HEATHER BLOOMS EARLY IN MOROCCO

By COLIN FARQUHARSON Colin@scottishgolfview.com Heather MacRae, pictured, had more reasons to be cheerful than most of the the four other Scots taking part in the opening day of the Ladies European Tour Qualifying School Stage 1 at Marrakech, Morocco today. The Gleneagles Hotel staff pro from Dunblane, a former British women's open amateur stroke-play champion, shot a three-under-par 69 at the Amelkis Course to be joint fifth in "Field B." Also in this 77-strong group for the 72-hole pre-qualifying for next week's 90-hole final elminator were Majorca-based Scot Lauren Mackin, who had a 74 for joint 39th place, and Scottish amateur champion Laura Murray from Alford. Laura, playing as an amateur, had delayed coming to the LET Tour School for a couple of years. When she finally got here, she had a 77 which left her languishing in joint 65th place.  Murray, watched by boyfriend Keil Beveridge (brother of Aberdeenshire girls champion Kimberley), teaching pro at Inchmarlo Golf Centre, Banchory,  had double-bogeys at her tenth and 11th holes. Sweden's Jacqueline Hedwall, whose twin sister Caroline is already an LET star in her rookie year, leads "Field B" with a six-under 66. Stirling University student Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar), playing as an amateur in "Field B," started soundly at the Al Madden course with a par-matching 72. One would have thought that would have given her a top 20 place but the standard at the top end of the field is so high that Kelsey finds herself "only" in joint 31st place. But it was still a good start. You cannot win a place in the Final Stage with one good round but you can certainly kill your hopes with a bad one. Gemma Webster from Glasgow had a 75 to be sharing 50th place. Leader over Al Maaden was American Mallory Fraiche with a seven-under-par 65. The top 45 and ties in each 77-strong group after four rounds will go forward to the Final Stage over the same courses. The top 30 and ties at the end of nine days of competition earn playing rights on the Ladies European Tour in 2013. LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR  QUALIFYING SCHOOL Stage 1 - Pre-Qualifying Amelkis and Al Maaden courses, Marrakech, Morocco FIRST -ROUND LEADERS AL MAADEN (Par 72) 65 Mallory Fraiche (US) 67 Emily Taylor (Eng) 68 Tanaporn Kongkiatkrai (Tha), Julia Davidsson (Swe) 69 Daniela Holmqvist (Swe), Sara Wikstrom (Swe), Elina Nummenpaa (Fin), Martina Mieliori Trapani (Ita), Charlie Douglass (Eng). OTHER SCORES 70 Kelly Tidy (Eng) (T10) 71 Rhian Wyn Thomas (Wal), Lucy Davies (Eng), Tara Dayer-Smith (Eng) (T18). 72 Kelsey MacDonald (Sco), Charlotte Wild (Eng), Jessica Rigby (Eng) (T31) 74 Lauren Blease (Eng) (T45) 75 Gemma Webster (Sco) (T50). 76 Hannah Grant (Eng) (am) (T58) 77 Lisa Shervill (Eng) (T63) 84 Rachel Drummond (Eng) (T76) To view all the scores at Al Maaden CLICK HERE AMELKIS (Par 72) 66 Jacqueline Hedwall (Swe) 67 Maha Haddioui (Mor) 68 Elisabetta Bertini (Ita) (am), Melissa Eaton (SAf). 69 Courtney Harter (US), Heather MacRae (Sco), Fabienne in-Albon (Swi), Kristen Park (US). OTHER SCORES 70 Holly Clyburn (Eng) (T9) 72 Amy Boulden (Wal), Hannah Ralph (Eng) (T25). 73 Tracey Boyes (Eng) (T33)  74 Lauren Mackin (Sco), Hayleigh Wigmore (Eng), Cheyenne Woods (US) (T39) 75 Nicole Whitmore (Eng) T48)  76 Kirsty Fisher (Eng), Natalie Lowe (Eng) (T57) 77 Laura Murray (Sco) (am) (T65). 78 Tara Delaney (Ire) (T69) 79 Stacey Rodger (Eng) (T71). To view all the scores at Amelkis CLICK HERE