HEATHER MACRAE MAKES DEBUT

AS A PRO IN DE VERE LADIES

SCOTTISH CHAMPIONSHIP

Dunblane’s Heather MacRae, one of the most successful Scotland lady amateur golfers of the past few seasons, has turned professional and will make her debut with her new status in the De Vere Ladies Scottish Championship at The Carrick at Cameron House, starting on Thursday.
Heather, who has her 24th birthday on this coming Sunday, made her big title breakthrough in 2001 when she won the Scottish Under-18 girls’ match-play title against the favourite, Louise Kenney, at Glenbervie.
Last year, she won the British women’s open amateur stroke-play title and the Welsh women’s open amateur title earlier this season. She finished in the top seven of the Helen Holm Scottish women’s open stroke-play both last year and this year. In 2006, Heather and Jenna won the international team title for Scotland at the Troon event.
Apart from last week’s women’s home internationals at Dunbar, Heather had been a regular member of Scotland teams and girls’ and women’s level for the past decade.
She also played for Great Britain & Ireland against the Continent of Europe in the Vagliano Trophy match of two years ago. She was considered unlucky only to be named a reserve for last year’s Curtis Cup match.

She also played successfully on the United States women's college circuit for San Diego State University.
“Turning professional is something I have wanted to do for many years and I have worked hard to try to make it happen,” said Heather.
“I have worked extremely hard this year on my golf and fitness and I feel the time is right for me to make the move over to the professional ranks. To be given the opportunity to start my professional career in Scotland is very exciting for me and my family and I am really excited about teeing it up with some of the best players in Europe this week in the De Vere Ladies Scottish championship.
“My amateur career is something that I am very proud of, having played for Scotland for nine years at various levels, played for Great Britain & Ireland in the Vagliano Trophy, won the British stroke-play title and, more recently the Welsh stroke-play.
“I have gained a lot of experience which will hopefully help me to make the transition to the pro ranks. I don’t have any sponsors line up yet but hopefully, after getting through the Ladies European Tour Qualifying School later this year it will be easier for me to find some backing.”
Heather will be one of 13 players from Scotland in the field for the De Vere Ladies Scottish championship which is over 54 holes - Thursday-Friday-Saturday.
The others are: Kathryn Imrie, Lynn Kenny, Vikki Laing, Catriona Matthew, Mhairi McKay, Janice Moodie and Clare Queen.
And from the amateur ranks there will be Carly Booth (Comrie), Stirling University student Rachel Cassidy (who is Irish), Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar), Sally Watson (Elie & Earlsferry Ladies) and Scottish champion Jenna Wilson (Strathaven).

MURCAR LINKS MAKE CLEAN SWEEP OF
ABERDEENSHIRE INTER-CLUB EVENTS

Murcar Links have completed a clean sweep of the Aberdeenshire inter-club women's golf competitions this season.
They beat McDonald Ellon and Deeside in the play-offs for the Aberdeenshire Women's Scratch League, contested initially by 13 club teams, for the Golfview Trophy.
McDonald Ellon, who beat Deeside, were runners-up.
The Murcar Links team over the series included Laura McLardy, Carol Wilson, Donna Pocock and Frances Neish. It is the fourth time in the seven years of the Aberdeenshire Scratch League that Murcar Links had won it.
Murcar Links had earlier won the Lyon Foursomes and the Watt Duffus Trophy inter-club events this season.
Results in the play-offs:
Murcar Links 2 1/2, McDonald Ellon 1 1/2.
McDonald Ellon 3 1/2, Deesdide 1/2.
Deeside 1 1/2, Murcar Links 2 1/2.

Vikki Laing playing in the Scottish Ladies Open at the Carrick

Press release from Bouncesport, Vikki's Management company

We are delighted to announce that Vikki will be returning from the US to accept an invitation to play in the inaugural De Vere Scottish Ladies Open at The Carrick next week. Two weeks ago she won her first professional event at The Gettysburg Championship in Pensylvania on The Duramed Futures Tour (LPGA equivalent of The Challenge Tour.) She has just finished 8th on The Futures Tour Order of Merit with, unfortunately, only the top 5 gaining LPGA full playing rights for 2008. However this fast-tracks her to the final qualifying stage for LPGA Tour School and, given her improvement in performance this year she will go into this with renewed confidence. It is our belief that all the indications are there that she is very much on the verge of realising her undoubted talent and fulfilling her ambition to pursue her career in the States. We are confident her appearance at The Carrick will be warmly welcomed and represents a fantastic addition to an already impressive field.

