D&A's Kylie Walker is not one of the four Scots in the GB&I team for the Curtis Cup at the same venue this week but she must have given them a boost and a few pointers as she won the St Rule Trophy in a half-gale over the Old Course, St Andrews today (Sunday). The 21-year-old Buchanan Castle player, who has a handicap of +2, led by one shot at the end of the first round with a one-under-par 75 in a bitterly cold north-easterly wind gusting up to 25mph. Then Kylie went out and again shot the joint lowest score in the second round – a three-under-par 73, for a four-under total of 148.
"I've scored lower over the Old Course before but that's the best I've ever played it when the wind's been blowing like that," said Kylie who was beaten semi-finalist in the recent Scottish women's championship at Lossiemouth and, last month, was top Scot and joint fourth overall in the Helen Holm Scottish women's open amateur stroke-play championship at Troon.
Hitting the ball around the 300yd mark off the tee, even when it was a cross-wind, Kylie was able to pick up two-putt birdie 3s by driving the greens at the ninth and 10th, Her strength off the tee also enabled her to birdie the par-5 second and fourth by hitting them with her second shots.
She also birdied the par-5 17th with a pitch-and-putt 4.
Kylie bogeyed only the 13th – "I made a mess of that and finished up three-putting" – and the 18th where she missed the green with her approach. But all in all Miss Walker looked a class player in very difficult conditions, the CSS for the first round was 79 against the par of 76 and 77 in the second round.
"It's all started to come together for me," said Kylie who also won the Dunbartonshire & Argyll county title earlier this season.
Too late to get her into Curtis Cup team contention but the capture of the St Rule Trophy – the biggest win on her golfing CV which includes the Scottish schoolgirls title four years ago - will go into the British women's open amateur championship at North Berwick from June 11 to 15 brimful of confidence.
French players filled second, third, fourth and joint fifth places. Not surprisingly, France (299) won the international team event from Scotland (309) with Ireland (314) third and Wales (318) fourth.
ST RULE TROPHY
Old Course, St Andrews
Final Leader Board
Par 152 (2 x 76)
148 K Walker (Buchanan Castle) 75 73.
149 A Goumard (France) 76 73.
150 I Boineau (France) 76 74.
153 L Andre (France)76 77.
Other Scots:
156 L Kenney (Pitreavie) 81 75.
160 R Niven (Crieff) 80 80,
161 R Watson (Elie & Earlsferry) 80 81, K McNicoll (Carnoustie Ladies) 86 75, K MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) 76 85.
162 A Bushby (Strathmore) 80 82, E Fairnie (Dunbar) 81 81, Sheena Wood (Hazlehead) 83 79.
163 A Davidson (Stirling) 79 84.
164 T Davies (Holyhead) 82 82, K Brotherton (Tulliallan) 83 81, J Turner (Craigielaw) 86 78.
165 C Hargan (Mortonhall) 85 80, R Livingstone (Musselburgh Old) 82 83.
166 S Jackson (Ladybank) 86 80, M Pow (Selkirk) 83 83, K Marshall (Baberton) 80 80.
167 C-M Carlton (Fereneze) 87 80, M Briggs (Kilmacolm) 83 84.
168 A Laing (Vale of Leven) 77 91, E Ogilvy (Auchterarder) 83 85.
169 L Murray (Alford) 84 85.
171 C MacDonald (Gullane Ladies) 90 81, A Ramsay (Kirriemuir) 81 90, J Carthew (Ladybank) 84 87.
173 E Cuthill (Lanark) 85 88.
174 L Walker (Muckhart) 91 83
177 R McQueen (Troon Ladies) 94 83.
182 Susan Wood (Drumpellier) 96 86, L McLardy (Murcar Links) 92 90, E Moffat (St Regulus) 92 90.
183 J Sneddon (Alyth) 92 91.
Thanks go to Colin Farquharson for the report
