101st Scottish women's amateur championship

Jacqueline Sneddon sets pace with two-under

71 but 81 for title-holder Gabrielle MacDonald

WHERE DID YOU GET THAT HAT?  Jacqueline Sneddon studies the line of a putt on the 17th green.  Pictures by Cal Carson Golf Agency.

Jacqueline Sneddon (Alyth), beaten in the Angus county final on Sunday, bounced back to top form with a two-under-par round of 71 to be leader by two strokes at the end of the first qualifying round of the 101st Scottish women's amateur championship at Monifieth Links, writes Colin Farquharson
The early starters had the best of the day with a strong wind getting up near lunchtime and bringing with it squally showers including hailstones - it was that cold!
Sneddon, who played with distinction of the American women's college tour as a student at Grand Canyon University, Arizona,  varied from par at only four holes - birdies at the seventh, eighth and 17th, and a solitary bogey at the 12th in halves of 36 (two under par) and 35 (level par).
That was what set Jacqueline apart from the rest of the field, She made only one mistake, had only one bogey while even the "big name" players had quite a few between them.
Sneddon said later:
 "I played really well. I went out with a game plan of hitting fairways and then middle of the greens and to get a good pace on my putts. All of it came together and seemed to work.
"Surprisingly I never actually birdied a par 5 hole but managed to birdie two of the harder holes (7 and 17) on the course. I have played Monifieth quite a lot in the past so know the course well and have always enjoyed playing it.
"In previous Scottish championships I have managed to qualify for the match-play stages but have never got very far after that. Today everything just seemed to work.
"I graduated from Grand Canyon University in Phoenix Arizona four years ago now and  I am working full time.
"My mum Jennifer is my caddie.
"I really enjoyed today and am looking forward to tomorrow."
Caddie Jennifer, a very proud mum, said later: "I should have known better than to have side-bets with Jacqueline at some holes. She plays her best shots when I mention a money incentive."
Three players. all county champions - Stirling and Clackmannan's Louise Macgregor (Falkirk), Rachel Walker (Dumfries and County), home from the States where she is a second-year student at Old Dominion University, Virginia, and winner of the Dumfriesshire county title on Sunday for the second year in a row,  and Borders champion Tara Mactaggart (Minto), a Stirling student.
All three completed the front nine under the par of 38, with Louise taking 35 and Rachel and Tara 36.

The best outward half was four-under 34 by the new Midlothian county champion Kate McIntosh (Broomieknowe), pictured left at the 17th,  but she lost her flow early on the back nine with a double bogey 6 at the 10th and a bogey 5 at the 11th and struggled home in five-over 40.
Also on the one-over 74 mark are Chloe Goadby (St Regulus), 37-37, Stirling student Hannah McCook (Grantown on Spey) 38-36 and the new Angus champion, Gillian Paton (Royal Montrose), conqueror of Jacqueline Sneddon at Forfar on Sunday. Gillian got her game on the move with an inward half of 35 which matched that of the tournament leader. 
Defending champion Gabrielle MacDonald (Craigielaw) had an 81 over the par-73 links. She had three double bogeys in a row from the 12th to the 14th in halves of 40 and 41.

Fifteen-year-old Shannon McWilliam (Aboyne), pictured well wrapped up in what became a chilly wind today,  was down in the dumps after also returning an 81 which leaves her and Gabrielle on the qualifying tightrope over the second round.
"I played terribly," said Shannon who finished third in the recent "Helen Holm" after leading with only six holes to play.
"I just couldn't get the pace of the greens and three-putted five times. There wasn't any wind to speak of for most of the round so I couldn't use that as an excuse. I am going to spend the rest of the afternoon on the practice putting green," added Shannon who pulled her own caddie car even though mum Julie walked round with the threesome.
"That's the way I like it," said the youngster. But one cannot help feeling that at her age she would benefit from a wise old head of a caddie.
There are 28 scores at 80 or better and nine more competitors on 81. With the leading 32 qualifying for the match-play after Wednesday's second round, it looks like the limit mark with a play-off more than likely, will be 160 or 161 - but don't take out word for it.

If the wind drops and the sun shines, the overall standard of scoring could improve.   Pictured above is Rachel Polson on 18th tee (pictures by Cal Carson Golf Agency).

101st SCOTTISH WOMEN'S AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

Monifieth Links.

FIRST QUALIFYING ROUND

Par 73. CSS 74. Yardage 5,972

71 Jacqueline Sneddon (Alyth)

73 Louise Macgregor (Falkirk), Rachel Walker (Dumfries and Co), Tara Mactaggart (Minto)

74 Chloe Goadby (St Regulus), Kate McIntosh (Broomieknowe). Hannah McCook (Grantown on Spey), Gillian Paton (Royal Montrose)

75 Iona Stephen (Wentworth), Karen Ferguson (Liberton)

76 Sheena Wood (Aberdeen Ladies), Clara Young (North Berwick), Louise Fraser (Kingsknowe).

77 Jordana Graham (Southerness), Rachel Polson (Peterculter), Jennifer Saxton (Muckhart), Eilidh Watson (Muckhart).

78 Kimberley Beveridge (Aboyne), Karen Marshall (Baberton), Elaine Moffat (St Regulus), Alison McBride (Harburn).

79 Margo Gardner (Linlithgow), Sarah Stichbury (Gullane)

80 Cara Thompson (Royal Dornoch), Fiona Gilbert (Carnoustie), Hannah Robb (Scotscraig), Kate Reid (Monifieth), Carol Wilson (Murcar Links)

81 Nicola Callander (Mill Green), Susan Wood (Drumpellier), Lesley Atkins (Gullane) , Gabrielle MacDonald (Craigielaw), Shannon McWilliam (Aboyne), Nicola Robertson (Stirling), Mollie Stewart (Murcar Links), Jillian Farrell (Cardross), Fiona Wait (Bathgate).

82 Claire MacDonald (Gullane), Lorraine Morrow (St Regulus), Hannah Scott (Broomieknowe), Ruth Rankin (Lanark).

83 Jennifer Rankine (Haggs Castle), Kirsty Brodie (Strathmore), Jackie Brown (Monifieth), Jemma Chalmers (Monifieth), Kirsten Blackwood (Glencorse), Wendy Nicholson (Broomieknowe).

84 Stacy Cameron (Gullane), Dawn Young (North Berwick), Denise Cowan (Ranfurly Castle)

85 Lorna McClymont (Milngavie) , Gillian McGinlay (Cochrane Castle), Jill Harrison (Cruden Bay), Marie Cowan (St Medan).

86 Ellie Whyte (Aberdeen Ladies)

87 Claire Hargan (St Regulus), Leanne Wilson (Kelso)

89 Fiona Hay (Deeside)

90 Mary Miller (Blairgowrie), Fiona Scott (Bothwell Castle), Angela Devine (Hamilton), Tegan Seivwright (Murcar Links)

91 Lynne Terry (Cruden Bay)

92 Lindsay Mathie (Troon Ladies) 

97 Evanna Hynd (Balbirnie Park) 

 NR Fiona Farquharson (King James VI)

WHERE DID THAT ONE GO?                                       
Karen Marshall on 18th tee .............................................. and Hannah McCook in action today

+Apologies to those competitors whose scores did not appear in the above list until after 8.30pm. We had a "saving" glitch in our laptop at Monifieth which meant that some scores did not appear on the collated list until we discovered the error later in the evening. Sorry!