TROON FERRY CANCELLATION KOS SCOTS GOLFERS

By COLIN FARQUHARSON Colin@scottishgolfview.com The cancellation of the Troon to Belfast ferry today because of the abnormal weather conditions cost three Scots - Noreen Fenton (Dunbar), Helen Faulds (Douglas Park) and Jennifer Mack (Haggs Castle) - their places in the Senior British women's open amateur golf championship which tees off at Belvoir Park Golf Club, Belfast tomorrow Most of  nine other Scots in the international field for the over-50s' tournament over 54 holes were possibly "saved" from a similar fate because they were competing at Greenore GC, Co Louth in the Irish senior women's open stroke-play championship which finished on Friday and drove up to the Belfast venue over the weekend. Royal Dornoch's Alison Barlett finished joint second in the Irish event, her best ever performance on the international stage, and her confidence will be sky high. Other Scots in the field are Pamela Williamson (Baberton), Mary Smith (Tain), Kathleen Sutherland (Royal Montrose), Barbara Biggart (North Berwick), Janice Paterson (Drumpellier), Lorna Bennett (Ladybank), Anne Ryan (Tain) and Heather Anderson (Blairgowrie).  Cruden Bay's Lynne Terry had to withdraw after a mishap while engaged in that sometimes dangerous past time - gardening! She fell awkardly in her garden and had to have several stitches inserted in a nasty leg wound. The tournament is run by the Ladies Golf Union whose Head of Golf Operations Susan Simpson said: "I sympathise with the Scots who have not made it to Belfast but the people I really feel sorry for are the Belvoir Park Golf Club greenstaff. "They had this woodland course looking immaculate at the weekend. Then the winds arrived and undid all their good work. Trees have been blown over, branches have blown down, and there are leaves all over the place. The greenkeepers have been hard at it all day repairing the damage."