet from the pin as Pak faced an 18-foot putt. Left with an uphill putt with slight break, she left her birdie putt short, but tapped in her par attempt and put the pressure on Pak, who lipped out to give Welch the victory.
The timing couldn't have been any better for Welch, who was competing in her second tournament since winning The Golf Channel's "Big Break Ka'anapali" series.
"I'm so excited and really proud of myself," Welch said. "I've known all year that I could do it and now that the season is coming down to the end, I knew I had to get a win to try and get into the top five."
She was accompanied by a large gallery that followed her all the way to the end and, just like the popular television show, Welch faced Pak in a match-play situation she was accustomed to.
Unfortunately, after spending almost 12 hours at The Links at Erie Village on Sunday since arriving at 8 a.m., Welch eventually lost track of time, asking how many holes she completed in the play-off.
The taste of victory erased any fatigue as she celebrated with her friend and caddie Shayna Miyajima of Maui, Hawaii.
"She (Shayna) kept me loose and we were laughing throughout the day," Welch said. "We were just basically hitting the same shots every time in the play-off. I think if I would have been by myself, I would have been really impatient."
It was Welch's second play-off of the year, as she came up just short against Sunny Oh of Manhattan Beach, Calif., at the season-opening Bright House Networks Open in Lakeland, Florida. This time around, Welch closed it out, outlasting Pak with her putter.
Pak erased a two-stroke deficit heading into the 17th hole, taking advantage of a Welch bogey and forcing a play-off with a birdie on the 18th hole. A 2005 winner on the Duramed Futures Tour, Pak kept pace with Welch before her final putt lipped out.
"I think I played really good on the last three holes," Pak said. "I had a pretty hard time with the 16th hole because my tee shot was off and I was lucky to make par."
Welch took advantage of the rain delays by making birdies on both occasions after play resumed. Prior to the second weather delay, Welch ripped her tee shot off the 16th hole and converted a three-foot birdie putt.
It was a day to stay patient and wait out two weather delays that spanned nearly five and a half hours. Play was first suspended at 11:19 a.m. due to lightning in the vicinity. Standing water was visible on the practice green following a short downpour and the course was re-evaluated by Tour rules officials.
Nearly two hours later, play resumed at 1:11 p.m. under a muggy heat wave with 85 percent humidity as temperatures crept into the low 80s.
Play was stopped for the second time with a severe thunderstorm warning at 3:09 p.m. Thunder, lightning and heavy rain swept in from the east and the remaining players on the course retreated back to the clubhouse. After the course was allowed time to drain, excess water was removed by towels and a leaf blower and play resumed again at 5:56 p.m.
Players took naps, checked e-mail and ate dinner among other activities while waiting for announcements to get back on the course.
The Duramed FUTURES Tour continues its Eastern Swing this week by heading northeast to the USI Championship in Concord, New Hampshire., set for August 3-5.
For complete scores and more information, visit www.duramedfuturestour.com.

Weather report: Variable clouds with showers and scattered thunderstorms, some severe, a high temperature of 84 degrees and winds blowing west from 5-10 mph. Temperatures dipping into the low 70s in the late afternoon.

=========================================================

COLIN FARQUHARSON'S SCOTSWATCH: Vikki Laing had three par-matching rounds of 71 to finish joint 19th on 213 and collect $762. Pamela Feggans had scores of 72, 68 and 74 for 214 and joint 27th place. She earned $698.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

