Final Practice for New Girls

Thursday saw the final practice day for the 13 junior girls from our Talent ID day on 15th May. The girls had monthly sessions ranging from short game to driving and also had a session playing the course at Playsport with coach Lesley Mackay which was most enjoyable. To date 6 of these girls have now achieved a CONGU handicap and will be invited to join our older girls for Winter Training.

Two members of the Lanarkshire Kennedy Salver Team, Ellie Bryce and Alison Reid gave the girls a short talk on their achievements and how coaching has helped their game.

Our photograph shows the girls with Coach Lesley Mackay and the Kennedy Salver Trophy :

Back Row Left to right : Claire Birch,Lucy Gardner, Alison Reid,Lesley Mackay PGA Pro at Playsport, Ellie Bryce, Elissa Hendry and Rebecca Kean.

Front Row Left to Right : Alison Findlay, Katie Prentice, Victoria Shaw, Lauren Davidson, Nicola Bell and Beth Rose

Missing from photo :Chloe Bell, Emily Doris and Justine Fulton

     Nicola Bell's Putting Group

Report and photographs by Margaret Reid

Angus win County Finals for first time

On the final day of the County Finals at Montrose Angus beat Midlothian 6 1/2-2 1/2 to win the Scottish County Finals for the first time. The morning foursomes were halved but Angus won the afternoon singles 5-1.

Renfrewshire beat Dumfriesshire 6-3 to finish in third place behind runners up Midlothian.

Angus and Midlothian again winners at County Finals

On the second day of the County Finals at Montrose GC Angus defeated Dumfriesshire 6 1/2- 2 1/2 and Midlothian defeated Renfrewshire 6-3.

Tomorrow's match between  Angus and Midlothian will decide the winner. Renfrewshire  will play Dumfriesshire.

Angus and Midlothian are winners on first day of County Finals

On the first day of the County Finals at Montrose GC, Angus defeated Renfrewshire 5-4 due to winning the morning foursomes 2-1. The afternoon singles were halved 3-3.
Midlothian defeated Dumfriesshire 7 1/2- 1 1/2.
Tomorrow Angus play Dumfriesshire and Midlothian play Renfrewshire.

Draw for Winter Foursomes

To view the draw for the Winter Foursomes please click on the link below. The draw will be updated as games are played and can be viewed by clicking on the link near the top of the sidebar. Please start arranging your ties as early as possible in the hope that we will have some dry weather before the rain turns to snow.

All challenges must be made no later than 10 days from today.

Winter Foursomes Draw 2012

May Hughes is Scottish Vets Champion

Congratulations to May Hughes who won the Scottish Vets Championship at Blairgowrie today.

Semi Finals:

Ruth Brown (East) beat Liz Campbell (Borders) 1 up

May Hughes beat Anne Ryan (Highlands) 2 &1

Final:

May Hughes (West) beat Ruth Brown (East) 2&1

Very well done. This is May's third Championship win of the year having also won Lanarkshire and the West Vets.

We now wish her every success in the Senior Home Internationals at Elie & Earlsferry from 2-4 October.

May Hughes wins Quarter Final tie in Scottish Vets Championship

West Vets Champion May Hughes won over the Lansdowne Course at Blairgowrie this afternoon against Jean Brysden (Galloway) and plays Anne Ryan (Highlands) in tomorrow's semi final. The other semi final is between Ruth Brown (East) and Liz Campbell (Borders).

1st Round Results:

Kathleen Webster (Midlands) lost to Liz Campbell (Borders) 1 down
Ruth Brown (East) w/o Jill Harrison (North)
May Hughes (West) beat Jean Brysden (Galloway) 3&2
Anne Ryan (Highlands) beat Nancy Clanahan (Dumfries) 7&6

Junior girls defeat Ayrshire Girls in Friendly Match

Abbi Kidd putting from off the green at par 3 8th hole

Lanarkshire Junior Girls defeated Ayrshire Junior Girls at Bothwell Castle G.C. today by 4 games to 1. The match was very evenly fought with many games going to the final hole in very trying conditions.

