We are the champions! Midlothian's winning squad in the East Division tournament at Falkirk Golf Club. Image by courtesy of Midlothian LCGA. Click to enlarge

Back row: Jane Turner, Karen Marshall , Claire Hargan , Wendy Nicholson (holding the team mascot, Michaela), Louise Fraser and Mary Richardson (vice-captain)
Front Row: Kirsten Blackwood , Rachael Watton, Tracy Laughland (captain) and Claire MacDonald.

MIDLOTHIAN COMPLETE COUNTY FINALS

LINE-UP AT BABERTON IN SEPTEMBER

Midlothian completed the list of four qualifiers for the Scottish women's county team championship finals at Baberton Golf Club, Edinburgh from September 18 to 20 when they clinched the East Division team championship at Falkirk Golf Club today.
Having already beaten Scottish champions and divisional title holders Fife as well as East Lothian, Midlothan completed their 100 per cent success record by outclassing Stirling & Clackmannan 8 1/2- 1/2.
In the other closing match Fife beat East Lothian 5 1/2-3 1/2.
So the line-up in the Scottish county finals will be Midlothian, Renfrewshire, Galloway and Northern Counties.

Outstanding individual performer for Midlothian was teenager Rachael Watton. Making her debut at this level, Rachael won the "Most Valuable Player" of the tournament - (There isn't an award but there should be! Editor) - with six wins out of six. ~Well done, Rachael!
Last-day details in the East Division team championship:
MIDLOTHIAN 8 1/2, STIRLING & CLACKMANNAN 1/2
Foursomes: Jane Turner & Rachael Watton bt Vicki Stevenson & Lesley Gibb 2 and 1; Karen Marshall & Louise Fraser bt Louise MacGregor 2 holes; Kirsten Blackwood & Claire MacDonald bt Linda Allan & Jill Harrison 2 holes (3-0).
Singles: Turner bt Elaine Alison 3 and 2, Claire Hargan bt MacGregor 2 and 1, Wendy Nicholson halved with Stevenson, Marshall bt Claire Capocci 3 and 2, Watton bt Mhairi Hall 3 and 2, MacDonald bt Allan 1 hole (5 1/2-1/2).
FIFE 5 1/2, EAST LOTHIAN 3 1/2
Foursomes: Louise Kenney & Linda Dyball lost to Lesley Nicholson & Emma Fairnie 2 and 1; Fiona Hastie & Elaine Moffat halved with Line Mortensen & Fiona Prior; Susan Jackson & Karin Sharp bt Mary Lou Renton & Linda Grieve 5 and 4 (1 1/2-1 1/2).
Singles: Kenney bt Nicholson 5 and 4, Jackson bt Fairnie 4 and 3, Hastie lost to Mortensen 4 and 3, Sharp lost to Ruth Carroll 1 hole, Ashleigh Wilton lost to Renton 4 and 2, Moffat bt Prior 1 hole (4-2).
HOW THEY FINISHED
Midlothian 3 wins, Fife 2 wins, East Lothian 1 win, Stirling & Clackmannan 0 wins.

