Tuesday 30 June 2009

East Vets do well in First Round of Scottish Seniors

Out of a field of over sixty Scottish Senior lady golfers, East Vets can lay claim to a very respectable five in the top sixteen, sixteen being the magic number after Round 2 (Wednesday) which will see the contenders through to the matchplay stage of the competition. After Round 1 the cut off for the top sixteen is 82 - congratulations to Sue Penman of Gullane Ladies - this was you.

The first ladies out at 8.40 were greeted with pretty misty conditions but it was not at all cold or unpleasant - and there was no wind. It did however become increasingly humid and swarms of hungry flies and midges were a bit of a nuisance. Flies have this aptitude for grabbing one's attention by hovering just at eye level in the middle of one's putt. Rounds of four hours were the norm andwith the sun breaking through the slight mist, most ladies were very glad indeed to reach the clubhouse at the eighteenth and see about replenishing all that fluid lost out on the course. The greens were very slow but the course was in excellent condition.

Fiona Hunter of Baberton brought in a pretty fantastic 73 which remained the best for day one.

Leading East Vets Scores:

73 Fiona Hunter (Baberton)
75 Noreen Fenton (Dunbar)
79 Pamela Williamson (Baberton)
80 Moira Thomson (Gullane ladies)
82 Sue Penman (Gullane Ladies)
84 Karen Ballantyne (Craigmillar Park)
85 Rita Dee (Kingsknowe)
91 Maureen McRobb
90 Mairi Pollock (Craigmillar Park)
95 Lesley Johnston (Gullane Ladies)

At the point of posting this, the times for tomorrow's draw were not available but the CSS had risen to 74 All to play for tomorrow.

Sunday 28 June 2009

Nine East Vets in Scottish Senior Championship at Kinross

Nine East Vet ladies have entered the Scottish Senior Ladies' (Close) Amateur Championship playing over the Montgomery Course, Kinross which starts this Tuesday 30 June. There is a practice round on Monday.

It takes the format of two strokeplay rounds, one on Tuesday and the other on Wednesday, the winner of the Strokeplay Championship having the best scratch aggregate of the 36 holes. The top sixteen scratch scores then proceed into the matchplay part of the competition, two rounds on Thursday and the semi-final and final on Friday. The eight losing first round competitors have a second bite at the cherry by being able to compete in the Second Flight Matchplay which so often is every bit as nail-biting as the actual championship.

East Vet representatives and their starting times on Tuesday:

8.50 Pamela Williamson(Baberton)
9.00 Karen Ballantyne(Craigmillar Park), Lesley Johnstone(Gullane Ladies)
9.10 Sue Penman(Gullane Ladies)
9.40 Fiona Hunter(Baberton)
9.50 Noreen Fenton(Dunbar), Moira Thomson(Gullane Ladies)
10.30 Rita Dee(Kingsknowe)
10.50 Maureen McRobb(Kingsknowe)

Good scoring to all and also to Mairi Pollock of Craigmillar Park

Wednesday 24 June 2009

Latest Results from Ramsden Cup

Here are the latest results from the third round of the Ramsden Cup - challenger's name showing first:



Liz Mclelland lost to Anne Brownie

May Hardy beat Sheena Crearie

Mary Davidson beat Rita Dee

Ray Lynch beat Sue Caton

Sylvia Cunninghame lost to Norma Richmond

Mhairi Stephen lost to Christine Clarke

Gilly Glen beat Sheila Little

Isobel Hastings beat Sandra Ashurst



Quarter-final draw to be played by July 7th:

Anne Brownie(Lothianburn) v May Hardy(Baberton)

Mary Davidson(Kingsknowe) v Ray Lynch(Murrayfield)

Norma Richmond(Murrayfield) v Christine Clarke(Deer Park)

Gilly Glen(Craigmillar Park) v Isobel Hastings(Murrayfield)

Have a good game.

Saturday 20 June 2009

Moira Wins East Vets Championship Final












Congratulations to Moira on winning the East Vets Championship. Moira Thomson (Gullane, left) and Ruth Brown (Lothianburn, right) played out their final at Haddington on Friday and it was a corker - a really great final. Captain Elise was the main (only) supporter but she certainly got her moneysworth.

Ruth started the way she planned to continue and drew first blood with a birdie 3 at the first hole but Moira retaliated almost immediately with a birdie at the third. Great start! A sign of things to come. Up to the 13th, the game had been very even with only one hole ever in it. Whereas conditions had been difficult with an almost gale-force wind coming straight over the Haddington chimney-pots, making it hard-going playing into the wind, it was an absolute lottery with the wind coming from the rear. By comparison, the tenth hole was almost a haven - emphasis on the 'almost'- being partially sheltered to the left by the trees. Such was the strength of the wind at the 11th, Moira's ball went through the back of the green, but she chipped back and holed the putt to go one up. Back against the elements at the ever-dangerous 12th, where the wind could easily alter the outcome of the hole by stearing an unwary ball to a watery grave, a very respectable half was achieved.

