UNITED STATES FUTURES TOUR

VIKKI LAING HAS 75 ON COMEBACK ROUND

Vikki Laing, playing her first competitive round for several weeks, returned a three-over-par 75 in the first round of the Horseshoe Casino Futures Classic at Lost Marsh Golf Club, Hammond in Indiana today

The Musselburgh player started at the 10^th hole and reached her turn in 40 shots. She bogeyed the short 11^th, birdied the long 13^th and then ran up a triple bogey 7 at the par-4 15^th and dropped another shot at the 16^th to be four over par with nine to play.

Then the former Curtis Cup player, who has had a lean time since she turned professional, settled down to cover her remaining holes in one under par 35 with a birdie at the sixth.

American Lori Atsedes was the early leader with a 68.

TORRANCE HOUSE PRO-AM

COLQUHOUN AND WILLIAMSON TIE FOR VICTORY

 

Neil Colquhoun (Merchants of Edinburgh) and Duncan Williamson (Kirkhill) tied for first place in the Torrance House Golf Club pro-am today.

They both shot three-under-par 69s to win £872 apiece.

Sam Cairns (Westerwood) led the Polytech Food Systems trio of amateurs, John Grant (handicap 17), James Jordan (9) and George Gallagher (10) to victory in the team event with a net score of 13-under-par 59.

LEADING SCORES

69 N Colquhoun (Merchants of Edinburgh), D Williamson (Kirkhill).

71 S Thompson (Castle Park), C Ronald (Carluke).

72 G Law (Uphall), A Lockhart (Ladybank), S Kerr (Strathaven), C Lee (All Swing Golf Centre), A Crerar (King James VI), M Loftus (Cowglen), M King (Kingsfield), R Gray (Torrance House).

TEAM WINNERS

59 S Cairns (Westerwood) & Polytech Food Systems: J Grant (17), J Jordan (9), G Gallacher (10).

 

 

IRISH WOMEN'S OPEN STROKE-PLAY

RECORD NUMBER OF SCOTS IN FIELD

 

 

A record number of 11 Scots are competing in the Irish women’s open amateur stroke-play golf championship at County Sligo Golf Club this weekend.

They are: Anne Laing (Vale of Leven), Kylie Walker (Buchanan Castle), Roseanne Niven (Crieff), Krystle Caithness (St Regulus), Gemma Webster (Hilton Park), Kate O’Sullivan (Paisley), Elaine Cuthill (Lanark), Sara Bishop (Windyhill), Lesley Hendry (Routenburn), Emily Ogilvy (Auchterarder) and Emma Fairnie (Dunbar).

They will be bidding to prevent Tara Delaney (Carlow), one of four Irish players selected for the Curtis Cup match on July 29-30, winning the 54-hole stroke-play title for an historic third time in a row.

Meanwhile, in Denmark, Louise Kenney (Pitreavie) and Jenna Wilson (Strathaven) will be representing Scotland in the Danish international women’s amateur championship at Silkeborg Golf Club on Saturday and Sunday.

PALMER CUP FINAL DAY

EUROPE STUDENTS BEAT AMERICANS

BY RECORD MARGIN AT PRESTWICK

EUROPE have scored the biggest win ever in the Palmer Cup international students' match against their United States counterparts over the Prestwick Golf Club links.

The final margin was 19 1/2pt to the Europeans (most of whom are students at American colleges) and only 4 1/2pt to the Americans.

Europe won all four sessions of play - four-balls, foursomes and two sets of singles.

In the final set of singles, the results were:

(European names first)

Martin bt Castro 3 and 2.

Floren lost to Blaum 4 and 2.

Haastrup bt Harman 5 and 3.

Canizares bt Baca 1 hole.

KLuiten bt Larsen 2 holes.

Lewton halved with Ogden.

Davies bt List 3 and 2.

Ramsay lost to Kirk 1 hole.

EUROPE 5 1/2, UNITED STATES 2 1/2

Overall result:

EUROPE 19 1/2, UNITED STATES 4 1/2

IRISH YOUTHS OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

GARETH SHAW WINS BY FIVE; SCOT

LATIMER DOWN FIELD WITH 305

 

Overnight leader Gareth Shaw (Lurgan), a member of the successful East Tennessee State University team alongside Rhys Davies from Wales and Scotland's Jordan Findlay, won the Irish youths open amateur championship by a five-shot margin at Royal Tara Golf Club today.

Shaw laid the platform for his success with opening rounds of 66 and 67. He kept the door shut on his rivals with two scores of 73 for 279.

Peter Latimer from St Andrews New Golf Club, the only Scot in the field, finished on 305 with scores of 71, 76, 80 and 78.

LEADING FINAL TOTALS
279: G Shaw (Lurgan) 66 67 73 73
284: S Power (West Waterford) 71 73 69 71, P Cutler (Portstewart) 71 70 73 70, R Enoch (Wales) 69 75 69 71
285: A O'Callaghan (Douglas) 72 68 72 73, S Ward (Co Louth) 72 66 73 74
286: F Rafferty (Dungannon) 74 70 71 71, N Kearney (Royal Dublin) 72 71 71 72
288: Z Gould (Wales) 73 75 71 69, P O'Kane (Moyola Park) 72 72 73 71
289: H Bacher (Austria) 68 71 76 74, N O'Briain (Royal Dublin) 67 75 69 78
290: P O'Hanlon (Curragh) 68 74 73 75
291: P Figueiredo (Portugal) 77 70 74 70, P Connolly (Clontarf) 73 71 77 70, S Lowry
(Esker Hills) 72 76 75 68, A Glynn (Porters Park) 70 73 75 73
294: L Weber (France) 77 71 72 74, D Leathem (Lisburn) 75 73 71 75
295: P McGibney (Elm Park) 72 76 75 72
296: D Rawluk (The Island) 72 75 78 71, N Grant (Knock) 72 70 79 75
297: A Hogan (Newlands) 76 72 76 73, D Angkawidjaja (Austria) 75 74 77 71, L Nemecz (Austria) 75 73 79 70, C McNamara (Limerick) 74 75 74 74, G Reid (Spa) 71 75 76 75
299: Greg Williams (Wales) 74 75 74 76
300: B Walton (The Island / UCD) 68 73 81 78
301: P Fendt (Austria) 78 71 76 76, M Trow (Wales) 72 77 77 75
303: M Mayrhauser (Austria) 72 77 77 77, L Thomas (Wales) 72 76 80 75
305: P Latimer (Scotland) 71 76 80 78
306: M Glauert (Germany) 72 74 84 76
311: J Rodgers (Galgorm) 75 74 81 81

LONDON SENIOR MASTERS

SAM TORRANCE GOES THREE SHOTS CLEAR

Sam Torrance is perfectly placed to retain the Bendinat London Seniors Masters title after a second round 66, six under par, moved the Scot three strokes clear going into Saturday’s final round at The London Golf Club.

Torrance is eight under par for his two rounds, three clear of Delroy Cambridge of Jamaica and South African Bertus Smit, who carded rounds of 72 and 67 respectively to move to five under par 139.  

Torrance had started the day four shots behind first round leader John Chillas from Aberdeen but was quickly into top gear with a birdie 3 on the opening hole of the Heritage Course.

Sam picked up a further shot at the fifth and then holed from 30ft  for an eagle 3 at the next par-5, the eighth, to race to the turn in 32.

The two par-5s on the back nine, the 12^th and 15^th, both brought birdies before a dropped shot at the 16^th put paid to Torrance’s hopes of equalling his own course record of eight under par 64.

However, he finished with a flourish by holing a 15 foot birdie putt at the last for a round of 66.

“That was as solid as I have played all year and apart from the bogey at 16 it could not have been any better. I am making a bit of a habit of being in the final group on Sunday and that is a nice habit to have,” said Torrance, who is chasing his third victory on this year’s European Seniors Tour.

Teeing up alongside Torrance in Saturday’s final round will be Smit, a man who only turned professional in 2000, at the age of 47, after a successful amateur career in his native South Africa.

Chillas, the overnight leader, endured a day to forget as he carded two double bogeys and four bogeys in his round of 77, which dropped the Aberdonian back into a share of 12^th spot on one under par.  

SCOREBOARD

136 Sam Torrance (Sco) 70 66

139 Delroy Cambridge (Jam) 67 72, Bertus Smit (RSA) 72 67

141 Guillermo Encina (Chi) 68 73, Martin Foster (Eng) 69 72, Tony Allen (Eng) 70 71, Nick Job (Eng) 70 71, Kevin Spurgeon (Eng) 68 73

142 Carl Mason (Eng) 69, 73, Bobby Lincoln (RSA) 74 68, Juan Quiros (Esp) 74 68

143 John Chillas (Sco) 66 77, Giuseppe Cali (Ita) 69 74

144 José Rivero (Esp) 73 71, Gavan Levenson (RSA) 72 72, Martin Gray (Sco) 70 74, John Benda (USA) 73 71

145 Tony Johnstone (Zim) 73 72, John Mashego (RSA) 71 74, David J Russell (Eng) 73 72, Jim Rhodes (Eng) 71 74, Craig Maltman (Sco) 76 69

146 Terry Gale (Aus) 74 72, Martin Poxon (Eng) 76 70, David Good (Aus) 74 72, Jean Pierre Sallat (Fra) 69 77, Denis O’Sullivan (Irl) 73 73

147 Gordon J Brand (Eng) 76 71, Bill Malley (USA) 71 76

148 Tony Charnley (Eng) 70 78, Mike Ferguson (Aus) 72 76, Malcolm Gregson (Eng) 76 72, Simon Owen (Nzl) 72 76, Rex Caldwell (USA) 73 75, Bob Cameron (Eng) 78 70, Bruce Heuchan (Can) 73 75

149 Alan Mew (Tri) 76 73, William Milne (Sco) 75 74, Gordon Townhill (Eng) 73 76, Adan Sowa (Arg) 74 75, Dragon Taki (Jpn) 73 76, Emilio Rodriguez (Esp) 75 74, Doug Johnson (USA) 75 74, Eamonn Darcy (Irl) 77 72

150 Antonio Garrido (Esp) 76 74, Alberto Croce (Ita) 77 73, Jerry Bruner (USA) 75 75 151 Peter Teravainen (USA) 72 79, Jimmy Heggarty (Nir) 75 76

152 Gery Watine (Fra) 74 78, Denis Durnian (Eng) 74 78, Stephen Chadwick (Eng) 77 75

153 Bob Larratt (Eng) 77 76, Robin Mann (Eng) 79 74

154 Mike Miller (Sco) 76 78, Bob Lendzion (USA) 80 74, David Creamer (Eng) 77 77, Jeff Hawkes (RSA) 73 81, Manuel Piñero (Esp) 74 80, Angel Fernandez (Chi) 75 79

155 Ian Mosey (Eng) 76 79, Manuel Calero (Esp) 80 75, Anders Johnsson (Swe) 74 81, Andrew Reynolds (Eng) 78 77

156 John Curtis (Irl) 77 79, Craig Defoy (Wal) 75 81, Kurt Cox (USA) 78 78, Eddie Polland (Nir) 80 76

158 Hank Woodrome (USA) 81 77, Bill Hardwick (Can) 78 80

159 Maurice Bembridge (Eng) 79 80, Victor Garcia (Esp) 74 85

 

 

PGA CLUB SENIORS CHAMPIONSHIP

McTEAR SLIPS BACK TO FINISH FIFTH

 

John McTear could do no better than a two-over-par 74 in the third and final round of the PGA Club Seniors’ championship at King’s Lynn Golf Club, Norfolk today.

That gave the North Gailes Golf Centre staff pro a final total of one-over-par 217 and pushed him down into joint fifth place with a cheque for £1,675.

John, winner of the title in 2001, had three birdies but five bogeys on his third-round scorecard.

England’s Stewart Graham who had been sharing the lead with McTear overenight shot a two-under-par 70 for a total of three-under-par 213 to win the title and the top cash prize of £4,750.

He won by two shots from compatriots Graham Burroughs and David Jagger.

Garry Harvey from Bearsden Golf Range was the second-best Scot with a 72 for joint eighth place on 220, signing off with a 72. He earned £1,066.

 

PGA CLUB SENIORS CHAMPIONSHIP – King’s Lynn Golf Club.

LEADING FINAL TOTALS

213 S Graham (Eng) 70 73 70 (£4,750).

215 G Burroughs (Eng) 74 72 69, D Jagger (Eng) 70 73 72 (£3,050 each)

216 D Stirling (Eng) 73 74 69 (£2,100).

217 J McTear (Sco) 74 689 74, M Gallagher (Eng) 71 75 71 (£1,675 each).

Other Scottish totals:

220 G Harvey 73 75 72 (£1,066).

223 J Farmer 74 73 76 (£625).

224 B Lockie 72 75 77 (£530)

225 K Stevely 75 75 75.

226 R McDonald 77 72 77 (£421)

227 N D Wood 76 78 73.

230 R Webster 76 78 76, R Fyfe 76 76 78.

232 R Watkins 79 73 80, D Craik 76 76 80.

233 M White 76 74 83.

 

PALMER CUP LATEST

EUROPEANS PILE ON THE AGONY

FOR AMERICANS AT PRESTWICK

 

As if the American students did not have enough problems trying  to get accustomed to the Prestwick Golf Club's ancient links and quirkiness in the Palmer Cup, they had to try to play foursomes against their European counterparts this morning.

Result: A 4-0 clean sweep for the Europeans, which made the lunchtime scoreline an embarrassing (if you are an American): EUROPE 14, UNITED STATES 2.

 

It's the most lopsided scoreline in the history of the event so far - and there are still the singles to be played!

 

Day 2 foursomes results (European names first):

 

Alejandro Canizares & Pablo Martin bt Ryan Blaum & Roberto Castro 6 and 4.

Oscar Floren & Mark Haastrup bt Ryan Baca & Clay Ogden 1 hole.

Joost Luiten & Richie Ramsay bt Brian Harman & Luke List 3 and 2.

Rhys Davies & Stephen Lewton bt Chris Kirk & Keven Larsen 4 and 3.

EAST OF SCOTLAND OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

ODDS STACKED AGAINST BOOTH FOR

REPEAT WIN OVER LUNDIN LINKS

 

It’s been 22 years since anyone won the East of Scotland Open men’s championship two years in a row, which means that title-holder Wallace Booth from Comrie has the odds stacked against him at Lundin Golf Club this weekend.

The last man to win the 72-hole championship in back-to-back years was home-course player Sandy Stephen in 1983-84. He had also won in 1974 and 1977.

The reason why it is so difficult to stage a repeat win, of course, lies in the quality of field.

Scott Henry (Cardross), winner of the Scottish men’s open amateur stroke-play title, hopes to be 100 per cent again after withdrawing very early on in last weekend’s Scottish youths championship at Mortonhall. He had fallen victim to a bug that drained his energy.

Scottish boys’ champion James White will be playing over his home course and his father Jim, a member of Leven Thistle, is also in the field.

John Gallagher (Swanston), winner last weekend of the Tennant Trophy at Glasgow Gailes and Killermont, is obviously the man in form but there are so many possible contenders in the field that there can be no clear favourite.

Of Scotland’s leading amateurs, only previous winner Richie Ramsay (Royal Aberdeen) is absent. He has been playing for Europe in the Palmer Cup match against the United States at Prestwick on Thursday and Friday.

 

Swallow Hotels are sponsoring the tournament for the first time. The Denholm Cup and a £500 voucher go to the winner with the runner-up receiving the Haig Salver and a voucher worth £300.

US WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

FOG WIPES OUT THURSDAY PLAY

Not a blow was struck on the official opening day of the 61st United States Women's Open at Newport Country Club, Rhode Island.

Thick fog which reduced the visibility beyond the safety margin for play to be possible means that the first round was not started until Friday - and there will be a 36-hole programme on Sunday with the qualifiers playing the third and fourth rounds on the same day.

 

OPEN TICKETS IN DEMAND

TOUTS RESELLING AT 10 TIMES FACE VALUE

Golf experts are warning that ticket touts could price genuine golf fans
out of next month's Open Championship, with tickets estimated to resell
for up to 10 times face value.

With less than four weeks to go to the start of the Open at the Royal
Liverpool Hoylake, the National Golf Clubs' Advisory Association (NGCAA)
is concerned that unscrupulous touts will cash in as thousands flock to
see UK heroes Colin Montgomerie and Nick Faldo take on Championship
holder Tiger Woods.

National Secretary at the NGCAA, Michael Shaw, comments:  "High demand
tickets are already selling on online auction sites for more than three
times face value (over £150).  Prices for tickets such as final day,
composite and reserved grandstand will escalate as the tournament draws
closer and ticket touts return from the World Cup.

"The Royal & Ancient has been outstanding in its pricing and allocation
of tickets.  However, with demand outstripping supply, tickets will
invariably fall into the wrong hands and real fans left facing
extortionate resale prices."

Unlike legislation implemented ahead of this year's World Cup and the
proposed Olympic Bill, there is no rule outlawing the resale of tickets
for golf events.  Similarly Wimbledon, theatre, music and other sporting
events such as rugby and cricket have no legal protection against ticket
touting.

Although the Government is working with ticketing agencies to address
ticket touting, any action is likely to be too late to protect Open
Championship fans.  With this in mind, Shaw is advising golf clubs and
sponsors, which often receive preferential ticket treatment, golfers and
golf fans to be wary about how they handle their tickets.

He concludes: "The Government, event organisers and promoters, and
ticketing agencies are due to meet again next month and hopefully we are
moving closer to stamping out a problem that ruins so many sporting and
entertainment events for thousands of fans.

"If people with Open Championship tickets find that they are unable to
attend the event or have extra tickets, they should sell them at face
value to people that they know.  This will ensure that real fans get
tickets and help take the bottom out of the ticketing black market."

The Open Championship will be held at Royal Liverpool Golf Club from
Thursday 20th to Sunday the 23rd of July 2006. This will be the 135th
Open and the 11th time the club has hosted what is arguably the greatest
golf tournament in the world.

IRISH YOUTHS OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

ST ANDREWS LAD SURVIVES CUT

AS SHAW LEADS BY FIVE SHOTS

 

East Tennessee State University student Gareth Shaw (Lurgan) has a commanding five-shot lead after two rounds of the Irish youths' amateur championship at Royal Tara Golf Club. He has had scores of 66 and 67 to leave the field trailing.

Peter Latimer (St Andrews New), the only Scot in the field, did not survive the cut in last weekend's Scottish youths open championship but he  safely made the 36-hole cut here with rounds of 71 and 76 for 147.

 

LEADING TWO-ROUND TOTALS.

