HEATHER MACRAE (left) and KATIE THOMSON (images by Cal Carson Golf Agency).

HEATHER QUALIFIES FOR ANOTHER TARTAN TOUR

EVENT - BUT KATIE KO'D ON COUNTBACK

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Gullane assistant professional Heather MacRae has qualified to play in another Tartan Tour event.
Heather, who earned herself a place in the recent Gleneagles Scottish professional championship field but failed to make the cut, had a six-over-par round of 76, which included double bogey 6s at the sixth and eighth but birdies at the second and 17th - to be joint 23rd in a field of 60 at Shotts Golf Club.
It was an eliminating round to produce 36 qualifiers for the North Lanarkshire Council/Pro-Guide Young Professionals 54-hole Orde3r of Merit tournament at Shotts on August 16 and 17.
Andrew McIntyre (Ranfurly) headed the qualifiers with a round of 67.
Heather almost had female company among those who beat the cut. There was room for only five of the 13 players who returned 79s. It came down to a card countback between Clarke Lutton (Qatar Golf International) and former Aberdeenshire women's amateur county champion Katie Thomson, now an assistant pro at Kings Links Golf Centre, Aberdeen, for the last of the 36 places.
Both had inward halves of 38 so it went down to a comparison of the last six holes. Clarke prevailed with a total of 23, one stroke fewer than Katie.
The consolation for Miss Thomson is that she is now first reserve for a place in tournament should anyone drop out.
There was a third female in the field at Shotts today - Old Course Hotel, St Andrews assistant pro Nicola Melville. She had an 85.
QUALIFIERS
Par 70
67 Andrew McIntyre (Ranfurly Castle).
70 Daniel Wood (Eyemouth), Iain Colquhoun (Dundonald Links), Alastair Love (Charleton), Michael Rae (Alyth)
71 Mark Kerr (unatt).
72 David Patrick (Elie), Christopher Robinson (Dumfries & Galloway)
73 Ross Neill (Drumpellier), Ross Ewen (West Lothian), Terry Mathieson (Kings Acre).
74 Malcolm Isaacs (Nairn Dunbar), David Ross Nicol (Dundonald Links), Gareth Hardy (Belleisle), Mark Finlayson (Edzell), Steven Chalmers (Banchory).
75 Iain Stoddart (Uphall), Andrew McHardy (Noah's Ark Golf Centre), Fraser Pook (Aberdour), Alan Martin (Dunbar), Jonathan Holmes (Buchanan Castle), Alan Mackay (Pumpherston).
76 David Laing (Craigielaw), Heather MacRae (Gullane), Malcolm Murray (Bearsden), David Broadfoot (Dumfries & Co).
77 Scott Spence (unatt), Ian Rowlands (West Linton), Stuart Hutchison (Nevada Bobs).
78 Kevin Campbell (Balmore), Christopher McMaster (Panmure).
79 Olvier Morton (Gullane), David Knapp (North Gailes), Adam Aitken (Dumfries & co, Alan Gibson (Troon Municipal), Clarke Lutton (Qatar Golf International).
MISSED THE CUT
79 (beaten on card play-off) Katie Thomson (Kings Links), Joel Hopwood (Carnegie Club), Andrew Carlton (Cawder), Brian Gibson (Carrick at Cameron House), Paul Wilson (World of Golf), James Boyce (Erskine), Paul Gallacher (Dalmuir), Russell McIntyre (Prestonfield).
80 Graham Mackay (Prestonfield), William Fairfull-Smith (Cowglen), Richard Hyland (Craibstone), Craig Knowles (unatt), Graeme Stewart (Gleddoch).
81 Stewart Winter (Callander), Rolbin Gaden (GleneaglesHotel).
82 Michael Baxter (Westerwood), Stuart McEwing (Montrose).
83 Luke Barbour (Cruden Bay).
84 Duncan Anderson (Ladybank), Scott Bergin (Royal Musselburgh), Graeme Fisher (Mearns Castle), Ross Dennison (Inverness).
85 Nicola Melville (Old Course Hotel).