Clara Young (North Berwick) wins St Rule Trophy

Clara Young produced a fine weekend’s work to secure a narrow one-shot success in the St Rule Trophy at the Home of Golf.

The North Berwick player, 20, fired rounds of 67 and 72 over the New Course on Saturday, before adding a 71 at the Old Course 24 hours later. Young’s 16 under total saw her edge out Australian Montana Strauss by a stroke, with overnight leader Gemma Clews from England two shots further back on 13 under.

Clews, who set a new record over the New Course on Saturday after her stunning 65, held a four-shot lead going into the final round, but her 78 saw Young, at college at the University of Missouri, overcome the deficit. Chloe Goadby (St Regulus) shared fourth place on 12 under, with Grantown on Spey’s Hannah McCook tied seventh.

Young builds on her Scottish Ladies Amateur success aged only 18 at Monifieth in 2015 and becomes the fourth Scottish winner of the St Rule in the last six years, after Jessica Meek (2014), Ailsa Summers (2013) and Laura Murray (2012).

FINAL TOTALS
First two rounds over New Course (Par 75) Saturday CSS 74 74
Final round over Old Course (Par 76) Sunday CSS 75
Combined par 226 (75x2, 76x1)

210 C Young (North Berwick) 67 72 71.
211 M Strauss (Australia) 68 72 71.
213 G Clews (Delamere Forest) 65 70 78.
214 C Goadby (St Regulus Ladies) 68 71 75, R Morris (Woodsome Hall) 69 70 75.
215 D Sverdloff (Orsett) 69 74 72, H McCook (Grantown on Spey) 75 67 73, I Wardle (Prestbury) 74 67 74,  O Kline (Australia) 69 72 74
216 J Saxton (Muckhart) 73 70 73, S Lamb (Clitheroe) 71 71 74
217 H Morgan (Hallamshire) 73 72 72
218 A Bailey (Kirby Muxloe) 75 68 75
219 O Winning (Rotherham) 73 74 72
220 P Grant (Lisburn) 79 71 72, L Bailey (Kirby Muxloe) 73 75 72, E Berlin (Sweden) 76 72 72, G Coughlin (St Annes Old Links) 73 74 73, L Brunt (Royal Birkdale) 76 71 73, S McWilliam (Aboyne) 74 69 77, D-T Russell (Australia) 71 71 78.
221 E Briggs (Kilmacolm) 72 76 73, O Jackson (Pannal) 78 67 76.
222 B Garton (Royal Lytham) 77 72 73, I Clyburn (Woodhall Spa) 71 72 79.
223 H MacGarvie (Troon Ladies) 77 74 72, R Kay (Australia) 74 76 73, K Gillum (Lilleshall Hall) 76 73 74
224  C Taylor (Nairn) 75 77 72, E Adams (Australia) 75 76 73, B Bayles (Bishop Auckland) 77 74 73, T Hughes (USA) 76 73 75, J Bailey (Kirby Muxloe) 77 72 75
225 M Manon (France) 75 75 75
226 C Casey (Hermitage) 73 81 72, T Mactaggart (Minto)  73 79 74, G Batty (Moffat) 77 75 74
227 M Wood (Woodsome Hall) 76 77 74, G Price (Bute and N Cornwall) 83 70 74, G Paton (Royal Montrose) 78 71 78.
228 B-J Smith (St George's Hill) 75 77 76.
231 N Slater (Woodsome Hall) 72 77 82,
230 E Healey (West Lancs) 77 73 80.
232 C Whitehead (Kendal) 79 75 78, K Beveridge (Aboyne) 75 76 81.
233 S Burke (Ballinrobe) 74 80 79, R Ferguson (Tynemouth) 75 76 82
234 E Hale (Troon Ladies) 82 75 77, K Andrew (Clitheroe) 79 76 79, A O'Connor (Sundridge Park) 83 72 79.
235 K J Stanley (Manchester) 75 77 83, E Smith (Australia) 78 74 83
237 E Slater (Gog Magog) 79 80 78, J Mackintosh (Hazlehead) 76 82 79.
238 M Doyle (The Heath, Ireland) 80 78 80, L Downs (Romanby) 74  82 82.
239 E Ofstedhal (Woburn) 88 73 78, E Goodall (Selby) 74 83 82

TEAM EVENT
428 SCOTLAND (E Briggs, S McWilliam, H McCook).
429 ENGLAND (G Clews, I Clyburn, S Lamb).
434 AUSTRALIA (E Adams, R Kay, M Strauss).
445 IRELAND (P Grant, M Doyle, C Casey)

UNDER-18 TROPHY 1-2-3
215 I Wardle (Prestbury)
220 E Berlin (Sweden), S McWilliam (Aboyne) (Berlin placed 2nd on better last round).