Bronte Law from Bramhall wins title on Costa del Sol

Lesley Atkins finishes third in

Andalucia Under-16 girls' event

Lesley Atkins (Minto), winner of the Scottish Under-14 girls' title last year, finished third behind eight-stroke winner Bronte Law (Bramhall) and English schoolgirls champion Jamie-Leigh Voss (Kirby Muxloe) in the Under-16 girls' section of the Andalucia Junior European Open championship on the Costa del Sol, Spain.
In sometimes very warm and also quite windy conditions over two very good links-style courses - Finca Cortesin and Alcaidesa Links - Bronte had rounds of 77, 74 and 74 for a total of 225. She is a member at Bramhall Golf Club, Stockport in Cheshire.
The 15-year-old , who was introduced to golf by her dad at the age of four, won by eight shots from Jamie-Leigh on 233. Lesley's total was 240. Lesley Atkins is pictured on the left.
Sorry we don't have the individual rounds, except in relation to Bronte Law who by the way wants to go to an American university when she is old enough and study for a sports science degree.
GIRLS' FINAL PLACINGS
225 Bronte Law (Bramhall) 77 74 74.
233 Jamie-Leigh Voss (Kirby Muxloe).
240 Lesley Atkins (Minto).
241 Hayley Davis (Ferndown).
242 Lauren Davis (Meon Valley).
246 Tiffany Hewetson (East Brighton).
252 Daisy Wakelin (East Brighton.

BEN TAYLOR WINS BOYS' TITLE BY 12 STROKES

The Andalucian Under-16 boys' championship was won by Ben Taylor (Walton Heath), 16-year-old son of the Pachesham Par, Leatherhead professional Phil Taylor.

Sixteen-year-old Ben's ambition is to play in the Ryder Cup - remember the name!

BOYS' FINAL PLACINGS

218 Ben Taylor (Walton Heath).

230 Harry Whittle (Woburn).

232 Craig Cameron (Wentworth).

233 Harry Mitchell (Ferndown).

235 Adam Woodhead (Stoke by Nayland).

236 Gareth Johnson (Howley Hall).

237 Greg Eason (Kirby Muxloe).

238 Dean Newbold (Frilford Heath).

240 Joe Richardson (Frilford Heath), Joe Sullivan (Stock Brock Manor).

245 Kishan Patel (Grimsdyke).

246 Danny Vallis (North Wilts).

250 Jack Orme (Drayton Park).

251 Mark Orrin (North Foreland).

Rhian seventh, Kylie

ninth as Portuguese

championship is cut

to three rounds

The 79th Portuguese women's open amateur championship has been reduced from four rounds to 54 holes following the loss of Friday's play because of flooding at the Quinta do Peru course near Lisbon.

Leading British or Irish player after Saturday's second round is Rhian Wyn Thomas (Vale of Glamorgan) whose last competitive event was the Ladies European Tour Qualifying School at La Manga.

Rhian, pictured, has scored 77 and 75 for a two-round tally of eight-over-par 152. She birdied the eighth today but dropped shots at the fourth, 10th, 17th and 18th. The late, back-to-back bogeys were costly because they dropped her down from sixth place.

Kylie Walker (Buchanan Castle), the only Scot in the field and another player who has gone to Portugal from failure to win LET status at the Q School, dropped down to a share of ninth place with scores of 76 and 77.

St Rule Trophy winner Kylie has had only one birdie in 36 holes - at the 12th today. She dropped shots at the second, third, fifth, ninth, 11th and 13th in halves of 40 and 37.

In this championship last year, won by Spain's Carlota Ciganda, who enrolled at Arizona State University earlier this month, Kylie finished seventh. To equal or better than performance will be the red-head's target in Sunday's third and final round.

French players are occupying first and second places ahead of the demoted first-round leader, Lara Katzy (Germany).

Lucie Andre is now in the pole position on level par 144 with a pair of 72s. She leads by two from compatriot Rosanna Crepiat.

SECOND-ROUND LEADERBOARD

Par 144 (2 x 72)

144 Lucie Andre (Fra) 72 72 (36-36).

146 Rosanne Crepiat (Fra) 74 72 (38-34).

147 Lara Katzy (Ger) 71 76 (41-34).

149 Marion Duvernay (Fra) 78 71 (38-33), Irene Diaz-Negete (Spa) 74 75 (38-37).

150 Anna Arese (Spa) 76 74 (36-39).

152 Rocio Sanchez (Spa) 78 74 (38-36), Rhian Wyn Thomas (Wal) 77 75 (36-39) (jt 7th).

153 Kylie Walker (Sco) 76 77 (40-37), Mariona Ricordeau (Fra) 76 77, Cristina Turegano Mate (Spa) 76 77.

154 Adriana Zwanck (Spa) 78 76, Jane Niebralla (Ger) 78 76, Laura Stempfl (Ger) 77 77, Mandy Goyos (Spa) 77 77.

Selected scores:

156 Katherine O'Connor (Wal) 80 76 (jt 17th).

159 Hannah Jenkins (Wal) 83 76 (jt 23rd).

160 Tara Davies (Wal) 80 80, Niamh Kitching (Ire) 80 80 (jt 31st).

MISSED THE CUT (162 or better qualified for final round)

163 Amy Boulden (Wal) 87 76 (jt 43rd).

165 Rachel Drummond (Eng) 82 83 (48th).

167 Anna McCormack (Ire) 84 83 (jt 49th).

169 Victoria Bradshaw (Ire) 85 84 (jt 55th).

174 Sara Crowe (Ire) 90 84 (jt 63rd).

179 Aoife Lowry (Ire) 99 82 (69th 0f 70).

TEEforeTWO Links Golfers Looking

for Friendship on the Fairways

A brand new golf networking website, www.teeforetwo.co.uk, officially launches today, aimed at golfers looking for friendship on the fairways.
Whilst TEEforeTWO is pitched at single male and female golfers at every level of the game, it is more of a social forum for like-minded individuals who love to play golf and share a similar lifestyle that includes meeting new people, travelling and enjoying an active life.
“With TEEforeTWO we are looking to connect golfers who quite simply would like to play more golf,” explains Janet Rampton, co-founder of TEEforeTWO with Michael Rayment.
Some individuals may be looking for a relationship on TEEforeTWO while others may simply wish to widen their circle of friends or play the occasional round with someone of a similar outlook and standard of golf at a different course.
“Golf is a lifestyle thing and, like pleasures such as food, wine and travel, it is something that, in our view, can only really be enjoyed if you have someone to share it with," continues Janet.
“So Michael and I decided to set up TEEforeTWO with the aim of creating an online club community where golfers can interact, share experiences, arrange to play and hopefully find friendship and enjoyment together.”
TEEforeTWO is unique in that the common interest of all its members is golf. Its establishment joins a trend towards niche networking websites that eradicate the need for individuals to spend hours and hours trawling through profile after profile to find someone with similar interests.
“So many of the social networking websites in existence are far too generalised so it seemed to make absolute sense to cut out all the peripheral interests that people list and focus on the one common thing that they enjoy most - golf,” concludes Janet.
Janet and Michael were both single when they met playing golf, making them the perfect advert for their new web venture.
"Janet and I met each other playing golf and really enjoyed each other's company. Immediately the ice was broken, it was very easy to move on and we found we had many other interests in common,” comments Michael.
“It seemed such a simple idea to try to create a forum whereby golfers can look for new partners and straight away they have something in common... the love of golf. It is also a great, and safe, environment to meet new people."
Although it is only in its infancy, TEEforeTWO has already attracted hundreds of registrations from all regions of the UK and Ireland. Golfers of all handicaps and ages (ranging from 23 to 71 years old) have joined, with the ratio of male to female currently standing at 3:2.
Membership of TEEforeTWO is free of charge – there is a simple registration process involved – and allows users to view other members’ profiles, as well as the general member benefits. However, those wishing to interact with other individuals will need to upgrade their membership and pay a subscription fee, which costs from as little as £6 per month.
Members can link up with other users in their area, as well as those further afield if they have spare time during a business trip or would like to meet new friends on holiday or on a weekend away. To ensure a good match, members are encouraged to upload their profiles (including their golf handicap), post comments on the online Members’ Notice Board, search for events taking place nearby and make use of related websites to which there are links.
TEEforeTWO members are also encouraged to take advantage of member benefits (offered by site partners in sectors such as insurance, wine and golf holidays) and sign up for golf days around the UK run by TEEforeTWO and its partners.
To join and find out more about TEEforeTWO, click on www.teeforetwo.co.uk

