GEMMA DRYBURGH A SCOTLAND STAR IN THE MAKING WITH TULANE

Tulane University, New Orleans twin golfing heroines, Gemma Dryburgh from Aberdeen (on right) and Ashley McKenney from Scottsdale, Arizona with the women's head golf coach Andrew Pratt after the pair finished second equal, one shot behind the winner in the UCF Challenge this week at Sorrento, Florida.

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
It's been a long time - if ever - since the women's golf team of Tulane University, New Orleans had a squad capable of taking on the best in US women's college circles.
But the arrival at the college of Aberdeen-born freshman Gemma Dryburgh could be about to change all that.
The performance of Gemma and team-mate Ashley McKenney in dead-heating for second place, only a shot behind Victoria Trapani (Auburn), the winner of this week's UCF Challenge at Red Tail Golf Club, Sorrento might well inspire the team to greater things in the second half of the 2011-2012 US women's college golf season.
Gemma's dad John Dryburgh, an Aberdeen oil company executive, told Kirkwoodgolf.co.uk:
"We are very excited by Gemma's performance over the last three days and that of the Tulane team
"To finish second, just one shot off a play-off in a tournament of that standard, with 13 of the top 100 players in US college golf in the field, was terrific.
"Your words this morning were prophetic. But for that double bogey 6 at 18 in the first round, Gemma would have won. She actually missed a putt from 6 inches!
"Although she has played in all four tournaments in the fall series she wasn't playing her best, mainly a throw back to playing seven big tournaments in five weeks in July/ August without any time with her coach, Lawrence Farmer, and then straight into qualifying and tournament golf back at Tulane University.
"As a result of the mild December she was able to spend quality time with Lawrence and by the time she left to return to the States Gemma was back to her best. Hopefully this will give her the boost she needs to push on."
We hope so, John.
Although Gemma did not gain her first girls' cap for Scotland until last August at Gullane - she won't be 19 until this coming June - if she goes on improving against quality opposition in America, she could well be promoted to the Scotland women's squad by the SLGA selectors.
The Scots won the title at Cardiff in 2010, then finished last of four behind England, Ireland and Wales at Hillside last September. So there are places up for grabs in this year's Scotland women's line-up.
But first there's the British women's open amateur championship at Carnoustie at the end of June. A long run in that event would certainly underline her name in the selectors' notebooks.
Would Tulane University release Gemma to return to this side of the Atlantic - Cork GC is the Women's Home Internationals venue in September - to play for Scotland? It's a moot point .. but I am sure the Dryburghs can cross that bridge if it comes to that!


WHAT THE TULANE UNIVERSITY WEBSITE HAD TO SAY:
Tulane came into the tournament ranked 53rd nationally, but looked more like a Top-10 ranked team the last three days. The Green Wave entered the final round seven strokes back of co-leaders Auburn and No. 22 Baylor. But a strong effort helped the Wave produce the lowest team score of the day that had TU tied with Baylor late in the round, but when the dust settled the Wave finished just one stroke behind the Bears.
Tulane concluded the event with a 2-over 866.

McKenney and Dryburgh each tied for second with a pair of 2-under 214s, which was just one stroke behind individual champion Victoria Trapani of Auburn. Junior Maribel Lopez Porras posted a ninth-place effort with a 2-over 218 to give the Wave three golfers among the top 10 individuals. Auburn was the only other team to have three players in the top 10.
"Today was a very good day for us and I thought we played very well this weekend and started our spring on a solid note," Tulane head coach Andrew Pratt said.
"Ashley and Gemma each had a huge day for us despite the windy conditions and really put us in contention. But, as close as we came today, we really wanted this victory. We are disappointed that we came up short, but they're also hungry to get better.
"I thought we had a good plan for the week, and I thought everyone was able to stick to it and we saw great results. We're trying to get better each week and this was a good starting point."
McKenney, who entered the day in 13th place, carded the lowest round of the day individually with four birdies and produced her best round since an identical score during the second round of the 2010 Alamo Invitational. Only a bogey on her first hole of the day kept her from tying her career mark for the lowest round. Her second place effort today bested her third place finish at this same event a year ago.
Dryburgh wrapped up the finest 54-hole performance of her young collegiate career. She began the round in seventh place and recorded one bogey and one birdie on the front nine to remain even at the turn. On the back nine, the rookie chalked up birdies at 13 and 15 and played even the rest of the way for a strong finish. After recording a 1-over score during Sunday's opening round, Dryburgh was 3-under during her final two rounds.
Auburn outlasted Baylor and Tulane to claim the tournament title with a 1-under 863, while Baylor logged a 1-over 865 for second place. Tulane was third and was seven strokes better than fourth place and Conference USA member UCF and the Wave finished 13 strokes ahead of fifth place Augusta State.
The Green Wave also finished ahead of No. 15 Texas, No. 27 South Carolina and No. 37 Kentucky.
Tulane returns to action when it hosts the second annual Allstate Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate Championship, Feb. 26-28, at English Turn Golf and Country Club in New Orleans. The 15-team field will include 12 teams ranked among the top 50 squads in the country and will also feature the nation's top-ranked player in Duke's Lindy Duncan (named in the US team for the Curtis Cup match at Nairn).