KARLIN BECK FINISHES RUNNER-UP AFTER STARTING WITH A 62

    

                       Canadian Brittany Henderson with the trophy and $5,000 in her hip pocket

CANADIAN BRITTANY WINS $5,000 

PRIZE ON FLORIDA'S SUNCOAST TOUR

How can you shoot a 10-under-par 62 in the first round of a 72-hole event - and not win it?
Ask Karlin Beck from Alabama who started this week's SunCoast Lady Pro Tour event in sensational fashion at Black Bear Golf Club near Orlando.
But she could not break or even match the par of 72 in the subsequent rounds and Karlin finished up collecting $2,500 for second place.
The winner of the trophy and a $5,000 cheque was Canada's Brittany Henderson from Smith Falls, Ontario.
Brittany, whose younger sister Brook is the whizz kid of North American ladies amateur golf - and she also won the Junior Orang Bowl title down in Florida over the Festive season - shot scores of 69, 73, 70 and 70 for six-under-par 282 ... two shots clear of Karlin Beck whose later roudns were 75, 73 and 74.
Surprising lack of a final-round challenge from China's Yueer Cindy Feng, a winner on this circuit in the past.
She was within striking distance of the leaders after scorings of 74, 68 and 70 but finished weakly with a 75 for third place on 287, for which the reward was $1,500.
Sweden's Maria Hjorth, a graduate of Stirling University a few years back and an LPGA Tour regular since then, tied for fourth place on 291 with two Americans, Jenny Suh and Melanie Audette.
They each earned $1,117.
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
par 288 (4x72) 
282 Brittany Henderson (Canadea) 69 75 70 70 ($5,000)
284 Karlin Beck (USA) 62 75 73 74 ($2,500)
287 Yueer Cindy Feng (China) 74 68 70 75 ($1,500).
291 Maria Hjorth (Sweden) 72 72 73 74,. Jenny Suh (USA) 73 71 74 73, Melanie Audette (US) 76 73  68 74 ($1,117 each)
292 Susana Benavides (Bolivia) 72 68 74 78 ($1,000).

TO VIEW THE OTHER SCORES

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USGA NAMES TEAM TO PLAY GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND

AMERICANS RELAY ON EIGHT COLLEGE

PLAYERS FOR CURTIS CUP MATCH
 
The eight-strong United States team for the Curtis Cup match against the holders, Great Britain and Ireland, at St Louis, Missouri from June 6 to 8 is made up entirely of college players.

The players are:
Kyung Kim and Annie Park of USC (Southern California); Alison Lee and Erynne Lee of UCLA; Mariah Stackhouse of Stanford; Ally McDonald of Mississippi State; Ashlan Ramsey of Clemson; and Emma Talley of Alabama.

Mariah Stackhouse will be the first black player to play in the Curtis Cup matches which started back in the 1930s.
Her inclusion ensures that Condoleezza Rice, former US Secretary of State and a professor of political science at Stanford University, California will be attending the June match at St Louis, Missouri.

VIKKI LAING LEADING SCOT ON ONE-UNDER-PAR 70

                                                  Sophie Walker putting at Agadir today

REBECCA HUDSON AND SOPHIE 

WALKER SHARE MOROCCO LEAD 

 NEWS RELEASE FROM L E T
By BETHAN CULTER, LET Media Manager
AGADIR, Morocco: England’s Rebecca Hudson and Sophie Walker fired a pair of five-under-par 66s at Golf de l’Ocean in Agadir to share the first round lead at the Lalla Meryem Cup at this course on Morocco's Atlantic coastline.

Hudson birdied two of the last three holes to grab the lead on a becalmed morning while Walker teed off and finished in blustery conditions in the afternoon.

Playing in her first tournament of the season, Hudson reproduced the form that led to her winning four titles on the Ladies European Tour, including three in 2008.

“I’m very happy,” said Hudson. “I hit the ball well. I haven’t done as much practice as I would like but I came out and practised here the last few days. I had the ball under control and putted well and that makes a big difference. Hopefully I can keep this going forward.”

Her preparation over the last fortnight included tiling a friend’s bathroom and she added: “It’s great because she’s got a field behind her house so I’ve just been practising my short game. I have been practising but not long game.  I came here and practised my putting. My short game today was very good and I got up and down all but one time.”

Walker hit every fairway and made six birdies and one bogey. She said: “Yesterday I had an afternoon practice round and I thought that would be good preparation because it always gets really windy here. I holed a decent putt on 11 and knocked it really close. Two under after three, you’ve got to take advantage of that.

“It was a couple of clubs wind and on the back nine it was a cross wind a lot. I played well last week but just didn’t putt very well, so the aim this week was to putt better and I did that today. I’ll just keep doing what I’m doing and try to keep my percentage of fairways up and my putts low.”