Gwladys Nocera third with one


round to go in NZ Open

FROM THE TOURNAMENT WEBSITE
Let the battle resume was the catch-cry today from the two in-form Australian professionals at the inaugural $150,000 New Zealand Women’s Open golf tournament at the Clearwater course in Christchurch.
Sarah Oh, from New South Wales, and Katherine Hull, from Queensland, went head-to-head in the final round of the New South Wales Open last Sunday with Oh’s superior touch on the greens taking her to a three-shot victory. Both have shown superb putting skills at Clearwater in the first two rounds of the New Zealand event and that, coupled with their consistency and accuracy from tee to green, has set up a replay of a week ago.
And to add to the familiarity theme, Gwladys Nocera, pictured above, the accomplished French woman who won the European Tour’s order of merit last year, will again join Oh and Hull in the final group tomorrow. Oh had a bogey-free five-under par 67 to finish the 36 holes on 135, nine-under par, with Hull three shots back on six-under 138 after bogeys at 17 and 18 resulted in her carding a one-over 73 and losing valuable ground.
A shot behind Hull is Nocera, who had four birdies in her 68 and no bogeys, and a further stroke back was young Korean professional Bobea Park, who had six birdies in her 67, the equal best round of the day, and Australian Sarah Kemp, who had four birdies along with an eagle at the par-5 fifth.
The leading New Zealander and tied for sixth on two-under par is outstanding 14-year-old Aucklander, Cecilia Cho, who backed an opening 69 with a one-over 73.
She was disappointed at dropping three shots in the last five holes including a double-bogey at the last. Although three shots behind Oh, Hull has several factors on her side. She is the 26th world-ranked player, has been a professional for seven years, and won more than $1 million alone on the United States LPGA Tour last year.
Oh, 20, whose world ranking improved more than 100 places to 339th after her New South Wales Open triumph, is in her third year as a professional and has yet to reach $A50,000 in earnings.
However, she won the Australian Ladies Professional Golf Tour’s Rookie of the Year award last year after finishing third on the order of merit and has shown remarkable self-belief for a relative greenhorn. Oh had five birdies today and has dropped just one shot in 36 holes.
ALL THE SECOND ROUND TOTALS
Par 144 (2 x 72)
Players from Australia unless stated
135 Sarah Oh 68 67.
137 Katherine Hull 65 73.
139 Gwladys Nocera (Fra) 71 68.
140 Bobea Park (SKo) 73 67, Sarah Kemp 73 67.
142 Cecilia Cho (NZ) (am) 69 73, Lee-Anne Pace (SAf) 70 72.
143 Nikki Garrett 72 71, Wendy Doolan 71 72.
144 Johanna Westerberg (Swe) 71 73, Martina Eberl (Ger) 71 73, Yeon Song Kim (SKo) 69 75.
145 Julie Tvede (Den) 73 72, Mollie Fankhauser (US) 70 75, Stacey Keating (am) 70 75.
146 Jade Schaeffer (Fra) 72 74, Lotta Wahlin (Swe) 72 74, Sarah Nicholson (NZ) 71 75, Sarah-Jane Smith 73 73, Trish Johnson (Eng0 74 71, Vicky Thomas 72 74, Zoe Brake (NZ) (am) 73 73.
147 Caroline Bon (NZ) (am) 73 74, Melanie Holmes-Smith 73 74, Nancy Harvey (Can) 70 77, Yuki Sakurai (Jap) 74 73.
148 Joanne Mills 74 74.
149 Becky Brewerton (Wal) 73 76, Dana Lacey 74 75, Lydia Hall (Wal) 73 76, Rica Tse (NZ) (am) 72 77, Sunny Park 72 77, Verity Knight 77 72.
150 Becky Morgan (Wal) 72 78, Beth Bader (US) 74 76, Clare Choi 74 76, Danielle Montgomery (Eng) 75 75, Melodie Bourdy (Fra) 72 78, Sarah King (am) 75 75.
151 Angela Tunchon 74 77, Cherie Byrnes 78 73, Dana Kim (NZ) (am) 75 76, Emma Cabrera-Bello (Spa) 80 71, Karen Lunn 69 82, Felicity Johnson (Eng) 77 74.
152 Anna Knutsson (Swe) 76 76, So Hee Kim (SKo) 76 76, Stacey Tate (NZ) 75 77.
153 Cathryn Bristow (NZ) (am) 77 76, Emily Perry (NZ) (am), Heiji Kim (SKo) 75 78, Kiran Matharu (Eng) 74 79, Laura Davies (Eng) 77 76, Whitney Hillier (am) 75 78.
154 Angela Harris 76 78, Anne-Lise Caudal (Fra) 71 83, Carmen Hajjar 81 73, Corinne Furnell 74 80, Kate Combes 76 78, Kristie Smith 78 76, Nhung Thi Tang (Vie) 78 76, Penny Smith (NZ) (am) 78 76.
155 Jane Kim 79 76, Jenny Park (SKo) 80 75, Jenny Sim (NZ) (am) 79 76, Katy Jarochowicz 76 79, Kerryn Starr (NZ) 75 80, Stephanie Na 73 82.
156 Aram Cho (SKo) 78 78, Diana D'Alessio (US) 76 80, Min Gyung Suk (SKo) 72 84, Tamara Hyett 76 80, Vikki Tutt 78 78.
MISSED THE CUT
157 Becky Walsh (NZ) 78 79, Bree Turnbull 77 80, Kirsty S Taylor (Eng) 75 82, Priscilla Duffield 81 76, Renee Fowler (NZ) 75 82.
158 Jane Lee (NZ) (am) 81 77, Larissa Eruera (NZ) 79 79, Susan Farron (NZ) 76 82, Tammy Clelland NZ) (am) 74 84.
159 Da Som Lee (NZ) 79 80, Nicole Montgomery 81 78, Polly Travica 79 80, Tania Tare (NZ) (am) 81 78, Wendy Hawkes (NZ) 78 81.
160 Elizabeth McKinnon (NZ) 79 81, Kasey Henshaw 79 81, Rosemary MacDonald 80 80.
161 Joon Young Choi (SKo) 82 79, Lisa Jean 8 80, Sharon O'Neill-Hemps 82 79.
162 Lynn Kenny (Sco) 83 79, Nicky Henderson 84 78, Rebecca Green 81 81, Marousa Polias 79 84.
163 Shelley Duncan (NZ) 81 82.
164 Chantelle Cassidy (NZ) (am) 79 85, Jody Fleming 81 83, Pam Sowden (NZ) 82 82.
166 Christina Beltran 79 86.
168 Angela Hawks (NZ) 70 89.
170 Emily Gray 86 84.
173 Caroline Malone (NZ) 173.

