Grammar and Cults will meet in final

Paul Lawrie Aberdeen Schools golf

Aberdeen Grammar School and Cults Academy will contest next Tuesday’s Paul Lawrie Foundation sponsored Aberdeen Schools’ Golf Championship at Hazlehead No 1 Course.

In tonight’s semi-finals over the Hazlehead No 2 Course, Cults beat Robert Gordon’s College 2-1 whilst Grammar drew 1½-1½ with defending champions Hazlehead Academy but went through by two holes on a holes-up countback.

There was a real dramatic conclusion to the Grammar/Hazlehead match. Nick MacAndrew and William Rennie won the first tie for Grammar by beating Sean Stewart and Scott Main 4 & 2. Hazlehead’s second pair of Michael Angus and Elliot Duff then levelled the overall score at 1-1 by beating Louis Kinnear and Mark Wareham 2 up.

In the final tie, Hazlehead’s Grant Joss and William Mathers were one up on Grammar’s Andrew Burr and Cameron Johnstone playing the last hole. However, it was the Grammar team who were celebrating when Cameron holed his 10 foot birdie putt to halve the tie and allow his team to progress into the final on the countback.

Match Results:

Hazlehead 1½ Aberdeen Grammar School 1½

S Stewart & S Main lost to N MacAndrew & W Rennie 4 & 2
M Angus & E Duff beat L Kinnear & M Wareham 2 up
G Joss & W Mathers halved with A Burr & C Johnstone

Robert Gordon’s College 1 Cults Academy 2

Z Clark & M Kelly lost to A Carrell & E Robertson 2 down
J Loggie & M Loggie beat C Sutherland & J Pryde 3 & 2D Young & F Grant lost to R Polson & V Po

Tom Lehman tournaments

Here are the entry forms for the Tom Lehman tournaments in Troon.

JUNIOR GOLF PRE-HANDICAP OPEN
Monday 3rd August 2009 • Fullarton Golf Course

JUNIOR OPEN FOR THE TOM LEHMAN TROPHIES
Tuesday 4th August • Lochgreen, Darley and Fullarton Golf Courses

Janice Moodie Trophy

Just wanted to remind junior girls that the Janice Moodie competition at Windyhill Golf Club on Friday 3rd July is a order of merit event and open to girls up age 21.

Prizes are divided into age catgeories (10 - 14) (15 - 17) and (18 - 21). Tee of times are available 10.30 - 2.30.

Download the Entry form 2009/JaniceMoodieEntryform1.doc or contact Tracy Masterton on tamasterton@hotmail.com, 07969 806885 or 0141 887 9802 to enter.

Tartan Army at Davis & Elkins College

Davis & Elkins College, West Virginia have announced that they will have four Scots on their golf roster for the start of the 2009-2010 US college season.
They are Alasdair Forsythe, a sophomore (second-year) student from Glasgow, and three freshmen, David Shields (Glasgow), Colin Sutherland (Crail) and Robert McCleneghan from Glasgow.
Davis & Elkins College is a small residential liberal arts college of 700 students located at Elkins, West Virginia.
The school was founded in 1904 and is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church. It was named after Henry G Davis and Stephen B Elkins who were both members of the US Senate from West Virginia.
The school's athletic teams, known as the Senators, compete in the NCAA Division II West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

SLGA announce European teams

EUROPEAN WOMEN'S TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
(Bled GC, Slovenia, July 7-11)
Carly Booth (Comrie)
Louise Kenney (Pitreavie)
Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar)
Pamela Pretswell (Bothwell Castle)
Kylie Walker (Buchanan Castle)
Sally Watson (Elie & Earlsferry Ladies)
Reserves:
1 Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm)
2 Roseanne Niven (Crieff)
3 Jane Turner (Craigielaw)
Captain:
Fiona de Vries (St Rule)

EUROPEAN GIRLS TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
(Kokkola GC, Finland, July 7 to 11)

Lesley Atkins (Minto)
Sammy Leslie (Murcar Links)
Ailsa Summers (Carnoustie Ladies)
Rachael Watton (Mortonhall)
Reserves:
1 Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm)
2 Jill Meldrum (Dullatur).
Captain:
Margaret MacNaughtan (Aberdeen Ladies)

Royal Dornoch 3 team who won the Handicap Trophy on home turf: l to r - Sheila Duncan, Pam Moscati, Moira Rennie, Liz Coghill (Royal Dornoch GC ladies' Captain) and Margaret Ross.

