Leading prizewinners at Forfar (left to right): championship runner-up Hannah McCook, scratch champion Sammy Vass handicap champion Kimberley Beveridge, handicap runner-up Ann Hay (image by Cal Carson Golf Agency).

SAMMY VASS WINS ALL-NORTH FINAL AT FORFAR

AND ABOYNE'S KIMBERLEY IS HANDICAP WINNER

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Tain’s Sammy Vass beat Hannah McCook (Abernethy) by 2 and 1 in an all-North final at the North of Scotland women’s amateur golf championship at Forfar Golf Club.

On a day of high winds, 18-year-old three-handicapper Sammy, a student at the University of Central Florida, coped with the testing conditions just that little bit better than her 16-year-old opponent who has one of a handicap.

McCook had a definite edge off the tee, outdriving Vass by up to 40 yards, but when it came to getting the ball in the hole in fewer strokes, Sammy showed how much she has benefited from her first year in America.

“The university’s practice facilities are tremendous, particularly for short-game work, and I feel I have definitely improved in that direction,” said Sammy who was a North of Scotland girls’ champion in 2008.

McCook’s putting was affected by the wind more than her long game and she was five down at the turn, having won only the third but lost the first, second, fourth, sixth, eighth and ninth.

But it was a different story after the turn. Hannah won three holes in a row from the 10th and was suddenly back in the game at “only” two down. But Vass stopped the slide with a birdie at the 13th and though McCook holed one of her few long putts, a 20-footer to get a winning birdie at the 14th, she had lost the initiative. Halves at the 15th, 16th and 17th left Vass, 14th of the 16 match-play qualifiers, as a well-deserved winner and McCook, the No 9 seed and runner-up also in the recent Paul Lawrie Scottish schoolgirls championship, a great prospect whose day will come.

Kimberley Beveridge, 15-year-old Aboyne player who plays off five, is another name to remember. Her figures, roughly par, in winning the handicap championship final by 4 and 3 against another five-handicapper, Ann Hay (Edzell) were better than those achieved by Sammy Vass in the scratch final.

Kimberley, picture right, never looked back after winning the first hole.
In fairness to Ann Hay, she won a marathon semi-final at the 22nd against Katie Reid (Monifieth) in the morning and suffered a reaction to that.
Next year’s North of Scotland women’s amateur championship will be hosted by The Nairn Golf Club.
Results
CHAMPIONSHIP
Semi-finals - Hannah McCook (Abernethy) bt Jackie Brown (Monifieth) 4 and 3; Sammy Vass (Tain) bt Heather Anderson (Alyth) 1 hole.
Final - Vass bt McCook 2 and 1.
HANDICAP
Semi-finals - Kimberley Beveridge (Aboyne) (5) bt Jessica Meek (Carnoustie Ladies) (5) 3 and 2, Ann Hay (Edzell) (5) bt Katie Reid (Monifieth) (6) at 22nd.
Final - Beveridge bt Hay 4 and 3.