Defending champion Vikki
misses Gettysburg cut

Vikki Laing failed to survive the 36-hole in the Gettysburg Championship, the US Duramed Futures Tour event she won last year for her only success as a tour professional.The Musselburgh exile had disastrous second round of seven-over-par 79 to add to a first-round 76. A two-round aggregate of 155 (11 over par) was four shots over the limit mark to play the final round at The Links at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.Vikki had birdies at two long holes, the fourth and the 18th, but she had a triple bogey 7 at the 13th and bogeys at the first, sixth, seventh, eighth, 15th and 16th in halves of 39 and 40.
The other Scot who plays America's No 2 women's pro tour, Pamela Feggans from Patna, Ayrshire, beat the cut with a pair of 74s for 148. She is 10 shots behind the joint leaders, Gerina Mendoza from New Mexico and Canada's Samantha Richdale.

LEADING SCORES
Par 144 (2 x 72)
139 G Mendoza (US) 70 68, S Richdale (Can) 69 69.
141 A Cho (US) 74 67, V Hurst (US) 70 71, J Shipley (Can) 69 72, L Ferrero (US) 69 72.
Other score:
148 P Feggans (Sco) 74 74 (jt 38th).
MISSED THE CUT (on 151)
155 V Laing (Sco) 76 79.
156 B McLarnon (NIr) 80 76.


Vikki Laing is unlikely to survive the 36-hole in the Gettysburg Championship, the US Duramed Futures Tour event she won last year for her only success as a tour professional.
The Musselburgh exile had disastrous round of seven-over-par 79 to add to a first-round 76 and a two-round aggregate of 155 (11 over par) looked to be well over the limit with quite a few players still to complete their second rounds at The Links at Gettysburgh, Pennsylvania.
Vikki had birdies at two long holes, the fourth and the 18th, but she had a triple bogey 7 at the 13th and bogeys at the first, sixth, seventh, eighth, 15th and 16th in halves of 39 and 40.

Ladies European Tour Scoreboard
SAS LADIES MASTERS
Haga Golf Club, Oslo
SECOND-ROUND TOTALS
Par 144 (2 x 72)
134 Diana Luna (Ita) 66 68
135 Gwladys Nocera (Fra) 69 66
137 Iben Tinning (Den) 69 68, Beatriz Recari (Spa) 72 65
138 Caroline Afonso (Fra) 70 68, Samantha Head 70 68, Lee-Anne Pace 71 67
139 Kirsty S Taylor 74 65, Tania Elosegui (Spa) 70 69, Nina Reis (Swe) 68 71, Martina Eberl (Ger) 72 67, Becky Brewerton 72 67
140 Johanna Head 69 71, Ashleigh Simon (Rsa) 72 68, Laura Cabanillas Gomez (Spa) 69 71, Emma Zackrisson (Swe) 73 67, Johanna Westerberg (Swe) 71 69, Carmen Alonso (Spa) 69 71
141 Karen Lunn (Aus) 72 69, Lill Saether (Nor) 71 70, Marianne Skarpnord (Nor) 66 75, Anna-Lise Caudal (Fra) 71 70, Kaisa Ruuttila (Fin) 73 68, Emma Cabrera Bello (Spa) 71 70
142 Laura Davies 70 72, Anna Rawson (Aus) 73 69, Lena Kirstina Viola Tornevall (Swe) 74 68, Margherita Rigon (Ita) 72 70
143 Lynnette Teresa Brooky (Nzl) 70 73, Joanne Morley 70 73, Ellen Smets (Bel) 73 70, Stefanie Michl (Aut) 75 68, Yuki Sakurai (Jpn) 70 73, Denise Becker (Ger) 75 68, Eva Steinberger (Aut) 74 69
144 Frances Bondad (Aus) 73 71, Mianne Bagger (Den) 70 74, Felicity Johnson 72 72, Sophie Walker 74 70, Leah Hart (Aus) 75 69
145 Katharina Schallenberg (Ger) 76 69, Natascha Fink (Aut) 75 70, Anna Tybring (Swe) 73 72, Lene Krog (Nor) 71 74, Rebecca Hudson 74 71
146 Julie Greciet (Fra) 74 72, Laurette Maritz (Rsa) 73 73, Beth Allen 75 71, Olof Jonsdottir (Ice) 72 74, Jehanne Jail (Fra) 73 73
147 Stephanie Arricau (Fra) 76 71, Mette Buus (Den) 71 76, Sophie Sandolo (Ita) 73 74, Elisabeth Esterl (Ger) 74 73, Karen-Margreth Juul (Den) 75 72, Sofia Renell (Swe) 75 72, Elin Emanuelsson (Swe) 72 75, Melodie Bourdy (Fra) 75 72, Titiya Plucksataporn (Tha) 75 72, Trish Johnson 76 71
148 Martina Gillen (Irl) 73 75, Denise Simon (Ger) 74 74, Lynn Kenny (Sco) 75 73, Camille Fallay (Fra) 76 72, Cecilie Lundgreen (Nor) 74 74, Joanne Clingan 72 76, Joanne Pritchard (Wal) 76 72, Cassandra Kirkland (Fra) 75 73
MISSED THE CUT
149 Julie Tvede (Den) 74 75, Dana Lacey (Aus) 78 71, Marina Arruti (Spa) 76 73, Bree Turnbull (Aus) 77 72, Nicole Gergely (Aut) 75 74, Sarah Nicholson (Nzl) 74 75
150 Vittoria Valvassori (Ita) 74 76, Cherie Byrnes (Aus) 75 75, Ana Larraneta (Spa) 77 73, Maria Boden (Swe) 78 72, Natalie Claire Booth 75 75, Miriam Nagl (Ger) 73 77, Jenna Wilson (Sco) 75 75, Kathryn Imrie (Sco) 74 76, Amanda Moltke-Leth (Den) 75 75
151 Anna Rossi (Ita) 75 76, Elin Ohlsson (Swe) 74 77, Rachel Bell 77 74, Tonje Daffinrud (Nor) 78 73, Morgana Robbertze (Rsa) 74 77, Anne Hansen (Den) 78 73, Elena m Giraud (Fra) 79 72, Claire Coughlan (Irl) 78 73
152 Frederique Seeholzer (Swi) 80 72, Nuria Clau (Spa) 76 76, Florence Luscher (Swi) 75 77
153 Annamaria Milie (Ita) 79 74, Hanna Salonen (Fin) 78 75, Cesilie Hagen (Nor) 76 77
154 Karianne Hillas (Nor) 78 76, Zuzana Kamasova (Svk) 80 74, Kate Combes (Aus) 81 73, Nora Angehrn (Swi) 79 75, Christine Hallstrom (Swe) 77 77, Lene Hafsten-morch (Nor) 73 81, Valerie Michaud (Fra) 75 79
155 Vicky Hermina Thomas (Aus) 72 83, Caroline Grady 74 81, Kirsty Fisher 79 76
156 Rui Yokomine (Jpn) 81 75, Cecile Eckbo (Nor) 75 81
157 Wendy Berger (Aus) 77 80
158 Patricia Beliard (Fra) 83 75
159 Elizabeth McKinnon (Swe) 78 81
160 Simone Morgan 79 81, Anne Le Nalio (Fra) 82 78
162 June Bolme (Nor) 76 86
163 Itziar Elguezabal (Spa) 79 84

Angus Adult Junior Foursomes

Midlothian Website

Those of you suffering withdrawal symptoms because the Midlothian website was off the air for a couple of weeks, will be please to know that www.mclga.com is back.

The two five-a-side leagues are almost completed.

In Division 1, Craigmillar Park can't be beaten with 12 match points. Mortonhall on 10 match points and 24.5 game points just take second place from Merchants, who have the same number of match points but 21 game points.
Lothianburn with 5 match points will drop to Division 2 next season. There is one game left to play between Harburn (currently 6 match points) and Kingsknowe (currently 5 match points). Murrayfield, who have played all their matches are also on 6 points. Kingsknowe need to win or halve to stay up... a half will tie them with Murrayfield but Kingsknowe will have 17.5 game points to Murrayfield's 17, so Murrayfield will go down. If Harburn win, they stay up and Kingsknowe go down.

In Division 2, Turnhouse still have to play Liberton and Newbattle. Broomieknowe won all their matches except one, which they halved, and top the table with 13 match points. Prestonfield and Glencorse are tied for second place on 10 match points. Prestonfield will gain promotion due to their tally of 25 game points against 22.

LPGA Tour Scoreboard
SAFEWAY CLASSIC
Edgewater Country Club, Portland, Oregon
FIRST ROUND SCORES
Par 72
66 Angela Park (Bra)
67 Kelli Kuehne, Karen Stupples (Eng), Sophie Gustafson (Swe), Song-Hee Kim (Kor), Helen Alfredsson (Swe), Hee Young Park (Kor)
68 Stephanie Louden, Becky Morgan (Wal), Hee-Won Han (Kor), Liz Janangelo, Katie Futcher
69 Catriona Matthew (Sco), Jamie Hullett, Lorena Ochoa (Mex), Lindsey Wright (Aus), Suzann Pettersen (Nor), Leta Lindley, Meredith Duncan, Paula Creamer, Jimin Kang (Kor), Laura Diaz, Paige Mackenzie
70 Karrie Webb (Aus), Diana D'Alessio, In-Bee Park (Kor), Jee Young Lee (Kor), Rachel Hetherington (Aus), Angela Stanford, Shanshan Feng (Chn), Heather Young, Linda Wessberg (Swe), Becky Lucidi, Jennifer Rosales (Phi), Maria Hjorth (Swe), Liselotte Neumann (Swe), Dorothy Delasin, Lee Ann Walker-Cooper, Tracy Hanson
71 Irene Cho, Morgan Pressel, Cristie Kerr, Nancy Scranton, Charlotte Mayorkas, Kristy McPherson, Seo-Jae Lee, Dina Ammaccapane, Ashli Bunch, Na Yeon Choi (Kor), Eunjung Yi (Kor), Amy Hung (Tha), Karin Sjodin (Swe), Hwa seon Lee (Kor), Allison Fouch, Katherine Hull (Aus)
72 Annika Sorenstam (Swe), Siew-Ai Lim (Mal), Lorie Kane (Kor), Karine Icher (Fra), Candy Hannemann, Gloria Park (Kor), Soo-Yun Kang (Kor), Audra Burks, Jeong Jang (Kor), Eun Hee Ji (Kor), Wendy Ward, Becky Iverson, Ai Miyazato (Jpn), Teresa Lu (Tai), Alena Sharp (Can), Eva Dahllof (Swe), Hye Jung Choi (Kor)
73 Minea Blomqvist (Fin), Taylor Leon, Young Kim (Kor), Anna Grzebien, Brittany Lincicome, Julieta Granada (Par), Marisa Baena, Kyeong Eun Bae (Kor), Emily Bastel, Mhairi McKay (Sco), Sun Young Yoo (Kor), Michele Redman, Su A Kim, Kim Hall, Sarah Lee, Kris Tamulis, Louise Friberg (Swe), Virada Nirapathpongporn (Tha), Natalie Gulbis, Silvia Cavalleri (Ita)
74 Stacy Prammanasudh, Patricia Meunier-Lebouc (Fra), Reilley Rankin, Brittany Lang, Michelle Ellis, Sung Ah Yim (Kor), Moira Dunn, Allison Hanna-Williams, Janice Moodie (Sco), Young-A Yang (Kor), Il Mi Chung (Kor), Brandie Burton, Na Ri Kim (Kor), Sandra Gal (Ger), Christina Kim, Sherri Turner, Jane Park, Vicki Goetze-Ackerman, Mollie Fankhauser, Meaghan Francella
75 Shi Hyun Ahn (Kor), Se Ri Pak (Kor), Mikaela Parmlid (Swe), Pat Hurst
76 Wendy Doolan (Aus), Na On Min (Jpn), Candie Kung (Tai), Ya-Ni Tseng (Kor), Sophie Giquel (Fra), Cindy Pasechnik, Erica Blasberg, Lisa Strom (Gbr), Heather Daly-Donofrio, Carolina Llano (Col), Nicole Castrale, Danielle Downey
77 Giulia Sergas (Ita), Sydnee Michaels, Beth Bader, Kate Golden, Sarah Kemp (Aus)
78 Hilary Lunke, Michelle McGann, Carri Wood, Meena Lee (Kor)
79 A.J Eathorne (Can)
80 Jackie Gallagher-Smith, Seol-An Jeon (Kor), Marcy Hart
81 Christa Johnson, Kris Tschetter
84 Violeta Retamoza (Mex)

Defending champion Vikki Laing started with a 76 in the Gettysburg championship. Pamela Feggans had a 74 and Brenda McLarnon an 80. Scroll down for the complete list of scores.

