PAMELA PRETSWELL LEADS SCOTS' BID TO BANISH HELEN HOLM HOLM HOODOO ON HOME WINNERS AT TROON

                    PAMELA PRETSWELL ... Last Scot to win "Helen Holm" was Heather Stirling in 2002
                                                            Image by Cal Carson Golf Agency
By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com

It's 10 years since a Scot last won the Helen Holm Scottish women's open amateur stroke play golf championshipt at Troon. But Curtis Cup selection Pamela Pretswell from Hamilton might be just about to banish the hoodoo on home winners in the SLGA's flagship card-and-pencil tournament.

The 22-year-old from Hamilton (she will be 23 on May 6) carries a one-shot lead from a clutch of quality players into Sunday's final 18 holes over the Royal Troon championship links.
Pretswell took up the running in today's second round as overnight leaders Leona Maguire (Slieve Russell) - also in the GB and I team for Nairn from June 8-10 - and Rachael Goodall (Heswall) failed to follow up their splendid opening efforts of seven-under-par 68 apiece.
In fairness to Leona and Rachael, the conditions today were at least a couple of shots more difficult than Friday's bright and not breezy conditions. The inward half, in particular, was not giving up many birdies.
Bothwell Castle's Pretswell, a full-time amateur since she graduated from Glasgow University last May, improved on her first-day 71 by one stroke and a nine-under-par 36-hole tally of nine-under par 141 was good enough to see her take over the clubhouse lead in the early afternoon, a shot ahead of a third Curtis Cup player, Amy Boulden from Wales (70-72), Rachael Goodall (68-74) and France's Perrine Delacour (70-72) who won the British girls open championship at West Lancs GC in 2009.
Leona Maguire fell back with a 75 for 143, the same mark as France's Celine Boutier (71-72), beaten in the final of the British girls open championship at Gullane last August and winner of the French Under-21 open girls title earlier this month.
Pretswell had seven birdies and two bogeys in her five-under 70. Five of her birdies came at the par-5 holes at which some of the top class players are playing short irons to get up in two ... such is the progress in ability and equipment compared with 10 years ago.
Pamela, who had been playing with the lady pros on the Ladies European Tour's developmental circuit (LETAS) to gain experience ahead of her plan to turn pro with a LET players' card in her pocket after the Q School at La Manga next January, looked in good fettle with birdies at the long second, fifth, long sixth, long ninth (out in four-under 34), long 12th, 13th and long 15th towards an inward half of one-under 36.
Well that she is playing, Pamela failed to master Troon Portland's closing holes over the two rounds. She had a double bogey 7 at the last in her first round and she bogeyed the short 14th and par-4 17th in Round 2.
The last Scot to win the "Helen Holm" was Heather Stirling in 2002, last heard of caddieing in Florida.
Leona Maguire, a +5 player who was last year's British women's open stroke play champion by half a dozen strokes and winner last weekend of the Irish Under-18 girls open stroke-play, again by a very comfortable margin, was grateful to get off the Troon Portland course today with a par-matching 75 because she was three-over for the day with three to play.
Then 17-year-old twin Leona birdied the short 16th, the par-4 18th and the par-5 18th.
Earlier things had not gone their usual smooth way for the +5 player who, at No 8 in the World's female amateur rankings, is the highest in the field (Charley Hull, who is No 4, pulled out before the tournament).
Leona's double bogey 5 at the short fourth was probably a shock to her system but she did get one back with a birdie 4 at the long sixth as she turned in one-over 39. That became two over when she dropped a shot at the short 10th ... and it was three over par when she ran up a 6 at the long 15th.
Then Maguire showed her class with that birdie-birdie-birdie finish. She won this title in 2009. Don't write off her this year, just yet ...
Curtis Cup reserve Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) is on 146 after a pair of 73s while Scottish champion and Edinburgh teacher Louise Kenney (Pitreavie), the leading Scot in this championship last year, is well of the pace on 152 (76-76).

