Sarah v Paula and Emma v Patrice

in Lancome Irish girls semi-finals

FROM THE IRISH LADIES GOLF UNION WEBSITE.
In today's quarter-finals of the Lancome Irish girls (close) amateur championship at Castletroy Golf Club, Sarah Murray (Co Louth) survived a strong comeback from Castletroy's well supported Chloe Ryan (a name to watch out for in the future).
Sarah, was dormie three but lost the 16th and 17th before putting to halve the 18th and take her place in the semi-final against Paula Grant (Lisburn).
Paula had a comback of her own, being three down with four to play. She won the last four holes to take the match out of the hands of Michelle McCarthy (Clonmel).
The other semi-final will be a familiar encounter between Emma O'Driscoll (Ballybunion) and Patrice Delaney (Birr).
The semi-final line up in the Plate sees the impressive leading qualifier Jessica Carty (Holywood) play Emma Murphy (Wexford) while Leinster Interpro player Terri Byrne (Coollattin) takes on Tara Gribben (Warrenpoint).

Results:
Championship
Quarter-finals
Sarah Murray (Co Louth) bt Chloe Ryan (Castletroy) 1 hole.
Paula Grant (Lisburn) bt Michelle McCarthy (Clonmel) 1 hole.
Emma O'Driscoll (Ballybunion) bt Amy Chambers (Dunfanaghy) 3 and 2.
Patrice Delaney (Birr) bt Sarah Louise Winter (Carnalea) 4 and 3.
Plate
Quarter-finals
Jessica Carty (Holywood) bt Aoife Barry (Muskerry) 5 and 3.
Emma Murphy (Wexford) bt Daryl Conroy (Castlebar) 1 hole.
Terri Byrne (Coollattin) bt Anna Courtney (St Annes) 2 and 1.
Tara Gribben (Warrenpoint) bt Sarah Helly (Enniscrone) 2 and 1.
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Becky Brewerton shares lead on 65

in Open de Espana Femenino

FROM THE LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE

Becky Brewerton is desperate to win this week’s Open de España Femenino, as she realises this could be her last chance to qualify for The 2009 European Solheim Cup team.
The 26-year-old Welsh player made a bold statement today as she opened with a seven-under 65 at Panorámica Golf Club in San Jorge, Castellon, sharing the lead with two other players: Spanish amateur Carlota Ciganda and Swede Maria Boden.
Brewerton needs to win a second Ladies European Tour title if she is to stand a hope of making a second straight appearance representing Europe, at Rich Harvest Farms near Chicago, in August.
“I’ve got to win to try to get into the Evian Masters. This is my last chance,” said the sixth year tour player. A place at next week’s lucrative Evian Masters in France would give her another opportunity to earn Cup points, which are doubled at the tournament.
“Obviously for The Solheim, I desperately need a win. I think if I could get into the Evian as well as playing in the British Open I fancy my chances of finishing definitely in the top 20 and you get so many more points for that. It’s kind of a last ditch push for The Solheim team because that’s just a massive thing. I don’t think anything else but a win is going to do me after this week otherwise I won’t get the points. I’ll be going for everything,” she said.
Impressively, Brewerton carded two eagles in her opening round, along with four birdies and a bogey. She rolled in a four-footer at the par-five 18th hole and holed a bunker shot for eagle at the par-five fourth hole.
She joined Ciganda, pictured above by Cal Carson Golf Agency, at seven-under, after the 19-year-old Spanish sensation reeled off five birdies in her closing seven holes.
The two-time European Amateur champion and 2007 British Amateur champion, who was beaten by fellow Spaniard Azaharda Munoz in this year's final at Harlech, is in her first year on a golf scholarship at Arizona State University but had returned home to Pamplona in Spain when she received an invitation to play in the Ladies European Tour event.
Ciganda, who has won every Spanish amateur title, has the opportunity to become the LET’s first amateur winner since South Korean Amy Yang won the 2006 ANZ Ladies Masters in Australia as a 16-year-old.
“I’m feeling confident. I hit some great shots and the putting, I was happy with it. Over the last few holes it was incredible. I made five under in the last seven holes so it was so good,” Ciganda said.
Boden made a late charge with seven birdies for a faultless round and was thrilled to be in contention after a miserable run of three missed cuts.
“I’m just very happy because I’ve been struggling for the last three events. I wasn’t even close to a bogey. It was really solid,” she said.
Denmark’s Iben Tinning and Christel Boeljon of the Netherlands were a shot back on six-under-par. Tinning played the back nine in five-under 31 before adding a birdie at the fourth hole. The 35-year-old five-time champion felt extremely comfortable on a course where she won in 2005, having shot 63 in the second round.
“I hit a lot of greens and I’m just trying to attack out there. I’ve got nothing to lose, really. It’s been a long time since I won something and I’m just excited,” she said, adding that she also hopes to qualify for The Solheim Cup team.
Boeljon continued her strong track record on Spanish soil after winning the Comunitat Valenciana European Nations Cup at La Sella in Denia, Alicante, which was a team event, in April.
“I hit 12 fairways and 16 greens so I think it was pretty good. I made a few long putts so I think I can be satisfied,” she said.