Brown, Tucker Share Lead After
First Round In Gettysburg

DURAMED FUTURES TOUR PRESS RELEASE
GETTYSBURG, Pa., Aug. 22, 2008 - Rookie Sara Brown of Tucson, Ariz., and Tour winner Kristina Tucker of Stockholm, Sweden, each carded a 4-under-par 68 to share a one-stroke lead after today's first round of the $100,000 Gettysburg Championship.
Six players are one stroke back at 3-under-par 69 in Briana Vega of Andover, Md., Lisa Ferrero of Lodi, Calif., and Jin Young Pak of Kang Leung, South Korea, Jessica Shepley of Oakville, Ontario, rookie Kylene Pulley of Kokomo, Ind., and Samantha Richdale of Kelowna, B.C.
Last week, Brown equaled her career-best finish by tying for third at the Greater Richmond Duramed FUTURES Classic. She also tied for third back in June in her second professional event at the Duramed FUTURES Tour's major championship in Decatur, Ill.
Brown bounced back today from a three-putt bogey on her second hole with a 10-foot eagle putt on the fourth hole. She added two birdies on the back nine, hit 13 fairways and needed only 28 putts.
"I hit driver to 6-iron, but I kind of cheated a little and used the cart path to get some extra roll," said a smiling Brown about setting up for eagle on No. 4.
The former All-American at Michigan State University welcomed her brother, Josh, back as caddie. They were reunited for the first time since The Duramed Championship in Mason, Ohio. Brown's mother was on the bag last week in Richmond, Va., as she closed out the inaugural event with back-to-back rounds of 4-under-par 68.
"I've been hitting the ball well again," Brown said. "My putting was awesome today and I was able to putt nine times within 15 feet even though I made only four -- but one was an eagle."
Brown and Tucker echoed many players' sentiments of a tricky pin location on the par-3, third hole. Brown carefully observed her playing partners on that hole, watching as their respective putts trickled past the hole on a treacherous slope. Rather than putting off the green and having to putt back up the slope, Brown drained her first birdie of the day.
"I was directly above the pin dreading a two-foot downhill putt," Brown said.
Tucker earned her first win on the Duramed FUTURES Tour at the El Paso Golf Classic earlier this season. She was equally effective with the putter today, finishing her round with just 29 putts. The fifth-year professional gave credit to her husband, Paul Tucker, for helping reading the greens and being a calming influence on the course.
"My putting was good today," Tucker said. "I've been struggling in the last few tournaments and to get 29 putts on these greens makes me very happy."
Tucker continues to sit on the bubble in the Tour's top 10 of the season money list, coming into Gettysburg ranked 13th.
"I've been thinking about it, but there's nothing I can do except go out there and play my best," Tucker said.
Vega also had an adventure on the third hole, sitting three feet above the hole with a chance at birdie. Her birdie putt rolled back 15 feet below the hole, but she was able to save par going back uphill.
"I thought the greens were drying out, so it was a big advantage to play in the morning," Vega said. "I didn't do anything crazy today and I was able to make some short putts."
Coming into Gettysburg ranked fourth on the season money list, Pak was tied with Brown for the lead at 4-under par through 17 holes before she settled for a three-putt bogey on her final hole.
"I was really happy with my score until my last hole," Pak said. "I thought I played good on the back nine, but the greens were really fast."
Ferrero made five consecutive birdies on the front nine after opening today's round with two bogeys in her first three holes.
"My sponsors keep telling me that my scorecard looks like a coloring book because of all that red, green and black," said Ferrero, who has finished in the top 10 in three of the Tour's last four events. "I just told myself after the bogey on three, 'I'm in big trouble if I don't get things turned around in a hurry'."
Ferrero responded with a 10-foot birdie putt on the fourth hole and made a 25-foot putt for birdie on No. 5. From there, she converted three straight birdie putts within 10 feet.
Second-round play begins Saturday morning at 7:30 a.m. off the first and 10th tees.
For real-time scoring and more information, visit www.duramedfuturestour.com.

Duramed Futures Tour Scoreboard
$100,000 The Gettysburg Championship

The Links At Gettysburg, Gettysburg, Pennsylviania

FIRST ROUND

Par 72 (36-36) 6,426yd

1 Sara Brown (Tucson, Ariz.) 34-34 - 68
1 Kristina Tucker (Stockholm, Sweden) 33-35 - 68
3 Briana Vega (Andover, Mass.) 34-35 - 69
3 Jin Young Pak (Kang Leung, South Korea) 34-35 - 69
3 Lisa Ferrero (Lodi, Calif.) 33-36 - 69
3 Jessica Shepley (Oakville, Ontario) 35-34 - 69
3 Kylene Pulley (Kokomo, Ind.) 35-34 - 69
3 Samantha Richdale (Kelowna, British Columbia) 34-35 - 69
9 Kristen Samp (Moberly, Mo.) 35-35 - 70
9 Angela Buzminski (Oshawa, Ontario) 34-36 - 70
9 Vicky Hurst (Melbourne, Fla.) 34-36 - 70
9 Gerina Mendoza (Roswell, N.M.) 38-32 - 70
9 Brandi Jackson (Greenville, S.C.) 37-33 - 70
9 M. J. Hur (Seoul, South Korea) 34-36 - 70
15 Amanda Mathis (Opelousas, La.) 34-37 - 71
15 Sunny Oh (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) 35-36 - 71
15 Libby Smith (Essex Junction, Vt.) 35-36 - 71
15 Sarah-Jane Kenyon (Queensland, Australia) 35-36 - 71
15 Whitney Wade (Glasgow, Ky.) 34-37 - 71
20 Nontaya Srisawang (Chiang Mai, Thailand) 35-37 - 72
20 Carling Coffing (Middletown, Ohio) 34-38 - 72
20 Kelly Lagedrost (Brooksville, Fla.) 37-35 - 72
20 Hannah Yun (a) (Bradenton, Fla.) 36-36 - 72
20 Jenny Suh (Fairfax, Va.) 34-38 - 72
20 Whitney Myers (York, Pa.) 35-37 - 72
20 Nicole Hage (Coral Springs, Fla.) 37-35 - 72
20 Moah Chang (Los Angeles, Calif.) 35-37 - 72
20 Maggie Simons (Raleigh, N.C.) 37-35 - 72
20 Lynn Valentine (East Lyme, Conn.) 38-34 - 72
30 Rebecka Heinmert (San Jose, Calif.) 38-35 - 73
30 Song Yi Choi (Seoul, South Korea) 37-36 - 73
30 Yoora Kim (Seoul, South Korea) 35-38 - 73
30 Lisa Meldrum (Montreal, Quebec) 38-35 - 73
30 Noriko Nakazaki (Hanover Park, Ill.) 35-38 - 73
30 LeAnna Wicks (Brighton, Mich.) 36-37 - 73
30 Misun Cho (Cheongju, South Korea) 39-34 - 73
30 Lori Atsedes (Ithaca, N.Y.) 37-36 - 73
30 Taya Battistella (Portland, Ore.) 38-35 - 73
30 Mindy Kim (Diamond Bar, Calif.) 36-37 - 73
30 Michelle Jarman (Wilmington, N.C.) 37-36 - 73
41 Alexandra Braga (Los Angeles, Calif.) 36-38 - 74
41 Stacey Tate (Auckland, New Zealand) 35-39 - 74
41 Tiffany Tavee (Tempe, Ariz.) 38-36 - 74
41 Cindy Lee-Pridgen (Sabah, Malaysia) 35-39 - 74
41 Janell Howland (Boise, Idaho) 35-39 - 74
41 Devan Andersen (Guadalajara, Mexico) 37-37 - 74
41 Catherine Matranga (Fort Worth, Texas) 38-36 - 74
41 Maru Martinez (Maracaibo, Venezuela) 36-38 - 74
41 Chella Choi (Seoul, South Korea) 38-36 - 74
41 Heather Angell (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 34-40 - 74
41 Sam White (Potomac, Md.) 37-37 - 74
41 Andrea VanderLende (Longwood, Fla.) 37-37 - 74
41 Katrina Leckovic (Burnaby, British Columbia) 37-37 - 74
41 Nikki Hadd (Crestview, Fla.) 38-36 - 74
41 Pamela Feggans (Patna, Scotland) 35-39 - 74
41 Marcela Leon (Monterrey, Mexico) 37-37 - 74
41 Lili Alvarez (Durango, Mexico) 37-37 - 74
41 Ashley Grier (Hagerstown, Md.) 35-39 - 74
41 Courtney Erdman (Altadena, Calif.) 38-36 - 74
41 Aimee Cho (Orlando, Fla.) 36-38 - 74
61 Kim Welch (Sacramento, Calif.) 37-38 - 75
61 Stephanie George (Myerstown, Pa.) 39-36 - 75
61 Bing Lim (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) 42-33 - 75
61 Kelly Froelich (Raizeux, France) 36-39 - 75
61 Stella Lee (Seoul, South Korea) 37-38 - 75
61 Jin Hyun Kim (Seoul, South Korea) 39-36 - 75
61 Anastasia Kostina (Nakhabino, Russia) 38-37 - 75
61 Mo Martin (Altadena, Calif.) 34-41 - 75
61 Tanya Dergal (Durango, Mexico) 37-38 - 75
61 Ashley Prange (Noblesville, Ind.) 35-40 - 75
71 Amanda McCurdy (Little Rock, Ark.) 41-35 76
71 Kim Augusta (Rumford, R.I.) 41-35 - 76
71 Nicole Jeray (Berwyn, Ill.) 36-40 - 76
71 Ashley Knoll (The Woodlands, Texas) 37-39 - 76
71 Jenna Pearson (Wheaton, Ill.) 37-39 - 76
71 Carmen Bandea (Atlanta, Ga.) 34-42 - 76
71 Sofie Andersson (Angelholm, Sweden) 39-37 - 76
71 Sarah Olsen (Grosse Ile, Mich.) 39-37 - 76
71 Annie Young (Highland, Utah) 35-41 - 76
71 Sophia Sheridan (Guadalajara, Mexico) 38-38 - 76
71 Christine Boucher (Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec) 38-38 - 76
71 Vikki Laing (Musselburgh, Scotland) 37-39 - 76
71 Perry Swenson (Charlotte, N.C.) 37-39 - 76
71 Hanna Kang (Seoul, South Korea) 39-37 - 76
71 Meghan Little (Sturgis, S.D.) 38-38 - 76
71 Amber Prange (Noblesville, Ind.) 36-40 - 76
71 Shayna Miyajima (Maui, Hawaii) 37-39 - 76
88 Stephanie Otteson (Wilson, N.C.) 37-40 - 77
88 Katie Fraley (Brandenburg, Ky.) 39-38 - 77
88 Ulrika Ljungman-Smith (Stockholm, Sweden) 42-35 - 77
88 Manuela Tarazona (Buenos Aires, Argentina) 41-36 - 77
88 Haeji Kang (Seoul, South Korea) 41-36 - 77
88 Kellee Booth (McKinney, Texas) 37-40 - 77
88 Adriane Duke (Jonesboro, Ark.) 39-38 - 77
88 Jenny Gleason (Clearwater, Fla.) 38-39 - 77
88 Jessica Schneider (Elgin, Ill.) 40-37 - 77
88 Sasha Medina (Ponce, Puerto Rico) 38-39 - 77
88 Jill Frantz (Iowa City, Iowa) 37-40 - 77
99 Jennifer Ackerson (Dallas, Texas) 41-37 - 78
99 Esther Moon (Nashville, Tenn.) 41-37 - 78
99 Angela Oh (Maple Shade, N.J.) 39-39 - 78
99 Elin Andersson (Eskilstuna, Sweden) 38-40 - 78
99 Gina Umeck (Redlands, Calif.) 39-39 - 78
99 Brittainy Klein (Henderson, Ky.) 41-37 - 78
99 Amanda Costner (Claremore, Okla.) 41-37 - 78
99 Katie Allison (Little River, S.C.) 41-37 - 78
99 Jeanne Cho-Hunicke (Longwood, Fla.) 36-42 - 78
108 Camila Mori (Santiago, Chile) 39-40 - 79
108 Corrie Tayman (a) (Bethesda, Md.) 40-39 - 79
108 Jutta Degerman (Helsinki, Finland) 38-41 - 79
108 Leah Wigger (Louisville, Ky.) 39-40 - 79
108 Y. J. Jin (Seoul, South Korea) 39-40 - 79
108 Bridget Dwyer (Kailua, Hawaii) 41-38 - 79
108 Benedikte Grotvedt (a) (Nesbru, Norway) 38-41 - 79
115 Nara Shin (a) (Avon, Conn.) 43-37 - 80
115 Lorraine Ballerano (Myrtle Beach, S.C.) 39-41 - 80
115 Brenda McLarnon (Belfast, Ireland) 39-41 - 80
115 Sarah Lynn Sargent (St. Charles, Ill.) 40-40 - 80
115 Salimah Mussani (Burlington, Ontario) 39-41 - 80
115 Juli Erekson (Mapleton, Utah) 42-38 - 80
115 Jean Reynolds (Newnan, Ga.) 37-43 - 80
122 Christine Cho (Kent, Wash.) 38-43 - 81
122 Jeehae Lee (Seoul, South Korea) 44-37 - 81
122 Shelley Anderson (Clarksville, Tenn.) 39-42 - 81
125 Kaylin Isler (Southlake, Texas) 42-40 - 82
125 Susan Choi (Natick, Mass.) 40-42 - 82
125 Caroline Larsson (Stockholm, Sweden) 41-41 - 82
125 Sohi Moon (Seoul, South Korea) 40-42 - 82
129 Stephanie Kim (a) (Orlando, Fla.) 43-40 - 83
129 Carol Green-Robertson (Tazewell, Va.) 40-43 - 83
129 Alissa Kuczka (Phoenix, Ariz.) 39-44 - 83
129 Erin Kerr (Phoenix, Ariz.) 42-41 - 83
129 Amy Schmucker (Cold Spring, Minn.) 37-46 - 83
129 Charlotte Campbell (Heathrow, Fla.) 45-38 - 83
129 Kate Stepanek (Guilford, Conn.) 42-41 - 83
136 Mary Moan (New Haven, Conn.) 40-45 - 85
136 Haley Gildea (East Greenwich, R.I.) 42-43 - 85
138 Paula Pearson-Tucker (Miami, Fla.) 46-40 - 86
138 Morgan Olds (Stamford, Conn.) 47-39 - 86
MISSED THE CUT (failed to break 90)
Stephanie Godare (Conroe, Texas) 49-42 - 91
Airey Chiapella (a) (Memphis, Tenn.) 46-47 - 93
WITHDREW
Sin Ah Ham (Torrance, Calif.)
Dana Je (Orlando, Fla.)
DISQUALIFIED
Caroline Park (a) (Oviedo, Fla.)

Skarpnord, Luna share lead on 66
in weather-hit SAS Masters

FROM THE LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Norway’s Marianne Skarpnord, a former British girls' open champion, and Italy’s Diana Luna both shot six-under-par 66 to share the first round lead at the SAS Ladies Masters in Norway.
The pair finished two shots ahead of Sweden’s Nina Reis on day one at Haga Golf in Oslo, although 24 players had still to complete their rounds when play was suspended due to darkness at 8.47pm.
The first round tee times were moved back by three hours due to a waterlogged course which meant that the first group began at 11am and the last at 5pm. The eight groups who were still on the course when play was suspended will set out to complete their first rounds at 8am (local time) on Saturday while the second round will also begin at 8am as originally scheduled.
INCOMPLETE FIRST ROUND SCOREBOARD
Par 72
66 D Luna (Ita), M Skarpnord (Nor).
68 N Reid (Swe).
69 C Alonso (Spa), I Tinning (Den), G Nocdera Fra), J Head (Eng).
Selected other scores:
70 L Davies (Eng), S Head (Eng), J Morley (Eng).
72 M Eberl (Ger), F Johnson (Eng), B Brewerton (Wal), J Clingan (Eng).
74 K Imrie (Sco), R Hudson (Eng).
75 L Kenny (Sco).

+ Jenna Wilson from Strathaven is one of the players still to finish their first rounds. She is three over par after 12 holes.

Two Scottish players are the Best of British!

