Duns Golf Club juniors and clubgolf coaches celebrating when Alexander Hay, President of Duns Castle, presented the cheque to the club’s junior convener, Anne Wood (Image by Rob Eyton-Jones)

Juniors to benefit as Duns Golf Club wins

facility development award

Duns Golf Club, at the forefront of developing junior golf in its local community, secured an Awards for All lottery grant this summer to develop a junior practice facility.
The award, for a shade under £10,000, will enable the club to, in the words of Junior Convenor, Anne Wood “resurrect and develop an old putting area that has gone to wrack and ruin”. The club’s greenkeepers will start by lifting the old turf next month and aims to complete the project by June 2009. By then the club will have re-developed and shaped a brand new putting and chipping area, created both shallow and deep bunkers and introduced new driving nets.
Duns Golf Club is the perfect example of a club transforming its junior section through the national junior golf programme, clubgolf.
A partnership between the Scottish Golf Union, the Scottish Ladies' Golfing Association, the Professional Golfers' Association, the Golf Foundation and sportscotland, clubgolf emerged from Scotland’s successful bid to host the Ryder Cup. clubgolf is a result of the Scottish Government’s commitment to introduce every nine-year-old child in Scotland to the game.
By training three of its members to become PGA Level 1 qualified coaches last summer, the club was fully prepared to take in P5 children who had been introduced to the game at schools through firstclubgolf. Played with multi-coloured clubs, rubberised balls, Velcro targets and carefully planned progressive lesson cards, firstclubgolf provides a safe and exciting introduction to the game.
Following their in-school introduction, children can progress to the second phase of clubgolf's Player Pathway, Stage 1, involving 40 hours of coaching delivered over two years, and covers the fundamentals of putting, chipping, full swing, rules and etiquette.
Duns Golf Club took in over 40 children for its Stage 1 programme last summer, adding a further 22 this year. Some already have handicaps and the club is experiencing a surge in the numbers entering competitions. With such interest a better, junior-friendly area for the children to receive their weekly coaching was needed.
“The junior section is growing the whole time because of clubgolf,” said Anne. “When I got involved as junior convener a few years ago, the coaching was limited and we only had six or seven juniors playing in competitions.
“Now we have three volunteer coaches, there’s a fourth about to be trained and we have a huge amount of support from parents. When we had a competition this week 18 juniors turned up.”
Until now the club’s coaches have succeeded in teaching the children on a “tiny”, and far from ideal, putting area next to the course. A driving range three miles away provided the venue for teaching the long game.
“The area we have been using is right beside our first tee, which isn’t very good when you have a crowd of children,” said Mrs Wood. “So the club is delighted to receive this award. It will make a big difference for the kids to have their own area and the adults will be able to practise their putting and chipping too.”
Rob Eyton-Jones
clubgolf Media Manager
Official clubgolf website: http://www.clubgolfscotland.com/

Carly Booth the backmarker at Monifieth, but

Ivan Lendl daughter

Daniela must be one

of favourites for

British girls' title

Former world tennis No 1 Ivan Lendl is in Scotland with his youngest daughter Daniela.
She is in the field for the British girls’ open amateur championship which starts over the Monifieth links, just north of Dundee on Monday.
Connecticutt-based Lendl has five daughters in all. Three of them – Marika 18, Isabelle 17 and Daniela 15 - play golf to a high standard and are resident students at the David Leadbetter Golf Academy at Bradenton, Florida. Proud dad Ivan is pictured above with his golfing girls.
Daniela has a handicap of +2.1 and recently was seventh leading qualifier for the match-play stages of the United States girls’ championship with rounds of two-under-par 69 (her lowest ever score) and 73 for a 36-hole total of level par 142.
But Daniela, for some reason, suddenly lost form in the first round of match-play and gave a seven-over-par performance in suffering an unexpected 3 and 2 defeat by an Amy Anderson who went out in the next round.
“I never get mad about my daughters’ golf scores. I only get mad if there’s a poor effort,” says Ivan who is a quite good golfer himself.
“Dad only gets mad when he thinks you aren’t trying or if you do something really stupid, like, instead of laying up, you try to hit a shot 240 yards over water after your opponent has just hit her ball into the water,” says Isabelle.
Daniela Lendl has the nickname “Crash” which suggests she has an aggressive nature.
One of the favourites for the British title is Carly Booth, the 16-year-old Curtis Cup player from Comrie, Perthshire. Carly’s handicap of +3.1 makes, her on paper, the best in the field of a capacity field of over 200, mainly from Europe.
So many under-18 girls entered the championship this year that only those with handicaps of +4.5 or better will tee it up on Monday and Tuesday in two stroke-play qualifying rounds to decide the 64 contestants for the match-play stages, beginning on Wednesday.
The six girls who will make up half the European Junior Ryder Cup team to play the United States in Kentucky next week are all in the field – Carly Booth, Leona and Lisa Maguire, the amazing 13-year-old twins from Ireland, Kelly Tidy from Manchester, Anna Arrese (Spain) and Daisy Nielsen (Denmark).
Tidy reached the final of the British girls last year before losing to compatriot Henrietta Brockway who is too old this year to defend the coveted title.
It is the highest quality field ever assembled for a British girls' championship. There are 32 players with handicaps of +.5 or better in it.

NIVEN FIFTH, GODDARD SECOND
IN FINAL FINNISH PLACINGS

Crieff's Roseanne Niven finished a creditable fifth in the Finnish women's amateur international golf championship which ended at Helsinki Golf Club today.
Fellow Scot Emily Ogilvy (Auchterarder) came 14th of the 20 qualifiers for the final round in the 54-hole tournament.
Roseanne scored 74, 76 and 75 for a total of 225 over the par-71 course. She had a double bogey 6 at the 11th for the second day in a row. She also birdied the short seventh and 14th in her final round halves of 36 and 39.
Emily scored 75 76 and 80 for 231, her final round including double bogeys at the second and 17th and a triple bogey 78 at the 10th. She birdied the 14th and 16th in her final halves of of 39 and 41.
Welsh girls champion in 2004 and 2006, Tara Davies finished third on 217 with scores of 69, 73 and 75. An eagle 3 at the fourth and birdies at the first and third in her final round were nullified by a triple bogey 7 at the 10th.
Spain's Mirela Prat was the women's title winner by four shots with a two-under-par total of 211, made up of 72, 67 and 72.
In the men's championship at the same venue, England's Luke Goddard finished second on six-under-par 207 with scores of 66, 71 and 70. Winner was Finnish player Kalle Samooja with a total of 202.

FINAL TOTALS
WOMEN'S EVENT
Par 213 (3 x 71)
211 Mirela Prat (Spa) 72 657 72.
215 Linda Eriksson (Fin) 68 74 73.
217 Tara Davies (Wal) 69 73 75.
224 Ines Tusquets (Spa) 78 74 72.
225 R Niven (Sco) 74 76 75, Elina Kiavalko (Fin) 72 79 74, Rosa Svahn (Nor) 70 76 78.
Other scores:
230 Samantha Birks (Wal) 79 73 78 (jt 11th).
231 Emily Ogilvy (Sco) 75 76 80 (14th).
MEN'S EVENT
Par 213 (3 x 71)
202 Kalle Samooja (Fin) 65 69 68.
207 Luke Goddard (Eng) 66 71 70.
210 Mikael Salminen (Fin) 72 69 69.
Other scores:
212 Miles Mackman (Eng) 70 74 68.
214 Oliver Farr (Wal) 68 72 74.
221 James Frazer (Wal) 73 72 76.
226 Joseph Vicery (Wal) 74 74 78.
227 Andrew Sullivan (Eng) 73 76 78.

Pamela Feggans (69) only one shot
off the pace at London, Kentucky

Pamela Feggans was lying joint third at the end of the first round of this week's US Duramed Futures Tour event, the $100,000 Falls Auto Group Classic at London, Kentucky.
The Patna, Ayrshire player had halves of 35 and 34 in compling a three-under-par 69 to be one shot behind the joint leaders, Vicky Hurst from Florida and California's Lisa Ferrero.
Vikki Laing from Musselburgh was back in a share of 42nd place with a 74 (37-37) while Brenda McLarnon from Belfast returned a 77 (39-38) to be in joint 84th place.
LEADING SCORES
Par 72
68 Vicky Hurst (US) 34-34, Lisa Ferrer0 (US) 33-35.
69 Leah Whiting (US) 34-35, Yoora Kim (South Korea) 35-34, Sofie Andersson (Sweden)_35-34, Mindy Kim (US) 356-34, Pamela Feggans (Scotland) 35-34.
Other scores:
74 Vikki Laing (Scotland) 37-37 (jt 42nd).
77 Brenda McLarnon (Northern Ireland) 39-38.

Dorset 12-year-old sets course record

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY ENGLISH WOMEN'S GOLF ASSOCIATION
Twelve-year-old Georgia Hall has just slashed three shots off the Old course record at Ferndown in Dorset – with a five-under par 67.
Georgia, who plays off four, is a member of the English Women’s Golf Association’s South West Super Birdies Squad. She was playing in the Ferndown ladies’ championship when she set the course record with 11 pars, one bogey and six birdies. She eventually finished third in the 54-hole competition. Georgia has played under par a couple of times on Ferndown’s President’s course, but this was the first time she had beaten par on the Old course.
Georgia was also third in the English girls’ Under-13 championship which was held at Ramside, County Durham. She is a member of the Dorset team which has won through to the finals of the English counties’ championship.
Lyndsey Hewison
Press & PR Officer

Roseanne, Emily in
top 10 at halfway
in Finland

Crieff's Roseanne Niven and Emily Ogilvy (Auchterarder) were lying joint fifth and eighth respectively at the halfway stage of the Finnish women's international amateur golf championship at Helsinki Golf Club today.
Roseanne, pictured right by Cal Carson Golf Agency, all rights reserved, had scores of 74 and 76 for an eight-over-par tally of 150. She had a double bogey 6 at the 11th and birdies at the 10th and 12th in halves of 36 and 40 in her second round
Emily is on 151 after rounds of 75 and 76. Emily had an eagle 3 in her first round and four birdies - at the fifth, eighth, ninth and 16th - in her second circuit whicvh included double bogey 6s at the second and 10th in halves of 35 and 41.
Spain's Mirela Prat, with a 72 and 67 for 139, led by three shots from Tara Davies (Wales) and home player Linda Henriksson.
Twenty players in a field of 34 made the cut with 36-hole totals of 154 or better.
LEADING SCORES
Par 142 (2 x 71)
139 Mirela Prat (Spa) 72 67.
142 Tara Davies (Wal) 69 73, Linda Henriksson (Fin) 68 74.
146 Rosa Svahn (Nor) 70 76.
150 Kalsa Korhonen (Fin) 79 71, Suvi Mantyniemi (Fin) 76 74, Roseanne Niven (Sco) 74 76.
151 Emily Ogilvy (Sco) 75 76, Elina Ikavalko (Fin) 72 79.
152 Samantha Birks (Wal) 79 72.

LUKE GODDARD LYING THIRD IN MEN'S EVENT
In the Finnish men's amateur international championship, also at Helsinki Golf Club, Luke Goddard (England) was in third place on 137 with scores of 66 and 71. Finnish players were filling the first two places.
LEADING SCORES
Par 142 (2 x 71)
134 Kalle Samooja (Fin) 65 69.
136 Jonas Haglund (Fin) 69 67.
137 Luke Goddard (Eng) 66 71.
Other scores:
140 Oliver Farr (Wal) 68 72 (6th)
145 James Frazer (Wal) 73 72 (jt 18th).
148 Joseph Vickery (Wal) 74 74 (jt 29th).
149 Andrew Sullivan (Eng) 73 76 (jt 34th).
+Forty-three players with totals of 149 or better qualified for the final two rounds.

