WHERE ARE THEY NOW? LAURA MOFFAT

Laura Moffat with the Scottish Under-21 girls' championship trophy (left) and the Menzies Trophy for Under-18s, at Auchterarder in 1996 (image by Cal Carson Golf Agency).

'I love New York - and it suits me very well ...' 

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
West Kilbride's Laura Moffat was one of Scotland's bright young girl prospects in the second half of the 1990s. She won her share of junior national tropies and would probably have won more but for being a contemporary of Vikki Laing (Musselburgh) who won the Scottish Under-18 girls' match-play title four years in a row 1996-97-98-99) and also Lesley Nicholson (Haddington).
Laura blossomed early. She was only 14 when she reached the final of the Scottish Under-18 girls' match-play championship at Deeside. She finished runner-up to Lesley Nicholson.

The following year, Laura, now 15, did win the title ahead of her time. She beat Fiona Lockhart (St Regulus) 2 and 1 in the girls' championship final.
In 1996, Laura Moffat won the Scottish Under-21 stroke-play title - and the Menzies Trophy for Under-18s - at Auchterarder.
In 1997, Laura retained the Menzies Trophy at Stranraer but the overall championship went to Lesley Nicholson (Lesley and Laura pictured on left on Stranraer clubhouse balcony by Cal Carson Golf Agency).
In 1998, Laura reached the final of the Scottish girls' match-play for a third time but lost to Vikki Laing in an epic battle that went to the 21st hole. That was Vikki's third victory in her record four-timer in the Under-18s championship.
Miss Moffat played for Scotland girls and Scotland women's international teams but she was not only a skilful golfer she was also well endowed with brains.
When she enrolled at the the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 1997 it was quite clear that her short and long-term future lay in the United States - and that's where she has been ever since.
Laura takes up the story in an E-mail to Kirkwoodgolf.co.uk from New York

"I now live and work in New York City. I went to the University of California, Los Angeles from 1997 to 2002, and played for the UCLA golf team. I received NCAA Division 1 All-American honours in 2001 and was sixth in the NCAA championships in 2001.
"While at UCLA I received my BS in Psychobiology. After I graduated from UCLA I pretty much gave up golf and moved to New York to do my PhD at New York University.
"While at NYU I studied Developmental Neurobiology (how neurons grow and find the right connections during development). I received my PhD in May 2007 and started work as a management consultant in the pharma and biotech industry, working for a company called Campbell Alliance.
"About six months ago I moved companies and started working for a big advertising agency in New York City, DraftFCB Healthcare, as a Strategic Planner.
"Basically I help pharma and biotech companies figure out how, to whom, and where to market their products.
"I am planning to live and work in New York City for quite a long time. I love New York and it suits me very well. I occasionally get to the driving range, but mostly to teach other people.

"I am not married, no kids, just two cats!"
Laura Moffat

+If you're an old friend of Laura Moffat but have lost touch with her over the years, E-mail your name, etc to Colin@scottishgolfviewcom and I'll pass it on to her.

Captain Pam Gordon (Inverness) with the Scotland girls' international team of 1997. That's Laura Moffat seated on the right of the front row. For starters, that's Anne Walker (Strathaven), another who has made her life in America, on the extreme left of the back row, and Vikki Laing (Musselburgh) fourth from the left in the back row. Image by Cal Carson Golf Agency.
How many of the others can you identify?

E-mail from Fiona Lockhart
(Scottish women's amateur champion 2005)

Hi Colin

Great story about Laura - isn't she doing well. Good for her.
Brought back a lot of memories reading the story - she really was a classy golfer and excelled at a very young age.
You were correct that she beat me in the final of the Scottish girls at Paisley in 1995 but at the time my home club was Balbirnie Park GC. A bit of an odd one that I then found myself in the Scottish final in 2005! Spooky!
I am sure you know all the players in the Scotland team photo, but if not:


Back row (left to right): Anne Walker, Fiona Prior, Susannah Laing, Vikki Laing, Pam Mackay, Linzi Morton
Front row (left to right): Alexandra Young, Pam Gordon and Laura Moffat






Happy days!


Hope you and Ethel are well.






Cheers