LOUISE MacGREGOR STILL STIRLING AND CLACKMANNAN CHAMPION

Louise MacGregor (Falkirk), the No 3 seed, retained the Stirling and Clackmannan championship at Falkirk Tryst this evening.

She beat 17-year-old Alexis Hunter, the No 9 qualifier playing over her home course, by one hole in an exciting and well-fought match.

Louise went two up after three holes but Alexis holed a good chip from off the green at the fourth to halve the hole .This steadied her but Louise went three up after eight.

However, young Alexis, who was the county's junior champion last year, fought back with two wins to be only one down after 11.

Louise went two up again by winning the 12th and lost the 15th to a birdie. They halved 16 and 17 and Louise was on the green in two at the last, a par 4, to Alexis's 3 - but Alexis sank her putt! Louise also finished a with a 4 to win the final by one hole.

Both girls played to two over par.

"It is very encouraging for Stirling and Clackmannan to have such talented young players," said Anna Hunter.

CHARLEY HULL (15) PLAYS LUCY WILLIAMS (21) IN ENGLISH FINAL

Charley Hull, finalist in the English women's championship at the age of 15 (image by Cal Carson Golf Agency)

FROM THE ENGLISH WOMEN'S GOLF ASSOCIATION WEBSITE
Remarkable 15-year-old Charley Hull has played her way into the final of the English women’s amateur championship at West Sussex and will face the No 2  seed Lucy Williams, pictured right by Cal Carson Golf Agency. The event is sponsored by Tourism Ireland.
It’s the first time either player has entered this championship and, with both bringing fine pedigree to the event, the final promises to be excellent.
Charley, from Woburn, is currently ranked 19th in the women’s amateur world rankings and has been making golfing headlines since she won a national competition at the age of nine.
Since then she’s been English U13 champion, made her debut as an England international aged 14, won on this season’s Orange Blossom Tour in Florida and, last weekend, became the Welsh open stroke-play champion.
Lucy, from Mid-Herts, is 21 and is having a year’s full-time golf after completing her degree at Birmingham University. Although her studies have shaped her golfing schedule she has notched up a string of successes.
She’s a past winner of the English mid-amateur championship and she tied for the Scottish U21 stroke-play, only to be pipped in a play-off (by Kelsey MacDonald). Lucy was a member of Hertfordshire’s winning team at last year’s English County Finals and she helped an all-woman university team win the World Student Match-play Championship.
Both are relishing the prospect of the final: “I am really happy, over the moon, to get to the final and I shall play as well as I can,” said Lucy.
Charley commented: “I am absolutely loving this. I played in last year’s English stroke-play and was leading with a round to go – perhaps I can go one better tomorrow!” Both players delighted spectators with their golf in the quarter and semi-finals. Charley came through an excellent match against Lisa Ball (Matfen Hall) to take on the in-form Charlotte Wild of Cheshire. Charlotte had reached the semis with her second win this week over a Curtis Cup player, defeating Holly Clyburn (Woodhall Spa).
Charlotte immediately went ahead on the first hole, where Charley played a wrong ball out of the heather. But the teenager got back to all square with a par on the difficult 196-yard sixth, where she hit a four-iron over the water and into the heart of the green. An eagle three followed on the seventh and she moved into the lead for the first time.
Charley, who demonstrated a superb short game with two impressive up and downs from difficult lies in bunkers, was three up after 10. She lost the 11th to a birdie four but went back to three up on the 13th.
Charlotte then struck back with back-to-back birdies and only one hole separated the players as they went down the 16th. Charley just missed a birdie putt on 16, but, after an immensely long drive, secured her birdie and the match on the par five 17th.
Lucy Williams started her day’s campaign with a very close match against Rachel Drummond (Beaconsfield). Lucy finally won on the 18th – the only time she was up – and said: “It was a fantastic match. Rachel played so well and it was so close.”
In the semi-final she took on Gloucestershire’s Charlotte Ellis, an experienced international and last month’s winner of the Helen Holm Scottish open stroke-play title at Troon. Charlotte had made short work of her quarter-final after starting with four birdies in the first five holes.
Charlotte started the semi-final in the same vein with a birdie on the first hole. Lucy answered with another birdie on the third to get back to all square and moved ahead when her opponent conceded the fourth. She moved steadily ahead and was three up after seven. She lost the 10th to a par, but restored her three-hole lead with a par on the 12th, one of the difficult short holes which are a feature of West Sussex.
Lucy moved further ahead on the 14th, where she managed a par after playing a flop shot over a bunker which she later described as “one of the best up and downs of my life.” She claimed the match on the short 15th where her shot found the centre of the green and Charlotte’s first finished in the water.
RESULTS 
Quarter-finals
Charlotte Wild (Mere) bt Holly Clyburn (Woodhall Spa) 3 and 2.
Charley Hull (Woburn) bt Lisa Hall (Matfen Hall) 3 and 2.
Charlotte Ellis (Minchinhampton) bt Jerry Lawrence (Rochester and Cobham Park) 6 and 5.
Lucy Williams (Mid-Herts) bt Rachel Drummond (Beaconsfield) 1 hole.
Semi-finals
Hull beat Wild 2 and 1.
Williams beat Ellis 5 and 3.

