BRITISH PLAYERS COULD NOT MASTER GRAINY GREENS

 South Korea's Juwon Jeong (left) and Chile's Joaquin Niemann (right), the individual winners.

INDIA CLYBURN 14th, FIONA LIDDELL 

19th AT JUNIOR ORANGE BOWL FINISH 


Scottish Under-21 girls' open champion India Clyburn (Woodhall Spa) from Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire finished 14th while Scottish Under-18 girls title-holder, Germany-based Fiona Liddell, tied for 19th position in a field of 34 at the conclusion of the Junior Orange Bowl girls' 72-hole championship over the Biltmore course (6,089yd, par-71) at Coral Gables, Florida.
Neither player mastered the grainy greens over the four days at the end of which South Korea's Juwon Jeong beat Sweden's first-round leader Linnea Strom at the third hole of a sudden-death play-off.
They had tied on one-under-par 283, Jeong closing with a 71 and Storm a 69. Jeong birdied all three of the extra holes.
Clyburn, younger sister of LET player Holly, had rounds of 78, 74, 74 and 76 for 18-over-par 302.
Liddell, whose father Stephen is a Scots-born club pro in Germany, at Schloss Vornholz near Gutersloh, scored 75, 78, 76 and 77 for a disappointing total of 306.
Clyburn, in the final round, bogeyed five of the first seven holes and then parred the last 11 holes in halves of 40-36.
Liddell birdied the fourth and nine but had a double bogey at the fifth as well as bogeys at the second, third, sixth, eighth, 15th and 17th in halves of 39-38.

GIRLS' LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 284 (4x71) Yardage: 6,089

283 Juwon Jeong (South Korea) 69 72 71 71, Linnea Strom (Sweden) 67 73 74 69 (Jeong won sudden-death play-off at third extra hole).
285 Maria Hoyos (Colombia) 68 72 68 77, Aubane Valenzuela (Switzerland) 70 73 72 70.
286 Agathe Laisne (France) 68 75 73 70, Megan Khang (USA) 74 73 70 69
287 Leonie Harm (Germany) 71 72 71 73
290 Luiza Altmann (Brazil) 74 68 72 76, Renate Grimstad (Norway) 70 73 72 75.

SELECTED TOTALS
302 India Clyburn (England) 78 74 74 76 (14th)
306 Fiona Liddell (Scotland) 75 78 76 77 (T19).
Field of 34 players

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NAIRN PLAYER HAS BEEN ON A GREAT LEARNING CURVE

 KELSEY MACDONALD  LOOKS BACK 

ON AN ENJOYABLE YEAR

By KELSEY MACDONALD
I have enjoyed my first year on the Ladies European Tour and it has
been a great learning curve for me.  I can’t thank ATR, my sponsors,
enough for their support, Robert Rock for his mentoring and all my
family and friends for their tireless support.  
During tournaments the organisational and practical skills of the LET staff have made tournaments enjoyable to be a part of.  Off the course we manage to see local culture and there is always a social function arranged to bring the tour players together. 
I have met and become friends with lots of the girls from all over the world.
Memorable moments were qualifying and competing in the US Open, seeing different countries and cultures, trip on a sea plane in Dubai and upgrading my LET status in Morocco was indeed a highlight.
During the year I competed in 12 events with six cuts made and three missed by one shot it made me realise how close I was to being in the top half of the order of merit rankings.  And with full playing rights in 2015 I look forward to competing in all events.
Unfortunately, there are always incidents that make us realise how
lucky we are to be fit and healthy.  In early September I had an
accident which left me with extreme lower back pain. Whilst playing in Tenerife and South Africa  and during the following six weeks I
underwent intensive physio and rehab and can’t thank the LET physios and Lewis Mitchell at ESP.
The vision was to start in 2015, based on my category of 2014. Rceiving invites to India and Dubai in warmer climates made me reconsider. 
The biggest decision during 2014 was to accept the invitation to play in India, having not hit anything more than an iron since September.
Getting to practise and play in the warmer climate of Dubai enhanced my recovery process dramatically and I was able to be competitive. 
Having gone from zero to 11 rounds in two weeks the vision of tour school was still very much clouded as I made travel arrangements for Morocco.
Opting to play only nine holes on each course prior to the event I just
dug deep to produce the results. Gaining sixth place was amazing and just knowing my schedule for 2015 makes it all worthwhile and will spend the next few weeks making sure I am fit for the rest of the season.
Absolutely delighted to have another two Scots, Laura Murray and
Heather MacRae, gaining full cardsm, showing Scottish Ladies Golf making its way to the top.

