Winning Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie presents Scottish women's amateur champion Kelsey MacDonald with the SLGA Women's Order of Merit Trophy at the XOS Scottish Golf Awards in Glasgow. Image by courtesy of Kenny Smith and the SGU.
And below, Gillian Kirkwood, chairman of the Ladies Golf Union, presents the SLGA Girls' Order of Merit Trophy to Eilidh Briggs. Many thanks to Carol Fell for this image.

YOU CAN READ A FULL REPORT ON SCOTTISH GOLF'S BIG NIGHT OUT
BY LOGGING ON TO www.scottishgolfview.com

HACIENDA DEL ALAMO WOMEN'S/GIRLS' FESTIVAL SCORES

By LEE HARRINGTON, Tournament Director
Round One scores below at the end of what has been a bright sunny day here in Murcia, south-east Spain.
The temperature peaked today around 19 degrees, but with a very brisk and blustery north wind, making it feel cooler, and making conditions very tricky, especially with the greens running very fast!
Still, a lovely day to be playing golf!
Most remarkable score came from Eloise Healey (Lee Park Golf Club, near Liverpool Airport) in the Under-16s. Not sure of her age but she appears about 12 years old, and there is literally nothing of her, yet she shot the joint second best scratch round of the day, a 78. Playing off six of a handicap, Eloise was the only player in the field to shoot anywhere near net par!

MURCIA LADIES' 36-HOLE OPEN
FIRST ROUND
79 BRONTE LAW (BRAMHALL) (+1) net 80.
80 DAISY DYER (CHIGWELL) (scr) net 80
81 LUCY WILLIAMS (MID HERTS) (+1) net 82.
83 LAUREN BLEASE (COOMBE HILL) (1)  net 82
83 MARY MACLAREN (WELLINGBOROUGH) (4) net 79
91 LOUISE CHURCH (HENBURY) (8) net 83

MURCIA UNDER-16 GIRLS' 36-HOLE OPEN
FIRST ROUND
78 ELOISE HEALEY (LEE PARK) (6) net 72
78 AMBER RATCLIFFE (ROYAL CROMER) (1) net  77
79 ALICE HEWSON (BERKHAMSTED) (4) net 75
80 SOPHIE LAMB (CLITHEROE) (11) net  80
81 GABRIELLA COWLEY (WEST ESSEX) (4) net 77
87 DULCIE SVERDLOFF (THORPE HALL) (3) net 84
88 ELLA OFSTEDAHL (MILL GREEN) (6) net 82
90 GEMMA MCCARTHY (CLONMEL) (13) net 77
92 NICOLA CALLANDER (MILL GREEN) (5) net  87
98 AMELIA TAYLOR (ST. ANNES OLD LINKS) (8) net 90
108 GEORGIA OBOH (REDBOURN) (17) net 91

MURCIA UNDER-18 GIRLS' 36-HOLE OPEN
FIRST ROUND
77 DAISY-MAY KENNY (CUDDINGTON) (3) net 74
96 KATHERINE CARRAGHER (JOHN O'GAUNT) (9) net  87

MURCIA SENIOR LADIES 36-HOLE OPEN STABLEFORD
FIRST ROUND POINTS
PENNY BURROWS (HACIENDA) (handicap 28) 36pt
KATE HILTON (DUNSCAR) (16) 33pt
JEANNEKEN MOORTGAT (HACIENDA) (43) 29pt
MARILYNN PEARCE (HACIENDA) (25) 27pt
SUSAN HOCKLEY (ENMORE PARK) (21) 25pt
PAULA CRABTREE (BRISTOL and CLIFTON) (8) 24pt
MARY HASKINS (HACIENDA) (22) 23pt
ROSEANNE REES (EAST BRIGHTON) (11) 22pt
GILLIAN GARDINER (FLEETWOOD) (26) 22pt
AUDREY LEE (FLEETWOOD) (19) 18pt
LINDA MARR (FLEETWOOD) (23) 18pt
KATH WHITE (DUNSCAR) (20) 16pt


MURCIA LADIES 36-HOLE OPEN STABLEFORD
FIRST ROUND POINTS
GINA SIM (HACIENDA) (26) 26pt
ANA WRIGHT (HACIENDA) (20) 25pt


MURCIA UNDER-16 GIRLS' OPEN STABLEFORD
FIRST ROUND POINTS
HANNAH SCREEN (BERKHAMSTED) (21) 33pt
JESSICA DIXON (THETFORD) (23) 26pt
REBECCA MACLAREN (WELLINGBOROUGH) (36) 12pt

NEW ZEALAND CHILD PRODIGY LIKELY TO PLAY AT FAIRHAVEN

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
The Astor Trophy (formerly the Commonwealth Tournament) at Fairhaven Golf Club, Lancashire from June 15 to 19 will almost certainly bring New Zealand's rising child star - 13-year-old Lydia Ko - to Britain for the first time.
And New Zealand might be the dark horses of the tournament as another of their youngsters, Cecilia Cho, 16 this year, also finished high up in the Pegasus NZ Open at the weekend.
Lydia (above left) is pictured with the NZ Women's Open leading amateur trophy, alongside the championship winner, Australian Kristie Smith (image by courtesy of the Ladies European Tour website).

