By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Ayrshire's Hazel MacGarvie (Troon Ladies), pictured below, spearheaded the home challenge with a one-under-par 71 to be joint second, one behind English leader Euphemie Rhodes (Burnham and Berrow), in a field of 102 for the inaugural Scottish Under-18 girls' open 54-hole stroke-play championship at Strathmore Golf Centre, Alyth.
Aboyne's Shannon McWilliam, one of the favourites, is tied 14th on 74 alongside fellow Scots Jasmine Mackintosh (Hazlehead), Claire Robertson (Carnoustie Ladies), Joanne Free (Gullane).
English aces Emily Price (Cleobury Manor), a winner of the last two events she has played south of the border, and Hollie Muse (West Lancs) are sharing eighth place on 72.
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THE SCOTTISH GOLF WEBSITE SUMMARY
LEADING FIRST ROUND SCORES
Par 72
70 E Rhodes (Burnham and Berrow).
71 M L Thomas (Beau Desert), N Slater (Furness), A J Williamson (Royal Cromer), H McGarvie (Troon Ladies), A Fuller (Roehampton), J Guest (Gog Magog).
72 E Price (Cleobury Manor), H Muse (W Lancs), C Borge (Norway).
OTHER SCOTS' SCORES
74 J Mackintosh (Hazlehead), C Robertson (Carnoustie Ladies), S McWilliam (Aboyne), J Free (Gullane), A Muirhead (Jumeirah) (T14)
75 K Brodie (Strathmore) (T24)
76 J Farrell (Cardross) (T27)
77 L Duncan (W Kilbride), C Griffiths (Aboyne), P Wilson (Burntisland).
78 J Rankine (Haggs Castle) (T39)
79 M Richmond (Strathaven), Mirren Fraser (Powfoot) (T45)
80 L McClymont (Milngavie) (T53)
81 K Scott (Strathaven), A Walker (Glenbervie) (T62)
82 L Lee (Musselburgh), M Robb (Peterculter), E Morrison (Craigmillar Park) (T68)
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Somerset 14-year-old sets Strathmore pace
FROM THE SCOTTISH GOLF WEBSITE
The first day of the inaugural Scottish Girls Open Championship almost had it all in terms of weather – sun, rain, and hail – none of which seemed to distract the players or detract from some good golf at Strathmore.
The international field included some of the top players from England, and it was a 14-year-old from Somerset who took a one-shot lead heading into day two.
Euphemie Rhodes from Burnham and Berrow Golf Club finished the day on two under par, carding a 35 out and in, with birdies on the par five 12th and 14th. A dropped shot on the fifth was the only blot on her score card, but it was quickly cancelled out by a birdie two holes later.
Like many of the field, the teenager was familiar with the Alyth course, having previously played there in the Under-16 Open Championship.
Euphemie said: “The conditions were not as bad as two years ago when I played here. My putting went well and my driving went well so I’m happy with that and confident going into tomorrow.”
The leading Scot after day one was Hazel MacGarvie from Troon Ladies, who finished a shot behind tied for second. The 16-year-old, who was selected for Great Britain and Ireland team for last year’s Junior Vagliano Trophy match at Malone GC, Belfast, kept her cool after dropping a shot on the first, recovering to score five birdies to go one under for the day.
She said: “I’m happy with that. It is quite a good start although I three-putted the first hole and thought, ‘oh no, what’s going to happen now’. But I got myself back from that, tried to hole the putts and think positively, and some of them started to roll in and I got a few birdies so it was good.
“There was a bit of rain, hail and wind, but it was good fun playing in different conditions and it was a good challenge.”
The opening group prepare for action at Strathmore
One of the day’s highlights came from local girl, Kirsty Brodie, playing on her home course.
The 16-year-old scored an albatross on the fourteenth. “I hit a really good drive to about 190 yards from the flag,” she explained afterwards. “Then hit a five-iron straight and it got a nice kick from the right hand side to the left and kept rolling straight into the hole.”
One of the favourites going into the championship, England’s Hollie Muse, who was last year’s Under-16 champion at Strathmore, finished tied for eighth after a round of 72, while Aboyne’s Shannon McWilliam was disappointed after shooting a two-over par 74 to lie tied for fourteenth.