NEWS FROM ACROSS THE POND

Update on Emily Aird

The 19-year-old is in her second year of study at Newman University in Wichita, Kansas - and her golf game is on the up.

Emily Aird 

She was the youngest ladies club champion at Blairgowrie Golf Club at the age of 17.

And now Emily Aird is making her mark in the USA.

Now 19 and into the second year as an English major at Newman University in Wichita, Kansas, the clubs have gone into cold storage during a five week break at home with parents Alison and Alasdair in Tummel Bridge.

The four-handicapper, who honed her game as a kid at Strathmore, admits it was a daunting prospect to embark on a four year degree course in America - but she is lapping it up.

“I am really enjoying life in the States and my golf is improving all the time,” she said.

Eight girls compete for five places on the golf team – and there is a real United Nations flavour to the squad.

“Competition is intense, especially this year.

“The other girls are from Belgium, Germany, two from England and South Africa. But everyone is really supportive.

“We played four conference tournaments and won three of them in the last semester.

“My golf has definitely improved and playing most of the year is a great help. It is a challenge balancing degree work with golf but it just means you have to be organised.

“We play our matches away from home, usually in Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma.

“So that means we have a lot of travelling to do, usually by road unless we are going to somewhere like California.

“We have a match coming up in San Antonio and that is at least a 12-hour trip. So it means getting the papers and laptop out on the journeys to golf venues.”

It makes the one hour trip from Tummel Bridge to Blairgowrie with dad Alasdair for a game look modest.

But the current break is for down time and a chance to hook-up with family and friends.

“I didn’t bring back my clubs because it is expensive – and the weather sucks! It’s a bit like Kansas actually.

“I have played some excellent courses. Probably my favourite so far is Foxtail at Sonoma near San Francisco. The weather there helped! It was tree lined and reminded me of courses back home.”