Ladies European Tour Scoreboard
SS4C WALES LADIES CHAMPIONSHIP OF EUROPE
Machynys Peninsula Golf & Country Club, Carmarthenshire, Wales
Par 144 (2 x 72)
136 Martina Eberl (Ger) 65 71
137 Henrietta Zuel 66 71, Lisa Hall 70 67, Becky Brewerton 66 71
138 Lotta Maria Wahlin (Swe) 71 67
139 Paula Marti (Spa) 68 71, Federica Piovano (Ita) 70 69, Gwladys Nocera (Fra) 69 70
140 Joanne Mills (Aus) 70 70, Georgina Simpson 66 74
141 Laura Davies 70 71, Martina Gillen 70 71, Ashleigh Simon (Rsa) 70 71, Marta Prieto (Spa) 70 71, Lara Tadiotto (Bel) 68 73, Clare Queen 71 70
142 Kiran Matharu 67 75, Jade Schaeffer (Fra) 72 70, Veronica Zorzi (Ita) 72 70, Maria Boden (Swe) 71 71, Ana-Belen Sanchez (Spa) 69 73, Louise Stahle (Swe) 70 72
143 Stephanie Arricau (Fra) 72 71, Anja Monke (Ger) 70 73, Joanne Morley 74 69, Marianne Skarpnord (Nor) 75 68, Laurette Maritz (Rsa) 72 71, Amy Yang (USA) 75 68, Stefanie Michl (Aut) 70 73, Anna Rawson (Aus) 71 72, Isabella Maconi (Ita) 71 72, Rebecca Hudson 70 73, Bronwyn Mullins-Lane (Aus) 71 72
144 Karen Lunn (Aus) 74 70, Mianne Bagger (Den) 71 73, Anna Rossi (Ita) 72 72, Laura Terebey (USA) 73 71, Beatriz Recari (Spa) 73 71, Nathalie David (Fra) 72 72, Marjet Van Der Graaff (Ned) 75 69, Elizabeth McKinnon (Swe) 72 72, Lisa Sorensen (Den) 73 71, Cecillia Ekelundh (Swe) 73 71, Trish Johnson (USA) 70 74, Eva Steinberger (Aut) 72 72
145 Rebecca Coakley 72 73, Nina Reis (Swe) 72 73, Lee-Anne Pace (USA) 72 73, Melissa Reid 70 75, Danielle Montgomery 72 73, Sophie Walker 69 76, Karen-Margreth Juul (Den) 71 74, Lydia Hall 71 74, Zuzana Kamasova (Svk) 75 70, Katharina Schallenberg (Ger) 71 74, Emma Zackrisson (Swe) 73 72, Samantha Head 74 71, Melodie Bourdy (Fra) 68 77, Sahra Hassan 70 75
146 Felicity Johnson 77 69, Dana Lacey (Aus) 70 76, Maria Verchenova (Rus) 74 72, Emma Cabrera Bello (Spa) 72 74, Lill Saether (Nor) 75 71, Lynn t Brooky (Nzl) 74 72, Jodi Ewart 72 74, Diana Luna (Ita) 71 75, Carmen Alonso (Spa) 73 73
MISSED THE CUT
147 Krista Ursula Wikstrom (Fin) 74 73, Lora Fairclough 74 73, Leah Hart (Aus) 71 76, Julie Greciet (Fra) 72 75, Anne Hansen (Den) 75 72, Eleanor Pilgrim 72 75, Kathryn Imrie 75 72, Kaisa Ruuttila (Fin) 72 75
148 Julie Tvede (Den) 75 73, Tania Elosegui (Spa) 72 76, Emma Louise Weeks 75 73, Ludivine Kreutz (Fra) 73 75, Sarah Nicholson (Nzl) 77 71
149 Ana Larraneta (Spa) 70 79, Stacy Lee Bregman (Rsa) 74 75, Camille Fallay (Fra) 74 75, Natalie Claire Booth 73 76, Amanda Moltke-Leth (Den) 73 76, Stefania Croce (Ita) 74 75, Titiya Plucksataporn (Tha) 71 78, Anna Knutsson (Swe) 72 77, Elisabeth Esterl (Ger) 74 75
150 Liza Aileen Shervill 75 75, Bettina Hauert (Ger) 77 73, Lynn Kenny 73 77, Ellen Smets (Bel) 76 74, Christine Hallstrom (Swe) 74 76, Natascha Fink (Aut) 76 74, Anna Tybring (Swe) 73 77
151 Anna Highgate 76 75, Johanna Head 75 76, Vittoria Valvassori (Ita) 75 76, Nicole Gergely (Aut) 76 75, Kirsty S Taylor 75 76, Jenna Wilson 76 75, Denise Becker (Ger) 76 75, Johanna Westerberg (Swe) 76 75, Margherita Rigon (Ita) 77 74
152 Laura Eastwood 72 80, Sofia Renell (Swe) 76 76, Dale Reid 74 78, Nora Angehrn (Swi) 76 76, Cassandra Kirkland (Fra) 74 78
153 Frances Bondad (Aus) 72 81, Caroline Afonso (Fra) 77 76, Virginine Lagoutte-Clement (Fra) 78 75, Nikki Garrett (Aus) 78 75, Joanne Pritchard 76 77
154 Cherie Byrnes (Aus) 73 81, Kate Combes (Aus) 74 80, Hannah Jenkins 75 79, Anna-Lise Caudal (Fra) 74 80, Jehanne Jail (Fra) 76 78
155 Elin Ohlsson (Swe) 77 78, Florence Luscher (Swi) 80 75, Lysa Jones 76 79
156 Rui Yokomine (Jpn) 79 77, Corinne Dibnah (Aus) 76 80, Marina Arruti (Spa) 77 79, Lucy Gould 74 82
157 Joanne Clingan 76 81, Kirsty Fisher 81 76
159 Kathryn Price 78 81, Itziar Elguezabal (Spa) 80 79
160 Rhian wyn Thomas (am) 80 80, Katie Tebbet 83 77
Retired: Sophie Sandolo (Ita) 78 -

