MEGHAN MACLAREN SCORES THIRD WIN OF FRESHMAN YEAR IN AMERICA

    MEGHAN MACLAREN, challenging for Vagliano Trophy team place at Chantilly in June        Image by courtesy of Leaderboard Photography

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
With the bulk of last year's victorious Curtis Cup team having turned professional, a lot of places are up for grabs in the GB and I nine-strong line-up for the Vagliano Trophy match against the holders, the Continent of Europe, at Chantilly Golf Club, near Paris at the end of June.
If the selectors are following events on the US college scene, then young Meghan MacLaren, a freshman student at Florida International University, must have forced herself into the reckoning by scoring a third win of the 2012-2013 college season.
The latest came today at the end of the three-day Sun Belt Conference Championship at the quaintly named Muscle Schoals, Alabama.
Meghan, a member at Wellingborough Golf Club, shot 71-68-73 for a four-under-par total of 212 over a 6203yd course with a par of 72.
She won by two strokes from Olivia Love (Middle Tennessee) (72-70-72) with Kirsten Golightly (South Alabama) third on 216 (74-73-69.
Then came Meghan's Florida International team-mate Sophie Godley, also a freshman, from Notts with rounds of 78, 69 and 71 for 218.
Alison Knowles (Louisiana-Monroe), another impressive freshman, from Mexborough, South Yorkshire, finished T6 on 221 with scores of 73-74-74.
Also on 221 was Abigail Laker (Arkansas State), a freshman from Oxfordshire, with scores of 75-77-69.
Melissa Sivert (Georgia State) finishes T23 on 230 (77-80-73).
Welsh international Anna Carling (Arkansas State) from Vale of Glamorgan shot 84-72-78 for a T32 finish on 234.
Georgina Mundy (North Texas), a freshman from Southampton, was also on the 234 mark with scores of 76, 84 and 74.  
And, finally, Katie Reid (Arkansas-Little Rock, from Dundee, finished T42 in a field of 55 competitors. She scored 81-78-77 for 236.
Florida University also won the team title which means they qualiy for the next stage of the road to the NCAA championship finals - the "Regionals" in May.         

        ALISON KNOWLES .. won by three shots

FRESHMAN ALISON SCORES FIRST WIN 
Alison Knowles (Louisiana-Monroe), a freshman from Mexborough, South Yorkshire, scored her first win at the Samford University Women's Intercollegiate tournament at Hoover Country Club, Alabama on April 8/9.
Over a par-72 course of 6271yd, Alison had rounds of 72-76-75 for a total of 223 and a three-stroke victory over a field of 59 players.l
Louisiana-Monroe and Samford tied for the team title at the head of a field of 11 teams.  

                        STEPH PEARETH

WIN NUMBER 2 FOR STEPH PEARETH

Steph Peareth from Durham, a third-year student at Concord University, West Virginia, was a third English-born winner on the US women's circuit this month.
Stephen headed a field of 95 players at the NC4K Collegiate Classic at Cumberland Trail Golf Club, Pataskala, Ohio on April 7/8.
She had rounds of 82-70 for 152 over a par-72 course of 5956yd.
As you will have gathered from the scoring, the weather was awful for the first round.
It was Stephen's second US win. The first was during the 2011-12 college season when she was a student at Pfeiffer University.    

Other good performances by English students in the States earlier this month:
Elizabeth Haydock (Old Dominion), a junior from Birmingham, finished second with scores of 77-73-70 for four-over 220 in the UNCW SeaHawk Classic at River Landing CC, Wallace, North Carolina. She finished two shots behind winner Fanny Cnops (UNCG (74-72-72 for 218).
Kimberley Bradbury (also Old Dominion and a junior from Buxton) and Melissa Siviter (Georgia State), a junior from the West Midlands, tied for 13th place in this event on the 230 mark. Kimberley scored 79-74-74, Melissa 76-78-76.
Charlotte Hindmoor, a third Old Dominion student (freshman from Darlington), finished T34 in a field of 74 with scores of 79-78-79.
Old Dominion (917) won the team title ahead of Georgia State (919) in a field of 14 teams.     

ALSO:
Jessica Bradley (Lynn University), a sophomore from North Devon, finished seventh in a field of 64 at the Bash at the Beach women's college competition over the LPGA International Legends course at Daytona Beach.
Jessica scored 81-75 for 156, finishing seven shots behind the winner, Patrizia Trevisan (Bethune-Cookman) (76-73 for 149.  

