PAUL LAWRIE LADIES' TOUR GETS NEW NAME, NEW LOOK FOR 2014

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com

The Paul Lawrie Golf Centre Scottish Ladies Open Tour will have a new name for its second season - the PLGC Ladies' Tartan Tour.
In 2014, with Nicola Melville, an Aberdeen-born PGA teaching pro who is based at Anstruther, promoted from joint organiser to sole Tour Director, the tour will be streamlined from its inaugural schedule of 13 one-day events and a two-day, 36-hole Tour Championship, to feature five 36-hole tournaments each with around £6,000 prizemoney.
In the April to October season this year, each event had a prize fund of between £3,000 and £4,000.
The Paul Lawrie Golf Centre will again be the main sponsor, contributing £3,000 to each of the tournament prizefunds which will represent half the prizemoney on offer at each venue.
That means Nicola Melville is looking for five companies or individuals prepared to pay £3,000 each to be a title sponsor of one of the competitions.

Actually, Nicola is looking for only four because Stewart Spence, pictured left, proprietor of The Marcliffe at Pitfodels Hotel and Spa, in Aberdeen's western suburbs, has already snapped up the opportunity to be a title sponsor.
Gleneagles' Heather MacRae, who won this year's inaugural Paul Lawrie Golf Centre Scottish Ladies Open Tour Championship at Dalmahoy, is sponsored by Mr Spence whose long history of lending a helping hand to golfers in need dates back to Muriel Thomson who became a prolific winner on what is now the Ladies European Tour.
"I'm delighted to sponsor a tournament on the Ladies Tartan Tour which is designed to be a stepping stone to the Ladies European Tour for lady pros and also low-handicap amateur girls who want to find out if they are good enough to turn professional," said Stewart.
Paul Lawrie is also grateful for the support he has received from Mr Spence over the years and he has been instrumental in the Ladies Tartan Tour switching its emphasis from one-round to 36-hole events.
"We want to provide a platform for the lady pros and amateurs to prepare for the day when they tackle the Q School and beyond by getting them used to playing two-round tournaments," said Paul.
"Nothing wrong with 18-hole events but a different mindset is required by a player for competitions over two rounds or more. That is one of the reasons why I started the Paul Lawrie Invitational at Deeside on the men's Tartan Tour which is dominated by one-day pro-ams."

The five tournaments on the Paul Lawrie Golf Centre Ladies Tartan Tour will be played at leading venues all over Scotland.
A total of 82 competitors, including some from the Continent and England, played on the only circuit in its first season. The hope is that more lady pros and low-handicap amateurs keen to gain experience of competing at this level from outwith Scotland will be attracted North of the Border by the 2014 schedule which will be released once dates that do not clash with the Ladies European Tour and the LETAS events are finalised.

Companies or individuals interested in becoming £3,000 tournament title sponsors and want to find out more about the benefits to their businesses should E-mail Tournament Director Nicola Melville (pictured right) at:
info@nicolamelvillegolf.co.uk
Last word from Nicola: "We are delighted to have the support of the Paul Lawrie Golf Centre again. Stayed tuned for further announcements"

GOLF SCHOLARS' OPEN DAY AT CRAIGIE HILL GC, PERTH ON SUNDAY

FROM GAVIN DEAR

Golf Scholars

Could put up a little mention about our Golf Scholars Open Day on Sunday for any young golfers interested in playing U.S College Golf. 

It is from 11am - 4pm at Craigie Hill Golf Club, Perth and we still have some 20mim meeting slots available. 

Young golfers/parents can get in touch with me by emailing me at gavin@golfscholars.com. 

GAVIN DEAR 

HEATHER'S TURKISH DELIGHT - TWO-SHOT LEAD IN FINAL MERIT EVENT

      Heather MacRae in action in Turkey today.

Dunblane's Heather MacRae took a step closer to the

Ladies European Tour today by taking the lead with a

four-under-par round of 69 in the first round of the

Mineks Ladies Classic at National Golf Club, Antalya

in southern Turkey 

The Gleneagles staff professional is currently in 

fifth place in the Order of Merit of the Ladies 

European Tour's developmental tour (LETAS).

The top five in the Order of Merit points table at 

the conclusion of this week's event will be able to

leapfrog the Qualifying School and go straight on to

the Ladies European Tour's 2014 season.

