Fiona de Vries (left), the Scottish senior women's match-play champion, and (right) Heather Anderson, winner of the Scottish senior women's stroke-play title, played earlier in the week at Fortrose and Rosemarkie Golf Club. Image by courtesy of Robin Wilson.

FIONA TAKES SCOTTISH SENIORS MATCH-PLAY

TITLE BACK TO THE HOME OF GOLF

St Andrews hotelier Fiona de Vries (St Rule) ended the title double hopes of Alyth’s Heather Anderson, beating her by one hole in the final of the Scottish senior women’s amateur golf championship at Fortrose and Rosemarkie Golf Club on the Black Isle, north of Inverness.
Earlier in the week Heather had won the seniors’ stroke-play title over 36 holes but she never led after the fifth hole in the final.
In bright but breezy conditions, De Vries, who has won both the over-50s stroke-play and match-play titles in the past, took the lead when she holed a 30ft putt to go one up at the ninth and then holed a bunkered shot for a birdie 3 at the 10th to double her advantage.
Anderson came back at her opponent to square the match by winning the 11th with a par, after De Vries had overshot the green, and the 13th with a birdie 3. Heather almost drove the green at this shortish par-4.
De Vries regained the lead with a par at the 15th where Anderson drove into the bushes. and the last three holes were halved but not without some late drama.
De Vries got a lucky break at the 17th where she was too big with her approach but her ball came to rest on a pathway instead of going on into the bushes.Anderson was bunkered at this hole.
Atthe 18th Anderson missed from 9ft, a putt she really had to hole to take the match any further.
In the morning semi-finals, De Vries won at the 20th against Moira Thomson (Gullane Ladies), who drove into the bushes at the second extra hole, while Anderson beat Lorna Bennett (Ladybank) by 4 and 3.
Pamela Williamson (Baberton) was the last player to win both the stroke-play and match-play titles in the same week - at Grantown on Spey in 2005.
Fiona de Vries and Lorna Bennett, who each plays off two of a handicap, were the joint backmarkers in the field. Heather Anderson has three of a handicap and Moira Thomson four.
TODAY'S RESULTS.
Semi-finals – Heather Anderson (Alyth) bt Lorna Bennett (Ladybank) 4 and 3, Fiona de Vries (St Rule) bt Moira Thomson (Gullane Ladies) at 20th.
Final – De Vries bt Anderson 1 hole.