British Girls @ Gullane - Day 4

GEORGIA (15) BRITAIN'S LAST HOPE IN SEMI-FINALS AT GULLANE

Georgia Hall, 15-year-old England girl international, is Britain’s last hope of keeping the Girls’ British open amateur championship on home soil. In tomorrow morning’s  semi-finals, Georgia faces Margaux Vanmol (Belgium) while Emma Nilsson (Sweden) will play No 2 seed Celine Boutier (France).

Georgia, a member of Remedy Oak Golf Club, Dorset, is the youngest of the last four in a tournament that has been dogged by rain. The conditions for yesterday  morning’s third-round ties were the worst of a bad week.

“They were the worst I’ve ever played in,” said Georgia who knocked out good friend Chloe Williams (Wrexham) in the morning by 3 and 2, then  scored an impressive 5 and 3 win over France’s highly-rated Emilie Alonso with three-under-par figures (four birdies, one bogey).

Georgia, who took up golf when she was seven years old, was England Under-13 champion two years ago and England Under-15 title-winner. Can she take the next big step to a British title?

Watch this space!

Today's results 

THIRD ROUND

Georgia Hall (Remedy Oak) bt Chloe Williams (Wrexham) 3 and 2.

Emilie Alonso (Fra) bt Ann Hakula (Fin) 4 and 3.

Margaux Vanmol (Bel) bt Bronte Law (Bramhall) at 20^th

Sophie Godley (Lindrick) bt Marina Steutz (Aut) 2 and 1.

Luna Sobron (Spa) bt Karolin Lampert (Ger) 2 and 1.

Emma Nilsson (Swe) bt Emily Pedersen (Den) 3 and 2.

Antonia Scherer (Ger) bt Katie Bradbury (Cottrell Park) 3 and 2.

Celine Boutier (Fra) bt Ileen Nieuwenhuis (Ned) 1 hole.

QUARTER-FINALS

Hall bt Alonso 5 and 3.

Vanmol bt Godley 7 and 6.

Nilsson bt Sobron 5 and 4.

Boutier bt Scherer 1 hole.

FRIDAY MORNING SEMI-FINALS

8.30 Georgia Hall (England) v Margaux Vanmol (Belgium).

8.40 Emma Nilsson (Sweden) v Celine Boutier (France).

FINAL tees off at 1pm.

British Girls @ Gullane - Day 3

McKECHIN LOSES - NO SCOTS IN LAST 16 OF BRITISH GIRLS

There are no Scots in tomorrow morning's line-up of the last 16 in the British girls open amateur championship after an awful day of rain at the Gullane No 2 course.
The last host country representative to bow out was Alyson McKechin (Elderslie). 
Having beat compatriot Lesley Atkins (Gullane Ladies) by 4 and 2 in the worst of the morning rain, Alyson went down by 2 and 1 to Belgium's Margaux Vanmol in the second round.
The 18-year-old lost the first but bounced back by winning the second, fourth and fifth for a two-hole lead - but that was as good as it got for McKechin.
"I was still two up at the turn but she birdied the long 10th to get one back and after we had halved the long 11th in birdie 4s, Margaux birdied the 13th to square the match," said Alyson who intends playing full-time amateur golf for the rest of the year.
"Then I bogeyed the 14th to go one down for the first time." 
After halves in pars at the 15th and 16th, Vanmol clinched a come-from-behind 2 and 1 win by winning the 17th.
The roads around Gullane were flooded after overnight rain continued into the day but the Gullane linkes continued to drain it all away.
"It was simply horrific out there," said 16-year-old Bronte Law (Bramhall), the No 5 seed and one of the favourites.
She beat Marian Tonnessen (Norway) and then Daisy Nielsen (Denmark) both by 4 and 3 margins to reach the third round.
Bronte won the Scottish Under-16 girls' open amateur title at Strathmore in April.

Aberdeen-born Gemma Dryburgh (Beaconsfield) lost by 5 and 3 to England international Georgia Hall (Remedy Oak) who was three up after seven and two up at the turn.

Jessica Meek (Carnoustie Ladies) was one up after 13 against English girls champion Hayley Davis (Ferndown) but lost at the 19th

Scottish U18 girls champion Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm) was two down after only four holes to Norway's Olivia Hullert. The Scot stopped the rot but was still two down after seven and again at the turn. 