A great pleasure to be in Laura Davies'

company in pro-am at Sunningdale

A message (and picture) from Jim Adair:

Jim Adair here, husband of Elspeth and father of Karina Matson, last year's winners of the Peugeot Coronation Foursomes at The Duke's Course, St Andrews.

Just to let you know that the girls played with Laura Davies at Sunningdale in the Ricoh Women's British Open pro-am at Sunningdale.

Myself and my son-in-law were privileged to caddy for them in what was a very special day.

The weather was excellent and Laura was an inspiration to the girls. It was a pleasure to be in her company. All thanks to the Ladies Golf Union who arranged it.

I've attached a photograph if you wish to print any of this on your website.

Thank you

Jim Adair

Katy follows in Keir's

footsteps as a winner

over the Old Course

There's something about St Andrews and the Old Course that brings the best out of the McNicoll golfing family from Carnoustie.

Keir McNicoll won the St Andrews Links Trophy a few weeks back with an outstanding performance and today younger sister Katy won the St Andrews Links Trust's Junior Ladies tournament for the Golf Monthly Trophy.

But what a final over the Old Course.

It went to the 20th hole before Katy got the better of Jane Turner (Craigielaw).

+Image of Katy with the Golf Monthly Trophy is by courtesy of the St Andrews Links Trust website.

Today's results:

SEMI-FINALS

Katy McNicoll (Carnoustie Ladies) bt Emma Fairnie (Dunbar) 4 and 3.

Jane Turner (Craigielaw) bt Elle Sandak (Australia) 3 and 2.

FINAL

McNicoll bt Turner at 20th.

Pamela Pretswell after the trophy presentation conclusion to her marvellous victory last weekend in the Swiss women's amateur international championship at Lucerne.
"I really appreciate all the kind congratulations messages people have sent me," says Pamela.

And here's some more:

CONGRATULATIONS FROM 'ANGELA'

"Congratulations on your fantastic win in Switzerland, Pamela. What an amazing achievement! All the very best for the future from your Hamilton buddy."

CONGRATULATIONS FROM 'SUSAN'

"Fantastic win! Well done to my county foursomes partner! Another Lanarkshire star in the making - we are all very proud of you. Love Susan x"

CONGRATULATIONS FROM ELLICE CACKETT, MCLGA captain.

"Congratulations on your great win in Switzerland and your great rounds at the Mackie Bowl. Hope you continue playing well and enjoying your golf. Ellice

Strong local challenge for
English mid-am title

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY ENGLISH WOMEN'S GOLF ASSOCIATION
Local interest will be strong when the English women’s open mid-amateur championship takes place at Wallasey, Cheshire, next week from August 12-15.
The full field includes 15 competitors from Cheshire clubs together with players from 19 other English counties and representatives from Wales and Scotland.
Former English champion Kerry Smith (Waterlooville) is one of the lowest handicappers in the field. She plays off +2, as does Holly Aitchison (Bedfordshire) who was the 2007 Portuguese champion.
They are both members of the English Women’s Golf Association Performance squad which also includes Charlie Douglass (Brocket Hall), who plays off +1, and scratch golfer Sian James (Bristol & Clifton).
Gloucestershire’s Charlotte Ellis (Minchinhampton) will be looking to regain the title she won in 2006 and the South-West champion has been in good form all season. Last year’s runner-up, Jenny Pease (Braintree) will also be hoping to go one better this year. There are a number of competitors who will soon be returning to the USA to continue their studies and their golf at American universities.
They include Ellie Givens (Blackwell Grange), who was the 2007 English girls’ champion, Fern Grimshaw (Weymouth) and local player Laura Jones (Royal Liverpool Ladies). Laura, who is at Oklahoma City University and has won on the college circuit, is likely to be at the forefront of the Cheshire challenge in this championship.
Other strong local contenders on this links course could include Stephanie Farrar (Sandiway) who was the 2007 county champion and her club colleague Kate Whitmore; the up-and-coming player Claire Fry (Royal Liverpool) who is enjoying good form; and Caroline Marron (Bromborough) who is a past winner of the English stroke-play championship.
The championship, which is open to players aged 18-50, starts on Tuesday, August 12, with two strokeplay qualifying rounds.
The leading 32 players go forward to the match-play stages and the final will be played on the morning of Friday, August 15.
Full details: www.englishwomensgolf.org
Lyndsey Hewison
Press & PR Officer

Runners-up Ireland with the Swansea Spoon at the conclusion of the Girls' Home International Matches at Panmure Golf Club (Cal Carson Golf Agency image, all rights reserved).

They are the champions! England's victorious team with the Stroyan Cup at Panmure Golf Club (Cal Carson Golf Agency image, all rights reserved).

Scotland's squad at Panmure GC with team captain Elaine Moffat and team manager Karen Mashall (Image by courtesy of Ladies Golf Union, all rights reserved). Click on it to enlarge slightly.

GIRLS’ HOME INTERNATIONALS
Day 3 at Panmure Golf Club, Barry.
SCOTLAND 4, IRELAND 5
Foursomes: C Booth, K MacDonald bt S Cunningham, Lisa Maguire 4 and 2; R Wilson, S Vass lost to P Delaney, E O’Driscoll 1 hole; A Niven, L Atkins bt S Meadow, S L Winter 3 and 2 (2-1)
Singles: Booth lost to Cunningham 4 and 3, MacDonald bt S Crowe 7 and 6, Vass lost to Lisa Maguire 5 and 3, Niven lost to O’Driscoll 7 and 6, Atkins bt Winter 2 holes, Wilson lost to Meadow 3 and 2 (2-4).

WALES 2, ENGLAND 7
Foursomes: A Boulden, K O’Connor lost to H Barwood, H Clyburn 2 holes; K Miller, G Bradbury lost to R Connor, H Baek 2 and 1; N Gobey, L Watkins lost to K Tidy, A Peters 3 and 1 (0-3).
Singles: C Williams lost to Barwood 5 and 3, Watkins lost to Clyburn 7 and 5, Boulden bt Baek 3 and 1, K O’Connor bt K Mundy 3 and 2 , Miller lost to Tidy 2 and 1, Gobey lost to R Connor 2 and 1 (2-4).

FINAL PLACINGS
1 England 3pt; 2 Ireland 1 1/2pt; 3 Scotland 1pt; 4 Wales 0pt.

England regain Stroyan Cup, Scotland finish third

England’s 7-2 win over Wales on the final day of the Girls' Home Internationals clinched the recapture of the title and the Stroyan Cup which had been in Scotland’s possession for the past two years.
On another wet day at Panmure Golf Club, England swept the foursomes 3-0 against Wales– as they did against the Scots on Wednesday – and then took the singles 4-2.
That meant the English finished with a 100 per cent record through the three days, having earlier beaten first Ireland and then Scotland.
The balance of Under-18 power has swung back to England who had that strength in depth advantage over the other countries. England’s skipper Julie Brown relied in the main on a nucleus of six players over the three days.
Ireland beat the Scots 5-4 today, coming back from 2-1 down at lunchtime, to take the Swansea Spoon as runners-up with one win (over Scotland) and one draw (with Wales).
Scotland slipped down to third place with one win (over Wales) and two defeats.
And so the pecking order established in the recent European girls’ team championship was more or less confirmed. England were beaten finalists at Murcar Links with Ireland seventh, Wales 16th and Scotland 17th of 19.
English women’s champion Hannah Barwood and Holly Clyburn built on the 3-0 foursomes lead to get their team’s points total up to the winning figure of five.
Hannah, who birdied the first and fourth holes to jump into a two-hole lead, went on to beat Wales’ Chloe Williams by 5 and 3. Chloe raised her hopes by winning the 10th and 11th but Barwood bounced back by winning four holes in a row from the 12th for a 5 and 3 victory.
Clyburn started like an express train on her way to a 7 and 5 win against Laura Watkins. The English player won the first three holes, halved the fourth and then took the next three holes to be six up on the eighth tee. Watkins stemmed the tide, if only momentarily by winning the eighth.
But Clyburn was not to be derailed. She won the ninth and 11th – lost the 12th – but won the 13th to end the match.
Katherine O’Connor put a point on the board for Wales by beating newcomer Katie Mundy 3 and 2. After losing the first hole, O’Connor won five out of seven holes in a row from the fourth to get into the driving seat and stay there.
Welsh girls champion Amy Boulden doubled the Welsh points tally with a 3 and 2 win over Heidi Baek. Amy took a grip on the match early on by winning the first, second, fifth and sixth, losing only the fourth. Heidi hung on in there to cut her deficit to one hole at the 11th but Boulden finished just the stronger, taking the 13th, 16th and 17th to Baek’s win at the 15th.
In the battle of the “Kellys,” Tidy of England beat Miller of Wales by 2 and 1. Kelly Tidy was never headed after winning the third but it was all square after seven and it was the English player’s successes at the 10th, 12th and 16th that proved crucial in the final analysis.
Rachel Connor, daughter of the Scots-born Manchester pro, gained England’s seventh point of the day with a 2 and 1 win over Natasha Gobey who mounted a little comeback after being four down at the turn but could not improve on a deficit of two holes.
KELSEY MACDONALD IMPRESSIVE
Scotland started their singles with a one-point lead over Ireland and Kelsey MacDonald made it 3-1 with an impressive 7 and 6 win over Ireland’s Sarah Crowe, a performance by the Scot that included three birdies. That was completed at 3.20pm – and it was almost another two hours before Scotland got their only other win in the singles.
Sarah Cunningham, promoted to the No 1 singles position in the absence of the injured Leona Maguire, the Irish women’s champion, scored her only win of the three days – but it was a notable scalp she claimed. Sarah beat Scots girls champion and Junior Ryder Cup player Carly Booth by 4 and 3, having been four up at the turn.
On a holes-won count, Sarah had a 7-3 advantage over her much more highly-rated opponent.
Lisa Maguire, the Irish girls title-holder, dropped down to the No 3 slot was just too good for Sammy Vass with a 5 and 3 scoreline, rounding off the match by winning the 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th, and Emma O’Driscoll was also a handsome winner, by 7 and 6 over Annabel Niven. Emma did not lose a hole and was four up after seven. She ended the tie by winning the 10th, 11th and 12th.
Stephanie Meadow got the winning fifth point for Ireland, beating Rebecca Wilson by 3 and 2 in a match that was very tight for a long spell after Rebecca cancelled out Stephanie’s wins at the first two holes. Successes at the 12th, 15th and 16th tipped the scales in favour of the US-based Irish girl.
Scotland won the last tie to finish with 14-year-old Lesley Atkins, who was three times two down, battling on strongly to win four holes in a row from the 12th, losing the 16th and then clinching a two-hole win by winning the 18th. Scotland's Under-14 champion, Lesley is definitely one for the future.
Six players finished the tournament with five wins out of six.
England had three with that fine record – Holly Clyburn, Rachel Connor and Kelly Tidy. The others sharing the “Most Valuable Player” honour were Scotland’s Kelsey MacDonald, Ireland’s Lisa Maguire and Amy Boulden of Wales.

Now for the second leg of the Under-18 girls' double-header down Tayside way - next week's British girls' open amateur championship at Monifieth.

