Hampshire's English champion Kerry Smith has been nominated for the Nancy Lopez Award, given annually to the world's best female amateur golfer.

The winner will be invited to Georgia, USA, in May to play in the LPGA Chick-fil-A Charity Championship, hosted by Nancy Lopez.

She will also receive a trophy, presented by Lopez, and a $1,000 scholarship to donate to the academic institution or charity of her choice.

Kerry's nomination by the English Ladies' Golf Association reflects her superb achievements in 2004.

The 32-year-old chef from the Waterlooville Golf Club was England's number one golfer, winning the ELGA order of merit with a series of top class performances.

As well as her victory in the English Amateur Championship, Kerry was also runner-up in the English Mid-Amateur, third in the English Strokeplay, third in the Sherry Cup in Spain and she became the first player to win the South-East title four times.

Kerry is an England international of long-standing, a former Curtis Cup player and a member of both the ELGA elite squad and LGU's GB&I training squad.

She is also actively involved in England's junior training programme as a role model and mentor for young golfers.

Matt Blackey was an early riser for today's South African Airways Open at the Durban CC.

The Southampton-based golfer was in the first three-ball to tee off for the event that heralds the start of the 2005 European Tour campaign.

Favourite for the tournament is one of our Ryder Cup heroes, Darren Clarke, who makes a welcome return to the circuit after his wife's cancer scare.

Blackey got back on the tour courtesy of 34th card at Tour School in November.

He had to go back to final qualifying after losing his top 115 slot in the Volvo order of merit in 2004.