LADIES BRITISH OPEN AMATEUR UPDATE

SPARKLING KRYSTLE THE LONE SCOT
IN LAST 16 AT ROYAL COUNTY DOWN

Recent St Rule Trophy winner Krystle Caithness is hot on the trail of even bigger prizes.
The 17-year-old Waid Academy pupil from Cellardyke is through to the last 16 of the Ladies British open amateur golf championship at Royal County Down Golf Club, Newcastle in Northern Ireland.
And Krystle, a member of the Ladies Golf Union training squad, must
have enhanced her prospects of being named in the eight-strong Curtis Cup team which will be announced after Saturday afternoon's 18-hole final.
In this context, the Fifer won a crucial tie in the first round with a conceded birdie 4 at the 19th against Melissia Reid (Chevin), teenage winner of the Helen Holm Scottish open stroke-play at Troon in April and a serious contender for a GB&I team place.
Then Miss Caithness turned on the style by sweeping into the third round with a 4 and 3 win over French-Canadian Maude-Aimee Leblanc
Krystle really was sparkling in this one. "I was conceded an eagle putt at the first hole after getting on in two and then birdied the second, fifth, eighth and 13th," she said later. "I had one bogey, to lose the fourth, so I reckon I was five or six under par for the 15 holes we played."
Now Krystle plays the tall, 19-year-old blonde Swedish ace, Anna Nordqvist, who won the British girls' open title last year and is being tipped as the next Annika Sorenstam.
"I'm playing well so anything could happen," said Krystle, which, coming from a lass of few words, amounts to a statement of confidence.
Fellow Fifer Louise Kenney from Pitreavie was the only other Scot to clear the first-round hurdle. Louise did it with an eagle 3 at the 19th against Mary-Ann Lapointe (Canada).
Then Louise had a tiger by the tail in experienced Irish champion Tricia Mangan in the next round. Tricia went four holes up on the outward half and there was no way back for Miss Kenney who lost by 5 and 4.
No 1 seed Azahara Munoz (Spain) was shocked by the 64th qualfier, Stacy Bregman from Johannesburg's six-birdie barrage en route to a 2 and 1 defeat. Stacy, 19, showed it was no fluke by reaching the last 16 with a 4 and 2 win over Malene Jorgensen (Denmark).
Miss Bregman should be tested by her next tie, against Sophie Walker (Kenwick Park) who is chasing a Curtis Cup team place