Then followed the diamond in the crown when both players birdied the next three holes. Certainly the wind was helpful at the long 13th and 15th but on the short 14th, it was full-on. Both used rescue woods to the most evil of pin positions - tucked behind the right hand bunker. Driving first, Moira played it safe, dropping the ball about 30 feet from the pin. Ruth then followed but although she gave the green a desultory wave, it trickled off the right hand slope, requiring a chip back on. This she did with a flourish, holing out for a birdie 2 ! Nothing daunted, Moira took up the challenge and proceeded to slot her own ball from 10 yards. A brave putt indeed!

At the 15th, Moira was on the green in two. Ruth chipped on, hitting the pin to stop dead for a gimme. Two putts from Moira produced the half. Still one up at this point, the 16th saw two good drives. Moira's slightly wayward chip went round the back of the green - the pin was to the front - but she calmly chipped back on to 10 feet and proceeded to hole out for yet another half.

The seventeenth, a hole deserving of respect at the best of times, was a little tricky with the fierce assisting wind. In all honesty neither hit the best of tee shot - understandable when possibly caution ruled together with a fair smattering of nerves- aware that a slightly off the mark tee-shot to a lethal right to left sloping green could spell disaster. However both managed to get on the dance floor. Uncharacteristically Ruth three -putted and it was all over. Moira had won 2 and 1. But what a final! Congratulations to both.

Moira is now on track for that Scroggie Cup.

Wednesday 17 June 2009

East Vets retain the Elise Duncan Trophy

Playing over Gullane No 1, East Vets managed to retain the Elise Duncan trophy, being very reluctant to part company with it after having had a firm hold on it for the last few years. The score of 7 - 2 for the East however belied the fact that it was actually a very close run match where six out of the nine games went right to the 18th hole.

In the late morning, the visitors from "the west" must have stared at the sky and thought the very last thing they gave a fig about was prising the Elise Duncan from them in "the East" since the BBC got it right for a change with their promise of heavy rain crossing the country. Apprehension regarding suitable clothing, enough towels and ruined hairdos must have been rife. Indeed when they started to arrive for sandwiches and coffee, it was still raining and the wind was getting up. However by 3pm it was slightly improved with only a smattering of rain and the match got started. No one got really wet at all but the wind was pretty fierce even by normal Gullane standards. The second hole up the hill took three good wallops. One player from an early match forgetting to tune in her brain, putted downhill (with a following wind) then watched helplessly as the ball careered off down the slope with gay abandon. She chased the ball off the green, down the fairway and, when at last it stopped to draw breath, she marked it quickly before it moved again. Wrong!!

So the wind may have been the killer but not long into the game, the sun came out and that felt instantly better. Everyone may have had different stories of how the wind affected their putts but they were unanimous in their praise of the course and the greens. And smiling faces at the meal afterwards was living proof that a good time was held by all - despite the results.

Captain Elise Guy thanked the west team for coming and playing and allowing the East to hang on to the trophy. Captain Helen Faulds replied in her typical style, promising to ruin East's run the following year at Troon Portland.

Results (East first)
Moira Thomson beat Pat Hutton 4 and 3
Fiona Hunter beat Helen Faulds 1 hole
Noreen Fenton beat May Hughes 1 hole
Pamela Williamson halved with Fiona McLean
Ruth Brown lost to Jennifer Mack 5 and 3
Sue Penman halved with Janice Paterson
Anne Brownie beat Mo Neilson
Aileen Kennedy beat Anne Prentice 2 holes
Gillian Kirkwood beat Marion Stewart 1 hole

The pictures taken were of a poor quality and the photographer has been sacked.

Last but not least, does anyone know anything at all about Elise Duncan who donated the trophy?

Monday 15 June 2009

Former SLGA President Honoured

East Vets Ladies congratulate Nancy Chisholm on receiving her MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List for her great voluntary contribution to ladies' golf. Apart from her service at club level she has been both LGU chairman and SLGA president, and recently become an honorary Vice President of both LGU and the SLGA. Former members of the
senior international team remember her unquenchable flag-waving enthusiasm and support with affection. Well deserved Nancy.
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Ruth and Moira to Contest East Vets Final

The two semi-finals were played at different times of day and in somewhat different weather conditions. Ruth Brown and Sue Penman played earlier and found it more than a little wet underfoot, whereas Moira Thomson and Karen Ballantyne may have had our sympathies as the rain stotted off Edinburgh pavements but it was apparently completely dry, down in Haddington.

