GOLFING ROOKIE IONA ONE TO NOTE

IONA STEPHEN in action at last week's British women's open amateur stroke-play championship at Shandon Park GC, Belfast. Image by Cal Carson Golf Agency   IONA IS A FOUR-HANDICAPPER AND COUNTY CAP WITHIN 18 MONTHS OF TAKING UP GOLF     About 18 months ago, Iona Stephen had played hockey and squash for Scotland Under-21s. Then she took a year out from studying architecture at university to try her hand at golf for the first time.   She has proved to be a natural for the game. A member at Ranfurly Castle Golf Club, Iona has trimmed her handicap to four - and she has been called in to the Renfrewshire team for the Scottish women's county championship finals at Montrose from Sepember 21 to 23.   Iona takes the place of last year's Scottish girls champion Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm) who has been chosen to play for Scotland in the women's world amateur team championship in Turkey at the same time as the Montrose event.   Iona's rapid rise to county level in women's golf from a standing start is due in no small measure to her taking advice to get some expert professional oaching right at the start.   SLGA national coach Kevin Craggs saw her potential and took her on and is her coach. So from starting golf about a year and a half ago she got down to 12 of a handicap at the beginning of this year and has now progressed to four of a handicap.   Iona played in the British women's open amateur stroke play championship at Shandon Park, Belfast last week.   It was her first big event. A couple of bad holes cost her the chance to survive the halfway cut.   Iona played the experiencenced former Scotland cap - 10 times county champion - Donna Jackson in the Renfrewshire women's county championship and the match went to the  seventh extra hole !   It is a big learning curve for her but Iona Stephen is definitely a name to watch   West Division champions Renfrewshire will be represented by the following team in the Scottish women's county championship finals at Montrose Links: Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm) Donna Jackson (Cochrane Castle) Gillian Kyle (East Renfrewshire) Alyson McKechin (Elderslie) Iona Stephen (Ranfurly Castle) Linsey Stevenson (Whitecraigs) Liz Stewart (Greenburn) Carol Whyte (Windyhill). +WHEN THE OTHER COUNTIES WHO HAVE QUALIFIED FOR THE FINALS AT MONTROSE HAVE SELECTED THEIR TEAMS, THEY ARE INVITED TO SEND THE INFORMATION TO Colin@scottishgolfview.com