US Duramed Futures Tour Scoreboard
ALLIANCE BANK CLASSIC
The Links at Erie Village, Syracuse, New York State.
FINAL TOTALS
Par 213 (3 x 71) 6,206yd
1 Kim Welch (Sacramento, Calif.) 70-64-70 - 204 $12,600
(won playoff)
2 Jin Young Pak (Kang Leung, South Korea) 67-66-71 - 204 $9,000
3 Lisa Meldrum (Montreal, Quebec) 66-72-68 - 206 $6,412
4 Mo Martin (Altadena, Calif.) 67-72-68 - 207 $4,581
T5 Whitney Myers (York, Pa.) 70-70-68 - 208 $2,976
T5 Song Yi Choi (Seoul, South Korea) 70-68-70 - 208 $2,976
T5 Lisa Ferrero (Lodi, Calif.) 68-69-71 - 208 $2,976
T8 Ashley Prange (Noblesville, Ind.) 76-65-68 - 209 $1,791
T8 Maru Martinez (Maracaibo, Venezuela) 72-68-69 - 209 $1,791
T8 Moah Chang (Los Angeles, Calif.) 71-67-71 - 209 $1,791
T11 Carling Coffing (Middletown, Ohio) 69-73-68 - 210 $1,325
T11 Ashley Grier (Hagerstown, Md.) 71-69-70 - 210 $1,325
T11 Gerina Mendoza (Roswell, N.M.) 67-70-73 - 210 $1,325
T14 Leah Whiting (Hilo, Hawaii) 68-74-69 - 211 $1,094
T14 Christi Cano (San Antonio, Texas) 71-65-75 - 211 $1,094
T16 Chella Choi (Seoul, South Korea) 70-73-69 - 212 $920
T16 Lynn Valentine (East Lyme, Conn.) 68-72-72 - 212 $920
T16 Tanya Dergal (Durango, Mexico) 75-72-65 - 212 $920
T19 Courtney Erdman (Altadena, Calif.) 69-74-70 - 213 $762
T19 Sara Brown (Tucson, Ariz.) 75-68-70 - 213 $762
T19 Mindy Kim (Diamond Bar, Calif.) 74-71-68 - 213 $762
T19 Brandi Jackson (Greenville, S.C.) 73-69-71 - 213 $762
T19 Vikki Laing (Musselburgh, Scotland) 71-71-71 - 213 $762
T19 Jennifer Ackerson (Dallas, Texas) 72-70-71 - 213 $762
T19 Jenny Suh (Fairfax, Va.) 71-70-72 - 213 $762
T19 Kylene Pulley (Kokomo, Ind.) 71-70-72 - 213 $762
T27 Nicole Jeray (Berwyn, Ill.) 72-72-70 - 214 $698
T27 Samantha Richdale (Kelowna, British Columbia)71-73-70 - 214 $698
T27 LeAnna Wicks (Brighton, Mich.) 70-75-69 - 214 $698
T27 Pamela Feggans (Patna, Scotland) 72-68-74 - 214 $698
T31 Tiffany Tavee (Tempe, Ariz.) 75-69-71 - 215 $670
T31 Amanda McCurdy (Little Rock, Ark.) 74-72-69 - 215 $670
T31 Haeji Kang (Seoul, South Korea) 70-70-75 - 215 $670
T34 Kellee Booth (McKinney, Texas) 72-71-73 - 216 $639
T34 Kelly Lagedrost (Brooksville, Fla.) 72-71-73 - 216 $639
T34 Angela Buzminski (Oshawa, Ontario) 72-71-73 - 216 $639
T34 Jessica Shepley (Oakville, Ontario) 74-71-71 - 216 $639
T34 Annie Young (Highland, Utah) 71-71-74 - 216 $639
T34 Christine Cho (Kent, Wash.) 72-70-74 - 216 $639
T34 Carol Green-Robertson (Tazewell, Va.) 72-74-70 - 216 $639
T41 Kim Augusta (Rumford, R.I.) 72-72-73 - 217 $611
T41 Mandi McConnell (Grand Blanc, Mich.) 71-73-73 - 217 $611
T41 Whitney Wade (Glasgow, Ky.) 72-73-72 - 217 $611
T41 Briana Vega (Andover, Mass.) 76-66-75 - 217 $611
T45 Kristina Tucker (Stockholm, Sweden) 74-69-75 - 218 $573
T45 Kelly Froelich (Raizeux, France) 71-72-75 - 218 $573
T45 Katrina Leckovic (Burnaby, British Columbia) 72-72-74 - 218 $573
T45 Janell Howland (Boise, Idaho) 73-71-74 - 218 $573
T45 Misun Cho (Cheongju, South Korea) 73-71-74 - 218 $573
T45 Ulrika Ljungman-Smith (Stockholm, Sweden) 76-69-73 - 218 $573
T45 Sophia Sheridan (Guadalajara, Mexico) 74-69-75 - 218 $573
T45 Katie Allison (Little River, S.C.) 73-72-73 - 218 $573
T45 Jessica Carafiello (Coral Springs, Fla.) 74-71-73 - 218 $573
T45 Leah Wigger (Louisville, Ky.) 74-71-73 - 218 $573
T45 Sarah Olsen (Grosse Ile, Mich.) 75-67-76 - 218 $573
T45 Danah Ford (Indianapolis, Ind.) 73-73-72 - 218 $573
T45 Michelle Jarman (Wilmington, N.C.) 73-74-71 - 218 $573
T45 Sin Ah Ham (Torrance, Calif.) 73-74-71 - 218 $573
T59 Hannah Yun (amateur) (Bradenton, Fla.) 74-70-75 - 219
T59 Lori Atsedes (Ithaca, N.Y.) 73-68-78 - 219 $537
T59 Sunny Oh (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) 76-71-72 - 219 $537
T59 Jin Hyun Kim (Seoul, South Korea) 75-72-72 - 219 $537
T59 Sofie Andersson (Angelholm, Sweden) 73-74-72 - 219 $537
T59 Katie Fraley (Brandenburg, Ky.) 73-74-72 - 219 $537
65 Marcela Leon (Monterrey, Mexico) 74-73-73 - 220 $527
T66 Ashley Knoll (The Woodlands, Texas) 75-71-75 - 221 $524
T66 Sasha Medina (Ponce, Puerto Rico) 75-72-74 - 221 $524
T68 Stephanie George (Myerstown, Pa.) 71-74-77 - 222 $514
T68 Gina Umeck (Redlands, Calif.) 75-71-76 - 222 $514
T68 Taya Battistella (Portland, Ore.) 74-72-76 - 222 $514
T68 Rebecka Heinmert (San Jose, Calif.) 70-77-75 - 222 $514
T68 Jaclyn Burch (Satellite Beach, Fla.) 74-73-75 - 222 $514
73 Juli Erekson (Mapleton, Utah) 73-74-77 - 224 $506
74 Jessica Steward (Mystic, Conn.) 72-72-81 - 225 $503
75 Andrea Werner (Evansville, Ind.) 72-74-81 - 227 $500