Murcar Links meet Kilmacolm

in last 16 of Mail on Sunday

Ladies Classic

Murcar Links are through the the eighth round of the Mail on Sunday Ladies Classic (http://www.mailgolf.co.uk/) and will now play Kilmacolm in the next round which makes it the last 16.

Either Murcar Links or Kilmacolm will go forward to the quarter-finals at Manchester in September.

"The semi-finalists and finalists get a week in the sun, I think," said Murcar Links player and Aberdeenshire county treasurer Laura McLardy, pictured right (Cal Carson Golf Agency image) competing in this year's Scottish women's championship at Lossiemouth.

The Murcar Links line-up includes Donna Pocock, the Aberdeenshire county champion. She is also the club champion.

Murcar Links previously reached the sixth round in 2004, when the format was such that four players out of a named pool of six competed.

"We lost 4-0 at Fortrose & Rosemarkie on that occasion. In 2005 we also reached around the sixth round, losing 3-2 to Westhill Golf Club (Aberdeenshire). So we've done OK in the past, without making it to the latter stages," said Laura.

"We have a good group of golfers to choose from. Both this year and last year Murcar Links provided half of the Aberdeenshire county team, and three of these players (myself, Donna and Carol Wilson) are regular members of the Mail on Sunday team.
"Carol's mother Pat is the current chairman of the Scottish Ladies Golf Association, and is also a regular member of our team."
In the match against Dunkeld Murcar Links' players were Laura McLardy, Pat Wilson, Carol Wilson, Susan Murray and Donna Pocock.
"After being successful on August 2, four of our team (Pat didn't play) then went on to win the Aberdeenshire county inter-club double foursomes competition at Inchmarlo."

Current handicaps of our players competing in this competition are:
Donna Pocock - 2
Carol Wilson - 3
Laura McLardy - 3
Sammy Leslie - 5
Susan Murray - 6
Pat Wilson - 7
Kathleen Thomson - 10
Shona Anderson - 12
Mary Robinson - 12
+++So there's the lowdown on Murcar Links. If Kilmacolm Ladies would like to E-mail Colin@Scottishgolfview with some information about their players, we'd be delighted to publish it.

