And the winner at Archerfield Links is ... France's Virginie Lagoutte-Clement (image by Andy Forman).

Vikki Laing joint fifth behind victorious Virginie

FROM THE LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Virginie Lagoutte-Clement from France shot a final round of 71 in difficult conditions to earn her third Ladies European Tour title at the Aberdeen Ladies Scottish Open.
The 31-year-old from Montelimar came from four shots behind the overnight leader Jeehae Lee to clinch the title by a stroke from South African Lee-Anne Pace and Englishwomen Trish Johnson and Sophie Walker at Archerfield Links in East Lothian.
Lagoutte-Clement, who won her last title at the 2006 Finnair Masters in Finland, felt that she was out of the title race after she came home with three bogeys in a row from the 14th. However the other competitors also suffered coming down the stretch in the windy and squally conditions.
Ireland’s Rebecca Coakley held a two stroke lead on three-under par after 14 holes but took an eight on the par-four 15th, doubled the 16th and bogeyed the 17th, dropping seven shots in three holes.
Johnson needed to birdie the par-five last for her 20th career win, but missed a 15 ft putt for par to force the play-off and took a six to drop one behind the leader.
Lagoutte-Clement’s solid play over the front nine, which she played in three-under 33, paid off as she lifted the trophy and claimed the first prize of €30,000.
“I’ve been waiting for this for a long time. I’m so happy I don’t have the words to explain,” said Lagoutte-Clement, who was joined by her husband Sebastien, who is her caddie and her two-year-old daughter Victoria. “Normally I play badly on links. I’m happy to have battled my demons with the links.”
She had struggled with her short game, missing the cut at the previous four tournaments, after finishing as the runner-up to Johnson in Tenerife.
She was the second straight French winner of the Scottish title, following victory by Gwladys Nocera at The Carrick in 2008.
Vikki Laing, from nearby Musselburgh, shared fifth with Italian Stefania Croce and Jeehae Lee of Korea.
Coakley ended tied for eighth with Stacy Lee Bregman on four over after a round of 75 and said: “Obviously I’m disappointed but more with my luck.”
In the Pro Am format, Archerfield Links member Richard Slater and Caroline Afonso combined for a winning total of 19-under par. Samantha Donald and Jessica Ji finished second on count back, while Johnson and Alan Hansen were third.
The Ladies European Tour continues to Finland next week, where Lagoutte-Clement is likely to be a strong contender, having won the title on the same golf course in Helsinki four years ago.
FINAL TOTALS
Par 216 (3x72) Prize money in Euros
217 Virginie Lagoutte-Clement (France) 72 74 71 (30,000).
218 Lee-Anne Pace (S Africa) 76 72 70, Sophie Walker (England) 75 70 73, Trish Johnson (England) 69 74 75 (15,033.33 each).
219 Vikki Laing (Scotland) 74 74 71, Stefania Croce (Italy) 71 74 74, Jeehae Lee (S Korea) 72 70 77 (7,160 each).
220 Stacy Lee Bregman (S Africa) 70 76 74, Rebecca Coakley (Ireland) 75 70 75 (4,740 each).
221 Becky Brewerton (Wales) 74 73 74, Nikki Garrett (Australia) 71 74 76 (3,840 each).
222 Cassandra Kirkland (France) 77 70 75, Christel Boeljon (Netherlands) 70 75 77 (3,330 each).
223 Anne-Lise Caudal (France) 75 75 73, Ashleigh Simon (S Africa) 77 75 71, Krystle Caithness (Scotland) 73 76 74, Hannah Jun (US) 76 71 76 (2,935 each).
224 Caroline Masson (Germany) 74 73 77, Georgina Simpson (England) 75 72 77 (2,680 each).
225 Rebecca Hudson (England) 75 76 74, Veronica Zorzi (Italy) 76 74 75, Lynn Kenny (Scotland) 73 79 73 (2,520 each).
226 Carly Booth (Sco) 77 73 76, Lisa Hall (Eng) 74 74 78 (2,370 each).
227 Kylie Walker (Sco) 73 77 77, Emma Cabrera-Bello (Spa) 79 74 74, Maria Boden (Swe) 74 75 78, Stefanie Michl (Aut) 74 80 73 (2,190 each).
228 Lydia Hall (Wal) 76 75 77, Jessica Ji (Kor) 76 75 77, Hanna-Leena Salonen (Finland) 76 74 78, Felicity Johnson (Eng) 75 74 79, Bettina Hauert (Ger) 78 76 74, Pamela Feggans (Sco) 74 80 74 (1,890 each).
229 Ana Larraneta (Spa) 76 75 78, Caroline Afonso (Fra) 73 76 80 (1,650 each).
230 Elizabeth Bennett (Eng) 75 76 79, Frances Bondad (Aus) 75 77 78, Mhairi McKay (Sco) 73 76 81, Laurette Maritz (S Africa) 78 77 75, Kate Combes (Aus) 76 79 75, Beth Allen (USA) 76 81 73 (1,403.33 each).
231 Dana Lacey-Johnson (Aus) 75 80 76 (1,200).
233 Karen Lunn (Aus) 74 82 77 (1,180).
234 Anna Rossi (Ita) 71 79 84 (1,160).
235 Martina Gillen (Irl) 77 77 81, Morgana Robbertze (S Africa) 82 72 81, Kathryn Imrie (Sco) 75 81 79 (1,120 each).
236 Margherita Rigon (Ita) 82 73 81, Tandi Cuningham (S Africa) 80 78 78 (1,070 each).
237 Josefin Leijon (Swe) 78 75 84 (1,040).
238 Jenni Kuosa (Fin) 83 79 76 (980)
239 Camille Fallay (Fra) 87 75 77 (960).
240 Clare Queen (Sco) 81 75 84, Claire Aitken (Eng) 77 81 82, Titiya Plucksataporn (Tha) 82 78 80, Ludivine Kreutz (Fra) 80 83 77 (930 each).
241 Heather MacRae (Downfield) 77 79 85 (880).
243 Hannah Ralph (Eng) 85 74 84 (860)
RTD: Breanne Loucks (Wal) 78 88 (840).

