SCOTTISH CHAMPION LAURA MURRAY WINS ST RULE TROPHY AGAIN

Laura Murray receives the St Rule Trophy from Lady Angela Bonallack (Cal Carson Golf Agency image)  By COLIN FARQUHARSON Colin@scottishgolfview.com Alford's Laura Murray has become only the fourth player to pull off the Scottish women's amateur championship and St Rule Trophy winning double in the season. The 23-year-old from the Aberdeenshire village did it impressive style, winning the prestigious 54-hole St Andrews tournament for the second time in three years this evening.  In 2010 she had to go to a play-off which she won against Curtis Cup selection Amy Boulden. This weekend, Laura won it a bit more easily - by two shots in the end from Emma Goddard (Royal Liverpool) with scores of 73 over the New Course on Saturday and 74-73 over the Old Course today for a seven-under-par total of 220. Murray, supported by the Paul Lawrie Foundation, shared the lead after Saturday's round but forged two shots clear with her first circuit of the Old Course and when she used her long-hitting powers to birdie the par-5 second, fourth and fifth in her final round, the title was hers to lose. She did bogey the fifth but an eagle 3 at the 13th allowed her to bogey the treacherous 17th, the Road Hole, and still win with something in hand.  The last Scottish champion to win the St Rule Trophy three weeks after her national triumph was Heather Stirling 10 years ago. The only other Scots to pull off the big early-season double have been Catriona Matthew (twice) and Anne Laing. Worth noting also that Laura Murray is only the fourth player to have won the St Rule Trophy twice. Another Aberdeenshire player (although she was a St Rule Club member at the time as she was working in St Andrews), Christine Middleton (Cruden Bay) did it in 1988 (last of five years as a 36-hole tournament) and 1989; Catriona Lambert/Matthew (North Berwick) did it in 1993 and 1994, and Kylie Walker (Buchanan Castle) also won it back to back in 2008-2009.  The St Andrews Old Course has quite a few shortish par-5s for ladies, so perhaps the long-hitting Murray cashed in again on her length off the tee? Not so, she revealed in her post-victory interview. "For once it wasn't my driving which was the key, as it was when I won the Scottish title at Tain a couple of weeks ago," said Laura. "My driving has gone off a bit and my coach and boyfriend Keil (Beveridge) and I have been working on that to get back on to the straight and narrow. But I only hit six fairways on the New Course on Saturday, so the rest of my game was in pretty good nick. "No, it was my putting that pulled me through. I holed an awful lot of good putts over the three rounds. From round about the 10ft range, I hardly missed anything. "I'm playing well and that gives me confidence - I just wish I was playing in the Curtis Cup match this week! Seriously, I am really looking forward now to the British women's championship at Carnoustie at the end of this month. " Emma Goddard posted the clubhouse target of five-under-par 222 with half the field still to finish - rounds were taking 4 1/2 hours - after posting a four-under-par 72. In the end only Laura Murray overhauled the Lancashire player. Emma had a startling recovery from a double bogey 6 at the comparatively simple first hole - she birdied the next five holes and also the ninth to be out in four-under-par 34. She bogeyed the 11th but birdied the 13th in level par 38 home. Joint third place, a shot behind Goddard, were three players, former Scottish champion Louise Kenney (Pitreavie), Bethany Garton (Royal Lytham), whose final round of 70 was the best of the tournament, and Sweden's Jenny Haglund, all on 223.  