REPORT AND PICTURES OF ABERDEENSHIRE CLUB TEAM TOURNEY

          Watt Duffus Trophy tournament leading prizewinners.
Left to right: Julie Henderson, Ellie Whyte, Molly Stewart, Carol Wilson, Pat Wilson, Emma Gissing, Ruth Mitchell, Michelle Black and Margaret Parkinson, Aberdeenshire LCGA captain
 

                           Pictures by Karen Stalker

MURCAR LINKS' TRIPLE  WHAMMY

AT ELLON  - JULIE HENDERSON 

WINS INDIVIDUAL SCRATCH TROPHY

Murcar Links scored a triple whammy at Aberdeenshire Ladies County Golf Association's Watt Duffus Trophy club team competition at McDonald Ellon Golf Club today (Monday).

The Murcar Links 1 team won the main award with a gross total of 229, compiled by Julie Henderon (74), Molly Stewart (76) and Tegan Seivwright (79).

And Murcar Links 2 line-up of Michelle Black (12) 75, Ruth Mitchell (14) 77 and Emma Gissing (11) 77 were the winners of the Handicap 
Trophy with a net total of 229, beating, on the better inward half,  Aboyne 1, who also had an aggregate of 229.

Murcar Links team member Julie Henderson (pictured above, right) won the Mrs J P Kennaway Cup for the best individual score of 74.

Ellie Whyte (Aberdeen Ladies) (pictured lower right) won the Individual Handicap Trophy with a net score of 70 off seven.

LEADING TEAM TOTALS

CSS 75

SCRATCH

229 Murcar Links 1: Julie Henderson 74, Molly Stewart 76, Tegan Seivwright 79 (non-counter Carol Wilson 90).

257 Aberdeen Ladies 1: Ellie Whyte 77, Sheena Wood 86, Fiona Seedhouse 94 (Kim Watt 95).

259 Aboyne 1: Kimberley Beveridge 81, Maureen Wilson 87, Joanne Forbes 91 (Maryla Sime 94).

262 Deeside 1: Fiona Hay 84, Gaynor Hall 88, Megan Clyne 90 (Katherine Teow 99).

265 Cruden Bay 1: Jill Harrison 86, Kathleen Esslemont 89, Karen Stalker 90 (Lynne Terry 91); McDonald Ellon: Fiona Campbell 85, Dot Mackinnon 87, Mandy Roger 93 (Joan Forbes 99).
266 Murcar Links 2: Michelle Black 87, Emma Gissing 88, Ruth Mitchell 91 (Pat Wilson 93) 
269 Peterculter: Rachel Polson 78, Pam Fraser 95, Liz Clark 97 (Alison Morrice 99)
276 Duff House Royal 1: Louise Anderson 87, Rae Topping 88, Joyce Alexander 101 (Penny Smith 102).
 278 Ballater: Bunga Gurden 91, Heather Backhouse 93, Ros Roy 94 (Sheena Foggie 110).
279 Aberdeen Ladies 2: Lesley Thomson 88, Cathy Kyle 95, Gill Bruce 96 (Lindsey McNiven 99); Aboyne 2: Muffie Munro 89, Heather Mackenzie 94, Jackie Sutherland 96 (Fenneke Wolters-Sinke 102)
281 Banchory: Kathleen Taylor 88, Patricia Halliwell 96, Susan Black 97 (Sally Richardson 102).
282 Fraserburgh: M Attfield 84; Vic Buchan 96; Agnes Bell 102; Newmachar 1: Mary Robinson 87, Hayley Thomson 95, Fay Watterson 100 (Lynn Kelly 105).
285 Hazlehead: Kath Emeleus 90, Morven Adam 94, Fiona Prouse 101 (Karen Pottinger 110).
288 Deeside 2: Margaret Parkinson 95, Alison Graham 95, Fiona Gibb 98 (Sheila Black NR).
290 Duff House Royal 2: Sheila Wilson 94, Pauline Duthie 97, Kate Anderson 99 (Pamela Topping 101)
301 Newmachar 2: Anne Christiansen 99, Gladys Main 99, Mary Horn 103 (Sheila McNaught 104).

LEADING HANDICAP
229 (better inward half) Murcar Links 2: Michelle Black (12) 75; Emma Gissing (11) 77; Ruth Mitchell (14) 77 (Pat Wilson (11) 82); Aboyne 1: Maureen Wilson (12) 75; Joanne Forbes (15) 75; Kimberley Beveridge (2) 79 (Maryla Sime (11) 83).

