Double whammy by Scots on US college circuit

Scott Crichton (Western New Mexico University) and Sally Watson (Stanford University)

Sally and Scott at their Sunday best

Two Scottish students scored victories on the United States college golf circuit on Sunday.
Curtis Cup team player Sally Watson, a first-year student at Stanford University, California and originally from South Queensferry, Edinburgh, finished joint first in the Peg Barnard Invitational over the Stanford course - Tiger Woods' old stamping ground - with Joanne Lee (California).
Sally had rounds of 73 and 71 for a two-over-par total of 144 over the 6,092 women's course (par 71). Joanne had scores of 74 and 70.
Watson had a double bogey 6 on her outward half of 37 but back-to-back birdies at the long 12th and par-4 13th put her back on track.
Former British women's stroke-play champion Roseanne Niven (California) from Crieff finished joint 22nd with scores of 75 and 80 for 155.

LEADING TOTALS

Par 142 (2x71)

144 Sally Watson (Stanford) 73 71, Joanne Lee (California) 74 70.

147 Rebecca Durham (Stanford) 77 70.

149 Anya Alvarez (Washington) 72 77.

Selected score:

155 Roseanne Niven (California) 75 80 (jt 22nd).
Watson's effort helped Stanford pip California by a single shot for the team title in a field of 11 teams. Placings:

1 Stanford (596), 2 California (597), 3 Oregon (607), 4 Washington (609), 5 UC Davis (615), 6 San Jose State (622). Eleven teams took part.
Scott Crichton, from Dalgety Bay, Fife, in his senior (final) year at Western New Mexico University, had a pair of 68s for a six-under-par total of 136 to win the Cactus Thaw college tournament at Silver City, New Mexico.
Crichton, runner-up for the Scottish youths title last year, won by a stroke from Branden Barron (South Mountain) who had rounds of 68 and 69.

The Scot is rated by his college golf coach to have made "tremendous improvement" over the past four years and is now one of the best, if not the best, male college golfers in New Mexico.
Another Western New Mexico Scottish student, Steven Maxwell, a junior (third year) student from Glasgow, finished sixth in a field of 52 with a pair of 71s for 142. Team-mate Edward Parker from Sandbach came fifth on 141 with scortes of 72 and 69.

And completing the Western New Mexico performances Chris Davis, a freshman from London, came joint 31st on 149 with scores of 72 and 77.
Western New Mexico won the team event by five shots from Scottsdale in a field of five teams.

In the Cactus Thaw women's college event over a par-72 course (5811hd) at the same venue, Jacqueiline Sneddon (Grand Canyon) from Meigle tied for 11th place with scores of 85 and 83 for 168.

Winner by six strokes was team-mate Jennifer Lutz with scores of 75 and 73 for 148.

Elsewhere, Tom Sherreard from Maidstone, Kent, a senior year student at Georgia State University, tied for 36th place in a field of 75 at the Sun Trust Gator Invitational over the Florida of University's Mark Bostick course at Gainesville.

Sherreard scored 75, 76 and 71 for 222 over the par-70, 6701yd course.

Cathal O'Malley (Alabama-Birmingham) from Westborn, Ireland tied for 67th place with scores of 78, 79 and 76 for 233.

Individual winner was Jonathan Randolph (Mississippin) with scores of 71, 72 and 67 for 210 - a shot ahead of Andrew Loupe (Louisiana State) with rounds of 71, 71 and 69.

Florida (841) won the title over their home course with Florida State (859) second and Chattanooga (869) third in the 14-team line-up.