Bethany Garton, only 18 and  scratch player, had 31 putts and birdied the first, fifth, eighth, ninth and 12th in a bogey-free round. Her Old Course figures were OUT: 3-5-4-5-4-4-4-2-3:32. IN: 3-4-3-4-5-4-4-5-4:36 She is pictured left in front of the RandA clubhouse at St Andrews. It was her debut in the St Rule Trophy. The Lawson Trophy for the highest finishing Under-18 year old was won by Emily Taylor (Royal Lytham), pictured right by Cal Carson Golf Agency, who won the Welsh women's open amateur stroke play championship last weekend. Her final round of 71 for 225 for joint seventh place overall pipped clubhouse Under-18s leader Jessica Meek (Carnoustie Ladies) by two shots with Clara Young (North Berwick) a close-up third, only three behind Taylor. Emily's closing score was the joint second best - Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm) had the other 71 - score of the final round when the north-easterly wind dropped from its previous chilling gusts of up to 17mph to under 10mph.  Emily birdied the second, ninth, 10th, 12th. 13th, 14th with only one bogey (at the 11th) in halves of 36-35. Jessica had three very good rounds of 75-77-75 for 227 and came 10th in a quality field. Young Clara finished joint 11th overall alongside Scottish championship beaten finalist Jane Turner (Craigielaw) and 2010 national champion Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) with ever-improving scores of 79, 76 and 73. Former Scottish girls champion Lesley Atkins (Gullane Ladies) led the Under-18s after rounds of 74-75 but she fell away to a joint fourth finish after a final round of 83 for 232. Out in 39, Lesley moved under par with birdies at the 10th and 12th but then it all unravelled over the last six holes for which she was eight over par. A triple bogey 8 at the 13th was followed by a bogey 6 at the 14th, a double bogey 6 at the 15th, and bogey 5s at the 16t 18th for 44 shots home.  Gabriella Cowley (West Essex) was one of the pre-tournament favourites for the Under-18s trophy on the strength of her winning the Scottish Under-16s open stroke-play title at Strathmore on her last visit to Scotland in April. But things went pear-shaped for Gabriella with rounds of 74-77-83 and a disappointing total of 233. In her second round over the Old Course, Cowley was five under par after only five holes, thanks to birdies at the long second, the third, the long fourth and an eagle 3 at the long fifth. A double bogey 6 at the sixth didn't stop her in her tracks because she promptly birdied the seventh and turned in two-under 36.  But maybe the light had gone out after all. The inward half cost Gabriella 41 shots with bogeys a the long 13th, the long 17th and the 18th.  Incidentally, the Lawson Trophy was contested by 17 in the Under-18 years category, a record for the St Rule Trophy which was instituted in 1984. Which throws up a clubhouse talking point: Should there be a British Under-18 girls' stroke-play championship over four rounds? You might say there is one already, but it is part of the British women's stroke-play, which is not quite the same. Charlotte Wild (Mere) finished joint seventh on 225 but she looked as if she was going to be challenging for the lead if she kept up a great run she had in the middle of her third round. Charlotte birdied the fourth-fifth-sixth, then the eighth-ninth (out in 33) and the 10th to six under par for the round with eight holes to play. But Wild went off the boil down the home straight with bogeys at the 11th, 14th and 16th for 40 home and a 73 that might have been a sub-70. Laura Murray, Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm) and Jane Turner (Craigielaw) won the international team trophy for Scotland with a total of 446 - two ahead of runners-up England.  It was a good day for the Briggs girls who both finished in the top nine. Megan's closing 71 came after she reached the turn in 33, showing no signs of the shoulder injury that forced her to retire the previous weekend in the Irish stroke-play. Megan finished sixth on 224, Eilidh ninth on 226. Ireland international Aedin Murphy (Carlow) won a special prize for a hole in one with a six-iron at the 145yd eighth hole in the second round over the Old Course. It was her third ace. She came into the field late on from the waiting list. The Old Course "bit back" one hole later - Aedin had a double bogey 6 at the ninth! Aedin is pictured left receiving her prize from Lady Angela Bonallack. Image by Cal Carson Golf Agency. The CSS for the three rounds was 76-78-76. SCROLL DOWN TO SEE ALL THE TOTALS