234 McDonald Ellon: Fiona Campbell (9) 76; Joan Forbes (19) 79; Dot Mackinnon (8) 79 (Mandy Roger (12) 81).
236 Aboyne 2: Muffie Munro (14) 75, Jackie Sutherland (16) 80 Heather Mackenzie (13) 81 (Fenneke Wolters-Sinke (14) 88)

PAIR TIE FOR VICTORY, EIGHT SHOTS AHEAD OF THIRD PLACED PLAYER

DUNDONALD DEAD-HEAT BETWEEN 

HEATHER MacRAE, LAURA MURRAY

Gleneagles' Heather MacRae, last year's Tour champion, and Alford's Laura Murray (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre), a winner twice on the domestic circuit, outclassed the field to finish eight shots clear of the opposition in the Paul Lawrie Ladies Tartan Tour 36-hole tournament at Dundonald Links today (Monday).

Perhaps fitting that they tied for first place, earning £1,875 apiece for totalling three-over-par 147.

Because there are no prizegivings on the Paul Lawrie Tour, except at the Tour championship, there is no provision for a play-off.

MacRae had scores of 75 and 72, overcoming a dreadful start to her second round - bogey-bogey-double bogey with a sequence of five birdies in a row from the fifth to the ninth.

Out in 35, MacRae had made up the overnight one-shot lead held by Murray who turned in 36.

Heather got a sixth birdie on the inward half, at the long 14th but she also had bogeys at the 13th and 16th and that's what cost her outright victory although her 72 was the low round of the day.

Murray, the longer-hitter, varied from par only three times in her second-round 73 - a birdie at the long third and bogeys at the first and 13th.

American Beth Allen, who plays on the LET Tour and won on a flying visit to play the Paul Lawrie Ladies Tour last year, finished third, eight shots behind the joint winners on 155 (78-77). Allen earned £750 after a final round in which she did not have a single birdie, only bogeys at the first, third, fourth, fifth and 13th.
The next Paul Lawrie Ladies Tartan Tour 36-hole event is at Macdonald Cardrona, Peebles on July 25-26.

PAUL LAWRIE LADIES TARTAN TOUR

Dundonald Links, Ayrshire

FINAL TOTALS

Par 144 (2x72)

147 Heather MacRae (Gleneagles Hotel) 75 72, Laura Murray (Paul Lawrie GC) 74 73 (£1,875 each).

155 Beth Allen (USA) 78 77 (£750)

156 Heather Stirling (unatt) 83 73, Jane Turner (Craigielaw) 76 80 (£425 each)

157 Kiran Matharu (Leeds) 81 76, Katy McNicoll (Carnoustie) 82 75 (£200 each)

160 Pamela Feggans (Doon Valley) 80 79 (£100).

161 Lisa Shervill (unatt) 87 84, Michele Thomson (unatt) 86 75 (£50 each), Alyson McKechin (Elderslie) (am) 86 75 (£50 voucher)
162 Gemma Webster (Succession Group) 80 82
166 Emma Fairnie (Gullane) 85 81
167 Nicola Ferguson (Milngavie) (am) 78 89, Gabrielle MacDonald (Craigielaw) (am) 86 81.
170 Jessica Rigby (Oberhessischer, Germany) 84 86
171 Jorden Ferrie (Kilsyth) 89 82
172 Laura Harvey (Darlington) 88 89, Lesley Atkins (Gullane) (am) 89 83.
179 Georgina Snow (Turnberry Hotel) 92 87
ends

HEATHER AND LAURA DEAD-HEAT AT DUNDONALD

GOLF REPORT AND SCORES

CREDIT CAL CARSON GOLF AGENCY

QUERIES TO COLIN FARQUHARSON

TEL 01224 869782

DUNDONALD DEAD-HEAT BETWEEN HEATHER, LAURA

Gleneagles' Heather MacRae, last year's Tour champion, and Alford's Laura Murray (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre), a winner twice on the domestic circuit, outclassed the field to finish eight shots clear of the opposition in the Paul Lawrie Ladies Tartan Tour 36-hole tournament at Dundonald Links today (Monday).

Perhaps fitting that they tied for first place, earning £1,875 apiece for totalling three-over-par 147.

Because there are no prizegivings on the Paul Lawrie Tour, except at the Tour championship, there is no provision for a play-off.

MacRae had scores of 75 and 72, overcoming a dreadful start to her second round - bogey-bogey-double bogey with a sequence of five birdies in a row from the fifth to the ninth.

Out in 35, MacRae had made up the overnight one-shot lead held by Murray who turned in 36.

