MEGHAN MACLAREN WINS SECOND ROSE SERIES EVENT

Meghan MacLaren won the second Justin Rose Ladies' Series event despite a two-shot penalty for playing the wrong ball.

Justin Rose Ladies' Series, Moor Park Golf Club
-3 M MacLaren 69;  -1 E Young, S Fuller (AM)
Selected:  Level G Dryburgh, C Frankish, S Evans;  +1 C Hull

Two-time LET winner Meghan MacLaren won the event at Moor Park Golf Club with a three-under-par 69, which included an eagle, five birdies and a two-shot penalty.

MacLaren was coasting at six-under-par through ten before a double-bogey the 11th after playing a wrong ball and two successive bogeys from the 12th dropped her back to two-under. She recovered some ground with a birdie at the 15th and finished with three pars to win by two shots.

Elizabeth Young, a co-founder of the series, and Samantha Fuller, one of three amateurs invited to join the field, both shot a one-under-par 71 to finish tied for second place. Young, who was also the runner-up in the opening event after losing out to Charley Hull in a playoff, leads the Order of Merit ahead of Hull and MacLaren.

Scotland's Gemma Dryburgh finished tied for fourth after a level-par 72.

Charley Hull ended tied-seventh after mixing six birdies with seven bogeys in an eventful one-over-par 73. She was one of three players to play 36 holes, having played in the Worplesdon Charity Pro-Am before driving 35-miles to compete at Moor Park.

After her win, Meghan MacLaren, who only returned to competitive golf last week after the global pandemic forced a three month break, said:

“I think everybody felt a bit more comfortable this week. We were thrown in at the deep end last week, because the course was really tough, and this one was tough as well, but you start to get your edge back, bit by bit."

“It’s just nice. We all enjoy being here and you see the same faces, so it’s a really enjoyable atmosphere." 

“For someone like Justin Rose to come out and sponsor this and say the things that he did and just give us some respect, it’s meant the world to all of us. To turn that into action is something that we will all be grateful for, for a very long time."

"Just getting to play: it’s nice to be out here again.”

The next event in the Justin Rose Ladies' Series is at Buckinghamshire Golf Club on Thursday 2 July.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE FIRST ROSE LADIES' SERIES EVENT

Watch as Jasmine, better known as The Jazzy Golfer, presents behind the scenes action from the first ever Justin Rose Ladies' Series event.

The inaugural Justin Rose Ladies Series event kicked off at Brokenhurst Golf Course on Thursday 18th July.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the series is being played behind closed doors. But, The Jazzy Golfer, who has presented at Ladies European Tour events and the 2019 Solheim Cup, was given access to cover the action at the Hampshire course.

This is the first of eight events in the Justin Rose Ladies' Series. In all, there will be seven 18-hole tournaments before a 36-hole grand final at The Berkshire and Wentworth's West Course from 6-7 August.

The next event is at is at Moor Park Golf Club in Hertfordshire on Thursday 25 June. In the meantime enjoy the video from The Jazzy Golfer.

CHARLEY HULL WINS FIRST ROSE LADIES' SERIES EVENT

Charley Hull beat Liz Young in a play-off to win the first Justin Rose Ladies' Series tournament at Brockenhurst Manor Golf Club.

Justin Rose Ladies Series, Brockenhurst Manor Golf Club
Level: C Hull*, E Young;  +1 G Cowley;  +2 H Burke
Selected:  +3 A Hewson;  +5 G Dryburgh, M MacLaren;  +7 L Davies
* denotes winner after play-off

Solheim Cup player Charley Hull denied the event organiser Liz Young a dream victory in the opening event of the new Justin Rose Ladies Series at Brokenhurst Manor in Hampshire.

Young, who was in the first group to tee-off at the Hampshire golf course on Thursday morning, was three over par after 12 holes, but eagled the par-four 13th and birdied the 15th to set a clubhouse lead with a level-par 70. Hull was leading by two shots with two to play, but a double-bogey six on the par-four 17th dropped her back to finish level par alongside Young. However, Hull made no mistake in the play-off, holing a 12ft putt for birdie on the first hole to land the £5,000 top prize.

