ESSEX, GLOUCESTER MOVE AHEAD IN ENGLISH COUNTY FINALS

NEWS RELEASE FROM ENGLAND GOLF Essex and Gloucestershire both won their matches today at women’s County Finals at East Devon Golf Club and extended their lead at the top of the table. Essex, who are playing in the Finals for the first time in 20 years, defeated Lincolnshire 6½-2½. Gloucestershire, meanwhile, beat Buckinghamshire 8-1.  The results mean the two teams are neck and neck in the hunt for honours, with 2½ points apiece from the three matches played so far this week.  Lancashire and Surrey, who halved today, both have 1½ points; Lincolnshire have 1 point and Buckinghamshire have yet to score. Gloucestershire captain Karen Rix was delighted to see her team’s youngsters came to the fore in today’s win. Victoria Wakeley-Jones and Alex Saunders played when more senior members were rested and were part of the clean sweep in the singles. This was the first match of the week for 15-year-old Victoria, in her first County Finals; while Alex, 17, made her debut only last year. “It’s a long week and I decided to rest some of the senior players,” said Karen. “It paid off and I am really, really pleased that the youngsters stepped up to the mark.” Surrey’s Nicola Taylor produced a touch of magic to halve her match – and help her team to their halved result. Nicola was two down with two to play, but won both remaining holes when she chipped in for an eagle three on the 17th and hit the pin on 18 en route to a tap-in birdie. Surrey captain Ann Gems said: “It was terribly exciting and it kept us going. Some of the other matches were down and it picked us up.” Her verdict, that a halved match was a fair result, was shared by Lancashire captain Val Moran. “It was an incredibly exciting day and some of the golf has been spectacular. I’ve got a great bunch of players and they did incredibly well,” she said. Essex may have been absent from County Finals for two decades but they’ve made an impact on their return. “We’ve got a very good team at the moment and we’re doing what we hoped to achieve,” said county captain Amanda Colegate-Herbert. They got off to the best possible start, winning all three foursomes, and then produced a strong singles performance to take their point.  Their team includes Charlotte Thompson (Image © Leaderboard Photography), who played in the Ricoh Women’s British Open last week and who today held her opponent to a half. However, Lincolnshire’s Emily Slater produced a highlight for her team – with a hole-in-one on the 131-yard 4th which helped her to an individual win. Results   Gloucestershire 8 Buckinghamshire 1   Foursomes Hannah Barwood & Jo Hodge beat Luan Skeates & Charlotte West 4/2 Alexandra Saunders & Alison Kelly lost to Denise Goodacre & Susanna Mitterer 1 down Shelby Smart & Bethan Popel beat Zoe Fitz-Costa & Shamiso Hatchard 7 and 5 Singles Barwood beat Gallagher 4/3 Kelly beat Carole Weir 4/3 Victoria Wakeley-Jones beat Skeates 2/1 Jemima Gregson beat West 3/2 Saunders beat Goodacre 2/1 Smart beat Fitz-Costa 4/3 Surrey 4½ Lancashire 4½    Foursomes Inci Mehmet & Annabel Dimmock beat Elizabeth Stebbings & Sophie Powell 2/1 Tana Churchill & Louise Tarn lost to Eloise Healey & Sophie Lamb 2/1 Samantha Fuller & Lisa McGowan beat Gemma Batty & Nikki Foster 4/3 Singles McGowan lost to Catherine Roberts 5/3 Nicola Taylor halved with Stebbings Fuller beat Powell 4/3 Katie Fewster lost to Lamb 2/1 Dimmock lost to Healey 2 down Mehmet beat Batty 3/2 Lincolnshire 2½ Essex 6½ Foursomes Emilee Taylor & Sophie Beardsall lost to Gabriella Cowley & Paige Kemp 2/1 Helen Hewlett & Jessica Wilcox lost to Ashleigh Greenham & Sophie Madden 2/1 Emily Slater & Emma Tipping lost to Daisy Dyer & Charlotte Thompson 2 down Singles Hewlett halved with Thompson Taylor beat Greenham 5/4 Wilcox lost to Dulcie Sverdloff 1 down Beardsall lost to Madden 3/2 Slater beat Kelly Martin 3/1 Megan Illingworth lost to Dyer 3/2 -ENDS- For further information please contact: Lyndsey Hewison Press Officer England Golf pr@englandgolf.org 07825 752 193 EDITORS’ NOTES England Golf is the governing body for amateur golf in England. England Golf was formed on 1st January 2012 following the merger of the English Golf Union Ltd. and the English Women’s Golf Association and is one of the largest sports governing bodies in England looking after the interests of over 1,900 golf clubs and 770,000 men and women club members. Responsible for the training of the country’s top amateur golfers, England Golf also organises all the major English amateur championships. England Golf works to actively encourage new golfers and increase the continued interest and participation in golf through its golf development initiative ‘Get into Golf’. England Golf is a member of The England Golf Partnership (EGP) together with the PGA and supported by the Golf Foundation and Sport England. Their Whole Sport Plan for golf identifies how England will achieve its vision of becoming ‘The Leading Golf Nation in the World by 2020’ from grass roots right through to elite level.

