Kelsey receives her prizes from Hacienda del Alamo Golf Club captain Steve Haskins

Kelsey's fantastic inward half of 29 sweeps

her through to Hacienda del Alamo title

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Scottish Under-21 champion Kelsey MacDonald underlined her claims for a place in this year's Great Britain & Ireland Curtis Cup team with a fantastic last nine holes to win the Hacienda del Alamo Women's Open over 54 holes at the testing Dave Thomas-designed course in the Murcia region of south-east Spain.
The 19-year-old Nairn Dunbar member and Stirling University student started the final round in third place, seven shots behind leader Hayley Davis (Ferndown) and two shots behind second-placed Welsh cap Amy Boulden (Maesdu).
With nine holes to play, MacDonald, out in 39 to Davis's 38, was still in third place but now eight shots off the pace.
Said Kelsey later: "I was striking the ball well and hitting the greens, only to three putt at the first, fourth (par-5) and ninth (par-5).
Then Kelsey produced the birdie blitz of her young career - coming home in seven-under-par 29 with birdies at the 10th, 11th, 12th, 14th, 15th, 16th and 18th for a round of four-under-par 68 and a total of three-under-par 213.
Playing partner Hayley Davis, not surpisingly, just could not compete with that onslaught. She had no birdies on the back nine and bogeys at the 11th, 12th, 14th and 17th for 40 home and a 78 for 216.
That pushed her down to third place with a victory-to-remember for Kelsey MacDonald by one shot from Amy Boulden who finished with a 71 for 214.
Earlier in the Hacienda del Alamo Festival, Boulden and MacDonald tied for the best 36-hole final total in the Murcia Women's Open with the title going to the Welsh player because she had the lower second round.
But Kelsey had the last laugh.
"I knew at the turn that Hayley Davis was eight shots ahead of me and Amy Boulden seven shots ahead of me. It was very frustrating and I tried to work out what was wrong. I thought maybe I was too close to the ball when I was putting, so I moved further away from it - and the putts started to go in!" she said
"I lipped out at the 13th and the 17th and had to settle for pars - the rest were birdies. "Obvoiusly, I was gutted up to the ninth, thinking I had thrown away my chance of catching up. But I never give up and it just shows you how golf goes - and just delighted with my score."
Kelsey's next chance to impress the GB&I Curtis Cup selectors is the Spanish women's amateur championship the week after next. The team will be chosen on the Sunday, April 25 after the last round of the Helen Holm Scottish women's open amateur stroke-play championship at Troon Portland and Royal Troon.
The team of eight for the June 11-13 match against the Americans at Essex County Club, Boston, Massachusetts will probably be named on April 27 or 28.

Emily Taylor (Royal Lytham), Lancashire's youngest ever ladies county champion, stepped up an age group to win the Hacienda del Alamo Under-18 girls' open title over 54 holes. Earlier in the week Emily had won the Murcia Under-16 girls' open championship.

Emily had rounds of 74, 73 and 78 for a total of 225, to finish eight shots ahead of Ireland's Holly Robinson from Co Sligo. Holly scored 76, 77 and 84 and won the first handicap prize in this age group with a net 219 for the three rounds off a handicap of six.

Fourteen-year-old Amber Ratcliffe (Royal Cromer), runner-up to Emily Taylor In the Murcia Under-16 girls' event, won the Hacienda del Alamo Under-16 girls' open over three roudns with an impressive total of 228, made up of consistent scores of 74, 77 and 77.

Amber's 228 total gave her a winning margin in the scratch section of 20 shots over Megan MacLaren (Wellingborough) whose mother Mary won third prize in the HDA Ladies' Open handicap list.

Megan's scores were 80, 81 and 87 for 248, a shot ahead of young Alice Hewson (Berkhamsted) who won the first handicap prize in the Under-16s section with a net total of 225, one shot ahead of Holly Vizard (Pleasington). Alice plays off eight and Holly nine.