Scotland’s Hannah Darling holds a slender one shot lead over compatriot Chloe Goadby heading into the final round of the 2021 Helen Holm Scottish Women’s Open at Royal Troon Portland Course.
17-year-old Darling carded a second successive five under par 67 to finish the day on ten under par 134 but a couple of hours later was nearly caught by new Scottish Women’s Amateur champion Goadby who birdied the last for the second day in a row to post her own 67 and go into the final round on 135.
Darling started the day with a dropped shot at the 458-yard par four first hole but then birdied the second, sixth and ninth to go out in 33 before carding four birdies and a bogey coming home to give herself a great chance of becoming the first Scot to lift the trophy since Heather Stirling all the way back in 2002.
“It was good out there,” said the in-form Darling, a two-time Scottish Girls’ champion who won the Recent St Rule Trophy at St Andrews and then reached the semi-finals at both the Scottish Women’s Amateur and the Women’s Amateur Championship.
Goadby will also be confident she can end Scotland’s long winless drought after beating Darling on the way to claiming her first Scottish Women’s title at the start of this month at Gullane.
The former Stirling University student stormed home with five birdies in her last seven holes to add a 67 to her opening 68 and believes she is in great shape to claim a rare Scottish double.
MacGarvie will not be short of local support after carding a 68 while Duncan eagled the last on her way to posting a two under par 70.
The cut fell at eleven over par 155 with 60 players progressing to the final round tomorrow.
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