133 G Shaw (Lurgan) 66 67
138 S Ward (Co Louth) 72 66
139 H Bacher (Austria) 68 71
140 A O'Callaghan (Douglas) 72 68
141 P Cutler (Portstewart) 71 70, B Walton (The Island / UCD) 68 73
142 N Grant (Knock) 72 70, P O'Hanlon (Curragh) 68 74, N O'Briain (Royal Dublin) 67 75
143 N Kearney (Royal Dublin) 72 71, A Glynn (Porters Park) 70 73
144 F Rafferty (Dungannon) 74 70, P Connolly (Clontarf) 73 71, P O'Kane (Moyola Park) 72 72, S Power (West Waterford) 71 73, R Enoch (Wales) 69 75
146 M Glauert (Germany) 72 74, G Reid (Spa) 71 75
147 P Figueiredo (Portugal) 77 70, D Rawluk (The Island) 72 75, P Latimer (Scotland) 71 76.
148 L Weber (France) 77 71, A Hogan (Newlands) 76 72, D Leathem (Lisburn) 75 73, L Nemecz (Austria) 75 73, Z Gould (Wales) 73 75, S Lowry (Esker Hills) 72 76, L Thomas (Wales) 72 76, P McGibney (Elm Park) 72 76
149 P Fendt (Austria) 78 71, D Angkawidjaja (Austria) 75 74, J Rodgers (Galgorm) 75 74, Greg Williams (Wales) 74 75, C McNamara (Limerick) 74 75, M Mayrhauser (Austria) 72 77, M Trow (Wales) 72 77

PGA CLUB SENIORS CHAMPIONSHIP

 

WEE JOHN WALKING TALL AT KINGS LYNN 

 

Wee John McTear is sharing the lead on one-under-par 143 with one round to go in the PGA Club seniors’ golf championship at King’s Lynn Golf Club, Norfolk.

The North Gailes Golf Centre staff pro had a little bit of everything in his three-under-par 69 in the second round, which was five shots better than his opening effort.

McTear had an eagle 3 at the 487yd par-5 13^th and birdies at the second, seventh, eighth and ninth. He also had a double-bogey 6 at the third and another shot shed to par at the sixth.

Up there with the Scot in pole position are Englishman Stewart Graham (70-73) and David Jagger (70-73).

Bill Lockie, also from the North Gailes golf Centre, is back in a share of 10^th place on 147 after running up a triple bogey 7 at the 11^th in a second-round 75.

St Andrews-based Jim Farmer is also on 147 with a 73 which included birdies at the first, second, 13^th and 1`7^th.

Kemnay club pro Ronnie McDonald is rueing double bogeys at the second and fourth in a first-round 77 because he reeled off a par-matching 72 in the second round, no bother at all. Ronnie birdied the fifth, eighth and 14^th and had boges at the 11^th and 12^th to be in 19^th place on 149.

 

PGA CLUB SENIORS CHAMPIONSHIP

King’s Lynn Golf Club, Norfolk.

LEADING QUALIFIERS

143 J McTear (North Gailes) 74 69, S Graham (Eng) 70 73, D Jagger (Eng) 70 73.

144 G Smith (Eng) 73 71, P Hinton (Eng) 70 74.

Other Scottish qualifiers:

147 B Lockie (North Gailes) 72 75, J Farmer (J Farmer G&L) 74 73.

148 G Harvey (Bearsden GR) 73 75.

149 R McDonald (Kemnay) 77 72.

150 K Stevely (Cawder) 75 75, M White (Penfold Park) 76 74.

152 D Craik (Frilford Heath 76 76, R Fyfe (Nairn) 76 76, R Watkins Solent Meads) 73 79.

154 N D Wood (Royal Guernsey) 76 78, R Webster (Eaglescliffe) 76 78.

Scottish non-qualifiers:

156 I Clark (Hagley) 79 77.

157 D Bonthron (Stonelees) 76 81.

 

PALMER CUP AT PRESTWICK

EUROPE HAMMERING AMERICANS

AT HALFWAY POINT

Europe were well on their way to a big win over the United States at the halfway point of the two-day men’s college student match for the Palmer Cup at Prestwick Golf Club today.

The United States team, packed of top-ranked players from the American college circuit, were whitewashed 4-0 in the four-ball play of the first session.

It didn’t get much better in the afternoon singles, which the Europeans took 6-2.

So, with Friday’s four foursomes and eight singles ties to come, the scoreline reads:

EUROPE 10, UNITED STATES 2

LONDON SENIOR MASTERS

JOHN CHILLAS LEADS WITH A 66
Aberdonian John Chillas will take a one-stroke lead into the second round of the Bendinat London Seniors Masters at The London Golf Club after grabbing the headlines from compatriot Sam Torrance, the defending champion.
Chillas birdied the last hole for a first-round, six-under-par 66 to top the leaderboard by one from big-hitting Jamaican, Delroy Cambridge, and by two from Guillermo Encina of Chile and England’s Kevin Spurgeon.
“I have been hard on myself recently, so today was really pleasing. My game has been up and down, but after a lot of hard work on the range it seems to be coming back to some sense of normality again.
“I played really well over the back nine and the birdie at the last, when I hit a four iron to 12 feet, capped a good day’s work,” commented Chillas, who is chasing his third title on the European Seniors Tour.
By contrast, Torrance registered a bogey 5 at the 18th hole after trying to cut the corner from the tee and only finding the lake, a mistake which dropped the former Ryder Cup Captain back into a share of ninth spot on two-under-par 70.
A cold putter left Torrance unable to capitalise on some fine approach play. His only successes on the greens came at the 16th, where he holed from 12ft for birdie, and at the last, where he sank a similar putt to prevent a double-bogey 6

PGA EUROPRO TOUR

UNLUCKY 13 FOR JOINT-THIRD ROBERTSON -

 

It was unlucky 13 for Dean Robertson in the final round of the PGA EuroPro Tour's Stoke by Nayland International Open at the Suffolk venue today (Thursday).

Robertson ran up a double bogey 6 at the 13th and also bogeyed the 18 in signing off with a 70 for a final total of five-under-par 211.

That put him in a tie for third place with Welshman Mark Laskey and earned him £2,100.

But a par at the 13th might have won the tournament for the Scot who finished one shot behind Englishmen Paul Curry and Mark Ramsdale.

Cuirry birdied the 14th, 15th, 16th and 17 for a 69 to match the 210 total achieved by Ramsdale (who bogeyed the 18th). Then Curry won the play-off for the £10,000 first prize. Ramsdale had to settle for £5,000.

Ross Cameron from Ellon had a triple bogey 8 at the long second in a 76 for joint 41st place on 220. He earned £242.

Paul Doherty from Vale of Glamorgan and Blairgowrie's Colin Mitchelled shared 45th place on 222. Doherty had double bogeys at the 11th and 17th in a final round of 78. Mitchell did the same, double-bogeying the 10th and 11th, also for a 78..

LEADING FINAL TOTALS

210 P Curry (Eng) 71 70 69, M Ramsdale (Eng) 68 72 70 (Curry won play-off).

211 D Robertson (Sco) 70 71 70, M Laskey (Wal) 72 70 69.

Other Scottish totals:

220 R Cameron 73 72 76.

222 P Doherty 73 71 78, C Mitchell 74 70 78.

 

 

EAST RENFREWSHIRE PRO-AM

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE PAYS OFF

FOR DAVID ORR

 

David Orr, playing over his home course, won the Sense Scotland Invitational pro-am at East Renfrewshire Golf Club today.

Orr shot a three-under-par 67 to win by two shots from Gary McFarlane (World of Golf) and Campbell Elliott (Haggs Castle).

The team event was won by the Creek Poperties amateur trio of Tim Hunter (2), Marco Guarino (17) and Derek Bissett (14) and Deer Park professional Brian Dunbar with a net score of 15-under-par 125.

 

LEADING SCORES

67 D Orr (East Renfrewshire).

69 G McFarlane (World of Golf), C Elliott (Haggs Castle).

70 A Gowran (East Renfrewshire).

71 S Orr (unatt), J Kelly (Hilton Park).

72 S Russell (East Renfrewshire), J Porteous (Craigielaw).

LEADING TEAM

125 B Dunbar (Deer Park) & Creek Properties: T Hunter (2), M Guarino (17), D Bissett (14).

 

EUROPEAN UNDER-21 CHAMPIONSHIP

 

 

LAURA MURRAY TAKES SALLY

WATSON PLACE IN SCOTS TEAM

 

Alford’s Laura Murray has been called up from the reserve list to replace Sally Watson (David Leadbetter Academy) in the Scotland squad for the European Under-21 junior girls’ team championship at Pan Golf Club in the Netherlands from July 11 to 15.

Sally, from South Queensferry, has withdrawn because she is competing in the United States girls’ open championship at Carmel Country Club, Charlotte in North Carolina from July 17 to 22.

Miss Watson, who will be 15 on July 10, will also not be able to defend the Scottish Under-18 girls’ match-play title at Peebles from July 18 to 21.

“It’s a pity but there are just not enough days in the week,” said Sally’s father, Edinburgh businessman Graham Watson.

Sally Watson and Carly Booth will represent Scotland in the European Junior Masters at Styrian Golf Club, Austria from July 27 to 29.

This means that Sally and Carly will miss the Scottish Under-21 junior girls’ open stroke-play championship at Stirling Golf Club on July 27 and 28.

Carly Booth lost to Sally Watson in the final of last year’s Scottish Under-18 girls’ championship at Tain. Like Sally, Carly will miss this year’s event at Peebles because she is Scotland’s girl representative in the R&A Junior Open at Heswall Golf Club, Merseyside from July 17 to 19.

 

 

PGA SENIOR CLUB PROS CHAMPIONSHIP

LOCKIE AND HARVEY TOP SCOTS IN FIRST ROUND

 

Bill Lockie (North Gailes) and Garry Harvey (Bearsden) were the highest placed Scots at the end of the first round of the PGA Senior Club professional championship which began at King’s Lynn Golf club on Wednesday.

Lockie had a par 72, one ahead of former British boys’ champion Garry Harvey.

Four English players shared the lead on two-under-par 70 in a field of 103.

 

SCOREBOARD

 

70 P Hinton (Chesterton Valley), D Jagger(Hull), S Graham (Golf de Bondues), M Steadman (Cruise Hill).

71 M Gallagher (Farthingstone).

Scottish scores:

72 B Lockie.

73 G Harvey.

73 J Farmer.

74 J McTear.

75 K Stevely.

76 R Bowman, R Webster, D Bonthron, N D Wood, D Craik, R Fyfe, M White.

77 R McDonald.

79 I Clark, G Goldie, G Laing.

80 I Macpherson.

81 M Welsh.

82 H Arnott.

83 G Clarke.

84 D Harris, G Cant.

PGA EUROPRO TOUR

 DEAN ROBERTSON HEADS SCOTS CHALLENGE

 

Dean Robertson maintained the leading Scottish challenge with a 71 for three-under-par 141 in the second round of the PGA EuroPro Tour’s Stoke by Nayland International Open at the Suffolk venue today.

Robertson is in joint eighth place, four shots behind leader Guy Woodman, going into the final round.

Dean birdied the second, fifth, eighth, 11th and 15^th but bogeyed the third, seventh, ninth and 14^th in halves of 36 and 35.

Colin Mitchell from Blairgowrie and Paul Doherty (Vale of Glamorgan) qualified safely on level par 144, Mitchell with a 70 and Doherty with a 71.

Colin was moving well up the leaderboard when he birdied the third, fifth, seventh and 15^th. Then he bogeyed the 17^th and 18^th.

Late finisher Ross Cameron from Ellon beat the cut with nothing to spare with a 72 for 145. A double bogey 7 at the 16^th put the pressure on him but he parred the last two to reach the safety mark.

Graeme Brown from Montrose had a nightmare round of 76 to miss the cut on 147. Graeme had double bogeys at the eighth, ninth and 13^th. A bag of five birdies gave him a respectable score.

 

PGA EUROPRO TOUR – Stoke by Nayland International Open

Stoke by Nayland Golf Club, Suffolk.

LEADING QUALIFIERS

137 G Woodman (Eng) 67 70.

138 J Brown (Eng) 70 68.

139 M Sell (Eng) 70 69, S Doherty (Eng) 70 69.

Scottish qualifiers:

141 D Robertson 70 71.

144 C Mitchell 74 70, P Doherty 73 71.

145 R Cameron 73 72.

Scottish non-qualifiers:

147 G Brown 71 76.

149 J Doherty 76 73.

NR S Lamb 77 NR

 

EAST DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP

 FIFE GO TO COUNTY FINALS AS EAST CHAMPIONS

 

FIFE overpowered Midlothian in the decisive match of the three-day East Division women’s inter-county team championship at Dunbar Golf Club today .

Both teams started the last day with 100 per cent records but Fife soon forged clear of Midlothian, who won the East title last year and went on to take the Scottish championship as well.

Fife won the foursomes 2 ½- ½ and the singles 4-2 for a convincing 6 ½-2 ½ victory that sends them to the Scottish county finals at The Hirsel Golf Club in September as East Division champions.

Fife had the most successful individuals of the championship with Curtis Cup second reserve Krystle Caithness and former Scottish champion Fiona Lockhart both achieving 5pt out of six.

Not far behind in the Fife effort were Louise Kenney abnd Katrina Milne with 4 ½ pt each.

East Lothian finished third by beating Stirling & Clackmannan 5-4.

 

 

Wednesday results:

 

MIDLOTHIAN 2 ½, FIFE 6 ½

Foursomes – K Blackwood & C MacDonald lost to K Caithness & K Milne 1 hole; W Nicholson & K Marshall halved with L Kenney & J Carthew; C Hargan & B Murphy lost to E Moffat & F Lockhart 4 and 3 ( ½ -2 ½ ).

 

Singles: Hargan lost to Kenney 3 and 2, H Laughland lost to Caithness 1 hole, Nicholson bt Moffat 4 and 2, R Livingstone bt Lockhart 4 and 2, Murphy lost to Carthew 1 hole, Blackwood lost to Milne 5 and 4 (2-4).

 

STIRLING & CLACKMANNAN 4, EAST LOTHIAN 5

 

Foursomes: S Mitchell & L Robertson lost to F Prior & L Mortensen 1 hole; A Davidson & V Stevenson lost to K Brotherton & E Fairnie 3 and 2; E Allison & H MacRae bt M Thomson & L Fortune 4 and 3 (1-2).

Singles: Robertson halved with Brotherton, Mitchell bt Mortensen 1 hole, MacRae bt Prior 4 and 3, L McGregor lost to J Smith 4 and 2, Stevenson halved with S McMaster, Allison lost to Fairnie 3 and 2 (3-3).

 

FINAL PLACINGS

1 Fife (3 wins), 2 Midlothian (2 wins, 1 defeat), 3 East Lothian (1 win, 2 defeats), 4 Stirling & Clackmannan (3 defeats).

WEST DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP

RENFREWSHIRE WIN TITLE ON HOME TURF

 

Renfrewshire, the host county,  won the West Division women’s inter-county team golf championship at East Renfrewshire Golf Club today.

After beating defending champions Lanarkshire, then Dunbartonshire & Argyll, Renfrewshire completed a clean sweep over the three days by beating Ayrshire 5 ½-3 ½ .

Ayrshire made the new champions fight all the way in the singles, two of which were halved and three of the others went to the last green.

Renfrewshire’s top player was Donna Jackson (Cochrane Castle) with 4 1/2pt out of a possible six. Donna was followed closely by Stirling University student Clare-Marie Carlton (Fereneze) with 4pt.

Dunbartonshire & Argyll finished runners-up by beating Lanarkshire 5-4 in the other last-day match.

Most successful player in the tournament was Lanarkshire’s Jenna Wilson with 5 ½ pt out of six. Gemma Webster (D&A) was next best with 5pt.

Renfrewshire now go forward to the Scottish county finals at The Hirsel Golf Club, Coldstream from September 22 to 24. They have not won the Scottish title since 1987.

Results:

 

RENFREWSHIRE 5 ½ , AYRSHIRE 3 ½

 

Foursomes: D Jackson & G McGinlay halved with L Hendry & R Kennedy; M Briggs & K O’Sullivan bt A Thompson & L Keohone 1 hole; C-M Carlton & J Jenkins bt C Malcolm & M McPherson 1 hole (2 ½ - ½).

Singles: Carlton halved with Hendry, Briggs lost to D Watt 1 hole, Jackson bt Keohone 1 hole, L Robertson halved with Malcolm, G Kyle lost to McPherson 2 and 1, McGinlay bt Kennedy 1 hole (3-3).

 

LANARKSHIRE 4, DUNBARTONSHIRE & ARGYLL 5

 

Foursomes: M Hughes & A Hendry lost to A Laing & S Bishop 4 and 2; E Cuthill & A Young lost to G Webster & K Walker 1 hole; J Wilson & S Wood bt J Galbraith & F McLean 4 and 3 (1-2).

Singles: Wilson bt Webster 1 hole, Cuthill lost to Laing 1 hole, Wood lost to Bishop 8 and 6, R Rankin lost to J Foggo 1 hole, L Lloyd bt Galbraith 3 and 2, Young bt S Cadden 3 and 2 (3-3).

 

FINAL PLACINGS

1 Renfrewshire (3 wins), 2 Dunbartonshire & Argyll (2 wins, 1 defeat), 3 Lanarkshire (1 win, 2 defeats), 4 Ayrshire (3 defeats).

WEST DIVISION COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP

RENFREWSHIRE MOVE CLOSER TO WEST TITLE

Renfrewshire moved a step nearer clinching the West Division women’s inter-county team championship when they took the foursomes by a 2 ½- ½ pt margin from Ayrshire on the third and final day at East Renfrewshire Golf Club.
Renfrewshire beat Dunbartonshire & Argyll and Lanarkshire in their earlier matches.
Dunbartonshire & Argyll took a 2-1 lead into the singles against Lanarkshire in the battle for second place.

RENFREWSHIRE LEAD AYRSHIRE 2 ½- ½

Foursomes: D Jackson & G McGinlay halved with L Hendry & R Kennedy; M Briggs & K O’Sullivan bt A Thompson & L Keohone 1 hole; C-M Carlton & J Jenkins bt C Malcolm & M McPherson 1 hole (2 ½ - ½).
Singles: Carlton v Hendry, Briggs v D Watt, Jackson v Keohone, L Robertson v Malcolm, G Kyle v McPherson, McGinlay v Kennedy.

LANARKSHIRE ARE LOSING TO D & A 1-2

Foursomes: M Hughes & A Hendry lost to A Laing & S Bishop 4 and 2; E Cuthill & A Young lost to G Webster & K Walker 1 hole; J Wilson & S Wood bt J Galbraith & F McLean 4 and 3 (1-2).

BRIDGET JACKSON BOWL

SOPHIE STUBBS WINS AT HANDSWORTH

Shropshire county player Sophie Stubbs, a 22-year-old Shifnal Golf Club member, won the Bridget Jackson Bowl 36-hole women’s open golf tournament at Handsworth Golf Club, near Birmingham yesterday (TUES).

Sophie, who has just completed her golf scholarship four-year term at the University of Minnesota, had rounds of 70 and 72 for a total of 142, which which was two under par and two under the combined CSS.

