Scottish Ladies Amateur Championship: Jaffrey takes the lead

Connie Jaffrey hit a superb one-under par 73, topping the leaderboard after the opening round of the Scottish Ladies Amateur Championship at Prestwick.

The Troon Ladies member, and Scottish Girls Champion, finished runner-up at the Helen Holm Scottish Open Strokeplay Championship last month, and she again showed great form to surge into a four-shot-lead at the halfway stage of qualifying.

Scottish Ladies Amateur Championship: the contenders

Defending champion, Alyson McKechin, sounded a warning that she is ready to stage a serious defence of the Scottish Ladies Amateur Championship. The Elderslie golfer lifted the trophy at Longniddry last year and she was tied for second place following an opening 77.

Also on the four-over-par mark was last year’s beaten finalist, Clara Young of North Berwick, and a former Scottish girl international, Kate McIntosh of Broomieknowe.

Eilidh Briggs will be heading out to St Louis Country Club to represent GB and Ireland in defence of the Curtis Cup next week, and she opened with a solid 78 – leaving her well placed to challenge for the Scottish Ladies amateur championship.

Despite finishing as the leader, Jaffrey, who recently left Kilwinning Academy, had a inconsistent round. She dropped a shot at the first hole and had another three bogeys in the opening half. However, she recovered and made birdied on the third, eighth and ninth holes.

Another bogey at the start of the inward half put the teenager on two-over -par, but she hit a sparkling run of form with three birdies in a row from the 11th , which she followed up with another at the 15th. It meant she could afford to drop a shot at the 18th and still finish under-par, and leader at the halfway point.

Scottish Ladies Amateur Championship: format and leaderboard

After another round of Strokeplay, the top 32 players qualify for the knock-out stage of the Championship. The next 16 compete for the Clarke Rosebowl.

Click here for the full leaderboard.