Wednesday, 10 August 2011

No Scots left in the British Girls' Matchplay

Report by Colin Farquharson
McKECHIN LOSES - NO SCOTS IN LAST 16 OF BRITISH GIRLS
There are no Scots in tomorrow morning's line-up of the last 16 in the British girls open amateur championship after an awful day of rain at the Gullane No 2 course.
The last host country representative to bow out was Alyson McKechin (Elderslie).
Having beat compatriot Lesley Atkins (Gullane Ladies) by 4 and 2 in the worst of the morning rain, Alyson went down by 2 and 1 to Belgium's Margaux Vanmol in the second round.
The 18-year-old lost the first but bounced back by winning the second, fourth and fifth for a two-hole lead - but that was as good as it got for McKechin.
"I was still two up at the turn but she birdied the long 10th to get one back and after we had halved the long 11th in birdie 4s, Margaux birdied the 13th to square the match," said Alyson who intends playing full-time amateur golf for the rest of the year.
"Then I bogeyed the 14th to go one down for the first time."
After halves in pars at the 15th and 16th, Vanmol clinched a come-from-behind 2 and 1 win by winning the 17th.
The roads around Gullane were flooded after overnight rain continued into the day but the Gullane linkes continued to drain it all away.
"It was simply horrific out there," said 16-year-old Bronte Law (Bramhall), the No 5 seed and one of the favourites.
She beat Marian Tonnessen (Norway) and then Daisy Nielsen (Denmark) both by 4 and 3 margins to reach the third round.
Bronte won the Scottish Under-16 girls' open amateur title at Strathmore in April.
Aberdeen-born Gemma Dryburgh (Beaconsfield) lost by 5 and 3 to England international Georgia Hall (Remedy Oak) who was three up after seven and two up at the turn.
Jessica Meek (Carnoustie Ladies) was one up after 13 against English girls champion Hayley Davis (Ferndown) but lost at the 19th
Scottish U18 girls champion Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm) was two down after only four holes to Norway's Olivia Hullert. The Scot stopped the rot but was still two down after seven and again at the turn.
She got into her stride to birdie the 11th and 13th, lost the 14th but birdied 15th and 17th to take the match down the 19th were Eilidh's hopes ended in a bunker.
To read the full report and results go to the Gillian Kirkwood Website