BRITISH WOMEN'S MID-AM CHAMPIONSHIP

CHAMPION MARTINE LEADS TARTAN

ARMY INTO BATTLE AT NAIRN

 

Scotland’s 40-year-old women’s amateur champion Martine Pow from Selkirk will be leading a “Tartan Army” of some 20 competitors into battle for the British women’s mid-amateur golf championship at Nairn Golf club over the next three days.

Mid-amateur golf has never caught on in a big way in the United Kingdom, on either the male or female fronts. The Americans introduced this form of age category championship but many feel that when they set the minimum age at 25, they erred by about 10 years!

Anne Laing (Vale of Leven) won the inaugural British “over-25s” championship in 2002 – and has never played in the tournament again.

Sara Bishop from Windyhill finished runner-up to Lisa McGowan (Worplesdon) 12 months ago, letting her title chance slip through her fingers over the last few holes.

Strangely enough, Lisa has followed Anne Laing’s example and is not defending the title. 

Other Scots taking part in the 54-hole event for which the leading 40 and ties after two rounds will contest the final 18 holes on Sunday are:

Jo Carthew (Ladybank), Gillian Dowling (Inverness), Elaine Easton (Brechin), Louise Graham (Carnoustie Ladies), Cara Gruber (Royal Dornoch), Claire Hargan (Mortonhall), Pamela King (East Berkshire), Fiona Lockhart (St Regulus), Claire Macdonald (Gullane Ladies), Christine McAndrew (Nairn Dunbar), Janette McCartney (Erskine), Susan McGregor (Edzell), Lorraine Morrow (Erskine), Line Mortensen (Gullane Ladies), Belinda Murphy (Mortonhall), Susan Murray (Brechin), Mary Summers (Panmure Barry) and Fiona Walkinshaw (Denham).

Favourite for the title is three times Curtis Cup player Emma Duggleby from Yorkshire. But for the fact that she announced after the 2004 Formby match against the United States that she was retiring from playing for Great Britain & Ireland, the 34-year-old Emma would almost certainly have been one of the eight chosen for this year’s Curtis Cup contest at Bandon Dunes, Oregon at the end of the month. Her form in quality open stroke-play tournaments has continued to be outstanding.

Miss Duggleby (Malton & Norton)  won the British title in 1994, was English champion in 2000 and 2003 and competed in three Curtis Cup matches from 2000-2004.