Juggling act doesn't stop Booth settling into life as Tour pro

SOME school exams may still be a slight distraction and revision books have, she insists, been packed in her luggage along with the golf clubs but Carly Booth has taken to life as a professional golfer like a duck to water.

Three events into her new career on the Ladies' European Tour, the 17-year-old has three cuts safely tucked under her belt and is confident it won't be long before she can start making her presence felt on leaderboards.

She's not playing in this week's event in Slovakia but is off to Holland next week and then has a run of tournaments in Switzerland, Portugal and Tenerife in quick succession.

By the end of that mini-schedule, Booth will have left Glenalmond College in Perthshire, where she was the first recipient of a golf scholarship, and then it will be all systems go on the golfing front.

"I have two focuses at the moment – golf and school work," said the Comrie girl during a visit to Edinburgh yesterday to help promote the Ladies' Scottish Open presented by Event Scotland, which returns to the LET schedule after a year's absence at Archerfield Links towards the end of August.

"I've still got four exams to do – two English and two PE – and the last of those is on 23 June. I've already completed art and that was a lot of work. One of my two projects was making a 1960s-style dress, while the other is a huge wall hanging on golf that includes some silk prints of different stages of my swing."

Asked how difficult it was to study while she was preparing for a tournament, she smiled before adding: "The school books come with me when I'm playing on the Tour – but they don't come out too often!"

Booth has been destined for a life in professional golf almost from the moment she first picked up a golf club. At eight, she became the youngest player in the world with an adult handicap (of 20) then, on her 11th birthday, she won the Dunblane Ladies' title to become the youngest ladies' champion in Britain.

She was 12 when she partnered Sandy Lyle to a victory in the British Masters Pro-Am at Forest of Arden and made her first appearance in a professional event as a 14-year-old, finishing 13th in the 2007 Ladies' Scottish Open at The Carrick.

The following year, Booth became the youngest player to represent Great Britain & Ireland in the Curtis Cup and is now the youngest Scottish player to tee it up on the Ladies' European Tour, having secured her card at last year's Qualifying School.

"I probably knew from when I was ten or 11 that golf was going to be my career," she reflected. "And, after playing in the Curtis Cup in 2008, I felt it was time to make the change. I think I was ready by then. I'm happy playing professional golf and think it was a great move for me this year. I felt I had done everything I could in amateur golf."

Booth's switch to the pro ranks didn't go unnoticed. Nike moved quickly to sign her up and she's joined Colin Montgomerie, Richie Ramsay and Catriona Matthew amongst others on the books of IMG.

"I love Tour life," she declared. "I know a lot of players from amateur golf and, while I can understand how it could get lonely if you are travelling on your own, I've had my boyfriend, Steven Brown, with me and we've spent most of the time together."

Brown, who played in the same Scottish youths' team as Booth's older brother, Wallace, before turning professional, has been caddying for her and, by the sounds of things, is a fast learner. "He's such a great help in every way and I'm pleased he's there," she said. "When I'm not playing well I don't really say anything – he's learning to just keep quiet as well and just give me the yardage."

Booth is looking forward to getting the chance to play for the first time alongside Laura Davies, still chalking up titles on the LET, but is sad that she won't get that opportunity with Annika Sorenstam, her favourite player when she was 11, due to the Swede's retirement.

"It would have been nice to have played with Annika but, unfortunately, that can't happen now," she reflected. "However, I would love to follow in her footsteps and do what she has achieved."

Securing a place in the Ricoh Women's British Open, being held at Royal Birkdale at the end of July, is one of Booth's immediate targets, though a visit to the LPGA Tour Qualifying School at the end of the year will depend on how she fares in Europe between now and then.

She's certainly looking forward to being at Archerfield Links on 18-20 August, when organisers are confident of staging a successful Ladies' Scottish Open even though Matthew, the country's leading player, won't be there due to a clash with the Safeway Classic, one the of the biggest events on the LPGA Tour.

In a ground-breaking move for the LET, the 200,000 event will follow a pro-am format for its 54-hole duration, with 60 professionals each being partnered by an amateur.

Booth is likely to be joined by fellow Scottish pros Lynn Kenny, Krystle Caithness, Mhairi McKay, Pamela Feggans, Clare Queen and Kylie Walker, while Kelsey MacDonald, the newly-crowned Scottish Ladies' amateur champion, has also accepted an invitation to be in the field. "We are keen that as many Scottish professionals and top amateurs as possible get the chance to play," said Robbie Clyde, of Event Scotland.

The event will be the biggest so far at Archerfield Links and Tom Younger, the General Manager, said: "We love the format and are excited to be hosting the Ladies' Scottish Open. It is going to be a fun week for everyone."

Someone not having much fun at the moment is Carly's aforementioned brother, Wallace. A rookie professional himself after he left the amateur ranks following last year's Walker Cup, he's suffering from tendonitis in his shoulder and, according to his sister, will be out of action for six weeks.