SPANISH ACE, WINS US AWARD, NOW BOUND FOR RYL PORTRUSH

FROM THE GOLFWEEK WEBSITE
Spanish ace Marta Silva, a student at Georgia University, has won the Honda Sports Award as the top woman in US college golf. Her next stop is Royal Portrush Golf Club, Northern Ireland for next week's British women's open amateur championship.
Marta, pictured, will be bidding to be the sixth Spaniard to win the title since the turn of the century, following the "British" successes of Marta Prieto (2001), Elisa Serramia (2003), Belen Mozo (2006),Carlota Ciganda (2007) and Azahara Munoz who beat Ciganda in the 2009 final at Harlech.

Silva, a junior (third) year student from Santiago de Compostela, was ranked No. 1 most of the spring and set the Bulldogs’ record for stroke average at 71.5. She led Georgia in par-or-better rounds (22), birdies (109) and finished fourth at the NCAA women's championship two or three weeks ago.

Marta had six top-five finishes in 10 tournaments this season.

The other nominees for the Honda Award were Louisiana State University's Austin Ernst, University of Southern California's Lizette Salas and Arkansas' Kelli Shean. They were selected by rankings and finish at the NCAA championship.

Silva becomes eligible for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year honour, which will be awarded on June 27 in New York.

She is currently No 11 in the Women's World Amateur Rankings. Five of the girls ranked above her are in the Royal Portrush field, including the Nos 1 and 2 from New Zealand, 14-year-old Lydia Ko and 16-year-old Cecilia Cho.

IMG LEADBETTER ACADEMY HONOUR FOR GEMMA DRYBURGH

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com

US-based Aberdeen teenager Gemma Dryburgh has been named as one of only five girls honoured as a First Team All American by the IMG Leadbetter Academy at Bradenton, Florida.

On a mixed gender list of 11, the other girls includea US Junior Ryder Cup Player Ginger Howard, US girls' champion Doris Chen and Halley Leadbetter, daughter of David. 

Aberdeen businessman John Dryburgh, Gemma's father, said:

"We are extremely proud of the honour which reflects the hard work Gemma has put in at the academy and the classroom and the progress she has made on the golf course."

+Gemma enrols on a golf scholarship at Tulane University, New Orleans in August.

The IMG Leadbetter Academy website states:

First-Team Leadbetter All-American is a student who excels at golf but also in all other areas of Academy life. This person has a holistic approach to their development as a golfer and works with equal determination on their mind, body and golf game. 

A First-Team Leadbetter All-American is someone who can be counted on and is accountable for their actions. They set the highest standards in how they represent their family, country, the Academy and themselves. Over a year period, they have shown themselves to stand above the rest and do things each day that coaches, parents and students notice.

TO READ THE WHOLE STORY ON THE IMG LEADBETTER ACADEMY WEBSITE

CLICK HERE

MIDLOTHIAN NAME TEAM FOR EAST DIVISION INTER-COUNTY MATCHES

The Midlothian County Ladies Golf Association (MCLGA) selection committee is pleased to announce that the team to represent MCLGA in the forthcoming East Division Inter-County matches at Dunfermline (Pitfirrane) Golf Club, 20-22 June 2011 is:

Louise Fraser (Kingsknowe)

Claire Hargan (Strathmore)

Gabrielle Macdonald (Craigielaw)

Karen Marshall (Baberton)

Kate McIntosh (Broomieknowe)

Wendy Nicholson (Broomieknowe)

Jane Turner (Craigielaw)

Rachael Watton (Mortonhall)


1st reserve: Kirsten Blackwood (Glencorse)

2nd reserve: Linda Caine (Dunbar)

We are delighted to have both Jane Turner and Claire Hargan back in our team this year. Both were unavailable last year due to other golf commitments

Mary Richardson
MCLGA Captain

+Midlothian have won the East Divisional title for the past two years. They have been pipped in a countback for the Scottish county also two years in a row - by Northern Counties in 2009 and Renfrewshire in 2010.

FLORENTYNA PEAKING AT RIGHT TIME FOR REPEAT LET TOUR WIN

By BETHAN CUTLER

Ladies European Tour Media Manager

Florentyna Parker returns to the venue of her maiden victory as Golfclub Broekpolder in Rotterdam hosts the Deloitte Ladies Open this week.

