Sunday, January 14, 2007


RACHEL SAVES BEST FOR LAST
FOR TOP-10 “SALLY” FINISH


Rachel Connor, 16-year-old England girl international from Oldham, shot her best round of the week – a one-over-par 73 – on the final day to claim 10th place and the leading European player spot behind winner Kelly Calkin, a University of Maryland student, in the South Atlantic Ladies amateur golf tournament at Oceanside Country Club, Ormond Beach in Florida.
"With a little bit of luck I would have beaten par in the final round," said Rachel, pictured right.
"I hit the green on the 14th with my approach but the ball spun back into the water and I took double bogey."
Miss Connor, daughter of Manchester Golf Club's Scottish-born professional, Brian, has been staying at the Florida summer home of her coach Roger Dougherty, father of European Tour player Nick Doughtery.
Sally been playing regularly with Nick, who has been a friend since childhood.

COACH IS HAPPY
"I'm happy that Rachel finished in the top 20 in the four events (two of them for juniors, the other two for women) she played over the past four weeks," said Roger.
Miss Connor has a brother Scott who is a professional and she is keen to become the third pro in the family - but first she wants to be selected for a Curtis Cup match. She has time on her side.
Rachel, who won't be 17 until July, had rounds of 75, 82, 78 and 73 for an aggregate of 308 in this the second event of the annual Orange Blossom Tour for female amateurs.
Emma Tipping from Sandiway, Chester was the highest-placed finisher of the six-strong Stirling University squad taking part.
Emma had rounds of 80, 83, 73 and 78 to share 17th place on 314.
Claire-Marie Carlton (Fereneze) and Rachael Cassidy from Dublin shared 34th place on 328. Claire-Marie had scores of 82, 89, 80 and 77 while Rachel had rounds of 85, 88, 75 and 80.
Dawn Dewar (Monifieth) finished 47th on 336 with scores of 88, 84, 79 and 85.
The final two Stirling University players, England’s Catherine Baines and Florida-born Courtnay Montgomery filled the last two places in the field of 89. Catherine scored 101, 99, 107 and 93 for 400 while Courtnay had 103, 101, 97 and 103 for 404.
Sarah Carty from Dublin – not a Stirling student – finished joint 43rd on 334 with scores of 78, 84, 80 and 82.

NEW CLUBS MAKE DIFFERENCE
The event was won by University of Maryland junior student Kelly Calkin whose golfing performances have taken off since she changed her clubs six months ago. Since then she has brought her average score down from 80 to 73.
When overnight leader, high school girl Natalie Sheary, who is bound for Wake Forest University in the autumn, bogeyed the first five holes of the final round, Miss Calkin swept past and when she holed a 40ft birdie putt at the ninth, Kelly led the field by six shots.
In the end Kelly matched the par of 72 for a four-stroke win with a seven-over-par total of 295 after earlier rounds of 74, 76 and 73.
Miss Calkin was watched from a buggy by her mother, a teaching professional who can no longer swing a golf club due to multiple sclerosis.
Fellow American Jessica Yadloczky leapfrogged a bunch of players to claim second place on 299 after returning a 68, the only sub-par round of the four days.
Natalie Sheary subsided into third place on 300.
US Curtis Cup player and defending champion Virginia Grimes shared fourth place on 301.
United States Curtis Cup captain Carol Semple Thompson had a total of 316.
+ The tournament is better known among players as the “Sally.”

LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4 x 72)
Players from US unless stated
295 Kelly Calkin 74 76 73 72.
299 Jessica Yadloczky 74 81 76 68.
300 Natalie Sheary 76 74 72 78.
301 Virginia Grimes 77 74 77 73, Kathy Hartwiger 74 76 79 72, Susan Choi 77 80 73 71.
304 Kira Meixner (Canada) 79 73 75 77.
3076 Alexandra Bodemann 77 79 73 77, Tiffany Chudy 75 74 81 76.
308 Rachel Connor (England) 75 82 78 73.
Other totals:
314 Emma Tipping (England) 80 83 73 78.
316 Carol Semple Thompson 82 78 77 78.
328 Claire-Marie Carlton (Scotland) 82 89 80 77, Rachel Cassidy (Ireland) 85 88 75 80.
334 Sarah Carty (Ireland) 78 84 80 82.
336 Dawn Dewar (Scotland) 88 84 79 85.
400 Catherine Baines (England) 101 99 107 93.
404 Courtnay Montgomery (US) 103 101 97 103.

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