R&A increase number of girl
students in annual award of
golf scholarships

For 2009, The R&A has awarded more scholarships to female golfers than ever before.
Thirty-six women, up from 26 in 2008, will receive grants which help players at or near international standard continue their competitive golf whilst still attending university.
In order to qualify for a scholarship, women must possess a handicap of 3 or less while men must be +1 or better.
“The R&A seeks to help promising golfers who wish to combine academic qualifications with golf at elite standard,” explained R&A Golf Development Officer, Alison White, pictured right by Cal Carson Golf Agency.
“This year, we’ve had a record number of applications from talented young female players, which the percentage of scholarships awarded to women reflects. Many universities run excellent golf programmes and it is very encouraging to see more female students taking advantage of what is on offer.”
The grants, totalling over £80,000, have been awarded to 91 players from all over the world including students from Estonia, Fiji, Kenya, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
On April 6 and 7, R&A scholars will converge on St Andrews to compete in the annual R&A Bursars Tournament, now rebranded as The R&A Scholars Tournament. The event, which offers World Amateur Golf Ranking points, awards the winning male a place in the European Team for the Palmer Cup, the annual match contested by students from Europe and the USA, whilst the victorious female will be offered a place at a Ladies European Tour event.
The full list of 2009’s R&A Scholars is :
Surnames A to C
After the "-" the first name is that of the student's university; in brackets is the name of their home golf club)
Stefan Engell Andersen – Pretoria University (Muthiaga Golf Club, Kenya).
Lucie Andre – Toulouse University (Mionnay la Dombes Golf Club, France).
Morganne Bazin de Jessey – Paris Dauphine (Saint Cloud, France).
Adam Best – Teeside (Cleveland).
Paul Betty – Stirling (Hayston).
Sam Binning – Glasgow (Ranfurly Castle).
David Booth – Stirling (Rotherham).
Megan Briggs – Strathclyde (Kilmacolm).
Ciara Butler – NUI Maynooth (Newlands).
Marianna Causin – Venice (Golf Club Venezia, Italy);
Holly Calvert – Stirling (Lancaster).
Rachel Cassidy – Stirling (The Island);
Vikrant Chandra – South Pacific, Fiji (Suva Golf Club, Fiji).
Laura Chemarin – Toulouse (Bussy Guermantes, France).
Joshua Clarke – Abertay (Royal Montrose).
Louise Coffey – Ulster (Malone).
David Edward Corben – Exeter (Hindhead).
Jonathan Corke – St Andrews (Rowany).
Dave Corsby – Myerscough (Royal Lytham & St Annes).
Rosanna Crepiat – Toulouse (Aix Marseille, France).
Sarah Crowe – Limerick (Tipperary).
Ross Crowe – Northumbria (Newcastle United).
Sarah Cunningham – NUI Maynooth (Ennis)
D to K
Michael Daily – Stirling (Erskine).
Chloe Dexter – Birmingham (Beedles Lake).
Mark Robert Dickson – Edinburgh (The Alwoodley).
Chris Drumm – NUI Maynooth (Rosslare).
John Duff – Aberdeen (Newmachar).
Benjamin Enoch – Truro College (Truro).
Michael Evans – Bournemouth (Dudsbury).
Emma Fairnie – Edinburgh (Dunbar).
Stephanie Farrar – Stirling (Sandiway).
Kevin Garwood – Bournemouth (Surrey National).
Carwyn Hammond – Northumbria (Pontardawe).
Joanne Hodge – Buckinghamshire New (Knowle).
Susan Jackson – Edinburgh (Ladybank).
Sian James – Birmingham (Bristol & Clifton).
Shain Spencer Johnson – Pretoria (Harare, Zimbabwe).
Mhairi Claire Johnstone – Aberdeen (Northern Golf Club).
Vincent Kabaso – Elmwood College (Elmwood).
Gerard Kelly – UCD (County Louth).
Niamh Kitching – Limerick (Claremorris).
Adam Kritikos – Myerscough (Corfu, Corfu)
M to R
Kelsey Macdonald – Stirling (Nairn Dunbar).
Jamie Michael Mackay – Kilmarnock College (Kilmarnock, Barassie).
Alexander Main – Edinburgh (Thornton).
Craig Martin – NUI Maynooth (Kilkenny).
Anne McCormack – Athlone Institute of Technology (Roscommon).
Kelan McDonagh – NUI Maynooth (Athlone).
Tommy McGowan – NUI Maynooth (Strandhill).
Naoimh McMahon – Limerick (Shannon).
Danielle McVeigh – NUI Maynooth (Royal County Down).
Louise Mernagh – NUI Maynooth (Woodenbridge).
Gillian Monteith – Strathclyde (Portpatrick Dunskey).
Fraser Moore – Stirling (Glenbervie).
Leonardo Motta – Milan (Biella Betulle, Italy).
Alan Murdoch – Stirling (Stranraer).
Aedin Murphy – NUI Maynooth (Carlow).
Laura Murray – Robert Gordon University (Alford Golf Club).
Torel Beider – Myerscough (Estonia, Estonia).
Lucy Kathryn Padley – Exeter (Exeter).
Andrew William Palmer – Central Lancashire (Chorley).
James Patterson – Queens (Knock).
Myles Francis Pearson – Loughborough (Little Aston).
Christina Petersson – Northumbria (Gaule, Sweden).
Egert Pôldma – Myerscough (Estonia, Estonia).
Alessandra do Poli de Luigi – Milan (Monticello, Italy).
Pamela Pretswell – Glasgow (Bothwell Castle).
Matthew Pythian – Glamorgan (Rhondda).
Niccolo Quintarelli – Venice (Della Montecchia, Italy).
Bobby Rushford – Stirling (Grangemouth).
S to Y
Andrew Shakespear – Bournemouth (Five Lakes).
Keith Shanks – Aberdeen (Birck Boilermaker, Indiana, USA).
Lucy Simpson – NUI Maynooth (Massereene).
Andrew Fenwick Smedley – Birmingham (Notts).
James Smedley – Sheffield Hallam (Hallowes).
Daniel Iain Sommerville – Dundee (St Andrews).
Gordon Stevenson – St Andrews (Whitecraigs).
Scott Stewart-Cation – Elmwood College (Balbirnie).
Colin Thomson – Stirling (East Renfrewshire).
Darren Timms – Stirling (Mid Kent).
Jane Turner – Robert Gordon University (Craigielaw Golf Club).
Andrew Wallace – Stirling (Glenbervie).
Brendan Walton – NUI Maynooth (The Island).
Lloyd Walton – Bournemouth (Dorset).
Jonathan Watt – Stirling (Brockenhurst Manor).
James White – Stirling (Lundin).
Lucy Williams – Birmingham (Mid Herts).
Rebecca Jane Wilson – Stirling (Monifieth).
Ian Andrew Winstanley – Leeds (Formby).
Gordon Yates – Stirling (Hilton Park)