Tournament organiser Karen Stalker (Aberdeenshire CLGA secretary), handicap champion Lauren MacCallum, Emily Ogilvie. scratch champion Katy McNicoll, Lynn Kelly and Aberdeenshire county captain Fiona Hay (images by Cal Carson Golf Agency, click to enlarge).
Carnoustie's Katy first Angus winner of
North of Scotland
North of Scotland
title since 1998
By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Carnoustie's Katy McNicoll, daughter of former Dunfermline Athletic football Dave McNicoll,
scored the biggest win of her fledgling golf career at Newmachar Golf Club today when she became the first Angus player in 11 years to win the North of Scotland women's amateur golf championship.
Katy, 21, with her dad as caddie, beat Scotland international Emily Ogilvy (Auchterarder), 25, by 3 and 2 with one-under-par figures if one discounts a 7 at the 13th where she paid a couple of visits to the water hazard that runs down the right of the hole.
A girl international before she spent four years at Lynn University in Florida, from where she graduated a couple of months ago, Katy has set her sights on gaining a first full cap for Scotland in the women's home internationals at Irvine Golf Club in September.
A North of Scotland women's champion tag will surely impress the SLGA selectors.
There was nothing to choose between Katy and Emily over the first 10 holes at the end of which they were on level pegging.
Miss McNicoll, whose older brother Keir is a Scotland international with a +5 handicap, then turned the tide in her favour by holing the longest putt of the match, a 40-footer, for a birdie 3 at the 11th. Emily drove into the trees to lose the 12th - and suddenly Katy, two up, was in control of the final for the first time.
Even losing the 13th to a double-bogey 6, didn't upset her composure. She played a good approach and holed a 6ft birdie putt to go two up again at the 14th and completed a three wins in four holes decisive run by taking the 15th where her opponent missed a short putt.
A half at the 16th ended an entertaining final which took only 2hr 40min and when one considers they had to wait every shot behind the handicap final, which played off 15min earlier, until getting through them at the sixth, Katy and Emily's pace of play was astonishing by current snail's pace standards.
"I didn't play well at the North Division inter-county team championship at Royal Dornoch the week before so I put in a lot of hard practice before coming up to Newmachar. I was the No 2 qualifier which showed I had sorted some of the things out and I was much happier with my game over the three days of the North of Scotland championship," said Katy who wants to become a tour professional but feels she can wait another year before going to the Ladies European Tour Qualifying School, to which Emily Ogilvy is planning a return visit at the end of the current amateur season.
"I'm happy with my long game. If only I could putt better. I didn't hole anything against Katy and that's the way it's been with me for a while," said Emily.
By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Carnoustie's Katy McNicoll, daughter of former Dunfermline Athletic football Dave McNicoll,
scored the biggest win of her fledgling golf career at Newmachar Golf Club today when she became the first Angus player in 11 years to win the North of Scotland women's amateur golf championship.
Katy, 21, with her dad as caddie, beat Scotland international Emily Ogilvy (Auchterarder), 25, by 3 and 2 with one-under-par figures if one discounts a 7 at the 13th where she paid a couple of visits to the water hazard that runs down the right of the hole.
A girl international before she spent four years at Lynn University in Florida, from where she graduated a couple of months ago, Katy has set her sights on gaining a first full cap for Scotland in the women's home internationals at Irvine Golf Club in September.
A North of Scotland women's champion tag will surely impress the SLGA selectors.
There was nothing to choose between Katy and Emily over the first 10 holes at the end of which they were on level pegging.
Miss McNicoll, whose older brother Keir is a Scotland international with a +5 handicap, then turned the tide in her favour by holing the longest putt of the match, a 40-footer, for a birdie 3 at the 11th. Emily drove into the trees to lose the 12th - and suddenly Katy, two up, was in control of the final for the first time.
Even losing the 13th to a double-bogey 6, didn't upset her composure. She played a good approach and holed a 6ft birdie putt to go two up again at the 14th and completed a three wins in four holes decisive run by taking the 15th where her opponent missed a short putt.
