Swede's 67 sets record in "Helen Holm" final round

Kylie Walker and Jacqueline Hedwall (right) in action during their memorable final rounds over the Royal Troon links on Sunday (Cal Carson Golf Agency images, all rights reserved).

Kylie Walker and Jacqueline Hedwall

break the Royal Troon 70 barrier

BY COLIN FARQUHARSON

Talk about No 7 buses! No lady player had broken 70 over the Royal Troon links since the Helen Holm Scottish women's open amateur stroke-play championship was started there in 1973.

Then, in the space of 10 minutes, last Sunday, Kylie Walker (Buchanan Castle) and Jacqueline Hedwall (Sweden) went through the low-score barrier.

The "Helen Holm" did not have a Scottish title tag in its early years but it was still contested by a lot of very good players down through the years.
But none of the "greats" who have graced the 54-hole tournament - Belle Robertson, Muriel Thomson, Wilma Aitken, Gillian Stewart, Jane Connachan, Mhairi McKay and Catriona (Lambert) Matthew to name but a few – ever got close to breaking 70 over the par-75 ladies’ course.
Until this past Sunday, a score of 70 was the ladies' tournament record-low for Royal Troon, achieved by 1995 winner Maria Hjorth from Sweden, Becky Brewerton (Abergele) in 2000 and Emma Sheffield (Newark) in 2006.
Strangely enough, even Melissa Reid (Chevin) when she smashed the Troon Portland women’s record with a 12-under-par score of 63 on her way to equalling Emma Duggleby’s 2004 tournament record total of 211, never got to grips with the Royal Troon links.
Melissa signed off with a 78 in 2007 while Emma had a closing 71 in 2004.
All of these statisticis put into perspective the two remarkable scores in Sunday’s final round of this year’s “Helen Holm.”
Scotland international Kylie Walker returned a six-under-par 69 and, playing immediately in front of her, Sweden’s Jacqueline Hedwall claimed the new Royal Troon women’s course record with a brilliant eight-under 67.
Kylie, 21, said she drove the ball “really well” and “holed a few putts” to get halves of 35 and 34 against the par of 37 out and 38 home.
Jacqueline, an 18-year-old twin sister of the more highly-rated Caroline Hedwall, seemed a little bemused by it all when she finished with halves of 32 and 35, perhaps not surprising with eight birdies and no bogeys over one of the toughest ladies’ links courses anywhere.
“Only” 6315yd long but seven par-5s and usually playing a lot longer with a wind to contend with.

LADIES’ PAR FOR TROON LINKS:
OUT: 4-5-4-5-3-5-4-3-4—37. IN: 4-5-5-4-3-5-5-3-4--38

KYLIE’S FIGURES WERE:
OUT: 4-4-4-4-2-6-3-3-5—35. IN: 3-3-4-5-3-5-4-3-4—34.

JACQUELINE’S FIGURES WERE:
OUT: 4-4-3-4-2-5-4-2-4—32. IN: 3-4-5-4-3-4-5-3-4—35.

Amazingly, their better-ball score was a staggering 12-under-par 63 (31-32).
These last-day scores enabled Jacqueline Hedwall and Kylie Walker to shoot up the final standings.
Jacqueline improved from joint 24th position, eight shots behind her sister Caroline, the 36-hole leader, to overtake her and finish second with a nine-under-par total of 216, two behind the winner, France’s Barbara Genuini (who scored 70 at Royal Troon).
Kylie, also joint 24th with one round to play, came storming through to finish the leading Scot in joint fourth place on seven-under-par 218.
Full-time amateur Kylie, incidentally, will eventually try her luck at the Ladies European Tour Qualifying School.
“But not this year. I’m going to play in all the big events this year and next and probably go to the LET Q School next year,” she said.
If she can keep her early-season form going, Kylie, a former Scottish schoolgirls title-winner, must be among the favourites to succeed Jenna Wilson as the Scottish women’s amateur champion at Lossiemouth.

HOW THE "HELEN HOLM" CHAMPIONS

HAVE SCORED OVER ROYAL TROON.

1973 Belle Robertson 81-238.
1974 Sandra Needham 78-236.
1975 Muriel Thomson 78-235.
1976 Muriel Thomson 77-233.
1977 Beverly Huke 81-239.
1978 Wilma Aitken 80-230.
1979 Belle Robertson 76-234.

1980 Wilma Aitken 79-225.
1981 Gillian Stewart 75-231.
1982 Wilma Aitken 79-225.
1983 Jane Connachan 84-228.
1984 Gillian Stewart 74-217.
1985 Pamela Wright 80-244.
1986 Belle Robertswon 75-227.
1987 Elaine Farquharson 78-227.
1988 Alison Gemmill 82-233.
1989 Sara Robinson 77-225.

1990 Catriona Lambert 77-225.
1991 Julie Hall 76-224.
1992 Mhairi McKay 78-227.
1994 Katie Tebbett 80-223.
1995 Maria Hjorth 70-219.
1996 Joanne Hockley 77-219.
1997 Kim Rostron 76-219.
1998 Karen Juul 75-225.
1999 Lesley Nicholson 77-222.

2000 Rebecca Hudson 71-213.
2001 Fiona Brown 74-215.
2002 Heather Stirling 74-215.
2003 Nathali David 77-227.
2004 Emma Duggleby 71-211
2005 Martina Gillen 75-215.
2006 Melissa Reid 72-212.
2007 Melissa Reid 78-211.
2008 Barbara Genuini 70-214.

Any comments for publication?

E-mail them to Colin@scottishgolfview.com