CLARA YOUNG v ALYSON McKECHIN FINAL AT LONGNIDDRY

Clara Young, 16-year-old fourth seed from North Berwick, will play the seventh seed, Elderslie's Alyson McKechin, 19 years old from Paisley, in tomorrow's 18-hole final of the 99th Scottish women's amateur championship at Longniddry Golf Club.
Clara, who recently regained the East Lothian women's county champion and is believed to be the youngest player to reach the last stage of the "Scottish," beat 20-year-old Rachel Polson (Peterculter) by 4 and 3 in the first semi-final this afternoon. Clara and Rachel are pictured above, by Gillian Kirkwood, before the match teed off.
Clara started with a double bogey 6 but covered the next 14 holes in three under par figures, finishing off the match in style with back-to-back birdies.
Alyson, leader of the SLGA Women's Order of Merit, is also through to the national final for the first time. She beat the 2009 champion, Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm) by 2 and 1 in a semi-final distinguished by very good scoring.
McKechin was four under par and had six birdies in all.
Briggs had an eagle 3 at the 15th and birdied the fourth. She was approximately two under par.   


Clara Young bt Rachel Polson 4 and 3

Polson won the first where Young had a double bogey.
Young squared with a birdie at the second and went one up with a par 3 a the fourth.
Six holes halved in birdie 2.s
Polson had a double bogey 6 to lose the seventh. Young two up.
Polson birdied the eighth. Young one up.   
Ninth halved in pars. Young one up at the turn
10th and 11 holes halved. Young remains one up 
Young went two up with a par at the 12th.
Hole 13 halved in par. Young remains two up.
Young won the 14th with a birdie 4 to go three up. 
Young also won the 15th with a birdie 4 to win the match 4 and 3.

          Alyson McKechin (left) and Megan Briggs before the start of their semi-final.

                                                            Picture by Gillian Kirkwood.

Alyson McKechin bt Megan Briggs 2 and 1.

Briggs won the first with a par.
Third hole halved in birdie 4s.
McKechin won the fourth with a birdie 3. All square.
Fifth, sixth and seventh holes halved.
McKechin won the eighth with a par 4. McKechin one up.
Ninth halved in par. McKechin one up at the turn
Briggs squared match with a par at the 10th hole.   
McKechin birdied the 11th to go one up again.a
Hole 12 halved in par, McKechin remains one up. 
McKechin won the 13th with a par 4. McKechin now two up. 
The 14th was halved in birdie 4s.
Briggs won the long 15th with an eagle 3 to McKechin's birdie 4 to be one down with three to play.
McKechin had her third birdie in a row, a 2 at the short 16th to regain a two-hole lead
The 17th hole was halved in pars, leaving McKechin the winner by 2 and 1. 

Today's results at Longniddry:

QUARTER-FINALS

Rachel Polson (Peterculter) bt Louise Macgregor (Falkirk) 4 and 3. 
Clara Young (North Berwick) bt Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm) 3 and 2.
Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm) bt Louise Fraser (Kingsknowe) at 19th.
Alyson McKechin (Elderslie) bt Hannah McCook (Grantown on Spey) 5 and 3. 

SEMI-FINALS
Young bt Polson 4 and 3.
 McKechin bt Megan Briggs 2 and 1. 

  Sheena Wood, Longniddry ladies captain Kathy Gibson (who was the match referee), and Kimberley Beveridge. Picture by Gillian Kirkwood

KIMBERLEY WINS CLARK ROSEBOWL

Kimberley Beveridge, 17-year-old Aboyne player, beat Sheena Wood (Aberdeen Ladies) in an all-North-east final to the Clark Rosebowl competition. Kimberley beat Sheena by 2 and 1.
The win was revenge for a 26^th hole defeat in the semi-finals of the Aberdeenshire county championship at Kemnay earlier this month.

All square at the turn, Kimberley, whose brother Keil is professional at Kippie Lodge Sports and Country Club, Milltimber and partner to last year's Scottish amateur champion Laura Murray, won the 11^th and 12^th, lost the 13^th but won the 16^th to go two up and she held on for victory.

In the morning semi-finals, one-handicapper Kimberley had beaten another North-east player, Banchory's Linda Urquhart by 7 and 6.

Kimberley, a pupil at Aboyne Academy, won the Paul Lawrie girls' match-play tournament last year and she has played - and won a £100 amateur prize voucher - on the new Paul Lawrie Tour this year.

"I love the Paul Lawrie Tour," said Kimberley. "This victory in the Clark Rosebowl is my best win todate."

  Clark Rosebowl results:

SEMI-FINALS
Kimberley Beveridge (Aboyne) bt Linda Urquhart (Banchory) 7 and 6.
Sheena Wood (Aberdeen Ladies) bt Denise Cowan (Ranfurly Castle) 5 and 4.
FINAL
Beveridge bt Wood 2 and 1.