NEW CHAMPION ALYSON McKECHIN WILL DEFEND TITLE AT PRESTWICK NEXT YEAR

                       JUST CHAMPION! Alyson McKechin with the championship trophy
                                                              Picture by Gillian Kirkwood 

FROM THE SLGA WEBSITE
REPORT BY ELSPETH BURNSIDE

Alyson McKechin (Elderslie) fulfilled a childhood dream when she defeated Clara Young (North Berwick) 3 and 2 to win the Scottish Ladies’ Amateur Championship at Longniddry.

“Winning the Scottish Championship is something I have thought abut ever since I started playing golf,” said the 19-year-old, who had her Dad, Ian, as her caddie. “I am proud to be the first winner from Elderslie and hope it inspires other girls at the club.”

With torrential rain making conditions far from easy, McKechin birdied two of the first three holes and moved three up at the short sixth where Young fund trouble from the tee.

Aiming to become the youngest ever winner, the 16 year-old East Lothian girl struggled to find the fairway in the atrocious conditions and was five down at the turn.

But she then made a great, late comeback, winning three holes in a row from the 13th and was just two down with three to play.

But McKechin held her nerve and a winning par three at the shot 16th prompted the shake of hands.

“I started out very well but the mistakes started to creep in as the weather deteriorated,” said the new champion. “That let her in and she took her chance and it was beginning to become very close. 

“It’s great to win and it was good to have Dad on the bag. He kept me calm and made sure I didn’t get too far ahead of myself.

“I started playing golf when I was 12 and have come through all the Scottish squads from development upwards. This just feels so special.”

Young admitted that McKechin had played the better golf. “She put me under a lot of pressure at the start,” she said. “But I can take a lot of positives from week. I would certainly have taken a place in the final at the start of the Championship.”

Catriona Matthew, who lives in North Berwick and is a Vice-President of the Scottish Ladies’ Golfing Association, was one of the brave spectators that watched all 16 holes.

“They are both great players and good to see two youngsters in the final,” said the three-time former champion and the only Scottish female golfer to win a major title, at the 2009 Ricoh Women’s British Open Champion.

McKechin , joint runner-up at the Helen Holm Scottish Open Strokeplay Championship last month, has now extended her lead on the SLGA’s Order of Merit.

“It certainly has been a great start to the season,” said the girl who works part-time at the Glasgow Indoor Golf Centre. “And I’ll be back to defend at Prestwick next year."