GOOD DAY FOR SCOTS AS JING YAN SHOOTS SIX UNDER AT PRESTWICK

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Colin@scottishgolfview.com

Two Scots - Gemma Dryburgh and Heather Munro - in the top 10 and another two - Gabrielle Macdonald and Lauren Whyte in the leading dozen - added up to a good first day for the host country in the Brititish women's open amateur stroke play golf championship at Prestwick Golf Club.

After a brilliant six-under-par 68 by 17-year-old Chinese player Jing Yan, who won the British U18 girls championship at Fairhaven last Friday, it may well be a case of "Who's gonna be second?" but it still has the makings of fascinating final 54 holes over this ancient Ayrshire links, the birthplace of the Open championship.

Jing Yan, who had eight birdies and two bogeys in halves of 34 (four under going out, two under coming back), reckoned she putted better than she did at Fairhaven.

"This is certainly a much different course to any other I have played, but I like it. I like a challenge at golf and this course makes you use your mind more than most" said the Singapore-based teenager whose father is a TV golf commentator for ESPN.

Aberdeen-born Gemma Dryburgh, pictured above, a student at Tulane University, New Orleans, is one of five players on the two-under 72 mark behind Jing Lang and Ireland's Lisa Maguire on 71.

"I didn't have any three putts," said Gemma whose father is an Aberdeen-based oil executive.

"And that has not always been the case for me in big tournaments! But my coach, Lawrence Farmer, has been working with me over the summer and I am feeling happier with my all-round game"

Gemma birdied the seventh, ninth, 15th and 18th in halves of 37-35.

The course? "I love it and having a local caddie was a big help," she said.

Monifieth teenager Heather Munro did very well to keep her chin up after a bogey-bogey start and was rewarded with a level par round of 74 (39-35). She birdied the long third and eighth as well as the 16th.

St Andrews student Gabrielle Macdonald (Craigielaw) is on the 75 mark alongside Lauren Whyte (St Regulus). Gabrielle had four birdies and five bogeys in halves of 39-36, birdieing the 13th and long 17th to finish with a smile.

In contast, Lauren was out in 35 with birdies at three long holes, the third, seventh and eight but she lost her way metaphorically after the turn with bogeys at the 10th, 11th, 13th, 14th and 15th. A birdie at the long 17th was a light at the end of a dark tunnel of an inward half of 40 shots.

Carnoustie's Ailsa Summers, the St Rule Trophy winner at St Andrews in May. is joint 21st on 76 which included a double bogey at the 10th where she drove into the left rough and failed to get it out at the first attempt. She had a roller coaster ride over the closing holes: birdie at 12th, bogey at 13, bogey at 15, birdie at 16 and bogey at 17 in an inward 39.

The field will be cut to the leading 40 and ties after today's second round.

Overnight the leading 40 scored 78 or better on the first day when the CSS was 77, the same as the standard scratch.

Jing Yan pictured left; Lisa Maguire pictured right

FIRST ROUND SCOREBOARD
Par 74 SS 77 CSS 77
68 Jing Yan (China).
71 Lisa Maguiire (Slieve Russell).
72 A Boulden (Conwy), G Dryburgh (Beaconsfield), C Leathem (Styal) pictured right, R Liti (Italy), R Goodall (Heswall).
73 E Goddard (Royal Liverpool).
74 I Mehmet (Wentworth), L Bailey (Notts Ladies), H Munro (Monifieth).
75 M MacLaren (Wellingborough), J Soo (Australia), G Macdonald (Craigielaw), C Ryan (Castletroy), S Fuller (Roehampton), S Powell (Stockport), L Whyte (St Regulus), C Austwick (Fulford), E Taylor (Saunton).
76 A Bailey (Notts Ladies), A Ratcliffe (Royal Cromer), Leona Maguire (Slieve Russell), L Taylor (Woburn), N Garcia (South Africa), C Bofill (Denmark), S Attwood (Gog Magog), A Summers (Carnoustie Ladies).
77 S Keech (Parkstone), S Smart (Knowle), C Rogers (Braintree), B Law (Bramhall), S Giles (St Mellion), A Gittings (Walmley), K Smith (Waterlooville).
78 Hannah McCook (Grantown on Spey), R McGeechan (Germany), G Clews (Delamere Forest), B Popel (Long Ashton), C Reynolds (Seapoint), Sarah-Jane Boyd (Truro).
79 M Nicol (Moor Hall), L Goddard (Mid Herts), P Grant (Lisburn), C Thompson (Channels), V Craig (Royal Belfast), A Peters (Notts Ladies), A Storey (Close House), Bethan Morris (Tenby), M Dunne (Skerries), A McKechin (Elderslie), C Jaffrey (Troon Ladies)
80 P Finlay (Vicars Cross), L Grant (Lisburn), L Evans (Wrekin), J Maguire (Foxrock), C Young (North Berwick), E Harris (Peel), Hannah Scott (Broomieknowe), E O'Driscoll (Ballybunion), V Bradshaw (Bangor), O Mehaffey (Royal Co Down Ladies), S Birks (Llandrindod Wells).
81 L Tarn (Highgate), C Mortigliengo (Italy), S Tufail (Abu Dhabi), H Vizard (Pleasington).
82 E Briggs (Kilmacolm), B Davies (Trentham), E Prior (Burhill), D Macve (Surrey National), B Harries (Haverfordwest), S Sexton (Lahinch), A Farrell (Moate), E Mayr (Germany).
83 L J Alexander (Eaglescliffe), J O'Driscoll (Muskerry), M Hassan (Southerndown), J Ross (Donaghadee)
84 B Garton (Royal Lytham).
85 M Flori (Italy), K Bradbury (Cottrell Park).
86 B Tassi (Italy), I Stephen (Ranfurly Castle), V D'Ambrosio (Carluke).
87 L Simpson (Massarene), J Evans (Newport)
88 J Brook (Croham Hurst), A Glennie (Kilmarnock Barassie)
89 V Leardi (Italy).
91 G-W Park (Hampton Court). S Dewinton-Davies (Welshpool).
92 E Richards (Hagley), L Macgregor (Falkirk).
93 C Tassi (Italy), A Lundberg (Germany)
98 J Fernando (Pyecombe)
Withdrew: I Richardson (Queenwood).

Leading 40 and ties after Round 2 qualifying for final two rounds on Friday