By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
Six members of the GB and I Curtis Cup team in the leading 14 at the end of the first day in the Helen Holm Scottish women's open amateur stroke-play golf championship at Troon was good news for the LGU Selection Panel.
Only Charley Hull (who withdrew earlier in the week) and Stephanie Meadow (a student at Alabama University) of the eight chosen to play against the Americans at Nairn Golf Club from June 8-10 are missing from a star-studded field.
Ireland's Leona Maguire, who seems to win any stroke-play event she plays in by a barrowload of strokes as befits a +5 handicap player ranked No 8 in the world, was the best of them but she had to share the pole position for the moment with Rachael Goodall (Heswall).
On a dry, windless day, the par-5s at Troon Portland were all reachable in two shots and Maguire and Goodall plundered them in returning seven-under-par 68s.
The 17-year-old (her twin Lisa, the European individual champion, has a wrist injury) from the Slieve Russell club birdied six of the seven long holes in halves of 36-32. Goodall started with an eagle 3 and eached the turn in six-under 32, before coming home in 36.
They are two shots clear of Curtis Cup choice Amy Boulden (ranked No 15 in the world) from Wales and France's former British girls champion Perrine Delacour (ranked No 42 in the world)..
Third in the list of Curtis Cup players is Pamela Pretswell (Bothwell Castle), joint fourth on 71. She was set to fill the third place overnight on 69 until she ran up a 7 at the par-5 18th.
The leading 66 players and ties at the end of Saturday's second round over Troon Portland will go forward to Sunday's final 18 holes over Royal Troon.
After one round, there are exactly 66 players on 79 or better.
FIRST ROUND LEADING SCOREBOARD
Troon Portland Par 75
68 Leona Maguire (Ireland), Rachael Goodall (Heswall).
70 Amy Boulden (Conwy), Perrine Delacour (France).
71 Charlotte Thompson (Channel Isles), Celine Boutier (France), Pamela Pretswell (Bothwell Castle).
72 Jessica Carty (Ireland), Kelly Tidy (Royal Birkdale), Bronte Law (Bramhall), Rachael Taylor (Germany), Holly Clyburn (Woodhall Spa), Emelie Lundstrom (Sweden), Nastja Banovec (Slovenia)
73 Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm), Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar), Gemma Clews (Delamere Forest), Jess Wilcox (Blankney), Lucy Simpson (Ireland), Becky Harries (Haverfordwest), Carla Reynolds (Ireland), Marthe Wold (Norway).
74 Jane Turner (Craigielaw), Emma Broze (France), Alexandra Moisand (France), Laura Murray (Alford).
75 Jessica Meek (Carnoustie), Katerina Slukova (Czech Republic), Leslie Cloots (Belgium), Kerry Smith (Waterlooville), Johanna Bjork (Sweden), Olivia Winning (Rotherham).
76 Daisy Dyer (Chigwell), Louise Kenney (Pitreavie), Hannah Grant (Enmore Park), Emily Taylor (Royal Lytham), Chloe Ryan (Ireland), Alyson McKechin (Elderslie), Rachael Drummond (Beaconsfield), Brogan Townend (Pleasington).
77 Nikki Foster (Pleasington), Rachel Walker (Dumfries and Co), Hannah Barwood (Knowle), Alexandra Peters (Notts Ladies), Therese Larsson (Sweden), Shelby Smart (Knowle), Nicole Whitmore (Woburn), Sophie Powell (Manchester), Connie Jaffrey (Troon Ladies).
78 Ailsa Summers (Carnoustie), Sara Garbutt (Ganton), Charlotte Wild (Mere), Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm), Gillian Monteith (Portpatrick Dunskey), Anna Appertlund (Swe), Bronwyn Davies (Trentham), Meghan MacLaren (Wellingborough), Aedin Murphy (Ireland).
79 Gill Nutter (Formby Ladies), Charlene Reid (Ireland), Emma O'Driscoll (Ireland), Lucy Gould (Bargoed), Louise Mernagh (Ire), Ellie Robinson (Middlesbrough), Gemma Bradbury (Cottrell Park), Katherine O'Connor (Tadmarton Heath) (T66).
