Showing posts with label LGU. Show all posts
Showing posts with label LGU. Show all posts

Friday 27 July 2012

CORONATION FOURSOMES AREA FINALS PLAYED AT EASTWOOD GOLF COURSE

The LGU Coronation Foursomes Area Final was played at Eastwood Golf Course on Tuesday 24th July
After such torrential rain on Monday the organisers were worried that the event would be able to take place. However, all the Qualifiers were pleasantly surprised when the sun shone and the course had stood up to the torrential rain. Thanks go to Eastwood Golf Club Area Organiser Sally Crowther, LGU representative Nancy Chisholm, and all the Eastwood Ladies, for the well organisation and running of the event. Everyone who played had a great day and congratulations to the winners and runners up.

Winners : Pat Morris and Lianne Muirhead (Dunbracken Ladies) (11) 39 points
Runners up: Liz Haxton and Jacqueline Wallace (Falkland) (18) 37points
3rd: Lesley Giblin and Kath McLeod (Haggs Castle) (23) 35 points (acb)

Full Results --- CLICK HERE ---- (In time order )

Tuesday 26 June 2012

THE BRITISH OPEN AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP AT CARNOUSTIE

Renfrewshire's Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm) had an 81 which matched the scores of defending champion Lauren Taylor (Woburn) and Curtis Cup heroine Stephanie Meadow (Royal Portrush) in today's first round of the British Ladies Open Championship at Carnoustie.

Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar), beaten in the final at Ganton a couple of years ago by Kelly Tidy, has an 82, the same score as Ann Ramsay (Kirriemuir) and Renfrewshire's Alyson McKechin (Elderslie)
Aberdonian Gemma Dryburgh, a student at Tulane University, New Orleans, had a disappointing 85.
Carnoustie is no respector of reputations. Alexandra Bonetti (France), beaten in last years final, had an 84 (44-40), the same score as Susan Jackson (Ladybank).
Bonetti had an 8 at the second and a 7 at the sixth.
The leading 64 will go forward after Wednesday's second qualifying round

To read the full report go to The Gillian Kirkwood Website

First qualifying round
Par 72
70 Celine Boutier (Fra), Giulia Molinaro (Ita).
72 Daniela Holmqvist (Swe), Sally Watson (Sco), Alexandra Peters (Eng), Perrine Delacour (Fra)
73 Leona Maguire (Ire), Amy Boulden (Wal), Patricia Sanz Barrios (Spa), Bronte Law (Eng)
74 Sophia Popov (Ger), Kerry Smith (Eng), Meghan Stasi (US).
75 Christine Wong (Can), Marta Sanz Barrios (Spa), Holly Clyburn (Eng), Isabelle Boineau (Fra), Marina Stuetz (Aut), Hayley Davis (Eng), Laure Castelain (Fra), Ariane Provot (Fra).
SELECTED SCORES
76 Charley Hull (Eng)
77 Kelly Tidy (Eng), Rachael Watton (Sco)
78 Georgia Hall (Eng)
79 Jacqueline Sneddon (Sco), Laura Murray (Sco), Jane Turner (Sco)
81 Megan Briggs (Sco), Lauren Taylor (Eng), Stephanie Meadow (NIr)
82 Kelsey MacDonald (Sco), Ann Ramsay (Sco), Alyson McKechin (Sco), Jessica Meek (Sco)
84 Alexandra Bonetti (Fra), Susan Jackson (Sco).
Ailsa Summers (Sco).
85 Gemma Dryburgh (Sco).


CLICK HERE FOR UP TO DATE SCORING

Friday 23 March 2012

JOB VACANCY WITH THE LGU

The Ladies’ Golf Union (“LGU”) is the encompassing body for ladies’ amateur golf throughout Great Britain and Ireland. Through its subsidiary company, LGU Championships Limited, it is specifically responsible for the delivery of national and international championships including British Championships, Home International matches, International matches including the Curtis Cup, and the Ricoh Women’s British Open.
Applications are currently being invited for the following positions (CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW) primarily based in St Andrews, but with some necessity for travel.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE

Wednesday 29 February 2012

LGU clarifies position on Curtis Cup selection

LADIES GOLF UNION PRESS RELEASE

In response to some of the media coverage over the last 24 hours, the LGU is taking the opportunity to clarify the position regarding Charley Hull’s decision to withdraw from the Curtis Cup team trial at Nairn from 23-25 March. The LGU is disappointed at Charley’s withdrawal from the squad.
Despite media interpretation, the timing of the team trial does not conflict with the LPGA’s Kraft Nabisco event to which the player has been invited, and in fact Charley could, had she wanted, have played in both.
Charley’s representative yesterday advised the LGU that “She appreciates that her absence from the training may jeopardise her chances of being selected for the Curtis Cup team and may preclude her from future LGU teams”.
Charley further told the LGU “…. thats my final decision, I would of kicked myself if I would of refused it and then didn't get picked! Would of been different if it was the same time as the C Cup but as it's a practice\trial my decision is to play in the 1st major of the LPGA”
The LGU has again invited Charley to rethink her decision to withdraw and has indeed tried to reach a further accommodation with her, offering that she flies out to the USA on the Sunday of the team trial, which would give her sufficient time to travel to the Kraft Nabisco which starts the following Thursday.
To date there has been no reply to this suggestion from either the player or her representatives.
All the squad players were made aware of the importance of the team trial, and signed a “player agreement” committing to attend. The team trial is the final element of the selection process and is aimed, inter alia, at: ·

Familiarising the players with the course
Giving the selectors the opportunity to see how the players handle the course
Teambuilding
Assessing how the players respond to pressure in a team golf environment.

