Third place finish still a great effort by Aboyne 15-y-o

Colin Farquharson

calcarsongolf@btinternet.com

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Olivia Mehaffey overtakes Shannon

 McWilliam over closing holes

     "Helen Holm" 2015 left to right 2-1-3: Anais Meysonnier, Olivia Mehaffey and Shannon McWilliam

TROON REPORT FROM ELSPETH BURNSIDE

                                       with a few additional words by Colin Farquharson 

Northern Ireland’s Olivia Mahaffey. 17. claimed the Helen Holm Scottish women's open stroke-play championship with a final round of three-over-par 75 at Royal Troon for a four-over aggregate of 220, but Aboyne's 15-year-old Shannon McWlliam did herself proud with a third place finish on a wild and windy day on the Ayrshire coast.

McWilliam, one behind overnight after rounds of 71 and 72 over Troon Portland, moved in front after birdies at the fifth and sixth and she was still one ahead playing the 15th.

 But the tough finish took its toll and three bogeys in a row from the 15th saw her finish with a 79 for six-over-par 222.

Winner of the Scottish Champion of Champions at Glasgow Gailes  in March and second (behind Hollie Muse) in the SLGA Under-16 girls' open stroke-play at Strathmore at Strathmore and joint third (behind Olivia Mehaffey) in the Irish Under-18 girls' open at Roganstown a week or so earlier, it has been a remarkable few weeks for the Aboyne golfer who last year became Aberdeenshire's youngest ever women's county champion. She also won the county girls title last season and captured the Paul Lawrie Scottish schoolgirls championship after a play-off at Murrayshall.

The three days at Troon were even more impressive considering McWilliam had never seen the courses and hadn’t taken time out for a practice round.

“I didn’t want to take time off school,” said the Aboyne Academy fourth year pupil. “We just drove down on Friday morning and it was the first time I had seen either of the courses. 

“At that stage, I never thought I would finish third. But now I am a wee bit disappointed. But it was the strongest wind I have ever encountered.”  

Mahaffey, an Irish women's international and a GB and I Junior Vagliano Trophy Under-16 years team player at Chantilly in 2013, who had won the Irish U18 girls' title for the third successive year the previous weekend, admitted that it had been a tough final round and patience was the key. Olivia is pictured above with Ireland team-mate Chloe Ryan. They won the international team event for the Ladies Club Salver. Mehaffey also won the Under-18s' trophy.

With a bag of four birdies - fifth, sixth, 12th and 14th, Olivia hit the front for the first time when she parred the 16th and 17th, finishing on four over par 220, with French 18-year-old Anais Meyssonnier in second place on 221 after a 78 and McWilliam on 222. 
Meysonnier was the likely winner until she double bogeyed the15th.

“The last six holes were brutal,” said Mahaffey, from Royal County Down Golf Club at Newcastle, Northern Ireland.  “But I am delighted. This is my first victory in a women's international event, definitely the best thing I’ve won so far. 

“In the autumn, I am going to Arizona State University and , eventually, I want to turn professional.”
Mehaffey finished well ahead of the Irish champion Mary Doyle and has put herself in the running for a place in the GB and I team to play the Continent of Europe in the Vagliano Trophy women's international match at Malone Golf Club, Belfast in June.

Linnea Strom, the World No 3 female amateur from Sweden who led by one going into the final round, had an 82, including 45 shots for Royal Troon's inward half, and tied for fourth place on 224.

McWilliam had raised hopes of becoming the first home winner since Heather Stirling in 2002 – but the wait goes on for another year. 

But a spin-off for Shannon from this splendid performance will surely be a place in the GB and I Junior Vagliano Trophy team of six  to play the Continent of Europe Under-16s at Malone Golf Club, Belfast in June.  
A place in the Scotland team at the women's home internationals at Royal Wimbledon GC from September 11 to 13 is also very much on the cards with many of the leading Scots back at their US universities by that time.  

 

Shannon McWilliam finishes third

Olivia Mehaffey wins "Helen Holm"

    Olivia Mehaffey, following in the footsteps of other Irish winners of the "Helen Holm," - Martin Gillen (2005), Leona Maguire (2009) and Danielle McVeigh (2010).

