Kelsey MacDonald only Scot among leading 32 at Pals

Hannah Barwood is top
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British qualifier for Spanish
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match-play stages

England and Wales both have two players among the 32 who today qualified for the match-play stages of the Spanish women's international amateur championship at Pals, Girona in the north-east of Spain.
Scotland has one qualifier and Ireland none.
Hannah Barwood (Knowle), pictured by Cal Carson Golf Agency, English women's champion of two years ago, was the leading British qualifier in joint seventh place with a pair of 75s for 150 over the par-73 course.
The other English qualifier was Rachel Jennings with scores of 82 and 71 for 153. That gave her the No 22 slot in the draw.
Welsh champion Tara Davies, who played very well in the Portuguese women's amateur international championship on the Algarve at the end of January, qualified in joint ninth place on 151 with scores of 79 and 72.
Another member of the Wales team who have won the title at the past two Women's Home Internationals, Amy Boulden (Maesdu), also qualified on 151 with scores of 74 and 77 as did Scottish Under-21 champion for the past two years, Kelsey MacDonald (Stirling University & Nairn Dunbar) with rounds of 75 and 76.
Scotland internationals Louise Kenney (Pitreavie) and Laura Murray (Alford) missed the cut by varying margins.
Kenney had rounds of 84 and 74 for 158 - four shots too many.
Murray scored 84 and 80 for 164.
Majorca-based Scots girl Lauren Mackin had scores of 82 and 80 for 162.
Among the big names who failed to reach the match-play stages were Curtis Cup team contenders Charlie Douglass, the left-handed English champion, and Northern Ireland's Danielle McVeigh who won the British women's amateur stroke play at Royal Aberdeen last year.
Douglass had rounds of 86 and 74 for 160, McVeigh 83 and 79 for 162.
Welsh cap Gemma Bradbury, a student at St Andrews University, missed out with scores of 78 and 81 for 159.

MATCH-PLAY QUALIFIERS
Par 146 (2x73)
1 ANDRE LUCIE 147 77 70 FRA
2 ARRESE, ANNA 147 76 71 SPA
3 STEMPFLE, LAURA 148 76 72 GER
4 STERNEBECK, VALERIE 148 75 73 GER
5 NILSSON, EMMA 149 75 74 SWE
6 SALAVERRIA , NEREA 149 75 74 SPA
7 KIRCHMAYER, STEPHANIE 150 77 73 GER
8 BARWOOD, HANNAH 150 75 75 ENG
9 DAVIES, TARA 151 79 72 WAL
10 HEDBERG BERTRAND, CAMILLA 151 78 73 SPA
11 KATZY, LARA 151 75 76 GER
12 MACDONALD, KELSEY 151 75 76 SCO
13 BOULDEN, AMY JANE 151 74 77 WAL
14 JANSON , JOSEPHINE 151 73 78 SWE
15 DAHLBERG-SODERSTROM, ANNA 152 81 71 SWE
16 SPILKOVA, KLARA 152 79 73 CZE
17 BLASCO, ALMUDENA 152 78 74 SPA
18 CHARPIER, LÉA 152 78 74 FRA
19 FOLCH, ELIA 152 77 75 SPA
20 PRAT, MIREIA 152 77 75 SPA
21 BUENDIA, BELEN 152 76 76 SPA
22 DELACOUR, PERRINE 153 82 71 FRA
23 JENNINGS, RACHEL 153 79 74 ENG
24 GIDALI, MANON 153 77 76 FRA
25 JIMENEZ, NOEMI 153 77 76 SPA
26 RIDDERSTROM, LOUISE -153 75 78 SWE
27 SOBRON GALMES, LUNA 154 84 70 SPA
28 HOLLEDER, NINA 154 81 73 GER
29 TILLSTROM, JOHANNA 154 79 75 SWE
30 LUNDSTROM, EMELIE 154 78 76 SWE
31 PROVOT, ARIANE 154 76 78 FRA
32 BOUTIER, CÉLINE 154 75 79 FRA

MISSED THE CUT (scores of 154 or better qualified)
Selected scores:
156 Charlotte Ellis (Eng) 81 75.
158 Louise Kenney (Sco) 84 74, Katherine O'Connor (Wal) 81 77.
159 Gemma Bradbury (Wal) 78 81.
160 Charlie Douglass (England) 86 74.
162 Danielle McVeigh (Ireland) 83 79, Lauren Mackin (Sco) 82 80.
164 Laura Murray (Sco) 84 80.
167 Aedin Murphy (Ire) 91 76.
Field of 95 competitors.

