US WOMEN'S GOLF SUMMARY

VIKKI MAKES ANOTHER CUT ON FUTURES TOUR

 

Vikki Laing, now campaigning on the Duramed Futures Tour in the United States, is beginning to build up the confidence she lost over the months with hanging around the fringes of the LPGA Tour, waiting for the chance to play – and then playing badly.

The Musselburgh 25-year-old former Curtis Cup player survived her second cut in the Tucson Classic at the Tucson Golf Complez, Arizona with scores of 71 and 70 for a one-over-par tally of 141.

In one of the lowest scoring events on the No 2 women’s pro circuit in America, 76 players with 36-hole aggregates of two-over-par 142 survived the cut. There were two second-round 64s and one 63 by 17-year-old In-Bee Park.

Vikki went into the third and final round of the $75,000 tournament in joint 50^th place.

Londoner Polly Willlett did not make it. She shot 68 and 75 for 143 – one stroke too many

Charlotte Mayorkas (Las Vegas) and Kristy McPherson (South Carolina) headed the qualifiers on nine-under-par 131. Charlotte had scores of 66 and 65, Kristy had 65 and 66.

 

KATY SHARES 14^TH PLACE IN MICHIGAN

FINALE TO HER FIRST YEAR IN USA

 

Carnoustie’s Katy McNicoll finished a creditable 14^th equal in a field of 48 for the NCAA Division 2 women’s college championship over The Meadows course at Allendale, Michigan.

Katy, a first-year student at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida, had rounds of 77, 82 and 79 for a total of 238 over the par-72, 5,882yd course.

Mariana De Biase (Rollins College) won the event with 74, 74 and 72 for 220.

Miss McNicoll started well in her final round with birdies at the first and fourth but began to fight a losing battle with par after bogeying the fifth.

That was followed by bogeys at the sixth and eighth and then a horrific triple-bogey 8 at the long ninth. More shots were shed at the 10^th, 11^th, 14^th and 16^th but she got a birdie 2 at the 17^th in an inward 38 so she was able to finish with a smile.

Two double bogeys in her second round cost her a top-10 placing in what was her final tournament of the 2005-2006 college season.

Rollins College (919) won the team event from Ferris State (925) with Lynn University third of eight on the 951 mark.

Miss McNicoll, only 18 years old,  had to withdraw from the Scottish women’s amateur championship starting at Dunbar Golf Club on Tuesday because she could not get flights home in time to Scotland to make her Tuesday morning tee time in the first qualifying round.

 

GEMMA AND LOUISE COMING HOME

ON A LOW NOTE FROM AMERICA

 

Irish eyes were smiling but the Scots were none too happy at the end of the NCAA Division 1 women’s Central Regional college tournament at Traditions Golf Club, Bryan in Texas.

Curtis Cup team place contender Tara Delaney, a Kent State University student from Carlow, jumped up from a share of 14^th place overnight to a final finish of joint fourth with rounds of 74, 77 and 71 for a total of 221 over the 6,289yd, par-72 course.

At the other end of the leaderboard, Gemma Webster (Ohio State) from Glasgow shot 82, 85 and 82 for joint 89^th place on 248 and Scottish Under-21 champion Louise Fleming (Jacksonville State) from Kelso came 96^th equal with 85, 88 and 81 for 255.

Gemma had two triple bogeys and nine double bogeys over the 54 holes but played the last nine in one under par with eight pars and a birdie at the 17^th

Louise had a triple bogey at the 14^th and a double bogey at the third in her final round in which she had birdies at the second, 10^th and 15^th.

Miss Fleming had a total of four birdies, one triple bogey and six double bogeys over the 54 holes.

The college season is now over for the Scots pair as only the leading eight teams go on to the NCAA championships. Southern California (883) led the qualifiers from Duke (885). Kent State (919) made it through in a share of sixth place which means that Tara Delaney won’t be back in Ireland for a little while yet.

Ohio State (945) finished 16^th and Jacksonville State (1025) 20^th of the 21 teams.

Other British and Irish players in the field were Becky Wood from Glossop and a Kent State team player with scores of 77, 77 and 74 for 21^st place on 228; Danielle Roseberry (Tulsa) from England. She finished 85^th equal with 81, 83 and 83 for 246. Tara’s sister, Karen Delaney, also a student at Kent State, scored 87, 85 and 77 for 92^nd place on 249.

Irene Cho (Southern California) won with 71, 74 and 69 for 214, four shots ahead of Amanda Blumenherst (Duke).

 

ANNA DISAPPOINTS IN FINAL OUTING

 

Anna Scott (Georgia State University) from Consett, Co Durham ended her US college season with a disappointing joint 66^th place finish in the NCAA Division 1 women’s West Regional tournament at Washington National Golf Club in Auburn, Washington State.

Anna, who had played well earlier in the 2005-2006 college season, finished with rounds of 78, 82 and 76 – including a double bogey at the fourth  in her third round – for a total fo 236.

Individual winner was Paige Mackenzie (Washington) with eight-under-par 208 (68-69-71).

Only the top eight teams go forward to the NCAA championship, headed by Purdue (881) and UCLA (887). Georgia State (919) finished 11^th