KirkwoodGolf: Paul Lawrie Golf Centre Ladies Open

Aberdeenshire 1-2 at Murcar Links as

Michele Thomson swoops to conquer

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Ellon's Michele Thomson staged a last-round swoop with the tournament's only sub-par round, a one-under 70, to snatch the £2,250 first prize from overnight leader and fellow Aberdeenshire tour pro Laura Murray in a stirring climax to the £5,000 Paul Lawrie Golf Centre Ladies Open at Murcar Links Golf Club.

The second-day weather was worse than the first - it never stopped drizzling, the wind came from the south rather than the north, and the chill factor - it was only 4 degrees at the start of play - had several English competitors shivering with the cold as they checked in their scorecards at the PGA recorder's table.
Thomson, pictured right playing to the 18th,the 2008 Scottish women's amateur champion and a GB and I Curtis Cup team player at St Andrews that same year, is maturing and improving after a slowish start to her pro career.
Her second-round 70 was an eight-shot improvement on her first round and her six-over-par aggregate of 148 saw her win by three shots from Alford's Murray (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre), another former Scottish champion, who had rounds of 74 and 77 for 151 to gain the £1,000 runner-up prize.
Tour Director Nicola Melville moved several tees forward after
complaints that the course was too long for the lady pros in the
northerly wind of Thursday.
So, on paper at least, it was an easier course, possibly less than 6,000yd, but the non-stop rain killed any feel-good factor among the competitors.
It was Thomson's second win on the Ladies' Tartan Tour - she led the way at Cardrona, Peebles last year - and she feels she is gaining a higher level of consistency through competing with and against players like former Solheim Cup star Trish Johnson who was her playing partner throughout the 36 holes at Murcar Links.

Johnson, from Wiltshire, collected the £650 third prize with scores of 78 and 74 for 152.
"There's no doubt that playing with Trish both days helped me
tremendously. She was and still is a great player and she certainly
spurred me on," said 27-year-old Michele whose shot of the round was a holed pitch from 35yd range for a birdie 3 at the 13th.
She had four birdies in all, making a flying start with a 3-3 start,
followed by the gains at 11th and 13th. Her only bogeys came at the
seventh, eighth and 10th in halves of 36-34

That birdie-birdie start by Michele actually wiped out Laura Murray's three-shot overnight lead with six shots for the first two holes compared to nine by Laura who began bogey-par.
"In contrast to the first round, I was never in any trouble," said Thomson.
Laura Murray was philosophical about losing her overnight lead.
"Great that an Aberdeenshire player still finished up winning the
tournament," she said. "I still hit the ball well but holed nothing. I
reckon I must have had 36 putts. I cannot remember single-putting any green."
Beth Allen, the American-born LET player who has made Falkirk her European base, finished fourth on 153 (77-76).
The Ladies Tartan Tour moves on to Montrose Links on Monday and Tuesday.

FINAL TOTALS
Par 142 (2x71)
148 Michele Thomson (unatt) 78 70 (£2,250)
151 Laura Murray (Paul Lawrie GC) 74 77 (£1,000)
152 Trish Johnson (Wiltshire) 78 74 (£650)
153 Beth Allen (Falkirk) 77 76 (£325)
154 Gabriella Cowley (Hanbury Manor) 78 76, Kiran Matharu (Cookridge Hall) 78 76 (£202 each).
157 Becky Brewerton (Wiltshire) 81 76, Annabel Dimmock (Wentworth) 78 79 (£110 each)
158 Maria Tulley (Eastbourne Downs) 79 79, Heather MacRae (Gleneagles) 78 80 (£75 each)
159 Jane Turner (West Linton) 84 75, Lucy Goddard (Hanbury Manor) 81 78, Kelsey MacDonald (Carrick on Loch Lomond) 77 82
160 Chloe Rogers (Celtic Manor) 79 81
162 Tracey Boyes (Corhampton) 85 77, Sarah Attwood (Gog Magog) 77 85.
164 Emilee Taylor (Holmhall) 85 79
165 Lisa Shervill (The Shropshire) 83 82
166 Keely Chiericato (Manston) 81 85
170 Jess Wilcox (Blankney) 84 86, Alyson McKechin (Elderslie) 84 86
171 Gillian Paton (Royal Montrose) (am) 88 83
173 Nichola Ferguson (American Golf) 84 89
175 Kirstin Scott (Gleneagles) 88 87, Rachel Drummond (Buckinghamshire) 85 90
176 Jorden Ferrie (Hilton Park) 87 89
191 Fiona Wait (Bathgate) (am) 96 95