Late in the day, Alford's Laura Murray, winner of the St Rule Trophy at St Andrews the year before last, came in with a 72 for 146, only five shots off Pretswell's pace - and anything is possible if the wind blows over Royal Troon. That gave Scotland three players in the top 10 overnight.
Laura, who spends the winter Wednesdays playing on the men's North-east Alliance with a degree of success which is commendable considering she has to play off the same tees, had an uninspired first few holes and was two over par, with bogeys at the third and eight, on the ninth tee.
 Then it began to happen for long-hitting Laura. She birdied the long ninth to turn in one-over 39. One more bogey popped up at the 10th but then it was Murraymint - very sweet - from there in.
She birdied the long 11th, the long 12th, the 13th, the long 15th and the long 18th, covering the last eight holes of her round in five-under-par, an inward half of four-under 33.
All those who totalled nine-over-par 159 or better qualified for the final round.

It promises to be an exciting day over the Royal Troon links.
The SLGA - and the players - would like as many people to come along and watch as possible. There is no charge for admission, nor for parking. And you can walk a lot closer to these top-class amateurs than you would if it was the Open championship which, of course, happens fairly regularly at the Royal Troon. This year it's the men's British amateur which will hosted by Royal Troon and Glasgow Gailes (qualifyng rounds) from June 18 to 23.

SECOND-ROUND TOTALS

Par 150 (2x75) CSS for both rounds 77.

141 Pamela Pretswell (Bothwell Castle) 71 70

142 Amy Boulden (Conwy) 70 72, Rachael Goodall (Heswall) 68 74, Perrine Delacour (France) 70 72
143 Celine Boutier (France) 71 72, Leona Maguire (Slieve Russell) 68 75.
144 Becky Harries (Haverfordwest) 73 71
146 Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) 73 73, Johanna Bjork (Sweden) 75 71, Laura Murray (Alford) 74 72, Gemma Clews (Delamere Forest) 73 73
147 Emelie Lundstrom (Sweden) 72 75
148 Holly Clyburn (Woodhall Spa) 72 76, Rachael Taylor (Germany) 72 76
149 Bronte Law (Bramhall) 72 77, Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm) 73 76, Jess Wilcox (Blankney) 73 76, Nastja Banovec (Slovenia) 72 77, Chloe Ryan (Castletroy) 76 73, Daisy Dyer (Chigwell) 76 73
150 Jessica Carty (Holywood) 72 78, Leslie Cloots (Belgium) 75 75
151 Emily Taylor (Royal Lytham) 76 75, Kelly Tidy (Royal Birkdale) 72 79, Nikki Foster (Pleasington) 77 74
152 Gillian O'Leary (Cork) 80 72, Sophie Powell (Manchester) 77 75, Marthe Wold (Norway) 73 79, Alexandra Peters (Notts Ladies) 77 75, Louise Kenney (Pitreavie) 76 76, Gillian Monteith (Portpatrick Dunskey) 78 74, Sara Garbutt (Ganton) 78 74, Alyson McKechin (Elderslie) 76 76, Charlotte Thompson (Channels) 71 81
153 Emma Broze (France) 74 79, Jane Turner (Craigielaw) 74 79, Olivia Winning (Rotherham) 75 78, Natalie Lowe (Styal) 81 72, Elodie Bridenne (France) 80 73
154 Carla Reynolds (Seapoint) 73 81, Charlotte Wild (Mere) 78 76, Katherine O'Connor (Tadmarton Heath) 79 75, Emma O'Driscoll (Ballybunion) 79 75
155 Rachel Drummond (Beaconsfield) 76 79, Brogan Townend (Pleasington) 76 79, Hannah Barwood (Knowle) 77 78, Shelby Smart (Knowle) 77 78
156 Nicole Whitmore (Woburn) 77 79, Kerry Smith (Waterlooville) 75 81, Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm) 78 78, Louise Mernagh (Woodenbridge) 79 77, Alexandra Moisand (France) 74 82, Lucy Simpson (Massereene) 73 83, Hannah Grant (Enmore Park) 76 80, Ailsa Summers (Carnoustie Ladies) 78 78, Hannah McCook (Grantown on Spey) 80 76
157 Ariane Provot (France) 80 77, Meghan MacLaren (Wellingborough) 78 79, Gemma Bradbury (Cottrell Park) 79 78
158 Sarah-Jane Boyd (Truro) 81 77, Anna Appert Lund (Sweden) 78 80, Gabrielle Macdonald (Craigielaw) 83 75, Jessica Meek (Carnoustie) 75 83
159 Ellie Robinson (Wilton) 79 80, Katerina Slukova (Czech Rep) 75 84, Clara Young (North Berwick) 81 78, Rachel Walker (Dumfries and Co) 77 82, Bronwyn Davies (Trentham) 78 81, Charlene Reid (Royal Portrush) 79 80, Gill Nutter (Formby Ladies) 79 80