Amanda clickety-clicks to take

one-shot lead in ANZ Masters

FROM THE LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
American rookie Amanda Blumenherst opened with a six-under 66 to lead after the first round of the ANZ Ladies Masters at RACV Royal Pines Resort on the Australian Gold Coast.
The 23-year-old former US Curtis Cup team member, who turned professional at the beginning of May and is just three tournaments into her first full season, birdied four of her last six holes to take a one shot lead over the defending champion, Queensland-based Australian Katherine Hull.
The six-time title holder Karrie Webb, Kristie Smith, Becky Brewerton, Anna Nordqvist and Vicky Hurst finished a shot further back in a share of third.
Blumenherst, who was a three time collegiate player of the year at Duke University, went out in two-under 35 but stepped up on the back nine with birdies on holes 13, 15, 17 and 18.
Blumenherst said she found the course, “Very wet, but it was great. Extremely windy but I prefer that. I kind of like it when the conditions are tough and it makes everyone’s game… kind of… it separates the players. You know, you have to hit that drive really solid and also really focus on how the wind is playing and not just hit it up there.”
The 2008 US Amateur Champion finished 10th at the US Women’s Open in her freshman year at college and led the qualifiers at the LPGA’s Tour School late last year. She was offered invitations to the LPGA’s season-opening tournaments in Thailand and Singapore as a result.
She said that she was most happy with her putting:

“I putted really well and that’s kind of been struggling, really, throughout my entire golf career. So I was able to turn that on. And I’m always a fairly solid ball striker, so I’ve been hitting it close, but now I’m getting the putts so that definitely helps.”
Webb, who opened with a 68, said that she was happy with her score, despite a “scratchy second nine holes.”
“This was probably one of my better starts in probably five or six years, I think,” said Webb, who won the event in 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2005 and 2007. “I’ve had a couple of scratchy rounds in the times that I’ve won but it forces you to have a really low one it you don’t have a great first round. So, it’s definitely better to get a good start and it takes a bit of the pressure off you and if you do shot a low round that really puts you in with a great chance.”
The joint runner-up in 2009, South Australian Tamie Durdin, had the day’s most interesting round. She played the back nine in seven under 28 with a four stroke lead over the field but dropped four shots over the front nine. She posted an inward total of 41 and a round of 69 for a share of eighth place with nine other players.
Last week’s Pegasus New Zealand Women’s Open winner Laura Davies of England shot 70 to tie for 19th position, just four shots off the lead.

FIRST ROUND SCOREBOARD
Par 72
66 Amanda Blumenherst (USA)
67 Katherine Hull
68 Vicky Hurst (USA), Anna Nordqvist (Swe), Karrie Webb, Becky Brewerton (Wal), Kristie Smith
69 Bo-Mee Lee (Kor), Vikki Laing (Sco), Ji-na Lim (Kor), Hee Kyung Seo (Kor), Nikki Garrett, Jessica Noh, Gwladys Nocera (Fra), Caroline Afonso (Fra), Florentyna Parker (Eng), Tamie Durdin, Stacy Lewis (USA)
70 Taylor Leon (USA), Hye youn Kim (Kor), Sarah-jane Smith, Ursula Wikstrom (Fin), Karine Icher (Fra), Iben Tinning (Den), So yeon Ryu (Kor), Pernilla Lindberg (Swe), Rebecca Flood, Laura Davies (Eng), Jeong Jang (Kor)
71 Lindsey Wright, Laurette Maritz (Rsa), Eun Hee Ji (Kor), Christina Kim (USA), Tania Elosegui (Spa), Elizabeth Bennett (Eng), Sandra Gal (Ger), Anna Oh (Kor), Stefanie Michl (Aut), Lisa Jean, Joanne Mills, Yani Tseng (Tai), Wendy Berger, Helen Oh, Bo kyung Kim (Kor)
72 Frances Bondad, Hazel Kavanagh (Irl), Jeong Eun Lee (Kor), Brittany Lincicome (USA), Diana D'Alessio (USA), Virginine Lagoutte-Clement (Fra), Becky Morgan (Wal), Sophie Giquel (Fra), Lynn Kenny (Sco), Breanne Alicia Loucks (Wal), Sarah Kemp, Karen Lunn, He-yong Choi (Kor), Dana Lacey, Julie Greciet (Fra), Lee-Anne Pace (Rsa), Bomi Suh (USA), Krystle Caithness (Sco), Soo-jin Yang (Kor), Sophie Gustafson (Swe)
73 Melissa Reid (Eng), Beth Allen (USA), Katie Futcher (USA), Sarah Oh (Kor), Emma Cabrera Bello (Spa), Vicky Hermina Thomas, Ashleigh Simon (Rsa), Angela Harris (Aut), Alison Walshe (USA), Hee Young Park (Kor), Mina Harigae (USA), Linda Wessberg (Swe), Giulia Sergas (Ita), Bree Turnbull, Louise Stahle (Swe), Angela Tatt, You-na Park (Kor), Justine Lee, Stacy Lee Bregman (Rsa), Ha-neul Kim (Kor)
74 Jane Wall, Jenni Kuosa (Fin), Marianne Skarpnord (Nor), Danielle Bowers (Eng), Donna Southam, Leah Hart, Azahara Munoz (Spa), Anna-Lise Caudal (Fra), Christel Boeljon (Ned), Ju young Park (Kor), Melanie Bryden, Janice Moodie (Sco), Ran Hong (Kor), Lorie Kane (Can), Bettina Hauert (Ger), Veronica Zorzi (Ita), Carmen Alonso (Spa)
75 Felicity Johnson (Eng), Polly Travica, Kate Combes, Nina Reis (Swe), Martina Eberl (Ger), Rebecca Hudson (Eng), Caroline Rominger (Swi), Hanna-Leena Salonen (Fin), Georgina Simpson (Eng), Bree Arthur (Aut), Titiya Plucksataporn (Tha), Leanne Bowditch, Mi-sun Cho (Kor), Wendy Doolan, Rebecca Coakley (Irl), Hyun-soo Kim (Kor), Vikki Tutt
76 Stacy Tate (Nzl), Cherie Byrnes, Shin-ae Ahn (Kor), Marjet Van Der Graaff (Ned), Sunny Park, Sophie Walker (Eng), Michelle Ellis (USA), Stephanie Na, Jessica Ji (Kor), Jane Kim (Kor)
77 Mianne Bagger (Den), Tamara Beckett, Riikka Hakkarainen (Fin), Meaghan Francella (USA), Jody Fleming, Annie Choi (Kor), Carlie Butler, Cathryn Bristow (Nzl)
78 Rachel Bailey (Eng), Jayde Panos
80 Katy Jarochowicz, Lydia Hall (Wal), Nicole Montgomery, Sarah Nicholson (Nzl)
81 Bronwyn Mullins-Lane
83 Verity Knight

