By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
England's Charley Hull, at the centre of a storm over her decision not to play in the Curtis Cup selection trial match at Nairn next month, did best of all the British players in the first qualifying round of the Spanish women's amateur international championship at El Valle GC, Murcia in the southeast of Spain today.
The 15-year-old Woburn GC member and World No 9 female amateur, holder of the English and Welsh women's open amateur stroke-play titles, shot a three-under-par 68 to be joint fourth overnight, two shots behind the Spanish pacemaker, Natalia Escuriola Martinez.
Amy Boulden (Conwy), who will be taking part in the Nairn three-day work-out, is next best, joint eighth, on 70
Woodhall Spa's Holly Clyburn, who played in the 2010 Curtis Cup match in America and is also bound for Nairn next month, had a par-matching 71 to be in joint 13th place.
Bothwell Castle's Pamela Pretswell, another with Curtis Cup experience and going to the Nairn trial match, shot a 72 to be joint 15th, well within the cut-off mark of the top 64 players at the end of the second stroke-play round, who will go forward to the match-play stages.
The other Scots in the field will need to dig deep to make the cut. Ailsa Summers (Carnoustie Ladies) is in joint 72nd place after a 79. Jane Turner (Craigielaw) had an 80 (jt 77th). Hannah McCook (Grantown on Spey) in jt 87th after an 83 while Rebecca Wilson (Grange, Monifieth) is sharing 90th place in a field of 95 after an 85.
FIRST QUALIFYING ROUND LEADERS
Par 71
66 Natalia Escuriola Martinez (Spain).]
67 Celine Boutier (France), Chloe Leurquin (Belgium).
68 Charley Hull (England).
69 Ann Kathrin Lindner (Germany), Jessica Vasilic (Sweden), Nina Holleder (Germany).
70 Perrine Delacour (France), Karolin Lampert (Germany), Amy Boulden (Wales).
SELECTED BRITISH SCORES
71 Holly Clyburn (England) (T13).
72 Pamela Pretswell (Scotland) (T15).
73 Emilee Taylor (England), Katherine O'Connor (Wales) (T22).
74 Jess Wilcox (England), Gabriella Cowley (England) (T29).
75 Chloe Williams (Wales) (T34).
76 Becky Harries (Wales) (T42).
78 Nicole Whitmore (England) (T58).
79 Meghan MacLaren (England), Ailsa Summers (Scotland) (T72)
80 Jane Turner (Scotland), Rachel Drummond (England) (T77).
83 Hannah McCook (Scotland) (T87).
85 Rebecca Wilson (Scotland) (T90).
Ladies Golf News in Scotland, the West of Scotland and Renfrewshire