Ireland lose Leona - and

the foursomes to Scotland

Scotland shaded the morning foursomes 2-1 against Ireland while England, for the second day in a row, made a clean sweep of their foursomes, this time 3-0 against Wales.
The loss of their national women’s champion, Leona Maguire, with a back injury was a blow to Ireland as they met Scotland in the contest which looked like deciding who would be runners-up to England.
Sarah Cunningham replaced Leona as foursomes partner to 13-year-old twin sister Lisa Maguire in the first tie off the tee on another very wet morning at Panmure Golf Club.
Scotland’s top pairing of their Under-18 girls champion Carly Booth (pictured by Cal Carson Golf Agency, all rights reserved)and Under-21 title-holder Kelsey MacDonald beat the make-shift Irish pairing by 4 and 2 after winning the second, third, fourth and seventh in teeming rain.
Sarah and Lisa did win the fifth, eighth and 10TH to be one down on the 11th tee but after a couple of halved holes, the Scots pulled away again with successes at the 13th, 15th and 16th.
It was Lisa Maguire’s first defeat after four wins through four sessions of play.
Scotland went 2-0 up when Annabel Niven and Lesley Atkins beat Stephanie Meadow and Sarah Louise Winter by 3 and 2. The key stretch in this tie saw the Scots win the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth to move from one down to four up at the turn.
It was a first win in the tournament for both the young Scots.
Ireland kept their hopes alive by restricting Scotland to a one-point lunchtime lead. Ireland’s Patrice Delaney and Emma O’Driscoll won the 18th to finish one up on Rebecca Wilson and Sammy Vass after a ding-dong struggle.
The Scots were two up after 13 but Delaney and O’Driscoll won the 14th and 15, lost the 16th to go one down again but won the last two holes.
English women’s champion Hannah Barwood and Holly Clyburn staged a grandstand finish to win the last three holes for a two-hole win over the Welsh pair of girls champion Amy Boulden and Katherine O’Connor in the top foursome.
It was a see-saw match in which Barwood and Clyburn won the fifth and sixth to two up after the third and fourth holes had been exchanged. Boulden and O’Connor squared matters with successes at the ninth and 11th and the Welsh pair went one up for the first time at the 14th.
After the 15th was halved, Barwood and Clyburn squared the tie at the 16th, went one up at the 17th and, with a birdie 3, clinched their victory by taking the 18th for a two-hole win.
It was Amy Boulden’s first reverse after four wins.
Rachel Connor and Heidi Baek advanced England’s morning lead to 2-0 by beating Kelly Miller and Gemma Bradbury 2 and 1. The Welsh pair won the second and fifth to go two up but Connor and Baek levelled it by winning the sixth and seventh.
Then the English pair went two up by taking the 10th and 12th . Miller and Bradbury cut their deficit to one by winning the 13th but that was their last success. Connor and Baek went two up again at the 14th and halved their way from there.
Kelly Tidy and Alex Peters made it a comprehensive 3-0 foursomes win for England by beating Natasha Gobey and Laura Watkins 3 and 1 in the last tie to finish. Tidy and Peters lost the first and third holes but won the second and then took the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh for a three-hole lead.
The Welsh won the eighth but Tidy and Peters regained a three-hole lead at the ninth.
The English advantage increased to four holes at the 13th.
ends

Results from St Andrews:

GOLF MONTHLY TROPHY
Quarter-finals
K McNicoll (Carnoustie) bt J Metivier (Fra) 4 and 3.
E Fairnie (Dunbar) bt M McMahon (Yeovil) 3 and 1.
E Sandak (Australia) bt S Farrar (Sandiway) 2 and 1.
J Turner (Craigielaw) bt G Monteith (Portpatrick Dunskey) 4 and 3.

Back injury puts Leona Maguire
onsidelines for Panmure Day 3

Leona Maguire (Slieve Russell), the 13-year-old Irish women's champion, will not play for Ireland on the final day of the Girls Home Internationals at Panmure Golf Club today.
She hurt her back during her 2 and 1 defeat by Natasha Gobey (Wales) in the Day 2 match.
Leona was named to partner her twin sister Lisa, the Irish girls' champion, as the top pairing against Scotland this morning but Sarah Cunningham was substituted for her before play started in even worse weather than yesterday - steady rain.
Ireland captain Sinead Keane was unable to speculate whether Leona Maguire would be fit enough to play in next week's British girls' open amateur championship at Monifieth where she would be one of the title favourites.

Day 2 results from Panmure


GIRLS’ HOME INTERNATIONALS
Panmure Golf Club, Barry, Carnoustie
Day 2

ENGLAND 6 1/2, SCOTLAND 2 1/2
Foursomes: H Barwood, H Clyburn bt C Booth, K MacDonald 4 and 3; R Connor, H Baek bt R Wilson, S Vass 2 holes; K Tidy, A Peters bt A Niven, L Atkins 4 and 3 (3-0).
Singles: Barwood bt E Briggs 7 and 5, Clyburn bt Niven 4 and 2, Tidy lost to Booth 2 and 1, H Searle lost to MacDonald 5 and 4, Peters halved with Wilson, Connor bt Vass 8 and 7 (3 ½- 2 ½).

IRELAND 4 1/2, WALES 4 1/2
Foursomes: Leona Maguire, Lisa Maguire bt G Bradbury, C Williams 4 and 3; S Meadow, S L Winter bt K Miller, N Gobey 5 and 4; S Cunningham, E O’Driscoll lost to A Boulden, K O’Connor 2 holes (2-1).
Singles: Lisa Maguire bt K Bradbury 7 and 6, P Delaney lost to Miller 6 and 4, S Crowe lost to Boulden 5 and 4, Meadow halved with O’Connor, O’Driscoll bt G Bradbury 4 and 2, Leona Maguire lost to Gobey 2 and 1 (2 1/2 –3 1/2)

THURSDAY’S FINAL MATCHES
Scotland v Ireland
Wales v England


England look set to regain the Stroyan Cup they last won three years ago. They destroyed the title hat-trick hopes of Scotland by beating them 6 1/2-2 ½ on a miserably wet, windy and cool Day 2 of Girls’ Home Internationals at Panmure Golf Club, Barry near Carnoustie.
England, with wins over Ireland and now Scotland, complete their programme on Thursday by playing Wales. The Scots play Ireland in a contest for the runner-up position.
Ireland were held to a 4 ½-4 ½ draw by Wales.
The writing was on the wall in rather large letters for skipper Elaine Moffat’s home squad when England made a clean sweep of all three morning foursomes.
The English remained in the driving seat in the singles in which Scotland promoted Eilidh Briggs (who was withdrawn from the morning action, suffering from the tiring after-effects of a bout of hayfever), and 16-year-old Annabel Niven to the top two singles berths.
English women’s champion Hannah Barwood beat Eilidh by 7 and 5 in a one-sided contest in which the Scot did not win a hole and was five down at the turn.
England’s No 6 in the batting order, Rachel Connor, advanced the scoreline to 5-0 – a winning margin overall - by beating an off-form Sammy Vass 8 and 7. Rachel did not lose a hole and won six of the first seven plus the ninth to be seven up at the turn.
Kelsey MacDonald put Scotland’s first point on the scoreboard by beating Helen Searle 5 and 4. Helen, introduced by England captain Julie Brown for her first outing of the week, had the misfortune to meet an in-form Scotland Under-21 champion in the No 4 position in the ‘batting order.’
Searle won only one hole, the 10th, to reduce her deficit to two holes. MacDonald then captured the 11th, 13th and 14th for victory.
Holly Clyburn made it 6-1 overall for England with a 4 and 2 win over Annabel Niven who was always playing second fiddle after losing the first two holes. Clyburn was three up at the turn and won the 10th.
Scotland’s Under-18 champion, Carly Booth, playing at No 3, beat Kelly Tidy 2 and 1 in a match between two members of Europe’s Junior Ryder Cup team for America next month.
Kelly was two up after 10 but Carly turned the tide with wins at the 12th, 13th and 14th.
Scotland’s heroine from the opening day, Rebecca Wilson, one down on the 18th tee, again showed her battling qualities by winning the last with a par 4 to gain a halved match with 14-year-old Alex Peters.
England, winners by 6 1/2-2 1/2, thus avenged a 7 ½-1 ½ defeat by the all-conquering Scots 12 months ago.
Lisa Maguire, the Irish girls’ champion, preserved her 100% success record through four sessions of play by beating Katie Bradbury 7 and 6 in the top singles tie in the Ireland-Wales match. Lisa lost only one hole, the third, and was five up after eight holes before adding further successes at the 10th and 11th.
Wales, who had lost the foursomes 2-1, levelled the overall score at 3-3 with a 6 and 4 win by Kelly Miller over Patrice Delaney and a 5 and 4 success by Welsh girls champion Amy Boulden against Irish newcomer Sarah Crowe.
Miller jumped into a four-hole lead after only five holes and was a commanding six holes to the good at the turn.
Boulden made her personal record four wins out of four over the two days but Sarah was still square after six holes, having won the sixth to cancel out the loss of the third,. Boulden slipped into top gear to win four holes in a row from the seventh in the decisive part of the tie.
Ireland edged ahead 4-3 with a 4 and 2 win by Emma O’Driscoll over Gemma Bradbury. Emma was two up after seven but lost the eighth before taking a grip on the outcome with successes at the 10th, 12th and 14th holes.
That left two ties to finish and Wales, in the shape of Katherine O’Connor and Natasha Gobey, were one up in both of them coming into the closing holes.
US-based Stephanie Meadow, trailing to O’Connor throughout the match after losing the second and fourth holes and still two down with two to play, bravely won both the 17th and 18th for a square match. That ensured that Ireland would get at least a draw and in the end that’s what they got.
Even with Irish women’s champion Leona Maguire in the No 6 slot, they could not get the point that would have given them victory.
Natasha, playing the game of her life, square the match at the 11th and edged ahead at the 14th and clinched a 2 and 1 victory by winning the 17th with a bogey 5.

England's Alex Peters pitching to the last green against Rebecca Wilson in the last England v Scotland singles to finish. Rebecca won the 18th with a par 4 to get a square game. Image by Cal Carson Golf Agency, all rights reserved. Enlarge the image by clicking on it.

Day 2 results from Panmure

GIRLS’ HOME INTERNATIONALS
Panmure Golf Club, Barry, Carnoustie


ENGLAND 6 1/2, SCOTLAND 2 1/2
Foursomes: H Barwood, H Clyburn bt C Booth, K MacDonald 4 and 3; R Connor, H Baek bt R Wilson, S Vass 2 holes; K Tidy, A Peters bt A Niven, L Atkins 4 and 3 (3-0).
Singles: Barwood bt E Briggs 7 and 5, Clyburn bt Niven 4 and 2, Tidy lost to Booth 2 and 1, H Searle lost to MacDonald 5 and 4, Peters halved with Wilson, Connor bt Vass 8 and 7 (3 ½- 2 ½).

