WHERE ARE THEY NOW? LAURA MOFFAT

Laura Moffat with the Scottish Under-21 girls' championship trophy (left) and the Menzies Trophy for Under-18s, at Auchterarder in 1996 (image by Cal Carson Golf Agency).

'I love New York - and it suits me very well ...' 

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
West Kilbride's Laura Moffat was one of Scotland's bright young girl prospects in the second half of the 1990s. She won her share of junior national tropies and would probably have won more but for being a contemporary of Vikki Laing (Musselburgh) who won the Scottish Under-18 girls' match-play title four years in a row 1996-97-98-99) and also Lesley Nicholson (Haddington).
Laura blossomed early. She was only 14 when she reached the final of the Scottish Under-18 girls' match-play championship at Deeside. She finished runner-up to Lesley Nicholson.

The following year, Laura, now 15, did win the title ahead of her time. She beat Fiona Lockhart (St Regulus) 2 and 1 in the girls' championship final.
In 1996, Laura Moffat won the Scottish Under-21 stroke-play title - and the Menzies Trophy for Under-18s - at Auchterarder.
In 1997, Laura retained the Menzies Trophy at Stranraer but the overall championship went to Lesley Nicholson (Lesley and Laura pictured on left on Stranraer clubhouse balcony by Cal Carson Golf Agency).
In 1998, Laura reached the final of the Scottish girls' match-play for a third time but lost to Vikki Laing in an epic battle that went to the 21st hole. That was Vikki's third victory in her record four-timer in the Under-18s championship.
Miss Moffat played for Scotland girls and Scotland women's international teams but she was not only a skilful golfer she was also well endowed with brains.
When she enrolled at the the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 1997 it was quite clear that her short and long-term future lay in the United States - and that's where she has been ever since.
Laura takes up the story in an E-mail to Kirkwoodgolf.co.uk from New York

"I now live and work in New York City. I went to the University of California, Los Angeles from 1997 to 2002, and played for the UCLA golf team. I received NCAA Division 1 All-American honours in 2001 and was sixth in the NCAA championships in 2001.
"While at UCLA I received my BS in Psychobiology. After I graduated from UCLA I pretty much gave up golf and moved to New York to do my PhD at New York University.
"While at NYU I studied Developmental Neurobiology (how neurons grow and find the right connections during development). I received my PhD in May 2007 and started work as a management consultant in the pharma and biotech industry, working for a company called Campbell Alliance.
"About six months ago I moved companies and started working for a big advertising agency in New York City, DraftFCB Healthcare, as a Strategic Planner.
"Basically I help pharma and biotech companies figure out how, to whom, and where to market their products.
"I am planning to live and work in New York City for quite a long time. I love New York and it suits me very well. I occasionally get to the driving range, but mostly to teach other people.

"I am not married, no kids, just two cats!"
Laura Moffat

+If you're an old friend of Laura Moffat but have lost touch with her over the years, E-mail your name, etc to Colin@scottishgolfviewcom and I'll pass it on to her.

Captain Pam Gordon (Inverness) with the Scotland girls' international team of 1997. That's Laura Moffat seated on the right of the front row. For starters, that's Anne Walker (Strathaven), another who has made her life in America, on the extreme left of the back row, and Vikki Laing (Musselburgh) fourth from the left in the back row. Image by Cal Carson Golf Agency.
How many of the others can you identify?

E-mail from Fiona Lockhart
(Scottish women's amateur champion 2005)

Hi Colin

Great story about Laura - isn't she doing well. Good for her.
Brought back a lot of memories reading the story - she really was a classy golfer and excelled at a very young age.
You were correct that she beat me in the final of the Scottish girls at Paisley in 1995 but at the time my home club was Balbirnie Park GC. A bit of an odd one that I then found myself in the Scottish final in 2005! Spooky!
I am sure you know all the players in the Scotland team photo, but if not:


Back row (left to right): Anne Walker, Fiona Prior, Susannah Laing, Vikki Laing, Pam Mackay, Linzi Morton
Front row (left to right): Alexandra Young, Pam Gordon and Laura Moffat






Happy days!


Hope you and Ethel are well.






Cheers

EWGA LAUNCHES 2011 ONLY ENTRY SERVICE

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE ENGLISH WOMEN'S GOLF ASSOCIATION
The English Women’s Golf Association has opened its online entry service for the 2011 national championships and seniors’ regional events.
Online entries, including payment for seniors’ dinners, can be made for the following events at www.englishwomensgolf.org

Championships

English senior amateur championship
19–22 April at York, Yorkshire

English amateur championship
10–14 May at West Sussex, Sussex

English senior stroke-play championship
14 – 16 June at Saltford, Somerset

English open mid-amateur championship
30 June–3 July at Collingtree Park, Northamptonshire

English girls’ championship
26–28 July at Ellesborough, Buckinghamshire

English girls’ U15 and U13 championships
26–28 July at Mentmore, Buckinghamshire

English open stroke-play championship
2 – 4 August at Alwoodley, Yorkshire

Seniors’ regional tournaments:

Midlands 7–8 July at Brocton Hall, Staffordshire.

Southern
11–12 August at Hendon, Middlesex.

Northern 1–2 September at Ramside, Durham.

