Round up the women’s county championships so far

ABERDEENSHIRE – Katie Thomson (Kintore)

Kintore’s Katie Thomson, the weekend before her 21st birthday, played the best golf of her life over three consecutive days at Ballater to win the Aberdeenshire women’s county championship for the first time.
She beat the defending champion Julie Henderson (Inverurie) by 2 and 1 with one-under-par figures in the final after knocking out the teenage North of Scotland champion, Michele Thomson (McDonald Ellon) by 2 and 1 in the semi-finals.
“I’m thrilled to bits,” said Katy who lives in Inverurie but works as assistant in the shop of Aspire Golf Centre at Ardoe on the south bank of the River Dee, a couple of miles from the Bridge of Dee.
“I used the Aspire facilities to do more practice than I have ever done over the past few weeks – and it paid off in the county championship.”
Miss Thomson may not be able to defend the Shire title next year because her ambition is to become a club and teaching professional and she will probably have begun her PGA training at Aspire Golf Centre by next May.
Julie Henderson, the No 1 seed, compared to Katie’s 14th of the 16 qualifiers for the match-play stages, did not do anything wrong in her fourth final in the past five years. It was Katie who did almost everything right.
EARLY TWO-HOLE LEAD
Miss Thomson birdied the first hole and went two up with a par at the second. Although she was pulled back to square after Julie had an eagle 3 at the fourth and a winning par 4 at the sixth, Katie was never in arrears.
She regained a two-hole lead with a birdie 2 at the ninth and a birdie 3 at the 12th.
Julie was conceded a winning birdie 3 at the 14th but it was Katie’s title – and surely a first Aberdeenshire county team cap is assured – when she took the 17th with a par 3 for a 2 and 1 victory.
In the semi-finals, Miss Henderson, an accountant, came from two down to three up in the space of five holes against four times former champion Sheena Wood (Aberdeen Ladies) in beating her by 2 and 1. Julie’s purple patch included birdies at the seventh, eighth and ninth.
Julie had headed the qualifiers with a sparkling round of two-under-par 69 – the first time she had ever broken 70 away from her home Inverurie course.

QUALIFIERS (Par 71; CSS 70)
69 J Henderson (Inverurie).
71 L McLardy (Murcar Links). 72 A Smart (Banchory), S Wood (Aberdeen Ladies).
73 L Murray (Alford).74 F Hay (Deeside).75 L Terry (Cruden Bay), J Lees (Westhill), J Harrison (Cruden Bay), M Thomson (McDonald Ellon), K Moggach (Hazlehead). 76 C Wilson (Murcar), D Pocock (Murcar Links).78 K Thomson (Kintore), D MacKinnon (McDonald Ellon).79 L McPherson (Deeside): L McPherson won card countback against L McCallum (Loretto School) and J Whitehead (Kemnay)who also returned 79s.

MATCH-PLAY - First round – Henderson bt McPherson 8 and 6, J Harrison bt Lees 5 and 3, Murray bt C Wilson 3 and 2, Wood bt Pocock 6 and 5, K Thomson bt Smart 1 hole, Hay bt Moggach at 22nd, M Thomson bt L Terry 2 holes, McLardy bt D MacKinnon 3 and 2.
Quarter-finals - Henderson bt Harrison 1 hole, Wood bt Murray 6 and 5, K Thomson bt Hay 2 holes, M Thomson bt McLardy 6 and 5.
Semi-finals – Henderson bt Wood 2 and 1, K Thomson bt M Thomson 2 and 1.
Final – K Thomson bt Henderson 2 and 1.

ANGUS – Jane Tough (Brechin)

Brechin’s Jane Tough, playing in her fifth county final since 1992, won the Angus women’s county golf championship for the first time over her home course.
She beat six-times title-winner Mary Summers (Panmure Barry), the leading qualifier, by 2 and 1 in the final. As Miss Baird, Jane lost to Mary in the 1992 and 1994 finals.
Mrs Tough – her husband Gary is the Letham Grange Hotel & Golf Resort course manager - beat the No 2 seed, Lynn Fotheringham (Abertay), beaten finalist last year, at the 20th in the quarter-finals.
The handicap championship was won by Julie Ganson who beat Louise Graham by 4 and 3 in the final.

