Scotland Vets make good start in defence of Miller Stirling Trophy

Scotland have made a winning start in their campaign to retain the Miller Stirling Trophy in the Veteran Ladies Golf Association annual jamboree, being held this year at Seascale Golf Club in Cumbria.
In their first match against England South, Scotland were victors by 6-3, winning the foursomes 2-1 and the singles 4-2.
England North beat England Midlands in the other match.
Scotland play Midlands on Wednesday and North on Thursday.

Magical moments with Rory McIlroy for Scotland girls - and officials

The Girls' Home Internationals which start on Wednesday at Bangor Golf Club, Northern Ireland are being played in "Rory McIlroy Country." The young superstar has more than one house in the neighbouring Holywood area between Bangor and Belfast.
His coach Michael Bannon is also Bangor's club pro so when Rory called in earlier this week to get a last minute swing check before setting off the Firestone Golf Club, Akron, Ohio and this week's big event in the States, he was beseiged by the girls from the Scotland, England, Ireland and Wales camps.
... and the officials were not far behind them either!
Rory was simply super with the youngsters, signing umpteen autographs and posing with all four teams. Certainly magic moments to remember for all the girls.
Picture above (by courtesy of Gillian Roy of the Ladies Golf Union) are the Scotland team who open their Girls Home Internationals campaign by playing Wales on Wednesday.
Back row (left to right):
Rachael Taylor (Hartl Golf Resort, Germany), Lesley Atkins (Gullane Ladies), Alyson McKechin (Elderslie), the man himself, Rory McIlroy, Rachael Watton (Mortonhall), Judith Anderson (Hawick), team manager, Ailsa Summers (Carnoustie Ladies) and SLGA national coach Kevin Craggs.
Front row (left to right:
Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm), Gabrielle MacDonald (Craigielaw), Hannah McCook (Abernethy), Karen Marshall (Baberton), team captain.

TAIN WOMEN'S FOUR-DAY OPEN SCOREBOARD

SECOND ROUND GROSS AGGREGATES
SSS 73, CSS Rnd 1 75, Rnd 2 76

164 Claire Ross 81 83
174 Julie Vass 85 89
183 M Lockatt 89 94
188 Liz Findlay 94 94, B Lyle 93 96
189 A Kettlewell 93 96, Lorraine Mackay 88 101
191 K Jackson 100 91
194 R Bonnin 97 97
196 Mary Hayden 101 95
197 Y Lokatt 97 100
199 E Maclarty-Jones 95 104, Anne Mackenzie 95 104
200 K Rogers 98 102, P Lockie 96 104, Hannah Mackay 95 105
205 S Hughes 98 107
209 B Ross 103 106
212 J Neville 109 103
213 Eileen Morrison 103 110
216 G Schofield 106 110
221 K Tulloch 106 115
225 L Huxtable 117 108
238 L Roberts 117 121

SECOND ROUND NET AGGREGATES

151 Lorraine Mackay 69 82
154 Liz Findlay 77 77, Claire Ross 76 78
156 Mary Hayden 81 75
157 A Kettlewell 77 80
158 P Lockie 75 83
160 B Lyle 78 82, Julie Vass 78 82
161 A Mackenzie 76 85, S Hughes 76 85
164 Hannah Mackay 77 87
165 K Jackson 87 78, E Maclarty-Jones 78 87
169 B Ross 83 86, Eileen Morrison 81 88
170 K Rogers 83 87
171 M Lokatt 83 88
172 R Bonnin 86 86
174 G Scholfield 85 89
177 Y Lokatt 87 90
179 K Tulloch 85 94
182 Jane Neville 94 88
183 L Huxtable 96 87
184 L Roberts 90 94

Draw for The Flower Shop London House Cup (Scratch)
Claire Ross v K Jackson
B Lyle v Liz Findlay
M Lockatt v A Kettlewell
Lorraine Mackay v Julie Vass

Draw for the Mary Hayden Trophy (Handicap)
Mary Hayden v Eileen Morrison
Hannah Mackay v S Hughes
Anne Mackenzie v E Maclarty-Jones
B Ross v P Lockie

