MARY SMITH ONLY FORMER WINNER IN LAST
FOUR OF NORTHERN COUNTIES' CHAMPIONSHIP

Tain’s Mary Smith is the only previous title-winner through to Monday’s semi-finals of the Norther Counties Ladies Golfing Association championship at Royal Dornoch Golf Club.
In a bitterly cold North-east win, Mary advanced to a last-four meeting with the experienced Jenny Milne (Elgin) by beating Winnie Ross (Elgin) 7 and 6.
The other semi-final will feature the top qualifier, Donna MacLeod (Inverness) against clubmate Gillian Dowling.

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).

MATCH PLAY
First round – MacLeod bt MacKenzie 8 and 7, MacVicar bt Weekes 7 and 5, Dowling bt Dunnett 1 hole, Manson bt McKinnon 3 and 2, Smith bt Howieson 4 and 3, Ross bt Vass 2 and 1, Hume bt MacDonald 4 and 3, Milne bt Morrison 3 and 2.
Quarter-finals – MacLeod bt MacVicar 6 and 4, Dowling bt Manson at 195th, Smith bt Ross 7 and 6, Milne bt Hume 5 and 3.

MELISSA REID RETAINS HELEN HOLM TITLE

Derby's 19-year-old Curtis Cup player Melissa Reid, with the help of an incredible course-record round of 12-under-par 63 over Troon Portland, won the Helen Holm Scottish women's open amateur stroke-play golf championship for the second year in a row today (Sunday).

The only other person to win the prestigious 54-hole tournament two years in a row was Muriel Thomson, now professional at Portlethen Golf Club, in 1975 and 1976.

Melissa's second-round effort included a hole in one and, after two Saturday rounds over Troon Portland, she started today's final round over the Royal Troon championship links with a six-shot lead from England team-mate Rachel Bell (Ganton) whose course-record 65 on Friday stood for only 24 hours!

But Miss Reid, who will probably turn professional at the end of this year – "I wouldn't stay amateur just to get a second Curtis Cup honour at St Andrews in 2008, saw her considerable advantage disappear after only eight holes and she had to win the title all over again after that.

"The Royal Troon greens were a completely different pace from Troon Portland on Saturday and I was all at sea on them. I three-putted the first, third, seventh and eighth – and, standing on the ninth tee, I had lost my lead and Rachel was level with me," said Melissa.

"I three-putted twice more before the finish but Rachel bogeyed the ninth and 10^th and that gave me the breathing space to regroup and just take each hole at a time on the inward half."

Melissa, who had been 17 under par after rounds of 70 and 63 at Troon Portland, signed off with a three-over-par 78 (40-38) at Royal Troon for a final total of 14-under-par 211, which equalled the tournament low record set by compatriot Emma Duggleby from Yorkshire in 2004.

Rachel Bell scored 65, 74 and 75 (35-40) to finished three shots behind on 204.

"I played like a wally on the inward half of the final round. I had little or no chance at the start, being six shots behind Melissa. But, having made up these six shots over the first eight holes on Royal Troon, I should have gone on from there to win. But I just couldn't get the putts to drop and couldn't get a birdie on the way home. Three putts on the last green meant I finished three shots behind her."

Melissa Reid collected three awards at the prizegiving – the Helen Holm Trophy, the international team trophy for England in conjunction with Kerry Smith (Waterlooville), the Under-21 trophy and the Hole in One Trophy.

Scotland's Krystle Caithness (St Regulus) and Jenna Wilson (Strathaven) finished runners-p in the international team event.

Jenna was the leading Scot, officially placed fifth with scores of 70, 73 and 77 for 220, having a better last six holes than the French girl, Caroline Afonso, who also totalled 220 and finished with a 77.

Heather MacRae (Dunblane New), third at the start of the third and last day and playing in the final threesome with Melissa Reid and Rachel Bell, finished joint seventh on 221 with scores of 70, 70 and 81.
The CSS for the third round went up to 77, a reflection of the higher scoring today due to a cold east wind.

HELEN HOLM FINAL TOTALS FROM TROON

HELEN HOLM SCOTTISH WOMEN'S OPEN AMATEUR STROKE-PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP

First two rounds over Troon Portland, third round over Royal Troon.

FINAL TOTALS

Par 225 (3 x 75). CSS 74 74 77

211 M Reid (Chevin) 70 63 78.

214 R Bell (Ganton) 65 74 75.

217 A Decharne (France) 71 73 73.

219 B Loucks (Wrexham) 72 73 74.

220 J Wilson (Strathaven) 70 73 77, C Afonso (France) 73 70 77.

221 C Hedwall (Sweden) 77 66 78, H MacRae (Dunblane New) 70 70 81.

222 K Caithness (St Regulus) 76 73 73, A Vilatte (France) 69 79 74.

223 C Lennarth (Sweden) 69 73 81, D Montgomery (The Lambourne) 70 75 78.

224 M Bernard (France) 74 74 76, K Smith (Waterloovile) 72 73 79, R Connor (Manchester) 72 73 79, E Duggleby (Malton & Norton) 75 70 79.

