SELINE STEWART WINS HANDICAP FINAL AT DUNBAR

   Anne Marshall, Dunbar Golf Club Lady Captain, presents the trophy to Mary-Lou Watkins      (right).  Picture by courtesy of county captain Dawn Young

AN ACE DAY FOR MARY-LOU - EAST 

LOTHIAN CHAMPION IN 6th  FINAL

Mary-Lou Watkins (Gullane), playing in the final for the sixth time since 1995, won the East Lothian women's county golf championship at last when she beat Catherine Small (North Berwick) by one hole at Dunbar Golf Club yesterday (Tuesday).
Mary-Lou, the No qualifier, had KO'd the top seed, clubmate Liz Dunn-Butler, by 2 and 1 in the semi-final  with the help of a hole in one at the third.
Small, the No 7 qualifier, beat North Berwick clubmate Barbara Biggart, the No 3 seed, by 5 and 3 in the other semi-final.
In the final Watkins won the 11th to establish a three-hole lead but was pulled back to all square after wins at the 12th, 14th (with a birdie) and 17th.
Watkins was not to be denied. She won the 18th to become the East Lothian women's county champion.

The handicap final was won by Seline Stewart (Musselburgh), pictured, who beat Fiona Hopkinson (Castle Park) by 2 and 1.
Hopkinson had been three up after five holes.




RESULTS

SCRATCH CHAMPIONSHIP
Semi Finals 
Mary Lou Watkins (Gullane) bt Liz Dunn-Butler (Gullane) 2 and 1
Catherine Small (North Berwick) bt Barbara Biggart (North berwick) 5 and 3

Final
Watkins bt Small 1 hole
 
HANDICAP CHAMPIONSHIP
Final

Seline Stewart (Musselburgh) bt Fiona Hopkinson (Castle Park) 2 and 1

County captain Dawn Young refereed both the handicap and scratch finals and then sat down and
wrote the following comprehensive report of the day's play:

Morning Matches

The morning Championship semi finals and Handicap Quaich Final started on a sunny and relatively calm morning. As the day progressed the wind strengthened making the majority of the inward half holes quite testing.

The first match out, Liz Dunn-Butler v Mary Lou Watkins, had early excitement at the par 3 third where Watkins holed her tee shot for a hole in 1! Dunn-Butler had won the 2^nd to get back to square but Watkins ace got her back in the driving seat. Dunn-Butler was not swayed and continued to display a tidy short game keeping the match score line very tight. At the 17^th Watkins got up and down from a green side bunker to clinch the match 2 and 1.

The second semi final, Barbara Biggart v Catherine Small, also displayed some excellent golf. Biggart didn’t find the touch on the greens she had yesterday and Small played steady golf making it hard for Biggart to get a foothold. Small won on the 15^th after holing a greenside chip to win 5 & 3.

At the same time as the Championship semi finals were being played the Handicap Quaich Final, between Seline Stewart v Fiona Hopkinson, was also on the course. Hopkinson got off to a good start and was 3 up on the fifth tee but lost 2 out of the next 3 holes to get back to 1 up. Hopkinson holed out in 2 from the edge of the green on the 8^th to win and get back to 2 up. Stewart won the 9^th, 11^th and 12^th to get back to square and then went into the lead for the first time at the 16^th where Hopkinson found the lateral hazard off the tee. Stewart was victorious on the 17^th winning the match 2 and 1.

Afternoon Matches

By the time the final match between Watkins and Small teed off the wind was considerably stronger making play trickier. Neither player started well with Watkins winning the 1^st and 2^nd holes in bogeys. Small got one back at the 3^rd where Watkins missed the green having aced the hole in the morning and Smalls bogey 4 was good enough to get the score line back to 1 up to Watkins. Having won the 4^th with a par Watkins then missed the green at the short 5^th and ended in a greenside bunker with the ball lying well below her feet. The hole was eventually conceded as Small was nicely on the green. Watkins won the 6^th with a par after Small found the ash pathway at the side of the green with her 2^nd shot and didn’t get down in 2 from there. The 7^th was halved in good regulation par 4’s. Small sank a lengthy putt to win the 8^th with a birdie 3 to Watkins steady par. Unfortunately Small was well left off the blind 9^th tee and found a gorse bush which forced her to take a penalty drop. Watkins bogey 6 was good enough to get back to 2 up. The 10^th hole was halved in par 3s and Watkins won the 11^th to get to 3 up. Small won the 12^th and was looking like bagging the 13^th after holing a putt across the green for a birdie 3 when Watkins sank her putt too for a birdie. Small won the 14^th with a birdie and the 15^th was halved in pars. Small teed off first at the par 3 16^th and was heading into the lateral hazard when her ball struck a rock on the beach and ricocheted back in to play and came to rest on the front apron. Watkins did well to hit the green after witnessing her opponents stroke of luck. Watkins long putt stopped just short of the hole for a two resulting in a half in 3 with the score line now 1 up to Watkins with 2 to go. With two great drives down the 17^th it was all down to the putting and Small holed out well in 2 for a par 4. Watkins left her 2^nd putt short and took 5. Score line now all square on the 18^th tee. Small went left off the tee into rough semi and hacked out well to short of the green. Watkins had a good drive but with a downhill lie for her second shot the ball went right of the green leaving her a tricky pitch over the greenside bunker. Small left her approach chip well short and then, having putted so well on the back 9, also left her putt well short. Watkins had chipped on in 3 to about 4 feet and the hole was conceded when Small missed her putt for 5. Watkins won the match 1 UP.

 

They say that patience is a virtue and all good things come to those who wait! In Mary Lou’s case she has been very patient and waited a long time. This was the 6^th time she had won her way into the County Championship Final having been beaten on all 5 of the previous occasions, the first being in 1995 when she was beaten by Hilary Monaghan.

Mention must also be made of both players exemplary etiquette throughout the final and how gracious Catherine was in defeat. There is no doubt that she will be a force to be reckoned with in years to come and she will put in more Sunday afternoon appearances!