WOMEN'S DIXIE AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

Wonder girl Alexis Thompson goes
-

one stroke ahead of Holly Clyburn

Fourteen-year-old top-ranked US female amateur golfer Alexis Thompson of Coral Springs, Florida shot a second straight 69 at the Heron Bay Golf Club, Coral Springs to take a one-stroke lead on six-under-par 138 after the second round of theWomen's Dixie Amateur championship today.
The in-form Thompson, pictured right, won the Junior Orange Bowl girls' title, also in Florida, which finished only on Wednesday.
England's Holly Clyburn from Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire is one shot back after an even par round of 72. Holly, 18-year-old English girls champion and recent winner of the Nick Faldo Series' girls title in Brazil, had led by two shots overnight with an opening round of five-under-par 67.
Lindy Duncan of Davie, Florida fired a two under par 70 to take sole possession Of third place. Sandra Changkija of Orlando, Florida also shot a 70 and is in fourth place followed by defending champion Candace Schepperle of Birmingham, Alabama and Marina Alex of Wayne, New Jersey who are tied for fifth at 143, five shots behind Thompson.
The halfway cut in the four-round event fell at 162, reflecting the gale force winds which attacked Heron Bay today. Fifty-one players made the cut and will battle Saturday and Sunday for the prestigious title.
In the Senior Women's Division three time US Senior women's amateur champion Diane Lang of Weston, Florida has a five-stroke lead over Brenda Pictor of Marietta, Georgia after blistering Heron Bay with a second round 69.
Lang's 145 two-round total gives her an excellent chance at winning the inaugural Women's Senior Dixie Amateur title which is over only three rounds.