The players willingly committed to attend the team trial on the understanding that attendance is compulsory, and such is the importance being placed on this session that the LGU is bringing a player back from the USA to participate.
The door remains open for Charley to attend the trial at Nairn and then travel to the USA for the Kraft Nabisco.
While disappointed at Charley’s decision, the LGU considers the remaining squad members world class players in their own right and is confident that a strong team will be selected for the match in June.

Susan Simpson
Head of Golf Operations
LGU Championships Ltd
Ladies' Golf Union
St Andrews, KY16 9AT
Tel 01334 475811
Fax 01334 472818
www.lgu.org

Wednesday 5 October 2011

How to set up a tee box !

Susan Simpson, the LGU's Head of Golf Operations, shows how to set a tee box at Carnoustie this summer - the same approach will be taken at the Curtis Cup and those of you up with the larks at Nairn should get to the course and watch how it should be done - 5.30 am (or maybe a wee bit earlier!) on 8,9 and 10 June 2012 - Be there or be square!

Watch the season's final edition of LGU Monthly on Sky Sports


This season's final edition of LGU Monthly is due for screening on Monday 10 and Tuesday 11 October. The Monday slots are:-
Sky Sports 4 - 5.30pm
Sky Sports 3 - 9.30pm
Timings for Tuesday are still to be confirmed, but the programme will be shown 3 times that day.
Enjoy!

Wednesday 31 August 2011

Home International matches head to Hillside Golf Club next week.

FROM THE LGU WEBSITE

Next week’s Ladies’ Home Internationals, hosted by Hillside Golf Club, near Southport, Lancashire, will see defending champions Scotland, under a new captain, bidding to win back-to-back titles for the first time since 1990-91.
Not since Scotland were champions four years in a row from 1949 to 1952, have England had such a spell as fruitless as the present one. They last won the title in 2007 at Dunbar.

These are the 94th set of Ladies’ Home Internationals, involving at least England, Scotland and Ireland (Wales’ entry came later) since the tournament was started in 1902 at Deal for the T H Miller Trophy.

It was Scotland’s 9-0 defeat by England in 1902 that led to the founding of the Scottish Ladies’ Golfing Association in 1904.
The all-time scoreboard reads:
England champions 56 times with one shared.
Scotland champions 27 times with one shared.
Ireland champions 6 times.
Wales champions 3 times (all since 1999)

Until World War II, the Ladies’ Home Internationals were played before or immediately after the Ladies’ British Open Amateur Championship in the summer. In the years since then, the matches have become a late-season focal point and highlight for officials of the four home unions and, of cours, the players. Being capped for one’s country still means a lot.

Fiona Norris is Scotland’s captain with the task of following in the footsteps of Lesley Nicholson, the successful skipper at Whitchurch, Cardiff last year. It was Scotland’s first title win in 19 years.
Fiona, who played for Scotland three times, has previously worked alongside Ada O’Sullivan as manager of Curtis Cup and Vagliano Trophy teams as well as captainning Scotland in the 2008 world amateur championships in Australia.
Fiona is an older sister of Mhairi McKay-Smith, who plays on the LPGA Tour. Fiona and Mhairi played in the same Scotland team in 1993 and 1994. For the first time since then, there will be two sisters in the Scotland line-up at Hillside – Megan and Eilidh Briggs from Kilmacolm.
Eilidh won the Scottish Under-18 girls match-play title this year and also reached the final of the Scottish Ladies’s Amateur Championship.
Eilidh is one of three new HI caps in the Scotland line-up. Alyson McKechin (Elderslie) and Rebecca Wilson (Grange) are the others.

England field a young team, which includes three new teenage caps, British champion Lauren Taylor (Woburn), Georgia Hall (Remedy Oak) and Bronte Law (Bramhall). Lauren, at 16, was the youngest-ever winner of the Ladies British open amateur championship at Royal Portrush GC, Northern Ireland in June. Georgia, 15, was a semi-finalist in the British girls championship at Gullane in early August. Bronte won the Scottish Under-16 open title in the spring.
Charley Hull (Woburn), No 20 in the World Rankings, made her debut for the full England team 12 months ago at the age of 14 and keeps her place which means there will be four players aged 16 or under in the team captained by Chris Pascall.
Ireland, runners-up to Scotland last year after beating England 8-1 in their opening match, will lack the services of the new Ladies British open amateur stroke-play champion, 16-year-old Leona Maguire (Slieve Russell), ranked No 6 in the world, and a former winner of that title, Danielle McVeigh (Royal Co Down), who turned professional earlier this month.