Scotland team named for Girls'

Home Internationals at Panmure

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Curtis Cup player Carly Booth (Comrie) and Scottish schoolgirls champion Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) are the only survivors from last year’s winning team in the Scotland squad chosen for the girls’ home international matches at Panmure Golf Club, Carnoustie from August 5 to 7.
It is:
Lesley Atkins (Minto). Handicap 5.
Carly Booth (Comrie). Handicap +3.
Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm). Handicap 3.
Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar). Handicap +2.
Rachel McQueen (Troon Ladies). Handicap 2.
Annabel Niven (Crieff). Handicap 5.
Sammy Vass (Tain). Handicap 3.
Rebecca Wilson (Monifieth). Handicap 4.
Reserves:
1 Gillian Scanlan (Hamilton). Handicap 5.
2 Jill Meldrum (Dullatur). Handicap 5.
3 Hannah McCook (Abernethy). Handicap 12.
*Last known handicaps listed. They may have changed.

Scotland have won the girls’ home internationals for the past two years.
Last year, the Scots team simply outclassed the opposition, beating Ireland 7 ˝-1 ˝ , England
7 ˝- ˝ and Wales 8 ˝- ˝.
Of last year’s successful Scotland team, Megan Briggs, Krystle Caithness, Roseanne Niven, Pamela Pretswell and Jane Turner are over the age limit this year.
Curtis Cup player Sally Watson would have been still young enough for selection but her major knee operation the week after the match against the United States will keep her on the sidelines at least until the Women’s Home Internationals in September.
One has to feel a bit of sympathy for the two beaten semi-finalists in last week’s Scottish Under-18 girls’ championship at Alyth – Gillian Scanlan and Mhairi Johnstone (Northern) who have not been chosen.
They both played well to reach the last four where they were beaten by Carly Booth and Kelsey MacDonald, both automatic selections.
It is unusual for neither beaten semi-finalist to be selected and for one, Mhairi, not even to make the list of three reserves.
Annabel Niven, only 16 years old, forced her way into the team with an excellent performance in three days of high winds at the R&A Junior Open at Hesketh. Playing off five, she won a Regional Trophy for her net aggregate for 36 holes.
Even younger than Annabel is Lesley Atkins (Minto) who won the Scottish Under-14 girls’ title at The Glen, North Berwick on Friday, July 11.
The choice of youngsters Annabel and Lesley for the Girls' Home Internationals, added to the selection en bloc of the four who made up Scotland’s side for the European girls’ team championship at Murcar Links – Booth, MacDonald, Sammy Vass and Rebecca Wilson – meant the SLGA selectors had only two other places left to fill.
They went to two-handicapper Rachel McQueen and Eilidh Briggs who plays off three. Purely on a comparison of handicaps, Rachel and Eilidh were ahead of the beaten semi-finalists, Scanlan and Johnstone, in the pecking order.

Three for British girls’ team event at Monifieth
Carly Booth, Kelsey MacDonald and Rebecca Wilson will have their scores count for Scotland in the international team stroke-play event which is staged in conjunction with the qualifying rounds of the British girls’ open championship at Monifieth Golf Club from August 11 to 15.
Rebecca is the team captain for the event, which is being played over her home course.
The reserves are Lesley Atkins (Minto) and Gillian Monteith (Portpatrick Dunskey).

Three for British women’s team event at Malone (Belfast)
Laura Murray (Alford), Roseanne Niven (Crieff) and Kylie Walker (Buchanan Castle) will have their scores count for Scotland in the international team stroke-play event which will be staged in conjunction with the first two rounds of the British women’s open amateur stroke-play championship at Malone Golf Club, Belfast from August 20 to 22.
Pamela Pretswell (Bothwell Castle), Emily Ogilvy (Auchterarder) and Michele Thomson (McDonald Ellon) are listed as 1-2-3 reserves.

Kylie Walker has been given the honour of captaining the trio in Northern Ireland.

