Edinburgh student Emma Fairnie wins

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East Lothian title for first time

Edinburgh University student Emma Fairnie made it third time lucky when she won the East Lothian women's county golf championship at her home club, Dunbar, today (Tuesday).
Emma, 22, had lost in the finals of 2006 and 2007, but she made no mistake this time against the experienced Moira Thomson (Gullane), champion in 1983 and 2004 and playing in her fifth final.

Not all that many players win a county title. Even fewer become champion of two different counties in their golfing life-time. Emma, pictured by Cal Carson Golf Agency, has achieved it an early age.
Fairnie, when she was a member at Peebles Golf Club in her young days, won the Borders county championship more than once, won the East Lothian title by 5 and 4 after Thomson birdied the first and fourth to be one up, Fairnie's par having been good enough to win the third.
The turning point in the final came as early as the fifth hole. Thomson had to concede it to be pulled back to all square and her younger opponent then took control of the match.
Fairnie, who finished fourth in the Scottish universities' women's championship at Lossiemouth last month, won the sixth, seventh and eighth to turn for home with a commanding three-hole advantage.
That became a four-hole lead with a par at the 10th but Thomson was still capable of producing birdies and she had her third of the final to win the 11th and cut her deficit to three holes.
But Fairnie could not be shaken, only stirred into winning the 12th and 13th with par 4s to be five up with five to play and a half at the 14th earned Emma the handshakes and the East Lothian championship trophy for the first time.
Gullane Ladies did score a success in the other day's final in which the Handicap Quaich was a state. Liz McLelland beat Anne Sewell (Castle Park) 6 and 5.
Today's results:

Semi-finals
Moira Thomson (Gullane) bt Keren Ward (The Glen) 2 holes.
Emma Fairnie (Dunbar) bt Clara Young (North Berwick) 4 and 2.

Final

Fairnie bt Thomson 5 and 4.
HANDICAP QUAICH
Final
Liz McClelland (Gullane) bt Anne Sewell (Castle Park) 6 and 5.

ends.

Left-hander Charlie Douglass defending champion at Broadstone next week

Top-class field for English

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amateur championship

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE ENGLISH WOMEN'S GOLF ASSOCIATION

Hertfordshire’s Charlie Douglass will head a top-class field when she defends her title in the English women’s amateur championship at Broadstone, Dorset, next week from May 11-15.

The players include three members of the GB&I Curtis Cup team for next month’s biannual match against the USA. They are Hannah Barwood of Gloucestershire, Holly Clyburn of Lincolnshire and Rachel Jennings of Staffordshire, while Charlie Douglass, pictured left by Cal Carson Golf Agency at Troon Portland, is a reserve.

The local talent in the championship includes England girl international and Dorset champion, Hayley Davis, and fellow Ferndown member Georgia Hall, who is the English U13 champion. They are among five Dorset players in the field, alongside Sophie Keech (Lyme Regis), Harriet Legg (Ferndown) and Melissa McMahon (Yeovil).

Broadstone will be represented by 14-year-old Kyra Horlock, who was third in the 2009 English U13 championship and plays for Wiltshire in county golf. The youngest player in the field is 13-year-old Inci Mehmet, a six-handicapper from Royal Mid Surrey.

Altogether, almost one-third of the field hold handicaps of scratch or better and three competitors play off plus-three. They are former champion Emma Brown of Yorkshire, international Rachel Jennings, and English stroke-play champion Charlotte Wild of Cheshire. Broadstone previously hosted this championship in 1973 when the title was won by Mickey Walker who went on to enjoy a successful professional career and is a golf commentator on Sky TV.

Since then, the club has hosted two English stroke-play championships, in 1986 when it was won by Susan Shapcott of Gloucestershire and in 1998 when the winner was Emma Brown, playing then in her maiden name of Emma Duggleby.

The fine, heathland course will set a challenging test for the players. For this event the ladies’ course has been increased by 671 yards to 6161 yards. It has a par of 72 and a scratch score of 76.

All competitors will play 36 holes of stroke-play qualifying before the leading 32 players go forward to the match-play stages.

The final will take place on the morning of Saturday, May 15.

Championship reports and hole-by-hole scoring: www.englishwomensgolf.org
Lyndsey Hewison

Press & PR Officer

Irish legend Kitty MacCann dies at 88

FROM THE IRISH TIMES WEBSITE
The death has occurred of the legendary Kitty MacCann (nee Smye) aged 88 years, past Irish champion, British champion and Irish international.
Born in Clonmel, Co Tipperary in 1922, MacCann became the first Irish winner of the British Ladies Amateur Championship, at Broadstone in 1951, since May Hezlet in 1907 bridging a gap of 44 years. She won two national titles in 1949 and 1961 and was selected for the 1952 Curtis Cup team but didn’t play because of illness.
MacCann played in the Home Internationals 16 times between 1947 and 1965 and won the Midland Senior Championship on four occasions and the Leinster Championship in 1948 and 1958 and the Munster Championship in 1958.
Kitty was born into a golfing family. Her father was a scratch player, who played in the South of Ireland championship, while two of her brothers Gerry and Willie played off three handicap.
The Irish Ladies Championship in 1947 at Royal Portrush was to be her first of three finals against Philomena Garvey, all of which she eventually lost. Two years later she defeated Mrs J Beck in the final at Co Louth and as the years moved on she proved to be one of only two people to loosen Garvey’s stranglehold on the championship.
She also served on the ILGU Midland Executive in the 1960s and later as an Irish selector in the 1970s.

