R&A joins forces with Scottish Golf to

keep clubs on course for Golf Week

The R&A has joined forces with Scottish Golf by providing a £10,000 cash boost to help fund the Scottish Golf Awareness Week, aimed at helping clubs to promote their facilities and increase adult golf club membership across the country.
The R&A’s support announced today will help the initiative target potential golf club members and highlight the many benefits of golf club membership as well as provide clubs with a toolkit of information devised to help them maximise opportunities to market their facilities.
The national campaign, the first initiative of its kind launched by the Scottish Golf Union and Scottish Ladies’ Golfing Association, will commence the week following the US Masters and clubs across the country are being encouraged to get involved, although activity does not need to be restricted to that week alone.
It is hoped that the golf week or ‘Love Golf – Join the Club’ initiative will kick start the 2009 season and beyond, in seeking to attract much needed members to maintain the health of the game in the home of golf.

The cash injection from golf’s world rules and development body is very welcome in the current challenging economic climate affecting industries across the globe as well as the sport and leisure sectors.
Duncan Weir, pictured above, R&A Director of Golf Development said, “The R&A sees it as one of its roles to not only encourage people to play golf but to join clubs and this is why we decided to offer financial support towards this Golf week initiative.
Scotland as the home of golf is unique in golfing terms and we are keen to see golfers joining clubs and maintaining the strong and vibrant club scene that so many have enjoyed for so many years.”
Andy Salmon, Scottish Golf Development Manager who is driving this innovative campaign, added, “We are delighted that The R&A has lent its support to this new initiative to encourage nomadic golfers to join golf clubs.
“This backing enables us to deliver our plans and provide a significant level of support to our affiliated clubs. There is no question that strong clubs are the key to a healthy sport and we are excited about the prospects for Golf Awareness Week.”
Case studies helping clubs to share best practice as part of the information pack available on the ‘Love Golf – Join the Club’ campaign is available by visiting the Scottish Golf website http://www.scottishgolf.org/

Michele qualifies for NE Alliance pro-am foursomes

Michele Thomson (McDonald Ellon), still holder of the Scottish women's amateur title but also a rookie pro on the Ladies European Tour, has qualified to be the first female player for many years - possibly the first ever - to play in the North-east Alliance pro-am match-play foursomes at Murcar links next week.
It could lead to her first payday as a pro golfer.
Read the story and see our new picture of Michele by switching over to our other website, www.scottishgolfview.com

Three English players accept Faldo invites

to play at Mission Hills in China event

Three English golfers have accepted invitations from Nick Faldo to play in the Faldo Series Asia Grand Final, which tees off at Mission Hills Golf Club in China on March 25.
They are Steven Brown, Thomas Clements and Hannah Barwood.
Brown, from Chobham, Surrey, was the winner of the 2008 Faldo Series Grand Final held last October in Brazil.
Thomas Clements is another Faldo Series winner.
Hannah Barwood is the current English women's amateur champion.
They will join 60 players from 12 different Asian countries at Mission Hills where they will not only compete over 54 holes on the Faldo Course but will also spend time with Nick Faldo himself.

Commented Faldo: “I’m delighted that we are now able to offer opportunities for players to experience a little of what it is like to compete in different nations with sometimes very different golfing conditions. These kinds of experiences give these young players – be they from Asia, South America or Europe – a taste for what life can be like as professional golfers in what is becoming an increasingly international game. I wish them the best of luck and look forward to seeing them again at Mission Hills.”

For information on the Faldo Series Asia visit www.nickfaldo.com

New arrival

Just to let those "in the know" know that my eldest daughter, Claire and her husband Kenny had a baby boy just after noon today. 7lb 6oz. No name yet.
He is the spitting image of his big brother Robert.
That makes Boys 4 Girls 0
Will post a nice picture of him soon.
Gillian.

