Stirling 1 v Strathclyde in Scottish students' final

Stirling 1 will play Strathclyde in Friday's final of the Scottish student golf team championship at the Moray Golf Club's links at Lossiemouth
In the semi-finals, Stirling I beat their colleagues Stirling III by an 11-1 margin..
Strathclyde struggled in the early morning foursomes against Stirling II and trailed 2.5-1.5 after the morning foursomes.
Early victories by Strathclyde's Callum Connacher and Richard Johnsonsaw the lead swing back in the west of Scotland's favour. This did not last long as Luke Robinson  and Andreas Roehrl tipped the match in Stirling II's favour.
The tie came down to the final match with Strathclyde's Craig Hughes showing nerves of steel to recover from a lip out on the 17th green to par the final hole to secure a one hole victory against Kevin Prentice  and level the overall score at 6-6.
The captains  nominated their leading players for a sudden death play-off and Hughes for Strathclyde birdied the second extra hole to overpower Sean Walter
Semi-final results:
Stirling 1 11, Stirling III 1
Strathclyde 6, Stirling II 6 (Strathclyde won play-off at second extra hole).

Stirling 1. Back (left to right): Andrew Davidson; Dan King; Chris MacLean; Craig Howie; James Wilson. Front: Henry Tomlinson; Marco Iten; Mathias Eggenberger (capt); Angus Carrick

Strathclyde (back): Cameron Graham; Neil McConnachie; James Johnston; Ross Finlay; Andrew Wright. Front:  Craig Hughes; Richard Johnston; Craig Chalmers (capt); Andrew Cunningham; Callum Connacher

Local knowledge helps Laura lead by three

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Laura Murray is on course to win the Paul Lawrie Golf Centre Ladies Open title for the second year in a row at Murcar Links.
The Paul Lawrie GC player from Alford, pictured, playing in the final group of the day, posted a three-over-par 74 to take a three-shot lead into the final round on Friday.
Kelsey MacDonald (Carrick on Loch Lomond), American Beth Allen (Falkirk) and Sarah Attwood (Gog Magog) had been the long-time joint leaders on 77 on a day when one player had a 10 at the long fourth and there were triple bogeys galore.
Murray made the most of her local knowledge and the fact that the wind dropped when her group were playing the last few holes.
"I've played this course so many times I could probably get round blindfold. I know the places I should be in from tee and, just as important, I know the places that don't want to end up," said Laura who missed the cut on her LET debut in Morocco last week.
"I holed out well and that helped, nothing very long but the 18th was a good example - I sank a four or five-footer for a 3, my only birdie of the day."
But Murray is certainly not counting her chickens as far as the £2,250 first prize is concerned.
"There are a lot of good players in this field and three strokes is not an unassailable lead over a course like this."
Pre-tournament favourite Trish Johnson, the former Solheim Cup player, and a winner last year at Kingsbarns on her only other appearance on the Ladies' Tartan Tour, had a 78.

"I thought the course was playing very long because the fairways are soft and there is little or no run. That's not a criticism of the course. I think it is a cracking lay-out and I would love to play Murcar Links in the summer when it would play like a links," said Trish (pictured right).
Former Curtis Cup player - one of several in the field - Michele Thomson from Ellon was another who thought the course was "too long" for the lady pros, given the adverse conditions.
But that was another advantage for clear-cut leader Murray. She is arguably the longest hitter in the field and and reduced run on her drives was not a problem for Laura.

SCROLL DOWN PAST THE SCORES FOR
 FRIDAY'S TEE TIMES

FIRST ROUND SCOREBOARD
Par 71 (36-35)

