Hampshire golfers win PING
Four-ball Championship of England

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY ENGLISH WOMEN'S GOLF ASSOCIATION
Hampshire golfers Bridget Moore and Jenny Readman defied wet and windy weather to become the 2008 PING Four-ball Better-ball Champions of England.
The pair, from Meon Valley, scored 39 points in the grand final at Marriott Forest of Arden in Warwickshire and won the title by a point from Mary Brenstuhl and Gina Rudkin of Elton Furze, near Peterborough.
Another Hampshire pair, Hazel Quarrington and Shirley Rees of Portsmouth, were third on 36 points.
The tournament is run by the English Women’s Golf Association.
“We are very excited, ecstatic,” said Jenny, who will be giving her trophy pride of place in her pub, The Crofton at Stubbington, near Fareham, which boasts its own golf society.
Bridget added: “It was fantastic to reach the final and to win is a real bonus.”
Conditions were difficult for the entire field but the winners, both 12-handicappers, coped well and scored on every hole.
“It was quite tough but we didn’t get het-up about the weather and we didn’t try to force it,” said Bridget.
They have had plenty of opportunity to learn to cope with rain. Their first regional qualifier – at their home club – had to be abandoned when torrential rain flooded the greens. It also rained on the re-arranged date.
Runners-up Mary Brenstuhl and Gina Rudkin were delighted with their 38 points – and philosophical about being pipped. “We’ve had a wonderful day and just enjoyed it so much. It was tough out there and we were really pleased with our score,” said Mary.
Meanwhile, Jo Pearson of St Andrews Hospital, Northamptonshire, won the praise of her partner, Chris Gore, for the quality of her golf – while 37 weeks pregnant. “She was wonderful and she was on the green at all four short holes,” said Chris.
Jo, who used a buggy, played all but three of the holes. “Hopefully it will encourage other people to keep on playing when they’re pregnant!”
Dorset’s Dee Wood, from Crane Valley, encountered an unexpected obstacle on the 12th – where a deer chewed her ball. It wasn’t to the animal’s taste but by the time it dropped the ball it had left deep gouge marks on the cover. Dee replaced it and continued playing.
The award for the pair with the biggest gallery went to Kay Beaman and Kathryn Harvey from Bewdley Pines in Worcestershire. Nine spectators turned up to walk the course with them and they came armed with a banner which declared “The fan club of the K Club.”
“I was almost in tears, it was fantastic,” said Kay.
The tournament winners each received the PING trophies and £500 vouchers for PING goods or Ping Collection clothing, less the value of prizes won in earlier rounds.
The runners-up each received £100 vouchers and the third-placed pair each won £50 vouchers.
Nearest the pin prizes of a PING custom fit driver were awarded on the four short holes. They were:
5th Natalie Ireland (Shipley).
8th Jane Whyatt (Matlock).
15th Jean Capes (Romsey).
18th Jenny Readman (Meon Valley).
The tournament will be run again in 2009. Full details will be sent to (English) clubs.
Lyndsey Hewison
Press & PR Officer

Nicky from Newcastle

swinging in the rain

to lead USA event

FROM A HUTCHINSON WEBSITE
Newcastle's Nicky Maddison, a freshman student at Hutchinson College, Kansas, led the Jayhawk Conference Invitational entering the final round.
Maddison, pictured right, felt right at home at The Highlands course.
Unfortunately for Hutchinson College, he was one of the few Dragon who felt comfortable during the opening round of the two-day event.
Maddison shot a one-under-par 71 and is two strokes ahead of Dodge City's Anders Engell.
No one else shot better than 79 on a day when it rained for most of the round.
"You just had to keep your concentration, keep your focus," said Maddison who actually welcomed the conditions.
"It's pretty cold back home in the North-east of England and you can get some horrendous conditions for golf. So I was pretty pleased when I got up this morning and saw it what raining," said Maddison.
He hit 15 greens in regulation, had four birdies and three bogeys on the day.
"That tells you how much golf is mental," added Hutchinson College golf coach Chris Young.
"Nicky comes to the golf course with a positive frame of mind because he doesn't let the weather bother him."
The Hutchinson College golf team is ranked fifth nationally - its highest ever ranking - but the Dragons have some work to do to win another tournament title.
Hutchinson has a team score of 331 and is in third place behind Dodge City (321) and Kansas City (329).