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ANNA CARLING LOSES SEVEN-HOLE PLAY-OFF IN KENTUCKY

FROM THE ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY WEBSITE
 
Ledbetter, Kentucky - Led by a strong performance from senior Anna Carling in its season-opening tournament, the Arkansas State women's golf team claimed a runner-up finish this week at the Drake Creek Invitational.
The Red Wolves shot a final-round 310, bringing their two-day total to 911 after recording a 300 and 301 for the first and second rounds, respectively. 
A-State finished just five strokes behind champion Central Arkansas, while also finishing ahead of nine other teams.  Dating back to last season, ASU has now completed five of its last nine tournaments among the top three leaders.
Carling ended regulation play tied for first, but finished runner-up in the final standings after falling to UCA's Julia Roth in a seven-hole playoff that lasted over an hour. 
Carling shot a combined 229, including a best of 72 for the first 18 holes.
"I'm very excited about today's outcome," said ASU head coach M.J. Desbiens Shaw.  "We fought hard as a team under some very windy conditions.  Everyone stayed focused on their individual goals and as a coach, I am very proud of their mental toughness.  
"Anna Carling played steady all three rounds followed by seven playoff holes to the best of her ability.  This is a great start to our season."
Joining Carling among the top-20 individual leaders for A-State were senior Jennifer Loiacano and freshman Abi Laker.  Loiacano finished the tournament in sixth place with a combined 225, while Laker tied for 17th with a 231.  Loiacano's score included an opening-round 71 that was the lowest of the tournament by an ASU player, and Laker carded a personal-best 73 for the second 18 holes.
Also competing for the Red Wolves, Courtney Manning finished 28th with a 237, Clara Tefteller tied for 31st with a 241 and Anna Flanrey tied for 45th with a 251.  Flanrey competed as an individual.
ASU returns to action Sept. 24-25 at the Marilynn Smith Sunflower Invitational.
ARKANSAS STATE RESULTS
Place, Name (RD 1-RD 2--Total)2, Arkansas State (300-301-310--911)
2, Anna Carling (72-73-75--229)
6, Jennifer Loiacano (71-76-78--225)
T17, Abi Laker (79-73-79--231)
28, Courtney Manning (78-79-80--237)
T31, Clara Tefteller (82-81-78--241)
*T45, Anna Flanrey (82-82-87--251)
*Competing as an individual

NO TROPHY FOR US WINNER RACHEL POLSON

Peterculter student golfer Rachel Polson, 19, has scored her first win on the US women's college circuit. She was declared the individual winner of the NCAA Fall Preview at LPGA International Golf club, Daytona Beach in Florida when rain washed out the final round. Rachel had been joint leader after the first round but took up the pole position on her own after the second round. Said Rachel in an E-mail: "I am very happy to have come back out to the States with a solid performance at the NCAA Fall Preview. I hope this will give me some confidence in my forthcoming events. I feel my consistency has improved greatly in the time I have been over here, which is what I had struggled with in the past. "I have been working hard both on and off the course with morning workouts and golf practices in the afternoon after classes. In particular my coach and I have been focusing on my short game, which I found took me a while to get used to the different grass around the greens. "I still keep in touch with my coach Neil Marr back home while I am out here. He is a great help if I ever need it with my long game." Last year, Rachel led going into the final day of the Lady Mocs Classic at Lakeland Florida but finished with an 81. Strangely enough, Rachel received no individual trophy for her victory. The first two squads in the team event were awarded trophies, which underlines that in US college golf, the team events are regarded as paramount. Jessica Bradley (Lynn University) from North Devon finished T29 on 158 (80-78) in the tournament won by Rachel. etter than me. Her e-mail address is rpolson@sky.com On Wed, Sep 19, 2012 at 6:30 AM, COLIN FARQUHARSON <

HELEN JONES HAS AN ACE IN FIRST ROUND OF SENIOR BRITISH STROKE-PLAY

  Helen Jones (Royal Portrush) had a hole in one at the short 16th in the first round at Hunstanton today ... then she finished double bogey- double bogey for a 79. 
"I've had three holes in one before but they never distracted me as totally as this one did. The excitement among my playing partners rubbed off on me and I just could not focus on what I should have been doing over the last two holes," said Helen who earlier had chipped in at a par-4 hole for an eagle 2.
Tournament leader Rozalyn Adams, with a 75, also had cause to look back with regret, if not anger,
She also had a double bogey 6 at the par-4 last when set to take a three-shot lead in the Senior British women's open amateur stroke-play championship over 54 holes.
Defending champion Felicity Christine had an 85 on day when those who went out before lunchtime had to contend with a stiff (and cool) breeze from the northwest
The CSS of 79 was three higher than the SS for the 6,200yd composite LGU course.
One player failed to break 100 but give her credit for handing in a score rather than a No Return. Another player had a 14 at one hole. There were plenty of 9s and 8s as well.
Hunstanton links is a tough test for senior ladies and that is not meant as a disparaging remark. If the truth be known, Hunstanton is a tough test for anyone when the wind blows.

