Saturday, May 24, 2014

SCOTTISH LADIES CHAMPIONSHIP - Jaffrey loses out to MacDonald in nailbiting final at Prestwick

Ayrshire's Connie Jaffrey (Troon Ladies) missed out on creating history during the 100th Scottish Ladies Championship, played at Prestwick Golf Club this week, losing out in the final to Gabrielle MacDonald (Craigielaw) on Saturday morning.

17 year old Jaffrey was bidding to be the youngest ever winner of the championship but lost out at the first extra hole of the final after the players finished all square after the regulation eighteen holes.

Jaffrey took the early lead with a par four at the opening hole but MacDonald hit back to square the match with a birdie at the long third hole before taking full advantage of  Jaffrey's successive bogeys at the fifth and sixth to take a two hole lead. Indeed, over the closing holes of the outward half it looked as if MacDonald's lead would increase to three holes, but Jaffrey holed a couple of  pressure putts for successive birdies to keep the deficit to two holes as the players turned for home.

Having birdied the eight and ninth, par at the long tenth was enough for Jaffrey to reduce the deficit to one hole and a two followed by a four at the eleventh and twelfth holes, her third and fourth birdies in five holes, saw Jaffrey take the lead for the first time since the opening hole.

A bogey five at the thirteenth from Jaffrey allowed MacDonald to square the match again and par fours from both players at the fourteenth, with Jaffrey getting up and down from a greenside bunker in some style, saw the match remain all square as the player entered Prestwick's famed closing loop of four holes.

At the fifteenth, Jaffrey found the high side of the green in two whilst MacDonald was short left. MacDonald chipped up to fifteen feet past the hole whilst Jaffrey, although hitting a good put, saw her effort for a three run eight feet past the hole. MacDonald's par putt slipped past the hole but Jaffrey's effort also stayed above ground and the match remained tied.

At the sixteenth Jaffrey, although a little short with her effort which held up in the wind, was unfortunate to see her approach spin back off the front of the green. MacDonald took full advantage, hitting a superb approach which pitched just on the top of the ridge running across the middle of the green, checked and ran down to within eighteen inches of the hole. With Jaffrey unable to complete the hole in two further shots, the hole was conceded and MacDonald went one hole ahead with two remaining.

Both players missed the seventeenth fairway on the right from the tee, with Jaffrey's ball lying in light rough on the upslope of the bank which runs across the fairway. With one of the best and bravest shots seen all week, Jaffrey hit a fairway wood over the Alps and the Sahara bunker to within a few feet of the hole. MacDonald, wider than Jaffrey from the tee, could only pitch out sideways in two and although she battled on, the second shot from Jaffrey ensured that she took the hole to square the match once again.

At the final hole, neither player showed any nerves as they matched each other from the tee, laying perfect tee shots in the centre of the fairway a short distance from the green. MacDonald played first and saw her pitch finish 20 feet past the hole whilst Jaffrey's effort came to rest pin high but fifteen feet right of the cup. MacDonald putted first and was a little bold with her effort which ran three feet past the hole. Jaffrey's putt for a birdie three and the championship slipped agonisingly past the right side of the hole ending just an inch or two from the cup, which left MacDonald needing to hole her put to take the match into extra holes, which she did with some confidence.

At the first extra hole, both players negotiated the potentially hazardous tee shot well, giving themselves a good opportunity of making the green in two. Although a good length, Jaffrey's approach drifted left of the green whilst MacDonald saw her effort pull up just short of the putting surface.

Whilst Jaffrey's chip pulled up agonisingly at the top of a slope down to the hole, MacDonald played a fine shot to within three feet of the hole. Jaffrey made a good attempt with her putt for par but the ball slipped past the hole and MacDonald stepped up and confidently holed her putt for a par and the 2014 Scottish Ladies Golf Championship title.



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