LESLEY BOUND FOR RIO !!

FALDO'S FIVE SCOTS BOUND FOR BRAZIL

CREDIT DAVID BEGG SPORTS QUERIES TO COLIN FARQUHARSON TEL AND FAX 01224 869782 FALDO'S FIVE SCOTS BOUND FOR BRAZIL Comrie's Carly Booth, after a brilliant round of 69, Lesley Atkins (Minto+ Gullane ), with the help of a hole in one, Ranfurly Castle's Sam Binning after a play-off drama, Scott Young of Turnhouse and Ewan Scott (St Andrews) today (Thursday) earned themselves a place in the sun … an all-expenses-paid trip to Brazil next month to be precise. The five topped their categories in the Nick Faldo Series Scottish Final over 36 holes of the Renaissance Club course at Archerfield Links and gained automatic places in the Grand Final, to be held at Itanhanga Golf Club, Rio de Janeiro. Binning forced a play-off with Adam Dunton (McDonald Ellon), the overnight leader in the boys' Under-21 section with a second round of 74 for 153. Dunton had scores of 76 and 77 and Binning completed his joy with a winning birdie 2 at the short hole chosen to start the  sudden-death shoot-out for a seat on the plane to Brazil. Robert Carson (Dalmahoy) was only one shot away from making it a three-way play-off. He had a pair of 74s for 154. Scott Young (Turnhouse) maintained his halfway lead in the boys' Under-18 section with a 75 for 148 – four shots ahead of Colin Robinson (Largs) (75-77)  and Conor O'Neil (Glasgow) (77-75). Brora's Calum Stewart, who qualified for Brazil last year, lost his overnight lead in the boys' Under-16 section and with it the chance for a repeat trip to South America. Calum sagged from a 76 to an 80 over the par-71 course for a total of 156. The winner in this category was Ewan Scott from the St Andrews club with 78 and 76 for 154. He finished a stroke ahead of the Scottish Under-16 champion, Grant Forrest (Craigielaw) who had rounds of 77 and 78. The two girls sections were won by runaway margins. Curtis Cup player Carly Booth, now 17, had a superb second round of two-under-par 69, which must have broken the ladies' record of the Renaissance Club course. Her total of 145 was 13 shots ahead of English challenger Jenna Birch (Royal Lytham) who qualified for Brazil last year. Carly, in the GB&I squad again for the 2010 Curtis Cup match in American, was in brilliant form with birdies at the first, the long sixth, the 16th and the short 17th in halves of 35 and 34. She dropped shots to par at the fourth and seventh. Borders women's champion and Scotland girl cap Lesley Atkins, only 14 years of age, won the girls' Under-16 category by 12 shots, including a hole in one at the ninth in her round of 76 for 154. She also had a birdie 3 at the 12th in halves of 38. Runner-up was St Andrews' Lauren Whyte (St Regulus) with a pair of 83s for 166.