Martina Eberl wins Ladies

Italian Open by five strokes

FROM THE LADIES' EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
By BETHAN CUTLER
Germany’s Martina Eberl cruised to a five-stroke victory at the BMW Ladies Italian Open in Tuscany today. The win was her second in 10 months after the 2007 Madrid Ladies Masters last October.
The 26-year-old from Munich, pictured right with the trophy, by courtesy of the Ladies European Tour website, added a closing two-under 69 to opening rounds of 67, 74 and 65 for a total of nine-under-par 275 at Argentario Golf Resort and Spa on Monte Argentario.
Eberl began the day with a two-stroke lead and stalled with an early bogey at the second hole, but bounced back with two tap-in birdies at the seventh and eighth holes to claim a three-stroke cushion at the turn.
She knocked in a 4ft birdie putt at the par-4 10th hole, before carding another bogey at the 13th hole, where she pulled her tee shot left into deep bushes and took a penalty drop.
After sealing the win and first prize of €67,500 with a tap-in birdie at the par-4 18th hole, she said: “I’m so happy right now. It was very hard out there and the wind was very difficult all week. I didn’t know I was leading until I hit my second shot into the 18th hole and looked over to the leader board.
"I ignored every scoreboard all day because it doesn’t help me. I figured that out a long time ago. I must thank my caddie (Vincent Fernie) because he was calming me down all day. He knew I didn’t want to know the scores and without his help I wouldn’t have won. I never want to give him away.”
Eberl said she would celebrate in a local restaurant with some pasta and her boyfriend Thad Kael (Kiran Matharu’s current caddie) before heading to the Evian Masters from July 24-27. “The next two weeks are European majors but I just want to enjoy this week first,” said Eberl, adding: “I’m looking forward to next week and I hope that I can play well again there.”
The US$3.25 million Evian Masters is considered a major on the Ladies European Tour and the prize money is the highest in women’s golf alongside the Women’s US Open.
Spain’s Carmen Alonso had a career-best finish of second after shooting 66 and playing the back nine in six-under-par. Alonso, who has limited playing privileges on tour this year, entered the tournament as the first reserve and with her fine performance almost certainly secured her card for the 2009 season.
The longest hitter on the Ladies European Tour, Alonso fired five birdies in a row from the 10th hole, with another at the 16th, for an inward total of 29 strokes. She explained:
“Two months ago I was practising at my home club, Race Golf Club in Madrid, and I made six under on the back nine. I was standing on the 10th tee today and I thought, “Why not six under on the back nine today?
"It could have been seven birdies in a row because on 15 I made a really good birdie putt but missed it by an inch. I was two over after seven holes but the best thing I have learned from Laurette Maritz is that you have to fight until the end. That’s it.
“I’m so happy because my mum is here and all my problems have gone away. Now I can relax. I just wanted to keep my card. Of course I am happy about the money but for me money is not the most important thing.
"I need to have my card because with my card I can play and for me that is everything. Golf is my passion.”
Denmark’s Lisa Holm Sorensen shot a final round 73 and shared third on three-under with World No 11 Maria Hjorth from Sweden and Wales’ Becky Brewerton, who both shot 72. The leading Italian player was Stefania Croce, who shared sixth with three others: Sweden’s Christine Hallstrom and the French duo of Gwladys Nocera and Anne-Lise Caudal.
FINAL TOTALS
Par 284 (4 x 71)
275 M Eberl (Germany) 65 74 67 69 (60,000 Euros).
280 C Alonso (Spain) 67 70 77 66 (40,600).
281 M Hjorth (Sweden) 64 73 72 72, B Brewerton (Wales) 66 71 72 72, L H Sorensen (Denmark) 68 70 70 73 (22,186 each).
282 A-L Caudal (France) 72 76 67 67, C Hallstrom (Sweden) 70 71 72 69, S Croce (Italy) 69 73 71 69, G Nocera (France) 65 70 73 74 (11,240 each).
283 T Elosegui (Spain) 70 78 65 70 (8,000).
284 C Ekelundh (Sweden) 73 73 73 65, L Brooky (NZ) 75 71 69 70 (7,120).
285 S L Bregman (South Africa) 73 71 72 69, L Fairclough (England) 70 70 73 72 (6,300 each).
Other totals:
286 S Head (England) 74 70 71 71 (jt 15th) (5,773).
287 G Simpson (England) 70 69 71 77 (jt 18th) (5,360).
291 R Coakley (Ireland) 71 76 77 67, C Queen (The Carrick at Cameron House) 76 71 70 74 (jt 30th) (3,660 each).
292 N C Booth (England) 72 74 76 70, L Hall (England) 72 76 70 74 (jt 36th) (2,933 each).

294 K Matharu (England) 73 73 75 73, J Wilson (Scotland) 74 75 72 73 (jt 46th) (2,040).

301 E Pilgrim (Wales) 72 78 74 77 (jt 62nd) (1,160).

====================================================================C

COLIN FARQUHARSON'S SCOTSWATCH:

Clare Queen had a chance of a top-20 finish at the start of the last day. At the end of it, she had slipped to joint 30th place on 291. Her final round of 74 included a double bogey 6 at the 10th. She had take a triple bogey 7 there in the first-round 76. Clare had four birdies in her third-round 70 but only one, at the 13th, in the final round in which she had bogeys at the fourth and 12th apart from the 6 at the 10th.

Jenna Wilson was a bit erratic in her final round of 73 for a total of 294 which gave her a share of 46th place. The Strathaven player had birdies at the third, ninth and 15th but dropped shots at the second, foufrth, 11th, 13th and 14th.