SPAIN'S CIGANDA SCORES FIRST WIN ON LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR

NEWS RELEASE FROM THE LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR
By BETHAN CUTLER, LET Media Manager
Carlota Ciganda of Spain held on to her overnight lead to claim her maiden win on the Ladies European Tour at the Deloitte Ladies Open in Holland.

The 22-year-old rookie professional from Pamplona began the final day with a one stroke lead over Ursula Wikstrom. She shot a final round of three under 69 at Golfclub Broekpolder in cold and breezy conditions to end two strokes clear of the Finn at nine under par. South African Lee-Anne Pace shot a final round of 71 to finish outright third on four under. Dewi Claire Schreefel was the leading Dutch player and tied for fourth place with Carin Koch of Sweden at three under.
After a long weather delay due to heavy rainfall overnight and through the morning, Ciganda made her intentions clear with a birdie on the par-four first hole, making a long putt to go two shots ahead.
Wikstrom came back by sinking a short birdie putt at the par-three fourth hole and both Ciganda and Wikstrom then holed birdie putts at the fifth. 

Wikstrom nailed a 35-footer uphill on the seventh green to tie for the lead, but after making an excellent sand save on the ninth, Ciganda holed another long putt to go one clear at the turn with a three under outward total of 33. 

Ciganda went two clear after Wikstrom dropped a shot at the 10^th, but the gap was back to one after the Spaniard three-putted the par-four 11^th.

The final turning point came when Wikstrom bogeyed the par-three 16^th after failing to get up and down from a bunker, giving Ciganda a two stroke lead with two holes to play.
Both players missed birdie chances on 17 and then on 18, the heavens opened just after Ciganda hit her second shot to the green. Wikstrom made an excellent up and down from a bunker for birdie before Ciganda rolled in her second putt for birdie to seal the win.
A former British women's open amateur champion, this was her first victory on the LET but her third title as a professional, after she won the Spanish professional championship earlier this season as well as the Murcia Ladies Open on the LET Access Series last year in Spain.
“I am very happy. It’s a very good feeling and I am very happy because I played very good golf. I was feeling calm and I was fine,” Ciganda said. “Like yesterday, I started with a birdie on the first hole and made another one on my fifth and then ninth, so I was three under. Then my bogey was on hole-number 11. I three-putted and missed a short putt but I was hitting lots of fairways, lots of greens. I was keeping in the present and playing great golf.
“It’s very big because it’s my first win on the Ladies European Tour so I’m very happy and hopefully I can win more.”
Ciganda’s mother didn’t see her daughter win as she had to head back to Spain on an earlier flight, but the rookie said that she would celebrate with her caddie and his brother in Rotterdam.
Further down the leader board, European No.1 Christel Boeljon of the Netherlands, who started the week as the home favourite, ended in a tie for 11th after a final round of 73.
British women's amateur champion from last June at Royal Portrush, Lauren Taylor (Woburn) from Rugby ended as the leading amateur in the field in a share of 57^th place on 224 and will also play in the next Ladies European Tour event, the Allianz Ladies Slovak Open next week.
EDITOR'S NOTE: If things had worked out differently, Lauren would have been playing for GB and I in this coming week's Curtis Cup match at The Nairn GC.

FINAL TOTALS
Par 216 (3x72)

207 Carlota Ciganda (ESP) 71 67 69

209 Ursula Wikstrom (FIN) 71 68 70
212 Lee-Anne Pace (ZAF) 71 70 71
213 Carin Koch (SWE) 71 70 72, Dewi Claire Schreefel (NLD) 71 70 72

214 Veronica Zorzi (ITA) 73 69 72, Caroline Masson (DEU) 71 72 71, Mikaela Parmlid (SWE) 72 71 71, Caroline Afonso (FRA) 71 70 73

215 Florentyna Parker (ENG) 68 72 75

216 Louise Larsson (SWE) 72 71 73, Hannah Burke (ENG) 69 75 72, Alison Whitaker (AUS) 70 72 74, Elena Giraud (FRA) 68 73 75, Marion Ricordeau (FRA) 72 74 70, Stacy Lee Bregman (ZAF) 73 69 74, Diana Luna (ITA) 69 76 71, Christel Boeljon (NLD) 70 73 73, Gwladys Nocera (FRA) 76 770, Sophie Walker (ENG) 72 74 70

217 Stacey Keating (AUS) 74 71 72, Nontaya Srisawang (THA) 73 72 72, Line Vedel (DNK) 76 66 75

218 Esther Choe (USA) 76 71 71, Rebecca Artis (AUS) 73 71 74, Felicity Johnson (ENG) 70 71 77, Henrietta Zuel (ENG) 72 69 77, Stefania Croce (ITA) 71 73 74, Becky Brewerton (WAL) 72 71 75

