US COLLEGE NEWS

Carnie makes solid start for USC-Aiken:

jt 14th in field of 83 with 2-under 214

Grant Carnie from Ellon finished joint 14th with a two-under-par total over 54 holes in his first tournament appearance for the University of South Carolina-Aiken this week.

Carnie, head-hunted as the star of the Brevard College team to play at a higher level of US college golf, had rounds of 70, 70 and 74 for a total of 214 in the Spring Hill Suites Intercollegiate over the 7,062yd, par-72 course at Country Club of South Carolina, Florence.

In a field of 83, Carnie, pictured by Cal Carson Golf Agency, finished seven shots behind the joint winners, Casey Johnson (Appalachian State) and Jayson Judy (Elon) on the 207 mark.

USC-Aiken (852) finished third behind Georgia Southern (847) and Western Carolina (849) in the team event, contested by 16 squads.

During his summer holidays back in Scotland, Carnie pulled off one of the shock results of the Scottish amateur championship at Royal Troon. He beat the top seed and Walker Cup player Gavin Dear (Murrayshall) but lost to Keir McNicoll (Carnoustie) in the next round.

US COLLEGE NEWS

Nicola Race helps Missouri start

with a win on debut appearance

Missouri University's women's talent spotters knew what they were doing when they persuaded Essex-born Nicola Race to transfer from Redlands Community College for the new 2009-2010 college golf season.

Missouri had not won a team title since 2007 but, with junior year student Nicola in the team, as well as another English-born player, sophomore Hannah Lovelock from Surrey, they made their seasonal debut a winning one in the Chip-N-Club Invitational at Lincoln, Nebraska this week.

Missouri had no players in the leading five but a good grouping saw them win the team title with a total of 878, 11 shots ahead of hosts Nebraska with Kansas (895) third of 14 teams.

Nicola, pictured above, finished tied 22nd in a field of 83 players with rounds of 79, 73 and 75 for 227 over the 6,214yd, par-72 course at Wilderness Ridge.

Perhaps a little bit nervous in her first round at a higher level than she has previously played in the States, Nicola had no birdies in her opening 79. In the next round, she shot a 73 with three birdies and one double bogey. And in her final round, Race had a 75 which included another double bogey but, underlining her rising confidence, she birdied two of her last four holes, the 15th and 18th.

When she cuts out the double bogeys, Nicola, a prolific individual winner for her last college, will be challenging for the No 1 position on the Missouri women's team.

Lovelock scored 79, 75 and 76 for 230 and a share of 30th place in a field of 83 but her score counted for the Missouri team victory.

The individual honours went to the US girls champion Amy Anderson (North Dakota) with scores of 69, 72 and 69 for six-under-par 210 and a three-stroke winning margin . In US sport terms, Amy is 2 and 0 in the opening weeks of the US women's college golf season.

Gloucestershire and Lancashire tighten

their grip at English County Finals

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY ENGLISH WOMEN'S GOLF ASSOCIATION
Gloucestershire and Lancashire both won again today at the English County Finals at Pleasington and are starting to move away from their rivals.
Gloucestershire have won all three matches so far and hold a half-point lead over the hosts, Lancashire, who have won two and halved one.
Hertfordshire, meanwhile, pulled off an impressive win over Lincolnshire and have now moved into third place on 1½ pts.
The finals are contested by six teams, each representing one of the regions of the English Women’s Golf Association.
The other contenders are Lincolnshire and Surrey, who have won a match apiece, and the young Warwickshire side, who have yet to score.
The third day’s play produced, as usual, superb golf and exciting matches. Gloucestershire were held to a draw in the morning foursomes by Surrey – but they steamrollered their opponents in the afternoon, winning five of the six singles.
Team captain Susan Reeve said: “It was a wonderful afternoon and I am very proud of them all and that includes Jamie Casling who lost only on the 18th. It’s the first time she has played at this level and she showed huge guts.
“This was a great team effort after we halved in the morning. Surrey are no push-over and they played some very good golf, so this was an excellent result for us. It was just a dream.” Lancashire had the advantage of leading Warwickshire 2 ½ -½ after the foursomes and they played well through the singles to secure their win. Cori Lee continued her impressive unbeaten run while Nikki Foster returned to top form to win a match in which the scoring was well below par.
Nicola Rawlinson managed to beat Ashley Cramond, despite the Warwickshire girl’s sublime putting, and Brogan Townend scored a well-earned half against the more experienced Lauren Taylor.
Team captain Linda Wilson said; “I am absolutely delighted. It’s been a great day, really, really good. Warwickshire are a good team and we had to play well to win. But, there’s still a long way to go and a lot to do.”
Hertfordshire also staged a stunning singles performance to beat Lincolnshire. They faced an uphill battle after taking only a half-point from the foursomes, but the team responded to the challenge and won 4½ singles points.
Tomorrow’s matches
Lincolnshire v Gloucestershire
Surrey v Lancashire
Hertfordshire v Warwickshire.