Parker, 21, admits that she has not been at her best so far this season but believes that her form is improving.

The Royal Birkdale golfer, who tied for second in Turkey a month ago and finished seventh last week in Slovakia, said: “My game is peaking at just the right time.”

Parker, who is based in Hamburg but has been a member at the Southport club for ten years, added: “At the moment I’m driving the ball very well and that’s my strength. I’m fairly straight and quite long off the tee. What I struggle with is probably making the birdies. I need to hole out a bit better and that’s what I’ve been working on.”

She has invited her younger cousin Ella, a non-golfer, to caddie again after their two stroke win at the 2010 event.

“Last year, it was a great week and we had great weather. With my cousin Ella on the bag, we had a great time. Hopefully we can do the same,” Parker said.

“Hitting my three-wood onto the green at the last and being able to three-putt if I wanted to and then making a birdie, was a nice finish.

“I wasn’t playing my best that week, I was struggling, but I kept it together and the last few holes I played well. That’s what it’s all about.

“You need good tee shots and you need to putt well, because it doesn’t matter how you’re playing, if you can’t putt well, you’re not going to win, so that’s what I’ll be working on.”

The defending champion added that she is still targeting an autumn Solheim Cup spot and hopes to be on the European team when the event takes place at Killeen Castle in Ireland in September.

“I still hope to get on The Solheim Cup team and I need to play a lot better, obviously get more top-10s and win.”

Parker is one of three former winners in the field, along with the 2009 champion Tania Elosegui, who won at Einhovensche Golf and Virginie Lagoutte-Clement, who won the 2005 event at Kennemer.

There are six of this year’s Ladies European Tour winners teeing up, with Kristie Smith, Zuzana Kamasova, Christel Boeljon, Ashleigh Simon, Diana Luna and Caroline Hedwall.

Boeljon, who finished second in Slovakia and Hedwall, who won the event, are the joint 8/1 favourites, with Luna and Melissa Reid next at 9/1.

Reid is still waiting for her first victory of the season, while Luna will be looking to build on her bogey-free tournament win in Germany a fortnight ago.

Lagoutte-Clement and Caroline Masson are also rated highly, while Parker is a 25/1 shot to win the title.

The 16^th edition of the €250,000 Deloitte Ladies Open will take place over 54 holes, with a cut to the leading 60 players and those tied after the second round. The winner will take a €37,500 first prize.

Bethan Cutler

Media Manager
LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR

M: +44(0)7980 056045

E: bcutler@ladieseuropeantour.com

SKYPE: bethan.cutler.let
www.ladieseuropeantour.com

 

JAMES BYRNE SEVEN OFF LEAD IN NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS

By Roger Moore, NCAA.com
STILLWATER, Oklahoma – Gusting winds on Monday led to a few nightmares. But all Mother Nature provided on Tuesday was 90 degrees, high humidity and barely a puff of wind.
Georgia Tech head coach Bruce Heppler, who spent two years on the Oklahoma State staff, knew what his charges were getting into.
“I have some experience around here and they always told me that if you don’t like it then wait a minute and it will change,” said Heppler, whose Yellow Jackets shot a solid 5-under-par 283 to take the first-day lead in stroke play at the NCAA Men’s Golf Championships.
“I thought by playing [on Monday in the wind] we played this course as tough as it’s going to play. So if it comes back we know what it will be like.”
Led by James White’s stellar 5-under 67 and Paul Haley’s 1-under 71, Tech negotiated the par-72 Karsten Creek course without a player over 76.
Banchory's James Byrne (Arizona State) is in joint 47th place after a round of 74. Scroll down to read more about his round.
“They played well,” added Heppler. “We’ve had a really good year and we’ve got guys who drive the ball in the fairway for the most part. That’s what you have to do out here.
“James [White] played a fantastic round. He managed his game and was never under any stress out here which is hard to do.”
White, a junior from Acworth, Georgia, had eight birdies.
“I was thinking that if it blows like it did on Monday I might not finish,” said White. “It was as difficult as I’ve ever seen anywhere. I don’t know what happened. We woke up and it was gone.”

