DISTANT vistas will bring the world into sharp focus for North Yorkshire's queen of clubs Emma Duggleby.

The woman who has reigned as Yorkshire's leading amateur player for several years is due to jet out for her first ever taste of Caribbean golf as part of the Great Britain and Ireland team for the World Amateur Team Championships.

The sun-draped island of Puerto Rico will stage the championships for the Espirito Santo Trophy from October 20-23 and the Malton and Norton Golf Club ace can hardly wait for the experience.

Duggleby told the Evening Press: "It's a massive boost to have been picked for the team and I am thrilled to be going to Puerto Rico. I've never been to the Caribbean before, so I'm very excited about the event."

Duggleby, who is currently competing for Yorkshire in the English County Championships being staged at High Post course in Salisbury, has twice been called up for previous World team championships, though she has only featured in one before next month's event.

A nagging wrist injury deprived her the chance of a debut in the world tournament which was then held in Belgium in the year 2000.

However, two years ago her inaugural appearance was sealed when she competed in the event when it was held in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. The GB team finished eighth.

Now the Curtis Cup star is hoping to improve on that showing in Puerto Rico. There she will be Britain's sole England representative in the three-strong team. The others are Stephanie Evans from Wales and Clare Queen, who late last month lifted the British Open amateur stroke-play championship at Alwoodley in a play-off, entry to which the Malton star was pipped by a single shot.

Duggleby explained that the greens were her undoing at Alwoodley rather than just the three dropped shots she suffered on the final two holes of the four-round British Open battle.

"I'd already had four three-putts before those last two holes, which was as much to blame for not getting me into the play-offs," said the 32-year-old. "But my putting has got a lot better in the last few days, so I'm hoping to be back on top form."

Besides her Alwoodley anguish, there have been other near misses this term. Despite winning three of her four matches Duggleby was a part of the Curtis Cup side pipped by their American counterparts at Formby on Merseyside in early summer, while her defence of the English Ladies Close Championship crown at Northamptonshire GC was eventually loosened in the semi-final by Reading's Shelley McKevitt.

Honing the GB bid for world domination, Duggleby will be joined by Ganton GC's Naomi Edwards in the England team for the Home Internationals at Royal Porthcawl next week.

Updated: 10:35 Saturday, September 04, 2004