Sophie, who has four of a handicap, won by one shot from Joanne Hodge (Knowle) and Emma Lyons (West Surrey).

Curtis Cup team selections Naomi Edwards and Melissa Reid, who had entered, did not in fact play but it as still a good-class field that Miss Stubbs beat.

Anna Stubbs (Consett), the holder of the title, retired after a first-round 80.

 

FINAL TOTALS

Par and SSS 72. CSS 72 both rounds.

142 Sophie Stubbs (Shifnal) 70 72.

143 Joanne Hodge (Knowle) 75 68, Emma Lyons (West Surrey) 72 71.

144 Elizabeth Bennett (Brokenhurst Manor) 72 72, Laura Eastwood (Yelverton) 70 74.

145 Ellie Givens (Blackwell Grange) 72 72, Rachel Jennings (Izaak Walton) 71 74.

146 Stephanie Evans (Vale of Llangollen) 72 74.

147 Kate Combes (Australia) 76 71, Sian James (Bristol & Clifton) 71 76.

148 Fiona Smith (Chelmsford) 74 74, Sally Hinton (Bridgnorth) 73 75.

149 Jody Fleming (Australia) 74 75, Laura Jones (Royal Liverpool) 74 75.

150 Lisa Ball (Matfen Hall) 78 72, Felicity Johnson (Harvborne) 77 73, Fiona thompson (Ellesborough) 75 75, Emma Sheffield (Newark) 76 76, Sarah-Jane Eaves (Cosby) 73 77.

151 Laura Collin (John O’Gaunt) 77 74, Sarah Attwood (Gog Magog _) 76 75, Claire Aitken (The London) 76 75.

153 Tracey Boyes (Meon Valley) 79 74, Harriet Owers-Bradley (Wollaton Park) 78 75, Samantha Birke (Wolstanton) 77 76, Janet Phipps (Exeter) 77 76.

154 Jenny Rhodes (South Staffs) 74 80, Glenna Beasley (Woburn) 71 83.

156 Kaye Orme (Saddleworth) 78 768, Becky Dowell (Enmore Park) 77 79.

157 Clare Howells (Moor Hall) 80 77, Holly Aitchison (Bedfordshire) 75 82.

158 Claire Starkie (Silsden) 768 80.

159 Lucy Gould (Bargoed) 81 78, Sahra Hassan (Vale of Glamorgan) 80 79, Julie Brown (Brocton Hall) 79 80, Gemma Hardie (Forest Pines) 76 83.

160 Elizabeth Over (Forest Pines) 83 77, Lisa Barton (Coventry) 77 83.

162 Gemma Easton (Bargoed) 78 84.

163 Annette Deeley (Handsworth) 85 78, Hanah Coles (Maxstoke Park) 82 81.

164 Emma Stodart (Rugby) 83 81, Emily Priest (Stourbridge) 81 83, Victoria Jones (Sandwell Park) 80 84.

166 Gemma Parkes (Cosby) 80 86.

167 Hayley Selman (Wolstanton) 82 85.

170 Debbie Loach (Enville) 81 89.

170 Natalie Harrison (Rhuddlan) 87 95.

Retired – Anna Scott (Consett) 80 retired.

 

 

FIFE MEN'S ORDER OF MERIT

 

ALEX IS MAIN MAN AFTER 10 EVENTS

 

Alex Main (Thornton) has a five-point lead over Scottish champion George Murray (Earlsferry Thistle) after 10 events of the Forrester Park Fife Order of Merit.

The next counting event is the Swallow Hotels East of Scotland championship at Lundin on Saturday and Sunday.

Leading Order of Merit points totals:

 

1 Alex Main (Thornton) 330; 2 George Murray (Earlsferry Th) 325; 3 Euan Malcolm (Dunfermline) 310; 4 David Imrie (Thornton) 255; 5 Stuart Meiklejohn (Aberdour) 205; 6 Stewart Elder (Kirkcaldy) 160; 7 Kevin Blyth (Kirkcaldy) 150; 8 Scott Michie (Thornton) 130; 9 (equal) Alfred Brown (Dunfermline), Alan England (Balbirnie Park), Paul Stewart (Ladybank) 125.

 

US GIRLS GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP

SALLY WINS US GIRLS' QUALIFIER

 

 South Queensferry girl Sally Watson has won a sectional qualifying tournament at Braelinn Golf Club, Peachtree City in Georgia for next month’s United States girls’ championship.

Sally, who will be 15 on July 10, matched the par of 72 over the 6,200yd course, to claim one of the five spots available in this qualifier, one of 32 nationwide for the championship which will be played at Carmel Country Club, Charlotte in North Carolina from July 17 to 22.

 

BRIDGET JACKSON BOWL

SOPHIE STUBBS WINS AT HANDSWORTH

 

Sophie Stubbs (Shifnal), a golf scholarship student at the University of Minnesota, won the Bridget Jackson Bowl women's 36-hole open tournament at Handsworth Golf Club today.

She had rounds of 70 and 72 for an aggregate of 142 to beat strong field that included Curtis Cup selections Melissa Reid and Naomi Edwards.

 

 

NEWS FROM PGA EUROPRO TOUR

 

DEAN IS LEADING SCOT IN SUFFOLK

 

Dean Robertson was the leading Scot at the end of the opening round of PGA EuroPro Tour’s Stoke byNayland International Open at Stoke by Nayland Golf Club in Suffolk.

Robertson was in joint 11^th position overnight after a two-under-par 70 which included a double bogey at the eighth. Out in two-over 38, Dean repaired the damage with birdies at the 11^th, 14^th, 16^th and 17^th for an inward half of 32.

Graeme Brown from Montrose shared 24^th place on the 71 mark despite running up a triple bogey 7 at the 10^th. Out in 33, thanks to birdies at the second, sixth and eighth, Graeme needed birdies at the 12^th and 16^th to help him home in two-over 38.

Paul Doherty (Vale of Glamorgan) and Ross Cameron from Ellon were both on the 73 mark with matching halves of 36 and 37.

Colin Mitchell from Blairgowrie had a double bogey at the sixth in halves of 37 for a 74 – two ahead of Jack Doherty (Vale of Glamorgan) who had a double bogey at the fourth in halves of 39 and 37 for a 76.

The first-round lead on five-under-par 67 was shared by Englishman John Wells and Guy Woodman and Irishman David Jones.

 

PGA EUROPRO TOUR – Stoke by Nayland International Open

Stoke by Nayland Golf Club, Suffok.

LEADING FIRST ROUND SCORES

67 D Jones (Ire), J Wells (Eng), G Woodman (Eng).

68 M Davis (Eng), D James (Eng), M Ramsdale (Eng), P Rowe (Eng), D Wood (Eng).

Scottish scores:

70 D Robertson.

71 G Brown.

73 P Doherty, R Cameron.

74 C Mitchell.

76 J Doherty.

 

 

EAST DIVISION TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP

MIDLOTHIAN v FIFE FOR TITLE AT DUNBAR

 

Scottish champions Midlothian and Fife, the only two teams with 100 per cent records after two days of the East Division women’s inter-county team golf championship, meet in the decisive match at Dunbar Golf Club on Wednesday.

The winners will be East champions and will go forward to the Scottish county championship finals at The Hirsel Golf Club in September.

In Today's matches, title-holders Midlothian ground out a 5-4 win over East Lothian. Midlothian gained a vital 2-1 edge in the foursomes and then got the singles wins they needed from Claire Hargan, Wendy Nicholson and Belinda Murphy.

Fife overpowered Stirling & Clackmannan 6 ½-2 ½ after making a clean sweep of the three morning foursomes. In the singles Louise Kenney from Pitreavie had a convincing 5 and 4 win over Curtis Cup first reserve Heather MacRae (Dunblane New).  Other Fife singles winners were Fiona Lockhart (St Regulus) and Jocelyn Carthew (Ladybank).

 

Tuesday’s details:

 

STIRLING & CLACKMANNAN 2 ½ , FIFE 6 ½

 

Foursomes: A Davidson & H MacRae lost to E Moffat & F Lockhart 3 and 2; S Mitchell & L Robertson lost to K Caithness and K Milne 3 and 2; L McGregor & V Stevenson lost to L Kenney & J Carthew 8 and 7 (0-3).

Singles: MacRae lost to Kenney 5 and 4, Robertson bt Moffat 5 and 4, Mitchell lost to Lockhart 5 and 4, McGregor bt B Copland 4 and 3, Davidson lost to Carthew 3 and 2, E Allison halved with  Milne (2 ½- 3 ½)

 

MIDLOTHIAN 5, EAST LOTHIAN 4

 

Foursomes: K Blackwood & C MacDonald lost to F Prior & L Mortensen 4 and 2; W Nicholson & R Livingstone bt L Fortune & E Fairnie 5 and 3; C Hargan & B Murphy bt K Brotherton & J Smith 3 and 2 (2-1).

Singles: Hargan bt Prior 3 and 2, Nicholson bt S McMaster 7 and 5 , K Marshall lost to Fairnie 3 and 1, H Laughland lost to Mortensen 1 hole, Murphy bt M Thomson 5 and 4, Blackwood lost to Brotherton 2 and 1 (3-3).

 

HOW THEY STAND    

1 Midlothian (2 wins) and Fife (2 wins), 3 East Lothian (2 defeats) and Stirling & Clackmannan (2 defeats).

 

 

WEST DIVISION COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP

  

HOSTS RENFREWSHIRE SET FOR TITLE

Renfrewshire, the only team with two wins out of two, look set to clinch the West Division women’s inter-county team golf championship at East Renfrewshire Golf Club on Wednesday

Renfrewshire followed up their opening-day win over title-holders Lanarkshire with a 5-4, come-from-behind victory over Dunbartonshire & Argyll.

D&A looked set fair when they took the foursomes 2-1 and Kylie Walker (Buchanan Castle) won the top singles tie for them by beating Renfrewshire’s young champion, Megan Briggs.

But Renfrewshire clawed their way back from a 1-3 deficit with wins by Clare-Marie Carlton (over three times champion Anne Laing), Donna Jackson, Kate O’Sullivan, Lesley Robertson before Gemma Webster got D&A’s second point of the afternoon.

Lanarkshire beat Ayrshire 6 ½- 2 ½ in the other match on the second-day programme, taking the foursomes 2 ½- ½ and the singles 4-2.

In their final match, Renfrewshire can wrap up a place in the Scottish women’s county championship finals at The Hirself Golf Club, Coldstream in September by beating bottom dogs Ayrshire.

 

Tuesday scoreboard

 

WEST DIVISION WOMEN’S INTER-COUNTY TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
East Renfrewshire Golf Club

 

RENFREWSHIRE 5, DUNBARTONSHIRE & ARGYLL 4

Foursomes: J Jenkins & C-M Carlton lost to S Bishop & A Laing 4 and 2; D Jackson & G McGinlay bt S Cadden & J Foggo 7 and 6; M Briggs & K O’Sullivan lost to K Walker & G Webster 5 and 3 (1-2).

Singles: Briggs lost to Walker 3 and 2, Carlton bt Laing 1 hole, Jackson bt   Bishop 1 hole, O’Sullivan bt J Galbraith 5 and 4, L Robertson bt Cadden 5 and 4, G Kyle lost to Webster 4 and 3 (4-2).

 

LANARKSHIRE 6 ½, Ayrshire 2 ½

Foursomes: J Wilson & S Wood bt L Hendry & R Kennedy 1 hole; E Cuthill & A Young bt L Keohone & A Thompson 2 and 1; M Hughes & A Hendry halved with C Malcolm & D Watt (2 ½- ½ ).

Singles: Wilson halved with Hendry, Young halved with Kennedy, Cuthill bt A Glennie 3 and 2, Wood  bt M McPherson 4 and 3, L Lloyd bt Watt 2 holes, R Rankin lost to Malcolm 4 and 3 (4-2).

 

HOW THEY STAND

1 Renfrewshire (2 wins), 2 Lanarkshire (1 win, 1 defeat) and Dunbartonshire & Argyll (1 win, 1 defeat), 4 Ayrshire (2 defeats).

SCOTLAND BOYS TEAM NAMED

SQUAD OF SIX FOR EUROPEAN BOYS' TEAM

CHAMPIONSHIP IN SWEDEN NEXT MONTH

 

Scottish boys' match-play champion James White (Lundin) heads the squad of six selected to represent  Scotland in the European boys' team championship, to be played in Sweden from July 11 to 15. 

Scotland last won this title six years ago when David Inglis (Glencorse) was a member of the team.

White, son of a former Tartan Tour pro who himself reached the final of the Scottish boys' championship, is having a great season. Last weekend he earned a silver medal at the Scottish youths' stroke-play championship at Mortonhall. In April he won the Scottish boys' match-play title at West Kilbride.

James also leads the SGU Junior Tour standings and he guided Fife to victory in the Glenvargill Peugeot Scottish boys' area team championship.

 

The 17-year-old helped tee off this season with an international victory for Scotland in a boys' quadrangular international..

 

Cameron Gray (West Kilbride), Lewis Kirton (Newmachar), James Byrne (Banchory) and Ross Kellet (Colville Park) also keep their place from that winning team.

 

Lewis Kirton (Newmachar) was runner-up in the 2004 Scottish boys' stroke-play championship, while17 year old James Byrne (Banchory) reached the semi-finals of this year’s Scottish boys' championship.

Ross Kellet (Colville Park) has made his mark on the men’s circuit, picking up bronze medals in the Scottish stroke-play and Scottish youths' stroke-play, and finishing third in West of Scotland Open championship.

 

Michael Stewart is drafted into the team for the European Boys Team Championships after impressing selectors in the SGU Junior Tour this year. The 16 year old youngster from Troon Welbeck has won two of the Junior Tour events this season and currently holds the third position in the Scottish Junior Golf Ranking table.

                                                                                              

 

Boys Team Captain Barrie Douglas is confident that the team selected will have a successful week. He said: “All the boys in the side are playing well and they have great determination and team spirit. Much of this is down to the enthusiasm and professionalism of their coach Spencer Henderson.

 

“They enjoyed a wonderful win together earlier in the year at the Boys Quadrangular and it has given them the taste of team success. They are keen to emulate that victory by doing well in Sweden.”

 

A total of 24 teams will line up for the five-day championship, which will be played at Bokskogens Golf Club, Sweden. The event will consist of two phases – 36 holes of stroke play qualifying over the first two days, followed by three days of match play within two flights, the top flight consisting of eight teams.

 

Scotland boys' team is:

:

James Byrne (Banchory)

Cameron Gray (West Kilbride)

Ross Kellet (Colville Park)

Lewis Kirton (Newmachar)

Michael Stewart (Troon Welbeck)

James White (Lundin)

 

NEWS FROM USA FUTURES TOUR

VIKKI BACK IN ACTION THIS WEEK

 

Vikki Laing returns to action on the Duramed Futures Tour in the United States later this week in the Northwest Indiana Futures Class at Hammond, Indiana.

The 26-year-old, Edinburgh-born player has not played in recent weeks.

Also in the field will be three other British players - Brenda McLarnon (23) from Belfast, a former student at the College of Charleston, South Carolina; Samantha Head (33) from Bedford, and Lisa Hall (38) from Stoke on Trent.

The Northwest Indiana Futures Classic will be over 54 holes, starting on Friday and finishing on Sunday. Total prizefund is $75,000. The winner will received $10,500.

NORTH DIVISION COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP

PERTH AND COUNTY WIN TITLE FOR

FIRST TIME IN 24 YEARS

 

 

Perth & Kinross will compete in the Scottish women’s county golf  championship finals in September for the first time since 1982.

They booked their place alongside the three other area title-winners by winning the North Division women’s county team championship at Crieff Golf Club today.

Perth & Kinross did it in champion style by winning all three matches over the three-day tournament. They clinched the divisional title for the first time in 24 years – Crieff was also the venue in 1982 – by beating Aberdeenshire 6 ½-2 ½.

P & K made a clean sweep of the morning foursomes 3-0 to take most of the pressure off the singles. Needing only 2pt from the six afternoon ties to make sure of victory, they got them from Emma Ogilvy (Auchterarder) and Alexandra  Bushby (Strathmore).

A win for Emma Napper (Craigie Hill) and half a point from Fiona Ramsay (Crieff) extended the winning margin.

Perth and Kinross had the outstanding player of the tournament – Alexandra Bushby who won all six of her ties. Fiona Ramsay ran her close with five wins and a halved match.

 

“It’s fantastic to have won the divisional title after 24 years,” said vice-captain Dawn Butchart. “It was an awesome team effort and it’s rather nice that Perth & Kinross are champions in the year that Jessie Valentine (who was a Craigie Hill Golf Club member all her life) passed away.”

Northern Counties, bidding to win the area title for a fourth year in a row, finished runners-up by beating Angus 5-4.

 

 

Monday results:

 

PERTH & KINROSS 6 ½, ABERDEENSHIRE 2 ½

 

Foursomes: J Milne & F Ramsay bt S Wood & L Murray 2 and 1, R Niven & A Bushby bt M Thomson & L McLardy 4 and 3, E Ogilvy & E Napper bt C Wilson & K Thomson 3 and 1 (3-0).

Singles: Ogilvy bt K Thomson 3 and 2, Milne lost to Wood 2 and 1, J Yellowlees lost to M Thomson 2 and 1, Bushby bt J Harrison 3 and 2, Napper bt D Pocock 4 and 3, Ramsay halved with Murray (3 ½-2 ½).

 

NORTHERN COUNTIES 5, ANGUS 4

Foursomes: K MacDonald & J Milne lost to A Ramsay & R Wilson 2 and 1, K Harper & L Walker bt K McNicoll & F Millar 7 and 6, A Ingram & E Manson lost to M Summers & A Hunter 4 and 3 (1-2).

Singles: MacDonald lost to McNicoll 4 and 3, Ingram lost to Ramsay 7 and 5, Harper bt S Murray 3 and 2, Milne bt J Tough 7 and 5, M Smith bt Summers 3 and 2, Walker bt Hunter 6 and 4 (4-2).

 

Final placings: 1 Perth & Kinross (3 wins), 2 Northern Counties (2 wins, 1 defeat), 3 Angus (1 draw, 2 defeats) and Aberdeenshire (1 draw, 2 defeats).

EAST DIVISION COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP

 MIDLOTHIAN'S GOOD START TO TITLE DEFENCE

Scottish title-holders Midlothian made a good start to their defence of the East Division women’s inter-county team golf championship at Dunbar Golf Club today.

They beat Stirling & Clackmannan 6 ½ -2 ½ after taking a 3-0 lead from the morning foursomes.

Claire Hargan (Mortonhall) won the top singles tie for Midlothian, beating Curtis Cup team first reserve Heather MacRae (Dunblane) by 4 and 3.

Fife shade East Lothian 5-4, that vital point of a difference coming from a 2-1 morning lead gained in the foursomes.

