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 !!