QUALIFIERS - 1 Mary Summers (Panmure Barry), 2 Lynn Fotheringham (Abertay).

MATCH-PLAY - First round - Mary Summers (Panmure Barry) bt Fiona Blair (Monifieth) 2 holes, Lynne Fenton (Abertay) bt Jackie Brown (Monifieth) 3 and 1, Frances Millar (Carnoustie Ladies) bt Sandy Bushby (Strathmore) at 19th, Aileen Hunter (Monifieth) bt Julie Taylor at 19th, Susan Murray (Brechin) bt Elaine Easton (Brechin) 2 and 1, Kathleen Sutherland (Royal Montrose) bt Ann Hay (Letham Grange) 3 and 2, Jane Tough (Brechin) bt Susan McGregor at 19th, Lynn Fotheringham bt Dawn Dewar (Monifieth) 4 and 3.
Quarter-finals – Summers bt Fenton 1 hole, Hunter bt Millar 2 and 1, Sutherland bt Murray 3 and 2, Tough bt Fotheringham at 20th.
Semi-finals – Summers bt Hunter 4 and 3, Tough bt Sutherland 1 hole.
Final – Tough bt Summers 2 and 1.

HANDICAP CHAMPIONSHIP
Semi-finals – Louise Graham bt Norma Turner 1 hole, Julie Ganson bt Jackie Tunstall-Pedoe 3 and 2.
Final – Ganson bt Graham 4 and 3.

AYRSHIRE - Lesley Hendry

Lesley Hendry, 20-year-old Routenburn player, won the Ayrshire women’s county golf championship for the second year in a row as Western Gailes lived up to its name with winds gusting over 50mph on the final day.
Top qualifier Lesley retained the title – the first player to do so since Sharon Lambie in 1998-99 - after a classic final against Roslyn Kennedy (Troon Ladies), the No 6 qualifier.
A nip-and-tuck match, in which the standard of scoring was very good considering the adverse conditions, went all the way to the 19th before Miss Hendry triumphed with a par 4.
Roslyn, Ayrshire champion in 1995 and 2000, lost the 10th and 11th to fall two down but she was all square again by winning the 14th and 15th.
Lesley edged ahead again by winning the 16th but Roslyn won the 17th and the 18th was halved.
In the morning semi-finals, Miss Hendry beat three times champion Sharon Lambie (Troon Ladies) by 4 and 3 while Miss Kennedy ended the great run by teenager Morag Macpherson (Turnberry), beating her by 2 and 1.

QUALIFIERS (CSS: Non-counting) -78 Lesley Hendry (Routenburn), Catherine Malcolm (Prestwick St Nicholas). 80 Debbie Watt (Belleisle), Liz Keohone (Loudoun). 83 Sharon Lambie (Troon Ladies). 84 Ros Kennedy (Troon Ladies). 85 Alex Glennie (Barassie). 86 Jane Finnie (Troon Ladies), Lesley Williamson (Barassie). 87 Morag Macpherson (Turnberry), Elizabeth Wilson (Barassie), Rosemary Donaldson (Troon Ladies), Rosalind Purdom (Prestwick St Nicholas). 91 Nora McCrossin (Troon Ladies), Audrey Thompson (Loudoun). 94 Christine Milroy (Loudoun).

MATCH-PLAY – First round – Hendry bt Milroy 8 and 7, Williamson bt Finnie 5 and 4, Lambie bt Donaldson at 19th, Purdom bt Keohone 6 and 5, Watt bt McCrossin 6 and 5, Kennedy bt Wilson 4 and 3, Macpherson bt A Glennie at 21st, Malcolm bt Thompson 5 and 4.
Quarter-finals – Hendry bt Williamson 6 and 5, Lambie bt Purdom at 19th, Kennedy bt Watt 3 and 1, Macpherson bt Malcolm 1 hole.
Semi-finals – Hendry beat Lambie 4 and 3, Kennedy bt Macpherson 2 and 1.
Final – Hendry bt Kennedy at 19th.