Defending champion Sheena leads qualifiers

for match-play stages of Irish seniors

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY IRISH LADIES GOLF UNION
Reigning champion Sheena McElroy (Grange) added a solid round of 79 to her impressive opening round of 75 to lead the qualifiers by four strokes at the Irish senior women’s close championship at Ardee Golf Club today.
On a calm, humid day, McElroy registered two birdies on the front nine and finished with a string of pars to make a comfortable start to the defence of her title. Violet McBride (Belvoir Park) and Valerie Hasset (Ennis) posted the lowest rounds of the day - 77s - to qualify in second and fourth positions respectively.
Strabane’s Helen Jones finished strongly with birdies at the 15th and 17th to claim third spot in tomorrow’s match-play draw.
Other impressive scores on day two included a 78 by Madeline Brennan (Carlow) after a disappointing first qualifying round of 88.
The first round of matcplay is sure to produce some exciting matches with Valerie Hassett taking on Baltinglass’s Mary Gorry and Violet McBride facing a tough test against Phil O’Gorman (Laytown/Bettystown).
QUALIFYING SCORES
154 Sheena McElroy (Grange) 75 79
158 Violet McBride (Belvoir Park) 81 77, Helen Jones (Strabane) 79 79
159 Valerie Hassett (Ennis) 82 77
161 Marilyn Henderson (West Rhine) 79 82
162 Catherine Reilly (The Heath) 77 85
163 Sally Casey (Seapoint) 82 81
164 Gill Rouiller (Mannan Castle) 83 81, Patricia O'Reilly (Headfort) 82 82
165 Pauline Walsh (Headfort) 84 81, Olivia Conroy (Co. Longford) 82 83
166 Madeline Brennan (Carlow) 88 78
170 Mary Gorry (Baltinglass) 85 85, Niamh Giblin (Dun Laoghaire) 85 85, Phil O'Gorman (Laytown/Bettystown) 85 85, Jane Gardner (Malone) 84 86
NON-QUALIFIERS
171 Mary Madden (Ballinasloe) 88 83, Rhona Brennan (Bandon) 85 86, Pamela Morgan (Lahinch) 84 87
173 Mary Geaney (Killarney) 88 85
174 Kay McCartan (Greenore) 89 85
175 Helen O'Donoghue (Clonmel) 89 86
176 Rita McGoldrick (Enniscrone) 87 89
177 Roma English (Larne) 93 84, Mairead MacNamara (Woodbrook) 87 90
178 Catherine Bird (Nenagh) 86 92
179 Valerie James (Bangor) 89 90
180 Val Shannon (Douglas) 88 92
181 Denise O'Sullivan (Hermitage) 94 87, Mary McCabe (Headfort) 94 87, Judy Clarke (Royal Portrush) 92 89, Mary McGoey (Greenore) 91 90
182 Noreen Granard (Portarlington) 93 89
183 Anna Moloney (Clonmel) 94 89
184 Carmel Cahill (Hermitage) 95 89
185 Helen Thornton (Ardee) 92 93
186 Fionnuala McGrady (Dunmurry) 96 90, Kath Stewart-Moore (Royal Portrush) 90 96
187 Finola Duncan (Bangor) 94 93
188 Geraldine Woods (Ardee) 95 93, Sheila Roche (Ardee) 90 98
189 Kathleen Hynes (Ardee) 97 92
191 Julie Barkman (Nenagh) 97 94, Iris Smyth (Bangor) 96 95
193 Mary Kidney (Headfort) 98 95
196 Patsy McCarthy (Grange) 95 101
RTD Gemma Jennings (Navan) 94 RTD

MATCH-PLAY DRAW
(nine-minute intervals)
09.00 Sheena McElroy v Jane Gardner, Patricia O'Reilly v Gill Rouiller, Marilyn Henderson v Madeline Brennan, Mary Gorry v Valerie Hassett.
09:36 Helen Jones v Niamh Giblin, Olivia Conroy v Catherine Reilly, Sally Casey v Pauline Walsh, Phil O'Gorman v Violet McBride.

Prizewinners after the stroke-play section of the Scottish senior ladies' amateur close championship at Kinross. Images by courtesy of Carol Fell.

Fiona Hunter top seed for match-play

of Scottish senior championship

Baberton’s Fiona Hunter has earned the top seed status in the Scottish senior women’s close amateur championship over the Montgomery course at Kinross.
Fiona had rounds of 73 and 80 for a total of 153.
That earned her the title of Scottish senior ladies' stroke-play champion for 2009 - and made her the leading qualifier for the "second half" of the over-50s national championship, the match-play stages.
Second best qualifier for the match-play stages is Lorna Bennett (Ladybank) who won the title at Deeside last year.
The only one of last year’s semi-finals not to figure among the leading 16, who now go on to the match-lay, after two rounds of stroke-play is Jill Harrison (Cruden Bay) who was nine strokes outside the limit with rounds of 83 and 90 for 173.

Qualifiers for match-play
153 Fiona Hunter (Baberton) 73 80.
154 Lorna Bennett (Ladybank) 80 74, Noreen Fenton (Dunbar) 75 79, Alex Glennie (Kilmarnock Barassie) 74 80.
157 Fiona de Vries (St Rule) 81 76, Anna Telfer (Milngavie) 78 79
159 Suzanne Cadden (Cardross) 78 81, Kathleen Sutherland (Royal Montrose) 79 80.
160 Sheila Cuthbertson (Peebles) 78 82.
161 Moira Thomson (Gullane Ladies) 80 81, Helen Faulds (Douglas Park) 76 85, Mary Smith (Tain) 78 83.
162 Pamela Williamson (Baberton) 79 83.
163 Margaret Tough (Falkirk) 81 82, Frances Neish (Forres) 85 78,
164 Heather Anderson (Alyth) 79 85.
MATCH-PLAY DRAW
Hunter v Anderson
Cuthbertson v Cadden
De Vries v Faulds
Williamson v Glennie
Fenton v Neish
Smith v Telfer
Sutherland v Thomson
Tough v Bennett.