Angus Champion of Champions

FIONA GILBERT BEATS
WEATHER AND
CARNOUSTIE COURSE
TO WIN TITLE

On a fairly horrible day of non-stop rain, over the Carnoustie Championship course, Fiona Gilbert (Carnoustie Ladies) produced two excellent rounds to win the Angus Champion of Champions' tournament. With scores of 81 and 79 for a 160 total, Fiona won by four shots from Lynne Fotheringham (Grange) (84, 80). Ann Ramsay (Kirriemuir) (85 80) was third.
Lynne Fotheringham had beaten Fiona in the final of the Angus county championship earlier in the season.
LEADING TOTALS
CSS 78 77.
160 F Gilbert (Carnoustie Ladies) 81 79.
164 L Fotheringham (Grange) 84 80.
165 A Ramsay (Kirriemuir) 85 80.
169 J Tough (Edzell) 87 82.
171 J Taylor (Kirriemuir) 84 87, S Raitt (Forfar) 82 89.
176 H Anderson (Downfield) 91 85.
179 A Chree (Ladies Panmure Monifieth) 84 95.
185 J Grubb (Montrose Mercantile) 93 92.
189 J Brown (Whitemoss) 95 94.
NR M Summers (Ladies Panmure Barry) 95 DNP
+Image of Christina Speed, captain of Angus county, presenting Fiona with the trophy, is courtesy of Aileen Hunter who also supplied all the scores and details from the tournament.

St Andrews Town Match

The 83rd TOWN MATCH [The R and A Captain's team v the Town of St Andrews) took place on Saturday, 15th September.

A fiercely contested early morning, with 0640 start on the Old Course, the New Course, and the Jubilee Course, led to the R&A taking a quick lead, which they maintained till lunch time. In the post-prandial session, however, the Town did well,and they pulled ahead to win comfortably in the end. Notable was the putting of Mr Gordon McKie, Head Greenkeeper of the Old Course, and a member of the St Andrews Club. The R&A team had in it Members from eighteen different countries, but nevertheless the home players from the Town clubs carried the day.

MIELE ALL-IRELAND LADIES INTERCLUB FOURBALL

PRESS RELEASE

MOUNT JULIET GOLF CLUB

15-16 SEPTEMBER 2007

MOUNTBELLEW CROWNED ALL-IRELAND CHAMPIONS

17th September 2007

Mountbellew were crowned All-Ireland Ladies Fourball Champions following a narrowest of margin 1 hole victory over Mallow at the finals of the 2007 Miele All-Ireland Interclub Fourball Championships at Mount Juliet Golf Club, 16th September.

In a nail-biting affair, Carmel Kearney and Angela Goggin drew first blood for the Cork side when they closed out Margaret Harkin and Mary Hyland on the home green. Bernadette Barrett and Laura Farrell then gave Mountbellew the advantage when they registered an impressive 5 and 4 win over Nora O’Connor and Ann O’Sullivan. Mallow then gained a 2-1 advantage with Marie O’Sullivan and Ann Kennelly’s defeat of Aoife Fallon and Mary Farrell on the fourteenth green. With Mallow one match ahead and 1 hole up on aggregate, Mountbellew’s final pairing of Laura Burke and Mary Costello brought the title across the Shannon following a seventeenth hole victory over Susan Curtain and Mary McEvoy to turn the tables and register a 1 hole aggregate victory for Mountbellew.

In Saturday’s semi-finals, Mallow defeated a luckless Co. Armagh side by 3½ -½ while Mountbellew were pushed all the way to the eighteenth in two matches by The K Club, eventually registering a 3-1 victory.

Mountbellew now emerge from 231 clubs as 2007 National Fourball Champions, joining the elite brigade of past winners Castle (2006 and 2005) and Roscommon (2004).