BORDER COUNTIES – Judith Anderson (Hawick)

In the absence of teenager Emma Fairnie, winner for the past two years, Judith Anderson from Hawick got her hands on the Border Counties women’s championship trophy for a seventh time at The Roxburghe, Kelso.
Judith beat Wendy Wells (Peebles) by 6 and 4 in the final .
Top seed Liz Campbell (Torwoodlee) lost to Wendy at the 20th in the semi-finals where Judith beat Julie Birdsall (The Roxburghe) by 3 and 2.
No 2 qualifier Philippa Costello (Hirsel) lost to Julie Birdsall in the quarter-finals.
Emma is a pupil at Loretto School, Musselburgh and has joined Dunbar Golf Club. That entitled her to play in the East Lothian county championship this year – which she did.
A competitor cannot play in two different county championships in the same year.

MATCH-PLAY - First round – Liz Campbell (Torwoodlee) bt Kirsty Inkpen (Duns) 5 and 4, Gillian Oliver (St Boswell) bt Sharon Paterson (Kelso) 1 hole, Wendy Wells (Peebles) bt Karen Hughes (Minto) 5 and 4, Isla Craigie (Torwoodlee) bt Venetia Scott (Torwoodlee) 1 hole, Judith Anderson (Hawick) bt Ailsa Bain (Peebles) 6 and 5, Lynn Douglas (Hawick) bt Sheila Cuthbertson (Peebles) 4 and 3, Julie Birsdall (Roxburghe) bt Kirsty Moralee (Hirsel) 7 and 6, Philippa Costello (Hirsel) bt Ailsa Mitchell (Hawick) 9 and 7.
Quarter-finals – Campbell bt Oliver 2 and 1, Wells bt Craigie 6 and 5, Anderson bt Douglas 3 and 2, Birdsall bt Costello 5 and 3.
Semi-finals – Wells bt Campbell at 20th, Anderson bt Birsdall 3 and 2.
Final – Anderson bt Wells 6 and 4.

DUMFRIES-SHIRE; July 21-23-24 at Lochmaben Golf Club.

DUNBARTONSHIRE & ARGYLL- Kylie Walker

Stirling University student Kylie Walker (Buchanan Castle) won the Dunbartonshire & Argyll women’s county golf championship for the first time at Windyhill.
Kylie, a 19-year-old Scotland international team player, beat the defending champion, Sara Bishop (Windyhill) by 2 and 1 in a nip-and-tuck final that ended on the 17th where Sara went out of bounds with her approach shot to lose the hole, the match and the county title.
Kylie had been the top seed and Sara the third qualifier for the match-play stages.
Jill Foggo, the No. 2 seed from Milngavie, ended the hopes of former Curtis Cup player Suzanne Cadden (Cardross) by beating her on the last green in the quarter-finals. Suzanne had earlier ousted Kylie Walker’s mum Elizabeth.

QUALIFIERS (Par 72, CSS 75) - 75 Kylie Walker (Buchanan Castle). 76 Jill Foggo (Milngavie). 78 Sara Bishop (Windyhill). 82 Fiona McLean (Hilton Park). 83 Ashley Kerr (Windyhill), Lana MacDonald (Hilton Park). 84 Suzanne Cadden (Cardross). 86 Margaret Kinvig (Helensburgh). 89 Babs Robertson (Helensburgh). 91 Katie MacAulay (Milngavie), Ann MacDonald (Windyhill). 92 Isabel Harvey (St Rule). 95 Laura McGeachy (Carradale). 97 Elizabeth Walker (Buchanan Castle). 98 Joan Bankier (Hilton Park). 99 Miriam Dalglish (Balmore).

