BECKY MORGAN LEADS WITH A 65 IN GERMAN OPEN

                    BECKY MORGAN IN ACTION. Image by Tristan Jones of Ladies European Tour

By BETHAN CUTLER
Ladies European Tour Media Manager
Welsh golfer Becky Morgan shot a bogey-free round of seven under par 65 to take a one stroke lead in the first round of the UniCredit Ladies German Open presented by Audi near Munich.
The 36-year-old from Monmouth is seeking her first professional victory in 11 years on Tour.
She opened with seven birdies in baking weather at Golfpark Gut Häusern, on a dry course permitting fairly low scores.
She was steady, playing the back nine first in four under before picking up three more shots on the front nine to grab the lead late in the day. Italy’s Margherita Rigon and Virginie Lagoutte-Clement from France both shot 66s while five players are a shot further back in a share of fourth.
“It was probably one of the best rounds I’ve had. I didn’t make any bogeys. I hit 16 greens and the two I missed: I chipped in on one and had a pretty easy putt for the other one, so it was stress-free golf. It was a perfect day. We didn’t have much wind,” Morgan said.
“There are quite a few birdie chances out here. The par-fives are reachable and you have some short irons into some of the par fours.
“It was very score-able. I hit a lot of fairways and only missed two greens and finally made some putts which I haven’t been doing the last couple of weeks, so it was nice.”
Morgan was runner-up at the 2001 French Open in her rookie year on the Ladies European Tour and also tied for second at the 2004 Chick-fil-A Charity Championship on the American LPGA circuit.
She is playing the event for the first time and said: “I’ve been on Tour 11 years and haven’t won yet, but I really like the golf course. It’s only the first round, we have three more and it’s a really good field but if I could keep playing the way I’m playing I could have a good chance.”
The key for 28-year-old Rigon, from Arzignano, was changing to a new coach, Massimo Scarpa, in December. “The swing is much better and more consistent. He gave me a lot of positive thoughts. I hit 17 greens and three par fives in two, so the long game was amazing and the putts were good too. There wasn’t a weak part of my game,” she said.
Lagoutte-Clement, 32, from Montélimar, took the early clubhouse lead with a flawless round containing six birdies. The three-time winner on the Ladies European Tour said that she was just trying to enjoy the game.
“I played great golf and just missed some putts but I took great pleasure from today,” she said. “A good round, with 14 greens and 26 putts; I just have to do the same for the next three days.”
Minea Blomqvist, Diana Luna, Tania Elosegui, Rebecca Hudson and Caroline Hedwall all shot 67s to finish two shots off the lead, while Sophie Giquel-Bettan, Karen Lunn, Lee-Anne Pace and Kim Welch are three back on 68.
The 2010 event champion Laura Davies was one of 15 players on 69, along with the recent Turkish Airlines Ladies Open winner Christel Boeljon and current Henderson Money List leader Melissa Reid.
Germany’s Sandra Gal opened with a level par 72 after struggling on the greens, while 16-year-old professional Alexis ‘Lexi’ Thompson from the United States shot 74 to sit nine shots off the pace.
Thompson headed to down town Munich to cool off with an ice cream after her round, while Davies headed to the autobahn to play with her Audi RS5.

FIRST ROUND SCOREBOARD
Par 72
65 Becky Morgan (WAL)

66 Virginie Lagoutte-Clement (FRA), Margherita Rigon (ITA)

67 Minea Blomqvist (FIN), Diana Luna (ITA), Tania Elosegui (ESP), Rebecca Hudson (ENG), Caroline Hedwall (SWE)

68 Sophie Giquel-Bettan (FRA), Karen Lunn (AUS), Lee-Anne Pace (SA), Kim Welch (USA)

69 Lisa Holm Sorensen (DEN), Ursula Wikstrom (FIN), Mollie Fankhauser (USA), Christel Boeljon (NL), Malene Jorgensen (DEN), Stefanie Michl (AUT), Laura Davies (ENG), Carin Koch (SWE), Frances Bondad (AUS), Melissa Reid (ENG), Felicity Johnson (ENG), Jade Schaeffer (FRA), Nikki Garrett (AUS), Georgina Simpson (ENG), Elizabeth Bennett (ENG)

70 Garrett Phillips (USA), Caroline Afonso (FRA), Stefania Croce (ITA), Lotta Wahlin (SWE), Caroline Westrup (SWE), Titiya Plucksataporn (THA), Liebelei Elena Lawrence (GR), Louise Larsson (SWE), Nontaya Srisawang (THA), Lisa Hall (ENG)