Heather got a sixth birdie on the inward half, at the long 14th but she also had bogeys at the 13th and 16th and that's what cost her outright victory although her 72 was the low round of the day.

Murray, the longer-hitter, varied from par only three times in her second-round 73 - a birdie at the long third and bogeys at the first and 13th.

American Beth Allen, who plays on the LET Tour and won on a flying visit to play the Paul Lawrie Ladies Tour last year, finished third, eight shots behind the joint winners on 155 (78-77). Allen earned £750 after a final round in which she did not have a single birdie, only bogeys at the first, third, fourth, fifth and 13th.
The next Paul Lawrie Ladies Tartan Tour 36-hole event is at Macdonald Cardrona, Peebles on July 25-26.

PAUL LAWRIE LADIES TARTAN TOUR

Dundonald Links, Ayrshire

FINAL TOTALS

Par 144 (2x72)

147 Heather MacRae (Gleneagles Hotel) 75 72, Laura Murray (Paul Lawrie GC) 74 73 (£1,875 each).

155 Beth Allen (USA) 78 77 (£750)

156 Heather Stirling (unatt) 83 73, Jane Turner (Craigielaw) 76 80 (£425 each)

157 Kiran Matharu (Leeds) 81 76, Katy McNicoll (Carnoustie) 82 75 (£200 each)

160 Pamela Feggans (Doon Valley) 80 79 (£100).

161 Lisa Shervill (unatt) 87 84, Michele Thomson (unatt) 86 75 (£75 each), Alyson McKechin (Elderslie) (am) 86 75
162 Gemma Webster (Succession Group) 80 82
166 Emma Fairnie (Gullane) 85 81
167 Nicola Ferguson (Milngavie) (am) 78 89, Gabrielle MacDonald (Craigielaw) (am) 86 81.
170 Jessica Rigby (Oberhessischer, Germany) 84 86
171 Jorden Ferrie (Kilsyth) 89 82
172 Laura Harvey (Darlington) 88 89, Lesley Atkins (Gullane) (am) 89 83.
179 Georgina Snow (Turnberry Hotel) 92 87

ends

EXCITING FINISH TO PAUL LAWRIE LADIES TARTAN TOUR EVENT

HEATHER,  LAURA LEVEL WITH NINE

HOLES TO PLAY AT DUNDONALD LINKS

It looks like a two-fillies race for the £2,500 first prize in the Paul Lawrie Ladies Tartan Tour 36-hole event which ends today at Dundonald Links.
Overnight leader Laura Murray (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) has been caught by Heather MacRae (Gleneagles) over the first nine holes of the second round.
They are level on 110 strokes after 45 holes - six shots clear of the third-placed Jane Turner.

LEADING SCORES AFTER 45 HOLES
110 Heather MacRae (Gleneagles) 75 35, Laura Murray (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) 74 36
116 Jane Turner (Craigielaw) 76 40
117 Beth Allen (USA) 78 39
119 Kiran Matharu (Leeds) 82 37, Katy McNicoll (Carnoustie) 81 38
121 Heather Stirling (unatt) 83 38

MONDAY, JUNE 16 IS CLOSING DATE FOR SCOTTISH GIRLS CHAMPIONSHIP

 

Scottish Under-18 Girls (Close) Championship 

Dumfries and County Golf Club.

July 15 to 19, 2014

The closing date  (Monday, June 16) for the above tournament is fast approaching, so  get your entry in before it’s too late! 
The championship is open to Scottish girls with a handicap of 34 or below and is a great chance for all to experience championship golf! 
To enter online go to www.slga.co.uk

 

Toni Melvin-Ffinch

Championship Manager

WORLDWIDE FIELD OF UNDER-16s FOR WEST LANCS VENUE

                   Kirsty Brodie in action. Picture by Cal Carson Golf Agency

JAMIE AND KRISTY ARE SCOTLAND'S 

PICKS FOR R and A JUNIOR OPEN

Jamie Stewart (Old Ranfurly) and Kirsty Brodie (Strathmore) have been selected by the SGU and SLGA respectively to be Scotland's representatives in the R and A's Junior Open for under-16 year olds at West Lancashire Golf Club from July 14 to 16.

GB AND IRELAND LOSE CURTIS CUP 13-7 BUT TAKE SINGLES 4.5-3.5

 Beaten but certainly not downhearted. Tegwen Matthews and her GB and I team when the 38th Curtis Cup match was all over. Picture by John Dryburgh.

                                

SO PROUD OF THE GIRLS FOR LAST-DAY 

RALLY, SAYS CAPTAIN TEGWEN

INTERVIEW FROM USGA

Q: Not the weekend you wanted but how do you feel coming out?