MATCH-PLAY - First round –Walker bt Dalglish 5 and 4, Kinvig bt Robertson 2 and 1, MacDonald bt Harvey at 19th, McLean bt McGeachy 3 and 2, S Bishop (Windyhill) bt E Walker 8 and 6, Kerr bt MacDonald 1 hole, Cadden bt MacAulay 4 and 3, Foggo bt Bankier 8 and 7.
Quarter-finals - Walker bt Kinvig 7 and 5, McLean bt MacDonald at 19th, Bishop bt Kerr 8 and 6, Foggo bt Cadden 1 hole.
Semi-finals – Walker bt McLean 4 and 3, Bishop bt Foggo 1 hole.
Final - Walker bt Bishop 2 and 1.

EAST LOTHIAN – Fiona Prior

Gullane Golf Club member Fiona Prior joined the select band of players who have been champions of two different counties when she won the East Lothian women’s title at Musselburgh.
After ousting top seed Lynne Fortune (Kilspindie) by 3 and 2 in the morning semi-finals, Fiona, the No 4 seed, beat teenager Emma Fairnie (Dunbar), the third leading qualifier, by 3 and 2 in the final.
Emma had scored a 6 and 4 win over home-course player Jane Herd in the other semi-final.
Emma, 18-year-old pupil at Loretto School, Musselburgh, has been Borders champion for the past two years but was eligible to play in the East Lothian championship because she has become a member of Dunbar Golf Club.
Fiona, as a Cawder Golf Club member, won the Lanarkshire women’s county championship in 1998 and 1999.
She gained a stranglehold on the destination of the East Lothian title when she surged into a four-hole lead over Emma after the first nine holes which she covered in one-under-par.
Emma got one hole back but it was so far and no further and a half at the 16th clinched victory for Miss Prior by 3 and 2.
The Handicap Quaich final was won by Christine Reid (Kilspindie), the leading qualifier in this section. Christine, who plays off 27, won by 4 and 3 against Kitty Austin (North Berwick), the No 2 seed who plays off 22, by 4 and 3.

QUALIFIERS – 74 L Fortune (Kilspindie). 76 M Thomson (North Berwick). 77 E Fairnie (Dunbar). 83 F Prior (Gullane), B McIntosh (Gullane). 84 M Woodward (Gullane). 85 M Renton (Gifford), J Herd (Musselburgh). 87 E Borthwick (Musselburgh). 87 C Guthrie (Longniddry), D Huish (Glen). 88 L McNicoll (Longniddry). 89 R Thoresen (North Berwick), S McMaster (Gullane). 90 M Barbour (North Berwick). 91 J Henderson (North Berwick).

MATCH-PLAY - First round - Fortune bt Henderson 4 and 2, Renton bt C Guthrie 3 and 2, McIntosh bt McNicoll at 22nd, F Prior w.o. McMaster scr, Fairnie bt Thoresen 5 and 4, Huish bt Woodward 5 and 4, Herd bt Borthwick 3 and 2, Thomson bt Barbour 6 and 5.
Quarter-finals - Fortune bt Renton 6 and 5, Prior bt McIntosh 6 and 5, Fairnie bt Huish 8 and 7, Herd bt Thomson 2 and 1.
Semi-finals - Prior bt Fortune 3 and 2, Fairnie bt Herd 6 and 4.
Final – Prior bt Fairnie 3 and 2.
Handicap Quaich - Semi-finals – Christine Reid (Kilspindie) bt Rosemary Carmichael (North Berwick) at 19th, Kitty Austin (North Berwick) bt Viv Skinner (Dunbar) 6 and 5. Final – Reid bt Austin 4 and 3.

