EILIDH BRIGGS FAILS TO MAKE BRITISH MATCHPLAY STAGES

Only five Scots have made it through to the match-play stages of the British women's open amateur championship at Royal St George's Golf Club, Sandwich, Kent.
Aberdeen-born Gemma Dryburgh (Beaconsfield) 153, Lauren Whyte (St Regulus) 155, Ailsa Summers (Carnoustie Ladies) 155, Alyson McKechin (Elderslie) 155 and Connie Jaffrey 156 succeeded where Curtis Cup player Eilidh Briggs 158, Clara Young 161, Scottish champion Gabrielle MacDonald (Craigielaw) 160, Clara Young (North Berwick) 161 and Airdrie-born Rachael Taylor (Germany) 163 failed.
The most notable failure of all was title-holder and Curtis Cup player Georgia Hall (Parkstone) who missed the magic figure of 156 by six shots with rounds of 78 and 84 for 162.
Briggs' halves in her 84 were 46 and 38. She had only two par figures in her first 14 holes, the lowlight being a quadruple bogey 8 at the eight. Eilidh did birdie the second, 14th and 17th but it was too little too late.
Lauren Whyte (St Regulus), a former Scottish U18 girls champion, had a 77 for 155 which at one time looked to be one shot too many but as the scores started to climb so Lauren's total "improved" as the day wore on and she qualified comfortably for the match-play.
Other Scots qualifiers on the 155 mark were Carnoustie Ladies' Ailsa Summers (78-77) and last year's Scottish champion Alyson McKechin (Elderslie) (76-79)
Connie Jaffrey (Troon Ladies), beaten finalist in last month's Scottish women's amateur championship, squeezed through on the critical mark of 156

Connie had two double bogeys in a second-round 80 (41-39).
Gabrielle MacDonald (Craigielaw), who beat Jaffrey to claim the national title at Prestwick, missed the cut with a second-round 84 for 160. The St Andrews student had only one par figure in an outward half of 43.Germany-based Scot Rachael Taylor, a student at North Carolina State University, is another who will miss the match-play. She had an 85 for 163.
Carnoustie's Jess Meek, last year's Scottish Under-21 girls champion and a student at the University of Missouri, withdrew after a first-round 81. She phoned the LGU organisers early this morning to say that she was sick and would not be able to play in the second round.