225 P Pretswell (Bothwell Castle) 74 76 75, L Herman (Belgium) 71 78 76.

226 C Wolf (Austria) 77 71 78, B Harries (Haverfordwest) 78 69 79.

227 C Booth (Comrie) 74 72 81.

228 L Gustafsson (Sweden) 75 76 77, N Edwards (Ganton) 76 75 77, N Muehl (Austria) 76 73 79, E Alonso (France) 72 76 80, D Smith (Co Louth) 72 76 80, C Lee (West Lancs) 72 76 80, H Barwood (Knowle) 71 74 83, M Thomson (McDonald Ellon) 74 72 82.

229 H Aitchison (The Bedfordshire) 80 75 74, E Sheffield (Newark) 71 80 78, R Svahn (Finland) 74 75 80, E Moffat (St Regulus) 75 73 81, S Stubbs (Shifnal) 76 72 81, R W Thomas (Vale of Glamorgan) 72 75 82.

230 J Hedwall (Sweden) 76 76 78, R Livingstone (Musselburgh Old) 74 73 83, L-A Stempfle (Germany) 73 72 85.

231 S Harju (Finland) 78 77 76, B Mullins-Lane (Harefield) 74 80 77, K Walker (Buchanan Castle) 78 76 77, C Fallay (France) 78 74 79, S Evans (Vale of Llangollen) 72 79 80, M Ricordeau (France) 76 71 84, L Hall (Royal Porthcawl) 73 73 85.

232 L Gendronneau (France) 75 75 82, L Bennett (Brokenhuret Manor) 70 76 86.

233 L Collin (John O'Gaunt) 77 77 79, T Boyes (Meon Valley) 77 75 81, M Pow (Selkirk) 80 71 82, K MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) 74 72 87.

234 S Attwood (Gog Magog) 75 78 81, T McDonnell (Ennis) 78 75 81, F Lockhart (St Regulus) 79 73 82, J Hodge (Knowle) 79 70 85.

235 S Garbutt (Ganton) 79 76 80, J Turner (Mortonhall) 80 74 81, C-M Carlton (Fereneze) 79 74 82.

236 N Craven (Brough) 74 81 81, S Faller (Galway) 76 79 81, R Crepiat (France) 79 76 81, A Riguelle (France) 75 75 86, B Genuini (France) 73 73 90.

237 T Davies (Holyhead) 74 81 82, A Laing (Vale of Leven) 79 75 83.

238 C Douglass (Brocket Hall) 80 75 83, E Westrup (Sweden) 77 77 84.

239 E Tipping (Sandiway) 74 79 86.

240 A Ramsay (Kirriemuir) 79 75 86, C Hargan (Mortonhall) 76 75 89.

242 S Mantyniemi (Finland) 77 74 91.

The following players missed the cut (155) after two rounds:

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, K Harper (Inverness) 79 78.

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.

INTERNATIONAL TEAM EVENT

435 England (M Reid 211, K Smith 224).

442 Scotland (J Wilson 220, K Caithness 222).

448 France (C Afonso 220, E Alonso 228).

454 Austria (C Wolf 226, N Muehl 228).

456 Wales (B Loucks 219, T Davies 237)

460 Finland (R Svah 229, S Harju 231).

462 Ireland (D Smith 228, T McDonnell 234).

466 Sweden (L Gustafsson 228, E Westrup 238).

VIKKI HAS A 69 ON US FUTURES TOUR

Musselburgh exile Vikki Laing had her best round for some time to qualify with easy for the final round of the Jalapeno Futures Classic at McAllen, Texas.

The Scot had rounds of 74 and 69 for a one-under-par tlaly of 143 - six shots inside the qualifying limit. Vikki is five shots behind the leader, Emily Bastel from Ohio, with 70 and 68 for 138. Emily leads by one shot from another American, Danah Ford, with 68 and 71 for 139.

Brenda McLarnon from Belfast failed to beat the 36-hole cut. She had scores of 83 and 77 for 160.

 

MATTHEW CLARK WINS EDWARD TROPHY

 

Kilmacolm's Matthew Clark won Glasgow Gailes Golf Club's 36-hole open tournament for the Edward Trophy by two strokes in blustery conditions on Saturday.

Clark had two par-matching rounds of 72 for 144, finishing two shots ahead of last year's winner, Craig Watson (East Renfrewshire), and Keith Hamilton (Whitecraigs). Both players scored 71 and 75 for 146.

 

LEADING TOTALS

 

144 M Clark (Kilmacolm) 72 72.

146 K Hamilton (Whitecraigs) 71 75, C Watson (East Renfrewshire) 71 75.

147 J King (Glasgow) 75 72.

148 K Smyth (Windyhill) 76 72.

150 G Bolton (Bute) 77 73.

151 T McInally (Louden) 75 76.