MICHELE REACHES LAST EIGHT – KRYSTLE
ONE UP WHEN STORM THREAT HALTS PLAY

Debut girl Michele Thomson from Ellon sailed through to the quarter-finals of the Ladies British open amateur golf championship at Alwoodley, Leeds at the first attempt – and admitted she is getting a big ‘buzz’ from playing in the biggest event of her 19-year-old life.
“It was so wet this morning when we got to the course that I didn’t think we were going to get played at all,” said the Aberdeenshire county champion and semi-finalist in the
“But after hanging around for about seven hours, the course was finally opened at 3pm and I couldn’t wait to get out there again, even though it was very, very wet underfoot.
“I am probably playing as well as I have ever played. You could say I feel inspired by playing in this championship and seeing and meeting all these top players.”
Michele beat Dewi-Claire Schreefel, the Dutch girl who won the American women’s college championship last year and who is still a student at the University of Southern California, by 4 and 3.
Dewi-Claire had the better of the edgy first few holes and was one up after four holes.
“But I settled down and managed to square the game by the turn. Then it all fell into place and I won four holes in a row from the 11th with two pars and birdies at the 12th and 13th,” said Michele
Miss Thomson did not have long to savour the success. The championship should finish with an 18-hole final on Saturday afternoon but is now running many hours behind schedule and is certain to spill over into an extra day.
Kinross-born Ladies Golf Union tournament director Fraser Munro, in an effort to get back on track, put the early third-round winners out again last evening (Friday) to complete as many holes as they could before darkness.
And Michelle had a tough one – no less than the 17-year-old top seed Carlota Ciganda from Pamplona, Spain,
The first two holes of their quarter-final tie were halved.
Then came a body blow to Fraser Munro’s hopes of getting the tournament back on schedule.
The automatic device that warns of an electrical storm in the area forced play to be suspended at 7.03pm with all the players being called in off the course without delay.
Krystle Caithness (St Regulus) was one up on Rachel Connor, 16-year-old daughter of the Manchester club’s Scots-born professional, playing the 16th.having come back from two down after seven holes.

Results:
THIRD ROUND
C Ciganda (Esp) bt M Silva (Esp) 4 and 2.
M Thomson (McDonald Ellon) bt D-C Schreefel (Ned) 4 and 3.
B Loucks (Wrexham) bt E Bennett (Aus) 4 and 2.
C Westrup (Swe) bt M Van der Graaff (Ned) 5 and 4.
Suspended matches:
K Caithness (St Regulus) one up on R Connor (Manchester) after 15 holes.
A Nordqvist (Sweden) one up on K Kinnerud (Swe) after 14 holes.
R Bell (Ganton) all square with S Hassan (Vale of Glamorgan) after 11 holes.
L Bennett (Brokenhurst Manor) one up on K Meixner (Can) after 11 holes.
QUARTER-FINALS
Ciganda and Thomson all square after two holes.

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