Paul Lawrie's return to

Carnoustie for Scottish

schools championships

There are more girls (74) than boys (64) in the field of 138 competitors at the Paul Lawrie Scottish schools golf championships over Carnoustie's Burnside and Buddon courses on Monday.
Paul Lawrie, returning to the scene of his Open championship triumph in 1999, will be in attendance all day and will present the prizes at the end of the 36-hole tournament.
Chris Robb (Inchmarlo) and Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) are too old to defend the titles they won at Inchmarlo Golf Centre last year.
The leading boys contenders are expected to be Simon Fairburn (Borders), the new Lothians' boy champion, Grant Forrest (City of Edinburgh), Tom Blennerhassett (City of Edinburgh), Paul McPhee (Perth & Kinross) and Scott Gibson (Dumfries & Galloway).
The girls' title will be just as fiercely contested with the leading lights expected to be Ailsa Summers (City of Dundee), holder of the Angus women's and girls' county championships, Sammy Vass (Highland), Eilidh Briggs (Renfrewshire), youngster sister of the new Scottish women's amateur champion, Rachael Watton (City of Edinburgh) and Jill Meldrum (East Dunbartonshire).
Gillian Scanlon from Hamilton, a semi-finalist in last year's Scottish Under-18 girls' match-play championship at Alyth, has had to withdraw with a knee injury.
"We are looking forward to a great day for schools golf," said Dorothy Scott (pictured above by Cal Carson Golf Agency) of the Scottish Schools Golf Association. "The Carnoustie Links Committee have very kindly given us the courtesy of the courses and the Carnoustie Golf Hotel has put on a special bed and breakfast rate.
"We are indebted to Paul Lawrie for his continued sponsorship of the championship and, of course, his ongoing interest in junior golf as a whole. Paul is staying at the Paul Lawrie Suite at the hotel, which is rather nice."
The leading finishers in both the boys' and girls' championships will gain selection to the Scotland team for the schools international against England at Westerwood, Cumbernauld on Monday, September 14.

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