Left-hander Charlie Douglass, image by courtesy of leaderboardphotography.com

Girl internationals Charlie

Douglass & Anna Carling
enter HdA Festival

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Festival Organiser

Colin@scottishgolfview.com

Two girls who have played for their native countries at girls' international level are among the latest entries for next month's Hacienda del Alamo Women's Winter Golf Festival.

Charlie Douglass, a member at Brocket Hall Golf Club, comes from Stevenage, Hertsfordshire and is 19 years old. A left-hander, she has a handicap of +0.3 and was an England Under-18 girl cap.

Charlie almost won the 2006 English girls' championship. She lost in the final at Kings Norton to Rachel Jennings who birdied the last two holes to beat Douglass by one hole.

Charlie has been a member of past English Women's Golf Association training squads. She has entered the 36-hole Murcia Ladies Open (February 12-13), the St Valentine's Day pro-am on the Saturday when she and one-handicap male amateur Anthony Hughes will be in the same amateur team.

Douglass plans to skip the Costa Calida Pairs on the Sunday - unless we can get her to change her mind! - and then come back into the fray in the closing 36-hole Hacienda del Alamo Ladies Open on Monday & Tuesday, February 16-17.

Anna Carling, pictured above by Cal Carson Golf Agency, is a member at Vale of Glamorgan Golf Club and lives at Cardiff Bay. She is also 19 years old with a handicap of 3.3. Anna, beaten at the 22nd hole of the 2007 Welsh girls championship final by Beth Davies at Southerndown, has played for Wales in the girls' home internationals and the European girls' team championships.

At the inaugural Hacienda del Alamo Women's Festival, Carling came second to Welsh compatriot Rhian Wyn Thomas in the amateur section of the Murcia Ladies Open over 36 holes.

That's the only event Anna has entered at next month's Festival.

FESTIVAL ENTRIES SO FAR

MURCIA LADIES OPEN

Two rounds stroke-play

Thursday-Friday, February 12-13
Professional entries
Jacqueline Pecoitz (Argentina)
Lien Willems (Belgium)
Amateur entries

Mary McKenna (Donabate) Senior

Patricia Morris (Donabate) Senior
Pamela Morgan (La Cala) Senior

Fionnuala Forde (Donabate)

Margo Habets (Rinkven, Belgium)

Caroline Harper (Limburg, Belgium)

Natalia Zvezdina (Rinkven, Belgium)

Sandra Hendrickx (Rinkven, Belgium)

Louise Church (Hendon)

Charlotte Dalton (Ladbrook Park)

Shula McCarthy (Clonmel)

Michele McCarthy (Clonmel).
Charlie Douglass (Brocket Hall)

Anna Carling (Vale of Glamorgan)

MURCIA UNDER-16 GIRLS’ OPEN
Two rounds stroke-play
Thursday-Friday, February 12-13.

Gemma McCarthy (Clonmel). Age 11.

Amber Ratcliffe (Royal Cromer). Age 13.

ST VALENTINE'S DAY PRO-AM

One round: Lady pro with three amateurs (male or female)

Saturday, February 14
Professional entries
Lien Willems (Belgium)
Jacqueline Pecoitz (Argentina)
Amateur teams:

Mary McKenna (4), Patricia Morris (11) & Fionnuala Forde (12) (all Donabate).

Mary MacLaren (4), Meghan MacLaren (4) & Rebecca Gee (4) (all Wellingborough).

Margo Habets (7), Caroline Harper (15) & Natalia Zvezdina (20) or Sandra Henrickx (20)) + pro Lien Willems (Belgium).
Natalia Zvezdina (20) or Sandra Henrickx (20) + two other amateurs.
Pamela Morgan (10) & Brian Harrold (10) (both La Cala) + one other amateur
Shula McCarthy (19), Gemma McCarthy (20), Michelle McCarthy (8) (all Clonmel).

Charlie Douglass (scr) & Anthony Hughes (1) (Brocket Hall) + one other amateur

Amateur individuals:

Louise Church (Hendon) (9).
Charlotte Humphries (Burnham & Berrow) (17)
Amy Boulden (Llandudno Maesdhu) (1.5) (to be confirmed).

Charlotte Dalton (Ladbrook Park) (2)

COSTA CALIDA PAIRS

One round: First nine holes greensomes; Second nine holes better-ball.

Any combination of lady pros, female & male amateurs.

Sunday, February 15

Professional entries
Jacqueline Pecoitz (Argentina)
Lien Willems (Belgium)
Amateur pairings:

Mary MacLaren (4) & David MacLaren.

Meghan MacLaren (4) & Rebecca Gee (4).

Holly Clyburn (+1) & India Clyburn (13).
Pamela Morgan (10) & Brian Harrold (10).
Charlotte Humphries (17) & Rob Humphries (6).
Charlotte Dalton (2) & Lisa Barton (to be confirmed).
Jessica Wilcox (Blankney) (2) & Robert Wilcox.

Amber Ratcliffe (7) & Ryan Ratcliffe (5).

Amateur individuals (need partner)
Louise Church (Hendon) (9)

Amy Boulden (1.5) (to be confirmed)

HACIENDA DEL ALAMO LADIES OPEN

Two rounds stroke-play

Monday-Tuesday, February 16-17.
Professional entries
Jacqueline Pecoitz (Argentina)
Lien Willems (Belgium).
Amateur entries:

Holly Clyburn (Woodhall Spa).

Mary MacLaren (4)

Rebecca Gee (4).

Louise Church (9)

Charlotte Dalton (2)

Jessica Wilcox (Blankney) (2)

Charlie Douglass (Brocket Hall) (scr)

HACIENDA DEL ALAMO UNDER-16 GIRLS’ OPEN
Two rounds stroke play
Monday-Tuesday, February 16-17
Charlotte Humphries Age 14.
India Clyburn Age 12.
Meghan MacLaren. Age 14.
Amy Boulden (Llandudno Maesdu). Age 15.

Alice Hewison (Berkhamsted & Moor Park). Age 11

Amber Ratcliffe. Age 13.

HACIENDA DEL ALAMO GOLF RESORT

VILLA RENTAL ACCOMMODATION

John Green of Hacienda Golf Properties is the Festival's "preferred partner" for the rental of villas/accommodation at the five-star resort.

That means if you are going to the Hacienda del Alamo February Festival, you should do one of two things, or maybe both.

1 E-mail John Green at johngreen@hdagolfproperties.com or info@hdagolfproperties.com to find out what he can offer you and at what price.

2 If there are only one or two of you and you would be quite willing to share a villa with another group to bring the cost down per head, tell John your position.

His contact telephone numbers are:
Mobile in Spain: +34 618 086 285
Mobile in UK: +44 7836 385 310.
Landline in UK: +44 203 287 3103.
Skype: Hacienda Golf Properties.
Website: www. hdagolfproperties.com

Hally Leadbetter, left, daughter of the world famous golf coach, and Holly Clyburn after they had been paired together in the CJGA World Junior Challenge in Florida.

Holly on a learning curve as she finishes fourth

in CJGA World Junior Challenge in Florida

England girl international Holly Clyburn (Woodhall Spa) finished a creditable fourth in the girls' 13 to 19 years' division of the Canadian Junior Golf Association-organised World Junior Challenge at the Ginn Reunion Resort, Florida.

It was 17-year-old Holly's first overseas tournament. She plays in her second next week, still in Florida for the start of the Orange Blossom Tour at Harder Hall, Sebring, and her third will be the Hacienda del Alamo February Festival at the five-star golf resort in Murcia, Spain.

Holly finished 11 shots behind the title winner, Annie Park from Levittown, New York State.

Annie already has two CJGA World Junior Challenge titles to her credit at the ripe old age of 13. Runner-up Cindy Feng from Orlando, Florida is only 12 years old.
"I played very steady, made a lot of pars," said Annie Park. "The wind made it tough but the courses were good."

Holly Clyburn, who was partnered by famed golf coach David Leadbetter's daughter Hally on one of the days, had rounds of 76, 77 and 75 for a total of 228.