Amy Boulden (74) one shot off qualifying pace in Spain

The first qualifying round in the Spanish women's open amateur championship was completed at Playa de Pals, Girona this morning after a suspension of play for very heavy rain robbed some competitors of the chance to finish their rounds.
Welsh Curtis Cup place contender Amy Boulden finished well for a 74 to be lying second to Josephine Janson (73) going into the second stroke-play round which will decided the 32 qualifiers for the match-play stages.
Another Welsh cap, St Andrews University student Gemma Bradbury had a 78, one shot better than the current Welsh champion, Tara Davies.
Scotland and England caps, Laura Murray and Charlie Douglass, did not do so well. Laura had an 84 and left-hander Charlie an 86.
FIRST ROUND LEADERS (revised)
73 Josephine Janson.
74 Amy Boulden.
75 Marion Duvernay, Louise Ridderstrom, Celine Boutier, Lara Katzy, Valerie Sternebeck, Emma Nilsson, Nerea Azansa, Kelsey MacDonald, Hannah Barwood.
Selected scores this morning:
78 Gemma Bradbury.
79 Tara Davies.
81 Katherine O'Connor.
82 Laura Mackin.
84 Laura Murray.
86 Charlie Douglass.
91 Aedin Murphy.

England name top squad for Paris St Cloud event

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY ENGLISH WOMEN'S GOLF ASSOCIATION
A top-class squad of national champions and internationals will represent the English Women’s Golf Association in the French Lady Juniors’ Championship at St Cloud from April 1-5.
It includes: English champion Charlie Douglass (Brocket Hall), English stroke-play champion Charlotte Wild (Mere), English girls’ champion Holly Clyburn (Woodhall Spa), 2008 English champion Hannah Barwood (Knowle), and 2009 Scottish U16 open stroke-play champion Hayley Davis (Ferndown).
Every member of the squad is either a full England international or a girl international and it is completed by Heidi Baek (Felixstowe Ferry), Nikki Foster (Pleasington), Alex Peters (Notts Ladies), Kelly Tidy (Royal Birkdale) and Hannah Turland (Tidworth Garrison).
The teams for the Vilmorin Cup, the nations’ cup competition, are:
1 Hannah Barwood, Holly Clyburn, Charlie Douglass.
2 Alex Peters, Kelly Tidy, Charlotte Wild.
Lyndsey Hewison
Press & PR Officer

