CARA GRUBER LEADING SCOT AT
END OF "WELSH" FIRST ROUND

Cara Gruber from Royal Dornoch was the leading Scot at the end of the first round of the 54-hole Welsh women's open amateur stroke-play championship at Pyle & Kenfig today.
Cara shot a 73 to be lying joint fourth behind pacemaker Kiran Matharu (Cookridge Hall) who had an excellent score of 71 - two ahead of Melissa Reid (Chevin) and Natalee Evans (Pleasington).
Clare Queen (Drumpellier) was back on 76.
Martina Gillen (Beaverstown), winner of last weekend's "Helen Holm" at Troon, had a disappointing first round of 79 to be well down the field.
WE'LL BE BACK WITH THE 36-HOLE TOTALS BEFORE THE END OF THE DAY. IN THE MEANTIME, HERE ARE THE FIRST-ROUND SCORES:
71
KIRAN MATHARU
(COOKRIDGE HALL GC)
72
MELISSA REID
(CHEVIN GC)
NATALEE EVANS
(PLEASINGTON GC)
73
HENNI BROCKWAY
(YEOVIL GC)
CARA GRUBER
(ROYAL DORNOCH GC)
JOANNE HODGE
(KNOWLE GC)
LAURA EASTWOOD
(YELVERTON GC)
SINEAD O'SULLIVAN
(GALWAY GC)
LYDIA HALL
(ROYAL PORTHCAWL GC)
JO NICOLSON
(WREXHAM GC)
CLAIRE COUGHLAN
(CORK GC)
FERN GRIMSHAW
(WEYMOUTH GC)
JODI EWART
(CATTERICK GC)
74
KYLIE WALKER
(BUCHANAN CASTLE)
JENNA WILSON
(STRATHAVEN GC)
75
LAUREN HAMILTON DIGGLE
(CELTIC MANOR GC)
MICHELLE SMITH
(THE OAKS GC)
HANNAH BARWOOD
(KNOWLE GC)
TRICIA MANGAN
(ENNIS GC)
FELICITY JOHNSON
(HARBORNE GC)
KERRY SMITH
(WATERLOOVILLE GC)
76
CLARE QUEEN
(DRUMPELLIER GC)
EMMA BROWN
(WEST WILTS GC)
77
SOPHIE WALKER
(KENWICK PARK GC)
KAREN HEYWOOD
(CROMPTON & ROYTON GC)
KIMBERLEY BOULDEN
(LLANDUDNO (MAESDU) GC)
SAM BIRKS
(WOLSTANTON GC)
MARTINE POW
(SELKIRK GC)
LUCY GOULD
(BARGOED GC)
SAHRA HASSAN
(VALE OF GLAMORGAN GC)
TRACEY BOYES
(MEON VALLEY GC)
HANNAH GRANT
(ENMORE PARK GC)
BREANNE LOUCKS
(WREXHAM GC)
STEPHANIE EVANS
(VALE OF LLANGOLLEN GC)
78
RACHEL JENNINGS
(IZAAK WALTON GC)
FIONA SMITH
(CHELMSFORD GC)
79
CHERYL SMITH
(THE OAKS GC)
MARTINA GILLEN
(BEAVERSTOWN GC)
LISA BARTON
(COVENTRY GC)
80
HOLLY AITCHISON
(BEDFORDSHIRE GC)
CHARLOTTE ELLIS
(MINCHINHAMPTON (New) GC)
KATE WHITMORE
(SANDIWAY GC)
81
ROZALYN ADAMS
(ADDINGTON COURT GC)
DAWN DEWAR
(UNIV of STIRLING GC)
LISA BALL
(MATFEN HALL GC)
82
ANN RAMSAY
(KIRRIEMUIR GC)
CORISANDE LEE
(WEST LANCS GC)
NICOLE WHITMORE
(WOBURN G & CC)
83
AMY REES
(SOUTHERNDOWN GC)
DONNA O'CONNELL
(BURNHAM & BERROW GC)
84
KIRSTY O'CONNOR
(NELSON GC)
STEPHANIE BRODIE
(DELAMERE FOREST GC)
EMMA TAYLER
(SAUNTON GC)
SARAH JONES
(PENNARD GC)
85
GILLIAN O'LEARY
(CORK / UCC GC)
LAURA HOLMES
(HESSLE GC)
87
LIZZIE BRAND
(ILKLEY GC)
CLAIRE STARKIE
(SILSDEN GC)
90
TARA DAVIES
(Holyhead GC)