The winning scratch team: Tain, l to r - Claire Ross, Anne Ryan, Liz Coghill (Royal Dornoch ladies captain), Mary Smith (missing; Sammy Vass).

Tain hold on to Gordon Salver despite

Royal Dornoch's home advantage

ROBIN WILSON REPORTS
Host club Royal Dornoch fielded one of their strongest ever team of four players in an attempt to break Tain's eight-year stranglehold on the G A Gordon Salver in the Ross/Sutherland women's inter-club competition.

But, with Northern Counties women's champion Cara Gruber quelled by Tain's North junior champion Sammy Vass, the Salver returned to Tain for another year.
Teenager Vass (17), who takes up a four-year golf scholarship in Florida in August, returned a one-over-par 77 to better local club champion Gruber's 80 and set Tain on the pathway to their astonishing 34th win since 1957.

The Tain winning total of 241 was completed by Anne Ryan 83, and Mary Smith 81. Their non- counting score came from Claire Ross.

Royal Dornoch's runner-up gross 54 hole total was 248 - Gruber's 80 and the pick of the 84s from Pam Mackay, Alison Bartlet and Claire Riddle.
Royal Dornoch's third team won the handicap Connon Trophy: Moira Rennie, Margaret Ross, Sheila Duncan and Pam Moscati combining for a 54-hole net 234, one ahead of Golspie's Anne Macrae, Sheila Robertson, Helen Ewan and Ann Duff.

The proceeds from the Ball Sweepstake raised £180 for the Cancer Care Centre, Inverness.
Leading scores:

(Three scores to count)
Scratch

241 Tain (S Vass 77, M Smith 81, A Ryan 83, C Ross 84).
248 Royal Dornoch (C Gruber 80, P Mackay 84, A Bartlet 84, C Riddle 84).
Handicap

234 Royal Dornoch No 3 team (M Ross (18) 75, M Rennie (18) 77, S. Duncan (19) 82).
235 Golspie (S Robertson (12) 75, A Macrae (9) 79, A Duff (20) 81, H Ewan (15) 91.