The first two rounds were played over the Independence course, designed by Tom Watson, a course with fast, undulating greens which Holly found tough to get used to.

The competition switched for the third round of the Arnold Palmer-designed Legacy course.

"I really enjoyed playing two great golf courses in my first overseas tournament," said young Holly whose learning curve will continue next week at the Harder Hall Golf & Country Club, Sebring in the four-round Harder Hall Women's Invitational.

Holly and a squad from Scottish universities will add an international flavour to its customary strong field. Last year's "Harder Hall" was won by Irish-born Alison Walshe who went on to play for the United States in the Curtis Cup victory over GB&I at the Old Course, St Andrews at the end of May.

Results from the CJGA World Junior Challenge:

LEADING GIRLS' TOTALS (AGE 11 TO 19 DIVISION)
Par 216 (3 x 72)
217 Annie Park (Levittown, New York State) 76 68 73.
220 Cindy Feng (Orlando, Florida) 78 72 70.
222 Marisa Kamelgam (Mahopac, New York State) 77 74 71.
228 Holly Clyburn (Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire, England) 76 77 75.
234 Hally Leadbetter (Orlando, Florida) 80 76 78.
235 Brogan McKinnon (Mississauga, Ontario, Canada) 83 82 70, Alexandra Milan (Lutz, Florida) 80 77 78, Crystal Lee (Mahwah, New Jersey) 81 76 78.

236 Jessica Tarbet (Point Road, Tennessee) 84 78 74.

239 Lauren Ashley Taylor (Nelson, British Columbia) 83 79 77.
+Seventeen players took part.

Fife County Ladies' Centenary Lunch

on February 1 in Kirkcaldy

Fife County Ladies Golf Association (along with many other counties in Scotland) will be celebrating its Centenary in 2009.
The first event to mark this occasion will be the Centenary Lunch on Sunday, February 1 at the Dean Park Hotel in Kirkcaldy. This promises to be a very memorable occasion with interesting stories from our guest speakers and lots of old photographs to browse through - an event not to be missed.
Past and present members of FCLGA welcome.
Tickets (£25 each) will be available until January 17 from Mrs Alma Robertson, 24 Abbey Court, St Andrews KY16 9TL.
Please send a cheque (payable to FCLGA) and enclose a stamped address enveolope.
Also could you please ensure that any old photographs or other memorabilia, are passed onto Dorothy Ford (dorothyford@btinternet.com) by January 17.

Carly, enjoying life as a golfer and

scholar, is in no hurry to turn pro

FROM THE SCOTSMAN.SPORT.COM WEBSITE
By ELSPETH BURNSIDE

It was quite a year for Carly Booth in 2008. As a 15-year-old at St Andrews in June, she became the youngest-ever Great Britain and Ireland Curtis Cup player. She then added to her impressive golfing CV in September by competing in the Junior Ryder Cup in America.
Now, aged 16, she has continued her pioneering ways by becoming the first girl to be awarded a golf scholarship at the prestigious Glenalmond College in Perthshire.

Following spells at school in Florida and Arizona, the girl who first hit the global golfing headlines when she became Comrie club champion at the age of 11 is delighted to be back home as a day girl at the school recently featured in the BBC2 documentary series, Pride and Privilege.

And while it might need an extra nudge to get out on to the practice range during a Scottish winter, Carly, pictured above by Cal Carson Golf Agency, demonstrated that her game remains in fine fettle.

In Abu Dhabi in November, she became only the third girl to successfully defend the Daily Telegraph Junior girls' championship.

"It was my first trip to Abu Dhabi, and it was a really good week," said Booth, who won by an emphatic half dozen shots from England's Alex Peters. "Last year, the event was in Dubai so it was great to retain the trophy."

While a professional golf career surely beckons in the future, life for this glamorous and thoroughly modern miss is, as yet, not totally ruled by golf. She enrolled at Glenalmond in September, and has a busy academic timetable.

"I've settled in very well, everything to do with school is really good and I'll be here for two years," she said. "I'm in the lower sixth and studying for four A levels – English, business, physical education and art.

"I also get plenty opportunities to play golf, either at the school's course, Gleneagles or at our own course at my home in Comrie."

Perhaps not surprisingly, a teenager who is comfortable travelling around the globe admits that a Scottish home life does have certain drawbacks.

"The weather certainly isn't as nice as the States," admitted the youngster who has just spent Christmas and New Year in Arizona and finished in the top 20 at the prestigious Silver Belle tournament.

The only serious girl golfer at Glenalmond, Booth can enlist a few boys as playing partners, and she is very happy that she can compete on equal terms.

"There are five really good players, although none of them have golf as their first sport."

At home, there is plenty of sporting banter. Carly's father, Wally, was a silver medal-winner for Scotland in weight-lifting at the 1966 Commonwealth Games, and older brother Wallace recently helped Scotland win the world amateur team championship for the Eisenhower Trophy in Australia.

And while Carly was holding on to her trophy in Abu Dhabi, her other brother, Paul, a Downs Syndrome youngster, was retaining the British Under-23 power-lifting title for those with special needs.

Next summer, Carly might even have to take a momentary step back into Booth family sporting shadows as Wallace hopes to play in the Walker Cup match in the United States and Paul expects to be representing Tayside at the Special Olympics in Leicester.

As for Glenalmond, the school is delighted to have such a perky personality and talented individual as the school's first beneficiary of the new and innovative golfing award. The scholarship is funded by the Old Glenalmond Golfing Society and was launched as part of their 75th anniversary celebrations.

Golf has been played at 160-year-old Glenalmond for over a century and the OGGS president, Gordon Thorburn, commented: "We are delighted that Carly is the first recipient of our scholarship. We believe scholarships like these are important to the future success of young people with particular talents.

"It can help them access an education and facilities that perhaps would not otherwise have been available to them. We have received encouraging support from OGGS members in our fund-raising for the scholarship and I hope many future generations will benefit from it."

While a tournament-playing golf career has been Carly's presumed destiny for many years, she is certainly in no rush to embark down such a pressurised route. At the moment, she just wants to be – well, at least for some of the time – the same as any other teenager.

"I'm really grateful to have been given the scholarship," she concluded. "I'll have two years here before I even think about turning professional. At the moment, I just want to enjoy my time at school and on the golf course."

From around the world to

compete at the Ladies'