Kelsey MacDonald (University of Stirling) and Graeme McDougall (University of Strathclyde) receive their winning awards at Ladybank.

Kelsey and Graeme top of the class

at Scottish University Merit event

Scottish Under-21 girls champion Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar), a first year sports management student at the University of Stirling, and Graeme McDougall, s second year sports engineering student at Strathclyde, won their respective divisions in the opening Scottish Universities Order of Merit tournament at Ladybank Golf Club, Fife.
Kelsey had two steady scores of 74 and 73 for an aggregate of 147 and a six-shot victory over Stirling team-mate Rachel Cassidy from Ireland.
Alford's Laura Murray (Robert Gordon University) finished third with 82 and 77 for 159.
McDougall shot a fine second round of 67 - and he needed it to win by two shots from Stirling's David Booth and Colin Thomson who both finished on 141.
McDougall had been off the pace with an opening round of 72 but his impressive two-round total of 139 made him a worthy winner.
Booth had rounds of 72 and 69, Thomson 71 and 70.

The next event will be held at Blairgowrie Golf Club on October 27-28.

LEADING TOTALS

MEN

139 Graeme McDougall (Strathclyde) 72 67.
141 David Booth (Stirling) 72 69, Colin Thomson (Stirling) 71 70.
143 Gordon Yates (Stirling) 72 71.
144 James White (Stirling) 72 72.
146 Andrew Wallace (Stirling) 76 71, Graeme Robertsdon (Stirling) 71 75.
147 Alan Murdoch (Stirling) 73 74.
149 Chris Wedgeworth (Glasgow Caledonian) 77 72, K Shanks (Aberdeen) 75 74.
150 Michael Gray (St Andrews) 77 73, Jon Corke (St Andrews) 73 77.
151 Colin Baird (Stirling) 75 76, J Thomson (Glasgow) 75 76, Lean Stevenson (Abertay Dundee) 73 78.
152 John Wybar (Aberdeen) 78 74, R Forgie (Edinburgh) 76 76, Steven Scott (Abertay Dundee) 73 798.
153 S Brown (Strling) 80 73, J Clarke (Abertay Dundee) 78 75, R Coutinho (Edinburgh) 78 75, Bobby Rushford (StIrling) 75 78.
154 Gavin Dunn (Heriot Watt) 78 76, Craig Cowie (Robert Gordon) 74 80.
155 Ross MacDonald (Edinburgh) 78 77.
156 Malcolm Pennycott (Heriot Watt) 77 79, W Wrisdale (St Andrews) 77 79.
157 Ben Sloan (Heriot Watt) 79 78, Fraser Inglis (Strathclyde) 77 80, Adrian Styles (Robert Gordon) 73 84.
158 Joe Lockie (St Andrews) 82 76, Cameron Gray (St Andrews) 80 78, John Duff (Aberdeen) 78 80, David Morrison (UHI) 76 82.
159 Scott Henderson (Edinburgh) 82 77, Fraser Moore (Stirling) 82 77, G Nelson (Glasgow) 80 79, Mark Bookless (Stirling) 79 80.
160 Paul Betty (Stirling) 81 79, T Noall (St Andrews) 75 85.

161 Iain Finlay (Edinburgh) 81 80, Mathew Burt (Glasgow Caledonian) 80 81.

164 A Bailey (UHI) 84 80, Peter Keeling (Stirling) 83 81, A Foley (Heriot Watt) 83 81, Simon Borley (UHI Millenium Inst) 80 84.

165 Steve Pointin (St Andrews) 84 81, Tom Murdoch (Abertay Dundee) 81 84.

166 Jonny Fleming (Strathclyde) 82 84.

167 James Mann (St Andrews) 90 77.

170 Neil Pirie (Abertay Dundee) 86 84.

177 Michael Fraser (UHI) 83 84.

No Returns - Mathew Dargie (Stirling), Alex Main (Edinburgh).

