Scottish Seniors Make Steady Start in Berlin

The Scottish Seniors - including East Vet Moira Thomson of Gullane - have completed Day One in Berlin in the European Senior Ladies' Team Championship finding themselves in a most commendable fifth position. They are behind main rivals England who had a superlative first round aggregate of 383, France on 391, home players Germany on 394 and Sweden on 396. Scotland's 399 leaves them with the full ambition - nay,intention of stepping up a gear on Day 2.

The weather was all that Scottish golfers should be well used to - a strong wind together with wet conditions underfoot to such an extent that provisional lies were the order of the day and relief was given for embedded balls. This clearly involved many refereeing decisions. Five hour rounds were the unenviable norm. The championship was being played on the Arnold Palmer course - and not the Nick Faldo as previously stated. With the wet conditions, the course was playing much longer and necessitated long irons or even fairway woods to greens protected by cavernous bunkers. With longer and low-flying approach shots to the massive greens this often resulted in huge return putts and consequently many a dropped shot.

The Opening Ceremony, always a highlight in this championship and a matter of considerable pride for the competitors, went well for Scotland, as they conducted themselves with expected decorum. Spare a thought then for poor Spain who will be remembered to eternity as being the country whose captain, having failed to pre-check the elastic in her waistband, as one would do, was then unable to prevent her skirt from falling down in full view of all the representng teams. Quel embarrasment!

Some of the teams present, as last year, have seven members present which gives them the benefit of choice should players be more proficient in say stroke-play than match-play or vice versa and indeed is an insurance against injury or ill-health. Scotland, Belgium, Denmark and Portugal all have the minimum six members in their teams. Each member plays and the top five scores go towards the team aggregate. Fiona de Vries - many thanks for an entertainling email - had the best score of 78 and indeed she was the only member of the team to start with a par. Her inward half was going along very smartly with pars at all the holes until a couple of dropped shots on the sixteenth and seventeenth. Lorna Bennet and Heather Anderson were both one short more on 79. Lorna started with a six but recovered with a brilliant two at the fourth hole. She had no doubt been disappointed to start the second nine with another six which was a double bogey and will be determined to eliminate this number from her repertoire in her second round. Heather went out in 40, having four bogeys but got her teeth into the second nine with two fine birdie threes at the 13th and 18th. Compared to her team mates, Moira had the best outward half of 38 which still included that six at the first hole but only included one further dropped shot at the par three seventh. A fine steady first half. Although an unsettling triple bogey started her inward half, this was soon forgotten and she finished with a good 80. After the now obligatory six at the first hole, Anne Ryan had a steady first nine but had a rather slack inward nine which included seven bogeys. The five hour round would do nothing for anyone's concentration. Her sister Mary will be determined to better her second round of 85 if, for no other reason than not having the score which did not count in the aggregate. She appeared to hit slightly more trouble than the others. Her two halves of 45 and 38 had two double bogeys but she had a fine birdie four at the long twelfth hole.

All to play for on Day Two.