Maria Hjorth loses play-off
for LPGA Tour Major

Nineteen-year-old rookie Yani Tseng from Taiwan holed a birdie putt at the fourth hole of a play-off to beat Swedish former Stirling University student Maria Hjorth and win the LPGA Tour major, the McDonald's LPGA championship, in Maryland.
They had tied on 12-under-par 276.
Tseng is the first rookie pro to win an LPGA Major for 10 years.

From 2010 the McDonald's LPGA championship tournament and title will be officially owned by the Ladies Professional Golf Association and will be known from then on as the "LPGA Championship," i.e. dropping "McDonald's" from its title.

LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 288
276 Yani Tseng (Tai) 73 70 65 68, M Hjorth (Swe) 68 72 65 71 (Tseng won play-off at fourth extra hole). Teseng $300,000; Hjorth $80,180.
277 L Ochoa (Mex) 69 65 71 71, A Sorenstam (Swe) 70 68 68 72 ($115,911).
278 L Diaz (US) 71 68 69 70 ($81,385).
280 M Pressel (US) 73 69 70 69, Shi Hyun Ahn 73 69 69 69, K Kuehne (US) 69 70 71 70, I Cho (US) 72 69 69 71 ($53,763 each).
Other scores:
281 P Creamer (US) 71 70 71 69 (jt 10th) ($31,938).]
289 K Stupples (Eng) 71 71 76 71 (jt 58th) ($4,876).

East girls are Scottish inter-divisional champions

NEWS FROM MANDY EASTON (who also took the above picture):
Pictured above are the East girls with the Scottish girls' inter-divisional matches trophy which they won at Ballumbie Castle today at the end of two days' play at the Dundee course.
I do not have the full results of all the matches but I can tell you that the East girls came from behind today to win the title by beating West who were the leaders after Day 1 by 1/2 point.
East managed a 3-0 win against West to take the trophy.

Thanks, Mandy for breaking the news.
We hope to have all the results for you sometime on Monday.
.

Michele Thomson returned to a happy hunting ground, Montrose Links today, to record another victory (Image by Cal Carson Golf Agency, all rights reserved). Click on image to enlarge it.

Michele wins Munross Trophy, Kylie breaks record with 66

Curtis Cup player and Scottish champion Michele Thomson warmed up for next week's British women's open amateur golf championship at North Berwick by winning the Munross Trophy over 36 holes at the Montrose Links today.

Michele retained the North of Scotland women's championship over the Montrose course a couple of years ago and it is obviously one of her favourites.
The McDonald Ellon Golf Club player had two rounds of 71 - the CSS was 73 and 74 - for a four-under-par total of 142, which gave her victory by one stroke from her Aberdeenshire county team-mate Laura Murray (Alford), winner of the last SLGA Order of Merit 36-holer, the Ness Cup at Inverness.
Laura followed up a first round of 76 with a very good 67 for 143, leaving her just one shot away from catching Michele.
Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm) finished third on 144 with a 73 and a 71.
Fourth placed Kylie Walker (Buchanan Castle) set a new course record with second-round, seven-under-par 66, two shots better than the old mark held by Louise Kenney (Pitreavie).
Kylie's figures were:
OUT: 4 4 3 3 2 4 4 4 4: 32
IN: 4 3 3 2 5 5 4 4 4: 34
The long-hitting Miss Walker had eagle 2s at the fifth and 13th and birdies at the fourth, sixth, 11th and 17th. She had one bogey, at the 16th.
FINAL TOTALS

Par 146 (2 x 73) CSS 73 74.

