SHANNON WINS 22-HOLE THRILLER TO TAKE NORTH OF SCOTLAND TITLE

 By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Top seed Shannon McWilliam, 16-year-old Aboyne player and GB and I Junior Vagliano Trophy team player, won the North of Scotland women's championship at Dunblane New Golf Club this afternoon but she had to go to the 22nd hole to get the better of Jacqueline Cameron (Blairgowrie), the No 2 seed, in the final.

In the morning semi-finals, McWilliam beat the holder and clubmate, Kimberley Beveridge by 3 and 2 while Cameron beat the 2007 champion Laura Walker (Muckhart) by the same margin.
Shannon tells us how the final went:
"It was one up, all square, one down, the whole  match, until Jackie won the 13th and 15th, to go two up. 

"I won the 16th and 17th with pars, to get back to all square going down the 18th, which we both parred. 

"We then both parred the 19th, 20th and 21st and I won at the 22nd with a par to Jackie's bogey.

"I was delighted to win, after feeling bitterly disappointed to not have been picked for the European team championships this week in Iceland, as they thought I would be unprepared, tired and stiff from my school trip to Spain the week."

+Editor's note: Scotland could have done with Shannon in either the European women's team championship or the European girls' team championship. They failed at both venues to make the leading eight teams who qualified for the top flight match-play.

Amy Thompson (Dunblane New), who plays off 18, beat clubmate Eileen Harrild (17) in the final of the handicap championship. 

NORTH OF SCOTLAND WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP

Dunblane New Golf Club

SCRATCH

Semi-finals - S McWilliam (Aboyne) bt K Beveridge (Aboyne) 3 and 2; J Cameron (Blairgowrie) bt L Walker (Muckhart) 3 and 2.

Final - McWilliam bt Cameron at 22nd.
HANDICAP 
Semi-finals - A Thompson (Dunblane New) (18) bt H Ewen (Muckhart) (15) 3 and 2; E Harrild (Dunblane New) (17) bt F MacDonald (Royal Dornoch) (20) 6 and 4.
Final - Thompson bt Harrild 2 and 1.