If Heather achieves what she admits has been the

dream that has kept her going over the past few 

years she will be following in the footsteps of 

Pamela Pretswell who was promoted to the LET from 

the LETAS Order of Merit. 

MacRae took advantage of the calm, sunny and warm 

conditions at the course on Turkey's Mediterranean

coastline.

Heather, with boyfriend and Tartan Tour pro Chris

Kelly as her caddie, was cruising, bogey-free, at

six under par until a bad drive at the 17th saw

her run up a double bogey 7 at this long hole.

A par at the last gave her a 69 which will see her 

start the second round with a two-shot lead over 

fellow Scot Katy McNicoll from Carnoustie and 

Denmark's Julie Tvede. 

McNicoll, one of the star performers on the Paul

Lawrie Ladies Tour's opening month or two, has not

been at her best for several months. She and Tvede

are looking for strong finishes to avoid having to 

play in the first stage of the LET Q School in 

Morocco.

Only the top 25 and ties at the end of the second 

round of the current event in Turkey will qualify

for the final 18 holes. 

Former Curtis Cup player Sally Watson from Edinburgh

looks safe enough after a 75 for a share of 15th

place but Pamela Feggans from Ayrshire and Nairn's 

Kelsey MacDonald are under pressure to beat the cut. 

Feggans had two double bogeys in returning a 78 for

a share of 29th place while MacDonald dropped six

shots over the last six holes in scoring a 79 for 

joint 32nd place in a field of 50.

MINEKS LADIES CLASSIC
National Golf Club, Antalya, Turkey
LEADING FIRST ROUND SCORES
Par 73
69 Heather MacRae (Sco).
71 Katy McNicoll (Sco), Julie Tvede (Den)
72 Elisabetha Bertini (Ita), Louise Larsson (Swe), Caroline Martens (Ned)
73 Lauren Taylor (Eng), Jacqueline Hedwall (Swe).

SELECTED OTHER  SCORES
74 Gabriella Cowley (Eng) (am), Kym Larratt (Eng), Mireia Prat (Spa) (T9).
75 Sally Watson (Sco), Amy Boulden (Wal) (T15)
76 Lucy Williams (Eng) (T20)
78 Pamela Feggans (Sco), Charlotte Wild (Eng) (T29)
79 Kelsey MacDonald (Sco), Suzanne Dickens (Eng) (T32).

TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES


CLICK HERE

ANNA SCOTT LEADS LET PRE-QUALIFIER IN MOROCCO

Former US college circuit player Anna Scott from the North-east of England is leading the field after the first round of the Ladies European Tour Q School Pre-qualifier "A" over the Royal Golf Dar Es Salam course at Rabat, Morocco today.
She shot a one-under-par 72 to head the field of 41 players by a shot.
Leading British players were England's Hannah Ralph, Daisy Dyer and Abbey Gittings, all sharing 11th place on 78.
Scotland's Gemma Webster is T17 after a 79 in which she bogeyed the last three holes after birdies at the 13th and 14th had offset bogeys at the fourth, sixth, seventh and 10th.

FIRST ROUND LEADERBOARD
Par 73
72 Anna Scott (England)
73 Astrid Vayson de Pradenne (France)
75 Mia Piccio (Philippines)
SELECTED SCORES
78 Hannah Ralph (England), Daisy Dywer (England), Abbey Gittings (England) (T11)
79 Gemma Webster (Scotland) (T17)
80 Rachael Goodall (England) (T21)
83 Amber Ratcliffe (England) (am), Charlotte Thompson (England) (T30)
85 Tracey Boyes, Stacey Rodger (England) (T36)

 TO VIEW ALL THE FIRST-ROUND SCORES

CLICK HERE

FALDO EVENT AT PANMURE WILL BE OVER THREE ROUNDS

NEWS RELEASE
The Faldo Series has announced its UK schedule for 2014 with a new format that will see each tournament increased to 54-holes and count towards the World Amateur Golf Ranking. The maximum field at each event will also be increased from 75 to 93 players but the number of tournaments will be reduced to five. The entry fee will remain at £45 per head, despite the additional tournament round.
The UK schedule for 2014 features five championship across England, Scotland and Wales.  Boys and girls aged 12 to 21 will play one practice round and three tournament rounds at their chosen venue.  The five age-group winners at each tournament - three boys and two girls - will join six-time Major winner Faldo at the 18th Faldo Series Grand Final.
The 54-hole events are:
April 7 to 9: Moortown.
April 22 to 24 - Pyle and Kenfig.
June 16 to 18 - Old Fold Manor.
June 24 to 26 - Panmure.
August 18 to 20 - Hollinwell.