HALFWAY SCOREBOARD
Par 144 (2x72)
138 Alexis Thompson (Coral Springs, Florida) 69 69.
139 Holly Clyburn (Woodhall Spa GC, Lincolnshire) 67 72.
141 Lindy Duncan (Davie, Florida & Duke Univ) 70 71.
142 Sandra Changkija (Orlando, Florida & Nova Southeastern Univ) 72 70.
143 Candace Schepperle (Birmingham, Alabama & Auburn Univ) 71 72, Marina Alex (Wayne, New Jersey & Vanderbilt Univ) 73 70.
144 Emilie Alonso (France) 74 70.
145 Brittany Smith (Rancho Murieta, California) 70 75, Suzie Lee (East Northport, New York & Commack High) 73 72.
146 Kyle Roig (Pembroke Pines, Florida & American Heritage High) 74 72.
147 Laura Blanco (Columbia & Pendleton School) 75 72.
148 Stefanie Kenoyer (Lighthouse Point, Florida & Furman Univ) 74 74.
149 Jessica Alexander (Riverview, Florida & Coastal Carolina Univ) 74 75, Jaye Green (Boca Raton, Florida & Florida Virtual School) 74 75, Yueer Feng (Orlando, Florida & Windermere Prep) 75 74, Nicola Race (Essex, England & Missouri Univ) 75 74.
150 Alex Stewart (Carson City, Nevada) 76 74.
151 Ashley Malinchak (Parkland, Florida & Westminster Acad) 77 74.
152 Katia Joo (Rancho Palos Verdes, California & Peninsula High) 75 77, Rebecca Lee-Bentham (Scarborough, Canada & Northview Heights High) 75 77, Trish Witherby (Richmond, Indiana & Richmond High) 76 76, Courtney McKim (Raleigh, North Carolina & Oklahoma State Univ) 79 73.
153 Isabelle Lendl (Bradenton, Florida) 78 75, Taylor Collins (Davie, Florida & Nova Southeastern Univ) 79 74.
154 Abby Bools (Hickory, North Carolina & East Carolina Univ) 76 78, Shelby Coyle (Pembroke Pines, Florida & American Heritage High) 76 78, Ashley Mooney (Port St Lucie, Florida & Daytona State Univ) 76 78, Andrew Watts (Gainsville, Florida & Univ of Florida) 76 78, Ani Gullugian (Irvine, California & UCLA) 77 77, Nicole Quinn (Wintermere, Florida & TFA) 77 77, Meghan Chapman (Seminole, Florida) 78 76, Olivia Lansing (Delwood, Minnesota & Drake Univ) 78 76, Laura Raffo (US) 80 74.
155 Federique Bruell (Aventura, Florida) 74 81.
156 April McCoy (Carrolton, Texas & Creekview High) 76 80, Alex Buelow (Palm City, Florida & Stetson Univ) 78 78, Kailey Walsh (Boca Raton, Florida & St Andrews Univ) 78 78, Elizabeth Alger (Tequesta, Florida & Florida Atlantic Univ) 79 77.
157 Paula Reto (Coral Springs, Florida & Purdue Univ) 79 78, Victoria Trapani (Hollywood, Florida & St Thomas Aquinas) 80 77, Anna Keith (Moultrie, Georgia & Vanderbilt Univ) 81 76, Carly Ragains (Highland Village, Texas & Marcus High) 81 76.
158 Meghan Stasi (Oakland Park, Florida) 77 81, Marilye Cadieux (Quebec, Canada & Florida Atlantic Univ) 79 79, Nora Lucas (Glenview, Illinois & Illinois Univ) 82 76, Andrea Kaelin (Fleming Island, Florida & Florida State Univ) 83 75, Ashleigh Albrecht (Murrieta, Georgia & Kentucky Univ) 84 74.
160 Alexandra Bodemann (Palm City, Florida & Wake Forest Univ) 79 81.
161 Rachel Kropf (Pompano Beach, Florida) 84 77.
162 Whitney Neuhauser (Barboursville, Virginia & Virginia Univ) 82 80, Catherine Elliott (Malvern, Pennsylvania & Pennsylvania Univ) 84 78.
MISSED THE CUT =======================
163 Kayla Stewart (Chattanooga, Tennessee) 82 81.
164 Alexa Rancourt (South Portland, Maine & Furman Univ) 83 81.
164 Emily Rymer (Orlando, Florida & The First Academy) 81 84.
165 Samantha Wagner (Clermont, Florida & Windermere Prep) 83 82, Alexandra Papell (Boca Raton, Florida, Florida) 84 81, Hunter Ross (Manakin Sabot, Virginia & Wake Forest Univ) 84 81.
166 Marisa Messana (Plantation, Florida & American Heritage School) 84 82.
167 Sydney Wilson (Lawrence, Kansas & Univ of Kansas) 82 85, Sunny Harris (Pensacola, Florida & Central Florida Univ) 84 83, Kristen Sammarco (Pembroke Pines, Florida & American Heritage School) 86 81, Lauren Giesecke (Kokomo, Indiana & Indiana University) 89 78.
168 Sarah Almond (Albemarle, North Carolina & Gray Stone School) 84 84, Kaile Tuccio (Windermere, Florida & Bishop Moore) 87 81.
171 Julia Hitchins (Palm Beach, Florida) 83 88.
176 Marina Karamanis (Barrington, Illinois & Illinois Univ) 88 88, Tariqah Walikraam (Hamilton, Bermuda) 89 87.
194 Ellen Privitera (Delray Beach, Florida) 96 98.

SENIORS CHAMPIONSHIP (over three rounds)
Par 144 (2x72) 6,000yd course.
145 Diane Lang (Weston, Florida & Weston CC) 76 69.
150 Brenda Pictor (Marrietta, Georgia & Pinetree CC) 79 71.
152 Marian Barker (Lubbock, Texas & Lubbock CC) 78 74.
153 Lisa Schlesinger (Laytonsville, Maryland & Norbeck CC) 77 76.
154 Mimi Hoffman (Springfield, Virginia & Belle Haven CC) 79 75.
158 Maggie Weder (Greenville, North Carolina & Ironwood) 79 79, Lynn Thompson (Cincinnati, Ohio & Obannon Creek GC) 85 73.
160 Anna Schultz (Rockwall, Texas & Honors Club) 83 77.
161 Jewell Malick (Rockwall, Texas & Honors Club) 81 80, Angela Stewart (Greenville, North Carolina & Ironwood) 82 79.
163 Ivy Steinberg (Cedar Valley, Canada & Granite Golf) 84 79.
166 Kelly Koselek (Toronto, Canada & Cedar Brae) 84 82.
167 Kathy Baker (Wellington, Florida & Wanderers) 87 80.
177 Jean Mowry (Hot Springs Village, Arizona) 92 85.
188 Babs McIntosh (Murrells Inlet, South Carolina & Wachesaw Plantation) 93 95.
192 Rita Dominguez (Rockville, Maryland & Redgate GC) 99 93.
195 Rhan Parham (Murrells Inlet, South Carolina & Wachesaw Plantation) 101 94.