IRELAND 4 1/2, WALES 4 1/2
Foursomes: Leona Maguire, Lisa Maguire bt G Bradbury, C Williams 4 and 3; S Meadow, S L Winter bt K Miller, N Gobey 5 and 4; S Cunningham, E O’Driscoll lost to A Boulden, K O’Connor 2 holes (2-1).
Singles: Lisa Maguire bt K Bradbury 7 and 6, P Delaney lost to Miller 6 and 4, S Crowe lost to Boulden 5 and 4, Meadow halved with O’Connor, O’Driscoll bt G Bradbury 4 and 2, Leona Maguire lost to Gobey 2 and 1 (2 1/2 –3 1/2)

THURSDAY’S FINAL MATCHES
Scotland v Ireland
Wales v England

England set to regain Stroyan Cup

England look set to regain the Stroyan Cup they last won three years ago. They destroyed the title hat-trick hopes of Scotland by beating them 6 1/2-2 ½ on a miserably wet, windy and cool Day 2 of Girls’ Home Internationals at Panmure Golf Club, Barry near Carnoustie.
England, with wins over Ireland and now Scotland, complete their programme on Thursday by playing Wales. The Scots play Ireland in a contest for the runner-up position.
Ireland were held to a 4 ½-4 ½ draw by Wales.
The writing was on the wall in rather large letters for skipper Elaine Moffat’s home squad when England made a clean sweep of all three morning foursomes.
The English remained in the driving seat in the singles in which Scotland promoted Eilidh Briggs (who was withdrawn from the morning action, suffering from the tiring after-effects of a bout of hayfever), and 16-year-old Annabel Niven to the top two singles berths.
English women’s champion Hannah Barwood beat Eilidh by 7 and 5 in a one-sided contest in which the Scot did not win a hole and was five down at the turn.
England’s No 6 in the batting order, Rachel Connor, advanced the scoreline to 5-0 – a winning margin overall - by beating an off-form Sammy Vass 8 and 7. Rachel did not lose a hole and won six of the first seven plus the ninth to be seven up at the turn.
Kelsey MacDonald put Scotland’s first point on the scoreboard by beating Helen Searle 5 and 4. Helen, introduced by England captain Julie Brown for her first outing of the week, had the misfortune to meet an in-form Scotland Under-21 champion in the No 4 position in the ‘batting order.’
Searle won only one hole, the 10th, to reduce her deficit to two holes. MacDonald then captured the 11th, 13th and 14th for victory.
Holly Clyburn made it 6-1 overall for England with a 4 and 2 win over Annabel Niven who was always playing second fiddle after losing the first two holes. Clyburn was three up at the turn and won the 10th.
Scotland’s Under-18 champion, Carly Booth, playing at No 3, beat Kelly Tidy 2 and 1 in a match between two members of Europe’s Junior Ryder Cup team for America next month.
Kelly was two up after 10 but Carly turned the tide with wins at the 12th, 13th and 14th.
Scotland’s heroine from the opening day, Rebecca Wilson, one down on the 18th tee, again showed her battling qualities by winning the last with a par 4 to gain a halved match with 14-year-old Alex Peters.
England, winners by 6 1/2-2 1/2, thus avenged a 7 ½-1 ½ defeat by the all-conquering Scots 12 months ago.
Having a 2-1 lunchtime lead over Wales, Ireland, with the Maguire twins at the beginning and end of their singles line-up, looked set to gain at least the three additional points they needed for victory ... but the Welsh Dragon had other ideas.
Lisa Maguire, the Irish girls’ champion, preserved her 100% success record through four sessions of play by beating Katie Bradbury 7 and 6 in the top singles tie in the Ireland-Wales match. Lisa lost only one hole, the third, and was five up after eight holes before adding further successes at the 10th and 11th.
Wales, who had lost the foursomes 2-1, levelled the overall score at 3-3 with a 6 and 4 win by Kelly Miller over Patrice Delaney and a 5 and 4 success by Welsh girls champion Amy Boulden against Irish newcomer Sarah Crowe.
Miller jumped into a four-hole lead after only five holes and was a commanding six holes to the good at the turn.
Boulden made her personal record four wins out of four over the two days but Sarah was still square after six holes, having won the sixth to cancel out the loss of the third,. Boulden slipped into top gear to win four holes in a row from the seventh in the decisive part of the tie.
Ireland edged ahead 4-3 with a 4 and 2 win by Emma O’Driscoll over Gemma Bradbury. Emma was two up after seven but lost the eighth before taking a grip on the outcome with successes at the 10th, 12th and 14th holes.
That left two ties to finish and Wales, in the shape of Katherine O’Connor and Natasha Gobey, were one up in both of them coming into the closing holes.
US-based Stephanie Meadow, trailing to O’Connor throughout the match after losing the second and fourth holes and still two down with two to play, bravely won both the 17th and 18th for a square match. That ensured that Ireland would get at least a draw and in the end that’s what they got.
Even with Irish women’s champion Leona Maguire in the No 6 slot, they could not get the point that would have given them victory.
Natasha, playing the game of her life, square the match at the 11th and edged ahead at the 14th and clinched a 2 and 1 victory by winning the 17th with a bogey 5.

THURSDAY MORNING FOURSOMES

SCOTLAND v IRELAND
8.30 Carly Booth & Kelsey MacDonald v Leona Maguire & Lisa Maguire.
8.40 Rebecca Wilson & Sammy Vass v Patrice Delaney & Emma O'Driscoll.
8.50 Annabel Niven & Lesley Atkins v Stephanie Meadow & Sarah Louise Winter.

Singles are: 1.10, 1.20, 1.30, 1.40, 1.50 and 2pm.

WALES v ENGLAND
9.00 Amy Boulden & Katherine O'Connor v Hannah Barwood & Holly Clyuburn.
9.10 Kelly Miller & Gemma Bradbury v Rachel Connor & Heidi Baek.
9.20 Natasha Gobey & Laura Watkings v Kelly Tidy & Alex Peters.

Singles at: 2.10, 2.20, 2.30, 2.40, 2.50 and 3pm.

New arrival

Congratulations to Vicky and Richard Frost on the arrival of their new baby daughter, Poppy, on Monday evening, three weeks early and weighing 6lb 40z. Vicky is the daughter of Trish Wilson, Chairman of the LGU, who is up at Panmure for the British Girls Home Internationals. Poppy is Trish and Roger's first grandchild. Everyone at the LGU sends their best wishes to Trish and her family on this very happy occasion.

Latest news from Girls' Home Internationals

ENGLAND v SCOTLAND
FOURSOMES: 3-0
SINGLES
Hannah Barwood bt Eilidh Briggs 7 and 5.
Rachel Connor bt Sammy Vass 8 and 7.
England lead 5-0 with four matches to finish

England name Hannah, Holly and Alex for Monifieth
PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY ENGLISH WOMEN'S GOLF
English women's champion Hannah Barwood and fellow girl internationals Holly Clyburn and Alex Peters will represent England in the Nations Cup at the British girls’ championship at Monifieth, from August 11-15.
Hannah, 18, from Knowle in Gloucestershire, will captain the team. Holly, 17, plays at Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire, while Alex, 14, is from Notts Ladies, Nottinghamshire.
All three are in the England team currently contesting the Girls’ Home Internationals at Panmure, near Carnoustie.
Lyndsey Hewison
Press & PR Officer

Scotland's Sammy Vass pitches to the 18th, having had a lift and drop from the casual water you can see on the 18th fairway. Sammy and Annabel Niven lost by two holes to Rachel Connor and Heidi Baek. Image by Cal Carson Golf Agency (all rights reserved). You can enlarge it by clicking on it.

England make clean sweep of foursomes v Scotland

England took a stranglehold on the outcome of their Day 2 match against Scotland when they made a clean sweep of the three morning foursomes on a wet and windy morning at Panmure Golf Club.
Holly Barwood, the English women’s champion, and Holly Clyburn beat the top Scots pairing of Carly Booth and Kelsey MacDonald by 4 and 3 in a tie that started off with an exchange of birdies.
The English birdied the first and the Scots birdied the second but Barwood and Clyburn regained their one-hole lead with a par at the third.
Holes six to eight held the key to the outcome of this match. England birdied the sixth and also won the next two to establish a four-hole advantage after eight holes.
Booth and MacDonald halted the slide by halving the next four holes and winning the 13th to be three down. But Barwood and Clyburn went four up again by winning the 14th and a half at the next ended the contest.
England increased their lead to 2-0 with a 4 and 3 win by Kelly Tidy and Alexandra Peters over Annabel Niven and Lesley Atkins who came in as a replacement for hayfever victim Eilidh Briggs.
The English pair never looked back after birdieing the second and third to go two up.
Niven and Atkins twice reduced their deficit to one hole through holes four to ten but Tidy and Peters won the 12th, 14th and 15th , the latter two holes with bogeys, to wrap up a victory.
England were well on their way to avenging last year’s 7 ½-1 ½ defeat by the Scots when they increased the lunchtime scoreline to 3-0 with a one-hole win by Rachel Connor and Heidi Baek over Rebecca Wilson and Sammy Vass.
Connor and Baek took the second with a birdie and the third with a par but lost the fifth, sixth and eighth as Wilson and Vass hit back. The English pair went from one down to three up with successes at the 12th, 13th and 14th.
The Scots won back the 16th on a concession but Connor and Baek won the last to finish two holes up.
The Maguire twins were in good form as Ireland took the foursomes 2-1 against Wales.
Leona and Lisa beat Gemma Bradbury and Chloe Williams by 4 and 3 after turning with a four-hole lead. The Welsh pair won the 10th and 14th but wins at the 13th and 15th tied up an Irish victory.
Ireland’s Stephanie Meadow and Sarah Louise Winter won the second foursome by 5 and 4 after losing the first hole to Kelly Miller and Natasha Gobey. By the 10th, the Irish had surged into a four-hole lead. They lost the 11th but Meadow and Winter came again to win the 13th and 14th for the match.
Wales’ third string of national girls champion Amy Boulden and Katherine O’Connor were never in arrears after winning the second and fourth. Sarah Cunningham and Emma O’Driscoll won the fifth but the Welsh pair took the eighth and ninth to be three up at the turn. They lost the 10th but won the 14th

The Irish pair mounted a late rally by winning the 16th and 17th to be one down coming down the 18th. Boulden and O'Connor won the last for a two-hole victory.

FOURSOMES RESULTS

ENGLAND lead SCOTLAND 3-0
H Barwood & H Clyburn bt C Booth & K MacDonald 4 and 3.
R Connor & H Baek bt R Wilson & S Vass 2 holes.
K Tidy & A Peters bt A Niven & L Atkins 4 and 3.

IRELAND lead WALES 2-1
Leona & Lisa Maguire bt G Bradbury & C Williams 4 and 3.
S Meadow & S L Winter bt K Miller & N Gobey 5 and 4.
S Cunningham & E O'Driscoll lost to A Boulden & K O'Connor 2 holes.

NIKE PRESS RELEASE

Aussie amateur champion Kristie
Smith turns pro with Nike

Nike Golf has today made another exciting addition to its rapidly expanding roster of talented athletes with the signing of Kristie Smith. The 20-year-old Australian turned professional last week after a highly successful amateur career and has signed a multi-year agreement to represent Nike Golf in clubs, balls, apparel, footwear, glove, accessories and bag.
Smith, who will play her first tournament as a professional at the Scandinavian TPC this week after a personal invitation from Annika Sorenstam, stunningly announced her arrival in golf this year by securing a trio of leading amateur titles Down Under - at the LG/Bing Lee NSW Open, the MFS Women’s Australian Open and the ANZ Ladies Masters.
In April she emulated her father, former Touring professional Wayne Smith, by winning the Australian amateur women's championship 25 years after he claimed his national crown.
Wayne, the 1983 Australian Amateur champion, caddied for Kristie as she won her title in the 36-hole matchplay final.
Kristie’s most recent success came two weeks ago when she won the much coveted North-South Amateur at Pinehurst CC in North Carolina. "I have had an amazing year so far and I am looking forward to the new challenges that are coming my way,'' Smith said.
“Signing with Nike Golf at the start of my career is very exciting as they are the perfect partner for a young aspiring golfer wanting to achieve the highest goals. I know that the team there will work with me to give me the very best equipment and support to help me make the transition from amateur to successful professional.”

Carly and Kelsey lose to English

England won the top foursomes tie against Scotland on Day 2 of the Girls' Home International Matches at Panmure Golf Club.
English women's champion Hannah Barwood and Holly Clyburn beat Scotland's top pairing of Carly Booth and Kelsey MacDonald by 4 and 3.
England were also one up after 13 holes in Match 2 and two up after 13 holes in Match 3.

Leona Maguire is pictured on left and 13-year twin sister Lisa is on the right. Both on the first tee at Panmure Golf Club (Cal Carson Golf Agency images, all rights reserved)

The Maguire girls are Magic!

Appearing at a course near you?

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Thirteen-year-old identical twins - it's a golf writer/photographer's nightmare!Leona Maguire is the Irish WOMEN'S champion and Lisa is the Irish GIRLS' champion (one reader pointed out we got it wrong, the other way round, on this website earlier in the week.Sorry, girls!
Now which one won the European Masters' girls title at Chantilly recently and which one finished joint second? I shall have to look it up.
They will both be playing for Europe - alongwith with Scotland's Carly Booth and England's Kelly Tidy - in the Junior Ryder Cup match against the United States next month in Kentucky.The Maguire sisters are leading off the action for Ireland this week in the Girls' Home Internationals at Panmure Golf Club, Barry and they will be playing in the British girls' open amateur championship over the Monifieth links next week.

