JEN SAXTON LEADS QUALIFIERS

The qualifying round of the North of Scotland Championship took place today at Deeside Golf Club and the op seed is one our top prospects, 16-year-old Jen Saxton (Kinross), Jen was out top scorer at the County Finals at Nairn. She headed the big field with a one-under-par 71 - one shot ahead of Aberdeenshire county champion Sammy Leslie and three ahead of Aboyne teenager Kimberley Beveridge.

"I played in this championship at Blairgowrie last year and didn't qualify for the scratch match-play," said Jen who made her debut in the P and K county team recently.

"I bogeyed the fourth and 10th but was three under par for the rest of the round with birdies at the 13th, 17th and 18th. I holed from 12ft at the 13th, 10ft at the 17th and pitched it stone dead at the last."

Ellie Whyte (Aberdeen Ladies) and Gillian Dowling (Inverness) made it through on the 83 mark but Kathleen Esslemont (Cruden Bay) and Claire Robertson (Carnoustie Ladies), who also had 83s, were eliminated on a countback.

 

The full list of qualifiers are as follows::

 

QUALIFIERS

71 Jen Saxton (Kinross).

72 Sammy Leslie (Aberdeen Ladies)

74 Kimberley Beveridge (Aboyne)

77 Rachel Polson (Peterculter), Megan Clyne (Deeside)

78 Shannon McWilliam (Aboyne)

79 Jackie Brown (Monifieth), Nicola Robertson (Dunblane New)

80 Donna Pocock (Murcar Links), Sara Mathieson (Murcar Links), Ann F Ramsday (Kirriemuir).

81 Claire Prouse (Murcar Links).

82 Eilidh Watson (Muckhart), Zibby Brown (Aboyne)

83 (after card countback) Ellie Whyte (Aberdeen Ladies), Gillian Dowling (Inverness).
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CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH-PLAY DRAW

8.36: Saxton v Dowling
8.44 Pocock v Jackie Brown
9.52 Polson v Prouse
9.00 Zibby Brown v Clyne
9.08 Beveridge v Eilidh Watson
9.16 Ramsay v McWilliam
9.24 Robertson v Mathieson
9.32 Ellie Whyte v Leslie
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NON-QUALIFIERS INCLUDED

83 (after card countback) Claire Robertson (Carnoustie Ladies), Kathleen Esslemont (Cruden Bay).

84 Katie Reid (Monifieth), Fiona Hay (Deeside), Lauren Watson (Deeside), Molly Stewart (Murcar Links), Alison Graham (Deeside)

86 Jemma Chalmers (MNonifieth), Susan Murray (Murcar Links), Louise Anderson (Duff House Royal).

87 Sheena Wood (Aberdeen Ladies), Karen Stalker (Cruden Bay)

88 Marion Howieson (Invernss), Cathy Kyle (Aberdeen Ladies).

89 Fiona Hay (Kemnay), June Nicol (Inverness), Fiona Gibb (Deeside), Lesley Watson (Deeside), Katherine Teow (Deeside).

Great result Jen and we wish you and fellow Team members Nicola Robertson and Eilidh Watson the very best of luck tomorrow....we know you will both do us proud!!

Many thanks to Colin of Kirkwood Golf for the report and photo of Jen