EILIDH BRIGGS SETS THE PACE WITH A PAR 71 IN SCOTTISH GIRLS

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
Renfrewshire women's county champion Eilidh Briggs, beaten finalist in the Scottish women's championship at Machrihanish in May, lived up to her rating as the pre-tournament favourite by setting the pace with a level par 71 in the first qualifying round of the Scottish Under-18 girls' championship at Glenisla Golf Club, Alyth in Perthshire today.
Eilidh, pictured by Carol Fell, bound for Stirling University after the summer holidays, had only four pars in an eventful outward half of one-under-par 35. She bogeyed the short third, birdied the fourth, short fifth and sixth and bogeyed the long eighth.
Coming home, the Kilmacolm scratch player bogeyed the 13th and 15th but got her second 2 of the round with a birdie at the short 16th.
Connie Jaffrey (Troon Ladies) was a shot behind her with only three deviations from par in halves of 36. She bogeyed the seventh and 11th, birdied the ninth and all the rest were pars.
Aberdeen-born Gemma Dryburgh (Beaconsfield), who played without a practice round after figuring among the qualifiers at The Berkshire yesterday in the pre-qualifying round of the Ricoh Women's British Open championship, had a 73 to be in third place overnight.
Coming from the lightning-fast greens of the Ascot venue to the wet and slow putting surfaces of Glenisla gave Gemma a lot of problems and she bogeyed the fourth and ninth on her way to the turn in two-over-par 38.
But the student at IMG Leadbetter Academy, Florida - she steps up to Tulane University, Louisiana in late August, was able to birdie the 11th and 13th to offset further bogeys at the long 12th and 15th.
Defending champion Lesley Atkins (Gullane Ladies) had a double bogey 6 at the sixth on her way to a three-over 74, the same score as 14-year-old Clara Young (North Berwick), the youngest ever East Lothian women's county champion and a GB and I team member in the recent Junior Vagliano Trophy match for Under-16s at Royal Porthcawl against the Continent of Europe.
Also on 74 were Rachel Polson (Peterculter), recent winner of the Janice Moodie Trophy at Windyhill) and Gabrielle Macdonald (Craigielaw), reserve to last week's Scotland squad in the European girls' team championship in Sardinia.
Alyson McKechin, one of the girls who did play in that championship at Is Molas, finished on 76 today when, with two holes to play she had a chance of ending the day in the top three before she bogeyed the 17th and double-bogeyed the 18th for two halves of 38.
Shannon McGuire from Canmore finished on 78 but was bracketed with the leaders when she went to the turn in 36, thanks to birdies at the short fifth and long eighth cancelling out shots dropped at the second and ninth. But it was the proverbial game of two halves for Shannon - she required 42 shots for the inward journey: five bogeys and a doubel bogey at the 17th.
The leading 32 players after tomorrow's second qualifying round will go forward to the match-play stages. Going into the second round there are 34 players on 81 or better which suggests the cut-off mark for the match-play draw will be 162 or 163 ... if there is no dramatic change in the weather.
 The 18-hole final will be staged on Saturday morning.

FIRST QUALIFYING ROUND
Par 71 (36-35). Yardage 5,803
71 Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm).
72 Connie Jaffrey (Troon Ladies).
73 Gemma Dryburgh (Beaconsfield).
74 Rachel Polson (Peterculter), Gabrielle Macdonald (Craigielaw), Lesley Atkins (Gullane), Clara Young (North Berwick).
75 Emily Aird (Blairgowrie), Lauren Whyte (St Regulus), Hannah McCook (Grantown on Spey), Emma Greenlees (Dumfries and Galloway), Tegan Seivwright (Deeside).
76 Rachael Walker (Dumfries and Co), Heather Munro (Monifieth), Jemma Chalmers (Monifieth), Keren Ward (Glen), Alyson McKechin (Elderslie), Hannah Scott (Broomieknowe).
77 Tara MacTaggart (Minto), Ailsa Summers (Carnoustie Ladies), Jessica Meek (Carnoustie Ladies).
78 Shannen McGuire (Canmore), Eleanor Tunn (Reay).
79 Danielle Ker (Roxburghe), Kate McIntosh (Broomieknowe), Olivia Borwick (McDonald Ellon).
80 Eilidh Watson (Muckhart), Hannah Robb (Strathmore). Jorden Ferrie (Kirkintilloch)
81 Megan Clyne (Deeside), Linsey Stevenson (Elie and Earlsferry), Emma Caddow (Strathaven), Mhairi McKay (West Kilbride), Kimberley Beveridge (Aboyne).
PROJECTED CUT-OFF MARK AFTER TWO ROUNDS
82 Nicola Taylor (Dunnikier Park), Nicola Robertson (Dunblane New), Molly Stewart (Murcar Links).
83 Emma Hale (Troon Ladies).    
84 Alison Goodwin (Glenbervie), Alexandra Tait (St Regulus), Katie McGarva (Troon Ladies), Rheanna Thom (Alyth), Emily Dalgetty (Glencorse).
85 Claire Gadsby (Crieff), Chloe Goadby (St Regulus).
86 Mirren Fraser (Powfoot), Sophie Maguire (St Regulus), Catherine Small (Gullane Ladies), Rosie Everett (Craigielaw).
87 Eva O'Connor (Bothwell Castle).
88 Hazel MacGarvie (Troon Ladies).
89 Shannon McWilliam (Aboyne).
90 Kirsten Pryde (Deeside), Jessica Dalgetty (Glencorse), Alexandra Qayum (Ranfurly Castle).
91 Emma Kennedy (Paisley), Claire Robertson (Carnoustie Ladies), Catherine Goodwin (Glenbervie).
92 Kirsty Brodie (Strathmore).
94 Emily Glencorse (Millport), Heather Neilson (Mouse Valley)
95 Jennifer Allan (Glenbervie).
97 Leanne Wilson (Kelso), Joanne Free (Musselburgh Old).
99 Alexandra Brown (Turnberry).
108 Julie Glencorse (Millport).