Parade of prizewinners at the Scottish girls championship at wet Lanark

Prizewinning parade at Lanark Golf Club. Left to right: Alyson McKechin (Elderslie), Rachel Hanlon (St Regulus), Ailsa Bain (Peebles), Sammy Vass (Tain), Rachael Watton (Mortonhall), Ansley Reid Salver winner Kate McIntosh (Broomieknowe), Lauren Duncan (Aboyne), Hannah McCook (Abernethy). Kirkwoodgolf is indebted to Lanarkshire's Jean Macintyre for taking this image and the one below of finalists Ailsa Bain (left) and Sammy Vass in difficult conditions (it was spitting rain throughout the session!). You can enlarge the images by clicking on them.

First Scotland cap for

new champion Ailsa

New Scottish girls’ golf champion Ailsa Bain (Peebles) has been rewarded for her two-hole win over Sammy Vass (Tain) in today’s 18-hole final, played in very wet conditions, at Lanark Golf Club with a first cap for Scotland in the girls’ home international matches, to be played at Fairhaven Golf Club, Lancashire from August 4 to 6.

The final started in atrocious weather of win and rain and Sammy coped better with it. When the weather improved, so too did Ailsa's play and that is reflected in the course of the match.
Sammy Vass, who was two up after three holes but was all square at the turn. The 17-year-old North of Scotland girls champion, who enrols at the University of Central Florida at the end of next month, lost the fifth, sixth, eighth, 10th, 12th and 14th to go three down to some very steady player from Ailsa.

Three down with four to play, Sammy kept her hopes alive by winning both the 16th (with a birdie) and the 17th (with a par).

When they came to the 18th green, which had been flooded when the final started, it was Ailsa's par 3 that clinched a two-hole win for the 18-year-old Peebles player.

Given the wet conditions, the standard of play was quite good. Ailsa had birdies at the long eighth and long 11th; Sammy had birdies at the long 11th and the 16th.

The Scotland team for next month's Girls Home Internationals is:

Lesley Atkins (Minto)

Ailsa Bain (Peebles)

Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm)

Sammy Leslie (Westhill)

Alyson McKechin (Elderslie)
Rachael Taylor (Bad Griesbach)

Sammy Vass (Tain)

Rachael Watton (Mortonhall).

Reserves:

1 Rachel Hanlon (St Regulus)
2 Gemma Dryburgh (Beaconsfield)

3 Ailsa Summers (Carnoustie Ladies)

4 Gabrielle Macdonald (Craigielaw)

The three players whose scores will count for Scotland in the international team event at the start of the Girls’ British open amateur championship at West Lancashire Golf Club from August 10 to 14 are:
Lesley Atkins

Eilidh Briggs

Rachael Watton, capt.

Reserves:
1 Sammy Vass
2 Alyson McKechin (Elderslie)

SENIOR SCOTLAND TEAM NAMED FOR IRELAND

The Scottish Ladies Golfing Association has named the Scotland team for the European senior women’s team championship at Dun Laoghaire Golf Club, Co Dublin, from September 1 to 4 is:
Heather Anderson (Alyth)
Lorna Bennett (Ladybank)

Fiona De Vries (St Rule)

Fiona Hunter (Baberton)

Mary Smith (Tain)

Moira Thomson (Gullane Ladies)
Reserves:
1 Noreen Fenton (Dunbar)

2 Helen Faulds (Douglas Park)

3 Kathleen Sutherland (Royal Montrose)

Captain: Pamela Williamson (Baberton)