May 9 is the closing date for entries.

Golfers born in 1993 or later wishing to enter a 2014 Faldo Series UK Championship should visit www.nickfaldo.com or email series@nickfaldo.com.

CHATTANOOGA SCOT JOHNSTON HEADING PALMER CUP QUALIFYING POINTS TABLE

              LIAM JOHNSTON from Dumfries. Leading the chase for places in the

                        Europe team of students for the 2014 Palmer Cup match.

FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE-CHATTANOOGA WEBSITE

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee. --- Chattanooga third-year student  Liam Johnston  from Dumfries, Scotland had an unusual autumn campaign. It has resulted in securing the No. 1 spot in the current Palmer Cup Standings for the European team of students to player their United States counterparts at Walton Heath Golf Club, Surrey from June 26 to 28 next summer
“It is a great testament to hard work and determination,” Head Coach Mark Guhne stated. “It is well-deserved. Liam could’ve hung his head and not had an impact, but he got an opening and made the most of it.”
Johnston did not compete in the first two tournaments missing out in team qualifying. The US Government shutdown played to his advantage. Air Force had to withdraw from the Brickyard Collegiate which opened an individual spot for the affable Scot.
“We’ve kidded with him that he may be the best player in the country that can’t qualify for his own line-up,” Guhne joked. “He got his shot and made the absolute most of it. I could not be prouder of him.”
Taking advantage of his opportunity is an understatement. Johnston shot six-under par 210 to tie for sixth in the 85-player field. He then tied for second posting minus eight (208) at the AutoTrader.com Collegiate and ended the fall tying for ninth at the Bridgestone Golf Collegiate with a level-par 144.
Johnston shot under par in his first six rounds and on seven of his eight cards. There were three rounds in the 60’s as he averaged 70.25 strokes per round and ranks No. 10 in the Golfstat collegiate rankings.

The Palmer Cup is a 10-a-side contest with the top six in each points table at a certain point in the run-up to the Ryder Cup-style tournament gaining automatic selection.

The winner of the R and A Scholars' Tournament at St Andrews also earns a place in the Europe team.

The respective coaches have some wild card selections each.
Johnston’s leadership in the Palmer Cup standings is just another indication of the growth of the Chattanooga men’s golf program. In 2012, the Mocs captured the NCAA Bowling Green Regional with Stephan Jaeger (2009-12) winning medalist honors there en route to becoming the team’s initial first team All-American.

A second Scot on the Chattanooga roster is Chris Robb from Banchory in the North-east of Scotland.
Steven Fox (2010-13) added to the program’s lore and lure later that summer. He completed an improbable run from a playoff for the final match play spots to the championship at the United States Amateur at Cherry Hills Country Club outside Denver, Colo.
 

Chattanooga has won five of the last seven Southern Conference Championships. It has competed in NCAA Regionals seven consecutive seasons advancing to the NCAA Championship in 2009 and 2012.

EUROPE PALMER CUP POINTS TABLE

   1 Liam Johnston (Chattanooga) .9876  SCOTLAND
   2 Lars van Meijel (Memphis) .9835   NETHERLANDS
   3 Ben Rusch (Virginia) .9759     SWITZERLAND
   4 Julien Brun (Texas Christian) .9743   FRANCE
   5 Sebastian Cappelen (Arkansas) .9735 DENMARK
   6 Greg Eason (Central Florida) .9619  ENGLAND
   7 Ricardo Gouveia (Central Florida) .9552 PORTUGAL
   8 Pep Angles (Central Arkansas) .9544  SPAIN
   9 Rowin Caron (Florida State) .9510  NETHERLANDS
   10 Joel Stalter (California) .9463     FRANCE
   11 Jon Rahm (Arizona State - .9463  SPAIN
   12 Thomas Detry (Illinois) .9453  BELGIUM
   13 Toni Hakula (Texas) .9443 
   14 Erik Oja (Arizona) .9419 SWEDEN
   15 Ryan Fricker (Bethune-Cookman) .9279 ENGLAND
   16 David Boote (Stanford) .9185   WALES
   17 Emilio Cuartero (Missouri) .9181  SPAIN
   18 Matthias Schwab (Vanderbilt).9104  AUSTRIA
   19 Ben Wheeler (Coastal Carolina) .9010  ENGLAND
   20 Thomas Sorensen (Arkansas) .8971 DENMARK

