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Friday, January 22, 2010

Orange Blossom Tour match-play championship in Florida

SuperMac Kelsey beats No 2 seed in

quarter-finals, but Jane Turner

loses to US mid-amateur champ

There is one Scot left in the last four of the Doherty/Jones Challenge Cup women's amateur match-play championship at Coral Ridge Country Club, Fort Lauderdale.
Stirling University student Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar), pictured by Cal Carson Golf Agency, Scotland's Under-21 girls champion for the past two years, won a thriller of a quarter-final at the 20th against the No 2 seed, Kyle Roig (Puerto Rico).
Roig won the Harder Hall Invitational, the opening event of the Orange Blossom Tour, and was confidently expected by the "locals" to meet 14-year-old defending champion and rising American star, Alexis Thompson, in Saturday's final.
But "SuperMac" killed that "dream final" with an excellent performance which will have boosted her chances of making the GB&I Curtis Cup team for the June match at Essex County Club, Massachusetts.
MacDonald's Scotland team-mate in last September's women's home internationals, Jane Turner (Craigielaw and Robert Gordon University) was beaten in the quarter-finals by Martha Leach, holder of the US women's mid-amateur title and conqueror of another Scotland cap, Louise Kenney (Pitreavie) with an 18th hole birdie in the first rouond.
Turner gave Leach a good match before losing by 3 and 2.
In the semi-finals, Thompson, who has not gone past the 14th green yet, will play Leach while MacDonald, who qualified in 10th place, will play the No 11 qualifier, American Taylor Collins.
All the first-round losers got a second bite at the cherry by making up the First Flight of the match-play. Louise Kenney, who played par golf in losing to Martha Leach, is through to the semi-finals of this category.
The Fifer beat Marilyn Hardy by 3 and 2. Also in the semi-finals of the First Flight is Harriet Beasley (Stirling University & Woburn). Harriet beat Susan West by 3 and 2.
Another Stirling student, Rachel Cassidy from Dublin is in the final of the Second Flight. She beat Megan Tuohy by 2 and 1 in the semi-finals and will play another American, Coonie Isler who beat Jordana Graham (Stirling University & Southerness) by 3 and 2 in the second semi-final.

Results (players from US unless stated)
CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT
Quarter-finals
Alexis Thompson bt Gennifer Mendez 6 and 5.
Martha Leach bt Jane Turner (Robert Gordon Univ & Craigielaw) 3 and 2.
Kelsey MacDonald (Stirling Univ & Nairn Dunbar) at 20th.
Taylor Collins bt Amelia Lewis 1 hole.
FIRST FLIGHT
Quarter-finals
Jaye Marie Green bt Samantha Smolen 5 and 4.
Louise Kenney (Pitreavie) bt Marilyn Hardy 3 and 2.
Harriet Beasley (Stirling Univ & Woburn) bt Susan West 3 and 2.
Nicole Whitmore bt Julie Carmichael at 20th.
SECOND FLIGHT
Quarter-finals
Megan Tuohy bt Ariel Martin 1 hole.
Rachel Cassidy (Stirling Univ & The Island, Dublin) bt Elizabeth Breza 3 and 1.
Connie Isler bt Laura Martine 5 and 4.
Jordana Graham (Stirling Univ & Southerness) bt Kerry Johnson 5 and 3.
Semi-finals
Cassidy bt Tuohy 2 and 1.
Isler bt Graham 3 and 2.

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