FORMAT 36-hole stroke play / 4 rounds of match play
A couple of long-range birdie hole-outs helped turn the Scottish Women’s Amateur final on its head and inspired Cameron Neilson to come from four down with seven to play to claim the winners trophy at Trump International yesterday.
The Swiss-based player – her parents moved from Scotland when she was a toddler – looked out for the count when Irish Open champion Lorna McClymont won the tenth to go four up. The Milngavie player had powered her way through the matchplay stages with a series of big victories.
But Neilson knocked in birdies from 28 and 21 feet at the 12th and 13th to reassurect her challenge before also winning the 17th and 18th and then the first play-off hole.
“I had been hitting hybrids and rescue clubs in the early holes and I got more aggressive once I fell behind,” said the 20-year-old who still has two years left on her degree from Kennesaw State in Georgia.
“I started hitting longer clubs off the tee. Then when I got to two down with five to play I thought ‘that’s makeable’ but it is certainly a day I will remember for while.
“There was a lot of support for all the competitors. There was lots of locals wandering around and I know both I and Lorna really appreciated the support and people clapping good play in the final.”
Neilson also had two good birdie opportunities at 14 and 15, both times “heavily” lipping out. The holes were halved in pars, as was 16 to leave McClymont two up with two to play.
At 17, the Swiss golfer found the rough on the left while her opponent fired one down the middle. However, after gripping down on an eight iron, Neilson piled on the pressure by putting her approach to three and a half feet and McClymont missed the green, leading to a concession.
“I like 18,” added Neilson. “It is a very long hole and I just focussed on getting a good drive away and thankfully I managed it.”
At the par five last, Neilson left herself with 33 feet for a birdie while the recent BUCS series winner watched in dismay as her third shot rolled back down the slope at the front of the green. She then put her fourth to five feet but the slippery par putt did not drop and the match was all square.
Back to the first they went and again the driver did the trick for Neilson but unfortunately for McClymont she found the long stuff which meant she had little chance of reaching the par five in two. In contrast Neilson fired a six iron into the heart of the green and a two-putt birdie was enough to take the title with McClymont failing to match her from 20 feet.
On the front nine, which proved something of a problem for the eventual champion for most of the week, McClymont powered ahead. After losing the fourth to a birdie, she won three of the next six holes to build up a commanding lead.
However it wasn’t the first comeback success of the weekend for Neilson. In her morning semi-final with Kate McIntosh (Broomieknowe) she lost the first two holes before coming back to claim it 2&1. The previous day, in her quarter-final with Robyn Fowlie (Forfar), she was one down playing the last but won that and the 19th to reach the last four. Earlier in the morning, in her opening knock-out match against Freya Russell (Royal Troon), she was two down after three before securing safe passage on the 17th.
on Friday, Jasmine Mackintosh (Murcar Links) qualified as the No 1 seed thanks to rounds of 71 and 77 but lost her opening match play tie against Fowlie.