Sophie Giquel-Bettan, winner of the Ladies Open de Portugal in 2007, mixed six birdies with two bogeys to sit alone in third on four-under. 

The 31-year-old from Lyon said: “I really enjoyed it. With the jet lag from China it was perfect to play early this morning because I was awake so early. It was pretty good. We had perfect conditions, like 20, 24 degrees and the wind picked up around the 14^th hole, but it was good conditions and I did the job and it was fun.”

Giquel-Bettan’s husband and occasional caddie Axel is on the bag for French European Tour rookie Gary Stal who is playing in the Hassan Golf Trophy this week at nearby Golf du Palais Royal.

Ariya Jutanugarn, Jing Yan, Nina Holleder, Charley Hull and Laura Davies share fourth place on three-under-par.

Jutanugarn birdied the first three holes and made the turn in five-under. However an erratic driver cost the 18-year-old a double on the par-four 10^th and a triple on the par-four 17^th. Despite four additional birdies, she was two-over par on the back nine.

“My putting and irons were good today and helped me a lot but my driver was so bad. I hit like six provisional balls today and had a lost ball and had a seven because of my driver. I couldn’t hit it straight so I had to change my mind and hit three-wood,” said Jutanugarn.

Hull, who finished in joint second place, three strokes behind Jutanugarn, 12 months ago, bogeyed the fourth but had four birdies in a row from the sixth hole.

“It was good and I hit it pretty well, apart from one drive,” Hull said. “I could have been a lot under par, but the putts didn’t go in. I missed a few short putts to begin with but I learned from that and had four birdies on the trot where I should have had six. I could have shot a lot lower.

“It’s a great golf course. It’s quite tight off the tee so you need to be hitting it straight. I woke up this morning and my eye was swollen and I think I must have been bitten at night.

" I thought I would be was playing with one eye but it wasn’t too bad. I could see more out of my right eye than my left so people at home will probably think, ‘What’s the matter with her eye?’ It’s gone down a bit now though.”

Nobuhle Dlamini, Adriana Brent and Karolin Lampert were the best placed rookies on two-under-par.

Dlamini, the first representative of Swaziland on the LET, was particularly pleased with her first round on tour, given that she is suffering with a bout of flu.

After her round, she commented: “I have to say, I’m chuffed with myself. I had a really good start, I started with a birdie and made a couple more birdies and finished three under on the front nine. 

"It got a bit tougher on the second nine and the wind blew more. I got a couple of bad drives but held it together.”

She admitted to feeling nervous on the first tee, but it didn’t last long. “I took that three-wood and just hoped to get the ball on the fairway. I was really nervous with it being my first professional tournament on the LET. I thought, just get it on the fairway, and I’ll be fine,” she said. “I hit it smack bang in the middle of the fairway and had 68 to the pin. I hit it a metre away and made the birdie putt. The confidence was flowing and I had a nice par five as well. I hit three-wood, lay-up, made a nice par and then I birdied the next par three and I thought, ‘I’m on my way.’”

 

  FIRST ROUND SCORES

  par 71

66 Rebecca Hudson (ENG) , Sophie Walker (ENG)

67 Sophie Giquel-Bettan (FRA)

68 Ariya Jutanugarn (THA) , Jing Yan (CHN) , Nina Holleder (GER) , Charley Hull (ENG) , Laura Davies (ENG)

69 Gwladys Nocera (FRA) , Margherita Rigon (ITA), Nobuhle Dlamini (SWZ) , Rebecca Codd (IRL), Adriana Brent (AUS) , Karolin Lampert (GER), Beth Allen (USA)

70 Lee-Anne Pace (RSA) , Diana Luna (ITA) , Mallory Fraiche (USA) , Holly Clyburn (ENG) , Carin Koch (SWE) , Stacey Keating (AUS) , Sharmila Nicollet (IND) , Caroline Afonso (FRA) , Vikki Laing (SCO)

71 Bonita Bredenhann (NAM) , Kylie Walker (SCO), Nicole Broch Larsen (DEN) , Leigh Whittaker (GER) , Maria Salinas (PER) , Sophie Sandolo (ITA), Maria Balikoeva (RUS) , Stacy Lee Bregman (RSA), Charlotte Thompson (ENG) , Cathryn Bristow (NZL), Valentine Derrey (FRA) , Becky Brewerton (WAL), Linda Wessberg (SWE) , Celine Herbin (FRA)

72 Olivia Mehaffey (IRL) (am), Ann-Kathrin Lindner (GER) , Lauren Taylor (ENG) , Mathilda Cappeliez (FRA), Ursula Wikstrom (FIN) , Fiona Puyo (FRA), Ariane Provot (FRA) , Marion Ricordeau (FRA), Titiya Plucksataporn (THA) , Katie Burnett (USA) , Sally Watson (SCO) , Stefania Croce (ITA) , Liz Young (ENG) , Trish Johnson (ENG), Joanna Klatten (FRA) , Stephanie Na (AUS), Lucie Andre (FRA) , Rebecca Sorensen (SWE), Camilla Lennarth (SWE) , Alison Whitaker (AUS)