Roseanne Niven with the championship salver after her play-off victory (Image by courtesy of Ladies Golf Union). Top right is Kylie Walker in action (image by Cal Carson Golf Agency, all rights reserved).

Roseanne beats Kylie for British title play-off

It had to be a Tartan Triumph climax to the British women's open amateur golf championship at Malone Golf Club, near Belfast today.
In a dream finish for Scottish supporters of the game, Roseanne Niven (Crieff) and Buchanan Castle's Kylie Walker produced brilliant final rounds in the 72-hole event to tie at the top of the leaderboard on level par 288.
Roseanne won the play-off at the first extra hole.

Later, Roseanne paid tribute to her coach, Karyn Dallas, the Kirriemuir Golf Club professional, for the part she has played in her development as a player.

"I must thank Karyn for her help over the past four or five years. Without her, I would not have achieved the success I am now enjoying."

Niven had set the clubhouse target earlier in the afternoon with a superb final round of four-under-par 68 - the lowest of the championship - and only her later-finishing compatriot Kylie was able to equal it with a 69, the second best score of the final round.
It was the seventh win by a Scot in the stroke-play tournament which started in 1969.
Roseanne, winning a British title for the first time, follows in the footsteps of Belle Robertson (1971-72-85), Jane Connachan (1982), Clare Queen (2004) and Heather MacRae (2005).
Niven, a 19-year-old from the Perthshire village of Tibbermore and beaten semi-finalist in the British women's open amateur championship at North Berwick in June, shot five under par for the second 36 holes of the tournament to climb up the leaderboard from joint 19th at the start of the final day.
She had a one-under-par 71 in the third round and then signed off with a 68, the lowest score so far in the championship.
In her third round, the University of California-Berkeley student had five birdies and a double bogey 6 at the 14th.
In her final circuit, Roseanne, who finished runner-up to Breanne Loucks in her last trip to Ireland for the Irish women's open amateur stroke-play, had two halves of 34.
She birdied the long second by sinking a 10ft putt and the short fourth with a 15ft birdie putt. A pitch-and-putt 4 at the long seventh gave her a third birdie of the round, to be followed by birdie No 4 at the eighth as she turned in three-under-34, her best of the three days.
A shot dropped at the 14th, where she three-putted, was her second (she bogeyed the fifth) and last bogey of a very good round. As Crieff Golf Club member Roseanne, a former Scottish girls' match-play champion, had done in the morning round, she birdied both the 16th and 17th, holing a putt of around 6ft at the 16th and pitching and putting at the penultimate hole.
Kylie Walker, who will be 22 on August 30, had a hole in one in her morning third round, acing the 15th (132yd) with an eight iron for her first competitive hole in one. She also lost a ball at the seventh, costing her a double bogey 7, in that morning 73 in which she had contrasting halves of 42 and 31,
In the fourth round Kylie had seven birdies. A 10ft putt dropped at the first and she got a two-putt 4 at the long second. But she lost a bit of momentum with bogeys at the fourth and eighth before a birdie from 3ft at the ninth put her off and running again.
The Scot holed a 10-footer to birdie the 10th and then holed a 25ft putt for a birdie at the 12th.
A bogey at the 13th was followed by a chip-in for a sixth birdie at the 14th. A shot dropped at the 16th would prove costly in the final analysis, even though she wedged to 4ft to set up her final birdie at the 17th.
Needing to squeeze an eighth birdie out of the 18th to win the title outright, Walker had to settle for a par and play-off with Roseanne Niven.
Former Curtis Cup player Tara Delaney (Carlow), twice winner of the Irish open stroke-play title shared third place with long-time leader Sahra Hassan (Vale of Glamorgan.
Carly Booth (Comrie) and Pamela Pretswell (Bothwell Castle), the only other Scots to beat the halfway cut, finished joint 27th on 13-over-par 301. Both had closing rounds of 74 and 76.
Carly had only one birdie - at the 17th - in her final round after two double bogeys in her morning round.
Pamela had a double bogey 6 at the eighth in her final round. It was her only double bogey of the four rounds.
Former Curtis Cup player Tara Delaney (Carlow), twice winner of the Irish open stroke-play title shared third place with long-time leader Sahra Hassan (Vale of Glamorgan.
Tara finished with two par-matching rounds of 72 for two-over 290. She bvirdied the second, 16th and 17th in her final round.
Sahra, joint halfway leader, had gone a shot clear with a 74 for one-over 217, but a closing round of 73 could not hold her closely-grouped challengers at bay and she finished on 290.

+For older followers of Scottish ladies' golf, the Roseanne Niven v Kylie Walker play-off brought back memories of the 1981 final of the British women's open amateur championship at Conway, where Belle Robertson beat Wilma Aitken at the 20th hole.

British women's amateur stroke-play
championship scoreboard

Malone Golf Club, nr Belfast
FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4 x 72) CSS 76-76-75-75
288 R Niven (Crieff) 75 74 71 68, K Walker (Buchanan Castle) 71 75 73 69.
290 T Delaney (Carlow) 77 69 72 72, S Hassan (Vale of Glamorgan) 72 71 74 73.
291 M Ricordeau (Fra) 75 73 72 71.
292 D McVeigh (Royal Co Down) 79 70 70 73, M Nivard (Net) 71 76 75 70, V Sternebeck (Ger) 75 70 73 74.
293 A Lucie (Fra) 73 75 73 72.
295 F Parker (Royal Birkdale) 72 79 71 73, K Smith (Waterlooville) 73 77 72 73, D-C Schreefel (Net) 71 75 76 73, Lisa Maguire (Slieve Russell) 73 72 77 73, C Boeljon (Net) 71 74 76 74.
296 M Causin (Ita) 76 75 71 74, A De Luigi (Ita) 74 77 74 71, R Jennings (Izaak Walton) 74 73 76 73, T Davies (Holyhead) 71 74 75 76.
297 R Connor (Manchester) 75 69 77 76.
298 Leona Maguire (Slieve Russell) 73 78 72 75, N Edwards (Ganton) 79 70 74 75, N Kitching (Claremorris) 73 73 77 75.
299 E Bennett (Brokenhurst Manor) 74 76 75 74.
300 H Jenkins (Cradoc) 75 73 79 73, A Goumard (Fra) 70 76 77 77, C Karsten (Net) 72 71 75 82.
301 C Wild (Mere) 77 75 75 74, C Booth (Comrie) 74 77 74 76, P Pretswell (Bothwell Castle) 77 74 74 76, C Lee (West Lancs) 72 77 76 76.
302 C Ellis (Minchinhampton) 80 72 75 75, J Van Baarle (Bel) 74 76 77 75, C Aitken (Mid Kent) 70 76 77 79.
303 H Ralph (Cowdray Park) 79 73 74 77.
304 H Barwood (Knowle) 73 79 73 79, C De Vries (Net) 77 72 80 75, M De Roey (Bel) 76 71 79 78.
306 S James (Bristol & Clifton) 74 75 82 75.
312 S Harvey (Ballyclare) 74 77 81 80.
313 S Faller (Galway) 76 76 80 81.

Kylie hole in one keeps her in
hunt behind leader Sahra

Welsh international teenager Sahra Hassan has taken the outright lead at the end of the third round of the Ladies British open amateur championship at Malone Golf Club.
But a spread of only three shots covers the leading six players so it looks like be an exciting and fluctuating final 18 holes.
Sahra, the 19-year-old joint leader with 18-year-old Caroline Karsten (Netherlands), moved one shot clear of the field with a 74 for one-over-par 217.
Hassan had a double bogey 6 at the 10th and also dropped shots at the sixth, 13th and 18th but she compensated with birdies at the third, 16th and 17th in halves of 37.
Three players are breathing down her neck, one shot behind on 218 - Irish hope Tara Delaney (Carlow), Valerie Sternebeck from Germany and Caroline Karsten.
Tara, a former Curtis Cup player and past Irish open stroke-play champion, matched the par of 72 with halves of 35 and 37.
She birdied the fifth and eighth to turn in two-under-par 35 before a roller-coaster inward half of three birdies (11th, 14th and 17th) and five bogeys.
Valerie had halves of 37 and 36. She recovered well from a double bogey 6 at the fifth. She had birdies at the first, eighth, ninth and 12th.
Caroline Karsen had an eagle 3 at the long 17th and birdies at the first and eighth in an outward half of one-under-par 36. But she dropped back with an inward half which had no birdies but a double-bogey 6 at the 11th.
Danielle McVeigh (Royal County Down), holder of the world students' female title, and Kylie Walker, the St Rule Trophy holder from Buchanan Castle are sharing fifth place on 219, only two shots off the pace.
Danielle had the best score of the third round - a two-under-par 70, which repeated her second-day return after an opening round of 79.
Kylie, who had a 73, achieved the second hole in one of the championship.
She aced the 132yd 15th with an eight iron to follow the example of Caroline Karsten on the second day.
It was the Scot's second career hole in one but the first one was achieved at a par-3 course.
Walker struggled to the turn in five-over-par 42 after running up a double bogey7 at the seventh where she lost a ball ... "probably stuck up a tree somewhere."
She also dropped shots at the third, sixth and ninth.
But Kylie came romping home in 31 with the help of that hole in one.
She birdied the 10th and 12th and got that eagle 1 at the 15th.
HOW THEY STAND WITH ONE ROUND TO GO
Par 216 (3 x 72)
217 Sahra Hassan (Vale of Glamorgan) 72 71 74.
218 Tara Delaney (Carlow) 77 69 72, Valerie Sternebeck (Germany) 75 70 73, Caroline Karsten(Netherlands) 72 71 75.
219 Danielle McVeigh (Royal Co Down) 79 70 70, Kylie Walker (Buchanan Castle) 71 75 73.
220 Roseanne Niven (Crieff) 75 74 71, Marion Ricordeau (France) 75 73 72, Tara Davies (Holyhead) 71 74 75.
221 Andre Lucie (France) 73 75 73, Christel Boeljon (Netherlands) 71 74 76, Rachel Connor (Manchester) 75 69 77.
222 Marianna Causin (Italy) 76 75 71, Florentyna Parker (Royal Birkdale) 72 79 71, Kerry Smith (Waterlooville) 73 77 72, Marieke Nivard (Netherlands) 71 76 75, Dewi-Claire Schreefel (Netherlands) 71 75 76, Lisa Maguire (Ireland) 73 72 77.
223 Leona Maguire (Ireland) 73 78 72, Naomi Edwards (Ganton) 79 70 74, Rachel Jennings (Izaak Walton) 74 73 76, Audrey Goumard (France) 70 76 77, Niamh Kitching (Claremorris) 73 73 77, Claire Aitken (Mid Kent) 70 76 77.
225 Hannah Barwood (Knowle) 73 79 73, Alessandra De Luigi (Italy) 74 77 74, Carly Booth (Comrie) 74 77 74, Pamela Pretswell (Bothwell Castle) 77 74 74, Elizabeth Bennett (Brokenhurst Manor) 74 76 75, Corisande Lee (West Lancs) 72 77 76.
226 Hannah Ralph (Cowdray Park) 79 73 74, Marion de Roey (Belgium) 76 71 79.
227 Charlotte Ellis (Minchinhampton) 80 72 75, Charlotte Wild (Mere) 77 75 75, Joelie Van Baarle (Belgium) 74 76 77, Hannah Jenkins (Cradoc) 75 73 79.
229 Chrisje De Vries (Neteherlands) 77 72 70.
231 Sian James (B ristol & Cliftgon) 74 75 82.
232 Sarah Faller (Galway) 76 76 80, Shirley Harvey (Ballyclare) 74 77 81.

Derbyshire golfer aims for a
PING championship double

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY ENGLISH WOMEN'S GOLF ASSOCIATION
Former champion Shirley Kay is aiming for a special double in the 2008 PING Women’s Four- Ball Better-Ball Tournament of England.
Shirley, who won the inaugural 2006 tournament, teamed up with a different partner, Jane Whyatt, to book a place in this year’s grand final and set up a tilt at the title. The pair, from Matlock Golf Club, scored 39 points to lead the qualifiers at the latest regional final at Marriott Breadsall Priory Hotel & Country Club in Derbyshire.
The top seven pairs qualified for the grand final of the competition at the Marriott Forest of Arden Hotel, Golf and Country Club on October 7. The tournament is run by the English Women’s Golf Association.
The qualifiers, who all scored 37 points or better, each won a pair of ECCO shoes and a PING Collection sweater to wear at the final. Shirley and Jane also each won a PING golf bag.
Shirley, who plays off 23, and her nine-handicap partner, were in the second group out, they started out with a birdie on the first hole and went on to set an unbeatable target.
“Jane played fantastic golf, I was just the supporting act,” said Shirley. “It will be wonderful to go to the Forest of Arden.”
She added: “We have had a lovely day, the course was in great condition and we have been looked after beautifully.”
They topped a tight leaderboard and were followed by two pairs on 38 and four on 37.
Both pairs on 38 had a chance to catch the winners. The runners-up were Kay Beaman – who was giving her new PING driver its first outing - and Kathryn Harvey from Bewdley Pines in Worcestershire. They scored 19 points on each half – and just missed a birdie on the last.
Kathryn, who plays off eight, is a county golfer and is currently ladies’ captain and club champion at Bewdley Pines. “You’re not supposed to do any good when you’re captain but I’m having a great year,” she said. “It will be fantastic to play in the grand final, it’s an achievement and helps to put the club on the map.”
Their round was interrupted by a thunderstorm which meant play had to be suspended for about a hour – and Kay treated fellow competitors to an impromptu performance of Singing in the Rain. “You’ve got to laugh,” she said.
Third place went to Julie Matthews and Kate Rawthorne of Sale in Cheshire. They, too, had a chance to catch the leaders but they needed to get up and down on the last - and they just failed. QUALIFIERS
39pts Jane Whyatt & Shirley Kay (Matlock).
38pts Kay Beaman & Kathryn Harvey (Bewdley Pines); Julie Matthews & Kate Rawthorne (Sale).
37pts Janet Lambdon & Sue O’Hagen (Staverton Park); Jenny Cordon & Paula Parkes (Leek); Denise Ford & Liz Simnett (Burton-on-Trent); Christina Allen & Mavis Holden (Tapton Park)
Full details: www.pingchampionship.com

Lyndsey Hewison
Press & PR Officer

Visit the EGWA web site at www.englishwomensgolf.org

Dullatur ladies' club

championship

hat-trick by

Jill Meldrum

Jill Meldrum has become Dullatur Golf Club ladies champion for the third year running after being the youngest winner in 2005.