Vikki Laing had arguably her best round since she made her debut on the LET - a bogey free round of five-under-par 67 with biries at the sixth, 11th, 13th, 15th and 16th.
FIRST ROUND LEADERS

Par 72

65 C Ciganda (Spain) (am), B Brewerton (Wales), M Boden (Sweden).

66 I Tinning (Denmark), C Boeljon (Netherlands).

67 D-C Becker (Germany), S Giquel (France), V Laing (Scotland).

Selected scores:

69 E Bennett (England), R Coakley (Ireland), K Caithness (Scotland), K Matharu (England), L Davies (England), H Aitchison (England).

70 M Thomson (Scotland), S Head (England), S Heath (England).

71 H Kavanagh (Ireland), L Kenny (Scotland).

72 C L Aitken (England), F Johnson (England), J Mundy (England), B Loucks (Wales), G Simpson England), F Parker (England).

73 E Lyons (England), C Coughlan-Ryan (Ireland), M Gillen (Ireland), Trish Johnson (England), T Delaney (Ireland).

74 C Queen (Scotland), J Morley (England), R Hudson (England), S Walker (England).

75 P Feggans (Scotland).

76 K S Taylor (England), L Hall (Wales).

78 J Pritchard (Wales).

SAMMY VASS from Tain, 35 miles north of Inverness, is through to play Ailsa Bain (Peebles) in tomorrow morning's Scottish girls' final at Lanark. Image by courtesy of Tom Ward Photography. Top right is Kate McIntosh (Broomieknowe), winner of the Ansley Salver Final (image by courtesy of Jean Macintyre).

Playing Sir Bob Charles one week, then the

Scottish girls ... it's all the same for Sammy

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

If you've played a challenge match with your dad against a former Open champion, Sir Bob Charles, over your home course at Tain - as 17-year-old Sammy Vass did last week, then competing in the Scottish girls championship at Lanark has to be a piece of cake. Not that the matches have been easy, anything but, but Sammy has been possibly playing under less tension than the majority of her rivals.
So it has proved for United States-bound Sammy who has won her way through to play Ailsa Bain from Peebles in the 18-hole final tomorrow morning (tee off 9am at Lanark GC).
Vass, the North of Scotland girls champion, beat Rachel Hanlon (St Regulus), conqueror of No 2 seed Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm) at the 20th in a nail-biter of a morning quarter-final, by one hole in the semi-finals.
Bain toppled the No 1 seed, Rachael Watton (Mortonhall), also by one hole, in the other semi-final.
Those who maintain that medal-play and match-play are two totally different forms of golf might have their opinion confirmed by the fact that Vass was 11th of the 32 stroke-play qualifiers for the match-play stages and Bain 20th and yet one of them is about to become the Under-18 girls’ champion of Scotland.
The Bain-Watton tie produced arguably the better golf with the girls having eight birdies between them. Bain looked to be heading for a win inside the distance when she went three up at the turn, having taken the seventh, eighth and ninth holes.
But Watton rallied to cut her deficit to one hole with a birdie 3 at the 16th. Bain held her at bay with halves in par at the last two holes.
There was never more than a hole in it either way in the Vass-Hanlon semi-final.
Hanlon outscored her opponent in birdies 2-0 but Vass, who played for Scotland in last year's European girls team championship at Murcar Links, brought her greater experience into play to hang on in there until she won the 16th with a par 4 to lead for the first time since she won the first but lost the second. A half in pars at the 18th ended the contest.
Sammy enrolls at the University of Central Florida in late August. It would be a feather in her cap to go to the United States as Scottish girls champion, the first from Northern Counties since Laura Walker, then a Nairn Dunbar member, at Powfoot in 2002, and possibly the first ever from north of Inverness.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Sammy's mother Magi, who runs the Northern Counties girls' section and who was a Scotland junior international (as Margaret Russell) herself around about the time Pamela Wright (Aboyne) was in the team, will no doubt be warning her daughter that anyone who can beat the No 1 seed, as Ailsa Bain, did today is going to prove one tough opponent to get the better of in the final of a national championship.
Kate McIntosh (Broomieknowe) won the Ansley Salver competition by beating Katie Reid (Monifieth) by one hole in the final.
Championship results today
Quarter-finals