73 Malene Jorgensen (DEN) , Heather MacRae (SCO) , Melodie Bourdy (FRA) , Viva Schlasberg (SWE) , Marta Silva Zamora (ESP) , Marianne Skarpnord (NOR) , Julia Davidsson (SWE) , Patricia Sanz Barrio (ESP) , Elina Nummenpaa (FIN) , Hannah Burke (ENG) , Florentyna Parker (ENG) , Steffi Kirchmayr (GER) , Anais Maggetti (SUI), Jade Schaeffer (FRA) , Nontaya Srisawang (THA)

74 Sophie Gustafson (SWE) , Virginia Espejo (ESP) , Elisabetta Bertini (ITA) , Laura Jansone (LVA) , Lucy Williams (ENG) , Klara Spilkova (CZE) , Felicity Johnson (ENG) , Krista Bakker (FIN), Mireia Prat (ESP) , Connie Chen (RSA) , Minea Blomqvist (FIN) , Pamela Feggans (SCO) , Emily Taylor (ENG) , Chloe Leurquin (BEL) , Stefania Avanzo (ITA) , Noora Tamminen (FIN) , Kim Williams (RSA) , Georgina Simpson (ENG)

75 Amy Boulden (WAL) , Melanie Maetzler (SUI) , Mia Piccio (PHL) , Anne-Lise Caudal (FRA), Tania Elosegui (ESP) , Miriam Nagl (GER)

76 Veronica Zorzi (ITA) , Nicole Garcia (RSA) , Fabienne In-albon (SUI) , Carly Booth (SCO) , Isabell Gabsa (GER) , Alexandra Vilatte (FRA) , Sarah Kemp (AUS) , Victoria Lovelady (BRA) , Louise Larsson (SWE)

77 Ainil Bakar (MYS) , Maha Haddioui (MAR) , Isabelle Boineau (FRA) , Christine Wolf (AUT) , Nina Muehl (AUT) , Henni Zuel (ENG) , Eleanor Givens (ENG) , Neha Tripathi (IND) , Hannah Ralph (ENG)

78 Daniela Prorokova (CZE) , Holly Aitchison (ENG), Cassandra Kirkland (FRA) , Kelsey MacDonald (SCO)

79 Sahra Hassan (WAL) , Ana Larraneta (ESP) , Julie Tvede (DEN) , Maggie Yuan (AUS) , Pamela Pretswell (SCO)

80 Josephine Janson (SWE)

81 Caroline Martens (NOR)

LATEST NEWS ABOUT PAUL LAWRIE LADIES TARTAN TOUOR

 Paul Lawrie, Tour Director Nicola Melville, and Brian Mair, PGA in Scotland secretary. Picture by Cal Carson Golf Agency.

For the very latest news about the PGA in Scotland's Paul Lawrie Ladies Tartan Tour - open to any lady professional and any female amateur with a single-figure handicap 

CLICK HERE


FIVE events, each over 36 holes and each with a prize fund of £6,000, from April to October.
Read all about it. 
Trainee lady professionals should note that scores
returned in Ladies Tartan Tour events will now be
recognised for PGA purposes. That is a big + from last season.
 

BANCHORY MAN LEADS THE SCOTS AT AIKEN, S CAROLINA

  Chris Robb in action at Newmachar in winning the 2012 North-east District Championship

                                   Picture by Cal Carson Golf Agency

CHRIS ROBB FIFTH IN USA FIELD OF 90

Banchory's Chris Robb, a final-year student at Tennessee-Chattanooga University, finished joint fifth in a field of 90 players at the Cleveland Golf Palmetto Invitational college golf tournament at Palmetto Golf Club, Aiken, South Carolina this week.

Robb, a former North-east District champion, had rounds of 74, 72 and 68 for a total of 214 - four shots behind the winner, Austin Langdale (Clemson) (69-69-72).

Jonathan "J J" Grey from Gravesend, Kent, a 6ft 5in sophomore student at Georgia State, finished T9 on 216 (74-74-68).
Kyle Godsman from Hopeman, Morayshire and a senior student at South Carolina-Aiken, finished T17 on 218. Kyle started with a nightmare round of 81 but then found his form with two very good subsequent rounds of 69 and 68.
Ross Dickson, from London, a junior year student at Nebraska, finished T28 on 221 (70-75-76).
Chris Robb's Scottish team-mates at Chattanooga, Ewan Scott, a freshman from St Andrews, and Liam Johnston, a third-year student from Dumfries, finished joint 45th on 224.