Home winner in SLGA Barnardo's
Grand Final at Arbroath
Julie Ganson (Arbroath Artisan), playing over her home course, pipped Catherine Gibson (East Kilbride) for first prize in the Scottish Ladies Golfing Association's Barnardo's Grand Final at Arbroath Golf Club today.
Both finished with 35 Stableford points but Julie had more points from her inward half.
Details (par 71, SSS 71, CSS 73): J Ganson (Arbroath Artisan) (10) (bih), Catherine Gibson (East Kilbride) (10) 35pt; Lynsey Black (Falkirk) (24) (bih), Sandy Bushby (Strathmore) (7) 34pt.

Laura from Brussels is new British

girls

champ

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Laura Gonzalez-Escallon from Brussels has become the fifth Continental player in the past six years to win the British girls open amateur championship.
The No 1 qualifier, Laura, whose unusual surname comes from a Colombian father, beat the No 6 seed, Kelly Tidy (Royal Birkdale) by 2 and 1 in the final.
The bespectacled Belgian player, who had a run of 26 successive holes without a bogey from the start of her morning semi-final against Laetitia Beck (Israel) until the 11th hole of the final, was two under par for the 17 holes, having been five under par in winning against the unfortunate Laetitia.
It was the second year in a row that Kelly, 16 years old from Manchester, had lost in the final.

I cheered Kelly up by telling her that I knew of a Scottish girl who also lost two successive British girls' championship finals but went on to play in two Curtis Cups, two Vagliano Trophy matches, be a member of a winning Commonwealth Trophy team and win the world better-ball women's championship with Helen Dobson in Brazil.

So, disappointing though it is to be 0 and 2 in British girls' finals, it is not the end of the world by any means. Kelly does have something special to look forward to next month - the Junior Ryder Cup match in Kentucky, so she will get over it more quickly than otherwise.

The first three holes were halved in par before the 17-year-old Laura from Brussels stepped up a gear to birdie the long fourth and short fifth.
Kelly managed to halve the fourth in 4s but she could not match her opponent's 2 at the fifth.
Tidy then birdied the par-4 eighth and the par-5 ninth to wipe out the Belgian's lead.
The eighth hole was the first lost by Laura all day. She had been five under par in beating Israel's Laetitia Beck in the morning without losing a single hole.
Kelly was not far behind that standard with only one bogey - at the 11th - in her semi-final win by 5 and 3 win with three under par figures against Spain's Mandy Goyos, daughter of a Manchester woman, Angela (Ball)
The 10th hole was halved in 4s as both players sought to edge ahead going into the home straight.
Gonzalez-Escallon got her third birdie of the final - a 2 at the short 12th - to regain a one-hole lead but Tidy kept responding and she was back on terms at the next where the Belgian player's 5 at this par-4 hole was her first bogey of the day .... the end of a run of 26 consecutive holes without a bogey.
It was Tidy's turn to bogey at hole, only her second of the afternoon, the short 14th and that put Gonzalez-Escallon back into a one-hole lead with four holes to play.
The 15th and 16th were halved.
Tidy drove into the left rough at the 17th and recovered to about eight yards from the pin. But she took three shots to get down from there for a bogey 5 to her opponent's cast-iron par 4.
And so the title was won by Laura Gonzalez-Escallon by 2 and 1.
For once, unquestionably the best player in the field won the title. That is not always the case in match-play.

It was the Belgian who conquered the last surviving Scot, Eve Muirhead (Pitlochry) earlier in the tournament and Eve said after that tie, that Laura was the complete player ... very long and straight off the tee, hardly missed a fairway or a green, and was a great putter.

WHAT THE FINALISTS HAD TO SAY

LAURA GONZALEZ-ESCALLON.

I won two big amateur tournaments in Belgium last month, one was a women's event and the other was the Belgian girls championship.
So I came to Scotland in good form - and I played well right from the start ... leading the qualfiers ... under par in all my ties.
(She was two under par in both matches on Thursday and five under and two under par today).
I only had one bogey all day today so that is very good for match-play.
I have another year at school in Belgium but I would like to go to an American university. Nobody has made me an offer yet.

After college, I think I will want to be a tour professional.

KELLY TIDY

I'm disappointed but I gave it my best shot. Laura is a very, very good player. It's difficult to beat somebody in match-play if they don't make mistakes ... and she made only one bogey against me (and none in the semi-final).
And what a phenomenal putter she is. I've never played with or against any girl who could keep holing putts like that.