Gemma Dryburgh, the only Scot in the field, finished in a tie for seventh along with Meghan MacLaren after a 75.

Laura Davies who finished with a 77 said:

“I thought I’d played rather well and shot seven over. I came here expecting to play a nice friendly golf course and instead it was a monster. It was set up like the US Open.”

Charley Hull, whose last competitive round of golf was five months ago at the Gainbridge LPGA tournament in Florida said:

"I'm just so happy to be playing professional golf again and have a scorecard in my hand."

"The golf course was in great condition and it was my first time round here today. I was quite happy with my score. I doubled the 17th, because I took a wrong line off the tee, but it was just great to be playing."

"I've missed it loads. I love playing golf. I'm pretty much golfed out because I've been playing every day, but I can't wait to get back out on tour."

"I want to thank Justin and Kate Rose for putting these events on. You need to be playing to get back in the mindset. I've been playing a lot for the last few weeks and I played eight days on the trot, but it's not the same as having a scorecard in your hand."

The next tournament in the Justin Rose Ladies' Series is at Moor Park Golf Club in Hertfordshire on Thursday 25 June.

JUSTIN ROSE LADIES' SERIES GRAND FINAL CONFIRMED

Computacenter, Britain's leading provider of IT infrastructure services, has put in £35,000 to become the title sponsor for the Grand Final.

The two-day Justin Rose Ladies Series Grand Final is set to be held at two venues on 6-7 August. The Berkshire is to host the first round and the second is to be played at Wentworth's West Course, which is the home of the men's European Tour's flagship event the PGA Championship.

With Computacenter on board, the Justin Rose Ladies' Series has been extended from six to seven 18-hole tournaments before the 36-hole grand final in August.

Justin and Kate Rose are contributing £35,000 towards the prize money, American Golf are contributing £35,000 to sponsor an Order of Merit prize fund and now Computacenter are contributing £35,000 to become the title sponsor for the Grand Final.

In addition, all nine golf courses are giving up their facilities free of charge and Sky Sports is broadcasting the series.

Justin Rose's Agent, Paul McDonnell said:

"We are lucky that Computacenter and American Golf have come on board, because they have made it a much more attractive and rewarding series."

"The series has really snowballed and it is great that these talented players have a chance to play in meaningful competition."

Computacenter's Managing Director, Neil Hall, said:

"Computacenter is absolutely committed to driving diversity in the Tech Industry and creating an environment where women can excel"

"We are proud to support Justin and Kate in providing a powerful platform for women's golf, both now and in the future. We look forward to a longstanding future."

UPDATE ON SCOTTISH GOLF'S GUIDANCE FOR PHASE 2

Scottish Golf has published guidance for golf clubs about running qualifying competitions under Phase 2 of the route map out of lockdown.

Last week, following the announcement by Scotland's First Minister that Scotland was moving to Phase 2 of the route map out of lockdown, Scottish Golf published its Phase 2 guidelines for golf clubs and golfers in Scotland.

This week, to support golf clubs who are preparing to run club competitions under Phase 2, Scottish Golf published its guidance for running qualifying competitions.

To read Scottish Golf’s Phase 2 Guidance for Golf Clubs and Golfers, including the new guidelines for running qualifying competitions, click the link below:
https://scottishgolf.org/phase-2

JUSTIN & KATE ROSE SPONSOR UK LADIES' GOLF SERIES

Justin Rose and his wife, Kate, are to sponsor a series of women’s golf tournaments for UK professionals starting on 18 June (tomorrow).

The Justin Rose Ladies' Series will feature seven 18-hole tournaments and a 36-hole grand final. Justin and Kate are contributing £35,000 pounds to the prize money and all eight golf courses are giving up their facilities free of charge. The tournaments are to be played behind closed doors, but Sky Sports is to broadcast the series. As of this week, American Golf is to sponsor a £35,000 Order of Merit prize fund for the series.