74 Laura Murray (Paul Lawrie GC) 39-35
77 Beth Allen (Falkirk) 38-39, Sarah Attwood (Gog Magog) 39-38, Kelsey MacDonald (Carrick on Loch Lomond) 41-36
78 Heather MacRae (Gleneagles) 40-38, Kiran Matharu (Cookridge Hall) 37-41, Trish Johnson (Wiltshire) 40-38, Michele Thomson (unatt) 42-36, Gabriella Cowley (Hanbury Manor) 44-34, Annabel Dimmock (Wentworth) 38-40
79 Maria Tulley (Eastbourne Downs) 42-37, Chloe Rogers (Celtic Manor) 40-39
81 Keely Chiericato (Manston) 39-42, Becky Brewerton (Wiltshire) 46-35, Lucy Goddard (Hanbury Manor) 40-41
83 Lisa Shervill (The Shropshire) 43-40
84 Nicola Ferguson (American Golf) 44-40, Jane Turner (West Linton) 46-38, Alyson McKechin (Elderslie) 42-42, Jess Wilcox (Blankney) 43-41
85 Tracey Boyes (Corhampton) 44-41, Rachel Drummond (Buckinghamshire) 45-40, Emilee Taylor (Holmhall) 42-43
87 Jorden Ferrie (Hilton Park) 43-44.
88 Kirstin Scott (Gleneagles) 46-42, Gillian Paton (Royal Montrose) (am) 47-41
96 Fiona Wait (Bathgate) (am) 48-48
No return - Gemma Webster (Succession Group)

FINAL ROUND (Friday) tee times
09.00 Wait, Paton, Scott
09.10 Ferrie, Taylor, Drummond.
09.20 Boyes, Wilcox, McKechin
09.30 Turner, Ferguson, Shervill.
09.40 Goddard, Brewerton, Chiericato
09.50 Rogers, Tulley, Dimmock 
10.00 Cowley, Thomson, Johnson
10.10 MacRae, Matharu, MacDonald
10.20 Attwood, Allen, Murray.

MyGolfRanking, Scotland Men, Week 2015/13

1 *Ross Stewart (Swanston New) 1200 pts

2 Barry Logan (Dunnikier Park) 1197

3 Gary Dunbar (Dollar) 1168

T4 Jamie Lownie (Montrose Mercantile) 1150

T4 *Andy Paddon (Newburgh-on-Ythan) 1150

*new entry                                                                                                                           

MyGolfRanking, Scotland Ladies, 2015/13

1 Lorraine Daw (Blairmore and Strone) 1225 pts

2 Gwen Lambie (Blairgowrie) 1091

3 Lynn McDonald (Strathtay) 1119

4 Karen Marshall (Baberton) 1108

5 Elaine Thom (Port Bannatyne) 1106

MyGolfRanking Scotland Clubs, Week 2015/13

1 Leven GS Ladies 1074

2 Ladybank Ladies 1038

3 Strathtay 1021

4 Taymouth Castle 1000

5 Cupar Ladies 947

The MyGolfRanking service is free to clubs and members.

For up-to-date ranking lists of participating clubs, the full Regional, National and International Rankings and how it works, visit www.mygolfranking.co.uk . Clubs wishing to participate should register on www.mygolfranking.co.uk  or email info@mygolfranking.net for information.


David Moir
Past President
SCOTTISH GOLF UNION
Hon Life President
FIFE GOLFING ASSOCIATION
Managing Director
in LEAGUE with GOLF Ltd
23 Links Road
Lundin Links
Leven
Fife KY8 6AS
Scotland