Today's results from Monifieth Links

BRITISH GIRLS' OPEN AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
Monifieth Links

Semi-finals - Laura Gonzalez-Escallon (Belgium) bt Laetitia Beck (Israel) 4 and 3, Kelly Tidy (Royal Birkdale) bt Mandy Goyos (Germany) 5 and 3.
Final - Gonzalez-Escallon bt Tidy 2 and 1.

Final (18 holes) - Gonzalez-Escallon bt Tidy 2 and 1.

Lucy Williams wins English mid-am title

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY ENGLISH WOMEN'S GOLF ASSOCIATION
Hertfordshire’s Lucy Williams became the English Women’s Open Mid-Amateur Champion when she beat Warwickshire’s Charlotte Dalton by 4 and 2 in an enthralling final at Wallasey today.
Lucy, 19, was five-under par when she won the title, wrapping up the match on the par-three 16th where her three wood shot hit the hole. Her 2ft putt was conceded.
Between them, the two players had 10 birdies in a match of the highest quality.
“I am so happy – this is great,” said Lucy, from Mid-Herts. “I really felt I hit the ball well today, it was the best I played all week.”
She produced a string of super-accurate shots, chipping dead on the par four 6th, playing a miracle shot out of the rough on the eighth to within 2ft of the pin, rifling a superb three-wood onto the green of the par five 14th – and almost holing that tee shot on the 16th.
“I was getting a bit irritated with my golf a couple of months ago because I felt I wasn’t getting anywhere with it. But now I know I can do it! It’s just a case of believing in yourself,” she said. Lucy was supported by her boyfriend and fellow Birmingham University golf team payer, Andy Smedley, who caddied for her all week.
She was also watched by her parents, Sarah and David, who was a Tour player for 17 years and is now a tournament director and rules referee on the European Tour. Although golf has always been a part of the Williams household, Lucy didn’t take up the game until she was 14.
“I wasn’t interested at all – and then I got hooked!” she said. Now she moves on to next week’s British stroke-play championship.
Charlotte Dalton, 19, was also on fine form and fought tenaciously throughout the final and made few mistakes apart from a couple of three-putts. “I have loved every single minute of it, if you get this far you have to enjoy it,” said Charlotte, who plays at Ladbrook Park.
“I played well but I got Lucy on a very good day! She deserved to win playing like that.”The players put on a sparkling show for the spectators, with most holes won with birdies. They halved the first four before Lucy edged ahead with a birdie two on the 5th and from then on she held the lead in the match.
The sixth was halved with birdies, then Lucy birdied the 8th to go two up. She lost the 10th with a rare bogey but came straight back with a birdie on the 11th, to re-establish her two-hole advantage.
Charlotte, in turn, won the 12th with a birdie two to again reduce the lead to one hole. However Lucy won the 13th with a par and, was conceded the long 14th which she reached in two. The players halved the 15th in par before Lucy clinched the victory on the 16th.
Final
Lucy Williams (Mid-Herts) beat Charlotte Dalton (Ladbrook Park) 4/2
Lyndsey Hewison
Press & PR Officer

Laura Gonzalez-Escallon, LGU president Joan Neville and Kelly Tidy on the first tee before the final at Monifieth.

Birdie-birdie burst puts Kelly on
level terms in British final

Manchester's Kelly Tidy showed the class that has earned her selection to the European Junior Ryder Cup team by birdieing the eighth and ninth to get on level terms with the top seed, Laura Gonzalez-Escallon, in the final of the British girls' open amateur championship at a very still Monifieth Links.
The first three holes were halved in par before the 17-year-old Laura from Brussels stepped up a gear to birdie the long fourth and short fifth.
Sixth seed Kelly, beaten in last year's final and still only 16, managed to halve the fourth in 4s but she could not match her opponent's 2 at the fifth.
Tidy then birdied the par-4 eighth and the par-5 ninth to wipe out the Belgian's lead.
The eighth hole was the first lost by Laura all day. She had been five under par in beating Israel's Laetitia Beck without losing a single hole.
Laura had also not bogeyed a hole all day after nine holes of the final and 15 holes in the morning semi-final.
Kelly was not far behind that standard with only one bogey - at the 11th - in the semi-final by 5 and 3 win with three under par figures against Spain's Mandy Goyos, daughter of a Manchester woman.
The 10th hole was halved in 4s as both players sought to edge ahead going into the home straight.