71 Dewi Claire Schreefel (NL), Ashleigh Simon (SA), Hannah Jun (USA), Pernilla Lindberg (SWE), Sara Brown (USA), Veronica Zorzi (ITA), Holly Aitchison (ENG), Marjet van der Graaff (NL), Sophie Walker (ENG), Kiran Matharu (ENG), Caroline Masson (GER), Stacy Lee Bregman (SA), Stacey Keating (AUS), Gabriella Wahl (Am) (GER), Lora Fairclough (ENG), Kym Larratt (ENG), Nina Holleder (Am) (GER), Ana Larraneta (ESP)

72 Vicki Troeltsch (Am) (GER), Morgana Robbertze (SA), Tara Davies (WAL), Sandra Gal (GER), Jaclyn Sweeney (USA), Federica Piovano (ITA), Lynnette Brooky (NZ), Stephanie Kirchmayr (Am) (GER), Lynn Kenny (SCO), Vikki Laing (SCO), Helen Alfredsson (SWE), Johanna W Johansson (SWE), Rachel Jennings (ENG), Beth Allen (USA)

73 Denise-Charlotte Becker (GER), Lydia Hall (WAL), Krystle Caithness (SCO), Linda Wessberg (SWE), Nicole Gergely (AUT), Jenni Kuosa (FIN), Rachel Bell (ENG), Caroline Rominger (SWI), Elisabeth Esterl (GER), Jessica Ji (KOR), Benedicte Toumpsin (BEL), Henrietta Zuel (ENG), Kaisa Ruuttila (FIN), Joanna Klatten (FRA), Becky Brewerton (WAL), Anne-Lise Caudal (FRA), Louise Stahle (SWE), Rebecca Codd (IRE), Julie Maisongrosse (FRA), Line Vedel (DEN), Tandi Cuningham (SA), Danielle Montgomery (ENG)

74 Melodie Bourdy (FRA), Lara Katzy (AM) (GER), Laura Cabanillas (ESP), Martina Gillen (IRE), Alexis Thompson (USA), Maria Verchenova (RUS), Sophie Sandolo (ITA), Julie Greciet (FRA), Kate Combes (AUS), Kristie Smith (AUS), Gwladys Nocera (FRA), Anja Monke (GER), Kylie Walker (SCO), Maha Haddioui (MOR)

75 Klara Spilkova (CZE), Alison Walshe (USA), Christine Hallstrom (SWE), Riikka Hakkarainen (FIN)

76 Adriana Zwanck (ESP), Emma Cabrera-Bello (ESP), Florentyna Parker (ENG), Bettina Hauert (GER), Lucie Andre (FRA), Rebecca Flood (AUS)

77 Trish Johnson (ENG), Zuzana Kamasova (SVK), Valerie Sternebeck (Am) (GER), Clare Queen (SCO), Marina Arruti (ESP), Cassandra Kirkland (FRA)

