FLYING DUTCHGIRL CHRISJE PIPS VIKKI LAING FOR FIRST PRO WIN AT PAUL LAWRIE LADIES TOUR OPENER

          Chrisje De Vries ... First victory in two years as a pro. Image by Cal Carson Golf Agency.

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com 
Chrisje De Vries, a 25-year-old from Amsterdam, was the Flying Dutchgirl of the opening event of the Paul Lawrie Golf Centre Scottish Ladies Open Tour on a sometimes wet but almost always very windy day over the Marriott Dalmahoy East Course in Edinburgh.

The Forth Road Bridge is not all that far away - and it was closed to high-sided vehicles which gives an indication of the strength of the wind.
With the clubhouse awash with horror stories of umpteen putts and other misfortunes on a sodden course, Chrisje stunned the early finishers by returning a two-under-par 72 (36-36) - and she had never played the course before!
"It was closed when we arrived for a practice round on Wednesday so I just walked the 18 holes instead," said De Vries who won just about every amateur title available to her in Holland before she turned pro two years ago.
"This is my very first win as a pro. I lost b
my Ladies European Tour card last year so perhaps this is going to be the year when my luck as a pro changes.
"I started with nine pars today, missing only one green in regulation but I was able to pitch and putt for par, so it was a pretty straightforward to that point. Then I birdied the long10th (on in 2 with a five-iron second) and 11th (8 iron approach to 6ft) downwind and I knew I was going to have a good round.
"I didn't get close to winning the car prize for a hole in one at the 17th but you can't have everything."
Chrisje won the £750 top prize with £400 going to runner-up Vikki Laing, 32, from Musselburgh, among the last group to finish when the wind had abated slightly. 
In compiling a one-under-par 73, Vikki was out in two-under-par 34, the best of the day with birdies at the third and sixth where she holed putts of 25 and 15ft respectively.
But bogeys at the 11th and 12th and a couple of three putts saw her finish on 73. The three stabs at the long 16th were particularly galling as she had got home in two and three-putted for a par!
There were fears that the amateurs might be shut out of the prize list by professionals but this did not prove to be the case.
There were outstanding performances from Carnoustie Ladies teenager Jessica Meek and Jess Wilcox from Blankeney, Lincolnshire tied for third place overall on 76.
Jessica, winner of the SLGA Girls Order of Merit last year and bound for the Univesity of Missouri in August, was through the back of the green downwind in two shots at two long holes after the turn, the 10th and 16th, but she was able to pitch-and-putt for birdie 4s. She missed a 6ft putt for a birdie at the par-5 18th.
In fact 18-year-old Miss Meek played the par-5s rather well as she opened her round with a pitch-and-putt 4 at the long first hole.
Jess Wilcox did her best work on the outward half which she covered in one-over 37, coming back in one-over 39.
Former Scottish champion and Curtis Cup player Heather Stirling played her first competitive round for six years so was not unhappy to return an 80 in the adverse conditions.
Heather makes a living caddieing in Florida during the winter over in the States and then returns to Scotland to caddie at St Andrews from her Fife base at Darsie.
"I had never played Dalmahoy previously so, all in all, it was a satisfactory comeback," said Heather.
The other Heather in the field - Heather MacRae (Gleneagles Hotel) had 40 putts in an 81. Heather was responsible for winner Chrisje de Vries coming over for the start of the Paul Lawrie Tour so she can claim some credit for her Dutch friend's success.
Playing in the same group - the first off the tee - was late entry Kate McIntosh, a Broomieknowe amateur. Kate was several shots ahead of her pro partners when she reached the turn in 38 but she ran up an 8 at the 14th in an inward 43 for 81.
Most players struggled on the wet, slow greens. None more so than last year's Scottish champion, Laura Murray from Alford, who also won the St Rule Trophy at St Andrews last year.
"I hit 16 greens in regulation and finished with an 80 so you can guess how many putts I had," said Laura, who plays out of the Tour sponsors, Paul Lawrie Golf Centre.
"I had four putts for a double-bogey 6 at the fifth but did hole a 15-footer for a birdie 3 at the sixth and I also got birdie 4s downwind at the long 10th (on in 2 with a nine iron) and 16th (on in 2 with an eight iron but I had three putts for my second double bogey 6 of the day, at the 15th."
Young amateurs Kate McIntosh (Broomieknowe) and Tara MacTaggart (Minto), who finished jut outside the main prize list with 81s, received a dozen Titleist Pro V1 balls each from leading law firm Burness Paull and Williamsons as a special reward for their performance in the opening event, encouraging them to make that little bit of improvement next time on the PLGC SLOT

PAUL LAWRIE GOLF CENTRE SCOTTISH LADIES
OPEN TOUR -EVENT No. 1
Marriott Dalmahoy East Course, Edinburgh
FINAL TOTALS
Par 74 (36-38)
72 Chrisje De Vries (Netherlands) 36-36 (£750)
73 Vikki Laing (Musselburgh) 34-39 (£400)
76 Jessica Meek (Carnoustie Ladies) (am) 40-36, Jess Wilcox (Blankney) (am) 37-39 (Amateur vouchers to the value of £325 each).
77 Eleanor Givens (Darlington) 39-38 (£250)
78 Daisy Dyer (Chigwell) 37-41 (£200).
79 Lisa Shervill (West Kilbride) 39-40 (£150).
80 Heather Stirling (Darsie, Fife) 40-40, Laura Murray (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) 40-40, Tatania Kernen (Switzerland) 42-38, Krystle Falkner (St Andrews) 39-41 (£80 each), Jane Turner (Craigielaw) (am) 42-38 (amateur voucher to the value of £80).81 Heather MacRae (Gleneagles) 40-41, Kate McIntosh (Broomieknowe) (am) 38-43, Tara McTaggart (Minto) (am) 39-42, Fabienne In-Albon (Switzerland) 39-42.
84 Alyson McKechin (Elderslie) (am) 42-42.
86 Martine Pow (Selkirk) 44-42, Kimberley Crooks (Middlesbrough) 42-44
87 Gemma Webster (Elie Sports Club) 42-45
88 Michele Thomson (Ellon) 46-42.
89 Nichola Ferguson (Milngavie) (am) 46-43, Rachel Walker (Dumfries and Co) (am) 43-46.
92 Ailsa Bain (Peebles) 47-45, Laura Harvey (Darlington) 46-46
98 Hannah Scott (Broomieknowe) (am) 49-49   
ORDER OF MERIT POINTS
Event 1 - Marriott Dalmahoy
1  Chrisje De Vries  1000   
2   Vikki Laing    750   
3  Jessica Meek      675   
3  Jess Wilcox    675
5  E Givens    600   
6  D Dyer     550   
7  L Shervill    500   
8  L Murray    374
8  H Stirling    374
8 T Kernen    374
8 J Turner     374   
8 K Falkner    374       
13 H MacRae    305   
13 K McIntosh    305
13 T MacTaggart    305       
13 F In-Albon    305   
17 A McKechin    280   
18 M Pow     265   
18 K Crooks    265   
20 G Webster    250   
21 M Thomson    240           
22 R Walker    225
22 N Ferguson    225           
24 L Harvey    205   
25 A Bain     205
26 H Scott    190