By COLIN FARQUHARSON
colin@scottishgolfview.com
Kilmacolm’s Eilidh Briggs and Aberdeen-born Gemma Dryburgh earned the Nos 1 and 2 seedings which could see them meet in Saturday morning’s 18-hole final of the Scottish Under-18 girls’ match-play championship at Glenisla Golf Club, Alyth.
But they will have to beat some very good players to make it through four rounds of match-play to the title decider.
Briggs, beaten finalist in the Scottish women’s amateur championship at Machrihanish in May, repeated her par opening round of 71 for a top total of 142. She birdied the short fifth and 13th and bogeyed the long second and 15th in halves of 36 and 35.
The much-travelled Dryburgh, who enrols at Tulane University, Louisiana next month after several years at the IMG Leadbetter Academy in Florida, produced the lowest round of the 36-hole qualifying test – a one-under-par 70 with birdies at the long eighth and ninth for 34 out and a bogey at the 17th for 36 back.
Third best qualifier was Gabrielle MacDonald (Craigielaw) with rounds of 74 and 71 for 145. Gabrielle had only two deviations from par in her second round – a birdie at the long eighth and a bogey at the 11th.
All the “usual suspects” were among the 32 qualifiers for the match play. The most dangerous to the hopes of Briggs and Dryburgh could be fifth seed Alyson McKechin (Eldershie) (76-72 for 148), Hannah McCook (Grantown-on-Spey), sixth best on 148 (75-73), title-holder and seventh Lesley Atkins (Gullane Ladies) (74-74 for 148) and Junior Vagliano Trophy player 14-year-old Clara Young (North Berwick) (74-76 for 150), the ninth best qualifier.
Hannah Robb won a play-off for the last of the 32 match-play places after she had tied with Alexandra Tait and Eilidh Watson (Murcar) on the 162 mark.
QUALIFIERS
Par 142 (2x71). Yardag 5803.
142 Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm) 71 71.
143 Gemma Dryburgh (Beaconsfield) 73 70.
145 Gabrielle MacDonald (Craigielaw) 74 73.
146 Connie Jaffrey (Troon Ladies) 72 74.
148 Alyson McKechin (Elderslie) 76 72, Hannah McCook (Grantown on Spey) 75 73, Lesley Atkins 9Gullane Ladies) 74 74.
150 Heather Munro (Monifieth) 76 74, Clara Young (North Berwikc) 74 76, Rachel Polson (Deeside) 74 76.
151 Ailsa Summers (Carnoustie Ladies) 77 74, Rachael Walker (Dumfries and Co) 76 75.
152 Jessica Meek (Carnoustie Ladies) 77 75.
153 Kate McIntosh (Broomieknowe) 79 74, Hannah Scott (Broomieknowe) 76 77, Jema Chalmers (Monifieth) 76 77, Emily Aird (Blairgowrie) 75 78.
154 Tara MacTaggart (Minto ) 77 77, Lauren Whyte (St Regulus) 75 79.
155 Emma Greenlees (Dumfries and Galloway) 75 80.
156 Jorden Ferrie (Kirkintilloch) 80 76, Eleanor Tunn (Reay) 78 78.
157 Keren Ward (Glen) 76 81.
159 Alison Goodwin (Glenbervie) 84 75.
159 Kimerley Beveridge (Aoyne) 81 78, Olivia Borwick (McDonald Ellon) 79 80, Shannen McGuire (Canmore) 78 81.
160 Nicola Roberrtson (Dunblane New) 82 78, Tegan Seivwright (Deeside) 75 85.
161 Chloe Goadby (St Regul;us) 85 76.
161 Megan Clyne (Deeside) 81 80.
162 (after three-way play-off) Hannah Robb (Strathmore) 80 82.
MISSED THE CUT
Selected scores
162 (beaten in play-off) Alexandra Tait (St Regulus) 84 78, Eilidh Watson (Muckhart) 80 82.
163 Nicola Taylor (Dunnikier Park) 82 81, Danielle Ker (Roxburghe) 79 84.
164 Emily Dalgetty (Glencorse) 84 80, Katie McGarva (Troon ladies) 84 80.
165 Emma Hale (Troon Ladies) 83 82.
166 Mhairi McKay 81 85.
167 Emma Caddow 81 86, Linsey Stevenson 81 86.
168 Sophie Macguire 86 82, Molly Stewart (Murcar Links) 82 86.
169 Rosie Everett 86 83, Claire Gadsby 85 84.
170 Catherine Small 86 84.
171 Hazel MacGarvie 88 83.
173 Eva O'Connor 87 86, Mirren Fraser 86 87.
174 Shannon McWilliam (Aboyne) 89 85.
177 Emma Kennedy 91 86.
178 Catherine Goodwin 91 87,
180 Claire Robertson 91 89.
181 Jessica Dalgetty 90 91.
182 Alexandra Qayum 90 92, Kirsten Pryde 90 92, Rheanna Thom 84 98.
183 Leanne Wilson 97 86, Emily Glencorse 94 89.
184 Jennifer Allan 95 89.
185 Kristy Brodie 92 93.
191 Jeanne Free 9794.
192 Alexandra Brown 99 93, Heaher Neilson 94 98.
219 Julie Glencorse 108 111.
MATCH-PLAY DRAW
Seven-minute intervals
UPPER HALF
8.30 E Briggs v H Robb, E Aird v J Chalmers, C Young v A Goodwin, K Beveridge v H Munro, A McKechin v N Robertson, J Ferrie v R Walker, J Meek v E Greenlees, T Seivwright v C Jaffrey.
LOWER HALF
9.26 G Macdonald v C Goadby, L Whyte v K McIntosh, A Summers v E Tunn, S McGuire v H McCook, L Atkins v O Borwick, K Ward v R Polson, H Scott v T MacTaggart, M Clyne v G Dryburgh.
ANSLEY REID SALVER DRAW
10.46 A Tait v H MacGarvie.
10.54 Emma Caddow v Mhairi McKay.
11.02 Emily Dalgetty v Molly Stewart.
11.10 Rosie Everett v Danielle Ker.
11.18 Nicola Taylro v Claire Gadsby.
11.26 Sophie Maguire v Katie McGarva.
11.34 Emma Hale v Linsey Stevenson.
11.42 Catherine Small v Eilidh Watson.
Ladies Golf News in Scotland, the West of Scotland and Renfrewshire
