PAMELA'S PLAN TO BY PASS Q SCHOOL IS WORKING WELL

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Colin@scottishgolfview.com 

Pamela Pretswell is well placed to become the first amateur to win a place on the Ladies European Tour by finishing in the first three of the developmental circuit, the LET Access Series.

The 23-year-old Bothwell Castle GC member from Hamilton, who will play for GB and I against the United States in the June 8-10 Curtis Cup match at Nairn, has played in all five LETAS events since April - paying her own way as an amateur to get to tournaments in France, Spain, Sweden (2) and the Ukraine.

And it is looking more and more like a sound financial investment in her future as a tour golf pro because Pamela, a graduate of Glasgow Universityis lying second in the LETAS Tour Order of Merit with 7,366pt which means that had she been playing as a professional in these events she would have won 7,366 Euros in prizemoney.

Pamela won a LETAS event in Sweden last week and finished second this week at Kiev in the Ukraine.

Having failed narrowly to gain pass marks at the Ladies European Tour Q School at La Manga in January, Pretswell obviously worked out this plan that via the LETAS Tour she could bypass another visit to the Q School.

This will be Pretswell's second Curtis Cup match - she played at Essex County Club two years ago - and almost certainly her last unless things go drastically wrong with her plans to turn pro.

Although a past British women's amateur stroke-play champion, Pretswell has never won the Scottish women's amateur championship.

But she is so single-minded in her quest to make it to the Ladies European Tour (and perhaps the US LPGA Tour after that), that she bypassed last week's native championship at Tain to play in Sweden - and win the LETAS event.

The only Scot in the GB and I squad of eight, she will be entirely focused, however, on the Curtis Cup over the next couple of weeks as the next LETAS event is not until July 4-6 in Norway. After that there will be only four Order of Merit events, one a month, through to early November.

The top six placings are:

1 Marion Ricordeau (France) 13,445pt

2 Pamela Pretswell (Scotland) 7,366

3 Cecile Lundgren (Norway) 6,231
4 Marjet Van Der Graaf (Netherlands) 5,840

5 Carly Booth (Scotland) 5,805.

6 Katy McNicoll (Scotland) 5,540.

"It was a great tournament earlier this week - first big golf event to be held in the Ukraine and great to be apart of it," said Pamela.

"The course was fantastic - very, very tough! Warm conditions first few days, but much cooler and lots of wind for the final day which made the course a real challenge!
"I've been away for three weeks now - two weeks in Sweden and straight to Kiev from there. Playing in five events on the LETAS Tour has been great experience for me. I've learned a lot but glad to get home to Scotland for a few days' rest before heading up to Nairn for the Curtis Cup build-up.
"As an amateur on the LETAS Tour I have been well looked after by the other players, almost all of them professionals. They have been showing me the ropes. Everyone is very friendly and I just l love being a part of this tour.

"It is expensive going from country to country in Europe for the tournaments as an amateur, but so is playing in amateur events."

ALL SCOTS MAKE THE CUT AT THE IRISH WOMEN'S OPEN AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP IN IRELAND

Scotland girl international and Stirling student Hannah McCook (Grantown on Spey) spearheaded Scotland's challenge after two rounds of the Irish women's open amateur stroke play golf championship at The Island GC, Donabate in Co Dublin.

Hannah, the new Northern Counties champion, has scores of 79-84 for 163, which left her in joint eighth place the Irish leader, Gillian O'Leary (Cork).
Teenager McCook is two shots ahead of Leona Maguire (Slieve Russell), the defending champion and a member of the GB and I team for next month's Curtis Cup match at Nairn GC.
On a very windy day, particularly for the first round, all the Scots in the field made the cut.
LEADING SECOND-ROUND TOTALS
Par 148 (2x74) CSS 80 79
156 Gillian O'Leary (Cork) 79 77
157 Emily Taylor (Eng) 85 72
158 Deirdre Smith (Co. Louth) 83 75
160 Mary Dowling (New Ross) 81 79, Lisa Maguire (Slieve Russell) 81 79
162 Maria Dunne (Skerries) 80 82, Charlene Reid (Royal Portrush) 79 83
163 Joelle van Baarle (Bel) 84 79, Hannah McCook (Grantown on Spey) 79 84

SELECTED SCORES
165 Leona Maguire (Slieve Russell) 82 83.
166 Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm) 82 84.
169 Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm) 87 82, Alyson McKechin (Elderslie) 83 86.
171 Jessica Meek (Carnoustie), Gabrielle Macdonald (Craigielaw) 86 85.
176 Sammy Vass (Tain) 83 93

Players with aggregates of 176 or better qualified for Sunday's play.

Thanks go to Colin Farquharson for the report.

