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

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

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.

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. 

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