Another success for Kelsey

Well done Kelsey, winner of the Girls Order of Merit 2008, hope you have a great night in Glasgow.

Scottish Golf Dinner
Press releasethe Scottish Golf Dinner in Glasgow (Friday 27 March)..In the domestic season Kylie Walker and Kelsey MacDonald (pictured left, courtesy idealimages.co.uk), won the ladies and girls Order of Merit titles respectively by impressive margins.

News from your Captain

Some members of the squad along with some juniors had a great day with Martin Piggott last weekend. After they blew away the cobwebs from their clubs, they all enjoyed their time with Martin who put them all through their paces and certainly gave them all something to work on. Our next coaching day is the 28 March when it is hoped that more of the squad will be there along with the four juniors.
We have a practice game arranged at the Spey Valley Golf Club on Sunday 11 April, looking forward to that challenge and hoping that the snow will be well gone by then.
I hope you all have paid your subs and have entered for our Championship at Nairn on 18 - 20 April. If not, get in touch with your Delegate, join the County and don't miss out on playing some great courses this year.
Thank you to Grantown on Spey for the invite to join them in their opening competition on 7 April; May and I will be there and we are both looking forward to it.
I hope you have sold all your raffle tickets to win a 'free four ball' during the season ahead. Please remember to bring the stubs and monies raised to the Championship where the draw will be done on Monday 20 April. If you are not coming to Nairn, then the stubs etc. must reach May Alexander by Monday 13 April as we leave for Nairn on Friday 17 April.
I hope you and your Club have a successful year ahead, and that you 'keep it on the fairway' and sink those putts.

Jan Corbett, Captain

2009 Competition dates

Sat 18 - Mon 20 April - NC Championship at Nairn Golf Club
Sat 23 May - NC Foursomes at Tain Golf Club
Wed 15 July - NC Open meeting at Grantown on Spey Golf Club
Fri 14 August - NC Open Vets meeting at Muir of Ord Golf Club
Sat 5 September - NC Open meeting at Torvean Golf Club
Sun 4 October - NC Open & AGM at Moray Golf Club (New Course)

Jan Corbett, Captain

Kelseys' success in Florida

Kelsey through to quarter-finals, but Laura Murray is beaten.
Stirling student Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) is through to the quarter-finals of the Jone-Doherty Matchplay Championships at Coral Ridge Country Club, Fort Lauderdale in Florida, but Alford's Laura Murray (Robert Gordon University) lost her second round tie. MacDonald will now play Carly Rae Goldstein after beating Daniela Lendl, one of the former tennis ace Ivan Lendl's golfing-playing daughters, by one hole. Rachel Connor, daughter of Scots-born Manchester club pro Brian Connor, will meet 14-year old US girls champion and top qualifier Alexis Thomson, for a place in the last four after beating Sandra Changkija by one hole. Thomson beat Stirling student Rachel Cassidy (Dublin) by 8 & 7. Laura Murray lost by 4 & 3 to Marilyn Hardy. Two other Stirling students, Rebecca Wilson (Monifieth) and Holly Calvert (Lancaster) will meet in the final of the Second Flight. Rebecca beat Jane Little by 6 & 4 while Holly won at the 19th against Mayura Skowronski in the semi-finals.

