Meek one shot off leader Briggs

IT LOOKS a three-horse race with one round to go in the Scottish Under-21 girls’ open amateur strokeplay championship at Inverness Golf Club today.

Play was suspended for a spell early in the afternoon because of flooding but at the end of a long day, the three leading contenders were Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm) in the pole position on 141, a shot ahead of Rachael Watton (Mortonhall) and Jess Meek (Carnoustie Ladies).

Briggs should, in fact, have had a bigger lead.

She ran up a double bogey 7 at the long 18th, a hole she birdied in her opening round of 67.

Earlier in her secondround 74 (35-39) she had six birdies but five bogeys.

If the 20-year-old physical education student can eliminate the negative, the past Scottish Under18s matchplay champion is still favourite to add another national title to her collection.

US college circuit player Watton improved by eight shots, from 75 to 67, coming home in 32.

Five of her impressive bag of eight birdies came over the last nine.

Jess Meek, who has been matching up well against the professionals on the Paul Lawrie Tour, is not doing too badly either against her amateur peers.

She did slip from an opening 68 to a 74 after losing her momentum with a double bogey six at the sixth.

New Scottish Under-18 girls champion Connie Jaffrey (Troon Ladies) looks just that little too far back in fourth place.

She had a 74 for 146, five shots behind leader Briggs.

Scottish women’s champion Alyson McKechin (Elderslie) has closed the gap between her and the pacemaker to 10 shots.

Heather MacRae (Gleneagles) is joint 20th on 72, three ahead of Carnoustie’s Katy McNicoll, after the first round of the Ingaro Ladies Open in Sweden yesterday.