SALLY WATSON RUNNER-UP IN BIG US JUNIOR TOURNAMENT

Florida-based Sally Watson, 15, from South Queensferry, has finished runner-up in the girls’ division of the Mizuno Junior Open, one of the most prestigious tournaments on the American Junior Golf Association circuit.
The scheduled 54-hole event at Chateau Elan Golf Club, Atlanta was reduced to 45 because frost delayed the start of the final round.
Sally’s father, Edinburgh businessman, Graham Watson commented: “The weather for the event was like a bad winter’s day in Scotland – temperatures did not get above 45 degrees and the winds were severe.”
Over a tough par-71 course, Sally had scores of 70, 76 and 37 for an aggregate of 183, two shots behind the winner, Courtney Ellenbogen from Blacksburn, Virginia (67-73-39).
Sally had birdies at the seventh, ninth, 11th and 15th but dropped shots at two short holes, the eighth, and 16th, in her very good first round of one-under-par 70 (35-35).
Her second-round 76 was a roller-coaster ride with an eagle 3 at the second and birdies at the seventh and ninth in halves of 38. On the debit side, Sally had a triple bogey 6 at the short sixth and a double-bogey 5 at the short eighth. She also dropped single shots at the second, 11th, 13th and 18th.
The organisers’ decision to cut the last round to only nine holes meant that Sally had very little chance of making up her four-stroke deficit on leader Courtney but she did get to with one shot of the pacemaker with three holes to play.
Miss Watson then bogeyed the seventh, her only shot dropped over the nine holes which she covered in one-over-par 37 to Miss Ellenbogen’s 39.
The third-place competititor, Evan Jensen from Belleair, Florida, finished four shots behind Sally on 187 with scores of 73, 79 and 35.
The field of 45 girls included competitors from all over the United States.
Sally, who will be 16 on July 10, is a student at the David Leadbetter Golf Academy at Bradenton, Florida.