 Kirsten Brown and Heather Neilson defeated Rachel Irvine 1 Up, Alexandra Duffy lost to Lauren Gilbert 2 & 1, Erin Johnston won 1 Up against Louise Duncan, Abbi Kidd defeated Bekki Allan 2 & 1 and Kelly Smithers beat Sarah Ramsay 2 Up.

The standard of play from both teams was excellent and the hard work all the players have put in through coaching has paid off with many of them reducing their handicaps substantially over a very difficult season for scoring. Well done to both teams for an entertaining game.

Clare fails to qualify for Ricoh's Women's British Open

In the Final Qualifying at Caldy GC  for the British Women's Open which starts at Hoylake on Thursday Clare Queen had a round of 79. Only those with rounds of 75 or better went through automatically. Other Scottish players, Lynn Kenny, Kelsey MacDonald and Kylie Walker also failed to qualify. 

There was a play off  amongst 13 on 76 to decide on 4 reserves for the competition. Heather McCrae was one of those and is second reserve.

Anne Walker is Head Coach of Stanford University Women's team

Anne Walker and husband Chris

Anne Walker, a former LLCGA and Strathaven member is beginning her first season at Stanford University, California.

She was appointed head women's golf team coach in July following the resignation of Caroline O'Connor who had held the post for 17 years.

Another Scot, Kathryn (Marshall) Imrie from Monifieth is the Stanford assistant women's coach.

"We are very excited to have Anne Walker join us as the new coach of the Stanford Women's Golf Team," said Director of Athletics Patrick Dunkley."Anne possesses an enthusiasm for the sport of golf and the student-athlete experience as well as an understanding of the mission, vision and values of Stanford Athletics.

"I look forward to working with Anne and to seeing the success she will bring to the golf program."

Walker comes to Stanford from UC Davis where she was the head golf coach for four years. She led the Aggies from their transition from NCAA Division II to being competitive at the national level in NCAA Division I. For full report on Kirkwood Go;f click here

Anne was married in August.

England win the Home Internationals

In the title decider between the teams that had both beaten Scotland and Ireland, England retained the championship by the narrowest of margins. They drew with Wales 4 1/2-4 1/2 for both teams to finish with 2 1/2 match points.

The tie-breaker was individual games won and that went in favour of England by 18 1/2-16 1/2. Their 9-0 win over Ireland on the opening day proved decisive in the end.

Scotland lost to Ireland 5-4 . Scotland won all 3 morning foursomes but unfortunately only 16 year  Lauren Whyte managed to win her singles match.

Results

SCOTLAND 4, IRELAND 5

Foursomes - Kelsey MacDonald and Rachael Watton bt Mary Dowling and Jessica Carty 5 and 3, Alyson McKechin and Lauren Whyte bt Gillian O'Leary and Sarah Cunningham 2 and 1, Eilidh Briggs and Jane Turner bt Deirdre Smith and Chloe Ryan 2 and 1 (3-0).

Singles - MacDonald lost to Dowling 4 and 3, Laura Murray lost to Ryan 4 and 2, Watton lost to Carty 3 and 2, Whyte bt Lucy Simpson 2 and 1, Briggs lost to Smith 5 and 4, McKechin lost to Maria Dunne 6 and 4 (1-5)

Final Positions

1st England 2 1/2 pt (Games won 18 1/2)

2nd Wales 2 1/2 pt (Games won 16 1/2)

3rd Ireland 1pt

4th Scotland 0 pt

Scotland narrowly beaten by England

On the second day of the Home Internationals at Cork Scotland were on the verge of victory against the star-studded England team before they lost 5-4 after a nail-biting final hour's play.

"We were so near to pulling off a great win," said Scotland skipper Fiona Norris.

"I couldn't play Alyson McKechin whose left foot and heel are badly blistered. We might have won had she been fit but all credit to the girls who did play against England.

"There were some excellent individual victories. Kelsey MacDonald beat Georgia Hall, No 4 in the world, by one hole and Rachael Watton beat Curtis Cup player Holly Clyburn by 6 and 5.