Despite having played very little golf due to exam commitments, Jill was also runner-up in the D & A championship this year after being the youngest title-winner in the 98-year history of the tournament in 2007.

She finished second top Scot in the Under-16s at Craigielaw, third on count back in the Scottish schoolgirls', first Under-18 at the Munross Trophy and qualified fourth in the recent Scottish Under-18s championship at Alyth where she was knocked out in the quarter-finals at the 19th hole.

She shot three sub-80 scores in the Scottish Under-21s championship at Powfoot.

After a disappointing first round in the British girls championship at Monifieth, running up a triple bogey at the first hole, she achieved level par round in the very poor afternoon conditions.

To gain experience she has been playing in the British women's amateur stroke-play championship at Malone Golf Club, Northern Ireland this week.

After a poor first round, she played to her handicap in the second round.

Jill has reduced her handicap from five to three and has been selected for a second time to represent Scottish schoolgirls against English schoolgirls at Royal Lytham next month.

Rain delays start in LET event in Norway

There is rain - and lots of it - all over Europe at the moment. There must be more courses closed than open.
Even the Ladies European Tour has not escaped the downpour.
First round play has been delayed at the SAS Ladies Masters in Norway.
A further announcement will be made at 10am in the Players’ Lounge at Haga Golf Club.

British women's amateur stroke-play near Belfast

Kylie, Roseanne, Pamela and

Carly only Scots to beat cut

Kylie Walker (Buchanan Castle), Crieff's Roseanne Niven, Pamela Pretswell (Bothwell Castle) and Comrie's Carly Booth were the only Scots to beat the halfway cut in the British women's open amateur stroke-play golf championship at Malone Golf Club near Belfast today.
There were some very hard lucky stories - Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm) and Emily Ogilvy (Auchterarder) failed by just one shot to survive.
The biggest name among the non-qualifiers was Michele Thomson, the Scottish champion and Curtis Cup player from Ellon.
Kylie Walker slipped back from a 71 to a 75 for two-over-par 146, but that's a total that keeps her well in the hunt, only three shots behind the two teenage leaders, Curtis Cup reserve Sahra Hassan (Vale of Glamorgan) and Caroline Karsten from the Netherlands. Caroline had a hole in one in her second round.
Kylie's only birdie came at the first but she did par the last eight holes after dropping four shots at regular intervals before that.
Roseanne Niven, picture above by Cal Carson Golf Agency (all rights reserved), was heading for a par 72 after birdieing the 15th and 16th but she bogeyed the last two holes for a 74 and joint 20th place on 149.
Pamela Pretswell and Carly Booth are both on the 151 mark, making the cut with a shot to spare after looking to be in the danger zone for most of the day. Pamela improved from a 77 to a 74, while Carly went back from a 74 to a 77.
Carly had early birdies at the third and seventh but came down to earth with a triple bogey 7 at the eighth, the hole that cost her a 6 in the first round. But, after her failure to make the match-play stages of last week's British girls championship at Monifieth she needed to make this cut. She has - now she can relax a bit and finish with two good scores.
Emily Ogilvy bogeyed four holes in a row from the 13th for an 80 and a total of 153, one shot too many to qualify.
Megan Briggs, another to miss out by just one stroke, will be rueing the double bogey 6 she took at the last in her first round. She could conjure up only one birdie in a second-round 77 for 153.
Alford's Laura Murray had double bogeys at the 12th and 14th in an inward 40 for a 78 and a total of 154.
Kelsey MacDonald took 44 shots (seven over par) to reach the turn in an 80 for 157.
Michele Thomson improved by seven shots with a 75, but the damage had been done with her first-round 82. She had birdies at the third and seventh but a double bogey 6 at the 11th saw her lose momentum.

A look at the broader picture ...

ALL CHANGE AT THE TOP ON
SECOND ROUND AT MALONE

FROM THE LADIES GOLF UNION WEBSITE
It was all change at the top of the leaderboard at the end of the second day of the Ladies' British open amateur stroke-play championship.
Claire Aitken (Mid Kent) and Audrey Goumard from France, the joint overnight leaders on two-under-par 70, both required 76 shots for the second circuit and dropped down to joint eighth place on two-over-146.
Going into Friday's final two rounds, two teenagers lead the way.
Netherlands girls international Caroline Karsten joined Curtis Cup reserve Sahra Hassan in the pole position at one-under-par 143, thanks to a hole in one in the second round.
It was the second ace that Caroline had ever had and she did it with a seven iron at the 132yd 15th hole.
Caroline hit the bullseye with her tee shot, the ball going straight into the cup without a bounce.
She finished on 71, one better than her Wednesday score, having holed putts of around the 20ft mark for birdies at both the opening holes. She gave these shots back with a double bogey 5 at the short fourth and turned in level par 37.
After a bogey at the 11th put her one over-par for the day, Karsten had a good sand save at the 12th before producing her eagle 1 at the 13th to get to one under the card and that's how it remained with pars at the remaining holes for 34 home and a 71.
Sahra Hassan had earlier taken the early afternoon lead on a bright, sunny day with a 71 for 143.
Welsh international Sahra, 19-year-old member of the Vale of Glamorgan club, felt she did not play as well as she did for her first-day par score of 72, "but I did scramble well," she said.
Hassan had one birdie fewer than on Wednesday but also two bogeys less.
Sahra was able to save par figures at the second and fourth from off the green and got one of the rare tournament birdies at the par-4 fifth - statistically the toughest hole on the course in the first round.
Hassan hit the green with a rescue wood second shot and holed a 6ft putt for a 3 and she also birdied the long seventh. A shot dropped at the ninth put her out in one-under-par 36.
From there in it was nine straight pars with the Vagliano Trophy player unable to convert any of her birdie chances.
England girl international Rachel Connor from Manchester claimed the honour of being the first player to return a sub-70 score in the championship. And that put her in third place on 144, one shot off the pace, at the end of the second day.
Rachel, a member of the winning England team at the recent girls' home internationals at Panmure and the runners-up in the European girls' team championship, also in Scotland, shot a three-under-par 69, thanks to covering the last 13 holes in six under par.
For the first five holes, Connor went from an overnight three over par to six over par overall with bogeys at the second, third and fifth.
A birdie at the short sixth lit the flame for Rachel and she followed it up with further birdies at the long seventh, ninth, short 15th, 16th and 18th in halves of 37 (level par) and 32 (three under par).
That gave the 18-year-old daughter of the Scots-born Manchester club professional, Brian Connor, a level par aggregate of 144.
Sharing fourth place, only two shots behind the leaders, are 13-year-old Lisa Maguire (Slieve Russell), Tara Davies (Holyhead), Christel Boeljon (Netherlands) and Valerie Sternebeck (Germany).
Former Curtis Cup player Tara Delaney from Carlow was a second player to hit the 69 mark. Coupled with her opening 77, she moved into the top 10 at halfway on 146. Tara had a bag of six birdies - the fourth, seventh, ninth, 10th, 15th and 16th in halves of 35 and 34. She dropped shots at the fifth, 11th and 13th.
Tara is one of three Irish challengers within two or three shots of the lead.
On 145 is Lisa Maguire, the 13-year-old Slieve Russell twin who holds the European Junior Masters girls' title and the Irish girls championship. After bogeys at the 14th and 15th, Lisa birdied the 17th for an inward 35 and a 72 (sister Leona, the Irish women's champion, also made the cut on 151).
Alongside Tara Delaney on 146 is Limerick University student Niamh Kitching (Claremorris) after a repeat 73.
Claire Aitken had only one birdie in her 76 for 146. That was at the long seventh. She dropped shots at the second, third, fifth, 12th and 15th.
Audrey Goumard had two birdies, at the fourth and 17th, but she cascaded six shots to par between them, including a triple bogey 7 at the 13th in halves of 37 and 39 for 76.
Around mid-afternoon it looked as if the halfway cut to 40 and ties would be around 150 or 151, which put Curtis Cup players Elizabeth Bennett (Brokenhurst Manor) (150) and Florentyna Parker (Royal Birkdale) (151), not to mention new Swiss amateur champion Pamela Pretswell (Bothwell Castle) (151) in the danger zone, but at the end of the day, they were "saved" by the early cut forecast being at shot or two out.
The precise number of 40 players with 36-hole tallies of 152 or better qualified to play the final two rounds.
Notable players sidelined include last year's Irish match-play champion Karen Delaney (Carlow) on 153, this year's "Helen Holm" winner, Barbara Genuini (France) on 154, Scottish Under-21 champion Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) on 157 and, on the same score, another Scot, Curtis Cup player Michele Thomson (McDonald Ellon).

IRELAND WIN TEAM TROPHY IN
BRITISH STROKE-PLAY

Ireland's Maguire twins, Lisa and Leona, and Tara Delaney combined to win the international team event, staged in conjunction with the first two rounds of the British women's open amateur stroke-play championship.
With only two of their three scores counting daily for the team total, Ireland tied with Netherlands on the 287 mark - and then won the trophy by virtue of having a lower second-round total than their Dutch rivals.
Tara's 69 and Lisa's 72 made all the difference today, enabling the Irish to overehaul the front-running Netherlands team.
FINAL TOTALS
287 IRELAND 146 141 (Tara Delaney 77-69. Leona Maguire 73-78, Lisa Maguire 73-72); NETHERLANDS 142 145 (Christel Boeljon 71-74, Caroline Karsten 72-71, Dewi-Claire Schreefel 71-75). Ireland won with lower second-round total.
291 WALES 147 144 (Sahra Hassan 72-71, Hannah Jenkins 75-73, Stephanie Evans 77-76).
293 ENGLAND 146 147 (Hannah Barwood 73-79, Naomi Edwards 79-70, Kerry Smith 73-77
295 SCOTLAND 146 149 (Laura Murray 76-78, Roseanne Niven 75-74, Kylie Walker 71-75).
298 FRANCE 148 150 (L Andre 73-75, V Derrey 78-75, B Genuini 75-79).
302 ITALY 150 152 (M Causin 76-75, A De Luigi 74-77, E Prando Prando 77-78).

British women's open amateur
stroke-play scoreboard

MALONE GOLF CLUB, nr Belfast
SECOND ROUND TOTALS
Par 144 (2 x 72) CSS 76 76

QUALIFIERS FOR FINAL TWO ROUNDS
143 S Hassan (Vale of Glamorgan) 72 71, C Karsten (Net) 72 71.
144 R Connor (Manchester) 75 69.
145 V Sternebeck (Ger) 75 70, T Davies (Holyhead) 71 74, C Boeljon (Net) 71 74, Lisa Maguire (Slieve Russell) 73 72.
146 K Walker (Buchanan Castle) 71 75, C Aitken (Mid Kent) 70 76, N Kitching (Claremorris) 73 73, T Delaney (Carlow) 77 69, A Goumard (Fra) 70 76, D-C Schreefel (Net) 71 75.
147 R Jennings (Izaak Walton) 74 73, M De Roey (Bel) 76 71, M Nivard (Net) 71 76.
148 M Ricordeau (Fra) 75 73, H Jenkins (Cradoc) 75 73, A Lucie (Fra) 73 75.
149 C Lee (West Lancs) 72 77, R Niven (Crieff) 75 74, S James (Bristol & Clifton) 74 75, C De Vries (Net) 77 72, D McVeigh (Royal Co Down) 79 70, N Edwards (Ganton) 79 70.
150 J Van Baarle (Bel) 74 76, E Bennett (Brokenhurst Manor) 74 76, K Smith (Waterlooville) 73 77.
151 P Pretswell (Bothwell Castle) 77 74, F Parker (Royal Birkdale) 72 79, Leona Maguire (Slieve Russell) 73 78, C Booth (Comrie) 74 77, A De Luigi (Ita) 74 77, S Harvey (Ballyclare) 74 77, M Causin (Ita) 76 75.
152 C Wild (Mere) 77 75, C Ellis (Minchinhampton) 80 72, H Ralph (Cowdray Park) 79 73, H Barwood (Knowle 73 79, S Faller (Ger) 76 76.
MISSED THE CUT
153 S Evans (Vale of Llangollen) 77 76, V Derrey (Fra) 78 75, H Aitchison (Bedfordshire) 78 75, K Delaney (Carlow) 73 80, M Briggs (Kilmacolm) 76 77, S Attwood (Gog Magog) 75 78, E Ogilvy (Auchterarder) 73 80.
154 B Genuini (Fra) 75 79, K Van Leeuwen (Net) 76 78, L Murray (Alford) 76 78.
155 M Naafs (Net) 77 78, G O'Leary (Cork) 80 75, A Decharne (Fra) 79 76, E Prando (Ita) 77 78, K Larratt (Kibworth) 80 75, L Coffey (Malone) 79 76.
156 K Whitmore (Sandiway) 78 78, S Kreuger (US) 76 80, L Jansone (Latvia) 78 78, D Smith (Co Louth) 76 80.
157 S Meadow (Royal Portrush) 78 79, M Thomson (McDonald Ellon) 82 75, S Birks (Wolstanton) 79 78, K MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) 77 80, H Owers-Bradley (Wollaton Park) 79 78, L Kenney (Pitreavie) 77 80, K Zaanen (Net) 76 81.
158 R Cassidy (Stirling Univ) 79 79, F Sanderson (Heworth) 82 76, A Bushby (Strathmore) 83 75.
159 F Constantini (Ita) 81 78, H Fitzgerald (Newmarket) 81 78, R Drummond (Beaconsfield) 82 77, T Holder (Woburn) 79 80, C Field (Harpenden) 81 78, S Round (Tadmarton Heath) 78 81.
160 A Murphy (Carlow) 81 79, R Lewis (Newport) 79 81, G Webster (Hilton Park) 79 81.
161 T Boyes (Meon Valley) 83 78, J Carthew (Ladybank) 85 76, E Fairnie (Dunbar) 82 79.
162 K Kuijesters (Net) 81 81, L Macklin (Majorca) 84 78, L Mernagh (Woodenbridge) 83 79, A Carling (Vale of Glamorgan) 81 81, S Wood (Drumpellier) 80 82, J Turner (Craigielaw) 81 81.
163 I Alvarez Valcarce (Spa) 86 77, C Douglass (Brocket Hall) 82 81, G Brooks (Mill Ridge) 83 80.
164 L Chemarin (Fra) 83 81, L Willliams (Mid Herts) 87 77, L Ball (Matfen Hall) 83 81, U Mbuko (Nigeria) 85 79, J Meldrum (Dullatur) 84 80, D McGowan (Ballybofey) 81 83.
167 M Skowrowski (US) 78 89.
169 A Niven (Crieff) 81 88, L Barton (Coventry) 84 85, J Hodge (Knowle) 82 87.
170 B Dowell (Enmore Park) 84 86.
171 J Fish (Runcorn) 82 89.176 L Lewis (Aus) 93 83.
Retired - G Butler (Newlands) 82 -.

