GEMMA HEADS SCOTS CHALLENGE AT PRESTWICK

Aberdeen-born Gemma Dryburgh has the best chance of the five Scottish qualifiers for Friday's final two rounds of preventing this year's British women's open amateur stroke-play golf championship finishing up in Chinese or Italian hands.
The 20-year-old daughter of a North-east oil executive and a student at Tulane University, New Orleans, Gemma is in joint third place at halfway behind the two players who contested last Friday's British girls championship final at Fairhaven - Singapore-based 17-year-old Jing Yan (China) and 18-year-old Italian Roberta Liti.
Gemma, with a pair of 72s, is level with Rachael Goodall (Heswall)on four-under-par 144, four shots behind all-the-way leader Yan (68-72) and two behind Liti (72-70).
"I didn't drive so well today but my putting was just as good as in the first round," said Gemma who birdied the first, sixth, eighth, 12th and 15th in halves of 37-35.
Lauren Whyte (St Regulus), last year's Scottish U18 girls champion, pulled herself up in a tie for sixth place with a 71 for 146.
The St Andrews player was heading for a sub-70 score after some excellent play to birdie the long seventh, the long eighth, the 10th, the short 11th, the long 12th and the 16th.
Then, as it has a habit of doing, the ancient Prestwick links got its own back, at the 17th which cost Whyte a double bogey 6. But still a very good effort by the Fifer who had bogeyed the fifth before her purple patch.
St Rule Trophy winner Ailsa Summers (Carnoustie Ladies) is joint 18th at halfway on 151 with rounds of 76 and 75.
Like Lauren Whyte, Ailsa discovered to her cost that Prestwick, even on a relatively calm, warm late summer's day, can cause a player unexpected grief.
Summers had an eagle 3 at the seventh and birdies at the 12th, 14th and 16th .... but also a triple bogey 8 at the ninth and a triple bogey 7 at the 13th. She was badly bunkered at both holes.
Ailsa's fellow St Andrews student, Gabrielle Macdonald (Craigielaw) is sharing 21st place on 152 with rounds of 75 and 77.
The last of five Scottish qualifiers is Stirling student Hannah McCook (Grantown on Spey) with scores of 78 and 77 to make the cut with nothing to spare on 155,
Disappointing that Scottish champion Alyson McKechin (Elderslie) missed the cut by two with scores of 79-7 for 157, one better than Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm) (82-76).
Scottish U18 girls champion Connie Jaffrey (Troon Ladies) missed out on 159 (79-80) as did Germany-based Rebecca McGeehan (82-160), Clara Young (North Berwick) (81-161), Iona Stephen (Ranfurly Castle) (76-162), Hannah Scott (Broomieknowe) (84-164), Heather Munro (Monifieth) (91-165) and Louise Macgregor (Falkirk) (86-178).
Heather Munro had 8s at the 15th and 17th.