A half at the 16th ended an entertaining final which took only 2hr 40min and when one considers they had to wait every shot behind the handicap final, which played off 15min earlier, until getting through them at the sixth, Katy and Emily's pace of play was astonishing by current snail's pace standards.
"I didn't play well at the North Division inter-county team championship at Royal Dornoch the week before so I put in a lot of hard practice before coming up to Newmachar. I was the No 2 qualifier which showed I had sorted some of the things out and I was much happier with my game over the three days of the North of Scotland championship," said Katy who wants to become a tour professional but feels she can wait another year before going to the Ladies European Tour Qualifying School, to which Emily Ogilvy is planning a return visit at the end of the current amateur season.
"I'm happy with my long game. If only I could putt better. I didn't hole anything against Katy and that's the way it's been with me for a while," said Emily.
The handicap championship was won for the second time in four years by Ellon-based 19-year-old Lauren MacCallum (Newburgh-on-Ythan).
She beat host club Newmachar player Lynn Kelly, who plays off 16, by two holes despite being three down after only six. Lauren also won the Angus Salver at Banchory in 2005 when Michael Thomson (McDonald Ellon) won the North of Scotland title.
Lauren, who has a handicap of seven, has played little or no golf for one reason or another this year and scraped into the handicap match-play as the last of the 16 qualifiers.
+In case you are trying to remember who was the Angus player who won the North of Scotland title in 1998 it was Jane Tough (Brechin) who beat Jenny Milne (Elgin) at the 19th at a venue which escapes me for the moment.
Angus winners have certainly been thin on the ground. Kathryn Imrie (Monifieth) in 1990, at Forfar where she beat Christine Middleton (then playing out of St Rule) in the final, is the only other Angus winner in the last two decades. Kathryn also won the title at Blairgowrie in 1988 when she beat Isobel McIntosh (Inverness) in the final.
Next year's North of Scotland women's amateur championship will be hosted by Angus at Forfar Golf Club.
Today's championship results:.
Semi-finals - Emily Ogilvy (Auchterarder) bt Donna Pocock (Murcar Links) 2 and 1, Katy McNicoll (Carnoustie Ladies) bt Laura Murray (Alford) 1 hole.
Final - McNicoll bt Ogilvy 3 and 2.
Handicap championship
Semi-finals - Lauren MacCallum (Newburgh on Ythan) (7) bt Esther Milne (Inchmarlo) (21) 4 and 2, Lynn Kelly (Newmachar) (16) bt Claire Prouse (Hazlehead) (6) 3 and 1.
Final - MacCallum bt Kelly 2 holes.
+In case you are trying to remember who was the Angus player who won the North of Scotland title in 1998 it was Jane Tough (Brechin) who beat Jenny Milne (Elgin) at the 19th at a venue which escapes me for the moment.
Angus winners have certainly been thin on the ground. Kathryn Imrie (Monifieth) in 1990, at Forfar where she beat Christine Middleton (then playing out of St Rule) in the final, is the only other Angus winner in the last two decades. Kathryn also won the title at Blairgowrie in 1988 when she beat Isobel McIntosh (Inverness) in the final.
Next year's North of Scotland women's amateur championship will be hosted by Angus at Forfar Golf Club.
Today's championship results:.
Semi-finals - Emily Ogilvy (Auchterarder) bt Donna Pocock (Murcar Links) 2 and 1, Katy McNicoll (Carnoustie Ladies) bt Laura Murray (Alford) 1 hole.
Final - McNicoll bt Ogilvy 3 and 2.
Handicap championship
Semi-finals - Lauren MacCallum (Newburgh on Ythan) (7) bt Esther Milne (Inchmarlo) (21) 4 and 2, Lynn Kelly (Newmachar) (16) bt Claire Prouse (Hazlehead) (6) 3 and 1.
Final - MacCallum bt Kelly 2 holes.
Labels: Amateur Ladies
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