KENT CHAMPION JESSICA GREGORY BOUND FOR MARYLAND UNI

FROM THE KENT LADIES GOLF ASSOCIATION WEBSITE
with additional words by Colin Farquharson (colin@scottishgolfview.com)
Jessica Gregory of Rochester and Cobham and Sittingbourne Golf Clubs has received a golf scholarship from the University of Maryland, Baltimore and will start her new student life in August.
Jess, pictured right by courtesy of Leaderboard photography, is the reigning Kent women's county champion. She won the title last April at Ashford Golf Club where she beat Jerry Lawrence in the final.
Jessica is the joint youngest winner of the Kent title with Danielle Masters who was also 17 when she became champion and, by an amazing coincidence,
has the same March 2 birthday as Jessica.
Jessica, Jerry and another semi-finalist, Jerri Sewell, won the Kent county team title for Rochester and Cobham Park GC.
Jessica also won the Kent schools championship last year and was made Kent Junior Captain for 2011-12.
The scholarship is not only awarded to Jess for her golf prowess but also the excellent grades achieved in her GCSE and AS exams.
Jess is one of two recruits from England - Heidi Baek, an England girl caps and a pupil at Wellington College, Crowthorne, Berkshire, is the other - who will enrol at Maryland University in time for the start of the 2012-2013 American college golf season.
Jess will be 18 in early March and is a pupil at Highsted Grammar School for Girls.
The University of Maryland women's team - nickname The Terrapins or the "Terps" - had a successful first half of the 2011-2012 college golf season. They won back-to-back team titles, at the Starmount Classic and the Lady Pirate Invitational, for the first time since March 2006. The Terps also finished second at Kiawah Island.
The head coach is Jason Rodenhaver and Tiffany Pratts is his assistant.
The University of Maryland has its own golf course, set in 150 acres of rolling hills and mature hardwood trees, to quote its website. There is also a spacious clubhouse with a golf shop, a driving range with 45 bys and a short-game practice area.

The August exodus of English girls to become freshmen at American universities is one of the largest for some time.

Other than Jessica Gregory and Heidi Baek, those bound for the States include:

Lauren Taylor, last year's winner of the British women's open amateur title, who is bound for Baylor University, Texas.
Ashley Cramond - also Baylor University

Dolores Brown - McNeese State University

Elizabeth Mallett - North Carolina University

Brogan Townend - Texas-San Antonio

Charlotte Thomas - Washington
Meghan MacLaren - Florida International