Six bogeys in the last round killed Kylie Walker's hopes of at least matching last year's seventh place finish in the Portuguese women's open amateur golf championship. The Buchanan Castle player signed off the rain-abbreviated tournament at Quinta do Peru Golf Club, near Lisbon - the second day's play was washed out - with a 76 after earlier rounds of 76 and 77.
Her 13-over-par total for the 54-hole tournament put her in 13th place behind French winner Rosanna Crepiat who had scores of 74, 72 and 71 for one-over-par 217.
Kylie did birdie the fourth and short 17th on the last day but bogeyed the first, third, sixth, eighth, 13th and 14th.
In a prestigious overseas championship, once won by the late Marjory (Fowler) Ferguson, Kylie was the only Scot in the field of 70, a disappointing representation given that the GB&I selectors said that any players making a show in the early-season tournaments would have a chance of breaking into the Vagliano Trophy squad which has been depleted by players such as Scottish champion Michele Thomson (McDonald Ellon), Krystle Caithness (St Regulus) and their 2008 Curtis Cup team-mates, Florentyna Parker (Royal Birkdale), Elizabeth Bennett (Brokenhurst Manor), Breanne Loucks (Wrexham) as well as 2006 Curtis Cup player Tara Delaney (Carlow), turning professinal.
Wales and Ireland entered five players apiece and the Welsh did provide the leading non-Continental player, Rhian Wyn Thomas from Vale of Glamorgan, joint 10th overall on 228. Also on the 228 mark was Mandy Goyos, whose mother is Lancashire-born and her father Spanish.
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 216 (3 x 72)
217 Rosanna Crepiat (Fra) 74 72 71 (35-36).
218 Lucie Andre (Fra) 72 72 74 (38-36).
222 Lara Katzy (Ger) 71 76 75.
224 Ines Diaz-Negrete (Spa) 74 75 75.
225 Marion Duvernay (Fra) 78 71 76, Anna Arrese (Spa) 76 74 75.
226 Adriana Zwanck (Spa) 78 76 72, Marion Ricordeau (Fra) 76 77 73.
227 Laura Stempfl (Ger) 77 77 73.
228 Rocio Sanchez (Spa) 78 74 76, Mandy Goyos (Spa) 77 77 74, Rhian Wyn Thomas (Wal) 77 75 76 (jt 10th).
229 Kylie Walker (Sco) 76 77 76 (39-37) (13th).
230 Laura Chemarin (Fra) 79 76 75.
232 Antonia Scherer (Ger) 72 82 73.
233 Jana Niedballa (Ger) 78 76 79.
234 Cristina Turegano Mate (Spa) 76 77 81.
235 Vicki Troeltach (Ger) 82 77 77, Katherine O'Connor (Wal) 80 76 79 (jt 19th).
236 Hannah Jenkins (Wal) 83 76 77 (23rd).
237 Karolin Lampert (Ger) 82 78 77, Sara Vanzonhoven (Bel) 78 82 77, Nina Holleder (Ger) 78 81 78, Nicola Roessler (Ger) 75 84 78.
238 Sophia Popov (Ger) 85 76 77, Natilia Escuriola Martinez (Spa) 80 80 78, Mireia Prat (Spa) 80 78 79, Ariane Provot (Fra) 76 82 80, Ana Santos Melo (Por) 76 80 82, Tara Davies (Wal) 80 80 78 (42-36) (jt 28th).
Thanks go to Colin Farquharson for the report and the photograph -- click onthe photo above for an enlargement