LATER:

Laura Gonzalez-Escallon birdied the short 11th to go one up.

Eberl setting pace in Wales

Martina Eberl from Munich is the clubhouse leader at mid-afternoon on the second day of the S4C Wales Ladies Championship of Europe at the Machynys Peninsula.
SCOREBOARD
Par 144
136 M Ebel (Ger) 65 71.
137 B Brewerton (Wal) 66 71, L Hall (Eng) 70 67.
138 L Wahlin (Swe) 71 67.
139 G Nocera (Fra) 69 70, P Marti (Spa) 68 71.
140 G Simpson (Eng) 66 74, J Mills (Aus) 70 70.
141 L Davies (Eng) 70 71, C Queen (Sco) 71 70, M Gillen (Ire) 70 71, A Simon (SAf) 70 71, J Schaeffer (Fra) 72 70.

Mandy Goyos, whose mother Angela comes from Manchester, and Kelly Tidy, who lives in Manchester, on the first tee before their semi-final (Cal Carson Golf Agency image, all rights reserved). You can enlarge the image by clicking on it.

It's Kelly versus top seed

Laura in British girls'

final at Monifieth

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Manchester 16-year-old Kelly Tidy, a member at Royal Birkdale, has reached the final of the British girls' open amateur championship for the second year in a row.
This morning at Monifieth Links, Kelly beat 17-year-old Spanish player, Mandy Goyos, whose mother Angela (Ball) comes from Lancashire, by 5 and 3.
Kelly, pictured by Cal Carson Golf Agency (all rights reserved), on the second tee in her semi-final lost last year's final at Southerndown to another English girl Henrietta Brockway.
Kelly qualified as No 6 seed this week and in the final she will play the top qualifier, 17-year-old Laura Gonzalez-Escallon from Brussels, Belgium.
Laura was five under par in winning her semi-final by 4 and 3 against Laetitia Beck from Israel.
"I hope I can go one better than last year," said Kelly after her victory.
Tidy, who will play for Europe in the Junior Ryder Cup match in Kentucky next month, said earlier that she felt she was a better player than she was at this time last year.
Kelly Tidy got off to a flying start against Mandy Goyos.
The Royal Birkdale player won the first four holes with a par-par-birdie-birdie start.
Another birdie by Kelly at the fifth put her five up. And yet another birdie at the eight gave the English girl international a commanding six-hole lead which she still held after 10 holes.
The 11th provided Goyos with her first success of the morning. She had to birdied the hole to achieve it and get back to five down. Another birdie by the Spanish player at the 13th cut her deficit to four holes.
But Tidy's par 4 at the 15th was good enough to win the hole and the match by 5 and 3 with three-under-par figures.
Both semi-finals were full of quality play.
After the first eight holes were halved - including the first, fourth and eighth in birdies in the first semi-final, Laura Gonzalez-Escallon broke the deadlock by winning the ninth with a birdie to go one up.
The Belgian girl, whose father comes from Colombia, quickly added to that by winnig the 10th and 11th with pars to be three up with four-under-par figures.
Laura's fifth birdie put her four up at the 12th and halves at the next two ended the tie with Gonzalez-Escallon the winner by 4 and 3.
Amazingly, 16-year-old Laetitia never won a hole, yet she reached the turn in three under par and was one or two under for the holes played.

RESULTS
SEMI-FINALS
Laura Gonzalez-Escallon (Belgium) bt Laetitia Beck (Israel) 4 and 3.
Kelly Tidy (Royal Birkdale) bt Mandy Goyos (Spain) 5 and 3.

‘All-time Great, Annika’ Wins Top Award
PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY PGAS OF EUROPE
Annika Sorenstam, one of the all-time greats of World golf, and Europe’s greatest ever ambassadress of the ladies game, has been awarded The PGAs of Europe’s most prestigious annual award, The Christer Lindberg Bowl, for her unrivalled global contribution to the sport.

