Another Scot joins talent drain across the Atlantic

SCOTTISH GIRLS CHAMPION
ROSEANNE TO JOIN
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
IN NEW YEAR

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Another young talented Scottish golfer has been "lost" to the warmer temperatures and superior university golfing facilities in the United States.
Roseanne Niven, 17-year-old winner of the Scottish girls’ match-play title at Peebles this summer, is to join the University of California Berkeley early in the New Year.
Roseanne, a member of Crieff Golf Club, has been one of Scotland’s best young female golfers for a number of years. Her first national title was the Scottish Under-16 girls’ open championship at Strathtyrum, St Andrews.
And she was one of the youngest ever winners of the Perth & Kinross women’s county title in 2004.
Apart from winning the Scottish Under-18 girls title this year, Roseanne was a member of the Scotland team who brought home the girls’ home internationals team trophy from Portstewart, Northern Ireland.
She has been awarded a full golf scholarship by the University of California Berkeley, where Vikki Laing (Musselburgh) and Anne Walker (Strathaven), winner and beaten finalist in the 1997 Scottish girls championship, both spent four years.
Vikki became one of the leading players on the American women’s college circuit and Ann was not far behind her. She won two tournaments.
Miss Walker stayed on at the California college to become the Bears’ assistant women’s golf coach.
The universities of North Carolina, Virginia and Vanderbilt were also prepared to offer Roseanne a golf scholarship and she visited the United States to see what their facilities were like before making up her mind to enrol at the University of California Berkeley.
QUOTE FROM ROSEANNE
Roseanne said last night:
“I feel very lucky to have the opportunity to further my golfing career and to be educated at a top university such as Berkeley. It is a very exciting time in my life and I cannot wait to get started in January.”
Nancy McDaniel, the head women’s coach of University of California Berkeley, said:
“We are delighted to have Roseanne Niven join our women’s golf team. She succeeds two of our most accomplished players, also from Scotland – Anne Walker and Vikki Laing.
“Scottish players seem to love California and really fit into the Cal Golf system. Roseanne brings a great deal of experience on an international level that will undoubtedly impact the team upon her arrival.”
+There are nine Scottish girls currently at college in the United States: Michele Thomson (Jacksonville State), Louise Fleming (Jacksonville State), Carly Booth (David Leadbetter Golf Academy), Sally Watson (David Leadbetter Golf Academy), Ashton Ingram (Belmont Abbey College), Kate O'Sullivan (High Point), Kelly Brotherton (Tennessee-Chattanooga), Katy McNicoll (Lynn University), Gemma Webster (Ohio State).