KELSEY, ALYSON FACE BRIGGS SISTERS IN TOP HALF QUARTERS

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottisgolfview.com
There could be a sister v sister semi-final in the 97th Scottish women's amateur championship at Machrihanish.
But title-holder Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn) and Elderslie's Alyson McKechin no doubt have different ideas!
Kelsey and Alyson stand between the Briggs sisters from Kilmacolm, Megan and Eilidh, and a family affair of a last four meeting.
Kelsey, 20, overpowered 14-year-old Clara Young (North Berwick), East Lothian’s youngest ever women’s county champion, over the last five holes to win their quarter-final by 2 and 1.
“Clara’s a great talent – they’ve got no fear at that age – and she pulled me back to square with six holes to play. I had to win the 14th and 16th to beat her with roughly par golf,” said Kelsey who had started the match-play stages inauspiciously by losing the first two holes in the morning to No 32 qualifier Elaine Cuthill (Lanark) before going on to win by 5 and 4.
Now Stirling University student MacDonald plays Eilidh, at 18 the younger of the talented sisters, in the first quarter-final tomorrow morning. Eilidh, winner of the Renfrewshire championship and the West of Scotland title in recent weeks, left her disappointing stroke-play form of earlier in the week behind her and she swept into the last eight with a 7 and 6 win over another Scotland girl cap, Hannah McCook (Grantown on Spey).
“I feel I am back at my best for the match-play and I was four under par against Hannah,” said Eilidh who had birdies at the first and ninth and an eagle 3 at the seventh to be five holes to the good after 10.
The second quarter-final is an all-Renfrewshire tussle between 21-year-old Megan Briggs, winner of the national title in 2009 at Southerness, and 17-year-old Alyson McKechin (Elderslie) who, like Eilidh will be enrolling at Stirling University in the autumn. Megan is the No 4 seed, Alyson, the youngest of the championship's last eight, is No 5. Alyson is pictured above by Cal Carson Golf Agency.
Megan was sub-par for the first day of the match-play in beating Sammy Vass (Tain) by 7 and 5 followed by a 4 and 3 win over former champion Elaine Moffat (St Regulus).
“I was hitting fairways and greens in regulation all day,” said Megan who has never played county team-mate McKechin in match-play previously.
Alyson, 17, beat Alison Davidson (Stirling), the 1997 British and Scottish champion, by 5 and 4 in the second round with one-under-par figures.
In the lower half of the draw, Louise Kenney (Pitreavie) is still on course to appear in the championship final for the third year in a row – she lost to Megan Briggs two years ago and Kelsey MacDonald last year.
Kenney, the No 7 seed, beat the new Ayrshire champion Rachael McQueen (Troon Ladies) by 3 and 2 to reach the last eight and a tie against the No 2 seed, 18-year-old Rachael Watton (Mortonhall).
Louise won the first two holes against McQueen and went three up after seven but her Ayrshire opponent won the 10th and the 12th to cut the lead to one hole.
Kenney stopped the rot in time and got back to winning holes in time to shake hands on the 16th green.
Rachael Watton won the 17th and 18th to beat Scottish universities champion Susan Jackson, a Ladybank member and a student at Edinburgh University.
Susan had the better of the opening holes of the inward half but Watton finished the stronger to square the match, then win by a two-hole margin.
The other quarter-final in the lower half of the draw pits Susan Wood (Drumpellier), the No 14 qualifier, against the No 6 seed, Aberdeen student Jane Turner (Craigielaw). Susan had a good 5 and 3 win over Katie Reid (Monifieth) who had been the giant-killer in the morning with a 5 and 4 win over the No 3 seed, 15-year-old Lauren Whyte (St Regulus).
Championship debutante Lauren, the Fife girls’ champion, was roughly level par for the holes played but Katie played brilliantly with four-under-par figures. She may wished she had saved some birdies for the afternoon tie.
Jane Turner knew she had been in a match after winning by 2 and 1 against the 14th qualifier, Sara Bishop (Windyhill).
There was hardly a hole in it either way until Jane went two up in the closing stages.
Tomorrow morning's quarter-finals tee off as follows:
8.30 Kelsey MacDonald (No 1 seed) v Eilidh Briggs (No 24 seed).
8.40 Alyson McKechin (No 5 seed) v Megan Briggs (No 4 seed).
8.50 Susan Wood (No 14 seed) v Jane Turner (No 6 seed).
9.00 Louise Kenney (No 7 seed) v Rachael Watton (No 2 seed).

ELMWOOD COLLEGE STUDENTS TO THE FORE

In the "second flight" Clark Rosebowl tournament, former Scottish girls' champion Ailsa Bain (Peebles) and Rachel Hanlon (St Regulus), both Elmwood College, Cupar students feature in tomorrow morning's semi-finals and would meet in the afternoon final if successful.
Rachael McQueen (Troon Ladies) and Katie Reid (Monifieth), who both lost in the last 16 of the main event, are also Elmwood students.
Ailsa is studying 'NC Performance' golf, the three others are studying 'HN Professional Golf'

In the semi-finals of the Clark Rosebowl it will be:

9.20 Rachel Hanlon (St Regulus) v Fiona Hay (Deeside).
9.30 Ailsa Bain (Peebles) v Heather Munro (Monifieth).

+The championship semi-finals will tee off at 1.30 and 1.50pm with the Clark Rosebowl final at 2.10pm.