In the first semi, Moira proved too strong for Karen whom she beat at the 13th hole. Moira described her own game as "steady" - but no doubt her opposite number felt she was fairly unstoppable. It was very unfortunate for Karen, that her only birdie at the third hole - a short par four - was matched by Moira, who clearly continued the form which she showed in the first round.

The entire game was completed with no rain although the minute it was finished, the heavens opened.

In the other half of the draw, Ruth beat Sue by 3 and 2. Sue again started well and was two up on Ruth after seven holes, but Ruth stopped the rot with a lovely 2 at the short eighth hole, always acceptable with its slopey green from back to front. She then won the 9th to halve the match. The tenth was halved but at the long 11th, Sue's ball unfortunately went into the left-hand bunker which was practically full of water. There was only the smallest area left on which to take relief as she was naturally unwilling to take the penalty and drop it outwith the bunker. Ruth went one up at this point but relinquished her lead when her ball skidded to an untimely halt in a puddle on the 12th, stopping short of the green. The bumpy 13th caused Sue to three-putt and she went one down again, lost the short 14th to yet another 2 by Ruth, always a good putter, and then also the 15th although this was a somewhat ignominious hole for both. Ruth closed the deal with a good four at the 16th, the same hole as her victory in the first round.

Now Moira and Ruth will fight out the final. It promises to be an exciting game.

Results:
Karen Ballantyne lost to Moira Thomson 6 and 5
Sue Penman lost to Ruth Brown 3 and 2

Thursday 11 June 2009

Moira Wins Marathon Tie in First Round of Championship

All the first rounds of the East Vets Championship were completed despite worries over tee times. There was a comment about getting behind a senior men's competition, where most of the participants were in less than speedy buggies and how our two ladies became very well acquainted indeed with some of the gents in the following stableford in an effort to pass the time.

Moira Thomson and Noreen Fenton started very early in the morning and were still going four and a half hours later when eventually Moira slotted a five footer to win at the 23rd hole. This game could not have been closer and could have gone either way as there was never more than one hole ever in it. One down at the tenth, Moira looked like getting it back to all square when Noreen put her second blow inches away from out of bounds and against the left hand fence. Taking an unplayable lie, she was still faced with a pitch over a bunker with the pin immediately behind. The ball caught the back of the bunker and shot across the green, 20 yards away from the flag. Moira could not be blamed for thinking the hole was hers but Noreen sank a tramliner to make the half.

There was a healthy exchange of holes between the 11th and 15th with Moira taking the lead for the first time at the short 14th where they were both in the bunker in front of the green. Noreen levelled the game with a birdie at the 15th and thereafter it was halves all the way to the fifth extra hole (but it did not seem boring in the slightest)when Moira secured her place into the semifinals. She will now play Karen Ballantyne who beat the first seed Rita Dee, by 5 and 4.

When asked some of the more interesting points of their game, Karen said she lost her ball in the pond at the 13th but when they were searching for it, they noticed lots and lots of tadpoles!

In the other half of the draw, Susan Penman beat last year's champion Anne Brownie by 4 and 3. Sue made an incredible start to her game with a birdie at the first, a par at the second and an eagle at the third where she holed her approach shot. She was four up at the turn. Despite being faced with this, Anne said she was happy with her own game but that Sue had certainly played "very well".

Ruth Brown, the second seed and a former winner of the East Vets Championship played against Jane Herd whom she managed to beat at the 16th. When asked about their game Ruth said she was one down at the 10th but that she birdied the long 11th. Thereafter followed a string of very acceptable pars on her part until the sixteenth where the game ended with a 4 and 2 scoreline. Jane had been very obliging by getting herself bunkered off the tee at the 12th - not the best hole to do that. She lost the next hole as well, to a par when she 3-putted the 13th which apart from being a fairly enormous green, was also not the smoothest! The satisfaction of a half in 3 at the short 14th was soon tempered by an expedition into the heavy rough by the river at the long 15th where Jane needed to take a lift and drop. Ruth was now 3 up and a good four by her at the sixteenth saw the end of the game. She will now play Sue Penman in the semifinals on Monday 15th.

Results:
Rita Dee lost to Karen Ballantyne 5 and 4
Moira Thomson beat Noreen Fenton at the 23rd
Anne Brownie lost to Susan Penman 4 and 3
Ruth Brown beat Jane Herd 4 and 2

Good luck to all in the semifinals

Wednesday 10 June 2009

Team to represent East Vets at Gullane against the West

The team to represent the East when they play against the 'Auld Enemy' (the West) has been announced. They will play to retain the Elise Duncan trophy which they won last year at Troon Portland. This year, the East are the hosts and the venue is as usual, Gullane No 1. Why not come along and support and at the same time see for yourself the serious but entirely friendly atmosphere of the match - and the golf as well. It is scheduled for 3pm, next Wednesday 17th June.