She got into her stride to birdie the 11th and 13th, lost the 14th but birdied  15th and 17th to take the match down the 19th were Eilidh's hopes ended in a bunker.
Biggest surprise of the day was the performance of Chloe Williams (Wrexham), the 33rd qualifier, who toppled the No 1 seed, Noemi Jimenez from Malaga, by two holes in the second round.
Williams, who lost to Bronte Law in a play-off for the Scottish Under-16s title, was three down after nine to Jmenez but capped a remarkable fightback which saw her win the 10th and 11th - lost the 12th - and then win the 13th, 14th and the 17th and 18th both with birdies.
"I holed from 6ft at the 17th but it must have been about 40ft for the birdie putt at the last," said a delighted Chloe.


FIRST ROUND RESULTS
Upper Half
Noemi Jimenez (Spa) bt Sonia Sanchez (Spa) 6 and 5. 
Chloe Williams (Wal) bt Claudia Galindo (Spa) 5 and 3. 
Annette Lyche (Nor) bt Clara Baena (Spa) at 19th.
Georgia Hall (Eng) bt Gemma Dryburgh (Sco) 5 and 3.
Anne Hakula ((Fin) bt Perrine Delacour (Fra) 1 hole.
Julie Lied (Nor) bt Andrea Janama (Spa) 2 and 1.
Roberta Roeller (Ger) bt Laura Lorensen (Ger) 6 and 5.
Emilie Alonso (Fra) bt Yasemin Sari (Tur) 7 and 5.
Bronte Law (Bramhall) bt Maria Tonnessen (Nor) 4 and 3,
Daisy Nielsen (Den) bt Anna-Lena Kraemer (Ger) at 20th
Margaux Vanmol (Bel) bt Alexandra Peters (Eng) 6 and 5.
Alyson McKechin (Sco) bt Lesley Atkins (Sco) 4 and 2.
Marina Stuetz (Aut) bt Amy Boulden (Wal) 2 and 1.
Hayley Davis (Eng) bt Jessica Meek (Sco) at 19th.
Julia Neumann (Ger) bt Elizabet Mallett (Eng) 4 and 3.
Sophie Godley (Eng) bt Caroline Nistrup (Den) 1 hole.
Lower Half
Karolin Lampert (Ger) bt Marlies Krenn (Aut) 7 and 6.
Frida Gustafsson (Swe) bt Shelby Smart (Eng) 4 and 3.
Luna Sobron (Spa) bt Stefania Avanzo (Ita) 3 and 2.
Natalia Escuriola (Spa) bt Isabel Gadea (Ger) 5 and 4/
Emma Nilsson (Swe) bt Charlotte Puts (Net) at 19th
Olivia Hullert (Nor) bt Eilidh Briggs (Spa) at 19th
Ha Rang Lee (Spa) bt Linnea Strom (Swe) at 19th.
Emily Pedersen (Den) bt Olivia Winning (Eng) 2 and 1.
Laura Christiaens (Bel) bt Shannon Aubert (Fra) 4 and 2.
Katie Bradbury (Wal) bt Charlotte Thomas (Sing) 2 and 1.
Antonia Scherer (Ger) bt Nuria Iturrious (Spa) 3 and 2.
Nicole Larsen (Den) bt Emily Penttila (Fin) 4 and 2.
Ileen Nieuwenhuis (Net) bt Jade Downes (Eng) 6 and 5.
Brogan Townend (Eng) bt Virginia Carta (Ita) 3 and 2.
Laure Castelain (Fra) bt Amber Ratcliffe (Eng) 3 and 1.
Celine Boutier (Fra) bt Lianna Bailey (Eng) 3 and 1.

SECOND ROUND
Williams bt Jimenez 2 holes.
Hall bt Lyche at 19th.
Hakula bt Lied 4 and 3.
Alonso bt Roeller 4 and 2.
Law bt Nielsen 4 and 3.
Vanmol bt McKechin 2 and 1.
Steutz v Davis 4 and 3.
Godley bt Neumann 4 and 3.

Lampert bt Gustaffson at 19th.
Sobron bt Escuriola 4 and 3.
Nilsson bt Hullert 8 and 6.
Pedersen bt Rang Lee 2 and 1.
Bradbury bt Christiaens 1 hole
Scherer bt Larsen 1 hole
Nieuwenhuis bt Townend 1 hole
Boutier bt Castelain 4 and 3.