Hole in one gives Dutch girl

share of lead with Sahra

Netherlands girls international Caroline Karsten joined Curtis Cup reserve Sahra Hassan in the lead at one-under-par 143, thanks to a hole in one in the second round of the Ladies' British open amateur championship at Malone Golf Club, near Belfast.
It was the second ace that Caroline had ever had and she did it with a seven iron at the 132yd 15th hole.
Caroline hit the bullseye with her tee shot, the ball going straight into the cup without a bounce.
She finished on 71, one better than her Wednesday score, having holed putts of around the 20ft mark for birdies at both the opening holes. She gave these shots back with a double bogey 5 at the short fourth and turned in level par 37.
After a bogey at the 11th put her one over-par for the day, Karsen had a good sand save at the 12th before producing her eagle 1 at the 13th to get to one under the card and that's how it remained with pars at the remaining holes for 34 home and a 71.
Sahra Hassan (pictured above by Cal Carson Golf Agency, all rights reserved), had earlier taken the early afternoon lead on a bright, sunny day with a 71 for 143..
Welsh international Sahra, 19-year-old member of the Vale of Glamorgan club, felt she did not play as well as she did for her first-day par score of 72, "but I did scramble well," she said.
Hassan had one birdie fewer than on Wednesday but also two bogeys less.
Sahra was able to save par figures at the second and fourth from off the green and got one of the rare tournament birdies at the par-4 fifth - statistically the toughest hole on the course in the first round.
Hassan hit the green with a rescue wood second shot and holed a 6ft putt for a 3 and she also birdied the long seventh. A shot dropped at the ninth put her out in one-under-par 36.
From there in it was nine straight pars with the Vagliano Trophy player unable to convert any of her birdie chances.
England girl international Rachel Connor from Manchester claimed the honour of being the first player to return a sub-70 score in the championship.
Rachel, a member of the winning England team at the recent girls' home internationals at Panmure and the runners-up in the European girls' team championship, also in Scotland, shot a three-under-par 69, thanks to covering the last 13 holes in six under par.
For the first five holes, Connor went from an overnight three over par to six over par overall with bogeys at the second, third and fifth.
A birdie at the short sixth lit the flame for Rachel and she followed it up with further birdies at the long seventh, ninth, short 15th, 16th and 18th in halves of 37 (level par) and 32 (three under par).
That gave the 18-year-old daughter of the Scots-born Manchester club professional, Brian Connor, a level par aggregate of 144.
Valerie Sternebeck from Germany matched Wednesday's leading score of 70 with halves of 35 and a two-round total of 145.
Kylie Walker, only one shot off the pace overnight, slipped back to two-over 146 with a 75 (39-36). She birdied the first but dropped shots at the second, fifth, sixth and 10th. In her first round she covered the first nine holes in 35.
Only the leading 40 and ties at the end of the second round will go forward to Friday's final 36 holes.
The projected cut figure in mid-afternoon was that players with aggregates of five-over-par 149 or better would qualify.
If that were to prove the case - and forecasts of cut figures are not always correct - then Curtis Cup players Elizabeth Bennett (Brokenhurst Manor) on 150 and Florentyna Parker (Royal Birkdale) on 151 would be eliminated.
Also on 151 is the new Swiss open amateur champion Pamela Pretswell (Bothwell Castle) who improved with a second-round 74 but perhaps not enough to retain an active interest in the tournament.

SECOND ROUND TOTALS
Par 144 (2 x 72) First round CSS: 76
143 S Hassan (Vale of Glamorgan) 72 71, C Karsten (Net) 72 71.
144 R Connor (Manchester) 75 69.
145 V Sternebeck (Ger) 75 70, T Davies (Holyhead) 71 74.
146 K Walker (Buchanan Castle) 71 75, C Aitken (Mid Kent) 70 76, N Kitching (Claremorris) 73 73, T Delaney (Carlow) 77 69.
147 R Jennings (Izaak Walton) 74 73, M De Roey (Bel) 76 71, M Nivard (Net) 71 76.
148 M Ricordeau (Fra) 75 73, H Jenkins (Cradoc) 75 73.
149 C Lee (West Lancs) 72 77, R Niven (Crieff) 75 74, S James (Bristol & Clifton) 74 75, C De Vries (Net) 77 72, D McVeigh (Royal Co Down) 79 70, N Edwards (Ganton) 79 70.
150 J Van Baarle (Bel) 74 76, E Bennett (Brokenhurst Manor) 74 76, K Smith (Waterlooville) 73 77.
151 P Pretswell (Bothwell Castle) 77 74, F Parker (Royal Birkdale) 72 79, Leona Maguire (Slieve Russell) 73 78, C Booth (Comrie) 74 77, A De Luigi (Ita) 74 77.
152 C Wild (Mere) 77 75, C Ellis (Minchinhampton) 80 72, H Ralph (Cowdray Park) 79 73.
153 S Evans (Vale of Llangollen) 77 76, V Derrey (Fra) 78 75, H Aitchison (Bedfordshire) 78 75, K Delaney (Carlow) 73 80, M Briggs (Kilmacolm) 76 77, S Attwood (Gog Magog) 75 78.
154 B Genuini (Fra) 75 79, K Van Leeuwen (Net) 76 78.
155 M Naafs (Net) 77 78, G O'Leary (Cork) 80 75, A Decharne (Fra) 79 76, E Prando (Ita) 77 78, K Larratt (Kibworth) 80 75, L Coffey (Malone) 79 76.
156 K Whitmore (Sandiway) 78 78, S Kreuger (US) 76 80, L Jansone (Latvia) 78 78
157 S Meadow (Royal Portrush) 78 79, M Thomson (McDonald Ellon) 82 75, S Birks (Wolstanton) 79 78, K MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) 77 80.
158 R Cassidy (Stirliny Univ) 79 79, F Sanderson (Heworth) 82 76.
159 F Constantini (Ita) 81 78, H Fitzgerald (Newmarket) 81 78, R Drummond (Beaconsfield) 82 77, T Hodler (Woburn) 79 80.
160 A Murphy (Carlow) 81 79, R Lewis (Newport) 79 81, G Webster (Hilton Park) 79 81.
161 T Boyes (Meon Valley) 83 78, J Carthew (Ladybank) 85 76.
162 K Kuijesters (Net) 81 81, L Macklin (Majorca) 84 78, L Mernagh (Woodenbridge) 83 79, A Carling (Vale of Glamorgan) 81 81, S Wood (Drumpellier) 80 82.
163 I Alvarez Valcarce (Spa) 86 77, C Douglass (Brocket Hall) 82 81, G Brooks (Mill Ridge) 83 80.
164 L Chermarin (Fra) 83 81, L Willliams (Mid Herts) 87 77, L Ball (Matfen Hall) 83 81, U Mbuko (Nigeria) 85 79, J Meldrum (Dullatur) 84 80.
167 M Skowrowski (US) 78 89.
169 A Niven (Crieff) 81 88, L Barton (Coventry) 84 85, J Hodge (Knowle) 82 87.
170 B Dowell (Enmore Park) 84 86.
176 L Lewis (Aus) 93 83.
Retired - G Butler (Newlands) 82 -.

Scottish Golf Open Mixed Foursomes

The closing date for entries for the Scottish Golf Open Mixed Foursomes at Duddingston Golf Club, Edinburgh on Sunday, September 14 has been extended to Friday, August 29.

Now top 10 money-winners on Futures
Tour will gain promotion to LPGA Tour

The Duramed Futures Tour along with the Ladies Professional Golf Association have announced that LPGA membership will be awarded to to five additional players this season, making 10 in all.
The Futures Tour’s top 10 players on the regular season-ending money list will be awarded 2009 LPGA membership at the conclusion of the Iloveny championship in Albany, New York State. That event will be played from September 5 to 7.
“This gives five more players the opportunity for coveted membership on the LPGA,” said Zayra F. Calderon, CEO of the Duramed Futures Tour.
“It rewards our top 10 players for their superior performance during a long, challenging season and it recognizes the Duramed Futures Tour as the pipeline to the LPGA.”
Prior to this change, only players who finished in places one to five on the Duramed Futures Tour as of the conclusion of the last official money event were eligible for LPGA Tour membership

Netherlands lead by four in team event

Netherlands (142) were leading by four strokes from three teams - Ireland, England and Scotland - at the end of the first day in the interntional team event staged in conjuntion with the first two rounds.

Christel Boeljon (pictured right by Cal Carson Golf Agency, all rights reserved) and Dewi-Claire Schreefel both scored one-under-par 71s which meant the Netherlands were able to discard the par 72 scored by Caroline Karsten.
Only the best two from three scores count daily over the first two days.
Here is how the teams stand at the moment:

142 NETHERLANDS (Christel Boeljon 71, Dewi-Claire Schreefel 71).
146 IRELAND (Leona Maguire 73, Lisa Maguire 73); ENGLAND (Hannah Barwood 73, Kerry Smith 73) & SCOTLAND (Kylie Walker 71, Roseanne Niven 75).
147 WALES (Sahra Hassan 72, Hannah Jenkins 75).
148 FRANCE (Lucie Andre 73, Barbara Genuini 75).
150 ITALY (Alessandra De Luigi 74, Marianna Causin 76).

Vikki and Pamela in same threesome
on Futures Tour event on Friday

For the first time since the two Scots have been playing the US Duramed Futures Tour at the same time, Vikki Laing from Musselburgh and Pamela Feggans from Patna, Ayrshire will be in the same threesome for Friday's first round of the Gettysburg Classic at Gettysburgh, Pennsylvania.
This is the tournament that last year gave Vikki the opportunity to score her first win on the Tour and her first win as a professional.

Ulster U-15s secure hat-trick of victories

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY IRISH LADIES GOLF UNION
Ulster secured their third consecutive Under-15 girls' inter-provincial title on countback following a 3-3 tie with Munster in the final at Athy Golf Club today.
The top match went in favour of Munster, courtesy of Eadaoin Cronin, but Ulster’s Jessica Carty levelled the match with a comprehensive win over Sinead Sexton.
Although Ulster’s Paula Grant lost the first hole and remained one down through nine, steady par golf on the inward nine saw her edge past Munster’s Jenny Hennessy.
Jean O’Driscoll and big-hitter Aoife Barry, representing Munster, both won by 3 and 2 margins over Jessica Boal and Amy Chambers to give Munster a 3-2 lead with one match still on the course.
Colette McNicholl registered a decisive win over Gemma McCarthy which increased Ulster’s tally of holes up, earning them overall victory.
The tussle for third place culminated in an exciting encounter between Chloe Fitzpatrick and Holly Robinson. Holly turned three up but Chloe won the next five holes to stand two up on the 15th tee.
Holly levelled the tie on the 16th but Chloe went on to win on the home green.
Megan O’Hara, Aisling Hill and Shauna Brady secured third place for Connacht by recording wins while Leinster’s Laura Doherty had a good win against Sarah Prendergast.
The final match, between Leinster’s Rebecca O’Regan and Connacht’s Amber Gleeson, was halved due to the Connacht player’s late illness.

OVERALL FINAL PLACINGS
1st Ulster
2nd Munster
3rd Connachat
4th Leinster

FINAL
ULSTER 3, MUNSTER 3
(Ulster won on count back by 9 holes)
Erin Connolly lost to Eadaoin Cronin 2 and 1
Jessica Carty bt Sinead Sexton 5 and 4
Paula Grant bt Jenny Hennessy 3 and 2
Jessica Boal lost to Jean O’Driscoll 3 and 2
Amy Chambers lost to Aoife Barry 3 and 2
Colette McNicholl bt Gemma McCarthy 9 and 8

3rd and 4th place match
LEINSTER 2½, CONNACHT 3½
Chloe Fitzpatrick bt Holly Robinson by 1 hole
Emma Murphy lost to Megan O’Hara 3 and 1
Emily McGuinness lost to Aisling Hill 3 and 2
Jennifer Sykes lost to Shauna Brady 2 and 1
Laura Doherty bt Sarah Prendergast 4&3
Rebecca O’Regan halved with Amber Gleeson

Semi Final 1
ULSTER 4½, LEINSTER 1½
Erin Connolly halved with Chloe Fitzpatrick
Jessica Carty bt Emiy McGuinness 6 and 5
Paula Grant bt Emma Murphy 2 and 1
Jessica Boal lost to Jennifer Sykes by 1 hole
Amy Chambers bt Rebecca O’Regan 8 and 7
Colette McNicholl bt Laura Doherty 6 and 5

Semi Final 2
MUNSTER 3½, CONNACHT 2½
Eadaoin Cronin bt Holly Robinson 6 and 5
Sinead Sexton bt Megan O’Hara by 1 hole
Jenny Hennessy lost to Aisling Hill 3 and 2
Jean O’Driscoll lost to Shauna Brady 3 and 2
Aoife Barry bt Sarah Prendergast 2 and 1
Gemma McCarthy halved with Amber Gleeson

Midland Vets results

Results from the Midland Vets Meeting at Alyth on Monday, 18th August.

SVLGA (Midland) - CSS 71

Stableford Salver - Sandy Bushby (Strathmore) 38 points

Div. 1 Liz Miskimmin (Dunblane New) 36 pts. bih
Norma Fleming (Alyth) 36 pts.

Div.2 Dorothy Whytock (King James VI) 36pts.
Pam Drysdale (Alyth) 35 pts. bih
Elizabeth Milligan (Dunblane New) 35 pts.

