The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Blairgowrie to play host to women’s amateur
Scottish Golf tournament director Conor Finlay has pencilled in Blairgowrie’s Lansdowne course as the venue for the 104th Scottish Women’s Amateur Championship next June.
Despite the Perthshire town’s “heart of Scotland” location – easily accessed by competitors from all points on the compass – Blairgowrie has never staged the championship in 103 years.
Connie Jaffrey (Troon Ladies) will be there to defend the title she won at rainy Royal Aberdeen Golf Club on Saturday and, Clara Young (North Berwick), who staged an amazing mid-round fightback from five down to all square before losing by two holes, will also be in the 2018 Blairgowrie field.
Both 20-year-old students at universities in the United States, they were the two class players at Balgownie where the gallery for the final included two former Scottish champions – Michele Thomson, who won the title at Lossiemouth in 2008, and Great Britain and Ireland team captain Elaine Farquharson-Black who was champion at Machrihanish in 1990 but lost to Janice Moodie when the championship was last played at Royal Aberdeen 25 years ago.
Too late for Jaffrey and Young to make the Vagliano Trophy team to be captained by Farquharson-Black in Italy later this month but selection for next year’s Curtis Cup match in New York State is a distinct possibility, particularly if they have good runs in this week’s British Women’s Open Amateur Championship at Pyle and Kenfig Golf Club in South Wales.
Jaffrey said: “I’m extremely proud. It’s a title I’ve been chasing for some time now, really since losing the final three years ago (to Gabrielle Macdonald). I’m really happy with the way I played.
“The key to my success this week was definitely my short game and putting. I holed a number of putts that were crucial throughout matches this week.
Young, last week’s winner of the St Rule Trophy, added: “What a superb course and it stayed in excellent condition despite the rain almost every day. I had never played it before this week, but I would love to come back.”
Jaffrey was round in level par to add the Scottish Women’s title to the Scottish Girls’ championship she won in 2013. Young – who won the title at Monifieth in 2015 – was one over par for the round, which was her third appearance in the Scottish final