CONTINENT OF EUROPE OPPONENTS AT CHANTILLY, FRANCE

FIONA LIDDELL (15) IN TEAM

CAPTAINED BY ELAINE 

FARQUHARSON-BLACK

      

CHEERS FOR 
DOUBLE SCOTCH IN

GB AND I JUNIOR 
VAGLIANO SQUAD

As expected, no Scottish player has been named in the Great Britain and Ireland team for the biennial women's international golf match against the Continent of Europe for the Vagliano Trophy at Chantilly Golf Club, near Paris on June 28-29.

But there is a "Double Scotch" representation in the GB and I team of six for the Under-16s' Junior Vagliano Trophy match which will be played concurrently at the same venue and on the same dates.

Aberdeen solicitor Elaine Farquharson-Black, a partner in Burness Paull and Williamsons, is captain of the junior GB and I team, slightly more than two decades after she herself played for GB and I in two Curtis Cup and two Vagliano Trophy matches between 1989 and 1992.

Elaine, who won with Helen Dobson as a partner in Brazil the last world women's amateur better-ball championship ever played,  also skippered the Scotland women's amateur team on several occasions earlier in the 2000s.

The one Scottish player in the GB and I junior team is Fiona Liddell, who was actually born in Munster, Germany.

Fiona, 15, is the daughter of former Cardross assistant Falkirk-born Stephen Liddell who has been head professional at Schloss Vornholz Golf Club in Germany for the past 23 years.

Fiona has been brought up in Germany  and she speaks the language fluently.

She attends a German-speaking school - which would not release her to play in last week's British women's open amateur championship in South Wales!

That the SLGA's Under-16 open championship at Strathmore Golf Centre Alyth is regarded as one of the premier girls' tournaments in Britain is confirmed by the fact that all six players chosen for the Junior Vagliano Trophy match finished in the top 10 of this year's tournament in April. Fiona Liddell was joint fifth behind the 1-2-3 of Alice Hewson, Sophie Madden and Olivia Mehaffey.

No reserves have been named for the Vagliano Trophy match but Hazel McGarvey (Troon Ladies) is fourth reserve for the Under-16s match.

The teams chosen by the Ladies Golf Union selection panel are:

VAGLIANO TROPHY - Amy Boulden (Conwy), Gabriella
 Cowley (Brocket Hall), Hayley Davis (Ferndown), Georgia Hall
(Remedy Oak), Becky Harries (Haverfordwest), Bronte Law (Bramhall), Stephanie Meadow (Royal Portrush), Alexandra Peters (Notts Ladies), Amber Ratcliffe (Royal Cromer).

Captain: Tegwen Matthews (Wales).

JUNIOR VAGLIANO TROPHY - Samantha Fuller (Roehampton), Alice Hewson (Berkhamsted), Sophie Lamb (Clitheroe), Fiona Liddell (Schloss Vornholz), Sophie Madden (West Essex), Olivia Mehaffey (Royal Co Down Ladies).

Captain: Elaine Farquharson-Black (Deeside).

FALKIRK-BORN FIONA'S DAD WAS ASSISTANT

AT CARDROSS UNDER NIALL CAMERON

+Stephen Liddell was assistant at Cardross Golf Club when the pro there was Niall Cameron, who moved on to Royal St George's GC.

"I had huge luck that the late Charlie Green, a member at Cardross, took me under his wing," said Stephen in an E-mail to Kirkwoodgolf.co.uk

"I learned so much a Charlie - a special man and a fantastic golfer, of course.

"I moved to Germany in 1990 and became head pro at GC Schloss (German word for a castle) Vornholz and have been here for 23 years now.

"It is a golfing paradise. The course is built in the Schloss Park and I met my wife here. We were married in 1993 and have two kids, Stevie, who is 17, and Fiona, 15."