Hot stuff at Newmachar ... and the golf was good too!

PUTTING ON THE STYLE. Laura Walker (left) and Katy McNicoll (right) on the 17th green at Newmachar today (images by Cal Carson Golf Agency, click to enlarge).

Teacher Laura is top of the class

at North of Scotland championship

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Schoolteacher Laura Walker topped the class of 16 qualifiers for the match-play stages of the North of Scotland women’s amateur golf championship on a warm day - heavy rain fell in the early evening after play was finished - at Newmachar Golf Club today.
The 25-year-old Laura, originally from Nairn and a Nairn Dunbar member when she won the Scottish girls’ match-play title as a teenager, is now a member at Muckhart Golf Club since she qualified as a teacher and moved south to secure a post in Dunfermline.
Walker earned the top seed position in the draw with a two-over-par 75, a good score in fast-running conditions over the Dave Thomas-designed Hawkshill course which even the Tartan Tour pros find punitive if they are not hitting the fairways.
So it’s a tough, tree-lined par-73 track for female players as well but Laura rates it as one of her favourites. “I simply love it, whether I have a good score or not,” she said.
Laura covered the last 13 holes in one under par after running up a double bogey 7 at the second and a three-putt bogey 5 at the fifth. She birdied the long eighth, the 12th and the long 17th and shed shots only at the 13th and 16th in a par-matching 37 for the inward half.
“Teaching has kept me busy until the last three weeks, so it’s only since then I’ve been able to turn my attention to golf,” said two-handicapper Laura.
Laura beat Emily Ogilvy (Auchterarder) in the final of this tournament two years ago at Lossiemouth.
The No 2 qualifier with a 76, Katy McNicoll (Carnoustie Ladies), lost in last year’s final at Strathmore to home course player Alexandra Bushby who is not defending.
“I putted well and might have been the leading qualifier but for a double bogey 7 at the 16th. I drove into the trees on the left and had declared it a lost ball after a 5min search – only to find it, too late, of course, before I had to go back and play 3 off the tee,” said +1 handicapper Katy who had halves of 36 and 40.

Katy, 21, graduated at Lynn University, Boca Raton a month or two ago after playing the US college golf circuit for four years. And she's planning to go back to the consistent warmth of Florida during the winter months to take advantage of the excellent university practice facilities.

"I want to work on and improve my game until it is good enough for me to get through the Ladies European tour Q School. That will probably be next year rather than this one," said Katy whose older brother Keir is a Scotland cap. He too was a student at Lynn University.

First target for +1 player Katy is a place in the Scotland team for the women's home internationals at Irvine Golf Club in September.
Sharing third place among the qualifiers on 77 were Aberdeenshire county team-mates Laura Murray (Alford) (41-36) and Donna Pocock (Murcar Links) (37-40) as well as Jane Grubb (Montrose Mercantile) (40-37).

Laura has graduated from Robert Gordon University after a three-year degree course in a sports-related subject.

New Scottish senior women’s champion Heather Anderson (Alyth), pictured above playing her approach to the 18th green today, was one of the surprise failures. A round of 87 (44-43), including a triple bogey 8 at the second and double bogey 6s at the fifth and 14th. meant she was three shots over the limit mark.
Abernethy teenager Hannah McCook was bang on the limit qualifying mark of 84 alongwith Claire Prouse (Hazlehead) and Jemma Chalmers (Monifieth).
Unfortunately, one of them had to be eliminated to bring the number of qualifiers down to 16. Jemma's inward half of 40 to the 42 each by Hannah and Claire, put the Monifieth player into the scratch draw as the 15th qualifier. The card countback went down to the last six holes before Hannah, despite a 6-6 finish, got the nod over Claire who had actually finished 5-5.
The consolation for teenager Claire was that she was the sixth qualifier for the handicap match-play.

SCRATCH MATCH-PLAY QUALIFIERS
Par 73 (36-37). CSS 76. 5,616yd

75 Laura Walker (Muckhart) 38-37.
76 Katy McNicoll (Carnoustie Ladies) 36-40.
77 Laura Murray (Alford) 41-36, Jane Grubb (Montrose Mercantile) 40-37, Donna Pocock (Murcar Links) 37-40.
79 Ann Ramsay (Kirriemuir) 41-38, Gillian Murray (Cruden Bay) 42-37, J Meek (Carnoustie Ladies) 38-41.
81 Emily Ogilvie (Auchterarder) 41-40.
82 Rebecca Wilson (Monifieth) 41-41, Jackie Brown (Monifieth) 39-43, J Yellowlees (Murrayshall) 43-39.
83 S Murray (Murcar Links) 43-40, K Vannet (Peterculter) 43-40.
84 J Chalmers (Monifieth) 44-40, Hannah McCook (Abernethy) 42-42 (better last six holes).