Winner: Olivia Mehaffey  (17-y-o) 75 for 220 (four over par)

554 524 436 - 38
444 525 535 - 37

2nd: Anais Meysonnier  78 for 221 (five over par)


445 534 446 - 39     
545 436 534 - 39

3rd Shannon McWillam (15-y-o) 79 for 222 (six over par)

444 634  534 -  36                        
474 635  644 - 43        
 

Linnea Strom   82 for 224 (eight  over par)

464 534  344  - 37 
566 445 645   - 45

Agathe Laisne    77 for 224 (eight over)

453 534 435 - 36 
544 445 654 - 41


birdies in red, bogeys in black, double bogey in blue

FINAL TOTALS
Par 216 (3x72). SSS 77 77 77  CSS 77 77 78
Troon Portland Rounds 1-2. Royal Troon Round 3

220 Olivia Mehaffey (Royal Co Down Ladies) 72 73 75

221 Anais Meysonnier (Fra) 72 71 78

222 Shannon McWilliam (Aboyne) 71 72 79 
 
224 Gemma Clews (Delamere Forest) 74 78 72, Inci Mehmet (Royal Mid Surrey) 69 78 77, Aagathe Laisne (Fra) 71 76 77, Linnea Strom (Swe) 68 74 82

226 Sophie Lamb (Cliutheroe) 73 75 78, Jae Bowers (Prestbury) 68 78 80

227 Eloise Healey (W Lancs) 74 77 76, Annabel Bailey (Kirby Muxloe) 72 78 77, Chloe Ryan (Castletroy, Ire) 73 76 78, India Clyburn (Woodhall Spa) 73 76 78, Hollie Muse (W Lancs) 68 77 82

228 Nia Greville (Ashburnham) 74 78 76

229 Virginia Carta (Italy) 76 77 76, Chloe Williams (Wrexham) 73 79 77. Lianna Bailey (Kirby Muxloe) 78 74 77, Sophie Keech  (Parkstone) 73 78 78, Anyssia Herbaut (Fra) 74 75 80, Michaela Finn (Swe) 75 74 80, Nastja Banovec (Slovenia) 76 73 80
 
230 Sharna Dutrieux (Wrotham Heath) 79 79 72, Poppy Finlay (Vicars Cross) 73 81 76, Bethan Popel (Long Ashton) 74 79 77, Mary Doyle (The Heath, Ire) 76 77 77, Niamh McSherry (Lurgan) 73 78 79

231 Katrina Gillum (Lilleshall Hall) 73 80 78, Paula Grant (Lisburn), 76 76 79, Emma Svensson (Swe) 72 79 80, Annabel Wilson (Lurgan) 73 78 80, Elisabeth Codet (Fra) 73 76 82

232 Lou  Vrain (Fra) 80 77 75, Elizabeth Price (Burhill) 81 76 75, Sinead Sexton (Lahinch) 73 80 79
 

233 Isobel Wardle (Prestbury) 77 81 75, Emily Slater (Woodhall Spa) 78 79 78, Elise Genoux (Fra) 72 82 79, Orphee Bugnard (Fra) 75 78 80

234 Chloe Frankish (Charthills) 78 76 80, Olivia Winning (Rotherham) 77  75 82, Marion Veysseyre (Fra) 73 77 84

235 Louise Macgregor (Falkirk) 78 79 78, Bethany Garton (Royal Lytham) 80 75 80, Gillian Paton (Royal Montrose) 72 81 82, 
 
236 Chloe Salort (Fra) 76 82 78, Chloe Caron (Fra) 81 77 78, Mathilde Claisse (Fra) 77 73 86

237 Jennifer Saxton (Kinross) 71 87 79, Alice Barnes (W Sussex) 74 84 79, Martha Lewis (St George's Hill 77 80 80, Jessica Bailey (Kirby Muxloe) 76 79 82

238 Hannah McCook (Grantown on Spey) 75 83 80, Gemma Batty Powfoot) 76 82 80, Jessica Ross (Donaghdee) 76 81 81, Kimberley Beveridge (Aboyne) 75 80 83, Joanne Free (Gullane) 77 78 83