Pamela Pretswell with her trophies at Tenby this afternoon. Image by courtesy of the Ladies Golf Union.

PAMELA IS BRITISH CHAMPION AFTER


AN EXCITING FINISH AT TENBY


By COLIN FARQUHARSON
What a year for Glasgow University student Pamela Pretswell! First she makes her Curtis Cup debut in America in June, and now she is a British champion!
Pretswell, 21, from Hamilton won the British women's open amateur stroke-play championship in an exciting finish at Tenby Golf Club, South Wales today.
It is her first domestic national title although she won the Switzerland women’s open amateur championship three years ago and was pipped for the Austrian women's open title three weeks ago.
She is the fourth Scot in the past seven years to win the British stroke play title, following in the footsteps of compatriots Clare Queen (2004), Heather MacRae (2005) and Roseanne Niven (2008).
The tournament was reduced to three rounds after a 2hr 30min suspension of play from 9am to 11.30am while a violent thunder and lightning storm raged over the course.
The joint overnight leaders, Pamela Pretswell and Chrisje De Vries ( Netherlands ), did not set out for the third round until 12.30 which meant there would not have been enough daylight left for the field to play 36 holes on the final day.

Curtis Cup reserve and the 2008 Welsh girls champion, Amy Boulden (Maesdu), whose 17th birthday was earlier this month, moved up from third place, one off the pace, at the start of the round to take a one-shot lead overall with an outward 37 to Pretswell’s 39 and 45 by De Vries.
Pretswell came storming home in 33 to her Welsh rival's 37 to turn the tables.
They were level pegging overall standing on the 17th tee.
Then came a decisive two-stroke swing in the Scot’s favour. While leader Boulden bogeyed the short 17th, Pretswell was able to get a birdie 2. That put Pamela in front and she increased her winning margin to three shots by parring the last after Boulden had bogeyed it.
So Pretswell finished with a two-over-par total of 218, made up of rounds of 72, 74 and 72.
Boulden finished second on five-over 221 with scores of 68, 79 and 75.
Third on 2324 was Denmark ’s Line Vedel Hansen with rounds of 76, 72 and 77. She had an 8 at the long eighth in an outward 43 today. She came home in 34, with a bag of four birdies, but could not make up the leeway.