European Tour School

FROM THE LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
The Ladies European Tour Pre-Qualifying School takes place over the North and South courses at La Manga Club in Los Belones, Murcia, Spain, from Wednesday of next week.
The Final Qualifying School, also over 72 holes, will be contested over the South course from Monday to Thursday the following week.
In all, 137 players are hoping to earn one of the 30 cards available to compete on the LET throughout the 2009 season. England’s Henrietta Zuel (winner of the 2007 British girls championship as Henrietta Brockway, pictured above by Tom Ward Photography), Sweden’s Anna Nordvist and Julieta Granada from Paraguay are part of the field and will make their first attempts at qualifying for the LET.
Zuel made her pro debut at the Garanti American Express Ladies Turkish Open in May 2008 and finished third at last year’s S4C Wales Ladies Championship while playing on an invitation. Nordqvist, the 2008 British amateur champion, was the top ranked player in US women’s college golf and was leading amateur at both the 2008 RICOH Women’s British Open and the Scandinavian TPC Hosted by Annika on home soil.
Granada is the most decorated entrant. She won a first prize of US $1 million at the 2006 ADT Championship on the LPGA Tour and also steered her country to victory at the 2007 Women’s World Cup of Golf alongside her compatriot Celeste Troche.
The trio is joined by Kristie Smith from Australia, who made her professional debut at the 2008 Scandinavian TPC Hosted by Annika in Sweden in August and who was the leading amateur at both the 2008 ANZ Ladies Masters and MFS Women’s Australian Opens.
Her compatriot Stephanie Na, the No 1 Australian amateur, is also making the long haul flight across to Europe.
In addition, five of last year’s eight Great Britain and Ireland Curtis Cup team members are in the field: No 1 English amateur Elizabeth Bennett, Florentyna Parker from England, Breanne Loucks, who is based in Wales, along with Scotland’s Michele Thomson and Krystle Caithness. Overall, England is represented by the most players (20) followed by Sweden (15), France (11), Scotland (10), Australia and Finland (8 each), Denmark, Spain and Wales (6 each), Italy (5), Ireland, the Netherlands, Switzerland (4 each), USA, South Africa and Belgium (3 each) Germany, Japan, Korea, and Russia (2), Austria, Estonia, Argentina, Canada, Czech Republic, Hungary, India, Norway, Malaysia, Paraguay, Portugal and Slovakia (1).
A total of 107 players representing 32 different countries will contest Stage I, Pre-Qualifying, over four rounds from Wednesday to Saturday, January 7 to 10.
The leading 60 players and ties from Stage I will join 30 others who are already exempt to make a field of 90 players and ties at Stage 2 Final Qualifying, which will be played on the South course from Monday to Thursdsay, January 12 to 15.
All competitors at the final stage will play three rounds following which a cut will be made to the leading 50 players and those tied for 50th place. At the conclusion of 72 holes, all players will be ranked according to their final totals, with the leading 30 players awarded category 8a, which offers the opportunity to play in most tournaments.
Positions 31-50 and ties will be offered category 10b, which offers limited opportunities to play in LET events.
COLIN FARQUHARSON'S SCOTSWATCH:
Eight Scots, five of them amateurs, are in action in the Pre-Qualifying Tournament over four rounds. Two of them are 2008 Curtis Cup team amateurs, Michele Thomson (McDonald Ellon) and Krystle Caithness (St Regulus) who has cut short a four-year golf scholarship at the University of Georgia.
The other Scottish amateurs are international team members Emily Ogilvy (Auchterarder) and Kylie Walker (Buchanan Castle) as well as Jocelyn Carthew (Ladybank), beaten by Michele Thomson in last year's Scottish women's amateur championship final at Lossiemouth.
The three others are professionals, two of them who have been based in United States since their college days - Vikki Laing, a Curtis Cup player as an amateur and multiple-winner of the Scottish girls' match-play title, and Pamela Feggans who also played for Scotland as an amateur.
Karyn Burns has been a coach at Mearns Castle Golf Academy since she turned pro several years ago.


Two former Scottish amateur champions, Jenna Wilson (Strathaven) and Lynn Kenny (Archerfield Links), will come into action at the Final Q School, not having won enough money in 2008 to retain their players' cards.


It was Jenna's rookie year as a professional but Lynn left the amateur ranks several years ago.

Amber Ratcliffe and Billy Sim, director of golf at Hacienda del Alamo Golf Resort, pictured at one of the prizegiving presentations at last year's February Festival.

It's Green for Go for Amber (13) as she

bids to make 2009 another season of improvement

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Festival Organiser

Norfolk lass Amber Ratcliffe, who did not have her 13th birthday until October, brought her handicap down by something like 12 strokes during the 2008 season - and her dad Byron says that her participation in the inaugural Hacienda del Alamo February Festival had much to do with that commendable improvement.

"Since we saw you in February, Amber has improved her handicap from 18.3 to 6.7 and is now training with the England Midland Super Birdie Squad," says Byron in an E-mail note.

"So I would like to enter my daughter into the HDA Festival again as she enjoyed and learned so much from it last year.

"I would like to thank you too the effort you put in to organise what I feel is the perfect pre-season warm-up and which helped Amber to enjoy a great season's golf."

Amber, a member of Royal Cromer Golf Club, has entered both the Under-16 girls' stroke-play events and her brother Ryan (age 16, handicap 4.9) will partner her in the Costa Calida Pairs on the Sunday.

One of the reasons Billy Sim, the Hacienda del Alamo Golf Resort director of golf, and I brought the Festival into being was to give youngsters such as Amber the opportunity to practise and play competitively at a time of the year when neither was possible at home.

So it warms the cockles of our hearts to hear that Amber went on to have a great 2008 season after coming to the first Festival. At the rate she is improving, she will probably be playing off scratch at this time next year.

Entries from lady professionals are very slow in coming forward. Apparently, some possible entrants are waiting to see how they fare at the Ladies European Tour Qualifying School over the next two weeks at La Manga (which is not all that far away from Hacienda del Alamo Golf Resort).

One or two have asked me what will be the level of prize money available for the lady pros at the Festival?

My answer is: That depends solely on how many lady pros enter. I would like the first cash prize in each of the four Festival events to be at least 1,000 Euros, scaled down to fourth or fifth place (first prize in the Roehampton Gold Cup is £1,000).

But, for that, we need an entry of at least 20 lady pros per event and we are lagging some way short of that requirement. If we did get say entries from 40 lady professionals, then we would be in a position to aim for first cash prizes of at least 2,000 Euros.

So it is up to the lady professionals themselves. The more who enter, the more money they will have to play for in their prizefunds.

I should add that the Festival was never designed to develop into an extension of the Ladies European Tour in prizemoney but it does offer lady pros and amateurs alike the opportunity to combine sustained practice at excellent facilities with competitive play over testing Dave Thomas-designed course in the month of February.

To the best of our knowledge, it is the ONLY women's golf festival in Europe at that time of the year.

+The Hacienda del Alamo February Festival is a non-profitmaking enterprise supported by Glenmuir, Stewart Spence (owner of The Marcliffe Spa & Hotel, Aberdeen), Hacienda del Alamo Golf Resort, John Green (Hacienda Golf Properties) and an oil company who prefer to remain nameless.

FESTIVAL ENTRIES SO FAR
MURCIA LADIES OPEN
Two rounds stroke-play
Thursday-Friday, February 12-13

Professional entries

Jacqueline Pecoitz (Argentina)

Lien Willems (Belgium)

Amateur entries
Mary McKenna (Donabate) Senior
Patricia Morris (Donabate) Senior

Pamela Morgan (La Cala) Senior
Fionnuala Forde (Donabate)
Margo Habets (Rinkven, Belgium)
Caroline Harper (Limburg, Belgium)
Natalia Zvezdina (Rinkven, Belgium)
Sandra Hendrickx (Rinkven, Belgium)
Louise Church (Hendon)
Charlotte Dalton (Ladbrook Park)
Shula McCarthy (Clonmel)
Michele McCarthy (Clonmel).

MURCIA UNDER-16 GIRLS’ OPEN

Two rounds stroke-play

Thursday-Friday, February 12-13.
Gemma McCarthy (Clonmel). Age 11.
Amber Ratcliffe (Royal Cromer). Age 13.

ST VALENTINE'S DAY PRO-AM
One round: Lady pro with three amateurs (male or female)
Saturday, February 14

Professional entries

Lien Willems (Belgium)

Jacqueline Pecoitz (Argentina)

Amateur teams:
Mary McKenna (4), Patricia Morris (11) & Fionnuala Forde (12) (all Donabate).
Mary MacLaren (4), Meghan MacLaren (4) & Rebecca Gee (4) (all Wellingborough).
Margo Habets (7), Caroline Harper (15) & Natalia Zvezdina (20) or Sandra Henrickx (20)) + pro Lien Willems (Belgium).

Natalia Zvezdina (20) or Sandra Henrickx (20) + two other amateurs.

Pamela Morgan (10) & Brian Harrold (10) (both La Cala) + one other amateur

Shula McCarthy (19), Gemma McCarthy (20), Michelle McCarthy (8) (all Clonmel).
Amateur individuals:
Louise Church (Hendon) (9).

Charlotte Humphries (Burnham & Berrow) (17)

Amy Boulden (Llandudno Maesdhu) (1.5) (to be confirmed).
Charlotte Dalton (Ladbrook Park) (2)

COSTA CALIDA PAIRS
One round: First nine holes greensomes; Second nine holes better-ball.
Any combination of lady pros, female & male amateurs.
Sunday, February 15
Professional entries

Jacqueline Pecoitz (Argentina)

Lien Willems (Belgium)

Amateur pairings:
Mary MacLaren (4) & David MacLaren.
Meghan MacLaren (4) & Rebecca Gee (4).
Holly Clyburn (+1) & India Clyburn (13).