MISSED THE CUT FOR SCRATCH MATCH-PLAY

84 C Prouse (Hazlehead) 42-42(eliminated on last six holes countback).
85 L Urquhart (Banchory), K Beveridge (Aboyne).
86 F Blair (Carnoustie Ladies)
87 H Anderson (Alyth), A Hunter (Monifieth), F Millar (Carnoustie Ladies), M Robinson (Murcar Links).
88 Lauren MacCallum (Newburgh), J Griffiths (Strathmore), J Wheeler (Aberdeen Ladies).
89 F Neish (Moray), L Terry (Cruden Bay), Jacqueline Sneddon (Alyth), F Fullerton (Meldrum House)
90 L Whyte (Hazlehead), R Roy (Ballater)..
91 M Johnstone (Northern), G Dowling (Inverness), K Stalker (Cruden Bay), E Mauchline (Newmachar), E Whyte (Aberdeen Ladies).
92 B Rivollier (Hazlehead), D Butchart (Strathmore), C Whicher (Aberdeen Ladies), S Bain (Aberdeen Ladies).
93 L McGillivray (Banchory), G Christie (Banchory), H Robb (Strathmore).
94 S Belton (Kirriemuir), M Duncan (Aboyne).
95 E Aird (Strathmore), L Kelly (Newmachar), K Teow (Deeside).
96 L Duncan (Aboyne), R Polson (Peterculter), M Roger (McDonald Ellon).
97 S Bradley (Kirriemuir).
98 A Hope (Newmachar), M Miller (Cruden Bay), S MacDonnell (Inverness), K MacCallum (Newburgh), M Horn (Newmachar), E Milne (Inchmarlo).
100 K Esslemont (Cruden Bay), A Alston (Royal Montrose).
103 S Fenner (Strathmore).
104 W McNay (Banchory).
105 F Martin (Kirriemuir), K McNab (Aberdeen Ladies), D Massie (Newmachar).
106 R Keith (Newmachar).
107 Jennifer Sneddon (Alyth).
108 J Pritchard (Newmachar).
110 L Joss (Newmachar), F Watterson (Newburgh).
111 R McLean (Cruden Bay).
112 E Keown (Banchory).
115 R McGeoghegan (Strathmore).
NRs: S Richardson (Inchmarlo), J Groom (Strathmore).
Disq:V Neish (Inverness).

FIRST ROUND MATCH-PLAY

DRAWS FOR TUESDAY

SCRATCH
8.0 Q1 Laura Walker v Q16 Hannah McCook.
8.37 Q9 Emily Ogilvy v Q8 Jessica Meek.
8.44 Q5 Donna Pocock v Q12 Jackie Brown.
8.51 Q13 Kristina Vannet v Q4 Jane Grubb.

8.58 Q3 Laura Murray v Q14 Susan Murray.
9.05 Q11 Rebecca Wilson v G6 Gillian Murray.
9.12 Q7 Ann Ramsay v Q10 Jane Yellowlees.
9.19 Q15 Jemma Chalmers v Q2 Katy McNicoll.

Quarter-finals at 2.15, 2.22, 2.29 and 2.36

HANDICAP
9.26 Q1 Mary Robinson v Q16 Lauren MacCallum.
9.33 Q9 Ros Roy v Q8 Janet Griffiths.
9.40 Q5 Jenny Wheeler v Q12 Sheila Belton
9.47 Q13 Lauren Whyte v Q 4 Esther Milne.

9.54 Q3 Kimberley Beveridge v Q14 Carol Whicher.
10.01 Q11 Fiona Fullerton v Q6 Claire Prouse.
10.08 Q7 Lynn Kelly v Q10 Mandy Roger.
10.15 Q15 Linda Urquhart v Q2 H Robb.

Quarter-finals at 2.43, 2.50, 2.57 and 3.04