If you live in the area, and you are interested in golf - which you must be if you are reading this - then well worth a trip to either venue to see these talented girls in action. There are still people in the Angus area who are proud to say they saw Ben Hogan in action when he won the 1953 Open at Carnoustie. The Maguire girls could be golfing super-stars within another decade so seeing them at this age would be a memory to treasure.
If they are this good at 13, just think of their skills by the time they are 20. Or maybe they will realise just how difficult the game of golf is by that age.

Interestingly enough, the Irish Ladies Golf Union issued a whole list of teams for the second half of the season - and the names of Lisa and Leona were conspicuous by their absence. Well done, the twins' parents, for keeping their daughters' feet on the ground.

School and education are just as important as golf - probably even more important - when you are only 13.

If you have a comment, you can E-mail it to Colin@Scottishgolfview.com

St Andrews Links junior women's tournament

Second-day results from the St Andrews Links Trust junior women's tournament:

GOLF MONTHLY TROPHY

FIRST ROUND (over Eden Course)
Katy McNicoll (Carnoustie) bt Gemma Dryburgh (Beaconsfield) 4 and 2.
Jeanne Metivier (France) bt Gillian Simpson (Murrayfield) 6 and 5.
Emma Fairnie (Dunbar) bt Rebecca Watson (Elie & Earlsferry) 3 and 2.
Melissa McMahon (Yeovil) bt Laura Jones (Liverpool) 5 and 4.
Elle Sandak (Australia) bt Fiona Blair (Carnoustie) 4 and 3.
Stephanie Farrar (Sandiway) bt Jill Meldrum (Dullatur) 1 hole.
Jane Turner (Craigielaw) bt Lauren Mackin (Majorca) 1 hole.
Gillian Monteith (Portpatrick Dunskey) bt Kate Whitemore (Sandiway) 1 hole.

Hayfever victim Eilidh Briggs
drops out of Scots' line-up

Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm), pictured right by Cal Carson Golf Agency (all rights reserved), had to withdraw from Scotland's line-up for this morning's foursomes against England on the second day of the Girls' Home International matches at a wet and overcast Panmure Golf Club, Barry near Carnoustie.
Her place as partner to Annabel Niven (Crieff) in the third foursomes off the tee against Kelly Tidy and Alex Peters was taken by Lesley Atkins (Minto), winner recently of the Scottish Under-14 girls championship at The Glen, North Berwick.
"Eilidh has suffered a bad attack of hayfever over the past day or so and she is simply exhausted," said Susan Simpson, the Ladies Golf Union Director of Championships.
"It is too early to say if she will be able to play again before the three-day programme ends on Thursday."
THIS MORNING'S FOURSOMES
SCOTLAND v ENGLAND
Carly Booth & Kelsey MacDonald v Hannah Barwood & Holly Clyburn.
Rebecca Wilson & Sammy Vass v Rachel Connor & Heidi Baek.
Annabel Niven & Lesley Atkins v Kelly Tidy & Alex Peters.

IRELAND v WALES
Leona Maguire & Lisa Maguire v Gemma Bradbury & Chloe Williams.
Stephanie Meadow & Sarah Louise Winter v Kelly Miller & Natasha Gobey.
Sarah Cunningham & Emma O'Driscoll v Amy Boulden & Katherine O'Connor.

Pamela Pretswell's golf has

come a long way in 5 years

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
If 19-year-old Pamela Pretswell can be a Scottish international player capable of beating an international field to win the Swiss Open – as she did last Sunday with a fantastic 10-under-par run over the final 36 holes – after taking up the game only five years ago, one wonders how good she would be now if she had been introduced to golf at a much earlier age.
Of course, not many golf enthusiasts outwith her own circle would realise that at an early age, tennis was THE sport for Pamela and she reached international status at not one but two racquet sports – badminton as well as tennis - long before she had a golf club in her hand for the first time.
“Yes, I used to be a Scottish champion at tennis, ranked number one in Scotland and number two in Britain. I was selected to represent Scotland and Britain at tennis at Under-14 level and was in the Scotland squad for badminton as well,” says Pamela, if prompted.
“It was only in 2003 that I started playing golf and I enjoyed it right from the beginning and it has opened up new sporting horizons for me. Playing for Scotgland in the European women’s team championship in Sweden last year has to be my best golfing experience so far … until winning the Swiss amateur championship last weekend!”
Scottish universities championship winner at Lossiemouth in the spring, college exams in May prevented her from playing in the Scottish women’s amateur championship over the same links. One can only wonder how well Pamela would have done in the tournament won by Michele Thomson.
Pamela is a student at Glasgow University, studying business and management and she will start her second year in September.
She lives in Hamilton with her family and is a member of Bothwell Castle Golf Club.
Pamela has been scoring so many under par in recent weeks, including winning the Mackie Bowl with a record low 36-hole aggregate and almost landing the Scottish Under-21 girls’ title at Powfoot, that it is no wonder that she has begun to wonder if she could combne business with pleasure and make a living from golf.
“If possible, I would like to turn professional and earn my tour card but only AFTER I have finished university and that’s another three years away. I won’t make that big decision until after I’ve finished my fourth year at Uni.
“Nobody has to tell me that I still have a lot to learn at golf. This is only my fifth season playing the game.”

MORE MESSAGES OF CONGRATULATIONS

Congratulations, Pamela, on a terrific performance in Switzerland. I know you were disappointed at not winning at Powfoot but you kept your form going under completely different conditions to win the Swiss International title with a superb last two rounds.

SHEILA PICKLES

Chairman of Girls & Junior Golf

Scottish Ladies Golfing Association

Girls' Home Internationals
Day One Scoreboard

SCOTLAND 5, WALES 4
Foursomes: C Booth, K MacDonald bt C Williams, K Bradbury 5 and 4; R
Wilson, S Vass bt K Miller, G Bradbury 2 and 1, A Niven, E Briggs lost
to A Boulden, K O'Connor 4 and 3 (2-1).
Singles: Booth bt N Gobey 3 and 1, MacDonald bt L Watkins 5 and 4, R
McQueen lost to Boulden 3 and 2, L Atkins lost to O'Connor 3 and 2,
Wilson bt Bradbury 2 holes, Briggs lost to Miller 2 and 2 (3-3).

IRELAND 3, ENGLAND 6
Foursomes: Lisa Maguire, Leona Maguire bt H Barwood, H Clyburn 1 hole;
S Meadow, S L Winter bt R Connor, H Baek 3 and 1; S Cunningham, E
O'Driscoll lost to K Tidy, A Peters 2 and 1 (2-1).
Singles: Lisa Maguire bt Barwood 2 and 1, Leona Maguire lost to Clyburn
1 hole, P Delaney lost to Tidy 1 hole, O'Driscoll lost to Baek 1 hole,
Cunningham lost to Peters 3 and 2, Meadow lost to Connor 4 and 2 (1-5).

Rebecca Wilson is local heroine
as Scots edge 5-4 win v Wales

Monifieth's Rebecca Wilson was the local heroine as Scotland pulled through in the end to beat Wales 5-4 and set up a second-day meeting against England who had to come back from 2-1 down in the foursomes to beat Ireland 6-3 on the opening day of the Girls Home International matches at Panmure Golf Club, Barry near Carnoustie.
Wednesday's pre-scheduled summit meeting between title-holders Scotland and pre-tournament favourites is a match that will go a long way towards deciding if the Scots can complete a hat-trick of Stroyan Cup wins.
Scotland's big guns, Carly Booth and Kelsey MacDonald, the only survivors from the championship-winning line-up of the past two years, won their singles to extend the host nation's lunch-time lead to 4-2 but in the end it took a gritty performance from Rebecca Wilson, who lives not all that far away from the course, to take Scotland through to victory by a single point.
Classy Carly Booth beat Natasha Gobey by 4 and 2 in the top singles tie but only after seeing the Welsh girl hit back from five down after nine to only one down after 14. Coasting Carly then put her foot down on the accelerator pedal again, metaphorically speaking, and wrapped up a 4 and 2 win by taking the 16th and 17th.
Kelsey MacDonald lost only the 12th and 13th in beating Wales' Laura Watkins. But Wales made up the leeway to tie up the overall scoreline at 4-4- with victories by their girls champion Amy Boulden (3 and 2 over Rachael McQueen), Katherine O'Connor (3 and 2 over Lesley Atkins) and by Kelly Miller's 2 and 1 win over Eilidh Briggs.
Step forward Rebecca Wilson to save the day for the Scots. Two down after five, she squared the match at the 12th and then edged ahead of Gemma Bradbury only to be pegged back at the 15th.
Rebecca, who has not had the best of luck over the past year or two, showed she was made of the right stuff by gritting her teeth and finishing just the stronger, winning the 16th to go one up and then coming out of a bunker to clinch victory by also winning the 18th for a two-hole victory.
Lisa Maguire beat English women's champion Hannah Barwood by 2 and 1 to boost Ireland's morning lead to 3-1 in a great match that was settled by the Irish girl birdieing the 16th to go one up and parring the 17th for victory.
Lisa's 13-year-old twin sister Leona, both of whom will be playing for Ireland in the forthcoming Junior Ryder Cup match, lost out by one hole to Holly Clyburn in another fine match. Holly won the second and third for a two-hole lead and went three up at the 13th before her Irish opponent came back at her by winning the 14th, 16th and 17th.
Holly had stemmed the tide by winning the 15th but she was glad to halve the last for a one-hole victory.
Kelly Tidy, the fourth member of Europe's Junior Ryder Cup team (Carly Booth is the other). came back from two down to Patrice Delaney after eight holes to win the 17th and 18th for a thrilling one-hole success.
Alex Peters was a 3 and 2 winner over Sarah Cunningham in a match in which the first six holes were halved. Alex took the seventh, eighth and ninth to leap into a three-hole lead that was to prove decisive.
Rachel Connor was a 4 and 2 winner over Stephanie Meadow after being two up on the seventh tee and four up after 12. Heidi Baek beat Emma O'Dreiscoll by one hole in the last match to finish. There was never more than a hole in it and the Irish girl squared the match at the 17th before Heidi won the 18th for victory.
You have to feel a bit of sympathy for the Irish. They were leading 3-1 and at different points in the afternoon, they might have got a 4 1/2-4 1/2 draw, or even edged a 5-4 win but it all went pear-shaped for them in the end.
Three of England's victories were by one hole. Where was the luck of the Irish? With just a little bit of fortune, two of these 18th green wins could have gone to Ireland and turned the result on its head.