TODAY'S RESULTS

WARWICKSHIRE 3, LANCASHIRE 6
(Warwickshire names first)
Foursomes
Lauren Taylor & Ashley Cramond halved with Cori Lee & Brogan Townend
Lisa Barton & Charlotte Taylor lost to Catherine Roberts & Sarah Walton 5 and 4.
Rachel Rusted & Elizabeth Galland lost to Nikki Foster & Nicola Rawlinson 5 and 3.
Singles
Charlotte Taylor lost to Lee 7 and 6.
Cramond lost to Rawlinson 3 and 2.
Lauren Taylor halved with Townend.
Charlotte Dalton bt Bethany Garton 7 and 5.
Barton bt Jenna Birch 3 and 1.
Hannah McLoughlin lost to Foster 4 and 2.

LINCOLNSHIRE 4, HERTFORDSHIRE 5
(Lincolnshire names first)
Foursomes
Helen Hewlett & Holly Clyburn halved with Charlotte Field & Lucy Williams
Sophie Beardsall & Emilee Taylor bt Alison Franklin & Harriet Key 2 and 1.
Jessica Wilcox & Rachel Woodcock bt Tina Jeary & Lucinda Mileham 3 and 1.
Singles
Clyburn bt Franklin 1 hole.
Taylor lost to Charlie Douglass 2 and 1.
Hewlett lost to Williams 1 hole.
Megan Illingworth halved with Jeary
Wilcox lost to Steph McEvoy 5 and 4.
Beardsall lost to Key 1 hole.

GLOUCESTERSHIRE 6½, SURREY 2½
(Gloucestershire names first)
Foursomes
Sian James & Linda Carruthers bt Lisa McGowan & Nicola Taylor 3 and 1.
Charlotte Ellis & Hannah Barwood halved with Katie Laud & Niamh O'Connor.
Alison Kelly & Shelby Smart lost to Jo Stocks & Julia Brook 2 holes.
Singles
Barwood bt McGowan 2 and 1.
Jo Hodge bt Janine Snodgrass 6 and 4.
Smart bt Laud 4 and 3.
Jamie Casling lost to O'Connor 1 hole.
James bt Brook 5 and 4.
Ellis bt Stocks 6 and 4.

