By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
Nicola Callander and Fiona Liddell have pulled out but that still leaves 17 Scots in the field of 98 for the British women's open amateur stroke-play golf championship at the birthplace of the Open - Prestwick Golf Club - from Wednesday until Friday.
Can anyone of them follow in the footsteps of winning compatriots - Clare Queen (2004), Heather MacRae (2005), Roseanne Niven (2008) and Pamela Pretswell (2010)?
The answer is "Yes" - but it won't be easy to beat players of the calibre of defending champion Sarah-Jane Boyd (Truro), winner in Belfast last year and now the English women's stroke-play champion, Curtis Cup star Leona Maguire, who won this title by four shots a couple of years ago. and
Charley Hull's Woburn clubmate, Lauren Taylor who was the youngest ever British women's open amateur champion at Royal Portrush in 2011 when she was 16.
Scotland's best bets could be national champion Alyson McKechin (Elderslie) from Paisley who went close to winning the Helen Holm Scottish stroke play at Troon in April, Scottish U18 girls champion Connie Jaffrey (Troon Ladies) who is bound to know the ancient and quirky Prestwick links better than most, and Ailsa Summers (Carnoustie Ladies) who won the St Rule Trophy after 54 holes of links golf at St Andrews in May.
Other Scots in the field include:
Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm), Lauren D'Ambrosio (Carluke), Gemma Dryburgh (Beaconsfield). Alex Glennie (Kilmarnock Barassie), Gabrielle Macdonald (Craigielaw), Louise Macgregor (Falkirk, Daisy Macve (Surrey National), Heather Munro (Monifieth), Hannah McCook (Grantown on Spey), Rebecca McGeehan (Sennelager, Germany), Iona Stephen (Ranfurly Castle), Lauren Whyte (St Regulus), Clara Young (North Berwick).
Incidentally, the 100th Scottish women's amateur championship will be hosted by Prestwick Golf Club next May. It will be the third time the tournament has come to the Ayrshire links where the first 12 Open championships were played between 1860 and 1872. Belle Robertson was the Scottish champion at Prestwick in 1978 and Anne Laing followed in her footsteps in 2004.
+There is no charge for admission or car parking and
the Ladies Golf Union would be delighted if specators
came to watch in numbers over the three days (two
rounds on Friday).
The tee times of the Scottish players on Wednesday are
07.41 Sophie Keech (Parkstone), EILIDH BRIGGS (Kilmacolm), HANNAH McCOOK (Grantown on Spey).
07.52 REBECCA McGEEHAN (Sennelager, Germany), Lucy Goddard (Mid Herts), Paula Grant (Lisburn).
08.47
Gemma Clews (Delamere Forest), DAISY MACVE (Surrey National), Beatrice Tassi (Italy).
09.53 Camilla Mortigliengo (Italy), GABRIELLE MACDONALD (Craigielaw), Chloe Ryan (Castletroy)
10.35 Bethan Popel (Long Ashton), GEMMA DRYBURGH (Beaconsfield), Elizabeth Richards (Hagley).
10.46 Charlotte Leathem (Styal), CLARA YOUNG (North Berwick), Cecilie Bofill (Denmark).
11.19 ALEX GLENNIE (Kilmarnock Barassie), Sammy Fuller (Roehampton), Sinead Sexton (Lahinch).
11.30 HEATHER MUNRO (Monifieth), Jean O'Driscoll (Muskerry), Sarah-Jane Boyd (Truro) *defending champion
11.41 HANNAH SCOTT (Broomieknowe), Bethan Morris (Tenby), Marie Dunn (Skerries).
11.52 AILSA SUMMERS (Carnoustie Ladies), Samantha Giles (St Mellion), Anja Lundberg (Germany).
12.03 Jing Yan (China)*British girls champion, IONA STEPHEN (Ranfurly Castle), Katie Bradbury (Cottrell Park).
12.14 ALYSON McKECHIN (Elderslie), Abbey Gittings (Walmley), Emma O'Driscoll (Ballybunion).
12.25 LAUREN D'AMBROSIO (Carluke), Amy Farrell (Moate), Victoria Bradshaw (Bangor).
12.36 Sophie Powell (Stockport), LOUISE MACGREGOR (Falkirk), Myriam Hassan (Southerndown).
12.47 LAUREN WHYTE (St Regulus), Charlotte Austwick (Fulford), Jess Evans (Newport).
12.58 Emma Taylor (Saunton), CONNIE JAFFREY (Troon Ladies), Olivia Mehaffey (Royal Co Down Ladies).
Ladies Golf News in Scotland, the West of Scotland and Renfrewshire