COCHRANE CASTLE PLAYERS McGINLAY AND JACKSON MEET IN RENFREWSHIRE FINAL

Saturday's 18-hole final of the Renfrewshire women's county golf championship at Kilmacolm Golf Club will be contested by the last of the eight seeds, Gillian McGinlay (Cochrane Castle), who beat the top seed, Iona Stephen (Ranfurly Castle) in the quarter-finals, and the No. 2 seed Donna Jackson, also a Cochrane Castle member, Donna (pictured) won the county title a record-setting 10 times beteen 1989 and 2005.   Results: Quarter-finals - Gillian McGinlay (Cochrane Castle) bt Iona Stephen (Ranfurly Castle) 1 hole, Denise Cowan (Ranfurly Castle) bt Tracy Masterton (Windyhill) 3 and 1, Gillian Kyle (East Renfrewshire) bt Carol Whyte (Windyhill) 3 and 1, Donna Jackson (Cochrane Castle) bt Liz Stewart (Greenburn) 1 hole.  Semi-finals - McGinlay bt Cowan 1 hole, Jackson bt Kyle 4 and 3. ends

LAURA MURRAY WINS PAUL LAWRIE EVENT AT RATHO PARK

Alford's Laura Murray won the £750 first prize at Ratho Park Golf Club, Edinburgh today in the second event on the new Paul Lawrie Scottish Ladies Open Tour. A two-over-par 72, with halves of three-over 38 and one-under 34 saw last year's Scottish women's amateur champion, who, rather appropriately is attached to the Paul Lawrie Golf Centre, head a field of 26 players by a single shot. Laura, who developed her length off the tee by playing alongside men on the North-east Alliance winter circuit, had birdies at the first and 11th on the white tee course (5960yd) normally played by the Ratho Park male members with the exception that tournament director Nicola Melville deemed the 14th a par-5 instead of a par 4 for the men. She survived a mid-round wobble - a double bogey 6 at the ninth - but that second birdie two holes later settled her  again.  Laura Murray has been a member of Team Paul Lawrie for several years. She also won the St Rule Trophy for a second time at St Andrews in her last year as an amateur. Following the example of Chrisje De Vries, this is Miss Murray's first win as a professional. She is also sponsored by Saltire Energy. Four players tied for second place, a shot behind on 73,  including amateurs Alyson McKechin (Elderslie), 37-36, and Jess Meek (Carnoustie Ladies) 35-38.  Meek, 18, finished joint second in Thursday's opener and is obviously in a rich seam of form. She leaves in August to enrol at the University of Missouri. Also on the 73 mark were professionals Fabienne In-Albon from Switzerland with halves of 37-36, and the opening-day winner from Amsterdam, Chrisje De Vries (37-36). The tour takes a break now untl next month, resuming at Trump International Links (Saltire Energy Classic 1) 12 miles up the coast from Aberdeen on May 6 and Deeside Golf Club (Saltire Energy Classic 2) on May 7. Deeside is on the western suburbs of Aberdeen at the village of Bieldside. The combined scores from these two events will be classed as the Saltire Energy Championship and there will be prizes for the best four of five 36-hole totals.   PAUL LAWRIE SCOTTISH LADIES OPEN TOUR  - Event No 2  Ratho Park GC, Edinburgh  FINAL TOTALS  Par 70 (35-35) 72 Laura Murray (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) 38-34. 73 Fabienne In-Albon (Swi) 37-36, Chrisje de Vries (Net) 37-36, Jess Meek (Carnoustie Ladies) (am) 35-38, Alyson McKechin (Elderslie) (am) 37-36. 74 Tatiana Kernen (Swi) 38-36. 76 Julie Otto (Elie Sports Club) 39-37, Heather Stirling (Dairsie) 39-37, Heather MacRae (Gleneagles Hotel) 41-35, Jane Turner (Craigielaw) (am) 40-36. 77 Daisy Dyer (Chigwell) 39-38, Krystle Falkner (St Andrews) 40-37, Eleanor Givens (Darlington) 39-38, Vikki Laing (Musselburgh) 39-38.  78 Gemma Webster (Elie Sports Club) 40-38, Martine Pow (Selkirk)_ 41-37, Jess Wilcox (Blankney) (am) 41-37. 79 Michele Thomson (Ellon) 42-37. 80 Rachel Walker (Dumfries and Co) (am) 40-40. 81 Nichola Ferguson (Milngavie) 41-40, Kate McIntosh (Broomieknowe) (am) 40-41, Lisa Shervill (West Kilbride) 42-39. 82 Karyn Burns (Glasgow Golf Centre) 43-39. 87 Tara MacTaggart (Minto) (am) 47-40. 89 Hannah Scott (Broomieknowe) (am) 47-72, Kimberley Crooks (Middlesbrough) 43-46. \ ORDER OF MERIT  POINTS TOTALS AFTER RATHO PARK 1 C De Vries           1675    2  L Murray             1374    3  J Meek                1350    4  Vikki Laing          1075    5  F In-Albon            980    6  J Wilcox               965    7  A McKechin         955    8  E Givens              925    . 9  T Kernen              924    10 D Dyer                875    11 H Stirling             799    11 J Turner              799    . 13 L Shervill            740    14 H MacRae          729    16 K Falkner           699    17 M Pow              555    18 K McIntosh       545    19 G Webster         540    20 T MacTaggart    515    21 M Thomson      510    22 R Walker           485    23 N Ferguson       465    24 K Crooks          455    25 J Otto                425    26 H Scott              390    27 K Burns             220    28 L Harvey           205    29 A Bain               205

