Lynn Kenny has nightmare 83 after long trip from Scotland

Katherine Hull has only 24

putts in leading NZ Open

with a seven-under 65

Australian Katherine Hull, an LPGA Tour player, required only 24 putts in taking the first-round lead with a seven-under-par 65 in the inaugural New Zealand Women's Open at Christchurch today.
But Lynn Kenny made the long trip all the way from Scotland ... and had a disastrous score of 83.
Ranked No 26 in the world and a winner on the LPGA circuit last year, Katherine Hull, pictured, leads by three shots from compatriot Sarah Oh.
The same pair fought out the finish to the New South Wales Open last Sunday with Oh prevailing by three shots.
Equal third on three-under 69 were the leading amateur, 14-year-old Aucklander Cecilia Cho, experienced Australian professional Karen Lunn, and young Korean professional Yeon Song Kim. Only 13 professionals and two amateurs in a field of 106 bettered the par of 72, with the early starters experiencing excellent conditions while those further down the field had to contend with a swirling wind.
France's Gwladys Nocera, the leading player on the Ladies European Tour, had a 71, the same score as compatriot Anne-Lise Caudal, Germany's Martina Eberl and Sweden's Johhanna Westerberg.
Hull was always in touch with the leaders on the easier front nine after three birdies in the first six holes, but she had her only bogey of the round when she put her approach shot to the par-4 eighth green in water.
There were no such mistakes on the back nine where most of the water comes into play, and with Hull holding the greens to ransom she had five birdies, including four consecutively from the 14th, in a back nine of 31.
"I thought the back nine was more difficult going into today's round, but obviously a hot putter helps the score," said the 27-year-old Queenslander, who was buoyed by a long-range birdie putt on the first hole.
"I holed one from the front fringe from 45 feet and then on the par-3 16th made one from close to 55 feet so that was two bombs," Hull said, adding that conditions were perfect and the greens very true.
Hull said she had corrected a few putting flaws from last week's tournament in her preparation this week and a 67 in Thursday's pro-am boosted her confidence.
"I saw the putting lines better than usual and it was just a matter of matching that with the right speed. I wouldn't say it was easy because you still have to pay attention and put the right speed on and that's what happened today."
Hull said her concentration waned when playing her approach to the eighth.
"I did get sloppy and went blank over the ball and hit it in the water. I got what I deserved. I said `you are an idiot seriously' but didn't get mad with myself."
Hull set herself the challenge of getting up-and-down for bogey and did that.
She was consistent from tee to green, hitting 10 fairways and 14 greens in regulation -- "but honestly it was down to the putting as I wasn't hitting it super close".
Oh, with birdies at the fourth, fifth, sixth, 14th and 16th holes, was two behind Hull playing the last where she had her only bogey after almost driving into the water.
FIRST ROUND SCOREBOARD
Par 72
Players from Australia unless stated
65 Katherine Hull.
68 Sarah Oh.
69 Cecilia Cho (NZ) (am), Karen Lunn, Yeon Song Kim (SKo).
70 Lee-Anne Pace (SAf), Mollie Fankhauser (US), Nancy Harvey (Can), Stacey Keating (am).
71 Martina Eberl (Ger), Anne-Lise Caudal (Fra), Gwladys Nocera (Fra), Johanna Westerberg (Swe), Sarah Nicholson (NZ), Wendy Doolan.
72 Sunny Park, Jade Schaeffer (Fra), Becky Morgan (Wal), Lotta Wahlin (Swe), Min Gyung Suk (SKo), Nikki Garrett, Vicky Thomas, Melodie Bourdy (Fra), Rica Tse (NZ) (am.
73 Becky Brewerton (Wal), Sarah-Jane Smith, Bobea Park (SKo), Carolina Bon (NZ) (am), Julie Tvede (Den), Lydia Hall (Wal), Sarah Kemp, Stephanie Na, Zoe Brake (NZ) (am), Melanie Holmes-Smith.
Selected scores:
74 Kiran Matharu (Eng) (jt 34th).
75 Danielle Montgomery (Eng) (jt 43rd).
77 Laura Davies (Eng), Felicity Johnson (Eng).
79 Liz McKinnon (NZ) 79.
83 Lynn Kenny (Sco) (103rd).

College cutbacks may see fewer coaches

coming over to Britain to recruit

The global financial crisis hung over the American college golf coaches at their annual convention in Orlando, Florida this week.
Many say they'll be asked to reduce the amount they spend on recruiting, a particular hardship for colleges that have relied on international players to help fill out their squads.
"It's been kind of in vogue to go to the British boys' and British girls' championship in recent years , but I'm guessing that won't happen this year as much," noted one coach.
"The real problem here is that the wealthy colleges will still have the money to go ahead and do it but not so well-off colleges are going to get left behind."