FINALS- Mount Juliet Golf Club, 16 September
MOUNTBELLEW 2 MALLOW 2 (Mountbellew win by 1 hole on countback)
Margaret Harkin, Mary Hyland lost to Carmel Kearney, Angela Goggin 1up
Laura Burke, Mary Costello bt Susan Curtain, Mary McEvoy 2 and 1
Aoife Fallon, Mary Farrell lost to Marie O’Sullivan, Ann Kennelly 5 and 4
Bernadette Barrett, Laura Farrell bt Nora O’Connor, Ann O’Sullivan 5 and 4

SEMI_FINALS - Mount Juliet Golf Club, 15 September
MALLOW 3½ CO. ARMAGH ½
Carmel Kearney, Angela Goggin bt Emma Oliver, Carolyn McCall 3 and 2
Susan Curtain, Mary McEvoy halved with Barbara Gartland, Valerie Gordon
Marie O’Sullivan, Ann Kennelly bt Paula McCrory, Teresa McVeigh 5 and 3
Nora O’Connor, Ann O’Sullivan bt Ellen Brady, Geraldine Rafferty 3and 2

MOUNTBELLEW 3 THE K CLUB 1
Margaret Harkin, Mary Hyland bt Noreen O’Grady, Pat Desmond 3 and 2
Laura Burke, Mary Costello bt Rosaleen Cunningham, Beryl Bowden 2 and 1
Aoife Fallon, Mary Farrell halved with Karena O’Connor, Lou Soden
Bernadette Barrett, Laura Farrell halved with Alice Doyle, Trish Lacey

SENIOR LADIES’ BRITISH OPEN AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

LGU Press Release

Christine Quinn, the holder of the title, will be hoping to make a spirited defence of the Senior Ladies’ British Open Amateur Championship, which will be played at Copt Heath Golf Club from 19-21 September.

Last year at Dumfries and County Golf Club, Ms Quinn had a six-shot win over Viveca Hoff, and in addition to a renewed challenge from the two times Swedish runner-up, will have to contend with Mary McKenna, one of the great names in ladies’ amateur golf.

Mary won the Seniors’ title in 2001 to cap a career that encompassed eight Irish titles and representation in nine Curtis Cup matches and nine Vagliano Trophy matches between 1969 and 1987. More recently, she was captain of the team that narrowly lost the Vagliano Trophy to the Continent of Europe at Fairmont, St Andrews and will lead the Curtis Cup team in the match next year at St Andrews from 30 May to 1 June.

There is a strong home challenge for the title, including the three times Scottish Seniors Champion Pamella Williamson, Fiona De Vries, 2006 Scottish Senior Match play Champion and Susan Ellis (Ferndown) the 2007 English Senior’s Champion. In addition, players have entered from nine overseas nations with, as always, a healthy representation from Northern European countries and Baltic States.

Clive Hadley, Secretary of Copt Heath said: “This year Copt Heath is celebrating its Centenary and hosting the Senior Ladies’ British Amateur Open, in late September, puts the finishing touch to what has been a splendid year.

“The Club and its members are delighted to welcome lady golfers from the Home Nations, Europe and further afield, who can be assured of a course in excellent condition, offering a good test of golf and a convivial atmosphere within the clubhouse. We trust that all attending, players, officials and spectators will enjoy their few days with us at Copt Heath.”

It is now 100 years since Copt Heath was founded, on a layout first proposed by three-times Open Champion Harry Vardon.

A subsequent extension was planned by H.S. Colt and after the war, a redesign of seven holes by Hawtree and Sons and more recent minor modifications by Donald Steel have resulted in the fine layout that the course has today.

Competitors play 18 holes on each of the first two days and the lowest 40 and ties play a further 18 holes on Friday 21 September.

The full list of players can be viewed at www.lgu.org – Championships.

Stirling and Clackmannan Junior Championship

Alison Goodwin and Louise Macgregor

The Stirling & Clackmannan County Girls Championship was held yesterday at Glenbervie.
Twelve girls braved the elements, in particular very heavy rain at the start of their rounds. Louise McGregor of Falkirk Golf Club retained her scratch title with a very commendable 81. The handicap championship was won by Alison Goodwin of Glenbervie with a 95 less 18 (nett 77).