FRENCH 1-2 WITH ONE ROUND TO GO IN 

ST RULE TROPHY AT ST ANDREWS

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

France's Pauline Roussin-Bouchard, only 15 years old and No 53  in the Women's World Rankings. carries a two-shot lead into Sunday's final round of the St Rule Trophy women's 54-hole tournament at St Andrews.

Over the first two rounds today (Sat) on the New Course, Pauline, pictured left, a stripling of a girl, had rounds of 68 and 71 for an 11-under-par tally of 139.

The third and final round will be over the Old Course which a has a ladies' par of 76, one more than the New Course.

French players have gone close in the past to winning the "St Rule" but have never quite made it. This weekend, however, prospects of a first French victory are strengthened by the fact that Roussin-Bouchard's nearest rival, two behind on 141, is compatriot Anais Meyssonier from the Paris Country Club. She had rounds of 70 and 71.

Joint third overnight are Scotland international and 2014 Curtis Cup player Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm) and Cloe Frankish (Chart Hills). They are bracketed on 142, Eilidh with rounds of 74 and 68, Cloe 72 70.

There are more Scots in the top 10 with 18 holes to go. Jess Meek (Carnoustie Ladies), winner of the title after a play-off against a French rival two years ago, is lying fifth on 143 with scores of 69 and 74.

And a shot behind is a US college student from St Andrews, Lauren Whyte (St Regulus), who certainly knows the courses better thanb most in the field. She had a pair of 72s for 144.

The leaders will tee off on Sunday at 11.20am.

ST RULE TROPHY

First two rounds over New Course, St Andrews

SECOND ROUND SCORES

Par 150 (2x75) CSS 75 75

139 P Roussin-Bouchard (Fra) 68 71

141 A Meyssonnier (Fra) 70 71

142 C Frankish (Chart Hills) 72 70, E Briggs (Kilmacolm) 74 68

143 J Meek (Carnoustie Ladies) 69 74

144 L Whyte (St Regulus) 72 72, C Liautier (Fra) 76 68, O Winning (Rotherham) 74 70.

145 E Goodall (Selby) 70 75

146 R Walker (Dumfries and Co) 71 75, L Bailey (Kirby Muxloe) 75 71, H Morgan (Hallamshire) 75 71, G Batty (Moffat) 73 73, C Jaffrey (Troon Ladies) 74 72

147 S Giles (St Mellion) 78 69, A Bailey (St Mellion) 78 69, H McCook (Granton on Spey) 78 69, L Van Respaille (Fra) 72 75, I Wardle (Prestbury) 76 71,

148 B Popel (Long Ashton) 74 74, E Slater (Ely City) 73 75

149 E Healey (West Lancs) 75 74, J Hall (Bishop Auckland) 71 78, G Coughlin (St Annes Old Links) 73 76, D Baillieux (Bel) 74 75, D Sverdloff (Orsett) 76 73, R Morris (Woodsome Hall) 76 73.

150 S Lamb (Clitheroe) 75 75, E Codet (Fra) 68 72, L Brunt (Royal Birkdale) 73 77, K Blum (Aus) 73 77

151 E Hale (Troon Ladies), G Paton (Royal Montrose) 75 76.
152 M Bechadergue (Fra) 78 74, S Dutrieux (Wratham Heath) 77 75, B Garton (Royal Lytham) 71 81, Y Chaucheprat (Fra) 77 75.
153 C Salort (Fra) 73 80, E Coleman (Trentham) 72 81, T Mactaggart (Minro) 79 74, K Beveridge (Aboyne) 76 77.
154 C De Corte (Bel) 80 74, C Vik (Norway) 78 76, J Saxton (Muckhart) 79 75,  S Zasio (Fra) 78 76, C Goadby (St Regulus) 79 75.
155 G Clews (Delamere Forest) 75 80.
156 C Hernandez (Can) 82 74, C Robertson (Carnoustie Ladies) 77 79, G Daniell (Aus) 81 75
157 O Rague (Fra) 77 80, H Munro (Monifieth) 79 78, B Davies (Wolstanton) 75 82, M Briggs (Kilmacolm) 78 79
158 S Jackson (Ladybank) 79 79, Z Woodbrige (Aus) 84 74, G Mundy (Corhampton) 82 76
161 G Macdonald (Craigielaw) 76 85, C Lafourcade (Fra) 77 84
162 O Jackson (Pannal) 78 84

