For the first time in living memory, the Scottish Ladies' Golfing Association received more than the maximum total of 132 entries they can deal with in a daily qualifying round.
A combination of this being the Centenary Championship and the tournament returning to the Old Course, where it all began in 1903, resulted in a total entry of 200. The 132 players with the lowest handicaps were admitted to the championship with the remaining 68 players being balloted out.
The handicap cut was made at 8.1, which is a lot lower than in previous years when the championship was as much a social gathering as it was a golf tournament. Players with handicaps well into double figures normally find a place in the draw which usually caters for fewer than 100 players.
Past champions in the field who will play qualifying stroke-play rounds on both the Monday and Tuesday (May 19 and 20) include;
- Dr Aileen Wilson (Haggs Castle): 1974 at Nairn.
- Anne Laing (Vale of Leven): 1996 at Royal Dornoch.
- Alison Davidson (Stirling): 1997 at West Kilbride.
- Elaine Moffat (St Regulus), 1998 at North Berwick.
- Jayne Smith (Gullane): 1999 at Nairn Dunbar.
- Lynn Kenny (Stirling University & Dunblane): 2000 at Machrihanish.
The winner of last year's event at Stranraer, Heather Stirling (Bridge of Allan) was not in St Andrews to defend her title in 2003. She turned professional at the end of the 2002 season and is now part of the Futures Tour in the USA.