ALYSON McKECHIN IS NEW SCOTTISH WOMEN'S AMATEUR CHAMPION

Clark Rosebowl winner Kimberley Beveridge (Aboyne), Scottish championship winner Alyson McKechin (Elderslie) and runner-up Clara Young (North Berwick). Picture by Gillian Kirkwood

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com 
Alyson McKechin, 19-year-old member of Elderslie Golf Club, is the winner of the 99th Scottish women's amateur championship at Longniddry Golf Club, East Lothian.

The Paisley player, who was the seventh seed of the 32 match-play qualifiers, beat 16-year-old East Lothian county champion Clara Young, the youngest player ever to reach the national final, by 3 and 2 in a scheduled 18-hole match played in very wet weather.
Young, who played for GB and Ireland in the inaugural Junior Vagliano Trophy match against the Continent of Europe at Royal Porthcawl two years ago, was the fourth seed.
McKechin, pictured, one of the favourites for the title after finishing joint second in the Helen Holm Scottish women's open amateur stroke-play championship and having joint second finish at Ratho Park among the pros on the Paul Lawrie Tour, was never behind against Young.
She was four up after eight holes, thanks to birdies at the third, fourth and seventh, and five up at the turn after Young had a double bogey 6 at the ninth.

   Longniddry's 18th green showing signs of excess water

McKechin, who works part-time at the Glasgow Indoor Golf Centre, herself had a double bogey 6 at the 10th to lose her first hole of the final but regained a five-hole lead when Young bogeyed the 11th.
Schoolgirl Clara kept her hopes alive of becoming the youngest ever player to win the Scottish title by winning the 13th, 14th and 15th, the latter two holes with birdies, to be two down with three to play.
But McKechin, who hopes to turn professional at the end of next season, clinched the title by winning the short 16th for a 3 and 2 win.
McKechin, three under par for the first seven holes was approximately three over par for the 16 holes, while Young was roughly seven over par in the awful conditions.      
As Scottish champion McKechin has an obvious chance of being selected for the Great Britain and Ireland team of nine for the Vagliano Trophy match against the Continent of Europe at Chantilly at the end of June, especially if she does well in the British women's open amateur championship at Machynys, South Wales in mid-June.

RESULT OF FINAL
Alyson McKechin (Elderslie) bt Clara Young (North Berwick) 3 and 2.