Quality field for Leveret Trophy

at Formby Ladies, Lancashire

By FIONA ANDERSON (former Scottish women's amateur champion and organiser of the Leveret Trophy tournament, pictured right)
The 36-hole ladies' open scratch event for the Leveret Trophy at Formby Ladies (Lancashire) on Saturday, March 28 has attracted a high-class, quality field.

On account of the restricted daylight hours the entry is limited to 54 players and the handicaps range from a staggering +4 to 3.

Naomi Edwards (Ganton) off +4, a Curtis Cup player, past English Ladies champion and current Yorkshire champion, is drawn to play with Emma Brown nee Duggleby, off +3. Emma, is also a Curtis Cup player & past English, British and Yorkshire champion but neither of these accomplished players has succeeded in winning the Leveret Trophy, yet!

Out to stop them, will be defending champion Rachel Connor (Manchester), +1, who feels the Leveret is a great opener to the domestic season.

Local player, Cori Lee, +1 of the West Lancashire Ladies, winner in 2006, is keen to get back to form after injury and sees this as the ideal opportunity.

Kelly Tidy +1 from Royal Birkdale is out to impress the Great Britain & Ireland selectors with a good performance over a course she knows well. Kelly, is drawn with another very promising, young player, 15-year-old, Alex Peters, +2 from Notts Ladies.

Playing in her third Leveret, Alex is keen to enjoy some stern competition before going to Paris this Easter with the England team for the French Under-21 girls' open championship. Altogether, there are 21 players with handicaps of scratch or better entered this year.
Formby Ladies are delighted to have such a strong field of English and Welsh players. It is also heartening to see the next generation of golfers competing such as Bronte Law (Bramhall), Elizabeth Mallett (Sutton Coldfield Ladies) and Brogan Townend, (Pleasington) who are all members of the England team competing in the 2009 SLGA Under-16 girls' open stroke-play at Craigielaw, near Ednburgh in April. They will be keen to show that it won’t be long before they, too, are ready to ‘step up to the plate’.

Sadly, those with handicaps above 3.1 have been balloted out, showing just how highly the Leveret Trophy is rated by many of our top lady amateurs. The winner this year will certainly be a worthy champion.
Any spectators are welcome to attend – a copy of the draw is published on our website at http://www.formbyladiesgolfclub.co.uk/ - Leveret Trophy - if there is anyone you particularly want watch then please come along.

SLGA name teams for

forthcoming events

The Scottish Ladies Golfing Association has announced the following teams for forthcoming events:

SLGA Under-16 girls' open stroke-play championship (Craigielaw GC, April 9-10):

Team 1 - Lesley Atkins (Minto), Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm), Hannah McCook (Abernethy) (pictured right, apologies to Hannah for getting her first name wrong in the original announcement).
Team 2 - Louise McGillivray (Banchory), Alyson McKechin (Elderslie), Ailsa Summers (Carnoustie Ladies)
Captain - Claire Hargan (Mortonhall)

Helen Holm Scottish women's open amateur stroke-play championship (Troon Portland & Royal Troon Golf Clubs, April 24-26):
Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar), Kylie Walker (Buchanan Castle).

Welsh women's open amateur stroke-play championship (Royal Porthcawl GC, May 2-3):
Carly Booth (Comrie), Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar), Kylie Walker (Buchanan Castle). Travelling Reserve: Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm).

Starting times for SLGA Under-16

girls' stroke-play at Craigielaw

The SLGA Under-16 girls' open stroke-play championship at Craigielaw Golf Club, near Edinburgh on Thursday and Friday, April 9 and 10 was again oversubscribed with 111 entries for 102 available places in the draw.
The ballot fell at 19 of a handicap.
A two-tee start will be in operation both days with the same draw applying Thursday and Friday with the exception of a switch around of the starting tees.

