Scottish trio hoping to make mark at Troon

IF THE Scots who won the Women's Home Internationals title at Cardiff last September after earning the bronze medals in the European team championships in Spain can summon up that patriotic inspiration as individuals, one of them could be lifting the Helen Holm Trophy at the conclusion of the three-day, 54-hole Scottish women's open amateur stroke-play golf championship at Troon on Sunday.

It's all about self-confidence. As a team, the Scots had it in spades last year. Individually there were great performances from Bothwell Castle's Pamela Pretswell, winner of the British women's stroke-play title, and Nairn Dunbar's Kelsey MacDonald, winner of the Scottish women's amateur championship and beaten finalist in the British match-play championship at Ganton.

Pretswell is ranked No 32 and MacDonald No 43 in the Women's world amateur rankings. The next Scot, at No 190 in the ratings, is Louise Kenney (Pitreavie), joint third at Troon last year when a last-round 80 torpedoed the challenge she had mounted over the first two days.

MacDonald, 20, underlined her early-season form by winning the British universities' women's stroke-play title by 17 strokes over four rounds at West Lancashire GC last week.

On paper, this trio should be Scotland's standard-bearers over a weekend which consists of two rounds over Troon Portland, after which the leading 66 players and ties contest the final 18 holes over Royal Troon. A field of 99 is made up by golfers from 11 countries, including Russia and the Czech Republic.

Unusually, there are no French entries because the French Federation has rearranged their under-21 open championship for this weekend.

Ireland has a strong hand in the shape of defending champion Danielle McVeigh (Royal County Down Ladies) despite her lowly world ranking of 631 in the world rankings.

The 16-year-old Maguire twins from the Slieve Russell club are also likely to make their mark. There have been only two big events on the European women's amateur golf calendar this year and Leona won the Portuguese Open by 15 shots over 72 holes while Lisa won the Spanish event, which has a match-play format.

This is not a Curtis Cup year but the Ladies Golf Union selectors will be out in force at the weekend. Next month they will be selecting a Great Britain and Ireland team of nine for the Vagliano Trophy match against the Continent of Europe at Royal Porthcawl and a team of five for the Astor Trophy - a match-play round-robin team event against Australia, New Zealand, Canada and South Africa at Fairhaven GC, Lancashire.

These matches are taking place in successive weeks in June.