THURSDAY MORNING TIES
8.30 Williams v Hall
8.40 Hakula v Alonso
8.50 Law v Vanmol
9.00 Steutz v Godley
9.10 Lampert v Sobron
9.20 Nilsson v Pedersen
9.30 Boutier v Nieuwenhuis

QUARTER-FINALS WILL START AT 1PM

British Girls @ Gullane - Day 2

FIVE SCOTS GIRLS MAKE IT THROUGH TO MATCH-PLAY AT GULLANE

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com

FIVE of the 11 Scots who competed in the stroke-play qualifying rounds are among the 64 qualifiers from a field of 144 for the match-play stages of the British girls open amateur golf championship over the Gullane No 1 links near Edinburgh.

Alyson McKechin (Elderslie) led the Tartan brigade with rounds of 72 and 74 for level par 146 – one shot ahead of Carnoustie Ladies’ Jessica Meek who had 73 and 74 for 147.
Scottish girls champion Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm) and the Aberdonian, Gemma Dryburgh, she beat in the Under-18s final at Glenisla, both made it through on 151. Eilidh scored 76 and 75, Gemma 74 and 77.

The last of the five was Gullane Ladies’ member Lesley Atkins who birdied the 14th, 15th and 16th after 7pm in the evening sunshine to slash six shots off her opening effort with a level par 73 for 152. ( WELL DONE LESLEY !! ) 

The limit mark for qualifying was seven-over-par 153 but only six of the players with that total survived the card play-off to produce the exact number of 64 qualifiers.

North Berwick’s ( & Gullane's ) 14-year-old Clara Young was one of those eliminated on 153 by virtue of her second-round 79. 

Ailsa Summers (Carnoustie) improved from 82 on Day 1 to a 73 today but 155 was two shots too many, even to get in the countback.
Gabrielle MacDonald (Craigielaw) and Kate McIntosh (Broomieknowe) filaed on 157, Gabrielle with 79-79 and Kate with 80-77.
Hannah McCook (Grantown on Spey) shot a second-round 74 – 10 shots better than her first round – but 158 was never going to make it.
Lauren Whyte (St Regulus) was also well out of the running with 78 and 82 for 160.
Leading qualifier for the second time in three years was 18-year-old Spaniard, Noemi Jimenez with 71 and 70 for five-under-par 141.
The leading British player among the qualifiers was 16-year-old Bronte Law (Bramhall), joint third on 143.

.
QUALIFIERS FOR MATCH-PLAY
Par 146 (2x73)
141 Noemi Jimenez (Spa) 71 70.
142 Celine Boutier (Fra) 72 70.
143 Anne-Lena Kraemer (Ger) 73 70, Bronte Law (Eng) 69 74, Marlies Krenn (Aut) 75 68, Caroline Nistrup (Den) 70 73.
144 Emilie Alonso (Fra) 71 73, Emily Pedersen (Den) 77 67, Shannon Aubert (Fra) 73 71..
145 Perrine Delacour (Fra) 75 70.
146 Amy Boulden (Wal) 72 74, Natalia Escuriola (Spa) 71 75, Nicole Larsen (Den) 74 72, Emma Nilsson (Swe) 73 73, Alyson McKechin (Sco) 72 74, Ileen Nieuwenhuis (Ned) 69 77.
147 Clara Baena (Spa) 77 70, Alexandra Peters (Notts Ladies) 71 76, Luna Sobron (Spa) 75 72, Olivia Hullert (Nor) 70 77, Georgia Hall (Eng) 79 68, Jessica Meek (Carnoustie Ladies) 73 74.
148 Julie Lied (Nor) 76 72, Antonia Scherer (Ger) 79 69, Roberta Roeller (Ger) 74 74.
149 Ha Rang Lee (Spa) 75 74, Charlotte Thomson (Eng) 78 71, Daisy Nielsen (Den) 75 74, Frida Gustafsson (Swe) 72 77
150 Chloe Williams (Wal) 75 75. Linnea Strom (Swe) 70 80, Selby Smart (Eng) 75 75, Claudia Galindo (Spa) 77 73, Laure Castelain (Fra) 75 75, Amber Ratcliffe (Eng) 80 70.
151 Jade Downes (Eng) 73 78, Virginia Elena Carta (Ita) 75 76, Andrea Jonama (Spa) 77 74, Nuria Iturrios (Spa) 77 74, Eilidh Briggs (Sco) 76 75, Stefania Avanzo (Ita) 75 76, Annette Lucia Lyche (Nor) 74 77, Isabel Gadea (Ger) 73 78., Hayley Davis (Eng) 75 76, Laura Lorenzen (Ger) 78 73, Katie Bradbury (Wal) 79 72, Gemma Dryburgh (Sco) 74 77, Margaux Vanmol (Bel) 76 75.
152 Charlotte Puts (Ned) 79 73, Laura Christiaens (Bel) 74 78, Marina Stuetz (Aut) 81 71, Yasemin Sari (Ger) 77 75, Emily Penttila (Fin) 78 74, Anne Hakula (Fin) 78 74, Lesley Atkins (Gullane Ladies) 79 73.
153 Natalie Karcher (Swi) 78 75, Sophie Godley (Eng) 79 74, Merle Kasperek (Ger) 75 78, Clara Young (Sco) 74 79, Lianna Bailey (Eng) 78 75., Sonia Sanchez (Spa) 78 75, Camille Chevalier (Fra) 77 76, Jana Niedballa (Ger) 77 76, Olivia Winning (Eng) 79 74, Maria Tonnessen (Nor) 79 74, Sarah Bradshaw (Eng) 77 76, Karolin Lampert (Ger) 78 75, Emma Harris (Eng) 77 76.
Qualfied on card play-off: Winning, Tonnessen, Godley, Lampert, Bailey, Sanchez.