FIFE – Elaine Moffat

Former Scottish champion Elaine Moffat (St Regulus), four down after four holes, staged a great rally to win the Fife women’s county gchampionship for a third time at Scotscraig Golf Club.
Miss Moffat, the top seed, beat Louise Kenney (Pitreavie), the No 3 qualifier, by 3 and 2 in the final, which was the fifth Elaine had played in. She lost in 19876 and 2005 but won previously in 1996 and also 2000, when the championship was also played at Scotscraig.
Miss Kenney toppled the defending champion, Fiona Lockhart (St Regulus), who also won the Scottish title last year, by 3 and 2 in the semi-finals while Miss Moffat was beating the No 5 seed, Lorna Bennett (Ladybank) by 4 and 2.
In the final, Louise began with three pars and a birdie to win all four opening holes but Elaine hit back with three birdies over the next five holes to be all square at the turn.
Louise regained the lead with a par at the 10th but Elaine birdied the 11th to get back on terms and then won the 12th, 14th and 16th to regain the title.

QUALIFIERS (CSS 76, reduction only) - 75 Elaine Moffat (St Regulus), Fiona Lockhart (St Regulus). 76 Louise Kenney (Pitreavie). 85 Lorna Fury (Thornton), Lorna Bennett (Ladybank). 87 Jo Carthew (Ladybank), Becky Copland (Scotscraig). 88 Katrina Milne (Dunfermline), Dorothy Ford (Scotscraig), Emma Wilson (Elie). 89 Marie Curran (Thornton), Gillian Davidson (Saline), Elspeth Hodgetts (Balbirnie Park). 90 Hannah Harvey (St Regulus). 91 Eva Muller-Allen (Elie). 92 Lesley Rolland (Dunfermline).

MATCH-PLAY - First round - Moffat bt Rolland 5 and 4, Ford bt Milne at 19th, Bennett bt Davidson 5 and 4, Fury bt Hodgetts 5 and 4, Kenney bt Harvey 4 and 3, Carthew bt Curran 6 and 5, Copland bt Wilson 4 and 2, Lockhart bt Muller-Allen 5 and 4.
Quarter-finals - Moffat bt Ford 7 and 6, Bennett bt Fury 1 hole, Kenney bt Carthew 5 and 4, Lockhart bt Copland 2 holes.
Semi-finals – Moffat bt Bennett 4 and 2, Kenney bt Lockhart 3 and 2.
Final – Moffat bt Kenney 3 and 2.

GALLOWAY – July 30 at Colvend Golf Club.

LANARKSHIRE – Jenna Wilson

Curtis Cup team contender Jenna Wilson (Strathaven) retained the Lanarkshire women’s county golf championship at Hamilton but she was pushed all the way in the final by leading qualifier Elaine Cuthill (Lanark) who also lost to the same opponent in the semi-finals last year.
Jenna, who qualified for the match-play stages in the No. 3 position, eventually won by two holes after a classic match-play climax.
Elaine, a former Scottish schoolgirls champion, chipped in a birdie 2 at the ninth to square the match and went one up at the 11th.
Jenna got back on level terms at the 12th and then went one up by winning the 16th. After the 17th was halved, Jenna holed a long putt for a birdie 3 to win by two holes.
In the semi-finals, Miss Cuthill beat Lesley Lloyd (Hayston) by 2 and 1 after winning three of the first five holes, and Miss Wilson beat Alyson Hendry (Hamilton) by 3 and 2. Alyson was five down after six holes.
Jenna played her best golf of the three days when she was four under par in her 6 and 5 quarter-final win over May Hughes (Lanark) who had two birdies and could only halve the holes!

QUALIFIERS (SSS 72, CSS 74) – 72 Elaine Cuthill (Lanark). 74 Fiona Norris (Hamilton). 75 Jenna Wilson (Strathaven). 78 Liz Lees (Hamilton), Lesley Lloyd (Hayston). 79 May Hughes (Lanark). 81 Alyson Hendry (Hamilton). 83 Angela Devine (Hamilton). 85 Melanie Anderson (Drumpellier). 87 Pat Milligan (Hamilton). 89 Joanna Scott (Cathkin Braes), Jennifer Wiles (Drumpellier). 91 Gillian Scanlan (Hamilton). 92 Isla Robertson(East Kilbride). 93 Diane Gray (Lanark). 94 Dorothy McTaggart (Cambuslang).