St Rule Trophy THIRD ROUND Tee times for Old Course on Sunday

CSS Rd 1 75
CSS Rd 2 75

FIRST TEE TIME 8.00am
10min intervals.
1 Olivia Jackson Pannal 78 84
Charlotte Lafourcade Saint Cloud (France) 77 84
Gabrielle Macdonald Craigielaw 76 85
2 Georgina Mundy Corhampton 82 76
Zara Woodbridge Royal Melbourne (Australia) 84 74
Susan Jackson Ladybank 79 79
3 Megan Briggs Kilmacolm 78 79
Bronwyn Davies Wolstanton 75 82
Heather Munro Monifieth 79 78
8.30am
4 Ophélie Rague Toulouse (France) 77 80
Grace Daniell Metropolitan (Australia) 81 75
Claire Robertson Carnoustie 77 79
5 Claire Hernandez Thornhill (Canada) 82 74
Gemma Clews Delamere Forest 75 80
Chloe Goadby St Regulus 79 75
6 Salomé Zasio Bondues (France) 78 76
Jennifer Saxton Muckhart 79 75
Camilla Vik
The Stanwich Club
(Norway) 78 76
9.00am
7 Charlotte De Corte Royal Antwerp (Belgium) 80 74
Kimberley Beveridge Aboyne 76 77
Tara Mactaggart Minto 79 74
8 Emily Coleman Trentham 72 81
Chloé Salort RCF La Boulie (France) 73 80
Yvie Chaucheprat
Golf de Haute Auvergne
(France) 77 75
9 Bethany Garton Royal Lytham & St Annes 71 81
Sharna Dutrieux Wratham Heath 77 75
Margot Bechadergue Aix-Marseille (France) 78 74
9.30am
10 Gillian Paton Royal Montrose 75 76
Emma Hale Troon 76 75
Kristalle Blum The Grange (Australia) 73 77
11 Louisa Brunt The Royal Birkdale 73 77
Elisabeth Codet Rouen (France) 78 72
Sophie Lamb Clitheroe 75 75
10.00 am
12 Rochelle Morris Woodsome Hall 76 73
Dulcie Sverdloff Orsett 76 73
Diane Baillieux D' Hulencourt (Belgium) 74 75
13 Georgia Coughlin St Annes Old Links 73 76
Jessica Hall Bishop Auckland 71 78
Eloise Healey The West Lancashire 75 74
14 Emily Slater Ely City 73 75
Bethan Popel Long Ashton 74 74
Isobel Wardle Prestbury 76 71

10.30am
15 Laura Van Respaille Bondues (France) 72 75
Hannah McCook Grantown-on-Spey 78 69
Annabel Bailey Kirby Muxloe 73 74
 
10.40am
16 Samantha Giles St.Mellion 78 69
Connie Jaffrey Troon 74 72
Gemma Batty Moffat 73 73

10.50am
17 Holly Morgan Hallamshire 75 71
Lianna Bailey Kirby Muxloe 75 71
Rachel Walker Dumfries & County 71 75

11.00am
18 Ellie Goodall Selby 70 75
Olivia Winning Rotherham 74 70
Charlotte Liautier Paris Country Club (France) 76 68
 
11.10am
19 Lauren Whyte St Regulus 72 72
Jessica Meek Carnoustie Ladies 69 74
Eilidh Briggs Kilmacolm 74 68
 
11.20am
20 Cloe Frankish Chart Hills 72 70
Anais Meyssonnier Paris Country Club (France) 70 71
Pauline Roussin-Bouchard Valescure (France) 68 71