142 M Thomson (McDonald Ellon) 71 71.

143 L Murray (Alford) 76 67.

144 M Briggs (Kilmacolm) 71 73.

145 K Walker (Buchanan Castle) 79 66.

146 R Niven (Crieff) 74 72.

148 L Kenney (Pitreavie) 73 75.

150 P Pretswell (Bothwell Castle) 74 76, E Fairnie (Dunbar) 75 75.

151 L Hendry (Routenburn) 78 73.

152 A Ramsay (Kirriemuir) 73 79.

153 M Macpherson (Troon Ladies) 77 76.

154 A Wilton (Ladybank) 75 79.

155 M Mangone (Wingham CC) 77 78, R Rankin (Lanark) 77 78, J Meldrum (Dullatur) 77 78, J Carthew (Ladybank) 78 77.

157 A Niven (Crieff) 73 84, E Cuthill (Lanark) 75 82.

158 S Leslie (Murcar Links) 76 82, F Gilbert (Carnoustie Ladies) 78 80.

159 S Jackson (Ladybank) 77 82.

160 J Sneddon (Alyth) 77 83, J Linklater (Largs) 77 83, S Vass (Tain) 81 79.

161 K McNicoll (Carnoustie Ladies) 82 79, J Brown (Monifieth) 82 79.

163 C Hargan (Mortonhall) 75 88, C-M Carlton (Fereneze) 80 83.

164 J Jenkins (Ralston) 77 87, N Fenton (Merchants of Edinburgh) 80 84, E Briggs (Kilmacolm) 85 79.

165 A Hunter (Monifieth) 78 87, F Sinclair (Carnoustie Caledonia) 79 86, A Bushby (Strathmore) 80 85.

170 F Fullerton (Huntly) 88 82.

171 D Dewar (Monifieth) 87 84.

174 F Blair (Carnoustie Ladies) 81 93, J Grubb (Montrose Mercantile) 96 78.

177 K MacCallum (McDonald Ellon) 86 91.

184 A Alston (Royal Montrose) 94 90.

191 J Wycherley (Monktonhall) 95 96.

OUTWITH MAIN PRIZEWINNERS

Best first round - A Ramsay (Kirriemuir) 73 (better inward half).
Best second round - R Niven (Crieff) 72

Best net aggregate - M Macpherson (Troon Ladies) (4) 73 73: 145 (better second round).

Gwladys just holds Melissa's

last-round challenge

to score Dutch double

FROM THE LADIES' EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE

By BETHAN CUTLER

Gwladys Nocera successfully defended the ABN AMRO Ladies Open at Eindhovensche Golf in the Netherlands today, winning by one shot with a spectacular birdie on the last hole.
The 33-year-old Frenchwoman held a four-shot lead overnight and closed with a one-under-par 71 to secure her second title of the year after the Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open five weeks ago. It was her seventh Ladies European Tour trophy in little more than a two year period.
Nocera posted a 13-under-par total of 203, winning back-to-back in the same tournament for the first time in her six-year career. Last year the tournament was played at the same golf course but went by the name of the KLM Ladies Open.

Nocera won by a seven-shot margin in 2007 but this time it was not so easy. She rolled in a perfectly judged 18-footer at the last for her one-shot victory over Melissa Reid (picture above by Cal Carson Golf Agency, all rights reserved) from England.
She said she played ugly. “I just didn’t play well; I had some really ugly shots,” said Nocera. “I missed some fairways and then I missed some greens. I had to fight to make pars and then when I didn’t make pars I made bogeys. It was just not really nice golf. I just told myself, “It doesn’t matter how you play, it only matters if you lift the cup or not so I tried to win anyway.”

As Nocera found trouble on the front nine she watched her lead narrow as Reid gradually caught up. The 20-year-old rookie from Derby, paired with Nocera, was just one shot behind the long-time leader after six holes in the final round. There was temporary relief for Nocera when she birdied the seventh, which Reid bogeyed.

Reid caught up with a birdie at the par-3 11th-hole which Nocera bogeyed. The players were still tied after 17 holes, Reid having bogeyed the 14th and birdied the 15th. However Reid’s hopes of a first Ladies European Tour title disappeared when she missed her 20ft birdie chance at the 18th.

“I don’t think Melissa did anything wrong,” said Nocera, who earned a first prize of €37,500 and now leads the New Star Money List with earnings of almost €140,000 from eight tournaments. “She shot four-under and she played really well. From my point of view I didn’t play well and I had to manage that. I think that’s experience when even if you play bad you are capable of making the putt you need to make on 18.”

Reid, who would have played for GB&I in the Curtis Cup a week or so ago had she not turned pro during the winter, shot a third successive round of 68 to finish on 12-under-par in second, her best finish in eight appearances on the LET this year.
“I definitely feel I can win now,” said Reid, who moved from 14th to seventh on the LET rankings. “I had two not very good weeks and it just goes to show that every time you pitch up on a Thursday it’s a brand new tournament and a brand new week. Everyone starts off the same.

“I hit the ball pretty good all week. My swings felt pretty good. To be honest I didn’t hit it as well today as I did yesterday but I’m still pretty satisfied. I felt I gave a couple of shots away out on the golf course but Gwladys had a great birdie on the last. She won it.”