Two St Regulus players, Krystle Caithness (St Regulus), Curtis Cup team second reserve, and last year’s Scottish champion, Fiona Lockhart, finished the day as double winners for Fife.

Results:

 

EAST DIVISION WOMEN’S INTER-COUNTY TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP

Dunbar Golf Club.

DAY 1

 

FIFE 5, EAST LOTHIAN 4

 

Foursomes: L Kenney & J Carthew lost to F Prior & L Mortenson 3 and 1; E Moffat & F Lockhart bt L Fortune & E Fairnie 5 and 4; K Caithness & K Milne bt J Smith & K Brotherton 1 hole (2-1).

Singles: Kenney bt Prior 1 hole, Caithness bt Mortensen 3 and 2, Moffat lost to Fairnie 3 and 2, Lockhart bt S McMaster 3 and 1, L Bennett lost to M Thomson 3 and 2, Carthew lost to Brotherton 1 hole (3-3)

 

MIDLOTHIAN 6 ½ , STIRLING & CLACKMANNAN 2 ½.

 

Foursomes: K Blackwood & C MacDonald bt A Davidson & Lesley Robertson 5 and 4; K Marshall & W Nicholson bt S Mitchell & Linda Robertson 4 and 2; C Hargan & B Murphy bt S Macgregor & V Stephenson 5 and 4 (3-0).

Singles: Hargan bt H MacRae 4 and 3, MacDonald halved with Linda Robertson, H Laughland lost to Davidson 2 and 1, R Livingstone lost to Mitchell 2 and 1, Marshall bt M Tough 1 hole, Blackwood bt E Allison 3 and 1 (3 ½-2 ½)

 

WEST DIVISION TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP

DEFENDING CHAMPIONS LANARKSHIRE LOSE

THEIR OPENING TIE TO RENFREWSHIRE

 

Title-holders Lanarkshire lost their opening match of the West Division women’s inter-county golf team championship at East Renfrewshire Golf Club today.

They lost 5 ½-3 ½ to Renfrewshire after sharing the foursomes 1 ½-1 ½.

Lanarkshire made a sound start to the afternoon singles with victories for Jenna Wilson and Alexandra Young.

Renfrewshire turned the tables by taking the last four ties with wins for Clare-Marie Carlton, Donna Jackson, Lesley Robertson and Gillian Kyle

Highlight of Dunbartonshire & Argyll’s 6-3 win over Ayrshire was a winning comeback – after 27 years! – by former Curtis Cup star Suzanne Cadden (Cardross).

Suzanne beat Morag McPherson (Turnberry) by 6 and 5. She was one of four D&A winners in the singles after the morning foursomes were shared.

 

Results:

 

WEST DIVISION INTER-COUNTY TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP

East Renfrewshire Golf Club

DAY 1

DUNBARTONSHIRE & ARGYLL 6, AYRSHIRE 3

 

Foursomes: A Laing & S Bishop halved with C Malcolm & D Watt; J Galbraith & F McLean lost to L Hendry & R Kennedy 5 and 4; G Webster & K Walker bt A Glennie & L Keohone 5 and 3 (1 ½-1 ½).

Singles: Walker halved with Hendry, Laing bt Kennedy 6 and 4, Bishop bt Malcolm 3 and 2, J Foggo lost to A Thompson 3 and 2, S Cadden bt M McPherson 6 and 5, Webster bt Watt 3 and 2 (4  ½-1 ½ )

 

RENFREWSHIRE 5 ½, LANARKSHIRE 3 1/2

 

Foursomes: D Jackson & G Kyle lost to J Wilson & S Wood 2 and 1; J Jenkins & C-M Carlton halved with E Cuthill & A Young; M Briggs & K O’Sullivan bt M Hughes & A Hendry 1 hole (1 ½-1 ½).

Singles: Briggs lost to Wilson 6 and 5, O’Sullivan lost to Young 1 hole, Carlton bt Cuthill 4 and 3, Jackson bt Wood 3 and 2, L Robertson bt L Lloyd 3 and 1, Kyle bt R Rankin 1 hole (4-2).

 

WEST DIVISION TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP

HONOURS EVEN AT EAST RENFREWSHIRE

 

WEST DIVISION INTER-COUNTY TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP

East Renfrewshire Golf Club

DAY 1

DUNBARTONSHIRE & ARGYLL tied 1 ½-1 ½ with AYRSHIRE

 

Foursomes: A Laing & S Bishop halved with C Malcolm & D Watt; J Galbraith & F McLean lost to L Hendry & R Kennedy 5 and 4; G Webster & K Walker bt A Glennie & L Keohone 5 and 3 (1 ½-1 ½).

Singles: Walker v Hendry, Laing v Kennedy, Bishop v Malcolm, J Foggo v A Thompson, S Cadden v M McPherson, Webster v Watt.

 

RENFRESHIRE tied 1 ½ - 1 ½ with LANARKSHIRE

 

Foursomes: D Jackson & G Kyle lost to J Wilson & S Wood 2 and 1; J Jenkins & C-M Carlton halved with E Cuthill & A Young; M Briggs & K O’Sullivan bt M Hughes & A Hendry 1 hole (1 ½-1 ½).

Singles: Briggs v Wilson, O’Sullivan v Young, Carlton v Cuthill, Jackson v Wood, L Robertson v L Loyd, Kyle v R Rankin.

 

EAST DIVISION WOMEN'S TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP

GOOD MORNING FOR MIDLOTHIAN AT DUNBAR

 

EAST DIVISION WOMEN’S INTER-COUNTY TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP

Dunbar Golf Club.

DAY 1

 

FIFE lead EAST LOTHIAN 2-1

 

Foursomes: L Kenney & J Carthew lost to F Prior & L Mortenson 3 and 1; E Moffat & F Lockhart bt L Fortune & E Fairnie 5 and 4; K Caithness & K Milne bt J Smith & K Brotherton 1 hole (1-2).

Singles: Kenney v Prior, Caithness v Mortensen, Moffat v Fairnie, Lockhart v S McMaster, Carthew v Brotherton.

 

MIDLOTHIAN lead STIRLING & CLACKMANNAN 3-0

 

Foursomes: K Blackwood & C MacDonald bt A Davidson & Lesley Robertson 5 and 4; K Marshall & W Nicholson bt S Mitchell & Linda Robertson 4 and 2; C Hargan & B Murphy bt S Macgregor & V Stephenson 5 and 4 (3-0).

Singles: Hargan v H MacRae, MacDonald v Linda Robertson, H Laughland v Davidson; R Livingstone v Mitchell, Marshall v M Tough, K Blackwood v E Allison.

SCOTLAND YOUTHS TEAM NAMED

HENRY, SALTMAN HEAD SQUAD OF SIX FOR SPAIN

 

Scottish men's amateur stroke-play  champion Scott Henry headlines a strong Scotland side to defend the European youths team championship in Spain from July 11 to 15.

The 19- year- old, who had to retire after only eight holes in the Scottish youths championship last Friday at Mortonhall, secured his first senior title at Craigielaw at the beginning of the month to underline his reputation as one of the country’s hottest young golfing talents.

 Joining Henry in the side is Walker Cup star Lloyd Saltman, who was a member of the victorious Scotland youths side in Ireland in 2004. The 20 year old from Craigielaw impressed last year, clinching a unique double on the Old Course, St Andrews – winning the Links Trophy and securing the Silver Medal in the Open Championship.

The Scotland team, also includes Steven McEwan (Kilmarnock Barassie) who led at halfway of the Scottish youths championship at the weekend and won the Scottish boys' open stroke-play title last year.

Former British boys champion Jordan Findlay is one of two American university students in the team of six. Findlay from Fraserburgh has completed one year of a four-year golf scholarship at East Tennessee State University.

Russell Knox (Inverness) had a great season for Jacksonville University, Florida and was ranked No 10 in the Golf Stat Cup ratings at the end of the 2005-2006 US college season.

Team captain, and former Walker Cup star Barclay Howard is confident that his side can mount a serious challenge. He said: “We have a strong team with a number of extremely talented individuals. More importantly though, they are able to perform well as part of a team.                                                

“I have been lucky enough to be part of winning side in the Walker Cup and I know what a great experience it can be to share success as a team.

“I am keen to pass on this experience and help the boys perform well in Spain and emulate Scotland’s success in the event two years ago.

“I know they will be focused and determined to play to the best of their ability. Let’s just hope that their best will be good enough to win the title.”

.A total of 17 teams will line up for the five-day championship to be played at La Canada Golf Club, Spain.

  

Full Scotland  team is:

Jordan Findlay (Fraserburgh)

Scott Henry (Cardross)

Russell Knox (Inverness)

Steven McEwan (Kilmarnock (Barassie)

Paul O’Hara (Colville Park)

Lloyd Saltman (Craigielaw)

 

 

 

WOMEN'S PRO TOURNAMENTS

 

LOW-NOTE FINISH FOR JULIE FORBES

 

Julie Forbes from Aboyne had rounds of 78, 73 and 83 for a total of 234 in the Estoril Ladies Open of Portugal over the Oitavos course at Quinta da Marinha. She was the only Scot to survive the 36-hole cut.

Julie earned 660 Euros for the week which ended on a low note for her with nine bogeys, a double bogey and not a single birdie in her closing round.

France’s Stephanie Arricau won the title – her second tournament win in three weeks. She finished on nine-under-par 207, five shots ahead of compatriot Gwladys Nocera, to win the 45,000 Euros top prize.

LEADING TOTALS

207 Stephanie Arricau (Fra) 71 71 67.

212 Gwladys Nocera (Fra) 69 73 70.

213 Sarah Kemp (Aus) 69 72 72.

214 Rebecca Hudson (Eng) 74 71 69.

215 Becky Brewerton (Wal) 72 69 74.

Other total:

234 Julie Forbes (Sco) 78 73 83.

 

A FEW DOLLARS MORE FOR SAMANTHA

 

Samantha Head, the only British or Irish player to contest the final round, finished tied 38^th in the Duramed Futures Tour’s Lima Memorial Hospital Classic at Lost Creek Country Club, Lima in Ohio.

Samantha, from Bedford, had rounds of 71,70 and 72 for a total of 213 in a very low scoring tournament over a 5,992yd, par-72 course. Samantha eared $333 for her three-under-par effort.

Ji Min Jeong, one of many Koreans on the tour, scored her first win with rounds of 69, 66 and 68 for a 13-under-par total of 203. By birdieing the last hole, she had one shot to spare over Mollie Fankhauser. Her cash prize was $9,800.

 

TIGHT LIES TOUR LATEST

 RHIND LETS IT SLIP ON LAST NINE

Lee Rhind from Livingston finished joint 13^th in the Tight Lies Tour’s Stonebridge Open at Bossier City, Louisiana on Sunday.

Rhind, 27, had rounds of 71, 69, 68 and 71 for a total of nine-under-par 279.

He birdied the first, third, fourth, seventh and eighth with only one bogey, at the second, in improving to 13 under par for the tournament with 10 holes to play. At that point he was within striking distance of back-to-back wins on the Tight Lies Tour.

But Lee then bogeyed the ninth, 12^th, 13^th and 16^th before adding a final birdie at the 18^th.

Winner by three shots was American Alan Weant with 17-under-par 271, made up of 70, 68, 68 and 65.

 

 

NORTH DIVISION WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP

PERTH & KINROSS FAVOURITES TO WIN

TITLE FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 1982

Perth & Kinross are on the brink of winning the North Division women’s inter-county team golf championship for the first time since 1982.

Twenty-four years ago they beat Angus, Aberdeenshire & Northern Counties to win the title at Crieff – and, by coincidence, that is the venue for this year’s three-day championship.

Perth & Kinross followed up their 7-2 Saturday win over Angus by beating Northern Counties, champions for the past three years, 5 ½-3 ½ today.

In the other match, Aberdeenshire and Angus drew 4 ½-4 ½.

In Monday’s final programme, Perth & Kinross play Aberdeenshire, while Angus play Northern Counties.

The winners of the North Division team title go forward to the Scottish women’s county finals at The Hirsel Golf Club, Coldstream in September.

Details:

SUNDAY

ANGUS 4 ½ , ABERDEENSHIRE 4 ½

Foursomes: R Wilson & A Ramsay lost to S Wood & L Murray 1 hole; M Summers & A Hunter bt L McLardy & M Thomson 2 holes; K McNicoll & F Millar bt J Harrison & C Wilson 1 hole (2-1)

Singles: J Tough lost to K Thomson 4 and 3, Hunter lost to Wood 4 and 2, R Wilson lost to M Thomson 5 and 3, Summers bt C Wilson 6 and 5, McNicoll bt D Pocock 4 and 3, Ramsay halved with Murray (2 ½ -3 ½ ).

NORTHERN COUNTIES 3 ½ , PERTH & KINROSS 5 ½

Foursomes: K MacDonald & Jenny Milne lost to Jillian Milne & F Ramsay 4 and 2; K Harper & L Walker lost to R Niven & A Bushby 2 and 1; A Ingram & E Manson bt E Ogilvy & S Kettlewell 5 and 3 (1-2).

Singles: MacDonald bt Niven 3 and 1, Harper lost to Jillian Milne 3 and 1, Walker bt J Yellowlees 3 and 2, Ingram lost to Bushby 2 and 1, Jenny Milne lost to Ramsay 2 holes, M Smith halved with E Napper (2 ½ -3 ½ ).

SATURDAY

ABERDEENSHIRE 3 ½, NORTHERN COUNTIES 5 ½

Foursomes: Wood & Murray lost to MacDonald & Milne 3 and 2; Pocock & M Thomson lost to Harper & Walker 4 and 3; Harrison & Wilson bt Smith & Sinclair 3 and 1 (1-2).

Singles: K Thomson lost to MacDonald 2 and 1, Wood lost to Walker 1 hole, Murray bt Smith 3 and 2, C Wilson halved with Milne, L McLardy lost to A Ingram 5 and 4, M Thomson bt Harper 3 and 1 (2 ½-3 ½ ).

ANGUS 2, PERTH & KINROSS 7

Foursomes: Summers & Hunter lost to Milne & F Ramsay 3 and 2; Wilson & A Ramsay lost to Niven & Bushby 4 and 3, McNicoll & Murray bt Ogilvy & Napper 2 and 1 (1-2).

Singles: Tough lost to Niven 5 and 4, Summers lost to Bushby 2 and 1, Wilson lost to Yellowless 3 and 2, Murray lost to Kettlewell 3 and 2, Millar lost to F Ramsay 4 and 3, McNicoll bt Ogilvy 5 and 4 (1-5).

HOW THEY STAND

1 Perth & Kinross (2 wins), 2 Northern Counties (1 win, 1 defeat), 3 Aberdeenshire (1 draw, 1 defeat) & Angus (1 draw, 1 defeat).

MONDAY MATCHES:

9am & 1.30: Perth & Kinross v Aberdeenshire; Northern Counties v Angus.

SCOTTISH YOUTHS TITLE GOES TO SPAIN

FRANCISCO (16) , COACHED AT KINGSACRE

WINS AT MORTONHALL  

 

 

FRANCISCO Pintor , only 16, became not only the first Spanish winner but also possibly the youngest ever holder of the title at the conclusion of the Scottish youths’ open amateur stroke-play golf championship at Mortonhall Golf Club, Edinburgh today. 

Francisco, from Alicante, came from four shots off the pace at the halfway stage to go two clear of the field with a four-under-par 68 in the third round. A closing 74 was good enough to see him win the Under-21s' title by two shots with a total of four-under-par 284.

Scottish boys match-play champion James White Lundin) and Ross Kellett (Colville Park) were joint runners-up on 286.

Halfway leader Steven McEwan (Barassie) faded with closing rounds of 74 and 76 to a level par total of 288 which earned him joint fourth place.

Pintor described the win as the biggest of his career, and hopes it will secure his place in Spain’s side for the European boys’ team championship next month.

He said: “I have won county championships in Spain, but never a national title, so this is really special. t is also my first time playing in Scotland, so I am delighted to have played so well here.

“I knew that I was playing well, and the course really suited my game, so I was hoping to do well in the event.

Pintor flies over to Scotland every three months to receive tuition from Kingsacre Golf Centre, Edinburgh headoach Alan Murdoch. It was on Alan’s advice that young Francisco entered the Scottish youths open championship.

The trophy will now head back to Kingsacre – the home of former Scottish youths champion and European Tour player Andrew Oldcorn.

McEwan cut Pintor’s lead to just one shot after the first hole of the final round. The Spaniard bogeyed the par-4 hole to slip back to five under par.

Pintor’s nervous start continued with bogeys at the second and fourth as he approached the turn at three over par for his round.

McEwan kept up the challenge with an eagle 3 at the eighth  but his bid for the title crumbled with consecutive bogeys at the 14^th and 15^th. 

 

A fantastic birdie at the last hole – his first at the tricky 18th – was enough for Pintor to become the first Spaniard to secure the title.

 

EDZELL PRO-AM

WARDELL COVERS FIRST NINE IN 31

Whitekirk Golf Club professional Paul Wardell reduced the first nine holes to only 31 strokes in winning the top prize of £1,064 in the £7,500 Edzell Golf Club pro-am today.

Wardell finished with a five-under-par 66 but all the magic came before the turn. Paul birdied the first, second, third, sixth and ninth to be five under par after nine holes.

The inward half was positively humdrum after that – nine straight pars for 35 home.

He won by one stroke from Ross Drummond (Prestwick Driving Range) and Colin Gillies (Kingsfield).

The last group to finish, Alan Reid (unattached) and the Angus Tyre Company trio of Bill Annandale (14), Andrew Mitchell (19) and Duncan Henderson (16), won the pro-am team event with a net score of 20-under-par 122.
They pipped the clubhouse leaders - Lee Vannet (Carnoustie) and the Ryden team of Gus Stewart (12), Mike Loggie (14) and Dave Manzie (4) - by one shot.