AN ARTICLE THAT EVERY WOULD-BE LADY PRO SHOULD READ

YOU NEED TO MAKE $100,000 JUST TO

BREAK EVEN, SAYS STACY LEWIS and

IT'S A SHORT CAREER ON TOUR

• t

• FROM  GOLFWEEK.COM WEBSITE
• By Beth Ann Nichols
• Follow Me: Twitter @GolfweekNichols

Editor's note: This story originally was published in the Nov. 21, 2014, issue of Golfweek magazine.
Patty Sheehan was 42 years old when she adopted her second child. It was 1999, the year her father was diagnosed with an incurable cancer. Many days, the fun-loving Sheehan would walk the fairway with tears streaming down her face. On the road, she thought about her family; at home, she felt guilty about not practising.

Sheehan played one more season on the LPGA and then quit.
“It was a really difficult time in my life,” she said. “I was home, but I don’t think I was really at home.”
Deep down, the LPGA Hall of Fame member thought she had left the tour too soon. Those feelings haven’t changed.
Knowing when to walk away is a complex decision that can jell in an instant or drag on for years. LPGA players generally avoid the “R” word.
“Nobody retired from golf,” said Jane Geddes, a major champion who works in talent relations for World Wrestling Entertainment. “People just faded away.”
When Lorena Ochoa told Betsy King that she wanted to play on the LPGA for 10 years and then stop to have a family, King warned her that leaving wouldn’t be easy.
“No, no, I’m Mexican,” Ochoa said. “For Latins, it’s very important to stay home.”
Ochoa married in 2009 and abruptly quit the tour the next spring at age 28 after seven seasons, 27 victories and nearly $15 million in earnings.
Stacy Lewis, pictured above, thinks Ochoa’s example will be more model than one-off in the coming years.
“I know there are a lot of girls who can’t even imagine having kids out there and playing,” Lewis said.
Among the current players on tour, LPGA research shows only eight have competed for at least 20 years. Of the 30 players who earned exempt status at the 2004 LPGA Q-School, only medalist Paula Creamer and three others still compete on tour. 
Compare that with the 35 men who earned US PGA Tour cards through Q-School that year: 14 are still on Tour.
Players compete for more money than ever before, but the fact remains that most women who earn tour cards go on to pursue second careers.
“There are very few players on the LPGA that can retire at age 30 and not think they’re ever going to work again,” said Aaron Barber, a former PGA Tour player who works as a financial planner.
Retirement plans are like snowflakes, Barber said. No two are alike.

Meaghan Francella  played seven seasons on the LPGA. She's still involved with golf but now as a caddie for Min Lee who won earlier this year on the Symetra Tour.