Anne-Lise Caudal from France, 23, shot a final round of 68 to finish third on 11-under-par, which was her career best finish in two seasons on the Ladies European Tour. England’s Kirsty S Taylor, playing with a knee injury, was fourth on nine-under, while Spain’s Paula Marti and Denmark’s Lisa Holm Sorensen shared fifth on eight-under-par.
FINAL TOTALS
Par 216 (3 x 72)
203 G Nocera (Fra) 67 65 71 (37,500 Euros).
204 M Reid (Eng) 68 68 68 (25,375 Euros).
205 A-L Caudal (Fra) 68 69 68 (17,500 Euros).
208 P Martin (Spa) 69 70 69, K S Taylor (Eng) 71 657 70, L H Sorensen (Den) 72 65 71 (10,950 Euros each).
209 M Boden (Swe) 71 72 66 (7,500 Euros).
210 B Brewerton (Wal) 72 71 67, M Skarpnord (Nor) 73 70 678 (5,925 Euros each).
211 L Hart (US) 71 69 71, D Lacey (Aus) 73 67 71, V Zorzi (Ita) 70 69 72, S Walker (Eng) 70 69 72 (4,481 Euros each), C Boeljon (Net) (amateur) 70 70 71.
212 K Lunn (Aus) 71 71 70, S Croce (Ita) 70 71 71, J Schaeffer (Fra) 67 73 72, L Wahlin (Swe) 70 70 72 (3,669 Euros each).
Other totals:
213 R Coakley (Ire) 68 73 72, Lisa Hall (Eng) 71 70 72 (jt 19th) (3,116 Euros each).
214 F Johnson (Eng) 69 71 74 (jt 27th) (2,663 Euros).
215 D Masters (Eng) 73 73 69 (jt 31st) (2,175 Euros).
216 C Coughlan-Ryan (Ire) 73 69 74, N C Booth (Eng) 76 68 75 (1,608 Euros each).
217 J Morley (Eng) 71 73 75, C Queen (Sco) 70 72 75 (jt 46th) (1,235 Euros each).
219 L Shervill (Eng) 71 73 75 (jt 52nd) (905 Euros).
220 E McKinnon (NZ) 70 74 76 (jt 54th) (905 Euros).

ALL THE FINAL TOTALS
203 Gwladys Nocera (Fra) 67 65 71
204 Melissa Reid 68 68 68
205 Anna-Lise Caudal (Fra) 68 69 68
208 Lisa Sorensen (Den) 72 65 71, Kirsty S Taylor 71 67 70, 209 Maria Boden (Swe) 71 72 66
210 Marianne Skarpnord (Nor) 73 70 67, Becky Brewerton 72 71 67
211 Sophie Walker 70 69 72, Dana Lacey (Aus) 73 67 71, Leah Hart (Aus) 71 69 71, Veronica Zorzi (Ita) 70 69 72, Christel Boeljon (Ned) 70 70 71
212 Karen Lunn (Aus) 71 71 70, Lotta Maria Wahlin (Swe) 70 70 72, Jade Schaeffer (Fra) 67 73 72, Stefania Croce (Ita) 70 71 71
213 Caroline Afonso (Fra) 71 71 71, Rebecca Coakley 68 73 72, Laurette Maritz (Rsa) 73 71 69, Lisa Hall 71 70 72, Natascha Fink (Aut) 72 70 71, Anna Knutsson (Swe) 71 71 71, Titiya Plucksataporn (Tha) 74 68 71, Isabella Maconi (Ita) 70 70 73
214 Felicity Johnson 69 71 74, Mianne Bagger (Den) 71 71 72, Lee-Anne Pace (Rsa) 71 71 72, Johanna Westerberg (Swe) 70 74 70
215 Maria Verchenova (Rus) 74 71 70, Federica Piovano (Ita) 72 73 70, Julie Tvede (Den) 73 73 69, Joanne Mills (Aus) 71 72 72, Stacy Lee Bregman (Rsa) 73 70 72, Danielle Masters 73 73 69, Ludivine Kreutz (Fra) 74 71 70, Anna Tybring (Swe) 73 72 70, Eva Steinberger (Aut) 72 71 72
216 Krista Ursula Wikstrom (Fin) 68 74 74, Iben Tinning (Den) 71 72 73, Anja Monke (Ger) 72 74 70, Natalie Booth 73 68 75, Claire Coughlan 73 69 74, Florence Luscher (Swi) 74 69 73
217 Lill Saether (Nor) 72 72 73, Joanne Morley 71 73 73, Emma Zackrisson (Swe) 74 71 72, Clare Queen 70 72 75
218 Cecilie Lundgreen (Nor) 70 76 72, Marjet Van Der Graaff (Ned) 74 72 72
219 Liza Aileen Shervill 71 73 75, Anna Rossi (Ita) 73 73 73
220 Kate Combes (Aus) 74 72 74, Lynn t Brooky (Nzl) 69 75 76, Sophie Sandolo (Ita) 69 75 76, Margherita Rigon (Ita) 68 75 77, Elizabeth McKinnon (Swe) 70 74 76
221 Christine Hallstrom (Swe) 74 72 75, Elisabeth Esterl (Ger) 75 71 75
222 Nikki Garrett (Aus) 71 74 77, Sarah Nicholson (Nzl) 71 73 78, Julie Berton (Fra) 74 72 76, Bronwyn Mullins-Lane (Aus) 73 73 76
223 Caroline Karsten (Ned) 75 71 77