Leona will be otherwise engaged in a Ladies European Tour event, but twin Lisa, the European women’s individual champion and World Ranked No 33, will be wearing the green.
There are three new caps in the Ireland team for Hillside – Ulster champion Louise Coffey (Malone), Irish girls champion Paula Grant (Lisburn) and Chloe Ryan (Castleroy) who played well in the Girls’ International matches and is having a good season.

Wales’ line-up includes two survivors – GB and I International Amy Boulden (Maesdu) and Lucy Gould (Bargoed) - from the squad that won the Home Internationals’ title two years in a row – at Wrexham in 2008 and Irvine, Scotland in 2009. Junior Vagliano Trophy player Chloe Wiliams (Wrexham) will be making her debut as a full Welsh cap.

The teams are:
ENGLAND
Holly Clyburn (Woodhall Spa), Charlotte Ellis (Minchinhampton), Georgia Hall (Remedy Oak), Charley Hull (Woburn), Bronte Law (Bramhall), Lauren Taylor (Woburn), Kellly Tidy (Royal Birkdale), Charlotte Wild (Mere).
Team captain: Chris Pascall (Hartlepool)

IRELAND
Louise Coffey (Malone), Karen Delaney (Carlow), Paul Grant (Lisburn), Lisa Maguire (Slieve Russell), Gillian O’Leary (Cork), Charlene Reid (Rooyal Portrush), Chloe Ryan (Castletroy).
Team captain: Claire Robinson

SCOTLAND
Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm), Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm), Louise Kenney (Pitreavie), Kelsey MacDonald (Nainr Dunbar), Alyson McKechin (Elderslie), Pamela Pretswell (Bothwell Castle), Jane Turner (Craigielaw), Rebecca Wilson (Grange).
Team captain: Fiona Norris (Hamilton).

WALES
Samantha Birks (Wolstanton), Amy Boulden (Maesdu), Gemma Bradbury (Cottrell Park), Katie Bradbury (Cottrell Park), Lucy Gould (Bargoed), Rebecca Harries (Haverfordwest), Katherine O’Connor (Tadmarton Heath), Chloe Williams (Wrexham).
Team captain: Sue Turner

Programme of events:
Three foursomes (8.30 - 9.20) and six singles (13.10 - 15.00) in each match

Wednesday 7 September
Scotland v Ireland
England v Wales

Thursday 8 September
Wales v Ireland
England v Scotland

Friday 9 September
Ireland v England
Scotland v Wales

Friday 19 August 2011

Lanarkshire's Pamela Pretswell and Rachael Taylor finish in joint 5th place in the British Open Amateur Strokeplay Championship

Leona Maguire, one of the talented 16-year-old twins from the Slieve Russell club in Ireland scored another remarkable victory today in the Ladies British open amateur stroke-play championship at Royal Ashdown Forest Golf Club, Sussex.
Lanarkshire's Pamela Pretswell made a gallant defence of her 2010 title win. She was in a group of five players including Lanarkshire's Rachael Taylor who finished joint fifth.
Alyson McKechin from Elderslie had terrific level par 72 last round to finish in the top 20
BRITISH WOMEN'S OPEN AMATEUR STROKE-PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP
Royal Ashdown Forest Golf Club, Sussex
FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4x72) Yardage 6,074. CSS 76 77 76 tbc

288 Leona Maguire (Slieve Russell) 75 75 69 69.
294 Laurence Herman (Bel) 73 78 74 69
296 Meghan MacLaren (Wellingborough) 73 77 74 72
297 Amy Boulden (Maesdu) 73 76 75 73.
301 Pamela Pretswell (Bothwell Castle) 76 76 72 77, Lauren Taylor (Woburn) 76 76 73 76, Brogan Townend (Pleasington) 74 78 76 73, Rachael Taylor (Am Reichswald) 72 79 74 76, Charlotte Thomas (Singapore) 76 72 78 75.
302 Ellie Robinson (Brass Castle) 76 75 74 77
303 Sarah Attwood (Gog Magog) 76 78 77 72, Elizabeth Mallett (Sutton Coldfield) 74 79 77 73
304 Laura Sedda (Ita) 75 81 75 73, Charley Hull (Woburn) 79 74 76 75
305 Claire Smith (Silsden) 78 76 77 74, Rachel Drummond (Beaconsfield) 74 80 77 74
306 Alyson McKechin (Elderslie) 72 84 78 72, Bronte Law (Bramhall) 78 75 82 71, Charlotte Wild (The Mere) 74 76 78 78
307 Stacey Rodger (West Hove) 76 78 75 78
308 Kelly Tidy (Royal Birkdale) 74 81 82 71, Nicole Whitmore (Woburn) 77 78 78 75, Charlene Reid (Royal Portrush) 79 76 72 81, Daisy Dyer (Chigwell) 74 80 77 77
309 Anais Maggetti (Swi) 80 77 80 72, Alison Knowles (Hickleton) 77 77 79 76, Shelby Smart (Knowle) 77 75 77 80
310 Sarah-Jane Boyd (Truro) 76 80 81 73
311 Emily Taylor (Royal Lytham) 75 81 78 77
312 Melissa McMahon (Yeovil) 79 78 73 82, Mandy Goyos (Spa) 76 79 79 78
313 Sarah Cunningham (Ennis) 75 82 78 78, Joelle Vanbaarle (Bel) 77 73 80 83
314 Hannah McCook (Grantown on Spey) 78 76 77 83
315 Kate Whitmore (Tadmarton Heath) 75 82 79 79
316 Jess Wilcox (Blankney) 79 77 78 82, Silvia Banon Ibanez (Spa) 76 74 83 83
317 Lucy Evans (Wrekin) 75 82 80 80

