CURLING ACE BACK TO GOLF IN P AND K TEAM FOR INCHMARLO

Olympic-class curler and county-class golfer for Perth and Kinross - that's Eve Muirhead with the Scottish women's curling championship trophy a couple of years ago.

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
International curling star Eve Muirhead from Pitlochry is in the Perth and Kinross golf team for the North Division women's inter-county team championship at Inchmarlo Golf Club, near Banchory from June 25 to 27.
She was unable to play in the team last year due to curling commitments.
A three-handicap golfer, Eve has won the Highland Women's Open over her home course at Pitlochry in the past and reached the quarter-finals of the British girls championship at Monifieth in 2008.
It is acknowledged by many pundits that she could have been an international-class amateur golfer by now if she had not decided to devote so much of her time the sport of curling.
Eve said last night:

"I am absolutely delighted to have been selected for the Perth and Kinross county women's golf team. Two years ago my golf had to take a back seat as I was selected for the British Olympic curling team to compete in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.
"To play for the P and K county golf team will allow a little variation to my ongoing curling programme as a full time athlete, and get me get back on the golf course. I have always, away from curling, enjoyed playing competitive golf and can't wait to play with the girls again this season"
Past county captain Dawn Butchart, a Scottish Ladies Golf Association management committee members, said:
"We at P and K are delighted to have Eve back on board. Her golf speaks for itself and her cool head and experience when competing at top level is obviously a great benefit to the team. The team as a whole has a great depth of experience and talent and we are extremely excited about the coming season."
The P and K team this year includes three "new" players, two of them juniors: new county champion Nicola Robertson (Dunblane) and Eilidh Watson (Muckhart), as well as Steph Crolla (Muckhart).
The North Division team championship at Inchmarlo will be contested by defending champions Angus, Aberdeenshire, Northern Counties and Perth and Kinross. The title-winners at the end of three days' of round-robin team match-play will be one of the four divisional qualifiers for the Scottish women's county team championship at Dumfries and County Golf Club from September 16 to 18.
Angus, winners of the jamboree at Blairgowrie last June, have junior international Rebecca Wilson (Grange) back in their line-up. She was unavailable to play last year. Shonagh Raitt (Forfar) is back in the team too and Fran Millar (Carnoustie Ladies) last played when the competition was held at Cruden Bay.
Ann Ramsay (Kirriemuir) could not be selected as she will not be available for the whole three days at Inchmalro and Katie Reid (Monifieth) will be in Florida at the end of June. Other person out of the Angus line-up this time round is Jackie Brown.
So, to sum up, out from last year's championship-winning line-up are Jackie Brown, Ann Ramsay and Fiona Gilbert. In are Rebecca Wilson, Shonagh Raitt and Fran Millar.
Hosts Aberdeenshire and Northern Counties will name their teams for Inchmarlo within the next week or two.

Teams named:
PERTH AND KINROSS - Steph Crolloa (Muckhart), Jill Milne (Craigiehill), Eve Muirhead (Pitlochry), Emily Ogilvy (Auchterarder), Fiona Ramsay (Crieff), Nicola Robertson (Dunblane), Laura Walker (Muckhart), Eilidh Watson (Muckhart).
Reserves: Gwen Lambie (Dunkeld and Birnam), Jane Yellowlees (Murrayshall).

ANGUS - Lynne Fenton (Carnoustie Ladies), Jessica Meek (Carnoustie Ladies), Fran Millar (Carnoustie Ladies), Claire Penman (Carnoustie Ladies), Shonagh Raitt (Forfar), Ashley Smith (Monifieth), Ailsa Summers (Carnoustie Ladies), Rebecca Wilson Grange
Reserves: Fiona Gilbert (Carnoustie Ladies), Jemma Chalmers (Monifieth), Heather Munro (Monifieth).

+County team officials are invited to send their selections for forthcoming divisional championships to Colin@scottishgolfview.com for display on Kirkwoodgolf.co.uk

E-mail from Mary Lou Renton, East Lothian county captain:

I am pleased to annouce that myself, together with Dawn Young (Vice Captain) and Lesley Nicholson (selector) have now selected the undernoted team to represent East Lothian in the forthcoming East Division Inter County Matches: -


Lesley Atkins (Gullane Ladies)
Morag Macpherson (Dunbar)
Lesley Nicholson (Haddington)
Susan Penman (Gullane Ladies)
Fiona Prior (Gullane Ladies)
Mary Lou Renton (Gifford)
Keren Ward (The GLen)
Clara Young (North Berwick)


Reserve:
Line Mortensen (Gullane Ladies)