Pamela Morgan (10) & Brian Harrold (10).

Charlotte Humphries (17) & Rob Humphries (6).

Charlotte Dalton (2) & Lisa Barton (to be confirmed).

Jessica Wilcox (Blankney) (2) & Robert Wilcox.
Amber Ratcliffe (7) & Ryan Ratcliffe (5).
Amateur individuals (need partner)

Louise Church (Hendon) (9)
Amy Boulden (1.5) (to be confirmed)

HACIENDA DEL ALAMO LADIES OPEN
Two rounds stroke-play
Monday-Tuesday, February 16-17.

Professional entries

Jacqueline Pecoitz (Argentina)

Lien Willems (Belgium).

Amateur entries:
Holly Clyburn (Woodhall Spa).
Mary MacLaren (4)
Rebecca Gee (4).
Louise Church (9)
Charlotte Dalton (2)
Jessica Wilcox (Blankney) (2)

HACIENDA DEL ALAMO UNDER-16 GIRLS’ OPEN

Two rounds stroke play

Monday-Tuesday, February 16-17

Charlotte Humphries Age 14.

India Clyburn Age 12.

Meghan MacLaren. Age 14.

Amy Boulden (Llandudno Maesdu). Age 15
Alice Hewison (Berkhamsted & Moor Park). Age 11
Amber Ratcliffe. Age 13.

HACIENDA DEL ALAMO GOLF RESORT
VILLA RENTAL ACCOMMODATION
John Green of Hacienda Golf Properties is the Festival's "preferred partner" for the rental of villas/accommodation at the five-star resort.
That means if you are going to the Hacienda del Alamo February Festival, you should do one of two things, or maybe both.
1 E-mail John Green at mailto:minfo@hdagolfproperties.com to find out what he can offer you and at what price.
2 Log on to John Green's website - http://www.hdagolfproperties.com/ - and see for yourself what he has to offer.

Danielle Montgomery

will defend

Roehampton Gold

Cup in London

PRESS RELEASE
Entries are already coming in for the 83rd Ladies Open Gold Challenge Cup, to be played at Roehampton in south-west London on Saturday, April 18, 2009.
Entries close on March 17.
The holder of the Gold Cup, Danielle Montgomery (pictured), will be defending her title.
A field of 66, made up of top amateurs and professionals will play 36 holes stroke-play.
The standard scratch score will be 74 this year (Par 72).
The first professional prize is £1000 and the first amateur voucher is £400.
Entry fee is £25, which includes the cost lunch and light supper for all competitors.
For more information and entry form visit the club website on
http://www.roehamptonclub.org/ or contact tristan.mcillroy@roehamptonclub.co.uk
Telephone: 020 8480 4201

We want YOU to enjoy the fun

and the sun at the Hacienda

del Alamo Golf Festival

This is the month for finalising your flights to Spain, booking your accommodation AND entering the Hacienda del Alamo Winter Golf Festival - four competitions over six days (February 12 to 17) and a free practice round as well - at the five-star golf resort not far away from Murcia Airport in south-east Spain.
You do not have to play in every event to qualify for a free practice round.
The practice facilities at Hacienda del Alamo Golf Resort, by the way, are also five-star if you are serious about reducing your handicap in 2009.
All the competitions are open to lady professionals and lady and girl amateurs of all ages. And men and boys are also able to play in the two weekend Festival events, the St Valentine's Day pro-am on the Saturday and the Costa Calida pairs on the Sunday.
E-mail Festival Organiser Colin Farquharson - Colin@scottishgolfview.com - if you have any questions or want more details.
John Green of Hacienda Golf Properties is the man to handle your inquiries about short-term rental of accommodation at Hacienda del Alamo. E-mail him at
johngreen@hdagolfproperties.com
+The Festival is a non-profitmaking enterprise, supported by Hacienda del Alamo Golf Resort, Glenmuir, Stewart Spence, owner of The Marcliffe Hotel & Spa (Aberdeen), Hacienda Golf Properites and an oil company who do not wish any publicity for their generosity.

Sally and Stephanie invited to play

in Verizon Junior Heritage

Curtis Cup player Sally Watson and Stephanie Meadow, the 2006 Irish girls champion and 2007 Irish girls championship beaten finalist, have both been invited to play in the Verizon Junior Heritage tournament at Harbour Town Golf Links, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina on February 7 and 8.
For Stephanie it's a "home posting" - she is a student at the International Junior Golf Academy at Hilton Head Island.
For Sally it will be another milestone along the comeback trail from the post-Curtis Cup knee operation which put her out of action for several months.

Norwegian shoots final round 64 to win Florida title

Argentina's Victoria Tanco after her play-0ff vctory in the Junior Orange Bowl girls' championship. Enlarge the images by clicking on them.

I'm disappointed but

proud, says Stiggy

Hodgson after Junior Bowl

runner-up finish

PRESS RELEASE
By DAVID MACKINTOSH
In one of the most thrilling finishes in recent years, Norway’s 16-year-old Mathias Schjoelberg became the 45th Junior Orange Bowl boys' champion, holing a 15-foot par-saving putt on the final green to edge out three-round leader, England’s 18-year-old Stiggy Hodgson over the Biltmore course, Coral Gables in Florida..
Schjoelberg, who started three strokes behind Hodgson and carded a final round of 64 (6-under par) for a 12-under-par final total of 268, took the lead at the 71st hole after a barrage of birdies, which to his credit Hodgson withstood to the end.
“Mathias putted wonderfully all day,” Hodgson said. “For me it all came down to 17th hole where my drive landed in a divot in the rough. I thought about laying-up, short of the water, then took on the shot and still made bogey so Mathias went ahead. Reality is I shot 68, all four rounds in the 60s, so although I’m disappointed I’m also very proud of my performance.”
Hodgson birdied three of the first five holes and seemed uncatchable but Schjoelberg made up ground as the Englishman stalled and a par-saving chip-in by the Norwegian at the 12th changed everything. He birdied three of the last six holes and never doubted himself:
“I just knew I had to make birdies and I did. Stiggy gave me a chance and I was able to take it. I’m very happy.”

Mathias Schjoelberg, pictured above with a Junior Orange Bowl official and the magnificent trophy, came out of the blue to win this major junior title. Although he was a member of the Norwegian squad who won the silver medals in the 2008 European boys' team championship, he has not achieved anything of note outwith Norway.

He finished tied seventh in the 2008 European Young Masters but did not play in the British boys championship. He will be 17 years old on June 16, 2009.
The girls' title went from nail-biting tension to marathon in which Argentina’s Victoria Tanco outlasted US Junior Girls Champion Alexis Thompson at the fifth sudden-death play-off hole after they had tied on four-under-par 276. The resilience that gained 14-year-old Tanco the American Junior Golf Association’s top ranking this year was evident as she made five solid pars at the long, uphill par-4 18th.
Thompson allowed Tanco into the tie when she bogeyed the 72nd hole. Last year Tanco finished in the top-5 and vowed she would come back and win. Now Argentina has their very first Junior Orange Bowl title and Victoria Tanco proved she is a worthy champion.

SCROLL DOWN FOR THE LEADING FINAL TOTALS

Kristen Park receives her trophy from tournament director Kathy Gook.

Stephanie ninth, Carly

joint 14th in Arizona

Silver Belle

Comrie's Carly Booth finished joint 14th overall in a field of 112 for the Arizona Silver Belle girls' golf tournament over the Arizona State University's Karsten course at Tempe. The 16-year-old Curtis Cup player had no birdies in a final round of four-over-par 76 for a 54-hole total of 221. Her earlier scores were 73 and 72.

She bogeyed the short seventh, ninth, long 10th and short 16th in her final round.
Former Irish girls champion Stephanie Meadow, pictured above in action in Arizona, a student at the International Junior Golf Academy, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina finished ninth with a par 72 for 218 after rounds of 72 and 74.