PAMELA PRETSWELL FINISHES THIRD IN WINDY UKRAINE

Thanks go to Colin Farquharson for the report
Pamela Pretswell's hopes of back-to-back wins playing as an amateur on a developmental pro tour were blown away by a 30mph north-easterly wind at Kiev Golf Club in the Ukraine today.

The 23-year-old Bothwell Castle GC member from Hamilton had a third and final round of five-over 77 - which was just about par in the conditions - for a final total of six-over 222 which earned her third place in the Golf Stream Women's Open, one of the Ladies European Tour's Access Series events.

Pretswell had a double bogey 6 at the third and dropped another shot at the fourth but the real killer to her hopes was a string of five bogeys in six holes from the eighth to the 13th.

But the only Scot in next month's GB and I line-up for the Curtis Cup match at Nairn came back off the ropes to birdie the short 17th and long 18th to grab third place which will help her consolidate second place in the LETAS Order of Merit - the top three at the at the end of the season will gain automatic promotion to the 2013 Ladies European Tour without having to go to Tour School.

Winner by four strokes at Kiev was Russian Anastasia Kostina whose two-under-par last round of 70 for a four-stroke win with one-under 215 was a brilliant wind-taming example. She birdied four of the last six holes for an inward half of 32.

Gemma Webster from Glasgow finished a creditable ninth on 231 with scores of 77-76-78.

Pamela Feggans from Patna, Ayrshire tied for 10th place despite having three 7s on her final card in rounds of 75-74-84 for 233, She required 45 shots to cover the last nine holes.

Carnoustie's Katy McNicoll did not cope with the North-east wind as well as might have been expected. She ran up an 11 at the par-5 13th and she also had two 7s in a closing effort of 86 (45-41) for a share of 22nd place on 236.

The fifthScot who made the cut, Heather MacRae (Gleneagles) finished 27th on 237 with a final round of 78, her inward half of 41 including a 7 at the 13th.

GOLF STREAM WOMEN'S OPEN

Kiev Golf Club, Ukraine.

LEADING FINAL TOTALS

Par 216 (3x72)

215 Anastasia Kostina (Rus) 75 70 70.

219 Benedicte Toumpsin (Bel) 73 68 78.

222 Pamela Pretswell (Sco) 77 68 77

224 Viva Schlasberg (Swe) 71 75 78

226 Rachel Bell (Eng) 74 77 75.

SELECTED TOTALS

231 Gemma Webster (Sco) 77 76 78 (9th).

233 Pamela Feggans (Sco) 75 74 84 (T10).

234 Sarah Jones (Wal) 79 78 77 (T13)

235 Danielle McVeigh (Ire) 80 78 77 (T15).

236 Katy McNicoll (Sco) 72 78 86 (T22).

237 Heather MacRae (Sco) 80 79 78 (27th).

SCOTTISH WOMEN'S CLUB MATCH-PLAY FOURSOMES

Round 3: To be played by Sunday 17 June
Home team to contact away team by Wednesday 30 May
Home Team Away Team
1 Cruden Bay v Duff House Royal
2 Muir of Ord v Turriff
3 Carnoustie Caledonia v Carnoustie Ladies
4 Auchterarder v Kinross
5 Dunkeld and Birnam v Muckhart
6 Linlithgow v Stirling
7 Aberdour v Duddingston
8 Mortonhall v Murrayfield
9 Turnhouse v Marriott Dalmahoy
10 Crail Ladies v St Rule
11 Scotscraig v Glen
12 Lauder Ladies v Dirleton Castle Ladies
13 Irvine v Kilmacolm
14 Erskine v Cawder
15 Williamwood v Windyhill
16 Loudoun Gowf v Mount Ellen

PAST SLGA PRESIDENT ETHEL JACK HAS DIED

Ethel Jack (nee Philip) 1939-2012

Scottish Ladies' Golf will be a sadder place today with the announcement of  the death of  Ethel Jack.

Ethel had been suffering from lung cancer since last summer,  and despite chemo and radio treatments, she finally succumbed at the Eddington Hospital, North Berwick, this afternoon. The end was quick and peaceful, just as we all wanted it to be.

Ethel's sense of fun was infectious.  She could not suppress it at times,  and her outbursts always cracked the ice on any occasion where the proceedings were getting just a little too staid and boring.   Her wit was renown,  but her repartee even more so!

Ethel started her golf at Prestonfield, encouraged by her father, who was a member of Duddingston.  Ethel played for Scotland at all levels.  In 1955 she played in a Girls' Home International match along side Connie Lugton and Marjorie Ferguson,  who were to become life-long friends, and encouraged her to join Gullane Ladies' Golf Club in 1957.  She played for GB&I against France in an Under 21 team,  and for Scotland at adult level in 1965, 66 and 67 and then later as a Senior in the Scottish Veterans' Ladies team.  She was a stalwart of the Midlothian County Team, winning the County Championship five times between 1959 and 1990.