The glittering cut-glass trophy was presented to her during a nostalgic night of celebration in Vasteras, staged to follow immediately after the Scandinavian TPC presented by Annika, her final Ladies European Tour event in Sweden before her retirement from competitive golf at the end of the season.

A gathering organised by the PGA of Sweden, the Swedish Golf Federation and IMG for her ‘closest colleagues and friends to honour Annika’ saw her receive the trophy that commemorates the dedication of the late Christer Lindberg, a Swedish visionary who was one of the driving forces behind his nation’s golf boom over the last 25 years and the formation of The PGAs of Europe.

The ceremony was staged by Mikael Sorling (director) and Ian Randell (chief executive) on behalf of The PGAs of Europe, and her name joins the roll of honour, which includes such luminaries as John Jacobs, Neil Coles, Sir Michael Bonallack, Peter Alliss, Ken Schofield, Jaime Ortiz-Patiño and one other female, Emma Villacieros.

The citation to one of the greatest sporting personalities in Sweden’s history said of her: “Very few sporting icons reach the status by which they are known by their Christian name alone but this is indeed the case with Annika; 8 Solheim Cup appearances, 10 major championships, 88 career wins, 72 on the LPGA Tour, 8 Rolex Player of the Year Awards, a place in the World Golf Hall of Fame, her dominance of the ladies game is unparalleled and if there has been any honour to be won over the course of her career, you name it, she’s won it.

“Having worked for Christer at the PGA of Sweden’s office for eighteen months before beginning her journey to the top of the professional game it is so fitting that Annika who has done so much to elevate Swedish golf, European golf and, of course, women’s golf, should be the recipient of this award in 2008.”

After the ceremony she commented: "It was a tremendous honor to receive the Christer Lindberg Bowl. Christer was a great man and just happened to be my first boss. He was full of life and a wonderful ambassador for the game of golf."

As her playing career heads for its conclusion her off-the-course businesses include the ANNIKA Academy, the ANNIKA Collection with Cutter & Buck, ANNIKA Financial Group, numerous golf course design projects around the world, hosting a tournament on the Ladies European Tour, the Annika Foundation, along with her website and blog and has recently been named a USGA Ambassador.

England name Under-16 girls' team
to play Spain at Heswall

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY ENGLISH WOMEN'S GOLF ASSOCIATION
The English Women’s Golf Association has named the team for the annual Under-16 girls' match against Spain at Heswall on Monday, August 18. The players are:
Dorset’s Hayley Davis (Ferndown)
Yorkshire’s Sophie Godley (Lindrick)
Warwickshire’s Elizabeth Mallett (Sutton Coldfield Ladies)
Wiltshire’s Hannah Turland (Tidworth Garrison).
All four girls are members of EWGA squads.
The mixed match precedes the North of England Under-16 Championship which will be played at Heswall from Wednesday, August 20, to Friday, August 22.
Lyndsey Hewison
Press & PR Officer