Lynn Kenny has nightmare 83 after long trip from Scotland

Katherine Hull has only 24

putts in leading NZ Open

with a seven-under 65

Australian Katherine Hull, an LPGA Tour player, required only 24 putts in taking the first-round lead with a seven-under-par 65 in the inaugural New Zealand Women's Open at Christchurch today.
But Lynn Kenny made the long trip all the way from Scotland ... and had a disastrous score of 83.
Ranked No 26 in the world and a winner on the LPGA circuit last year, Katherine Hull, pictured, leads by three shots from compatriot Sarah Oh.
The same pair fought out the finish to the New South Wales Open last Sunday with Oh prevailing by three shots.
Equal third on three-under 69 were the leading amateur, 14-year-old Aucklander Cecilia Cho, experienced Australian professional Karen Lunn, and young Korean professional Yeon Song Kim. Only 13 professionals and two amateurs in a field of 106 bettered the par of 72, with the early starters experiencing excellent conditions while those further down the field had to contend with a swirling wind.
France's Gwladys Nocera, the leading player on the Ladies European Tour, had a 71, the same score as compatriot Anne-Lise Caudal, Germany's Martina Eberl and Sweden's Johhanna Westerberg.
Hull was always in touch with the leaders on the easier front nine after three birdies in the first six holes, but she had her only bogey of the round when she put her approach shot to the par-4 eighth green in water.
There were no such mistakes on the back nine where most of the water comes into play, and with Hull holding the greens to ransom she had five birdies, including four consecutively from the 14th, in a back nine of 31.
"I thought the back nine was more difficult going into today's round, but obviously a hot putter helps the score," said the 27-year-old Queenslander, who was buoyed by a long-range birdie putt on the first hole.
"I holed one from the front fringe from 45 feet and then on the par-3 16th made one from close to 55 feet so that was two bombs," Hull said, adding that conditions were perfect and the greens very true.
Hull said she had corrected a few putting flaws from last week's tournament in her preparation this week and a 67 in Thursday's pro-am boosted her confidence.
"I saw the putting lines better than usual and it was just a matter of matching that with the right speed. I wouldn't say it was easy because you still have to pay attention and put the right speed on and that's what happened today."
Hull said her concentration waned when playing her approach to the eighth.
"I did get sloppy and went blank over the ball and hit it in the water. I got what I deserved. I said `you are an idiot seriously' but didn't get mad with myself."
Hull set herself the challenge of getting up-and-down for bogey and did that.
She was consistent from tee to green, hitting 10 fairways and 14 greens in regulation -- "but honestly it was down to the putting as I wasn't hitting it super close".
Oh, with birdies at the fourth, fifth, sixth, 14th and 16th holes, was two behind Hull playing the last where she had her only bogey after almost driving into the water.
FIRST ROUND SCOREBOARD
Par 72
Players from Australia unless stated
65 Katherine Hull.
68 Sarah Oh.
69 Cecilia Cho (NZ) (am), Karen Lunn, Yeon Song Kim (SKo).
70 Lee-Anne Pace (SAf), Mollie Fankhauser (US), Nancy Harvey (Can), Stacey Keating (am).
71 Martina Eberl (Ger), Anne-Lise Caudal (Fra), Gwladys Nocera (Fra), Johanna Westerberg (Swe), Sarah Nicholson (NZ), Wendy Doolan.
72 Sunny Park, Jade Schaeffer (Fra), Becky Morgan (Wal), Lotta Wahlin (Swe), Min Gyung Suk (SKo), Nikki Garrett, Vicky Thomas, Melodie Bourdy (Fra), Rica Tse (NZ) (am.
73 Becky Brewerton (Wal), Sarah-Jane Smith, Bobea Park (SKo), Carolina Bon (NZ) (am), Julie Tvede (Den), Lydia Hall (Wal), Sarah Kemp, Stephanie Na, Zoe Brake (NZ) (am), Melanie Holmes-Smith.
Selected scores:
74 Kiran Matharu (Eng) (jt 34th).
75 Danielle Montgomery (Eng) (jt 43rd).
77 Laura Davies (Eng), Felicity Johnson (Eng).
79 Liz McKinnon (NZ) 79.
83 Lynn Kenny (Sco) (103rd).

College cutbacks may see fewer coaches

coming over to Britain to recruit

The global financial crisis hung over the American college golf coaches at their annual convention in Orlando, Florida this week.
Many say they'll be asked to reduce the amount they spend on recruiting, a particular hardship for colleges that have relied on international players to help fill out their squads.
"It's been kind of in vogue to go to the British boys' and British girls' championship in recent years , but I'm guessing that won't happen this year as much," noted one coach.
"The real problem here is that the wealthy colleges will still have the money to go ahead and do it but not so well-off colleges are going to get left behind."

PLAY WASHED OUT IN PORTUGAL

Torrential rain washed out the second day's play in the Portuguese women's open amateur golf championship at Quinta do Peru Golf Club, near Lisbon. Kylie Walker (Buchanan Castle), the only Scottish player in the field of 70, was lying seventh with a score of 76 at the end of the first round.

EWGA appoints four non-executive directors

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY ENGLISH WOMEN'S GOLF ASSOCIATION
The English Women’s Golf Association is pleased to announce the appointment of four non-executive directors to its management board.
They are:

Andrew Kean, an entrepreneur and company managing director.
Chrissie Owens, a sponsorship and marketing consultant.
Sylvia Perrins, the national director of a National Skills Academy.
Bill Richards, a partner in a business law firm.

Sue Whittaker, the EWGA management board chairman, said: “We are delighted to announce these appointments. Our new non-executive directors will bring invaluable business skills and wide experience to our board and we look forward to working with them to drive forward women’s golf.”
Andrew Kean returned from a soccer scholarship in the USA to found and become managing director of FirstPoint USA, which places British athletes on sports scholarships with American universities. He is also managing director of WhatCollege.com, helping students in China, India and Japan with admission to American universities and colleges.
Additionally he is a director of a business consultancy and property development firm. He has been a finalist in the ‘Scotsman of the Year’ Award; the Royal Bank of Scotland/Prince’s Scottish Youth Business Trust Entrepreneur of the Year; and a Scottish finalist in the Shell LIVEwire Entrepreneur of the Year.
Chrissie Owens set up her independent sponsorship and marketing consultancy three years ago after a highly successful business career with Coca-Cola and Diageo. Her portfolio of clients includes Smirnoff, the Hotel Es Vive in Ibiza, Sainsbury’s and Weetabix through the marketing agency Cosine, and the high-profile global dance brand, the Cream Group.
Chrissie, who is based in Norfolk, first trained as a professional musician, playing the French horn. Arts cutbacks thwarted her ambitions but she continues to play in local orchestras. She’s also a volunteer worker at a nursing home, a keen squash player and a passionate golfer.
Sylvia Perrins is the national director of the National Skills Academy for Financial Services, an employer-led organisation which delivers world-class education and training to the industry’s workforce. She took up her position in January 2007 having previously held senior posts in education.
Most recently she was vice principal at Westminster Kingsway College of Further Education in London, responsible for business development and planning. Sylvia started her working life as a financial and business analyst. She is a non-executive director of an NHS Trust in London. She enjoys golf as part of a healthy lifestyle.
Bill Richards is a partner in the London-based business law firm, LG. For much of his career he practised as a commercial litigation lawyer before becoming LG’s managing partner in 1995. In 2002 he was elected senior partner and, when he retired from that position early last year, became the firm’s head of risk and compliance.
Bill is a school governor, a charity trustee, a non-executive director of The Solicitors’ Independent Mutual insurance Association and a community mediator, helping to resolve neighbour disputes. He enjoys sport in general and is a particularly keen golfer.
Visit the EWGA website to read biographies of the non-executive directors: www.englishwomensgolf.org
EWGA’s voting members will be asked to approve the appointments of the non-executive directors later in the year.
Lyndsey Hewison
Press & PR Officer

Rain thwarts Johanna's bid for three

wins in a row on Florida circuit

Heavy rain washed out the third and final day's play in the SunCoast Series event at Rio Pinar Country Club, Orlando yesterday.
That deprived Ascot's Johanna (Head) Mundy, who lives in Orlando, of the opportunity to making it three wins in a row on the women's professional satellite tour in Florida.
A result was declared on the opening two rounds, leaving Americans Briana Vega and Meredith Duncan joint winners on five-under-par 139.
Johanna tied for second place with rounds of 72 and 69 for 141.
The tournament website does not list the prizelist money but when it does we'll add it to this report.
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 144 (2 x 72) 6,200yd
139 Brianna Vega (Andover, Massachusetts) 68 71, Meredith Duncan (Shreveport, Louisiana) 69 70.
142 Johanna Mundy (Ascot, England) 72 69, Moira Duncan (Utica, New York State) 71 70.
143 Janell Howland (Boise, Idaho) 72 71, Misun Cho (South Korea) 72 71, Laura Bavard (Gross Isle, Michigan) 70 73.
144 Tiffany Chudy (Miramar, Florida) 75 69, Anna Green (Fort Pierce, Florida) 74 70, Nicola Hage (Coral Springs, Florida) 73 71, Taylor Leon (Dallas, Texas) 72 72, M J Hur (South Korea) 71 73, Jan Young Pak (South Korea) 70 74.
Selected score
148 Stacey Lewis (Woodlands, Texas) 70 78 (jt 19th).

Kylie joint seventh after an

opening 76 in Portugal

Scotland's only entry, Kylie Walker from Buchanan Castle ended the first day of the Portuguese women's open amateur golf championship in a respectable joint seventh place in a field of 70 players at Quinta do Peru Golf Club near Lisbon.
Kylie, who finished seventh in the event last year, had a round of four-over-par 76 - five shots behind leader Lara Katzy (Germany).
The long-hitting Scot had no birdies but strayed over par only three times with bogeys at the long ninth and short 16th and a double bogey 6 at the 18th.
Rhian Wyn Thomas from Vale of Glamorgan is the best placed of the Welsh contingent in a share of 16th place on 77. Rhian, whose last tournament was the Ladies European Tour School at La Manga, Spain had steady halves of 39 and 38 but not enough birdies.