Meaghan Francella thought she’d play forever. She beat Annika Sorenstam in a play-off during her first year on tour and imagined she’d compete on the LPGA until she could no longer walk.
“I thought I’d be on tour for 40 years,” Francella said.
Instead, the game only grew tougher. Golf brought Francella down so far that, in the end, she resented it. After making only $7,838 in 14 events last season, Francella sold her house and became a caddie with a guaranteed income. She had  played seven full seasons on tour.
“For the first time in my life,” said Francella, 32, “I can actually say that I’m truly, truly happy.”
Like many twentysomething Americans, Nicole Hage grew up believing she’d be the next Juli Inkster. Yet she lasted only six seasons on tour.
“I woke up one morning last June and it was gone,” said Hage, 29, who oversees hospitality and event planning for Chisum Sports. “I haven’t thought about it since.”
Hage struggled to build a resume when she left the tour because, like many of her peers, golf had been her only job. She graduated from Auburn in 2007 with a communications degree and made $74,174 in six years on the LPGA. Hage had the talent but mentally never quite figured it out.
For 21 years, Hage dedicated her life to golf. Now she finds herself learning the most basic parts of the business world.
“Everything is just so foreign to me,” she said.
Plus, for the first time in her life, she has a boss.
“It’s not about you anymore,” Hage said. “It’s not your party.”
It’s another sun-splashed day in South Florida, and while the rest of the tour competes in South Korea, Lewis is sharing a bowl of chips and guacamole at Rocco’s Tacos with friends Alison Walshe and Cindy LaCrosse.
The frugal Lewis, who majored in finance and accounting at Arkansas, tracks her expenses monthly on an Excel file. She might rank first on the LPGA’s money list, but that doesn’t make her unaware of tourwide challenges.

Player (Events)	2013 money (rank)	Caddie	Team	Travel	Course membership	Entry fees/dues	Home Expenses
Stacy Lewis (26)	$2,158,573 (3)	$242,000	$75,500	$64,375	$15,000	$5,500	$46,050
Gerina Piller (26)	$572,690 (26)	$75,517	$7,735	$30,114	$0	$5,031	$26,000
Alison Walshe (24)	$245,515 (53)	$48,193	$13,000	$44,605	$8,600	$4,926	$33,346
Kristy McPherson (19)	$108,615 (83)	$28,970	n/a	$25,148	$5,000	$4,050	$26,500
Brooke Pancake (17)	$63,647 (98)	$20,876	$10,500	$18,785	$7,000	$3,675	$17,137
Julia Boland (15)	$22,714 (122)	$32,128	$15,505	$28,534	$0	$3,475	$14,000

Note: Information in the above chart was provided by each player. Most LPGA players pay about 40 percent in taxes for on-course earnings (does not include off-course income).

