TOP SCOT HEATHER IS SEVEN BEHIND LEADER MELISSA

 MAGNIFICENT NEW COURSE RECORD ROUND OF

12-UNDER-PAR 63 BY DEFENDING CHAMPION

Scotland's leading challenger Heather MacRae (Dunblane New) is in third place on 10-under-par 140 with one round to go in the Helen Holm Scottish women's open amateur stroke-play golf championship at Troon.

But despite a pair 70s, Heather is seven shots behind the leader, defending champion Melissa Reid.

The Derby girl played the round of her 19-dear-old life to score a 12-under-par 63 and go six strokes clear of the field after 36 holes.

Melissa, from Chevin Golf Club and a Curtis Cup player last year, had a hole in one with a seven-iron at the 156yd 16^th plus two eagle 3s, at the sixth and 12^th, and seven birdies, at the second, third, fourth, ninth, 10^th, 15^th and 18^th in halves of 33 (five under par) and 30 (seven under par).

"I learned from the mistakes I made in my first-round 70. That's basically why I was able to improve by seven shots," said Melissa.

"My dad and I worked out a game plan on Friday night for the second round and, even though there was a much stronger wind, it worked like a dream.

"Yes, I believe I am a better all-round player than when I won the 'Helen Holm' last year but I think the biggest improvement I have made is in my mental approach. I'm going out there and thinking positive, not defensively."

Melissa's 63, which included only 28 putts, slashed two shots off the new record set only 24 hours earlier by England team-mate Rachel Bell from Ganton, Yorkshire.

Her figures were:

OUT – 5 4 3 2 4 3 4 4 4  - 33.

   IN – 2 5 3 4 3 4 1 4 4 - 30

With a 36-hole tally of a staggering 17-under-par 133 after two rounds over Troon Portland, Miss Reid carries a six-shot lead over Rachel and the rest into the final round over Royal Troon's championship links which are likely to be a different kettle of finish, even although Melissa is playing "out of her skin" at the moment.

Rachel Bell "sagged" by nine shots to a second-round 74 – still one under par.

"I had a couple of three putts and didn't get the breaks I did in the 65 but six shots to make up is not impossible. I was eight shots behind last year after two rounds  and then had a 71 over Royal Troon and finished third behind Melissa, so I'm looking forward to the last round," said Rachel.

The next best Scots after third-placed Heather MacRae are Jenna Wilson (Strathaven) on 143 (70-73), Michele Thomson (McDonald Ellon) on 146 (74-72) and, also on that mark are 14-year-old Carly Booth (Comrie), home from America with scores of 74 and 72, and 16-year-old Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) with 74 and 72.

Carly was set to break 70 until she ran up a bogey and then a double bogey over the closing holes.

Players with two-round totals of 155 or better qualified for the final round.

 

QUALIFIERS

 Par 150 (2 x 75). CSS 74 74

 133 M Reid (Chevin) 70 63.

139 R Bell (Ganton) 65 74.

140 H MacRae (Dunblane New) 70 70.

142 C Lennarth (Sweden) 69 73.

143 J Wilson (Strathaven) 70 73, C Hedwall (Sweden) 77 66, C Afonso (France) 73 70.

144 A Decharne (France) 71 73.

145 R Connor (Manchester) 72 73, H Barwood (Knowle) 71 74, L Stempfle (Germany) 73 72, D Montgomery (The Lambourne) 70 75, B Loucks (Wrexham) 72 73, E Duggleby (Malton & Norton) 75 70, K Smith (Waterlooville) 72 73.

146 L Hall (Royal Porthcawl) 73 73, M Thomson (McDonald Ellon) 74 72, B Genuini (France) 73 73, L Bennett (Brokenhurst Manor) 70 76, C Booth (Comrie) 74 72, K MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) 74 72.

147 R Livingstone (Musselburgh Old) 74 73, B Harries (Haverfordwest) 78 69, R Thomas (Vale of Glamorgan) 72 75, M Ricordeau (France) 76 71.