MATCH-PLAY - First round - Cuthill bt McTaggart 6 and 5, Devine bt Anderson (Drumpellier) 4 and 2. L Lloyd Hayston) bt J Wiles (Drumpellier) 3 and 2, Lees (Hamilton) bt G Scanlan (Hamilton) 2 and 1. J Wilson (Strathaven) bt I Robertson (East Kilbride) 7 and 6. M Hughes (Lanark) bt J Scott (Cathkin Braes) 2 holes. A Hendry (Hamilton) bt P Milligan (Hamilton) 2 and 1. F Norris (Hamilton) bt D Gray (Lanark) 9 and 7.
Quarter-finals - Cuthill bt Devine 5 and 4, Lloyd bt Lees 2 and 1, Wilson bt Hughes 6 and 5, Hendry bt Norris 2 and 1.
Semi-finals –Cuthill bt Lloyd (Hayston) 1 hole, Wilson bt Hendry 3 and 2.
Final – Wilson bt Cuthill 2 holes.

MIDLOTHIAN – Claire Hargan

Former Scotland international player Claire Hargan (Mortonhall) won the Midlothian women’s county golf championship for the fourth time in a row at Duddingston.
Claire, the No 3 seed, had to go to the 19th before she beat clubmate Belinda Murphy in the final.
Miss Hargan birdied the ninth to be out in one-over-par 38 and one up. Belinda fought back to square the match with a birdie 2 at the short 14th.
After three successive halves, Claire had the chance to win the title at the 18th but she missed a 3ft birdie putt.
At the first extra hole, Claire got home with two cracking shots into a slight breeze at this par-5, 471yd hole but she did not have to putt. Belinda was in the rough and eventually conceded the hole, the match and the title.
Belinda played 38 holes in all during the day, having gone to the 19th to beat Wendy Nicholson (Broomieknowe) in the morning semi-finals.
Claire won by one hole against the second seed, Noreen Fenton (Merchants of Edinburgh) in the other tie.
The B championship was won by young Cara Easton (Dalmahoy). She beat Gail MacDonald (Turnhouse) by 5 and 4 in the final.
Top seed Claire MacDonald (Gullane) was knocked out by the 16th qualifier, Christine Stewart (Lothianburn), in the first round of the match-play.

QUALIFIERS (SS 72, CSS 75 both rounds) - 156 Claire MacDonald (Gullane) 80 76. 157 Noreen Fenton (Merchants of Edinburgh) 77 80), Claire Hargan (Mortonhall) 76 81. 159 Tracy Laughland (Mortonhall) 81 78.
160 Belinda Murphy (Mortonhall) 79 81. 161 Hilary Laughland (Mortonhall) 81 80. 162 Anne Hanson (Glencorse) 81 81, Wendy Nicholson (Broomieknowe) 80 82. 164 Jane Turner (Mortonhall) 79 85. 165 Kirsten Blackwood (Glencorse) 79 86. 167 Amanda Edwards (Liberton) 86 81, Ruth Brown (Lothianburn) (79, 88). 170 Karen Marshall (Baberton) 87 83, Kate Rorke (Kingsknowe) 85 85. 171 Linda Caine (Merchants of Edinburgh) 85 86, Catherine Stewart (Lothianburn) 84 87.

MATCH-PLAY – First round - Stewart bt MacDonald 1 hole, Nicholson bt Turner 1 hole, Murphy bt Brown 4 and 3, T Laughland bt Marshall 3 and 2, Hargan bt Rorke 2 holes, H Laughland bt Edwards 2 and 1, Blackwood bt Hanson 6 and 4, Fenton bt Caine 4 and 3. Quarter-finals – Nicholson bt Stewart 5 and 4, Murphy bt T Laughland 3 and 1, Hargan bt H Laughland 3 and 2, Fenton bt Blackwood 2 and 1.
Semi-finals - Murphy bt Nicholson at 19th; Hargan bt Fenton 1 hole.
Final - Hargan bt Murphy at 19th.
B Championship -
Semi-finals – Gail MacDonald (Turnhouse) bt Gillian Carter (Broomieknowe) 4 and 3, Cara Easton (Dalmahoy) bt Rachael Watton (Mortonhall) 4 and 3.
Final – Easton bt MacDonald 5 and 4.