Alex Bushby goes out in semi-finals of
English women's mid-am championship

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY ENGLISH WOMEN'S GOLF ASSOCIATION
Hertfordshire’s Lucy Williams and Warwickshire’s Charlotte Dalton will meet in the final of the English Women’s Open Mid-Amateur Championship at Wallasey.
It will be a first national final for both 19-year-old golfers and both are excited at the prospect. “I’m thrilled to bits,” said Charlotte, who plays at Ladbrook Park Golf Club and works part-time at Kings Norton.
“I hadn’t expected to do this well but I’ve played well all week and hit the ball nicely.”
Charlotte defeated Bedfordshire’s Holly Aitchison in the quarter-finals before beating Scotland’s Alex Bushby with a good display of steady play.
She got off to a quick start and was three up after four holes. But Alex, from the Strathmore Golf Centre, Alyth, pulled her back to all square after seven – helped by an eagle 2 on the 267yd sixth where the Scot drove the green and holed a four-footer.
Charlotte quickly regained the advantage and was two up at the turn. She extended her lead on the 12th with a par 3 and although she lost the 13th, she took the next two holes to close out her opponent 4 and 3.
Charlotte was a semi-finalist in the 2007 English girls’ championship and the runner-up in this season’s Warwickshire championship.
Lucy Williams won a low-scoring mach against Buckinghamshire’s Nicole Whitmore to reach the final. Both players drove beautifully in the swirling breeze. Each holed an impressively long putt and a number of holes changed hands with birdies.
“It was a really good game,” said Lucy, who plays at Mid-Herts and is a member of the English Women’s Golf Association Performance Squad.
She won the first hole in the match and never dropped behind, although Nicole battled tenaciously and twice managed to reduce the lead from two holes to one., notably on the 14th, which she birdied.
However, Lucy came straight back with solid pars on the 15th and 16th to win the match 3 and 2 and claim her place in the final.
“It’s exciting,” she said. Lucy, who is the Hertfordshire champion, has just finished her first year at Birmingham University where she is reading applied golf management studies. She is the only girl in her college golf team and helped the side win the 2008 British universities championship. Both Lucy and Charlotte have another national date this season. Hertfordshire and Warwickshire have both reached the final of the English counties championship which takes place next month.
Results
Quarter finals
Nicole Whitmore (Woburn) bt Natalie Lowe (Prestbury) 1 hole.
Lucy Williams (Mid-Herts) bt Hermione Fitzgerald (Links) 3 and 2.
Charlotte Dalton (Ladbrook Park) bt Holly Aitchison (Bedfordshire) 3 and 2.
Alex Bushby (Strathmore) bt Kate Whitmore (Sandiway) 1 hole.
Semi-finals
Williams bt Whitmore 3 and 2.
Dalton beat Bushby 4 and 3.

Lyndsey Hewison
Press & PR Officer

Susan retains UK optometrists'
title at

Gleneagles

Drumpellier two-handicapper Susan Wood won the Viva International golf tournament for UK optometrists at Gleneagles yesterday for the second year in a row. She shot level par over the Queen's Course at Gleneagles.
"I got to three under par after 10 holes by making birdies at the first two par-5s on the front nine and then a further birdie at the 10th," said Susan who then dropped shots at 11, 12 and 13 to drop back to level par.
"But I managed to finish with six pars and take the title at the formal dress prizegiving in Gleneagles Hotel last night."
A total of 120 optometrists from all over the UK took part, including four ladies (only one other from Scotland - Dunblane Golf Club member Tracey Erskine (who happens to be Andy Murray's aunt), handicap nine, of Erskine opticians, one from Belfast and one from London.
"Overall we held our own against the men! It was a wonderful day with no rain and overall the condition of the course was amazing for the amount of rain we have had," said Susan.

Ann Ramsay on course for another
Strathtyrum Trophy final

Former Scottish Universities women's champion and students' golf organiser Ann Ramsay (Kirriemuir) is on track to top last year's Strathtyrum Trophy achivement when she was beaten in the final.
The Angus county player and past county champion is through to the last four again of this year's tournament at St Andrews. She had a 5 and 3 quarter-final win over the only surviving home hope, Rachel Hanlon (St Regulus).
Another to go out in the round of the last eight was the defending champion, Marilyn Henderson from the West Rhine club in Germany. Marilyn lost by 3 and 1 to Jerry Laurence (Rochester & Cobham Park).
Earlier Marlyn, three times a winner of the title, had beaten another triple past champion, Karen Marshall (Baberton) at the 20th.
Top seed Gemma Webster (Hilton Park) continues to make good progress. She was taken to the last green in the quarter-finals by C Appleby (Preston).
Results:
SECOND ROUND
G Webster (Hilton Park) bt L Fraser (Kingsknowe) 5 and 4.
C Appleby (Preston) bt M Dolphin (Rochester & Cobham Park) 5 and 4.
M Henderson (West Rhine) bt K Marshall (Baberton) at 20th.
J Lawrence (Rochester & Cobham Park) bt S Simpson (Murrayfield) 4 and 3.
A Ramsay (Kirriemuir) bt V Gaskell (Richmond) 6 and 5.
R Hanlon (St Regulus) bt M Button (Nuneaton) 2 and 1.
E Clark (Manchester) bt K Clayton (Manchester) 7 and 5.
S Carty (The Island, Dublin) bt J Fallows (Manchester) 7 and 6.
QUARTER-FINALS
Webster bt Appleby 2 holes.
Lawrence bt Hendereson 3 and 1.
Ramsay bt Hanlon 5 and 3.
Clark bt Carty at 21st.