Michelle Wie is

disqualified for
not signing her

Round 2 card

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
You have to feel sorry for poor little rich kid, Michele Wie.
Here she was in the LPGA Tour's State Farm Classic turning the clock back a year or two to when she was the most exciting young female golfer in the world.
With rounds of 67 and 65 she was in contention in a big way.
Now comes the shock news she was disqualified retrospectively for failing to sign her second-round scorecard. This information did not become readily available until AFTER Michelle had played her THIRD round.
So what are the LPGA Tour officials playing at? I am too far away from the "scene of the crime" to give you a definitive answer to that one.
"I don't know why or how it happened," the 18-year-old Wie, who had obviously broken down in tears when told she had been disqualified, told reporters.
Wie would answer no further no questions before leaving the clubhouse at Panther Creek Country Club with her parents and drove away.
Sue Witters, the LPGA's director of tournament competitions, disqualified Wie in a small office in an LPGA trailer at the course after asking her what had happened.
"She was like a little kid after you tell them there's no Santa Claus," said Witters in a rather unkind, unfeeling and certainly unsympathetic description of Wie's grief.
Michelle obviously had a chance of the $255,000 winner's purse or the $155,252 second prize. That would have put her comfortably within the top 80 money winners for the year -- and virtually guaranteed her a place on the LPGA Tour next year.
She shot a solid 67 on Thursday, then a 65 on Friday that tied her with Tseng, the woman who rallied to beat Wie in the final of the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links in 2004.
Wie told reporters that after she finished her round Friday, she left the tent just above the ninth green where players sign their scorecards. She was chased after by volunteers working in the tent, who pointed out she hadn't signed.
Wie returned to the tent and signed the card, and "I thought it would be OK," she said.
But Wie, according to Witters, had already walked outside the roped-off area around the tent. At that point, the mistake was final, Witters said.
Witters said she and other Tour officials didn't learn about the mistake from volunteers until well after Wie teed off Saturday morning, so they let her finish the third round.
"Is it real?" Tseng asked reporters just after Wie's disqualification became known.
"She was one shot off the lead, she was going to help boost the ratings," said Christina Kim, who entered play Saturday as the leader before falling back to 12 under and a tie for seventh. "She was the player to beat this week."
LPGA veteran Betsy King, working as a TV analyst at the State Farm tournament, said that she personally always had her caddie stand over her as she turned in her scorecard, making sure nothing had been missed.
Tour officials weren't sure whether Wie's caddie accompanied her into the scoring tent.
Wie said she usually signs her scorecard immediately, and had no idea why she didn't Friday.
"Hopefully it won't happen again," she said.
Tour officials and other players, while sympathetic, said the signature rule is at the heart of golf's honour system.
"Bottom line, we are held accountable to maintaining our scorecards and making sure that we attest the scorecard," Kim said. "But it's such a shame."

Just as the R&A had an internal inquiry after the scorecard bungle which led to the Open disqualification of Mark Roe and Jesper Parnevik a few years back, the LPGA Tour should conduct their own behind-closed-doors investigation on this incident which does not reflect well on the tournament administration set-up..

The first thing the recorder should have done when Michelle Wie handed over her scorecard was to check for two signatures at the bottom of it, one by Michelle and one by the playing partner who marked her card.

LPGA Tour Scoreboard

STATE FARM CLASSIC

Panther Creek CC, Springfield, Illinois

Par 213 (3 x 71)

198 Ya-Ni Tseng (Kor) 66 66 66
200 Katie Futcher 70 64 66
201 Ji-Young Oh (Kor) 66 66 69, Hee-Won Han (Kor) 69 71 61
203 Stacy Prammanasudh 69 66 68, Na Yeon Choi (Kor) 67 67 69
204 Wendy Doolan (Aus) 67 68 69, Kyeong Eun Bae (Kor) 68 67 69, Christina Kim 63 68 73
205 Jee Young Lee (Kor) 65 70 70, Sherri Turner 66 66 73, Sun Young Yoo (Kor) 64 69 72, Beth Bader 70 66 69
206 Jane Park 70 66 70, Jin Joo Hong (Kor) 69 68 69, Anna Grzebien 69 70 67, Kristy McPherson 65 71 70, Charlotte Mayorkas 70 67 69, Kris Tamulis 67 69 70, Jimin Kang (Kor) 67 70 69, Carri Wood 70 66 70, Alena Sharp (Can) 68 70 68, Erica Blasberg 70 66 70, Hee Young Park (Kor) 72 66 68
207 Heather Young 70 69 68, Ai Miyazato (Jpn) 67 72 68, Mikaela Parmlid (Swe) 73 66 68, Becky Morgan (Wal) 70 69 68, Eva Dahllof (Swe) 68 67 72, Meredith Duncan 69 72 66
208 Lisa Strom 68 71 69, Wendy Ward 73 66 69, Sandra Gal (Ger) 69 68 71
209 Jill McGill 68 70 71, Angela Park 72 68 69, Diana D'Alessio 69 70 70, Kim Hall 69 69 71, Seo-Jae Lee 70 68 71, Marisa Baena 67 69 73, Sarah Kemp (Aus) 70 71 68, Shanshan Feng (Chn) 70 70 69
210 Young-A Yang (Kor) 68 69 73, Il Mi Chung (Kor) 73 68 69, Paige Mackenzie 74 67 69, Moira Dunn 71 68 71, Karine Icher (Fra) 69 71 70, Marcy Hart 68 71 71
211 Gloria Park (Kor) 69 68 74, Michele Redman 71 69 71, Dina Ammaccapane 72 68 71, Hye Jung Choi (Kor) 70 68 73, Katherine Hull (Aus) 68 70 73
212 Sarah Lynn Sargent 69 72 71, Hannah Jun 71 70 71, Michelle Ellis 73 66 73, Soo-Yun Kang (Kor) 72 69 71, Tracy Hanson 70 68 74, Angela Stanford 70 68 74, Russamee Gulyanamitta (Tha) 69 69 74
213 Candy Hannemann 71 70 72, Virada Nirapathpongporn (Tha) 74 66 73, Anja Monke (Ger) 66 71 76, Audra Burks 66 73 74, Brittany Lang 71 70 72, Ashli Bunch 68 72 73, Lorie Kane (Kor) 72 68 73
214 Jennifer Rosales (Phi) 68 73 73, Anna Rawson (Aus) 70 71 73, Chris Brady 70 71 73
215 Na On Min (Jpn) 74 67 74, Na Ri Kim (Kor) 74 66 75, Birdie Kim (Kor) 70 69 76
216 Leta Lindley 72 69 75
NOTE: Michelle Wie disqualified

