Cara Gruber wins Ness Open by

one stroke from Jane Turner

Royal Dornoch's Cara Gruber repelled the "invaders" from the south to score a home win by a Northern Counties player in the Ness Open, an SLGA 36-hole Order of Merit event, at Inverness Golf Club today.

In near-perfect conditions, Cara shared the lead with British universities champion Jane Turner (Craigielaw) on the 73 mark at the halfway stage, two ahead of Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar), the Scottish Under-21 champion, and Midlothian women's champion Claire Hargan (Mortonhall).

Gruber repeated her opening round for a total of 146 - two under the combined CSS of 74 for each round - to win by one shot from Turner who had a 74 for 147.

"It really was close between Jane and I for most of the way," said Cara later. "I was three better than her over the front nine of the final round but then she got it back to one after 13 holes. Both of us birdied the 14th and then Jane birdied the 15th to put us level with three holes to play.

"Jane had a bogey at the 16th to my par. I then birdied the 17th to go two ahead before Jane birdied the 18th where I had a par, leaving me one stroke ahead of her at the finish."

MacDonald finished third on 148 after a second-round 73.

Laura Murray (Alford), a former Ness Open winner, came up through the field with an afternoon score of 71 - the best of the tournament - to finish fourth on 149.

Gruber, who plays off one, also won the handicap trophy with a net total of 144. She is pictured with the two trophies (by courtesy of Inverness Golf Club).

FINAL TOTALS

CSS 74 74

146 Cara Gruber (Royal Dornoch) 73 73.

147 Jane Turner (Craigielaw) 73 74.

148 Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) 75 73.

149 Laura Murray (Alford) 78 71.

152 Kylie Walker (Buchanan Castle) 78 74.

154 Claire Hargan (Mortonhall) 75 79.

159 Samantha Leslie (Westhill) 82 77.

164 Pam Mackay (Royal Dornoch) 83 81, Christine McAndrew (Nairn Dunbar) 81 83.

165 Gillian Dowling (Inverness) 85 80.

166 Sammy Vass (Tain) 87 79.

167 Rachael Watton (Mortonhall) 87 80, Hannah McCook (Aberneth) 82 85, Rachel Polson (Peterculter) 81 86.

169 Jane Grubb (Montrose Mercantile) 84 85, Lauren Duncan (Aboyne) 84 85.

170 Julie Vass (Tain) 81 89.

172 Louise McGillivray (Banchory) 87 85.

173 Fiona Fullerton (Meldrum House) 89 84.

174 Marion Howieson (Inverness) 87 87.

178 Kristina Vannet (Peterculter) 87 91.

186 Emily Aird (Strathmore) 85 101.

194 Megan Aird (Strathmore) 102 92.

199 Pat Ashe (Brora) 102 97.