Scottish Ladies Amateur: the knockout stage

Lesley Atkins of Gullane knocked out defending champion, Alyson McKechin, winning two & one, making it through to the quarter finals of the Scottish Ladies Amateur.

The 19-year-old claimed it was the best win of her career, however her reward is a last eight match against Kilmacolm’s Eilidh Briggs, a GB&I internationalist.

Two down at the turn, Atkins, who is in her first year at Florida International University, drew level at the 14th and then crucially made a birdie at the 16th to edge one ahead. A bogey at the 17th was good enough to win both the hole and the match.

“I was nervous at the start and towards the end,” Atkins admitted. “I’m loving my time in Florida and definitely feel my best golf is yet to come.”

‘Jaffrey won the first two holes in par and then had a sparkling run of birdie, birdie, eagle from the seventh to turn.’

Teenager Connie Jaffrey, who toped the qualifying for the Scottish Ladies Amateur Championship continued her impressive run through to the quarter-finals.

Level par in the first round, the 17-year-old Scottish Girls champion defeated her Troon Ladies clubmate Jane Finnie six & five, and was then three-under-par in ousting Hannah McCook of Grantown-On-Spey, triumphing five and four at the last 16 stage.

In the second round, Jaffrey won the first two holes in par and then had a sparkling run of birdie, birdie, eagle from the seventh to turn.

In the quarter-finals of the Scottish Ladies amateur, Jaffrey will face the 2012 Scottish Girls champion, Lauren Whyte who advanced with a four and two win over Milngavie’s Nichola Ferguson.

Other Scottish Ladies Amateur finalist

Megan Briggs, the older of the Kilmacolm sisters, kept up her hopes of repeating her 2009 triumph with a comfortable five & three victory over Kate McIntosh of Broomieknowe. She now faces Rachel Walker of Dunfries and County.

The last of the quarter finals sees Ailsa Summers from Carnoustie take on Gabrielle MacDonald of Craigielaw. MacDonald, won an all East Lothian tie two and one against last year’s Scottish Ladies Amateur beaten finalist, Clara Young from North Berwick.