NON-QUALIFIERS included:
167 Rita Dee (Kingknowe) 85 82.
169 Jennifer Mack (Haggs Castle) 91 78.
170 Sue Penman (Gullane Ladies) 82 88.
173 Pat Wilson (Murcazr Links) 89 84, Ann Smart (Banchory) 84 89, Jill Harrison (Cruden Bay) 83 90.
174 Carol Fell (Ranfurly Castle) 89 85, Winifred MacCallum (Falkirk) 86 88, Shelagh Quinn (Stirling) 86 88, May Hughes (Lanark) 84 90.
175 Patricia Hutton (Lanark) 89 86, Gillian Wallace (Glenisla) 85 90.
177 Morag Wardrop (Niddry Castle) 91 86, Emma Wilson (Elie & Earlsferry Ladies) 88 89, Maureen Neilson (Greenock) 95 92, Karen Ballantyne (Craigmillar Park) 84 93.
179 Lynne Terry (Cruden Bay) 92 87.
180 Marion Stewart (Kilmacolm) 90 90.
182 Rena Duncan (Kinross) 90 92.

STROKE-PLAY PRIZEWINNERS

SENIOR LADIES' STROKE-PLAY CHAMPION - Fiona Hunter (Baberton) 73-80=153.
2nd SCRATCH AGGREGATE - Lorna Bennett (Ladybank) 80-74=154 (better last round).
3rd SCRATCH AGGREGATE - Noreen Fenton (Dunbar) 75-79=154 (better last round).
4th SCRATCH AGGREGATE - Alex Glennie (Kilmarnock Barassie) 74-80=154.

OVER-60 SCRATCH AGGREGATE - Sheila Cuthbertson (Peebles) 78-82=160.
BEST NET AGGREGATE - Anna Felfer (Milngavie) (handicap 5) 73-74=147.
2nd NET AGGREGATE - Rita Dee (Kingsknowe) (8) 77-74=151 (better last round).
3rd NET AGGREGATE - Suzanne Cadden (Cardross) (4) 74-77=151

+A competitor may win only one prize.

England name strong team to defend Girls'

Home Internationals title at Fairhaven

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY ENGLISH WOMEN'S GOLF ASSOCIATION
England’s team for the Girls’ Home Internationals has been selected and includes four members of last year’s winning side at Panmure, Carnoustie. They are Suffolk’s Heidi Baek, Lincolnshire’s Holly Clyburn, Nottinghamshire’s Alex Peters and Lancashire’s Kelly Tidy.
They will be joined by Dorset’s Hayley Davis, Lancashire’s Nikki Foster, Buckinghamshire’s Lauren Taylor and Wiltshire’s Hannah Turland. The team, captained by Faye Sanderson (Heworth), will defend their title on home ground at Fairhaven Golf Club, Lancashire, from August 4-6.
Heidi Baek, 15, (Felixstowe Ferry) was the 2007 English U15 champion. She is the Suffolk title-holder and reached the quarter-finals of this year’s English championship.
Holly Clyburn (Woodhall Spa),18, is the French U18 open champion and the winner of the British Colleges Sport Open. She also reached the English championship quarter-finals and got into the matchplay stages of the British amateur.
Hayley Davis (Ferndown), 16, is the Scottish U16 open strokeplay champion and won two U16 titles at the Hacienda Del Alamo women’s winter golf festival. She was the 2008 South West U15 champion.
Nikki Foster (Accrington & District), 17, reached the matchplay stages of both the British and the English championships. She also achieved a top ten finish in the Welsh open strokeplay.
Alex Peters (Notts Ladies), 15, reached the second matchplay round at the recent British amateur. She won the 2008 North of England U16 championship and has scored back-to-back victories in the Fairhaven Trophy.
Lauren Taylor (Woburn), 14, is both the English U18 strokeplay and U15 girls’ champion. She also played successfully in the British amateur, reaching the third matchplay round.
Kelly Tidy, 17, (Royal Birkdale) has represented Europe in the Junior Ryder Cup and twice been runner-up in the British girls’ championship. She reached the third round of this season’s ladies’ British amateur and is a reserve for the GB&I team for the Vagliano Trophy.
Hannah Turland (Tidworth Garrison), 15, is a past winner of the English U13 girls’ title and won the Wiltshire championship this season and last. She was runner-up in the Scottish U16 strokeplay and reached the matchplay stages of the English championship, having led the field on the first day of qualifying.

