MELISSA REID RETAINS HELEN HOLM TITLE

Derby's 19-year-old Curtis Cup player Melissa Reid, with the help of an incredible course-record round of 12-under-par 63 over Troon Portland, won the Helen Holm Scottish women's open amateur stroke-play golf championship for the second year in a row today (Sunday).

The only other person to win the prestigious 54-hole tournament two years in a row was Muriel Thomson, now professional at Portlethen Golf Club, in 1975 and 1976.

Melissa's second-round effort included a hole in one and, after two Saturday rounds over Troon Portland, she started today's final round over the Royal Troon championship links with a six-shot lead from England team-mate Rachel Bell (Ganton) whose course-record 65 on Friday stood for only 24 hours!

But Miss Reid, who will probably turn professional at the end of this year – "I wouldn't stay amateur just to get a second Curtis Cup honour at St Andrews in 2008, saw her considerable advantage disappear after only eight holes and she had to win the title all over again after that.

"The Royal Troon greens were a completely different pace from Troon Portland on Saturday and I was all at sea on them. I three-putted the first, third, seventh and eighth – and, standing on the ninth tee, I had lost my lead and Rachel was level with me," said Melissa.

"I three-putted twice more before the finish but Rachel bogeyed the ninth and 10^th and that gave me the breathing space to regroup and just take each hole at a time on the inward half."

Melissa, who had been 17 under par after rounds of 70 and 63 at Troon Portland, signed off with a three-over-par 78 (40-38) at Royal Troon for a final total of 14-under-par 211, which equalled the tournament low record set by compatriot Emma Duggleby from Yorkshire in 2004.

Rachel Bell scored 65, 74 and 75 (35-40) to finished three shots behind on 204.

"I played like a wally on the inward half of the final round. I had little or no chance at the start, being six shots behind Melissa. But, having made up these six shots over the first eight holes on Royal Troon, I should have gone on from there to win. But I just couldn't get the putts to drop and couldn't get a birdie on the way home. Three putts on the last green meant I finished three shots behind her."

Melissa Reid collected three awards at the prizegiving – the Helen Holm Trophy, the international team trophy for England in conjunction with Kerry Smith (Waterlooville), the Under-21 trophy and the Hole in One Trophy.

Scotland's Krystle Caithness (St Regulus) and Jenna Wilson (Strathaven) finished runners-p in the international team event.

Jenna was the leading Scot, officially placed fifth with scores of 70, 73 and 77 for 220, having a better last six holes than the French girl, Caroline Afonso, who also totalled 220 and finished with a 77.

Heather MacRae (Dunblane New), third at the start of the third and last day and playing in the final threesome with Melissa Reid and Rachel Bell, finished joint seventh on 221 with scores of 70, 70 and 81.
The CSS for the third round went up to 77, a reflection of the higher scoring today due to a cold east wind.