AILSA SUMMERS THE BIG CLIMBER IN REVISED WORLD RANKINGS

 AILSA SUMMERS,  a career amateur as golfer, around whom the SLGA could build future   teams. Picture by Cal Carson Golf Agency

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Colin@scottishgolfview.com
St Rule Trophy winner Ailsa Summers is the big climber in this week's revised Women's World Amateur Golf Rankings.
Her brilliant weekend victory at St Andrews with a 16-under-par total has  rocketed the 19-year-old Carnoustie player  up from No 938 to 697, a leap of 241 positions.

Fellow St Andrews University student Gabrielle MacDonald (Craigielaw), pictured right, who also stepped up more than one gear to finish fifth in the St Rule Trophy, has gone up 136 places in the WAGR to No 338.


The old order is certainly changing in Scottish women's amateur golf.
Aberdeen-born Gemma Dryburgh is the leading Scot at 255 in the WAGR, followed by Eilidh Briggs (Elderslie) on 315, 19-year-old Jessica Meek (Carnoustie)  third on 337, then Gabrielle MacDonald, Rachael Watton (Mortonhall) fifth on 381 and Scottish champion Alyson McKechin.
Dryburgh cannot play in next week's British women's amateur
championship at Machynys Peninsula GC, near Llanelli because she has summer classes at Tulane University, New Orleans.
But Briggs, Meek, MacDonald, Watton, McKechin and Summers will be heading for South Wales, all with a chance of improving their world ranking with a good performance in a very strong field for the "British."
Ailsa Summers is the kind of young player around whom the SLGA could build a team for the future.
She is a career amateur as a golfer - the last 12 St Rule Trophy winners have all turned pro - and dedicated to her maths and statistics studies at St Andrews.
"I love it at St Andrews and I never really considered going to an
American university. I like to be near home at Carnoustie and St Andrews has become a second home for me," said Ailsa.
"I have never had an ambition to become a professional golfer and
winning the St Rule Trophy does not change anything in that direction."
That is not to say that Ailsa would not be averse to following clubmate Jessica Meek's example in finishing ahead of the pros on the Paul Lawrie Scottish Ladies Open Tour.

Summers will make her debut in the 18-hole events at Downfield GC, Dundee and Carnoustie Burnside on Tuesday-Wednesday, July 2-3.
She would have played in the following week's PLGC SLOT events at Blairgowrie Rosemount (July 11) and Alyth (July 12) but her well-deserved selection for the Scotland squad to compete in the European women's amateur team championships at Fulford GC, Yorkshire that week has ruled that out.
"I do plan to play some more events on the Paul Lawrie Tour before going back to St Andrews University, probably the ones at Fairmont St Andrews
(August 26) and The Duke's (August 27)."
The leading 10 Scots in the revised Women's World Amateur Rankings are:
1 Gemma Dryburgh WAGR 255
2 Eilidh Briggs 315
3 Jessica Meek 337
4 Gabrielle MacDonald 338
5 Rachael Watton 381
6 Alyson McKechin 426
7 Lauren Whyte 433
8 Ailsa Summers 697
9 Jane Turner 791

10 Clara Young 843.