THE 2012 MUNROSS TROPHY RESULTS

Scottish Women's Amateur Golf Championship runner-up Jane Turner of Craigielaw Links edged Scottish Ladies Golf Champion Laura Murray of Alford, to win the Montrose Links 36-hole open golf tournament for the Munross Trophy yesterday .
Renfrewshire's Emma Hale (Troon), Lorraine Morrow (Eastwood), Iona Stephen (Ranfurly Castle) and Linsey Stevenson (Elie and Earlsferry) were all playing . Iona was the best of the RLCGA players on the day.
To read all the results go to the West of Scotland Website.

STREET PARTY AT CURTIS CUP VENUE

The Ladies Golf Union and women members of the host golf club are combining forces to stage a Queen's Diamond Jubilee Street Party next Tuesday (June 5) from 3.30pm in the Curtis Cup tented village at The Nairn Golf Club.

"Tickets are not required and the party is open to all," said Susan Simpson, the LGU Head of Golf Operations.

 "The GB and I Team will joining the celebrations at some stage in proceedings."

The 37th Curtis Cup match will be held from Friday to Sunday, June 8 to 10 at The Nairn Golf Club. The GB and Ireland, and United States teams will be arriving at Nairn at the weekend.

The teams will practise over the course each morning and afternoon  from Monday onwards and members of the public are welcome to watch.

The opening ceremony - which Susan Simpson promises will be "spectacular" - starts at 6pm on the Thursday. 

GB and I have not won the biennial match against the Americans since Killarney in 1996.

SPOTLIGHT ON THE RENFREWSHIRE JUNIOR GIRLS

Some of the A Squad RLCGA Junior Girls

Juniors girls, 18 and under, who have Congu Handicaps and are members of a Renfrewshire course or were  born in the area will be invited to join RLCGA when their handicap reaches 20. There is no fee for juniors girls and they do not pay County fees until age 23. Junior girls who are members are permitted to enter RLCGA competitions.

Some of the younger Junior Girls at Playsport Fun Day with Lesley Mackay

At the start of every year we ask all clubs in Renfrewshire for a list of all junior girl members. We then invite girls with handicaps for coaching over 4 weekends with Lesley Mackay at Playsport. All other girls without handicaps are invited to a fun day at the beginning of the season. Any help from RLCGA members in gathering and updating this information will always be appreciated.

On the RLCGA web site there is now a junior diary of events which covers SLGA, County events and Club Open days along with other relevant national events

This year we have set up a facebook page where we can keep up to date with junior news throughout the county and this has proved very popular. Any news please contact Janette McCartney  or Carol Fell.

There are 2 major events for Junior Girls in Renfrewshire each year The Kennedy Salver hosted by Ayrshire this year at West Kilbride on the 6th August and The Campbell Clock hosted every year at Whitecraigs, this years date is 2nd Sept.

The 2010 Kennedy Salver Winners
from L to R: Saorcha Warren (Eastwood), Alexandra Qayum (Ranfurly Castle), Emma Kennedy  - reserve (Paisley), Natasha Qayum (Ranfurly Castle), Samantha Cowan (Cochrane Castle), Mairi Gray (Williamwood), Lesley Cosh  - missing in team photo (Cowglen)

The Kennedy Salver 

In 1988 the SLGA wished all girls to be allowed to compete in Club Championships for match experience.  Consequently, The Kennedy Salver was presented by Mrs. I.M. Kennedy, a member of Milngavie Golf Club, Buchanan Castle Golf Club and the Dunbartonshire & Argyll Ladies County Golf Association for annual competition between the Junior girls of Ayrshire, Dunbartonshire & Argyll, Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire.  Mrs Kennedy (Eileen) was the Dunbartonshire & Argyll Secretary from 1962 to 1973 and Captain from 1975 to 1977.  Her intention was to encourage and foster enthusiasm amongst Junior girls in the West Division. This Junior Inter-County Team Tournament provides girls from the four West Counties with experience of match play and gives the Scottish Selectors the opportunity to spot potential national players.   It is played over 1 day with 3 foursomes matches in the morning and 6 single matches in the afternoon. The girls wear RLCGA colours and are representing our county. The Kennedy Salver has been won by Renfrewshire in 2000, 2003, 2006 and 2010

