BREAKTHROUGH FIRST PRO WIN BY ABERDEEN-BORN GEMMA

 Gemma Dryburgh scores first win as a professional in Australian 36-hole event

Gemma Dryburgh with her winner's cheque

Aberdeen-born, Beaconsfield-based Gemma Dryburgh scored her first win as a professional today, returning an eight-under-par, 36-hole total of 138 (70-68) to head a field of 87 players and lift the first prize of 4,500 Australian dollars (£2,737) in the Oatlands Ladies pro-am, Victoria in Australia.

Dryburgh, daughter of a North Sea Oil company executive, started the second day two shots off the lead but came from behind over the second 18 holes with a superb, five-under-par round of 68 to beat home favourites Rebecca Artis (69-70 for 139) and Hannah Green (71-69 for 140) to score her breakthrough victory. She had finished T4 in the first event of the Australian Ladies Pro Golf Tour last week.

Gemma played a flawless round of golf in the hot breezy conditions to clinch the victory.

The 23-year-old sports fanatic was delighted with her win,
"This is a big moment for me winning my first professional tournament. It was my Dad's birthday yesterday and I would like to dedicate this win to him. 
They were drinking prosecco back in the UK before I played and they are probably celebrating with another for breakfast, now they know I have won"

Dryburgh, who spent four years gaining valuable competitive experience as a student at Tulane University, New Orleans, completed a solid rookie year on the Ladies European Tour in 2016, playing in just 9 tournaments and finishing 60th on the Order of Merit after an impressive amateur career which included representing Great Britain and Ireland in the Curtis Cup and Scotland in the Espirito Santo Trophy.

Another former Curtis Cup player, England's Charlotte Thomas, joint first-round leader on 68 with France's Alexandra Bonetti, slid down the leaderboard with a 75 to a joint seventh finish on 143 alongside compatriot Sarah-Jane Boyd (70-73). They earned £607 each.

The second Scot in the top 13 finishers is also from the North-east, Ellon's Michele Thomson (Meldrum House) who tied for 13th place with rounds of 72-73 for one-under 145 which earned the former Curtis Cup player and past Scottish women's amateur champion £308.

OATLANDS LADIES PRO-AM
Oatlands GC, Victoria

LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 146 (2x73) Yardage 5,340
138 G Dryburgh (Sco) 70 68
139 R Artis (Aus) 69 70
140 H Green (Aus) 71 69.

OTHER BRITISH TOTALS
143 C Thomas (Eng) 68 74, S-J Boyd (Eng) (T7)
145 M Thomson (Sco) 72 73 (T13)
148 F Johnson (Eng) 75 73 (T26).
149 S Walker (Eng) 75 74 (T32)

Field of 87 players