It's an Indian takeaway of St Rule Trophy: Fine 

performance by Aditi Ashok (17) from Bangalore

A bridge that's not too far for these three ... runner-up Bethan Popel (left), third placed Hollie Muse (centre), and the St Rule Trophy and Lawson Trophy (under-18s) winner, Aditi Ashok (Picture by Cal Carson Golf Agency).

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Aditi Ashok, a 17-year-old from Bangalore, India, achieved an ambition to play the Old Course at St Andrews and made it a double whammy by becoming one of the youngest, if not the youngest, winner of the prestigious women's 54-hole tournament, the St Rule Trophy

Aditi led from start to finish, building the platform for a notable five-stroke win by equalling the New Course women's amateur record of eight-under-par 67 in her first round on Saturday and going three shots clear of the field with a second-round 71, also over the New, to be on the 12-under-par mark coming into the final round over the Old Course.
Had Saturday's weather carried over into Sunday, there's little doubt Ashok would have got close to the 2011 winner Ailsa Summer's total of 16-under-par 211.
But it rained all night Saturday-Sunday and continued most of the morning of the final round over the Old Course. Then the rain stopped, the sun came out ... but up rose a wild westerly wind that by mid-afternoon, when the leaders were battling over the closing holes,  had a reading of 40mph and over on the wind speed reading "machine" on the wall of the RandA clubhouse.

"I've played in England quite a few times and also once at Gullane so I knew the weather could be bad in Scotland, even at the end of May," said Aditi who has a world ranking in the 190s and has won many junior tournaments in her native India and put up some very good showings in adult ones, even against lady pros, too.

Aditi finished with a wind-blown two-over-par 78  wind for a 10-under-par total of 216.

She won not only the St RuleTrophy by five strokes   but also the Lawson Trophy for the lowest aggregate by an Under-18 years player.

"I would say this is the biggest tournament I have ever won and to do it at St Andrews is brilliant," said Ashok who is moving on to Northern Ireland to play in the British women's open amateur championship at Portstewart the week after next

She won, in the end, by five shots from Bethan Popel  (Long Ashton) who was snapping at the winner's heels until the Bristol player bogeyed the 16th and took a double bogey at the Road Hole 17th where she was in the greenside bunker in two and finished up with a 7.

Popel scored 69, 72 and 80 for 221, one shot ahead of compatriot Hollie Muse (West Lancs) who won the SLGA U16 title at Strathmore in April.

Hollie, who had scores of 74, 70 and 78 for 222,  hit her approach shot out of bounds at the first hole on the Old Course  in her final round and took 41 shots (three over par) to reach the turn.

But she battled on, and salvaged a very respectable par 78 in the high wind to finish third and also  runner-up to Aditi Ashok in the Under-18s' Lawson Trophy

Aboyne's Shannon McWilliam celebrated her selection for the GB and I Junior Vagliano Trophy team by finishing the top Scot in joint sixth place on 225 with rounds of 70, 78 and 77. 
The 16-year-old from Torphins also finished third behind Ashok and Muse in the Under-18s' trophy totals.

Scotland pipped England for the team title on a comparison of their third-round totals after the teams had both finished on the 143 mark.

The Scottish trio were Connie Jaffrey, Clara Young and Jess Meek, who won the St Rule Trophy last year. What a pity none of the trio was around to collect the international team salver at the prizegiving presentation.
Mind you, I have some sympathy for Clara Young, the new Scottish champion, making a sharp exit. I think I would have done the same myself in her situation.
The North Berwick player covered the first nine holes of the Old Course in two-under-par 36 with birdies at the fourth and ninth. At that point she was  five-under-par for the tournament and within reach of Popel and Muse, the players who would finish second and third.
But Young seemed to be affected by the crosswind more than most. She bogeyed the 10th, triple-bogeyed the short 11th, bogeyed the 12th, double-bogeyed the 15th, bogeyed the 16th and bogeyed the 18th, which all added up to a nightmare inward half of nine-over 47 and an 83 for 230 which put her down among the "dead men." 
 Golf can be such a cruel game at times!

Left to right: Christine Steedman (president Fife Ladies CGA), who presented the prizes, Janice Hulme (St Rule Club captain), Hollie Muse with the flag, Bethan Popel and Aditi Ashok (Picture by Cal Carson Golf Agency).