AND: 
Hayley Davis (Baylor), a sophomore from Dorset, came second in the Rebel Intercollegiate over the Ole Miss University course at Oxford, Mississippi.
Hayley scored 67-69-73 for seven-under-par 209 over a par-73 course of 6313 but was pipped by one shot by Jessica Alexander (Coastal Carolina) (70-67-71 for 208).
Other Brits in this field:
Gemma Bradbury from Aberdeen (junior at Tulane University) and Lauren Taylor from Rugby (freshman at Baylor) finished T28 on 224, Gemma with 80-73-71 and Lauren with 76-75-73.
Sian Evans (East Tennessee State), a junior from Gillingham finished T65 in the field of 96 players with scores of 81-75-76 for 232.

FINALLY:
Abby Gittings (Nova Southeastern), a senior from Warwickshire, finished eighth in a field of 80 at the Hoya Women's Invitational at the Members Club, Beallsville in Maryland.
Over a par-72 course of 6125yd, Abby scored three rounds of 76 for 228 - 13 behind the winner, Harin Lee (St John's) (73-33-69 for 215).
Rachel Lewis, a team-mate of Abby Gitting, finished T29 on 233 with rounds of 79, 78 and 76.   
     

DALMAHOY'S ALAN TAIT CONFIDENT IT WILL BE GREEN FOR GO FOR PAUL LAWRIE SCOTTISH LADIES OPEN TOUR DEBUT TOMORROW

Both Marriott Dalmahoy courses were closed today because of very heavy rain but Alan Tait, director of golf at the Edinburgh venue, is optimistic that the first 18-hole tournament in the inaugural Paul Lawrie Golf Centre Scottish Ladies Open Tour will go ahead tomorrow afternoon with a field of 19 lady professionals and eight single-figure female amateurs.
 "The girls that were here for a practice round were just hitting balls in the rain on the practice ground instead," said Tait.

"The forecast is not that bad for tomorrow and I am confident we will be OK, albeit a bit wet underfoot. It is likely that preferred lies at one club length will be in operation for the tournament."

The tour is designed to be a stepping stone to the Ladies European Tour and the organisers, Colin Farquharson and PGA teaching pro Nicolas Melville, are encouraged by the fact that already there are entries from Switzerland, the Netherlands and England.
They expect the the number of entries to rise as the 14-event schedule, which ends with a £5,000 36-hole Tour Championship back at Dalmahoy in October, progresses and receives coverage in the media.

There is a good deal of quality in the first field which includes former Curtis Cup players in Musselburgh's Vikki Laing, Michele Thomson (Ellon), Florida-based Heather Stirling, Krystle Faulkner (Krystle Caithness before her marriage) (pictured left in a LET event on Tenerife) and Gleneagle's Heather MacRae who has performed with distinction on the men's Tartan Tour.
Broomieknowe amateur Kate McIntosh was a late entry today and her £50 entry fee ensured that the first prize at Dalmahoy would be £800 from a prizefund of £2,850. In the event of an amateur having the lowest score, her voucher would be limited to a value of £500 under the Rules of Amateur Status.

The best 12 scores will earn either cash prizes or amateur vouchers. There will also be additional amateur prizes if none of them finish on the main prize list for the day.
Said Alan Tait:  

"I am personally delighted that Dalmahoy will be hosting the inaugural tournament. The tour gets my full support and I have made it no secret over the years that I have felt frustrated that our leading up and coming players do not get enough opportunity to play tournament golf at professional level, for both men and women. 

"More and more of our players choose to go down south or even to the Continent to play in similar satellite tours which obviously can be very costly.
"I think it is great that we can provide such a tour on our own doorstep. Players have to stay competitive, need a card in their hand and play under tournament conditions to help them develop, and progress to the next level."

Dalmahoy has invested in excess of £100,000 in an extensive drainage programme which is why Tait is confident that the excess water will clear in time for the tournament to start at three minutes from 2pm.
"I am sure the girls will enjoy the venue and I am looking forward to being there to help launch the start of this exciting new Ladies Tour."  

There is no car parking charge or admission fee for spectators who want to follow the players at Dalmahoy tomorrow and at Ratho Park on Friday.

The players love playing in front of galleries so don't disappoint them.

There is a £20,000 Arnold Clark Edinburgh Kia car for the first player to hole in one at Dalmahoy's 17th hole.