ALYSON AND CAROL ANNE ARE LGU

MEDAL WINNERS AT CRIEFF

Elderslie's Alyson McKechin and Carol Anne Craig from Beith won the gold and silver medals respectively at today's Ladies Golf Union Medal Grand Final at Crieff Golf Club.

A total of 398 players entered at club level and the Grand Final was contested by 24 qualifiers.

Alyson won the Silver Division with a net 72 off eight of a handicap, finishing three shots clear of Jane Tough (Edzell) (4) and Dianne Watson (Leven) (6). Jane was placed second by virtue of a better inward half.

Carol Ann won the Bronze Division with a net 69 off 21. She had seven strokes to spare from runner-up Angela Dutch (Downfield), playing off 21. Anne Fisher (Prestwick St Nicholas), with a net5 77 off 24, finished third.

Prizewinners (Par 74, CSS 74):

Silver Division - Alyson McKechin (Elderslie) (8) 72; Jane Tough (Edzell) (4) better inward half, Dianne Watson (Leven) (6) 75.

Bronze Division - Carol Anne Craig (Beith) (21) 69; Angela Dutch (Downfield) (21) 76; Anne Fisher (Prestwick St Nicholas) (24) 77.

Some of the Aberdeenshire girls in front of the Cruden Bay clubhouse today (Cal Carson Golf Agency image, all rights reserved).

Sophie Alexander top Aberdeenshire
girl with a 77 over St Olaf'

Sophie Alexander (Deeside) had the lowest scratch score of 77 in today's Aberdeenshire girls' medal competition over the St Olaf course at Cruden Bay.
Sophie won the Daily Telegraph prize.
The lowest net return was a 61 by Olivia Borwick (McDonald Ellon), playing off 31 of a handicap.

Leading scores (CSS 67, -1)
SCRATCH
77 S Alexander (Deeside).
83 K Seam (Torphins).
84 N Lamond (McDonald Ellon).
85 E Franks (Ballater).
86 V Powell (Deeside).
87 K Vannet (Peterculter).
HANDICAP
61 O Borwick (McDonald Ellon) (31).
64 V Powell (Deeside) (22).
67 S Alexander (Deeside) (10), K Seam (Torphins) (16).
68 E Franks (Ballater) (17).
69 K Vannet (Peterculter) (18).
70 S Anderson (Deeside) (20).
71 Z Marr (Inverurie) (36).
75 N Lamond (McDonald Ellon) (9).

LPGA Tour Scoreboard
McDONALD'S LPGA CHAMPIONSHIP
Bulle Rock Course, Havre de Grace, Maryland
THIRD ROUND SCORES
Par 216 (3 x 72) 6,641yd

204 Jee Young Lee 70 69 65.
205 Maria Hjorth 68 72 65.
206 Annika Sorenstam 70 68 68, Lorena Ochoa 69 65 72.
208 Yani Tseng 73 70 65, Laura Diaz 71 68 69, Brittany Lang 70 67 71, Lindsey Wright 67 68 73.
Other scores:
211 Karrie Webb 71 71 69 (jt 19th).
212 Morgan Pressel 73 69 70, Paula Creamer 71 70 71 (jt 27th).
218 Karen Stupples 71 71 76 (jt 73rd).
221 Mhairi McKay 75 69 77 (jt 79th).
MISSED THE CUT (144 or better)
145 Catriona Matthew 72 73.
149 Laura Davies 75 74.