Div.3 Doris Reid (Tillycoultry) 36 pts. (last 6 holes)

British women's open amateur stroke-play championship

Kylie Walker top Scot with a 71
in first round at Malone

Long-hitting Kylie Walker, pictured right by Cal Carson Golf Agency (all rights reserved), came in late in the day to share third place on one-under-par 71 at the end of the first round of the 72-hole British women's open amateur stroke-play golf championship at Malone Golf Club, near Belfast.
The Buchanan Castle player, winner of the St Rule Trophy over the Old Course in May, used her strength to birdie two par-5 holes, the third and the seventh, and she also birdied the 16th.
But bogeys at the 14th and tricky 18th cost her at least a share of the lead on 70 with Kent county player Claire Aitken and Junior Solheim Cup player Audrey Goumard from France.
Emily Ogilvy (Auchterarder) is in joint 12th place on 73 with birdies at the first and 16th but shots shed at the third, 11th and 13th.
Comrie's Carly Booth did well to finish on 74. She covered the last 17 holes in level par after four-putting the first hole for a double-bogey 6, the kind of start that might demoralise players a lot older than the 16-year-old Curtis Cup player who did not qualify for the match-play stages of the British girls at Monifieth last week.
Mind you, neither did Audrey Goumard, the French teenager who is sharing the lead. Which just goes to show you what a difference a week makes in the world of golf.
Roseanne Niven (Crieff), who did well on her last visit to the Emerald Isle for the Irish women's open stroke-play, started with steady halves of 38 and 37 for a 75, the same score incidentally as Barbara Genuini, the French girl who won the "Helen Holm" at Troon at the start of the season.
Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm) and Laura Murray (Alford) are in joint 34th place on 76. A repeat of that, or preferrably an improvement, would get them into the top 40 and ties for the last two rounds.
But Scottish Under-21 title-holder Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar), Louise Kenney (Pitreavie) and Swiss open amateur champion Pamela Pretswell (Bothwell Castle) are on the "tightrope" mark of joint 43rd with 77s.
Scottish champion and Curtis Cup player Michele Thomson (McDonald Ellon) has put herself under severe pressure to beat the halfway cut.
Only the leading 40 and ties after Thursday's second round will go forward to Friday's final 36 holes.
Michele is in joint 83rd position after a 10-over par 82 with halves of 41. She just never got going and could not pick up a single birdie, a disappointing state of affairs for a player who hits the ball a country mile. She had a double-bogey 7 at the long 17th.
Robert Gordon University student Laura Murray from Alford was the leading North player with a 76 after reaching the turn in 39. She had only one birdie, the 17th, but she avoided any double bogeys.
Scottish schoolgirls champion Kelsey MacDonald and Carly Booth both began with double bogey 6s.
Carly four-putted the first green and had another double bogey 6 at the eighth but she had birdied the second and fifth and covered the last 10 holes in level par for a creditable, battling 74. She did birdie the short 15th but dropped a shot at the par-3 12th.
Kelsey reached the turn in three-over 40 and bogeys at the 10th, 12th and 13th put her six over for the day but she finished with a smile on her face and hope for the next day with a birdie at the 18th, a par-4 hole which cost many players 5s and 6s.
CLAIRE AND AUDREY SHARE LEAD ON 70
Former Kent county champion Claire Aitken and Junior Solheim Cup player Audrey Goumard from France shared the lead on two-under-par 70 at the end of the long first day.
Claire, 22, whose string of successes last season included the Roehampton Gold Cup, the prestigious Critchley Salver, Hampshire Rose and Frilford Heath Salver, needed a par at the last for a 69 and a clear lead to carry over to the second round.
But she bogeyed the testing par-4 hole after running into some tree trouble and had to settle for a share of the honours with Goumard who was runner-up to Kylie Walker in the St Rule Trophy this year.
In the early part of her round, Aitken, a member of the Mid Kent club, looked on course for a sub-70 round. She started with a flourish, birdieing the second, third, fourth and seventh and was still four-under-par (33) at the turn.
Claire's first mistakes came with back to back bogeys at the 12th, where she was bunkered, and 13th, where she missed the green and could not get up and down, but she got her momentum back by holing a 30ft putt for a birdie 2 at the short 15th ... only to take that 5 at the 18th.
Audrey Goumard, an 18-year-old +3 player from the Pay de La Loire region in west France, demonstrated how much things can change from one week to the next in golf.
Last week, she failed by several shots to qualify for the match-play stages of the British girls' championship at Monifieth. But over she goes to Northern Ireland - and the change of scenery worked wonders for her.
Audrey took over the lead just before mid-afternoon with a two-under-par 70 after first Caroline Karsten had posted a 72 and then her Netherlands compatriot, Marieke Nivard, had bettered that with a 71.
A third Dutch player, Dewi-Claire Schreefel, came into the picture with a 71 after a spectacular run of back-to-back birdies on the inward half. And yet another competitor from the Netherlands, Christel Boeljon, later joined her compatriots on 71
Audrey Goumard deviated from par only four times in halves of 36 and 34. She birdied the first, bogeyed the second, birdied the third and then reeled off a string of pars until birdieing the 18th.
Dewi-Claire Schreefel, very experienced in international golf, is a former winner of the major American women's college title, the NCAA championship. A sub-par round for her looked out of the question when she started moderately with bogeys at the first, second, fourth and fifth.
But birdies at the seventh and eighth were a sign of great things to come. Turning in 39, Schreefel slipped back with a bogey at the 11th. Then she caught fire with birdies at the 13th, 14th, 15th and 16th, a run of 3-3-2-3, in an inward half of three-under-par 32.
At the 13th and 14th, she chipped in from off the green, flopping her ball over a bunker and into the hole at the 14th.
Marieke Nivard, 18, from Eindhoven, won the Germany girls' open championship this summer and also played for the Netherlands in both the European women's and girls' team championships.
She birdied the long second but dropped a shot at the par-5 sixth before getting another birdie 4 at a long hole, the seventh, and then bogeying the eight in matching the outward par of 37.
Marieke had only one deviation from par after the turn and that was a birdie at the 13th in coming home in 34 for a 71.
Christel Boeljohn, who plays off +4 and is a golf scholarship student at Purdue University at West Lafayette, Indiana, made it three Dutch players on 71.

She birdied the second and third but dropped a shot at the fifth in turning in 36. She got two more birdies on the inward half, at the 10th and 17th, but a double-bogey 6 at the 14th cost her the lead.
Christel finished joint 10th in a Ladies European Tour event at Eindhoven earlier in the summer. Tara Davies (Holyhead), the 2006 Welsh girls champion, and Kylie Walker joined the Dutch trio on 71 late in the day.
Tara had one of the best finishes all day, birdieing both the 17th and 18th for 35 home after starting well with birdies at the third and ninth.
Four players leading the Irish challenge are on the one-over 73 mark. They are the 13-year-old Maguire twins from the Slieve Russell club, Leona and Lisa, Karen Delaney (Carlow) and Limerick University student Niamh Kitching (Claremorris).
Also on 73 is the English women's champion, 17-year-old Hannah Barwood (Knowle).
The LGU's introduction of four digital clocks at regular intervals on the course produced an immediate speeding-up of of the pace of play in the British girls championship last week. The improvement was maintained this week with rounds averaging around the four-hour mark.
The players are given times by which they must past each clock along the way. The first "bad time" draws a warning, the second a one-stroke penalty, the third a two-strong penalty and the fourth - DISQUALIFICATION!

Some official governing body had to take a positive step to counter the creeping menace of slow play in golf and full marks to the Ladies Golf Union for doing it.

FIRST-ROUND SCORES
Par 72
70 Audrey Goumard (Fra) 36-34, Claire Aitken (Mid Kent) 33-37.
71 Marieke Nivard (Net) 37-34, Dewi-Claire Schreefel (Net) 39-32, Christel Boeljon (Net) 36-35, Tara Davies (Holyhead) 37-34, Kylie Walker (Buchanan Castle) 35-36.
72 Caroline Karsten (Net) 37-35, Corisande Lee (West Lancashire), Florentyna Parker (Royal Birkdale) 38-34, Sahra Hassan (Vale of Glamorgan) 38-34.
73 Leona Maguire (Slieve Russell) 37-36, Karen Delaney (Carlow) 37-36, Niamh Kitching (Claremorris) 38-35, Kerry Smith (Waterlooville) 38-35, Hannah Barwood (Knowle) 38-35, Emily Ogilvy (Auchterarder) 37-36, Lisa Maguire (Slieve Russell) 38-35, Andre Lucie (Fra).
74 Carly Booth (Comrie) 39-35, Alessandra de Luigi (Ita), Shirley Harvey (Ballyclare), Joelle Van Baarle (Bel), Rachel Jennings (Izaak Walton), Elizabeth Bennett (Brokenhurst Manor), Sian James (Bristol & Clifton).
75 Hannah Jenkins (Cradoc), Sarah Attwood (Gog Magog), Valerie Sternebeck (Ger), Rachel Connor (Manchester), Roseanne Niven (Crieff) 38-37, Marion Ricordeau (Fra), Barbara Genuini (Fra).
76 Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm) 38-38, Kyra Van Leeuwen (Net), Marianna Causin (Ita), Laura Murray (Alford) 39-37, Sarah Faller (Galway), Karlijn Zaanen (Net), Deirdre Smith (Co Louth), Marion De Roey (Bel), Sally Kreuger (US).
======= PROJECTED CUT-OFF POINT FOR HALFWAY QUALIFYING ======
77 Tara Delaney (Carlow), Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) 40-37, Louise Kenney (Pitreavie) 40-37, Pamela Pretswell (Bothwell Castle) 39-38, Charlotte Wild (Mere), Maaike Naafs (Net), Stephanie Evans (Vale of Llangollen), Enrica Prando (Ita), Chrisje De Vries (Net).
78 Samantha Round (Tadmarton Heath), Kate Whitmore (Sandiway), Mayura Skowronski (US), Stephanie Meadow (Royal Portrush), Valentine Derrey (Fra), Holly Aitchison (The Bedfordshire), Laura Jansone (Latvia).
79 Louise Coffey (Malone), Danielle McVeigh (Royal Co Down), Naomi Edwards (Ganton), Hannah Ralph (Cowdray Park), Tilly Holder (Woburn), Gemma Webster (Hilton Park) 38-41, Samantha Birks (Wolstanton), Harriet Owers-Bradley (Wollaton Park), Rachel Cassidy (Stirling Univ), Audrey Decharne (Fra), Rachael Lewis (Newport).
80 Susan Wood (Drumpellier) 40-40, Gillian O'Leary (Cork), Charlotte Ellis (Minchinhampton), Kym Larratt (Kibworth).
81 Anna Carling (Vale of Glamorgan), Charlie Field (Harpenden), Darragh McGowan (Ballybofey), Jane Turner (Craigielaw) 39-42, Kim Kuijsters (Net), Annabel Niven (Crieff) 41-40, Federica Constantin (Ita), Hermione Fitzgerald (Newmarket), Federica Constantini (Ita). 82 Faye Sanderson (Heworth), Rachel Drummond (Beaconsfield), Joanne Hodge (Knowle), Michele Thomson (McDonald Ellon) 41-41, Ciara Butler (Newlands), Emma Fairnie (Dunbar) 43-39, Joanne Fish (Runcorn), Charlie Douglass (Brocket Hall).
83 Gillian Brooks (Mill Ride), Louise Memagh (Woodbridge), Alexandra Bushby (Strathmore) 45-38, Laura Chemarin (Fra), Lisa Ball (Matfen Hall), Tracey Boyes (Meon Valley).
84 Becky Dowell (Enmore Park), Jill Meldrum (Dullatur) 40-44, Lisa Barton (Coventry), Lauren Mackin (Majorca) 44-40.
85 Jocelyn Carthew (Ladybank) 43-42, Ukoma Mbuko (Nigeria)..
86 Isabel Alvarez Valcarce (Spa).
87 Lucy Williams (Mid Herts).
93 Liz Lewis (Aus).
+The leading 40 and ties after 36 holes will go forward to Friday's final two rounds.

Yorkshire golfers win PING qualifier at Hollins Hall

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY ENGLISH WOMEN'S GOLF ASSOCIATION
Yorkshire’s Michelle Leatherland and Natalie Ireland led the qualifiers at the first regional final of the PING Women’s Four Ball Better Ball Tournament of England 2008.
The pair, from Shipley Golf Club, scored 37 Stableford points on a wet day at Marriott Hollins Hall Hotel and Country Club in West Yorkshire.
They led seven pairs who qualified for the grand final of the competition at the Marriott Forest of Arden Hotel, Golf and Country Club on October 7.
The tournament is run by the English Women’s Golf Association.
The qualifiers, who all scored 31 points or better, all win a pair of ECCO shoes and a PING Collection sweater to wear at the final.
Michelle and Natalie also each won a PING golf bag. This was the third time Michelle and Natalie had paired up together in comeptition – and so far they’ve a 100 per cent winning record. Now, they’re turning their attention to the grand final, in which Natalie has competed before.
“We can’t wait,” said Michelle, who plays off nine. “It’s going to be tremendous. It’s going to make our year, it’s going to be the pinnacle of our year.
Natalie, an 11-handicapper, set the pace on the outward half, scoring on each of the first nine holes. “She was absolutely awesome,” said Michelle, who made her contribution on the back nine. The pair finished strongly, playing the last six holes in level par.
They set off in a drizzle and played their way through several heavy showers but Michelle paid tribute to the organisers. “It was muddy and wet – the worst I have played in for a while – but other courses around here are shut and the organisers did a superb job to keep the course open and playable, a cracking job.”
QUALIFIERS
37pts Michelle Leatherland & Natalie Ireland (Shipley).
34pts Pat Chadwick & Janet Day (New North Manchester).
33pts Barbara Thornton & Tracey Bentley (Clitheroe), Wendy Stott & Carol Crowther (Outlane), Eileen Corn & Angela Chippendale (Pannal).
32pts Megan Sumner & Kate McLaughlin (Allerton Ladies).
31pts Joyce Green & Elsie Thornber (Burnley).
Full details: www.pingchampionship.com

Kilmacolm team that beat Douglas Park in the seventh round of the "Mail on Sunday" competition. Left to right: Rena Simpson, Morag Turner, Annabel Kane, Marion Stewart and Megan Briggs. Eildih Briggs was missing on that occasion.

Briggs sisters an inspiration to Kilmacolm

team in 'Mail on Sunday' competition

Kilmacolm are looking forward to their "Mail on Sunday" match against Murcar Links on Saturday, September 6.

"Although we have reached Round 7 on a number of occasions, the last being against Royal Dornoch at Dornoch, we have never reached Round 8," said team captain Anne Dunn.

"This year we are very fortunate to have Megan and Eilidh Briggs playing for us. Megan, who plays off scratch, is our current club champion as well as being the current Renfrewshire county champion. Eilidh, who plays off three, was runner-up in both the club and county championships. "The girls have been members of the club for about five years and have played in Home Internationals at both girls' and adult level. They are a great inspiration to our lady members - perhaps this is why we have progressed further in this competition than previously.

"With their very busy schedules we have not had the advantage of them playing in all our ties so credit must go to the rest of the pool:

Marion Stewart - handicap 10.

Morag Turner - 11.

Rena Simpson - 11.

Sally Wilbur - 12.