Wednesday 17 August 2011

LGU PEUGEOT WINNERS - SCOTTISH AREA WINNERS

Sheena Gardner and Lesley Irvine (Douglas Park)

North Edzell, Angus 8 August 2011

Winners: Sheena Gardiner & Lesley Irvine (Douglas Park) 41 points
Runners-up: Kathleen Stalker & Caroline Gordon (Murcar Links) 37 points (counback)
Third: Anne Middleton & Clare Burnett (Edzell) 37 points

East Longniddry, East Lothian 21 July 2011

Winners: Betty Caw & Marion Kloepfer (The Glen) 35 points (countback)
Runners-up: Fiona Kelly & Mhairi Chambers (Niddry Castle) 35 points
Third: H Saunders & C Smith (Dirleton Castle) 35 points

West Whitecraigs, Renfrewshire 27 July 2011

Winners: Kirstin Everett & Joan Shanks (Merchants of Edinburgh) 37 points
Runners-up: Sheila Dawson & Julie Bennett (Vale of Leven) 35 points
Third: Linda Mathewson & Anne Griffen (Stirling) 34 points (countback)

Monday 8 August 2011

From the LGU Website:
West of Scotland's Alyson McKechin, who played for Scotland in last week’s Girls Home Internationals, might well have broken 70 today in the 1st round of the British Girl's Strokeplay at Gullane No 1, which would have been great scoring in none-too easy conditions.
A weekend of heavy rain has left the fairways soft and the greens receptive but the rough is long and very wet – and a strong, swirling wind is making the conditions tough to score well.
McKechin, a member of Elderslie Golf Club, was ahead of the game right away with a superb approach shot with a 52 degree wedge to within 2ft of the flagstick for a tap-in birdie 3.
She bogeyed the fourth, failing to get up and down after missing the green, but got home in two downwind at the long fifth with a four-iron second and two-putted for a birdie 4.
The tall Scot had birdie chances on seven and eight but couldn’t take them … until the 10th and 11th. Alyson hit the green in two at the par-5 10th with a drive and a rescue club for a two-putt birdie 4, and she holed a 15ft putt for her fourth birdie of the round at the 11th.
Birdie No 5 was marked at the downwind 15th (487yd) where McKechin was on in 2 with an eight-iron second and two-putted for a 4.
Standing on the 17th tee, Alyson is four-under-par. Two 4s to finish will give her a 69 …. But she stumbled to a bogey-double bogey end to her round.
“I missed the green at the seventeenth and could not get up and down to save par. Then I drove it into the left rough at the 18th. The rough is difficult to get out of and it took me four shots to reach the green and two-putted for a 6,” she said.

Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm) who started with 3 bogeys in the first 4 holes recovered well to end up only 3 over par in what was obviously very difficult conditions.

FIRST QUALIFYING ROUND LEADING SCORES
Par 73.Yardage 6267
69 Ileen Nieuwenhuis (Net), Bronte Law (Bramhall).
70 Caroline Nistrup (Den), Linnea Strom (Swe), Olivia Hullert (Nor).
71 Noemi Jimenez (Spa), Emelie Alonso (Fra), Alexandra Peters (Notts Ladies), Natalia Escuriola (Spa)
72 Alyson McKechin (Elderslie), Frida Gustafsson (Swe), Amy Boulden (Maesdu), Celine Boutier (Fra).
73 Emma Nilsson (Swe), Shannon Aubert (Fra), Jessica Meek (Carnoustie Ladies), Anna-Lena Kraemer (Ger), Jade Down (Boothberry), Isabel Gadea (Ger).
74 Gemma Dryburgh (Beaconsfield), Roberta Roeller (Ger), Josephine Farrando (Fra), Elizabeth Mallett (Sutton Coldfield), Laura Christiaens (Bel), Annette Lyche (Nor), Clara Young (North Berwick), Nicole Larsen (Den).
75 Hayley Davis (Ferndown), Daisy Nielsen (Den), Chloe Williams (Wrexham), Camille Richelle (Bel), Brogan Townend (Pleasington), Virginia Carta (Ita), Stefania Avanzo (Ita), Shelby Smart (Knowle), Merle Kasperek (Ger), Ho Rang Lee (Spa), Luna Sobron (Spa), Perrine Delacour (Fra), Julia Neumann (Ger), Laure Castelain (Fra), Marlies Krenn (Aut)..
76 Julie Christine Lied (Nor), Sophie Keech (Lyme Regis), Margaux Vanmol (Bel), Marta Martin (Spa), Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm), Laura Lornardi (Ita), Ellie Goodall (Selby),Miranda Brain (Gog Magog).