Disqualified - T Dutton (Edinburgh), Paul Robinson (Strathclyde).
WOMEN
147 Kelsey MacDonald (Stirling) 74 73.
153 Rachel Cassidy (Strling) 75 78.
159 Laura Murray (Robert Gordon) 82 77.
161 Jane Turner (Robert Gordon) 86 75.
162 Stephanie Farrar (Stirling) 81 81, A Smith (St Andrews) 80 82.
163 Holly Calvert (Stirling) 85 78.
164 Jennifer Linklater (St Andrews) 83 81.
166 Rebecca Wilson (Stirling) 81 85.
172 Faye Haffey (Edinburgh) 91 81.
174 Charlotte Davis (Stirling) 87 87.
177 Nadia Green (St Andrews) 89 88.

England first off tee in Espirito

Santo Trophy Down Under

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY ENGLISH WOMEN'S GOLF ASSOCIATION

England will lead out the field on the first day of the World Amateur Team Championship for the Espirito Santo Trophy, which starts tomorrow morning at The Grange Golf Club in Adelaide, Australia.

The team will tee off in the first three groups on the West Course, alongside Japan and Denmark.

English stroke-play champion Jodi Ewart (Catterick) will play first at 7.30am, followed by Rachel Jennings (Izaak Walton), pictured right at the recent Women's Home Internationals by Cal Carson Golf Agency, and Liz Bennett (Brokenhurst Manor).

Team captain Julie Otto is upbeat about England’s chances. "We have prepared as well as possible during the four practice days here in Adelaide and I am confident that the team is ready and will do well this week," she said.

The 72-hole tournament will be played over two courses, the East and the West, and the two best scores from each rounds will count for the team’s score. The championship has attracted a record entry and 49 countries were represented at the opening ceremony.

IRELAND READY TO LAUNCH IN ADELAIDE

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY IRISH LADIES GOLF UNION
Tara Delaney (Carlow), Niamh Kitching (Claremorris) and Danielle McVeigh (RCDL) commence Ireland’s challenge on the Espirito Santo Trophy at the World Amateur Team Championships at Grange Golf Club over the East & West courses, 8-11 October 2008.
The Irish team, captained by Phil O’Gorman (Laytown/Bettystown), left Ireland on the 28th of last month and have acclimatised well to the Australian humidity over the past ten days. The players have played four practice rounds since arriving, two on the East course and two on the West course, and will tee it up around 1.30 am on Wednesday morning with hopes of improving on the 23rd place secured at Stellenbosch in South Africa, two years ago
“We’re pleased with our practice to date and the girls aren’t experiencing any difficulties with the daily temperatures and humidity” said an upbeat O’Gorman as the first competitive day approached.
“We are well prepared, will take one shot at a time and at this point we just want to get going” she added.With temperatures a cool 14 centigrade looking to rise to 25 by the weekend, the humidity in excess of 80% is of more concern to the players. Each will play four rounds, two over each course, with the two best scores from three to count each day.
In South Africa in 2006, Ireland’s Claire Coughlan (Cork), Martina Gillen (Mountbellew) and Tricia Mangan (Ennis) finished 23rd, behind England in twelfth, Scotland 19th and Wales in 20th positions.
Defending champions South Africa hope to capture back-to-back titles in this biennial event run by the International Golf Federation in conjunction with the host nation's governing body of golf. Over 100 men's and women's teams come from all over the world to compete for the Eisenhower Trophy (men) and the Espirito Santo Trophy (women) in one of three different zones: Asia/Pacific, European/African and American.