Stephanie had the steadiest of final rounds - a birdie at the first, a bogey 4 at the short 12th and the rest pars.
Kristen Park, from Buena Park, California - she had her 16th birthday on December 27 - was the overall winner with a 72 for 212, having scored 69 and 71 to lead into the final day. Kristen won the 2007 United States girls championship when she was only 14 and played in the Junior Solheim Cup match in Sweden that year.

She lost the lead over the first nine holes of the final round to Lee Lopez who had a disastrous finish of bogey at the 15th and double bogey at the 18th to slump to an inward half of 40 for a 72 and a joint third finish on 214.
Stephanie and Carly finished fourth and sixth respectively in the 15-16 years age group.
The quality of the big field, as usual, was very high.

Jane Chin who finished joint third overall is the No 2 collegiate player in America.

Cheyenne Woods who tied for fifth place is a niece of Tiger Woods.

LEADING FINAL TOTALS

Par 216 (3 x 72). Players from US unless stated.

212 Kristen Park 69 71 72.

213 Katrina Hegge 71 70 72.

214 Lee Lopez 72 70 72, Jane Chin 70 73 71.

216 Cheyenne Woods 69 74 73, Doris Y-N Chen 74 73 69, Kimberley Kim 73 74 69.

217 Lindsey Weaver 73 70 74.

218 Stephanie Meadow (Ire) 72 74 72.

219 Anna Jang 71 77 71, Stephanie Sherlock 73 74 72, Erica Moston 72 72 75.

Selected score:

221 Carly Booth (Sco) 73 72 76 (jt 14th).

Carly's Arizona Silver Belle hopes

fade on final outward half

Carly Booth's hopes of winning the Arizona Silver Belle golf tournament at Tempe today disappeared over the first nine holes of the third and final round.
The 16-year-old Curtis Cup player from Comrie, Perthshire started the day five shots off the pace, needing a bagful of birdies if she were to mount a late challenge at the Arizona State University's Karsten course.
Instead Carly had a birdie-less outward half and bogeyed the seventh and ninth to drop to three over par for the tournament.
That put her in joint 12th position behind new leader, 18-year-old Lee Lopez from California, who reached the turn in three-under-par 32 to take a one-shot lead at five-under-par from the overnight leader, compatriot Kristen Park, who took 35 to the turn.
Former Irish girls champion Stephanie Meadow, a 16-year-old pupil at the International Junior Golf Academy at Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, moved up to eighth place with an outward 34 to be one over par overall.
The tournament's age eligibility is between 13 and 23 years.

HOW THEY STOOD WITH NINE HOLES TO PLAY
Par 179 (72x2 + 35).
Players from US unless stated
174 Lee Lopez 72 70 32.
175 Kristen Park 69 71 35.
176 Jane Chin 70 73 33.
177 Erica Moston 72 72 33, Katrina Hegge 71 70 36.
178 Cheyenne Woods 69 74 35.
179 Lindsey Weaver 73 70 36.
180 Stephanie Meadow (Ire) 72 74 35.
Selected score:
182 Carly Booth (Sco) 73 72 37 (jt 12th).

Junior Orange Bowl boys' championship in Florida

Norwegian pips Stiggy for title

with brilliant, closing 64

A wonderful final round of six-under-par 64 enabled Norway's Mathias Schjoelberg to pip long-time leader Stiggy Hodgson from Sunningdale for the Junior Orange Bowl international boys' golf championship at Coral Gables, Florida today.
In a dramatic finish to the 72-hole event over the Donald Ross-designed Biltmore course, Hodgson saw his three-hole overnight lead wiped out over the first 13 holes - even though he reached the turn in three-under-par 32.
Schjoelberg raced to the turn in 31 to nick away one of the deficit. When Hodgson bogeyed the 10th and Schjoelberg birdied the 13th, they were level.
But the race for one of the world's top boys' golf titles was not over yet. There was a two-shot swing in the English 18-year-old's favour when he gained his 20th birdie of the tournament at the 14th while the Norwegian bogeyed the same hole.
Then Schjoelberg raised his game in a manner which augurs well for his golfing future. He birdied the 15th and 16th to draw level once more. Then Hodgson slipped behind for the first time with a bogey at the 17th and could not get the birdie he needed at the last which would have forced a play-off.
Schjoelberg signed off with a 64 for a brilliant 12-under-par total of 268.
Hodgson ended with a 68 for 269 - a great effort too by Stiggy who went to Florida, seeking to cap a stellar season in European boys' events with a fifth "major" victory.
He almost did it.
Surrey's Jake Shepherd (The Wisley) tied for 10th place with a closing 73 for 283.
Ireland's Garth McGee from Malone finished joint 50th with a 77 for 306.
The girls' event went into a play-off when Victoria Tanco from Argentina and Alexis Thompson, the so-talented youngster from Coral Springs, Florida, tied on 276, each with closing rounds of 67.

Tanco won the title at the fifth extra hole.
Long-time leader Kristina Wong from New York State faded with a final round of 75 for fourth place on 282.

Leading final totals
Boys
Par 280 (4x70) 6,699yd
268 Mathias Schjoelberg (Norway) 67 68 69 64.
269 Stiggy Hodgson (England) 67 66 68 68.
274 Matteo Manassero (Italy) 69 68 70 67.
275 Pedro Figueiredo (Portugal) 70 69 69 67, Romain Wattel (France) 72 67 68 68.
276 Emiliano Grillo (Argentina) 72 68 72 64.

278 Jorge Fernandez Valdes (Argentina) 71 66 68 73.

280 Rafael Becker (Brazil) 71 73 68 68, Stephan Wolters (Germany) 70 68 70 72.

283 Joachim Hansen (Denmark) 76 67 68 72, Oliver Schniederjans (US) 74 72 66 71, Jake Shepherd (England) 70 69 71 73 (jt 10th).

284 Alaro Arizabaleta (Colombia) 75 70 72 67, Hang Chan Won (South Korea) 72 66 75 71, Patrick Rodgers (US) 72 68 71 73, T J Vogel (US) 73 69 70 72, Richard Werenski (US) 72 69 75 68.

285 Cyril Suk (Czech Republic) 70 73 73 69.

286 Bo Andrews (US) 70 74 70 72, Tomoya Tokunaga (Japan) 75 73 68 70.

287 Stanislas Gautier (France) 71 73 74 69, Emesto Marin (US) 71 75 71 70.

288 Marcelo Huarte (US) 73 75 70 70, Robin Kokocinski (Sweden) 73 68 74 73.

289 Jose Maria Joia (Portugal) 71 70 73 75.

290 Tim Gornik (Slovenia) 73 76 71 70, Matthew Mabrey (US) 71 73 68 78, Carlos Ortiz (Mexico) 74 67 78 71.

291 Tyron McComb (South Africa) 76 76 69 70.

293 Stefan Andersen (Kenya) 71 74 76 72, Daniel Kovari (Hungary) 75 75 70 73, Steven Lam (Hong Kong) 72 79 68 74.

294 Robi Calvesbert (Puerto Rico) 73 73 72 76, Joaquin Lolas (Peru) 73 69 69 83, Kasper Sorensen (Denmark) 75 72 74 73.

296 Daniel Iim (Canada) 75 78 73 70.

297 Stewart Hagestad (US) 79 73 72 73.

298 Nicolas Fonseca (Col) 78 72 76 72, Ramon Herrero (Costa Ricao) 76 73 75 74, Peter Sterner Sweden) 73 78 71 78.

299 Edouard Amacher (Switzerland) 78 75 72 74, Daniel Berger (US) 79 74 71 75, Petur Petursson (Iceland) 76 74 71 78.

Other selected score:
305 Garth McGee (Ireland) 77 79 72 77 (jt 50th).
Girls
Par 280 (4x70) 6089yd
276 Victoria Tanco (Argentina) 72 69 68 67, Alexis Thompson (US) 71 71 67 67 (Tanco won play-off at fifth extra hole).
280 Yu-Ri Kim (South Korea) 70 73 71 66.
282 Kristina Wong (US) 69 72 66 75.
283 Stephanie Kim (US) 73 71 70 69.
286 Jessica Korda (US) 76 70 70 70.
288 Emilie Alonso (France) 74 70 72 72, Victoria Kiser (US) 72 74 70 72.
290 Alexandra Stewart (US) 71 75 72 72.