Student Niamh Kitching from Limerick top-scored for the Irish with an 80 to be in joint 30th place overnight.

There is only one English entry, Rachel Drummond, who is lying in joint 39th place with an 82 but Spain-based Mandy Goyos, whose mother is English and her father Spanish, had a 77. Mandy is pictured above by Cal Carson Golf Agency at last year's British girls' open championship at Monifieth.
Collated scoreboard
First round
Par 72
71 Lara Katzy (Ger) 35-36.
72 Lucie Andre (Fra) 37-35.
74 Marion Bernard (Fra) 36-38, Rosanna Crepiat (Fra) 38-36, Ines Diaz-Negrete (Spa) 38-36.
75 Nicola Roessler (Ger) 36-39.
76 Kylie Walker (Sco) 37-39, Anna Kellerman (Ger) 39-37, Ana Santos Melo (Por) 39-37, Lourdes Lopez Caballo (Spa) 38-38, Anna Arrese (Spa) 38-38, Marion Ricordeau (Fra) 40-36, Cristina Mate (Spa) 37-39, Joana Yanez (Spa) 38-38, Ariane Provot (Fra) 41-35.
77 Rhian Wyn Thomas (Wal) 39-38, Irene Calvo Sanz (Spa) 41-37, Laura Stempfl (Ger) 41-36, Antonia Scherer (Ger) 40-37, Mandy Goyos (Spa) 38-39 (jt 16th).

78 Rocio Sanchez (Spa) 42-36, Marion Duvernay (Fra) 42-36, Adriana Zwanck (Spa) 41-37, Sara Vanzonhoven (Bel) 40-38, Nina Holleder (Ger) 40-38, Jana Niebralla (Ger) 39-39, Ana Fernandez Mesa (Spa) 38-40.

Selected scores:
80 Tara Davies (Wal) 37-43, Katherine O'Connor (Wal) 40-40, Niamh Kitching (Ire) 42-38 (jt 30th).
82 Rachel Drummond (Eng) 38-44 (jt 39th).
83 Hannah Jenkins (Wal) 43-40 (jt 45th).
84 Anna McCormack (Ire) 42-42 (jt 51st).
85 Victoria Bradshaw (Ire) 43-42 (jt 54th).
87 Amy Boulden (Wal) 44-43 (jt 62nd).
90 Sarah Crowe (Ire) 47-43 (65th).
97 Aoife Lowry (Ire) 49-48 (70th).

Pamela and Brian pull out of Festival

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Festival Organiser
News from the Spanish-based couple, Pamela Morgan and Brian Harrold, that they won't be coming to the Hacienda del Alamo February Festival after all.
Here is Pamela's message:
"I got acknowledgement that I got into the Spanish seniors championship which is February 11th to 13th and is in Cadiz, so it is not possible to get to Murcia in time for the Festival.
"Sorry for letting you down but I only heard from Spanish Federation this week.
"Brian is my caddie, so he won't make it either
Good luck with the Festival."
Pamela Morgan
Brian Harrold
(both La Cala members)

Good luck to Pamela and Brian at the Spanish seniors championship. I just hope the day will come when the Hacienda del Alamo February Festival gets so important a date on the golf calendar that players will pull out of the SPANISH championship to play in the Festival!
We can take late entries for any of the six events (two for Under-16 girls) at the Festival (February 12-17).
Just E-mail Colin@scottishgolfview.com if you are reading this and feeling that, yes, you would like to spend a few days golfing in the Spanish sun in the friendly Festival atmosphere at Hacienda del Alamo Golf Resort.

THE FESTIVAL TEE TIMES
Thursday, February 12
MURCIA LADIES OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP – FIRST ROUND
Two rounds of stroke-play over two days. Scratch, handicap, senior & professional aggregate prizes
FIRST TEE
11.00
Shula McCarthy (Clonmel) (19) & Michelle McCarthy (Clonmel) (8) IN BUGGY.
11.10
Lien Willems (Belgium) (pro), Mary McKenna (Donabate) (4), Margo Habets (Belgium) (7).
11.20
Ruth Carroll (La Manga) (pro), Cara Gruber (Royal Dornoch) (1), Anna Carling (Vale of Glamorgan) (3).
11.30
Patricia Morris (Donabate) (11), Caroline Harper (Belgium) (15), Sonia Graham (Royal Guernsey) (16).
11.40
Di Hudson (Royal Guernsey) (9), Fionnuala Forde (Donabate)(12), withdrawn: Pamela Morgan (La Cala) (10).
11.50
Sharon Hewer (Royal Birkdale) (5), Dana Greenslade (Wentworth) (5), Zoe Fitz-Costa (Beaconsfield) (6).
12.0
Charlie Douglass (Brocket Hall) (scr), Ellis Keenan (Sunningdale) (scr), Charlotte Dalton (Ladbrook Park) (2).
12.10
Natalia Zvezdina (Belgium) (20), Kam Cheema (Red Libbets) (20), Sandra Hendrickx (Belgium) (20).
Thursday, February 12
MURCIA UNDER-16 GIRLS’ OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP – FIRST ROUND
Two rounds of stroke play over two rounds. Scratch and Handicap aggregate prizes.
TENTH TEE
11.00
Hayley Davis (Ferndown) (1) & Hannah Turland (Tidworth) (2).
11.08
Amber Ratcliffe (Royal Cromer) (7), Eadaoin Cronin (Bantry Bay) (10).
11.16
Lucie Walker (Ormskirk) (11), Kirsten MacCallum (McDonald Ellon) (11).
11.24
Poppy Finlay (Vicars Cross) (16), Gemma McCarthy (Clonmel) (20)

Friday’s second round draws in the Murcia Ladies & Under-16 Girls’ Opens will reflect Thursday’s scores, i.e. best scratch will go out last.

Saturday, February 14

ST VALENTINE'S DAY TEAM TOURNAMENT

Hacienda del Alamo villa owners/guests usually have a St Valentine’s Day team event of their own. There is a strong likelihood that they will join up with us, one villa owner/guest to each of the threesomes below, making it a four-ball, best-ball competition.
One round stroke-play. Teams to note their best scratch score and their best net score at each hole. Prizes for best scratch and best net team totals.

SHOTGUN START (probably at 11am).
Mary McKenna (4), Patricia Morris (11) & Fionnuala Forde (12) (all Donabate).
Mary MacLaren (4), Meghan MacLaren (4) & Rebecca Gee (4) (all Wellingborough).
Lien Willems (+2), Margo Habets (7), Caroline Harper (15) (all Belgium)
Amy Boulden (Maesdu) (2), Natalia Zvezdina (Belgium) (20), Sandra Hendrickx (Belgium) (20). Amy Boulden to be confirmed.
Paul Coopey (Red Libbets) (18), Kam Cheema (Red Libbets) (20) + ONE OR TWO PLAYERS
Michelle McCarthy (Clonmel) (8), Eadaoin Cronin (Bantry Bay) (10), Gemma McCarthy (Clonmel) (20).
Charlie Douglass (Brocket Hall) (scr), Anthony Hughes (Brocket Hall) (1), Charlotte Dalton (Ladbrook Park) (2).
Lizzie Stephens (Clevedon) (6), Ben Chapman (Clevedon) (9), Charlotte Humphries (Burnham & Berrow) (17).
Ellis Keenan (Sunningdale) (scr), Cara Gruber (Royal Dornoch) (1), Campbell Thompson (Strathpeffer Spa) (16).
Sarah Smith (Newmarket) (4), Amelia Taylor (St Annes Old Links) (13), Laura Tuttle (Newmarket) (16).
Marcella Tuttle (4), Claire Tuttle (14), John Tuttle (16) (all Newmarket).

