Top seed Martine Pow scrapes through with a birdie at 19th

Top seed Martine Pow from Selkirk beat the "leading qualifier curse" but only just in the first match-play round of the Scottish women's amateur championship at sunny but slightly windy Craigielaw links this morning.
Martine, two holes up for most of the first 10 holes, eventually scraped through at the 19th against Scotland girl international, Alyson McKechin, last of the 32 qualifiers, from Elderslie.
"There's definitely a curse on leading qualifiers in this championship. Can you remember the last time the No 1 seed went on to win the title?" asked 45 year old Martine who qualified in the No 4 position when she was crowned champion by beating Anne Laing in the 2006 national final at Dunbar.
Pow unleashed a phenomenal drive on to the green, slightly downwind at the first extra hole, a drive of close on 300 yards and a two-putt birdie 3 gave her a hard-earned win over her 16-year-old opponent.
Alyson led for the only time in the match when she won the third and the fourth with a birdie to cancell out Martine's first-hole success.
Pow hit back with three wins in a row - the fifth, sixth and seventh, to go two up but lost the nith to a birdie to be brought back to one up at the turn.
The Selkirk health and safety officer retained a two-hole lead with a par 3 at the 10th but lost the long 11th to a par 5 and the 13th to a par 4 to be pulled back to square.
Martine birdied the 16th to get her nose in front again but Alyson birdied the last to take an absorbing contest down the 19th.
"All credit to Alyson for her performance," said Pow. "But I didn't play nearly so well as I did in the two qualifying rounds. Still, I've survived, and that's the name of the game in match-play. You just have to find a way to win, no matter how you are playing."
Martine now plays Karen Marshall (Baberton) who also had to go to the 19th to beat the 1998 champion, Elaine Moffat (St Regulus) who had been one up after 12 holes.

Rachael Taylor, who made the long and frustrating haul from Munich to Edinburgh late on Monday night and went into the qualifying rounds without a practice session, was the first to claim a place in the last 16. A day after her 18th birthday, the Glasgow-born daughter of a Germany-based Scottish professional won by 5 and 4 against Jemma Chalmers (Monifieth).
Rachael, the No 5 seed, took a grip of the tie by moving three up after only eight.
Teenager Taylor now plays the defending champion Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm) who qualified in 12th position. Megan was a 4 and 3 winner over US college student Jacqueline Sneddon from Alyth.

Briggs produced the birdies when she had to to take the measure of Jacqueline who is home for the summer holidays from Grand Canyon University, Arizona.

Clare-Marie Carlton (Fereneze), the No 24 qualifier, ousted the No 9 seed and former Scotland cap, Emily Ogilvy (Auchterarder) by two holes.

Ann F Ramsay, a former Angus county champion from Kirriemuir and the No 8 seed, lost by 2 and 1 to the 25th qualifier, Susan Wood (Drumpellier).

Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) won the all-Northern Counties clash with Cara Gruber (Royal Dornoch), county champion for the past two years. Kelsey was two up at the turn and held that lead over the inway half to win by 2 and 1.

Kelsey, first reserve for next month's Curtis Cup match, faces another tough one in the second round - the in-form 18-year-old Sammy Leslie (Westhill) who won the Aberdeenshire women's championship the weekend before last. Sammy squeezed through on the last green today against former Scottish schoolgirls champion Elaine Cuthill (Lanark).

Another Northern Counties player into the last 16 is teenager Sammy Vass (Tain), recently back home for the summer from her first year at the University of Central Florida). With her mother Magi, a former Scotland junior international, pulling her trolley, Sammy won by by one hole against the experienced Gullane competitor, Claire MacDonald (Gujllane).

Sammy Vass now plays last year's beaten finalist and No 4 seed this week, Louise Kenney (Pitreavie) who followed up a best of the qualifying score of 69 by romping to a 5 and 3 win over Kate McIntosh (Broomieknowe).

Rachael Watton (Mortonhall), the 17-year-old No 6 seed, had the morning's biggest win, by 7 and 5, at the expense of Sheila Cuthbertson (Peebles), and now plays Wendy Nicholson (Broomieknowe) in an all-Lothians tie.

Nicholson, the No 22 qualifier, beat the No 11 qualifier and new Perth & Kinross champion, Laura Walker (Muckhart) by 5 and 4.

Jane Turner (Craigielaw), beaten in the semi-finals last year at Southerness, was a 6 and 5 winner of Gillian Monteith (Portpatrick Dunskey) and now plays student and No 7 seed Susan Jackson (Ladybank), a 2 and 1 winner over senior cap Noreen Fention (Dunbar).

Laura Murray, the No 2 seed from Alford, had a 5 and 3 win over Fiona Gilbert, pulling away from her Carnoustie opponent on the inward stretch after being only one up at the turn.