FROM THE LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Thirteen year old Lydia Ko showed that last year was no fluke when she finished leading amateur in the top-10 in the Pegasus New Zealand Open on Sunday.
The South Korean-born Aucklander shot a final round one-under par 71 in the strong winds to finish in a share of fourth place on seven-under par with Europe’s No 3 ranked Melissa Reid (England).
This follows her performance in finishing seventh last year as well as second in the New South Wales Open recently.
Ko mixed two birdies with one bogey in her round.
“It was so hard out there in those winds but I was proud at how I played. I probably played the shot of the tournament on the 16th today when I chipped from off the back of the green to really close,” Ko said.
“I have learned so much this week from playing with Laura Davies and the other top players.
“It was quite hard today with so many people out watching. I never used to like people around but I am getting used to it now. I am starting to play better with the crowds so it must be working.”
Despite the heavy schedule there’s no break now for the teenager, who competes in the Riversdale Cup in Australia next week before heading to India for the Queen Sirikit Cup, then returns across the Tasman for the Australian Amateur Championships.
Ko can expect to see her world ranking as the leading New Zealand golfer – amateur or professional – jump up from the current place of 252 as well as her ranking as No 5 on the world amateur list.

RESULTS FROM HACIENDA DEL ALAMO FESTIVAL OPENING PAIRS

The traditional start to the Hacienda del Alamo Women's and Girls' Festival - the St Valentine's Pairs, was played in glorious conditions - clear skies, sunshine and 18 degrees!

PRIZEWINNERS
Mixed Pairs

1. Joel Dehove and Laurence Perrier (Hacienda del Alamo) 38 pts (on countback)

2. Geoff and Marilynn Pearce (Hacienda del Alamo) 38 pts

3. Simon Brierley and Daisy Dyer (Chigwell) 37pts (on countback)

4. Godfrey and  Georgia Oboh (Redbourn) 37pts

Ladies Pairs

1. Susan Hockley (Enmore Park) and Amelia Taylor (St Annes Old Links) 31 pts

2. Roseanne Rees (East Brighton) and Gillian Gardiner (Fleetwood) 22 pts

3. Audrey Lee and Linda Marr (Fleetwood) 21 pts

Men's Pairs

1. Lee Harrington and Padraic Cantwell (Hacienda del Alamo 40pts

2. Glen Coupland and Peter Green (Hacienda del Alamo) 38 pts

ENTRIES FOR SPANISH WOMEN'S INTERNATIONAL AMATEUR CHSHIP

Entries for the Spanish international women's amateur championship at Sherry Golf, Jerez from March 2 to 6 include:

SCOTLAND - Kelsey MacDonald, Rachael Watton, Alyson McKechin. On waiting list: Hannah McCook.
ENGLAND - Charley Hull, Holly Clyburn, Emily Taylor, Jess Wilcox, Lucy Williams, Rachel Drummond, Lauren Blease.
IRELAND - Leona and Lisa Maguire, Danielle McVeigh, Gillian O'Leary.
WALES - Amy Boulden, Lucy Gould, Samantha Birks.

Two rounds of stroke lay on March 2 and 3 are followed by the match-play stages for the 32 qualifiers.

The Scottish Golf Awards

Renfrewshire and West of Scotland webmaster, Carol Fell, has sent me a link to her Picasa Web Album of images taken at the Scottish Golf Dinner on Friday night.
Click on the image below to see the girls in their finery!
The Scottish Women's International team,  who won the Home International Series at Whitchurch last September,  won the Team award.
G

JULIE WRIGHT TO CHAIR EWGA OPERATIONAL BOARD

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE ENGLISH WOMEN'S GOLF ASSOCIATION
 Staffordshire’s Julie Wright is to be the new chairman of the Operational Board of the English Women’s Golf Association (EWGA) and will take up her role at the annual meeting in March.
Julie currently chairs EWGA’s Midlands North regional committee and has been a member of the board for the past year. She commented: “I am very honoured to be asked to be the new Operational Board chairman and look forward to the challenges that lie ahead.”
The board looks after the core golfing activities of EWGA and its members include the six regional committee chairmen.
Altogether, EWGA represents over 115,000 women and girls in 1780 golf clubs.
Julie is a member of Trentham Golf Club, where she is one of six directors. She took up golf in her late 30s, after retiring from hockey, and now plays off a handicap of 14.
“I am typical of an average lady club golfer in that I enjoy playing weekly club competitions, representing my club in competitive matches and playing in ladies' opens, which is a great way to visit other courses,” she said.
Julie is a chartered accountant and was treasurer of the Midlands Division of the former English Ladies’ Golf Association and was responsible for winding-up its accounts after it ceased to exist.
She went on to represent Staffordshire on the new EWGA regional committee for two years, before becoming Midlands North chairman.
Julie continues to be actively involved with the Staffordshire ladies’ association and sits on their management committee.
She will succeed Warwickshire’s Elizabeth Earnshaw, who completes her term of office at the AGM and has been co-opted on to EWGA’s management board.

Lyndsey Hewison
Press and PR Officer
EWGA