CAPTAIN MATTHEWS: Well, coming out, I have to say, so proud of the girls for how they rallied all day today. More especially when they knew the match was gone, and yet they never gave up. That could have put the chins really even further down.

But no, we won the afternoon singles session. So that's a great way to finish and gives everyone a bit of a boost to say the least from a pretty disastrous two days, yeah.

Q. In terms of the overall championship, if the first session had not gone 3‑0, how different might it have been? I feel like the Americans set the tone.

CAPTAIN MATTHEWS: Yes, they did, but if you take that first four‑ball, we lost something like 2‑1 or something and we were 6‑under par and they were 8‑under par. Well, that was bashing it at us, there's no doubt about it, and same scoring within all the three fourballs, was exceptionally high.

So we were up against it. Certainly, when you go 3‑down, you know you are always on the back foot. They still kept firing at us in the foursomes with the same quality of golf, and that I think is the difference. Their preparation has obviously A1. Ellen has done that absolutely superbly. They knew this course very, very well.

And I think the home advantage will always be like that; you have more time to play on the course, and they probably had more time to get together with foursome, four‑ball partnerships.

Some of my girls were already based over here and I had four based in the U.K., so getting together with foursomes and four‑ball, actually was just when we arrived here. So, yeah, preparation always helps in anything you do.

Q. Is there any details that you would do different? Would you name the team earlier? Is there anything that you could do to change things?

CAPTAIN MATTHEWS: It's just not possible financially to bring a team over here for, say, two weeks and do some preparation and then bring them out all over again for a Curtis Cup match.

So I think unless you do that, you're always going to get a home and an away advantage one way or another. Naming the team earlier; possibility, if you could do that, pros and cons to that.

Yeah, I think we've done it both ways over the years. We felt this was right, but I still think the team is a good team and I don't think I would want another team if I chose it earlier or later.

Preparation‑wise, might have been easier if we had done that, more preparation foursomes or four‑ball, back in the U.K. obviously.

Q. Do you think the Americans had a deeper team or do you think it all came down to putting?

CAPTAIN MATTHEWS: It did come down to putting. I don't think a deeper team. I think my girls hit the ball as well if not better than the Americans, except for they were peppering the pin more to six‑foot than we were and they were holing the putts. We had the ability to do that. We just didn't hole any putts.

Q. Is there any point when there's a change, can the make-up of the team, in terms of bringing Europe in to make this more competitiv?

CAPTAIN MATTHEWS: Without sounding sort of rude, every time we lose, we come up with, oh, maybe this should be a European mix team with GB and I

I don't think that's the answer. We never match against Europe anyway on the in‑between years, and in many ways, that's just as tough if not tougher than the Curtis Cup. 

My personal opinion is that I think it would lose the tradition ov the Curtis Cup, and everything that Margaret and Harriot had in mind for a Curtis Cup. That's my personal opinion.

Q. Despite the loss, what do you hope your girls take out of this?

CAPTAIN MATTHEWS: They have all grown in stature. They came here as Curtis Cup players but they have all grown in stature and they will leave here knowing they have grown in stature, and the experience has been amazing for them, and they can go home.

Even though we lost, they can go home knowing we won the singles on the last day, and that should take them a little bit ten foot taller and make them feel a little bit better than maybe some of the opponents that they play going forward. A number of them ‑‑ two years ago, they are going to turn pro.

So turnover of teams these days is very rapid. You're very unlikely to get as with Steph and Bronte, it's unusual to get ‑‑ in my day, I played four Curtis Cups in a row. Unheard of now because they can all turn pro.

Q. What did you say about the Cup ‑‑ you said make sure this is clean when you give it back to us?

CAPTAIN MATTHEWS: When you bring it back, yeah. Make sure it's clean because we want it back.

Q. Do you think we'll see you in Dun Laoghaire?

CAPTAIN MATTHEWS: I'll be there as a supporter at the very least.

TEGWEN MATTHEWS' TEAM PRODUCE THEIR SUNDAY BEST

                

                                        A cup of joy for the Americans! Picture by John Dryburgh

USA WIN CURTIS CUP MATCH 13-7

AFTER GB and I TAKE SINGLES 4.5-3.5

NEWS RELEASE FROM THE USGA

ST. LOUIS – The USA won three singles matches and halved a fourth on Sunday to regain the Curtis Cup, 13-7, and cap a dominant week over Great Britain and Ireland at St. Louis Country Club, Missouri. 