Brenda King senior foursomes
27–28 September at Gog Magog, Cambs & Hunts.
Lyndsey Hewison
Press and PR Officer
English Women's Golf Association
Tel. 01603 507 416
Email: lyndsey.hewison@ntlworld.com

DUDDINGSTON TO REBUILD MEMBERSHIP WITH HELP OF CLUBGOLF

Edinburgh Active Schools Co-ordinator Colin McMillan training Portobello High School’s Community Sports Leaders to help deliver clubgolf introductory game coaching (image by Rob Eyton-Jones).

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY CLUBGOLF
Edinburgh’s Duddingston Golf Club has come on board this year as one of 300 facilities nationwide offering the clubgolf programme.
Eight members will attend clubgolf Level 1 training through the PGA in March. With the support of club pro, Alastair McLean, they will begin a clubgolf coaching programme in April for children from the local primary schools
“Like every other club which is finding business more of a challenge at the moment we need to rebuild our membership and we see clubgolf as a great way to achieve this,” said the club’s secretary, Duncan Ireland.
“We have made the commitment and will be going for it in a big way this year. Our volunteer coaches will get them started, then the professional s will take over to help them progress.”
Like many clubgolf delivery centres, Duddingston has examined its own constitution to look for ways to encourage children to take up the sport. This year it reduced its joining age from 12 to 10, enabling children from its clubgolf programme to become members.
“Allowing children to join at 10 will tie in perfectly with our clubgolf coaching which hopefully they will enjoy and want to take further,” said Mr Ireland. “Many of these children won’t be from golfing families so we want to make them feel welcome and hopefully get them into junior membership.
“If we can get the children interested then there is a good chance we will be able to attract their parents and grandparents too.”
To increase the number of children being introduced to clubgolf in nearby primary schools, Edinburgh Active Schools Co-ordinator, Colin McMillan has begun training Portobello High School’s Community Sports Leaders to help deliver clubgolf introductory game coaching.
“It’s a win-win situation bringing in Community Sports Leaders to support the clubgolf programme,” said Mr McMillan.
“Delivering alongside the teachers, these students will learn how to teach and manage a class. Having the high school sport students supporting them increases the teachers’ confidence and creates a better atmosphere.”
This Easter the Portobello students will support school staff in local primary schools deliver the five week firstclubgolf block as part of their Community Sports Leader award coursework.
“One of the reasons for getting the Community Sports Leaders Award students involved is because they are excellent ambassadors for activity in general and they can enthuse young children at the introductory level,” said Mr McMillan.
“It is an ideal way to support community development by providing sustainable sporting pathways. Fostering a culture of volunteering throughout schools and into the wider community, through local clubs like Duddingston Golf Club, provides an opportunity to engage target groups who would not normally get the opportunity to participate in such activities.”
Rob Eyton-Jones
clubgolf Media Manager
t: 07775 746981
e: rob@eyton-jones.co.uk

Official clubgolf website: www.clubgolfscotland.com

YORKSHIRE'S FULFORD TO HOUSE 2013 EURO LADIES TEAM EVENT

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE ENGLISH WOMEN'S GOLF ASSOCIATION
The English Women’s Golf Association is delighted to announce that it will host the European Ladies’ team championship from July 6-13, 2013, at Fulford Golf Club, York.
The championship is one of the premier events on the European calendar and the title will be contested by up to 20 teams. The event is an annual showcase for the Continent’s most talented women amateurs and many will go on to become leading professionals.
They will play for the European team crown on one of England’s finest inland courses. Fulford Golf Club, with its heathland and woodland setting, has been the host to 23 consecutive European Tour events.
It was the scene of one of the most famous shots in golf when, during the Benson and Hedges in 1981, Bernhard Langer climbed an ash tree by the green on the 17th to play his third shot. The list of winners at Fulford includes Tony Jacklin, Lee Trevino, Tom Weiskopf, Greg Norman and Sandy Lyle.
Emma Lowe, EWGA’s championship manager, commented: “We are delighted to be staging this prestigious tournament and to be able to hold it at Fulford. It is a fantastic venue, the club is steeped in history and the course is both wonderful and quintessentially English.
“It’s just a mile from the centre of York, which is one of Europe’s top tourist destinations, and we hope to also give our visitors the chance to explore the city and all it has to offer.”
Gary Pearce, Fulford’s general manager, commented: “Fulford has a rich history of staging professional and amateur events, hosting the inaugural ladies’ British Open in 1976, the ladies’ British amateur stroke-play championship, and providing the venue for many ladies’ Yorkshire county championships.
“The club and members are really looking forward to welcoming the teams from around Europe, and we hope that the golfing public will come to watch the action and support the home nation.”
Each nation will be represented by a team of six players who all play in two rounds of stroke-play qualifying to determine their places in the various matchplay flights. The top eight teams go into the championship flight to play for the gold, silver and bronze medals.
England has hosted this championship twice before, in 1971 at Ganton and 1991 at Wentworth, and on both occasions the home team won the gold medal. Altogether England have won this championship eight times, most recently in 1993. Since then, the team has been runner-up three times, in 1999, 2005 and 2009.
Lyndsey Hewison
Press and PR Officer
English Women's Golf Association
Tel. 01603 507 416
Email: lyndsey.hewison@ntlworld.com