Kelsey through to play American Curtis Cup star in semi-final.
Scottish Under-21 champion Kelsey MacDonald, a member of Nairn Dunbar Golf Club, will play Meghan Bolger, who played in last year's winning US Curtis Cup team at St. Andrews, in Friday's semi-finals of the Jones/Doherty women's amateur match-play championship at Coral Ridge Country Club, Fort Lauderdale in Florida. Stirling University student Kelsey, 18, beat American Carly Ray Goldstein 3 & 2 in today's quarter-finals. Kelsey was pipped for third place behind winner Alexis Thomson in last weeks' South Atlantic Ladies Amateur Championship, the second competition of the women's amateur Orange Blossom Tour in Florida. Bolger was United States women's mid-amateur champion in 2006 and again in 2007. Rachel Connor, daughter of the Scots-born Manchester club professional Brian Connor, lost to Alexis Thomson, the 14 year old US girls champion, by 4 & 3 in her quarter final. The second semi-final will feature Thompson against defending champion Isabelle Lendl, one of the golfing daughters of former world tennis ace Ivan Lendl. Stirling student Holly Calvert (Lancaster) won the Second Flight final, beating Monifieth's Rebecca Wilson, also a Stirling student, by one hole in the final.
Results:
Championship Flight
Quarter-finals
Isabelle Lendl bt Marily Hardy 6 & 5
Alexis Thompson bt Rachel Connon (Manchester) 4 & 3
Meghan Bolger bt Victoria Trapani 2 holes
Kelsey MacDonald bt Carly Ray Goldstein 3 & 2

It's Kelsey v US Wonder girl Florida match-play final
Scottish under-21 champion Kelsey MacDonald is through to Saturday's final of the Jones-Doherty women's amateur match-play golf championship at Coral Ridge Country Club, Fort Lauderdale in Florida.
Kelsey, 18 year old Stirling university student and Nairn Dunbar Golf Club member, will play the 14-year old United States girls champion Alexis Thompson from Coral Springs, Florida.
Alexis won last weeks' South Atlantic Ladies amateur championship at Oceanside Country Club, Ormond Beach, which was the second event in the Orange Blossom women's amateur tour in Florida.
MacDonald, who finished third behind Thompson, had a great win in today's (Friday) semi-finals. She beat Megham Bolger, twice winner of the US women's mid-amateur title and member of the winning US Curtis Cup team at St Andrews last May.
Kelsey won by 3 & 2
Thompson beat the defending champion, Isabelle Lendl, 6 & 5 in the other semi-final.

Kelsey loses to US wonder kid Alexis in Final of Florida matchplay
Scottish under-21 girls golf champion Kelsey MacDonald of Nairn Dunbar Golf Club lost to the 13 year old United States girls title-holder, Alexis Thompson from Coral Springs, Florida in today's 18-hole final of the Jones-Doherty women's amateur match-play championship at Coral Ridge Country Club, Fort Lauderdale in Florida.
Kelsey, 18 year old first year sports studies student at Stirling University, played brilliant golf to reach the final, including a 3 & 2 semi-final win over Meghan Bolger, twice winner of the US women's mid-amateur title and a member of the winning American Curtis Cup team at St. Andrews last May.
But in the final Kelsey went down by 5 & 4 to a rare talent, Alexis Thompson, the wonder kid of US golf - she will be 14 on February 10 - who won last weeks' South Atlantic Ladies amateur championship at Oceanside Country Club, Ormond Beach - the second event in the Orange Blossom tour of Florida. MacDonald finished third in that event.
Kelsey's ambition is to play for Great Britain & Ireland in the 2012 Curtis Cup match which will be played in her home town of Nairn. Alexis Thompson is certain to be in the next US women's amateur line-up that comes to Scotland and might even make the team for the 2010 match in the States...so too might Kelsey MacDonald for that matter.
The students, who have also included Laura Murray (Alford) and Jane Turner (Craigielaw) of Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, now return home after having spent three weeks in America competing on the Orange Blossom Tour. The trip was funded through Stirling university's International Sports Scholarships Programme.

Jan Corbett, Captain

Congratulations to Bryan and Donna

Leading North Golfers announce engagement:

Two of the North's leading amateur golfers, Bryan Fotheringham (Forres) and Donna MacLeod (Inverness), announced their engagement on Christmas Eve.
Bryan is a former Scotland international team member and long-time North District team player. Donna is a former British policewomen's title-winner and the current Scottish policewomen's champion.

Jan Corbett
Captain

Last news of 2008

Hi to you all,
I hope you and your families had a very happy Christmas and all the best for the New Year. Here's to health, happpiness and good golf during 2009.