LEADING SCORES

66 P Wardell (Whitekirk).

67 R Drummond (Prestwick DR), C Gillies (Kingsfield).

68 K Walker (Castle Park).

69 D B Scott (Douglas Park), S Henderson (Kings Links).

770 G McFarlane (World of Golf), J McKinnon (Troon), I Bratton (Newburgh on Ythan).

LEADING TEAMS

122 A Reid (unatt) & Angus Tyre Co: B Annandale (14), A Mitchell 919), D Henderson (16).

123 L Vannet (Carnoustie) & Ryden: G Stewart (12), M Loggie (14), D Manzie (4).

SCOTTISH YOUTHS CHAMPIONSHIP

FINAL TOTALS AT MORTONHALL

284 F Pintor (Spa) 69 73 68 74.

286 J White (Lundin) 75 69 75 67. R Kellett (Colville Park) 74 69 72 71.

288 M Larusson (Ice) 69 75 74 70, A Main (Thornton) 76 71 70 71, S McEwan (Barassie) 68 70 74 76.

289 S Mann (Carnosutie) 75 72 69 73.

291 P Westermann (Ger) 75 71 70 75.

292 M Stewart (Troon Welbeck) 71 74 74 73, R McKnight (Barassie) 70 71 75 76.

293 M Smyth (Royal Troon) 73 76 73 71.

294 S McAllister (Craigielaw) 73 71 77 73, G Paterson (St Andrews New) 71 73 79 71, T Curtis (Pannal) 70 75 76 73.

295 K Glen (Royal Musselburgh) 73 72 76 74.

297 K Duncan (McDonald Ellon) 74 73 72 78.

298 M Kraemer (Ger) 77 71 75 75, C Robinson (Wigtown & Bladnoch) 72 73 75 78

299 T Benatzky (Ger) 73 75 76 75, J Byrne (Banchory) 73 72 77 77, R Noon (Musselburgh) 74 73 76 76.

300 D Parlane (Helensburgh) 71 73 77 79, A Gordon (Portpatrick) 70 76 80 74.

301 E Malcolm (Dunfermline) 70 77 76 78, D Yeats (Newmachar) 76 71 78 76.

302 A Lauder (Paisley) 71 77 77 77, G Stevenson (Whitecraigs) 77 72 74 79, C-H Raindre (Fra) 74 75 78 75, M Bozio (Fra) 74 70 79 79, S Simants (Dunbar) 71 75 76 80.

303 P Okan (Ger) 77 72 76 78, S Barras (Helensburgh) 72 77 78 76, A Moir (Thornton) 78 71 81 73, S Fraser (Northern) 75 72 76 80, S Borrowman (Dollar) 76 72 78 77, R Crowe (Newcastle Utd) 70 73 83 77.

304 M Main (Thornton) 68 77 80 79, F Dunlop (Broomieknowe) 74 72 78 80, S Herald (Whitecraigs) 78 68 82 76, J Findlay (Fraserburgh) 73 75 80 76.

306 C Gray (West Kilbride) 75 73 73 85.

307 F Bone (Cardross) 81 68 69 79.

308 K Smith (Barassie) 74 75 81 78, D Laing (Craigielaw) 74 75 79 80.

309 M Spence (Newmachar) 76 71 79 83.

311 A Weir (Montrose Mercantile) 76 72 81 82, S Jaeger (Ger) 77 72 80 82.

312 B Campbell (Malone) 78 71 80 83.

Retired: R Graham (Hayston) 69 74 80 Ret.

NR F McKenna (~Balmore) 76 73 76 NR.

 

TENNANT CUP

 

JOHN GALLAGHER SWOOPS TO

CONQUER AT KILLERMONT

 

Cack-handed John Gallagher once again demonstrated that it’s not how, but how many when he came with a Sunday swoop to win the prestigious Tennant Cup 72-hole tournament at Glasgow Golf Club’s Killermont course today.

The Swanston man was in third place overnight after rounds of 69 and 72 at Glasgow Gailes on Saturday, six shots behind leader Craig Watson.

But Watson opened door to his challengers with a third-round 75 and Gallagher swept through with scores of 68 and 69 for a four-round total of four-under-par 278.

He won by two shots from Scott Jamieson (Cathkin Braes), Gavin Dear (Murrayshall) and Craig Watson (East Renfrewshire).

 FINAL TOTALS (CSS 74 74 69 69)

278 J Gallagher (Swanston) 69 72 68 69.

279 S Jamieson (Cathkin Braes() 76 64 68 71, G Dear (Murrayshall) 72 72 65 70, C Watson (East Renfrewshire) 68 67 75 69.

282 J King (Glasgow) 72 70 68 72.

283 E Saltman (Craigielaw) 73 71 68 71.

284 M Kerr (Dalmahoy) 74 71 70 69.

285 C MacAulay (Tulliallan) 71 74 69 71, K McNicoll (Carnoustie) 76 69 70 70, I Colquhoun (Ranfurly Castle) 71 75 71 68.

286 P O’Hara (Colville Park) 77 70 69 70, G Campbell (Blairgowrie) 72 74 73 67.

290 G Gorrie (Glasgow) 73 69 73 75.

293 B Anderson (Cambuslang) 80 70 69 74, S Clark (Haggs Castle) 73 72 79 69.

295 D Simpson (Comrie) 71 78 71 75.

297 K Shanks (Hilton Park) 77 79 74 67.

298 C Harkins (Ayr Belleisle) 76 79 71 72, W Booth (Comrie) 81 77 70 70.

299 J mathers (Haggs Castle) 75 77 73 74.

300 R Taylor (Downfield) 78 71 72 79, A Howard (Murrayshall) 76 79 73 72, N Gold (Bonnyton) 74 78 76 72, S ichie (Thornton) 82 74 73 71.

301 G Munro (Ranfurly Castle) 76 75 77 73.

302 G Yates (Hilton park) 76 74 73 79, S Elder (Kirkcaldy) 78 75 72 77.

303 P Dempsey (Alloa) 74 75 77 77.

304 S Rennie (Airdrie) 76 77 77 74, S Hume (Murrayshall) 78 76 78 72.

305 J Hempstock (Dumfries & Co) 79 77 74 75.

307 D Miller (Fereneze) 75 78 76 78.

308 S Turnbull (Hayston) 78 81 80 69.

312 P Betty (Hayston) 78 81 82 71.

313 C Carson (Inellan) 83 75 77 78.

314 F Inglis (Murrayshall) 79 78 79 78.

NR J Whitelaw (Lanark) 83 75 78 NR

 

 

CHALLENGE TOUR NEWS

 

McLEARY JOINT SIXTH WITH 13 UNDER PAR

Scots Jamie McLeary and Andrew McArthur finished joint sixth and joint 11th respectively in the Credit Suisse Challenge tournament at Wylihof Golf Club. McLeary, in contention for the 22,400 Euros first prize over the final round, finished with scores of 70, 72, 64 and 73 for a 13-under-par total of 279 to earn 4,340 Euros.

Former Scottish amateur champion McArthur had rounds of 69, 70, 73 and 69 for 281 to win 2,590 Euros.

Spain's Francisco Cea beat Englan's Tim Milford at the second extra hole of a sudden death play-off to take the title and the top cash award. They had tied on 16-under-par 276.

 

 

LEADING FINAL TOTALS

276 F Cea (Spa) 73 69 69 65, T Milford (Eng) 65 72 71 68 (Cea won play-off at second extra hole.

277 G Davies (Eng) 73 68 70 66, M Vibe-Hastrup (Den) 69 69 70 69.

Other placings:

279 J McLeary (Sco) 70 72 64 73.

281 A McArthur (Sco) 69 70 73 69.

NEWS FROM FUTURES TOUR

BRENDA FAILS TO BEAT THE CUT

Belfast's Brenda McLarnon matched the par of 72 in the second round of the Duramed Futures Tour's Lima Memorial Hospital Classic at Lima, Ohio but missed one of the lowest cuts of the season. One-over-par 145 made it, but 146 did not not.

Brenda, a former student at the College of Charleston, South Carolina,  saddled herself with an opening score of 79. Her 36-hole total of 151 was always going to be five or six shots too many on a short course with small greens.

Ji Min Jeong from Kyungki, Korea bogeyed the last for a 66 and a nine-under-par tally of 135. She leads by only one shot.

Six shots off the pace is Samantha Head from Bedford. She has scored 71 and 70 for 141 and a share of 35th place.

SCOTTISH YOUTHS CHAMPIONSHIP

BARASSIE BOYS 1-2 WITH 36 HOLES TO

PLAY AT MORTONHALL ON SUNDAY

 

Kilmarnock Barassie boys Steven McEwan and Robert McKnight lead the field at the halfway stage of the Scottish youths’ open amateur stroke-play golf championship at Mortonhall Golf Club, Edinburgh.

McEwan, winner last year of the Scottish Under-18 boys’ stroke-play title  and capped recently for Scotland youths against Ireland, added a two-under-par 70 to his opening round of 68 for a six-under-par tally of 138.

McEwan reached the turn in one under par with birdies at the fifth, seventh and eighth, dropping shots at the third and sixth. Coming home, he birdied the long 12^th and the par-4 14^th and dropped only one more shot, at the 15^th in coming home in 35 for a 70.

He leads by three shots overnight from clubmate Robert McKnight who has had scores of 70 and 71.

A total of 50 players with totals of 149 qualified for Sunday’s final two rounds.

QUALIFIERS

138 S McEwan (Barassie) 68 70.

141 R McKnight (Barassie) 70 71.

142 F Pintor (Spa) 69 73.

143 R Kellett (Colville Park) 74 69, R Graham (Hayston) 69 74, R Crowe (Newcastle Utd) 70 73..

144 G Paterson (St Andrews New) 71 73, S McAllister (Craigielaw) 73 71, M Bozio (Fra) 74 70, D Parlane (Helensburgh) 71 73, J White (Lundin) 75 69, M Larusson (Ice) 69 75.

145 K Glen (Royal Musselburgh) 73 72, M Stewart (Troon Welbeck) 71 74, T Curtis (Pannal) 70 75, M Main (Thornton) 68 77, C Robinson (Wigtown & Bladnoch) 72 73, J Byrne (Banchory) 73 72.

146 P Westermann (Ger) 75 71, S Simants (Dunbar) 71 74, A Gordon (Portpatrick) 70 76, S Herald (Whitecraigs) 78 68, F Dunlop (Broomieknowe) 74 72.

147  R Noon (Musselburgh) 74 73, D Yeats (Newmachar) 76 71, S Mann (Carnoustie) 75 72, K Duncan (McDonald Ellon) 74 73, M Spence (Newmachar) 76 71, S Fraser(Northeren) 75 72, E Malcolm (Dunfermline) 70 77, A Main (Thornton) 76 71.

148 T Benatzky (Ger) 73 75, J Findlay (Fraserburgh) 73 74, A Weir (Montrose Mercantile) 76 72, M Kraemer (Ger) 77 71, A Lauder (Paisley) 71 77, C Gray (West Kilbride) 75 73, S Borrowman (Dollar) 76 72.

149 F Bone (Cardross) 81 69, S Barras (Helensburgh) 72 77, B Campbell (Malone) 77 72, S Jaeger (Ger) 77 72, K Smith (Barassie) 74 75, C-H Raindre (Fra) 74 75, M Smyth (Royal Troon) 73 76, D Laing (Craigielaw) 74 75, A Moir (Thornton) 74 75, F McKenna (Balmore) 76 73, G Stevenson (Whitecraigs) 77 72.

 

MISSED CUT

150 L Kirton (Newmachar) 77 73, S Neilson (Dunbar) 72 78, K Spence (Newmachar) 79 71, S Binning (Old Ranfurly) 76 74, S Mann (Moray) 74 76, Z Saltman (Craigielaw) 74 76, A Kristinsson (Ice) 74 76, A Hay (Westhill) 75 75.

151 B Rushford (Grangemouth) 79 72, E Polson (Inverness) 75 76, N Cameron (King James VI) 74 77, R Anderson (Duddingston) 77 74, A Nelson (Douglas Park) 74 77, R Rebecchi (Greenock) 77 74, R Leeds (Muckhart) 76 75, J Duff (Newmachar) 73 78.

152 G Wood (Crow Wood) 78 74, A Bews (Murcar Links) 77 75, T Hayes (West Byfleet) 83 69, R Hyland (Newmachar) 82 70, G Nicolson (Mortonhall) 72 80, A Culverwell (Dunbar) 74 78, R Jamieson (US) 76 76, B Mackay (Prestonfield) 76 76.

153 G Turner (West Linton) 77 76, M Oueld-Es-Cheik (Fra) 77 76, J Meechan (Dullatur) 78 75, P Latimer (St Andrews New) 75 78, M Murray (Brora) 76 77, P McCabe (Wishaw) 80 73, M Lawrence (Kintore) 81 72, S Keane (Cathkin Braes) 78 75, O Loftsson (Ice) 76 77.

154 D Morrison (Duff House Royal) 82 72, J Lockie (Tantallon) 74 80, T Spencer (Inchmarlo) 78 76, L Vettese (Nigg Bay) 77 77, M Greil (Ita) 81 73, G Finlay (Ballumbie Castle) 77 77, C Baron (Oldmeldrum) 80 74. M Hamm (Ger) 82 72, K Wilson (Moffat) 79 75,

155 C Malcolm (Dunfermline) 79 76, E Brown (Barassie) 79 76, J Donaldson (Falkirk Tryst) 77 78, D Chapman (Costessey Park) 73 82, J Bradley (Paisley) 77 78, S Crichton (Aberdour) 84 71, S Steffansson (Ice) 76 79..

156 A Rollo (Elgin) 78 78, C Cannon (East Sussex National) 78 78, K Truscott (Newmachar) 76 80, J Neilson (Dunbar) 80 786, R Lando (Colville Park) 79 77, J Mackay (Barassie) 76 80, A Finnbjornsson (Ice) 82 74, C Aitken (Glencruitten) 77 79, S McGarvey (Glencorse) 81 75.

157 M Bookless (Sandyhills) 79 78, C Kelly (Kirkhill) 80 77, D Addison (Barassie) 79 78, A Boyle (Dublin) 82 75, M Junker (Ger) 76 81.

158 A Brown (Kilsyth Lennox) 77 81, T Machleid (Ger) 81 77, C Storrier (Downfield) 78 80.

159 F Fotheringham (Nairn) 80 79.

160 S McGrenaghan (Cochrane Castle) 81 69, S Tully (Duddingston) 80 80, C Young (Eastwood) 81 79, C Thomson (East Renfrewshire) 82 78.

161 M Gentles (Edzell) 78 83, J Gardiner (Montrose Mercantile) 86 75.

162 A McKie (Glencruitten) 84 78, J Laing (Longniddry) 80 82, D Sommerville (St Andrews) 83 79.

163 M Watson (Elgin) 83 80, S Henderson (Barassie) 81 82, T Gissurarson (Ice) 78 85, N Sinclair (Barassie) 83 80.

164 J Foley (Forres) 80 84.

165 R McKen (Newburgh on Ythan) 83 82, G Robertson (Glenbervie) 85 80, R Bell (Downfield) 81 84, D Torrance (Wentworth) 84 81.

167 D Broadfoot (Kirkcudbright) 86 81.

170 S P Olafsson (Ice) 80 90

.

TENNANT CUP FIREWORKS BY CRAIG

THE WONDER OF WATSON: CRAIG LEADS

JAMIESON BY FIVE SHOTS AT HALFWAY

 

Former British amateur champion Craig Watson turned the clock back a few years with a vintage performance to lead by five strokes from a good-class field at the halfway stage of the Tennant Cup today.

Watson, playing out of the East Renfrewshire club, shot rounds of 68 and 67 over Glasgow Gailes links – against a CSS of 74 morning and afternoon – for a 36-hole tally of 135.

Scott Jamieson (Cathkin Braes) dashed up to Ayrshire from Kent after a Friday morning exit from the British amateur championship at Royal St George’s Golf Club to be Watson’s nearest rival on 140.

Jamieson, who tied with Watson for the Edward Trophy over two rounds at the same course in April, was a bit travel-weary with an opening score of 76 but then he slashed 12 strokes off that after lunchtime with a brilliant score of seven-under-par 64.

The final two rounds switch to Glasgow Golf Club’s Killermont course on Sunday.

HALFWAY TOTALS

135 C Watson (East Renfrewshire) 68 67.

140 S Jamieson (Cathkin Braes) 76 64.

141 J Gallagher (Swanston) 69 72.

142 G Gorrie (Glasgow) 73 69, J King (Glasgow) 72 70.

144 G Dear (Murrayshall) 72 72, E Saltman (Craigielaw) 73 71.

145 C Macaulay (Tulliallan) 71 74, M Kerr (Dalmahoy) 74 71, K McNicoll (Carnoustie) 76 69.

146 G Campbell (Blairgowrie) 72 74, I Colquhoun (Ranfurly Castle).

147 P O’Hara (Colville Park) 77 70.

148 P Dempsey (Alloa) 74 74.

149 D Simpson (Comrie) 71 78, R Taylor (Downfield) 78 71.

150 B Anderson (Cambuslang) 80 70, G Yates (Hilton Park) 76 74.

151 G Munro (Ranfurly Castle) 76 75.

152 J Mathers (Haggs Castle) 75 77, N Gold ( Bonnyton) 74 78.

153 S Elder (Kirkcaldy) 78 75, S Rennie (Airdrie) 76 77, D Miller (Fereneze) 75 78.

154 S Hume (Myurrayshall) 78 76.

155 C Colraine (Windyhill) 77 78, A Love (Dunbar) 73 82, A Howard Murrayshall) 76 79, C Harkins (Ayr Belleisle) 76 789, M Clark (Kilmacolm) 780 75.

156 K Shanks (Hilton Park) 77 79, S Michie (Thornton) 82 74, J Hempstock (Dumfries & Co) 79 787.

157 F Inglis (Murrayshall) 79 78.

158 W Booth (Comrie) 81 77, C Carson (Inellan) 83 75, J Whitelaw (Lanark) 83 75.

159 P Betty (Hayston) 78 81, S Turnbull (Hayston) 78 81.

 

TOP TEE TIMES AT KILLERMONT

9.37 & 1.52 -  O’Hara & Colquhoun.

9.45 & 2.00 -  Campbell & Clark.

9.52 & 2.07 -  McNicoll & Kerr.

10.0 & 2.15 -  Macaulay and E Saltman.

10.06 & 2.22 -  Dear and King.

10.15 & 2.30 -  Gorrie & Gallagher.

10.22 & 2.37 - Jamieson & Watson.

LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR UPDATE

JULIE MAKES IT BUT LYNN, LIZ AND

CLARE MISS CUT IN PORTUGAL

 

Aboyne exile Julie Forbes made the 36-hole cut in the Ladies European Tour event at Oitavos golf course in the Estoril and Sintra region of Portugal today.

Julie had rounds of 78 and 73 to be joint 46th on seven-over-par 151 going into Sunday's final round.

Players with totals of 154 and over did not qualify.

They included Lynn Kenny (Brucefields Family Golf Centre) and Inverness-based Kiwi Liz McKinnon on 159. Lynn and Liz both scored 78 and 81.

Sarah Kemp (Australia) and Becky Brewerton from Wales share the lead at three-under--par 141. Sarah has scored 69 and 72, while Becky did it the other way round, 72 and 69.

 

 

AYRSHIRE TOUR PRO IN FORM

 

SUPERMAC HITS SIX BIRDIES IN SUCCESSION

IN WINNING PORTLETHEN PRO-AM WITH A 62

 

Irvine tour pro Jim McKinnon shot a brilliant 10-under-par 62 to win the Portlethen Golf Club pro-am by four shots today.

McKinnon picked up the £1,035 prize with a bogey-free card and his 10 birdies included six in a row from 12^th to the 17^th  in halves of 32 (four under par) and 30 (six under par).