+Leading 64 after Round 2 on Tuesday will qualify for match-play stages starting on Wednesday morning. There will be no play-off to separate those tieing for 64th place - card countback will decide.

Thursday 4 August 2011

Scotland lose to England and Ireland win to set them up for the Title decider

Scotland, whitewashed 3-0 by England in the morning foursomes, staged a great fightback in the singles but lost narrowly, 5-4, in the rain on Day 2 of the Girls Home Internationals over the Gullane No 2 links.
Ireland made it two wins out of two by beating Wales 5-4 and meet England, winners of the Stroyan Cup for the past three years in the title decider on Friday.
The Scots picked themselves up well after their morning drubbing with Eilidh Briggs scoring a splendid 3 and 1 win over Hayley Davis in a battle between the girls champions of their respective countries.
Alyson McKechin put another point on the board for the Scots by beating Georgia Hall by one hole.
Gemma Dryburgh finished well to get a halved match with Brogan Townend.
Lesley Atkins lost by 4 and 3 to Bronte Law but Ailsa Summers won by 2 and 1 against Elizabeth Mallett.
With England leading by 4.5 to 3.5, Scotland's hopes of salvaging a creditable draw rested on the shoulders of 14-year-old Clara Young, the Junior Vagliano Trophy player from North Berwick.
Clara went one up on Alex Peters by winning the 16th with the rain pouring down but not damping the mounting tension in both camps. The 17th was halved but Peters won the last hole with an excellent approach shot to within 3ft of the flagstick setting up a birdie 3 to gallant Clara's par 4 to halve an absorbing contest which England scraped home to a 5-4 victory.

Day 2
WALES 4, IRELAND 5
Foursomes
Amy Boulden and Chloe Williams halved with Paula Grant and Jessica Carty.
Katie Bradbury and Jessica Evans bt Ariana Coyle-Diez and Jean O'Driscoll 1 hole.
Myriam Hassan and Sara Rees-Evans lost to Chloe Ryan and Sinead Sexton 8 and 7 (1.5-1.5)
Singles
Williams halved with Grant.
Boulden bt Carty 3 and 2.
Bradbury bt Sexton 3 and 2.
Georgia Lewis lost to Coyle-Diez 4 and 3.
Nia Greville lost to O'Driscoll 5 and 4.
Evans lost to Ryan 3 and 2 (2.5-3.5)
ENGLAND 5, SCOTLAND 4
Foursomes
Hayley Davis and Georgia Hall bt Eilidh Briggs and Gemma Dryburgh 4 and 3.
Alex Peters and Meghan MacLaren bt Alyson McKechin and Clara Young 2 and 1.
Bronte Law and Emily Taylor bt Lauren Whyte and Hannah McCook 4 and 3 (3-0).
Singles
Davis lost to Briggs 3 and 1.
Hall lost to McKechin 1 hole
Brogan Townend halved with Dryburgh.
Elizabeth Mallett lost to Ailsa Summers 2 and 1.
Peters halves with Young
Law bt Lesley Atkins 4 and 3.

HOW THEY STAND
Ireland 2pt, England 1.5, Wales 0.5, Scotland 0

FRIDAY'S FINAL MATCHES
8.30 and 13.10 Ireland v England
9.00 and 14.10 Scotland v Wales
ends

Thanks go to Colin Farquarson for the report.

- Posted using BlogPress from Carol's iPhone

Wednesday 3 August 2011

SCOTLAND LOSE TO IRELAND ON DAY 1 OF THE GIRLS HOME INTERNATIONALS

Scotland's hopes of winning the Girls Home Internationals' Stroyan Cup for the first time in four years all but evaporated under a hot summer sun at the Gullane No 2 links today.
Scotland trailed 2-1 from the foursomes against Ireland but girls champion Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm) and beaten finalist Gemma Dryburgh from Aberdeen looked to have turned it round by winning the top two singles.
Unfortunately, Scotland then lost the last four singles with Alyson McKechin (Elderslie), Lauren Whyte (St Regulus), Lesley Atkins (Gullane Ladies) and Ailsa Summers (Carnoustie Ladies) all going under.
RESULTS
SCOTLAND 3, IRELAND 6
Foursomes - Eilidh Briggs and Gemma Dryburgh lost to Paula Grant and Jessica Carty 2 and 1; Alyson McKechin and Clara Young beat Olivia Mehaffey and Hannah Henderson 1 hole; Lauren Whyte and Hannah McCook lost to Chloe Ryan and Sinead Sextion 1 hole (1-2).
Singles - Briggs beat Grant 5 and 4, Dryburgh beat Carty 5 and 4, McKechin lost to Ariana Coyle-Diez 2 and 1, Whyte lost to Mehaffey 2 holes, Lesley Atkins lost to Jean O'Driscoll 4 and 3, Ailsa Summers lost to Ryan 2 holes (2-4).
To read the full report go to the Gillian Kirkwood Website

Thursday 28 July 2011

Blisters or no blisters, Pamela would have crawled on to the first tee at Carnoustie


