KYLIE WALKER OUT OF SCOTTISH CHAMPIONSHIP
SIX SCRATCHINGS BRING FIELD DOWN TO ONLY 82
Two drop-outs made the clubhouse news on the eve of the 93rd staging of the Scottish women's amateur golf championship at Dunbar Golf Club.
Fiona Anderson, the 1987 champion and five times a finalist, was not an entry this year but she has had to resign as captain of the Scotland team for the women's home internationals at Frilford Heath in September for "personal reasons."
Blairgowrie-born but now living in Formby in Lancashire, Fiona had been skipper for the past two years.
SLGA vice-chairman Margaret MacNaughtan (Aberdeen Ladies) will take over Miss Anderson's role.
The second pull-out is equally disappointing. Kylie Walker, a Stirling University golf scholarship student and now a member at Windyhill Golf Club, where she won the Dunbartonshire & Argyll women's county championship a week or two ago, has scratched because she is she has post viral syndrome, a condition which enforces her to rest.
Kylie, 19, was a member of the Scotland women's home internationals team under Fiona Anderson's captaincy last September, when she gained her second cap after reaching the semi-finals of the Scottish championship at Cruden Bay 12 months ago.
One of only six players with a plus handicap among the entries, Kylie's absence is to be regretted, particularly as so few of the crop of very good youngsters have not entered the championship for one reason or another.
Sally Watson (Elie & Earlsferry), who, on her debut at the age of 13, had a terrific run through to the semi-finals last year, and later won the Scottish Under-18 girls' match-play title at Tain, is absent. Her talented older sister Rebecca is also missing from the Dunbar line-up.
Others ruled out of the championship because of exams include Scottish Under-16 girls champion Carly Booth (Comrie), Rosanne Niven (Crieff), Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm), the new Renfrewshire women's county champion, Under-18 girls' open stroke-play title-holder Krystle Caithness (St Regulus) and Scottish schoolgirls champion Laura Murray (Alford).
Across the sea on the American college circuit, Scottish Under-21 girls' champion Louise Fleming from Kelso, Katy McNicoll (Carnoustie), Scotland international Gemma Webster (Hilton Park) were among the young Scots who could not make it home in time after college championship commitments.
Perhaps the time has come for the SLGA powers-that-be to stage the national championship in June or July, thus recognising the fact that girl golfers are coming to the fore far sooner than they did in the days of the late Jessie Valentine or even Belle Robertson who, between them, won the Scottish title 13 times.
On a positive note, Fiona Lockhart (St Regulus) will be defending the title she won at Anne Laing's expense at Cruden Bay 12 months ago. Anne keeps flirting with the Ladies European Tour Qualifying School but the Elmwood College lecturer would still like to add to her collection of three Scottish titles (1996-2003-2004).
Anne, Jenna Wilson (Strathaven) and Heather MacRae (Dunblane New) are also chasing places in the GB&I team for the Curtis Cup match at Bandon Dunes, Oregon in late July.
And, another incentive, for international-class players to do well this week is that for the first time since the inaugural women's world championship for the Espirito Santo Trophy, Scotland - not Great Britain & Ireland - will field a team of three at Stellenbosch Golf Club, South Africa from October 18 to 21.
There were six withdrawals before the 4pm deadline today at Dunbar.
They were:
Jane Flucker (Craigmillar Park).
Ashton Ingram (Fort illiam).
Alyson McGinnigle (Cochrane Castle).
Katy McNicoll (Carnoustie).
Kylie Walker (Windyhill).
Carol Whyte (Windyhill)
That brought the field down to 82 competitors, the smallest figure for some years.
Two drop-outs made the clubhouse news on the eve of the 93rd staging of the Scottish women's amateur golf championship at Dunbar Golf Club.
Fiona Anderson, the 1987 champion and five times a finalist, was not an entry this year but she has had to resign as captain of the Scotland team for the women's home internationals at Frilford Heath in September for "personal reasons."
Blairgowrie-born but now living in Formby in Lancashire, Fiona had been skipper for the past two years.
SLGA vice-chairman Margaret MacNaughtan (Aberdeen Ladies) will take over Miss Anderson's role.
The second pull-out is equally disappointing. Kylie Walker, a Stirling University golf scholarship student and now a member at Windyhill Golf Club, where she won the Dunbartonshire & Argyll women's county championship a week or two ago, has scratched because she is she has post viral syndrome, a condition which enforces her to rest.
Kylie, 19, was a member of the Scotland women's home internationals team under Fiona Anderson's captaincy last September, when she gained her second cap after reaching the semi-finals of the Scottish championship at Cruden Bay 12 months ago.
One of only six players with a plus handicap among the entries, Kylie's absence is to be regretted, particularly as so few of the crop of very good youngsters have not entered the championship for one reason or another.
Sally Watson (Elie & Earlsferry), who, on her debut at the age of 13, had a terrific run through to the semi-finals last year, and later won the Scottish Under-18 girls' match-play title at Tain, is absent. Her talented older sister Rebecca is also missing from the Dunbar line-up.
Others ruled out of the championship because of exams include Scottish Under-16 girls champion Carly Booth (Comrie), Rosanne Niven (Crieff), Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm), the new Renfrewshire women's county champion, Under-18 girls' open stroke-play title-holder Krystle Caithness (St Regulus) and Scottish schoolgirls champion Laura Murray (Alford).
Across the sea on the American college circuit, Scottish Under-21 girls' champion Louise Fleming from Kelso, Katy McNicoll (Carnoustie), Scotland international Gemma Webster (Hilton Park) were among the young Scots who could not make it home in time after college championship commitments.
Perhaps the time has come for the SLGA powers-that-be to stage the national championship in June or July, thus recognising the fact that girl golfers are coming to the fore far sooner than they did in the days of the late Jessie Valentine or even Belle Robertson who, between them, won the Scottish title 13 times.
On a positive note, Fiona Lockhart (St Regulus) will be defending the title she won at Anne Laing's expense at Cruden Bay 12 months ago. Anne keeps flirting with the Ladies European Tour Qualifying School but the Elmwood College lecturer would still like to add to her collection of three Scottish titles (1996-2003-2004).
Anne, Jenna Wilson (Strathaven) and Heather MacRae (Dunblane New) are also chasing places in the GB&I team for the Curtis Cup match at Bandon Dunes, Oregon in late July.
And, another incentive, for international-class players to do well this week is that for the first time since the inaugural women's world championship for the Espirito Santo Trophy, Scotland - not Great Britain & Ireland - will field a team of three at Stellenbosch Golf Club, South Africa from October 18 to 21.
There were six withdrawals before the 4pm deadline today at Dunbar.
They were:
Jane Flucker (Craigmillar Park).
Ashton Ingram (Fort illiam).
Alyson McGinnigle (Cochrane Castle).
Katy McNicoll (Carnoustie).
Kylie Walker (Windyhill).
Carol Whyte (Windyhill)
That brought the field down to 82 competitors, the smallest figure for some years.
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | 4:27:00 pm
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