148 E Moffat (St Regulus) 75 73, S Stubbs (Shifnal) 76 72, M Bernard (France) 74 74, E Alonso (France) 72 76, A Vilatte (France) 69 79, D Smith (Co Louth) 72 76, C Lee (West Lancs) 72 76.

149 N Muehl (Austria) 76 73, J Carthew (Ladybank) 73 76, L Herman (Belgium) 71 78, R Svahn (Finland) 74 75, K Caithness (St Regulus) 76 73, J Hodge (Knowle) 79 70.

150 P Pretswell (Bothwell Castle) 74 76, A Riguelle (France) 75 75, L Gendronneau (France) 75 75.

151 S Mantyniemi (Finland) 77 74, S Evans (Vale of Llangollen) 72 79, C Hargan (Mortonhall) 76 75, M Pow (Selkirk) 80 71, N Edwards (Ganton) 76 75, L Gustafsson (Sweden) 75 76.

152 T Boyes (Meon Valley) 77 75, F Lockhart (St Regulus) 79 73, J Hedwall (Sweden) 76 76, C Fallay (France) 78 74.

153 E Tipping (Sandiway) 74 79, C-M Carlton (Fereneze) 79 74, S Attwood (Gog Magog) 75 78, T McDonnell (Ennis) 78 75.

154 L Collin (John O'Gaunt) 77 77, A Ramsay (Kirriemuir) 79 75, J Turner (Mortonhall) 80 74, K Walker (Buchanan Castle) 78 76, B Mullins-Lane (Harefield) 74 80, E Westrup (Sweden) 77 77, A Laing (Vale of Leven) 79 75.

155 C Douglass (Brocket Hall) 80 75, N Craven (Brough) 74 81, S Garbutt (Ganton) 79 76, S Faller (Galway) 76 79, T Davies (Holyhead) 74 81, H Aitchison (The Bedfordshire) 80 75, S Harju (Finland) 78 77, R Crepiat (France) 79 76.

DID NOT QUALIFY

157 L Hendry (Routenburn) 83 74, A Korkeila (Finland) 78 79, F  Hernandez (France) 74 83, L Ball (Matfen Hall) 77 80, C Gruber (Royal Dornoch) 76 81, M Bazin de Jessey (France) 83 74.

158 L Murray (Alford) 80 78.

159 D Dewar (Monifieth) 82 77, L Roberts (Holyhead) 82 77, C MacDonald (Gullane Ladies) 80 79.

160 M Briggs (Kilmacolm) 77 83.

161 H Schilling (Germany) 80 81.

162 L Robertson (Ranfurly Castle) 78 84.

174 E Lowrey-Gold (Eaton) 84 90.

 

 

NORTHERN COUNTIES WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFIERS

 

Donna MacLeod (Inverness) beat Jenny Milne (Elgin) in a card countback (better inward half) to earn the No 1 seed position at the end of the qualifying round today (Sat) for the match-play stages of the Northern Counties women's golf championship at windswept Royal Dornoch.

They both returned 84s – eight over par on a day when the CSS was literally blown up to 79.

The championship continues Sunday and Monday with the match-play stages.

QUALIFIERS

84 D MacLeod (Inverness) better inward half, J Milne (Elgin).

85 M Smith (Tain) better last six, E Manson (Thurso).

87 G Dowling (Inverness).

89 W Ross (Elgin).

91 A MacDonald (Tarbat) bih, S MacVicar (Gairloch), T Weekes (Royal Dornoch), D Hume (Fortrose & Rosemarkie), S Vass (Tain), A Dunnett (Thurso).

93 D McKinnon (Durness).

94 M Howieson (Inverness) bih, P Morrison (Muir of Ord), S MacKenzie (Elgin).

AUTOMATIC DRAW

8.30 MacLeod v MacKenzie, Weeks v MacVicar, Dowling v Dunnett, McKinnon v Manson.

9.02 Smith v Howieson, Vass v Ross, MacDonald v Hume, Morrison v Milne.