Flawless 66 gives Jin Young Pak
lead in Futures Tour event

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY DURAMED FUTURES TOUR
SYRACUSE, New York State - On the eve of her 22nd birthday, Jin Young Pak of Kang Leung, South Korea, carded a bogey-free round of five-under-par 66 to become the leader after the second round of the Alliance Bank Golf Classic presented by BILL RAPP SUPERSTORE. Pak's two-round total of 133 (-9) gives the 2005 Duramed Futures Tour winner a one-shot advantage heading into Sunday's final round.
=================================================================
SCOTSWATCH: Pamela Feggans and Vikki Laing will start the final round in joint 10th and 20th places respectively. Pamela shot her lowest of the season, a three-under-par 68 for 140. Vikki has had a pair of 71s for 142). Brenda McLarnon from Belfast missed the cut (147 or better) with a 75 for 150.
==================================================================
Kim Welch (64) of Sacramento, Calif., is one stroke behind Pak with a two-day score of 134 (-8).
Christi Cano (65) of San Antonio, Texas, posted a bogey-free round with six birdies to pull into sole possession of third at 6-under par 136.
Lisa Ferrero (69) of Lodi, Calif., and Gerina Mendoza (70) of Roswell, N.M., are tied for fourth with a two-round total of 137 (-5).
Heavy rain pelted the area shortly after the leading group teed off and play was delayed at 3:03 p.m. due to standing water that made the course unplayable. Play resumed at 3:52 p.m and low scores flooded the scoreboard after the break as players fired away at pins.
After making birdies on four of her first five holes in Friday's first round, Pak started out strongly again, opening with a birdie and posting an eagle on the par-4, fourth hole to take the lead for the first time. She led by as many as three shots on the back nine and after starting the round in a tie for second.
It would be the ideal birthday present for Pak to earn her second career win on the Duramed Futures Tour. Pak won her first Tour event in her professional debut to open the 2005 season at the Lakeland Futures Golf Classic.
Despite heading into the final round with the lead, Pak was upset she didn't capitalize on several birdie opportunities.
"I'm pretty happy with my game today, but I missed some really short putts after hitting 18 greens," Pak said. "Today, I just wanted to give myself chances, but I missed putts within five feet."
Welch, recent winner of The Golf Channel's "Big Break Ka'anapali" series, came one stroke shy of tying the 18-hole course record set by Jeanne-Marie Busuttil (63) in 2001. She opened her round with three straight birdies and added an eagle on No. 16 after beginning the day in a tie for 10th.
"I made a lot of good putts and took advantage of the par-5s," Welch said. "I've been playing solid the last couple months, but I've been lacking with the putter. I feel really confident and solid with it."
Welch flashed her power on the 300-yard, 16th hole that makes her the longest-hitting player on Tour, driving a 4-wood tee shot to the back of the green. She rolled home a 20-foot eagle putt from the back fringe before sinking her final putt for another birdie on the 18th green.
She is in contention to claim her first professional title, coming up just short in a play-off at the season-opening Bright House Networks Open in Lakeland, Florida.
Welch tied for fourth at last year's Alliance Bank Golf Classic, referencing the course as a fit for her long-hitting style.
"This course sets up well for me," Welch said. "I don't play this course very conventionally because I make up my own paths, but it works for me."
A total of 75 players made the cut at 5-over-par 147.
Final-round play will start Sunday morning at 7:30 a.m. Tee times will be split off the first and 10th tees as a precaution against incoming weather. The leading group of Pak, Welch and Cano will tee off at 9:30 a.m.
For real-time scoring and more information, visit www.duramedfuturestour.com.

Local weather forecast: A mix of sun and clouds with isolated thunderstorms in the mid-afternoon. Temperatures ranging into the mid 80s with winds blowing from the west at 10-15 mph.