Emma Wilson: "Wonderful to be given the opportunity to promote women's golf, and especially girls' golf."

NEW SLGA PRESIDENT EMMA WILSON

-

REMEMBERS GOLDEN GREATS HELEN

-

HOLM AND JEAN McCULLOCH

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Emma Wilson, the new Scottish Ladies Golfing Association president, is a direct link with some of the country’s great women golfers of the 1930s and 1940s/
“I come originally from Lanark and came up through the West of Scotland Girls’ Golf Association, encouraged by names such as Helen Holm, Jean McCulloch, May Menzies and Irma Douglas,” says Emma who would reach county team standard as a player.
“I remember Helen Holm, pictured right, as a tall ,striking figure who came up and spoke quietly to you, inquiring how you had played and just generally very supportive of West girls.
“Also Jean McCulloch (another past Scottish champion) came to give us vocal support: ‘Girlies, come along now! We, of course, had little or no idea who these old dears were!
“It is only in later life that you realise the great love of golf they had and their pedigree. I exchanged a Christmas card with Miss McCulloch for a good number of years.”
Emma Wilson lives in Kirkcaldy now. She worked for Ladybird in Slough, then moved to Kirkcaldy in 1973.
“I was chief designer for Babygro Ltd for nine years. I missed my golf as it was so expensive down south.”
She has been strongly associated with Fife women’s golf at club and county level for the best part of 40 years. Of her appointment to be Ethel Jack’s successor as SLGA President, Emma says:
“It is a great honour to be following such illustrious Presidents of the SLGA and wonderful to be given the opportunity to promote women’s and especially girls’ golf by emphasising the many life-long friendships made and the camaraderie enjoyed among golfersm, both competitively and socially.
“I’m looking forward to supporting our Scotland teams – girls, women’s and seniors.”
She is a member of Elie & Earlsferry Ladies Golf Club and Leven Golfing Society and was captain of Kirkcaldy Golf Club in 1983. After being a Fife county team player, she became Fife county captain in 1983-84, county president in 2000 and an honorary member in 2006.
Emma was chairman of the SLGA in 2004-2005 and chairman of the selectors.
She played for the Midland Vets team and has taken over as captain of the Midland Vets for 2010.

EDITOR'S FOOTNOTES:

Younger readers might not be aware of the outstanding playing records of Helen Holm and Jean McCulloch. Here are the highlights of their careers:

HELEN HOLM (Troon Ladies)

Born: Helen Gray, Glasgow, March 14, 1907. Died: December 14, 1971.

British women's open amateur championship: Won title in 1934 and 1938.

Scottish women's (closed) amateur championship: Won title in 1930, 1932, 1937, 1948 & 1950. Beaten finalist: 1933, 1938, 1949, 1956 & 1957.

Curtis Cup appearances: 1936-1938-1948. Mrs Holm declined selection for the 1950 match in the United States because she considered her son was too young to be left at home.

JEAN McCULLOCH (West Kilbride)

Scottish women's (closed) amateur championship: Won title in 1913, 1928 and 1931.

The first Curtis Cup match was not played until 1932.

*From the West Kilbride Golf Club website: Jean McCulloch won the Scottish Ladies’ championship while still in her teens. It was the start of an astonishing career which would see her national champion twice more, a career in which she would win the West of Scotland Championship 40 years after her first national success and live to attend the 75th anniversary dinner in 1988 of that win at Machrihanish in 1913. In addition her encouragement to ladies’ golf, in particular girls' golf was to be a life-long commitment.

Scroll down for all the first round scores from Florida

Holly Clyburn: A great start in Florida to what looks like being a big year for the Lincolnshire lass (click on the image by Cal Carson Golf Agency to enlarge).

Holly Clyburn's hole in one helps her lead

by two shots in Women's Dixie Amateur

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE ENGLISH WOMEN' S GOLF ASSOCIATION

England international Holly Clyburn had a hole-in-one as she took the first-round lead in the Women’s Dixie Amateur Championship in Florida with a five-under par 67.