CARNOUSTIE'S KATY McNICOLL LEADING SCOT IN SOUTH AFRICA

Carnoustie's Katy McNicoll, pictured, was the top Scot after a par-matching first round of 72 in the South African Women's Open at Southbroom Golf Club on the Hibiscus Coast.Katy deviated from par only four times - birdies at the sixth and long 18th, bogeys at the seventh and 10th. That gave her a top 20 placing - joint 16th - three shots behind Norway;s former British girls champion Marian Skarpnord whose 69 sees her lead by one from seven players, including teenage rookie pro Charley Hull. Kylie Walker had a bag of six birdies but more than cancelled them out with two double bogeys and three single shots dropped in compiling an erratic 73 for a share of 27th place.  Pamela Pretswell from Hamilton, making her debut on the LET this year, shot a disappointing, lacklustre, birdie-less 75 for joint 56th place. Carly Booth from Comrie is in danger of missing the cut after a 76 for a share of 69th place. She is one over the projected cut mark going into the second round. TO VIEW ALL THE FIRST-ROUND SCORES CLICK HERE

FIONA NORRIS WINS FIFTH LANARK COUNTY TITLE AT THE 19TH

All the Lanarkshire county championship winners at Lanark Golf Club today. Images by courtesy of Jean Macintyre

Hamilton's Fiona Norris came back from four down after only five holes to win the Lanarkshire women's county golf championship for a fifth time since 1988 at Lanark Golf Club today. The sixth qualifier, Fiona holed a birdie putt on the 19th green in the final to beat the No 1 seed, Susan Wood (Drumpellier). Susan Wood was three up after 13 holes but then Fiona won the 13th with a birdie and the 14th with a par. Norris squared the match for the first time by winning the 17th. The Bronze championship was won by Lesley Neill who beat Hamilton clubmate Roxy Brown 4 and 2 in the final. RESULTS LANARKSHIRE WOMEN'S COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP Lanark GC. First round - S Wood (Drumpellier) bt M Stirling (Dullatur) 7 and 6, J Paterson (Drumpellier) bt L D'Ambrosia (Carluke) 3 and 2, R Cassidy (Bothwell Castle) bt T McPherson (Langlands) 5 and 3, E Caddow (Strathaven) bt J McPherson (East Kilbride) 7 and 5, M Hughes (Lanark) bt E Morris (Hamilton) 6 and 4, F Norris (Hamilton) bt P Hutton (Lan ark) 5 and 4, R Rankin (Lanark) bt S Sergenson (East Kilbride) 3 and 1, L Loyd (Hayston) bt M Flynn (Hamilton) 8 and 7.Quarter-finals - Wood bt Paterson 7 and 6, Cassidy bt Caddow 4 and 3, Norris bt Hughes 4 and 3, Rankin bt Lloyd at 20th.Semi-finals - Wood bt Cassidy 6 and 5, Norris bt Rankin 3 and 2.Final - Norris bt Wood at 19th. BRONZE CHAMPIONSHIP Final - L Neill (Hamilton) bt R Brown (Hamilton) 4 and 2. ends

RECORD=BREAKER PIPS SIAN EVANS FOR ATLANTIC SUN INDIVIDUAL TITLE

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS. East Tennessee State University team ( left to right) Gabriella Wahl, Sian Evans, Lourdes Lopez, Rachel Ingram (Assistant Coach), Stefanie Shelton (Coach), Chloe Garner, Vivienne Chin, Larissa Steinfeldt.

It's been a very good month for English-born students on the US women's college circuit, with three of them winning and others, like East Tennessee State University student Sian Evans (pictured) from Gillingham, performing with distinction.
Sian, runner-up in the Atlantic Sun Championship tournament at Jekyll Island, Georgia, help East Tennessee State win the team title and it took a course record score by Kennesaw State's Ines Lescudier at the Pinke Lakes Course on Wednesday to relegate the former Kent county champion to second place. 
The Bucs (East Tennessee State) finished six strokes ahead of defending champion Kennesaw State (886) after beginning the championship by setting the low total for the low opening round and the low first-round total (287).
Lescudier shot a brilliant last-round, six-under-par 66 for a six-under total of 210 (71-73-66) to head a field of 50 players. She was eight undr par for her last 11 holes, including seven consecutive birdies from holes 11 through 17, for an amazing back-nine total of 29 -  the best by anyone in the 24-year history of the championship.
Sian Evans, who tied the championship's previous low round of 67 on Monday, finished second with a three-round total of 214 (67-74-73), followed by defending individual champion and ETSU team-mate Gabriella Wahl, whose 215 (71-70-74) placed her third. 
ETSU will advance to a yet to be determined location to compete in the NCAA Regionals, and Lescudier will await to hear if she is selected for one of the 18 at-large individual bids.

