MARATHON SCRATCH FINAL CLIMAX TO WEEK AT PITLOCHRY

YORKSHIRE TEENAGER WINS TITLE

AT HIGHLAND WOMEN'S OPEN

Chloe Stokes, a 19-year-old from Ganton Golf club, Yorkshire, the youngest player in the field, won the scratch title at the Highland Women's Open tournament at Pitlochry today.

Chloe, the leading qualifier, beat Louise Fraser at the 24th in a marathon final.

Friday's results:

Scratch:

Semi-finals

Chloe Stokes (Ganton) bt Claire Capocci (Bridge of Allan) 5 and 4

Louise Fraser (Kingsknowe) bt Laura Campbell (Pitlochry) 2 and 1

Final

Stokes bt Fraser at 24^th

Silver Handicap:

Semi-finals

Mary Brennan (Craigmillar Park) (17) bt Margo Rees (Balmore) (17) 6 and 5

Emma Saunders (Pitlochry) (17)  bt Irene Hay (Cowglen) (15) at 19^th

Final:

Brennan bt Saunders 2 holes.

Bronze Handicap:

Semi-finals

Gwen Beaton (Pitlochry) (24) bt Kathleen McConnell (Milnathort) (21) 3 and 1

Ann Shepherd (Lochgelly) (24) bt Avril Neilson (Downfield) (24) 3 and 2

Final

Beaton bt Ann Shepherd 1 hole.

ONE ROUND TO GO IN HAMBURG

ABOYNE GIRL MOVES INTO TOP FIVE

AT EURO YOUNG MASTERS

Aboyne's Scottish schoolgirls champion Shannon McWilliam moved up to a share of fifth place with a par-matching second-round 71 for a tally of four-over 146 in the European Young Masters' golf tournament for Under-16 year olds at Hamburg Golf Club, Germany.

McWilliam, is 10 shots behind the German leader, Alexandra Forsterling (67-69 for six-under 136).

Hazel MacGarvie (Troon Ladies) is sharing 47th place on 162 after scores of 80-82.

In the boys' section, Matthew McCulloch (Portpatrick Dunskey) had a good day with an nine-shot improvement for a second-round 70 and joint 18th place on 149.

Robert Watson (Muckhart) has had a pair of 78s for joint 33rd place on 156.

Germany's Max Schmitt leads with a 12-under-par score of 130 after a pair of 65s.

The tournament is over 54 holes

LAUREN WHYTE SHOOTS ONE OF DAY'S LOWEST SCORES

CURTIS CUP SCOTS DRYBURGH AND 

BRIGGS MISS CUT IN ESTONIA

Curtis Cup Scots Gemma Dryburgh and Eilidh Briggs missed the third-round cut today (Friday) in the European women's amateur golf championship at Estonia Golf and Country Club.

Dryburgh shot 76-77-74 for 227 and Briggs 77-77-76 for 230. To make the final round, players had to shoot 223 or better.

Germany-based Scot Rachael Taylor also missed the cut on 229 (77-78-74)

In contrast, St Andrews' Lauren Whyte (St Regulus) shot one of the day's best scores, a four-under-par 68 after rounds of 77 and 76. She is joint 38th on 221 alongside Connie Jaffrey (Troon Ladies) who has scored 73, 76 and 72.

Spain's Noemi Jimenez continues to make the running. She is two shots clear of the field with a seven-under-par tally of 209 (68-71-70).

ends

SCOT'S GOOD START IN CZECH REPUBLIC

PRETSWELL IN THE MIX WITH A 66

NEWS RELEASE FROM LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR

Germany’s Steffi Kirchmayr fired an opening round of seven-under-par 64 to take a one-stroke lead at the Sberbank Golf Masters in the Czech Republic. 

The 29-year-old from Nuernberg in Bavaria carded eight birdies and one bogey on a warm and sunny afternoon at Golf Park Plzeň – Dýšina, the same course where finished tied 32^nd in the Pilsen Golf Masters on the Ladies European Tour Access Series only two weeks ago.