RACHEL CONNOR BEATEN IN SUNCOAST LADIES TOUR PLAY-OFF

Rachel Connor, daughter of Manchester Golf Club's Scots-born professional Brian, was pipped on the post for victory in this week's Suncoast Ladies Pro Tour over the Stoneybrook East course, near Orlando, Florida.
LPGA Tour player and Stirling University graduate Maria Hjorth from Sweden shot a brilliant final round of seven-under-par 65 to match the 10-under-par total of 206 posted minutes earlier by Rachel (71-66-69).
Off they went in a sudden-death play-off and, as so often happens, it is the player with the momentum that prevailed - Maria got yet another birdie to Rachel's par to claim the $2,000 first prize. Rachel's reward was $1,000.
Rachel, pictured left by Cal Carson Golf Agency, is working with the coaches at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida and she feels that her game is progressing well. It’s the qualifier for the US Open next week so she is hoping to make an impression in her region.

FINAL TOTALS
Par 216 (3x72). Yardage 6,250
1 Maria HJORTH Falun, Sweden 69-72-65--206 $2,000.00
+Hjorth bt Connor at the first hole of a sudden-death play-off
2 Rachel CONNOR Manchester, England 71-66-69--206  $1,000.00
3 Nicole HAGE Coral Springs, Florida 71-67-69--207  $800.00
T4 Dori CARTER Valdosta, Georgia 73-68-67--208 $675.00
T4 Kristen SIMPSON Norfolk, Virginia 72-68-68--208  $675.00
T6 A J Newell (amateur) Tampa, Florida 71-71-68--210 
T6 Lorie KANE Charlottetown, Canada 68-71-71--210  $600.00
8 Whitney NEUHAUSER Charlottesville, Virginia 67-72-72--211  $550.00
T9 Alexandra CASI East Palestine, Ohio 73-70-70--213  $517.50
T9 Ki-Shui LIAO Windermere, Florida 73-70-70--213  $517.50
T11 Kelly FROELICH Raizeux, France 73-73-68--214  $100.00
T11 Christina JONES Jensen Beach, Florida 72-71-71--214  $100.00
T11 Nikki HADD Crestview, Florida72-71-71--214  $100.00
T11 Chelsea CURTIS Masphee, Massachusetts 74-69-71--214  $100.00
T11 Nannette HILL Pelham Manor, New York 74-69-71--214  $100.00
OUT OF THE MONEY
T16 Susan NAM Edmonton, Canada 74-73-70--217
T16 Benedikte GROTVEDT Nesbru, Norway 77-70-70--217 
T16 Cristina CORPUS San Leandro, California 72-71-74--217
T19 Alison MEYER Duluth, Minnesota 76-71-71--218
T19 Susannah ABOFF Huntington Station, New York 72-74-72--218 
T21 Rhea NAIR India 76-75-69--220
T21 Jean CHUA Malaysia 72-73-75--220
23 Susan CHOI Natick, Ma 73-76-74--223
T24 Shasta AVERYHARDT Flint, Michigan 78-75-72--225
T24 Elvira BARCALA Maracay, Venezuela 75-75-75--225 
26 Jae OH South Korea 73-82-72--227
27 Ellen DUNNE Lauderdale by the Sea, Florida 75-77-78--230 
28 Jordyn Hage (amateur) Winter Park, Florida 79-76-79--234 
29 Cassandra BLANEY Championsgate, Florida 75-81-79--235 
30 Darlene STOWERS Tampa, Florida 78-80-79--237
31 Suzanne Stanley (amateur) Decatur, Alabama 77-82-79--238 
T32 Bridget CARR Buffalo, New York 90-76-73--239
T32 Jeanine ARONICA Garden City, New York 75-83-81--239
34 Haley GILDEA East Greenwich, Rhode Island 82-82-85--249 
35 Rebecca SAMUELSSON Gothenburg, Sweden 80-79-withdrew