“So, over a stretch of 30 events, everybody is paying a total of at least $30,000 for a caddie,” Lewis said, “and that’s if you miss the cut and you’re not paying for their flights. So 40-50K right away for caddies. 
"But then you add expenses (on the road), and you’ve got to make $100,000 to break even.”
And that’s not including bills at home. Or taxes.
“That’s why I hate putting all my expenses together,” said Lewis, shaking her head.
“Relax, multi-millionaire,” Walshe said jokingly from across the table.
Lewis watches successful friends buy houses and cars for their families, and she worries.
Professional athletes typically reach their peak earning potential well before age 35. It’s the reverse of most careers.
“I get that you want to take care of your family, but what are you going to do 10 years from now?” Lewis asked. “That 50K could mean a lot . . . But girls don’t think about that.”
Though golf, by its non-contact, low-impact nature, might offer pro athletes the potential of a long-lasting career, only 10 LPGA players 40 or older held active status in 2014.
Catriona Matthew, the 45-year-old marvel who, with two kids, is playing better than ever, isn’t surprised that many players her age have quit. Most practised all hours in the day, she said, and played golf year-round. Matthew, however, still lives near the course where she grew up – North Berwick Golf Club in Scotland – and recommends putting away the clubs for at least one month during the off-season. That’s easy to do while wintering along the Firth of Forth.
“I have a great balance between golf and family life,” Matthew said. “I sacrifice a lot.”
Leta Lindley can speak to those sacrifices. She and husband Matt Plagmann, her long-time caddie, left the LPGA in September 2012 after 18 seasons to be with their kids. 
They went home to Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, and started Leta’s Home Team, a home-watching and handyman service for residents who leave their homes for extended periods.
Lindley, 42, is the face of the company, but Matt does most of the work. She’s too busy presiding over the PTA and running her charity.
“We’re by no means becoming millionaires through this business,” Lindley said, “but it gives purpose to the day and puts groceries on the table.”
The couple left the road to raise soccer-crazed Cole, 10, and Reese, 8, who loves the stage.
“I wanted to make memories with my kids,” Lindley said, “and I didn’t want those to be mommy’s backside walking out the door and us crying and saying goodbye.”
Lindley, who earned more than $3 million in her career, lives comfortably if not luxuriously.
“We laugh when we look at it and the skewed picture that’s presented to the public,” she said.
The desire to have a family – and be home – isn’t the only reason players leave the tour early. Paige Mackenzie points to better competition.
“It will be interesting to see the next five years,” Mackenzie said. “There will be no hangers-on.”
According to LPGA data from the past 10 years, the cutline has dropped two strokes on a par-71 course and 1.3 strokes on par 72s.
“You can’t slap it around and make a cut,” LaCrosse said.
The LPGA’s talent not only is deeper but younger, with four teenagers having won in 2014. Just days after Lydia Ko turned professional at 16, she wondered whether 30 might be a nice age to retire. She’s 17 and already a four-time winner on tour.
For many of the LPGA’s rising stars, burn-out could be as much of a threat as injury. With players specializing early, is 30 the new 40?
Inkster, for one, doesn’t envy the younger crowd.
“This is no lie: In the 1980s, on a Monday, you could blow a bomb off and no one was here,” Inkster said of old-school practice habits.
Now, every day is a grind.
Of the top 20 players in the Golfweek/Sagarin College Rankings from 10 years ago, only three still play golf for a living: Brittany Lang, Hannah Jun Medlock and Mackenzie, who was out this season on medical leave.
“I think another reason people are retiring is, they’re terrified,” Walshe said. “They don’t have money.”
Some, Lewis said, don’t even carry health insurance.
“I think what people need to remember is that being a member of the LPGA doesn’t guarantee you a living,” Karrie Webb said, “but it provides you the opportunity to make a great living. I think that gets lost now.”
Jane Blalock quit the tour cold turkey in 1985. She knew she couldn’t keep the same intensity past 40 that she’d had in her younger days, so the 27-time winner dusted off an old business card she had collected at a pro-am and phoned the chief financial officer at Merrill Lynch.
Blalock soon found herself walking to work each morning on the cobblestone streets of Boston wearing a suit, briefcase in hand.
Wow, did your life just change, she told herself.
Blalock, 69, said for many players, particularly the successful ones, it’s difficult to abandon the quest to find the game’s secret.
“How much do you have to crash before you realize you have to move on?” she asks.
As co-founder of the Legends Tour, Blalock knows the difficulties that former players face in transitioning to life after the tour. Chief among them are finances. Blalock spent nearly 20 years on the LPGA and said she gets $262 per month from her pension.
Sheehan said the cheque she receives from the tour each month might not even cover what it costs to groom and feed her six dogs.
Rather it’s two investments Sheehan made in the 1980s that keep her afloat.
“Otherwise I’d be out there working in a pro shop somewhere or teaching,” she said.
Kathy Milthorpe, the LPGA’s chief financial officer, said the tour’s retirement program – 50 percent vesting after five years, with 100 percent after 10 – never was intended to be a sole source of income.
Though the PGA Tour and LPGA plans were drawn up by the same law firm and introduced within months of each other in 1982-83, the PGA Tour can line the pockets of players in a way the LPGA simply cannot afford.
At home in Mexico City, Ochoa tries not to spend more than one night per week on the road, raising money for her foundation and conducting exhibitions for sponsors. Those who know Ochoa believe the mother of two (and three stepchildren) when she says she does not judge players who raise kids on tour or delay their dream of starting a family.
But her advice carries a strong warning.
“Just be very careful and really open your eyes,” she said. “If there are other things in life that you love to do, life is too short.
“It’s very easy to forget, and the time will pass and then you probably will regret.”