SALLY WATSON'S TOP-10 CHARGE COMES OFF RAILS LATE IN DAY

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
A Curtis Cup player in 2008 and 2010, Sally Watson from South Queensferry and a second-year student at Stanford University, California, finished joint 21st in a field of 84 players at the Bruin Wave Invitational women's college tournament which ended at Robinson Ranch Golf Club, Santa Clarita in California yesterday.

Sally, pictured right, had scores of 78, 73 and 74 for a total of nine-over-par 225 over the par-72, 6282yd course.
The Scot, whose family home is now at Elie in Fife, had six birdies over the 54 holes and sub-par figures at the 10th and 12th in her final round looked to have set her up for a charge at a top-10 finish.
Alas, Watson came to grief with a double bogey at the 15th and also bogeyed the 17th and 18th, a disappointing finish that saw her drop outside the top 20.

Sally was 174th and Ireland's Stephanie Meadow 67th in the new World Women's Amateur Rankings at the start of this week. Stephanie's second tournament win in three weeks will see the 2010 Curtis Cup reserve  soar in the revised ratings but Sally needs to hit her best form soon with selection for the GB and I teams for the Vagliano Trophy (Royal Porthcawl) and Astor Trophy (Fairhaven) events in June looming on the horizon.
The new worldwide rankings for lady and girl amateurs certainly makes it easier for selectors to make comparisons between results obtained by players in different continents.

UCLA (the University of California-Los Angeles) students finished 1-2-3 in the Bruin Wave Invitational with Lee Lopez first on four-under 212 (70-73-69), ahead of team-mates Glory Yang (69-74-70 for 213) and Stephanie Kono (70-71-73 for 214).

Not surprisingly, UCLA (860) ran away with the team prize, finihsing 20 strokes ahead of Arizona with Pepperdine (881) third and Stanford (895) fourth of the 15 competing teams.

NIKKI DUNN MAKES TOP 20 IN ISLANDER CLASSIC

Nikki Dunn (Texas A and M), pictured, from Harrogate and Ellesmere Port's Laura Jones (Oklahoma City) finished joint 15th and joint 24th in a field of 83 players at the Islander Classic, hosted by Corpus Christi Country Club, Texas.
Nikki had rounds of 80, 74 and 74 or a total of 228 over the par-72, 6073yd course.
Laura scored 75, 77 and 78 for 230.
Winner by two shots was Crystal Reeves (Oral Roberts) with scores of 74, 73 and 71 for 218.
Oral Robertgs (898) won the team title ahead of North Texas (902).