FRENCH TEAM-MATES SOAKED WINNER BARBARA TO THE SKIN ...
BUT SHE THOUGHT IT WAS WORTH IT TO WIN THE 'HELEN HOLM'

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
The French sporting custom seems these days to involve almost drowning their golfing winners. We've seen it with Thomas Levet and others on the men's European Tour ... and it happened at the conclusion of the Helen Holm Scottish women's open amateur stroke-play at Troon on Sunday.
Winner Barbara Genuini's compatriots - and there were a record number of 22 French entries - were waiting for her when she came out of the recorders' van, and proceeded to empty countless bottles of water over her head (see picture left by Cal Carson Golf Agency).
Barbara, who is 24, took it all in good spirit but she was soaked to the skin through her sweater and had to borrow a dry one to put on for the presentation of the trophy (pictured below).
So why did France send so many competitors over for this year's "Helen Holm?"
Coach Karine Mathiot explained to Kirkwoodgolf:
"We have a very good crop of young girl golfers coming through but many of them know no other way to play golf but to hit a high shot into a holding green where the ball will stop quickly.
"We feel that their golf education has to include playing Scottish links where you have to play a different game of golf entirely, dropping the ball short and bouncing the ball up to the hole.
"Our aim is to make our girl golfers more complete players, more experienced in coping with varying conditions overseas."
Last word from Barbara Genuini, a petite, blone mademoiselle with a bubbling personality.
"Does winning the Helen Holm get me into the Scottish Sporting Hall of Fame?" she asked with a mischievous smile.

Top Midlothian players miss match-play draw

RACHAEL LIVINGSTONE TOP

SEED AS JANE TURNER OPTS

TO PLAY IN WALES

Craigielaw's Jane Turner amd Claire MacDonald (Gullane) finished first and third in today's Midlothian women's county golf championship qualifying round at Murrayfield Golf Club - but were not included in the draw for the match-play stages over the same course on Friday and Sunday.
That's because Jane and Claire are playing in the Welsh women's open amateur stroke-play championship on Saturday and Sunday.
Others who had 36-hole totals good enough to make them qualifiers but opted out of the match-play for one reason or another were Belinda Murphy (Mortonhall), Hilary Laughland (Mortonhall), Caroline Johnstone (Murrayfield) and Gabrielle MacDonald (Craigielaw).
Jane Turner had the lowest aggregate of 145 with scores of 72 and 73 against a CSS of 73 for both rounds.
Jane had five birdies in her afternoon round.
Rachael Livingstone (Musselburgh Old), pictured above by Cal Carson Golf Agency, all rights reserved, who becomes the No 1 seed in the absence of Miss Turner, had scores of 75 and 72 for 147. She had SEVEN birdies in her 72 on a rain-free day.
Claire Hargan (Mortonhall) is the No 2 seed with scores of 77 and 74 for 151. Claire has won the title for the past five years.

QUALIFIERS
CSS 73 73
147 Rachael Livingstone (Musselburgh Old) 75 72.
151 Claire Hargan (Mortonhall) 77 74.
152 Fiona de Vries (St Rule) 77 75.
154 Karen Marshall (Baberton) 79 75.
156 Wendy Nicholson (Broomieknowe) 78 78.
157 Kate Rorke (Kingsknowe) 79 78.
158 Ruth Brown (Lothianburn) 79 79.
159 Kirsten Blackwood (Craigmillar Park) 80 79.
162 Noreen Fenton (Merchants of Edinburgh) 83 79
164 Fiona Hunter (Baberton) 82 82.
166 Tracy Laughland (Mortonhall) 81 85, Linda Caine (Merchants of Edinburgh) 86 80.
170 Sheila Lyon (Kingsknowe) 85 85.
173 Caroline Steedman (Baberton) 87 86, Pat Walkingshaw (Ravelston) 87 86.
175 Ray Lynch (Murrayfield) 88 87.
Automatic match-play draw

FRIDAY, MAY 2

First round

9.0 Livingstone v Lynch.

9.07 Fenton v Blackwood.

9.15 Nicholson v T Laughland.

9.22 Lyon v Marshall.
9.30 De Vries v Walkingshaw.

9.37 Caine v Rorke.

9.45 Brown v Hunter.

9.52 Steedman v Hargan.
PLAYERS UNAVAILABLE FOR MATCH-PLAY
145 Jane Turner (Craigielaw) 72 73.
150 Claire MacDonald (Gullane) 74 76.
158 Belinda Murphy (Mortonhall) 79 79.
164 Hilary Laughland (Mortonhall) 79 85.
168 Caroline Johnston (Murrayfield) 82 86.
170 Gabrielle MacDonald (Craigielaw) 86 84.