From the LGU Website 27.07.2011

Pamela Pretswell, the Hamilton girl who might have become the Andy Murray of the female tennis world, says she has no regrets at turning her back on tennis seven years ago when she was 15 and was Scotland’s top-ranked girl player at tennis – and No 2 in junior badminton!
Speaking at Carnoustie where the Bothwell Castle GC member is one of six amateurs in a field of the best female golfers in the world, assembled for the Ricoh British Women’s Open championship, the 22-year-old business and management degree graduate from Glasgow University, said:
“Giving up tennis was the best decision I ever made. To be as dedicated to a career in tennis as Andy Murray (two years older) was, I would have had to give up the idea of going to university, completing an education and having a life,” she said.
“I turned my attentions to golf because I knew I could play and practise golf and still get a university education. And seven years later I had won the British women’s open amateur stroke-play championship and played for Great Britain and Ireland in the Curtis Cup and Vagliano Trophy, so I have absolutely no regrets at all. I have not swung a tennis racquet again since the day I walked away from the sport.”
It was winning last year’s British stroke-play title at Tenby that won Pamela a place in the Ricoh Women’s British Open this week and even though she had to withdraw from last Saturday’s final round in Holland of the European women’s amateur championship, there was never any doubt that she would be there when her name is called on the first tee at Carnoustie on Thursday.
“I have a tendency to get blisters on my feet and I had them last week in Holland. I had them lanced but it would have been too painful to play in the last round. I could have finished in the top 20, maybe better, but it would have been too sore,” said Pamela.
“Different story this week, of course, I would have crawled on to the first tee if I had had to, blisters or no blisters and taken 10 hours to get round if need be …. I’ve looked forward to the Ricoh British Women’s Open championship since the day last August I knew I had won a place in the field by winning the British stroke-play.
“Carnoustie is quite simply the best course I have ever played. There is no easy shot or easy hole on the course. It just doesn’t give you a break … and that’s the way I like it. The tougher the course, the better I like it.
“And I’m right in the mood for this week. I’m just come off the best bucket of balls I’ve probably ever hit on a practice range.”
Pamela’s dad William Pretswell is her caddie and though Kevin Craggs is her coach, her father, who was a scratch player – he’s not 55 – and a Scottish universities champion in his day.
“He’s a good caddie. Knows when to speak up, knows when to keep quiet and he obviously knows the game, having been a scratch player,” said Pamela who might now win the Ricoh Women’s British Open this week but could certainly do a Tom Lewis, winner of the R&A Amateur Silver Medal at Royal St George’s a week or two back.
Yes, there is a Silver medal for the leading ladies amateur in the women’s Major but, the same rules apply as in the men’s Open, making the halfway cut is mandatory in qualifying to win the Smythe Medal on Sunday.
So what does the future hold for Pamela Pretswell?
“I intend going to the Ladies European Tour School later in the year and I think I have the game to make the grade,” she said. “If not, then I would probably set up a business to make the most of my university qualifications.”
She’s a smart girl is our Pamela.

Wednesday 27 July 2011

The Ladies Golf Union and IMG Confirms The Royal Birkdale Golf Club as the Venue for the 2014 Ricoh Women's British Open

The Ladies Golf Union and IMG Confirms The Royal Birkdale Golf Club as the Venue for the 2014 Ricoh Women's British Open

The Royal Birkdale Golf Club will host the Ricoh Women's British Open in 2014, continuing the Championship Committee's commitment to ensure that the World's best women players showcase their talents on the World's best golf courses in years to come.

The Royal Birkdale Golf Club will host its sixth Women's British Open when the Championship is staged there in 2014, continuing a strong association with the event that goes back to 1982 when Marta Figueras-Dotti took home the coveted title. The Championship returned in 1986 when England's Laura Davies triumphed. Sophie Gustafson won in 2000 and five years later Korea's Jeong Jang claimed her first professional victory by defeating Gustafson and another Korean, Young Kim, by four shots on 16-under par 272. In 2010 Yani Tseng, Number One on the Rolex Rankings, came out on top.

This celebrated club has a rich heritage in hosting the most important golf tournaments in the world and, in addition to five Women's British Opens, has also welcomed two Ryder Cups in 1965 and 1969 and nine Open championships, the last won by the popular Irishman, Padraig Harrington in 2008.

As the only women's Major currently played outside the USA, the Championship Committee has demonstrated its commitment to ensuring that the Ricoh Women's British Open visits only world class championship courses and this celebrated venue fits the brief to a tee.

Yani Tseng recently added the Wegmans LPGA Championship to her haul of four Major titles and, at the age of 22 years 5 months 3 days, is the youngest player ever- male or female – since Young Tom Morris in 1872 to amass four Majors. She expressed delight at the news that the Championship would be returning to Royal Birkdale, "Of course I am a little biased but I think Royal Birkdale is an unbelievable course and I feel so proud to have won there. It has hosted so many great Championships and I look forward to returning there in 2014 where I hope I will win again."

Michael Hadden, Captain of Royal Birkdale Golf Club added, "We are very much looking forward to the return of the Ricoh Women's British Open in 2014. The positive feedback from our members and the spectators after last year's Championship was universal and we look forward to welcoming the world's best women back in 2014 to show us how it is done."