It's very quiet on the golfing front at this time of year, but not so with the preparations for next year and beyond. Here in Banffshire the weather has been 'soo' much colder than usual this time of year. We do not usually get the snow until after New year but so far this year we have had snow three times since the end of October. I am sure that it has been the same where you all are, just that it is a bit different for us. That, along with the very cold windy conditions, has meant not a lot of golf.

This can't be said for some of our members. I am sure that most of you will know that the SLGA have started their winter training programmes and that we have four of our members involved in these sessions. Kelsey MacDonald once again named in the 'A' squad, Sammy Vass in the 'B' squad and Julie Vass in the Junior Development squad and many congratulations to Hannah McCook for being named in the 'C' squad. This is obviously in recognition of her remarkable year when she achieved so much. Our congratulations go to all the girls and we wish them well with their training and for next year. Kelsey does not stop there, while busy with her studies at Stirling she has just had a great experience playing in Abu Dhabi and is now about to jet off to the USA to play in the Florida Orange Blossom Tour for amateur women golfers. The seven players who are going will be accompanied by none other than our own Lesley Mackay from Golspie. I am sure they will have a great time and I am sure we all wish them and Lesley all the very best.

I hope that in 2009 there could be more of a 'two way' system in our communications. I would like if there was anything happening at your Club that you feel we would all like to hear about, that you would get in touch with me and let me know.

Kind regards and best wishes
Jan Corbett, Captain

UBC Grils Championship

Fifteen year old Hannah McCook (Abernethy) won the inaugural scratch medal in the UBC Girls' Championship, played over a testing Loch Ness course at Castle Heather, Inverness.

The CSS was three shots more than the SSS of 70 (par of 71) for the 5,387yd course.

Hannah, who has a handicap of five returned a gross 81 with halves of 42 (five over par) and 39 (also five over par)
She had a gross birdie at the fourth and par figures at nine holes to set against double bogeys at the third, eighth and thirteenth.

Hannah, daughter of Press & Journal staff photographer Sandy McCook, won the scratch section by two shots from Ailsa Summers (Panmure Barry), whose mother Mary was a Scottish girl international and reached the final of the British girls championship at Edzell in her day.

LEADING SCRATCH
81 Hannah McCook (Abernethy) 42-39
83 Ailsa Summers (Panmure Barry) 42-41
85 Emily Aird (Strathmore) 45-4- better last 6, Megan Aird (Strathmore) 45-40
86 Fiona Fullarton (Huntly) 48-38, Sophie Alexander (Deeside) 47-39, Samantha Leslie (Murcar Links) 46-40
91 Louise McGillvray (Banchory)
92 Rachel Polson (Peterculter)
93 Nikita Lamond (McDonald Ellon), Kirsten MacCallum (McDonald Ellon), Tegan Seivwright (Peterculter), Heather Munro (Monifieth), Kitrina Vannet (Peterculter)
95 Vicki Powell (Deeside)
97 Erin Millar (Pitlochry)
106 Annabelle Brown (Nairn Dunbar)
122 Shannon McWilliam (Aboyne)
NR's Jordyn Booth (Kemnay), Lauren Duncan (Aboyne), Louise Smith (Monifieth)

Jan Corbett
Captain

Congratualtions

Kelsey MacDonald playing in the Scottish Team in the Womens Home Internationals at Wrexham was one of the best players in the team with three and a half points out of six.

Well done Kelsey and we wish you well as you start your first year at Stirling university next week.

Jan Corbett
Captain

Success for Kelsey

Scotland's pair of champion girl golfers, Kelsey McDonald (Nairn Dunbar) and Carly Booth (Comrie) won the girls' team trophy at the Belgiun Junior International Tournament at the Royal Golf Club of Belgium.

Kelsey, the Scottish Under-21 title-holder, and Carly, the Scottish Under-18 champion and Curtis Cup player, finished joint second and joint fifth individually, but their totals added together won the girls team trophy with a score of 593, one shot ahead of Spain (594) with Wales (600) third and Ireland (602) fourth.

Kelsey had scores of 74,73,73 & 76 for a total of 296 - six shots behind the winner, Ana Fernandez de Mesa (Spain).