219 Rebecca Hudson (ENG) 73 71 75, Anja Monke (DEU) 70 77 72, Caroline Westrup (SWE) 76 71 72, Rachel Bailey (AUS) 74 73 72, Rebecca Codd (IRL) 75 72 72, Joanna Klatten (FRA) 72 71 76, Helen Alfredsson (SWE) 76 69 74, Frances Bondad (AUS) 74 71 74, Lydia Hall (WAL) 74 71 74, Eleanor Givens (ENG) 75 73 71, Marjet Van Der Graaff (NLD) 72 73 74

220 Jenni Kuosa (FIN) 71 74 75, Connie Chen (ZAF) 75 72 73, Sahra Hassan (WAL) 72 74 74, Julie Maisongrosse (FRA) 72 72 76, Anais Maggetti (CHE) 72 72 76
221 Karen Lunn (AUS) 68 76 77, Clare Queen (SCO) 72 75 74, Trish Johnson (ENG) 75 73 73, Anne-Lise Caudal (FRA) 71 74 76, Lynnette Brooky (NZL) 72 73 76, Liebelei Lawrence (LUX) 77 69 75
222 Georgina Simpson (ENG) 74 74 74, Marianne Skarpnord (NOR) 72 76 74, Beth Allen (USA) 75 72 75
223 Sophie Giquel-bettan (FRA) 75 70 78, Steffi Kirchmayr (DEU) 68 79 76
224 Julie Greciet (FRA) 75 72 77, Jessica Yadloczky (USA) 73 74 77, Lauren Taylor (ENG) (am)  72 76 76
225 Jade Schaeffer (FRA) 73 75 77, Sophie Sandolo (ITA) 74 73 78, Maria Ohlsson (SWE) 76 71 78
226 Kendall Dye (USA) 71 74 81, Linda Wessberg (SWE) 74 74 78, Celine Palomar (FRA) 72 72 82
227 Karlijn Zaanen (NLD) (am) 75 73 79
228 Maria Beautell (ESP) 76 72 80
230 Mianne Bagger (DNK) 71 74 85

Ends

ST RULE TROPHY - FINAL TOTALS

 IMAGE BY CAL CARSON OF LAURA MURRAY IN FRONT OF THE ST RULE CLUBHOUSE, ST ANDREWS

Par 227 (New Course Saturday par 75, CSS 76; Old Course Sunday par 76, CSS 78 am CSS pm 76)

220 Laura Murray (Alford) 73 74 73
222 Emma Goddard (Royal Liverpool Ladies) 75 72 72
223 Bethany Garton (Royal Lytham) 74 79 70, Jenny Haglund (Sweden) 73 78 72, Louise Kenney (Pitreavie) 74 75 74 
224 Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm) 76 77 71
225 Emily M Taylor (Royal Lytham) 76 78 71, Charlotte Wild (Mere) 78 73 74
226 Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm) 76 74 76
227 Jessica Meek (Carnoustie Ladies) 75 77 75
228 Jane Turner (Craigielaw) 76 76 76, Clara Young (North Berwick) 79 76 73, Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) 77 78 73
231 Emilie Lundstrom (Sweden) 78 81 72
232 Lesley Atkins (Gullane Ladies)  74 75 83, Ailsa Summers (Carnoustie Ladies) 80 76 76, Ami Storey (Ponteland) 79 77 76, Jess Wilcox (Blankney) 78 79 75
233 Chloe Williams (Wrexham) 79 79 75, Gabriella Cowley (West Essex) 74 77 82, Alyson McKechin (Elderslie) 76 85 72
234 Rachael McQueen (Troon Ladies) 78 80 76, Susan Jackson (Ladybank) 77 78 79
235 Hannah McCook (Grantown on Spey) 80 78 77, Lauren Blease (Burhill) 76 81 78, Samantha Birks (Wolstanton) 75 83 77, Joelle Van Baarle (Belgium) 82 78 75, Brogan Townend (Pleasington) 76 81 78
236 Nicola Haynes (Gosforth Park) 76 82 78, Frida Gustafsson-Spang (Sweden) 80 79 77, Emma Henriksson (Sweden) 76 80 80
237 Cara Gruber (Royal Dornoch) 80 81 76, Catherine Herrera (Brae Burn, US) 78 82 77, Rachael Taylor (Germany) 79 76 82
238 Aedin Murphy (Carlow, Ireland) 80 80 78, Nikki Foster (Pleasington) 83 77 78
239 Charlotte Thompson (Channels) 88 74 77, Gemma Clews (Delamere Forest) 81 82 76
242 Linnea Johansson (Sweden) 76 82 84, Emilee Taylor (Holme Hall) 80 82 80, Lauren Whyte (St Regulus) 78 82 82
243 Karen Delaney (Carlow, Ireland) 80 80 83, Heather Munro (Monifieth) 80 83 80, Lianna Bailey (Notts Ladies) 82 84 77, Katie Rule (Merlin) 73 85 85, Martine Pow (Selkirk) 81 82 80
244 Gabrielle Macdonald (Craigielaw) 80 88 76
245 Connie Jaffrey (Troon Ladies) 89 83 73, Stephanie Fransolet (Belgium) 82 82 81, Eva Schoenwald (Germany) 80 83 82
247 Lisa Warrilow (Lilleshall Hall) 81 82 84
248 Claire Hargan (Cardross) 84 81 83, Adriana Brent (Australia) 87 78 83
250 Dulcie Sverdloff (Garon Park) 83 84 83
252 Jacqueline Sneddon (Alyth) 82 83 87
253 Laura Watkins (Bicester) 86 83 84
Retired Sophie Madden (West Essex) 76 ret.