Saturday 25 June 2011

Pamela Wins on Day 2 of the Vagliano Trophy but GB&I lose

The Continent of Europe team won the Vagliano Trophy today for the third time in a row in the biennial women's amateur international golf match over two days at Royal Porthcawl's windswept links in South Wales .
They made light of the bad weather – a very strong, cool wind and intermittent rain – to beat Great Britain and Ireland 15 ½-8 ½.
GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND 8 ½, CONTINENT OF EUROPE 15 ½.
Second-day results (GB and I players first)
Foursomes (2-2)
K Tidy and A Boulden beat A Bonetti and M Gidali 3 and 1.
K MacDonald and L Kenney lost to M Silva and C Hedberg 2 and 1.
P Pretswell and S Meadow lost to S Popov and L Katzy 1 hole.
Leona Maguire and D McVreigh beat M Sagstgromn and T Koelbaek 6 and 4
Singles (2-6)
H Clyburn lost to Silva 1 hole.
Maguire beat C Boutier 3 and 1.
MacDonald lost to Bonetti 3 and 2.
Meadow lost to Koelbaek 1 hole.
Tidy lost to Katzy 5 and 4.
Boulden lost to Hedberg 2 and 1.
Pretswell beat Sagstrom 2 holes.
McVeigh lost to Popov 3 and 1.

To raed the full report go to the Gillian Kirkwood Website

Monday 30 May 2011

Pamela Pretswell is one of 3 Scots selected for the GB&I Vagliano Trophy Team

LADIES GOLF UNION PRESS RELEASE
GB AND I TEAMS FOR VAGLIANO TROPHY AND GIRLS’ MATCH AT ROYAL PORTHCAWL CHOSEN

Five of the team of nine players selected to represent Great Britain and Ireland against the Continent of Europe in the Vagliano Trophy match at Royal Porthcawl Golf Club, South Wales on Friday and Saturday, June 24-25 have never played in a Curtis Cup match or this biennial fixture against the best amateurs on the mainland of Europe.

The team, to be captained by Tegwen Matthews, is:

AMY BOULDEN (Llandudno Maesdu)
HOLLY CLYBURN (Woodhall Spa)
LOUISE KENNEY (Pitreavie)
KELSEY MacDONALD (Nairn Dunbar)
DANIELLE McVEIGH (Royal Co Down Ladies’)
LEONA MAGUIRE (Slieve Russell)
STEPHANIE MEADOW (Royal Portrush)
PAMELA PRETSWELL (Bothwell Castle).
KELLY TIDY (Royal Birkdale)

Reserves:
1 LISA MAGUIRE (Slieve Russell).
2 CHARLEY HULL (Woburn).
3 CHARLOTTE ELLIS (Minchinhampton).

Amy Boulden, Kelsey MacDonald and Kelly Tidy will make their debuts for Great Britain and Ireland in the Astor Trophy matches against Australia, Canada, South Africa and New Zealand at Fairhaven Golf Club, Lytham St Annes from June 15 to 19.
For Louise Kenney and Stephanie Meadow the Vagliano Trophy match will be their first appearance in a Great Britain and Ireland team.
The team of nine chosen to play the Continent of Europe is made up of the five selected some weeks ago for the Astor Trophy – Amy Boulden, Kelsey MacDonald, Kelly Tidy, Holly Clyburn and Pamela Pretswell - with the additon of Louise Kenney, Danielle McVeigh, Leona Maguire and Stephanie Meadow.
Irish players were not available for selection to the Astor Trophy line-up.
Kenney, a Dunfermline schoolteacher, has recently won the Scottish women’s close amateur championship at Machrihanish for the first time, having been beaten in the two previous years’ finals. She won the Scottish girls’ match-play championship in 2000 and lost in the final a year later. Earlier this season Louise finished third in the Helen Holm Scottish women’s open amateur stroke-play championship at Troon. Like Kelsey MacDonald and Pamela Pretswell, she was a member of the Scotland team who won last September’s Ladies’ Home Internationals title at Whitchurch (Cardiff) for the first time in 19 years.
Danielle McVeigh is also a national champion. She won the Irish close championship last week, six years after winning the Irish girls’ title.
Sixteen-year-old twin Leona Maguire won the Portuguese women’s open amateur stroke-play championship by the astonishing margin of 15 strokes over 72 holes earlier in the year. In April, she almost repeated her 2009 victory in the “Helen Holm” but double-bogeyed the last hole at Royal Troon to lose the lead and finish second, a shot behind Charlotte Ellis, who is one of the reserves.
Stephanie Meadow, 19, has had a brilliant freshman season for Alabama University on the US women’s college circuit, winning three tournaments and being named to the All-American Team by the NCAA coaches at the end of their season. Born in Northern Ireland, Stephanie played in three Irish girls championship finals – 2004, 2006 and 2007, winning the Under-18s’ title in 2006. Stephanie has spent the last few years in America. She is currently No 12 in the Women’s World Amateur Rankings, two places ahead of Leona Maguire.