Scott scored 75, 80 and 69; Johnston 71, 79 and 74.
 

ALEJANDRA WINS BY FOUR IN CACTUS

TOUR EVENT AT WILDFIRE, ARIZONA

Mexican Alejandra Lleneza won this week's Cactus Tour event - the sixth of the year - at Wildfire Golf Club near Phoenix, Arizona.
Alejandra had scores of 68, 69 and 65 for a 14-under-par total of 202.
She finished four shots ahead of Canada's Alena Sharp (72-67-67) with American Cara Freeman (71-69-70) and Giulia Molinari (Italy) (69-69-72) sharing third place in a field of 61 players.

TO VIEW ALL THE FINAL TOTALS

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NEWS FROM USA WOMEN'S STUDENT CIRCUIT

                  e

                 Elizabeth Swallow with her trophy at the Hilton Head Lakes Invitational 

ELIZABETH SWALLOW SWOOPS FOR

THIRD WIN OF US COLLEGE SEASON

Elizabeth Swallow, from Berkshire, a second-year student at King University, Bristol in Tennessee, maintained her brilliant 2013-2014 record on the US women's college circuit with a third win in the Hilton Head Lakes Invitational at Bluffton, South Carolina on March 10 and 11.
It was Elizabeth's third top-10 finish in six successive tournaments. In fact, her lowest finish has been sixth.
She returned a pair of 76s for 152 over a par-72 course of 5,935yd which suggest the weather was not all not good for par scoring.
Swallow won by three strokes at the head of a field of 90 players.
Surprisingly, King University did not do so well in the team event, which suggests that Elizabeth does not have all that much support from her team-mates. Limestoke College and Wingate tied on 632 at the head of 18 teams. King finished seventh on 664.

ALISON KNOWLES 2nd AT HATTIESBURG

Alison Knowles, from Mexborough, South Yorkshire and a sophomore student at Louisiana-Monroe, finished second in a field of 80 players at the Lady Eagle Invitational at Hattiesburg County Club, Mississippi on March 10-11.

Alison, a winner four times on the US women's college circuit, shot rounds of 72 and 73 for a one-over-par total of 145 over a 6,111yd course.
Winner was Brandi Rodriguez (Southern Mississippi) with 70-74 for 144.
Louisiana-Monroe (625) could finish only sixth of 16 teams who were headed by Southern Mississippi (608), Memphis (611) and South Alabama (614). 

KIM BRADBURY TIES FOR 2nd PLACE

Kim Bradbury from Buxton, Derbyshire, a final-year student at Old Dominion University, finished joint second in a field of 82 players at the North Florida Invitational college tournament at Jacksonville Golf Club.

Over a par 72 course of 6,144yd, Kim, pictured, had scores of 76, 78 and 72 for a total of 10-over-par 226.
Winner by the runaway margin of eight strokes was Tiffany Chan (Daytona State) with scores of 70, 76 and 72 for two-over 218.
Another Old Dominion student, Rachel Walker, a freshman from Dumfries, finished T42 with scores of 82, 85 and 79 for 246.
Nicola Haynes (James Madison), a freshman from Newcastle, finished T50 on 247 with rounds of 87, 83 and 77.
A third Old Dominion student, Charlotte Hindmoor, a sophmore from Darlington, shot 81-83-84 for 248.
Dolores Brown (McNeese State), a freshman from Kent finished T50 on 250 with rounds of 76, 91 and 83.
A fourth Old Dominion student, Elizabeth Haycock, a senior from Birmingham, had the misfortune to be disqualified after returning scores of 74, 74 and 79 for 227. A technicality, no doubt.
Western Caroline (919) won the team title from Daytona State (930), North Florida (933), Eastern Kentucky (941) and Old Dominion (944) in a field of 14 teams.
 
 HAWAII TRIP TRIP FOR DULCIE 

SVERDLOFF  FROM SOUTHEND

Dulcie Sverdloff (Kennesaw State), a freshman from Southend, finished T46 in the Dr Donnis Thompson Invitational at Kaneche Klipper Golf Club, Honolulu, Hawaii.

Dulcie, pictured, had rounds of 75, 77 and 83 for 235 - 19 shots behind the winner, team-mate Ines Lescudier who had scores of 70, 74 and 72 for level par 216 over a 6,047yd course.
Mississippi State, whose Jessica Peng (70-75-72 for 217) finished second, won the team event with an 874 team total. NC State (896) were runners-up.
Kennesaw State, despite providing the individual winner, could finish only eight of 14 on 918 in the team event.

LINK TO LIVE SCORING FROM LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR IN MOROCCO

For live scoring from this week's Ladies European Tour event, the Lalla Meryem Cup, at Golf de l'Ocean at Agadir on Morocco's Atlantic coastline

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