Gary Colinson (Esporta Dougalston) and Kenny Walker (Castle Park) were joint runners-up on 66.

Alan Reid (unattached) led the Randy Smith Training team No 1 to victory in the team event with a net score of 19-under-par 55. The amateurs were Duncan Bonner (6), Jay Richardson (15) and George Robertson (14).

LEADING SCORES

62 J McKinnon (Irvine).

66 G Collinson (Esporta Dougalston), K Walker (Castle Park).

67 C Gillies (Kingsfield).

68 G McFarlane (World of Golf.

69 N Murray (Cruden Bay), S Henderson (Kings Links), G Hutcheon (unatt), S Cairns (Westerwood), S Gray (Hayston), L Vannet (Carnoustie), M King (Kingsfield), A Reid (unatt).

TEAM WINNERS

55 A Reid (unatt) & Randy Smith Training team No 1: D Bonner (6), J Richardson (15), G Robertson (14).

NORTH DIVISION WOMEN'S INTER-COUNTY

 

NORTHERN COUNTIES’ GOOD START TO

BID FOR TITLE FOUR-TIME AT CRIEFF

 

Northern Counties boosted their hopes of a fourth success title win in the North Division women’s inter-county team championship when they beat their main rivals, Aberdeenshire, 5 ½-3 ½ in the opening match at Crieff today (Saturday).

Northern Counties took the foursomes 2-1 and the singles 3 ½-2 ½ with 15-year-old Kelsey MacDonald from Nairn Dunbar winning the battle of the county champions by 2 and 1 against Katie Thomson (Kintore).

In the other opening match of the three-day tournament, Perth & Kinross had a surprisingly convincing 7-2 win over Angus. P&K, who have not won the North Division title since 1982, took the foursomes 2-1 and the singles 5-1.

Roseanne Niven (Crieff) won the top singles tite by 5 and 4 against Angus county champion Jane Tough (Brechin).

Details:

ABERDEENSHIRE 3 ½, NORTHERN COUNTIES 5 ½

Foursomes: S Wood & L Murray lost to K MacDonald & J Milne 3 and 2; D Pocock & M Thomson lost to K Harper & L Walker 4 and 3; J Harrison & C Wilson bt M Smith & D Sinclair 3 and 1 (1-2).

Singles: K Thomson lost to MacDonald 2 and 1, Wood lost to Walker 1 bhole, Murray bt Smith 3 and 2, C Wilson halved with Milne, L McLardy lost to A Ingram 5 and 4, M Thomson bt Harper 3 and 1 (2 ½-3 ½ ).

ANGUS 2, PERTH & KINROSS 7

Foursomes: M Summers & A Hunter lost to J Milne & R Ramsay 3 and 2; R Wilson, A Ramsay lost to R Niven, A Bushby 4 and 3, K McNicoll & S Murray bt E Ogilvy, E Napper 2 and 1 (1-2).

Singles: J Tough lost to Niven 5 and 4, Summers lost to Bushby 2 and 1, Wilson lost to J Yellowless 3 and 2, Murray lost to S Kettlewell 3 and 2, F Millar lost to F Ramsay 4 and 3, McNicoll bt Ogilvy 5 and 4 (1-5).

Sunday matches (9am & 1.30):

Angus v Aberdeenshire, Northern Conties v Perth & Kinross.

SCOTTISH YOUTHS OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

SPANIARD EARLY CLUBHOUSE LEADER

AFTER TWO ROUNDS AT MORTONHALL

  

The shock retirement of hot favourite Scott Henry (Cardross) after eight holes of the opening round has left the Scottish youths open golf championship wide open going into the final two rounds at Mortonhall Golf Club, Edinburgh on Sunday.

Spaniard Francisco Pintor, with rounds of 69 and 73 for two-under-par 142 was the halfway leader in the clubhouse with first-round joint leaders Michael Main (Thornton) and Steven McEwan (Kilmarnock Barassie) – both on four-under-68 – still to finish.

SECOND-ROUND TOTALS

PAR 72

142 F Pintor (Spa) 69 73.

143 R Kellett (Colville Park) 74 69, R Graham (Hayston) 69 74.

144 G Paterson (St Andrews New) 71 73, S McAllister (Craigielaw) 73 71, M Bozio (Fra) 74 70, D Parlane (Helensburgh) 71 73.

145 K Glen (Royal Musselburgh) 73 72, M Stewart (Troon Welbeck) 71 74, T Curtis (Pannal) 70 75.

146 P Westermann (Ger) 75 71, S Simants (Dunbar) 71 74.

147  R Noon (Musselburgh) 74 73.

148 T Benatzky (Ger) 73 75, J Findlay (Fraserburgh) 73 74, A Weir (Montrose Merdcantile) 76 72, M Kraemer (Ger) 77 71.

149 F Bone (Cardross) 81 69, S Barras (Helensburgh) 72 77, B Campbell (Malone) 77 72, S Jaeger (Ger) 77 72.

150 L Kirton (Newmachar) 77 73, S Neilson (Dunbar) 72 78, K Spence (Newmachar) 79 71, B Rushford (Grangemouth) 79 72, E Polson (Inverness) 75 76, S Mann (Moray) 74 76.

151 N Cameron (King James VI) 74 77.

152 G Wood (Crow Wod) 78 74, A Bews (Murcar Links) 77 75, T Hayes (West Byfleet) 83 69, R Hyland (Newmachar) 82 70, G Nicolson (Mortonhall) 72 80.

153 G Turner (West Linton) 77 76, M Oueld-Es-Cheik (Fra) 77 76, J Meechan (Dullatur) 78 75, P Latimer (St Andrews New) 75 78, M Murray (Brora) 76 77.

154 D Morrison (Duff House Royal), J Lockie (Tantallon) 74 780, T Spencer (Inchmarlo) 78 76, L Vettese (Nigg Bay) 77 77, M Greil (Ita) 81 73, G Finlay (Ballumbie Castle) 77 77.

155 C Malcolm (Dunfermline) 79 76, E Brown (Kilmarnock Barassie) 79 76, J Donaldson (Falkirk Tryst) 77 78, D Chapman (Costessey Park) 73 82, J Bradley (Paisley) 77 78.

156 C Cannon (East Sussex National ( 78 78, K Truscott (Newmachar) 76 80, J Neilson (Dunbar) 80 786, R Lando (Colville Park) 79 77.

157 M Bookless (Sanydhills) 79 78, C Kelly (Kirkhill) 80 77, D Addison (Kilmarnock Barassie) 79 78, A Boyle (Dublin) 82 75.

159 F Fotheringham (Nairn) 80 79.

160 S McGrenaghan (Cochrane Castle) 81 69.

163 M Watson (Elgin_) 83 80, S Henderson (Kilmarnock Barassie) 81 82.

165 R McKen (Newburghy on Ythan) 83 82.

170 S P Olafsson (Ice) 80 90.

BRITISH AMATEUR FINAL RESULT

FRENCHMAN IS NEW CHAMPION

Julien Guerrier (France) beat Englishman Adam Gee from Leatherhead by 4 and 3 in the 36-hole final of the British men's open amateur championship at Royal St George's Golf Club, Kent today

CHALLENGE TOUR NEWS

JAMIE McLEARY EQUALS COURSE RECORD

Former Scotland amateur international Jamie McLeary produced just about his best performance as a tour produring Saturday’s third round of the Credit Suisse Challenge.

He matched the course record of nine-under-par 64 (33-31) to move from 26^th place into pole position going into the final round at the Wylihof Golf Club.

McLeary, who was a member of the Leven Golfing Society, began the day on four under par, but his stunning third round, which matched the course record set by Spain’s Juan Parron on Thursday, took him to 13-under 206 and gave him a one-shot lead from England’s James Heath with 18 holes to play, with England’s Tim Milford and Denmark’s Mads Vibe-Hastrup tied in third place on 11 under.

 McLeary, 25, was ranked the fifth best amateur in the world by the R&A in 2004 but his professional career has never matched that standard - until now!

of the day.

 

He soon cancelled that out with a birdie four on the fourth and never looked back from there, picking up shots on the eighth and ninth to reach the turn in three under 33.

“I enjoyed that,” smiled McLeary. “I have been playing really well for the last couple of weeks and felt that a round like today’s was coming. I finished sixth at the Challenge Tour event in Norway last week, and I hope I can do even better tomorrow.

“The main goal for Sunday is to out and play well. If I can do that then I’ll be happy. I don’t want to think too much about wining, but it would be huge for my career.”

McLeary was not the only Scot in the field producing magical golf. Former Scottish amateur champion Andrew McArthur, produced the shot of the week so far on the par-3 13^th hole – a perfect five-iron from 203 yards that buried itself in the bottom of the cup without a single bounce.

 

BRITISH AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL

GERRIER THREE UP WITH NINE TO PLAY

 

Julien Gerrier (France) is three up after 27 holes of the British men's amateur championship final against Adam Gee (Leatherhead) at Royal St George's Golf Club, Sandwich in Kent.

NEWS FROM FUTURES TOUR

 

BRENDA MISSES OUT ON BIRDIE BONANZA

 
Belfast-born Brenda McLarnon had a poor inward half while most of the field were enjoying a birdie bonanza in the first round of the Duramed Futures Tour’s Lima Memorial Hospital Classic.

Some 57 players returned sub-par scores over the 5,992yd, par-72 course but Brenda slumped to a seven-over-par 79 despite reaching the turn in par 36.

Miss McLarnon played the American college circuit when she was a student at the College of Charleston, South Carolina.

Leading the field at Lost Creek Country Club, Lima in Ohio is 17-year-old rookie Song-Hee Kim from Seoul, South Korea.

Already a winner three times this season and the Futures Tour money-table leader, Song-Hee shot a seven-under-par 65 with halves of 31 and 34.

 

 

NEWS FROM TIGHT LIES TOUR

 

LEE IN TOP 20 IN LOUISIANA

 

Lee Rhind from Livingston was lying joint 16^th at the halfway stage of the Stonebridge Open – the latest event on the Tight Lies Tour – at Bossier City, Louisiana.

Rhind, a winner on the EuroPro Tour last year and a former Scottish boys’ open stroke-play champion, has had rounds of 71 and 69 for a four-under-par tally of 140.

The 27-year-old is seven shots behind leader Casey Yates who has had 68 and 65 for 11-under 133.

Rhind won the $14,000 first prize in the previous week’s event, the Lake Charles Open, and has won $20,262 in five events on the US satellite circuit.

Lee is based in Midland, Texas for the summer.

 

WORLD BOYS' TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP

NORWAY PIP SWEDEN IN JAPAN

 

Norway pipped Sweden for the world boys' team golf championship in an all-Scandinavian finish that few would have predicted at the start of the 72-hole tournament at Chukyo Golf Club in Japan.

Norway totalled 832, one shot ahead of Sweden with the host nation third on 839.

The highly-rated Americans (852) could finish only fifth while England trailed in 12^th of 15^th on 872.

England peaked with a second-round team total of 208 – one of the best by any country during the tournament – but they fell away badly over the last two rounds. Tom Hesketh, who had a third-round 80, did not play the final round.

Norway’s Marius Thorp had the lowest individual aggregate of 17-under-par 271. He had rounds of 68, 71, 65 and 67 to finish five shots clear of Sweden’s Bjorn Akesson and Japan’s Naoto Nakanishi.

England’s best player of the week was Sam Hutsby with a one-over-par total of 289.

 

WORLD BOYS TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP

Chukyo Golf Club, Japan.

FINAL TOTALS

832 NORWAY (Marius Thorp, Are Friestad, Anders Kristiansen, Espen Kofstad) 207 208 207 210.

833 SWEDEN (Bjorn Akesson, Jesper Kennegard, Robin Wingardth, Pontus Widergren) 206 205 214 206.

839 JAPAN (Syunsuke Sonoda, Naoto Nakanishi, Yusaku Matsuoka, Ryutaro Nagano) 208 210 209 211.

848 CHINESE TAIPEI (Pan Fu-Chiang, Pan Cheng-Tsung, Liu Chun, Hunag Tao) 211 205 216 216.

852 UNITED STATES (Jordan David Cox, Kyle Stanley, James H Swafford, Alex M Volpenhein) 216 209 215 212

853 ARGENTINA (Estanislao Goya, Alan Wagner, Luciano Dodda, Esteban Martinez) 215 210 214 214.

857 CANADA (Mitch Fox, Eugene Wong, Matt Hill, Nick Taylor) 216 213 216 212.

859 NETHERLANDS (Thrisan Bierenbroodsp, Reinier Saxton, Tim Sluiter, Floris de Vries) 229 295 214 220.

867 COLOMBIA (Andres Echavarria, Esteban Aristizabal, Sergion Franky, Carlos Rodriguez) 219 218 211 219.

869 NEW ZEALAND (Samuel Shin, Ben Wallace, Peter Sperman-Burn, Gary-John Hill) 219 215 212 223.

870 KOREA (Jeong Yeo-Jin, Shin Boo-Ho, Nam Gang-Yul, Lee Min-Joo)213 219 222 216.

872 ENGLAND (Luke Goddard, Sam Hutsby, James Watts, Tom Hesketh) 220 208 221 223.

873 SOUTH AFRICA (Deward Smit, Ryts West, Matthys Daffue, Derick Petersen) 218 218 215 222.

878 VENEZUELA (Julio Vegas, Diego Tamayo, Felipe Velazquez) 226 216 212 224.

894 MEXICO (Gerardo Porras, Maurico Azugue, Juan Pablo Solis, Roberto Rodriguez) 223 227 223 220.

 

LEADING INDIVIDUAL TOTALS

271 Marius Thorp (Nor) 68 71 65 67.

276 Bjorn Akesson (Swe) 69 67 70 70, Naoto Nakanishi (Jap) 72 69 65 70.

277 Jesper Kennegard (Swe) 68 69 70 70, Kyle Stanley (US) 70 69 70 68.

279 Anders Kristiansen (Nor) 71 67 70 71.

280 Syunsuke Sonoda (Jap) 70 68 71 71, Jeong Yeon-Jin (Kor) 69 71 73 67.

England’s  individual scores:

289 Sam Hutsby 76 68 70 75.

291 James Watts 71 70 78 72.

292 Luke Goddard 73 70 73 76.

Retired: Tom Hesketh 78 72 80 -.

 

 

SCOTTISH YOUTHS SCOREBOARD

END OF PLAY FIRST-ROUND SCORES

 

68 M Main (Thornton), S McEwan (Barassie).

69 M Larnsson (Ice), R Graham (Hayston), F Pintor (Spa).

70 E Malcolm (Dunfermline), A Gordon (Portpatrick), R McKnight (Barassie), R Crowe (Newcastle Utd), T Curtis (Pannal).

71 A Lauder (Paisley), G Paterson (St Andrews New), M Stewart (Troon Welbeck), D Parlane (Helensburgh), S Simants (Dunbar).

72 C Robinson (Wigtown & Bladnoch), S Neilson (Dunbar), S Barras (Helensburgh), G Nicolson (Mortonhall).

73 M Smyth (Royal Troon), J Byrne (Banchory),  J Duff (Newmachar, K Glen (Royal Musselburgh), T Benatzky (Ger), J Findlay (Fraserburgh), S McAllister (Craigielaw), D Chapman (Costessey Park).

 

74 N Cameron (King James VI), C-H Raindre (Fra), Z Saltman (Craigielaw), K Smith (Barassie), A Kristinsson (Ice), J Lockie (Tantallon), F Dunlop (Broomieknowe), R Kellett (Colville Park), A Culverwell (Dunbar), A Nelson (Douglas Park), K Duncan (McDonald Ellon), D Laing (Craigielaw), M Bozio (Fra), S Mann (Moray), R Noon (Musselburgh).

 

75 P Latimer (St Andrews New), S Mann (Carnoustie), C Gray (West Kilbride), J White (Lundin), S Fraser (Northern), A Hay (Westhill), E Polson (Inverness), P Westermann (Ger).

 

76 S Binning (Old Ranfurly), J Mackay (Barassie), R Jamieson (US), R Dixon (Barassie), S Borrowman (Dollar), D Yeats Newmachar), M Junker (Ger), S M Stefansson (Ice), F McKenna (Balmore), A Main (Thornton), B Mackay (Prestonfield), M Spence (Newmachar), O B Loftsson (Ice), R Leeds (Muckhart), K Truscott (Newmachar), M Murray (Brora), A Weir (Montrose Mercantile).

 

 

77 R Rebecchi (Greenock), A Brown (Kilsyth Lennox). R Anderson (Duddingston), P Okan (Ger), G Stevenson (Whitecraigs), L Vetesse (Nigg Bay), G Turner (West Linton), J Donaldson (Falkirk Tryst), A Bews (Murcar Links), L Kirton (Newmachar), C Aitken (Glencruitten), J Bradley (Paisley), G Finlay (Ballumbie Castle), S Jaeger (Ger), M Kraemer (Ger).

78 S Herald (Whitecraigs), M Gentles (Edzell), A Rollo (Elgin), C Storrier (Downfield), S Keane (Cathkin Braes), A Moir (Thornton), C Cannon (East Sussex National), T Spencer (Inchmarlo), G Wood (Crow Wood), B Campbell (Malone), T Gissurarson (Ice), J Meechan (Dullatur).

79 C Loughlin (Cawder), K Wilson (Moffat), C Malcolm (Dunfermline), E Brown (Barassie), M Bookless (Sandyhills), R Lando (Colville Park), B Rushford (Grangemouth), D Addison (Barassie), D Addison (Barassie), K Spence (Newmachar).

80 S Tully (Duddingston), J Laing (Longniddry), P McCabe (Wishaw), C  Baron (Oldmeldrum), J Foley (Forres), J Neilson (Dunbar), C Kelly (Kirkhill), F Fotheringham (Nairn), J Neilson (Dunbar), S Olafsson (Ice).

 

81 T Machleld (Ger), C Young (Eastwood), M Lawrence (Kintore), F Bone (Cardross), S McGrenaghan (Cochrane Castle), M Greil (Ita), R Bell (Downfield), S Henderson (Barassie), S McGarvey (Glencorse)

82 M Hamm (Ger), D Morrison (Duff House Royal), N McBride (Cowglen), A Boyle (Dublin), R Hyland (Newmachar), C Thomson (East Renfrewshire).

83 D Sommerville (St Andrews), N Sinclair (Barassie), M Watson (Elgin).

84 D Torrance (Wentworth), S Crichton (Aberdour), A McKie (Glencruitten), R McKen (Newburgh on Ythan).

85 G Robertson (Glenbervie).

86 J Gardiner (Montrose Mercantile).

87 C Johnston (Dunbar).

Retired – S Henry (Cardross).

 

PGA EUROPRO TOUR NEWS

AUSSIE WINS AS GRAY FADES OUT OF

FINAL-ROUND PICTURE AT WHITEKIRK

 

Australian Daniel Gaunt came with a strong late run to win the PGA EuroPro Tour’s Kronenbourg Classic at Whitekirk Golf Club today after Hayston’s Stephen Gray slumped out of the lead over the final round.