NOCERA SETS L E T PACE IN PORTUGAL WITH EIGHT-UNDER 64

By BETHAN CUTLER
Ladies European Tour Media ManagerGwladys Nocera shot a course-record eight-under-par 64 today to take a two- stroke lead after the first round of the ISPS Handa Portugal Ladies Open.

The 35-year-old Frenchwoman had six birdies and an eagle on the CampoReal Resort and Spa course north of Lisbon, where she is targeting her 11th Ladies European Tour title.

Nocera took a putting lesson with her coach Olivier Léglise over a video-link on Skype at the beginning of the week and credited her round on improved putting.

“I have a big putting carpet and I put it in my living room. I put the camera on and we just worked on it,” she said.

“When you shoot that kind of score you don’t make many mistakes and I putted really well. Last week I struggled with my putting and I saw my coach; we worked on it and it’s getting back into shape.”

South Africans Ashleigh Simon and Stacy Lee Bregman were in joint second with Australian Sarah Kemp, who opened with a 66 in the scorching sunshine.

Kemp carded five birdies, one bogey and an eagle in her round.
Simon, the 2007 Catalonia Ladies Masters champion, who turned 22 on Wednesday, had eight birdies and a double bogey on the par-three fourth hole after pulling her tee shot left a little.
Simon said: “I played really nicely and struck the ball well. Unfortunately I had a double bogey on the fourth hole and that crept up on me but managed to get those shots back and finish six under.”
Bregman had four birdies and an eagle at the par-five fifth hole and said: “I missed out on the last two holes and made pars not birdies, but I played really well today. I holed good putts on 10 and 14 but was hitting it close to the hole all day. There’s a lot of elevation on this course and it’s quite a work out with some of the hills. I think it’s a really good golf course; it tests everything and you’ve got to think you’re way around.”
Sweden’s Louise Stahle, Belen Mozo of Spain and Italian Diana Luna opened with 67s to be a shot clear of 11 players including last week’s Turkish Airlines Ladies Open champion Christel Boeljon of the Netherlands.
England’s Laura Davies shot a three under 69 despite feeling that the course didn’t suit her swashbuckling style of play.
The 79-time tournament champion, suffering with hay fever, said: “It’s not my sort of course that I would choose to play because it takes driver out of my hands and I think my advantage is my driver. But on the other hand, you’ve got to think you’re way around some courses and this is a very clever course.”
Becky Brewerton was five under par after 16 holes in her round but dropped three shots on the last two holes as she struggled with a foot injury.
Meanwhile, Australian Karen Lunn, the 2010 event winner, was disappointed with her opening 71. She said: “I was three under through 13 holes obviously with a couple of par fives left so you’re thinking, ‘Maybe I can shoot four or five under.’ I left a couple out there and got a couple of bad bounces over the last few holes, but I got a couple of good ones on the front nine.