293 Diana Fernandez (Paraguay) 74 72 75 72.

294 Anais Maggetti (Switzerland) 77 76 70 71, Jazmin Raina (Argentina) 74 71 72 77.

295 Ginger Howard (US) 74 76 74 71.

296 Luz Alejandra Cangrejo (Colombia) 75 75 73 73.

298 Giulia Molinaro (Italy) 78 77 71 72.

299 Marieke Nivard (Netherlands) 74 73 78 74, Kyle Roig (Puerto Rico) 79 75 73 72.

300 Daniela Lendl (US) 77 74 75 74, Valeria Tandrini (Italy) 75 77 73 75.

304 Karen Chung (US) 80 72 75 77, Rebecca Lee-Bentham (Canada) 73 78 76 77.

305 Laura Gonzalez-Escallon (Belgium) 80 78 73 74, Carolin Pinegger (Austria) 78 72 75 80.

307 Krista Puisite (Latvia) 78 78 76 75.

For the complete Junior Orange Bowl scoreboard go to http://www.jrorangebowl.com/

Carly five behind with a round to

go in Arizona Silver Belle event

Carly Booth will start the final round of the Arizona Silver Belle girls' golf tournament in eighth place, five strokes behind American leader Kristen Park.
The 16-year-old Curtis Cup player from Comrie, Perthshire, where she is a pupil at Glenalmond School, matched the testing par of 72 (35-37) over the Arizona State University's Karsten course at Tempe for a 36-hole tally of one-over-par 145.
Carly, pictured by Cal Carson Golf Agency, birdied the second, 13th, the long 14th and the long 17th but dropped shots at two short holes, the sixth and 16th, as well as the long 10th and par-4 11th.

Kristen Park, a 16-year-old from California, went four shots clear of the field with a brilliant outward half of four-under-par 31 but lost her momentum on an inward half which cost her 40 shots, three over the par.

Former Irish girls champion Stephanie Meadow, a pupil at the International Junior Golf Academy, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, is tied for ninth position after a 74 for 146. Stephanie birdied the short sixth and the long 17th (for the second day in a row) but she bogeyed the third, the eighth, 15th and the 18th (for the second day in a row) in halves of 36 and 38.

The second day's play was delayed half an hour because of frost but the temperature rose to a high of 68 degrees during the day.
The prestigious Arizona Silver Belle tournament is open to girls within the 13 to 23 years age bracket. There is a field of 112 players this year.

SECOND-ROUND LEADERBOARD

Par 144 (2 x 72)

Players from US unless stated

140 Kristen Park 69 71.

141 Katrina Hegge 71 70.

142 Lee Lopez 72 70.

143 Cheyenne Woods 69 74, Jane Chin 70 73, Lindsey Weaver 73 70.

144 Erica Moston 72 72.

145 Carly Booth (Sco) 73 72.

146 Stephanie Meadow (Ire) 72 74, Ani Gulugiana 73 73, Victoriasungmin Park 71 75.

147 Emily Collins 77 70, Doris Y-N Chen 74 73, Kimberly Kim 73 74, Stephanie Sherlock 73 74.

148 Daphne Parker 76 72, Kaira Martin 75 73, Anna Jang 71 77.

Arizona Silver Belle tournament at Tempe

Carly and Stephanie tied 10th


after nine holes of Round 2

Curtis Cup player Carly Booth from Comrie and former Irish girls' champion Stephanie Meadow were tied for 10th place with nine holes to go in the second round of the 54-hole Arizona Silver Belle girls' golf tournament over the Arizona State University's Karsten course at Tempe.
Carly, birdied the second but took a 4 at the short sixth in reaching the turn in level par 35 for a 27-hole tally of 108.
US-based Stephanie, pictured right, birdied the short sixth but bogeyed the third and eighth in an outward half of 36 and 108.
Kirsten Park from Buena Park, California leads by four shots after 27 holes with an outward half of four-under-par 31 to add to her first-day 69, very good scoring indeed.

HOW LEADERS STOOD AFTER 27 HOLES
Par 107 (72+35)
Players from US unless stated
100 Kristen Park 69 71.
104 Katrina Hegge 71 33.
105 Lee Lopez 72 33.
106 Cheyenne Woods 69 37, Jane Chin 70 36.
Selected scores:
108 Carly Booth (Sco) 73 35, Stephanie Meadow (Ire) 72 36 (jt 10th).

Stiggy Hodgson in action (image by courtesy of Tom Ward Photography)

Stiggy Hodgson leads Junior Orange

Bowl by three with a round to go

PRESS RELEASE FROM CORAL GABLES, FLORIDA
By DAVID MACKINTOSH
England’s Stiggy Hodgson edged further ahead today in the race for the 45th Junior Orange Bowl title, a third-round of two-under-par 68 giving him a 54-hole total of 201, nine-under par. Three strokes back comes Norway’s Mathias Schjoelberg who holds a single-stroke advantage over third-placed Jorge Fernandez- Valdez from Argentina.
In the girls' section, first round leader Kristina Wong reassumed pole position with a best-of-the-championship four-under par 66 for a tally of three-under-par 207.
She will start the final round two ahead of Argentina’s Victoria Tanco and US Junior Girls Champion Alexis Thompson., these three now with a significant lead over the rest of the field.
“It was scrappy but I got the job done,” Hodgson said. “Things got difficult early on. I had a 4-stroke advantage after the second hole, then got tentative and was back in a tie after eight. From there I really tried hard to make something positive happen and fortunately it came around.”
The last four holes proved crucial. Hodgson birdied the par-5 15th, flying a perfect wedge from 105 yards inside 2 feet and although he missed a five-foot birdie chance at the 16th, when he saved par at the 17th from a difficult lie in greenside sand and Fernandez-Valdez double-bogeyed, the 18-year-old English teenager achieved his objective.
“I’d have been very upset in my mind if I’d let the lead get away this round and holing that putt was crucial,” Hodgson said, adding:

“The important thing for me is to play my own game, not pay attention to what’s going on around me. If I do my own thing I can’t see anyone getting past me.”
Tension ran equally high in the girls' championship, where Alexis Thompson vaulted into the lead when she birdied the 14th and 15th and then holed her 115yard approach at the 16th for an eagle 2.
Tanco and Wong both fired back with birdies at the 17th where Thompson missed a short putt. The US Junior champion’s putter let her down again at the 18th where she took three from the fringe for a costly double-bogey.
“I am usually a very solid putter but this week I’ve been awful on these greens,” Thompson said. “Today I hit the ball a lot sharper tee-to-green but my confidence with the putter was really low.”
*Why "Stiggy?" Answer: As a small boy he found his first set of clubs at the bottom of a skip and was immediately nicknamed by his family after the fictional character "Stig of the Dump." His real name, Eamonn, fell into disuse.

For the complete Junior Orange Bowl scoreboard go to http://www.jrorangebowl.com/

LEADING THIRD ROUND TOTALS
(Par 210: 3 x 70).
Boys
201 Stiggy Hodgson (Eng) 67 66 68.
204 Mathias Schjoelberg (Nor) 67 68 69.
205 Jorge Fernandez Valdes (Arg) 71 66 68.
207 Matteo Manassero (Ita) 69 68 70, Roman Wattel (Fra) 72 67 68.
208 Pedro Figueiredo (Por) 70 69 69, Stephan Wotters (Ger) 70 68 70.
210 Jake Shepherd (Eng) 70 69 71.
211 Joachim Hansen (Den) 76 67 68 Joaquin Lolas (Peru) 73 69 69, Patrick Rodgers (US) 72 68 71.