Midland Vets Stableford Draw

SVLGA (Midland) – Autumn Stableford
18th August at Alyth



10.04am S. Bushby, J. Flannigan, J. French
10.11 M. Seymour, A. Henry, E. Arkley
10.18 E. Wilson, J. Lang, C. Irving
10.25 J. Montgomery, E. Wallace, M. Glennie
10.32 L. Graham, J. Pringle, P. Hebner
10.39 E. Milligan, H. Dalgleish, N. Fordyce
10.46 E Miskimmin, W. MacCallum, A. Wilson
10.53 A. Hood, C. Malcolm, M Chapman
11.00 N. Gray, M. Muncey, M. Rae
11.07 S. Erskine, D. Whytock, A. MacGregor
11.14 K. Keir, M. Tough, A. Moffat
11.21 K. Jarvie, J. Lawson, G. Haines
11.28 J. Beaton, C. Reekie, M. MacLeod
11.35 E. Cunningham, F. Campbell, L. McGraw
11.42 P. Drysdale, H. Bunch, M. Forsyth
11.49 E. Childs, A. Houston, N. Fleming
11.56 I. Murdoch. S. Christie, N. Hunter
12.03 A. Robertson, M. Fairbairn, H. Brown
12.10 R. Fraser, N. Macfarlane, M Steele
12.17 D. Peterson, M. Macrae, A. More
12.24 J. Kennedy, D. Reid, L. Crozier
12.31 I. Harvey, M,. Brooks, H. Gibson
12.38 K. Carruthers, M. Ferguson, L. Jones
12.45 I. Morrison, E. Perry, M. Macintyre
12.52 A. McBay, G. Jenkins, A. Crossland
12.59 P.Kelly, M. Forbes

MURCAR LINKS RETAIN LYON FOURSOMES

Murcar Links retained the Aberdeenshire County Ladies Golf
Association's Lyon Inter-Club Foursomes title with a narrow one-hole
win over Aberdeen Ladies at Inchmarlo Golf Centre today.
Aberdeen Ladies' first string of Sheena Wood and Ellie Whyte finished
five holes up on Carol Wilson and Laura McLardy but the Murcar Links'
second pairing of Donna Pocock and Susan Murray turned the tables by
finishing six holes to the good over Fiona Seedhouse and Lesley Hardie.
Results:
SEMI-FINALS
Aberdeen Ladies 1 bt Deeside by two holes.
S Wood, E Whyte 0, F Hay, M Millership 0.
F Seedhouse, L Hardie 2, K Teow, F Reiss 0.
Murcar Links 1 bt Cruden Bay by two holes.
C Wilson, L McLardy 2, G Murray, L Terry 0.
D Pocock, S Murray 0, R Dunsmuir, K Esslemont 0.
FINAL
Murcar Links 1 bt Aberdeen Ladies 1 by one hole
Wilson, McLardy 0, Wood, Whyte 5.
Pocock, Murray 6, Seedhouse, Hardie 0.

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GIRLS' HOME INTERNATIONAL LATEST NEWS

Afternoon singles results from Scotland v Wales Girls Home International at Panmure Barry.

Carly Booth bt Natasha Gobey 3 and 1.
Kelsey MacDonald bt Laura Watkins 5 and 4.
Rachael McQueen lost to Amy Boulden 3 and 2.

Latest positions:
Lesley Atkins three down to Katherine O'Connor with three to play.
Rebecca Wilson all square with Gemma Bradbury with three to play.
Eilidh Briggs two down to Kelly Miller with four to play.

Katy McNicoll leads qualifiers
over Strathtyrm with a 68

Katy McNicoll (Carnoustie) won the leading qualifier's medal in the St Andrews junior women's open golf championship with a round of 68 over the Strathtyrum course.
LEADING QUALIFIERS
68 Katy McNicoll (Carnoustie).
69 Ellie Sandak (Australia), Jane Turner (Mortonhall).
70 Emma Fairnie (Dunbar), Laura Jones (Royal Liverpool), Gillian Monteith (Portpatrick Dunskey).
71 Jill Meldrum (Dullatur).
72 Jeanne Metivier (France).
73 Gillian Simpson (Murrayfield).
74 Stephanie Farrar (Sandiway), Kate Whitemore (Sandiway), Melissa McMahon (Yeovil).
75 Rebecca Watson (Elie & Earlsferry), Lauren Mackin (Majorca), Fiona Blair (Carnoustie), Gemma Dryburgh (Beaconsfield).

Scotland girls in action at Panmure: left Rebecca Wilson and Annabel Niven on right. Click on images to enlarge (Cal Carson Golf Agency, all rights reserved)

SCOTLAND LEAD WALES

2-1 AFTER FOURSOMES

Scotland drew first blood in the Girls Home Internationals at Panmure Golf Club, Barry near Carnoustie.

Carly Booth and Kelsey MacDonald (pictured right by Cal Carson Golf Agency, all rights reserved) beat the lead-off Welsh pairing of Chloe Williams and Katie Bradbury.

The Scots were never behind after winning the first and second holes.

Wales levelled matters by winning the third match in which Amy Boulden and Katherine O'Connor won by 4 and 3 against Annabel Niven and Eilidh Briggs.

The Scots square matters at the 11th but Wales won the 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th for match.

Scotland's Rebecca Wilson and Sammy Vass put the home team in for lunch with a 2-1 lead when they beat Kelly Miller and Gemma Bradbury by 3 and 1.

The Scots squared the match at the ninth

and then won the 11th, the 16th (with a birdie) and the 17th.

FROM THE LADIES GOLF UNION WEBSITE:

SCOTLAND LEAD WALES, IRELAND

AHEAD OF ENGLAND AFTER FOURSOMES

Scotland, Stroyan Cup-winners for the past two years but with only two survivors from last year's line-up, made an encouraging start to the Girls Home International matches at Panmure Golf Club, Barry near Carnoustie.They led Wales 2-1 at the end of the opening foursomes.

England, on paper, favourites to regain the title after their second place finish in the recent European girls' team championship at Murcar Links, were given a hard fight by Ireland who led in all three foursomes in the closing stages and also led 2-1 at lunchtime.

Scotland put the first point on the board when their lead-off pairing of Carly Booth and Kelsey MacDonald beat Chloe Williams and Karie Bradbury 5 and 4.

The Scots won the first two holes and were threee up after six.

Wales squared the contest overall when their girls' champion Amy Boulden and Katherine O'Connor won by 4 and 3 against Annabel Niven and Eilidh Briggs. The Welsh pair won the first two holes but were pulled back to all square at the 11th. Then Boulden and O'Connor pulled away again with wins at the 12th, 13th, 14th and a birdie 2 at the 15th.

Rebecca Wilson and Sammy Vass put the Scots in for lunch with a 2-1 lead by beating Kelly Miller and Gemma Bradbury 3 and 1 in the last tie to finish. All square after 10, Wilson and Vass won the 11th, the 16th with a birdie and the 17th.

MAGUIRE TWINS HOLD ON FOR VICTORY

The Maguire twins Lisa and Leona won the first foursomes for Ireland against England by one hole. The Maguires looked to have taken a commanding grip of the proceeding when they won the ninth, 10th, 11th and 12th to surge four up.

But Hannah Barwood, the English women's champion, and Holly Clyburn were not finished yet. They won back the 13th, but lost the 14th, before exerting pressure on their 13-year-old opponents by winning the 15th, 16th and 17th to be one down on the 18th tee.

The last hole was halved in nail-biting 5s.

Stephanie Meadow and Sarah Louise Winter put Ireland 2-0 when they beat Rachel Connor and Heidi Baeck by 3 and 1. The English pair won only two holes, the 10th and 14th, but Meadow and Winter were only one up on the 15th tee.

The Irish pair clinched victory with a strong finish, winning the 16th and 17th.

Kelly Tidy and Alexandra Peters kept alive England's hopes of salvaging a vital point from the morning foursomes by coming back from four down after seven holes to square the last match against Sarah Cunningham and Emma O'Driscoll at the 15th.

Tidy and Peters, who had not lost a hole since the seventh, kept up their momentum to win the 16th and go one up for the first time since the first hole. And they completed a great fightback by winning the 17th for a 2 and 1 victory.

COLLATED FOURSOMES RESULTS:

SCOTLAND lead WALES 2-1

Carly Booth and Kelsey MacDonald bt Chloe Williams and Katie Bradbury 5 and 4.

Rebecca Wilson and Sammy Vass bt Kelly Miller and Gemma Bradbury 3 and 1.

Annabel Niven and Eilidh Briggs lost to Amy Boulden and Katherine O'Connor 4 and 3.

IRELAND lead ENGLAND 2-1

Lisa & Leona Maguire bt Hannah Barwood and Holly Clyburn 1 hole.

Stephanie Meadow and Sarah Louise Winter bt Rachel Connor and Heidi Baek 3 and 1.

Sarah Cunningham and Emma O'Driscoll lost to Kelly Tidy and Alexandra Peters 2 and 1.

Double whammy by Norfolk
teenager Rebecca Heeles

Norfolk teenager Rebecca Heeles is celebrating two national successes. The 15-year-old from Royal Norwich won the English schools’ U16 championship and then followed up with victory in the flight two matchplay of the English girls’ championship.
Rebecca is the first Norfolk golfer ever to win a national schools title – and she claimed it when she chipped in for an eagle and a one-stroke win over England girl international Heidi Baek (Felixstowe Ferry).
Rebecca’s success at Tankersley Park, Sheffield, earns her a place in the team for the annual schools’ international against Wales on August 27.
This summer, she has also successfully defended her title as Norfolk girls’ champion – and cut her handicap from eight to four within the space of two weeks.
English schools U16 championship.
Leading scores:
142 Rebecca Heeles (Norfolk) 69, 73.
143 Heidi Baek (Suffolk) 70, 73.
145 Bronte Law (Cheshire) 76, 69.
146 Elizabeth Mallett (Warwickshire) 75, 71; Bronwyn Davies (Staffordshire) 75, 71
Lyndsey Hewison
Press & PR Officer

Sally Watson to follow in Stanford
footsteps of Tiger, Mhairi McKay

Curtis Cup teenager Sally Watson is to enrol at Stanford University, California in September 29.
Michele Wie is currently a student at Stanford .... following in the footsteps of Tiger Woods and Mhairi McKay to name but two.
We'll have the full story for you on Tuesday ... but thanks to Sally's dad Graham for letting Kirkwoodgolf.co.uk readers know about it first.

Panmure Golf Club opening foursomes

Tuesday morning ties in
Girls' Home Internationals

WALES v SCOTLAND
8.30 Chloe Williams, Katie Bradbury v Carly Booth, Kelsey MacDonald.
8.40 Kelly Miller, Gemma Bradbury v Rebecca Wilson, Sammy Vass.
8.50 Amy Boulden, Katherine O'Connor v Annabel Niven, Eilidh Briggs.
Singles start 1pm.

IRELAND v ENGLAND
9.00 Lisa & Leona Maguire v Hannah Barwood, Holly Clyburn.
9.10 Stephanie Meadow, Sarah Louise Winter v Rachel Connor, Heidi Baek.
9.20 Sarah Cunningham v Emma O'Driscoll v Kelly Tidy, Alex Peters.

Congratulations, Pamela Pretswell!

Super performance ... absolutely delighted... hope this is the first of many European championships.

ISABEL CRAWFORD


What a fantastic achievement in Switzerland! Very proud of you. Keep the Scottish and Lanarkshire flag flying.

MAY HUGHES
LLCGA Captain

Well done, Pamela! What a terrific result. Not onlyh is Lanarkshire proud of your achievement; everyone in the West of Scotland (Ayrshire, Dunbartonshire & Argyll, Lanarkshire & Renfrewshire) send their warmest congratulations to you.
We have a STAR!

CAROL FELL
Webmaster of the West of Scotland website

LYON FOURSOMES RESULTS

Lyon Foursomes results

Today's results in the Aberdeenshire Ladies County Golf
Association Lyon Inter-club Foursomes at Inchmarlo Golf Centre were:

FIRST ROUND
Aberdeen Ladies 1 bt Kemnay by 13 holes (7-0, 6-0).
Peterculter bt Dunecht House by seven holes (4-0, 3-0).
Aberdeen Ladies 2 bt Hazlehead by five holes (4-0, 1-0).
Deeside bt Newmachar by five holes (12-0, 0-7).
Cruden Bay bt Inchmarlo by six holes (3-0, 3-0).
Aboyne 2 bt Aboyne 1 by five holes (0-2, 7-0).
Banchory bt Murcar Links 2 by one hole (5-0, 0-4).
Murcar Links 1 bt Ballater by 14 holes (6-0, 8-0).
QUARTER-FINALS
Aberdeen Ladies bt Peterculter by 14 holes (5-0, 9-0).
Deeside bt Aberdeen Ladies 2 by two hooles (4-0, 0-2).
Cruden Bay bt Aboyne 2 by seven holes (5-0, 2-0).
Murcar Links 1 bt Banchory by 10 holes (2-0, 8-0).