Sunday, February 15

COSTA CALIDA FOURSOMES
One round alternate shot played off half the pair’s combined handicap. Prizes for best scratch and net aggregate totals
FIRST TEE
11.00
Mary MacLaren (Wellingborough) & David MacLaren (Wellingborough) (4) and Charlotte Dalton (Brocket Hall) & Ellis Keenan (Sunningdale) (1).
11.10
Lizzie Stephens (Clevedon) & Ben Chapman (Clevedon) (7.5) and Sonia Graham (Royal Guernsey) & Di Hudson (Royal Guernsey) (12.5). Graham and Hudson to be confirmed.
11.20
Charlotte Humphries (Burnham & Berrow) & Rob Humphries (Burnham & Berrow) (11.5) and Sarah Smith (Newmarket) & Claire Tuttle (Newmarket) (9).
11.30
Amber Ratcliffe (Royal Cromer) & Ryan Ratcliffe (Royal Cromer) (6) and Holly Clyburn (Woodhall Spa) & India Clyburn (Woodhall Spa) (6).
11.40
Sharon Hewer (Royal Birkdale) & Peter Maw (Royal Birkdale) (5) and Meghan MacLaren (Wellingborough) & Rebecca Gee (Wellingborough) (4).
11.50
Amelia Taylor (St Annes Old Links) & Trevor Taylor (St Annes Old Links) (15.5) and Colette Walker (Southport & Ainsdale) & Lucie Walker (Ormskirk) (14.5).

TENTH TEE
11.00
Dana Greenslade (Wentworth) & Alan Quarterman (Wentworth) (4.5) and Cara Gruber (Royal Dornoch) & Campbell Thompson (Strathpeffer Spa) (8.5).
11.10
Ella Ofstedahl (Mill Green) & Darryl Ofstedahl (Mill Green) (11.5) and Michelle McCarthy (Clonmel) & Gemma McCarthy (Clonmel) (14).
11.20
Viv Ofstedahl (Mill Green) & Sam Ofstedahl (Mill Green) (18) and Laura Tuttle (Newmarket) & John Tuttle (Newmarket) (16)
11.30
Marcella Tuttle (Newmarket) & Amy Boulden (Maesdu) (3) (Boulden entry to be confirmed) and Hayley Davis (Ferndown) & Hannah Turland (Tidworth) (1.5).

Monday, February 16

HACIENDA DEL ALAMO LADIES OPEN – FIRST ROUND
Two rounds of stroke play over two days. Scratch, handicap & senior aggregate prizes
FIRST TEE
11.00
Lizzie Stephens (Clevedon) (6), Di Hudson (Royal Guernsey) (9).
11.08
Sonia Graham (Royal Guernsey) (16), Kam Cheema (Red Libbets) (20).
11.18
Holly Clyburn (Woodhall Spa) (+1), Ellis Keenan (Sunningdale) (scr), Charlie Douglass (Brocket Hall) (scr)
11.28
Lien Willems (Belgium) (+2), Laura Harvey (Richmond) (1), Charlotte Dalton (Ladbrook Park) (2).
11.38
Rebecca Gee (Wellingborough) (4), Sharon Hewer (Royal Birkdale) (5), Marcella Tuttle (Newmarket) (4).
11.48
Mary MacLaren (Wellingborough) (4), Sarah Smith (Newmarket) (4), Dana Greenslade (Wentworth) (5).

Monday, February 16
TENTH TEE
HACIENDA DEL ALAMO UNDER-16 GIRLS’ OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP
Two rounds of stroke-play over two days. Scratch and handicap aggregate prizes.
11.00
Laura Tuttle (Newmarket) (16), Charlotte Humphries (Burnham & Berrow) (17).
11.08
Hayley Davis (Ferndown) (1), Amy Boulden (Maesdu) (2), Hannah Turland (Tidworth) (2).
11.18
Meghan MacLaren (Wellingborough) (4), Amber Ratcliffe (Royal Cromer) (5), Lucie Walker (Ormskirk) (11).
11.28
Kirsten MacCallum (McDonald Ellon) (11), Amelia Taylor (St Annes Old Links) (13), India Clyburn (Woodhall Spa) (13).
11.38
Alice Hewison (Berkhamsted) (14), Claire Tuttle (Newmarket) (14), Ella Ofstedahl (Mill Green) (15).

Tuesday’s second-round draws will reflect Monday’s scratch scores, i.e. best out last.
Exceptions: Di Hudson & Sonia Graham have requested early tee time as they are flying home early Tuesday evening. If anyone else needs an early finish on any day, please inform Colin Farquharson

Bolger and Woodard win final event

on 2009 Orange Blossom Tour

Meghan Bolger, a member of last year's winning US Curtis Cup team at St Andrews and twice a winner of the US women's mid-amateur title, and Dawn Woodard won the final event of the Orange Blossom Women's Amateur Tour in Florida today.
Bolger, pictured right, and Woodard, the No 1 seeds, beat the third best qualifiers for the match-play stages, Diane Lang and Maggie Weder, by 3 and 2 in the 18-hole final of the 63rd International Four-ball Women's Championship at Orangebrook Golf & Country Club, Hollywood, south of Fort Lauderdale on Florida's Atlantic coastline.
Wednesday-Thursday results:
Quarter-finals
Meghan Bolger & Dawn Woodard (1) bt Judy Coker & Evelyn Blackman (8) 6 and 4.
Danna King & Madelaine Campbell (5) bt Corey Weworski & Jamie Hoffman (4) 1 hole.
Diane Lang & Maggie Weder (3) bt Boodie McGurn & Lindsay Wortham (6) 2 holes.
Mary Hanyak & Marianne Springer (2) bt Alison Reifers & Nancy Sneed (7) 1 hole.
Semi-finals
Bolger & Woodard (1) bt King & Campbell (5) 4 and 2.
Lang & Weder (3) bt Hanyak & Springer (2) 4 and 3.
Final
Bolger & Woodard (1) bt Lang & Weder (3) 3 and 2.

+Figures in brackets are the positions obtained in the qualifying rounds for the match-play stages.

Credit Crunch biting LPGA Tour and

US Seniors Tour sponsors

The Credit Crunch is beginning to bite in all sorts of quarters ... including the LPGA Tour and the American Seniors Tour.
Ginn Resorts real estate company has announced that it is terminating all its golf sponsorships with immediate effect.
That looks like final curtains for the LPGA's Ginn Open and the men's Champions' Tour event, the Ginn Championship.
future.
Ginn Resorts is also ceasing its sponsorship of LPGA Tour player Cristie Kerr, the last player wearing the company’s apparel after Annika Sorenstam’s retirement.
“This wasn’t something that was done lightly,” said Robert Gidel, Ginn Development’s president and CEO.
“We got to a point where we had to give up on hope as a strategy. We just now have to figure out what’s in the best interest of our people, and I think that’s where a lot of companies are these days.”
Ginn said late last year that it was dropping the US PGA Tour’s Ginn sur Mer Classic because of the ailing real estate market. But the LPGA event in Reunion, Fla., and the Champions Tour stop in Palm Coast, Fla., were both to be played on Ginn courses.
Last week, though, Ginn ended its real estate sales and marketing operations “due to the loss of revenue” that was the primary source of funding the purses and buying television coverage for the LPGA and Champions Tour events.
“We did the best we could, but the economy got the best of us,” Gidel said.
Losing the Ginn Open will be a major blow to the LPGA Tour. The event’s $2.5 million purse was the third-largest on that tour in 2008, behind only the US Women’s Open and the Evian Masters.
If the Ginn Open is not replaced that will mean the LPGA scheule will have only 30 events this year, with nearly $7.5 million less in prize money than last season.

Johanna on the trail of another $2,000

first prize on Florida circuit

Johanna (Head) Mundy is lying joint third after two rounds of this week's SunCoast Ladies Series event at Rio Pinar Country Club, Orlando in Florida.
Winner of the last two events on the circuit, Johannan has had rounds of 72 and 69 for 141, two shots behind the joint leaders, Brian Vega (Maryland) with 68 and 71 for 139 and Meredith Duncan on the same mark with scores of 69 and 70.
Stacey Lewis showed up for this event and did well with a first-round 70 but sagged badly on the second day with a 78 for 148.
Johanna Mundy, entered from Ascot, has won the first prize of $2,000 last week and the week before so there is decent money to be won - but this is not a cheap tour in which to play. There is a registration fee of $175 and then an entry fee per event of $450, $150 if you are an amateur.
LEADERBOARD
Par 144 (2 x 72) 6290yd.
139 Brian Vega 68 71, Meredith Duncan 69 70.
141 Moira Dunn 71 70, Johanna Mundy 72 69.
143 Janell Howland 71 71, Misun Cho (South Korea) 72 71.
Other score:
148 Stacey Lewis 70 78 (jt 17th in field of 36 players).