It was the third year in a row that Kelsey had finished in the top three of this tournament. How's that for consistency! And she also figured in the capture of the team trophy for Scotland last year when it was organised under a boys and girls' combined format.

Carly Booth dropped out of the lead wiwth two disappointing closing rounds and finished joint fifth on 297 with scores of 73, 69, 78 & 77.

Apart from a team trophy replica, Carlty did have another award to take home. She won the girls' long-driving on the eve of the competition.

Jan Corbett, Captain

North of Scotland Girls Championship

Sammy Vass wins play-off for North of Scotland Girls title

Scotland girl international Sammy Vass from Tain won a three-way play-off for the North of Scotland girls' golf Championship at Banchory Golf Club on Sunday 24 August.

Sammy, 16, beat her 14 year old sister Julie and 16 year old Samantha Leslie (Murcar Links) at the second extra hole after they had tied on 77 at the head of a field of 26 girls.

Samantha Leslie had the chance to lift the Under-18s Regional Title at the first extra hole (the 17th) where her approach shot hit the flagstick, but she could not hole the birdie putt. Julie Vass was eliminated with a bogey at that hole.

At the second extra hole (the 18th), Leslie drove out of bounds and took four shots to reach the putting surface while Sammy Vass was on in three- and holed a 10ft downhill putt for a trophy-winning par 4.

Kirsten MacCallum (McDonald Ellon) won the Jean Law Trophy for the best net score of 69 off 11, ahead of Louise McGillvray (Banchory) (7) and Seren Anderson (Deeside) who both had net 71s. Louise had the better inward half.

Jan Corbett, Captain

Northern Counties Greensomes 23.08.08

County Greensomes at Fortrose & Rosemarkie GC on Saturday 23 August

Abbreviations: BB - Bonar Bridge; DHR - Duff House Royal; F - Forres; F&R - Fortrose & Rosemarkie; G - Grantown on Spey; I - Inverness; N - Nairn; MO - Muir of Ord; RB - Royal Belfast; RD - Royal Dornoch; S - Strathpeffer; T - Tain; TO - Torvean; W - Wick

9.30 - L McLaren (I), J Cumming (I) & E Morrison (F&R), S Dunn (F&R)
9.40 - C Morrison (N), N Burtwell (N) & H Cumming (F&R), A Mackay (F&R)
11.40 - P Davis (F), M Wellburn (F) & E Hutton (MO), M McLean (MO)
11.50 - E Colvin (I), R Cruckshank (I) & P Morrison (MO), J Fraser (MO)
12.00 - J Nicol (I), F Williams (I) & A Milner (TO), C Marshall (N)
12.10 - M Alexander (DHR), J Corbett (DHR) & S Rowan (I), N Bowie (I)
12.20 - D Crawford (F), I Wilson (F) & M Mansfield (BB), J Hunter (BB)
12.30 - A Burnett (RD), S Duncan (RD) & D Marshall (F), M James (F)
12.40 - D Hulme (F&R), J Alexander (BB) & T Weekes (RD), K Lawson (RD)
12.50 - S Cooper (F&R), H Menary (RB) & E Coghill (RD), D McBride (RD)
13.00 - M Hayden (T), D Adams (RB) & P Moscati (RD), M Douglas (RD)
13.10 - M Orr (T), I McMichael (RB) & A Bartlett (RD), A Harding (RD)
13.20 - T Curruthers (RB), A Drummond (F&R) & S McDonald (RD), M Blair (RD)
13.30 - P Mackay (RD), E Hart (RD) & D McAngus (W), V Balfour (W)
13.40 - S Vickerman (G), M Allan (G) & A Brown (F&R), M Ross (F&R)
13.50 - R Bannerman (S), C Gruber (RD) & I McIntosh (I), S Ramsay (I)
14.00 - G Dowling (I), L Fraser (F&R) & T Fraser (F&R), K Bissett (F&R)

Jan Corbett, Captain

Northern Counties News

The Northern Counties Girls Championship took place at Inverness recently. This was sponsored by MacKenzie & Cormack, Solicitors & Lawyers (Tain & Beauly).