The winning point came courtesy of 2013 U.S. Women’s Amateur champion Emma Talley. Playing in the opening singles match, the 20-year-old from Princeton, Kentucky, made a 3ft par putt on the 15th green to defeat Bronte Law, 19, of England, 4 and 3.

“Dreams do come true, that's for sure,” said a jubilant Talley, who went 3-0-1 over the three-day contest.
“This was the best week ever. I'm just happy to play with my friends and to do it for my country is even better.”

“That is the coolest trophy of all the seven that I've ever won,” said a proud USA captain Ellen Port, who has captured six individual USGA championships.
 “That is the most special trophy, always, that I will ever have, and ever have been a part of.”

Talley, a rising third-year student at the University of Alabama, continued the steady play that was the hallmark of the USA team throughout the three days of competition.
After taking a 2-hole lead with consecutive wins at the fourth and fifth holes, Talley maintained the advantage for the remainder of the match.

Talley knew that the honour of leading her team onto the course – and potentially securing the winning point – was not something to be taken lightly.

“It was a privilege that I got to go out first,” said Talley, one of three Curtis Cup players who will compete in the U.S. Women’s Open at Pinehurst No. 2 in two weeks.
“I was very happy that I got that opportunity and glad I got to secure the point.”

Ally McDonald, 21, of Fulton, Mississippi., earned the second point for the USA. The 2013 North and South Women’s Amateur champion won the par-4 sixth with a birdie to go 1 up and cruised to a 4-and-3 victory over Annabel Dimmock, 17, of England.

“It was a blessing to have been chosen (for the team), and I just wanted to take advantage of this opportunity and make memories and play the best golf that I could,” said McDonald, who will join Talley and GB and I’s Stephanie Meadow at the US Women’s Open.
“I expected coming in to be a big part of the team and to contribute as much as I could, and I think I played really well.”

GB and I rallied to take four of the remaining six singles matches and reduced the large deficit.

“I’m so proud of the girls for how they rallied all day today,” said GB and I captain Tegwen Matthews, who is now 1-1 as a Curtis Cup team captain after she led her team to victory at Nairn in 2012.
“Especially when they knew the match was gone, and yet they never gave up. That could have put the chins really even further down.

“But no, we won the afternoon singles session. So that's a great way to finish and gives everyone a bit of a boost to say the least from a pretty disastrous two days.”

Georgia Hall, 18, of England, holed out for eagle from the fairway on 15 in her 3-and-2 victory over Kyung Kim, 20, of Chandler, Arizona. The hole-out came after Kim’s approach landed a foot from the hole.

Gemma Dryburgh, 20, of Scotland, lost a 3-hole lead to Ashlan Ramsey, 18, of Milledgeville, Georgia but holed a 30ft putt at the 18th to win by two holes.

The final GB and I  point went to Meadow, 22, of Northern Ireland. The recent University of Alabama graduate rallied from an early deficit to notch a 2-and-1 win over Alison Lee, 19, of Valencia, California.

The 2014 Curtis Cup match was Meadow and Ramsey’s final event as amateurs, as they will turn professional immediately following the event.

Mariah Stackhouse, 20, of Riverdale, Georgia, carried a 1-up lead over Eilidh Briggs, 21, of Scotland, to the 18th. However, Stackhouse’s double bogey after going long over the green halved the match.

The USA’s 9½-2½ lead following the first four sessions was the largest four-round lead since the playing format was expanded to five sessions over three days in 2008, bettering the 2010 USA mark of 8½-3½.

The 2016 Curtis Cup Match will be conducted at Dun Laoghaire Golf Club, near Dublin, Ireland.

Christina Lance is the assistant manager of championship communications for the USGA. Email her at clance@usga.org.

SUNDAY RESULTS
Par 71. Yardage 6,190
USA 3 1/2, GB and IRELAND 4 1/2
USA names first
Emma Talley bt Bronte Law 4 and 3.
Ally McDonald bt Annabel Dimmock 4 and 3.
Kyung Kim lost to Georgia Hall 3 and 2.
Ashlan Ramsey lost to Gemma Dryburgh 2 holes.

Erynne Lee lost to Charlotte Thomas 2 holes.
Mariah Stackhouse halved with Eilidh Briggs.
Annie Park bt Gabriella Cowley 5 and 4.

Alison Lee lost to Stephanie Meadow 2 and 1.

DAY-BY-DAY SCOREBOARD
Day 1 - USA 5, GB and Ireland 1.
Day 2 - USA 4 1/2, GB and Ireland 1 1/2
Day 3 - USA 3 1/2, GB and Ireland 4 1/2

FINAL RESULT:
UNITED STATES 13, GB and IRELAND 7