TEE 10 ON THURSDAY; TEE 1 ON FRIDAY
8.30 Louise McGillivray (Banchory) (6), Meghan MacLaren (Wellingborough) (4), Hannah-Rachel Edmunds (Woodhall Spa) (7).
8.40 Hannah McCook (Abernethy) (5), Amber Ratcliffe (Royal Cromer) (7), Steph Hall (Lindrick) (6).
8.50 Ailsa Summers (Carnoustie Ladies) (6), Amy Marper (Hillsborough) (5), Gemma Clements (Studley Wood) (6).
9.0 Ashley Cramond (Warwickshire) (4), Olivia Winning (Rotherham) (4), Sophie Alexander (Deeside) (6).
9.10 Sophie Myles (Ilkley) (5), Bethany Garton (Royal Lytham & St Annes) (4), Gabrielle MacDonald (Craigielaw) (7).
9.20 Lianna Bailey (Notts Ladies) (6), Jennifer Hide (Royal Norwich) (6), Chloe Williams (Wrexham) (6).
9.30 Emily Chan (South Herts) (5), Abigail Laker (Burford) (6), Alyson McKechin (Elderslie) (6).
9.40 Hayley Davis (Ferndown) (1), Jamie-Leigh Voss (Kirby Muxloe (+1), Amny Boulden (Llandudno) (2).
9.50 Bronte Law (Bramhall) (2), Emily Taylor (Royal Lytham & St Annes) (3), Hannah Turland (Tidworth Garrison) (2).
10.0 Elizabeth Mallett (Sutton Coldfield Ladies) (3), Heidi Baek (Felixstowe Ferry) (+1), Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm) (3).
10.10 Lesley Atkins (Minto) (3), Brogan Townend (Pleasington) (2), Lauren Taylor (Woburn) (1).

TEE 1 ON THURSDAY; TEE 10 ON FRIDAY
8.30 Samantha Munro (Aberdour) (10), Jemma Chalmers (Monifieth) (10), Eodain Cronin (Bantry Bay) (10).
8.40 Megan Aird (Strathmore) (10), Mhairi McKay (West Kilbride) (10), Amelia Covell (Huddersfield Fixby) (10).
8.50 Rachel Polson (Peterculter) (10), Emma Murphy (Wexford) (11), Lucie Walker (Ormskirk) (11).
9.0 Lauren Whyte (St Regulus) (10), Amy Chambers (Dunfanaghy) (10), Nicola Taylor (Dunnikier) (10).
9.10 Lucy Evans (Lilleshall Hall) (8), Alice Watson (Park Hill) (9), Paula Grant (Lisburn) (8).
9.20 Lydia Johnston (Harleyford) (9), Julie Vass (Tain) (8), Ellie Goodall (Selby) (9).
9.30 Myriam Hassan (Southerndown) (9), Keren Ward (Glen) (9), Laura Jane Barrow (Brokenhurst Manor) (9).
9.40 Jasmine Johnston (Gosfield Lake) (9), Kate McIntosh (Broomieknowe) (9), Emily Cheshire (Notts Ladies) (9).
9.50 Jessica Boal (Larne) (8), Rebecca Horner (Woodham) (8), Jade Downes (Boothferry) (9).
10.0 Rachel Bruce (Ponteland) (9), Katie Bradbury) (Cottrell Park) (8), Charlotte Hindmoor (Blackwell Grange) (9).
10.10 Florence King (Forest Hill) (8), Linsey Stevenson (Elie & Earlsferry) (8) Kyra H9orlock) (Broadstone) (8).