The CSS was 73
Results - 1st Scratch - Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) 71
2nd Scratch - Sammy Vass (Tain) 77
1st Handicap - E Watson (Nairn) (20) 65
2nd Handicap - A Brown (Nairn Dunbar) (25) 73

Congratulations to Mary Smith, who has just won the Scottish Senior Women's Amateur Stroke Play Championship at the first attempt, at Deeside Golf Club. She also got to the semi-final of the match-play Championship losing to the eventual winner Lorna Bennett (Ladybank) .

Gairloch Open - Saturday 16 August.
Unfortunately, once again, we have to cancel an Open. The delegate has informed us that there are only 3 entries for Gairloch and that as it clashes with the Inverness Open, it does not look like there would be many more entries. Also, the administration at Gairlock GC wanted a decision made sooner rather than later so they could open up their course.

This only leaves the Greensomes at Fortrose & Rosemarkie on 23 August and the Open at Kingussie on 5 October, so hopefully the members will support these two events. The open at Kingussie will be the last event for scores to count for the Aggregate Cups.

I must thank those who have returned the Raffle Squares Sheets. Boat of Garten were the first. It is even more important now than ever that all Delegates try to complete this raffle and return them to us due to the very few Open events that we have had this season. Fundraising is a must for funds. My husband has been making tablet and has £32 so far!!

Jan Corbett, Captain

Jamboree Results

Saturday 28 June
Northern Counties v Perth & Kinross
Cara Gruber & Kelsey MacDonald beat Laura Walker & Eve Muirhead 2&1
Mary Smith & Sammy Vass lost to Emily Ogilvie & Carly Booth 5&3
Jenny Milne & Pam Mackay lost to Alex Bushby & Annabel Niven 7&6

Kelsey MacDonald lost to Laura Walker 6&5
Cara Gruber beat Jillian Milne 4&2
Ashton Ingram lost to Emily Ogilvie 5&4
Pam Mackay lost to Carly Booth 4&3
Sammy Vass beat Annabel Niven 1up
Mary Smith lost to Alex Bushby 5&4

Sunday 29 June
Northern Counties v Angus
Cara Gruber & Kelsey MacDonald beat Rebecca Wilson & Ann Ramsay 5&4
Sammy Vass & Ashton Ingram lost to Mary Summers & Aileen Hunter 1 hole
Pam Mackay & Eilidh Mackay halved with Kath McNicol & Shonagh Raitt

Cara Gruber lost to Rebecca Wilson 2&1
Kelsey MacDonald beat Katy McNicol 2&1
Ashton Ingram beat Jackie Brown 1 hole
Pam Mackay lost to Ann Ramsay 3&2
Eilidh Mackay beat Heather Anderson 1 hole
Sammy Vass lost to Shonagh Raitt 3&2

Monday 30 June
Northern Counties v Aberdeenshire
Cara Gruber & Kelsey MacDonald lost to Michele Thomson & Laura Murray 2&1
Sammy Vass & Ashton Ingram lost to Jill Harrison & Laura McLardy 1up
Pam Mackay & Eilidh Mackay lost to Donna Pocock 7&5

Kelsey MacDonald beat Donna Pocock 7&5
Cara Gruber beat Sara Thomson 5&4
Sammy Vass lost to Laura Murray 2&1
Ashton Ingram beat Carol Wilson 2 up
Eilidh Mackay lost to Sheena Wood 2&1
Mary Smith lost to Michele Thomson 8&7

Jan Corbett
Captain

Inter County Championship 2008

I have to thank all those who sent cards or emails wishing the girls well at the Jamboree. It was also good to hear from the team just how many of you sent good wishes to the individual players, they were much appreciated.

The result does not give any indication of how well they all played, the committment given or the determination they all showed.

I am posting the results from each day for your information and you will see how close some of the games were. The opposition was very strong in the other three teams with two Curtis Cup players playing, who did not get it all their own way!