Annabel Kane - 13.

Beatrice Orr - 15.

Annette Baillie - 16.

"Sally was unable to play in out last two ties as she got married in July and was too busy with all preparations for the wedding and then being away on honeymoon.

"This should be a very interesting tie and I hope the weather is clement not only for the teams but particularly for those of us who are travelling up to support them."

United States name Espirito

Santo Trophy trio

The United States Golf Association has named its three players to take part in the 2008 women's world amateur team championship for the Espirito Santo Trophy at the Grange Golf Club's East and West courses in Adelaide, Australia from October 8 to 11.

The new US women's amateur champion and No 1 college player, Amanda Blumenherst, will be joined by Tiffany Joh from San Diego and Irish-born Alison Walshe (pictured right by Cal Carson Golf Agency, all rights reserved) from Westford, Massachusetts.

All three were members of the victorious United States team in the Curtis Cup match over the Old Course, St Andrews at the end of May.

Sydnee Michaels of Temecula, Calif., was named first reserve and Tiffany Lua of Rowland Heights, Calif., was named second alternate.
Marcia Luigs of Carmel, Indiana, USGA Women's Committee chairman in 2005 and 2006, will serve as the American tam captain.
The biennial competition has been played since 1964, with the winner taking home the Espirito Santo Trophy. South Africa is the defending champion, having won the 2006 title in its home country. The United States last won the championship in 1998, and has captured the trophy a record 13 times since 1966.

Scotland, England, Ireland and Wales are now permitted to enter their own teams whereas until fairly recently it was a Great Britain & Ireland trio who took part.
A record 54 teams from around the world have entered the competition which is played in conjunction with the world amateur team championship for men for the Eisenhower Trophy, from October 16-19 at Royal Adelaide Golf Club and the Grange’s West Course.
Both world amateur team titles are determined by four rounds of stroke play. A country may field a team of two or three players. In each round, the total of the two lowest scores by players from each team constitutes the team score for the round. The four-day total is the team's score for the championship.

IT'S ANOTHER AMERICAN TEAM HONOUR

FOR IRISH-BORN ALISON WALSHE

Galway-born Alison Walshe - who began her collegiate career at Boston College before transferring to Tulane University - has earned first-team honours in three different conferences: the Big East in 2003-04, Conference USA in 2004-05 and the Pac-10 in 2006-07 and 2007-08.

She won the 2004 Big East Conference title and was that conference's player of the year for 2003-04. She matched that feat upon transferring to Tulane, winning the 2005 Conference USA Championship and earning the conference's player of the year honour.

Among her victories are the 2006 Stanford Invitational, the 2007 BYU Dixie Classic, the 2007 North and South Women's Amateur Championship, the 2008 Harder Hall Invitational, and the 2008 Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational.

Jodi Ewart made cut in L E T event

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY ENGLISH WOMEN'S GOLF ASSOCIATION

English amateur stroke-play champion Jodi Ewart made the cut when she played alongside the professionals of the Ladies European Tour for the first time.

The Curtis Cup player from Catterick, pictured right by Cal Carson Golf Agency leaving the first tee at St Andrews, made it through on the mark after she birdied the 36th hole of the S4C Wales Ladies Championship of Europe at Machynys Peninsula. It gave the amateur a two-round total of two over par with rounds of 72 and 74.

The third round was cancelled because of unplayable conditions. Jodi signed off with a final round 74 and a share of 54th place on four over par.

The championship was won by Lotta Wahlin of Sweden on seven-under par.

Jodi, 20, is now due to return to the United States where she is a student at the University of New Mexico.
Lyndsey Hewison

Press & PR Officer
Visit the English Women's Golf Association web site at http://www.englishladiesgolf.org/

Hendon’s Jane Rees wins seniors’ event

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY ENGLISH WOMEN'S GOLF ASSOCIATION
Middlesex golfer Jane Rees scored a convincing win in the 36-hole senior English women’s south regional stroke-play tournament at Saltford, Somerset.
Jane, who plays at Hendon, finished four shots clear of the field with rounds of 82 and 80 for a total of 162 on the par-73 course.
Division B was won by Sheila Marshall of Haywards Heath, Sussex, who was also four shots clear in her section after scoring 88 and 87 for 175.
Both players got off to a quick start in the 36-hole event. Jane had a birdie 4 on the 461yd first hole while Sheila went one better with an eagle 3.
Division A leading scores:
162 Jane Rees (Hendon) 82 80.
166 Dee Wood (Crane Valley) 87 79, Suzette Worthington (Bristol & Clifton) 81 85.
168 Val McFarlane (Lansdown) 79 89.
171 Pat Bennett (Reading) 85 86, Elspeth Cooper (Calcot Park) 89 82.
Division B leading scores:
175 Sheila Marshall (Haywards Heath) 88 87.
179 Teresa Taylor (The Club at Mapledurham) 86 93.
180 Elaine James (Aspley Guise & Woburn Sands) 92 88.
181 Christine Walker (Stoneham) 92 89.
182 Jane Sach (Stoneham) 87 95.

Full results and hole-by-hole scoring: www.englishwomensgolf.org
Lyndsey Hewison
Press & PR Officer
Tel. 01603 507 416

Mary McKenna appointed GB&I captain

for 2009 Vagliano Trophy in Germany

and 2010 Curtis Cup in United States

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY LADIES GOLF UNION

The Executive Council of the Ladies’ Golf Union is pleased to announce that Mary McKenna has accepted an invitation to captain the Great Britain and Ireland teams for the 2009 Vagliano Trophy and the 2010 Curtis Cup.
Mary, who captained the teams in 2007 and 2008, will again be supported by Tegwen Matthews as team manager.
One of Ireland’s leading female amateurs, Mary won eight Irish Championships between 1969 and 1989, and participated in nine successive Curtis Cup matches and ten Vagliano Trophies. Tegwen was the first Welsh player to be picked for a Curtis Cup team, ultimately playing in four Curtis Cup matches and five Vagliano Trophies.
Ladies’ Golf Union Chairman, Trish Wilson, says
“With these golfing pedigrees, the team could not be in better hands than those of Mary and Tegwen. I firmly believe that a number of the members of the current team will form a core part of both the 2009 Vagliano and 2010 Curtis Cup teams, and the rapport already in place between the players, the captain and the manager will be invaluable going into the next series of matches.”
The Vagliano Trophy will be played at Hamburger Golf Club, Falkenstein, Germany on 24 and 25 July 2009, while the 2010 Curtis Cup returns to Essex Country Club in Manchester, Massachusetts from 11 to 13 June 2010.
Captain Mary McKenna (picture above by Cal Carson Golf Agency, all rights reserved) says
“I am very pleased and honoured to accept the role of captain again, and look forward to working with the LGU, the girls and my right hand woman Tegwen for the next two years. Without a doubt, the Curtis Cup at St Andrews will always rank as one of my greatest experiences, and I very much hope that my next great experiences will be to escort both it and the Vagliano Trophy back to Great Britain and Ireland.”

LOCHMABEN EVENT CANCELLED

The Scottish Ladies Golfing Association county open meeting at Lochmaben Golf Club, near Lockerbie today was cancelled because of flooding on the course.

Now that's what we call a CUP! Katherine Hull with the Canadian Women's Open championship trophy after her first LPGA triumph at Ottawa. Image by courtesy of Associated Press.

Michelle Wie and Catriona Matthew

in Canadian Open top 20

Michelle Wie tied for 12th and Catriona Matthew for 17th in the Canadian Women's Open which provided Aussie Katherine Hull with her first LPGA Tour victory at Ottawa.

Third-round leader 19-year-old Yani Tseng from Taiwan, runner-up in the recent Ricoh British Women's Open slumped dramatically with a final-round of 77.

Hull, 26, was able to make up a six-shot leeway to win by one stroke with a 69 for 11-under-par 277 which earned her $337,500.

Se Ri Pak closed with a 72 to finish second, and Tseng’s 77 left her two strokes behind at 9 under.

Tseng had a double bogey, five bogeys and just two birdies in her closing round. She declined to comment after the round.

Top-ranked Lorena Ochoa shot a 73 to tie for fourth with Sun Young Yoo (69) and Song-Hee Kim (70) at 7 under.

Michelle Wie, using the last of her six LPGA exemptions this year, tied for 12th at 3 under. She had rounds of 75, 70, 69 and 71.The 18-year-old Stanford student said she still has to make up her mind whether to go to the LPGA Tour Qualifying School in a bid to earn an LPGA card.

“I feel like I gained a lot of confidence in myself again this year,” Wie said. “Being pain-free in the later part of the year, I started feeling confident. From May on, it’s getting better and better and now in the off-season, I know what to work on for next year.”

LEADING FINAL TOTALS

Par 288 (4 x 72). 6,150yd.
277 Katherine Hull 71 65 72 69 ($337,500).

278 Se Ri Pak 68 70 68 72.
279 Yani Tseng 70 64 68 77.
281 Sun Young Yoo 71 72 69 69, Song-Hee Kim 69 71 71 70, Lorena Ochoa 66 68 74 73.

282 Suzann Pettersen 69 75 70 68.

283 Hee-Won Han 68 72 72 71, Paula Creamer 71 70 70 72.

284 Meena Lee 68 74 70 72, Laura Diaz 70 70 72 72.

Other scores:

285 Michelle Wie 75 70 69 71 (jt 12th).

287 Catriona Matthew 69 74 75 69 (jt 17th) ($27,079).

288 Annika Sorenstam 67 71 76 74.

290 Janice Moodie 76 72 73 69 (jt 29th) ($17,423).

295 Helen Alfredsson 72 74 75 74 (jt 56th).

MISSED THE CUT

150 Becky Morgan 74 76, Karen Stupples 75 75.

154 Mhairi McKay 78 76.

Sammy Leslie comes back

from injury with her

lowest ever score of 71

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Samantha Leslie injured a wrist during her first-round defeat by Mhairi Johnstone in the recent Scottish Under-18 girls' championship at Alyth. She damaged ligaments in her right wrist when she hit part of a underground tree root she didn't know was there in playing a shot.

The silver lining to this story is that Samantha, pictured right by Cal Carson Golf Agency (all rights reserved), was forced to take a three-week rest from golf - and then made a comeback on Sunday to return her lowest ever score, a par 71 at Ballater in the Aberdeenshire girls' medal competition.

Sammy, as she likes to be called, is now a Murcar Links Golf Club member after moving from the Westhill club. Her handicap of five could be coming down after this gross score which matched the CSS of 71.

She had birdies at the first, fourth, sixth and 17th in halves of 35 and 36, very good scoring despite the quite windy conditions.

"I'm still wearing a support bandage on my wrist but I think it's better now. Maybe I should take more breaks from golf ! And I should have been a one-under-par 70 because I missed a birdie putt of about 2 1/2 feet on the last green," said Sammy who is 16 and has left school but will be going to college in the autumn.

Sammy won the scratch section at Ballater by six shots from Louise McGillivary (Banchory) with Megan Clyne (Deeside) third on 79 in a field of 23.

Megan had some spectacular figures in her halves of 39 and 40 - an eagle at the first hole and birdies at the fourth, 17th and 18th.

Nine year old - she had her birthday only a week or two ago - Shannon McWilliam (Aboyne) made her debut on the Aberdeenshire girls circuit and was delighted to win a prize at the first attempt. Shannon had a net 82 off her handicap of 34.

LEADING SCRATCH SCORES

Par 71. CSS 71

71 Samantha Leslie (Murcar Links).

77 Louise McGillivary (Banchory).

79 Megan Clyne (Deeside).

83 Fiona Fullerton (Huntly).

84 Mhairi Johnstone (Northern).

86 Kimberley Beveridge (Aboyne).

87 Kirsten MacCallum (McDonald Ellon), Claire Prouse (Hazlehead).

90 Tegan Seivwright (Peterculter).

93 Vikki Powell (Deeside).

97 Kristina Vannet (Peterculter).

HANDICAP PRIZEWINNERS

Class 1 (handicaps 0-10)
Louise McGillivary (Banchory) (7) 70.

Class 2 (handicaps 11 to 13)

Megan Clyne (Deeside) (11) 68.

Class 3 (handicaps 14 to 20)

Tegan Seivwright (16) 74 (better inward half).

Class 4 (Bronze Division)

Olivia Borwick (McDonald Ellon) (28) 81.

Shannon McWilliam (Aboyne) (34) 82.

++This coming Sunday it's the North of Scotland girls' championship at Banchory. Full report, scores and pictures on this website on Sunday evening.

+SCROLL DOWN FOR A PICTURE OF THE PRIZE-WINNING GIRLS AT BALLATER.

Only week late, but here's a report (from the United States Golf Association website) on the US women's amateur championship final in which Curtis Cup player Amanda Blumenherst beat Spain's Azahara Munoz.

Amanda goes one better in US

amateur championship final

By BETH MURRISON
Eugene, Ore. – Amanda Blumenherst, 21, of Scottsdale, Arizona, added a national championship to her impressive amateur résumé after winning the 2008 U.S. Women’s Amateur at the 6,516-yard, par-72 Eugene Country Club.
Blumenherst, the three-time national collegiate player of the year, earned a 2-and-1 victory over the reigning NCAA Division I individual champion, Azahara Munoz, 20, of Spain in the 36-hole final.