21 Ben Stow (Kenrucky) .8962 ENGLAND

22 Victor Perex (New Mexico) .8922 FRANCE

23 Grant Forrest (San Diego) .8922 SCOTLAND

24 James Newton (Central Arkansas) .8914 ENGLAND

25 Rhys Pugh (East Tennessee State) .8831  WALES

UNITED STATES POINTS TABLE
1    Ollie Schniederjans (Georgia Tech) .9975
2    Trey Mullinax (Alabama) .9975
3    Mark Anguiano (Cal State Fullerton)  .9967
4 J.T. Poston  (Western Carolina) .9951
5  Brandon Hagy (California) .9943
6  Bryson Dechambeau (SMU) .9926
7  Joey Garber (Georgia) .9917
8   Chase Koepka (South Florida) .9893
9  Joey Parkinson  (BYU) .9868
10 Ian Davis  (Oklahoma State) .9818
11 Robby Shelton (Alabama) .9818
12 Bobby Wyatt (Alabama) .9818
13 Lorens Chan (UCLA)  .9818
14 Anders Albertson (Georgia Tech)  .9810
15 Ben Crancer (Texas AandM)  .9709
16 Cameron Wilson, Stanford - .9802
17 Denny McCarthy, Virginia - .9793
18 Wyndham Clark, Oklahoma State - .9785
19 Wilson McDonald, Alabama-Birmingham - .9785
20 Jonathan Garrick, UCLA - .9742

• • •

KYLIE WALKER IN THE MIX WITH AN OPENING 72 IN WOMEN'S INDIAN OPEN

NEWS RELEASE FROM THE LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR
By BETHAN CUTLER
Delhi, India: Valentine Derrey of France fired a flawless six-under-par 66 to share the opening round lead with Thidapa Suwannapura of Thailand at the Hero Women’s Indian Open.
Derrey, the 2011 Tate and Lyle Players’ Champion on the US Symetra Tour, is yet to win on the Ladies European Tour, but her game is in the ascendancy after third and second place finishes at the Helsingborg Open and Lacoste Ladies Open 
de France in September and October respectively.
The 26-year-old from Paris is hoping to go one place better this month and adopted a target golf style of play to record six birdies on the tight and treacherous course at Delhi Golf Club, whose narrow fairways are surrounded by dense foliage.
Also playing in the afternoon, in temperatures topping 28C, fellow former 
Symetra Tour winner Suwannapura carded seven birdies and one bogey on the par-3 
seventh after finding a bunker.
Hannah Jun of the United States placed third on 68, four-under-par, while Ladies 
European Tour rookie professional Charley Hull from England was a further shot 
back in outright fourth.
Patience paid off for Derrey, who enjoyed the challenging golf course. “I played 
pretty steady and made six birdies. I hit 10 fairways, 15 greens, made 27 putts. 
I didn’t really make any mistakes. I made everything. Hopefully it stays like 
that tomorrow.
Derrey used her driver seven or eight times and hit the ball straight. “I knew I 
was playing well the last few months. I made some putts and six under,” she continued. “My driving was good and I hit 10 fairways. I missed four but close to the fairway.”
Two Asian pros tied for fifth spot – Titiya Plucksataporn of Thailand and South Korean Bo Mi Suh.
Thai pros have traditionally fared well in this tournament – with Pornanong Phatlum having won three times in 2008, 2009 and 2012 at DLF Golf Club in Gurgaon - before the event moved to Delhi Golf Club for the first time this year.
Sunawannapura, 21, hopes to continue the Thai success story and said: “Today I was hitting it straight all the way: that was the key to my game.”
Jun, 28, from California, played her first nine holes in level par but picked up 
four birdies in five holes from the second on her inward nine.
“There are a lot of tee shots which are pretty tight on that back side so once I 
got through the back, the front nine is pretty score-able in terms of aiming at 
pins and hitting fairways so I was a little more aggressive on the back and it 
worked out,” said Jun, whose career best finish on the LET is a tie for second at the 2011 Ladies Scottish Open.
Hull, the youngest professional in the field at 17, had few expectations and kept things simple.
“I hit it pretty good. I didn’t hit it that well in the practice rounds and on 
the range it was the worst I’ve ever hit it in my life but I went out there and flushed it again so I’m feeling pretty happy with my game,” said Hull.
The Solheim Cup heroine is hoping to clinch her first victory in India this week after posting five straight runner-up finishes at the start of the season.