TEE 10 ON THURSDAY; TEE 1 ON FRIDAY
12.20 Amy Taylor (Kirriemuir) (13), India Clyburn (Woodhall Spa) (13), Shannen McGuire (Canmore) (14).
12.30 Emma Caddow (Colville Park) (11), Hannah Scott (Broomieknowe) (12), Grace Anderson (Morpeth) (12).
12.40 Emily Aird (Strathmore) (13), Jessica Meek (Carnoustie Ladies) (12), Jenny Hennessy (Ennis) (13).
12.50 Emma Hale (Troon Bentinck) (14), Tara MacTaggart (Minto) (11), Nicola Haynes (Gosforth Park Ladies) (12).
1.0 Kirsten MacCallum (Newburgh on Ythan) (11), Amelia Taylro (St Annes Old Links) (13), Francesca Young (Ferndown) (11).
1.10 Megan Clyne (Deeside) (11), Katie McCracken (Powfoot) (11), Emily-mae Hall (Coxmoor) (12).

TEE 1 ON THURSDAY; TEE 10 ON FRIDAY
12.20 Annabel Bailey (Notts Ladies) (15), Alexia Hutton (Falkirk Tryst) (15), Heather Munro (Monifieth) (14).
12.30 Alexandra Tait (St Regulus) (14), Gail Wilson (Monifieth) (14), Chloe Beckwith (Blyth) (15).
12.40 Eilidh Watson (Muckhart) (15), Alison Goodwin (Glenbervie) (16), Kelly McNulty (Whitley Bay) (15).
12.50 Poppy Finlay (Vicars Cross) (16), Erin Millar (Pitlochry) (15), Courtney Milburn (Heysham) (15).
1.0 Harriet Wilson (Lincoln) (14), Hollie Vizard (Pleasington) (14), Rachel Walker (Crichton) (14).
1.10 Clara Young (North Berwick) (19), Charlotte Ann Barrow (Brokenhurst Manor) (19), Rosie Everett (Kilspindie) (18).

Nicola Race finishes second in

Lion Invitational in Texas

Nicola Race (Redlands Community College, El Reno, Oklahoma) finished second in the Lion Invitational women's college tournament this week at Tanglewood Resort, Pottsboro in Texas.]

Over a par-72, 5,914yd course, Nicola, pictured right, from Witham, Essex, had rounds of 81 and 73 for 154, two shots behind the winner, Raelyn Smith (Angelo State) who scored 80 and 72.

Judging by the fact that nobody in the field of 87 broke 80 in the first round, it must have been a bad weather, probably high winds, of which Texas gets more than its fair share.

Nicola did finish four shots ahead of the joint-third pair and her effort helped Redlands win the team title at the head of a field of 16 colleges.

LEADING INDIVIDUAL TOTALS
Par 144 (2 x 72) 5914yd

152 Raelyn Smith (Angelo State) 80 72.

154 Nicola Race (Redlands) 81 73.

158 Kass McGrath (Cameron University) 81 77, Maria Jimenez (Central Oklahoma) 82 76.

LEADING TEAM TOTALS

654 Redlands.

667 Central Oklahoma.

Andrew Cooley finishes joint 11th

at Barona Creek despite triple 7

Andrew Cooley (San Diego State University) from Surrey and Ayrshire's Euan Brown (St Mary's-California) finished joint 11th and 65th respectively in the Barona Collegiate Cup at Barona Creek Golf Club, California over a very long course of some 7,393yd with a par of 72.
Despite the length of the lay-out, Cooley contrived to shoot 12 birdies over his final 36 holes after getting only one in his first circuit.
Cooley had rounds of 73, 70 and 72 for one-under-par 215, 12 shots behind the winner, Dustin Morris (Colorado State) who scored 70, 67 and 66 to win by three from Steve Saunders (New Mexico) (69-69-68).
Back to Master Cooley. His final par-matching round contained, remarkably a triple bogey 7 at the eighth and single shots dropped at the second and seventh. He balanced this with birdies at the first, sixth,1 3th, 14th and 16th.
Euan Brown, also a freshman, scored 79, 84 and 86 for 249. He had one birdie in 54 holes but, sadly, two triple bogeys and three double bogeys.
Colorado State (1051) took the team title ahead of San Diego State (1057) and New Mexico (1069) with San Diego third on 1076.
St Mary's-California (1131) came eight of 10.