HEATHER PUTS IN ANOTHER STERLING PERFORMANCE IN MOROCCO
By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
Heather Stirling, 36, from Bridge of Allan, who gave up playing golf for six years to be a professional caddie on both sides of the Atlantic, is sharing the lead in the "C" section of the Ladies European Tour Qualifying School Stage 1 competition over the Blue Course at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam, Rabat in Morocco.
It was the inaugural Paul Lawrie Scottish Ladies Tour that persuaded Stirling, pictured by Cal Carson Golf Agency, a former Scottish women's amateur champion and past Curtis Cup player, to dust off her clubs and take up the game again.
She did so well that she won that mini-tour's Order of Merit on which the first prize was free flights and accommodation in Morocco for the LET Q School.
Stirling has shot 75-73 for a halfway total of four-over-par 144, sharing the "C" lead with Krista Bakker, a Finnish amateur (73-75)
and Ireland's Tara Delaney (76-72) who, like Stirling, is a former GB and I Curtis Cup team player, in 2006, four years later than Heather.
Stirling struggled a bit to the turn in her second round and was four over par after 11 holes with only a birdie at the long sixth to offset bogeys at the second, fifth, seventh, ninth and 11th.
But, putting left-handed as she always does, Heather holed birdie putts at the short 12th, long 17th and par-4 18th for a grandstand inish of two-under-par inward half of 34.
Penicuik's Jane Turner, the only other Scot in the "C" Group, shot a 79 for 156 and has dropped back to joint 13th. Only the leading 15 and ties from this group after 72 holes will advance to next week's
Final Q School at Marrakech.
Turner had double bogeys at the fifth and 14th but fortunately she continues to get birdies, boosting her total to six over two rounds at the third, fifth and 13th.
Elie-based, Edinburgh-born rookie Sally Watson is lying joint second in the "B" Group over the par-73 and arguably more difficult course with rounds of 74 and 75 for 149 - two behind German amateur Karolin Lampert who produced an exceptional second-round 69 to go two clear on 147.
Watson, a two-time past Curtis Cup player, would have been sharing the lead but for a double bogey 6 at the 16th after birdies at the eighth and 15th in steady halves of 37-38.
Only the leading 23 and ties will qualify for the Final Q School and Sally is now the only Scot within that comfort zone.
Alford's Laura Murray dropped out of it with an 86, including three double bogeys, for 162 and 32nd place at halfway. Birdies at the 13th and 14th have kept her in with a fighting chance.
Carnoustie's Katy McNicol shot an 80 for 163 and joint 33rd place.
Ellon's Michele Thomson and Kelly Brotherton from Dollare are joint 40th on 166. Michele, who has played 36 holes without a single birdie, had a second-round 81, Kelly a 79.
LEADERBOARD
PRE-QUALIFIER "B"
Red Course
Par 146 (2x73)
147 Karolin Lampert (Ger) (am) 78 69
149 Sally Watson (Sco) 74 75, Ariane Provot (Fra) 74 75
150 Amy Boulden (Wal) 75 75, Ainil Bakar (Mal) 78 72
151 Kiran Matharu (Eng) 72 79, Maggie Yuan (NZ) 75 76
OTHER SCOTS' SCORES
162 Laura Murray 76 86 (32nd)
163 Katy McNicol 83 80 (T33)
166 Michele Thomson 85 81, Kelly Brotherton 87 79 (T40).
TO VIEW ALL THE GROUP "B" SCORES
CLICK HERE
PRE-QUALIFIER C
Blue Course
Par 144 (2x72)
148 Heather Stirling (Sco) 75 73, Krista Bakker (Fin) (am) 73 75, Tara Delaney (Ire) 76 72
149 Julie Maisongrosse (Fra) 74 75.
OTHER SCOT'S SCORE
156 Jane Turner 77 79 (T13)
TO VIEW ALL THE "C" GROUP SCORES
CLICK HERE
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
Heather Stirling, 36, from Bridge of Allan, who gave up playing golf for six years to be a professional caddie on both sides of the Atlantic, is sharing the lead in the "C" section of the Ladies European Tour Qualifying School Stage 1 competition over the Blue Course at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam, Rabat in Morocco.
It was the inaugural Paul Lawrie Scottish Ladies Tour that persuaded Stirling, pictured by Cal Carson Golf Agency, a former Scottish women's amateur champion and past Curtis Cup player, to dust off her clubs and take up the game again.
She did so well that she won that mini-tour's Order of Merit on which the first prize was free flights and accommodation in Morocco for the LET Q School.
Stirling has shot 75-73 for a halfway total of four-over-par 144, sharing the "C" lead with Krista Bakker, a Finnish amateur (73-75)
and Ireland's Tara Delaney (76-72) who, like Stirling, is a former GB and I Curtis Cup team player, in 2006, four years later than Heather.
Stirling struggled a bit to the turn in her second round and was four over par after 11 holes with only a birdie at the long sixth to offset bogeys at the second, fifth, seventh, ninth and 11th.
But, putting left-handed as she always does, Heather holed birdie putts at the short 12th, long 17th and par-4 18th for a grandstand inish of two-under-par inward half of 34.
Penicuik's Jane Turner, the only other Scot in the "C" Group, shot a 79 for 156 and has dropped back to joint 13th. Only the leading 15 and ties from this group after 72 holes will advance to next week's
Final Q School at Marrakech.
Turner had double bogeys at the fifth and 14th but fortunately she continues to get birdies, boosting her total to six over two rounds at the third, fifth and 13th.
Elie-based, Edinburgh-born rookie Sally Watson is lying joint second in the "B" Group over the par-73 and arguably more difficult course with rounds of 74 and 75 for 149 - two behind German amateur Karolin Lampert who produced an exceptional second-round 69 to go two clear on 147.
Watson, a two-time past Curtis Cup player, would have been sharing the lead but for a double bogey 6 at the 16th after birdies at the eighth and 15th in steady halves of 37-38.
Only the leading 23 and ties will qualify for the Final Q School and Sally is now the only Scot within that comfort zone.
Alford's Laura Murray dropped out of it with an 86, including three double bogeys, for 162 and 32nd place at halfway. Birdies at the 13th and 14th have kept her in with a fighting chance.
Carnoustie's Katy McNicol shot an 80 for 163 and joint 33rd place.
Ellon's Michele Thomson and Kelly Brotherton from Dollare are joint 40th on 166. Michele, who has played 36 holes without a single birdie, had a second-round 81, Kelly a 79.
LEADERBOARD
PRE-QUALIFIER "B"
Red Course
Par 146 (2x73)
147 Karolin Lampert (Ger) (am) 78 69
149 Sally Watson (Sco) 74 75, Ariane Provot (Fra) 74 75
150 Amy Boulden (Wal) 75 75, Ainil Bakar (Mal) 78 72
151 Kiran Matharu (Eng) 72 79, Maggie Yuan (NZ) 75 76
OTHER SCOTS' SCORES
162 Laura Murray 76 86 (32nd)
163 Katy McNicol 83 80 (T33)
166 Michele Thomson 85 81, Kelly Brotherton 87 79 (T40).
TO VIEW ALL THE GROUP "B" SCORES
CLICK HERE
PRE-QUALIFIER C
Blue Course
Par 144 (2x72)
148 Heather Stirling (Sco) 75 73, Krista Bakker (Fin) (am) 73 75, Tara Delaney (Ire) 76 72
149 Julie Maisongrosse (Fra) 74 75.
OTHER SCOT'S SCORE
156 Jane Turner 77 79 (T13)
TO VIEW ALL THE "C" GROUP SCORES
CLICK HERE
Labels: LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR
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