Kylie Walker only Scot in field

for Portuguese championship

Kylie Walker (Buchanan Castle), the only Scot in the field of 73 players, has the second lowest handicap in the 79th Portuguese international women's amateur golf championship which tees off over the Quinta do Peru course, near Lisbon tomorrow.

Kylie, pictured right by Cal Carson Golf Agency, winner of the St Rule Trophy in 2008 when she also won the SLGA Order of Merit and lost to fellow-Scot Roseanne Niven in a play-off for the British women's amateur stroke-play title, has remained an amateur after failing to gain pass marks at the recent Ladies European Tour Qualifying School at La Manga, Spain.
The 22-year-old Dunbartonshire & Argyll champion, coached by Bob Collinson, has a handicap of +3.2, bettered only by France's Marion Ricordeau with +4 in the Portuguese field
England too has only one representative - Rachel Drummond, but Wales has five: Amy Boulden, Hannah Jenkins, Katherine O'Connor, Rhian Wyn Thomas and Tara Davies, while Ireland has four: Anna McCormack, Niamh Kitching, Victoria Bradshaw and Sarah Crowe.
The championship, the first on the 2009 European women's amateur circuit, is over four rounds of stroke-play and ends on Sunday.
Last year's winner by eight shots, Spanish ace Carlota Ciganda, is now a student at Arizona State University. Scottish amateur champion Michele Thomson (McDonald Ellon), who turned pro after gaining an LET players' card, finished third while Kylie Walker came joint seventh 12 months ago in Portugal.

European Golf Association

Newsletter

2009 Ladies' European Amateur

Ranking has new system

A new European Ladies' Amateur Ranking (LEAR) will begin in 2009 and is an adaption of the proposed Women's World Amateur Golf Rankings (WWAR).

It will be administered in the same way but has a selected sub-set of events, mostly European.

The LEAR will be more comprehensive than the current Ladies' ranking system used by the European Golf Association and will be used as the basis for player points in the EGA Ladies' International Team Eclectic or "ELITE" (see below).

The EGA Championship Committee has determined that if the WWAR becomes active during the 2009 season, it will immediately replace the LEAR. However, ELITE points still still be accumulated solely by points earned in the LEAR counting events as listed.

The first counting event for the season will be the Portuguese Ladies Open Amateur (January 29 to February 1).

For more information regarding the LEAR, please see the EGA website.

European Golf Association Newsletter

EGA Ladies' International Team Eclectic
Following requests for a European Ladies’ Team League and general acknowledgement that international ladies’ open championships around Europe would benefit from further participation, the EGA Championship Committee has developed the EGA Ladies’ International Team Eclectic.
The European Ladies’ International Team Eclectic (ELITE) is the EGA Championship Committee’s proposal to boost international championship participation by motivating Europe’s lady golfers to earn ranking points. It also incorporates many of the desired outcomes of the proposed ladies’ team league, without having to schedule special events.
To summarise the conditions, the ELITE is the derivation of ranking points from a number of players from each participating country to make a running national total, i.e., an eclectic. The “league” concept is therefore introduced using ranking points and the motivation is provided for teams to enter players in international championships. A divisor is used so that countries can compete on equal footing, provided that a minimum number of players contribute a minimum number of rounds. A division two competition will be run for those teams unable to contribute the minimum requirement.
Four trials were undertaken to ascertain the best method of accumulating team points based on data collected for the World Women‘s Amateur Rankings prototype of the Ladies European Amateur Ranking (LEAR) points accumulated in 2008. The LEAR itself also makes its debut in 2009.
The annual title of ELITE Team Champions will be declared following the last event on the LEAR schedule.
The EGA strongly encourages each of its member national golf authorities to promote the participation of its ladies golfing elite and to formally recognise the best contributions made by their players. The EGA shall trial the ELITE in 2009 and, if popular, the EGA will consider commissioning a formal trophy.
A dedicated website will show the each team’s points, photos of the contributing players and all ancillary information.
Richard Heath, EGA Championship Manager

Hacienda Del Alamo's John Green

wins Senior Pro Golf Tour

Europe's Order of Merit

Hacienda Del Alamo professional golfer John Green, the man who has done most of the organising of accommodation for Hacienda del Alamo Women's Winter Festival competitors, has won the order of merit for the 2008 season on the Senior Pro Golf Tour Europe in his first year as a Pro.

The final event of the season at Alboran Golf in Almeria, Spain on December 3 was Green's third win on the over-50s tour in 2008. Rookie pro Green aged 53, turned professional in 2008 and this was also the inaugural season for the Seniors Pro Golf Tour Europe.

Hacienda Del Alamo professional and Hacienda Golf Properties Director John Green moved from Kent to Spain in April of 2006 in order to work on his golf.

"I was sold on Hacienda Del Alamo, the course, the academy and practice areas and of course the sun."

A two-handicap amateur only three years ago, Green is as astonished as most observers at his progress and commented: "I gave myself five years to try and find a game that would stand up to this level of competition and had no expectations for this season.

"I turned pro because I was advised that, in terms of survival on a pro tour, building experience was as important as the golf swing and so I concluded that the sooner I start the process of gaining experience on a tour, the better."

The Seniors Pro Golf Tour - not to be confused with the European Seniors Tour - staged six events in 2008 and Green took pole position in three of them as a well as a second and a fourth place.

The first event was at Sokolov GC in the Czech Republic in June and the second, a few days later, was only a short drive away in Stifland Golf Club in south-eas Germany.

Green performed superbly in his first two senior professional events, scoring under par in three of the six rounds.

The third win of the season came at the last event, in Almeria, Spain at the Alboran Golf Club where Green again won from Simon Parker, an Englishman based in Germany, a repeat of the standings from Germany.

In all three events that he won Green led the tournaments from the first round to the last.

Hacienda Golf Properties SL offers luxury villas and apartments for sale or rental at Hacienda Del Alamo Golf Resort in Murcia Spain http://www.hdagolfproperties.com/

Sponsorship opportunities of John Green as a golfer are still available for the 2009 season.

Hacienda Del Alamo Golf Resort is one of Spain's most prestigious new resorts located in Murcia and with one of the longest golf courses in Europe at over 7300 yards designed by renowned golf course architect Dave Thomas.

Final event on Florida's Orange Blossom Tour

Bolger, Woodard earn top

seeding for International

Four-ball Match-play

US Curtis Cup player Meghan Bolger, who plays off +1, and her +4 partner, Dawn Woodard today earned the top seeds rating in the 63rd annual Women's International Four-Ball Championship - the final event of the 2009 Orange Blossom Women's Amateur Tour - at Orangebrook Golf & Country Club, Hollywood, south of Fort Lauderdale on Florida's Atlantic coastline.
Meghan, pictured above, and Dawn had a pair of 70s for a qualifying total of 140, one shot ahead of Mary Hanyak and Marianne Springer who scored 71 and 70 whom they are now seeded to meet in Friday's final.
First-round leaders Diane Lang and Maggie Weder slipped from a Monday 69 to a Tuesday 75 and made them third best of the eight qualifying pairs for the match-play stages.
QUALIFYING SCORES
Par 144 (2 x 72)
140 Meghan Bolger (Coral Ridge CC) & Dawn Woodard (South Carolina) 70 70.
141 Mary Hanyak (PGA Golf Club) & Marianne Springer (Palm Beach Polo Club) 71 70.
144 Diane Lang (Westin CC) & Maggie Weder (North Carolina) 69 75.
147 Corey Weworski (California) & Jamie Hoffman (California) 72 75.
148 Danna King (California) & Madelaine Campbell (California) 73 75, Boodie McGurn (Virginia) & Lindsay Wortham (Virginia) 74 74, Alison Reifers (Ohio) & Nancy Sneed (Ohio) 74 74.
161 Judy Coker (Illinois) & Evelyn Blackman (Illinois) 79 82.
NON-QUALIFIERS
162 Jewell Frei (Orangebrook) & Ronnie Hall) 84 79.

