KELSEY AND HEATHER ONLY SCOTS TO ADVANCE IN MOROCCO

By COLIN FARQUHARSON Colin@scottishgolfview.com Stirling student Kelsey MacDonald from Nairn (far right) and Dunblane's Heather MacRae, a staff pro at Gleneagles Hotel, cleared the first hurdle with something to spare in their bid to win Ladies European Tour cards in Morocco today where the temperature was around 21 or 22 degrees, a wee bit warmer than in their native Scotland. But Scottish amateur champion Laura Murray from Alford, Glasgow's Gemma Webster and Majorca-based Lauren Mackin failed to figure among the 91 qualifiers from the two fields in the Stage 1 eliminator over the Al Maaden and Amelkis courses at Marrakech. Kelsey, playing as an amateur, finished joint fifth in Field A with a 10-under-par total of 288. She added a two-under-par 70 at the Amelkis course today after earlier scores of 72, 67 and 69 had removed most of the pre-qualifying pressure. MacDonald had 17 birdies in all over the four rounds, including four in a row from the fourth to the seventh in Saturday's third round at Al Maaden. If things continue to run according to plan, Kelsey plans to complete her degree course at Stirling University and then make her debut on the Ladies European Tour in the late spring.  At Amelkis, Gemma Webster missed the qualifying limit mark of 294 by six shots with scores of 75, 74, 76 and 75 for 300. The Field A winner was Royal Lytham and St Annes GC amateur Emily Taylor who played as an amateur. This performance capped an outstanding season by the England youngster. She had four great rounds - 67-68-70-66 for an outstanding total of 17-under-par 271, finishing five shots ahead of her nearest rivals, Nina Holledery (Germany) and Sweden';s Camilla Lennarth.  In the Field B final round at Al Maaden, Heather MacRae survived a late wobble and a drop of several places before finishing joint 16th on three-under 285, nine shots inside the limit mark. Heather was cruising along nicely until she ran up a quadruple bogey 7 at the short 15th and then a bogey at the 18th. Her closing 75 was her worst effort of the four, following scores of 69, 69 and 72. Lauren Mackin agonisingly missed out by one with a total of 295. She bogeyed the 17th in returning a 74 after rounds of 74, 75 and 72. Laura Murray, who also won the St Rule Trophy at St Andrews this year, missed the Morocco mark by six shots with a total of 300 and rounds of 77, 75, 75 and 73. Murray, who played as an amateur, ran up five double bogeys over the first three rounds. In the final analysis, they meant the difference between qualifying and not qualifying for Laura who was playing at the Q School for the first time. The winner of the Field B competition was Maha Haddiou, an outstanding performance by the Moroccan who totalled 16-under-par 271 (67-73-74-68) in catching overnight leader Holly Clyburn from Cleethorpes and finishing three shots ahead of her. Curtis Cup star Holly shot 70-65-67-73 to finish second on 275. Former Scottish Under-16 girls open champion Laura Sedda from Italy finished joint fourth in Field B. Tiger Woods' niece Cheyenne Woods made a worthwhile trip from America to Morocco. She qualified with seven shots to spare in Field B. Three members of the winning GB and I Curtis Cup team at Nairn GC last June - Holly Clyburn, Kelly Tidy and Amy Boulden - figured among the qualifiers for the Final Stage. The Final Stage, which will be contested by the 91 qualifiers plus those players exempt from Stage 1, is over five rounds and starts at Marrakech on Thursday (December 13). The leading 30 and ties will win LET playing rights. LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR QUALIFYING SCHOOL SCORES Stage 1 at Marrakech, Morocco. Rounds at Al Maaden and Amelkis courses. FIELD A Final round at Amelkis LEADING QUALIFIERS Par 288 (4x72) 271 Emily Taylor (Eng) (am) 67 68 70 66 276 Nina Holleder (Ger) 71 68 67 70, Camilla Lennarth (Swe) 70 69 68 69 277 Katie Burnett (US) 72 72 68 65 278 Kelsey MacDonald (Sco) (am) 72 67 69 70, Julia Davidsson (Swe) 68 69 71 70. Other qualifiers included: 283 Kelly Tidy (Eng) 70 71 69 73 (T12) 286 Charlie Douglass (Eng) 69 73 75 69 (T20) 290 Tara Dayer-Smith (Eng) 71 72 75 72, Rhian Wyn Thomas (Wal) 71 68 75 76 (T26) 291 Charlotte Wild (Eng) 72 73 74 72 (T32) 294 Lucy Davies (Eng) 71 74 78 71 (T41) +46 players with totals of 294 and better qualified for the Final Stage. DID NOT QUALIFY 295 Sarah Jones (Wal) 73 73 74 75 297 Jessica Rigby (Eng)P 72 71 75 79 300 Gemma Webster (Sco) 75 74 76 75 301 Lisa Shervill (Eng) 77 68 78 78 309 Lauren Blease (Eng) 74 80 77 78 313 Rachel Drummond (Eng) 84 74 78 77 TO VIEW ALL THE FIELD A SCORES CLICK HERE   FIELD B Final round at Al Maaden. Par 288 (4x72) LEADING QUALIFIERS 272 Maha Haddiou (Mor) 67 73 64 68 275 Holly Clyburn (Eng) 70 65 67 73 278 Marta Silva (Spa) 72 69 70 67 279 Laura Sedda (Ita) 73 67 60 70, Fiona Puyo (Fra) 71 69 67 72 Other qualifiers included: 285 Hannah Ralph (Eng) 72 74 70 69, Heather MacRae (Sco) 69 69 72 75 (T16). 286 Eleanor Pilgrim (Wal) 70 72 76 68 (23rd) 287 Cheyenne Woods (US) 74 74 69 70 (T24) 289 Amy Boulden (Wal) 72 70 74 73 (T31) +45 Players with totals of 294 and better qualified for the Final Stage. DID NOT QUALIFY 295 Lauren Mackin (Sco) 74 75 72 74 297 Natalie Lowe (Eng) 76 71 75 75, Nicole Whitmore (Eng) (am) 75 74 73 75 298 Tracey Boyes (Eng) 73 76 72 77 300 Laura Murray (Sco) (am) 77 75 75 73 306 Hayleigh Wigmore (Eng) 74 74 83 75, Stacey Rodger (Eng) (am) 79 76 77 74. 307 Kirsty Fisher (Eng) 76 76 76 79 313 Tara Delaney (Ire) 78 70 80 85 TO VIEW ALL THE FINAL TOTALS CLICK HERE