“That’s golf; so you just have to live with it. I’ll go do some practice and I’ll need to shoot a really low one tomorrow to have any chance on Sunday. I haven’t shot myself in the foot but I would have liked to have been a couple better.”
FIRST-ROUND SCOREBOARD
Par 7264 Gwladys Nocera (FRA)
66 Ashleigh Simon (SA), Sarah Kemp (AUS), Stacy Lee Bregman (SA)
67 Louise Stahle (SWE), Belen Mozo (ESP), Diana Luna (ITA)
68 Lucie Andre (FRA), Malene Jorgensen (DEN), Lydia Hall (WAL), Christel Boeljon (NL), Caroline Afonso (FRA), Kim Welch (USA), Caroline Hedwall (SWE), Felicity Johnson (ENG), Virginie Lagoutte-Clement (FRA), Cassandra Kirkland (FRA), Rachel Jennings (ENG)
69 Bree Arthur (AUS), Elizabeth Bennett (ENG), Laura Davies (ENG), Lisa Maguire (Am) (IRE), Corisande Lee (ENG), Julie Tvede (DEN), Sahra Hassan (WAL), Caroline Rominger (SWI), Jaclyn Sweeney (USA), Becky Morgan (WAL), Connie Chen (SA), Kyra van Leeuwen (NL)
70 Becky Brewerton (WAL), Julie Maisongrosse (FRA), Rebecca Flood (AUS), Martina Gillen (IRE), Louise Larsson (SWE), Margherita Rigon (ITA), Nikki Garrett (AUS), Melissa Reid (ENG), Kristie Smith (AUS), Georgina Simpson (ENG), Diana D'Alessio (USA)
71 Alison Walshe (Ireland), Anja Monke (GER), Kylie Walker (SCO), Karen Lunn (AUS), Dewi Claire Schreefel (NL), Sophie Giquel-Bettan (FRA), Stefania Croce (ITA), Lisa Holm Sorensen (DEN), Marion Ricordeau (FRA), Linda Wessberg (SWE), Marina Arruti (ESP)
72 Lee-Anne Pace (SA), Pernilla Lindberg (SWE), Rebecca Hudson (ENG), Krystle Caithness (SCO), Julie Greciet (FRA), Carly Booth (SCO), Marjet van der Graaff (NL), Titiya Plucksataporn (THA), Sara Brown (USA), Kiran Matharu (ENG), Laurette Maritz (SA), Helen Alfredsson (SWE), Beth Allen (USA), Anne-Lise Caudal (FRA), Minea Blomqvist (FIN)
73 Barbara Genuini (FRA), Johanna Lundberg (SWE), Lynn Kenny (SCO), Florentyna Parker (ENG), Morgana Robbertze (SA), Sophie Gustafson (SWE), Line Vedel (DEN), Joanna Klatten (FRA), Magda Carrilho (Am) (PGL), Marieke Nivard (NL), Stefanie Michl (AUT), Rachel Bell (ENG)
74 Rebecca Codd (IRE), Sophie Sandolo (ITA), Leona Maguire (Am) (IRE), Holly Aitchison (ENG), Christine Hallstrom (SWE), Kaisa Ruuttila (FIN), Federica Piovano (ITA), Tandi Cuningham (SA), Lara Tadiotto (BEL)
75 Lora Fairclough (ENG), Emma Cabrera-Bello (ESP), Hannah Jun (USA), Stacey Keating (AUS), Jessica Ji (SKOR), Danielle Montgomery (ENG), Melodie Bourdy (FRA)
76 Garrett Phillips (USA), Carmen Alonso (ESP), Tania Elosegui (ESP), Kym Larratt (ENG), Vicky Tomko (SVK), Nontaya Srisawang (THA), Melanie Maetzler (SWI), Sophie Walker (ENG), Benedicte Toumpsin (BEL), Valentine Derrey (FRA), Laura Cabanillas (ESP)
77 Liebelei Elena Lawrence (GR), Gemma Webster (SCO), Frances Bondad (AUS)
78 Maha Haddioui (MOR), Kate Combes (AUS), Susana Ribeiro (Am) (PGL), Elisabeth Esterl (GER), Riikka Hakkarainen (FIN), Vikki Laing (SCO), Veronica Zorzi (ITA)
79 Monia Bernardo (PGL), Kirsty J Fisher (UK), Nicole Gergely (AUT)
80 Adriana Zwanck (ESP), Clare Queen (SCO)
81 Ana Larraneta (ESP), Sofia Camara (Am) (PGL)
84 Helena Blomberg (SWE), Breanne Loucks (WAL)
86 Ludivine Kreutz (FRA)

