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Nairn teenager, Kelsey MacDonald's hopes of earning a place in the Scottish Ladies Home Internationals team this season have been fortified by her selection to the Scottish Institute of Sport.
It's a move which has delighted the 16 year old and her long term coach, Nairn Dunbar PGA Pro, David Torrance who, in his first meeting with then eight year old MacDonald, saw, a winner who it was clear could turn her hand to most sports and excel at almost any of them.
Fortunately for MacDonald, Torrance and Scottish ladies golf, living across the road from the fabulous Championship Course of Nairn Dunbar helped focus MacDonald's sights on the game with the challenging course providing a perfect training ground.
Out of the eight years that I have coached Kelsey we have managed to maintain steady and remarkable improvement year on year, said Torrance.
Over the last year she has discovered the ability of not being too scared to be a super-low scorer and not scared of big events. She is more likely to play her best golf under this sort of pressure than she would in a casual game.
In 2006 Macdonald smashed three course records in five weeks (at Forres, Nairn Dunbar and Kingussie), all coincidentally at eight under par, and helped the Scottish girl's under 18 team win the Home Internationals in Northern Ireland.
Her selection by the Scottish Institute of Sport will add individualised support to a mix which will see Torrance continue his coaching role and input from the Highland Institute of Sport maintained. She has already had an initial screening to establish strengths and weaknesses.
We are looking more deeply at what Kelsey needs to help her to the next level, said Scottish Institute High Performance Coach, Steven McNally. This might mean looking at international competition, an area that Scottish girls don't get enough of, looking to broaden her horizons and get more experience there.
We are considering some additional sports science projects she will get involved with, a new level of screening and fitness testing and looking to tie in any physical weaknesses with any technical issues in greater depth and monitor those.
David has been a very supportive key player in Kelsey's programme and long must that remain in place. I'm a golf coach as well and we're able to sit down and look at the whole picture. It's great when you get a team that agrees on where the priorities lie and you can see a way forwards - exciting times are ahead.
As a Highland Institute of Sport member for the past year, MacDonald has benefited from a range of support services including physiotherapy, a Strength & Conditioning programme and sports science. The physical training in particular has made MacDonald stronger and increased her ability to drive the ball further.
2007 brings with it the challenge of combing Higher exams with a hoped for move into the Scottish Ladies Home Internationals team competing at Dunbar in East Lothian.
Added Torrance, There is no doubt in my mind, or Kelsey's own mind, that Kelsey MacDonald is set for future golfing stardom.
Fortunately for MacDonald, Torrance and Scottish ladies golf, living across the road from the fabulous Championship Course of Nairn Dunbar helped focus MacDonald's sights on the game with the challenging course providing a perfect training ground.
Out of the eight years that I have coached Kelsey we have managed to maintain steady and remarkable improvement year on year, said Torrance.
Over the last year she has discovered the ability of not being too scared to be a super-low scorer and not scared of big events. She is more likely to play her best golf under this sort of pressure than she would in a casual game.
In 2006 Macdonald smashed three course records in five weeks (at Forres, Nairn Dunbar and Kingussie), all coincidentally at eight under par, and helped the Scottish girl's under 18 team win the Home Internationals in Northern Ireland.
Her selection by the Scottish Institute of Sport will add individualised support to a mix which will see Torrance continue his coaching role and input from the Highland Institute of Sport maintained. She has already had an initial screening to establish strengths and weaknesses.
We are looking more deeply at what Kelsey needs to help her to the next level, said Scottish Institute High Performance Coach, Steven McNally. This might mean looking at international competition, an area that Scottish girls don't get enough of, looking to broaden her horizons and get more experience there.
We are considering some additional sports science projects she will get involved with, a new level of screening and fitness testing and looking to tie in any physical weaknesses with any technical issues in greater depth and monitor those.
David has been a very supportive key player in Kelsey's programme and long must that remain in place. I'm a golf coach as well and we're able to sit down and look at the whole picture. It's great when you get a team that agrees on where the priorities lie and you can see a way forwards - exciting times are ahead.
As a Highland Institute of Sport member for the past year, MacDonald has benefited from a range of support services including physiotherapy, a Strength & Conditioning programme and sports science. The physical training in particular has made MacDonald stronger and increased her ability to drive the ball further.
2007 brings with it the challenge of combing Higher exams with a hoped for move into the Scottish Ladies Home Internationals team competing at Dunbar in East Lothian.
Added Torrance, There is no doubt in my mind, or Kelsey's own mind, that Kelsey MacDonald is set for future golfing stardom.