Jodi Ewart runner-up in top quality California field

Yorkshire's Jodi Ewart finished second in a high quality field of 96 players for the Bruin Wave Invitational college tournament at Robinson Ranch Golf Club, Santa Clarita in California earlier this week.
Over a par-72, 6282yd course, Jodi had rounds of 69, 74 and 68 for a five-under-par total of 211 - three shots behind the winner, Danielle King (Pepperdine) who had scores of 67, 72 and 69.
Jodi's 68, which contained five birdies and one bogey, was the lowest final round by anyone and equalled her lowest score on the US college circuit.
Stephanie Kono (UCLA) was third on 212 with scores of 70, 68 and 74.
Spanish aces Carlota Ciganda (Arizona State) and Belen Mozo (Southern California) finished joint fifth and joint seventh respectively. Ciganda scored 72, 71 and 72 for 215; Mozo 68, 76 and 72.
Italy's Giulia Molinaro (Arizona State) tied for seventh place with scores of 73, 74 and 69.
Sally Watson, seeking to retain her 2008 place in the GB&I Curtis Cup team for the June match at Essex County Club, Boston, was going well with opening rounds of 73 and 70 but fell away with a closing 77 for a joint 18th finish on 220.
Jodi Ewart has already informed the Ladies Golf Union that she will not be available for Curtis Cup team selection as she intends turning professional immediately she graduates from the University of New Mexico in May.
Natasha Podmore (San Franciso), from the Delamere Forest club, finished joint 33rd with scores of 78, 70 and 77 for 225.
Eighteen squads took part in the team event. Top six placings:
866 Southern California. 868 Arizona State. 872 UCLA. 873 Pepperdine. 875 Arizona. 883 New Mexico.

NEWS FROM US COLLEGE CIRCUIT

Jordan McColl sixth in Ronnie Black Collegiate

Invitational at Lovington,New Mexico

Jordan McColl from Dundee, a student at New Mexico Junior College, finished sixth in a field of 28 players at the Ronnie Black Collegiate Invitational tournament at Lovington, New Mexico this week.
McColl, pictured right, had rounds of 75, 71 and 72 for a total of two-over-par 218.
He finished six shots behind the winner by three strokes, team-mate Zach Fullerton who had rounds of 67, 70 and 75 for 212.
Only three teams took part and New Mexico Junior College won the title by five shots from Midland Community College.

Adam Hedges is top Brit at Salisbury, North Carolina

Adam Hedges from Bromley, a freshman student at Belmont Abbey College, North Carolina, was the highest placed British-born finisher in this week's Richard Rendelman Invitational at the Country Club of Salisbury, Salisbury in North Carolina.
Over a par-71 course of 6,665yd, Hedges tied for third place in the one-round tournament with a two-under-par score of 69 - two shots behind the winner, Eric Kennedy, from Lincoln Memorial University, Harrogate in Tennessee.
Gavin Hay from Glasgow, a former West of Scotland boys champion and now a student at Carson-Newman University, Jefferson City in Tennessee, claimed joint 15th place in a big field of 90 players. Hay had a round of 72.
Joe Campbell (Belmont Abbey), a senior year student from Cheltenham, finished joint 21st with a 73, one shot ahead of team-mate Tom Stephenson, a freshman from Bury St Edmunds.
Grant Carnie from Ellon, Aberdeenshire, a student a South Carolina-Aiken and a quarter-finalist in last year's Scottish amateur championship at Royal Troon after beating top seed Gavin Dear but then losing to Keir McNicoll, finished joint 58th with a 78.
Jamie Chapman (Lincoln Memorial) from Sussex came joint 61st with a 79.
Stuart Bryson from Motherwell, a student at Wingate Universtiy, tied for 86th place with a round of 86.
Lander University (283) beat a field of 17 squads to win the team honours ahead of Belmont Abbey (286). Carson-Newman (302) came 13th.

Tom Sherreard makes top at Seahawk Intercollegiate

Tom Sherreard from Maidstone, Kent, a senior year student at Georgia State University, tied for ninth place in a field of 66 players at the Seahawk Intercollegiate tournament at Country Club of Landfall, Wilmington in North Carolina this week.

Darren Renwick makes top 20 at Sawgrass

Tennessee University's English students, Darren Renwick from Woking, Surrey, and Garrick Porteous from Bamburgh Castle, finished joint 15th and joint 27th respectively in a field of 84 players at the John Hayt Collegiate Invitational at Sawgress Country Club, Ponte Vedra Beach in Florida.
Sophomore Renwick scored 77, 71 and 75 for 223. Porteous had rounds of 75, 75 and 76 for 226.
Winner by four strokes was Joe Byun (North Florida) with rounds of 69, 69 and 74 for 212.
North Florida won the team event ahead of Louisiana State and Duke. Tennessee were fifth of 15 teams.
Over a par-72, 7058yd course, Tom scored 72 and 73 for 145 - six shots behind the joint winners, Jake Colley (East Carolina) (70-69) and Patrick Reed (Augusta State) (68-71).