LPGA Tour event to be played in China

Ground-breaking move by
Grand China Air

Haikou, China, 29th April 2008 – The China Golf Association (CGA), Grand China Air, the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) and IMG today jointly announced that Grand China Air will title sponsor the LPGA’s first ever event in China - the Grand China Air LPGA - to be played from the 24th to 26th October, 2008 at the Haikou West Golf Club in Hainan’s capital, Haikou.
It is the first LPGA tournament to be played in China and the tournament was specifically developed by the CGA, the LPGA and IMG, as a platform for Grand China Air to promote their brand around the world as they look to expand into international markets.
Sixty-three of the world’s best female players will compete for a purse of US$1,800,000. The player field is made up of the top 51 ranked available players on the LPGA Official Money List as of the 14th of September, 2008, and 12 invited players to be decided by the CGA, Grand China Air and IMG. This will create playing opportunities for Chinese women golfers and offer opportunities for these chosen players to compete with the very best in the world.
Grand China Air is a subsidiary of the HNA Group, one of the four largest airline companies in China offering the best quality airline service, with the goal of becoming a world class brand.
Haikou West Golf Club, a beautiful and internationally renowned golf destination, will showcase the world’s best women golfers in October.
Mr. Chen Feng, Chairman of HNA Group and Grand China Air said, “We are delighted to announce this great new event which our partners CGA, LPGA and IMG have worked together to create for us. Women’s golf is going through an exciting time as its profile grows around the world and we would like our airline to mirror this growth. We believe the LPGA and Grand China Air will form a good partnership, and this LPGA tournament will be an ideal platform for us to enhance the profile of our airline around the world. We are looking forward to an exciting week.”
Director of Multi-Ball Games Centre of the State Sports General Administration, Deputy President and Secretary General of the China Golf Association Mr. Zhang Xiaoning added, “We are very happy to announce this new event, a result of CGA’s dedication in promoting women’s golf in China, which will, without a doubt, become a new milestone in the development of the sport in this country.
"It will be very exciting and motivating for our up-and-coming young Chinese golfers to have the chance to watch the world’s best women golfers here in China and for some of them to improve their skills by actually competing with the top LPGA players and we hope Chinese players will achieve good results.”
“This is a landmark event for women's professional golf, and we are excited to bring the best of the LPGA to China," said LPGA Commissioner Carolyn F. Bivens. "China is one of the fastest growing golf markets in Asia, and with our growing fan and sponsor interest, it is the right time to bring the LPGA there. We are looking forward to working with the China Golf Association, Grand China Air and IMG on this inaugural event.”
Robbie Henchman, IMG Senior Vice President, Director of Golf, Asia, commented, “Creating a new event in a dynamic market such as China has been very exciting, and in the Grand China Air LPGA, I believe we have got the formula just right for a fantastic tournament and one that will enhance Grand China Air’s profile worldwide. We are thrilled to be working with the LPGA and the CGA on this new event and to be part of creating such a significant new women’s tournament in Asia.”
Haikou West Golf Club, was built three years ago and was designed by Mr. Perry and Ms. Cynthia McGarry Dye. It is located on the west side of Haikou City, 30 minutes from the Haikou Meilan International Airport. The Golf Club offers fresh breezes from the South China Sea, a Haikou City backdrop and international level facilities including double-level driving range and first-class dining experience.
Hainan Island is situated on the south coast of China and is on the same latitude as Hawaii – a perfect holiday destination known for its white sandy beaches, pristine clear waters and lush tropical rainforests. The warm weather and waters of the South China Sea make it ideal for swimming, scuba diving, snorkelling, water skiing and parasailing at several holiday locations around the island.
The capital of Hainan Island is the northern city of Haikou, which is one of the most popular places on the island for holiday makers.
The tournament offering US$1.8 million prize money, sponsored by Grand China Air, will be held at Haikou from October 24 to 26, 2008. Sponsorship, hospitality and merchandising programs will be offered to corporations, to maximise promotional opportunities for the tournament.

