LOUISE'S RECORD 65 LEADS FROM HEATHER (68)
SCOTTISH WOMEN'S AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP AT DUNBAR
On a "normal" opening day to the Scottish women's amateur golf championship, Sheena Wood's one-under-par round of 71 would have been mighty close to leading the first qualifying round.
But this was an exceptional start to the national tournament and Sheena ended it in "only" third place. The limelight, deservedly it has to be said, was stolen from the Aberdonian by Louise Kenney (Pitreavie) and Heather MacRae (Dunblane New).
Playing partners, the two 23-year-olds sparked off each other and produced sub-70 scores of which even Annika Sorenstam and Michele Wie would have proud.
Fifer Louise sliced four strokes off the women's course record with a seven-under-par 65 which three times Scottish champion Anne Laing described as "fantastic.".
The previous lowest mark of 69 for the 5,696yd, par-72 links was set 16 years ago by LPGA Tour player Catriona Matthew when she was still Catriona Lambert. It had stood unchallenged since then.
To beat it by such a big margin was a tribute to how well 23-year-old Louise played in well-nigh perfect scoring conditions.
And Heather MacRae was not all that far behind Louise in the hit parade with deserved a bogey-free round of 68 which was, of course, also inside the old record.
The star player on the Iowa State University on the American college circuit for four years, Louise has no thoughts of turning pro. She is taking a post-graduate course at Dundee University in the autumn with a view to becoming a primary school teacher.
"It was just my lucky day," said a modest Miss Kenney who saw the Dunbar course for the first time on Sunday.
"For example, at the long 14th, I drove on to the face of a bunker. I should have played safe but took a five-iron from there and hit the ball miles up in the air - it could have gone anywhere - but it came down 40ft from the pin and I holed the putt for an eagle 3!"
The Fifer, who was Scottish girls champion in 2000 at Dunblane, also had birdies at the first, fifth, sixth, eighth, ninth, 11th and 12th in halves of 33 (four under par) and 32 (three under).
But for bogeys at the third and 18th, Louise would have set a record that would have stood for another 16 years at least!
"You know what golf's like. I'll probably go out and play rubbish in the second round," said Louise as she looked at the leaderboard which had her four shots clear of playing partner, Heather MacRae had birdies at the first, fourth, 12th and 14th.
For Sheena Wood a one-under-par 71 in the national championship represented a great fightback to top form after breaking an arm early last year and missing not only the "Scottish" at Cruden Bay but also most of the other leading tournaments for many months
"It was so frustrating last year and it's great to think I can still come back and score so well. The secret was my putting. I putted really well so," said Sheena who birdied the fourth, fifth, ninth and 13th and bogeyed the sixth and seventh.
The leading North player was not 15-year-old Kelsey MacDonald, the repeating Northern Counties champion from Nairn Dunbar. She started with a double-bogey 7 and never recovered, finishing on 80 (41-39).
No, the Highland Brigade were led by Kerri Harper from Inverness with a 74, closely followed on 75 by the stream-lined Cara Gruber (Royal Dornoch) who has shed a couple of stone since last year.
On a "normal" opening day to the Scottish women's amateur golf championship, Sheena Wood's one-under-par round of 71 would have been mighty close to leading the first qualifying round.
But this was an exceptional start to the national tournament and Sheena ended it in "only" third place. The limelight, deservedly it has to be said, was stolen from the Aberdonian by Louise Kenney (Pitreavie) and Heather MacRae (Dunblane New).
Playing partners, the two 23-year-olds sparked off each other and produced sub-70 scores of which even Annika Sorenstam and Michele Wie would have proud.
Fifer Louise sliced four strokes off the women's course record with a seven-under-par 65 which three times Scottish champion Anne Laing described as "fantastic.".
The previous lowest mark of 69 for the 5,696yd, par-72 links was set 16 years ago by LPGA Tour player Catriona Matthew when she was still Catriona Lambert. It had stood unchallenged since then.
To beat it by such a big margin was a tribute to how well 23-year-old Louise played in well-nigh perfect scoring conditions.
And Heather MacRae was not all that far behind Louise in the hit parade with deserved a bogey-free round of 68 which was, of course, also inside the old record.
The star player on the Iowa State University on the American college circuit for four years, Louise has no thoughts of turning pro. She is taking a post-graduate course at Dundee University in the autumn with a view to becoming a primary school teacher.
"It was just my lucky day," said a modest Miss Kenney who saw the Dunbar course for the first time on Sunday.
"For example, at the long 14th, I drove on to the face of a bunker. I should have played safe but took a five-iron from there and hit the ball miles up in the air - it could have gone anywhere - but it came down 40ft from the pin and I holed the putt for an eagle 3!"
The Fifer, who was Scottish girls champion in 2000 at Dunblane, also had birdies at the first, fifth, sixth, eighth, ninth, 11th and 12th in halves of 33 (four under par) and 32 (three under).
But for bogeys at the third and 18th, Louise would have set a record that would have stood for another 16 years at least!
"You know what golf's like. I'll probably go out and play rubbish in the second round," said Louise as she looked at the leaderboard which had her four shots clear of playing partner, Heather MacRae had birdies at the first, fourth, 12th and 14th.
For Sheena Wood a one-under-par 71 in the national championship represented a great fightback to top form after breaking an arm early last year and missing not only the "Scottish" at Cruden Bay but also most of the other leading tournaments for many months
"It was so frustrating last year and it's great to think I can still come back and score so well. The secret was my putting. I putted really well so," said Sheena who birdied the fourth, fifth, ninth and 13th and bogeyed the sixth and seventh.
The leading North player was not 15-year-old Kelsey MacDonald, the repeating Northern Counties champion from Nairn Dunbar. She started with a double-bogey 7 and never recovered, finishing on 80 (41-39).
No, the Highland Brigade were led by Kerri Harper from Inverness with a 74, closely followed on 75 by the stream-lined Cara Gruber (Royal Dornoch) who has shed a couple of stone since last year.
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | 5:55:00 pm
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