Aberdeenshire challenge ends in quarter-finals

IT'S NORTHERN COUNTIES v PERTH &

KINROSS IN BOTH SEMI-FINALS AT LOSSIEMOUTH

North Division champions Aberdeenshire do not have a representative in the semi-finals of the North of Scotland women’s amateur championship over the Moray Golf Club Old Course at Lossiemouth tomorrow morning.
Shire champion Michele Thomson (McDonald Ellon), the No 2 seed and bidding to become the first player, since Jill Harrison (Cruden Bay) in the 1990s, to win the North title three years in a row, lost by one hole to Perth & Kinross title holder Alexandra Bushby (Strathmore).
Laura Murray (Alford), the No 3 seed, lost a thriller at the 20th to Laura Walker (Nairn Dunbar), pictured above, the Scottish girls’ match-play champion in 2002.
It will be Northern Counties versus Perth & Kinross in both the semi-finals which tee off at 8.30 and 8.40am.
Alexandra Bushby, who won this title on home turf in 2002, will play Laura Walker, while the leading qualifier, Kerri Harper (Inverness), the second Northern Counties team player in the last four, will meet Emily Ogilvy (Auchterarder) in the other tie to decide who plays in the afternoon final (2pm).
Miss Harper, who won the Scottish universities’ women’s title over the Lossie course in April, was taken to the 18th green by Mary Smith (Tain) in her first-round tie but ran out a 4 and 2 winner over Donna Pocock (Murcar Links) in the quarter-finals.
Emily Ogilvy, beaten finalist in the Scottish women’s championship at Barassie in May, had a 6 and 5 win over Gillian Wallace (Glenisla), then a 4 and 3 victory over 15-year-old Sammy Vass (Tain) who had beaten Aberdeenshire county team player Carol Wilson (Murcar Links) by 7 and 6 in the morning.
In the handicap championship semi-finals at 8.50 and 9am, Patricia McGunnigle (Banchory) will play clubmate Ann Smart, while Jen Petrie (Panmure Barry) meets Lynne Terry (Cruden Bay).
Today's results:
SCRATCH
First round – K Harper (Inverness) bt M Smith (Tain 2 holes), D Pocock (Murcar Links) bt S Leslie (Westhill) 7 and 6. S Vass (Tain) bt C Wilson (Murcar Links) 7 and 6. E Ogilvy (Auchterarder) bt G Wallace (Glenisla) 6 and 5, L Murray (Alford) bt A Bowman (McDonald Ellon) 5 and 4, L Walker (Nairn Dunbar) bt A Ramsay (Kirriemuir) at 19th, A Bushby (Strathmore) bt H Anderson (Downfield) 1 hole, M Thomson (McDonald Ellon) bt J Sneddon (Alyth) 5 and 4.
Quarter-finals – Harper bt Pocock 4 and 2, Ogilvy bt Vass 4 and 3, Walker bt Murray at 20th, Bushby bt Thomson 1 hole.
HANDICAP
First round – L Hardie (Aberdeen Ladies) bt G Dowling (Inverness) 5 and 4, P McGunnigle (Banchory) bt L Joss (Newmachar) 3 and 2, P Wilson (Murcar Links) bt L Whyte (Aberdeen Ladies) 4 and 3, A Smart (Banchory) bt C MacLeod (Nairn Dunbar) 2 and 1, A Smith (Monifieth) bt J Grubb (Montrose Mercantile) 3 and 2, J Petrie (Panmure Barry) bt H Kelly (Panmure Barry) 2 and 1, L Terry (Cruden Bay) bt C Whicher (Aberdeen Ladies) 1 hole, E Thomson (Aberdeen Ladies) bt A Hunter (Monifieth) 2 holes.
Quarter-finals – McGunnigle bt Hardie 2 and 1, Smart bt P Wilson at 19th, Petrie bt A Smith at 21st, Terry bt E Thomson 1 hole.