Fairhaven stages 72-hole junior open
BEFORE Girls' Internationals

Fairhaven Golf Club at Lytham St Anne's, Lancashire will be hosting two major National Junior Championships in 2009, namely the Fairhaven Trophies & Nations Cup, between May 1 and 3, and the Girls' Home Internationals, between August 4 and 6.
The Fairhaven Trophies is a 72-hole international scratch championship for boys and girls (aged under 18 on January 1, 2009).
Previous winners include English internationals Gary King (Tyrells Wood) in 2007 and Tom Boys (Royal Liverpool) and Alexandra Peters (Notts Ladies) in 2008, when the championship was extended to include a girls' category.
The championship includes a Nations Cup played over the first 36 holes, won in 2008 by England ‘U16A'
Club Secretary Bob Thompson commented:
“The 2008 championships attracted international players from a number of countries and produced some excellent golf. The addition of girls into the championships was without doubt a great success, with Alexandra Peters winning the championship whilst setting a new course record of 70 during the final round.
“A great deal of interest has been shown since by numerous international teams. It has been wonderful to see many players who competed in the 2008 champions earn a place in their national teams.”
The championship is both a category ‘B’ event in the PING / EGU Boys Order of Merit and a counting event in the 2009 R&A World Amateur Golf Rankings.
As Fairhaven Golf Club are hosting the Girls Home Internationals between the 4th and 6th August 2009, the 2009 Fairhaven Trophies provides an ideal opportunity for the home nations to send players to compete over this famous championship course, under championship conditions, thereby gaining invaluable experience in readiness for the Home International matches.
Entry forms are available on the club’s website www.fairhavengolfclub.co.uk

LGU want top players to seek out warm-weather training/competition venues

Hacienda del Alamo Golf Resort's two-tier driving bays plus the chance to hit balls off grass, which is not possible at many driving ranges. There is also a six-hole academy course, big practice greens for chipping/pitching (another rare facility) as well as putting. On top of that there are even practice bunkers.

Hacienda del Alamo Festival

is tailor-made for players chasing Vagliano Trophy

team places in 2009

By COLIN FARQUHARSON,

Tournament Controller, 2009 Hacienda del Alamo Women's Winter Festival

The Ladies Golf Union has today named a short leet of 26 players for next year's Vagliano Trophy match and is recommending that they should all consider going to a warm-weather venue in the winter to get in some intensive practice and competitive play at the same time.

Sounds very much like the Hacienda del Alamo Women's Winter Festival to me ... superb practice facilities at this five-star Murcia resort with the unique opportunity to play in a four-event competitive programme over the February 11 to 17 weekend.

All the results from the Festival will be sent to the Ladies Golf Union and they will appear on http://www.kirkwoodgolf.co.uk/ every evening. I have no doubt that the GB&I selectors will be taking note.

Of course, as the LGU's Press Release today underlined, not being named in the preliminary GB&I squad does not mean that you cannot force your way into the team with outstanding displays in tournaments such as the Hacienda del Alamo Women's Festival.

If you scroll down, you can read about contacts for arranging rental accommodation at the Hacienda del Alamo Resort before, during and after the Festival.

Here's an E-mail on the subject, received just a few minutes ago:

Dear Colin
Many thanks for including our e-mail address on website information regarding the 2009 Hacienda del Alamo Women’s Golf Festival. Just to point out that our e-mail address has changed to: floss@crampies.co.uk, which is the ideal e-mail address to use, although I can still pick up anything sent to the old address.

Our villa – “The Boat House” (own pool, sleeps six) can be viewed on the web-site www.haciendadelamovillas.com plus we also have a smaller, two-bed, two-bath townhouse with shared pool.

Prices for your dates in February: for The Boat House £600-700 per week, for the townhouse £400-£500 per week, depending on number of people and length of stay.
Thanks again and we look forward to being of help to you.
Kind regards,
Floss Cramp