Deirdre Smith returns to winning ways

Deirdre Smith from Co Louth made a return to winning ways with victory at the Hermitage Scratch Cup on Sunday.
The former Irish close champion signed for rounds of 76 and 76 to claim the title on a countback from Ciara Butler from Newlands, Sue Phillips from Woodbrook and Sinead Bennedetti from Roscommon, after all four finished on 152.
Amy Farrell (Moate) finished fifth 153 with rounds of 77 and 76.
FINAL TOTALS
Par 146 (2x73) CSS 75 75
152 Deirdre Smith 76 76, Ciara Butler 76 76, Sue Phillips 76 76, Sinead Benedetti 74 78.
153 Amy Farrell 77 76.
154 Aoife Lowry 77 77, Jennifer Gannon 75 79.
156 Louise Mernagh 78 78.
157 Sarah Cunningham 82 75, Mary Dowling 77 80.
158 Helen Jones 80 78, Suzy Sheehan 78 80.
160 Chloe Ryan 81 79.
161 Pat Doran 79 82, Niamh Giblin 78 83.
162 Maura Diamond 84 78, Jean O'Driscoll 82 80, Aisling O'Leary 81 81.
163 Suzie Hayes 83 80, Olivia Conroy 80 83.
164 Gertie McMullan 83 81.
165 Anna Courtney 85 80.
166 Sandra Atkinson 84 82, Ariana Coyle Diez 84 86, Mary Leahy Brown 83 83, Nicky King 82 84, Eileen O'Brien 82 84.
167 Anne McCormack 81 86, Marilyn Henderson 79 88.
168 Lucy Simpson 85 83, Linda Twomey 84 84.
169 Karen Delaney 89 80, Nicola Coffey 85 84.
170 Jenny Hennessy 89 81, Lauren Murray 87 83.
171 Ashley Wilton 85 86, Ruth Maguire 84 87.
172 Lee Murphy O'Connor 89 83.
173 Angie Dwyer 89 84, Barbara Cooney 88 85, Sally Lenehan 86 87, Emma Murphy 80 93.
174 Maria Beaton 88 86, Aisling Brennan 85 89, Pauline Walsh 84 90.
175 Niamh Prendiville 91 84, Carmel Cahill 86 89.
176 Mary Duane 88 88.
177 Teresa Thompson 85 92.
178 Jennifer Moore 89 89, Connie Doyle 88 90.
179 Adrienne Crowley 92 87, Eileen Lowe 89 90.
180 Caroline Murphy 87 93, Catherine Kavanagh 87 93.
182 Mary Devine 93 89, Sandra McCaffrey 90 92, Orla Foley 89 93.
184 Niamh Kelly 97 87.
185 Liz Greene 93 92.
186 Ciara Burke 96 90.
187 Catriona Hogan 96 91.
192 Niamh Henri Bezy 94 98.
NR Hannah O'Connor 92 NR
NR Jennifer King NR 96
NR Fiona Staunton NR 90
DSQ Lily Owens 81 81

La Manga Club announced as EWGA’s overseas partner

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY ENGLISH WOMEN'S GOLF ASSOCIATION
The English Women’s Golf Association (EWGA) is delighted to announce that the prestigious La Manga Club resort in Spain has become its official overseas resort partner.
As a result of the new partnership, EWGA will organise its first overseas golf event at La Manga Club later this year. The inaugural English Women’s Golf La Manga Club Challenge will take place between 10-15 October. It is open to any EWGA member with an active handicap and it is anticipated that a sizeable field will battle it out in the sun for the coveted prize.
In addition, all EWGA members will receive the opportunity to benefit from preferred conditions and added value travel promotions to La Manga Club, including golf and spa breaks and family holidays.
The award-winning La Manga Club resort offers a wide array of sports facilities , including three 18-hole championship golf courses, a 28-court tennis centre and a 2,000sqm spa complex. It also offers the choice of a five-star hotel, four-star serviced apartments and townhouses, more than 20 bars and restaurants and great entertainment for children.
EWGA is responsible for women’s and girls’ amateur golf in England and it actively works to grow the game. It represents over 115,000 members in almost 1800 golf clubs.Commenting on the developments, EWGA chief executive Jim Robinson, said: “We are delighted to form this partnership with the La Manga Club, which is renowned as a premier resort for golfers and families. It’s very good news for EWGA and for our members and we look forward to a successful future.”
A delighted Julio Delgado, general manager of La Manga Club, said: “We are honoured to have been chosen as the official overseas resort partner for the EWGA. We look forward to welcoming all EWGA members to experience our unique resort offering and to working with the EWGA management to enhance benefits for its membership.”
For more details on the English Women’s Golf La Manga Club Challenge visit www.englishwomensgolf.org
Lyndsey Hewison
Press & PR Officer

Paul Ferrier, jt 12th, helps University of

Charlotte win Atlantic 10 Conference title

Baberton's Paul Ferrier, the 2007 Scottish boys' match-play champion, finished joint 12th in a field of 60 players at the Atlantic 10 Conference Championship at Mission Inn Resort Golf Club, Howie in the Hills, Florida this week.
Ferrier, pictured, had rounds of 77, 71 and 77 for a total of 225 over the par-71, 6,887d course.
Ferrier is a second-year student at the University of Charlotte and two of his team-mates, Corey Nagy (209) and Olafur Loftsson (211) finished first and second in the event.
The Scot also helped Charlotte (863) to win the conference team title by 18 shots from Richmond with Xaver (892) third of 12 teams.
Alan Glynn, a student at Xavier University, Cincinnati, tied for seventh place on 221 with scores of 74, 73 and 74. Glynn, who comes from Middlesex, was named in the Atlantic 10 All-Conference team after the championship.