Duramed Futures Tour Scoreboard
ALLIANCE BANK CLASSIC
SECOND ROUND TOTALS
Par 142 (2 x 71) 6206yd
1 Jin Young Pak (Kang Leung, South Korea) 67-66 - 133
2 Kim Welch (Sacramento, Calif.) 70-64 - 134
3 Christi Cano (San Antonio, Texas) 71-65 - 136
4 Lisa Ferrero (Lodi, Calif.) 68-69 - 137
4 Gerina Mendoza (Roswell, N.M.) 67-70 - 137
6 Moah Chang (Los Angeles, Calif.) 71-67 - 138
6 Song Yi Choi (Seoul, South Korea) 70-68 - 138
6 Lisa Meldrum (Montreal, Quebec) 66-72 - 138
9 Mo Martin (Altadena, Calif.) 67-72 - 139
10 Ashley Grier (Hagerstown, Md.) 71-69 - 140
10 Maru Martinez (Maracaibo, Venezuela) 72-68 - 140
10 Pamela Feggans (Patna, Scotland) 72-68 - 140
10 Whitney Myers (York, Pa.) 70-70 - 140
10 Haeji Kang (Seoul, South Korea) 70-70 - 140
10 Lynn Valentine (East Lyme, Conn.) 68-72 - 140
16 Ashley Prange (Noblesville, Ind.) 76-65 - 141
16 Kylene Pulley (Kokomo, Ind.) 71-70 - 141
16 Jenny Suh (Fairfax, Va.) 71-70 - 141
16 Lori Atsedes (Ithaca, N.Y.) 73-68 - 141
20 Briana Vega (Andover, Mass.) 76-66 - 142
20 Sarah Olsen (Grosse Ile, Mich.) 75-67 - 142
20 Christine Cho (Kent, Wash.) 72-70 - 142
20 Jennifer Ackerson (Dallas, Texas) 72-70 - 142
20 Vikki Laing (Musselburgh, Scotland) 71-71 - 142
20 Annie Young (Highland, Utah) 71-71 - 142
20 Brandi Jackson (Greenville, S.C.) 73-69 - 142
20 Carling Coffing (Middletown, Ohio) 69-73 - 142
20 Leah Whiting (Hilo, Hawaii) 68-74 - 142
29 Sara Brown (Tucson, Ariz.) 75-68 - 143
29 Sophia Sheridan (Guadalajara, Mexico) 74-69 - 143
29 Angela Buzminski (Oshawa, Ontario) 72-71 - 143
29 Kelly Lagedrost (Brooksville, Fla.) 72-71 - 143
29 Kellee Booth (McKinney, Texas) 72-71 - 143
29 Kelly Froelich (Raizeux, France) 71-72 - 143
29 Chella Choi (Seoul, South Korea) 70-73 - 143
29 Courtney Erdman (Altadena, Calif.) 69-74 - 143
20 Kristina Tucker (Stockholm, Sweden) 74-69 - 143
38 Tiffany Tavee (Tempe, Ariz.) 75-69 - 144
38 Jessica Steward (Mystic, Conn.) 72-72 - 144
38 Kim Augusta (Rumford, R.I.) 72-72 - 144
38 Nicole Jeray (Berwyn, Ill.) 72-72 - 144
38 Mandi McConnell (Grand Blanc, Mich.) 71-73 - 144
38 Katrina Leckovic (Burnaby, British Columbia) 72-72 - 144
38 Samantha Richdale (Kelowna, British Columbia) 71-73 - 144
38 Janell Howland (Boise, Idaho) 73-71 - 144
38 Misun Cho (Cheongju, South Korea) 73-71 - 144
38 Hannah Yun (Bradenton, Fla.) (amateur) 74-70 - 144
48 Ulrika Ljungman-Smith (Stockholm, Sweden) 76-69 - 145
48 Jessica Shepley (Oakville, Ontario) 74-71 - 145
48 Mindy Kim (Diamond Bar, Calif.) 74-71 - 145
48 Whitney Wade (Glasgow, Ky.) 72-73 - 145
48 Stephanie George (Myerstown, Pa.) 71-74 - 145
48 LeAnna Wicks (Brighton, Mich.) 70-75 - 145
48 Katie Allison (Little River, S.C.) 73-72 - 145
48 Jessica Carafiello (Coral Springs, Fla.) 74-71 - 145
48 Leah Wigger (Louisville, Ky.) 74-71 - 145
57 Gina Umeck (Redlands, Calif.) 75-71 - 146
57 Ashley Knoll (The Woodlands, Texas) 75-71 - 146
57 Taya Battistella (Portland, Ore.) 74-72 - 146
57 Carol Green-Robertson (Tazewell, Va.) 72-74 - 146
57 Andrea Werner (Evansville, Ind.) 72-74 - 146
57 Danah Ford (Indianapolis, Ind.) 73-73 - 146
57 Amanda McCurdy (Little Rock, Ark.) 74-72 - 146
64 Sunny Oh (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) 76-71 - 147
64 Jin Hyun Kim (Seoul, South Korea) 75-72 - 147
64 Tanya Dergal (Durango, Mexico) 75-72 - 147
64 Sasha Medina (Ponce, Puerto Rico) 75-72 - 147
