LOTHIANS golf ace Sally Watson will get another chance to shine over the Old Course at St Andrews this season after being included in the GB&I Curtis Cup team to face the USA.
The 16-year-old from South Queensferry, who attends the David Leadbetter Academy in the States, was named as one of four Scots in Mary McKenna's squad of eight for the biennial clash, which will take place from May 30 to June 1. It will be the first
time a quartet of Scottish players have appeared in the team since Janice Moodie, Mhairi McKay, Myra McKinlay and North Berwick's Catriona Matthew all played in the 1994.
Watson underlined her huge potential last season by making the cut among some of the world's top players in the Ricoh Women's British Open at St Andrews and the 2006 British Girls' championship runner-up will be eager to put on another stirring show at the home of golf as GB&I look to end a run of five successive defeats in the contest.
Watson, who finished 19th in the Ladies Scottish Open at the Carrick on Loch Lomond last year, will be the second youngest player in an impressive team behind rising star, Carly Booth.
The 15-year-old, who won the Scottish under-18 and under-21 titles as well as the European Young Masters crown during 2007, will create history by becoming the youngest player to represent GB&I in a Curtis Cup match, superseding her compatriot, Jane Connachan of East Lothian, who was 16 when she played in the 1980 match at St Pierre in Chepstow.
Fife's Krystle Caithness, the former St Rule Trophy winner who was a reserve for the 2006 clash, makes the step up this time while Ellon 19-year-old Michele Thomson, the former Scottish school girls' champion, completes the tartan contingent. English trio, Liz Bennett, Jodie Ewart and Florentyna Parker, and Wales' Breanne Loucks make up the squad for the event which takes place at the Old course for the first time.
"I'm delighted with the team that has been selected," said captain McKenna. "It was no easy task with the quality of the squad being so high. I feel very confident that we can win the Curtis Cup on this historic occasion."
GB&I team for Curtis Cup, Old course, St Andrews, May 30 June 1: Liz Bennett (Brokenhurst Manor), Carly Booth (Comrie), Krystle Caithness (St Regulus), Jodi Ewart (Catterick), Breanne Loucks (Wrexham), Florentyna Parker (Royal Birkdale), Michele Thomson (McDonald Ellon), Sally Watson (Elie & Earlsferry Ladies).
• CAPITAL golfer John Gallagher was getting his first taste of competitive action in Australia today during the opening round of the Riversdale Cup at the Riversdale Golf Club near Melbourne.
The Scottish Amateur champion from Swanston, who has made the trip down under for a month of practice and tournament play with an SGU elite squad, was one of seven Scots teeing-up in one of the oldest events in Australian golf.
Scottish No.1 Callum Macaulay and national strokeplay champion Kevin McAlpine were also in the field today along with Keir McNicoll, Wallace Booth, Scott Henry and Fraser Fotheringham.
• SCOTLAND'S young golfers were getting the season underway today in the annual Boys' Quadrangular tournament at St Cyprien in southern France.
Barrie Douglas' side bridged an 11-year title gap by winning the contest in 2006.
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