Michele Thomson's first pro win comes in Florida:

This might be start of something big ...

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Rookie tour professional Michele Thomson from Ellon was so excited after scoring her first win in the paid ranks - in a SunCoast Ladies Tour event in Florida - on Thursday that she completely forgot about taking her golf clubs away with her from the Country Club of Mount Dora venue.
Michele had to make a 30-mile return journey to be reunited again but nothing could upset her on one of the happiest days of her golfing career.
A $2,000 first prize is will undoubtedly be one of the smallest financial rewards the Aberdeenshire girl earns in the years to come but a first win as a professional is a symbolic moment, one to be remembered and treasured.
Leader by three shots after the first round, played in the 30 to 40mph gusts, the strongest winds seen in that area of Florida for several years, Michele had slipped back a bit into a triple tie for the top spot after 36 holes.
But, on the last day, she responded to the pressure and rose to the occasion in a manner that augurs well for her forthcoming debut on the Ladies European Tour, expected to be the Swiss Ladies Open in mid-May. As she did not quite gain full membership of the LET at the Qualifying School in Spain, Michele has to wait to see if the exempt players take up all the places available in the Swiss field.
The 21-year-old Curtis Cup player and Scottish women's amateur champion at Lossiemouth last year, signed off with two-under-par 70 in Florida after earlier rounds of 76 and 74 for a two-over-par total of 220 to win the $2,000 first prize by a single shot.
New York State amateur Kristina Wong, who had a 71 for 221, finished second with Germany's Miriam Nagl from Berlin coming third with a 72 for 222.It was not the first cash prize Michele has won in her first month or two as a pro ... she earned £25 for reaching the semi-finals of the North-east Alliance foursomes tournament at Murcar Links last month!
It was her experience of playing in the normally windy wintry conditions at the Alliance that helped her build such a big lead on the first day.
Michele flies from Florida to Houston on Saturday to stay with her oil executive father Graham who was transferred to Texas two or three months ago.
"There is no SunCoast Ladies Pro Tour event next week so we thought it best that Michele should come up to Houston and stay with me before going back to Florida a week on Sunday for the next two tournaments," said Graham Watson.
"Basically, Michele wanted to use the SunCoast Series as a warm-up to get in some competitive golf before the LET tees off and she was pleasantly surprised thet there were 2008 LPGA, current LeT and 2009 Futures Tour players in the field in Florida.
"She feels that hard winter work in the gym and ont he range with her coach, Neil Marr, and the support from fewllow McDonald Ellon tour pro Ross Cameron has been very worthwhile over the past few months."
Michele was also surprised that the Florida galleries seemed to be rooting for her.
"Lots of them told me that they had been on golfing holidays to Scotland and loved everything to do with Scotland - so they were giving me a cheer for that. They followed my group through the second and third rounds, which was really encouraging considering I was a stranger to them," said Michele.
The Aberdeenshire player is hoping that the Florida win might help her in the uphill fight to gain some sponsorship to play on the Ladies European Tour.
"It has been a struggle. Golf sponsorship seems to have been hit really hard by the downturn in the economy but there is some glimmer of hope on the horizon. I have had two individuals who have contacted me recently and want to speak to me on the subject of sponsorship when I get back to Scotland," said Michele who thinks that may be the way ahead for her, i.e. no one big sponsor but several smaller ones.
"If anybody is interested in helping me in my first season on the LET, they should get in touch with me through McDonald Ellon Golf Club.
"Both Titleist and Wilson Staff had stepped up recently and been very supportive. I am really grateful to them. The Paul Lawrie Golf Foundation has also given me a lot of backing. Paul sends me regular text messages of support."
Could Michele Thomson follow in the footsteps of namesake and fellow North-east golfer Muriel Thomson who became a regular winner on the forerunner of the Ladies European Tour after gaining Curtis Cup honours as an amateur?
Muriel eventually retired as a tour pro in 1989 and very soon after she became the fledgling Portlethen Golf Club's first club professional. She is still there yet and plays very little golf but still follows the female golf scene from afar.

"For Michele to win anywhere is great at this stage of her pro career. To win in a foreign country is fantastic and it must work wonders for her confidence," said Muriel who won nine times in Britain and Europe as a professional.

"My only advice to Michele would be to play where she is happy and where she is comfortable in playing, not where she thinks people expect her to play. I felt I came under a lot of pressure to go to America at a certain stage when I didn't really want to go. Looking back, it was a turning point in my career. I was never as good again as I had been.

"But Michele's young, she has all these things to find out for herself. I wish her luck. It's important that she is happy on and off the course."

SUNCOAST LADIES PRO TOUR
Mount Dora, Florida
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 216 (3 x 72)
220 Michele Thomson (Scotland) 76 74 70 ($2000).
221 Kristina Wong (amateur) 81 69 71.
222 Miriam Nagl (Germany) 80 70 72 ($1000).
223 Margaret Shirley 79 73 71 ($900).
225 Briana Vega 79 73 73 ($800).
226 Noriko Nakazaki (Japan) 80 76 70, Ulrika Ljungman-Smith (Sweden) 80 73 73 ($650 each).227 Laura Bavaird 79 74 74 ($550).
228 Erin Thorne (Canada) 79 72 77.
229 Kathryn O'Rourke (amateur) 84 77 68.
230 Susan Choi 80 74 76.
232 Jutta Degerman (Finland) 82 75 75.
234 Rebecca Samuelsson (Sweden) 80 77 79, Maggie Steciuk (Canada) 85 71 80.
237 Brittainy Klein 83 80 74, Shasta Averyhardt 84 80 73, Caroline Park (South Korea) 84 77 76.