78 Carmen Alonso (ESP)

79 Charlie Douglass (ENG)

80 Laurette Maritz (SA)

82 Ludivine Kreutz (FRA)

83 Breanne Loucks (WAL)

KELSEY, ALYSON FACE BRIGGS SISTERS IN TOP HALF QUARTERS

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottisgolfview.com
There could be a sister v sister semi-final in the 97th Scottish women's amateur championship at Machrihanish.
But title-holder Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn) and Elderslie's Alyson McKechin no doubt have different ideas!
Kelsey and Alyson stand between the Briggs sisters from Kilmacolm, Megan and Eilidh, and a family affair of a last four meeting.
Kelsey, 20, overpowered 14-year-old Clara Young (North Berwick), East Lothian’s youngest ever women’s county champion, over the last five holes to win their quarter-final by 2 and 1.
“Clara’s a great talent – they’ve got no fear at that age – and she pulled me back to square with six holes to play. I had to win the 14th and 16th to beat her with roughly par golf,” said Kelsey who had started the match-play stages inauspiciously by losing the first two holes in the morning to No 32 qualifier Elaine Cuthill (Lanark) before going on to win by 5 and 4.
Now Stirling University student MacDonald plays Eilidh, at 18 the younger of the talented sisters, in the first quarter-final tomorrow morning. Eilidh, winner of the Renfrewshire championship and the West of Scotland title in recent weeks, left her disappointing stroke-play form of earlier in the week behind her and she swept into the last eight with a 7 and 6 win over another Scotland girl cap, Hannah McCook (Grantown on Spey).
“I feel I am back at my best for the match-play and I was four under par against Hannah,” said Eilidh who had birdies at the first and ninth and an eagle 3 at the seventh to be five holes to the good after 10.
The second quarter-final is an all-Renfrewshire tussle between 21-year-old Megan Briggs, winner of the national title in 2009 at Southerness, and 17-year-old Alyson McKechin (Elderslie) who, like Eilidh will be enrolling at Stirling University in the autumn. Megan is the No 4 seed, Alyson, the youngest of the championship's last eight, is No 5. Alyson is pictured above by Cal Carson Golf Agency.
Megan was sub-par for the first day of the match-play in beating Sammy Vass (Tain) by 7 and 5 followed by a 4 and 3 win over former champion Elaine Moffat (St Regulus).
“I was hitting fairways and greens in regulation all day,” said Megan who has never played county team-mate McKechin in match-play previously.
Alyson, 17, beat Alison Davidson (Stirling), the 1997 British and Scottish champion, by 5 and 4 in the second round with one-under-par figures.
In the lower half of the draw, Louise Kenney (Pitreavie) is still on course to appear in the championship final for the third year in a row – she lost to Megan Briggs two years ago and Kelsey MacDonald last year.
Kenney, the No 7 seed, beat the new Ayrshire champion Rachael McQueen (Troon Ladies) by 3 and 2 to reach the last eight and a tie against the No 2 seed, 18-year-old Rachael Watton (Mortonhall).
Louise won the first two holes against McQueen and went three up after seven but her Ayrshire opponent won the 10th and the 12th to cut the lead to one hole.
Kenney stopped the rot in time and got back to winning holes in time to shake hands on the 16th green.
Rachael Watton won the 17th and 18th to beat Scottish universities champion Susan Jackson, a Ladybank member and a student at Edinburgh University.
Susan had the better of the opening holes of the inward half but Watton finished the stronger to square the match, then win by a two-hole margin.
The other quarter-final in the lower half of the draw pits Susan Wood (Drumpellier), the No 14 qualifier, against the No 6 seed, Aberdeen student Jane Turner (Craigielaw). Susan had a good 5 and 3 win over Katie Reid (Monifieth) who had been the giant-killer in the morning with a 5 and 4 win over the No 3 seed, 15-year-old Lauren Whyte (St Regulus).
Championship debutante Lauren, the Fife girls’ champion, was roughly level par for the holes played but Katie played brilliantly with four-under-par figures. She may wished she had saved some birdies for the afternoon tie.
Jane Turner knew she had been in a match after winning by 2 and 1 against the 14th qualifier, Sara Bishop (Windyhill).
There was hardly a hole in it either way until Jane went two up in the closing stages.
Tomorrow morning's quarter-finals tee off as follows:
8.30 Kelsey MacDonald (No 1 seed) v Eilidh Briggs (No 24 seed).
8.40 Alyson McKechin (No 5 seed) v Megan Briggs (No 4 seed).
8.50 Susan Wood (No 14 seed) v Jane Turner (No 6 seed).
9.00 Louise Kenney (No 7 seed) v Rachael Watton (No 2 seed).

ELMWOOD COLLEGE STUDENTS TO THE FORE

In the "second flight" Clark Rosebowl tournament, former Scottish girls' champion Ailsa Bain (Peebles) and Rachel Hanlon (St Regulus), both Elmwood College, Cupar students feature in tomorrow morning's semi-finals and would meet in the afternoon final if successful.
Rachael McQueen (Troon Ladies) and Katie Reid (Monifieth), who both lost in the last 16 of the main event, are also Elmwood students.
Ailsa is studying 'NC Performance' golf, the three others are studying 'HN Professional Golf'

In the semi-finals of the Clark Rosebowl it will be:

9.20 Rachel Hanlon (St Regulus) v Fiona Hay (Deeside).
9.30 Ailsa Bain (Peebles) v Heather Munro (Monifieth).

+The championship semi-finals will tee off at 1.30 and 1.50pm with the Clark Rosebowl final at 2.10pm.

SCOTTISH WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH-PLAY RESULTS

SECOND ROUND
Kelsey MacDonald bt Clara Young 2 and 1.
Eilidh Briggs bt Hannah McCook 7 and 6.
Alyson McKechin bt Alison Davidson 5 and 4.
Megan Briggs bt Elaine Moffat 4 and 3.

Susan Wood bt Katie Reid 5 and 3.
Jane Turner bt Sara Bishop 2 and 1.
Louise Kenney bt Rachael McQueen 3 and 2.
Rachael Watton bt Susan Jackson 2 holes.

CLARK ROSEBOWL
QUARTER-FINALS
Hanlon bt Ferguson 2 holes.
Hay bt Watson 3 and 2.
Bain bt McIntosh 2 and 1.
Munro bt D Young 7 and 5.