Eight Scots on short leet of 26 to play Continent of Europe

MAGUIRE TWINS NAMED IN GB&I PRELIM SQUAD
FOR 2009 VAGLIANO TROPHY MATCH

MEDIA RELEASE ISSUE BY LADIES GOLF UNION
The talented Maguire twins from Ballyconnell in Ireland's County Cavan have been named in a Great Britain & Ireland preliminary squad for the 2009 Vagliano Trophy match against the Continent of Europe at Hamburger Golf Club, Falkenstein,Germany on July 24 and 25 next year.
It is an indication how far Lisa and Leona, 14 years of age on November 30, have progressed in the comparatively short time since they were introduced to golf.
Leona is the current Irish women's amateur champion, having beaten Lisa in the final. Lisa is the Irish girls’ champion, and won this year's European Junior Masters' girls' championship, beating Leona into second place. Their Masters’ performances earned them both automatic selection for Europe in the Junior Ryder Cup match against the United States.
Two other members of this year's European squad for the Junior Ryder Cup are included in the squad of 26 - Scottish Under-18 girls champion Carly Booth (Comrie) and England’s Kelly Tidy (Royal Birkdale), beaten in the final of the British girls' championship at Monifieth.
All eight members of this year's GB&I Curtis Cup team who played in the match against the United States over the Old Course, St Andrews have been named, while four of the squad, including Roseanne Niven (California) are currently students at American colleges.
Niven, a Crieff Golf Club member, won the 2008 British Stroke Play Championship at Malone Golf Club, near Belfast, beating fellow squad member Kylie Walker (Buchanan Castle) in a play-off for the title.
The victory by Glasgow University student Pamela Pretswell (Buchanan Castle) in the Swiss women's open amateur championship, in which she finished ahead of many of the Continent's leading players, played no small part in the Scot's inclusion in the squad, which also includes English Amateur Champion Hannah Barwood (Knowle), Scottish Champion and Curtis Cup player Michele Thomson (McDonald Ellon) and Welsh Stroke Play title holder Rhian Wynn Thomas (Vale of Glamorgan).
The naming of a large squad of 26 specifically for the Vagliano Trophy match represents a change from the Ladies’ Golf Union’s previous policy of selecting an Elite Squad for winter training and coaching sessions.
Ladies’ Golf Union Chairman, Trish Wilson, explains
“Each of the national organisations provides technical training and performance support to its international class players and prospects, and there has been a growing recognition that the additional layer of coaching formerly provided by the LGU is not required.
Consequently, our focus will be more on performance monitoring and team preparation. On the performance side, we will monitor the results, attitude and commitment of players by working closely with the performance managers and national coaches within the four home countries. The national selectors will rely heavily on this information when reaching decisions on the final team selection.
On team preparation it is intended to have a practice match once the Vagliano Team has been selected after the 2009 Ladies British Open Amateur Championship at Royal St David’s Golf Club in June. We will call on specialist help as necessary to make sure the team is well positioned to win back the Vagliano Trophy next summer.”
In practice, players will determine their own playing schedules with the help of their performance managers and national coaches, although the LGU will provide details of certain tournaments which squad players will be expected to play in. Players are also encouraged to consider playing in overseas tournaments, which fall between the end of 2008 domestic season and the start of the 2009 tournament calendar, and which are being highlighted as warm-weather venues where competition and practice can be combined in a way unlikely to be possible during the winter months in Great Britain & Ireland.
The LGU stresses that, although 26 squad players have been named, there is nothing to stop other players from competing in the designated tournaments with a view to forcing their way into the Vagliano Trophy team of nine players and two reserves.
Ireland's Mary McKenna will again captain the GB&I team in 2009, and is aiming to overturn the Continentals’ record-margin win in the last Vagliano Trophy match at the Fairmont St Andrews in 2007.
On hearing the named squad, Mary reacted
“I am really delighted with this squad. It is great to see so many new names on the list, a great mix of youth and experience. This will make for a lot of exciting golf early next year in the lead up to selection at the British Ladies Amateur Championship.”
The breakdown of the nationalities of the 2009 squad is:
English 9, Scottish 8, Irish 5, Welsh 4.
NAMES IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER
1 Hannah Barwood (ENG) (Knowle).
2 Liz Bennett (ENG) (Brokenhurst Manor).
3 Carly Booth (SCO) (Comrie).
4 Amy Boulden (WAL) (Maesdu).
5 Hannah Burke (ENG) (Mid Herts)
6 Krystle Caithness (SCO) (St Regulus)
7 Tara Delaney (IRE) (Carlow)
8 Naomi Edwards (ENG) (Ganton)
9 Jodi Ewart (ENG) (Catterick)
10 Sahra Hassan (WAL) (Vale of Glamorgan)
11 Rachel Jennings (ENG) (Izaak Walton)
12 Niamh Kitching (IRE) (Claremorris)
13 Breanne Loucks (WAL) (Wrexham)
14 Kelsey MacDonald (SCO) (Nairn Dunbar)
15 Leona Maguire (IRE) (Slieve Russell)
16 Lisa Maguire (IRE) (Slieve Russell)
17 Danielle McVeigh (IRE) (Royal County Down Ladies)
18 Roseanne Niven (SCO) (Crieff)
19 Florentyna Parker (ENG) (Royal Birkdale)
20 Pamela Pretswell (SCO) (Bothwell Castle)
21 Kerry Smith (ENG) (Waterlooville)
22 Rhian Wyn Thomas (WAL) (Vale of Glamorgan)
23 Michele Thomson (SCO) (McDonald Ellon)
24 Kelly Tidy (ENG) (Royal Birkdale)
25 Kylie Walker (SCO) (Buchanan Castle)
26 Sally Watson (SCO) (Elie & Earlsferry Ladies)

