FIONA RETURNS TO SLGA FOLD, TONI JOINS LATER THIS MONTH

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
Fiona Farquharson has returned to the SLGA to take over from Company Secretary Dr Sheila Hartley who has come to retirement age.
And Claire Hargan's successor as Championship Manager - the SLGA staffer who runs tournbaments - is to be Antonia Melvin-Ffinch, a fully-qualified PGA professional at Aberdour Golf Club. It's all happening for Antonia - "Just call me 'Toni'" - she got married just over a month ago, which changed her surname from Ffinch to Melvin-Ffinch.
Claire Hargan has left the Perth-based SLGA HQ staff to work for the R and A.
Dr Hartley was Glenbervie Golf Club's secretary manager until she replaced Peter Smith as the SLGA secretary in 2003.
Fiona Farquharson, pictured right, who has been women's club champion at King James VI GC more times than she can remember, was Championship Manager with the SLGA prior to Claire Hargan but left the post so that she could play more golf as a senior.
Now Mrs Farquharson - no relation to yours truly - is back in the fold. No official announcement to that effect but Fiona is listed as Company Secretary in the new SLGA Handbook, so we'll take that as read.

Toni Melvin-Ffinch, pictured left, who did her PGA training at Aberdour, near Dunfermline in Fife, under the tutelage of club pro David Gemmell, starts her new role just in time for the SLGA’s first big event of the season – the Helen Holm Scottish women's open amateur stroke-play championship at Troon at the end of this month.
"Looks like I am going in at the deep end, but I'm looking forward to it," said Hertfordshire-born Toni who moved up to Scotland 20 years ago with her dad.
David Gemmell said of the SLGA's newest recruit:
“The quiet, timid assistant I employed nearly six years ago now has turned into an efficient, hard-working professional.”
The first national event on the SLGA 2012 calendar is the Scottish Under-16 girls' open championship at Strathmore Golf Centre on Thursday and Friday of this week.