“It’s a great feeling to shoot seven-under. I don’t really like the set-up of this golf course, because it favours the short hitters and good putters, so I can’t take advantage of my length,” said Kirchmayr, who lost 10 kilos at the beginning of the year through exercise and a healthy diet.  

“I only had one bad hole, where I had to chip out of a fairway bunker, but I hit it close and made the putts. My parents came to watch from Germany just for today so I felt I had to shoot a good round for them. They said it was worth driving for three hours to see a 64.”

A stroke behind in second place was Mallory Fraiche of the United States, who had six birdies on a bogey-free card. Fraiche, 26, from New Orleans, was joined by her younger sister, Lauren, on caddie duties and she said:

 “It was very solid and my short game was on point and so it helped save me a lot. This week I knew I needed to practice, so I played the course twice before the tournament, which I also think helped.”

Five further players were two shots off the lead: Julie Greciet, Amy Boulden, Nikki Garrett, Pamela Pretswell and Ursula Wikstrom.

Of those, Welsh LET rookie Boulden is in a rich vein of form having tied for fourth at last week’s Ladies German Open presented by Marriott. She said:

 “This is my sixth week in a row after the US Women’s Open. It wasn’t supposed to be like that because I got into the Bucks at the last minute and then the Ricoh Women’s British Open.

" I’m just trying to make the most of each week because I still don’t have my full card. I’m trying to earn enough money to secure my card for next year.”

Australian Garrett was delighted to be back in the hunt, seven years since her back-to-back wins on the LET in Tenerife and mainland Spain.

Having almost quit golf at the end of last year, she returned for the six-week summer swing on the Ladies European Tour and said: 

“It’s nice. All of the girls out there will know that I’ve struggled with my driver the last few years and I’m hitting it well again and it feels good over it, so it’s a totally different game when you get it in play off the tee. 

"I don’t regret coming out here. When I go home I’ll reassess and see if I come out for the second half of the season.”

Greciet, from France, finished strongly picking up four strokes in her last five holes. She earned her career best finish of second to countrywoman Jade Schaeffer in the Czech Republic in 2011 and said: “I played very well and I had one bogey on nine because my ball was plugged in the bunker and I had no chance, but I had an eagle on 14 and birdie on 15 and 18 so I’m happy because my putting was very good and I took 30 putts and hit 16 greens today.”

Second year professional Pretswell from Scotland was feeling refreshed after taking a week off to be her best friend’s bridesmaid at Loch Lomond. She said: 

“I made a really good start when I got up and down for par at the first and made birdie on two and three and kicked on from there.”

Seven further players posted rounds of four-under-par 67 to lie in eighth position.

However, Moroccan Maha Haddioui was disqualified prior to starting her first round due to being nine minutes late on the tee, while England’s Henni Zuel withdrew after nine holes with a wrist injury.

FIRST ROUND SCOREBOARD
Par 71

64 Steffi Kirchmayr (GER)

65 Mallory Fraiche (USA)

66 Julie Greciet (FRA) , Amy Boulden (WAL) , Nikki Garrett (AUS) , Pamela Pretswell (SCO) , Ursula Wikstrom (FIN)

67 - Kim Williams (RSA) , Sophie Giquel-bettan (FRA) , Connie Chen (RSA) , Isabelle Boineau (FRA) , Nontaya Srisawang (THA) , Patricia Sanz Barrio (ESP) , Nobuhle Dlamini (SWZ)

68 Hannah Burke (ENG) , Lee-Anne Pace (RSA) , Anjelika Hammar (SWE) , Trish Johnson (ENG) , Rebecca Hudson (ENG) , Gwladys Nocera (FRA) , Isabella Ramsay (SWE) , Camilla Lennarth (SWE) , Heather MacRae (SCO) , Nicole Broch Larsen (DEN) , Nikki Campbell (AUS)