But it was in administration that Ethel excelled.  Captain of Midlothian County in her early thirties, she went on to be Secretary of Scottish Girls' Golf in the days when there was a separate committee, and later served on the Executive Council of the SLGA, becoming Chairman from 1979 to 1981.  During her term of office Scotland hosted the European Ladies' Team Championships at Turnberry,  and Ethel ran the show.  The SLGA made her a Vice President in her early forties as an acknowledgement of the work she had put in.

A born leader and organiser, Ethel was a Handicap Advisor and Scratch Score Assessor for Scotland.  Even when the SLGA adopted the USGA Scratch Score method,  a perfect time to step down,  Ethel continued to lead the East Lothian team in their re-assessment task.

Ethel was Captain and often later President of numerous teams and clubs, including Prestonfield, Longniddry, Gullane Ladies', Midlothian County and Scottish Vets, but probably her proudest achievement was to take on the Presidency of the Scottish Ladies' Golfing Association from 2007 to 2010.

Ethel was pre-deceased by her husband, Philip,  and leaves behind her sister Doris, her nieces Catriona and Suzie, and nephew Graham.  Funeral arrangements will be announced later.

Ethel Jack, fourth from left, with some of her Saturday Girls

On a personal note, and speaking as one of Ethel's Saturday Girls, we are all going to miss her.

Thanks go to Gillian Kirkwood for the obituary

CURTIS CUP SONG DOWNLOAD AND WORDS

DOWNLOAD YOUR SONG FOR YOUR COMPUTER OR PHONE CLICK HERE FOR A PRINTOUT OF THE WORDS

LANARKSHIRE INTER COUNTY FOURSOMES QUALIFIERS

The Inter County Foursomes was played at East Kilbride Golf Club today Those who have qualified for the Inter County Foursomes Final at Hamilton Golf Club on Monday 11th June are as follows:

Scratch

1 Lesley Lloyd (Hayston) & Fiona Scott (Bothwell Castle) 80

2 Paula McArthur & Lynne Williamson (KIrkhill) 91 acb

3 Anne Mungall (Airdrie) & Marcia Stirling (Dullatur) 91

Handicap

1 Agnes McCall & Marion Craig (Strathaven) 94(19-5) 74-5

2 Karen Ward & Enid King (East Kilbride) 95 (19) 76 acb

3 Pam Rice & Marion Porter (Strathaven) 96(20) 76 

Qualifiers for Commonwealth Spoons at Powfoot Golf Club on Thursday 13 September

1 Agnes McCall & Marion Craig

2 Karen Ward & Enid King  

CURTIS CUP SUPPORTERS SONG

Renfrewshire County Curtis Cup Ambassador Carol Fell has teamed up with D&A's Scottish Seniors  and Vets Captain Helen Faulds to add some support to Tegwen Mathews GB&I team at Nairn on the 8th - 10th June. Thanks go to  Irene McLellan from Bearsden Golf Club for writing the words and playing the piano. -- CLICK HERE FOR A PRINTOUT OF THE WORDS

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE LGU OFFICIAL CURTIS CUP VIDEO

Laura Murray is the 2012 Scottish Ladies Champion

Laura Murray - 2012 Scottish Ladies Champion (Courtesy of Colin Farquharson)

Laura Murray (Alford) won the 2012 Ladies Scottish Championship over Tain this morning against Jane Turner (Craigielaw) and just look at the fantastic scoring in a wonderful final. Laura finally put her approach shot to within a foot of the 18th hole for a conceded birdie 3 - making her champion by two holes. To read the full report go to the Gillian Kirkwood Website

SCOTTISH LADIES' (CLOSE) AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH PLAY Scottish Ladies Golfing Association, 5/17/2012 - 5/19/2012

SCORECARD 1 - TURNER, Jane 2 - MURRAY, Laura Tain Hole 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Par 4 4 4 5 3 4 4 3 4 4 5 4 5 5 4 3 4 4 1: A/S A/S A/S A/S A/S A/S A/S 4 4 4 5 4 4 4 3 5 4 4 4 5 5 4 3 4 - 2: 4 4 4 5 3 4 5 2 4 5 5 4 4 4 5 3 4 C A/S A/S A/S A/S 1up 1up A/S 1up 2up 1up A/S A/S 1up 2up 1up 1up 1up 2up

Kylie Walker, Lynn Kenny and Laura Murray -- This must be how you do it !!