EILIDH BRIGGS TOP SCOT IN JOINT SEVENTH PLACE AFTER LAST-ROUND 77

GABRIELA COWLEY FINISHES 

RUNNER-UP IN PORTUGAL

Stirling student Eilidh Briggs faded from a joint third position at the start of play to finish tied seventh in the Portuguese women's open amateur golf championship over 72 holes at Montado Golf Resort, Costa Azul.
It was the toughest day of the four for scoring as Eilidh explained:
"There was about a two-club wind for most of the round and due to the way the course is positioned it was usually a tough cross wind."
The Kilmacolm GC member had rounds 73, 71, 71 and 77 for a four-over-par total of 292, the same aggregate as Annabel Dimmock (Wentworth) (78-70-70-74) who did so well on the recent Florida Orange Blossom Tour where she finished runner-up in "The Sally" and won the Jones-Doherty Challenge Cup match-play tournament.

Briggs, Dimmock and Ireland's Mary Doyle (78-73-72-69) finished seven shots behind the winner, Spain's Silvia Banon Ibanez.
Mary obviously a good player in the wind. Her three-under-par 69 was the best by anyone on the last day.

Ibanez and compatriot Luna Sobron, beaten finalist in last year's British women's open amateur championship, were well clear of the field after three rounds but their scores soared on the last day due to the wind.

Ibanez just made it over the winning line after a 75 while Sobron sagged to a 79 and finished joint fifth on 289.

England's Gabriela Cowley, pictured by Cal Carson Golf Agency, (Hanbury Manor), 17, a GB and I Vagliano Trophy team player at Chantilly last June and a Curtis Cup team place contender for the June match at St Louis, Missouri, finished second on 286, one behind the winner after rounds of 71, 74, 71 and 70.

A second English player in the top four was youngster Inci Mehmet (Wentworth), also 17, who finished fourth on 288 after consistent scores of 70, 71, 74 and 73.
Inci's mother is South Korean and her father Turkish.

Scottish champion Alyson McKechin (Elderslie) tied for 11th place on 293 with scores of 74, 74, 70 and 75.
On the same mark were England's Bethan Popel (72-74-71-76) and Ireland's Emma O'Driscoll (73-74-68-78).
Irish close champion Paula Grant finished 15th on 295 with rounds of 77, 71, 72 and 75.
Chloe Williams was Wales' leading finisher in joint 16th place on 296 with scores of 78, 78, 68 and 72. Chloe's did well to make the top 20 after her first two rounds.
English champion Sarah-Jane Boyd from Truro squeezed into the top 20 in a share of 19th place on 298, made up from scores of 76, 73, 74 and 75.

St Andrews' Lauren Whyte (St Regulus), the third Scot in the international field, finished joint 33rd on 304 with rounds of 76, 81, 71 and 76.

PORTUGUESE WOMEN'S OPEN AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

Montado Golf Resort, Costa Azul.

LEADING FINAL TOTALS

Par 288 (4x72)

285 Silvia Banon Ibanez (Spa) 69 69 72 75

286 Gabriella Cowley (Eng) 71 74 74 70

287 Natalia Escuriola Martinez (Spa) 74 70 71 72

288 Inci Mehmet (Eng) 70 71 74 73

289 Luna Sobron (Spa) 74 68 68 79, Virginia Elena Carta (Ita) 72 69 74 74

SELECTED TOTALS

282 Annabel Dimmock (Eng) 78 70 70 74, Eilidh Briggs (Sco) 73 71 71 77, Mary Doyle (Ire) 78 73 72 69 (T7)

293 Alyson McKechin (Sco) 74 74 70 75, Emma O'Driscoll (Ire) 73 74 68 78, Bethan Popel (Eng) 72 74 71 76 (T11)

295 Paula Grant (Ire) 77 71 72 75 (15th)

296 Chloe Williams (Wal) 78 78 68 72 (T16)

298 Sarah-Jane Boyd (Eng) 76 73 74 75 (T19)

300 Rochelle Morris (Eng) 77 75 70 78 (T23)

302 Lucy Goddard (Eng) 73 74 78 77, Olivia Mehaffey (Ire) 73 80 73 76 (T26)

304 Lauren Whyte (Sco) 76 81 71 76 (T33)

308 Becky Harries (Wal) 76 76 78 78 (T40)

MISSED THIRD-ROUND CUT

235 Sophie Madden (Eng) 78 83 74

236 Emily Slater (Eng) 80 80 76

237 Alexandra Peters (Eng) 78 81 78, Jean O'Driscoll (Ire) 85 76 76

238 Cloe Frankish (Eng) 82 77 79, Chloe Rogers (Eng) 76 75 87

245 Charlotte Austwick (Eng) 78 79 88.

ends