69 Anne-Lise Caudal (FRA) , Eleanor Givens (ENG) , Melanie Maetzler (SUI) , Noora Tamminen (FIN) , Ann-Kathrin Lindner (GER) , Maria Salinas (PER) , Rebecca Codd (IRL) , Marion Ricordeau (FRA) , Lydia Hall (WAL) , Vikki Laing (SCO) , Fabienne In-albon (SUI) , Sally Watson (SCO) , Whitney Hillier (AUS) , Mireia Prat (ESP)

70 - Katerina Krasova (CZE) , Malene Jorgensen (DEN) , Chloe Leurquin (BEL) , Linda Wessberg (SWE) , Maggie Yuan (AUS) , Nina Holleder (GER) , Liz Young (ENG) , Ainil Bakar (MYS) , Diana Luna (ITA) , Stacy Lee Bregman (RSA) , Caroline Martens (NOR)

71 Elina Nummenpaa (FIN) , Nina Muehl (AUT) , Cassandra Kirkland (FRA) , Bree Arthur (AUS) , Victoria Lovelady (BRA) , Emma Cabrera-bello (ESP) , Sahra Hassan (WAL) , Lucie Andre (FRA) , Alexandra Vilatte (FRA) , Cathryn Bristow (NZL) , Marianne Skarpnord (NOR) , Krista Bakker (FIN) , Georgina Simpson (ENG) , Ana Larraneta (ESP) , Charlotte Thompson (ENG) , Kelsey Macdonald (SCO) , Kylie Walker (SCO) , Holly Clyburn (ENG) , Fiona Puyo (FRA)

72 Ariane Provot (FRA) , Louise Larsson (SWE) , Stefania Croce (ITA) , Julie Tvede (DEN) , Rebecca Sorensen (SWE) , Maria Balikoeva (RUS) , Tania Elosegui (ESP) , Jia Yun Li (CHN) , Sophie Sandolo (ITA) , Jade Schaeffer (FRA) , Florentyna Parker (ENG) , Carly Booth (SCO) , Yu Yang Zhang (CHN) , Caroline Afonso (FRA) , Holly Aitchison (ENG) , Laura Jansone (LVA)

73 Lauren Taylor (ENG) , Eva Kozeluhova (CZE) , Klara Spilkova (CZE) , Celine Herbin (FRA) , Minea Blomqvist (FIN) , Johanka Steindlerova (CZE) , Barbora Bakova (CZE) , Nicole Garcia (RSA) , Margherita Rigon (ITA) , Leigh Whittaker (GER) , Viva Schlasberg (SWE)

74 Lucy Williams (ENG) , Valentine Derrey (FRA) , Josephine Janson (SWE) , Sophie Gustafson (SWE) , Anais Maggetti (SUI) , Christine Wolf (AUT) , Karolin Lampert (GER) , Kristyna Frydlova (CZE)

75 Emma Nilsson (SWE) , Vera Shimanskaya (RUS) , Titiya Plucksataporn (THA) , Becky Brewerton (WAL) , Elisabetta Bertini (ITA) , Karolina Kohoutova (CZE) , Julia Davidsson (SWE)

76 Veronica Zorzi (ITA) , Bonita Bredenhann (NAM)

77 Veronika Falathova (SVK) , Kristyna Abrahamova (CZE) , Alison Whitaker (AUS) , Daniela Prorokova (CZE) , Sharmila Nicollet (IND)

78 Hannah Ralph (ENG) , Michaela Fabiankova (CZE) , Isabell Gabsa (GER) , Sara Kouskova (CZE) , Stefania Avanzo (ITA) , Melissa Reid (ENG) , Pamela Feggans (SCO)

79 Smriti Mehra (IND)

80 Adriana Brent (AUS) , Virginia Espejo (ESP)

82 Adela Cejnarova (CZE)

DQ Maha Haddioui

WD Henni Zuel

Bethan Cutler

Media Relations Manager

Ladies European Tour

M: +44 (0) 7980 056045

ALFORD PLAYER LAEADS BY ONE AT MACDONALD CARDRONA

LAURA  ON TRAIL OF ANOTHER

 PAUL LAWRIE LADIES TOUR WIN

Laura Murray, one of the most successful players in the two years of the Paul Lawrie Ladies' Tour, has given herself an excellent chance  to add another victory on the domestic circuit to her CV.

At the halfway point in the latest 36-hole tournament at the Macdonald Cardrona Hotel and Golf Resort, near Peebles, the Alford player from the Paul Lawrie Golf Centre stable, is leading with a pat 73 despite a double bogey 6 at the second.

Funnily enough, Laura's closest rivals, Lisa Shervill (74) and Gemma Webster and Kiran Matharu (both 75) also had double bogeys on their cards, perhaps a tribute to the late course designer Dave Thomas. .

Long-hitting Murray birdied three par-5 holes, the first, sixth and 14th, the short ninth and the par-4 18th in halves of 36 and 37. Bogeys at the 16th and 17th kept the door open for her challengers over the final 18 holes.

Former England amateur international Shervill, who lives at West Kilbride, had her double bogey 6 at the 14th. She birdied three par-5 holes - the sixth, 12th and 17th.

Glasgow's Webster had her best round for some time, despite double bogeys at the third and eighth. She countered with birdies at the fifth, sixsth, 14th, 16th and 17th.

Former English women's amateur champion and past Curtis Cup player, Kiran Matharu from Leeds had three double bogeys -at the seventh, ninth and 17th - but also notched an eagle 3 at the sixth and birdies at the second, fifth long 12th and 14th.

FIRST-ROUND SCORES

Par 73. Players are from Scotland unless stated otherwise

73 L Murray

74 L Shervill (Eng)

75 G Webster, K Matharu (Eng)

77 E Taylor (Eng), C Austwick (Eng) (am), M Thomson, K McNicol, J Turner.

78 A McKechin (am)

80 J Wilcox (Eng)

82 K Scott

83 H Searle (Eng)

84 A Bain, J Ferrie

87 K Crooks (Eng), L Harvey (Eng)

88 R Watton (am)

89 R Tully (Eng)

ends

LINCOLNSHIRE PLAYER PRODUCES LAST-ROUND 65

              

INDIA CLYBURN with the Scottish Under-21 girls' open amateur championship trophy, flanked by joint second placed Gabrielle MacDonald (left) and Hannah McCook (right). Jess Meek, who had the same total as MacDonald and McCook was placed fourth on a comparison of final rounds. Picture by courtesy of Laura McLardy.

INDIA CLYBURN, ONLY 17, ROMPS TO 

A 12-SHOT VICTORY AT ALLOA

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Colin@scottishgolfview.com

Seventeen-year-old India Clyburn came out of the shadow of her older sister, Holly, a winner on the Ladies European Tour, in  producing an outstanding final round of nine-under-par 65 to win the Scottish Under-21 girls' open amateur golf championship by a staggering 12 strokes at Alloa Golf Club today (Friday).

Starting the third and final round with a one-shot lead from defending champion Jess Meek (Carnoustie Ladies) after scores of 72 and 70, India scorched clear of the opposition in a manner of which big sister Holly would have been proud.

The 65, over a composite course put together with an assortment of tees by the SLGA, must be the lowest round by a girl or a woman at Alloa ... the 12-shot victory is the biggest winning margin in the tournament's history - and her 15-under-par total of 207 almost certainly tops anything achieved by previous winners.
And it is the first victory in the event (first played in 1955), by an English player since Kitrina Douglas in 1981 and Jane Rhodes - who now lives in the Nairn area! - in 1982 althoughtLucy Williams lost out in a title play-off to Kelsey MacDonald in 2009.

Clyburn, an English girl international from  Cleethorpes and a member at Woodhall Spa Golf Club, is the Lincolnshire women's champion. She has done well on almost every trip she has made north of the Border.
 Last year at Carnoustie Burnside she tied for fifth place amongst a field of lady pros in a Paul Lawrie Ladies Tartan Tour event.

This year India  finished seventh in the Helen Holm Scottish stroke-play at Troon and in January she came fifth in the Harder Hall Invitational, the opening event of the Orange Blossom Tour in Florida.

In her final round, India produced an eagle 2 at a par-4 hole, five birdie 4s at par-5 holes, and two birdie 3s in halves of 33 (four under par) and 32 (five under).

Her last bogey in the tournament came at the first hole of her second-round 70. She covered her last 35 holes in 14 under par!

If that is not potential Vagliano Trophy (2015) and Curtis Cup (2016) selection form, what is?
"That was my best ever round of golf and my best ever win," said India who also won the Menzies Trophy for the lowest aggregate by a competitor under 18 years of age.

“Alloa is a wonderful golf course and the weather over the three days has been absolutely fantastic. I’d love to come back and try and win the title again. Her eagle 2 was the result of holing an 80-yard wedge shot. It was that sort of day!

“I knew I’d hit it well but I didn’t see it go on,” she said. “I heard some cheering but it was only when I go to the green that I realised I had holed out.”
Eventually, her intention is to follow in her big sister’s footsteps and turn professional. 

“Ive signed up to go to North Carolina State University in August 2015. I’ll spend four years there, then turn professional. A place in the GB and I Curtis Cup team is one of my goals.”

While young Clyburn was making hay while the sun shone, the Scots title considers were shooting themselves in the collective foot.

Meek, Scottish champion Gabrielle MacDonald (Craigielaw) and Hannah McCook (Grantown on Spey) all tied for a distant second place on 219.

Meek closed with a 76, having bogeyed the third and double-bogeyed the par-5 fifth in halves of 39-37. She was officially placed fourth by having the poorest final round of the three players on 219.

MacDonald was moving up with birdies at the second, sixth, 12th and 13th - and then bogeyed the 14th and 16th to finish with a 74.

McCook, the first-round leader with a 70, also signed off with a 74.

She had the chance to finish runner-up on her own, seven or eight shots behind the runaway winner. But Hannah bogeyed the 15th and the 16th and double-bogeyed the 17th.

Earlier Stirling student McCook had had two eagles - a 3 at the long ninth and a 2 at the par-4 13th. She had also birdied the second and 12th.
EDITOR: "India" is such a distinctive first name that we asked her mother, Allison, how she chose it. Here is her answer:

"India is the name  of the granddaughter of the late Lord Mountbatten, the Earl of Burma. She was around my age. I loved the name , so that's why we called India India!" 

FINAL TOTALS
Par 222 (3x74) CSS 74 74
207 I Clyburn (Woodhall Spa) 72 70 65
219 G MacDonald (Craigielaw) 73 72 74, H McCook (Grantown on Spey) 70 75 74, J Meek (Carnoustie Ladies) 71 72 76
222 S Hausman (Germany) 73 74 75, R Tomlinson (Haydock Park) 76 70 76
223 A Summers (Carnoustie Ladies 74 74 75, E Healey (West Lancs) 78 72 73
225 K McIntosh (Broomieknowe) 74 73 78
226 R Walker (Dumfries and County) 73 77 76
228 T Mactaggart (Minto) 78 75 75

230 R Polson (Peterculter) 76 77 77
233 C Robertson (Carnoustie Ladies) 77 77 79, K Wright (Stranraer) 78 78 77
234 L Watson (Deeside) 76 77 81, E Watson (Muckhart) 79 77 78
235 J Free (Gullane) 84 73 78, H Scott (Broomieknowe) 81 74 80
236 D Ker (Roxburghe) 74 82 80, N Callander (Mill Green) 80 79 77
237 M Clyne (Deeside) 77 81 79, L Atkins (Gullane) 79 76 82
240 E Crawford (Harburn) 76 86 78, J Saxton (Kinross) 83 80 77, C Taylor (Nairn) 81 81 78
242 A Walker (Glenbervie) 78 80 84
244 C Munro (Gullane) 79 81 84
245 J Allan (Glenbervie) 82 78 85,  M Richmond (Strathaven) 81 86 78, A Brown (Nairn Dunbar) 81 84 80, L Downs (Romanby) 80 81 84
247 K Brodie (Strathmore) 78 84 85, N Robertson (Stirling) 85 84 78
248 P Kemp (Boyce Hill) 87 79 82
249 A Muirhead (Dubai) 85 79 85
250 J Farrell (Cardross) 87 82 81
252 J Mackintosh (Hazlehead) 85 86 81, A Qayum (Ranfurly Castle) 86 79 87
254 E Morrison (Craigmillar Park) 89 81 84, K Brown (Strathaven) 88 85 81
255 S Black (Deeside) 83 84 88
256 E Bryce (Strathaven) 90 84 82
257 L MacDonald (Cardross) 83 89 85
258 M Stewart (Murcar Links) 88 80 90
259 E O'Connor (Bothwell Castle) 84 87 88, M Cowan (St Medan) 82 84 93
263 K Scott (Strathaven) 81 84 98
264 K Malcolm (Dumfries and Co) 88 89 87
265  L Gilbert (Largs) 90 91 82
266 H Neilson (Greenburn) 90 83 93
271 K Pryde (Deeside) 86 92 93
272 E Logie (Buckpool) 88 93 91
284 J Duncan (Auchterarder) 92 94 98
287 A Taylor (St Anne's Old Links) 90 94 103
304 L McClymont (Dumbarton) 98 104 102

INTERNATIONAL CROWN INAUGURAL TOURNAMENT AT MARYLAND

LPGA TOUR TEAM EVENT PROVIDES 

FIRST-DAY SHOCKS

FROM THE LPGA TOUR WEBSITE
Day one of the LPGA Tour's inaugural International Crown provided plenty of surprises already at Caves Valley Golf Club, Owings Mills in Maryland.
 Chinese Taipei, the eighth-ranked team heading into the competition. shocked the field with two wins over the top-ranked United States squad. Candie Kung and Teresa Lu had the biggest victory of the day when they trumped Solheim Cup veterans Cristie Kerr and Paula Creamer 4 and 3. Team-mates Yani Tseng and Phoebe Yao needed all 18 holes to earn their one-hole victory over Stacy Lewis and Lexi Thompson. Tseng sank a 14-foot birdie putt on the final hole and said the thrill of victory was a feeling she’s been craving for a long time.
“I haven’t had that feeling for a long time,” said Tseng. “It’s been a couple years.  And actually last three holes, I was freaking out.  I was nervous.  I know that we have to win this or either we tie.  
"We played so good today, and especially Phoebe, we both had a good match.  We were good partners.”
Chinese Taipei was the only team to win both matches and lead all teams with 4 points. They’re trailed by Spain who went 1-0-1 on the day and recorded 3 points. Thailand ranks third in Pool A with 1 point while the United States failed to record a single point after losing both matches to Chinese Taipei.
“Well, I guess we learned that those pairings didn’t work very well,” said Stacy Lewis. “But Lexi and I, I was proud of her.  We hung in there.  We couldn’t get many putts to fall, but we kept hanging in there all day.”
The United States were the only team to change their pairings for day two.
Team Japan leads Pool B after going 1-0-1 in their first two matches. Ai Miyazato and Sakura Yokomine defeated
Sweden’s Pernilla Lindberg and Mikaela Parmlid 2UP. Miyazato said it took a couple holes to get in the swing of match play, but the duo seemed to get going just fine.
“It was kind of difficult to start the first few holes because I haven’t had the team play since when I was 20 or something, which means eight years ago,” said Miyazato. 
“So I was still searching for my pace the first couple holes.  But then she got a good start, so after a few holes I was like, Okay, so just stay focused on my game.”
Australia and the Republic of Korea are tied for second in Pool B with 2 points each. Sweden is fourth with 1 point after Anna Nordqvist and Caroline Hedwall halved with Mamiko Higa and Mika Miyazato.
“Well, I’m disappointed because I felt that we played a lot better and I’m just very impressed by their short game and how they managed to make a lot of good putts and make a lot of good up‑and‑downs,” said Hedwall. “I felt like we had a lot of good chances, but we couldn’t really convert on the greens.”

TO VIEW THE TEAM RESULTS

CLICK HERE