Kelsey, Katherine share lead in English open stroke-play

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE ENGLISH WOMEN'S GOLF ASSOCIATION
Top Scottish golfer Kelsey MacDonald and Welsh international Katherine O’Connor scored one-under par 71 to share the lead after the first round of the English women’s open strokeplay championship at Whittington Heath, Staffordshire.
They are one shot clear of a group of four players on level par: 14-year-old Charley Hull (Woburn) started and finished her round with a birdie; Rachael Goodall (Heswall) eagled the first, while Irish international Aedin Murphy (Alford) had two eagles over the closing holes to come home in three-under 33. Charlotte Ellis (Minchinhampton) was two-under on the back nine, helped by four birdies.
Stirling University student Kelsey, who is the reigning Scottish ladies and U21 champion and was beaten finalist in the British championship at Ganton in June, was pleased with her start: “It’s good to post a score and then drive on from that,” she said. “I always find the first day really tough. You can’t win anything on the first day and it’s good to know you’re in the mix.”
The 19-year-old from Nairn Dunbar was up and down over the front nine and, despite two birdies, she reached the turn at two over par. Undeterred, she came home in three-under par 33, helped by four birdies.
“I wasn’t bothered at the turn because I know I can come back in a lot under. In Spain earlier this year I was three-over at the turn and came back in seven-under!” said Kelsey.
The strength of her game was patience: “The course is very dry and you have to expect a bad bounce. It’s also a course where you have to be very accurate off the tee and course management is absolutely crucial.”
Katherine O’Connor, a member of Tadmarton Heath and the Oxfordshire champion, was quick to thank the local member who caddied for her. “He was really good and I’ve booked him for tomorrow!” she said.
“You have to be very careful about the clubs you take from the tees here and local knowledge was very helpful.”
Katherine has been working hard on her putting this season and was rewarded with a very solid performance from 6ft which helped her to a tidy card with two bogeys and three birdies. “It’s a good start and good boost for the confidence,” she said.
The local challenge is led by Claire Howells (Moor Hall), who is a member at Whittington Heath and shot two-over 74. It’s the second time she’s played on home ground in a national championship and she reckons she was more relaxed this time round.
“I knew there was going to be the added pressure of playing at home but I also knew how to cope with it,” said Claire, who had birdies on 13 and 14. “I’m looking forward to tomorrow – and keeping my fingers crossed!”
Sue Spencer, another Whittington member, is tidily placed on 78 in a group which includes defending champion Charlotte Wild (Mere).
There’s a strong international flavour to the field and the competitors include 15-year-old Julie Yang of Korea, who is based in Scotland. She already holds the Welsh open strokeplay title and last week played in the Ricoh Women’s British Open Championship. She was three-over in the first round of this event.
After tomorrow’s second round the field will be cut to the top 36 players and ties who will contest the final 36 holes on Thursday.
Other Scottish-based players' scores:
75 Julie Yang (Kings Acre).
76 Megan Briggs (Kiolmacolm).
78 Laura Murray (Alford)
82 Jane Turner (Craigielaw)

Click here for full scores

Murcar Links 1's winning quartet, Carol Wilson, Laura McLardy, Susan Murray and Pat Wilson receive the trophy from Aberdeenshire county president Morag Clapperton. Image by courtesy of Karen Stalker.

FOUR IN A ROW FOR MURCAR LINKS 1 IN


LYON INTER-CLUB FOURSOMES

Murcar Links 1 chalked up their fourth Lyon Inter-Club Foursomes Trophy victory in a row when they beat Aberdeen Ladies 1 in the tightest of finals at Newburgh Golf Club today.
It was Murcar Links' sixth success in the Aberdeenshire Ladies County Golf Association's double foursomes match-play tournament since 2001.
In the final, the lead-off pairs - Laura McLardy and Carol Wilson for Murcar Links 1 and Fiona Seedhouse and Anne Henderson for Aberdeen Ladies 1 - finished all square.
Murcar Links 1's one-hole overall margin of victory came from their second string of Susan Murray and Pat Wilson who finished one up on Sheena Wood and Ellie Whyte.
Today's results:
SEMI-FINALS
Aberdeen Ladies 1 bt Cruden Bay by two holes (F Seedhouse, A Henderson 0, C Middleton, K Esslemont 2; S Wood, E Whyte 4, L Terry, K Stalker 0).
Murcar Links 1 bt Westhill by four holes (L McLardy, C Wilson 4, S Leslie, J Lees 0; S Murray, P Wilson 0, D Gordon, B Gurden 0).

