SALLY WATSON, SCOTLAND'S LAST

HOPE, LOSES IN BRITISH

GIRLS' QUARTER-FINALS

Scotland’s last survivor, Sally Watson was beaten by one hole by England’s Henrietta Brockway, pictured right, from Yeovil in the quarter-finals of the British girls open amateur golf championship at Southerndown Golf Club, South Wales today.
Sixteen-year-old Sally from South Queensferry, beaten in the final last year, was favourite to take the title after winning the Todd Bowl for being the leading qualifier for the match-play stages.
In the morning quarter-finals, Sally beat the last Spaniard in the champions, Ana Urchegui, by one hole to reach the last eight for the second year in a row.
Miss Brockway beat European Young Masters' girls champion Carly Booth (Comrie) by 4 and 2 in the round of the last 16.
The other Scots to fall in the third round were Roseanne Niven (Crieff) and the No 2 seed, Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar).
Roseanne was beaten 2 and 1 by Charlie Douglass (Brocket Hall).
Miss MacDonald went down by 5 and 4 to Kelly Tidy from Manchester.
In Friday morning’s semi-finals, 12-year-old Irish twin Lisa Maguire from Slieve Russell Golf Club, Co Cavan, will play Kelly Tidy (Manchester) while Henrietta Brockway will play Sara Monberg from Denmark.
Lisa had a tremendous win in the third round over Florentyna Parker (Royal Birkdale) who was first reserve for the Great Britain & Ireland women's team for the recent Vagliano Trophy match at Fairmont St Andrews.
Lisa’s twin sister, Leona, won the Scottish Under-16 girls’ open stroke-play championship early in the season

PRESS RELEASE FROM THE IRISH LADIES GOLF UNION

Twelve year old Lisa Maguire (Slieve Russell) beat England's Florentyna Parker, first reserve on last month's Vagliano team, and then Laura Gonzalez-Escallon (Belgium) to progress to the semi-finals of the 2007 Girls British Amateur Championship at Southerndown.

Maguire, the first Irish player ever to make the last four of this championship, won the first, fourth and ninth to turn two up in her quarter-final encounter with Laura Gonzalez-Escallon and then won three of the last four holes to close out the match on the 15th green.

Earlier in the day, Maguire was in devastating form to bridie three holes on the outward stretch to hold a two hole advantage at the turn. Despite a late rally by Parker, Maguire's nerve held strong and she holed two testers from fifteen feet to close out the vastly more experienced English International on the 17th green.

Lisa Maguire now meets England's Kelly Tidy who, like Maguire, represented her country at the Girls Home Internationals at Southerndown last week.

Whatever the outcome for the twelve year old twin, well accustomed to boxing above her weight, she will be the first Irish player to take part in the semi-finals of the British Girls Amateur Championship – an admirable feat in itself. Results:

FROM THE LADIES GOLF UNION WEBSITE

Scotland’s Sally Watson set out against Henrietta Brockway (England) in the first quarter-final match of the afternoon. Off to a flying start, Watson won the first three holes. However, she lost her rhythmm in the windy conditions and missed a six footer on nine which would have taken her to four up.

A couple of bad drives and missed greens later against steady performances from Brockway, she was back to all square. An out of bounds second shot on 18 closed the match and the point went to Brockway.

When asked about the match Watson said “I have done what I came to do this week which was to win the stroke-play stage, I have played seven weeks of back to back competition and am extremely match tired, didn't expect to win....Henrietta is a great player and she played steady all day.”

Twelve-year-old Lisa Maguire (Slieve Russell) stormed into the semi-fnals, only the second time she will have been in this position (lost on 18th hole at the Irish Ladies Close Championship). The Irish twin, who had a remarkable match against Florentyna Parker (Royal Birkdale), an experienced English International player, this morning, was always up in the match against Belguim’s Laura Gonzalez-Escallo.

After nine holes Maguire was two up and went onto to birdie the 13th, and ended up with three putts to win on the 15th, culminating in a match result of 5 and 3.

Sara Monberg (Denmark), who enjoyed a 5 & 4 victory over Josephine Jansone in the third round, took on Germany’s Saskia Hausladen. A very close match for the first nine holes, then Monberg took charge from the turn and remained in front and won 2 and 1.

In an all-English quarterfinal, the 2006 English Under-15s champion, Kelly Tidy beat Charlie Douglass 4 and 3, the 2006 runner-up in the English girls’ championship.

Results:

THIRD ROUND
S Watson (Elie & Earlsferry) bt A Urchegui (Spa) 1 hole.
H Brockway (Yeovil) beat C Booth (Comrie) 4 and 2.
S Monberg (Den) bt J Janson (Swe) 5 and 4.
S Hausladen (Ger) bt R Connor (Manchester 2 holes).

L Gonzalez-Escallon (Bel) bt C Masson (Ger) 4 and 3.
Lisa Maguire (Ire) bt F Parker (Royal Birkdale) 2 and 1.
C Douglass (Brocket Hall) bt R Niven (Crieff) 2 and 1.
K Tidy (Manchester) bt K MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) 5 and 4.

QUARTER-FINALS

Brockway bt Watson 1 hole.
Monberg bt Hausladen 2 and 1.
Maguire bt Gonzalez-Escallon.
Tidy bt Douglass 4 and 3.