NORTHERN COUNTIES – Kelsey MacDonald

Nairn Dunbar’s Kelsey MacDonald, only 15 years old, smashed the Forres Golf Club women’s record on her way to retaining the Northern Counties women’s championship.
Kelsey topped the match-play qualifiers by a staggering 12 shots after a brilliant score of eight-under-par 64. She had eagles at the sixth and ninth and birdies at the first, third, seventh, 12th and 15th in halves of 30 (six under par) and 34 (two under par).
Amazingly, it could have been a 62 because Kelsey bogeyed the second and the 14th.
The previous record of 68 was set by Pat MacLennan over her home course in August 1997.
In the match-play stages, Miss MacDonald bt Northern Counties team-mate Jenny Milne (Elgin) by 4 and 2 in the final.
Kelsey, who was the youngest-ever winner of the Northern Counties title last year (younger even than Gillian Stewart when she won it as a teenager), got off to a flyer in the final.
She won the first two holes with par figures but had been pulled back to all square after six. Jenny won the fourth with a par and the sixth with a birdie.
Kelsey then showed her class by birdieing the eighth and ninth to be two up at the turn.
Jenny Milne was not finished yet. She hit back by winning the 10th and the 11th (with a birdie) to be back on terms for a second time.
The next few holes were crucial. Kelsey won the 12th with a birdie, the 13th with a par and the 14th with a par to be three up with five to play. Aftere a half at the fifth, Kelsey wrapped up her second title in two years with a par at the 16th for a 4 and 2 win.
Three of the four qualifiers for the handicap championship semi-finals were juniors and the final, in which the Chetham Trophy was at stake, was contested by two of them. Chloe Macleod, 16-years-old, followed the example of clubmate Kelsey by beating 12-year-old Julie Vass (Tain) by 2 and 1 in the final.

QUALIFIERS (Par 72) - 64 Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar). 76 Kerri Harper (Inverness), Jenny Milne (Elgin). 77 Anne Ryan (Tain), Laura Walker (Nairn Dunbar). 79 Christine MacAndrew (Nairn Dunbar), Donna Sinclair (Tain). 81 Ashton Ingram (Fort William).

MATCH-PLAY - Quarter-finals – MacDonald bt Ingram 7 and 6, Ryan bt Walker 2 and 1, Milne bt Sinclair 3 and 1, Harper bt McAndrew 2 and 1.
Semi-finals – MacDonald bt Ryan 5 and 3, Milne bt Harper at 21st.
Final – MacDonald bt Milne 4 and 2.
Handicap championship - Semi-finals – J Vass (Tain) (29) bt L Coghill (Royal Dornoch) (12) 2 and 1, C Macleod (Nairn Dunbar) bt A Taylor (Forres) 3 and 2. Final – Macleod bt Vass 2 and 1.

PERTH & KINROSS Finishes May 13 and 14.

RENFREWSHIRE – Megan Briggs

Sixteen-year-old Megan Briggs from Kilmacolm scored a marvellous win by 6 and 5 over defending champion Donna Jackson (Cochrane) in the final to win the Renfrewshire women's county golf championship at Eastwood.
It was Megan's first title win and she thwarted the experienced Donna's bid to extend her record number of championship wins to 11.
Megan, who had been the leading qualifier, played brilliant golf with five birdies in the 13 holes played. She birdied the second, fifth, sixth, 10th and 12th.
Out in two-under-par 34, Megan was four holes up at that stage.
In her morning semi-final win over former champion Sara Harman (Williamwood), Megan achieved a hole in one with a four-iron at the 152yd seventh hole. Megan went on to win that tie by 3 and 2.
Donna squeezed through into the final with a 20th hole victory over Gillian Kyle (East Renfrewshire).
Megan Briggs’ younger sister Eilidh, who was 12 going on 13 at the time of the championship, also figured among the 32 qualifiers with a round of 88. She lost to Donna Jackson in the first round.