Here's our team, in alphabetical order:

Ruth Brown (Lothianburn)
Anne Brownie (Lothianburn)
Noreen Fenton (Dunbar)
Fiona Hunter (Baberton)
Aileen Kennedy (Harburn)
Sheila Lyon (Kingsknowe)
Susan Penman (Gullane)
Moira Thomson (Gullane)
Pamela Williamson (Baberton)

Captain Elise wants the team to arrive at Gullane Golf Club- main clubhouse - from 1pm when coffee and sandwiches will be available. The match will hopefully get going at 3pm. Please bring a white shirt and your green Vets jersey - trousers, navy or cream as you prefer. After the game, there will be a meal. Possibly it would be best to be prepared to change for the meal although last year no one bothered.

Here's hoping for a kind day weather-wise.

West Vets Final completed (at last)

Congratulations to Helen Faulds(Captain West Vets) who has successfully booked her passage to the Scroggie Cup at Blairgowrie in September. She joins Lynne Terry who, last week, also won her final and represents the North. Other regional finals are gradually being played.
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Pam Townsend brings in winning score at Haddington - Rita Dee wins Scratch

The East Vets Summer meeting was held yesterday at Haddington on an almost perfect summer 'golfing' day - good for golf, not quite so good for sitting around, sunbathing. There were several below Standard Scratch nett scores, which came in late, to result in an unchanged CSS of 73. The course was in beautiful condition but many ladies found the greens not to their taste.

Congratulations to Pam Townsend on winning the summer meeting with a wonderful 67 and to Rita Dee (pictured below - apologies for the poor quality but guaranteed still smiling) who won the scratch prize with a 78, winning on the better inward half from Fiona Hunter and Ruth Brown. Everyone seemed to enjoy the game very much. 
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Leading Scores:
67 Pam Townsend (Murrayfield)(80-13=67)
69 Rita Dee (Kingsknowe)(78-09=69)
69 Libby Campbell (Baberton)(83-14=69)
71 Carol Halliday (Dunbar)(81-10=71)
71 Phyl Early (Glencorse)(87-16=71)
72 Sandra Ashurst (Murrayfield)(86-14=72)
72 Ellice Cackett (Broomieknowe)(83-11=72)
73 Ruth Brown (Lothianburn)(78-05=73)
73 Mary Davidson (Kingsknowe)(93-20=73)
74 Margaret Thompson (Turnhouse)(85-11=74)
74 Caroline Johnstone (Murrayfield)(80-06=74)
74 Sheila King (Gullane)(93-19=74)
74 Anne Brownie (Lothianburn)(80-06=74)
75 Fiona Hunter (Baberton)(78-03=75)
75 Isobel Hastings (Murrayfield)(95-20=75)

The full listing of the nett scores has been sent out to all clubs represented and can be viewed on the ladies' noticeboards in the individual clubhouses.

Leading Scratch Scores:
78 Rita Dee(Kingsknowe)(bih), Fiona Hunter(Baberton) Ruth Brown (Lothianburn)
79 Moira Thomson(Gullane)
80 Caroline Johnstone(Murrayfield), Anne Brownie(Lothianburn),Pam Townsend(Murrayfield), Noreen Fenton(Dunbar)
81 Susan Penman(Gullane),Carol Halliday(Dunbar)
83 Libby Campbell(Baberton),Ellice Cackett(Broomieknowe),Jane Herd(Musselburgh Links Ladies)
84 Karen Ballantyne(Craigmillar Park)
85 Margaret Thompson(Turnhouse)
86 Sandra Ashurst(Murrayfield),Ethel Jack(Gullane), Barbara Biggart(North Berwick), Norma Richmond(Murrayfield),Cynthia Guthrie(Longniddry)
87 Phyl Early(Glencorse)

Leading Bronze Scratch Scores:
95 Anne McIntosh(Gullane)
98 Catriona Shedden(Murrayfield)
99 Patricia Rose(Broomieknowe)
100 Margaret Dalrymple(Baberton)

The players with the top eight scratch scores (who are able to play) now go forward to the matchplay section of the East Vets Championship. The first round is on Thursday 11th June, semi-final on Monday 15th June, and the final on Friday 19th June - your support would be appreciated. It is unfortunate that some of the leading players and main contenders, are unable to commit to all of the dates of these rounds and quite rightly, have opted not to play. It is difficult to find a format which pleases everyone, not only for those who work, but also for those who, through personal circumstances, similarly cannot commit to playing in all rounds, mainly because it is spread over such a long period. This is something which will need to be addressed yet again at the AGM.

Championship Draw:

Rita Dee v Karen Ballantyne
Noreen Fenton v Moira Thomson
Anne Brownie v Susan Penman
Ruth Brown v Jane Herd

Good luck to everyone.

Apologies for the lateness in posting this report - webmaster left immediately after to play in another competition and was incapable later that night