LAWSON TROPHY (Under-18s)
The field of 17 competitors aged under-18 years was a record for the tournament first played 
in 1984
225 Emily M Taylor (Royal Lytham)
227 Jessica Meek (Carnoustie Ladies)
228 Clara Young (North Berwick).
232 Lesley Atkins (Gullane Ladies), Ailsa Summers (Carnoustie Ladies).
233 Chloe Williams (Wrexham), Gabriella Cowley (West Essex)
235 Brogan Townend (Pleasington).
236 Nicola Haynes (Gosforth Park)
239 Gemma Clews (Delamere Forest)
242 Lauren Whyte (St Regulus)
243 Liana Bailey (Notts Ladies), Heather Munro (Monifieth)
245 Connie Jaffrey (Troon Ladies), Eva Schoenwald (Germany)
250 Dulcie Sverdloff (Garon Park)
Retired (ill): Sophie Madden (West Essex)


INTERNATIONAL TEAM EVENT
(Two scores to count each round)
446 SCOTLAND (L Murray, E Briggs, J Turner)
448 ENGLAND (E M Taylor, B Townend, C Wild)
462 SWEDEN (E Henrikson, F Gustafsson-Spand, E Lundstrom)
468 WALES (C Williams, S Birks, L Watkins)
480 BELGIUM (J Van Baarle, S Franscolet)
481 IRELAND (K Delaney, A Murphy)

    THE FLOWERS OF SCOTLAND. Winning team in the St Rule Trophy international event - left to right - Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm), Jane Turner (Craigielaw), Laura Murray (Alford) with Lady Angela Bonallack who made the presentation of prizes.