Final event of Orange Blossom

Tour gets underway

The final event of the 2009 Orange Blossom Tour for amateur women/girls in Florida teed off today.
It's the 63rd women's international four-ball championship at Orangebook Golf & Country Club at Hollywood (not in California!), down the Atlantic coastline from Fort Lauderdale.
All the Scottish/English/Irish students and other English players such as Holly Clyburn and Rachel Connor have come back to this side of the Atlantic so there's a very small field.
But if it's short of quantity it is not short on quality.
US Curtis Cup player Meghan Bolger, twice US women's mid-amateur champion, who lost to Kelsey MacDonald in the semi-final of the "Jones-Doherty" last week, is in the field. She plays off +1 and her partner, Dawn Woodward, plays off an amazing +4. Why was she not in the US Curtis Cup team at St Andrews last May?
Apart from them there are three or four scratch players.
SCORES FROM THE FIRST QUALIFYING ROUND

69 Diane Lang (Westin) & Maggie Weder (Ironwood).
70 Meghan Bolger (Coral Ridge) & Dawn Woodward (Thornblade).
71 Mary Hanyak (PGA Golf Club) & Marianne Springer (Palm Beach Polo).
72 Corey Weworski (Sant Lux) & Jamie Hoffman (Sun Luis Rey Downs).
73 Danna King (Coto de Casa) & Madelaine Campbell (Mesa Verde).
74 Alison Reifers (Muirfield Village) & Nancy Sneed (Lakes), Boodie McGurn (CC of Virginia) & Lindsay Wortham (CC of Virginia).
79 Judy Coker (Pekin Link Creek) & Evelyn Blackman (Pekin Link Creek).
84 Jewell Frei (Orangebrook) & Ronnie Hall (Hillcrest).

Emily, Megan, Carly and Nicola get

Gleneagles Scholarship from P&K

FROM THE PERTH & KINROSS LADIES COUNTY GOLF ASSOCIATION
Over the last number of years Perth and Kinross Ladies County Golf Association have been very honoured in being granted the privilege of offering a Gleneagles Scholarship to four girls from the Perth and Kinross County squads. This scholarship is open to all our junior girls under 18 years of age on January 1st and provides the four girls with full use of the Golf Academy including additional coaching throughout the year, full membership to all three Gleneagles courses and of course use of the Dormy House and changing facilities. As this scholarship is such a massive privilege and a huge benefit to the girls who are lucky enough to be selected, we do not take the granting of scholarships lightly. We will only select the girls who we feel will not only benefit but take full advantage of this opportunity during the year ahead.
This year the girls who have been selected are:
Emily Aird (Strathmore)
Megan Aird (Strathmore)
Carly Booth (Comrie)
Nicola Robertson (Dunblane)
Emily Aird at the age of only 12 has reduced her handicap from 21 to 13 in a period of only 12 months. She has participated in most of the SLGA Junior Events and has had some very encouraging successes. Emily is extremely enthusiastic and a great team player.
Megan Aird at the age of 15 has a playing handicap of 10 and along with Emily has entered most of the SLGA Events. Megan is a great supporter of county Events and has played in the Ladies Events as well as the Juniors and I know she will take full advantage of her scholarship.
Carly Booth (16) with a handicap of +3 is our lowest handicap female in the county. Carly is now living at home and attending Glenalmond School, therefore this is the perfect time for Carly to take advantage of the facilities Gleneagles has to offer and I know she is very excited about the year ahead.
Nicola Robertson at the age of 13 has reduced her handicap from 26 to 16 in the space of one year. She attends most of our junior events and she works extremely hard on her golf all year round. I know Nicola will take advantage of this award and will enjoy every minute of it!We hope the girls this year will once again take advantage of the Perth and Kinross Ladies County Golf Associaiton Scholarship and will keep a close eye on their progress.

SGU-SLGA amalgamation


being "seriously discussed,"


says Hamish Grey

FROM THE EDINBURGH EVENING NEWS WEBSITE
By WILLIAM DUNCAN
An almagation between the Scottish Golf Union and the Scottish Ladies' Golfing Association will not only happen but it will be a positive step for the amateur game, it was claimed today.
Talks about a merger between the two bodies have been taking place and, though still at an early stage, the matter was the subject of a workshop prior to yesterday's SGU annual general meeting at Tulliallan."
An amalgamation in Scotland is being seriously discussed," confirmed Hamish Grey, the SGU's Chief Executive Officer, pictured by Cal Carson Golf Agency.
"We already have a working group made up of representatives of both bodies and I am hopeful that we will have some details on the matter later this year.
"The amateur game in Wales is already run by an unified body, while talks have recently resumed in England about the same thing happening there.
"We are well aware of what has been done in Wales and also what our continental counterparts have in place, while similar moves have also been made in both Australia and New Zealand," added Grey.
Speaking after he was installed as the SGU's new vice-president, Bathgate's Bert Leslie welcomed talk of a possible amalgamation."While it might not be as straightforward as some people think, it is going to happen and I'm sure everyone will benefit," said Leslie.
"The cost of renting offices would be reduced if everyone was under the one roof while other running costs would also be cut, too."
Alistair Low, the SGU's outgoing chairman, added: "The biggest hurdle in this happening is the existing structure as they are quite different in many respects.

Sally Watson comes from behind

to win tight Florida finish

Curtis Cup teenager Sally Watson, playing out of Earlsferry Ladies Golf Club, Fife, won the The Leadbetter Challenge's girls' tournament at IMG Academies Golf & Country Club's course, Sarasota Bay, Bradenton, Florida today (Sunday).
Sally, a 17-year-old resident student at the David Leadbetter Golf Academy, Bradenton, shot rounds of 72 and 71 for a one-under-par total of 143.
The Scot, who will enrol at Stanford University - Tiger Woods and Mhairi McKay's old stamping ground in California - in the autumn, has had very little competitive action since a major knee operation a few days after she played well for Great Britain & Ireland in the Curtis Cup defeat by the United States at St Andrews last May.
It was several months before she could even play golf again and this win will give her self-confidence a terrific boost.
Sally won in the end by one shot from the talented Israeli player, Laetitia Beck, who is also a student at a golf academy in Florida, and Irene Jung (Nova Scotia, Canada), but it was mighty close over the final round.
The first-round pace had been set by Irene Jung and Susana Benavides (Bolivia) on the two-under-par 70 mark but Irene slipped to a second-round 74 and Susana to a 76.
Laetitia Beck took up the running with a five-under-par run over the first 11 holes of the second round, birdieing the first, second, sixth, 10th and 11th.
Out in 33 to Watson and Jung's 37 apiece, Beck dropped a shot at the 12th but birdied the 13th to have a clear lead until she bogeyed the 15th and double-bogeyed the 16th.
Beck birdied the last for a 69 and 144 but it was too late to catch Watson who had birdied the third, seventh, 10th and 13th and bogeyed the second, fifth and ninth in halves. The Scot's two-under-par inward half of 34 was decisive in the final analysis.

LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 144 (2 x 72)
143 Sally Watson (Earlsferry) 72 71.
144 Laetitia Beck (Israel) 75 69, Irene Jung (Canada) 70 74.
146 Deborah Marie de Villa (Philippines) 74 72, Susana Benavides (Bolivia) 70 76.
151 Shannon Pak (Louisiana) 76 75.
152 Alexa Rancourt (Maine) 78 75, Maribel Lopez Porras (Colombia) 76 76, Hally Leadbetter (Florida) 80 76.

