LAURA BIDDING FOR ST RULE TROPHY REPEAT

LAURA MURRAY ... won St Rule Trophy after a play-off in 2010                           Image by Cal Carson Golf Agency. By COLIN FARQUHARSON Colin@scottishgolfview.com New Scottish women's amateur champion Laura Murray from Alford is bidding for a rare title double this weekend in the St Rule Trophy at St Andrews. Only three players in the 28-year history of this prestigious tournament, which attracts an international entry, have won the St Rule Trophy the same year that they won the Scottish title - Catriona (Lambert) Matthew in 1993 and 1994, Anne Laing in 1996 and Heather Stirling in 2002 Laura, 23, knows what it takes to win the St Rule Trophy - 18 holes over the New Course today (Saturday) and 36 holes over the Old Course tomorrow (Sunday) because she won a play-off against Amy Boulden, who will be playing for GB and I in next week's Curtis Cup match at Nairn, for the title two years ago. It's a high-class field as ever this weekend with Laura crossing swords again with Jane Turner (Craigielaw) whoM she beat on the 18th green at Tain in the Scottish final a fortnight ago, also former Scottish champion Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) who won the R&A Foundation Scholars' women's tournbament over the Eden and Old Course in April, and Emily Taylor, the Lancashire teenager who beat Curtis Cupper Leona Magurie and a strong field to win the Irish open amateur stroke-play last weekend. Former Scottish champion Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm), who was unable to finish last weekend's Irish tournament because of a shoulder injury, says she is fit to play. Some late call-offs have enabled Clara Young (North Berwick), a GB & I Junior Vagliano Trophy player last year, Heather Munro (Monifieth) and Irish international Aedin Murphy (Carlow) to be called up from the waiting list. +Annika Sorenstam won the St Rule Trophy in 1990 after a play-off against fellow-Swede Jennifer Allmark. As a matter of interest, Annika's total that year was 228. When Laura Murray won in 2010 after a play-off against Amy Boulden and Australia's Stacey Keating, they had all scored 221 for the regulation 54 holes. ends