Leading law firm Burness Paull and Williamsons have contributed several dozen Titleist Pro VIx golf balls to the amateur prize list and every competitor at Dalmahoy will receive one of their pens.

TEE TIMES AT DALMAHOY TOMORROW

(professionals in capitals)         
13:57 - HEATHER MacRAE (SCO) (Gleneagles Hotel), HEATHER STIRLING (SCO), Kate McIntosh (Broomieknowe) (am).

14:06 - LAURA MURRAY (SCO) (Alford), AILSA BAIN (SCO) (Peebles), Hannah Scott (Broomieknowe GC) (am).

 
14:15 - GEMMA WEBSTER (SCO) (Elie Sports Club), LAURA HARVEY (ENG) (Darlington), Alyson McKechin  (Elderslie GC) (am)
 
14:24 - KIMBERLEY CROOKS (ENG) (Middlesbrough), TATIANA KERNEN (SWI) (Switzerland), Jessica Meek (Carnoustie Ladies GC) (am). 

14:33 - PAMELA FEGGANS (Patna, Ayrshire), CHRISJE DE VRIES (NET) (Netherlands), Jane Turner (Craigielaw GC) (am).

14:42 - DAISY DYER (ENG) (Chigwell, Essex), MARTINE POW (SCO) (Selkirk), Rachel Walker (Dumfries and Co GC) (am).

14:51: MICHELE THOMSON (SCO) (Ellon), KRYSTLE FAULKNER (SCO) (Archerfield), Nicholas Ferguson (Milngavie GC) (am).

15:00 - LISA SHERVILL (ENG) (West Kilbride), ELEANOR GIVENS (ENG) (Darlington), Tara MacTaggart (Minto GC) (am).

15:09 - FABIENNE IN-ALBON (SWI) (Switzerland), VIKKI LAING (SCO) (Musselburgh), Jess Wilcox (Blankney GC, Lincolnshire) (am).

SUSAN WOOD TOP LANARKSHIRE SEED ON A DAY OF WIND AT RAIN

Susan Wood (Drumpellier) coped best with the wind and the rain in the Lanarkshire women's county golf championship qualifying round at Lanark Golf Club today Susan, pictured right, shot a 77, matching the CSS, and earned the top seed berth by seven shots from Lesley Loyd (Hayston) and defending champion May Hughes (Lanark). Susan Wood also won the Centenary Salver with the best net score. Jean Maddock, with a score of 105, was  leading qualifier in the Bronze Division championship. MATCH-PLAY QUALIFIERS SS 74. CSS 77 (reduction only) 77 Susan Wood (Drumpellier). 84 Lesley Lloyd (Hayston), May Hughes (Lanark). 86 Emma Caddow (Strathaven).  87 Rachael Cassidy (Bothwell Castle), Fiona Norris (Hamilton), Ruth Rankin (Lanark). 88 Lauren D'Ambrosia (Carluke). 90 Janice Paterson (Drumpellier). 94 Sheila Sergenson (East Kilbride), Pat Hutton (Lanark). 97 Tracy McPherson (Langlands). 99 Jillian McPherson (East  Kilbride) 100 Elaine Morris (Hamilton) 101 Margaret Flynn (Hamilton) 102 Marcia Stirling (Dullatur) +Angela Devine and Pat Casey would have qualified but were unavailable for the match-play stages.  MATCH-PLAY DRAW  9.00 Wood v Stirling, Paterson v D'Ambrosia, Cassidy v McPherson, McPherson v Caddow. 9.30 Hughes v Morris, Hutton v Norris, Rankin v Sergenson, Flynn v Lloyd.

GEORGIA HALL WINS HAMPSHIRE ROSE WITH EIGHT-UNDER PAR TOTAL

NEWS RELEASE FROM ENGLAND GOLF
European number one Georgia Hall has retained the Hampshire Rose with an eight-under par score for 36 holes – and a five shot winning margin.

The 17-year-old England international (pictured) had scores of 70 and 68 in the prestigious scratch event at North Hants. Her afternoon round included eight birdies, two of them in the last three holes.