3 Irish women's open amateur stroke-play this weekend

Vagliano Trophy team trio lead Irish

bid to repel overseas challenge

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE IRISH LADIES GOLF UNION
Vagliano Trophy team-mates, Danielle McVeigh and Leona and Lisa Maguire will lead the Irish challenge at this weekend’s 3 Irish Women’s Open Strokeplay at Douglas Golf Club in Cork.
The trio, selected yesterday on Mary McKenna’s nine-member GB&I team, join a strong field which sees 32 overseas competitors travelling from Australia, England, Finland, France, Germany, New Zealand, Scotland, South Africa and Wales.
With a host of Senior and Junior Internationals on show, McVeigh and the Maguires will need to be at their best to lift the silverware on Sunday afternoon. England’s Rachel Jennings and Hannah Burke join Scotland’s Carly Booth and Jane Turner while Australia is strongly represented by 2007 champion Stacey Keating and international team-mate Julia Boland.
Many internationals will use the championship to prepare for the Women’s and Girls’ European Team Championships in early July.
Other Irish contenders will be Niamh Kitching (Claremorris), Aedin Murphy (Carlow), Mary Dowling (New Ross) and Charlene Reid (Royal Portrush), all recently selected on Ireland’s team for the Europeans, while Gillian O’Leary (Cork), Maria Dunne (Skerries), Catherine Tucker (Limerick) and Victoria Bradshaw (Bangor) are sure to feature on the final day.
Last year’s winner Breanne Loucks, from Wales, beat Scotland’s Roseanne Niven by three shots with then 13-year-old Lisa Maguire finishing in third place. Loucks has since secured her Ladies European Tour card, entitling her to full playing rights on the LET for the 2009 season.
Chief Executive of the ILGU, Sinéad Heraty, believes the deal with 3 will provide a welcome boost to the support of elite women’s golf in Ireland: “The 3 Irish Women’s Open Strokeplay will ensure a top-class overseas entry for this year’s championship. With the number of international players increasing each year, our own home players get the opportunity to compete with Europe’s best and grow their International experience. We are delighted to welcome 3 as a major sponsor of top level women’s amateur golf”.
Rachel Channing, PR and Communications Director at 3 said: “3 is the magic number for Irish golf and we are delighted to sponsor the 3 Irish Women’s Open Strokeplay championship. We will bring our energy and innovation into assisting the ILGU with what is a wonderful tournament. With such an impressive field of golfing talent, this year’s championship promises to provide a great day of action in Co. Cork.’
Two rounds of 18 holes will commence at 7.30am on Saturday morning with the top 40 plus ties playing the final 18 holes on Sunday. With no entry fee for spectators, the tournament provides the perfect opportunity to see the sensational Maguire twins compete on home soil alongside Europe’s elite amateurs. The final round starts 8am on Sunday with the leaders teeing off around 10am.
SATURDAY TEE TIMES
1st and 10th tees:
07:30 & 12:50: Laura McCarthy (Muskerry), Anne McCormack (Roscommon), Lucy Simpson (Massereene).
07:40 & 13:00: Sarah Murray (Co Louth), Jean Farrell (Youghal), Lynda Maher (Charleville).
07:50 & 13:10: Patrice Delaney (Birr), Sarah Crowe (Tipperary), Emma Gilmore (Mountbellew).
08:00 & 13:20: Sinead O'Sullivan (Galway), Charlene Reid (Royal Portush), Ciara Butler (Newlands).
08:10 & 13:30: Vivian Gallin (Ger), Naoimh McMahon (Shannon), Claire Keating (Charleville).
08:20 & 13:40: Rachel Jennings (Eng), Emilie Alonso (Fra), Danielle McVeigh (Royal Co. Down Ladies).
08:30 & 13:50: Annika Korkeila (Fin), Laura Murray (Sco), Louise Mernagh (Woodenbridge).
08:40 & 14:00 Corisande Lee (Eng), Stacey Keating (Aus), Niamh Kitching (Claremorris).
08:50 & 14:10 Pamela Pretswell (Sco), Rhian Wyn Thomas (Wal), Gillian O'Leary (Cork).
09:00 & 14:20 Rebecca Watson (Sco), Laure Castelain (Fra), Deirdre Smith (Co. Louth)
09:10 & 14:30 Charlotte Wild (Eng), Rebecca Flood (Aus), Aedin Murphy (Carlow)
09:20 & 14:40 Kym Larratt (Eng), Carly Booth (Sco), Mary Dowling (New Ross).

10th and 1st tees:
07:30 & 12:50 Karen O'Neill (Douglas), Catherine Tucker (Limerick), Suzy Sheehan (The Island)
07:40 & 13:00 Daisy-May Kenny (Eng), Aoife Lowry (Tipperary), Lillian Harrington (East Cork).
07:50 & 13:10 Rhona Brennan (Bandon), Linda Toomey (Limerick), Ailish Thompson (Douglas)
08:00 & 13:20 Nicole Garcia (SAf), Louise Coffey (Malone), Sarah Cunningham (Ennis)
08:10 & 13:30 Jerry Lawrence (Eng) Gemma Bradbury (Wal), Emma O'Driscoll (Ballybunion)
08:20 & 13:40 Tara Watters (Eng), Caroline Bon (NZ), Victoria Bradshaw (Bangor)
08:30 & 13:50 Fiona Howard (Eng), Sarah Faller (Galway), Sue Phillips (Woodbrook)
08:40 & 14:00 Tilly Holder (Eng) Amy Boulden (Wal), Karen Delaney (Carlow)
08:50 & 14:10 Minna Vvorenpaa (Fin), Kelly Tidy (Eng), Lisa Maguire (Slieve Russell)
09:00 & 14:20 Charlie Douglass (Eng), Manon Gidali (Fra), Rachel Cassidy (The Island)
09:10 & 14:30 Hannah Burke (Eng), Julia Boland (Aus), Leona Maguire (Slieve Russell)
09:20 & 14:40 Jane Turner (Sco), Tara Davies (Wal), Maria Dunne (Skerries)

