Championships - Ladies' British Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship 2009
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17.08.2009
Royal Aberdeen welcomes the Ladies' Stroke Play to the historic Balgownie links
The Ladies’ British Open Amateur Stroke-Play Championship breaks new ground this week at the sixth oldest golf club in the world.Royal Aberdeen Golf Club, founded in 1780 as The Society of Golfers at Aberdeen, has hosted women’s golf tournaments in the past, such as the Scottish women’s amateur championship, but never a female championship with a “British” tag.
The Balgownie links, to the north of the Granite City, start close to the mouth of the River Don. Aberdeen is situated between two rivers, the other being the River Dee.
In 2010 these links will host the men’s Walker Cup match between Great Britain & Ireland the United States.
Three or four years ago, Balgownie hosted the Senior British Open won by Tom Watson.
So this is no ordinary golf course. The 105 competitors in this week’s Ladies' British Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship, are playing at a venue steeped in golfing history.
Like all links golf courses, there is usually a wind blowing at Balgownie with is of the classic links “design” – nine holes straight out (until they meet the neighbouring Murcar Links to the north, and then nine holes straight in.
The fairways are narrow, the rough punishing but the greens are among the best in Scotland.
Aberdeen Ladies' Golf Club members, who have their own clubhouse, play over the Balgownie championship links as well as the Silverburn No 2 course. Former Curtis Cup player and past Scottish champion Elaine Farquharson-Black, who is an Aberdeen Ladies' member, holds the Balgownie women’s course record of 69 but that won’t be challenged by the British championship competitors this week.
That’s because Susan Simpson, the Ladies Golf Union Head of Golf Operations, has set up a composite course – using some men’s, some women’s tees – measuring 6,231yd with a par of 72 (36-36).
University of California-Berkely student Roseanne Niven (Crieff) is defending the title she won last year at Malone Golf Club, Northern Ireland after she had tied with another Scot, Kylie Walker (Buchanan Castle) on 288. Roseanne won the sudden death play-off at the first extra hole.
Both players are in the field again this week.
The current Scottish (Megan Briggs, Kilmacolm), English (Charlotte Ellis, Minchinhampton) and Welsh (Tara Davies, Holyhead) are also playing. The Irish champion, Lisa Maguire (Slieve Russell) and her twin sister Leona, are in Illinois for the Junior Solheim Cup match this week between Europe and the United States.
Funnily enough, Alison Nicholas, captain of the Europe team for the Solheim Cup match later in the week, won the Ladies British Open Amateur Stroke-play title in 1983, two years before the legendary Scot, Belle Robertson won the title at Formby at the age of 49.
The first round will be played on Wednesday and after the second round on Thursday the field will be cut to the leading 40 and ties for Friday’s final 36 holes. Spectators are welcome and admission is free.
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