FRENCH FORCE WILL MAKE IT TOUGH FOR ALYSON McKECHIN TO WIN ST RULE TROPHY

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Colin@scottishgolfview.com

Alyson McKechin's bid this weekend to become only the fifth player  - Catriona Lambert/Matthew (twice), Anne Laine and Heather Stirling Stirling  were the others - to win the Scottish women's amateur championship and the St Rule Trophy in the same year coincides with the strongest French entry since 2008 for the prestigious 54-hole event over the Old and New courses, St Andrews.

The French Federation has sent over arguably an even stronger squad of players than five years ago when a sterling effort by home-grown Kylie Walker, who was chased home by French players in second, third, fourth and joint fifth place, denied them a first individual success in the St Rule Trophy although they won the international team event by 10 shots.

Spearheading the French challenge this weekend is last year's European women's amateur champion Celine Boutier, ranked No 22 in the Women's World Amateur Rankings and a student at Duke University in America, and another US college player Manon Gidali (Arizona), twice a winner in the States and ranked No 74 in the world.
A third very good player in the French party is Alexandra Bonetti, winner of the British girls open title at Royal Belfast in 2010 and, like Boutier and Gidali, now also a student at an American college.

All in all, Elderslie GC member McKechin, pictured, from Paisley, will have to hit peak form, as she did at Longniddry a couple of weeks ago to win the national title.

Other contenders in one of the strongest St Rule Trophy fields in its 30-year history include British and English stroke play champion Sarah-Jane Boyd from Cornwall, Meghan MacLaren (Wellingborough), three times a winner on the US college circuit and  winner of the Irish women's open amateur stroke-play title last weekend, and Jess Meek from Carnoustie, who leads the professionals in the Paul Lawrie Scottish Ladies Tour's Order of Merit with a cluster of top five finishes.

There is no cut in the three-round St Rule Trophy. All 60 competitors will play two rounds over the New Course on Saturday and one round over the Old Course on Sunday. It is a unique tournament in that the players know in advance all three of their starting times. The leaders do not go out last on Sunday.

Three players have withdrawn this week - Dulcie Sverdlof (Garon Park), Tara MacTaggart (Minto) and Hannah McCook (Grantown on Spey).
Their places have been filled by Ann Colligan (USA), Katie Reid (Monifieth) and Iona Stephen (Ranfurly Castle).