Left to right: Shona Malcolm (PGA in Scotland Secretary0, Heather MacRae, Kylie Walker, Nastja Banovec, Laura Murray and Michael MacDougall (Paul Lawrie Foundation manager). Picture by Cal Carson Golf Agency.

SLOVENIAN  AMATEUR BEATS THE PROS 

IN PAUL LAWRIE LADIES' INVITATIONAL

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Dundee-based Nastja Banovec, a 22-year-old sports management student at Abertay Univcrsity, was the shock winner of the Paul Lawrie Ladies Invitational and the Ladies Tartan Tour Championship  at Deeside today.

The plus two amateur from Slovenia, who has been a student in Scotland for four years - "I came here for the golf as much as for a university degree" -  shot rounds of 72 and 67 for a one-under-par total of 139 to head a mainly professional field.
The standard of scoring rose in the second round with four players getting under the par of 70 for the Bieldside course but Nastja was the one who improved the most
She birdied the first and third on her way to a two-under 34 for the outwad half and then birdied the 11th, 13th and 18th for 33 home.
But for bogeys at the 16th and 17th - "I got a little bit nervous at these two holes" - Banovec would have won by  more than one shot from first round leader Laura Murray (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre).
Laura had scors of 69-71 for 140, birdieing the 16th and 17th but bogeying the 18th when a par would have got her into a play-off with the winner.
Banovec, who plans to turn professional after completing her post-graduate studies at Stirling University, received a £500 amateur prize voucher.
As the leading professional, Murray collected £2,000.  
Heather MacRae (Gleneagles), who tied with Kylie Walker (Mar Hall) for third place, had a double bogey 7 at the sixth but finished strongly with birdies at the 13th, 14th and 15th.
Kylie had a double bogey 6 at the 18th.
The staging of the Paul Lawrie Ladies Invitational at the same course and the same week as the Men's Invitational was voted a hit by all concerned and it is likely to be repeated next year. 
+Slovenia has 15 golf courses, which is fewer than the county of Aberdeenshire.
 PAUL LAWRIE LADIES INVITATIONAL
 Deeside Golf Club
Par 140 (2x70)
139 N Banovec (Abertay Univ) (am) 72 67 (£500 amateur prize voucher)
140 L Murray (Paul Lawrie GC) 69 71 (£2,000)
141 H MacRae (Gleneagles) 72 69, K Walker (Mar Hall)71 70 (£750 each)
142 J Turner (West Linton) 73 69 (£300)
143 A McKechin (Elderslie) 72 71 (£200)
146 G Dryburgh (Beaconsfield) 77 69 (£150)
148 S Watson (Castle Stuart) 74 74 (£100)
149 G Paton (Royal Montrose) (am) 74 75 (amateur prize voucher)
151  S Powell (Manchester) 76 75 (£70)
156 C Rogers (Celtic Manor) 75 81
158 R McQueen (Troon) 79 79
159 M Tulley (Eastbourne Downs) 79 80
162 E Taylor (Holmhall) 81 81
163 N Ferguson (American Golf) 78 85
166 K Scott (Gleneagles) 83 83
Retired: M Thomson (Meldrum House) 75 wd