SCOTS WHO MISSED THE CUT 
155 Ailsa Summers 82 73.
157 Gabrielle MacDonald 79 78, Kate McIntosh 80 77.
158 Hannah McCook 84 74.
160 Lauren Whyte 78 82.

British Girls - Day One

SCOTS HAVE REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL IN BRITISH GIRLS CH/SHIP

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Colin@scottishgolfview.com 

Four Scots in the leading 20 of an international field of 144 was a respectable tally for the host country at the end of a long day of mixed weather for the first qualifying round of the British girls’ open amateur golf championship over the Gullane No 1 links today.

The early starters – from 6.30am - faced overcast conditions and a swirling wind which reduced in strength as the day wore on and the sun shone on the later finishers.

But whether early or late, the rough, soaked by a weekend of rain, was just as punishing. Those who found the most fairways off the tee are at the top of the leaderboard.

Alyson McKechin (Elderslie), pictured by Cal Carson Golf Agency today, is lying joint 10th with a one-under-par 72, three shots behind joint leaders Bronte Law (Bramhall), continuing the form that made her the most successful performer with five wins out of six at last week’s girls home internationals, and Ileen Nieuwenuist, a Dutch girl who wasn’t good enough to figure among the 64 qualifiers for the match-play stages of this championship 12 months ago at Royal Belfast GC.

McKechin, 18, could have been up there alongside the leaders but for dropping three shots over the last two holes.

“I had five birdies and only one bogey until I came to the 17^th,” said Alyson who, despite her bogey-double bogey finish was quite happy to post a sub-par 72.

Next best Scot was Jessica Meek from Carnoustie with a par 73 for joint 14^th overnight.

It was a gritty performance by Jessica who survived a potentially demoralising start – double bogey 6 at the second, bogey 5 at the third – to birdie the long fifth before an eagle 3 at the 11^th was followed by a birdie 3 at the 12^th. Great stuff! A bogey at the last was a pity but not the end of the world for the Angus prospect.

Aberdeen-born Gemma Dryburgh and East Lothian women’s county champion Clara Young (North Berwick& Gullane Ladies ) , only 14 years of age , are both on the one-over 74 mark, sharing  20^th position.

Gemma birdied two par-5 holes, the fifth and the 15th

The diminutive Clara, making her debut in the event after playing for Scotland in the girls internationals over Gullane 2 last week, birdied the fourth, seventh and 16^th where she holed a 25ft putt from off the green.

Clara is also a junior member at Gullane Golf Club. North Berwick is her home club. She will be 15 next month and is hoping to play a round with North Berwick’s star golfer, Catriona Matthew, within a week or two. That should be a treat for both.

Scottish girls champion Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm) had a bad start, bogeying the first, third and fourth but she perked up with birdies at the fifth and seventh before having an unplayable lie in a bunker at the eighth, which cost her a double bogey. All things considered, a three-over-par 76 was not a bad effort.

Lauren Whyte  (St Regulus) had a 78 while Lesley Atkins (Gullane Ladies) and Gabrielle Macdonald (Craigielaw) both had 79s.

