Shock win by 14-year-old Hannah McCook

Top seed Julie Vass and
holder Jenny Milne go
out in quarter-finals

By ROBIN WILSON
Leading qualifier Sammy Vass (Tain) and title-holder Jenny Milne (Elgin) were both beaten at the quarter-final stage of the Northern Counties women's championship at Brora Golf Club today.
Sammy (16) met an even younger opponent, 14-year-old Hannah McCook (Abernethy) in round two. Although McCook scored 84 to qualify and Vass 11 shots fewer the Abernethy youngster was not overawed by the occasion and won by one hole.
McCook, pictured in action left by Robin Wilson, held her ground against the junior international through the first 10 holes.
Vass went one ahead after 11 but the match was squared with a birdie from McCook at the 14th and it remained level until the Abernethy teenager won a decisive 17th hole with a par 4 after Vass overshot the green.
McCook secured a half on the 18th to book her semi-final place on Monday morning against Vass's aunt and former winner Mary Smith (Tain) who defeated the younger Vass sister, Julie (14), also after seventeen holes.
Royal Dornoch's Cara Gruber took until the 17th green to get the better of the holder, Jenny Milne.
Although never getting into the lead, Jenny kept a slender hold on her title with birdies at the 14th and 16th holes, but a three-putt from the edge of the 15th green allowed Cara, the champion seven years ago, to stay one up with two to play.
When Milne found a bunker behind the 17th green, she was beaten 2 and 1 by Gruber's par figure.
Gruber plays her Royal Dornoch clubmate Pam Mackay for a place in the final. Mackay was handed the decisive final hole in a very tight match when 17-year-old Eliidh Mackay (Nairn Dunbar) overclubbed from the final tee, going 20 yards through the green to lose the hole and the match by one hole.

Results:
FIRST ROUND
(Seeded place in brackets)
Sammy Vass (Tain) (1) bt Dorothy Hulme (Fortrose & Rosemarkie) (16) 3 and 2.
Hannah McCook (Abernethy) (8) bt Deirdre MacAngus (Wick) (9) at 19th.
Mary Smith (Tain) (5) bt Maggi Vass (Tain) (12) 2 holes.
Julie Vass (Tain) (4) bt Susan MacVicar (Gairloch) (13) 5 and 3.
Cara Gruber (Royal Dornoch) (3) bt Ann Ryan (Tain) (14) 7 and 6.
Jenny Milne (Elgin) (6) bt Elizabeth Coghill (Royal Dornoch) (11) 7 and 6.
Eliidh MacKay (Nairn Dunbar) (10) bt Eileen Manson (Wick) (7) 1 hole.
Pam Mackay (Royal Dornoch (2) bt Pat Ashe (Brora) (15) 9 and 7.
QUARTER-FINALS
McCook beat S Vass 1 hole.
Smith bt J Vass 2 and 1.
Gruber bt Milne 2 and 1.
P Mackay beat E Mackay 1 hole.

HANDICAP SECTION
First round
B Little (Brora) (23) bt S. MacDonell (Inverness) (16) 5 and 4.
D McBride (Royal Dornoch) bt K Mackay (Fortrose & Rosemarkie) (20) 4 and 3.
F Bell (Inverness) (11) beat A MacDonald (Tarbat) (15) 2 and 1.
S MacKenzie (Elgin) bt A MacBeath (Brora) (19) 1 hole.