Gray shot a brilliant second-round 65 to have a one-shot advantage over the field going into the final round. But he bogeyed the first, sixth, eighth and 16^th and could muster only one birdie in returning a three-over-par 75 for a total of three-under-par 213.

Gaunt scored 73, 66 and 69 for a tally of eight-under-par 208 and a two-shot win from Carnoustie’s Eric Ramsay whose scores – a hat-trick of 70s – suggested steadiness personified.

In fact, in his final round, the former Australian open amateur champion had a roller-coaster ride of birdies and bogeys. He birdied the second, fifth, ninth, 11^th, 13^th, 15^th, 16th and 18^th and had bogeys at the first, third, sixth, eighth, 12^th and 14^th in halves of 36 (one over par) and 34 (one under par).

The three late birdies lifted Eric up into second place on 210, a shot ahead of Graham Rankin (Drumpellier) and England’s Scott Jackson.

Rankin dropped a shot at the 17^th in a closing 69.

 

SCOREBOARD

 

PGA EUROPRO TOUR – Kronenbourg Classic

Whitekirk Golf Club, East Lothian

LEADING FINAL TOTALS

208 D Gaunt (Aus) 73 66 69.

210 E Ramsay (Carnoustie) 70 70 70.

211 G Rankin (Drumpellier) 71 71 69, S Jackson (Eng) 71 69 71.

213 G Clark (Eng) 75 65 73, S Gray (Hayston) 72 66 75.

214 F Mann (Musselburgh) 71 73 70, M Prue (Eng) 75 70 69, D Jones (Ire) 74 69 71, P Rowe (Eng) 69 73 72.

215 N Fox (Ire) 75 71 69, G Oliver (Eng) 76 71 68, N Walker (Eng) 76 69 70, C Billing (Eng) 75 68 72, M Woods (Eng) 74 69 72.

Other Scottish scores:

217 S Lamb (Cardrona) 75 73 69.

219 L Vannet (Carnoustie) 75 71 73, J Doherty (Vale of Glamorgan) 80 69 70.

222 L Harper (Archerfield) 77 70 75.

223 G McInnes (Murcar Links) 77 69 77.

225 R Cameron 77 72 76.

227 C Nicoll (Prestwick) 73 73 81, C Mitchell (Blairgowrie) 78 68 81.

SCOTS WHO MISSED CUT

150 L Kelly 79 71, P Wardell 76 74.

152 D Roger 83 69, R Valentine 80 72, C Everett 83 69.

154 S Savage 79 75.

155 G Gordon 79 76, P Doherty 82 73.

160 E Thomson 82 79.

163 S Gillespie 80 83.

SHOCK RETIRAL AT SCOTTISH YOUTHS

FAVOURITE HENRY TOO ILL TO CONTINUE

Scottish men’s open amateur stroke-play golf champion Scott Henry sensationally bowed out of the Scottish youths’championship at Mortonhall Golf Club, Edinburgh today.

The hot favourite for the Under-21s’ open stroke-play title retired with a mystery bug that has floored him for over a week.

The Cardross 19-year-old bravely started his round at the Lothians course, but had to retire afteronly eight holes.

Henry, twice Scottish boys match-play champion and also Scottish boys’ stroke-play champion over the past three years, was laid up for over a week with a sickness bug before failing to survive the qualifying rounds of the British men’s amateur championship in Kent earlier this week.

Returning to Scotland, Henry struggled to prepare for his challenge against a good-class field at Mortonhall.

He explained: “I really haven’t been well at all, and struggled in the British Amateur at the start of the week.

“I had woken up after playing in the St Andrews Links Trophy, feeling dizzy, and then was violently sick for about three days. I was in bed for about a week.

“I felt okay for the first five holes today, and I was hitting the ball well. The course was playing fair and I think that I could have played alright but I just couldn’t go on.

“I started to feel sick and was struggling to hit the ball. I just don’t feel as though I have any energy. I’m just going to head home to bed.”

Steven McEwan (Kilmarnock Barassie) and Thornton’s Michael Main were the first-round pacesetters on four-under-par 68.

With birdies at the sixth, eighth and ninth, Scotland youth cap and last year’s Scottish boys open stroke-play champion, McEwan was three under par at the turn. ~The only deviation from par on his inward card was a birdie 4 at the long 12^th.

Sixteen-year- old Michael Main, beaten finalist in the Scottish boys championship at West Kilbride in April, eagled the par 5 eighth^h in a round which also included four birdies and two bogeys.

BRITISH AMATEUR FINALISTS

ENGLISHMAN v FRENCHMAN FOR TITLE

Saturday's 36-hole final of the British men's amateur championship at Royal St George's Golf Club, Kent will feature an Englishman, Adam Gee (Leatherhead). and a Frenchman, Julien Guerrier.

In the semi-finals, Gee beat compatriot Jamie Moul by 5 and 4. Gee had earlier knocked out the last remaining Scot, Scott Jamieson, by one hole.

In the other semi-final, Guerrier beat Mitchell Brown (Australia) by 3 and 2.

BRITISH AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP LATEST

SEMI-FINAL POSITIONS AT ROYAL ST GEORGE'S

 

Julien Guerrier (Fra) 4 up on Mitchell Brown (Aus) after 8 holes.

Jamie Moul (Eng) 2 up on Adam Gee (Eng) after 5 holes.

 

QUARTER-FINAL RESULTS

Gee bt Scott Jamieson (Sco) 1 holes.

Moul bt Jason Palmer (Eng) 4 and 3.

Mitchell bt Gary Wolstenholme (Eng) 4 and 3.

Guerrier bt Matteo del Podio (Ita) at 19th.

TENNANT CUP PREVIEW

 

NO AUSSIES BUT QUALITY SCOTTISH

FIELD FOR WEEKEND 72-HOLE EVENT

Australians have won Glasgow Golf Club’s last two Tennant Cup open 72-hole tournaments at Glasgow Gailes and Killermont – but none has entered this weekend’s event.

Considering the British amateur championship has been on all week at Royal St George’s and the three-day Scottish youths championship began yesterday (Friday) at Mortonhall, the Tennant Cup field is a high quality one.

Scott Jamieson (Cathkin Braes), outright winner of the Craigmillar Park Open (72) and joint winner (with Craig Watson) of the 36-hole Edward Trophy over the Glasgow Gailes course in April, is top-ranked alongwith Walker Cup player Lloyd Saltman (Craigielaw). Both have a +4 handicap.

On +3 there are Wallace Booth (Comrie), John Gallagher (Swanston), Elliot Saltman (Craigielaw) and Keir McNicoll (Carnoustie).

West of Scotland Open winner Callum MacAulay (Tulliallan) is only one of a crop of very good players on the +2 bracket, including Scottish champion Glenn Campbell (Blairgowrie), Jonathan King (Glasgow), Paul O’Hara (Colville Park) and Bryan Fotheringham (Forres).

 

ENGLAND v SCOTLAND SCHOOLS

BOYS AND GIRLS IN RUNNING FOR SCOTS TEAM

 

The Scottish Schools Golf Association has named boys’ and girls’ short-leet squads for the schools international match against England at Hillside Golf Club, Lancashire on Monday, September 18.

A team of 12 boys and six girls will be selected from the following:

 

BOYS – Simon Barras (Vale of Leven Acad), Ross Bell (Harris Acad), Sam Binning (St Columba’s High), Mark Bookless (Uddingston Grammar), James Byrne (Banchory Acad), Andrew Campbell (Vale of Leven Acad), Joshua Clarke (Montrose Acad), Mark Collin (Eyemouth High), Michael Daily (Trinity High), Danny Fitzpatrick (Notre Dame High), David Graham (Campbeltown Grammar), Cameron Gray (Glasgow High), Neil Henderson (North Berwick High), Michael Main (Balwearie High), Fraser McKenna (Boclair Acad), Euan McLaren (Dumfries (Acad), Alan Murdoch (Stranraer Acad), Graeme Robertson (Larbert High), Chris Robinson (Douglas Ewart High), Paul Shields (Trinity High), Kyle Smith (Marr College), Colin Thomson (Hutchesons Grammar), James White (Buckhaven High).

GIRLS – Megan Briggs (Gryffe High), Krystle Caithness (Waid Acad), Rachael Livingstone (Musselburgh Grammar), Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Acad), Gillian Monteith (Stranraer (Acad), Laura Murray (Alford Acad), Roseanne Niven (Kilgraston School), Pamela Pretswell (Hamilton College), Jane Turner (George Watson’s College), Sally Watson (Mary Erskine School), Rebecca Wilson (Monifieth High).

Michele Thomson (Ellon Academy), winner of the Scottish schoolgirls title at Troon earlier this month, was unavailable for selection as she will be at Jacksonville State University, Alabama in September.

 

 

DOUGLAS PARK GOLF CLUB PRO-AM

 GRAND PERFORMANCE BY RONALD

 

Craig Ronald (Carluke) won himself £1,056 with a five-under-par round of 64 to win the Douglas Park Golf Club pro-am top individual prize today.

Ronald had an eagle at the 10^th and birdies at the first, 12^th, 13^th and 18^th with only one bogey, at the ninth, in halves of 34 (level par) and 30 (five under par).

John Greaves (Glasgow) was runner-up on 66 with Sam Cairns (Westerwood) and Murray Urquhart (Inverness) sharing third place on 67.

David Park (Wishaw) lead the team of Bob Phinn (8), Malcolm Laverock (10) and Steven Marlow (13) to victory in the pro-am secti9on with a net total of 123.

The tournament was in aid of East Park Home for Infirm Children.

 

LEADING SCORES
64 C Ronald (Carluke).

66 J Greaves (Glasgow).

67 S Cairns (Westerwood), M Urquhart (Inverness).

70 D Park (Wishaw), G Niven (Stirling Univ), B Dunbar (Deer Park), M King (Kingsfield).

71 C Gillies (Kingsfield), D McCormack (East Aberdeenshire), B Lockie (North Gailes), J McTear (North Gailes), G McFarlane (World of Golf).

TEAM WINNERS

 123 D Park (Wishaw) & B Phinn (8), M Laverock (10), S Marlow (13).

 

TIGHT LIES TOUR NEWS FROM USA

 

STEADY START BY LEE RHIND

 

Lee Rhind from Uphall, winner of the $14,000 first prize in last week's Lake Charles Open, made a steady start to the next event on the Tight Lies Tour, the Stonebridge Summer Open at Bossier City, Louisana today.

Rhind birdied the first, fourth, seventh and ninth but dropped shots at the second, 11th and 13th to finish on one-under-par 71.

He was six shots behind the early leader Ryan Blagg.

 

 

WORLD BOYS TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP

 NORWAY LEAD WITH ONE ROUND TO GO

 

Norway (622) lead by three shots from Sweden with host nation Japan lying third, five shots off the pace with one round to play in the Toyota world boys’ team golf championship over the Ishino Course at Chukyo Golf Club.

England had their worst team total of the three days – 221 – to drop back to 11^th place on 649 in the field of 15 countries.

Sam Hutsby (214) has been the lowest scoring player on the England team, followed by Luke Goddard (216), James Watt (219) and Tom Hesketh (230).

LEADING TEAMS

622 Norway 207 208 207.

625 Sweden 206 205 214.

627 Japan 208 210 209.

632 Chinese Taipei 211 205 216.

639 Netherlands 220 205 214, Argentina 215 210 214.

640 United States 216 209 215.

645 Canada 216 213 216…

646 New Zealand 291 215 212

648 Colombia 219 218 211

649 England 220 208 221.

651 South Africda 218 218 215

654 Korea 213 219 222, Venezuela 226 216 212.

674 Mexico 223 228 223.

LEADING INDIVIDUALS

204 Marius Thorp (Nor) 68 71 65.

206 Bjorn Akesson (Swe) 69 67 70, Naota Nakanishi (Jap) 72 69 65.

207 Jesper Kennegard (Swe) 69 69 70, Tim Sluiter (Net) 71 65 71.

208 Anders Kristiansen (Nor) 71 67 70.

ENGLAND SCORES

214 Sam Hutsby 76 68 70.

216 Luke Goddard 73 70 73.

219 James Watt 71 70 78.

230 Tom Hesketh 78 72 80.

 

BRITISH AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

JAMIESON LONE SCOT IN QUARTER-FINALS

There is only one Scot, Scott Jamieson of Cathkin Braes, in the quarter-final line-up for the British men's amateur championship at Royal St George's Golf Club, Sandwich in Kent.

Jamieson eliminated fellow Scot Bryan Fotheringham (Forres) by 5 and 4 in the fourth round.

In the third round, Duncan Stewart (Grantown on Spey) was beaten 5 and 4 by Ross McGowan, the Englishman who led for most of the way in the recent Scottish open amateur stroke-play championship at Craigielaw.

QUARTER-FINALS FRIDAY MORNING

Matteo del Podio (Ita) v Julien Guerrier (Fra).

Mitchell Brown (Aus) v Gary Wolstenholme (Eng)

Jason Palmer (Eng) v Jamie Moul (Eng).

Adam Gee (Eng) v Scott Jamieson (Sco).

PGA EUROPRO TOUR EVENT

 

EAGLE PUTS RAMSAY IN  HUNT AT WHITEKIRK

 

Carnoustie’s Eric Ramsay achieved a tremendous eagle 3 to be in second place at the finish the wind-delayed first round of the Kronenbourg Classic, this week’s event on the PGA EuroPro Tour, at Whitekirk Golf Club, East Lothian

Ramsay shot a 70 which was mainly a mixture of birdies and bogeys. He birdied the second, eighth, 12^th and 13^th but dropped shots at the fourth, fifth, 10^th and short 14^th. Then came the eagle 3 at the 572yd par-5 15^th which put him right on the tail of leader Phil Rowe from Trevose.

Rowe was one of the stars of the GB&I Walker Cup win over the United States at Nairn in 1999 when he won all three of his ties.

Rowe had an eagle, two birdies and a solitary bogey in posting a three-under-par 69.

Fraser Mann (Musselburgh), Graham Rankin (Drumpellier) and England’s Scott Jackson and Andrew Paisley were all on the on the 71 mark.

The second round was begun this evening but will not be completed until Friday morning, at which point there will be a cut. The leading 50 and ties will play a final 18 holes.

 

Scoreboard

 

PGA EUROPRO TOUR          - Kronenbourg Classic

Whitekirk GC, East Lothian.

Leading first round scores (par 72)

69 P Rowe (Eng).

70 E Ramsay (Carnoustie).

71 F Mann (Musselburgh), S Jackson (Eng), G Rankin (Drumpellier), A Paisley (Eng).

72 S Gray (Hayston), A Murray (Ire), A Willey (Eng), P Dooley (Ire), M Ramsdale (Eng).

73 D Gaunt (Aus), N Main (Aus), A Clarke (Eng), L Wood (Eng), J Pitkanen (Fin), J Bandurak (Eng), H McDonald (Eng), C Nicoll (Prestwick).

Other Scots scores.:

75 S Lamb (Cardrona), L Vannet (Carnoustie).

76 P Wardell (Whitekirk).

77 G McInnes (Murcar), L Harper (Archerfield Links), R Cameron (Cansco).

78 C Mitchell (SWM Golf Management).

79 S Savage (Dalmuir), G Gordon (SWM Golf Management), L Kelly (Pro Dream USA).

80 J Doherty (Vale of Glamorgan), R Valentine (Loretto Golf Acad), S Gillespie (Balbirnie Park).

92 E Thomson (North Gailes), P Doherty (Vale of Glamorgan).

83 C Everett (Esporta Dougalston), J Cliff (unatt).

Disq E Litle (Co Tipperary Golf).

LGU NAME NEW CHIEF EXECUTIVE

 LESLEY BURN SUCCEEDS ANDY SALMON

 

The Ladies’ Golf Union has announced the appointment of its new Chief Executive, Lesley Burn who will take up her position on 3^rd July 2006 in St Andrews. 

 

Lesley joins the LGU with over 15 years experience in the sports industry, most recently in a number of positions in the London Area.    

 

She has a first-class business track record and brings with her a wealth of knowledge of business and the political arena. Her skills acquired from working in both the private and public sectors equip her with the essential experience to lead the LGU into a new era for women’s golf.

 

Lesley has many years’ experience with Sport England ultimately as Head of Regions and previously as the Regional Director of the East of England, a leadership and management role driving forward the policies and progammes of Sport England. These positions saw her liaising with national organisations such as Central and Regional Government Departments, Sports Councils, Equity Bodies and NGBs as well as with corporate partners and the media.

 

Other positions include being National Project Manager of the Barclaycard charity programme ‘Free Kicks’ and responsibility for a portfolio of National Projects for the English Sports Council.

 

Lesley is married with two sons and played a variety of sports to regional level. However nowadays she says sport is purely for fun, although it has a dominating influence on both her business and private life.

 

In being honoured to accept the position, Lesley said, “I am delighted to be joining the team in St Andrews and the Executive Council of the LGU, to play my part in continuing the historic route that has brought ladies’ golf to the present day.

 

“Golf is an amazing sport for all women and girls to play.  It offers not only competition but more importantly friendship, fun and a contribution to a healthy lifestyle”.

 

Pam Chugg, Chairman of the LGU said, “We are delighted to appoint Lesley as our Chief Executive and are confident that her skills and experience will help take the LGU forward in its role of advancing and safeguarding women’s golf in the changing environment of the modern world.”

 

 

NEWS FROM THE HIGHLANDS

LAURA IS NAIRN’S DOUBLE CHAMPION

 

Former Scottish girls’ champion Laura Walker has won the women’s championship of both the Nairn and Nairn Dunbar golf clubs. The last person to achieve the notable double was Louise Clark.

She followed up her victory at Nairn with rounds of 75, 74 and 76 for an aggregate of 225 to win the Nairn Dunbar championship from runner-up Kelsey MacDonald.

The women’s par is 75 and the CSS was 74, 75 and 75.

Laura's handicap is now 1.5.

 

 

SLGA PRESS RELEASE

 

ETHEL JACK TO BE NEXT PRESIDENT

Ethel Jack, chairman of the Scottish Ladies’ Golfing Association from 1979 to 1981, is to be the next president of the association.

She will be proposed as president by the executive committee at the next SLGA annual general meeting in succession to Nancy Chisholm.

A member of Gullane Ladies Golf Club since 1957, Ethel has represented Scotland as a player at girls, women’s and veterans’ level.

She is a past captain of Gullane Ladies, Midlothian County Ladies and the Scottish Veterans among others and has been President of Midlothian County and the Scottish Veterans.

Ethel served as a handicap adviser and as Scotland’s representative on the Ladies Golf Union’s Standard Scratch Score Committee for many years.

In response to being invited to be president she said “ I am looking forward
very much to working with the SLGA at this very interesting time in its history.”