Aberdeen Schools Golf League results, placings

Hazlehead, Torry early sectional leaders

Hazlehead Academy and Torry Academy are the early leaders in Section A and Section B respectively in the Aberdeen Schools Golf League championship.
Results todate:

LEAGUE A
RGC 3, Dyce 0. Monday 14 April.
Harlaw 1, Hazlehead 2. Tuesday 15 April .
No match: Oldmachar

RGC 1, Hazlehead 2. Thursday 24 April.
Oldmachar 1.5, Harlaw 1.5. Thursday 24 April.
No match: Dyce

Harlaw v RGC. Tuesday 29 April
Dyce v Oldmachar. Tuesday 29 April
No match: Hazlehead

Oldmachar v RGC. Tuesday 6 May.
Hazlehead v Dyce. Thursday 8 May.
No match: Harlaw

Oldmachar v Hazlehead Monday 19 May.
Dyce v Harlaw Tuesday 20 May.
No match: RGC

LEAGUE B

Torry 1.5, Cults 1.5. Thursday 17 April.
AGS 3, St Machar 0. Thursday 17 April.
No match: Kincorth

Cults 1.5, AGS 1.5. Tuesday 22 April.
Kincorth 1, Torry 2. Tuesday 22 April.
No match: St Machar

Cults 1.5, Kincorth 1.5. Monday 28 April.
Torry 2.5, St Machar 0.5. Monday 28 April.
No match: AGS

St Machar v Kincorth, Monday 12 May
AGS v Torry, Thursday 15 May
No match: Cults

Kincorth v AGS Thursday 22 May
St Machar v Cults Thursday 22 May
No match: Torry

HOW THEY STAND

LEAGUE A
1 Hazlehead P2-W2-D0-L0-Pts 4.
2 Robert Gordon's College P2-W1-D0-L1-Pts 2.
3 Oldmachar P1-W0-Dl-Lo-Pts 1.
4 Harlaw P2-W0-D1-L1-Pts 1.
5 Dyce P1-W0-D0-L1-Pts 0.

LEAGUE B
1 Torry P3-W2-D1-L0-Pts 5.
2 Aberdeen Grammar School P2-W1-D1-L0-Pts 3.
3 Cults P3-W0-D3-L0-Pts 3.
4 Kincorth P2-W0-D1-L1-Pts 1.
5 St Machar P2-W0-D0-L2-Pts 0.

Preview of Northern Counties women's championship

Cara Gruber favourite to regain

title over the links at Brora

By ROBIN WILSON
After several recent years competing on the international scene and eyeing up a place on the Ladies European Pro Tour, Strathpeffer scratch golfer Cara Gruber, club champion and course record holder at Royal Dornoch, now firmly based at home in the family business, returns to the Northern Counties Association's women's golf championship scene at Brora this weekend.
The championship arrives on the Brora links for the first time in its history and Gruber, picture right by courtesy of Cal Carson Golf Agency, all rights reserved, is a firm favourite to take the title for a second time. She has the pedigree to go the distance. Long and strong from the tee, Brora will suit her game and she has every opportunity to cut into the existing course record score of 69, in existence since 1997.
Gruber has been in three county finals from 2000 to 2002, winning in 2001. After losing in the 2000 final at Royal Dornoch to the present Brora course record holder Lesley Mackay, a former club mate at Dornoch, Gruber triumphed the following year at Duff House Royal, only to lose her grip on the trophy a year later to Liz McKinnon (Nairn).
Both McKinnon and Mackay are now in the professional ranks and it is to Mackay's younger sister Pamela, also a Dornoch member, that Gruber will have to keep a watchful eye on this weekend.
Pam Mackay's handicap at Royal Dornoch is 2, the same as the defending champion from Elgin, Jenny Milne. Milne became a first-time winner at Dornoch 12 months ago.
Unfortunately missing the championship for a second year, after becoming one of its youngest winners on two occasions, is Nairn Dunbar's Kelsey MacDonald who has accepted an invitation from the Ladies European Tour to play at The Carrick on Loch Lomond this weekend.
But MacDonald's teenage feats in the championship could be equalled by Tain's Sammy Vass. Already a junior international, this 15-year-old has a three handicap and for additional support will have all her family alongside her.
Younger sister Julie, aged13, will be defending the handicap section cup won last year at Dornoch.
Also in the draw are the teenagers' mother, Maggie Vass, their aunt Mary Smith, both past champions, and their aunt Anne Ryan, a past NCGA team captain and player. Not leaving any of the family at home, granny Jean Russell, who is still a Silver Division golfer, is also playing.
In golfing lore The Northern Counties Women's Golf Association are a relatively new body. The Association emerged in 1967 from a previous body formed in 1930 that only admitted women golfers from clubs within the old counties of Banff, Moray and Nairn.
In 1967 the boundaries were extended to encompass Inverness-shire northwards and the Orkneys and Shetlands under a new name and become the Northern Division of the Scottish Ladies Golf Association.
Mrs Nina MacTavish of Nairn became their first Captain in 1967 and Mrs Drakard of Royal Dornoch the first modern day Northern Counties champion. The current captain is Mrs Jan Scott of Duff House Royal who succeeded Mrs Mairi Orr, Tain at the beginning of this season.
After Saturday's 18 hole medal play the top 16 players will compete under match play rules until a winner is found on Monday afternoon.

