LINZI AND LAUREN LEADING SCOTS AT LA MANGA Q SCHOOL OPENER

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
Top Scots at the end of the first day of the Ladies European Tour School pre-qualifying competition at La Manga, Spain today (Sunday) were Linzi Morton, the 2001 Scottish women's amateur champion from Tulliallan, and Majorca-based youngster Lauren Mackin.
Morton's pro career has never got off the ground over the past decade due to a wrist injury in the first instance. But she has earned enough money as a professional caddie at the Old Course and other St Andrews Links Trust courses to have another go at making it through to the Ladies European Tour.
There are just over 200 competitors in the first pre-qualifier, being contested by two groups from which the leading 35 and ties in both at the end of 72 holes will go on to next week's four-round Final Stage, also at La Manga.
Morton is lying ninth in Group B after a par-matching 73 at the tougher La Manga South Course.
She had a roller-coaster round with five birdies, one double bogey and three bogeys.
Mackin is joint 14th in Group A after a one-over-par 72 at the "easier" La Manga North Course. Originally from Renfrewshire, Lauren had three birdies and four bogeys, a dropped shot at her last hole, the ninth, costing her the satisfaction of a par round.
At this venue, Clare Queen had a 74 which put her in joint 29th position but Pamela Feggans is well outside the qualifying zone already with a 75 for a share of 43rd place.
At La Manga South, Pamela Pretswell (Bothwell Castle), retaining her amateur status until she sees how she fares at Q School, had a 76 to be joint 30th.
Gemma Webster from Glasgow is joint 60th after a 79 which included two double bogeys.
Heather MacRae (Gleneagles Hotel) looked only a shadow of the player who won the British women's amateur stroke play title at Nairn in 2005 as she returned an eight-over 81 which also included two double bogeys.
Nicola Melville required 46 blows for the inward half in compiling an 85 which leaves her an uphill struggle from joint 96th position.
LEADING FIRST-ROUND SCORES

LA MANGA NORTH
Par 71
68 Lucy Williams (Eng), Jodi Ewart (Eng).
69 Charlie Douglass (Eng)
70 Ashley Knoll (US), Amelia Lewis (US).
71 Alessandra Averna (Ita) (am), Maria Verchenova (Rus), Celtine Palomar (Fra), Esther Choe (US), Jennie Lee (US), Kim Ulander (Swe).
Scottish scores
72 Lauren Mackin.
74 Clare Queen.
75 Pamela Feggans

+Top 35 and ties after four rounds to qualify for Final Stage.

LA MANGA SOUTH
Par 73
69 Chrisje de Vries (Net), Anne Scott (Eng).
72 Elin Emanuelsson (Swe), Antonella Vitan (Swe), Sarah Jones (Wal), Mirfeia Prat (Spa) (am), Caroline Bon (NZ), Mary Mattson (US).
Scottish scores
73 Linzi Morton (T9).
76 Pamela Pretswell (T30).
79 Gemma Webster (T60).
81 Heather MacRae (TT74)
85 Nicola Melville (T96).

+Top 35 and ties after four rounds will qualifying for Final Stage.

** No score listed so far for Carnoustie's Katy McNicoll on La Manga North.