KELSEY BEATEN IN SEMI-FINAL,

BUT RACHEL WINS FLIGHT 2 AND

HARRIET IN FINAL OF FLIGHT 1

Scotland Under-21 girls' champion Kelsey MacDonald was beaten 8 and 7 by American Taylor Collins in the semi-finals of the Doherty/Jones Challenge Cup women's amateur match-play golf tournament at Coral Ridge Country Club, Fort Lauderdale.
Stirling University student MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar GC) never touched the form that saw her beat the No 2 seed Kyle Roig (Puerto Rico) at the 20th in the quarter-finals. Perhaps that victory drained the Scot more than had been thought.
In Saturday's 18-hole championship final, Collins will play the hot favourite, No 1 seed and defending champion, 14-year-old Alexis Thompson from Coral Gables, Florida.
Thompson was taken past the 14th green for the first time in the match-play stages in the other semi-final. She beat US women's mid-amateur champion Martha Leach, 3 and 2 conqueror of Craigielaw's Jane Turner in the quarters, by one hole.
There was one Irish success to report from Friday's play and possibly an English success on Saturday - both involving Stirling University students.
Rachel Cassidy, pictured above in Florida with her trophy, a member of The Island Golf Club, Dublin, won the Second Flight Final in which she beat American Connie Isler, the No 2 seed, by 5 and 4. Rachel was the No 4 seed in this category.
Isler had beaten another Stirling student, Jordana Graham from Southerness, by 3 and 2 in Thursday's semi-finals.
Stirling student Harriet Beasley from Woburn will contest the First Flight Final on Saturday. All the First Flight contestants lost in the first round of the Championship Flight. Harriet, the No 11 seed, beat No 7 qualifier Nicol Whitmore (US) by 6 and 5 in Friday's semi-finals.
In the other semi-final, No 16 seed Jaye Marie Green, an American who topled the top First Flight seed., Cyndi Carlson in the first round, reached the final by beating Louise Kenney (Pitreavie), the No 13 seed, 4 and 3.

RESULTS

CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT
Semi-finals (Seeding number in brackets)
Players from US unless stated
Alexis Thompson (1) bt Martha Leach (20) 1 hole.
Taylor Collins (11) bt Kelsey MacDonald (Stirling Univ & Nairn Dunbar) (10) 8 and 7.

FIRST FLIGHT
Semi-finals
Jaye Marie Green (16) bt Louis Kenney (Pitreavie) (13) 4 and 3.
Harriet Beasley (Stirling Univ & Woburn) (11) bt Nicole Whitmore (7) 6 and 5.

SECOND FLIGHT
Final
Rachel Cassidy (Stirling Univ & The Island) (4) bt Connie Isler (2) 5 and 4.

SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP
Semi-finals
Lisa Schlesinger (9) bt Mary Jane Hiestand (4) at 19th.
Kim Eaton (2) bt Anne Schultz (7) at 20th.

Lancome continue support of ILGU championships

FROM THE IRISH LADIES GOLF UNION WEBSITE
The Irish Ladies Golf Union are delighted to announce the continued support of cosmetics giant Lancôme as sponsors of the ILGU/Lancôme National Greensomes Championship, in addition to the Lancôme Irish Women's Close Championship and the Lancôme Irish Girls' Close Championship.
The ILGU/Lancôme National Greensomes Championship, which to date has raised over €2 million for Irish Charities, will consist of qualifying rounds held at 24 venues across the country with the National finals taking place on the October 3.
Qualifying venues and venue for National final will be announced at a later date and published on http://www.ilgu.ie/ once confirmed.
The Lancôme Irish Women's Close will be held at Portstewart Golf Club, 22-26 May 2010, while the Lancôme Irish Girls' Close will be played at Grange Golf Club, Dublin, 13-16 July 2010.

Orange Blossom Tour match-play championship in Florida

SuperMac Kelsey beats No 2 seed in

quarter-finals, but Jane Turner

loses to US mid-amateur champ

There is one Scot left in the last four of the Doherty/Jones Challenge Cup women's amateur match-play championship at Coral Ridge Country Club, Fort Lauderdale.
Stirling University student Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar), pictured by Cal Carson Golf Agency, Scotland's Under-21 girls champion for the past two years, won a thriller of a quarter-final at the 20th against the No 2 seed, Kyle Roig (Puerto Rico).
Roig won the Harder Hall Invitational, the opening event of the Orange Blossom Tour, and was confidently expected by the "locals" to meet 14-year-old defending champion and rising American star, Alexis Thompson, in Saturday's final.
But "SuperMac" killed that "dream final" with an excellent performance which will have boosted her chances of making the GB&I Curtis Cup team for the June match at Essex County Club, Massachusetts.
MacDonald's Scotland team-mate in last September's women's home internationals, Jane Turner (Craigielaw and Robert Gordon University) was beaten in the quarter-finals by Martha Leach, holder of the US women's mid-amateur title and conqueror of another Scotland cap, Louise Kenney (Pitreavie) with an 18th hole birdie in the first rouond.
Turner gave Leach a good match before losing by 3 and 2.
In the semi-finals, Thompson, who has not gone past the 14th green yet, will play Leach while MacDonald, who qualified in 10th place, will play the No 11 qualifier, American Taylor Collins.
All the first-round losers got a second bite at the cherry by making up the First Flight of the match-play. Louise Kenney, who played par golf in losing to Martha Leach, is through to the semi-finals of this category.
The Fifer beat Marilyn Hardy by 3 and 2. Also in the semi-finals of the First Flight is Harriet Beasley (Stirling University & Woburn). Harriet beat Susan West by 3 and 2.
Another Stirling student, Rachel Cassidy from Dublin is in the final of the Second Flight. She beat Megan Tuohy by 2 and 1 in the semi-finals and will play another American, Coonie Isler who beat Jordana Graham (Stirling University & Southerness) by 3 and 2 in the second semi-final.

Results (players from US unless stated)
CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT
Quarter-finals
Alexis Thompson bt Gennifer Mendez 6 and 5.
Martha Leach bt Jane Turner (Robert Gordon Univ & Craigielaw) 3 and 2.
Kelsey MacDonald (Stirling Univ & Nairn Dunbar) at 20th.
Taylor Collins bt Amelia Lewis 1 hole.
FIRST FLIGHT
Quarter-finals
Jaye Marie Green bt Samantha Smolen 5 and 4.
Louise Kenney (Pitreavie) bt Marilyn Hardy 3 and 2.
Harriet Beasley (Stirling Univ & Woburn) bt Susan West 3 and 2.
Nicole Whitmore bt Julie Carmichael at 20th.
SECOND FLIGHT
Quarter-finals
Megan Tuohy bt Ariel Martin 1 hole.
Rachel Cassidy (Stirling Univ & The Island, Dublin) bt Elizabeth Breza 3 and 1.
Connie Isler bt Laura Martine 5 and 4.
Jordana Graham (Stirling Univ & Southerness) bt Kerry Johnson 5 and 3.
Semi-finals
Cassidy bt Tuohy 2 and 1.
Isler bt Graham 3 and 2.