Curler Eve in county golf line-up
May 27 2011
by Gordon Bannerman, Perthshire Advertiser Friday
PERTH and Kinross County captain Lenore Kyle has announced her team for the 2011 North Divisional County Team Championships at Inchmarlo. writes Gordon Bannerman.
And Team GB Olympic curler Eve Muirhead, from Blair Atholl and playing out of Pitlochry, is swapping her winter sport for golf to fly the flag for the Big County from June 25-27.
She was unable to play in the team last year due to curling commitments.
A three-handicap golfer, Eve has won the Highland Women’s Open over her home course at Pitlochry in the past and reached the quarter-finals of the British girls championship at Monifieth in 2008.
It is acknowledged by many pundits that she could have been an international-class amateur golfer by now if she had not decided to devote so much of her time the sport of curling.
Eve said: “I am absolutely delighted to have been selected for the Perth and Kinross county women’s golf team.
“Two years ago my golf had to take a back seat as I was selected for the British Olympic curling team to compete in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.
“To play for the PK county golf team will allow a little variation to my ongoing curling programme as a full time athlete, and get me get back on the golf course. I have always, away from curling, enjoyed playing competitive golf and can’t wait to play with the girls again this season.”
Past county captain Dawn Butchart, a Scottish Ladies Golf Association management committee member, said: “We at PK are delighted to have Eve back on board. Her golf speaks for itself and her cool head and experience when competing at top level is obviously a great benefit to the team.
“The team as a whole has a great depth of experience and talent and we are extremely excited about the coming season.”
Lenore and her fellow selectors, vice-captain Pat Colqhoun and match secretary Carol Muir are delighted to introduce three new members to the team, two of whom are juniors.
Lenore said: “It really is encouraging to see our young players coming through to the senior team.”
Nicola Robertson, winner of the recent county championships at Crieff, has secured a slot in the side.
The team is: Steph Crolla (Muckhart), Jill Milne (Craigie Hill), Eve Muirhead (Pitlochry), Emily Ogilvy (Auchterarder), Fiona Ramsay (Crieff), Nicola Robertson (Dunblane), Laura Walker (Muckhart) and Eilidh Watson (Muckhart). Reserves: Gwen Lambie (Dunkeld and Birnam) and Jane Yellowlees (Murrayshall)
The North Division team championship at Inchmarlo will be contested by defending champions Angus, Aberdeenshire, Northern Counties and Perth and Kinross. The title-winners at the end of three days of round-robin team match-play will be one of the four divisional qualifiers for the Scottish women’s county team championship at Dumfries and County Golf Club from September 16-18.
