CAITHNESS, WALKER, WATSON
AND BOOTH NAMED
IN LGU SQUAD

There are two home-based Scots - Krystle Caithness (St Regulus) and Kylie Walker (Buchanan Castle) - in the Ladies Golf Union elite squad of 15 named for close-season training for the 2007 team tournaments: the Vagliano Trophy tournament at St Andrews Bay and the Commonwealth tournament in South Africa. Sally Watson (Elie & Earlsferry) and Carly Booth (Comrie), two young Scots at the IMG David Leadbetter Golf Academy in Bradenton, Florida have also been named although it remains to be seen if they will be available for the training sessions at Desert Springs, Spain in December, January and February or the practice matches at Royal Liverpool Golf Club in March.
Carly, pictured right, is still only 14 years of age but GB&I's only member of the 2006 Junior Ryder Cup team. Sally won the Daily Telegraph national girls' grand final at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club after reaching the final of the British girls' championship.
They are two of the youngest players ever chosen for an LGU elite squad.
Sally has been selected by Scotland for the last two sets of home international matches. Carly has yet to play for Scotland at women's level.
Curtis Cup players Tara Delaney, Naomi Edwards, Breanne Loucks and Melissa Reid form the nucleus of the squad.
Wrexham-based Loucks, 19, was GB&I’s top scorer in the Curtis Cup match at Bandon Dunes, winning all three of her matches, a performance that helped her win ‘Wales Young Sports Personality of The Year.'
Ms Edwards meanwhile, reached the semi-finals of the British women's open's amateur championship at Royal County Down and won the Welsh open amateur stroke-play championship.
HELEN HOLM TROPHY WINNER
Fellow Curtis Cup team member Melissa Reid lifted the Helen Holm Trophy at Royal Troon.
Former English champion Kerry Smith, winner of the 2006 ELGA Order of Merit and a Curtis Cup player in 2002, represents the more experienced players.
Gillian Kirkwood, Chairman of the LGU Selection Committee, was enthusiastic over the squad’s potential. “We are delighted to give a number of young players the opportunity of being part of the LGU training programme and believe that the mix of youth and experience will ensure that strong teams are selected for the two matches in 2007," she said.
“This year, a number of potential team members have turned professional, so the squad contains quite a few ‘new faces’. However, while the two teams will mostly consist of players named today, the way is still open for players outside the squad to ‘play their way in’.”

LGU TRAINING SQUAD
2006-2007

Rachel Bell, Ganton
Elizabeth Bennett, Brokenhurst Manor
Krystle Caithness, St Regulus
Tara Davies, Holyhead
Naomi Edwards, Ganton
Sahra Hassan, Vale of Glamorgan
Breanne Loucks, Wrexham
Florentyna Parker, Gut Waldhof
Melissa Reid, Chevin
Kerry Smith, Waterlooville
Kylie Walker, Buchanan Castle

PLAYERS IN US

Carly Booth, Comrie
Tara Delaney, Carlow
Danielle McVeigh, Royal County Down Ladies’
Sally Watson, Elie & Earlsferry Ladies’

CAPTAINS

Mary McKenna, Vagliano Trophy 2007 & Curtis Cup 2008
Sue Turner, Commonwealth Trophy

TRAINING PROGRAMME

December 14-17: Winter Warm Weather Training 1 (Desert Springs, Spain).
January 25-28: Winter Warm Weather Training 2 (Desert Springs, Spain).
February 22-25: Winter Warm Weather Training 3 (Desert Springs, Spain).
March 15-18: Spring matches (Royal Liverpool GC), to be confirmed.
June 28-July 1: Vagliano Trophty team practice (Fairmont St Andrews Bay), to be cofirmed.