The first event is at Brockenhurst Manor Golf Club on 18 June. The one-day tournament was the brainchild of Ladies' European Tour player Liz Young and Brockenhurst Manor's Head Professional, Jason MacNiven, who also runs a custom club-fitting company at the Hampshire course.

Liz Young, who is attached to Brokenhurst Manor, said:

“It is to find a way to put on a tournament for women’s professionals, so that we can be competitive again and have the chance to earn a little money in these uncertain times and to boost the profile of the women’s game.”

“There was controversy a few weeks ago over the first golf in the US being men’s only. Because golf is a sport that can be played safely now it is key that the women get exposure, too.”

Until Justin and Kate Rose stepped in the one-off event was without a sponsor and a broadcast partner.

Kate Rose, who was an European champion gymnast and worked for IMG, the management company that represented her husband when they met, said:

"I read about what Liz was trying to do and thought that Justin and I had to help.”

“It is so important for the visibility of ladies’ golf that they can play at good courses and on TV because they need to be out there to both attract sponsors and keep their current sponsors happy as well as allowing more people to get to know who they are."

The Justin Rose Ladies' series will also include a stop at Royal St. George’s, which was due to host The 2020 Open Championship before The R&A cancelled the event due to the coronavirus pandemic. Other courses that have been signed up to host the series are Moor Park Golf Club, Buckinghamshire Golf Club, JCB Golf & Country Club, Bearwood Lakes Golf Club and The Shire London Golf Club.

The Roses’ intervention has come at a time when women’s professional golf is lagging well behind the men's as far as being able to re-start their tours. The LPGA Tour is not due to re-start until the end of July, almost seven weeks after the men's first PGA Tour event. Whilst LET professionals, who haven't been in action since the Investec South African Women's Open in Cape Town in mid-March, are not due to see the LET Tour re-start before the middle of August.

Justin Rose said:

“I am keenly aware that I now have the opportunity to go back to work and compete on the PGA Tour, but this is not the same for the ladies and some junior tours as well." 

"I am sad that the Ladies European Tour has been suffering so badly and doesn’t really have a start date yet from what I know. To me this seems somewhat unfair."

“My wife Kate and I felt there was an opportunity to step up and help. The prize money is modest because it is me throwing in some money and then the ladies are paying an entry fee and being able to play for a pot. We wanted to give them the opportunity to play and to be ready for when the opportunities arise later in the summer.”

While Justin is back on the road with the PGA Tour, Kate is helping organise the series along with Justin's agent Paul McDonnell, who will be acting as the series manager. Excel Sports Management, which looks after Rose and other leading players such as Justin Thomas and Matt Kuchar, will be running the tournaments. Liz Young and Jason MacNiven also remain involved, as Liz confirmed:

"Kate was keen for us to be involved with the whole thing as it was our idea in the first place, she was very conscious of not taking that away from us."

The Justin Rose Ladies' Series schedule is as follows:

18 June - Brokenhurst Manor Golf Club

25 June - Moor Park Golf Club

2 July - Buckinghamshire Golf Club

9 July - Royal St George’s

16 July - JCB Golf & Country Club

23 July - Bearwood Lakes Golf Club

30 July - The Shire London

6-7 August - Final TBC

Well done to Justin & Kate Rose, what an amazing gesture of support for the women's game, at a time when it need their help the most. It proves that even in difficult times, good things can and do happen.

MICHELE THOMSON SIGNS WITH PAUL LAWRIE AGENCY

LET Professional, Michele Thomson, has signed with Five Star Sports Agency, the Sports Management & Events company owned by Paul Lawrie.

Five Star Sports Agency was established in 2018 by Paul Lawrie, the 1999 Open Champion. In addition to Paul, the Agency looks after Professionals on the European, Challenge, EuroPro, LET and LET Access Tours. They include David Law, Sam Locke and Hannah McCook.