Eight handicap qualifiers will commence their matchplay rounds on Sunday and also conclude on Monday.

Stirling Ladies Open

Festival Trophy – Stirling Golf Club
Saturday 24th May

There are still spaces for the Ladies Open at Stirling Golf Club
If anyone is interested please contact Margaret Neilson
on 01786 475050 or send an entry immediately to Stirling
Ladies Golf Club, Queens Road, Stirling FK8 2QY. Entry is £10

HELEN HOLM SCOTTISH WOMEN'S STROKE-PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP PRIZEWINNERS ON PARADE AT TROON
Leading prizewinners at the conclusion of the 2008 Helen Holm Scottish women's open amateur stroke-play championship at Troon. The only Scot in the frame is Kylie Walker, extreme left. Click on the image to enlarge it. More "Helen Holm" tournament images later, all Cal Carson Golf Agency copyright.

Win No. 71 for Annika as she
beats Paula in a play-off

FROM THE LPGA TOUR WEBSITE
It may have taken a one-hole, sudden-death playoff, but Annika Sorenstam (68-67-70-70=275, -8) became the second multiple winner on the LPGA Tour this season, winning the Stanford International Pro-Am and simultaneously punching her ticket to the season-ending ADT Championship.
The 71-time LPGA Tour winner outlasted five-time winner Paula Creamer (68-71-67-69=275, -8) in the first play-off of the season, improving her career play-off record to 16-6. It was the first play-off of Creamer's four-year LPGA Tour career.
“I thought I played very well, and so did Paula. She played excellent. I know it came down to the last, well, it took 19 holes to separate us. It could have gone really any way,” Sorenstam said. “I'm just fortunate that this time it was my turn, and I'm going cherish this moment. Like I said, I felt like I played well the whole week. This is a big tournament on our schedule, and it meant a lot to me to come down the stretch there and hit some really crucial shots and finish strong.”
Trailing by one stroke at the start of the round, Creamer quickly amassed a one-stroke lead over Sorenstam by carding back-to-back birdies on the second and third holes of the Soffer Course at Fairmont Turnberry Isle Resort & Club, Aventura, Florida.
Sorenstam knotted the leaderboard with a birdie on the sixth hole, and jumped ahead as Creamer bogeyed the next. The “Pink Panther” and “Ms. 59” traded birdies on the ninth and 10th holes, but Creamer's birdie on the 11th put both players at 9-under.
Sorenstam bogeyed the 13th hole, and Creamer maintained her one-stroke lead until she followed with her second bogey of the day on the par-3, 144-yard 17th hole, which led to the play-off.
Sorenstam clinched win No. 71 with a tap-in for par, while Creamer made bogey.
“It's incredibly disappointing. You know, I had the lead for quite a while out there, and then I bogeyed and she had a birdie in there. It's very disappointing,” Creamer said.
“But at the same time, I'm going against on of the best players in the world that's ever to play golf. There's a lot to learn from that. This is was my first play-off as a professional, and probably the most nervous I've ever been.”
.LPGA Tour and World Golf Halls of Fame member Karrie Webb (73-69-70-64=276, -7) fired a tournament-low 7-under-par 64 in the final round of the Stanford International Pro-Am to propel herself to a season-best tie for third-place and $117,224 paycheck.
The 35-time Tour winner entered Sunday's final round at the Fairmont Turnberry Isle Resort & Club tied for 10th place, but she lit the course up early with five consecutive birdies on the second through sixth holes of the par-71 Soffer Course.
Webb made the turn at 5-under 31, and added birdies on the 11th, 12th and 16th holes, with her lone blemish occurring on the par-4, 408-yard 14th hole.
SCROLL DOWN FOR ALL THE FINAL TOTALS