Catriona Matthew wins $100,000 first

prize in Rio de Janeiro

North Berwick's Catriona Matthew carded a final-round 3-under-par 69 to earn a five-stroke victory at the inaugural HSBC LPGA Brasil Cup 2009 at Itanhanga Golf Club in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil today.
With the victory, Matthew took home the $100,000 first-place cheque and her first-ever unofficial win on the LPGA Tour. The 39-year-old has two official victories on the LPGA Tour at the 2001 Cup Noodles Hawaiian Ladies Open and most recently at the 2004 Wendy’s Championship for Children.
“This comes as a bit of a surprise having not played in a month,” said Matthew, who is expecting her second child in May.
“Being pregnant, I didn’t know what to expect, but I’m delighted.”
Matthew birdied the first hole for the second consecutive day, but dropped the shot with a bogey on the second hole. She carded back-to-back birdies on holes five and six and a fourth birdie on hole 14 to finish her scoring for the week. Matthew, who expects to play only one more tournament this season, finished with a six-under-par total of 138at 6-under-par which gave her a runaway five-shot winning margin over American Kristy McPherson (71-72=143).
Last year, the Scot had three top-10 finishes including a tie for second at the Sybase Classic Presented by ShopRite.
“Really, it wasn’t until the last three holes, after 16, where I felt I had it won,” Matthew said. “We all enjoyed playing here in Brazil.”
McPherson was the only other player under par for the two-day, 36-hole tournament. The South Carolinian finished at even-par 72 for the day following four birdies and four bogies.
“I’m pleased,” McPherson said. “Catriona played great. I hit the ball great yesterday and not so great today. I was still rusty, but this was an opportunity to play against some top girls.”
The inaugural HSBC LPGA Brasil Cup 2009 featured an unofficial money purse of $500,000 and a 15-player field. The event was the LPGA Tour’s first-ever tournament in Brazil.
Brazil native Angela Park carded a 3-over-par 75 today to finish third.
Playing in front of the weekend’s largest galleries, Park put herself out of contention on Sunday with a double bogey, bogey, bogey finish, but still managed to claim the $40,000 third-place check.
England's Karen Stupples tied for 12th place on 153 (780-75) and earned $15,500.
CATRIONA'S ROUND 2 STATISTICS
Three-under-par 69
Hole 1, 279-yard, par-4: birdie – sand wedge to 4 feet.
Hole 2, 419-yard, par-4: bogey – pulled second shot into bunker, missed 20-foot par putt.
Hole 5, 461-yard, par-5: birdie – sand wedge to 6 feet.
Hole 6, 168-yard, par-3: birdie – 5-iron to 25 feet.
Hole 14, 330-yard, par-4: birdie – 9-iron to 15 feet
INTERVIEW
MIKE SCANLAN: Catriona, congratulations on winning the HSBC LPGA Brasil Cup 2009. If you would, tell us about your weekend and how good to feels to be in the winner’s circle.
CATRIONA: This comes as a bit of a surprise having not played in a month. Being pregnant, I didn’t know what to expect, but I’m delighted.
Q. Talk about being able to play while you’re pregnant.
CATRIONA: That’s the beauty of it. People can play golf from five-year-olds to 90-year-olds. So golf is one of the few sports where anyone can play.
Q. Golf is not well-known in Brazil. Do you believe events like this will help to grow golf?CATRIONA. Yes, I think it’s great. We all enjoyed playing here in Brazil. You’ve got some good crowds out here. A lot of people came out to watch. The more it’s on television and the more it’s up there, the bigger the sport can get. This is a great golf course and you have some great courses. Obviously with Angela (Park) and Candy (Hannemann) doing well, that will help the sport.
Q. On the seventh hole, Angela came within one shot of you. Do you think that was the turning point?
CATRIONA: I think on eight when she two-putted, although I missed my birdie putt, I thought she would birdie to get level. Really, it wasn’t until the last three holes, after 16, where I felt I had it won. You never know on this course, you can have some bogeys. But yes, by 17 I knew I had it won.
Q. Do you know if it’s a boy or a girl?
CATRIONA MATTHEW: A girl.
Q. How important was your local caddie? And how were the spectators?
CATRIONA: I thought the spectators were great. They looked as though they knew golf. They were very respectful and nice and clapped at my shots. My caddie plays here all the time. He helped me on the greens. They were quite grainy. I would have missed a few putts if he hadn’t been there. He was a great help.
FINAL TOTALS
Par 144 (2 x 72)
138 Catriona Matthew (Scotland) 69 69 ($100,00).
143 Kristy McPherson (US) 71 72 ($75,000).
147 Angela Park (Brazil) 72 75 ($40,000).
148 Laura Diaz (US) 75 73 ($35,000).
149 Allison Fouoch (US) 74 75, Jimin Kang (South Korea) 76 73 ($31,250 each).
150 Carin Koch (Sweden) 75 75, Louise Friberg (Sweden) 78 72 ($26,250 each).
152 Candy Hanneman (Brazil) 74 78, Kristina Kim (US) 75 77, Leta Lindley (US) 81 71 ($20,000 each).
153 Eun-Hee Ji (South Korea) 75 78, Karen Stupples (England) 78 75 ($15,500 each).
155 Jill McGill (US) 75 80 ($14,000), Patricia Carvalho (Brazil) (amateur) 79 76.

Midlothian Centenary starts with a bang

Midlothian County Past Champions
Back row L to R: Marion Quigley, Ethel Jack, Joan Marshall,
Fiona Verth, Elaine Bruce, Sheila Little and Fiona deVries
Front Row L to R: Claire Hargan, Belinda Murphy,
Claire Provan, Karen Marshall amd Fiona Hunter
Mary Norval and Margaret Allen, who were both at the lunch, managed to escape the photograph!
[Double click on the image to see a larger version in its own window.]

Edinburgh didn't know what hit it yesterday, when 177 Midlothian members and guests descended on the Roxburghe Hotel for a luncheon to celebrate the centenary of the County Association.

Many people got there early so as not to miss any of the fun, and they were not disappointed. County Captain Tracy Laughland welcomed guests from the neighbouring counties, East Lothian, Fife and Stirling and Clackmannan, as well as MCLGA sponsors, Jill Dumayne from The Ladies Golf Centre and Ian Young from the Braid Hills Driving Range. The guest list also included representatives of the Scottish Universities Golfing Society, against whom Midlothian have played in an annual match since 1930.

Before lunch Centenary Chairman, Gillian Kirkwood, set the scene with a description of the start of the Midlothian County club, Past President, Sue Caton said Grace and the assembled company tucked in to a delicious meal.

During the meal a prize draw for a round with friends at Archerfield, donated by Ian Young, was won by Past Captain, Elizabeth Rose, who had journeyed from her home near Aboyne to be present.

The speeches after lunch were not short of sensational.

The toast to the Game of Golf was given by Helen Faulds, a Past Captain and Past President of Dunbartonshire and Argyll County LGA. Her humourous and witty speech was interupted by a fire alarm, which only added to the occasion as doors to George Street were opened and 177 lightly dressed people trooped out onto the street on a bitterly cold Edinburgh afternoon. Spirits were high and everyone remained cheerful... it gave some another chance to have a chin-wag with long-lost friends. After about 15 minutes the all-clear was given and the company resumed their seats... Helen carried on as if nothing had happened and, at its conclusion, her scintillating speech received a standing ovation.

Janet Wake, Executive Director of the SLGA, and a past Captain of Midlothian, had a hard act to follow. Her well thought out reply, with her theme of Burns at its centre, was appreciated by the audience.

Nigel Watt, Past Captain of the Scottish Univerities Golfing Society toasted the Midlothian County Ladies Golf Association, and regaled the company with some of the history of the annual fixture between MCLGA and SUGS, in particlar mentioning some of the personalities who played and some of the funny stories from the match that he remembered.

Margaret Rodgers, President of MCLGA, replied and also added some of her own reminiscences to the occasion. Camaraderie and friendship were the themes that ran through all the speeches, and the audience certainly appreciated the efforts of all the speakers.

Who would be more appropriate to have the last word than Ethel Jack, current President of the SLGA, and a Past Champion, Captain and President of Midlothian? True to form, and in her own inimitable way, Ethel gave a Vote of Thanks that was truly memorable. The County Secretary, Agnes Leslie and Past Captain, Margaret McPherson, were particularly mentioned as instrumental to the success of the event.

The event eventually finished at the Roxburghe at 4:30 pm.

Reports of an invasion of middle-aged women to Tiger Lilys with Baberton and Kingsknowe competing to see who would be the last to leave in the small hours, have not been exaggerated. [I've been told to point out that not every-one was middle-aged.... there were some younger members there]

The unedited images from my camera can be viewed on my Picasa site
Images of the after lunch party at Tiger Lilys can be found on Karen Ballantyne's Picasa site

Midlothian Past Presidents
L to R: Ethel Jack, Sue Caton, Margaret Rodgers (current President), Sheena Crearie, Joan Marshall

Midlothian Past Captains
Back Row L to R: Helen Shah, Barbara Cooper, Ethel Jack, Sue Caton, Margaret Rodgers,
Anne Brownie, Joan Marshall, Fiona Verth, and Elizabeth Rose.
Front Row L to R: Ellice Cackett, Gillian Kirkwood, Karen Ballantyne,
Tracy Laughland (current Captain), Margaret McPherson and Janet Wake.