SALLY TAMES THE MONSTER
TO FINISH THIRD IN
DORAL-PUBLIX CLASSIC
Florida-based South Queensferry girl Sally Watson produced a brilliant one-under-par 71 – two shots better than anyone else in the final round – over the Blue Monster course, home of the US PGA Tour Ford Championship, to finish a gallant third in the Doral-Publix Junior Classic girls’ 16-18 years’ championship at the Doral Golf Resort & Spa, Miami in Florida on Saturday.
Sally, who had earlier scored a pair of 75s, made up a lot of ground on the leaders, finishing on 221 which was only two strokes behind the 11-year-old winner, Alexis Thompson from Coral Springs, Florida.
Miss Watson, beaten in the final of the British girls’ championship and winner of the Daily Telegraph national girls championship final at Dubai Creek earlier this year, is 15. Scottish girls’ match-play champion in 2005, she has been a student at the IMG David Leadbetter Golf Academy at Bradenton, Florida since the autumn.
Alexis Thompson, sister of US PGA Tour player Nick Thompson and the first girl permitted to play two groups above her age category, scored 72, 74 and 73 for 219.
She won by one shot from Japan’s Mitsuki Kathira who had 75, 72 and 73.
Sally Watson finished ahead of Spain’s Marta Silva Zamora, a member of the European Junior Ryder Cup team, who tied for fifth place on 223.
Rachel Connor from Oldham, daughter of Manchester Golf Club’s Scottish professional, Brian, finished eighth on 224 with scores of 76, 74 and 74.
Sally Watson’s older sister Rebecca, who will enrol at the University of Tennessee next autumn, totalled 236 with scores of 80, 80 and 76.
Carlos Goya from Cordoba, Argentina won the boys’ 16-18 title with a total of 211, made up of a 72, 69 and 70.
He won by a single shot from Sean Einhaus from Borken, Germany, a member of the European Junior Ryder Cup team at Celtic Manor earlier this year. Einhaus shot 71, 70 and 71.
SCOTTISH YOUTHS CHAMPION
Francisco Pintor from Alicante, youngster ever winner of the Scottish youths’ open title at Mortonhall this year, finished down the field on 233 with scores of 77, 79 and 77.
Darren Renwick from Worthing Sussex, winner of the Scottish Under-16 boys’ open stroke-play title last year, won the boys’ 16-18 years consolation tournament with scores of 79, 80 and 70 for 229 – one shot ahead of Mohammad Mandhu (Zambia).
Irish girls’ match-play champion Stephanie Meadow from Antrim and a student at the International Golf Academy, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina since the autumn, finished a close-up fourth with 208 (72-68-68) in the girls’ 14-15 years category.
Christina Miller from Bradenton, Florida (who had scores of 65, 74 and 68 ) won a three-way play-off on 207 against Susana Benavides (Bolivia) and Amelia Lewis from Jacksonville, Florida.
A total of 628 competitors from 43 countries, including 38 different states in America, contested 12 age and sex groups in what is reputed to be the biggest junior golf tournament in the world.
+Picture shows Alexis Thompson and Carlos Goya, winners of the individual 16-18 years' titles
FINAL TOTALS
BOYS 16-18 years
211 Carlos Goya (Arg) 72 69 70.
212 Sean Einhaus (Ger) 71 70 71.
216 Felipe Velazquez (Venz) 72 73 71.
219 Luciano Dodda Arg) 73 74 72.
Other score:
233 Francisco Pintor (Spa) 77 79 77.
Consolation tournament
229 Darren Renwick (Eng) 79 80 70.
230 Mohammad Mandhu (Zamb) 81 78 73.
GIRLS 16-18 years
219 Alexis Thompson (US) 72 74 73.
220 Mitsuki Katahira (Jap) 75 72 73.
221 Sally Watson (Sco) 75 75 71.
222 Jennifer Hirano (US_) 75 74 73.
223 Andrea Watts (US) 73 73 77, Maria Villanueva Arg) 78 71 74, Marta Silva Zamora (Spa) 79 70 74.
224 Rachel Connor (Eng) 76 74 74.
Other score:
236 Rebecca Watson (Sco) 80 80 76.
GIRLS 14-15 years
207 Christina Miller (US) 64 75 68, Susan Benavides (Bolv) 69 68 70, Amelia Lewis (US) 72 68 67.
208 Stephanie Meadow (NIr) 72 68 68.

ends