Scottish Under-18 girls' championship

CARLY COMES BACK FROM TWO

DOWN TO REACH LAST EIGHT

AT PETERHEAD

Hot favourite for the title she may be, but Carly Booth is not invincible – that’s the encouraging news for the rest of the quarter-finalists in the Scottish Under-18 girls golf championship at Peterhead Golf Club.
Carly, a +3 player who had a superb round of nine-under-par 64 in heading the qualifiers for the match-play stages by six strokes on Tuesday, found herself two down after only four holes to Rebecca Wilson (Monifieth) in the second round of the match-play today.
Miss Booth, 15, from Comrie had to birdie the fifth and ninth to pull the game back to share at the turn.
Two more birdies, at the 10th and 14th put Carly two up and pars at the 15th and 16th gave her a 4 and 2 win. The Junior Ryder Cup player, who won the Scottish Under-21 girls’ stroke-play title at Auchterarder a couple of weeks ago by nine shots, now plays Rebecca Watson (Elie & Earlsferry Thistle), whose younger sister Sally beat Carly in the final of this championship at Tain two years ago.
Sally, who has qualified to play in next week’s United States girls championship, is not in the Peterhead field.

Rebecca had a good win over 14-year-old Jill Meldrum (Dullatur), the youngest-ever Dunbartonshire & Argyll women's county championship winner earlier this season.

Also through to the last eight are:
*Junior international curler Eve Muirhead from Pitlochry.
*The women’s county champions of Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire, Pamela Pretswell (Bothwell Castle) and Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm).
*Two North hopes, 15-year-old Sammy Vass from Tain and 16-year-old Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar).
*Jacqueline Sneddon (Alyth) who upset the seedings with a 4 and 2 win over the No 2 qualifier and East of Scotland girls champion, Jane Turner (Mortonhall). Jacqueline qualified in 15th place.
Kelsey MacDonald highlighted her 6 and 4 win over Samantha Leslie (Westhill) with a 280yd drive which was not only long, it was dead straight too – she holed a 7ft putt for an eagle 2 at this par-4 hole.
Miss MacDonald also birdied the fourth and was six up after seven holes before Samantha stemmed the tide by winning the eighth.
Cara Easton, pictured above, 14-year-old Dalmahoy player, had her first ever hole in one – and still lost! She went down by 7 and 6 to Megan Briggs in the first round despite acing the 114yd 10th with a seven-iron.
“I was six down at the time and Megan had put her tee shot about 3ft from the hole so it was a nice moment. I enjoyed it,” said Cara.
*We'll be displaying today's picture of Cara Easton later this evening.

Wednesday's results

First round – C Booth (Comrie) bt A Mitchell (Hawick) 8 and 7, R Wilson (Monifieth) bt I Craigie (Torwoodlee) 4 and 3, J Meldrum (Dullatur) bt G Simpson (Murrayfield) 1 hole, R Watson (Elie & Earlsferry Ladies) bt R McIntyre (Eden) 6 and 5, L Hunter (Dalmahoy) bt L Meldrum (Dullatur) 8 and 7, E Muirhead (Pitlochry) bt R McQueen (Troon Bentinck Ladies) 9 and 7, E Briggs (Kilmacolm) bt J Graham (Southerness) 3 and 1, P Pretswell (Bothwell Castle) bt M Aird (Strathmore) 8 and 7.
M Briggs (Kilmacolm) bt C Easton (Dalmahoy) 7 and 6, E MacKay (Nairn Dunbar) bt G Monteith (Portpatrick Dunskey) 1 hole, S Leslie (Westhill) bt R Watton (Mortonhall) 2 and 1, K MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) bt M Johnstone (Northern) 9 and 7, S Vass (Tain) bt L McGillivray (Oldmeldrum) 7 and 6, L MacCallum (McDonald Ellon) bt G Scanlan (Hamilton) at 20th, J Sneddon (Alyth) bt A Niven (Crieff) 4 and 2, J Turner (Mortonhall) bt N Qayum (Ranfurly Castle) 6 and 5.

Second round – Booth bt Wilson 4 and 2, Watson bt J Meldrum 5 and 3, Muirhead bt Hunter 5 and 3, Pretswell bt E Briggs 6 and 5, M Briggs bt MacKay 4 and 3, MacDonald bt Leslie 6 and 4, S Vass bt L McCallum 4 and 3, Sneddon bt Turner 4 and 2.

ANSLEY REID SALVER – First round – H Peebles (Monifieth) bt N Lamond (McDonald Ellon) 2 holes, G MacDonald (Prestonfield) bt K MacCallum (McDonald Ellon) 8 and 6, F Fullerton (Huntly) bt E Aird (Strathmore) 3 and 2, H Gaunt (Troon Bentinck Ladies) bt O Borwick (McDonald Ellon) 8 and 6, L Duncan (Aboyne) bt C Geddes (Northern) 3 and 2, J Vass (Tain) bt K Moss (Monifieth) 6 and 4.

Quarter-finals – Peebles bt A McKechin (Elderslie) 6 and 5, MacDonald bt Fullerton 3 and 2, Duncan bt Gaunt 7 and 6, A Smith (Monifieth) bt J Vass 2 and 1.

THURSDAY MATCHES:

CHAMPIONSHIP

Quarter-finals
8.45 Carly Booth v Rebecca Watson.
8.55 Eve Muirhead v Pamela Pretswell.
9.05 Megan Briggs v Kelsey MacDonald.
9.15 Sammy Vass v Jacqueline Sneddon.
Semi-finals at 1.30 & 1.40.

ANSLEY REID SALVER

Semi-finals
9.30 Heather Peebles v Gabrielle MacDonald.
9.40 Lauren Duncan v Ashley Smith.

Final at 1.50