"I had to play both our youngsters, Rachel Walker and Lauren Whyte, in the singles and they did their best." In fact, Scotland and England were tied at 3 1/2 pt apiece with only two games to finish - and in these games Lauren Whyte was all square against Amber Ratcliffe after 12 holes and Jane Turner was one up after 11 against Curtis Cup player Bronte Law.

Turner lost the 16th, 17th and 18th to go down by two holes to Law while Whyte had to settle for a square match after losing the last hole to a brilliant up and down from a bad lie off the green by Ratcliffe.

Wales beat Ireland 6-3 in the other match.

Results

ENGLAND 5, SCOTLAND 4

Foursomes - Georgia Hall and Emily Taylor halved with Kelsey MacDonald and Rachael Watton, Kelly Tidy and Alexandra Peters bt Laura Murray and Alyson McKechin 7 and 5, Holly Clyburn and Bronte Law lost to Eilidh Briggs and Jane Turner 3 and 2 (1 1/2-1 1/2)

Singles - Hall lost to MacDonald 1 hole, Tidy bt Briggs 3 and 1, Clyburn lost to Watton 6 and 5, Taylor bt Rachel Walker 7 and 5, Amber Ratcliffe halved with Lauren Whyte, Law bt Turner 2 holes (3 1/2-2 1/2)

Scotland lose afternoon singles

On the first day of the Home Internationals in Cork, Scotland lost 6-3 to Wales while England defeated Ireland 9-0.

Result of Singles-

Wales 6 Scotland 3

Amy Boulden bt Eilidh Briggs 3 and 2,

Chloe Williams bt Kelsey MacDonald 4 and 2,

Katie Bradbury halved with Alyson McKechin,

Gemma Bradbury bt Lauren Whyte 1 hole,

Samantha Birks bt  Laura Murray 2 and 1,

Becky Harries lost to Jane Turner 4 and 3

(4 1/2-1 1/2)

Scotland and Wales half 1st morning foursomes

Photograph courtesy of Colin Farquharson

Results: Scotland v Wales
Laura Murray & Alyson McKechin bt Amy Boulden & Becky Harries 2 up
Eilidh Briggs & Jane Turner lost to Chloe Williams & Katie Bradbury 3&1
Kellsey Macdonald & Rachael Watton halved with Katherine O'Connor & Samantha Birks
 Wales 1½ 1½ Scotland

England 3 Ireland 0

Women's Home Internationals start tomorrow

The Women's Home Internationals start at Cork Golf Club tomorrow. Scotland will play Wales while England will play Ireland.

We wish Scotland Captain, Fiona Norris, manager, Alyson Hendry, and the team all the best.

Jenny and Susan win Scottish Foursomes

The Scottish Ladies' Foursomes took place at Muckhart Golf Club yesterday over the Naemoor/Cowden course. 30 couples took part for the Stroke Play title. Jenny Potter (Cathkin Braes) and Susan Wood (Drumpellier) had the best Scratch Score of 81 on a day when conditions were heavy under foot and preffered lies were in play. Congratulations.

 Alison Houston (Milnathort) and Val Purdie (Braehead) had  the best Nett with a 73. The Winners of the Stroke Play Club title and Champions for 2012 were Stirling Golf Club, Alison Davidson and Patricia Chillas.

The semis and finals of the Scottish Matchplay Foursomes were also played at Muckhart yesterday with Muckhart beating Carnoustie Caledonia in the final. 

Results of September Spoon

The  September Spoon Competition was  held at a sunny Sandyhills Golf Club today.
Results
Par 74, SSS 73, CSS 75
Division 1
1 S McGrenaghan (Mount Ellen) 79-6=73 (BIH)
2 P McArthur (Cathkin Braes) 85-12=73
3 M Reid (Lanark) 93-13=80
Scratch S McGrenaghan 79

Division 2
1 R Brown (Hamilton) 102-24=78
2 A Cameron (Strathaven) 102-18=84
3 M Marshall (Wishaw) 113-28=85
Scratch A Cameron 102 (BL6)