 LEADING FIRST ROUND SCORES
Par 75. SS 76. CSS 79.
75 Rozalyn Adams (Addington Court Ladies)
76 Rocio Ruiz de Velasco (Spain).
77 Christine Watson (Beaconsfield)
78 Minna Kaarnalahti (Finland), LindDsey Shaw (Chevin).
79 Helen Jones (Royal Portrush), Marieta de Orueta (Spain), Christine Quinn (Hockley), Katherine Russell (Royal Ashdown Forest).
80 Jo Ashmore (Barnham Broom), Jane Rees (Hendon), Pat West (Spalding).
81 Hilary Smyth (Pannal), Pat Doran (Donabate).
82 Vicki Thomas (Carmarthen), Amanda Mayne (Saltford), Marion Kaufman (Germany), Isabelle Dumont (Belgium), Barbara Woodham (Cobtree Manor Park)
83 Carol Wild (Notts), Sue Meadows (Hunstanton), Cornelia Schmidt-Stuetzle (German
84 Caron Harrison (Sherwood Forest), Marie Christine de Werra (Switzerland), Kathleen Sutherland (Royal Montrose), Inger Sund (Sweden), Janet Doleman (Rushcliffe), Karin Gumpert (Germany), Jo Rumsey (Rochford Hundred).
85 Diane Williams (Canada), Felicity Christine (Woking).
86 Irene Brien (Wentworth), Sheena McElroy (Grange), Julie Ballard (Littlestone), Susan Dye (Delamere Forest), Annie Gowing (Frilford Heath), Elke Neumann-Drope (Germany), Sheila Stirling (Royal Mid-Surrey), Mary MacLaren (Wellingborough), Fiona de Vries (St Rule).
87 Sally Krueger (US), Mimmi Guglielmone (Switzerland), Carol Cass (Broadstone), Alison Murdoch (Canada), Carolyn Kirk (Ganton), Edeltraud Jacob (Germany), Jeannie O'Keeffe (Hankley Common), Vivien Saunders (Cambridge Meridian), Debbie Richards (Burhill), Kate Evans (Frilford Heath), Gillian Curley (Northamptonshire), Julie Wheeldon (Wakefield), Geraldine Bray (Littlestone)
88 Andrea Stockdale (Mapperley), Sheree Dove (Chobham)
89 Lynne Terry (Cruden Bay), Pat Bennett (Reading), Cornelia Fischer (Germany), Alison Bartlett (Royal Dornoch), Gunilla Ekman (Sweden), Janet Melville (Sherwood Forest), Christine Birke (Sweden), Cristina Marsans (Spain).

VIEW ALL THE SCORES ON www.lgu.com 

THE CURIOUS THING ABOUT HUNSTANTON'S 16th hole WHERE HELEN JONES HAD HER ACE TODAY IS THAT THERE IS ALREADY A PLAQUE AT THAT HOLE COMMEMORATING THE FEAT OF A PLAYER WHO ACED IT NOT ONCE, NOT TWICE BUT THREE TIMES IN QUICK SUCCESSION
SEE BELOW

The hole at the 16th must look as big as a bucket to people like Robert Taylor and Helen Jones.
Just think how much Mr Taylor must have been out of pocket for standing his hand, drinks-wise, after each hole in one.

RAIN LEADS TO RACHEL POLSON VICTORY IN AMERICA

 FROM THE FLORIDA TECH WEBSITE
DAYTONA BEACH, Florida – Florida Tech entered the final day of the NCAA Fall Preview with sole possession of third place and sophomore Rachel Polson from Aberdeen, Scotland atop the leaderboard. The afternoon would conclude with the same results as heavy rain hit Daytona Beach as the Panthers hit the turn.
The third round results were rendered void and Polson was named tournament winner as FIT came in with a third place finish. Polson finished with a two round score of one-over par to win by one stroke.
“I’m really happy for Rachel,” head coach Chris Saltmarsh said. “She didn’t get off to a great start today, but she was battling back as best as possible. The nice part of that is it really doesn’t matter.”
Polson put together an even par round to open up the tournament Saturday and followed with a round two 73 to grab sole possession of the lead. Round two would turn out to be the final day of the tournament.
“It was a nice showing for the women’s team,” Saltmarsh said. “I think that might have been one of the best showings in my three years. It was one of the best two rounds the team has put together in Florida Tech women’s golf.”
The third-place team finish was the highest finish for the Panthers since 2009. The team shot a 621 in the two-day tournament. Sunshine State Conference foe Lynn took the overall victory after shooting 606. Barry finished second with a 618.
Freshman Felicia Leftinger was the second-highest finisher for the Crimson and Gray, coming in a tie for 18th. Senior Jessica Hook finished in a tie for 29th.  “I think things went fairly well, considering the conditions,” “We may have been able to jump one more spot up the board. I think we all wanted to get back out there and finish up but the weather just wouldn’t allow it.”
FIT now faces a quick turnaround in which they will head back to the LPGA International for the Lady Falcon Invitational beginning on Saturday. The Panthers will tee off in Daytona Beach at 8 a.m.