The Campbell Clock

The Campbell Clock

In 1998 Renfrewshire Junior Secretary Mrs Leslie Campbell presented the Campbell Clock to be played for by Junior Girls annually in a Stableford Competition at Whitecraigs Golf Club. After Leslie’s death in 2003 the competition has been organised by the Renfrewshire Ladies’ County Golf Association.  Up until 2008 it was recognised as a qualifying event for the Scottish Ladies Golfing Association’s Order of Merit.  To encourage youngsters there is also a 10 hole competition for those with handicaps over 30 and a Par 3 competition for the non-handicappers.  (Unfortunately no longer an SLGA Order of Merit)  Any help from RLCGA members would be appreciated for this day as there is lots of assistance needed. Please let Janette know if you are able to help.

This year we have also organised a friendly team match with D & A at Kilmacolm on 8th July. This should help the girls get some match play experience in preparation for the Kennedy Salver.

Junior Girls also play for the RLCGA Junior Championship. Last year this was by invitation to the 4 lowest handicaps. The semi final was played in the morning over Ranfurly Castle and the final in the afternoon over The Old Course Ranfurly.

Renfrewshire Clubs are generally very supportive of Junior Girls at club level and we really appreciate this as we all know juniors are the future of the game of golf which sadly is in decline. Lots of clubs run Open Days which are on the whole very welcoming to girls so check out the junior calendar of events to see what is on.

Contact Janette McCartney RLCGA Junior Secretary on janmcc@btinternet.com or 01389 87733 or 07810 566996 with any junior girls golfing news or if you are able to assist at any girls events.

ATTENTION ALL JUNIORS --- THE JANICE MOODIE TROPHY

Places are still available for Janice Moodie Open at Windyhill Golf Club on Friday 6th July.  Prizes are awarded in the following age categories 10 - 14, 15 - 17 and 18 - 21 (age as at 31st December 2011). 

CLICK HERE  TO GET YOUR ENTRY FORM

ALYSON IS THE BEST RENFREWSHIRE PLAYER IN IRELAND'S OPEN AMATEUR STROKEPLAY

From the Irish LGU Website:
England's Emily Taylor, won the Irish Women’s Open Amateur Strokeplay by three strokes from Ireland’s Mary Dowling (New Ross) and Gillian O’Leary (Cork) at at The Island Golf Club, Sunday 27 May.
Trailing overnight leader O'Leary by one stroke, Taylor captured her first Irish title in style with birdies on eight, ten, fifteen and held from twelve feet at the last to sign for a closing 76. Dowling matched the Champion’s final round score to edge O’Leary into third place on count back after the Cork international struggled to repeat Saturday’s form on the outward nine.
As the wind abated marginally from Saturday’s 35 mile per hour gusts, competitors once again struggled to match par as the north easterlies presented a stiff challenge to the field. Sarah Cunningham (Ennis), Hannah Henderson (Ballyclare), Katherine O’Connor (WAL) and Gabrielle MacDonald (SCO) all comfortably broke 80 to extract sweet revenge on the previous days’ trials
Ireland B won the Nations Cup from by two strokes from Ireland A, with Scotland third and England fourth.

FINAL TOTALS (PAR 74 74 74 CSS 80 79 77)

