British women's open amateur championship report, results

Kelsey playing her approach shot at the 18th against Carlota Ciganda. Image by Cal Carson Golf Agency. Click on it to enlarge.

KELSEY MACDONALD AND SALLY WATSON


TWO SCOTS IN LAST 16 AT GANTON

COLIN FARQUHARSON REPORTS FROM YORKSHIRE
Scottish champion Kelsey MacDonald scored “the best match-play win” of her career to enter the last 16 of the British women’s open amateur golf championship at Ganton Golf Club, Yorkshire on the windiest day of a pleasantly warm week.
Later in the evening Curtis Cup 18-year-old Sally Watson made it two Scots in the third round with a three-under-par performance.
MacDonald, a 19-year-old Stirling University student from Nairn beat the Spanish ace, Carlota Ciganda by one hole in a match of rare quality.
One neutral English spectator told Kelsey afterwards: “It was a privilege to watch a match like that.”
The performance capped a brilliant day for MacDonald. She touched the heights in beating the experienced German player, Pia Halbig, 3 and 2 with six under par figures.
“I was five under par for the first nine holes in the morning but when I started bogey-bogey to lose the first two holes to Carlota in the afternoon, I thought I had used up all my luck and good golf,” said Kelsey.
But she certainly had not. Still two down on the ninth tee, she holed a 30yd chip for an eagle 3 at that par-5 hole, then birdied the short 10th and the par-4 11th to surge from two down to one up in three holes.
Terrific golf – and to do it against a player of Carlota’s calibre was something else. Ciganda, a 20-year-old student at Arizona State University, won the British title at Alwoodley three years ago and lost in the final last year to compatriot Azahara Munoz at Harlech last year.
She has also been European women’s champion at a tender age.
“After getting into the lead I maybe tried to protect it too much. I just played safety shots and waited for her to make mistakes. But Carlota doesn’t make many!” said MacDonald.
In a ding-dong contest over the last few holes, Ciganda squared it at the 13th only for MacDonald to go one up again at the 14th. The Spanish player thin won the 15th to get back on level terms again.
But Kelsey had her teeth into this match and was not going to let go now. She halved the 16th as the tension continued to rise, then went one up again with a splendid five-iron tee shot at the short 17th (170yd).
One up playing the last, Kelsey hit the green at the 371yd 19th, as did Carlota with a great approach shot to around 8ft from the flagstick. Kelsey two-putted from slightly longer for a 4, leaving her Spanish opponent to attempt to hole the birdie putt to take the tie into extra holes. But she missed – and MacDonald was a worthy winner, avenging the morning one-hole defeat of Pamela Pretswell (Bothwell Castle) by Ciganda.
Kelsey now plays another Spaniard, Adriana Zwanck who got the better of Alford’s Laura Murray by one hole in another absorbing match.
“I lost the first three holes to her par-birdie-birdie start,” said Laura. “And in the end that was where she won it. I did birdie the sixth and seventh myself to get it back to one but she always had that extra hole or so of a lead to keep me at bay.
“I got it back to one down by winning the 14th, but lost the 15th before winning the 16th to be one down again. The short 17th was halved and I needed to win the last to square it and go into extra holes but I couldn’t manage it.”
Sally Watson, showing no signs of her Curtis Cup exertions, had a good morning win over Nikki Foster (Pleasington), one of the most successful English players of the early open tournaments.

Then Sally, who has already qualified to play in the stepped up a gear with three-under-par figures to beat France’s Justine Dreher.

“I was never behind and was two up after five holes,” said the Stanford University, California student who is back at the Elie family home for the summer.

“Then I lost the sixth and seventh but won the eighth and ninth to be two up at the turn.

I think a birdie 3 at the 10th was the clincher. That put me three up and that extra hole in hand so that when I three-putted to lose the 11th I went back to only two up instead of just one of a lead.

“Then I finished the match off with birdies at the two par-5s, the 13th and 15th.

“Have I ever reached the last 16 of the British before? I have to be honest and tell you I have no idea!”

Watson’s third-round opponent is another youngster, Kelly Tidy (Royal Birkdale) who has lost in the British girls championship finals of 2008 and 2009. Tidy knocked out the No 7 seed, Canada’s Sue Kim by 4 and 3 and will be no push-over.
England's 17-year-old champion Hayley Davis (Ferndown) came back from two down after eight holes to birdie the last for a one-hole victory over Florida-based Israeli Laetitia Beck.
Hayley now plays the No 2 seed, Canadian Sara Juneau.

SECOND-ROUND RESULTS

C Hedwall bt Clyburn 3 and 2.
Kirby bt Ricordeau 4 and 2.
Jennings bt Prat 1 hole.
Stasi bt Boulden 1 hole.
Lansing bt Larsson 2 and 1.
James bt Popov 3 and 1.
MacDonald bt Ciganda 1 hole.
Zwank bt Murray 1 hole.
Keating bt Kenoyer 1 hole.
Vuigner beat Tanguay 1 hole.
Lee-Bentham bt Ellis 1 hole.
Hoffmeister bt Aresse at 19th.
Tidy bt Kim 4 and 3.
Watson bt Dreher 4 and 3.
Davis bt Beck 1 hole.
Juneau bt Wong 3 and 1.

SCROLL DOWN FOR FIRST ROUND RESULTS