________________________________________________________________________
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Pamela Pretswell wins

Swiss amateur title

Bothwell Castle’s Pamela Pretswell has scored a marvellous win in the Swiss International Women’s Amateur Championship at Lucerne.
She has sent a report for you to read. You can scroll down for that, but first the leading final totals were:
Par 288 (4 x 72).
284 Pamela Pretswell (Sco) 78 72 67 67.
285 Thea Hoffmeister (Ger) 71 75 72 67, Pia Halbig (Ger) 72 67 72 64.
289 Anais Maggetti (Swi) 71 75 73 70.
290 Marianna Causin (Ita) 73 71 74 72.
292 Valerie Sternebeck (Ger) 73 71 74 74.
293 Stephanie Kirchmayr (Ger) 80 72 71 70.
294 Lara Katzy (Ger) 73 78 72 71, Klara Spikova (Swi) 74 73 78 69.
295 Benedicte Toumpsin (Bel) 74 76 78 67, Melanie Matzler (Swi) 79 71 72 73.
296 Nadine Gruter (Swi) 76 73 73 74, Caroline Rominger (Swi) 73 73 77 73.
298 Sherlyn Popelka (Swi) 73 79 76 70, Anna Roscio (Ita) 77 74 74 73, Fanny Vuignier (Swi) 76 71 79 72.
300 Leigh Whittaker (Ger) 76 74 74 76.
302 Laura Stempfle (Ger) 75 75 79 73.
304 Valeria Tandrin (Ita) 77 75 76 76.
305 Chiara Venezia (Ita) 78 74 77 76.
307 Fabia Rothenfluh (Swi) 78 71 79 79.
315 Niloufar Azam (Swi) 76 75 83 81.

Pamela Pretswell reports:
LUCERNE, SWITZERLAND.
I have been playing in the Swiss International Amateur Ladies Championship 2008 at the Sempachersee Golf Club near Lucerne (http://www.golf-sempachersee.ch/). This is an European Amateur Golf Ranking Event played over 72 hole [I came over for a bit of a holiday and a bit of golf].
I am pleased to report that I won the Championship with a total of 284 (78-72-67-67). The par was 72 and the course rating was 75.8 for each round. I finished four under par and 19.2 under the course rating for the championship.
I started with a 78 on Friday (with play being disrupted due to a thunderstorm) which left me outside the projected cut to 20 players but improved with a par round of 72 on Saturday to qualify for the final 36 holes in 11th equal position.
That left me 11 shots behind the leader, Pia Halbig from Germany, who shot 72-67 to lead the field by five shots.
On Sunday morning I scored a third-round 67 (five under par) to move into second place, one shot ahead of Thea Hoffmeister from Germany who scored a 72, but still six shots behind Pia Halbig who also returned a par 72.
Both Pia and Thea played in the Germany team at the recent European Ladies Team Championship in Sweden where our Scotland team had a successful tournament and finished ahead of the Germans in seventh place.
On Sunday afternoon, I scored another five-under-par 67 to win the championship by one shot from both Pia Halbig (who scored 2 over par 74) and Thea Hoffmeister who also scored a 5 under 67 in the final round.
I was really pleased with the way that I played over the last two rounds on Sunday. I have played a lot of links golf recently, which may have contributed to my first round score but I quickly adjusted to the conditions here in Switzerland and played consistently for the last 54 holes.
I was delighted with my 10 under par score on the final day, including 13 birdies, in extremely hot and tiring conditions and to fight back and win this international championship.
Winning this championship has also earned me an invitation to the 2009 Ladies European Tour Deutsche Bank Ladies' Swiss Open in Lausanne, Switzerland next year.

Pamela Pretswell
Lucerne, Switzerland

Note from Editor Colin Farquharson . Not only does Pamela play golf rather well, she writes a nice report, don't you think?

Pamela has certainly hit a hot streak of form. She was pipped by Kelsey MacDonald for the Scottish Under-21 girls' stroke-play championship at Powfoot and then set a record low 36-hole aggregate (15 under par) in winning the Mackie Bowl at Gullane.
Now she goes very low again to win on the international scene.
Later this week, we'll do a feature article on Pamela ... what her ambitions are, etc.
Don't miss it!
Pamela is Scotland's golfing girl of the moment
If you want to send her congratulations, Colin@Scottishgolfview.com will pass them on for you

Aussie Stacey wins Canadian amateur title

Australia's Stacey Keating won the Canadian women's open amateur stroke-play championship with a three-under-par total of 285 at the par-72 Elmhurst Golf & Country Club, Winnipeg in Manitoba. Several of the competitors took part in the British women's open amateur championship at North Berwick Golf Club in June.

LEADING FINAL TOTALS
1. Stacey Keating 73-69-73-70-285
2. Stephanie Sherlock 72-70-73-73-288
3. Alejandra Llaneza 71-72-72-74-289
4. Maude-Aimee LeBlanc 75-72-74-69-290
4. Sue Kim 72-76-69-73-290
6. Kirby Dreher 76-76-73-67-292
7. Rebecca Lee-Bentham 75-70-76-72-293
7. Kira Meixner 75-74-72-72-293
7. Anne-Catherine Tanguay 75-71-73-74-293
10. Dominique Pytlewski 72-72-78-72-294
10. Mary Ann Lapointe 73-74-73-74-294
10. Nicole Forshner 70-71-76-77-294
13. Sara Maude Juneau 77-71-78-69-295
14. Inhong Lim 77-71-71-77-296
15. Dawn Shockley 79-73-73-72-297
16. Sara Ovadia 76-75-75-72-298
16. Angela Drane 79-74-71-74-298
16. Katie Kempter 74-79-71-74-298
16. Emma Jandel 75-73-73-77-298
20. Jennifer Kirby 76-72-77-74-299
20. Jessica Potter 72-74-73-80-299

Rebecca Wilson with the cheque for the amount she has raised for Alopecia UK.

MONIFIETH GIRL'S CHARITY SUCCESS

Rebecca Wilson (18), formerly a sixth year pupil at Monifieth High School, has been successful in raising over £500 for Alopecia UK.
Rebecca was diagnosed with alopecia in mid-2007. However, with the support of friends and family, she has managed to come to terms with the condition.
It has not been easy, but not only has Rebecca coped with this, she has excelled over this period at her chosen sport of golf.
Rebecca is the current Angus Ladies County Golf Association champion and played for Scotland in the recent European girls' team championship at Murcar Links. This week she will play for Scotland in the Girls' Home International matches at Panmure Golf Club, Barry.
Rebecca decided to raise money for the charity by holding a raffle at her school prom night.
Several local businesses kindly donated prizes for the raffle and special thanks go to Ron McLeod's Golf Shop, Bliss Hairdressers, Downfield Golf Club, Dundee Utd Football Club and Carnoustie Golf Shop.

Kylie Walker comes

from behind to win

Riccarton Rosebowl

St Rule Trophy winner Kylie Walker (Buchanan Castle) consolidated her position as clear leader of the Scottish Ladies Golfing Association Order of Merit by winning the Riccarton Rosebowl 36-hole tournament at Hamilton Golf Club today.
Alford's Laura Murray, Kylie's nearest rival in the points table, and Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm) were joint leaders on one-under-par 71 at the end of the first round with Kylie in fourth position on 73.
But Kylie overhauled the leaders with a 70 for a winning total of 143, two under the combined CSS.
Laura added a 73 to her opening score to finished second on 144.
Megan filled third place on 146 with scores of 71 and 75.
The Riccarton Rosebowl will be the final 36-hole Order of Merit event this season with the news that the Mary McCallay Trophy event at Dumfries has been cancelled.

There are still divisional and county championship points to be added to the current Order of Merit points totals.

+Picture shows Barbara McKnight, left, ladies captain of Hamilton Golf Club, with Kylie Walker. Image by courtesy of Hamilton Golf Club.

FINAL TOTALS AT

RICCARTON ROSEBOWL
Par 144 (2 x 72). CSS 73 72.
143 K Walker (Buchanan Castle) 73 70.
144 L Murray (Alford) 71 73.
146 M Briggs (Kilmacolm) 71 75.
149 G Webster (HIlton Park) 77 72, C-M Carlton (Fereneze) 76 73, A Ramsay (Kirriemuir) 72 77.
150 S Wood (Drumpellier) 77 73.
152 L Fraser (Kingsknowe) 76 76.
153 A Devine (Hamilton) 75 78.
154 C Hargan (Mortonhall) 79 75, J Sneddon (Alyth) 78 76.
155 A Ingram (Fort William) 80 75, J Carthew (Ladybank) 79 76, L Hendry (Routenburn) 78 77.
157 A Wilton(Ladybank) 78 79.
158 G Scanlan (Hamilton) 80 78.
159 R Rankin (Lanark) 82 77, S Crolla (Duddingston) 80 79.
160 L Kenney (Pitreavie) 77 83.
162 J Allan (Hamilton) 81 81.
163 L Walker (Muckhart) 83 80, J Jenkins (Ralston) 82 81, L MacGregor (Falkirk) 81 82.
166 E Cuthill (Lanark) 83 83.
167 L Ruane (Cardross) 87 80, J Wycherley (Monktonhall) 86 81.
172 L Bain (Lochend) 86 86.
183 M McKay (West Kilbride) 97 86.

South Korean winner - leading European joint 17th

It's a Far East 1-2-3-4-5 to
Women's BRITISH Open
at Sunningdale

FROM THE LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE

South Korea’s Ji-Yai Shin came from a shot behind to win the Ricoh Women’s British Open by three strokes at Sunningdale Golf Club today.
A final round of 66 gave the 20-year-old an 18-under-par total of 270 with Taiwan’s Yani Tseng in second. South Korea’s Eun Hee Ji and Yuri Fudo of Japan were a shot further back in a tie for third.

Defending champion Lorena Ochoa of Mexico was expected to pile on pressure but she settled for a final round of 69 and a share of seventh with Japan’s Momoko Ueda on 11-under-par.

The victory was the first major championship of the 20-year-old Shin’s career, and she was the youngest ever winner of the Ricoh Women’s British Open.

“My whole life, I've been waiting for this time and my dream comes true now,” said the bespectacled Shin, who has won a hat-trick of titles this year on the Korean LPGA Tour. “This morning I was nervous and last night it was very difficult to sleep because I was so nervous, but I focused and concentrated on my game and now I’ve won!

“Today my driver and my irons, putting, everything was very well, very good, and so gave me confidence. Today, I felt comfortable,” said Shin who claimed a first prize of £160,000, becoming the third South Korean winner of the championship, following Se Ri Pak in 2001 and Jeong Jang in 2005.

She explained how she was inspired to play golf at the age of 11 after watching Pak win the 1998 US Women’s Open. “Before, I never know the golf,” she said, adding: “I'm watching her and then; now I'm watching her and still she's my hero.”

Shin, who is not a member of the LPGA Tour in the States, is now likely to become an international super star in her own right. She was planning to play in Japan for the next two years but her victory will give her the opportunity to play in America.

Shin’s final round was bogey-free, with three birdies on each of the front and back nine. She chipped to three feet at the first before rolling in her first birdie putt of the day, adding another birdie at the fifth hole to match third round leader Fudoh’s 14-under total.

When Shin birdied the par-4 ninth and Fudoh bogeyed it, there was a two-shot swing and Shin maintained her advantage over the last nine holes. She two-putted for birdie at the par-5 10th, then rolled in a 40ft birdie putt across the green at the par-3 13th to move three shots ahead.

A two-putt birdie at the par-5 14th hole cemented her lead.

Shin’s is a tale of triumph over tragedy. She lost her mother in a car accident while she was an amateur and her younger siblings were severely injured. It is rumoured that she helps her father take care of her brother and sister and that she dedicates her victories to the memory of her mother.

Of the Europeans, Minea Blomqvist was the leading representative in a share of share of 17th place on eight-under-par. Karen Stupples, who won at Sunningdale in 2004, finished in a share of 24th position with Annika Sorenstam and eight other players.