France’s Alexandra Bonetti, winner of the Girls’ British title at Royal Belfast GC last week, finished a creditable joint fourth on 228 alongside Lara Katzy (Germany).
Joint overnight leader Chrisje De Vries finished ninth on 230 with a final round of 84.
Musselburgh-based 15-year-old South Korean Julie Yang, playing out of the Kings Acre Golf Centre near Edinburgh, finished 11th on 234 with scores of 75, 81 and 78.
Curtis Cup player Danielle McVeigh (Royal Co Down Ladies), winner of the British stroke-play title at Royal Aberdeen GC 12 months ago, had to settle for 19th place on 237 after a final round of 79.
The three other Scots who made the last day - Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm), Jane Turner (Craigielaw) and Rachael Watton (Mortonhall) - finished joint 30th and joint 32nd respectively.
Megan totalled 78, 81 and 84 for 243.
Jane scored 80, 77 and 87 for 244, the same total as Rachael who had rouns of 82 75 and 87.
Astonishingly, Jane and Rachael both had 10s on their cards. Turner took 50 shots to the turn and it must be a long time since she did that. She had one par figure on the outward half. Jane had a 10 at the par-4 fourth, a 7 at the par-4 seventh and a 5 at the par-3 17th.
Rachael had halves of 47 and 40. She had a 10 at the par-5 eighth and double bogeys at the fourth, ninth, 11th and 18th.

FINAL TOTALS
Par 216 (3x72)
218 Pamela Pretswell (Bothwell Castle) 72 74 72.
221 Amy Boulden (Maesdu) 68 79 74.
225 Line Vedel Hansen (Den) 76 72 77.
228 Lara Katzy (Ger) 71 81 76, Alexandrea Bonetti (Fra) 74 77 77.
229 Holly Clyburn (Woodhall Spa) 78 76 75, Pia Halbig (Ger) 73 78 78, Bronte Law (Bramhall) 76 72 81.
230 Chrisje De Vries (Net) 68 78 84.
231 Ann Lindner (Ger) 75 78 78.
234 Julie Yang (Kings Acre) 75 81 78.
235 Kelly Tidy (Royal Birkdale) 75 82 78, Lauren Taylor (Woburn) 75 79 81, Heidi Baek (Felixstowe Ferry) 76 77 92.
236 Noemi Jimenez (Spa) 77 80 79, Gillian O’Leary (Cork) 70 86 80, Vicki Troeltsch (Ger) 78 76 82, Charlotte Ellis (Minchinhampton) 78 75 83.
237 Danielle McVeigh (Royal Co Down Ladies) 81 77 79.
238 Charley Hull (Woburn) 73 85 80, Elizabeth Mallett (Sutton Coldfield) 78 77 83.
239 Karlijn Zaanen (Netherlands) 76 83 80, Alexandra Peters (Notts Ladies) 82 75 82, Rachel Drummond (Beaconsfield) 80 77 82, Charlotte Wild (Mere) 76 78 85, Hayley Davis (Ferndown) 82 73 84
240 Nikki Foster (Pleasington) 77 78 85.
241 Tara Davies (Holyhead) 73 84 84, Gemma Bradbury (Cottrell Park) 72 83 86.
243 Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm) 78 81 84, Samantha Birks (Wolstanton) 76 83 84.
244 Jane Turner (Craigielaw) 80 77 87, Nina Holleder (Ger) 74 82 88, Rachael Watton (Mortonhall) 82 75 87.
246 Stephanie Kirchmayr (Ger) 76 83 87, Camilla Hedberg (Spa) 74 83 89.
247 Lucy Williams (Mid Herts) 82 77 88, Katie Bradbury (Cottrell Park) 79 78 90.
249 Jerry Lawrence (Rochester & Cobham) 77 80 92.
251 Lucy Gould (Bargoed) 78 80 93.
255 Fanny Vuignier (Swi) 76 83 96.
Retired Marieke Nivard (Net) 77 83 -.

STROKE-PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP REDUCED TO

THREE ROUNDS AFTER STORM AT TENBY

Bad weather continued on the third day of the British women's open amateur stroke-play championship at Tenby Golf Club, South Wales today.
Play was suspended from 9 to 11am due to a thunder and lightning storm right about the clubhouse.
The third-round leaders Pamela Pretswell and Chrisje De Vries teed off at 12.30.
The Ladies Golf Union officials have decided there is not enough time available to get the qualifiers round twice so the championship has been reduced to three rounds.