With 67 players on 77 or better overnight, predictions are that the cut will be at 154 or 155. Those tieing on the limit mark for the leading 64 players  will be eliminated by a card countback, not a play-off as in bygone days.

Scots who failed to break 80 were Kate McIntosh (Broomieknowe) with an 80, Ailsa Summers (Carnoustie Ladies) 82 and Hannah McCook (Grantown on Spey) 84.

FIRST QUALIFYING ROUND LEADING SCORES

Par 73.Yardage 6267

69 Ileen Nieuwenhuis (Net), Bronte Law (Bramhall).

70 Caroline Nistrup (Den), Linnea Strom (Swe), Olivia Hullert (Nor).

71 Noemi Jimenez (Spa), Emelie Alonso (Fra), Alexandra Peters (Notts Ladies), Natalia Escuriola (Spa)

72 Alyson McKechin (Elderslie), Frida Gustafsson  (Swe), Amy Boulden (Maesdu), Celine Boutier (Fra).

73 Emma Nilsson (Swe), Shannon Aubert (Fra), Jessica Meek (Carnoustie Ladies), Anna-Lena Kraemer (Ger), Jade Down (Boothberry), Isabel Gadea (Ger).

74 Gemma Dryburgh (Beaconsfield), Roberta Roeller (Ger), Josephine Farrando (Fra), Elizabeth Mallett (Sutton Coldfield), Laura Christiaens (Bel), Annette Lyche (Nor), Clara Young (North Berwick), Nicole Larsen (Den).

75 Hayley Davis (Ferndown), Daisy Nielsen (Den), Chloe Williams (Wrexham), Camille Richelle (Bel), Brogan Townend (Pleasington), Virginia Carta (Ita), Stefania Avanzo (Ita), Shelby Smart (Knowle), Merle Kasperek (Ger), Ho Rang Lee (Spa), Luna Sobron (Spa), Perrine Delacour (Fra), Julia Neumann (Ger), Laure Castelain (Fra), Marlies Krenn (Aut)..

76 Julie Christine Lied (Nor), Sophie Keech (Lyme Regis), Margaux Vanmol (Bel), Marta Martin (Spa), Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm), Laura Lornardi (Ita), Ellie Goodall (Selby),Miranda Brain (Gog Magog).

77 Emily Pedersen (Den), Jana Niedballa (Ger), Camille Chevalier (Fra), Katerina Jaeger (Nor), Sarah Bradshaw (Stoneham), Louise  Chovelon (Fra), Emma Harris (Peel), Grace Anderson (Morpeth), Nuria Iturrios (Spa), Andrea Jonama (Spa), Lara Weinstein (SAf). Clara Baena (Spa), Roberta Liti (Ita), Emma Broze (Fra), Yasemin Sari (Ger), Claudia Galindo (Spa), Matilda Castren (Fin).

78 Laurea Lorenzen (Ger), Anne Hakula (Fin), Charlotte Thomas (Sing), Elsa Westin (Swe), Charlotte de Corte (Bel), Kyra Horlock (Broadstone), Maria Cantarina (Ita), Isabelle Deilert (Swe), Chloe Ryan (Castletroy), Isabel Jimenez (Spa), Lauren Whyte (St Regulus), Karolin Lampert (Ger), Finja Schmale (Ger), Natalie Karcher (Swi), Covadonga Sanjuan (Spa), Lesley Cloots (Bel), Lianna Bailey (Notts Ladies), Elise Boehmer (Net), Emily Penttila (Fin), Michaela Chivers (Farrington).

79 Ainhoa Olarfra (Spa), Quirine Eijkenb oom (Ger), Katie Bradbury (Cottrell Park), Georgia Hall (Ferndown), Antonia Scherer (Ger), Michaela Fletcher (SAf), Sonia Sanchez (Spa), Maria Tonnessen (Nor), Oliving Winning (Rotherham), Bethan Popel (Long Ashton), Lesley Atkins (Gullane Ladie), Francesca Avanzin (Ita), Charlotte Puts (Net), Sonia Sanchez (Spa), Marie Couffignal (Fra), Sophie Godfrey (Lindrick), Anna Fuld (Austria), Laura Fuenfstueck (Ger), Gabrielle MacDonald (Craigielaw).

OTHER SCOTS’ SCORES

80 Kate McIntosh (Broomieknowe).

82 Ailsa Summers (Carnoustie Ladies).

84 Hannah McCook (Grantown on Spey).