Julie flies the flag for females in
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final of Aberdeen Trades Foursomes

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Tonight's final of the Aberdeen Trades Foursomes will feature a female player - twice past Aberdeenshire women's county champion, Julie Henderson.
She is a member of the Chartered Accountants team who beat Baker Hughes in last night's semi-finals at the third extra hole in a nail-biting tie at the Hazlehead No 1 course.
Julie and her playing partner Andrew Hepburn were five down after 12 holes to Colin Stewart and Roddy Grant but won four of the remaining holes to finish only one down. With the Chartered Accountants' first-string pair winning by one hole that was enough to send the tie into extra holes.
In the other semi-final Bankers beat R&C Construction by eight holes.
It is not the first time a woman has played in the Aberdeen Trades Foursomes. Muriel Thomson, back in her days as an amateur and as a teenager, played for Bankers, and the late Carol Stewart also appeared on occasion but Julie, from Inverurie, is probably the first female to play in the final.
She was a leading player in the Aberdeenshire women's county championship at the beginning of the decade, losing at the 19th in the 2000 final but winning the title in 2003 and again in 2005.
Julie has not entered the county championship in recent years but, if she can hold her own in the cut-and-thrust of men's foursomes match-play, then she is still a very good player.
Last night's results:
SEMI-FINALS
CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS bt BAKER HUGHES at the third extra hole.
John Godward & Ian Castles 1, Robert Carr & Mike Dickie 0.
Andrew Hepburn & Julie Henderson 0, Colin Stewart & Roddy Grant 1.

BANKERS bt R&C CONSTRUCTION bt eight holes.
Gregor Stewart & Barry Gibson 4, Chris Simpson & Neil Melvin 0.
Scott Carmichael & Martyn Patterson 4, John Spiers & Kevin Allan 0.