Cruden Bay plea for more entries for ladies' Stableford on Saturday, May 28

Cruden Bay Golf Club Director of Golf Robbie Stewart has asked the help of Kirkwoodgolf to boost the number of entries for the club's open ladies' Stableford tournament on Saturday, May 28.
"We are a bit short on entries from ladies from outwith Cruden Bay and I wondered if you could help us drum up some more entries. Silver Division ladies play on the Main course, Bronze Division ladies play on the St Olaf course," says Robbie.
"Entry forms can be downloaded from our website www.crudenbaygolfclub.co.uk

LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR HENDERSON ROOKIES NAMED

Left to right: Caroline Hedwall, Stacey Keating and Jaclyn Sweeney, the 2011 Ladies European Tour Henderson Rookies.

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR
Henderson Global Investors today announced the three players who will take up the title of the 2011 Ladies European Tour Henderson Rookies.
Caroline Hedwall (Sweden), Jaclyn Sweeney (USA) and Stacey Keating (Australia) will be collectively referred to as the ‘2011 Henderson Rookies’ and each will wear Henderson branded clothing and caps when they compete throughout the 2011 season in more than twenty countries.
Henderson Global Investors, who also sponsor the Official LET Money List, known as the Henderson Money List, are now in their fifth year of sponsoring newcomers to the Tour. Henderson supports the three Rookies with €12,000 each to help them in their first year as professional golfers.
Richard Wilson, Marketing Director at Henderson Global Investors said “Henderson’s sponsorship of the Rookies has gone from strength to strength since we became involved in 2007. The benefit of having a supportive sponsor from early on in a young golfer’s career is demonstrated by the achievements of the Henderson Rookies of the past five years, including Anna Nordqvist (2009) who won a major in her first year, and Kristie Smith (2010) and Christel Boeljon (2009) who have both had success on the Tour this year, winning individual LET titles. “It’s great to know that our support helped them achieve so much in their early years on the Tour, and we are very much looking forward to working with the 2011 Henderson Rookies.”

Commenting on this year's Henderson Rookies, Alexandra Armas, Executive Director of the Ladies European Tour, said “I have been deeply impressed with the way that the Henderson Rookies have performed over the last four seasons; this year’s crop are another talented trio with the potential to deliver at this elite level. We wish Caroline, Jaclyn and Stacey all the best for the months ahead as they begin their careers on the increasingly competitive Ladies European Tour.”

OFF THE AIR SINCE 8pm LAST NIGHT. BUT WE'RE BACK NOW!

WE REGRET THAT WE HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO UPDATE YOU WITH THE LATEST GOLF NEWS SINCE AROUND 8pm LAST NIGHT DUE TO A SERIOUS MALFUNCTION OF THE BLOGGER SYSTEM. THE CORRECTION OF THE FAULT HAS MEANT THE LOSS OF SEVERAL ITEMS WHICH WERE ON DISPLAY PREVIOUSLY. UNFORTUNATELY, WE CANNOT RETRIEVE THEM.


Colin Farquharson
Editor
Kirkwoodgolf.co.uk