DON'T LEAVE IT TOO LATE TO SWING IN THE FEBRUARY SUN

Renting villa accommodation for the


Hacienda del Alamo Women's


Winter Golf Festival

Before you enter the Festival, which has four events and a free practice round packed into seven days (February 11 to 17), you
should make inquiries about the rental accommodation available at the five-star Hacienda del Alamo, where all the competitions will be played.
Quotes for the short-term rental of villas at Hacienda del Alamo Golf Resort during the period of the Festival are available by E-mailing any of the following addresses:
management@stvgestion.com
info@spaingolfrentals.com
floss@crampies.freeserve.co.uk
haciendarental@aol.com
There is also rental information on the following websites:
http://www.spaingolfrentals.com/
http://www.haciendagolfrental.com/
http://www.haciendadelamovillas.com/

It is important to realise that one person renting a villa will find it quite expensive. Four (or more) people sharing the cost of renting a villa brings the cost per head down to affordable levels.
If you wish clarification on the arrangements at Hacienda del Alamo Golf Resort, direct your inquiries in the first instance to:
Billy Sim, Director of Golf, Hacienda del Alamo Golf Resort
Mobile telephone: 0034 690 295 650
or E-mail him at
billysim@hdagolf.com

Festival Controller Colin Farquharson is available to handle your inquiries about the tournaments and entries at 01224 869782 or by E-mail at:
Colin@Scottishgolfview.com

Some points to bear in mind:
1 There are four competitions but you don't have to play in all of them. You may want to take Saturday or Sunday off to go sightseeing, no problem with that. You may have time only to play in one competition. That's OK with the Festival organisers. You are still entitled to one free practice round.

2 The 100 Euros to be sent with your entry form is not over and above your entry fees. It is part of or even more than your entry fee if you are playing in only one competition. You will be refunded at Hacienda del Alamo Golf Resort by Colin Farquharson if you have overpaid.

3 Buggies are available for hire at Hacienda del Alamo Golf Resort and will permitted for competition play. Where possible, two people should hire one buggy.

4 When making your flight arrangements, Murcia Airport is the one to fly to. It is less than 30min from Hacienda del Alamo Golf Resort and is not an expensive taxi journey. Alicante Airport, on the other hand, is well over an hour away and a taxi trip from Alicante to Hacienda del Alamo is expensive.

5 Although the Festival events are open to lady professionals as well as low-handicap lady amateurs/girls and those with handicaps up to 20, as well as senior ladies (50 and over on January 1), no amateur will be in direction competition with a professional. Each category has its own prize list.


6 We are encouraging MEN to come out to play in the St Valentine's Day pro-am when we hope all the professionals will be ladies but the amateur teams can be of mixed sex. If your husband, partner or boyfriend is a golfer, he can play in the pro-am and he will get a free practice round as well. If we get enough inquiries, we can also have mixed partnerships in the Sunday pairs competition which is nine holes of alternate shot and nine holes of better-ball.


7 January 15 is the deadline for entries but you are advised to enter before the end of this month to make sure of your place in what is a unique festival of fun and competitive play. And if you are a serious golfer, Hacienda del Alamo Golf Resort has five-star practice facilities: a two-tier driving range, a six-hole academy course, practice putting and pitching greens, a bunker practice facility.