TOP SCOTS PROSPECTS BOUND FOR UNITED STATES COLLEGES

By Lorne Kelly from ProdreamUSA 

As the UK's leading 'golf specific' recruitment company, I am delighted to announce that we have completed another successful campaign for our 2013 departing class of golfers.  
This year we have seventy eight golfers departing to commence their scholarships (both male and female) from the UK and western Europe.  This now takes ProdreamUSAto over the 800 mark since we were established in 2004.
Without listing everyone, I have given you a taste of some of our placements below:

Ewan Scott (St Andrews): UT-Chattanooga Univ (pictured).

Euan Walker (Ayrshire): Missouri Univ.

Rachel Walker (Dumfries): Old Dominion Univ, Virginia.
David Wilson (Ayrshire): New Mexico State Univ.

Ryan Pope (Devon):  South Alabama Univ.
Sam Towler (Surrey): Georgia Southern Univ.

Oliver Dickson (Swansea): Austin Peay Univ, Alabama.
Richard Mansell (Staffordshire): Newberry College, S Carolina.

Lucca Jose Horwitz (Surrey): William and Mary Univ, Virginia

Timothy Jordan (Co Tyrone, Ireland). Wichita State Univ.

Jack McCluskey (Ayrshire):  California State Univ.
Ryan Shuttleworth (Cumbria): Central Arkansas Univ.

Sam Whitehead (BBandO): Winthrop Univ, North Carolina.

Ben Taylor (Surrey): Louisiana State Univ.

George Duncan (Dumbartonshire):  Lincoln Memorial Univ, Tenn.

Jonathan Hewett (Essex):  DePaul University, Chicago.

Nick Ward (Essex): Georgia Southwestern Univ.

Emily Aird (Blairgowrie):  Newman University, KS

George Abbott (Buckinghamshire):  Reedley College, CA

Charlotte Hartshorn (Warwickshire):  Houston Baptist Univ.

Steven Anderson (Channel Islands):  Northwood University, TX

Nicola Haynes (Northumberland):  James Maddison Univ, VA

Jordan Baker (BBandO):  Georgia Southwestern University, GA

Florence King (Leicestershire):  University of New Orleans, LA

Elliott Banks (Sussex):  Dakota Wesleyan University, SD

Hayley MacKay (Sussex):  University of Texas – Tyler. TX

Lewis Blair (Bedfordshire):  Bethany College, KS

Alexandra Patton (Wiltshire):  Newman University, KS

Ross Brydon (Lothians):  Queens University, NC

Samantha Taylor (Northumberland):  King College, TN

Cameron Buist (Stirlingshire):  Belmont Abbey College, NC

Maisy Turner (Norfolk):  Iowa Western College, IA

Jonny Burgin (Hampshire):  Massachusetts – Lowell, MA

Alistair Cameron (Buckinghamshire):  Davis and Elkins Univ, WV

Sam De'Ath (Hampshire):  Webber International University, FL

Cameron Doogan (Buckinghamshire):  Warner University, FL

Ian Clark (Somerset):  Davis and Elkins University, WV

Andrew Carrell (Aberdeenshire):  Massachusetts – Lowell, MA

Thomas Durbin (Cheshire):  Bryan College, TN

Andrew Dusek (Surrey):  Union College, KY

Jack Hagyard (Yorkshire):  Greensboro University, NC

Delon Hau (Glamorgan):  Northwood University, TX

James Holley (Germany):  Sterling College, KS

Alistair Kyle (Renfrewshire):  West Hills College, CA

Alasdair Ross (North):  Union College, KY

Jake Scott (Moray):  Dalton State University, GA

Hugh Campbell (Essex):  Dodge City Community College, KS

Mark Crossan (Lancashire):  Garden City College , KS

Fraser Dawson (Dorset):  Hutchinson College, KS

Matthew Greenfield (Sussex):  Kirkwood College, IA

Ben Jones (Sussex):  Rend Lake College, IL

Marc Juggins (Surrey):  Iowa Western College, IA

Louis Murray (Ayrshire):  Southeast Community College, NE

Alex Piper (Sussex):  Garden City College. KS

Jack Winnard (Lancashire):  Odessa College, TX

Adam Woolley (Nottinghamshire):  John A Logan College, IL

ProdreamUSA would love to hear from more aspiring young players aged between 15 and 18 that wish to further their academic and golf careers by experiencing US College Golf.

Remember, it's never to early to start this process and in order to utilise the coaches scholarship budgets, you must be introduced to them ASAP.

One of the biggest issues we have to deal with each year is when excellent prospects come to us TOO LATE each year.  The best time to start this process is during GCSE or standard grades…not any later!

For more information and to receive one of our FREE information packs and DVD, please visit www.prodreamusa.com, telephone 01475 729681 or email: enquiries@prodreamusa.com

Lorne Kelly

Founder ProdreamUSA

Walker Cup and Eisenhower Trophy Winner GB and I

Former NCAA DI All American, European Tour