GEMMA HEADS FOR GLENISLA AFTER SUCCESS AT THE BERKSHIRE

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com 
Aberdeen teenager Gemma Dryburgh will tee off this morning on a high in the first qualifying round of the Scottish Under-18 girls' championship at Glenisla Golf Club, Alyth.
Today she played in the pre-qualifying round of the Ricoh Women's British Open championship at The Berkshire Golf Club, Ascot - and a par round of 72 secured a place in the final qualifier at Panmure Golf Club for the major championship at Carnoustie later this month.
Then she set off a high speed to travel the 400 miles or so north to the Perthshire venue for this week's girls' championship.
Dryburgh has recently flown home for the summer from Florida where she is a successful student, on and off the golf course, at the IMG David Leadbetter Academy, Bradenton. An experienced player in American junior events, Gemma has yet to make a name for herself in her native land - but that could all change this week at Glenisla.
Playing off one of a handicap - her American handicap is +2, Dryburgh should go close to winning the championship - she reached the semi-finals last year - and is determined to impress the SLGA selectors enough for them to award her her first Scotland cap for the girls' home internationals at Gullane early next month.
Certainly Dryburgh's form over the last week or two has been impress - third in the Bridget Jackson Bowl, top-10 in the Astor Salver and now one of the qualifiers from a big field at The Berkshire today.
Standing between Gemma and the Under-18s title - the leading 32 players after the 36-hole eliminator - go into the match-play stages - are players of the calibrie of Kilmacolm's Eilidh Briggs, Renfrewshire women's county champion and beaten finalist in the Scottish women's amateur championship at Machrihanish in May, and the rest of the Scotland team just back from the heat of Sardinia in last week's European girls team championship:
Lauren Whyte (St Regulus), Hannah McCook (Grantown on Spey), Ailsa Summers (Carnoustie Ladies), Clara Young (North Berwick) and Alyson McKechin (Elderslie).
Tournament director Claire Hargan reports that, like almost every other golf course in Scotland, Glenisla is very, very wet and will play every inch of its 5,803yd with little or no run on the fairways. The par is 71 but the Standard Scratch 73.
Lesley Atkins (Gullane Ladies) is the defending champion and last year's beaten finalist, Kate McIntosh (Broomieknowe) is also in the field again.
+The Glenisla course was originally built and opened by the Glenshee Lift Company in 1995 as a summer business to give their ski trade employees some work in the off-season. Then that company went bust, the course was bought by the Somerville family who have invested heavily in the project and plan a housing development in the area.