212 Rafael Becker (Braz) 71 73 69, Emiliano Grillo (Arg) 72 68 72, Matthew Mabrey (US) 71 73 68, Oliver Schniederjans (US) 74 72 66, T J Vogel (US) 73 69 70.

213 Han Chang Won (SKor) 73 69 70.

214 Bo Andrews (US) 70 74 70, Jose Maria Joia (Por) 71 70 73.

215 Robin Kokocinski (Swe) 73 68 74, Scott Vincent (Zim) 72 70 73.
Selected score:
228 Garth McGee (Ire) 77 79 72 (jt 47th).
Girls
207 Kristina Wong (US) 69 72 66.
209 Victoria Tanco (Arg) 72 69 68, Alexis Thompson (US) 71 71 67.
214 Stephanie Kim (US) 73 71 70, Yu-Ri Kim (SKor) 70 73 71.
216 Emilie Alonso (Fra) 74 70 72, Victoria Kiser (US) 72 74 70, Jessica Korda (US) 76 70 70.

217 Jazmin Reina (Arg) 74 71 72.

218 Alexandra Stewart (US) 71 75 72.

221 Diana Fernandez (Par) 74 72 74.

223 Luz Alejandra Cangrejo (Col) 75 75 73, Anais Maggetti (Swei) 77 76 70.

224 Ginger Howard (US) 74 76 74.

225 Marieke Nivard (Net) 74 73 78, Carolin Pinegger (Aut) 78 72 75, Valeria Tandrini (Ita) 75 77 73.

226 Daniela Lendl (US) 77 74 75, Giulia Molinaro (Ita) 78 77 71.

R&A support ladies' golf - at both

professional and amateur levels

FROM THE R&A WEBSITE

A cheque for £75,000 has been presented to the Ladies European Tour’s Executive Director, Alexandra Armas, in continuation of the support that The R&A has given to the LET since the early 1990s.

At selected events throughout 2009, The R&A will also provide referees.

In return, a starting place in one of the 2009 LET tournaments will be awarded to the women’s champion in The R&A Scholars Tournament, played on April 6 and 7.

The R&A has again shown its support for ladies amateur golf with the award of £135,000 to the Ladies Golf Union to cover both the next two Vagliano Trophies and the 2010 Curtis Cup.

Next year’s Vagliano Trophy will be held at the Hamburger Golf Club, Germany, while 2011’s will take place at Royal Porthcawl Golf Club in Wales.

The 2010 Curtis Cup will be hosted by the Essex Country Club in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts.

At this month’s Argentina Open, two of 2008’s female scholars have performed well while representing The R&A.

Sweden’s Christina Petersson and Scotland’s Laura Murray (Alford GC and Robert Gordon University), whose trip to South America was funded by The R&A, finished sixth and 12th respectively at the event.

Stiggy goes clear of field in

Junior Orange Bowl

PRESS RELEASE FROM CORAL GABLES, FLORIDA

By DAVID MACKINTOSH

England’s Stiggy Hodgson raced to outright lead at the halfway stage of the 45th Junior Orange Bowl International, adding a sparkling four-under par 66 to his opening 67. That put him two strokes ahead of Norway’s Mathias Schjoelberg, who birdied three of his last five holes to vault back into contention after a slow start.
Third place is shared by Italy’s Matteo Manassero and Argentina’s Jorge Fernandez- Valdez at 137, five behind the leader.

Just nine players are under par after two days' play over the Donald Ross-designed Biltmore course in breezy conditions, including Pedro Figueiredo, the Portuguese Amateur champion. Korea’s Han Chang Won joined the top mix with a six-birdie 66.
Argentina’s Victoria Tanco, the American Junior Golf Association’s top-ranked girl this year, posted a best-of-the day 69 to join USA’s Kristina Wong atop the girls' leaderboard.

With the course set at full championship length, some 200+ yards longer than most events in the junior girls’ calendar, this is an extreme challenge for these young women.

Tanco’s five birdies were even the more impressive, given numerous extremely testing pin positions.

US Junior Girls Champion Alexis Thompson is third, one stroke back, closely followed by Korea’s Yu-Ri Kim.
Hodgson (pictured above by Tom Ward Photography) - whose rarely-used given name is Eamonn - has had a stellar year, winning the final of the Daily Telegraph Junior Golf Championships in Dubai plus three other top British junior events, including The Duke of York Young Champions' Trophy over the Dundonald Links in Ayrshire.

“I was striking the ball solid, particularly my irons and that’s always a good sign for me,” 18-year old Hodgson said. “I hit a lot of greens, set up a lot of birdie chances in the 15-18 foot range and holed some difficult putts.”
Closing with his only bogey of the round Hodgson admitted he was delighted to discover he held the lead and is unfazed by potential pressure: “This is the biggest junior event of its kind and it would be a great honour to win it,” he said, “but there’s still a long way to go. I’ve won tournaments from all sorts of positions, including leading all the way, so I’m not concerned. I just have to keep playing solid golf.”
For full results go to http://www.jrorangebowl.com/

GIRLS' SECOND-ROUND LEADERS

Par 140 (2 x 70) 6,089yd
141 Victoria Tanco (Argentina) 72 69, Kristina Wong (Vestal, New York) 69 72.

142 Alexis Thompson (Coral Springs, Florida) 71 71.

143 Yu-Ri Kim (South Korea) 70 73.

144 Emilie Alonso (France) 74 70, Stephanie Kim (Orlando, Florida) 73 71.

145 Jazmin Reina (Argentina) 74 71.

146 Diana Fernandez (Paraguay) 74 72, Victoria Kiser (Champions Gate, Florida) 72 74, Jessica Korda (US) 76 70, Alexandra Stewart (Peoria, Arizona) 71 75.

BOYS' LEADERBOARD

Par 140 (2 x 70). 6,699yd

133 Stiggy Hodgson (England) 67 66.

135 Mathias Schjoelberg (Norway) 67 68.

137 Jorge Fernandez Valdes (Argentina) 71 66, Matteo Manassero (Italy) 69 68.

138 Han Chang Won (South Korea) 72 66, Stephan Wolters (Germany) 70 68.

139 Pedro Figueiredo (Portugal) 70 69, Jake Shepherd (England) 70 69, Romain Wattel (France) 72 67.

140 Emiliano Grillo (Argentina) 72 68, Patrick Rodgers (Avon, Indiana) 72 68, Cyril Suk (Czech Republic) 70 70.

141 Jose Maria Joia (Portugal) 71 70, Robin Kokocinski (Sweden) 73 68, Carlos Ortiz (Mexico) 74 67, Richard Werenski (South Hadley, Maryland) 72 69.

Selected score:

156 Garth McGee (Ireland) 77 79.

Carly and Stephanie in top 12

after Day 1 of Arizona Silver Belle

Curtis Cup teenager Carly Booth shot a one-over-par 73 in the first round of the Arizona Silver Belle golf tournament over the Arizona State University's Karsten course at Tempe today.
Carly, 16, on holiday from Glenalmond School, Perthshire, had birdies at the first, fifth and seventh holes in an outward, one-under-par 34. But the supply of sub-par figures dried up on the inward half when she added bogeys at the long 14th and short 16th to her outward shots dropped at the sixth and eighth.

At the end of the day, Carly was a creditable joint 12th in the field of 60 or so girls/young women aged between 13 and 23 years for this prestige tournament over 54 holes..

Americans Kristen Park and Cheyenne Woods shared the lead at three-under-par 69.

South Carolina-based former Irish girls champion Stephanie Meadow, did even better than Carly despite bogeying the first two holes. She starts the second round in a tie for seventh place after matching the par of 72.

A birdie at the eighth gave Stephanie, a pupil at the International Junior Golf Academy at Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, the confidence to cover the inward half in one-under-par 36. She birdied the three long par-5 holes - the 10th, 14th and 17th - but dropped shots at the 11th and also the 18th when she looked set to return a sub-par score.