LPGA Championship winner Anna Nordqvist

coming over for Ricoh Women's British Open

NEWS RELEASE FROM I M G
Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist won her first major title in only her fifth professional start on the LPGA Tour, the McDonald’s LPGA Championship at the weekend, and immediately confirmed her entry into the 2009 Ricoh Women’s British Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club, from July 30 to August 2.
Having finished as the leading amateur at the 2008 Ricoh Women’s British Open, the same year as her countryman Annika Sorenstam competed in her final Major before stepping away from the game; Anna Nordqvist has now demonstrated her potential to follow in Annika’s legendary footsteps.
Anna, who also made the cut in the 2007 Ricoh Women’s British Open, had an extremely successful amateur career with highlights including winning the 2008 Ladies’ British Open Amateur, the 2005 Girls' British Open Amateur Championship and finishing tied fifth in the 2008 NCAA Championships representing Arizona State University.
Playing on a conditional card with limited playing rights following a 25th place finish at LPGA qualifying school for the 2009 season, Nordqvist was understandably delighted at securing her first victory.
She explained; “Of course it hasn’t sunk in and I think it will take a couple of days for me to realise that I have won a Major Championship. The rest of the season looks pretty different to me now, no more Monday qualifying events which is definitely a relief.
"I can’t wait to get to Lytham for the Ricoh Women’s British Open. I obviously had a great tournament at Sunningdale last year and finishing highest amateur is certainly one of my best achievements until now.
"I really enjoy links golf and had a lot of amateur successes in Britain so I feel really excited about what can happen at the Championship this year.
"I didn’t expect to fulfil my ambition of winning a Major so early in my pro career and it feels great. But now I am really going to concentrate on building on this success during the rest of the season and the Ricoh Women’s British Open is certainly a tournament I am looking forward to. "It is also the week that the Solheim Cup teams get announced so there will be an amazing atmosphere at what is the final Major of the year”
Shona Malcolm, Ladies’ Golf Union’s CEO, added; “It is very exciting to see one of our amateur winners graduate into a Major Champion. Anna has such an exciting career ahead of her and we are thrilled at her amazing victory this weekend ”
This year’s Championship will take place at Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club in the Northwest of England. Its credentials as a Championship venue are impressive. As well as holding three Women’s British Opens - in 1998, 2003 and 2006 - Royal Lytham has hosted an impressive 10 men’s Open Championships and two Ryder Cups.
With Annika Sorenstam, the winner at Royal Lytham in 2003, recently retired from the Tour and Sherri Steinhauer, the 1998 and 2006 Champion, having played no events in over 6 months, the Lancashire golf fans look set to witness a new winner crowned at Royal Lytham and St Annes Golf Club in August.
Steeped in history and the only Major to take place outside of the USA, the 2009 Ricoh Women’s British Open is set to be one of the highlights on this year’s golfing calendar. It is the most international of all the Majors with millions tuning into the 2008 Championship coverage as it was televised around the world, including on the BBC in the UK, ABC network television in the USA and on TV Asahi in Japan.
The Women’s British Open was founded by the Ladies’ Golf Union in 1976 and is staged in conjunction with IMG, the world’s largest sports marketing company. The event has been co-sanctioned by the LPGA and LET since 1994 and gained Major status in 2001.
For more information, including the latest news and advance ticket offers, please visit www.ricohwomensbritishopen.com or call our ticket line on +448719459421.

Stephanie Meadow with her medal as winner of the US girls championship qualifier at Wellington, Florida.

Stephanie comes through 90+ degree heat

to win US girls' championship qualifier

US-based Irish girls champion of 2006, Stephanie Meadow yesterday (Monday)won the United States girls' championship sectional qualifier at Wellington, Florida with a score of two-under-par 70.

Only three places were available and Stephanie finished a shot ahead of Christine Ocampa with Victoria Trapina third on 73.

The qualifier was played on the East Course at Wycliffe Golf & Country Club. The course measured 6,278 yards and had a Par 72. The conditions were hot and humid withe the temperature up in the 90s.

The US girls championship will be played at Trump National Golf Club, New Jersey from July 20 to 25.

Stephanie is a resident student at the Hank Haney International Junior Golf Academy at Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Her parents also live in the States since their daughter enrolled.

She won the Irish girls closed championship and the Nick Faldo Junior Series girls' title in 2006 and lost in the Irish girls' final the following year.

The 17-year-old from Antrim, Northern Ireland has signed a Letter of Intent to join the University of Alabama in August 2010.