Rachael Watton (Mortonhall) bt Lesley Atkins (Minto) 2 and 1.
Ailsa Bain (Peebles) bt Rachael Tayor (Bad Griesbach) 1 hole.

Sammy Vass (Tain) bt Jessica Meek (Carnoustie Ladies) 2 and 1.

Rachel Hanlon (St Regulus) bt Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm) at 20th.

Semi-finals
Bain bt Watton 1 hole.

Vass bt Hanlon 1 hole.

ANSLEY REID SALVER

Semi-finals

Kate McIntosh (Broomieknowe) bt Claire Prouse (Hazlehead) 1 hole.

Katie Reid (Monifieth) bt Clara Young ( North Berwick ) 1 hole.

Final
McIntosh bt Reid 1 hole.

STEPHANIE MEADOW CAN'T PLAY FOR

IRELAND IN GIRLS' HOME NATIONALS

US-based Stephanie Meadow, a member of Ireland's European girls title-winning quartet in Finland last week, will not be available for the girls' home internationals at Fairhaven Golf Club, Lancashire from August 4 to 6.

This week she shot a 73 at Trump National Golf Club, Colts Neck, New Jersey in a qualifier for the United States women's amateur championship.

Stephanie, who is a member of Royal Portrush Golf Club and a resident student at the Hank Haney International Golf Academy, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, was the third best qualifier at the New Jersey venue.

The US women's amateur championship will be played at Old Warson Country Club from August 3 to 9.

Stephanie has also come through the qualifying process to be in the field for next week's (July 20 to 25) at Trump National GC, Bedminster, New Jersey.

Volvo partners EWGA to support competitions

for women club golfers

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE ENGLISH WOMEN'S GOLF ASSOCIATION
The English Women’s Golf Association is delighted to announce a new partnership with Volvo which will support competitions for club golfers.
Volvo – one of the biggest names in golf – is investing a five-figure sum to sponsor the EWGA Medals, the Australian Spoons stableford foursomes tournament and the Rose Spoon awards. These annual competitions attract thousands of handicap golfers.
Both the EWGA Medals and the Australian Spoons involve club rounds and regional and national finals.
The Rose Spoon awards recognise the best strokeplay scores returned each month by players in four handicap divisions.
EWGA Chief Executive Jim Robinson welcomed the new agreement: “This is very good news for EWGA and our members. Volvo is renowned for quality, both in car manufacture and in golf, and we are delighted to be associated with them. Their support will help us to develop our services for members and we look forward to a successful future.”
EWGA Tournament Secretary Emma Lowe added: “Volvo’s involvement and presence at our regional and national finals will be invaluable as we work to raise the profile of our events, and in particular the Australian Spoons. This is a great competition for higher handicap golfers and we want to make it even more popular.”
The new agreement extends Volvo’s support for EWGA. Earlier this season the company became a partner of the 2009 PING Four-ball Better- ball Tournament of England.
This competition, which is run by EWGA, attracts around 16,000 players.
Lesley Milne, Events & Sponsorship Manager for Volvo Car UK Ltd, said: “We are delighted to be supporting the EWGA Medals and we look forward to creating a relationship with lady amateur golfers at club level. We are keen to welcome more ladies onto future Volvo Masters Amateur Tour events which are open to golfers of all ages and handicaps and take place all over the UK.”
Lyndsey Hewison
Press & PR Officer

SCOTTISH GIRLS CHAMPIONSHIP

No 2 seed Eilidh Briggs beaten in quarter-finals

Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm), the No 2 seed, was beaten at the 20th by Rachel Hanlon (St Regulus) in this morning's quarter-finals of the Scottish girls (close) after championship at Lanark Golf Club.
No 1 seed Rachael Watton (Mortonhall) progressed to the last four with a 2 and 1 win over Lesley Atkins (Minto).
Ailsa Bain (Peebles) gave the Borders a representative in this afternoon's semi-finals with a one-hole win over Rachael Taylor (Bad Griesbach).
Sammy Vass (Tain), the North standard-bearer, beat the surprise packet of the championship, 30th qualifier Jessica Meek (Carnoustie) by 2 and 1.