LEADING FIRST ROUND SCORES

Par 72

69 Kristen Park (Buena Park, California) 36-33, Cheyenne Woods (Phoenix, Arizona) 32-37.

70 Jane Chin (Mission Viejo, California) 33-37.

71 Karina Hegge (Seattle, Washington) 34-37, Anna Jang (Aiea, Hawaii) 33-38, Victoriasung Park (Irvine, California) 35-36.

72 Cheyenne Hickie (Gilbert, Arizona) 36-37, Jennifer Johnson (La Quinta, California) 33-39, Lee Lopez (Whittier, California) 35-37, Stephanie Meadow (Hilton Head Island, South Carolina) 36-36, Erica Moston (San Jose, California)34-38.

73 Carly Booth (Comrie, Perthshire) 34-39, Ani Gulugian (Irvine, California) 35-38, Kimberley Kim (Queen Creek, Arizona) 36-37, Stacy Kim (Yorba Linda, California) 36-37, Rachel Morris (Carlsbad, California) 32-41, Georgiana Salant (Encinitas (California) 36-37, Stephanie Sherlock (Barrie, Ohio) 33-40, Lindsey Weaver (Scottsdale, Arizona) 35-38.

Sunningdale teenager chasing another big win

Stiggy goes two ahead with a 66
in Junior Orange Bowl

LATER NEWS FROM THE JUNIOR ORANGE BOWL
(Scroll down for first-round scores and report)
Sunningdale's Stiggy Hodgson broke clear of the Junior Orange Bowl's boys' championship field with a second-round of 66 (four under par) for a halfway tally of seven-under-par 133 over the Donald-Ross designed Biltmore course at Coral Gables, Florida today.
Hodgson, seeking to add yet another big win to his outstanding 2008 CV, leads by two shots from Mathias Schjoelberg (Norway) who added a 68 to his opening 67.
Jake Shepherd from Surrey, the second English 18-year-old in the field, slipped down to joint seventh, even though he improved a stroke with a 69 for 139.
Garth McPhee from Ireland is tied for 52nd place on 156 after a 79 today.
Victoria Tanco (Argentina) shares the girls' championship lead on 141 with Kristina Wong (United States). Tanco has shot 72 and 69, Wong 69 and 72.
Alexis Thompson (US) , the pre-tournament favourite, is in third place on 142.

LEADING HALFWAY TOTALS
BOYS
Par 140 (2 x 70)
133 Stiggy Hodgson (England) 67 66.
135 Mathias Schjoelberg (Norway) 67 68.
137 Jorge Fernandez Vakies (Argentina) 71 66, Matteo Manassero (Italy) 68 68.
138 Han Chang Won South Korea) 72 66, Stephan Wotters (Germany) 70 68.
139 Jake Shepherd (England) 70 68, Romain Wattel (France) 72 67.
Selected score:
156 Garth McGee (Ireland) 77 79 (joint 52nd).
GIRLS
Par 140 (2 x 70)
141 Victoria Tanco (Argentina) 72 69, Kristina Wong (US) 69 72.
142 Alexis Thompson (US) 71 71.
143 Yu-Ri Kim (South Korea) 70 73.
144 Stephanie Kim (US) 73 71, Emilie Alonso (France) 74 70.

+ We'll have a full report from David Mackintosh on this site on Monday morning.
In the meantime, if you want to read all the second-round totals, cut and paste the following
on to your PC.
http://www.golfstatresults.com/public/leaderboards/player/static/player1412.html

Junior Orange Bowl International Tournament: Day 1

Kristina, Stiggy and Mathias
tame wind to head Florida field on opening day

PRESS RELEASE FROM CORAL GABLES, FLORIDA
By DAVID MACKINTOSH
The 45th edition of the Junior Orange Bowl International got off to a blustery start in a strong sea breeze that made par a challenge.
In the Girls' Section, played at 6,089 yards to par 70, New York State’s Kristina Wong edged one stroke ahead of Korea’s Yu-Ri Kim with 69, a solidly-crafted round of two birdies and one bogey.
Local favourite Alexis Thompson, the 13-year-old US Girls Junior champion, finished two shots off the pace after opening the round with back-to-back birdies. Thompson then lost her way in the wind, carding five bogeys before responding with a two fine birdies to close the day.
Argentina’s Victoria Tanco, 14, and Victoria Kiser, 16, tied for a share of fifth place with 72s. Tanco edged out Thompson for top-place in this year’s American Junior Golf Association rankings and Kiser passed two stages of the LPGA 2008 Qualifying School before being advised she could not compete in the final leg due to her age.
The international contingent led the Boys' Section, with England’s Stiggy Hodgson, pictured above, and Norway’s Mathias Schjoelberg in the lead with exceptional three-under par 67s. Italy’s Matteo Manassero was the only other player to break par over the 6,699yd layout.
The heavily –sloped greens on this classic Donald Ross lay-out proved challenging and three-putts became commonplace. Hodgson found his putting stroke early with six birdies while Schjoelberg had an unusual round - he was four-under par after three holes, opening with an eagle. But he took a double-bogey at the seventh then spend the rest of the round in survival mode.
Five players are tied on even-par 70, including 17-year old Pedro Figueiredo, Portugal’s national amateur champion.
LEADING FIRST-ROUND SCORES
GIRLS
Par 70
1 Kristina Wong Vestal, New York 69.
2 Yu-Ri Kim Korea 70.
T3 Alexandra Stewart Peoria, Arizona 71.
T3 Alexis Thompson Coral Springs, Florida 71.
T5 Victoria Kiser Champions Gate, Florida 72.
T5 Victoria Tanco Argentina 72.
T7 Stephanie Kim Orlando, Florida 73.
T7 Rebecca Lee-Bentham Canada 73.
T9 Emilie Alonso France 74.
T9 Diana Fernandez Paraguay 74.
T9 Ginger Howard Bradenton, Florida 74.
T9 Marieke Nivard Netherlands 74.
T9 Jazmin Reina Argentina 74.
Selected scores:
T14 Valeria Tandrini (Italy) 75.
T17 Daniela Lendl (Bradenton, Florida) 77.
T17 Anais Maggetti (Switzerland) 77.
T17 Eygin Oskarsdottir (Iceland) 77.
T20 Giulia Molinaro (Italy) 78.
T20 Carolin Pinegger (Austria) 78.
T20 Krista Puisite (Latvia) 78.
T27 Laura Gonzalez Escallon (Belgium) 80.
T29 Ana Melo (Portugal) 81.
T29 Martyna Mierzwa (Poland) 81.
BOYS
Par 70
T1 Stiggy Hodgson, Sunningdale, England 67.
T1 Mathias Schjoelberg Norway 67.
3 Matteo Manassero Italy 69.
T4 Bo Andrews Raleigh, North Carolina 70.
T4 Pedro Figueiredo Portugal 70.
T4 Jake Shepherd England 70.
T4 Daniel Snoey Poland 70.
T4 Cyril Suk Czech Republic 70.
T4 Stephan Wolters Germany 70.
T10 Stefan Andersen Kenya 71.
T10 Rafael Becker Brazil 71.
T10 Jorge Fernandez Valdes Argentina 71.
T10 Stanislas Gautier France 71.
T10 Jose Maria Joia Portugal 71.
T10 Matthew Mabrey Little Rock, Arizona 71.
T10 Ernesto Marin Miami, Florida 71.
T10 David Persons El Paso, Texas 71.
T10 Sean Thornberry United Arab Emirates 71.
Selected European scores:
T19 Romain Wattel (France) 72.
T26 Tim Gornik (Slovenia).
T26 Robin Kokocinski (Sweden).
T26 Peter Sterner (Swede).
T38 Daniel Kovari (Hungary) 75.
T38 Kasper Sorensen (Denmark) 75.
T38 Christiano Terragni (Italy) 75.
T44 Joachim Hansen (Denmark) 76.
T47 Florian Tomko (Slovakia) 78.
T46 Edouard Amacher (Switzerland) 78.
T58 Thomas Pieters (Belgium) 80.
T47 Garth McGee (Ireland) 77.