MORE SCOTS GIRLS SIGN FOR US UNIVERSITIES

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
 Two members of this year's Scotland girls' golf team, Lesley Atkins (Gullane Ladies) and Rachael Walker (Dumfries and County) have signed Letters of Intent to enrol at United States universities next August.
Lesley, pictured right signing the forms, Scottish Under-18 girls champion in 2010 and Scottish schoolgirls title-winner this year, is bound for Florida International University, Miami.
Rachael is heading for Old Dominion University, Norfolk in Virginia. 
Olivia Winning (Rotherham), who played for the winning England team in the girls' home internationals, is bound for Tulane University, New Orleans.
She will be joining up with Aberdeen's Gemma Dryburgh who is one of Tulane's leading players. 
Last week, a third member of the 2012 Scotland girls squad, Jess Meek (Carnoustie Ladies), committed herself to the University of California-Los Angeles.
Lesley Atkins will be welcomed at Florida International University by England's Meghan MacLaren (Wellingborough), who has had a sensational first few months on the college circuit, and Soohie Godley from Notts.
Rachael Walker will be meeting up with England's Kim Bradbury from Derbyshire, Birmingham's Elizabeth Haycock and Charlotte Hindmoor from Darlington at Old Dominion University.



 MAGUIRE TWINS WILL SOON BE 18
The talented Irish twins, Leona and Lisa Maguire, will be 18 years old on November 30 but their mother, Breda, says no decision has been made about their immediate futures - to go to a university or not.
Certainly, American colleges would be queuing up to have the Maguire girls on their golf roster but college life in the the States doesn't suit everybody.
Kelsey MacDonald was telling me only last week that she is treated really well at the University of Stirling and has enjoyed her time there immensely.
Kelsey, who has entered the LET Q School in Morocco next month, will complete her degree course before making her debut on the LET Tour, if she passes the Q School test.

 
 
JANE TURNER (23) TOO OLD FOR 
SCOTLAND YOUTH POLICY 

Too old at 23? That seems to be the case with Craigielaw's Jane Turner who has been omitted from the SLGA training squad for 2012-2013 named recently.
Jane, pictured in a Scotland team blazer, was beaten in the final of the Scottish women's amateur championship at Tain last May and finished second behind her conqueror, Laura Murray, in this year's Order of Merit points table.
It is understood that the SLGA, following disappointing results in this year's women's and girls' home internationals, are now targeting younger players for training and funding.

Turner is ranked No 204 in the RandA Women's World Amateur Rankings, much higher than any player named in the SLGA training squad.
Presumably Laura Murray (Alford) and Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) have been left out of the squad because they have entered the Ladies European Tour Q School in Morocco next month.
Former Scottish champion Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm), another experienced player, is a career amateur but but she was surprisingly dropped from the Scotland team for the home internationals and is not in the training squad. 

STIRLING SQUAD FOR FLORIDA TOUR

The Stirling University squad to take part in Florida's Orange Blossom women's amateur tour in January is:

Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm), Kelsey Macdonald (Nairn Dunbar), Hannah McCook (Grantown on Spey), Jordana Graham (Southerness), Mhairi McKay (West Kilbride) and Georgia Gilling, a new first-year student from Essex.

All bar Eilidh Briggs will play in the Harder Hall Invitational, the South Atlantic Ladies Amateur (The Sally), and the Doherty match-play tournament.
Eilidh will return to Scotland before the match-play event to start her Second Year PE teaching placement.
Raleigh Gowrie will be in charge of the Stirling students and also two English girls who took up his open offer to any girl golfer who wanted to join the party for the trip.
They are Annabel Dimmock from Surrey and English universities international Chloe Rogers (Bucks and Chiltern University graduate). Lesley Mackay will travel with the squad as coach.