With the victory, Blumenherst, pictured with the championship trophy (from the USGA website), became the sixth in history to win the U.S. Women’s Amateur the year after losing in the final. She lost the 2007 championship final by one hole to Colombia’s Maria Jose Uribe.
Azahara Munoz came up just short of becoming the second player to win an NCAA and Women's Amateur title in the same year.
“I'm so excited,” said Blumenherst of winning her first USGA title. “Last year was really tough, not winning, and having to kind of deal with it all year, getting reminded of it. And so I feel this kind of erases that, and now when people talk to me about the U.S. Am, instead of ‘my condolences,’ it will be ‘congratulations, you played great.’ So I'm just thrilled.”
Munoz won two of the first three holes of the scheduled 36-hole final with pars when Blumenherst lipped out a 5-foot par putt on No. 2 and a 3-foot par putt on the third hole. Blumenherst was able to square the match with a 12-footer for birdie on the 15th hole, but missed a 7-foot par putt on No. 18 to give Munoz a 1-up lead heading into the break.
Both players were the equivalent of even par (with concessions) for the morning round, but Munoz knew Blumenherst would step up her level of play after lunch.
“She didn't play that great [in the morning], but she had ups and downs from everywhere,” said Munoz, a senior-to-be at Arizona State University. “She played like that all day. She made pars, pars, pars, and when she hit the green she made birdie. She played really good. She saved everything.”
But Munoz continued to hold her lead as the afternoon round got underway. She returned the advantage to two holes when Blumenherst missed a 6-foot par putt on the first hole of the afternoon round. Blumenherst cut it to a one-hole deficit with a birdie on No. 3, but Munoz chipped in from 50 feet from the back fringe on No. 5 to regain her two-hole lead. Blumenherst responded on the 24th hole with a birdie on the par-5 sixth, when she putted from above the green to 5 feet and converted her birdie putt. Munoz, whose third shot landed within 3 feet of the flagstick, pushed her birdie attempt right, cutting her lead to one hole..
For Blumenherst, playing in last year’s Women’s Amateur final had taught her the importance of patience.
“If I hadn't had last year's experience I might have given up a little bit or tried to force something to happen,” said Blumenherst. “So I thought, ‘all right, this is not a big deal, I can get it back.’ And I made a birdie on 10 and it was all square.”
On the par-4 10th, Blumenherst’s second shot from 155 yards landed 6 feet from the hole and she was able to convert her birdie putt. Munoz’s 14-foot birdie attempt burned the right edge of the hole, squaring the match.
After hitting her tee shot into the right rough on No. 13, the 31st hole of the match, Blumenherst hit her second shot across the fairway under a tree in the left rough. Munoz, whose drive was in the fairway, hit her second shot into a greenside bunker in front of the green.

Her sand shot sailed over the green, leaving a difficult shot down toward the hole. She was able to pitch back to 9 feet but left her par attempt short, allowing Blumenherst to make her 3-foot par putt to take her first lead of the day.
“Azahara really hadn't made any mistakes, I guess, the entire day,” said Blumenherst, who is entering her senior year at Duke University. “And we both were playing pretty well, but those long bunker shots are tricky. But definitely I could feel the momentum turning.”
After halving the next two holes with pars, Blumenherst increased her lead to 2 up on the par-5 16th when she safely two-putted for birdie from 35 feet and Munoz’s 15-footer for birdie missed to the right.
A hole later, the 35th of the match, Blumenherst was finally the U.S. Women’s Amateur champion after making a 5-footer for par after hitting her approach shot in the bunker. Munoz lipped out her 6-footer for birdie that would have extended the match.
After the victory, Blumenherst admitted how much adding her name to the Robert Cox Cup, the beautiful trophy awarded to the U.S. Women’s Amateur champion, meant to her.
“I wanted this so much,” said Blumenherst, who has played in three U.S. Women’s Opens and represented the USA on two victorious Curtis Cup teams.

“I think I would have been crushed if I hadn't won it, especially going to the finals again. This match was huge. Going into this tournament, I knew this was my last really amateur event and I wanted to play well. I wanted to kind of prove to everyone that I wasn't overrated or that those awards that I had gotten in college weren't kind of a coincidence or something that was given to me. I wanted to show everybody that this is the place I earned.”
Munoz was trying to achieve a rare double in winning the NCAA and Women’s Amateur titles in the same year. Vicki Goetze, who won both in 1992, remains the only player to accomplish the feat.
“Well, I mean I'm happy because I played good, but obviously I'm sad because I lost,” said Munoz, who was trying to become the first USGA champion from Spain. “I gave my best, and that's all I could do.”

Amanda Blumenherst plans to turn professional immediately after the NCAA college championship finals next spring.

Results of the later ties at the Eugene Country Club (6,516yd, par-72):

QUARTER-FINALS
Azahara Munoz (Spain) bt Stephanie Na (Canada) 7 and 6.

Belen Mozo (Spain) bt Whitney Nehauser (Virginia) 6 and 5.

Amanda Blumenherst (Arizona) bt Carlota Cigana (Spain) 4 and 3.

Erynne Lee (Washington) bt Chelsea Stelzmiller (California) 4 and 3.

SEMI-FINALS

Munoz bt Mozo 4 and 3.

Blumenherst bt Lee 3 and 2.

FINAL (36 holes)

Blumenherst bt Munoz 2 and 1.

**Earlier in the match-play stages, Welsh Curtis Cup player Breanne Loucks beat Michelle Shin (Florida) 2 and 1 in the first round but lost by two holes to Tracey Nichols from California) in the second round.

Irish-born US Curtis Cup player Alison Walshe (Massachusetts) lost at the 19th to Chelsea Stelzmiller (California) in the second round.

Final (36 holes) Blumenherst bt Munoz 2 and 1l.

Photos and Videos from the Scottish Seniors

Carol Fell has emailed to say that the photos and videos she took at the Scottish Seniors at Deeside last month are now up on her West of Scotland website.
Well worth watching!

Carol does a power of work keeping us all informed about events and happenings in Renfrewshire and the West of Scotland ... if you haven't already bookmarked her site then do it now!

Thank you, Carol!

TOP 20 FINISH COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER
FOR VIKKI LAING IN VIRGINIA

Vikki Laing, who had started the tournament well with a 66, only one shot off the new course record set that day, eventually finished joint 17th on one-under-par 215 in the Greater Richmond Futures Classic at Richmond Country Club, Virginia.
The Musselburgh player had later rounds of 74 and 75 and earned $968 which at one stage looked like being a cheque for $4,000 or $5,000.
Winner was 17-year-old rookie Haeji Kang from Seoul, South Korea. After tieing with Sophia Sheridan from Guadalajara, Mexico on 11-under-par 215, Haeji won the sudden-death play-off at the first extra hole, where her opponent went out of bounds, and the first prize of $14,000. Sophia earned $10,000.
Haeji broke the Richmond CC course record with a 65, the same day that Vikki had her 66.
Pamela Feggans from Patna, Ayrshire did not survive the second-round cut.
This week Vikki and Pamela will be playing in the Duramed Futures Tour's Gettysburg Classic. Last year this tournament provided Vikki with her only win since she turned professional.
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 216 (3 x 72)
Players from US unless stated
205 Haeji Kang (South Korea) 65 72 68 ($10,000), Sophia Sheridan (Mexico) 71 68 66 ($10,000). Kang won sudden-death play-off at first hole.
209 Sara Brown 73 68 68, Stacy Lewis 68 71 70, Nicole Hage 66 72 71, #Vicky Hurst 68 69 72 ($4,901 each).
211 Jenny Gleason 68 72 71 ($2,743).
Also:
215 Vikki Laing (Scotland) 66 74 75 ($968).

Aberdeenshire girls competition prizewinners at Ballater

Prizewinners at the Aberdeenshire girls' medal competition at Ballater Golf Club today. Left to right: Samantha Leslie (Murcar Links), Megan Clyne (Deeside), nine-year-old Shannon McWilliam (Aboyne) in front, Tegan Sievwright (Peterculter), Olivia Borwick (McDonald Ellon).

Also a prizewinner but unable to stay for the prizegiving was Louise McGillivray (Banchory). You can enlarge the image by clicking on it.

Full story with scores will be displayed tomorrow.

Sweden's Lotta Wahlin wins Wales
Ladies Championship after play-off

FROM THE LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Sweden’s Lotta Wahlin won the S4C Wales Ladies Championship of Europe, defeating Germany’s Martina Eberl at the second extra hole of a sudden death play-off.
The 24-year-old birdied the par-5 18th hole twice in the play-off at Machynys Peninsula Golf and Country Club in Llanelli, South Wales. Eberl, who led after the first and second rounds, birdied the first extra hole but bogeyed the second after her ball twice found the sand near the green.
Wahlin, who won her first official Ladies European Tour title at the Turkish Ladies Open three months ago, had a chance to win the tournament at the 18th green in regulation, but missed a three-footer for par and dropped a shot, falling back into a tie with Eberl.
“I did everything for the crowd, to make it more exciting,” she said. Wahlin battled through wind and light showers to sign for a final round of one-under 71 and a seven-under-par total after 54 holes, Saturday’s play having been cancelled due to unplayable conditions.
Wahlin earned a first prize of £52,500 (€66,737) and ensured that her name will be etched alongside the other multiple winners on the LET. “I’m just so happy. When I won the last time I was leading every day and it was quite obvious that I was going to win. This time I came from fifth place but I’m just so happy. Now I have proved to myself that I’m one of the best players on this tour and I’m really proud of that,” she said.
The Swede began the final round in fifth place, two shots behind the overnight leader Eberl. She carded an eagle and three bogeys on the front nine for an outward total of one-over 37 and was three behind Eberl at the turn. Eberl dropped shots at the 10th and 15th, but despite a birdie at the 14th she was overtaken by Wahlin, who birdied holes 11, 13 and 15.
“I was just very focused because it was tough conditions. When I started I wasn’t playing good at all in the beginning but it got better,” said Wahlin, while Eberl said she was happy to take second. “I am happy, which is weird because I just lost a play-off,” said Eberl, the recent BMW Ladies Italian Open champion. “Like I said at the beginning of the week I was hitting the ball really poorly. Today was much better and just getting into a play-off made my day. A play-off is always a little question of luck too and I was really unlucky on 18. I had a really bad bunker lie. I am glad she birdied because otherwise I would have been mad!”
The English pair of Henrietta Zuel (last year's British girls champion Henrietta Brockway) and Georgina Simpson shared third position on six-under-par, while Sweden’s Maria Boden and last year’s champion Australian Joanne Mills tied for fifth on five-under.
Becky Brewerton was the leading Welsh player, finishing in a share of 11th place on three-under-par. But last year’s English Open champion failed to mount a challenge on the final day, dropping too many shots on both the front and back nine.
She posted of final round of 76 and said: “I felt like I was fighting my game all day. I didn’t get the ball anywhere near the hole with my putts apart from when I had a putt for an eagle. I think I had 38 putts.”
Brewerton will follow the LET circuit to the SAS Masters in Norway next week, before returning to LPGA Qualifying School in America in a month’s time.
FINAL TOTALS
Par 216 (3 x 72)
209 Lotta Maria Wahlin (Swe) 71 67 71, Martina Eberl (Ger) 65 71 73 (Wahlin won sudden-death play-off at second hole).
210 Georgina Simpson 66 74 70, Henrietta Zuel 66 71 73
211 Joanne Mills (Aus) 70 70 71, Maria Boden (Swe) 71 71 69
212 Paula Marti (Spa) 68 71 73, Ashleigh Simon (Rsa) 70 71 71, Veronica Zorzi (Ita) 72 70 70, Samantha Head 74 71 67
213 Felicity Johnson 77 69 67, Lisa Hall 70 67 76, Nathalie David (Fra) 72 72 69, Becky Brewerton 66 71 76, Louise Stahle (Swe) 70 72 71, Anna Rawson (Aus) 71 72 70, Gwladys Nocera (Fra) 69 70 74, Sophie Walker 69 76 68, Kiran Matharu 67 75 71, Martina Gillen 70 71 72, Cecillia Ekelundh (Swe) 73 71 69, Clare Queen 71 70 72
214 Marianne Skarpnord (Nor) 75 68 71, Lynn t Brooky (Nzl) 74 72 68, Eva Steinberger (Aut) 72 72 70
215 Jade Schaeffer (Fra) 72 70 73, Melissa Reid 70 75 70, Marjet Van Der Graaff (Ned) 75 69 71, Federica Piovano (Ita) 70 69 76, Isabella Maconi (Ita) 71 72 72, Lisa Sorensen (Den) 73 71 71, Ana-Belen Sanchez (Spa) 69 73 73, Melodie Bourdy (Fra) 68 77 70
216 Rebecca Coakley 72 73 71, Beatriz Recari (Spa) 73 71 72, Emma Zackrisson (Swe) 73 72 71
217 Anna Rossi (Ita) 72 72 73, Laura Terebey (US) 73 71 73, Marta Prieto (Spa) 70 71 76, Joanne Morley 74 69 74, Nina Reis (Swe) 72 73 72, Rebecca Hudson 70 73 74, Emma Cabrera Bello (Spa) 72 74 71
218 Lara Tadiotto (Bel) 68 73 77, Sahra Hassan 70 75 73, Elizabeth McKinnon (Swe) 72 72 74, Carmen Alonso (Spa) 73 73 72
219 Mianne Bagger (Den) 71 73 75, Karen-Margreth Juul (Den) 71 74 74, Dana Lacey (Aus) 70 76 73, Amy Yang (USA) 75 68 76, Lee-Anne Pace (US) 72 73 74, Trish Johnson 70 74 75
220 Laura Davies 70 71 79, Zuzana Kamasova (Svk) 75 70 75, Laurette Maritz (Rsa) 72 71 77, Katharina Schallenberg (Ger) 71 74 75, Maria Verchenova (Rus) 74 72 74, Danielle Montgomery 72 73 75, Jodi Ewart 72 74 74
221 Karen Lunn (Aus) 74 70 77, Anja Monke (Ger) 70 73 78, Lydia Hall 71 74 76, Diana Luna (Ita) 71 75 75
222 Stephanie Arricau (Fra) 72 71 79
223 Stefanie Michl (Aut) 70 73 80
225 Bronwyn Mullins-Lane (Aus) 71 72 82

VIKKI CHALLENGING BUT PAMELA
MISSES FUTURES TOUR CUT

Vikki Laing moved into the final round of the Greater Richmond Futures Classic in joint seventh place but fellow Scot Pamela Feggans missed the cut by six shots.
US-based Vikki, from Musselburgh, had opening rounds of 66 and 74 for four-under-par 140 - three shots behind joint leaders Vicky Hurst (68-69) and Haeji Kang (South Korea) (65-72).
Kang set a record for the Richmond Country Club course with her first round seven-under-par 65. Vikki was just one shot above the new mark with her 66.
It is exactly a year this coming week since Vikki scored her only win on the Futures Tour, in the Gettysburg Classic.
Pamela Feggans, from Patna, Ayrshire, scored 77 and 76 for 153.
Belfast-born Brenda McLarnon missed the cut with 76 and 73 for 149.
A total of 71 players with 36-hole tallies of three-over 147 and better made the cut.

LEADING SECOND-ROUND TOTALS
Par 144 (2 x 72)
Players from US unless stated.
137 V Hurst 68 69, H Kang (SKo) 65 72.
138 M Cho (Sko) 70 68, N Hage 66 72.
139 S Sheridan (Mex) 71 68, S Lewis 68 71.
140 L Ferrero 69 71, S Lynn 68 72, J Gleason 68 72, V Laing (Sco) 66 74.
MISSED THE CUT
149 B McLarnon (NIr) 76 73.
153 P Feggans (Sco) 77 76.