Eighteen-year-old Holly (Woodhall Spa) aced the 150yd 5th hole. Her super-shot helped her to a two-stroke lead over her playing partner, 14-year-old Alexis Thompson, Coral Springs, Florida, who was the 2007 Dixie Champion and won the Junior Orange Bowl girls' title earlier in the week.

The English girls’ champion from Lincolnshire returned her score as winds picked up during the day, making the 6,500yd lay-out at Heron Bay Golf Club, Coral Springs a true test for some of the world’s top ranked female amateurs.

Americans Lindy Duncan of Florida and Brittany Smith of California are both three strokes back after shooting 70.

The 2008 Dixie Amateur champion, Candace Schepperle from Birmingham, Alabama and Duke University, is four shots back after her 74.

The top 50 players plus ties will make the cut after the second round.

Holly, who is also the French Under-18 open champion and the Faldo series girls' champion, won the English Women’s Golf Association girls’ order of merit for 2009. She is in the GB&I squad for the 2010 Curtis Cup team.
Lyndsey Hewison

Press & PR Officer

EDITOR'S NOTE: Holly Clyburn is just one of five members of the 2010 Curtis Cup squad who have entered the 3rd Hacienda del Alamo February Festival in Spain. Entries close around the middle of this month for the February 13-20 programme which comprises of a better-ball pairs (male partners permitted) on the first Saturday, a 36-hole stroke play on the Monday and Tuesday and a 54-hole stroke-play on the Thursday-Friday-Saturday. There are Under-16, Under-18, Ladies and Senior Ladies prize categories in the two individual events.

Entry forms are available by clicking on the relevant words at the top of the left hand column on the Home Page of only this website.

ALL THE WOMEN'S DIXIE AMATEUR FIRST-ROUND SCORES
Par 72

Clyburn, Holly (Woodhall Spa GC, Lincolnshire, England) 67
Alexis Thompson (Coral Springs, Florida) 69
Lindy Duncan (Davie, Florida & Duke Univ) 70
Brittany Smith (Rancho Murieta, California & UC Davis) 70

Candace Schepperle (Birmingham, Alabama & Auburn Univ) 71

Sandra Changkija (Orlando, Florida & Nova Southeastern Univ) 72

Marina Alex (Wayne, New Jersey & Vanderbilt Univ) 73

Suzie Lee (East Northport, New York & Commack High) 73

Jessica Alexander (Riverview, Florida & Coastal Carolina Univ) 74

Emilie Alonso (France) 74.

Federique Bruell (Aventura, Florida) 74.

Jaye Green (Boca Raton, Florida & Florida Virtual School) 74.

Stefanie Kenoyer (Lighthouse Point, Florida & Furman Univ) 74

Kyle Roig (Pembrokes Pines, Florida & American Heritage High) 74.

Laura Blanco (Columbia & Pendleton School) 75.

Yueer Feng (Orlando, Florida & Windermere Prep) 75

Katia Joo (Rancho Palos Verdes, California & Peninsula High) 75.

Rebecca Lee-Bentham (Scarborough, Canada & Northview Heights High) 75.

Nicola Race (England & Missouri Univ) 75.

Abby Bools (Hickory, North Carolina & East Carolina Univ) 76.

Shelby Coyle (Pembroke Pines, Florida & American Heritage High) 76.
April McCoy (Carrolton, Texas & Creekview High) 76.

Ashley Mooney (Port St Lucie, Florida & Daytona State Univ) 76.

Alex Stewart (Carson City, Nevada) 76.

Andrea Watts (Gainsville, Florida & Univ of Florida) 76.

Trisha Witherby (Richmond, Indiana & Richmond High) 76.

Ani Gullugian (Irvine, California & UCLA) 77.

Ashley Malinchak (Parkland, Florida & Westminster Acad) 77.

Nicole Quinn (Windermere, Florida & TFA) 77.
Meghan Stasi (Oakland Park, Florida) 77.

Alex Buelow (Palm City, Florida & Stetson Univ) 78.

Meghan Chapman (Seminole, Florida & North Carolina State Univ) 78.

Olivia Lansing (Dellwood, Minnesota & Drake Univ) 78.

Isavelle Lendl (Bradenton, Florida) 78.

Kailey Walsh (Boca Raton, Florida & St Andrews Univ) 78.

Elizabeth Alger (Tequesta, Florida & Florida Atlantic Univ) 79.