LPGA Tour Scoreboard
STANFORD INTERNATIONAL PRO-AM
Fairmont Turnberry Isle Resort & Club.
Aventura, Florida.
FINAL TOTALS
Par 284 (4 x 71)
275 Paula Creamer 68 71 67 69, Annika Sorenstam (Swe) 68 67 70 70 (Sorenstam won play-off at first hole).
276 Young Kim (Kor) 67 67 73 69, Karrie Webb (Aus) 73 69 70 64
278 Momoko Ueda (Jpn) 68 72 67 71
280 Cristie Kerr 69 72 67 72, Angela Park 71 72 68 69, Hwa seon Lee (Kor) 74 68 69 69
281 Eun Hee Ji (Kor) 75 69 69 68, Lindsey Wright (Aus) 70 71 75 65, Hee Young Park (Kor) 69 73 71 68
282 Meena Lee (Kor) 69 71 73 69, Jane Park 73 73 70 66
283 Teresa Lu (Tai) 71 72 69 71, Sun Young Yoo (Kor) 73 69 73 68, Mollie Fankhauser 70 72 75 66, Hee-Won Han (Kor) 71 72 70 70, Laura Diaz 73 73 68 69, Nicole Castrale 72 72 69 70
284 Taylor Leon 71 74 69 70, Grace Park (Kor) 72 69 73 70, Suzann Pettersen (Nor) 70 76 70 68, Leta Lindley 69 73 70 72
285 Ji-Young Oh (Kor) 72 71 68 74, Mi-Hyun Kim (Kor) 69 72 71 73, Rachel Hetherington (Aus) 70 73 71 71, Brittany Lang 71 74 69 71
286 Ya-Ni Tseng (Kor) 68 77 69 72, Catriona Matthew (Sco) 74 71 70 71
287 Juli Inkster 70 71 76 70, Angela Stanford 69 70 76 72, Silvia Cavalleri (Ita) 73 72 71 71, Alena Sharp 72 71 75 69, Erica Blasberg 76 70 74 67, Pat Hurst 73 72 72 70
288 Jin Joo Hong (Kor) 76 71 73 68, Wendy Ward 74 73 71 70, Maria Hjorth (Swe) 70 73 75 70
289 Jee Young Lee (Kor) 76 67 76 70, Giulia Sergas (Ita) 74 68 73 74, Karen Stupples (Eng) 72 74 74 69, Kyeong Eun Bae (Kor) 69 72 78 70, In-Bee Park (Kor) 71 71 73 74, Dorothy Delasin 71 70 69 79, Karine Icher (Fra) 75 72 71 71
290 Stacy Prammanasudh 71 75 71 73, Louise Friberg (Swe) 75 71 72 72, In Kyung Kim (Kor) 74 74 70 72, Brandie Burton 74 73 72 71, Meg Mallon 74 71 74 71, Candie Kung (Tai) 68 78 74 70
291 Becky Morgan (Wal) 75 73 71 72, Carri Wood 75 73 71 72, Julieta Granada (Par) 70 76 69 76, Helen Alfredsson (Swe) 72 72 75 72
292 Ai Miyazato (Jpn) 70 74 75 73, Jimin Kang (Kor) 71 74 71 76, Soo-Yun Kang (Kor) 73 74 72 73, Emily Bastel 73 73 69 77, Mhairi McKay (Sco) 71 71 73 77
293 Natalie Gulbis 75 73 74 71, Mikaela Parmlid (Swe) 75 70 69 79, Jimin Jeong 73 73 73 74, Birdie Kim (Kor) 70 74 74 75, Christina Kim 70 71 80 72
294 Amy Hung (Tha) 75 73 70 76, Charlotte Mayorkas 72 75 73 74, Su A Kim 75 73 73 73
296 Linda Wessberg (Swe) 71 76 77 72, Sarah Lee 71 76 74 75, Moira Dunn 72 73 75 76, Allison Fouch 73 72 73 78
297 Diana D'Alessio 73 73 78 73
298 Patricia Meunier-Lebouc (Fra) 74 74 75 75, Kate Golden 75 73 77 73
300 Sung Ah Yim (Kor) 72 74 80 74

Melissa wins Dorset's battle
of the 15-year-olds

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY ENGLISH WOMEN'S GOLF ASSOCIATION
Yeovil’s Melissa McMahon has won the battle of the 15-year-olds to become the 2008 Dorset county champion.
Melissa took the title by beating Hayley Davis of Ferndown, her best friend and a fellow member of the English Women’s Golf Association Select South-West Squad.
A large gallery watched the final at Dudsbury Golf Club and saw Melissa fight back from being three down at the turn. She played the back nine in level par and was all square after 16 – but had to go to the 19th to claim her title.
Melissa is not the youngest-ever Dorset champion – but this was the first time the final had been contested by two 15-year-olds.
In 2006 Melissa won the Abraham Trophy which is awarded annually to England’s most improved girl golfer.
Lyndsey Hewison
Press & PR Officer

Visit the EGWA web site at www.englishwomensgolf.org