FINAL
Murcar Links 1 bt Aberdeen Ladies 1 by one hole (McLardy, C Wilson 0, Seedhouse, Henderson 0; Murray, P Wilson 1, Wood, Whyte 0).

RICCARTON ROSEBOWL DRAW FOR SUNDAY

Hamilton Golf Club
8.00 /12.00 Sue Dalrymple (Craigielaw) (handicap 13)
8.00/12.00 Lindsay Mathie Windyhill 12
8.10 / 12.10 Ruth McIntyre Windyhill 12
8.10/12.10 Lauren D'Ambrosio Carluke 11
8.20 / 12.20 Sandra Littlejohn Erskine 11
8.20/ 12.20 Jenni Allan Hamilton 8
8.30 / 12.30 Katie Reid Monifieth 8
8.30/12.30 Mhairi McKay West Kilbride 7
8.40 / 12.40 Emma Bisset Elie and Earlsferry 7
8.40/ 12.40 Jessica Meek Carnoustie 7
8.50 / 12.50 Jenny Potter Cathkin 7
8.50/ 12.50 Louise McGillivray Banchory 7
9.00 / 13.00 Hannah Scott Broomieknowe 6
9.00/ 13.00 Ashley Smith Monifieth 6
9.10 / 13.10 Susan McGrenaghan Mount Ellen 6
9.10/ 13.10 Lucy McNulty Dalmally 6
9.20 / 13.20 Jenny Jenkins Ralston 5
9.20/ 13.20 Jennifer Linklater Largs 5
9.30 / 13.30 Carol Whyte Windyhill 5
9.30/ 13.30 Clara Young North Berwick 5
9.40 / 13.40 Emma Caddow Strathaven 5
9.40/ 13.40 Angela Devine Hamilton 5
9.50 / 13.50 Patricia Davidson Erskine 5
9.50/ 13.50 Jordana Graham Southerness 4
10.00 / 14.00 Louise MacGregor Falkirk 3
10.00/ 14.00 Samantha Leslie Westhill 3
10.10 / 14.10 Rebecca Wilson Grange 2
10.10/ 14.10 Elaine Cuthill Lanark 2
10.20 / 14.20 Anne Laing Vale of Leven 1
10.20/ 14.20 Lauren Mackin Majorca 1
10.30 / 14.30 Ann Ramsay Kirriemuir 1
10.30/ 14.30 Claire Hargan Mortonhall 1
10.40 / 14.40 Megan Briggs Kilmacolm 0
10.40/ 14.40 Susan Wood Drumpellier 0
10.50 / 14.50 Clare-Marie Carlton Fereneze 0
10.50 / 14.50 Laura Murray Alford +1
10.50 / 14.50 Pamela Pretswell Bothwell +2.5
11.00 / 15.00
11.10 / 15.10
11.10 / 15.10

Janice Moodie 'not invited' to play in Scottish Ladies Open

FROM THE SCOTSMAN.COM WEBSITE
By ELSPETH BURNSIDE
Janice Moodie will complete a three-week trip to Europe at this week's AIB Ladies' Irish Open at Killeen Castle, but she won't be coming back for her home Scottish Open at Archerfield from August 18 to 20.
"I wasn't invited," she said. "I suppose I could have entered but I had already made arrangements to play at the LPGA's Safeway Classic in Oregon. I would have played at the Scottish if I had been invited."
Moodie was the only Scot to make the cut at the Ricoh Women's British Open at Birkdale at the weekend, and is currently the Scottish No 2 behind Catriona Matthew, who won the British title at Lytham last year. While Matthew struggled to find sponsors during her year's reign as a major champion, Moodie does have major backers in Lexus cars and Franklin Templeton Investments.
"It maybe helps that I'm a chatty Kathy," joked the 37-year-old from Glasgow. "But I'm also lucky because both sponsors have been with me for a long time.
"It's good because it means my expenses are covered for every tournament. The trouble is most sponsors want to back the young players. The older you get, the more difficult it becomes."
Matthew, 40, is also playing in Ireland but will be another absentee at Archerfeld as she has also opted to go to the States and compete in Portland.