LET Professional, Michele Thomson, said:

“I’m really pleased to have come on board with 5Star. I’ve known Paul for a number of years, having previously been supported through his Foundation. I’ve also been attached to the Paul Lawrie Golf Centre for the last six months or so and it’s where I practise and play when not travelling and competing. It’ll be great to have the benefit of Paul’s experience both on and off the course. He’s seen all sides of the Pro game and knows exactly where we’re coming from as players. I also know most of my fellow 5Star clients and get along well with them so that’s great too.” 

THE EVIAN CHAMPIONSHIP IN FRANCE IS CANCELLED

The Evian Championship, the first women's major in the LPGA's revised schedule for 2020, has been canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Evian Championship started back in 1994 as a Ladies' European Tour invitational known as the "Evian Masters". Early winners of the event include Helen Alfredson, Laura Davis, Catrin Nilsmark and Annika Sorenstam. From the start the tournament had one of the biggest purses in women's golf and it quickly gained importance. It became part of the LPGA Tour schedule in 2000 and was renamed "The Evian Championship" in 2013 when it was elevated to "major" status. The first winner of the new women's fifth major was Suzann Petterson.

This year's championship was due to take place at the Evian Resort Golf Club in Evian-les-Bains, France, from 23-26 July. On 27 March, following the news that the Olympic Committee had postponed the Tokyo 2020 Olympics until 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic, the LPGA announced that the Evian Championship would be pushed back to 6-9 August.

As the coronavirus crisis continued so did the disruption to the LPGA Tour schedule. By the end of April nearly a third of the 2020 LPGA Tour events had been cancelled, including the first three majors.

On 1 May, the LPGA announced that it was targeting a return to action in mid July. The original LPGA Tour schedule of 34 events was reduced to 25 and four of the majors were moved to later dates. According to the revised schedule, the Evian Championship was set to be the first of three events in Europe and the first of the five majors.

Yesterday, the LPGA and the Evian Championship Committee issued out a joint statement. It confirms that this year's Evian Championship is the latest casualty of the pandemic. It reads as follows:

"Due to the situation brought about by the Covid-19 world health crisis, The Evian Championship’s organizing committee announce that the 2020 tournament cannot be held this year."

"The ongoing uncertainty concerning the opening of borders poses a major risk to the organization of a competition, to welcome 120 players from around the world. The LPGA and The Evian Championship’s organizing committee have to recognize that the conditions for a safe event that lives up to the expectations of the public, players, organizers and their partners are not in place."

Chairman of The Evian Championship, Franck Riboud, said:

“We have waited for as long as organizational issues allow to make this decision with the LPGA. But unfortunately it was unavoidable in view of the situation with regards to worldwide travel restrictions. Our top priority is of course to ensure everyone stays healthy and safe. All of our teams are very affected by the forced cancellation of our Major, but we must not lose sight of what matters most. ”

“We are already committed to the next edition in 2021 to fully rediscover the values and the spirit of a family celebration, the conviviality and emotions that have made our Major unique for more than 25 years.”

 LPGA Commissioner, Mike Whan, said:

“I have been incredibly impressed by the entire team at The Evian Championship. They worked so hard in an effort to host this global event despite the obvious challenges."

"They know that high-pursed, career-changing events like The Evian are more important than ever, in an LPGA year that has been drastically reduced due to COVID-19. I know this was a tough decision for everyone involved, but it’s one that we had to take given the restrictions we faced."

"It is disappointing to miss a major championship but Evian’s strong history of showcasing the best female golfers will continue once again when we return in 2021. We look forward to being back on the mountain in Evian next year and for a long time to come.”

The AIG Women's British Open, at the Royal Troon Golf Club in Scotland from 20-23 August, is now the first major on the revised LPGA Tour schedule. Whilst the AIS Ladies' Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club in Scotland from 13-16 August, is the only other European event left on the LPGA Tour.

The other three majors, the ANA Inspiration, the U.S. Women’s Open, and the KPMG Women's PGA Championship, which are normally held in April, June and July, have all been postponed to later in the year.