UNDER-16 GIRLS’ MATCH AT ROYAL PORTHCAWL
For the first time, a six-a-side match for Under-16 years girls, representing Great Britain and Ireland on one side, and the Continent of Europe on the other, will be played in conjunction with the Vagliano Trophy fixture at Royal Porthcawl.
The GB and I girls’ team, captained by Sue Turner, is:

GEORGIA HALL (Ferndown)
CHARLEY HULL (Woburn)
BRONTE LAW (Bramhall)
AMBER RATCLIFFE (Royal Cromer)
CLARA YOUNG (North Berwick)
CHLOE WILLIAMS (Wrexham)

Reserves
1 OLIVIA WINNING (Rotherham).
2 REBECCA McGEEHAN (Hummerbachaue, Germany)
3 HANNA HENDERSON (Ballyclare).
4 ELLIE GOODALL (Selby).

Charley Hull, 15, has this season won the Welsh women’s open amateur stroke-play title after playing with distinction on the Orange Blossom Tour for female amateurs in Florida in January. More recently, she reached the final of the English women’s close amateur championship before losing at the 19th to Lucy Williams.
Bronte Law beat Chloe Williams in a play-off for the SLGA Under-16 girls’ championship at Strathmore in April. Amber Ratcliffe finished third and Georgia Hall eighth in that early-season event.
Clara Young, at 14, is the youngest ever East Lothian women’s county champion.


For further information please contact

Susan Simpson
Head of Golf Operations
Ladies’ Golf Union

susan.simpson@lgu.org

Tuesday 3 May 2011

Pamela Pretswell selected for the GB & I Astor Trophy Team

The LGU has announced the Great Britain & Ireland team for the forthcoming Astor Trophy Tournament to be held at Fairhaven Golf Club, Lytham St Annes in Lancashire from 15-19 June. Formerly known as the Commonwealth Tournament, the Astor Trophy Tournament is contested every four years between teams of top women amateur golfers from Great Britain & Ireland, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa.
West of Scotland's Pamela Pretswell (Bothwell Castle) has been picked for the team alongside Kelsey MacDonald the 2010 Scottish Amateur Champion.

PAMELA said "Delighted to be selected for the Astor Trophy team. It is such a great honour to play for Great Britain and Ireland.
"I loved every minute of playing in the Vagliano Trophy two years ago and the Curtis Cup last year, so I am very much looking forward to the event and trying to defend the title that was won by Britain in South Africa four years ago."

To read the full details of the team selection go to the LGU WEBSITE and also the report on the Gillian Kirkwood Website

Saturday 30 April 2011

Formal Process of securing a venue for the 39th Curtis Cup match starts

The Ladies’ Golf Union has announced the start of the formal process of securing a venue for the 39th Curtis Cup match, the historic biennial encounter between teams from Great Britain & Ireland and the USA which will be played on home soil in June 2016.

Golf clubs interested in hosting this match, first played in 1932, are invited in the first instance to lodge an expression of interest with the LGU, after which they will be asked to provide additional information in support of their application. After visiting short-leeted golf clubs, the LGU aims to announce the successful venue at the conclusion of the 27th Curtis Cup match, to be held at The Nairn Golf Club, Scotland, from 8-12 June 2012.

The original idea for the Curtis Cup was to stimulate friendly rivalry amongst players and strengthen the ties of goodwill between the nations, and making a Curtis Cup team is the ultimate goal for the top amateur lady golfer. The quality of past venues is testament to the prestige associated with the event, while past players include many household names – Laura Davies, Catriona Matthew, Paula Creamer, Michelle Wie and Melissa Reid to name but a few.

Shona Malcolm, LGU CEO, said “The Curtis Cup is a unique event. Not only does it showcase the cream of amateur talent from both sides of the Atlantic in three days of intense competition, it also attracts a loyal, sizeable and knowledgeable band of travelling supporters. The host club can be assured of a special and successful week, some great golf, an unbelievable atmosphere and many lasting memories.”

Initial expressions of interest can be directed to the LGU at curtiscup@lgu.org or by writing to the CEO at The Scores, St Andrews. Fife, Scotland KA16 9AT.

The LGU has also taken the opportunity of unveiling the new Curtis Cup logo which will be used for the first time for the 2012 match at Nairn.

Monday 28 February 2011

LGU AGM

Belle Robertson and Ann Irvin (EWGA President)- Click to enlarge
The LGU AGM was held in the Holiday Inn in West Nile Street in Glasgow on Saturday 26th February where many people met friends and golfers they had not seen for a while.
 An excellent AGM was run by the LGU  with Gillian Kirkwood (Chairman) , Jane Brown (Finance Director) and Shona Malcom (CEO) all giving their reports.
 Mrs Jill Edwards MBE  was appointed as the new President from the retiring President Maureen Lockett.
Janet Wake leaves the Council and Board and  Lorna Bennett takes over the vacancy.
At the close of the meeting Alison Nicholas, Captain of the 2011 GB&I Solheim Cup team gave a fantastic insight into the problems tears and joys of being a Captain. The audience all enjoyed her humour and there was much laughter.
To read more go to the LGU Website

** Belle and Ann played in Curtis Cup matches together in the 1970's