LOUISE KENNEY IN HOSPITAL, SCOTS WOMEN STRUGGLE

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
The Scotland women's team, who gained bronze medals in Spain last year, will be hard pushed to qualify for the top flight of the European women's team championship at Murhof GC in Austria this week.
But they had desperately bad luck with a body blow on the eve of the championship.
They went into the tournament lacking the services of Louise Kenney (Pitreavie), pictured, the Scottish champion and Vagliano Trophy team player.
Her father Chick told Kirkwoodgolf:
"Louise was in hospital the night before to have an operation to remove trapped food in her throat and was unable to play."
That mean all five individual Scots scores counted, which was a pity because Vagliano Trophy player Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) and Mortonhall teenager Rachael Watton both had seven-over-par 79s.

The Scotland counting scores were:

Pamela Pretswell (Bothwell Castle) par 72, Megan Briggs 73, Jane Turner (Craigielaw) 73, Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) 79, Rachael Watton (Mortonhall) 79.
Megan Briggs was going very well indeed when she turned in 34, having birdied the fourth, seventh and eighth, but she took 39 shots for the back nine.
Jane Turner was out in 37 and back in 36.
Kelsey MacDonald had halves of 39 and 40. She had one birdie, one double bogey and six bogeys.
Rachael Watton had halves of 40 and 39.
Pamela Pretswell went out in 35 and back in 37 for her par-matching round, even though she had a double bogey 6 at the third. The G B and A Vagliano Trophy team player birdied the first, sixth, ninth and 14th.

The Scots are lying joint 15th on 376 with Denmark (345) leading the way from Spain (356), Germany (359) and England (363).
Somehow, the Scots have to make up the leeway between them and the team/teams in seventh/eighth place overnight: Sweden and France, both on 367.
Ireland, surprisingly with a very strong team on paper, are back in 12th place on 370.
Wales are 19th of 20.
Spanish champion Camilla Hedberg, who played for the Continent of Europe's winning Vagliano Trophy team at Royal Porthcawl a week or so ago, had the best individual round of five-under-par 67.

Scotland are unlikely to qualify for the top flight of the European girls team championship at Is Molas GC, Sardinia. They are lying 16th in a field of 19 with a first-round, best five from six team total of 400 - 24 shots worse than the team in eighth place overnight, Norway.

Scotland scores were: Elidh Briggs 75, Alyson McKechin 76, Hannah McCook 82, Clara Young 82, Ailsa Summers 85, Lauren Whyte 86 (non-counting).

England's Lauren Taylor, the new British women's champion, had the lowest score of three-under-par 69. She was one of nine players to get under the par of 72. 

Finland (361) lead from England (363) and Spain (367). Ireland and Wales, like Scotland, are unlikely to make the top flight of eight. The Irish are lying 15th on 398, the Welsh 17th on 421.

NEWS RELEASE FROM THE ENGLISH WOMEN'S GOLF ASSOCIATION

 Teenager Charley Hull led the scoring for England on the first day of the European ladies’ team championship with a two-under par 70 at Murhof, Austria.

The 15-year-old Welsh open strokeplay champion from Woburn was three-over par after six holes, but didn’t drop a shot after that and played the remainder of the course in five under.
Charley’s score helped England into fourth place after the first qualifying day when five out of the team’s six scores counted. After tomorrow’s second round the top eight teams will go into the championship matchplay flight.
Charlotte Ellis (Minchinhampton) also beat par with a one-under 71, finishing her round with a birdie on the 18th. Charlotte is the Scottish open strokeplay champion.
Ferndown’s Hayley Davis played the back nine in one-under for a level par 72. The team’s other two counting scores were provided by Holly Clyburn (Woodhall Spa) 74 and Kelly Tidy (Royal Birkdale) 76. The 79 of English champion Lucy Williams (Mid-Herts) was discounted.
Demark have stormed away from the field at 15-under par and hold an 11-shot lead over Spain. England, on three-over, are in the thick of the action.
Leading Round 1 team totals (in relation to par):
-15 Denmark; -4 Spain; -1 Germany; +3 England; +5 Belgium, Czech Republic; +7 Sweden, France; +8 Austria; +10 Switzerland, Slovenia.


LAUREN TAYLOR LEADS FROM THE FRONT IN SARDINIA
 British champion Lauren Taylor shot three-under par 69 and helped England to make a great start to the European girls’ team championship at Is Molas in Sardinia.
The team are lying second after the first day of qualifying, played in extremely hot conditions which followed a spectacular thunderstorm the night before. The best five scores from six counted and England finished the first day on three-over par, two shots behind Finland.
Lauren (Woburn) had four birdies and one bogey in her round and won the praise of England junior coach Pat Smillie. “There was a lot of pressure on Lauren as British champion and she really stepped up to the mark with a fantastic round.”
She was joined under par by Georgia Hall (Remedy Oak) and Emily Taylor (Royal Lytham and St Annes), who both had fine rounds of 70. Georgia dropped just one shot while Emily had only two bogeys.
The team’s other two counting scores were supplied by Elizabeth Mallett (Sutton Coldfield Ladies) 75 and Bronte Law (Bramhall) 79, while the 87 of Heidi Baek (Felixstowe Ferry) was discounted.
“I’m very pleased with the girls,” said Pat. “They did very well to manage the heat and their results are very encouraging. A 69 and two 70s was lovely, it really helps to get a lot under par.”


Leading first-round scores (in relation to par):
 +1 Finland, +3 England, +7 Spain, +10 France, +11 Germany, +12 Belgium, +14 Italy, +16 Norway.

Lyndsey Hewison
Press and PR Officer
English Women's Golf Association