Kelly Tidy with the championship trophy after her 2 and 1 victory in the British final at Ganton (image by Cal Carson Golf Agency, click on it to enlarge).

KELLY'S TIDY PERFORMANCE BEATS

KELSEY IN BRITISH FINAL AT GANTON

Lancashire lass gains place in Ricoh Women's British Open over her home course

Stirling student Kelsey MacDonald just failed to pull off the Scottish-British women;’s amateur golf championships double at Ganton Golf Club, Yorkshire today.

Winner of her national title at Craigielaw five weeks ago, 19-year-old Kelsey (pictured right with the beaten finalist's handsome trophy) lost by 2 and 1 in the 18-hole final to 18-year-old Lancashire lass Kelly Tidy (Royal Birkdale).

Kelsey staged a magnificent comeback to beat former US Curtis Cup player Meghan Stasi at the 19th hole in the morning semi-finals after losing the first four holes.

But, after twice taking a two-hole lead in the final, the Nairn Dunbar player seemed to tire in her eighth competitive round in five days over a course with cavernous bunkers, narrow, tree-lined fairways and gorse bushes that could hide an army.

From two up on the 12th tee, MacDonald slid to two down by losing the 12th, 13th, 15th and 16th and a half in 4 at the short 17th gave Tidy victory and a place in the field for the Ricoh Women’s British Open over her home Birkdale course next month.

Tidy, twice beaten in the British girls championship final and a Junior Solheim and Junior Ryder Cup player, was several over par in the final, having been two or three under in winning her semi-fnal by 5 and 3 over Canadian 18-year-old Rebecca Lee-Bentham from Toronto.

“I can’t really make the excuse that I was tired over the last few holes, Kelly just played them better than I did. Of course, I’m disappointed but if you had offered me at the beginning of the week a place in the British final, win or lose, I would have grabbed it. I got a couple of bad bounces in the final but over the week I had some good scores and some good wins,” said Kelsey.

Final – Kelly Tidy bt Kelsey MacDonald 2 and 1.