QUALIFIERS (Par 72, CSS 72) - 77 Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm), Lesley Robertson (Ranfurly Castle). 79 Donna Jackson (Cochrane Castle), Denise Cowan (Cochrane Castle). 80 Sara Harman (Williamwood). 81 Beth Paterson (Eastwood). 82 Gillian Kyle (East Renfrewshire). 83 Gillian McGinlay (Cochrane Castle). 84 Eva Thomson (East Renfrewshire). 85 Carol Whyte (Windyhill). 86 Sally Smyth (Ranfurly Castle). 87 Linda McDougall (Greenock). 88 Pearl Orr (Cochrane Castle), Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm), Janette McCartney (Erskine). 89 Fiona Roger (Ranfurly Castle).

MATCH-PLAY – First round - M Briggs bt Roger 7 and 5, G McGinlay bt Thomson 3 and 1, Harman bt McDougall at 19th, D Cowan bt Orr 4 and 2, Jackson bt E Briggs 4 and 3, Paterson bt Smyth 2 and 1, Kyle bt Whyte 2 and 1, Robertson bt McCartney 2 and 1.
Quarter-finals – M Briggs bt McGinlay 3 and 1, Harman bt Cowan 7 and 6, Jackson bt Paterson 6 and 5, Kyle bt Robertson 1 hole.
Semi-finals - M Briggs bt Harman 3 and 2, Jackson bt Kyle at 20th.
Final – M Briggs bt Jackson 6 and 5.

STIRLING & CLACKMANNAN - Linda Robertson

It was third time lucky for Linda Robertson (Falkirk Tryst) in the final of the Stirling & Clackmannan women’s county golf championship at West Lothian.
Beaten in the 1987 and 2004 finals, Linda at last got her hands on the trophy by proving too strong for youngster Vicki Stevenson (Stirling), playing in her first final. Linda, the fifth qualifier, beat Vicki, the No 2 seed, by 4 and 3. inda, who putted well, was three up at the turn. Vikki threatened a revival when she cut her deficit to two by winning the 11th but her opponent hit back immediately by winning the 12th.
Linda clinched her victory by winning the 15th.
Elaine Allison (Stirling) won the Captain’s Prize as leading qualifier with a round of 79 but she lost in the semi-finals to Linda Robertson.

QUALIFIERS (SS 72, CSS 75).
79 E Allison (Stirling). 80 V Stevenson (Stirling). 81 T Chillas (Stirling), L Gibb (West Lothian). 84 L Robertson (Falkirk Tryst), M Tough (Falkirk). 85 J Harrison (Linlithgow). 86 G McNeill (West Lothian), H Hunter (Linlithgow). 89 S Mitchell (Falkirk Tryst), M Noble (Stirling), R Topping (Bathgate). 90 M Shanks (West Lothian). 91 D Dunn (Dunblane), G Haley (Falkirk Tryst), L McDonach (West Lothian).

MATCH-PLAY
First round – Allison bt Logan 5 and 4, McNeill bt Hunter 2 and 1, Robertson bt Shanks 3 and 2, Dunn bt Gibb 1 hole, Chillas bt Haley 7 and 5, Tough bt Topping 4 and 3, Harrison bt Mitchell 1 hole, Stevenson bt McDonach 4 and 3.
Quarter-finals – Allison bt McNeill 3 and 1, Robertson bt Dunn 4 and 2, Tough bt Chillas at 19th, Stevenson bt Harrison 8 and 7.
Semi-finals – Robertson bt Allison 2 holes, Stevenson bt Tough 3 and 2.
Final – Robertson bt Stevenson 4 and 3.