SCROLL DOWN FOR THE MORNING RESULTS

NO 3 SEED LAUREN WHYTE BEATEN IN MATCH-PLAY FIRST ROUND

Defending champion Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) has survived the jinx that has seen top seeds lose early on in Scottish women's championships - but she did get an early scare on a lovely bright sunny morning at the Machrihanish links.
Three years ago in the championship at Lossiemouth, Kelsey was the No 1 seed also but lost in the first round to the 32nd qualifier Sammy Vass from Tain.
No 1 qualifier again this week, Kelsey lost the first two holes to the last of the 32 qualifiers, Elaine Cuthill (Lanark) but did not panic - and won by 5 and 4 in the end.
One down after four, the 20-year-old Stirling student turned around her fortunes by winning a clutch of holes either side of the turn to stand four up after 12 holes.
MacDonald's second-round opponent will be North Berwick youngster Clara Young who had a good 18th green victory over Midlothians champion Karen Marshall (Baberton).
It was a tight match throughout - all square at the turn, still all square coming up the last which Cara won to enter the last 16 and a match against the defending champion.
In the all-Northern Division match, teenager Hannah McCook (Grantown on Spey), the 25th qualifier, beat the No 8 seed, Sheena Wood (Aberdeen Ladies).
Scotland girl international Hannah had the edge throughout after going one up through the fourth. By the 10th, McCook had doubled her lead to two holes and she maintained that advantage before winning 3 and 2.
Hannah will now play Renfrewshire champion Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm) who beat former champion and now SLGA selector Martine Pow (Selkirk) by 2 and 1. Martine was the No 9 seed.
Eilidh's big sister Megan, the fourth seed, won by 7 and 5 against Sammy Vass (Tain) after going four up around the turn. Megan Briggs won the title at Southerness two years ago and was a member of the Scotland team that won the Women's Home Internationals title at Cardiff last September for the first time in 19 years.
Alyson McKechin (Elderslie), the No 5 seed, beat Kirsten Blackwood (Glencorse) by two holes, having been pulled back to all square on the 16th tee. Alyson, due to enrol at Stirling University in the autumn, won the 17th and 18th for victory.
She will now play former British and Scottish champion Alison Davidson who won the all-Stirling clash against Elaine Allison by 3 and 1. Elaine was two up after seven but ad been pulled back to level terms by te 10th and Davidson forged two holes up on the inward half.
Laura Murray (Alford) was one up on past champion Elaine Moffat (St Regulus) after 10 holes but Elaine had squared it after 18 holes and their tie went down the 19th  and then the 20th where Moffat won the match to earn an afternoon tilt at another ex-champion.
The first big upset of the morning was the 5 and 4 defeat of the No 3 seed, 15-year-old Lauren Whyte (St Regulus). She was two down after seven and then four down after 10 before losing by 5 and 4 to Monifieth's No 30 qualifier, Katie Reid. By all accounts Katie played some of the best by anyone in the first round. She was an approximate four under par for the holes played while Lauren was roughly level or one over par.
Ayrshire county champion Rachael McQueen (Troon Ladies) was four up after seven holes on Royal Dornoch's Cara Gruber. McQueen had increased her grip on the match to a six-hole lead after 10 holes. The Ayrshire player went on to win the tie 5 and 4.
Jane Turner, the No 6 seed, won the all-Craigielaw encounter against young Gabrielle Macdonald. There was little in it for the first 10 holes, at the end of which Scotland cap Jane had been pulled back to all square after being one up on the eighth tee. Turner pulled away over the next few holes.
Louise Kenney, the No 7 seed from Pitreavie and beaten finalist in the championship in 2009 and against last year, had a 5 and 4 win over Wendy Nicholson (Broomieknowe). Kenney was one up after seven and three up after 10 holes.
No 2 seed Rachael Watton (Mortonhall) had a smooth 5 and 4 win over Ashley Smith (Monifieth).

