Renfrewshire are Scottish women's county champions for the first time this Century! The last time they won the title was 1987, before some of the present team members were born.
On the third and final day at Bothwell Castle, Renfrewshire beat Dumfries-shire 5 1/2-3 1/2 while Midlothian beat Angus 7-2.
That meant a tie between Renfrewshire and Midlothian - who had drawn their opening-day match 4 1/2-4 1/2 - with 2 1/2pt each. The tie-breaker was a countback of individual game won (not counting halved games).
Renfrewshire shaded that 16 to 15.
Renfrewshire's Alyson McKechin was the MVP (Most Valuable Player) of the tournament with five wins out of six. Her only defeat was in the opening day foursomes.
The champions also got 4pt out of 6 from Megan Briggs and 3 1/2pt out of four from Clare-Marie Carlton who did not play on the first day.
Midlothian's top points winner was Jane Turner with 4 1/2 out of six. Closely followed by young Gabrielle MacDonald with 4pt from five games, and Karen Marshall with 4pt from six.
The mainstay of the Angus team was teenager Jessica Meek with 4 1/2pt out of six while top scorer for Dumfries-shire was Diane Ma\cDonald with 3 1/2pt, having lost only one of her six outings.
FROM THE SLGA WEBSITE:
The outcome was far from certain until the second last match on the course was finished. Midway through the afternoon Renfrewshire looked like they could struggle to win the three points needed from the singles matches to seal the win against Dumfriesshire with only Gillian Kyle up in her match.
Clare-Marie Carlton started the come-back by halving her match with Diane MacDonald with a pitch-and-putt birdie 4 on the 18th.
Megan Briggs and Alyson McKechin both then won their respective matches by two holes, having each been down for much of the afternoon.
Giliian Kyle duly won her match, giving Renfrewshire a 5.5 - 3.5 win in the match and 16 individual match wins from the three days.
With Midlothian sitting on 10 individual match wins going into the afternoon singles that meant that they had to win all six of their matches to tie Renfrewshire on the number of match wins and take it to a further count back. With all but one of the Midlothian team all square or down going into the back nine it looked like their chance was all but over.
However, like Renfrewshire, the Midlothian team fought back with wins from Rachael Watton and Gabrielle Macdonald by one hole and by Kate McIntosh on the 17th.
Louise Fraser who had been the one match up all afternoon, won her match, leaving Karen Marshall and Jane Turner needing to win their matches. Karen Marshall sank a gutsy putt to win the 18th hole against Jessica Meek, however it was to halve the match, which meant that Renfrewshire's win was confirmed.
Congratulations to all the players and captains on an excellent three days of golf, played in great spirit and many congratulations to Renfrewshire on their first County Finals win since 1987.
TODAY'S RESULTS
DUMFRIES-SHIRE 3 1/2,
RENFREWSHIRE 5 1/2FOURSOMES (1-2)
Diane MacDonald and Lindsay Kirkwood bt Eilidh Briggs and Megan Briggs 1 hole.
Jordana Graham and Katie McCracken lost to Clare-Marie Carlton and Alyson McKechin 6 and 4.
Rachel Walker and Wilma Graham lost to Liz Stewart and Carol Whyte 1 hole.
SINGLES
MacDonald halved with Carlton
Kirkwood lost to Megan Briggs 2 holes.
Walker bt Eilidh Briggs 3 and 1.
McCracken lost to McKechin 2 holes.
Graham bt Donna Jackson 2 and 1.
Trish Lilly lost to Gillian Kyle 4 and 3.
ANGUS 2, MIDLOTHIAN 7
FOURSOMES (1 1/2-1 1/2)
Ailsa Summers and Rebecca Wilson lost to Jane Turner and Rachael Watton 1 hole.
Clare Penman and Ashley Smith halved with Gabrielle Macdonald and Kate McIntosh.
Ann Ramsay and Jessica Meek bt Karen Marshall and Wendy Nicholson 1 hole.
SINGLES
Wilson lost to Watton 1 hole.
Penman lost to Macdonald 1 hole.
Meek halved with Marshall.
Smith lost to McIntosh 2 and 1.
Fiona Gilbert lost to Louise Fraser 7 and 5.
Ramsay lost to Turner 3 and 2.
HOW THEY FINISHED
1 Renfrewshire 2 1/2pt (Individual games won +16).
2 Midlothian 2 1/2pt (Individual games won +15).
3 Angus 1pt.
4 Dumfries-shire 0pt.