The semi-final line-up is:
Rachael Watton v Ailsa Bain.
Sammy Vass v Rachel Hanlon.

The Ansley Reid Salver final this afternoon will be between Katie McIntosh (Broomieknowe) and Katie Reid (Monifieth).

Results

CHAMPIONSHIP
Quarter-finals
Rachael Watton (Mortonhall) bt Lesley Atkins (Minto) 2 and 1.
Ailsa Bain (Peebles) bt Rachael Tayor (Bad Griesbach) 1 hole.
Sammy Vass (Tain) bt Jessica Meek (Carnoustie Ladies) 2 and 1.
Rachel Hanlon (St Regulus) bt Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm) at 20th.

ANSLEY REID SALVER
Semi-finals
Katie McIntosh (Broomieknowe) bt Claire Prouse (Hazlehead) 1 hole.
Katie Reid (Monifieth) bt Clara Young (North Berwick) 1 hole.

.

IRISH GIRLS (close) CHAMPIONSHIP

Leading qualifier Jessica Carty loses

in first round of match-play

FROM THE IRISH LADIES GOLF UNION WEBSITE
With Castletroy bathed in afternoon sunshine the leading 32 qualifiers battled it out in match-play in the Lancome Irish girls (close) amateur championship.
Leading qualifier Jessica Carty (Holywood) was the first casualty losing out to Emily McGuinness (Greenore) while the fancied Tara Gribben (Warrenpoint) was defeated by her Ulster counterpart Laura Fekkes (Larne).
The tie of the afternoon between Patrice Delaney (Birr) and Sarah Helly (Enniscrone) went in favour of the Birr international player.
RESULTS:
Championship (Blake Cup)
Round 1
Emily McGuinness (Greenore) bt Jessica Carty (Holywood) 4 & 2.
Sarah Murray (Co Louth) bt Jenny Hennessy (Ennis) 5 & 4.
Carla Reynolds (Seapoint) bt Aoife Barry (Muskerry) 5 & 4.
Chloe Ryan (Castletroy) bt Edel Coyne (Youghal) 2 & 1.
Amy Farrell (Moate) bt Eadaoin Cronin (Bantry Bay) 4 & 3.
Paula Grant (Lisburn) bt Emma Murphy (Wexford) at 20th.
Michelle McCarthy (Clonmel) bt Siobhan Greene (Holywood) 3 & 1.
Megan Thompson (Ballyclare) bt Daryl Conroy (Castlebar) 3 & 2.

Erin Connolly (Co Armagh) bt Niamh O'Connor (Naas) at 21st.
Emma O'Driscoll (Ballybunion) bt Anna Courtney (St Annes) 7 & 6.
Holly Robinson (Co Sligo) bt Rachel Chambers (Dunfanaghy) at 20th.
Amy Chambers (Dunfanaghy) bt Terri Byrne (Coollattin) 1 hole.
Laura Fekkes (Larne) bt Tara Gribben (Warrenpoint) 3 & 1.
Sarah Louise Winter (Carnalea) bt Sinead Sexton (Lahinch) 7 & 6.
Patrice Delaney (Birr) bt Sarah Helly (Enniscrone) 3 & 2.
Aisling Hill (Roscommon) bt Julie Coyne (Youghal) 4 & 3.

RECAP ON QUALIFYING ROUND
After a night of thunderstorms, competitors at the Lancome Irish Girls' Close faced a very challenging Castletroy golf course as they bid to qualify for the matchplay stages in what is the biggest competition of the year for many.
Added to the resulting surface water, players also had to endure a 30 minute delay this morning due to fog.
However, the single qualifying round was completed with Jessica Carty (Hollywood), who will represent Ireland at the European Young Masters next month, returning the lowest score to be leading qualifier for the match-play stages, thanks to a 3 over par round of 76.
This was three shots ahead of nearest challenger Julie Coyne of Youghal.
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