FRONT-RUNNING KELSEY HAS THE BRIGGS


SISTERS ON HER TAIL WITH A ROUND TO GO

Nairn Dunbar’s Kelsey MacDonald has led through the first two rounds of her title defence in the Scottish Under-21 girls’ open stroke-play championship at Dunfermline Golf Club.
Can she make it a wire-to-wire win over the third and last round at the Pitfirrane course on Friday?
With Jane Turner (Craigielaw), a shot behind after one round, falling away to a second-round 85, it looks as if only the Briggs sisters, Megan and Eilidh, lying a close second and third overnight, are the only ones who can stop the 19-year-old Scottish women’s champion completing a hat-trick of Under-21 titles.
MacDonald added a 75 to her opening par round of 72 and she would be the first to admit this was not one of her best efforts. She had no birdies and dropped shots at the short fifth, the 10th and long 18th.
Mind you, the inward half was playing long and not many birdies were achieved over it by anyone.
Eilidh, the younger of the Briggs girls and the Renfrewshire county champion, took over second place with a 72 to be one shot off the pace on 148. Eilidh birdied the long third and the six but dropped shots at the fourth and 14th in halves of 34 and 36.
Megan, Scottish women’s champion two years ago, also had a 72 and she couldn’t manage a single birdie after an outward half of two-under-par, with birdies at two long holes, the third and seventh, had promised so much.
Third-placed Gillian Monteith (Portpatrick Dunskey) also got it out in 33 – despite running up a double bogey 7 at the long third. She had a great run of four birdies from the fourth to the eighth.
The only player in the leading five to get a birdie after the turn was Hannah McCook from Nethy Bridge, near Grantown on Spey. In fact Hannah, runner-up in the Paul Lawrie Scottish schoolgirls championship and also the more recent North of Scotland women’s championship, got two – at the 11th and 17th in a 73 for 151.
Hannah must be rueing double bogeys at the third and fourth in her first round.
Jane Turner and Racael Walker (Dumfries and Co) withdrew from the championship after returning their second-round cards. Jane has a shoulder injury, which explains her round of 85 and, with plenty still to play for this season, she decided not to risk aggravating the injury by playing a third round at Craigielaw.
Lauren Whyte (St Regulus) started her second-round eight with a birdie and then an eagle (a hole in one at the second second).

SECOND-ROUND TOTALS
Par 144 (2x72)
147 Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) 72 75.
148 Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm) 76 72.
149 Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm) 77 72.
150 Gillian Monteith (Portpatrick Dunskey) 78 72.
151 Hannah McCook (Abernethy) 78 73.
152 Ailsa Bain (Peebles) 76 76.
153 Rachael Watton (Mortonhall) 82 71, Lucie Walker (Ormskirk) 75 78.
154 Alyson McKechin (Elderslie) 80 74, Rebecca Wilson (Grange) 76 78.
155 Rachael Taylor (Hartl GR, Germany) 79 76, Rachael Goodall (Heswall) 79 76, Nicola Rawlinson (Royal Birkdale) 78 77.
157 Charlotte Austwick (Pike Hills) 79 78, Gabrielle MacDonald (Craigielaw) 79 78, Sophie Alexander (Deeside) 78 79, Jill Meldrum (Dullatur) 76 81.
158 Sammy Leslie (Westhill) 78 80, Emma Clegg (Clitheroe) 74 84, Jane Turner (Craigielaw) 73 85.
159 Hannah Scott (Broomieknowe) 81 78, Jordana Graham (Southerness) 81 78, Lauren Whyte (St Regulus) 79 80, Gillian Scanlan (Hamilton) 77 82, Jacqueline Sneddon (Alyth) 80 83, Lesley Atkins (Gullane) 76 83, Rachel Polson (Peterculter) 82 77.
160 Rachel Hanlon (St Regulus) 81 79.
162 Nicola Taylor (Walton Heath) 86 76, Keren Ward (Glen) 82 80, Natasha Qayum (Ranfurly Castle) 78 84.
163 Sammy Vass (Tain) 84 79, Connie Jaffrey (Troon Ladies) 82 81, Louise Macgregor (Falkirk) 79 84.
164 Alison Goodwin (Glenbervie) 86 78, Eve Muirhead (Pitlochry) 84 80, Tara MacTaggart (Minto) 80 84.
165 Rachael McQueen (Troon Ladies) 85 80, Katie Reid (Monifieth) 83 82, Eilidh Mackay (Nairn Dunbar) 82 83, Clara Young (North Berwick) 79 86.
166 Linzi Allan (West Kilbride) 83 83, Nicola Ferguson (Clober) 79 87.
167 Eilidh Watson (Muckhart) 87 80, Linsey Stevenson (Elie and Earlsferry) 85 82, Heather Munro (Monifieth) 84 83. Samantha Munro (Aberdour) 78 89.
168 Mhairi McKay (West Kilbride) 88 80, Shannen McGuire (Canmore) 82 86.
169 Nicola Taylor (Dunnikier Park) 86 83, Amelia Taylor (St Annes Old Links) 80 89,
170 Kimberley Beveridge (Aboyne) 88 82, Emily Aird (Blairgowrie) 82 88, Kate McIntosh (Broomieknowe)78 82.
171 Eleanor Tunn (Reay) 88 83.
172 Louise McGillivray (Banchory) 88 84, Jenna Birch (Royal Lytham) 85 87, Ashley Smith (Monifieth) 82 90.
173 Gillian Simpson (Murrayfield) 92 81, Alice Boothroyd (Rudding Park) 79 94.
174 Kelly McNulty (Whitley Bay) 89 85, Jorden Ferrie (Kirkintilloch) 89 85.
175 Gail Wilson (Grange) 87 88, Tegan Seivwright (Deeside) 80 95.
176 Alexis Hutton (Falkirk Tryst) 89 87, Rachel Walker (Dumfries and Co) 86 90, Megan Clyne (Deeside) 86 90.
177 Gillian Arnott (Kilbirnie Place) 85 92.
180 Hannah Robb (Strathmore) 87 93.
182 Kirstin Scott (Milngavie) 94 88, Nicola Robertson (Dunblane New) 93 89, Ashley Ann Alston (Royal Montrose) 87 95.
185 Jemma Chalmers (Monifieth) 94 91.
187 Annabel Niven (Crieff) 92 95.
188 Catherine Small (Craigielaw) 98 90.
192 Julie Vass (Tain) 92 100.
194 Megan Brown (Dunfermline) 94 100.
201 Alexandra Qayum (Ranfurly Castle) 100 101.