Sorenstam shot her best round of the week –a 68 – in the final round and received a huge cheer from the gallery as she birdied the last hole, playing in her last major championship before quitting tournament golf.

Sorenstam said: “When I made the corner from the leader board, it says, "Annika, you'll be missed." And I thought that was very special and I waved at the guys and they clapped and I came up 18 and everybody was cheering. You know, it just makes you feel good when you get that type of applause.

“You know, I've been out here for 15 years, and I've experienced a lot of joy, a few setbacks, but overall, it's been great. All of a sudden, everything just reflects on your mind and you're just grateful.

"This game has meant too much to me and if I didn't feel anything, it would be weird. So I'm glad.”

Europeans in a share of 24th included last year’s New Star Money List winner Sophie Gustafson of Sweden and Suzann Pettersen from Norway, who recently won tournaments in Switzerland and Ireland. Anna Nordvist from Sweden, winner of the British women's open amateur championship at North Berwick, a victory which got her an invitation to Sunningdale, was the leading amateur in a share of 42nd.

+The Long and the Short of It. Anna Nordqvist (left) is pictured at the top of the article with the championship winner, Ji-Yai Shin. Image by courtesy of the LET website.

Ricoh Women's British Open Scoreboard
SUNNINGDALE GC, BERKSHIRE
FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4 x 72)
(Players from US unless stated)
270 Ji-Yai Shin (SKor) 66 68 70 66
273 Ya-Ni Tseng (SKor) 70 69 68 66
274 Yuri Fudoh (Jpn) 66 68 69 71, Eun Hee Ji (SKor) 68 70 69 67
275 Ai Miyazato (Jpn) 68 69 68 70
276 Cristie Kerr 71 65 70 70
277 Momoko Ueda (Jpn) 66 72 70 69, Lorena Ochoa (Mex) 69 68 71 69
278 Paula Creamer 72 69 70 67, Natalie Gulbis 69 68 70 71, Karrie Webb (Aus) 72 69 69 68, In Kyung Kim (SKor) 71 68 72 67, Hee-Won Han (SKor) 71 69 71 67
279 Juli Inkster 65 70 71 73, Hwa seon Lee (SKor) 71 68 70 70, Hee Young Park (SKor) 69 71 69 70
280 Minea Blomqvist (Fin) 68 73 72 67, Jee Young Lee (SKor) 71 72 71 66, Ji-Young Oh (SKor) 66 73 71 70, Shi Hyun Ahn (SKor) 68 72 71 69
281 Na Yeon Choi (SKor) 69 71 68 73, Kristy McPherson 67 75 74 65, Nicole Castrale 69 72 72 68
282 Stacy Prammanasudh 66 74 72 70, Karen Stupples (Eng) 67 73 72 70, Jane Park 69 70 73 70, Annika Sorenstam (Swe) 72 72 70 68, Suzann Pettersen (Nor) 70 70 71 71, Eun-A Lim (SKor) 74 71 72 65, Meredith Duncan 71 73 71 67, Mi-Hyun Kim (SKor) 70 70 67 75, Sakura Yokomine (Jpn) 71 72 69 70, Sophie Gustafson (Swe) 69 69 74 70
283 Anja Monke (Ger) 73 67 70 73, Laura Diaz 66 72 75 70, Angela Park (Bra) 71 74 71 67, Bo-Bae Song (SKor) 68 68 74 73
284 Paula Marti (Spa) 68 72 72 72, Catriona Matthew (Sco) 68 75 72 69, Ji-Hee Lee (Jpn) 68 75 68 73, Leta Lindley 71 71 72 70
285 Anna Nordqvist (Swe) (am) 70 73 69 73, Reilley Rankin 69 73 72 71, Candie Kung (Tai) 72 67 74 72
286 Lora Fairclough (Eng) 70 74 73 69, Sun Young Yoo (SKor) 73 72 69 72, Janice Moodie (Sco) 69 76 70 71
287 Lotta Maria Wahlin (Swe) 69 76 71 71, Jill McGill 75 68 72 72, Jin Joo Hong (SKor) 75 70 69 73, Joanne Mills (Aus) 70 73 72 72, Gloria Park (SKor) 73 72 74 68, Karin Sjodin (Swe) 72 73 71 71, Hye Jung Choi (SKor) 72 70 73 72, Katherine Hull (Aus) 69 73 69 76
288 Il Mi Chung (SKor) 73 72 71 72, Helen Alfredsson (Swe) 69 76 72 71, Rebecca Hudson (Eng) 67 76 72 73
289 Teresa Lu (Tai) 70 72 73 74, Jimin Kang (SKor) 69 76 74 70, Becky Morgan (Wal) 72 72 74 71, Wendy Ward 71 71 74 73, Kris Tamulis 73 70 74 72
290 Marianne Skarpnord (Nor) 68 72 72 78, Erica Blasberg 75 70 73 72, Sherri Steinhauer 67 75 76 72, Christina Kim 71 73 72 74, Gwladys Nocera (Fra) 73 69 75 73
291 Johanna Head (Eng) 66 76 73 76, Rachel Hetherington (Aus) 70 72 74 75, Tania Elosegui (Spa) 70 73 75 73, Maria Hjorth (Swe) 69 74 72 76, Trish Johnson (Eng) 72 70 76 73
292 Becky Brewerton (Wal) 70 73 76 73
294 Moira Dunn 74 69 77 74, Maria Jose Uribe (Col) 71 73 74 76
295 Laura Davies (Eng) 70 75 75 75
296 Mhairi McKay (Sco) 71 74 73 78

Ricoh Women's British Open Scoreboard
SUNNINGDALE GC, BERKSHIRE
FINAL TOTALS (before end of play)
Par 288 (4 x 72)
Players from US unless stated
278 In Kyung Kim (SKor) 71 68 72 67 280 Minea Blomqvist (Fin) 68 73 72 67, Jee Young Lee (SKor) 71 72 71 66, Shi Hyun Ahn (SKor) 68 72 71 69
281 Kristy McPherson 67 75 74 65, Nicole Castrale 69 72 72 68
282 Stacy Prammanasudh 66 74 72 70, Karen Stupples (Eng) 67 73 72 70, Jane Park 69 70 73 70, Annika Sorenstam (Swe) 72 72 70 68, Suzann Pettersen (Nor) 70 70 71 71, Eun-A Lim (SKor) 74 71 72 65, Meredith Duncan 71 73 71 67, Sakura Yokomine (Jpn) 71 72 69 70, Sophie Gustafson (Swe) 69 69 74 70
283 Laura Diaz 66 72 75 70, Angela Park (Bra) 71 74 71 67
284 Paula Marti (Spa) 68 72 72 72, Catriona Matthew (Sco) 68 75 72 69, Leta Lindley 71 71 72 70
285 Anna Nordqvist (Swe) (am) 70 73 69 73, Reilley Rankin 69 73 72 71, Candie Kung (Tai) 72 67 74 72
286 Lora Fairclough (Eng) 70 74 73 69, Sun Young Yoo (SKor) 73 72 69 72, Janice Moodie (Sco) 69 76 70 71
287 Joanne Mills (Aus) 70 73 72 72, Lotta Maria Wahlin (Swe) 69 76 71 71, Jill McGill 75 68 72 72, Gloria Park (SKor) 73 72 74 68, Jin Joo Hong (SKor) 75 70 69 73, Karin Sjodin (Swe) 72 73 71 71, Hye Jung Choi (SKor) 72 70 73 72
288 Il Mi Chung (SKor) 73 72 71 72, Helen Alfredsson (Swe) 69 76 72 71, Rebecca Hudson (Eng) 67 76 72 73
289 Teresa Lu (Tai) 70 72 73 74, Jimin Kang (SKor) 69 76 74 70, Becky Morgan (Wal) 72 72 74 71, Wendy Ward 71 71 74 73, Kris Tamulis 73 70 74 72
290 Marianne Skarpnord (Nor) 68 72 72 78, Erica Blasberg 75 70 73 72, Sherri Steinhauer 67 75 76 72, Christina Kim 71 73 72 74, Gwladys Nocera (Fra) 73 69 75 73
291 Johanna Head (Eng) 66 76 73 76, Rachel Hetherington (Aus) 70 72 74 75, Tania Elosegui (Spa) 70 73 75 73, Maria Hjorth (Swe) 69 74 72 76, Trish Johnson (Eng) 72 70 76 73
292 Becky Brewerton (Wal) 70 73 76 73
294 Moira Dunn 74 69 77 74, Maria Jose Uribe (Col) 71 73 74 76
295 Laura Davies (Eng) 70 75 75 75
296 Mhairi McKay (Sco) 71 74 73 78

No stopping the Korean tidal
wave of female pro golfers

FROM THE WWW.GOLFWEEK.COM WEBSITE
By ALASTAIR TAIT, REPORTING FROM SUNNINGDALE
If you were in any doubt that Korean golfers are in the process of taking over women’s golf, then all you have to do is look at the numbers here at the Women’s British Open.
For the first time in this championship, the number of Koreans matches the number of Americans in the field – 31 players apiece. Last year there were 26 Koreans to 31 Americans.
Next year could mark another watershed year for Korean golf. There is a good chance Korean golfers will outnumber every other nation in the field when the Women's British Open takes place at Royal Lytham & St. Annes.
The growth of Koreans playing in this championship is absolutely staggering. Eleven years ago there were no Koreans in the Women’s British Open.
Se Ri Pak made history in 1998 when she became the first Korean to play in the Women’s British Open. Pak was the only Korean in the field that year and tied for 34th.
Pak won the tournament in 2001 here at Sunningdale. However, it was her victory in the 1998 McDonald’s LPGA Championship that started a revolution that has brought Korean golf parity with women’s golf in the United States.
Pak is single-handedly responsible for the Korean surge. That LPGA Championship victory inspired young Korean girls to take up the game. Korea has been turning out top women golfers ever since.
Of the 31 Koreans here, three are in the top 10 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, eight are in the top 20, 14 in the top 50 and 32 in the top 100.
By comparison, the United States has two in the top 10, four in the top 20, 14 in the top 50 and 23 in the top 100.
There is a good chance more Koreans are going to be playing on the LPGA in the future, according to Annika Sorenstam.“I think it’s going to be a continuous growth of Asians,” Sorenstam said.
“If you watch the KLPGA (Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association) there is tremendous talent and they all want to be out here. I think for the next five years things will be the same.”
If that’s depressing news for the U.S., then it’s even worse for the British Isles. Thirteen English golfers teed it up in the Women's British Open, along with just four Scots, and three players each from Wales and Ireland.
Needless to say, it’s hard to believe the game actually began in the British Isles and not on some windswept links land on the Korean coastline.
Sorenstam sounded a warning call to nations around the world after her third-round 70. She says more needs to be done or traditional golfing nations are sure to get left behind.
“The key is really to grow the game at an early age,” she said. “It’s very important to stimulate the juniors and get them involved. It’s important for us to keep up with the Koreans. It’s time to learn from what they are doing.”
If you’re looking for even more evidence that American women golfers are just clinging on to Korean coattails by their fingertips, then it comes from the leaderboard here in the last major of the year.
There are 12 Koreans in the top 20 compared to just four Americans heading into the final round.No one can argue with the work ethic of Korean golfers in particular and players from the Far East in general.
Sorenstam paid tribute to the fact they are willing to spend long hours on the practice ground working on their games.
More importantly, golfers of other nations need to match that work ethic.
“That’s what it takes,” Sorenstam said. “If you want to be the best, you‘ve got to do it. That’s what my dad always told me. There are no shortcuts to success. It shouldn’t matter what country you’re from. If you want it badly, you should go get it.”
Pak and Jeong Jang in 2003 are the only two Korean winners of the Women’s British. There are sure to be many more in future. It would come as no surprise if we got a Korean winner on Sunday. There is just no stopping the Korean surge.