davidmoir@mail.com
+44 (0)7789 373216

Jessica Bradley from Devon scores 7th USA win

                           Lynn University, Boca Raton, Florida team with the championship trophy


FROM THE LYNN UNIVERSITY WEBSITE
with a few additional words by Colin Farquharson
Sugar Land, Texas – Lynn University's women's golf team from Boca Raton, Florida had a rip-roaring good time on Tuesday, shooting a tournament-low round of 294 to surpass Lamar and take top honours at the HBU Husky Invitational.  
Jessica Bradley, a final year student from North Devon, England,  separated herself from the field of 60 players to claim her seventh career tournament victory in the United States while tying two program records in the process.
Trailing by six shots at the start of the day, the Fighting Knights  posted their lowest round of the 54-hole event while second-round leaders Lamar shot their worst round.  
The combination of the two led to Lynn (899) winning by seven shots over Lamar (906).  Host Houston Baptist (919) made the move to third place, passing Sam Houston State (921) while McLennan CC (937) rested comfortably in fifth in a field of 11 teams.
Bradley shot an even par final round over the 6,084yd course at Riverbend Country Clubto finish with an even par 216 total (71-73-72), tying the Lynn program record held by team-mate Samantha Smolen. 
Jessica, from Bishops Nympton, North Devon, logged a tournament-best 42 pars, to go along with six birdies and six bogeys.  She won by six strokes, tying her own college record set last season by winning her third tournament of the year.
Smolen and Jenny Ayala finished fifth and sixth with aggregates of 225 and 226.  Smolen was tied for ninth with 35 pars and logged five birdies throughout the event for her fifth top-10 finish of the season.  Ayala started the day three-over par over the first two holes but battled back to shoot three-under over the course of the next 16 holes to close out the final day with a 72.  She was second in the field with nine birdies.
Samantha Barber posted the largest turnaround on the Lynn squad.  A freshman out of Cape Town, South Africa, she improved by nine shots from the previous round with a 75 on the final day.  Louise Manalo was fifth on the starting squad, shooting 242 in total.
As a team, Lynn claimed its third victory of the year and the 23rd under head coach Danny Randolph.
The Fighting Knights will ride the momentum of this victory to the Sunshine State Conference Championship, beginning Sunday, April 12, at the Red Tail Country Club in Orlando, Florida  Fans can keep up with the action live at LynnFightingKnights.com and receive in-tournament updates by following @Lynn_Knights on Twitter and Instagram.

 DULCIE MAKES TOP 20 AT PONTE VEDRA BEACH

Dulcie Sverdloff (Kennesaw State), a sophomore from Southend, finished T16 in a field of 96 players at the Web.com Women's Intercollegiate 54-hole tournament at Marsh Landing Country Club, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida this week.
Dulcie, pictured,  had three steady rounds of 72, 73 and 72 for a two-over-par total of 218 over a par-72. 5967yd course.
She finished 12 shots behind the winner by four, Delfina Acosta (Miami) who had scores of 67, 68 and 71 for 12-under 206.
Miami (851) also won the team title ahead of Texas Tech (859) and Florida State (861). Kennesaw State (890) came joint seventh in a field of 17 teams. 

Hayley finishes T7 at Longview, Texas
 

Hayley Mackay, pictured, from Sussex, a sophomore at the University of Texas @ Tyler , finished T7 in a field of 35 players at the Le Tourneau University Spring Classic at Pinecrest Country Club, Longview, Texas.
Hayley had rounds of 80 and 83 for a total of 163 - eight shots behind Sara Ruiz (Tyler Junior College) who scored 78-77 for 155.
Scores suggest they did not have the best of weather for this tournament over a par-72 course of 5871yd.
This is the first time we've given  Hayley a mention on Kirkwoodgolf - our oversight. Welcome aboard, Hayley whose surname suggests she has some Scottish blood in her veins.

N IRELAND STUDENTS TIE FOR FIFTH IN ARIZONA

Two students from Northern Ireland, Holly Robinson (Alabama-Birmingham), pictured right, and Megan Thompson (Missouri State), pictured below, tied for fifth place in a field of 84 players  at the UALR/ASU Women's Classic at Maumelle Country Club, Arizona this week.
Holly, a native of Sligo and a senior at UAB), scored 74, 74 and 79 for 227 - eight shots behind the winner by four, Fernanda Lira (Central Arkansas) (74-74-73 for three-over 219).

Over the par-72 course of 6,226yd Megan also a final-year student from Ballyclare, shot 73, 75 and 79. 
Megan Garland (Arkansas State), a senior from Goole, Yorkshire, finished T15 on 230 (75-76-79)
Katie Reid from Dundee, another final-year student, this time at Arkansas-Little Rock, finished T19 on 231 with three rounds of 77. 
Emma Miller from Wales, a freshman at Arkansas State, shot 77-77-80 for 235 and a 38th place finish.
Abi Laker from Oxfordshire, a junior at Arkansas State, finished T74 on 252 (81-83-88).