233 Emily Taylor (ENG) 85 72 76
236 Mary Dowling (New Ross) 81 79 76 Gillian O'Leary (Cork) 79 77 80
238 Lisa Maguire (Slieve Russell) 81 79 78
239 Deirdre Smith (Co. Louth) 83 75 81
240 Maria Dunne (Skerries) 80 82 78
242 Hannah McCook (SCO) 79 84 79
243 Aedin Murphy (Carlow) 84 81 78 Charlene Reid (Royal Portrush) 79 83 81
245 Jessica Carty (Holywood) 88 78 79 Leona Maguire (Slieve Russell) 82 83 80
246 Katherine O'Connor (WAL) 86 83 77 Olivia Mehaffey (RCD Ladies) 86 80 80 Anna Courtney (St. Anne's) 83 85 78
247 Sarah Cunningham (Ennis) 88 83 76 Kristina Rothengatter (GER) 86 80 81 Tara Gribben (Warrenpoint) 85 83 79 Joelle van Baarle (BEL) 84 79 84 Jessica Ross (Donaghadee) 78 87 82
248 Lucy Simpson (Massereene) 89 80 79 Karen Delaney (Carlow) 87 81 80 Gabrielle MacDonald (SCO) 86 85 77 Sarah Helly (Enniscrone) 85 82 81
250 Jessica Meek (SCO) 87 84 79 Ariana Coyle Diez (Elm Park) 87 83 80 Jean O'Driscoll (Muskerry) 83 83 84
251 Laura Grant (Lisburn) 88 82 81
252 Kelsey Coey (Clandeboye) 84 85 83
253 Hannah Henderson (Ballyclare) 92 84 77 Alyson McKechin (SCO) 83 86 84
254 Karen O'Neill (Douglas) 90 81 83 Louise Mernagh (Woodenbridge) 90 80 84 Alison Taylor (Malahide) 88 83 83 Eilidh Briggs (SCO) 82 84 88
255 Amy Farrell (Moate) 86 84 85
256 Sinead Sexton (Lahinch) 89 86 81
257 Sammy Vass (SCO) 83 93 81
259 Aoife Lowry (Tipperary) 87 83 89
263 Ashleigh Wilton (The Island) 88 86 89
RTD Megan Briggs (SCO) 87 82 RTD Emma O’Driscoll (Ballybunion) 85 85 RTD

475 IRELAND B Mary Dowling 81 79 76, Paula Grant (89) (89) (), Deirdre Smith 83 75 81
477 IRELAND A Jessica Carty (88) 78 79, Leona Maguire 82 (83) (80), Lisa Maguire 81 79 78
503 SCOTLAND Eilidh Briggs 82 84 88, Megan Briggs (87) 82 RTD, Alyson McKechin 83 (86) 84
...... ENGLAND Lauren Blease 88 96 (), Emily Taylor 85 72 76

EILIDH, MEGAN AND ALYSON ALL MAKE THE CUT 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.

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

DOWNLOAD YOUR CURTIS CUP SONG

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

YOUR CURTIS CUP AMBASSADOR TRIES TO HELP THE GB&I TEAM BY GOING INTO THE ENTERTAINMENT WORLD!!

Your Curtis Cup Renfrewshire County Ambassador Carol Fell has teamed up with 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

COUNTY JAMBOREE AT CARDROSS UPDATE

The  Inter-County Championship (Jamboree) will take place at Cardross Golf Club 18 - 20 June 2012.  I know it is a bit of a trek but the team would very much appreciate your support if you can manage along, even for one of the days.  Don't forget to wear something pink!!

If you can caddy, that would be terrific or if you need to contact June Lockhart (Caddy Mistress) for any questions then CLICK HERE TO EMAIL HER Alternatively phone her at  0141-576-1015 or  Mobile 07956142619.  She says that at  present we seem just about ok for volunteers, but if others want to put themselves onto the reserve list - even better.

County Jamboree Schedule:

Day 1;  Renfrewshire v D & A       and        Lanarkshire v Ayrshire

Day 2;  Lanarkshire v Renfrewshire   and   D & A v Ayrshire

Day 3;  D & A v Lanarkshire     and            Renfrewshire v Ayrshire

First flight tees off at 8.40 am and 1.30 pm

Second flight tees off at 9.10 am and 2.22 pm.

The squad who will represent Renfrewshire at the Inter-County Championship (Jamboree) is as follows;

Alyson McKechin (Elderslie)

Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm)

Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm)

Liz Stewart (Greenburn)

Linsey Stevenson (Whitecraigs / Elie and Earlsferry)

Donna Jackson (Cochrane Castle)

Gillian Kyle (East Renfrewshire)

Carol Whyte (Windyhill)

Reserve; Gillian McGinlay (Cochrane Castle).

LAURA MURRAY IS THE 2012 SCOTTISH LADIES'S AMATEUR (CLOSED) CHAMPION

The Main Prizewinners at the Scottish - Courtesy of Lanarkshire's Jean MacIntyre 

Laura Murray (Alford) who beat Renfrewshire's Eilidh Briggs in the Semi Final yesterday continued her good form to win the 2012 Ladies Scottish Championship over Tain this morning against Jane Turner (Craigielaw).  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

The short video below is one your webmaster took last year at the Scottish Golf Show and Laura is here with Kylie Walker and Lynn Kenny who are now both on the Ladies European Tour.

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 !!