TEENAGE PALS MEET IN ABERDEENSHIRE
COUNTY GOLF SEMI-FINAL AT MURCAR
Teenage golfing pals Michele Thomson (Ellon) and Laura Murray (Alford) will meet in Sunday morning’s semi-finals of the Aberdeenshire women’s county golf championship at Murcar Golf Club.
Leading qualfier 17-year-old Michele had two comfortable wins when the match-play stages began today (Sat) while 16-year-old Laura had to come back from one down with three to play to beat Christine Middleton (Cruden Bay), the 1991 title-winner, by two holes in the quarter-finals.
In the other semi-final it will be Laura McLardy (Murcar) against the 2003 champion, Julie Henderson (Inverurie).
Collated scoreboard
ABERDEENSHIRE WOMEN’S COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP
Murcar Golf Club
First round
M Thomson (McDonald Ellon) bt S Shepherd (Deeside) 5 and 3.
J Harrison (Cruden Bay) bt J Whitehead (Kemnay) 4 and 3.
C Middleton (Cruden Bay) bt L McPherson (Deeside) 2 holes.
L Murray (Alford) bt L Coleman (Peterhead) 3 and 1.
D Pocock (Murcar) bt F Hay (Deeside) 2 a\nd 1.
L McLardy (Murcar) bt L Terry (Cruden Bay) 3 and 1.
C Wilson (Murcar) bt E Brown (Aboyne) 6 and 5.
J Henderson (Inverurie) bt K Thomson (Kintore) 3 and 2.
Quarter-finals
M Thomson bt Harrison 4 and 3.
Murray bt Middleton 2 holes.
McLardy bt Pocock 6 and 5.
Henderson bt K Thomson 3 and 2.
KELLY BROTHERTON EAST LOTHIAN
LEADING QUALIFIER AT N BERWICK
Former Scottish girls’ champion Kelly Brotherton (Tulliallan) is the leading qualifier for the match-play stages of the East Lothian women’s county championship at North Berwick.
Kelly, who is bound for Colorado State University in the autumn, earned the No 1 seed rating with a score of 78 – three ahead of Scottish senior international Moira Thomson, playing over her home course.
The match-play stages start at North Berwick on Tuesday.
EAST LOTHIAN WOMEN’S COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP
North Berwick Golf Club
Qualifiers
Championship Qualifiers in order
78 Kelly Brotherton (Tulliallan).
81 Moira Thomson (North Berwick).
83 Fiona Prior (Gullane), Shonagh McEwan (Gullane).
86 Jayne Smith (Gullane).
89 Irene Stewart (Gifford), Mary Lou Renton (Gifford).
90 Carole Ross (North Berwick), Jane Herd (Musselburgh).
92 Elinor Blair (Linlithgow), Anne Chainey (North Berwick), Pam Hall (Royal Musselburgh), Maurren Woodward (Gullane).
94 Sue Penman (Gullane).
96 Val MacKenzie (Longniddry), Vera Ross (Broomieknowe).
HANDICAP QUAICH
Qualifiers
83 Jane Whitelaw (North Berwick) (19).
84 Nancy Davidson (Glen) (17), Ros Thoresen (North Berwick) (16).
86 Gladys Stevenson (Glen) (21), Ann Butterworth (North Berwick) (20), Janette Buchanan (Musselburgh) (20).
87 Gratian Andrew (Gullane) (13).
89 Hayley Kirkpatrick (Gullane) (17).

KELSEY (14) IN NORTHERN COUNTIES
SEMI-FINALS AT INVERNESS
Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar), only 14 years of age, is through to the last four of the Northern Counties women’s golf championship at Inverness Golf Club.
Kelsey, fourth of the eight qualifiers for the match-play stages, meets the top seed, Kerri Harper, playing over her home course in Sunday morning’s first semi-final.
The other tie will be between Jenny Milne (Elgin), beaten in last year’s final, and Marian Howieson (Inverness).
NORTHERN COUNTIES WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP
Inverness Golf Club
Qualifiers (CSS 74)
74 K Harper (Inverness).
75 J Milne (Elgin).
78 M Howieson (Inverness).
79 K MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar).
80 E Manson (Thurso), W Ross (Elgin).
81 L Clark (Nairn).
83 C MacAndrew (Nairn Dunbar).
Match-play
Quarter-finals
Harper bt MacAndrew 3 and 2.
MacDonald bt Manson1 hole.
Howieson bt Ross 5 and 3.
Milne bt Clark 4 and 3.

SCOT IS USA CONFERENCE PLAYER OF YEAR

SCOT PAMELA IS SUNSHINE STATE
CONFERENCE GOLFER OF YEAR
Pamela Feggans from Ayrshire has been named the Sunshine State Conference Women’s Golfer of the Year by the SSC women’s golf coaches and sports information directors.
A senior student at Florida Southern College, Pamela has a 75.68 stroke average in events on the 2004-2005 college season. She had four top-five finishes, including two individual championship victories this spring.
She won the UCF Invitational and also the Peggy Kirk Bell Invitational.
Pamela, who will be 23 in August, last played for Scotland in the women’s home international matches at Cruden Bay in the autumn of 2003 when the Scottish Ladies Golfing Association flew their top US College-based players home for the week.
She will miss the Scottish women’s amateur championship at Cruden Bay from May 17 to 21.
Because of Florida Southern College educational commitments, Miss Feggans may not even be back on this side of the Atlantic in time to play for Scotland in the European women’s team championship in Sweden from July 5 to 9 – if she were to be selected as a member of the six-strong squad to be captained by Elaine Farquharson-Black (Deeside).
Pamela is a member of Doon Valley Golf Club at Patna, Ayrshire.