JANICE Moodie attempts to join a select band when at Prestwick St

Nicholas this week, she defends the Scottish Women's Amateur Golf

Championship, for which the qualifying starts today.

Only four players have retained the national title: Joan Lawrence, who

completed the hat trick between 1962-64, Belle Robertson, who also won

in '78 when Prestwick last played host to the tournament, Gillian

Stewart and Shirley Huggan.

Moodie, from Windyhill, is good enough to follow up last year's win at

Royal Aberdeen, where she defeated Elaine Farquharson. Already this year

she has finished second in the Spanish amateur championship and the

Helen Holm Trophy.

She also landed the West of Scotland title at Old Prestwick, ahead of

British and Scottish girls' champion Mairi McKay, who will again be one

of her main rivals this week.

Also included in that number is Catriona Lambert, the 1991 champion

from North Berwick. Arguably the best woman amateur in the counrty, she

has this season travelled to win the Spanish amateur and the Hermitage

Classic in Ireland.

Fiona McKay, Alison Rose, Myra McKinlay, and Moodie are the other

Curtis Cup training squad members and each will be keen to do well with

the European women's team championship taking place in July.