KELSEY MACDONALD IN ACTION AT CRAIGIELAW THIS MORNING

Clare-Marie v Louise and Kelsey

v Laura in semi-finals

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
International team-mates Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) and Laura Murray (Alford) won their way through to meet each other in the afternoon semi-finals of the Scottish women’s amateur golf championship on another bright sunny day at the Craigielaw links in East Lothian.
The other semi-final will feature Clare-Marie Carlton (Fereneze) against last year's beaten finalist, Louise Kenney (Pitreavie).
Curtis Cup first reserve Kelsey, 19-year-old Stirling University student, was three under par in winning by one hole over 17-year-old Rachael Watton (Mortonhall).
“I’ve started to play well in this championship after the stroke-play rounds and I kept it up in this morning’s quarter-final,” said Kelsey who almost had a hole in one at the third hole. Her tee shot at this 150yd hole came to rest only tap-in distance from the flagstick.
That put the Highlander, Scotland’s Under-21 champion for the past two years, back on level terms after she had lost the second to a birdie 4.
Then MacDonald went one up with a par 5 at the long fourth.
The next six holes were halved as the talented teenagers fought to gain the initiative.
Kelsey seemed to have gained the upperhand when she birdied the long 11th to go two up.
But Watton, only 17 and a great prospect, won the 13th and 15th to square an absorbing contest.
Kelsey was conceded a tie-winning birdie 4 on the last green after Rachael took two shots to get out of a greenside bunker.
Laura Murray, playing in the championship for the last time as she looks to a future as a tour professional, won with a birdie 4 at the last hole against Robert Gordon University student Jane Turner (Craigielaw).
The big-hitting Murray, 21-year-old newest member of the Paul Lawrie Foundation, team had four birdies – at the short second, and, indicative of her strength off the tee, at the par-5 11th, 16th and 18th.
There was never more than a hole in it either way but with Laura’s mother and trolley-puller, Mary, keeping her calm and relaxed, the Alford player, who has lost to the ultimate title-winner in each of the last two Scottish championship, prevailed.
Top seed Martine Pow, the 45-year-old 2006 champion from Selkirk, had her glory run ended by 23-year-old Clare-Marie Carlton from the Paisley club, Fereneze.
Carlton, engaged to Callum Macaulay, a former Scottish amateur champion and now a tour professional on the European circuits, was only one up at the turn but, on another warm, almost humid morning, she pulled away from her older opponent on the inward half.
Carlton went two up when Pow three-putted the 11th and then increased her lead to three with a pitch-and-putt birdie 4 at the long 12th.
Pow’s birdie E at the 14th was a last gallant bid to turn back the years. But, back to two down, the leading qualifier could make no further inroads and lost the 17th for Carlton to be the first to reach the semi-finals – for the first time – by a 3 and 1 margin with roughly level par golf.
Now Clare-Marie Carlton plays 27-year-old Dunfermline nursery teacher Louise Kenney (Pitreavie) for a place in the final.
Kenney got a measure of revenge over Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm) for last year’s 4 and 3 defeat in the final at Southerness by beating the Strathclyde University law student by one hole.
Briggs was two up after six holes but Kenney finished the stronger. She had an eagle 3 at the 11th and birdies at the 12th and 13th to win all three holes, transforming a one-down position to a much healthier one-hole lead.
Briggs was not finished yet. She squared the contest at the short 17th where Kenney took a bogey but the Fifer birdied the par-5 18th for a one-hole victory.

The Clark Rosebowl final later this afternoon will feature two 16-year-old members of the Carnoustie Ladies club - Ailsa Summers, the Angus womens' county and girls champion, and Jessica Meek.

This morning Ailsa won by 4 and 3 against Gabrielle MacDonald (Craigielaw) while, in the other semi-final, Jessica won by one hole over Clara Young (North Berwick).

Today’s results:
QUARTER-FINALS
Clare-Marie Carlton (Fereneze) bt Martine Pow (Selkirk) 3 and 1.
Louise Kenney (Pitreavie) bt Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm) 1 hole.
Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) bt Rachael Watton (Mortonhall) 1 hole.
Laura Murray (Alford) bt Jane Turner (Craigielaw) 1 hole.

CLARK ROSEBOWL

SEMI-FINALS
Ailsa Summers (Carnoustie Ladies) bt Gabrielle MacDonald (Craigielaw) 4 and 3.
Jessica Meek (Carnoustie Ladies) bt Clara Young (North Berwick) 1 hole.