Girls' Championship: Eilidh Briggs first off in battle to reach semi-finals

By The Newsroom
Published 14th Jul 2011, 19:21 BST
Updated 14th Jul 2011, 23:32 BST
THERE are some cracking quarter-final matches in prospect this morning in the Scottish Under-18 girls' championship at Glenisla Golf Club, Alyth.

Top seed Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm) is first off at 8.30am against 14-year-old Clara Young (North Berwick), the youngest ever winner of the East Lothian women's county championship and a member of the Great Britain and Ireland team in the recent Junior Vagliano Trophy team against the Continent at Royal Porthcawl.

Briggs, Renfrewshire women's champion and beaten finalist in the Scottish women's amateur championship at Machrihanish, has a lot going for her also so a great tie is in store for spectators.

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Rachel Walker (Dumfries and Co) collected a notable scalp when she beat fifth seed Alyson McKechin (Elderslie) by 2 and 1 in the second round and she now plays the No 4 qualifier, Connie Jaffrey (Troon Ladies).

Lauren Whyte (St Regulus) was a 7 and 5 winner over clubmate Chloe Goadby, who had toppled the No 3 seed and semi-finalist last year, Gabrielle MacDonald (Craigielaw), in the morning and now plays Ailsa Summers (Carnoustie Ladies) who has won both Angus women's and girls' county titles in recent seasons.

The last of the quarter-finals sees No 2 seed, Gemma Dryburgh (Beaconsfield), Aberdeen-born but a student at IMG Leadbetter Academy in Florida, facing the defending champion Lesley Atkins (Gullane Ladies) who has looked to be regaining the form that won her the title at Eyemouth 12 months ago.

Meanwhile, Bradley Neil, Blairgowrie's outstanding prospect, finished second behind local Jack Hermeston in the English Under-16 Boys' Open Stroke-Play Championship at South Moor Golf Club, Durham yesterday.

Neil won the English Under-14s' open title last year and, although he did not win this one he did the next best thing, with rounds of 71, 73, 71 and 70 for a total of three-under-par 285.

He finished four strokes behind the winner Hermeston (City of Newcastle) whose home is only a short distance from the South Moore course. Hermeston admitted that he had played countless rounds over the course once he knew it was going to stage the McGregor Trophy tournament. He scored 71, 68, 72 and 70 for a seven-under-par total of 281 over the par-72 course.

Euan Walker (Kilmarnock Barassie) finished ninth in a quality international field, Willem Kerr (Craigielaw) was joint 16th, Ewen Ferguson (Bearsden) tied 28th, Alexander Wilson (Gullane) finished joint 39th and Connor Syme (Dumfries and Co) shared 45th place.