EILIDH BRIGGS, GEMMA DRYBURGH TOP SEEDS AT GLENISLA

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Colin@Scottishgolfview.com 

Kilmacolm’s Eilidh Briggs and Aberdeen-born Gemma Dryburgh earned the Nos 1 and 2 seedings which could see them meet in Saturday morning’s 18-hole final of the Scottish Under-18 girls’ match-play championship at Glenisla Golf Club, Alyth.

But they will have to beat some very good players to make it through four rounds of match-play to the title decider. Eilidh and Gemma were in a threesome with Connie Jaffrey at the end of the field and they had a ding dong battle to see who would be the No 1 seed.

Briggs, beaten finalist in the Scottish women’s amateur championship at Machrihanish in May, repeated her par opening round of 71 for a top total of 142. She birdied the short fifth and 13^th and bogeyed the long second and 15^th in halves of 36 and 35.

The much-travelled Dryburgh, who enrols at Tulane University, Louisiana next month after several years at the IMG Leadbetter Academy in Florida, produced the lowest round of the 36-hole qualifying test – a one-under-par 70 with birdies at the long eighth and ninth for 34 out and a bogey at the 17^th for 36 back.

Third best qualifier was Gabrielle Macdonald (Craigielaw) with rounds of 74 and 71 for 145. Gabrielle had only two deviations from par in her second round – a birdie at the long eighth and a bogey at the 11^th.

All the “usual suspects” were among the 32 qualifiers for the match play. Apart from Gabrielle Macdonald, the most dangerous to the hopes of Briggs and Dryburgh should be fourth seed Connie Jaffrey (Troon Ladies) who kept her end up well with a 74 in the final tee-time trio for a 146 total, and the three who finished on 148: Alyson McKechin (Elderslie) (76-72), Hannah McCook (Grantown-on-Spey) (75-73), and title-holder Lesley Atkins (Gullane Ladies) (74-74).
But in a match-play there are always "floaters" whose form belies their stroke-play form. For instance Junior Vagliano Trophy player Clara Young (North Berwick) (74-76 for 150), the 14-year-old East Lothian women's county champion, has demonstrated an aptitude for match-play at an older level..
Hannah Robb won a play-off for the last of the 32 match-play places after she had tied with Alexandra Tait and Eilidh Watson (Murcar) on the 162 mark.

QUALIFIERS

Par 142 (2x71). CSS 72 72. Yardage 5803.

142 Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm) 71 71.

143 Gemma Dryburgh (Beaconsfield) 73 70.

145 Gabrielle MacDonald (Craigielaw) 74 73.

146 Connie Jaffrey (Troon Ladies) 72 74.

148 Alyson McKechin (Elderslie) 76 72, Hannah McCook (Grantown on Spey) 75 73, Lesley Atkins (Gullane Ladies) 74 74.

150 Heather Munro (Monifieth) 76 74, Clara  Young (North Berwikc) 74 76, Rachel Polson (Deeside) 74 76.

151 Ailsa Summers (Carnoustie Ladies) 77 74, Rachael Walker (Dumfries and Co) 76 75.

152 Jessica Meek (Carnoustie Ladies) 77 75.

153 Kate McIntosh (Broomieknowe) 79 74, Hannah Scott (Broomieknowe) 76 77, Jema Chalmers (Monifieth) 76 77, Emily Aird (Blairgowrie) 75 78.

154 Tara MacTaggart (Minto ) 77 77, Lauren Whyte (St Regulus) 75 79.

155 Emma Greenlees (Dumfries and Galloway) 75 80.

156 Jorden Ferrie (Kirkintilloch) 80 76, Eleanor Tunn (Reay) 78 78.

157 Keren Ward (Glen) 76 81.

159 Alison Goodwin (Glenbervie) 84 75, Kimberley Beveridge (Aboyne) 81 78, Olivia Borwick (McDonald Ellon) 79 80, Shannen McGuire (Canmore) 78 81.

160 Nicola Roberrtson (Dunblane New) 82 78, Tegan Seivwright (Deeside) 75 85.

161 Chloe Goadby (St Regulus) 85 76, Megan Clyne (Deeside) 81 80.

162 (after three-way play-off) Hannah Robb (Strathmore) 80 82.

MISSED THE CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH-PLAY CUT

162 (beaten in play-off) Alexandra Tait (St Regulus) 84 78, Eilidh Watson (Muckhart) 80 82.

163 Nicola Taylor (Dunnikier Park) 82 81, Danielle Ker (Roxburghe) 79 84.

164 Emily Dalgetty (Glencorse) 84 80, Katie McGarva (Troon Ladies) 84 80.

165 Emma Hale (Troon Ladies) 83 82.
166 Mhairi McKay (West Kilbride) 81 85.
167 Emma Caddow (Strathaven) 81 86, Linsey Stevenson (Elie and Earlsferry)81 86.
168 Sophie Maguire (St Regulus) 86 82, Molly Stewart (Murcar Links) 82 86.
169 Rosie Everett (Craigielaw) 86 83, Claire Gadsby (Crieff) 85 84.
170 Catherine Small (Gullane Ladies) 86 84.
171 Hazel MacGarvie (Troon Ladies) 88 83.
173 Eva O'Connor (Bothwell Castle) 87 86, Mirren Fraser (Powfoot) 86 87.

174 Shannon McWilliam (Aboyne) 89 85.
177 Emma Kennedy (Paisley) 91 86.
178 Catherine Goodwin (Glenbervie) 91 87.
180 Claire Robertson  (Carnoustie Ladies) 91 89.
181 Jessica Dalgetty (Glencorse) 90 91.
182 Alexandra Qayum (Ranfurly Castle) 90 92, Kirsten Pryde (Deeside) 90 92, Rheanna Thom (Alyth) 84 98.
183 Leanne Wilson (Kelso) 97 86, Emily Glencorse (Millport) 94 89.
184 Jennifer Allan (Glenbervie) 95 89.
185 Kristy Brodie (Strathmore) 92 93.
191 Joanne Free (Musselburgh Old) 97 94.
192 Alexandra Brown (Turnberry) 99 93, Heather Neilson (Mouse Valley) 94 98.
219 Julie Glencorse (Millport) 108 111.

CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH-PLAY DRAW

Seven-minute intervals

UPPER HALF

8.30 E Briggs v H Robb, E Aird v J Chalmers, C Young v A Goodwin, K Beveridge v H Munro, A McKechin v N Robertson, J Ferrie v R Walker, J Meek v E Greenlees, T Seivwright v C Jaffrey.

LOWER HALF

9.26 G Macdonald v C Goadby, L Whyte v K McIntosh, A Summers v E Tunn, S McGuire v H McCook, L Atkins v O Borwick, K Ward v R Polson, H Scott v T MacTaggart, M Clyne v G Dryburgh.

ANSLEY REID SALVER DRAW

10.46 Alexanda Tait v Hazel MacGarvie.
10.54 Emma Caddow v Mhairi McKay.
11.02 Emily Dalgetty v Molly Stewart.
11.10 Rosie Everett v Danielle Ker.
11.18 Nicola Taylor v Claire Gadsby.
11.26 Sophie Maguire v Katie McGarva.
11.34 Emma Hale v Linsey Stevenson.
11.42 Catherine Small v Eilidh Watson.