64 Marcela Leon (Monterrey, Mexico) 74-73 - 147
64 Michelle Jarman (Wilmington, N.C.) 73-74 - 147
64 Sofie Andersson (Angelholm, Sweden) 73-74 - 147
64 Sin Ah Ham (Torrance, Calif.) 73-74 - 147
64 Juli Erekson (Mapleton, Utah) 73-74 - 147
64 Katie Fraley (Brandenburg, Ky.) 73-74 - 147
64 Rebecka Heinmert (San Jose, Calif.) 70-77 - 147
64 Jaclyn Burch (Satellite Beach, Fla.) 74-73 - 147
MISSED THE CUT
Catherine Matranga (Fort Worth, Texas) 77-71 - 148
Cortney Reno (Grosse Ile, Mich.) 77-71 - 148
Alejandra Shaw (Vina Del Mar, Chile) 74-74 - 148
Jean Reynolds (Newnan, Ga.) 74-74 - 148
Cindy Lee-Pridgen (Sabah, Malaysia) 72-76 - 148
Christine Boucher (Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec) 71-77 - 148
M. J. Hur (Seoul, South Korea) 71-77 - 148
Stephanie Otteson (Wilson, N.C.) 73-75 - 148
Noon Huachai (Bangkok, Thailand) 71-77 - 148
Megan Godfrey (Homewood, Ill.) 73-75 - 148
Devan Andersen (Guadalajara, Mexico) 75-74 - 149
Kelly Schaub (Greeley, Colo.) 77-72 - 149
Heather Angell (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 77-72 - 149
Meghan Little (Sturgis, S.D.) 74-75 - 149
Alissa Kuczka (Phoenix, Ariz.) 72-77 - 149
Lorraine Ballerano (Myrtle Beach, S.C.) 73-76 - 149
Stacey Tate (Auckland, New Zealand) 71-78 - 149
Libby Smith (Essex Junction, Vt.) 73-76 - 149
Amanda Mathis (Opelousas, La.) 74-75 - 149
Bing Lim (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) 76-74 - 150
Anastasia Kostina (Nakhabino, Russia) 75-75 - 150
Brenda McLarnon (Belfast, Ireland) 75-75 - 150
Melissa Eaton (Port Shepstone, South Africa) 77-73 - 150
Caroline Larsson (Stockholm, Sweden) 74-76 - 150
Alexandra Braga (Los Angeles, Calif.) 74-76 - 150
Sam White (Potomac, Md.) 74-76 - 150
Lindsey Edmunds (London, Alberta) 72-78 - 150
Bridget Dwyer (Kailua, Hawaii) 75-76 - 151
Susan Choi (Natick, Mass.) 77-74 - 151
Charlotte Campbell (Heathrow, Fla.) 80-71 - 151
Y. J. Jin (Seoul, South Korea) 76-76 - 152
Jenna Pearson (Wheaton, Ill.) 78-74 - 152
Molly Birmingham (Cornelius, N.C.) 76-77 - 153
Morgan Olds (Stamford, Conn.) 75-78 - 153
Lili Alvarez (Durango, Mexico) 77-76 - 153
Jeehae Lee (Seoul, South Korea) 75-78 - 153
Jill Frantz (Iowa City, Iowa) 74-79 - 153
Sohi Moon (Seoul, South Korea) 72-81 - 153
Manuela Tarazona (Buenos Aires, Argentina) 76-78 - 154
Kate Stepanek (Guilford, Conn.) 77-77 - 154
Eileen Vargas (Ibague, Colombia) 78-76 - 154
Shayna Miyajima (Maui, Hawaii) 78-76 - 154
Kyla Jones (Nanuet, N.Y.) 77-78 - 155
Jillian Wyne (Calgary, Alberta) 75-80 - 155
Courtney Mahon (Lee's Summit, Mo.) 75-80 - 155
Elin Andersson (Eskilstuna, Sweden) 80-75 - 155
Rachel Bailey (Faulconbridge, Australia) 78-78 - 156
Yeon Joo Lee (Seoul, South Korea) 81-75 - 156
Jenny Hansen (Cairo, Neb.) 76-81 - 157
Haley Gildea (East Greenwich, R.I.) 77-80 - 157
Carmen Bandea (Atlanta, Ga.) 81-76 - 157
Julia Huh (Pasadena, Md.) 73-84 - 157
Jutta Degerman (Helsinki, Finland) 78-80 - 158
Lehua Wise (Kauai, Hawaii) 82-76 - 158
Lauren Todd (Phoenix, Ariz.) 74-85 - 159
Mary Moan (New Haven, Conn.) 81-78 - 159
Sae Hee Son (Seoul, South Korea) 82-77 - 159
Jessica Schneider (Elgin, Ill.) 79-83 - 162
Kimberly Goedecke (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.) 84-78 - 162
Michelle Toth (Toronto, Ontario) 82-81 - 163
Esther Moon (Nashville, Tenn.) 82-83 - 165
Angel Sze (a) (San Marino, Calif.) 86-85 - 171