Felicity Johnson wins the Lawson Trophy at St Andrews
24 June 2004

Felicity Johnson (Harborne), winner of the Under-18 award (the Lawson Trophy) at the 2004 St Rule Trophy tournament at St Andrews.

Full story provided by: Colin Farquhason, Cal Carson Golf Agency

Louise Stahle, a 19-year-old from Barseback, Sweden - last year's Solheim Cup venue, forged clear of the field over the last nine holes of the Old Course, St Andrews yesterday (Sunday), to win the St Rule Trophy women's open 36-hole tournament by four shots.
Miss Stahle had been tied for the overnight lead after a four-under-par 71 over the New Course and she had easily the best score over the Old Course - a six-under-par 70 for a 10-under-par total of 141.

She won by four shots from United States Curtis Cup star Annie Thurman (71, 74) and Australian Nikki Garret (74, 71).

Louise, who begins a four-year golf scholarship at Arizona State University in the autumn, is the fourth Swede to capture the title in the tournament's 21-year history and she follows in the footsteps of compatriots Annika Sorenstam (1990), Maria Hjorth (1995) and last year's winner, Karin Borjeskog.

Katrina Milne (Dunfermline), 76-72, and Martine Pow (Selkirk), 74-74, were the top Scots in joint seventh place on 148. Also on that mark was 17-year-old Felicity Johnson (Harborne), winner of the Lawson Trophy for the best performance (71-77) by an under-18 year old.
Sweden (288) won the international team event from Australia (292) and Ireland (295).
Stahle did not arrive early enough to practise over the Old Course inward half - and yet she put daylight between herself and the field by birdieing the 10th and 11th, followed by an eagle at the 13th and a birdie at the 14th - a purple patch of five under par for five holes in a row.

She covered the inward half in five-under 33 for her 70.
"My caddie Jeremy Short - he comes from Seattle but he lives in St Andrews - was very good over the two rounds but he was brilliant when it came to the holes I'd never seen. He put the right clubs in my hand every time, told me the line and all I had to do was hit the ball," said Louise who headed off to the British women's open amateur championship, which begins at Gullane tomorrow (Tuesday).

Scoreboard

ST RULE TROPHY WOMEN'S OPEN TOURNAMENT
New Course & Old Course, St Andrews (Par 75-76, CSS 75-75)
FINAL TOTALS
141 L Stahle (Sweden) 71 70.
145 N Garret (Australia) 74 71, A Thurman (US) 71 74.
146 K Jarochowicz (Australia) 72 74.
147 K Sjodin (Sweden) 71 76, M Morrin (The Curragh) 76 71.
148 K Milne (Dunfermline) 76 72, F Johnson (Harborne) 71 77, S Gal (Germany) 73 75, M Pow (Selkirk) 74 74, M Gillen (Beaverstown) 73 75, E Steinberger (Austria) 73 75.
149 F Lockhart (St Regulus) 71 78.
150 B Mullins (Australia) 75 75, R Bell (Ganton) 74 76, S Kemp (Australia) 77 73.
151 S Evans (Vale of Llangollen) 78 73, L Kenney (Pitreavie) 74 77, L Knowlton (Canada) 75 76.
152 L Jean (Australia) 73 79, T Mangan (Ennis) 77 75, K Leckovic (Canada) 74 78.
153 D Smith (Co Louth) 74 79, L McKinnon (Nairn) 77 76, L Mackay (Royal Dornoch) 77 76, S Huarte (US) 78 75, C Dury (NZ) 75 78.
154 S Kirchmayr (Germany) 76 78, C Boucher (Canada) 76 78.
155 M Dunne (Skerries) 79 76, K Combes (Australia) 79 76, S Andersson (Sweden) 78 77.
156 L Kenny (Stirling Univ) 76 80.
157 G O'Leary (Cork) 80 77, J Nicolson (Wrexham) 82 75, L Harvey (Richmond) 80 77, O Briggs (Delamere Forest) 80 77, M Riordan (Tipperary) 81 76, P Mackay (Royal Dornoch) 81 76, T Delaney (Carlow) 80 77, S Doring (Germany) 77 80, A Bickerton (Canada) 79 78.
158 K Caithness (St Regulus) 83 75, J Luciuk (Canada) 75 83.
159 J Wilson (Strathaven) 83 76, L Ball (Matfen Hall) 81 78, H MacRae (Dunblane New) 77 82.
160 A Shamash (Kirkcudbright) 77 83, E Moffat (St Regulus) 79 81, V Drovin (Canada) 78 82.
161 L Walker (Nairn Dunbar) 83 78, D Dewar (Stirling Univ) 80 81.
162 H Brockway (Yeovil) 88 74, L Fleming (The Roxburghe) 82 80, C Booth (Auchterarder) 82 80, A Laing (Vale of Leven) 80 82.
163 C Gruber (Royal Dornoch) 80 83.
164 Eom Ji Park (Canada) 80 84.
165 L Barton (Coventry) 82 83.
166 R Niven (Crieff) 85 81, L Fraser (Kingsknowe) 86 80, C Queen (Drumpellier) 79 87.
168 S Wood (Aberdeen Ladies) 86 82.
169 S Lam (Canada) 85 84.
170 E Cuthill (Lanark) 91 79.
171 J Little (Canada) 83 88.
172 E King (West Essex) 87 85.
178 K Marshall (Baberton) 89 89.
Retired C Lee (West Lancs) 85 Ret, K Delaney (Carlow) 86 Ret, S Keane (The Curragh) 76 Ret, K Brotherton (Tulliallan) 82 Ret.
TEAM EVENT
288 Sweden. 292 Australia. 295 Ireland. 298 England, United States. 302 Germany. 308 Wales. 310 Scotland. 312 Canada.