White followed instructions on Day 1 – hit the fairway and stay out of the thick rough.

“I made soe putts. I hit it well,” said White. “I know you have to put it in the fairway here and I was able to do that. It’s good to shoot a number like [67] but it’s a new day [Wednesday]. We’ve all been playing well but there are no guarantees on this course. We just have to wake up [Wednesday] and do it again.”

UCLA also came in under par, shooting 2-under 286 to trail by three after 18 holes. The Bruins had two at 71 and two at even-par. Junior Gregor Main, who won an AJGA event at Karsten in 2007, was one of those at 72. The nation’s top-ranked individual, freshman Patrick Cantlay, shot the other 72.
“Having experience on this course helps,” said Main. “This is a ball striker’s course and you have to keep it out of the rough.

“I felt pretty nervous on that first tee because coming here we know we have a good shot of winning. Every tee shot you are a bit nervous because you know what can happen if you miss the fairway. There isn’t any pressure on us. Oklahoma State is expected to win so we can just go out and play our game.”

Host Oklahoma State grinded through a 4-over day and will start Day 2 in eighth place. Freshman Talor Gooch and sophomore Sean Einhaus led the Cowboys with even-par rounds. Peter Uihlein shot 73 with Morgan Hoffman at 75. Kevin Tway finished at 77 after, reportedly, getting stung by a wasp before teeing off on No. 10.

“It wasn’t, obviously, the round we wanted to play,” said Cowboy coach Mike McGraw. “The golf course was the most getable you’re going to see it. We love being on this golf course, so if the guys will do a good job of doing what they did the last 10 days to prepare and kind of get back into that good feeling of trying to play good golf, they’ll be find.
"There’s a lot of golf to be played. You’ve got 36 more holes and they haven’t tightened the noose yet, but they will that third day, I promise you.”
Alabama, playing with the hosts and UCLA, shot even-par 288 with Bud Cauley shooting 70 and Hunter Hamrick at 71. Hamrick has been battling migraine headaches all week and spent Monday night into Tuesday morning in a local hospital.
Texas A and M, Georgia, Illinois and Ohio State round out the top eight after 18 holes.

Like Heppler, Buckeye head coach Donnie Darr spent some time on the Cowboy staff.

“I think the big thing is that we were just patient out there today,” said Darr. “We had a few guys hang in there and make some birdies at the end of the round, but all in all, it was a pretty solid day.”

The top eight teams at the end of three days of stroke play move into a match-play bracket. The head-to-head 18-hole quarter-finals are Friday with the semis on Saturday and the championship match on Sunday. Oklahoma State finished at the top of the leaderboard in stroke play a year ago and advanced to the title match, but fell to Augusta State in a down-to-the-wire affair.

Tee times are reversed on Wednesday with those playing in the afternoon on Day 1 getting the morning times on Day 2.
INDIVIDUAL LEADERBOARD
Par 72. Yardage 7416
67 James White (Georgia Tech).
68 Cameron Peck (Texas A and M).
69 Patrick Reed (Augusta State), J J Spaun (San Diego State).
70 Bud Cauley (Alabama), Austin Cook (Arkansas), Harris English (Georgia), Jace Long (Missouri).
71 Pedro Figueiredo (UCLA), Paul Haley (Georgia Tech), Hunter Hamrick (Alabama), Bo Hoag (Ohio State), Alex Kim(UCLA), Mitchell Krywulycz (Augusta State), Manav Shah (San Diego), Ryan Sirman (Oklahoma), Hudson Swafford (Georgia), Michael Weaver (California).
SCORES BY BRITISH STUDENTS
74 James Byrne (Arizona State) (T47).
77 Garrick Porteous (Tennessee) (T90).
78 Darren Renwick (Tennessee) (T108).
Field of 156 players

TEAM LEADERBOARD
Leading eight after three rounds' stroke-play
qualify for match-play stages
283 Georgia Tech.
288 UCLA, Alabama.
289 Texas A and M.
291 Illinois, Georgia, Ohio State.
291 Oklahoma State.
294 Augusta State.
295 Kennesaw State, San Diego State.
296 Arkansas.
299 Texas.
300 Florida.
Selected score:
303 Arizona State (T18).
Field of 30 teams.