MISSED THE CUT

160 Martine Pow (Selkirk) 81 79, Olivia Hullert (Norway) 80 80, Naomi Edwards (Ganton) 83 77.

161 Kate McIntosh (Broomieknowe) 80 81
162 Ann F Ramsay (Kirriemuir) 85 77, Connie Jaffrey (Troon Ladies) 77 85, Aedin Murphy (Carlow) 78 84, Faustine Lopez (France) 82 80, Maria Tonnessen (Norway) 81 81
163 Lucy Gould (Bargoed) 79 84, Katie Rule (St Enodoc) 80 83, Sarah Cunningham (Ennis) 80 83.
164 Jade Downes (Oak's) 83 81.
165 Jordana Graham (Southerness) 87 78, Rebecca Wilson (Grange) 81 84
166 Jean O'Driscoll (Muskerry) 80 86, Therese Larsson (Sweden) 77 89
167 Anja Kim (Slovenia) 81 86.
168 Linsey Stevenson (Elie and Earlsferry Ladies) 82 86, Tara MacTaggart (Minto) 82 86, Kimberley Beveridge (Aboyne) 86 82.
170 Daisy Wakelin (Deer Park) 88 82
172 Katie Reid (Monifieth) 82 90, Jacqueline Sneddon (Alyth) 92 80.
179 Rebecca Frost (Holywell) 85 94.

SUNDAY TEE TIMES OVER ROYAL TROON
07.30 Slukova, Walker.
07.40 Davies, Charlene Reid.
07.50 Robinson, Nutter, Young.
08.00 Meek, Lund, Boyd.
08.10 Gabrielle Macdonald, MacLaren, Bradbury.
08.20 Provot, Simpson, Moisand.
08.30 Kerry Smith, Grant, Whitmore.
08.40 Megan Briggs, Summers, Mernagh.
08.50 McCook, Drummond, Townend.
09.00 Smart, Barwood, Reynolds.
09.10 Wild, Emma O'Driscoll, O'Connor.
09.20 Turner, Broze, Winning.
09.30 Bridenne, Lowe, Thompson.
09.40 Wold, McKechin, Kenney.
09.50 Peters, Powell, Garbutt.
10.00 Monteith, O'Leary, Tidy.
10.10 Emily Taylor, Foster, Carty.
10.20 Cloots, Banovec, Law.
10.30 Wilcox, Eilidh Briggs, Dyer.
10.40 Ryan, Clyburn, Rachael Taylor
11.00 Murray, Bjork, Harriews.
11.10 Leona Maguire, Boutier, Goodall.
11.20 Boulden, Delacour, Pretswell

HOW THEY STAND IN INTERNATIONAL TEAM EVENT

285 FRANCE (142 Delacour 70 72. 143 Boutier 71 72)
286 WALES (142 Boullden 70 72. 144 Harries 73 71)
287 SCOTLAND (141 Pretswell 71 70. 146 Kelsey MacDonald 73 73)
295 IRELAND (143 Maguire 68 75, O'Leary 80 72).
297 ENGLAND (148 Clyburn 72 76, 149 Law 72 77).