RESULTS
FIRST ROUND
Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) bt Elaine Cuthill (Lanark) 5 and 4.
Cara Young (North Berwick) bt Karen Marshall (Baberton) 1 hole.
Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm) bt Martine Pow (Selkirk) 2 and 1.
Hannah McCook (Grantown on Spey) bt Sheena Wood (Aberdeen Ladies) 3 and 2.
Alyson McKechin (Elderslie) bt Kirsten Blackwood (Glencorse) 2 holes.
Alison Davidson (Stirling) bt Elaine Allison (Stirling) 3 and 1.
Elaine Moffat (St Regulus) bt Laura Murray (Alford) at 20th
Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm) bt Sammy Vass (Tain) 7 and 5.
Katie Reid (Monifieth) bt Lauren Whyte (St Regulus) 5 and 4.
Susan Wood (Drumpellier) bt Noreen Fenton (Dunbar) 1 hole.
Sara Bishop (Windyhill) bt Rachael Taylor (Am Reichswald) 2 and 1.
Jane Turner (Craigielaw) bt Gabrielle Macdonald (Craigielaw) 4 and 3.
Louise Kenney (Pitreavie) bt Wendy Nicholson (Broomieknowe) 5 and 4.
Rachael McQueen (Troon Ladies) bt Cara Gruber (Royal Dornoch) 5 and 4.
Susan Jackson (Ladybank) bt Tara MacTaggart (Minto) 2 and 1.
Rachael Watton (Mortonhall) bt Ashley Smith (Monifieth) 5 and 4.

CLARK ROSEBOWL
FIRST ROUND
Nichola Ferguson (Clober) bt Valerie MacKay (Machrihanish) 8 and 7.
Rachel Hanlon (St Regulus) bt Jenny Potter (Cathkin Braes) 2 and 1.
Fiona Hay (Deeside) bt Joanna Scott (Cathkin Braes) 3 and 2.
Eilidh Watson (Muckhart) bt Charlie Taylor (Royal Dornoch) 1 hole.
Kate McIntosh (Broomieknowe) bt Lorraine Morrow (Erskine) 3 and 2.
Ailsa Bain (Peebles) bt Carol Whyte (Windyhill) 4 and 3.
Heather Munro (Monifieth) bt Jill Harrison (Cruden Bay) 3 and 2.
Dawn Young (North Berwick) bt Judith Anderson (Hawick) 3 and 2.

FOCUS ON THE QUALIFYING ROUNDS PRIZEGIVING AT MACHRIHANISH

Kelsey MacDonald with the best qualifying aggregate trophy after last night's prizegiving at the Machrihanish clubhouse. Picture by courtesy of the SLGA website.

Championship debutante Lauren Whyte (St Regulus) with her haul of trophies from te qualifying rounds at Machrihanish. Image by courtesy of the SLGA website.

Midlothian's winning trio of Gabrielle Macdonald, Jane Turner and Rachael Watton from the McNeil Trophy event for county teams. Image by courtesy of the SLGA website.

TO VIEW ALL CLAIRE HARGAN'S PICTURES FROM THE PRIZEGIVING

CLICK HERE

SALLY WATSON JUST OUTSIDE TOP 20 IN NCAA DIV 1 CHAMPIONSHIP

Stanford University, California student Sally Watson from Edinburgh made a solid start to the NCAA Division 1 women's championship at Bryan, Texas.

The Scot, pictured right by Cal Carson Golf Agency, had a one-over-par 73 over the 6,260yd course to be joint 23rd in a top quality field of125 players for the end-of-the-season finale to the US women's college golf season.

Northern Ireland's Stephanie Meadow, whose outstanding season as a freshman at Alabama University, has rocketed her up the Women's World Amateur Rankings to No 13, while Sally Watson is outside the top 100, had her worst round for a while.

The Jordanstown teenager shot a four-over-par 76 to be lying in joint 42nd position going into the second round.
Brittany Altomare (Virginia) is setting the pace with a three-under-par 69, one shot ahead of Caroline Powers (Michigan State), Michele Shin (Wake Forest) and Glory Yang.
Spain's Carlota Ciganda (Arizona State), past winner of the British girls' and British women's open amateur championships is alongside a group of Europeans in joint 10th place on par 72.
This tournament will bring to an end Carlota's stellar amateur career. Unlike most of the top Europeans she has not entered next month's "British" at Royal Portush. She is turning professional at the end of university term next week.
INDIVIDUAL LEADERBOARD
Par 72
69 Brittany Altomare (Virginia).
70 Caroline Powers (Michigan State), Michele Shin (Wake Forest), Glory Yang (UCLA).
Selected scores
71 Marta Silva (Georgia) (T5).
72 Jacqueline Hedwall (Louisiana State), Camilla Lennarth (Alabama), Carlota Cigana (Arizona State) (T10).
73 Sally Watson (Stanford) (T23).
74 Giulia Molinaro (Arizona State) (T31).
75 Stephanie Meadow (Alabama) (T42).

TEAM LEADERBOARD

289 UCLA

291 Virginia

292 Purdue, Louisiana State.

Selected scores

301 Alabama (11th).

308 Stanford (T20).

Field of 24 teams.

TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES ON THE GOLFSTAT WEBSITE

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