FIRST-ROUND SCOREBOARD

 Par 72
66 Valentine Derrey (FRA), Thidapa Suwannapura (THA)
68 Hannah Jun (USA)
69 Charley Hull (ENG)
70 Titiya Plucksataporn (THA) , Bo-Mi Suh (KOR)
71 Grace Lee (KOR) , Sarah Kemp (AUS), Sophie Gustafson (SWE)
72 Kylie Walker (SCO) , Elina Nummenpaa (FIN) , Danielle Montgomery (ENG)
73 Lucie Andre (FRA), Sophie Giquel-bettan (FRA) , Pennapa Pulsawath (THA) , 
Hannah Burke (ENG) , Nanthikarn Rakasachat (THA) , Vani Kapoor (IND) , Camilla Lennarth (SWE) , Linda Wessberg (SWE), Maria Balikoeva (RUS) , Nontaya 
Srisawang (THA), Vikki Laing (SCO) , Noora Tamminen (FIN), Saraporn Chamchoi (THA) , Tiranan Yoopan (THA), Mallory Fraiche (USA) , Felicity Johnson (ENG), Ye Na Chung (KOR) , Ursula Wikstrom (FIN) , Sophie Walker (ENG) , Gauri Monga 
(IND) , Becky Morgan (WAL) , Maria Salinas (PER) , Tandi Von Ruben (RSA)
74 Sophie Sandolo (ITA) , Julie Greciet (FRA) , Neha Tripathi (IND) , Beth 
Allen (USA) , Bree Arthur (AUS) , Eleanor Givens (ENG) , Patcharajutar 
Kongkrapan (THA) , Nina Holleder (GER) , Walailak Satarak (THA) , Wichanee 
Meechai (THA) , Florentyna Parker (ENG)
75 Gwladys Nocera (FRA) , Rungthiwa Pangjan (THA) , Margherita Rigon (ITA) , 
Jaruporn Palakawong Na Ayutthaya (THA) , Sharmila Nicollet (IND) , Ann-Kathrin 
Lindner (GER) , Holly Aitchison (ENG) , Kiran Matharu (ENG)
76 Millie Saroha (IND) , Ajira Nualraksa (THA) , Noon Huachai (THA) , Tanaporn 
Kongkiatkrai (THA) , Liz Young (ENG) , Stacy Lee Bregman (RSA) , Connie Chen 
(RSA) , Sahra Hassan (WAL) , Nikki Campbell (AUS) , Aditi Ashok (IND) , Aunchisa 
Utama (THA)
77 Ridhima Dilawari (IND) , Rhea Nair (IND) , Gursimar Badhwal (IND) , Janya 
Morrakotphan (THA) , Jean Chua (MYS) , Ankita Tiwana (IND) , Smriti Mehra (IND)
78 Preetinder Kaur (IND) , Paula Hurtado (COL) , Gurbani Singh (IND), Georgina Simpson (ENG) , Maha Haddioui (MAR), Alison Whitaker (AUS) , Holly 
Clyburn (ENG), Wannasiri Sirisampant (THA) , Klara Spilkova (CZE)
79 Minea Blomqvist (FIN), Emily Taylor (ENG) , Nikki Ponappa (IND), Henni Zuel (ENG) , Isabella Ramsay (SWE)
80 So Young Jang (KOR), Joy Lee (KOR) , Hsien Wen Huang (TWN) , Benedikte Grotvedt (NOR) , Tania Elosegui (ESP) , Caroline Afonso (FRA) , Seher Atwal (IND)
81 Marion Ricordeau (FRA) , Saaniya Sharma (IND)
82 Viva Schlasberg (SWE) , Rani Sonti (IND) , Tiffany Tavee (USA)
83 Marjet Van Der Graaff (NED) , Nichakorn Rakasachat (THA) , Panuma Vitayakonkomol (THA)
84 Shweta Galande (IND) , Nikki Garrett (AUS)
85 Valerie Tan (BRN)
86 Pallavi Jain (IND), Melanie Maetzler (SUI)