 

 

 

BRITISH AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

THREE SCOTS SURVIVE AT ROYAL ST GEORGE'S

 

There are three Scots left in the British men's amateur championship after the opening day of match-play ties at Royal St George's Golf Club, Sandwich in Kent.

They are Duncan Stewart (Grantown on Spey) who plays Ross McGowan (Banstead Downs) in the third round; Bryan Fotheringham (Forres), who plays Niklas Lemke (Sweden) next, and Scott Jamieson (Cathkin Braes) who meets Jamie Arnold (Australia).

McGowan was the long-time leader in the Scottish open amateur stroke-play championship at Craigielaw before late slips relegated him to second place, one shot behind Stephen Henry.

Walker Cup player Rhys Davies from Wales beat Jonathan King (Glasgow) at the 22nd hole in an epic match.

Duncan Stewart beat fellow Scot John Gallagher by 3 and 2. Gallagher reached the final last year.

Jamieson beat Nicklas Glans (Sweden) 3 and 2.

 

WORLD BOYS' TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP

 

SWEDEN LEAD FROM NORWAY AS ENGLAND IMPROVE

 

Sweden and Norway continued to hold down first and second places at the halfway stage of the world boys’ team golf championship at Chukyo Golf Club, Toyota-shi Japan.  But England, slashing 12 shots off their first-round team score, moved up to eighth place in the field of 15 countries.

 

SCOREBOARD
LEADING TEAM TOTALS

411 Sweden 206 205.

415 Norway 207 208.

416 Chinese Taipei 211 205.

418 Japan 208 210

425 Netherlands 220 205, United States 216 209, Argentina 215 210.

428 England 220 208 (James Watts 71 70, Luke Goddard 73 70, Sam Hutsby 76 68, Tom Hesketh 78 72)..

429 Canada 216 213.

432 Korea 213 219.

434 New Zealand 219 215.

436 South Africa 218 218.

437 Colombia 219 218.

442 Venezuela 226 216.

451 Mexico 223 228.

LEADING INDIVIDUALS

136 B Akesson (Swe) 69 67, T Sluiter (Net) 71 65.

ends

PAULL AND WILLIAMSONS RANKINGS

MUNROSS TROPHY WINNER JENNA

JUMPS TO THIRD IN THE TABLE

Munross Trophy winner Jenna Wilson has moved up from seventh to third in the Paull and Williamsons’ Scottish women’s stroke-play golf rankings as a result of her weekend win at Montrose.

Strathaven’s Jenna is averaging 1.1 shots under the CSS of the designated tournaments, compared with table leader Krystle Caithness (-2.33) and second-placed Anne Laing (Vale of Leven) (-1.12).

Neither Krystle nor Anne played in the Montrose 36-hole tournament because of their involvement in the Ladies’ British open amateur championship at Royal County Down Golf Club in Northern Ireland earlier in the week.

The biggest climber of the updated rankings was Bothwell Castle youngster Pamela Pretswell. She finished joint sixth in the Munross Trophy, the first counting event in which she has played.

Pamela is in sixth place in the updated table with an average score of 0 in relation to CSS.

Ohio State University student Gemma Webster (Hilton Park) achieved joint eighth place in the Munross Trophy and she comes into the rankings for the first time in joint ninth place with a stroke average of 0.5.

LEADING RANKINGS

1 Krystle Caithness (St Regulus) -2.33

2 Anne Laing (Vale of Leven) -1.12

3 Jenna Wilson (Strathaven) -1.10

4 Sally Watson (David Leadbetter GA) -0.66

5 Louise Kenney (Pitreavie) -0.50

6 Pamela Pretswell (Bothwell Castle) 0.00

7 Heather MacRae (Dunblane New) 0.10

8 Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) 0.16

9 Martine Pow (Selkirk) 0.50

9 Gemma Webster (Hilton Park) 0.50

11 Sara Bishop (Windyhill) 0.75

12 Fiona Lockhart (St Regulus) 1.00

12 Roseanne Niven (Crieff) 1.00

12 Emily Ogilvy (Auchterarder) 1.00

15 Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm) 1.33

16 Elaine Cuthill (Lanark) 1.60

17 Claire MacDonald (Gullane Ladies) 1.83

18 Mary Summers (Panmure Barry) 2.00

19 Carly Booth (Comrie) 2.20

20 Sheena Wood (Aberdeen Ladies) 2.33

21 Katy McNicoll (Carnoustie Ladies) 2.40

21 Jane Turner (Mortonhall) 2.40

23 Elaine Moffat (St Regulus) 2.50

24 Ann F Ramsay (Kirriemuir) 2.57

25 Aileen Hunter (Monifieth) 2.66

26 Claire Hargan (Mortonhall) 3.10

26 Cara Gruber (Royal Dornoch) 3.10

28 Michele Thomson (McDonald Ellon) 3.12

29 Kylie Walker (Buchanan Castle) 3.42

30 Kerri Harper (Inverness) 3.50

30 Wendy Nicholson (Broomieknowe) 3.50

30 Jennifer Jenkins (Ralston) 3.50

33 Clare-Marie Carlton (Fereneze) 4.00

33 Noreen Fenton (Merchants of Edinburgh) 4.00

33 Lesley Hendry (Routenburn) 4.00

33 Pamela Williamson (Routenburn) 4.00

33 Laura Murray (Alford) 4.00

33 Ruth Rankin (Lanark) 4.00

GALES BLOW AWAY WHITEKIRK HOPES

PGA EUROPRO TOUR EVENT BEHIND SCHEDULE

Play on the first day of this week's PGA EuroPro Tour event, the Kronenbourg Classic at Whitekirk Golf Club was abandoned due to gale-force winds. Winds of 30-35mph and gusts of up to 45mph were recorded on the East Lothian  course during the day.

Play was suspended at 11.30am with the hope that the winds would drop sufficiently for a resumption to be possible on the longest day of the year. However, officials were forced to abandon the idea at 6pm of getting the players back on the course.

Play is scheduled to resume at 7am on Thursday morning with the first round continuing and the second round taking place before an expected cut to the leading 50 players and ties on Friday morning.

No players finished their rounds before the abandonment but Fraser Mann showed his talent in the windy conditions to be one under par for the first nine holes.

 

 

SUPERMAC DOES IT AGAIN!

 

KELSEY (15) CLAIMS A THIRD NORTH

GOLF COURSE RECORD TO GO TO +1

 

Nairn schoolgirl Kelsey MacDonald, 15, has brought her golf handicap down to +1  by breaking a third course record over the past few weeks.

Her latest achievement was to return a 65 – eight under par and five under the CSS – in winnng the Highland schoolgirls championship at Kingussie

Golf Club.

Kelsey slashed five shots off the previous women’s record for the 5,091yd women’s course, which had stood at 70 since 1994.

Miss MacDonald had 10 birdies and two bogeys on her scorecard which read:

OUT: 3 4 4  5 5 3  4 3 4 – 35

   IN:  2 4 3  5 4 3  3 3 3 -  30

 

She birdied the first, second, sixth, ninth, 10^th, 12^th, 14^th and a glorious finish of birdies at the 16^th, 17^th and 18^th.

She had bogeys at the fifth and seventh.

Nairn Dunbar clubmate and Inverness Royal Academy pupil Eilidh Mackay was second to Kelsey in the Highland schoolgirls championship with an 86.

Eight under par seems to be Kelsey’s favourite figure as she has started to rewrite the record books of North of Scotland golf clubs. First she retained the Northern Counties women’s championship at Forres, lowering the record there to eight-under-par 64.

Then, over her home course at Nairn Dunbar, she brought the record down to 67, again eight under par.

Now Miss MacDonald has achieved a brilliant hat-trick of eight-under-par records.

 

e

PGA EUROPRO TOUR EVENT

GALES SUSPEND PLAY AT WHITEKIRK

 

Gale-force winds forced an indefinite suspension of play at 11.30am on the first morning of the Kronenbourg Classic PGA EuroPro Tour 54-hole tournament at Whitekirk Golf Club, East Lothian today

 

 

BRITISH MEN'S AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

RICHIE RAMSAY GOES DOWN IN HIS FIRST MATCH

Walker  Cup player Richie Ramsay (Royal Aberdeen) was knocked out in his first match-play tie of the British men's amateur championship at Royal St George's Golf Club, Kent today.

Ramsay lost by one hole to the No 1 qualifier, Llewellyn Matthews (Southerndown) in a second round match.

Bryan Fotheringham (Forres), Duncan Stewart (Grantown-on-Spey) and Scott Jamieson (Cathkin Braes) won their opening ties but Wallace Booth (Comrie) and former title-winner Craig Watson (East Renfrewshire) joined Richie Ramsay on the sidelines.

 

FIRST ROUND

Duncan Stewart (Grantown on Spey) bt Ben Westgate (Perranpath) 2 and 1.

Dustin Pimm (US) bt Wallace Booth (Comrie) 6 and 5.

Bryan Fotheringham (Forres) bt Martin Young (Brokenhurst Manor) 2 and 1.

Scott Jamieson (Cathkin Braes) bt Paul Waring (Bromborough) 3 and 2.

Lorenzo Gagli (Ita) bt C Watson (East Renfewshire) 2 and 1.

SECOND ROUN

Llewellyn Matthews (Southerndown) bt Richie Ramsay (Royal Aberdeen) 1 hole.

BRITISH UNIVERSITIES CHAMPIONSHIPS

RAMSAY PULLS OUT AFTER LEADING

STIRLING TO BRITISH TEAM VICTORY

Walker Cup player Richie Ramsay from Aberdeen helped Stirling University to win the British universities men’s team golf championship but did not stay on to contest the last two rounds of the individual title at De Vere Mottram Hall, Prestbury in Cheshire.

Ramsay, who has a handicap of +4, shot rounds of 71 and 69 and, with a 36-hole total of 140, the Royal Aberdeen player had a five-shot lead with two rounds to go in the individual championship, staged in conjunction with the two-round team event.

But Richie withdrew to have some time off before heading to Kent for the British men’s amateur championship.

Other members of the winning Stirling team were Euan Polson (Royal Dornoch), Paul Betty (Hayston) and Karl Shepherd. They totalled 441 to win by five shots from Northumbria with the Stirling No 2 team of Graham Turner, Jonathan Watt and Evan Bryceland, finishing third on 459.

Kerri Harper (Abertay University) from Inverness finished runner-up in the women’s individual championship. She had rounds of 82, 79, 84 and 78 for a total of 323 – eight shots behind title-winner Janet Phipps (Exeter).

Dawn Dewar (Stirling University) from Monifieth finished fourth on 334.

LEADING RESULTS

BRITISH UNIVERSITIES CHAMPIONSHIPS

De Vere Mottram Hall, Prestbury.

Leading scores:

MEN’S INDIVIDUAL

289 E Parker (Birmingham) 74 73 69 73.

291 S Heads (Northumbria) 69 77 77 68.

292 M Davies (Exeter) 72 75 72 73.

Other totals:

295 G Turner (Stirling) 74 76 74 71.

296 J Watt (Stirling) 74 77 73 72.

298 S Borrowman (Stirling) 72 74 76 76, K Shepherd (Stirling) 73 77 75 73.

306 E Polson (Stirling) 81 75 79 71.

308 C Colraine (Strathclyde 78 74 74 82, P Betty (Stirling) 76 77 72 83.

310 M Russo (Glasgow) 74 82 75 79, G Minnes (Strathclyde) 78 77 75 80.

MEN’S TEAM

441 Stirling (R Ramsay, E Polson, P Betty, K Shepherd).

446 Northumbria.

459 Stirling 2 (G Turner, J Watt, E Bryceland).

461 Bournemouth.

466 Stirling 3 (B Paterson, B Rushford, B Brooke, S Borrowman).

468 Bournemouth 2.

474 Strathclyde (C Colraine, A Gordon, D McInroy).

475 Strathclyde 2 (G Minnes, G McInroy, A Brown).

476 Glasgow (R Hutton, M Russo, C Morrison, P Mulcahy).

490 Plymouth.

WOMEN’S INDIVIDUAL

315 J Phipps (Exeter) 84 84 73 74.

323 K Harper (Abertay) 82 79 84 78.

330 J Campbell (Warwick) 81 84 82 83.

334 D Dewar (Stirling) 84 82 81 87.

Other totals:

346 C Winstanley (St Andrews) 94 91 80 81.

347 C Paterson (St Andrews) 84 88 89 86.

BRITISH MEN'S OPEN AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

MAJORITY OF SCOTS FAIL TO MAKE

IT THROUGH TO MATCH-PLAY

Only a handful of Scots survived the 36-hole qualifying test to decide the 64 qualifiers (and ties) for the match-play stages of the British men’s amateur championship in Kent.

Those who made it through included:

148 John Gallagher (Swanston) 70 78.

149 Richie Ramsay (Royal Aberdeen) 78 71.

150 Jonathan King (Glasgow) 74 76.

151 Duncan Stewart (Grantown on Spey) 75 76, Craig Watson (East Renfrewshire) 74 77, Scott Jamieson (Cathkin Braes) 75 76.

152 Wallace Booth (Comrie) 75 77, Bryan Fotheringham (Forres) 74 78.

One of the major non-qualifiers was Walker Cup player Lloyd Saltman with 76 and 78 for 154.

NON-QUALIFIERS INCLUDED:

153 R Dixon (Barassie) 77 76, S Mann (Carnoustie ) 76 77.

154 L Saltman (Craigielaw) 76 78, S Clark (Haggs Castle) 77 77.

155 S McEwan (Barassie) 79 76, K McNicoll (Carnoustie) 74 81.

156 P O’Hara (Colville Park) 80 76, M Kerr (Dalmahoy) 77 79, G Murray (Earlsferry Th) 74 82.

157 G Wood (Crow Wood) 80 77, J Findlay (Fraserburgh) 79 78.

158 R Knox (Inverness ) 76 82.

160 S Twynholm (Morpeth) 80 80, C Macaulay (Tulliallan) 79 81, E McIntosh (Newmachar) 79 81.

164 E Saltman (Craigielaw) 86 78.

165 G Campbell (Blairgowrie) 75 80.

167 Scott Henry (Cardross) 82 85.

169 P McKellar (East Renfrewshire) 89 80.

The leading qualifier was Llewellyn Matthews, a Welshman from Southerndown with 74 and 68 for 142.

Oliver Fisher (West Essex) made it through on 144 (73-71). So too did Gary Wolstenholme (Kilworth Springs) with 75 and 71 for 146.

TENNESSEE WOMEN'S AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

 

COLETTE MURRAY REACHES QUARTER-FINALS

 

Colette Murray from Dumfries, head women's golf coach at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, made a rare competitive golf appearance recently in the Tennessee women's amateur championship at the Country Club of Bristol, Tennessee.

She reached the quarter-finals before losing to 21-year-old Holly Cantwell, a student at the University of Tennessee.

Miss Cantwell went on to reach the final before losing by 4 and 3 to Shelley Anderson, a 33-year-old private investigator and a graduate of the University of Tennessee.

Colette has been given the task of re-starting the UTC women's golf programme which has been dormant since the mid-1980s. The women's team will play on the American college golf circuit from the autumn of next year and Miss Murray is hoping to recruit British and Irish girls to be the backbone of the UTC team.

HALF A WASHOUT AT BONNYTON

 

JOHN McTEAR WINS TOP PRIZE WITH 70 

 

Heavy rain washed out the afternoon play in the BMI Ross Hall Hospital/Lexus double shotgun pro-am at Bonnyton Golf Club today

A prize list was drawn up by tournament director Hugh Malcolm on the scores returned by the field who started at 8.30am.

John McTear (North Gailes) won the top pro prize of £560 with a two-under-par round of 70 – one shot ahead of Finlay Menzies (Milngaive), Scott Garrett (East Renfrewshire) and Jim McKinnon (Irvine).

Duncan Williamson (Kirkhill) led the Bonnyton Golf Club trio of Nilam Purewall (3), Kevin Ockrim (15) and Peter Cassidy (17) to victory in the team event with a net score of 19-under-par 125.

 

BMI ROSS HALL HOSPITAL/LEXUS DOUBLE SHOTGUN

PRO-AM

Bonnyton Golf Club

LEADING SCORES (second shotgun start abandoned).

70 J McTear (North Gailes).

71 F Menzies (Milngavie), S Garrett (East Renfrewshire), J McKinnon (Irvine).

72 C Ronald (Carluke).

73 A McCloskey (Bothwell Castle).

74 A Marshall (Houston GR), K Stevely (Cawder), S Russell (East Renfrewshire).

TEAM WINNERS

125 D Williamson (Kirkhill) & Bonnyton GC: N Purewall (3), K Ockrim (15), P Cassidy (17).

 

WORLD BOYS TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP

 

ENGLAND TRAILING IN JAPAN.

 

England were tied for 12^th position in a field of 15 countries at the end of the first day of the Toyota world boys’ golf team championship at Chukyo Golf Club, Toyota-shi in Japan today.

Sweden and Norway made it a good day for Continental Europe by setting the pace on 206 and 207 respectively over the par-72, 6,886yd Ishino course.

Hosts Japan (208) were in third place.

United States, always the favourites, did not do so well this time round. They were in eighth place on 217.

England scored 220 with a 71 from James Watt, a 73 from Luke Goddard and a 76 by Am Hutsby. Tom Hesketh had a non-counting 78 under the best three from four scores to count daily format.

 

TOYOTA WORLD BOYS CHAMPIONSHIP

Chukyo Golf Club, Toyota-shi, Japan.

LEADING FIRST ROUND TOTALS

206 Sweden.

207 Norway.

208 Japan.

211 Chinese Taipei.

213 Korea.

215 Argentina.

216 Canada.

217 United States.

218 South Africa.

219 Coliombia, New Zealand.

220 England, Netherlands.

223 Mexico.

226 Venezuela.

LEADING INDIVIDUALS (Par 72)

68 J Kennegard Swe), A Friestad Nor), M Thorp (Nor), Y Matsuoka (Jap), E Martinez (Arg).

69 R Wingardth (Swe), B Akesson Swe), Liu Yu Chun (Chinese Taipei), Jeong Yeon-Jin.

PAULL AND WILLIAMSONS GIRLS' RANKINGS

CARLY BOOTH AND MICHELE

THOMSON ARE JOINT LEADERS

Title-winning Carly Booth (Comrie) and Michele Thomson (McDonald Ellon) are joint leaders of the Paull and Williamsons’ Scottish girls stroke-play golf rankings.

Carly, who has her 14^th birthday tomorrow (JUNE 21), won the Scottish Under-16 girls’ open championship at St Andrews in April.

Michele, 18, winner of the Scottish schoolgirls’ championship at Troon last week, flies out to Alabama in August to start a four-year golf scholarship at Jacksonville State University.

They both have an average score of 2.5 over CSS in designated events for the P&W girls’ rankings and are a shot ahead of 16-year-old Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm).

Leading positions in the rankings: