Iona Stephen only Scot left in Welsh stroke-play

For the first time for many years there will be only one Scot - Iona Stephen (Wentworth), pictured below - in the field for this weekend's Welsh women's open amateur stroke play golf championship at Southerndown Golf Club.

There were two Scottish entries but Hannah McCook (Grantown on Spey and Stirling University) has had to withdraw, which means that there will be no Scotland pair in the international team event held in conjunction with the 54-hole stroke-play tournament.

Hannah, pictured right,  explained her circumstances in an E-mail to Kirkwoodgolf: "My granny died suddenly last Monday, then I had the British Universities and Helen Holm straight away. I was also trying to study at the same time for my last university exam next week. However my head was all over the place so I couldn't study, or perform on the course like I wanted to. 
"So I pulled out (of the Welsh stroke-play) to be able to relax a little bit from the stress of granny's death  and to be able to study for my exam."

The Welsh stroke-play and last weekend's Helen Holm Scottish women's stroke-play have both been hit by the fact that there are 17 Scottish girls attending United States' colleges.

They will also miss next month's Scottish women's amateur championship at Monfieth Links from May 18 to 23.

The Scots girls in America are:

Emily Aird, Connie Jaffrey, Eilidh Watson, Heather Munro, Rachel Polson, Rachel Taylor, Rachel Watton, Lesley Atkins, Jess Meek, Clara Young, Lauren Whyte, Hannah Robb, Nicola Robertson, Rachel Walker, Paige Kemp, Katie Reid and Gemma Dryburgh.