PLAY WASHED OUT IN PORTUGAL

Torrential rain washed out the second day's play in the Portuguese women's open amateur golf championship at Quinta do Peru Golf Club, near Lisbon. Kylie Walker (Buchanan Castle), the only Scottish player in the field of 70, was lying seventh with a score of 76 at the end of the first round.

EWGA appoints four non-executive directors

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY ENGLISH WOMEN'S GOLF ASSOCIATION
The English Women’s Golf Association is pleased to announce the appointment of four non-executive directors to its management board.
They are:

Andrew Kean, an entrepreneur and company managing director.
Chrissie Owens, a sponsorship and marketing consultant.
Sylvia Perrins, the national director of a National Skills Academy.
Bill Richards, a partner in a business law firm.

Sue Whittaker, the EWGA management board chairman, said: “We are delighted to announce these appointments. Our new non-executive directors will bring invaluable business skills and wide experience to our board and we look forward to working with them to drive forward women’s golf.”
Andrew Kean returned from a soccer scholarship in the USA to found and become managing director of FirstPoint USA, which places British athletes on sports scholarships with American universities. He is also managing director of WhatCollege.com, helping students in China, India and Japan with admission to American universities and colleges.
Additionally he is a director of a business consultancy and property development firm. He has been a finalist in the ‘Scotsman of the Year’ Award; the Royal Bank of Scotland/Prince’s Scottish Youth Business Trust Entrepreneur of the Year; and a Scottish finalist in the Shell LIVEwire Entrepreneur of the Year.
Chrissie Owens set up her independent sponsorship and marketing consultancy three years ago after a highly successful business career with Coca-Cola and Diageo. Her portfolio of clients includes Smirnoff, the Hotel Es Vive in Ibiza, Sainsbury’s and Weetabix through the marketing agency Cosine, and the high-profile global dance brand, the Cream Group.
Chrissie, who is based in Norfolk, first trained as a professional musician, playing the French horn. Arts cutbacks thwarted her ambitions but she continues to play in local orchestras. She’s also a volunteer worker at a nursing home, a keen squash player and a passionate golfer.
Sylvia Perrins is the national director of the National Skills Academy for Financial Services, an employer-led organisation which delivers world-class education and training to the industry’s workforce. She took up her position in January 2007 having previously held senior posts in education.
Most recently she was vice principal at Westminster Kingsway College of Further Education in London, responsible for business development and planning. Sylvia started her working life as a financial and business analyst. She is a non-executive director of an NHS Trust in London. She enjoys golf as part of a healthy lifestyle.
Bill Richards is a partner in the London-based business law firm, LG. For much of his career he practised as a commercial litigation lawyer before becoming LG’s managing partner in 1995. In 2002 he was elected senior partner and, when he retired from that position early last year, became the firm’s head of risk and compliance.
Bill is a school governor, a charity trustee, a non-executive director of The Solicitors’ Independent Mutual insurance Association and a community mediator, helping to resolve neighbour disputes. He enjoys sport in general and is a particularly keen golfer.
Visit the EWGA website to read biographies of the non-executive directors: www.englishwomensgolf.org
EWGA’s voting members will be asked to approve the appointments of the non-executive directors later in the year.
Lyndsey Hewison
Press & PR Officer

Rain thwarts Johanna's bid for three

wins in a row on Florida circuit

Heavy rain washed out the third and final day's play in the SunCoast Series event at Rio Pinar Country Club, Orlando yesterday.
That deprived Ascot's Johanna (Head) Mundy, who lives in Orlando, of the opportunity to making it three wins in a row on the women's professional satellite tour in Florida.
A result was declared on the opening two rounds, leaving Americans Briana Vega and Meredith Duncan joint winners on five-under-par 139.
Johanna tied for second place with rounds of 72 and 69 for 141.
The tournament website does not list the prizelist money but when it does we'll add it to this report.
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 144 (2 x 72) 6,200yd
139 Brianna Vega (Andover, Massachusetts) 68 71, Meredith Duncan (Shreveport, Louisiana) 69 70.
142 Johanna Mundy (Ascot, England) 72 69, Moira Duncan (Utica, New York State) 71 70.
143 Janell Howland (Boise, Idaho) 72 71, Misun Cho (South Korea) 72 71, Laura Bavard (Gross Isle, Michigan) 70 73.
144 Tiffany Chudy (Miramar, Florida) 75 69, Anna Green (Fort Pierce, Florida) 74 70, Nicola Hage (Coral Springs, Florida) 73 71, Taylor Leon (Dallas, Texas) 72 72, M J Hur (South Korea) 71 73, Jan Young Pak (South Korea) 70 74.
Selected score
148 Stacey Lewis (Woodlands, Texas) 70 78 (jt 19th).