95th Scottish women's amateur closed championship final

Scotland's new women's amateur golf champion - Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm Golf Club). Image by Gillian Kirkwood. Click on it to enlarge.

Clark Rosebowl winner Sammy Vass (Tain), left, Southerness GC captain Ian Wilson, and new Scottish champion Megan Briggs (image by Gillian Kirkwood).

The four players who contested the semi-finals. Left to right: Jane Turner (Mortonhall), Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm), Louise Kenney (Pitreavie) and Elaine Moffat (St Regulus). Image by Gillian Kirkwood.

Photos taken last week of the Scottish Championship trophy winners,
finalists and semifinalists can be found on the Kirkwoodgolf Picasa site

Megan Briggs is new Scottish champion-

4&3 win in final over Louise Kenney

Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm) is the 95th Scottish women's closed amateur champion.
She beat Louise Kenney (Pitreavie) by 4 and 3 in the 18-hole final at Southerness Golf Club on the north shore of the Solway Firth this morning.
Megan, one down after two holes, took a grip on the final by winning four holes in a row from the fifth with par figures.
At the turn, the 19-year-old Renfrewshire county champion for the past four years and a Strathclyde University student, was three up on her Scotland international team-mate, Louise Kenney, a 26 year old schoolteacher
Megan has a handicap of one, Louse has a +1 rating.
Image of finalists on right (Louise, left, Megan, right) by courtesy of Fiona Farquharson, SLGA Tournament Officer. Click on it to enlarge.

FIGURES FOR FIRST NINE HOLES
Par ..........4-4-4-3-5-4-3-4-5--OUT 36
BRIGGS: 4-5-5-3-5-4-3-4-4--OUT 37 (one over par) Three up KENNEY:4-4-5-3-6-5-4-5-4--OUT 40 (three over par)

Kenney scored her first success since the second hole with a par at the short 10th. Briggs was bunkered off the tee and came out to 8ft but missed the putt. Kenney but fell back to three down again by bogeying the par-4 11th.

Kenney drove into the heather from the 11th tee, and mishit her second which just carried the ditch in front of the green. She played a good pitch but missed the putt. Briggs was on in two and, with two putts, went three up once more.
The 12th was halved in bogey 5s. Kenney drove into the bunker on the right and Megan just carried it. All Kenny could do was get it out. Megan put her second shot left of the green. Kenny hit a very good fairway wood on to the green. Megan chipped On. Kenney left her putt short but two-putted. Holed halved. Briggs still three up.

The long 13th was halved in birdie 4s and both drove well. Briggs three up with five to play.
Briggs made it back-to-back birdies with a 4 at the long 14th to go four up.

Kenney drove into the heather on the right. Briggs hit middle of the fairway with her drive. Kenney came up short of the green in two but two putted Briggs also two putts.

Both hit the green at the short 15th. Two putts head for a half in threes left Briggs the champion by 4 and 3. She holed a two-footer for the championship.

Megan, with three birdies to her credit, was one over par approximately for the holes play. Louise, who had two birdies. was roughly five over par at the finish.

The final was played in a very friendly spit. The captain of the Southerness club, Ian Wilson, remarked on it in his closing speech. Both players were very generous with their concessions.

It was quite windy - is Southerness every wind-less? - although not as bad as the qualifying days. A steady light drizzle for the first swix holes but it dried up. Not a warm day.

The scoring was disappointing with Louise Kenney probably disappointed with her driving. She had some great up and downs in the first half.

The Southerness fairways are wide but if you miss then you are often in heather and the resulting shot is unpredictable.

There is a match-play saying that you play your good golf getting to the final, not usually in it. That is almost certainly true as far as Louise Kenney is concerned. She peaked in her quarter-final win over the No 2 seed, Kylie Walker (Buchanan Castle), in which she had back-to-back eagles on the inward half and was four under par in winning by 3 and 2.

FIGURES FOR SECOND NINE HOLES
Par-------3-4-4-5-5-3
BRIGGS: 4-4-5-4-4-3
KENNEY 3-5-5-4-5-3

WHOM THEY BEAT

MEGAN BRIGGS

Qualified as No 4 seed

Round 1: Beat Wendy Nicholson (Broomieknowe) (29th qualifier) 8 and 7.

Round 2: Beat Katy McNicoll (Carnoustie Ladies) (No 3 seed) 1 hole.

Quarter-final: Beat Laura Murray (Alford) (No 5 seed) 4 and 3.

Semi-final: Beat Jane Turner (Mortonhall) (No 8 seed) at 19th.

Final: Beat Louise Kenney (Pitreavie) (No 10 seed) 4 and 3.

LOUISE KENNEY

Qualifying in 10th position of 32

Round 1: Beat Rachael McQueen (Troon Ladies) (2rd qualifier) 5 and 3.

Round 2: Beat Clare-Marie Carlton (Fereneze) (15th qualifier) 2 and 1.

Quarter-final: Bt Kylie Walker (Buchanan Castle) (No 2 seed) 3 and 2.

Semi-final: Bt Elaine Moffat (St Regulus) (22nd qualifier) 5 and 4.

Final: Lost to Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm) (No 4 seed) 4 and 3.