Jo Carthew plays her part in birdie festival
Four of the best. Semi-finalists Kylie Walker (left) and Laura Murray (right) flank new champion Michele Thomson and runner-up Jocelyn Carthew (Cal Carson Golf Agency image, all rights reserved). Click on the images to enlarge them.-749962.jpg)
Michele Thomson winsBy COLIN FARQUHARSON
Michele Thomson from Ellon, Aberdeenshire endorsed her Curtis Cup team selection by winning the Scottish women's amateur championship for the first time after an 18-hole final with golf that matched the glorious sunshine at Lossiemouth on the Moray Firth today.
In a final, packed with birdies and played at an old-fashioned pace – 17 holes completed in just over three hours, 20-year-old Michele beat another first-time finalist, Jocelyn Carthew, a 30-year-old Ladybank Golf Club, Fife member, by 2 and 1.
Michele, a +1 player at McDonald Ellon Golf Club, a seasoned international and a full-time amateur who has been playing competitively this year since the Orange Blossom Tour in Florida in January, entered the final as hot favourite to beat Jo, an uncapped one-handicapper who had never progressed past the second round of the national championship before and a player who works for a living.
But Carthew let the big gallery – and her more highly-rated opponent - know she wasn't just there to make up the numbers when she won the first two holes with birdies and then halved the third with her third birdie in a row.
Thomson, the longer-hitter, then rolled up her sleeves and won the next four holes with a par-birdie-birdie-birdie burst that saw her jump from two down to two up.
Carthew came back off the ropes to win the eighth with a great putt for a birdie but turned two down again when Thomson holed a 15ft birdie putt at the ninth.
Out in five-under-par 33 to Carthew's two-under 36 and two holes to the good, Thomson had by no means subdued underdog Jo. The pair of them produced nine birdies between them in a high-class outward half.
Carthew won the 10th with a birdie, lost the 11th to a birdie and then got back to one down again when Thomson had her first bogey of the day.
This was the low point, quality-wise in the match, the 13th being halved in bogeys.
Normal service was resumed with a half in birdie 4s at the long 14th before Thomson regained a two-hole lead when Carthew three-putted.
The writing was on the wall for the elegant Ladybank player then. Two down with three to play, she could only halve the 16th and 17th, leaving Thomson a worthy 2 and 1 winner.
Thomson was five under par at the finish and Carthew two under par … proof that it was a quality final with 13 birdies in all.
"I can hardly wait for the Curtis Cup to come along now at the end of the month," said Michele who phoned her oil executive dad who was en route from Brunei to Singapore as soon as she could after the last putt dropped.
"The best thing I took out of this week is that I can play under pressure. I came to Lossiemouth under pressure, as a Curtis Cup pick, to do well ... and I did. In the semi-final against Laura Murray I was four down after seven holes and I trailed in others, including this final, so that gives me confidence for the Curtis Cup.
"I would like to thank my coach Neil Marr for making me able to produce the shots I have to win in pressure situations."
Glasgow-born Jo Carthew, who lives in Kirkcaldy and works in Cupar, was also full of praise for her coach, Ladybank club professional Sandy Smith.
"Sandy has worked with me on my game for more than a year, just a general tighening up process. He has made a big difference to my play," said Glasgow-born Jo, daughter of the former Crow Wood professional Oliver Carthew.
"I thoroughly enjoyed the week. I thought I played better in every round and I couldn't complain about being beaten by Michele's five-under-par figures in the final. I was two under par myself so, even though I lost, I did enjoy competing in a Scottish final in front of a big gallery."
Labels: Amateur Ladies
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