Susan pips Gillian for "leading lady" award over new Torrance course

Susan Simpson, the LGU's Head of Operations, pipped Gillian Kirkwood, the LGU vice-chairman for the "Leading Lady" award in yesterday's Scottish Golf Writers' championship over the mist-shrouded and revamped Torrance Course at Fairmont St Andrews. Hamish Grey (left), the SGU chief executive, won two of the three main male awards. Malcolm Campbell (right) won the writers' championship for the Alex M Fox Trophy.
Full story and all the leading scores are available on our other website, www.scottishgolfview.com (image by courtesy of Peter Kelly; double click to enlarge).

IRISH SENIOR WOMEN'S CLOSE CHAMPIONSHIP

Sheena McElroy opens title defence

with a leading 75 at Ardee

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY IRISH LADIES GOLF UNION
Defending Champion Sheena McElroy (Grange) fired an opening round of 75 to lead a 47 strong field at the halfway stage of qualifying in the ILGU’s Senior Women’s Close Championship at Ardee Golf Club yesterday
In sunny but blustery conditions, McElroy started brightly with a birdie 3 at the first. Bogeys at the 2nd and 5th followed before an impressive second birdie at the long par 6th. Three consecutive bogeys followed around the turn before a string of pars and a birdie at the final hole saw her sign for a 2 over par 75 and hold a 2 shot over night lead.
Other impressive scores on the opening day included a 77 from The Heath’s Catherine Reilly, while a further 2 shots back were Helen Jones (Strabane) and Marilyn Henderson (West Rhine).
Seasoned Internationals Valerie Hassett (Ennis) and Violet McBride (Belvoir Park) are also well placed to progress to the matchplay stages which commence on Thursday after a second 18 holes qualifying round. The top 16 competitors play a further two days with the Champion crowned Friday afternoon.
Round 1 Qualifying
75 Sheena McElroy (Grange)
77 Catherine Reilly (The Heath)
79 Helen Jones (Strabane) Marilyn Henderson (West Rhine)
81 Violet McBride (Belvoir Park)
82 Sally Casey (Seapoint) Olivia Conroy (Co. Longford) Valerie Hassett (Ennis) Patricia O'Reilly (Headfort)
83 Gill Rouiller (Mannan Castle)
84 Pamela Morgan (Lahinch) Pauline Walsh (Headfort) Jane Gardner (Malone)
85 Rhona Brennan (Bandon) Niamh Giblin (Dun Laoghaire) Mary Gorry (Baltinglass) Phil O'Gorman (Laytown/Bettystown)
86 Catherine Bird (Nenagh)
87 Mairead MacNamara (Woodbrook) Rita McGoldrick (Enniscrone)
88 Madeline Brennan (Carlow) Mary Geaney (Killarney) Mary Madden (Ballinasloe) Val Shannon (Douglas)
89 Valerie James (Bangor) Helen O'Donoghue (Clonmel) Kay McCartan (Greenore)
90 Kath Stewart-Moore (Royal Portrush) Sheila Roche (Ardee)
91 Mary McGoey (Greenore)
92 Judy Clarke (Royal Portrush) Helen Thornton (Ardee)
93 Roma English (Larne) Noreen Granard (Portarlington)
94 Finola Duncan (Bangor) Gemma Jennings (Navan) Mary McCabe (Headfort) Anna Moloney (Clonmel) Denise O'Sullivan (Hermitage)
95 Carmel Cahill (Hermitage) Patsy McCarthy (Grange) Geraldine Woods (Ardee)
96 Fionnuala McGrady (Dunmurry) Iris Smyth (Bangor)
97 Julie Barkman (Nenagh) Kathleen Hynes (Ardee)
98 Mary Kidney (Headfort)