The LPGA schedule for the remaining four Women's Majors is as follows:

20-23 August
AIG Women's British Open
Royal Troon Golf Club, Troon, Scotland

10-13 September 
ANA Inspiration
Mission Hills Golf Club, Rancho Mirage, California

8-11 October
KPMG Women's PGA Championship
Aronimink Golf Club, Newtown Square, Pennsylvania

10-13 December
U.S. Women’s Open
Champions Golf Club, Houston, Texas

The Evian Championship will return in 2021 in Evian-les-Bains.

FIRST USA SOLHEIM CUP VICE-CAPTAIN IS ANNOUNCED

The USA Solheim Cup Captain, Pat Hurst, has confirmed the first of her assistant captains for the 2021 Solheim Cup.

The 17th Solheim Cup is scheduled to be played from Tuesday 31 August to Monday 6 September 2021 at the Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio.

Pat Hurst, who was one of Juli Inkster’s assistant captains at the last three Solheim Cups, was appointed as the USA Captain for the 2021 Solheim Cup in January. This week Hurst announced that one of her assistant captains will be major champion and six-time USA team member Angela Stanford.

Pat Hurst said:

“As soon as Mike Whan asked me to be the USA captain, I knew that I wanted Angela by my side as an assistant captain.”

"Her fire, her passion, her determination, her love for the Red, White and Blue, those are all qualities I want on my team. I have no doubt that Angela will be a tremendous asset to the team as we look to win back the Cup in Toledo next September.”

Angela Stanford said:

“My six Solheim Cup teams are among the highlights of my career and I’m excited to take this next step as an assistant captain. I’m really looking forward to being back in the Team room, where we’re all after the same goal and we all have the same passion to win the Cup. This is an incredible honour and I can’t thank Pat enough for having me on her team.”

“Pat took me under her wing from the beginning of my career and I’ve learned so much from spending time with her. There’s this ease about her, but she’s still so confident and positive. I loved getting to be her playing partner in Sweden and now I’m so excited that she picked me to be her assistant captain in Toledo.”

Pat Hurst has competed in five Solheim Cups, four of which the USA team won. She represented the USA at the event in 1998, 2000, 2002, 2005 and 2007 and has a 10-7-3 record. She has also served as one of Juli Inkster’s assistant captains at the past three Solheim Cups. The USA team won the first two of those encounters before losing the third at Gleneagles in 2019.

Angela Stanford has competed in six Solheim Cups. She represented the USA at the event in 2003, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2015. In 2015 she earned the winning point for the USA team with her 2-and-1 victory over Suzann Pettersen. Hurst and Stanford both played on the 2007 American Solheim Cup team that defeated Europe at Sweden’s Halmstad Golf Club.

Catriona Matthew, who led Europe to a sensational win by 14½ to 13½ at Gleneagles last year, has been reappointed as the European Captain for the 2021 Solheim Cup. Matthew has already confirmed that her vice-captains will be Kathryn Imrie, Dame Laura Davies and Suzann Pettersen.

ALL MIDLAND VETS' COMPETITIONS ARE CANCELLED

The Midland Vets' Committee has decided to cancel all Midland Vets' competitions for 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Midland Vets' Captain, Liz Milligan, has posted a statement on the Midland Vets' website. In her statement she confirmed:

"The SVLGA committee made the decision at the beginning of May to abandon all golfing events programmed for 2020 season."

"Your Midland Vets' Committee decided that the right thing was to follow suit and rearrange the 2020 into 2021."

"Thank you to everyone who paid their 2020 subscription."

"The official membership is 68 members from P&K, 57 members from Fife and 43 members from S&C. Your membership will rollover to include the 2021 season, unless you intimate otherwise."

"I have decided not to 'rollover' my captaincy, however I will remain on the committee as Past Captain and along with Dorothy [Ford] and a new Vice Captain we will carry the Midland Vets forward."

"I will post all the new dates for the 2021 Fixture Card when I have them all firmly in place."

To read the full statement from the Midland Vets' Captain click on link below:
http://midlandvets.blogspot.com/