Georgia, from Remedy Oak in Dorset, won this event last year at the start of a 2012 campaign which took her into the top five in the world amateur rankings. Her fine form, which won her the British girls’ championship, has continued into this year with two gold medals at the Australian Youth Olympic Festival and now, this latest success.
Her closest challengers were the Surrey pair of Inci Mehmet, from the England Golf Performance U18 Squad, and Lizzie Prior, who both finished on three-under par. International Amber Ratcliffe took fourth place, while English stroke play champion Alex Peters shared fifth with girl internationals Shelby Smart and Olivia Winning.
Olivia provided one of the highlights of the day by providing the low score of the event: a six-under par 67 in her morning round. Meanwhile, Bethan Popel of Gloucestershire had a hole in one at the first – her tenth hole – during the morning round.

LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 146 (2x72) SSS 73 CSS 74 74
138 Georgia Hall (Remedy Oak) 70 68
143 Inci Mehmet (Wentworth) 74 69; Lizzie Prior (Burhill) 72 71
145 Amber Ratcliffe (Royal Cromer) 72 73
147 Alex Peters (Notts Ladies’) 73 74; Shelby Smart (Knowle) 71 76; Olivia Winning (Rotherham) 67 80
148 Charlotte Thompson (Channels) 76 72; Alice Hewson (Berkhamsted) 71 77
149 Sophie Lamb (Clitheroe) 77 72; Lucy Goddard (Mid Herts) 73 76; Tara Watters (Muswell Hill) 73 76
150 Sarah-Jane Boyd (Truro) 73 77; Emily Royer (Chart Hills) 72 78  
151 Kerry Smith (Waterlooville) 78 73; Bethan Popel (Long Ashton) 77 74
153 Aimee Ponte (Royal Guernsey) 76, 77; Rachael Goodall (Heswall) 76 77; Ella Ofstedahl (Mill Green) 74 79.

TO VIEW ALL THE TOTALS

 CLICK HERE

RENFREWSHIRE COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DELAYED

The Renfrewshire women's county golf championship qualifying round, due to have been played at Kilmacolm GC today has postponed until Thursday due to adverse weather conditions. The eight players with the best scratch scores will go forward to the match-play quarter-finals and semi-finals on Friday with the final teeing off at 8am on Saturday.

SALLY WATSON'S THIRD US GOLF WIN

By COLIN FARQUHARSON  Colin@scottishgolfview.com Edinburgh-born Sally Watson has chalked up her third win on the United States women's college golf circuit. The 21-year-old Elie and Earlsferry GC member, now in the last couple of months of her four-year degree course at California's Stanford University - Tiger Woods' alma mater - has won the Sonoma State Spring Invitational by EIGHT strokes from a field of 63 players at Foxtail Golf Club, Rohnert Park in California. In a mixture of good and bad weather, Sally, originally from South Queensferry, carded a four-over-par aggregate of 220 (77-70-73)' Bedfordshire's Megan Birdseye, pictured left, a senior year student at Newman University, Wichita, finished third on 230 (72-78-80) and Newman senior team-mate, Linzi Allan from Ayrshire, a student claimed fourth place on 231 (78-76-77), Watson, a Curtis Cup player in the 2008 match against the United States over the Old Course, St Andrews, scored her previous American college circuit wins in 2010 (Peg Barnard Invitational) and 2011 (WSU Cougar Cup). A former Scottish Under-18 girls' match-play champion, Sally was the leading qualifier for the match-play stages of the British women's open amateur championship at Carnoustie last June. Talking about her Sonoma State tournament victory, Watson, who will be 22 on July 10, said:  "The big difference between the first round compared to the second and third rounds was simply the consistency of my thoughts over the ball. It was also really windy the first round which made life more difficult. "I have been working on improving my mental game under pressure. I have also been trying to play as many competitive rounds of golf as I can to prepare for the summer season." Fellow Scot Anne Walker, Director of Women's Golf at Stanford University, said: "It's always great to log a win. It doesn't matter what you are competing for, the feelings are the same coming down the stretch. Sally and I have been talking a lot about winning at every level, and she showed this week that she can do that." Phoebe Cipa (Grand Canyon University) from Upminster finished 31st with scores of 81, 81 and 88. Thanks to the fine efforts by Megan Birdseye and Linzi Allan, Newman University won the team title by 22 shots from runners-up CSU-San Marcos in a field of 10 teams. TOP INDIVIDUAL PLACINGS Par 216 (3x72) Yardage 5846 220 Sally Watson (Stanford) 77 70 73 228 Marissa Mar (Stanfield) 76 74 78 230 Megan Birdseye (Newman) 72 78 80 231 Linzi Allan (Newman) 78 7677 SELECTED SCORE 250 Phoebe Cipa (Grand Canyon) 81 81 88 Field of 63 players.