CLARE TOP SEED IN SCOTTISH CHAMPIONSHIP
QUEEN IS ACE IN THE PACK
AT CRUDEN BAY
British stroke-play champion Clare Queen from Drumpellier showed her class in claiming the top seed position in the match-play stages of the Scottish women's amateur golf championship in much improved conditions at Cruden Bay on Wednesday.
Last year, Clare squeezed through into the match-play by winning a play-off at Prestwick. What a difference a year makes! This time Clare finished three shots ahead of the field of over 100 after a brilliant second round of four-under-par 70 for a 36-hole qualifying total of three-under 145.
"I struck the ball really well and I only had one bogey all day - at the 14th where I pulled my approach," said 22-year-old full-time amateur Clare who intends having a crack at the Ladies European Tour Qualifying School near the end of the year.
"I had a great start ... I hit the flagstick with my four-iron approach at the first hole and had only a tap-in putt for a birdie 3. I could hardly have asked for better that," said Clare who also birdied the sixth and eighth in a flawless outward half of 35.
Coming home, she birdied the 12th and 17th either side of that solitary slip at the 14th.
Last year, Clare lost by two holes in the final of the championship to Anne Laing. There might well be a repeat of that 2004 showdown because Miss Laing, bidding to become only the fourth player in 103 years to pull off a hat-trick of tiles, is in the other half of the draw after a 74 for 152 and third spot in the draw.
But a 13-year-old youngster from South Queensferry may have something to say about a Queen-Laing final repeat being possible. Yes, overnight joint leader Sally Watson did even better second time round - a one-under-par 73 which was bettered only by Clare Queen.
The youngster's aggregate of 148 gave her the No 2 qualifying spot - four shots ahead of Anne Laing and another Scotland international, Martine Pow (Selkirk).
Hard to believe that Sally, an Elie & Earlsferry Ladies junior member, who goes to Florida twice a year for lessons at the David Leadbetter Academy, started bogey-bogey and still finished with such a good score.
"She was nervous playing in the last trio with Clare Queen and Martine Pow," said her dad Graham who caddied for her. Ironically, if this were a girls-only championship, he would be debarred from performing the role for his daughter.
"But she settled down well after that and birdied the seventh and ninth before holding it all together well after the turn with eight pars and a pitch and putt birdie at the long 17th.
"I'm proud of Sally. Her short game is twice as good as it was last year - and I think it's due to the SLGA coach Karyn Dallas's winter coaching sessions with her."
Kelsey MacDonald, the Northern Counties' women's champion from Dunbar, qualified for the match-play stages for the second year in a row - and she is only 14 years of age.
Kelsey shaved seven shots of her opening effort with a 76 for 159. And Miss MacDonald had an even worse start than Sally Watson. Kelsey bogeyed the first and then had a triple bogey 7 at the second. Out in 40, Kelsey double-bogeyed the 10th and dropped another shot at the 11th.
Then the North teenager came with a glory run with the wind behind her over the closing holes.
She birded the 14th, 15th and 17th for par 36 home. An outstanding effort.
Among the group with the joint fifth best total of 155 were Claire MacDonald (Gullane), who hails from Forfar), Louise Kenney (Pitreavie) and Emily Ogilvy (Muckhart), both home from American college, Jo Carthew (Ladybank) and the new Fife county champion Fiona Lockhart (St Regulus).
AT CRUDEN BAY
British stroke-play champion Clare Queen from Drumpellier showed her class in claiming the top seed position in the match-play stages of the Scottish women's amateur golf championship in much improved conditions at Cruden Bay on Wednesday.
Last year, Clare squeezed through into the match-play by winning a play-off at Prestwick. What a difference a year makes! This time Clare finished three shots ahead of the field of over 100 after a brilliant second round of four-under-par 70 for a 36-hole qualifying total of three-under 145.
"I struck the ball really well and I only had one bogey all day - at the 14th where I pulled my approach," said 22-year-old full-time amateur Clare who intends having a crack at the Ladies European Tour Qualifying School near the end of the year.
"I had a great start ... I hit the flagstick with my four-iron approach at the first hole and had only a tap-in putt for a birdie 3. I could hardly have asked for better that," said Clare who also birdied the sixth and eighth in a flawless outward half of 35.
Coming home, she birdied the 12th and 17th either side of that solitary slip at the 14th.
Last year, Clare lost by two holes in the final of the championship to Anne Laing. There might well be a repeat of that 2004 showdown because Miss Laing, bidding to become only the fourth player in 103 years to pull off a hat-trick of tiles, is in the other half of the draw after a 74 for 152 and third spot in the draw.
But a 13-year-old youngster from South Queensferry may have something to say about a Queen-Laing final repeat being possible. Yes, overnight joint leader Sally Watson did even better second time round - a one-under-par 73 which was bettered only by Clare Queen.
The youngster's aggregate of 148 gave her the No 2 qualifying spot - four shots ahead of Anne Laing and another Scotland international, Martine Pow (Selkirk).
Hard to believe that Sally, an Elie & Earlsferry Ladies junior member, who goes to Florida twice a year for lessons at the David Leadbetter Academy, started bogey-bogey and still finished with such a good score.
"She was nervous playing in the last trio with Clare Queen and Martine Pow," said her dad Graham who caddied for her. Ironically, if this were a girls-only championship, he would be debarred from performing the role for his daughter.
"But she settled down well after that and birdied the seventh and ninth before holding it all together well after the turn with eight pars and a pitch and putt birdie at the long 17th.
"I'm proud of Sally. Her short game is twice as good as it was last year - and I think it's due to the SLGA coach Karyn Dallas's winter coaching sessions with her."
Kelsey MacDonald, the Northern Counties' women's champion from Dunbar, qualified for the match-play stages for the second year in a row - and she is only 14 years of age.
Kelsey shaved seven shots of her opening effort with a 76 for 159. And Miss MacDonald had an even worse start than Sally Watson. Kelsey bogeyed the first and then had a triple bogey 7 at the second. Out in 40, Kelsey double-bogeyed the 10th and dropped another shot at the 11th.
Then the North teenager came with a glory run with the wind behind her over the closing holes.
She birded the 14th, 15th and 17th for par 36 home. An outstanding effort.
Among the group with the joint fifth best total of 155 were Claire MacDonald (Gullane), who hails from Forfar), Louise Kenney (Pitreavie) and Emily Ogilvy (Muckhart), both home from American college, Jo Carthew (Ladybank) and the new Fife county champion Fiona Lockhart (St Regulus).
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | 7:59:00 pm
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