239 Ludovica Farina (Ita) 78 78 83, Luan Skeates
 (Buckinghamshire) 78 78 83, Bronwyn Davies (Wolstanton) 72 83 84

240 Ellie Goodall (Selby) 75 83 82, Louisa Brunt (Royal Birkdale) 76 82 82, Hazel MacGarvie (Troon Ladies) 70 79 91

241 Gabrielle MacDonald (Craigielaw) 78 80 83, Bethan Morris (Tenby) 73 79 89
242 Natasha Slater (Furness) 78 80 84 
244 Lauren Horsford (Wimbledon Park) 78 80 86  
248 Tara Mactaggart (Minto) 76 81 91 

Retired: Sammy Fuller (Roehampton) 74 82 ret (after 15)


Best Under-18 Trophy winner - Olivia Mehaffey.  
INTERNATIONAL TEAM EVENT
447 Ireland: O Mehaffey 220. C Ryan 227
451 England: G Clews 224. I Clyburn 227
455 Sweden: L Strom 224. E Svensson 231.
458 France: A Laisne 224. M Veysseyre 234.
479 Scotland: H McCook 238. G MacDonald 241
DNQ Wales: C Birks 229, S Birks missed cut

Canadian Scot Brooke Henderson still leading Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic


FROM THE LPGA TOUR WEBSITE

Seventeen-year-old Canadian Brooke Mackenzie Henderson - who has Scottish ancestors - tamed a fierce Northern California wind on Saturday for an even-par 72 to take a one-shot lead after the first three rounds at the Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic. 

Henderson, pictured, could become only the third player ever to win on the LPGA Tour before her 18th birthday. She also could become the first Canadian to win on the LPGA Tour since Lorie Kane won the 2001 LPGA Takefuji
“It was a great day out there. It was really tough conditions, and I was able to play really well,” Henderson said. “Couple times my short game needed to bail me out, and it was able to do that, especially the first 16 holes.”
Henderson’s lead could have been even larger if it weren’t for back-to-back bogeys on the last two.
“If someone told me at the beginning of the week I would be leading going into the final round, I would’ve taken it,” Henderson said emphatically.
Trailing Henderson by just one shot at 8-under are Morgan Pressel (5-under 67) and Min Seo Kwak (3-under 69), who were the only two players in the field to shoot below 70 on Saturrday. Both will join Henderson in the final group on Sunday. 
Ironically, Pressel herself knows a bit about the position Henderson finds herself in after Pressel won a major championship at the age of 18. And 18-year-old Lydia Ko, a six-time winner on the LPGA Tour and world No. 1, will be in the group ahead of Henderson, just three shots back of the lead.
“They know they can do it. They step up to that tee and there is no fear,” Pressel said.
 “I mean, look at how strongly Brooke played yesterday and today. As you play out here more and more, I think sometimes the younger than you are the more naïve you are to all the pressure and everything else that goes with it"
Ko, the defending champ here, sits in solo fourth, three shots back of the lead, and looking for her seventh career LPGA victory two days after she turned 18. Four of Ko’s six LPGA Tour victories have been come-from-behind victories on Sunday
Stacy Lewis, the runner-up here last year, and Shanshan Feng are both four shots back at 5-under-par.
On a day when the averageLake Merced score was almost two and a half strokes over par (74.555), Morgan Pressel was able to put together an impressive 5-under round of 67 to jump from a tie for 13th into a tie for second. Pressel’s fellow players certainly took notice.
“That was really impressive,” said Stacy Lewis. “That score today is playing some golf.”
The 67 was the lowest round of the day by two strokes and was one of only two rounds in the 60s.
“I wouldn’t say it was the absolute very best I could’ve played, but I certainly kept control of the golf ball in the wind,” Pressel admitted. “It was a different golf course, but I think that Rock (her caddie) and I handled it well, kind of adjusting our game plan when we needed to.  I was very, very solid with the putter today as well.”
The round is another example of how Pressel’s game appears to be moving in the right direction after a swing change.
“I’ve really, really worked hard,” Pressel admitted. “I’ve been very diligent on the range.  A lot of it has to do with my tempo so I can get into the right place."  

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