Just like many of us when we add up our score cards, we often say, I played better than that, the score just does not reflect the way I played.

We have next year to look forward to at Royal Dornoch, so we will have much more support there and the girls will hopefully have many practice rounds before the competition starts.

Jan Corbett
Captain

Course Record

Hannah McCook does it again. She broke the course record at Grantown on Spey on Tuesday 1 July, playing in a ladies medal. her score was gross 69, one stroke off the existing record of 70. CSS was 71 and Par 72. This broke her handicap and she is now 7.3. Well done Hannah and Congratulations.

Jan Corbett
Captain

Paul Lawrie Scottish Schoolgirls Golf Championship

Scottish Schoolgirls Champion
Kelsey McDonald

Winning Highland Team of Kelsey McDonald and Sammy Vass with Tournament sponsor Paul Lawrie and Scottish Schools Golf Association Secretary Dorothy Scott

County Open at Stromness on 31 May

Stromness hosted an Open Championship on behalf of Northern Counties Ladies Golf Association. Fifty one players, five from Royal Dornoch Golf Club, 24 from the Orkney Golf Club and 22 from Stromness Golf Club played under almost perfect weather conditions.

The greens staff had put in a lot of work to prepare for the event. This was appreciated by the players.

Unusually for Orkney, the competitors in the Silver Division and Bronze Division were competing only in their own divisions. In each division, there was one scratch prize and three handicap prizes. We were happy that all three clubs were represented in the prize list.

Results:
Silver division: Gross - Shona Croy (Orkney Golf Club) 76
Handicap - Lynn Slater (13) (Stromness Golf Club) 68; Ann Gilmour (13) (Orkney Golf Club) 72; Elspeth McLellan (9) (Stromness Golf Club) 73

Bronze Division: Gross - Alison Burnett (Dornoch) 92
Handicap - Linda Bonner (31) (Orkney Golf Club) 64; Chessa Llewllyn White (30) (Stromness Golf Club) 66; Tina Smith (23) (Stromness Golf Club) 70

After a dinner, catered by the ladies committee of Stromness Golf Club, the prize vouchers were presented by the Stromness Lady Captain, Lee Seator and the Northern Counties Delegate in Stromness, Delille Diament, who welcomed the visiting players. Lee made an amusing speech, which was replied to by Mora Douglas, Lady Captain of Royal Dornoch Golf Club and Linda Milne, Lady Captain of the Orkney Golf Club.

County Team

The County Selectors, Mary Law, May Alexander and myself can now announce the Team selected to play in the Inter County Team Championships (The Jamboree) at Downfield on 28 - 30 June. We are extremely proud to have such a talented group of players available to represent the Northern Counties. Each and everyone of them has worked hard on their golf this year, and I am sure they will all show great determination and willing to do their best to win the Jamboree and reach the County Finals.

The team is as follows:-

Cara Gruber - Royal Dornoch
Ashton Ingram - Fort William
Kelsey Macdonald - Nairn Dunbar
Eilidh Mackay - Nairn Dunbar
Pam Mackay - Royal Dornoch
Jenny Milne - Elgin
Mary Smith - Tain
Sammy Vass - Tain

Jan Corbett, Captain

Cancellations

Unfortunately, due to lack of entries, the following Open Meetings have had to be cancelled. Our secretary, May, emailed all Delegates to try and get more entries but with no success.

Abernethy Golf Club 4th June - County Open & Vets
Royal Tarlair 7th June - County Open
Duff House Royal 8th June - County Foursomes
Castle Heather 13th June - County Open

Jan Corbett, Captain

Course Record

Hannah McCook has set a course record at the age of 14! She returned a 73 over the Abernethy women's course in the Mustard Trophy competition. The SSS for the course is 68, the CSS 68 and Hannah's handicap of 10 dropped to 9 as a result of her very good round. The previous record of 77 was held by Dawn Ferguson. Hannah birdied the sixth and tenth and bogeyed the second, ninth and fifteenth.

Jan Corbett, Captain