Alexandra Bodemann (Palm City, Florida & Wake Forest Univ) 79.

Marilyne Cadieux (Quebec, Canada & Florida Atlantic Univ) 79.

Taylor Collins (Davie, Florida & Nova Southeastern Univ) 79.

Courtney McKim (Raleigh, North Carolina & Oklahoma State Univ) 79.

Paula Reto (Coral Springs, Florida & Purdue Univ) 79.

Laura Raffo (Hollywood, Florida & St Thomas Aquinas Univ) 80.

Anna Keith (Moultrie, Georgia & Vanderbilt Univ) 81.

Carly Ragains (Highland Village, Texas & Marcus High) 81.

Emily Rymer (Orlando, Florida & The First Acad) 81.

Nora Lucas (Glenview, Illinois & Illinois Univ) 82.

Whitney Neuhauser (Barboursville, Virginia & Virginia Univ) 82.

Kayla Stewart (Chattanooga, Tennessee) 82.

Sydney Wilson (Lawrence, Kansas & Univ of Kansas) 82.

Julia Hitchins (Palm Beach, Florida) 83.

Andrew Kaelin (Fleming Island, Florida & Florida State Univ) 83.

Alexa Rancourt (South Portland, Maine & Furman Univ) 83.

Samantha Wagner (Clermont, Florida & Windermere Prep) 83.

Ashleigh Albrecht (Murrieta, Georgia & Kentucky Univ) 84.

Sarah Almond (Albemarle, North Carolina & Gray Stone Day School) 84.

Catherine Elliott (Malvern, Pennsylvania) 84.

Sunny Harris (Pensacola, Florida & Cental Florida Univ) 84.

Rachel Kropf (Pompano Beach, Florida & Broward Virtual Univ) 84.

Maria Messana (Plantation, Florida & American Heritage Univ) 84.

Alexandra Papell (Boca Raton, Florida) 84.

Hunter Ross (Manakin Sabot, Virginia & Wake Forest Univ) 84.

Kristen Sammarco (Pembroke Pines, Florida) & American Heritage Univ) 86.

Kaile Tuccio (Windermere, Florida & Bishop Moore Univ) 87.

Marina Karamanis (Barrington, Illinois & Illinois Univ) 88.

Lauren Giesecke (Kokomo, Indiana & Indiana Univ) 89.

Tariqah Walikraam (Hamilton, Bermuda) 89.

Ellen Privitera (Delray Beach, Florida) 96.

Jane Linn (Fort Lauderdale, Florida & Hamilton Farms GC, New Jersey) disqualified.

Alyssa Randolph (Knoxville, Tennessee & Kentucky Univ) disqualified.

Dakoda Dowd (Palm Harbor, Florida & Halm Harbor High) withdrew (ill).

Gia Fanelli (West Palm Beach, Florida & Penn State Univ) withdrew (ill).

SENIORS CHAMPIONSHIP SCOREBOARD

Par 72

Diane Lang (Weston, Florida & Weston CC) 76.

Lisa Schlesinger (Laytonsville, Maryland & Norbeck CC) 77.

Marian Barker (Lubbock, Texas & Lubbock CC) 78.

Mimi Hoffman (Springfield, Virginia & Belle Haven CC) 79.

Brenda Pictor (Marrietta, Georgia & Pinetree CC) 79.

Maggie Weder (Greenville, North Carolina & Ironwood) 79.

Jewell Malick (Rockwall, Texas & Honors Club) 81.

Angela Stewart (Greensville, North Carolina & Ironwood) 82.

Anna Schultz (Rockwall, Texas & Honors Club) 83.

Kelly Koselek (Toronto, Canada) & Cedar Brae) 84.

Ivy Steinberg (Cedar Valley, Canada & Granite Golf) 84.

Lynn Thompson (Cincinnati, Ohio & Obannon Creek GC) 85.

Kathy Baker (Wellington, Florida & Wanderers) 87.

Jean Mowry (Hot Springs, Arizona & Hot Springs Village) 92.

Babs McIntosh (Murrells Inlet, South Carolina & Wachesaw Plantation) 93.

Rita Dominguez (Rockville, Maryland & Redgate GC) 99.

Rhan Parham (Murrells Inlet, South Carolina & Wachesaw Plantation) 101