Lyndsey Hewison
Press & PR Officer

SENIOR WOMEN'S BRITISH OPEN AMATEUR

Noreen Fenton leading Scots

qualifier for final day

Dunbar's Noreen Fenton headed the five Scots among the 41 players who survived the 36-hole cut in the Senior Women's British Open amateur golf championship over the testing Pyle & Kenfig links in South Wales today.
Fenton, pictured right by Cal Carson Golf Agency, shook off a potentially demoralising triple bogey 7 at the first hole, helped by birdies at the second and third to add an 80 to her opening 82 for a two-round total of 162 and joint 16th place.
Fiona De Vries (St Rule) had two double bogeys in an outward 43 and a third double bogey at the 17th in returning an 83 for 164 and 21st position.
Lorna Bennett (Ladybank) is lying 22nd on 165 after rounds of 83 and 82. She had double bogeys at the fifth and seventh in an outward 45 but birdies at the 10th and 11th eased the pain.
Pamela Williamson (Baberton) and Lynne Terry (Cruden Bay) also made it through to the last day's play. Williamson improved eight shots with an 81 for 170 and a share of 35th place. Terry hit the limit qualifying mark of 172 with an 85 for 172 and joint 39th position.
Ruth Brown (Lothianburn) shaved with shots off her first-day score with an 84 but her two-round tally of 175 was three shots too many to beat the cut.
Helen Faulds (Douglas Park) missed out with an 87 and 91 for 178. So too did Jennifer Mack (Haggs Castle) on 180 (92-88) and Karen Ballantyne (Craigmillar Park) on 181 (93-88).
Former Curtis Cup player and many times Welsh women's amateur champion Vicki Thomas (Carmarthen) leads the field by three shots with a 76 and 74 for 150.
England's Roz Adams (Addington Court) is her nearest challenger on 153 (75-78).
SCOREBOARD
SECOND-ROUND TOTALS
Par 148 (2x74)
150 Vicki Thomas (Carmarthen) 76 74.
153 Roz Adams (Addington Court) 75 78.
155 Helen Jones (Strabane) 75 80.
157 Janet Doleman (Rushcliffe) 81 76, Alison Murdoch (Canada) 78 79.
158 Jane Rees (Hendon) 83 75, Christine Watson (Becconsfield) 81 77.
159 Karen Pultz (Canada) 81 78, Britta Ljung (Sweden) 78 81.
160 Jo Ashmore (Barnham Broom) 79 81, Jean O'Connor (Newport Gwent) 79 81.
161 Viveca Hoff (Sweden) 83 78, Felicity Coulter (Banstead Downs) 82 79, Minna Kaarnalahti (Finland) 81 80, Denise Richards (Bargoed) 75 86.
162 Noreen Fenton (Dunbar) 82 80, Christina Birke (Sweden) 81 81, Caroline Marron (Bromborough) 78 84.
163 Sheena McElroy (Grange) 83 80, Irene Brien (Wentworth) 81 82.
164 Fiona de Vries (St Rule) 81 83.
165 Lorna Bennett (Ladybank) 83 82.
166 Ruth Lindley (Hartlepool) 89 787.
167 Gillian Curley (Northants Co) 87 80, Diane Williams (Canada) 86 81, Marilyn Henderson (West Rhine) 78 89.
168 Janet Melville (Sherwood Forest) 86 82, Cristina Marsans (Spain) 87 81, Niamh Giblin (Dun Laoghaire) 82 86, Ann Lewis (Royal St Davids) 81 87.
169 Olivia Conroy (Ireland) 89 80, Cathy Armstrong (Ellesborough) 88 81, Mary Madden (Ballinasloe) 86 83, Kate Evans (Frilford Heath) 83 86.
170 Pamela Williamson (Baberton) 89 71, Valerie Hasset (Ennis) 85 85.
171 Babara Woodham (Cobtree Manor Park) 90 81, Mia Stahl Samuelsson (Sweden) 86 85.
172 Lynne Terry (Cruden Bay) 87 85, Catalina Castillego (Spain) 85 86, Teresa Taylor (Reading) 85 87.
MISSED THE CUT
173 Andrea Stockdale (Mapperley) 90 83, Gill Snelson(Branston) 85 88, Annie Gowing (Frilford Heath) 85 88, Sue Westall (Copt Heath) 84 89.
174 Jeannie O'Keeffe (Hankley Common) 89 85, Karin Gumpert (Germany) 89 85.
175 Rhona Brennan (Bandon) 912 84, Anki Hermanson (Sweden) 89 86, Inger Sund (Sweden) 88 87.
176 Ruth Brown (Lothianburn) 92 84, Carol Cass (Braodstone) 91 85, Corinne Burgert (France) 91 84, Neeltje Goosseens (Netherlands) 89 87, Kate Peppier (Switzerland) 88 88.
OTHER SCOTS WHO MISSED THE CUT .
178 Helen Faulds (Douglas Park) 87 91.
180 Jennifer Mack (Haggs Castle) 92 88.
181 Karen Ballantyne (Craigmillar Park) 93 88.