IMAGE BY CAL CARSON GOLF AGENCY

LAURA MURRAY LEADS BY TWO AFTER ST RULE TROPHY SECOND ROUND

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
Scottish champion Laura Murray (Alford), joint leader overnight after a two-under-par 73 over the St Andrews New Course on Saturday, took up the pole position on her own after the second round, over the Old Course this morning/afternoon with a two-under-par 74 in the St Rule Trophy women's 54 hole tournament at the Home of Golf.
Bright, breezy and very, very chilly - that's the weather report from St Andrews with the RandA clubhouse wind-measuring device showing gusts of up to 17mph coming from a north-easterly direction. What it doesn't show is the chill factor and just how cold it is ... more like January than June.
Murray leads by two shots on four-under-par 147 (75 is the New Course par; 76 is the Old Course par)
The big-hitting Aberdeenshire 23-year-old, birdied three par-5s in her second round - the fourth, the 13th and 14th with a fourth birdie coming at the par-4 12th.
She did drop shots, but not as many as most with the wind in their faces coming home, at the first and 11th in halves of 38 (level par) and 36 (two under)
Ireland's Aedin Murphy had a hole in one at the eighth (145yd) on the Old Course this morning on her way to an  80, a repeat of her opening score over the New Course when she did not have an ace.
SECOND-ROUND TOTALS
Par 151 (New Course Saturday par 75, CSS 76; Old Course Sunday par 76, CSS 78)
147 Laura Murray (Alford) 73 74.
149 Lesley Atkins (Gullane Ladies) 74 75, Louise Kenney (Pitreavie) 74 75.
150 Emma Goddard (Royal Liverpool Ladies) 75 75, Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm) 76 74.
151 Gabriella Cowley (West Essex) 74 77. Charlotte Wild (Mere) 78 73. Jenny Haglund (Sweden) 73 78.
152 Jessica Meek (Carnoustie Ladies) 75 77,Jane Turner (Craigielaw) 76 76.
153 Bethany Garton (Royal Lytham) 74 79, Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm) 76 77.
154 Emily M Taylor (Royal Lytham) 76 78
155 Clara Young (North Berwick) 79 76, Rachael Taylor (Germany) 79 76, Susan Jackson (Ladybank) 77 78, Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) 77 78
156 Ailsa Summers (Carnoustie Ladies) 80 76, Ami Storey (Ponteland) 79 77, Emma Henriksson (Sweden) 76 80.
157 Jess Wilcox (Blankney) 78 79, Brogan Townend (Pleasington) 76 81, Lauren Blease (Burhill) 76 81
158 Samantha Birks (Wolstanton) 75 83, Hannah McCook (Grantown on Spey) 80 78, Rachael McQueen (Troon Ladies) 78 80, Chloe Williams (Wrexham) 79 79, Katie Rule (Merlin) 73 85, Nicola Haynes (Gosforth Park) 76 82, Linnea Johansson (Sweden) 76 82
159 Frida Gustafsson-Spang (Sweden) 80 79, Emilie Lundstrom (Sweden) 78 81
160 Karen Delaney (Carlow, Ireland) 80 80, Aedin Murphy (Carlow (Ireland) 80 80, Joelle Van Baarle (Belgium) 82 78, Catherine Herreta (Burn Brae, US) 78 82, Lauren Whyte (St Regulus) 78 82, Nikki Foster (Pleasington) 83 77
161 Cara Gruber (Royal Dornoch) 80 81, Alyson McKechin (Elderslie) 76 85
162 Charlotte Thompson (Channels) 88 74, Emilee Taylor (Holme Hall) 80 82.
163 Heather Munro (Monifieth) 80 83, Lisa Warrilow (Lilleshall Hall) 81 82, Martine Pow (Selkirk) 81 82, Gemma Clews (Delamere Forest) 81 82, Eva Schoenwald (Dusseldorf, Germany) 80 83.
164 Stephanie Fransolet (Belgium) 82 82.
165 Jacqueline Sneddon (Alyth) 82 83, Adriana Brett (The Lakes, Australia) 87 78, Claire Hargan (Cardross) 84 81
166 Lianna Bailey (Notts Ladies) 82 84.
167 Dulcie Sverdloff (Gardon Park) 83 84
168 Gabrielle Macdonald (Craigielaw) 80 88
169 Laura Watkins (Bicester) 86 83
172 Connie Jaffrey (Troon Ladies) 89 83.
Withdrew: Sophie Madden (West Essex) 76 wd

LEADING INTERNATIONAL TEAMS
297 SCOTLAND (L Murray, E Briggs, J Turner)
303 ENGLAND (E M Taylor, B Townend, C Wild)
313 SWEDEN
316 WALES
320 IRELAND
324 BELGIUM

LEADING UNDER-18S TROPHY
149 Lesley Atkins
151 Gabriella Cowley
152 Jessica Meek
154 Emily M Taylor
155 Clara Young
156 Ailsa Summers

UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA MEN ON COURSE TO FOLLOW EXAMPLE OF WOMEN'S TEAM

Alabama, winners of the NCAA Division 1 women's title a week or two ago with Curtis Cuppers Stephanie Meadow and Brooke Pancake in their line-up, can pull off a momentous double in US college golf today when their men's team meet Texas in the final of the NCAA Division 1 championship match at Riviera Country Club, Los Angeles.
In Saturday's semi-finals, Alabama beat California 3-2 while Texas shaded Oregon 3-2.

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