Renfrewshire's Megan and Clare Marie have both won through to the quarter final stages if the 2010 Scottish Chamionships.
In the morning, however, top seed Martine Pow from Selkirk beat the "leading qualifier curse" but only just in the first match-play round of the Scottish women's amateur championship at sunny but slightly windy Craigielaw links this morning.
Martine, two holes up for most of the first 10 holes, eventually scraped through at the 19th against Renfrewshire's, youngest talented player Alyson McKechin, last of the 32 qualifiers, from Elderslie.
"There's definitely a curse on leading qualifiers in this championship. Can you remember the last time the No 1 seed went on to win the title?" asked 45 year old Martine who qualified in the No 4 position when she was crowned champion by beating Anne Laing in the 2006 national final at Dunbar.
Pow unleashed a phenomenal drive on to the green, slightly downwind at the first extra hole, a drive of close on 300 yards and a two-putt birdie 3 gave her a hard-earned win over her 16-year-old opponent.
Alyson led for the only time in the match when she won the third and the fourth with a birdie to cancell out Martine's first-hole success.
Pow hit back with three wins in a row - the fifth, sixth and seventh, to go two up but lost the nith to a birdie to be brought back to one up at the turn.
The Selkirk health and safety officer retained a two-hole lead with a par 3 at the 10th but lost the long 11th to a par 5 and the 13th to a par 4 to be pulled back to square.
Martine birdied the 16th to get her nose in front again but Alyson birdied the last to take an absorbing contest down the 19th.
WELL DONE ALYSON -- YOU NEARLY DID IT
Megan Briggs produced the birdies in the morning round when she had to take the measure of Jacqueline Sneddon who is home for the summer holidays from Grand Canyon University, Arizona.She then went on to win by 4 and 5 against Rachael Taylorand now play Dunfermline nursery teacher Louise Kenney in a replay of last year’s final tonorrow morning in one sense although both say that last year’s result, when Megan won the title with a 4 and 3 victory, has no bearing at all on who will be the winner this time round. --- Good Luck Megan you can do it.
Clare-Marie Carlton (Fereneze), the No 24 qualifier, ousted the No 9 seed and former Scotland cap, Emily Ogilvy (Auchterarder) by two holes and now meets Martine Pow the victor over Alyson after a ding-dong struggle in the 2nd round with Susan Woods (Drumpellier) who she beat by by two holes, the only time either player was ever more than one up.---- Well done Clare-Marie -- you can do it too !!
Congratulations also go to Natasha Qayum who played well in her tie in the Clark Rosebowl this morning and was only beaten by 2 and 1
THURSDAY'S SCOREBOARD
FIRST ROUND
Martine Pow (Selkirk) beat Alyson McKechin (Elderslie) at 19th.
Karen Marshall (Baberton) beat Elaine Moffat (St Regulus) at 19th.
Clare-Marie Carlton (Fereneze) beat Emily Ogilvy (Auchterarder) 2 holes.
Susan Wood (Drumpellier) beat Ann F Ramsay (Kirriemuir) 2 and 1.
Rachael Taylor (Hartl Golf Resort, Germany) beat Jemma Chalmers (Monifieth) 5 and 4.
Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm) beat Jacqueline Sneddon (Alyth) 4 and 3.
Sammy Vass (Tain) beat Claire MacDonald (Gullane) 1 hol.e
Louise Kenney (Pitreavie) beat Kate McIntosh (Broomieknowe) 5 and 3.
Sammy Leslie (Westhill) beat Elaine Cuthill (Lanark) 1 hole.
Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) beat Cara Gruber (Royal Dornoch) 2 and 1.
Wendy Nicholson (Broomieknowe) beat Laura Walker (Muckhart) 4 and 2.
Rachael Watton (Mortonhall) beat Sheila Cuthbertson (Peebles) 7 and 5.
Susan Jackson (Ladybank) beat Noreen Fenton (Dunbar) 2 and 1.
Jane Turner (Craigielaw) beat Gillian Monteith (Portpatrick Dunskey) 6 and 5.
Rachel McQueen (Troon Ladies) beat Rachel Hanlon (St Regulus) 2 and 1.
Laura Murray (Alford) beat Fiona Gilbert (Carnoustie) 5 and 3.
SECOND ROUND
Pow beat Marshall 7 and 6.
Carlton beat Wood 2 holes.
Briggs beat Taylor 6 and 5.
Kenney beat Vass 4 and 2.
K MacDonald beat Leslie 4 and 3.
Watton beat Nicholson 3 and 2.
Turner beat Jackson 1 hole.
Murray beat McQueen 4 and 3.
CLARK ROSEBOWL
FIRST ROUND
Ailsa Summers (Carnoustie Ladies) beat Suzanne Ireland (Prestonfield) 8 and 7.
Jill Harrison (Cruden Bay) beat Mary Summers (Carnoustie Ladies) 3 and 1.
Gabrielle MacDonald (Craigielaw) beat Linda Bain (Lochend) 5 and 4.
Carol Wilson (Murcar Links) beat Natasha Qayum (Ranfurly Castle) 2 and 1.
Ailsa Bain (Peebles) beat Louise Fraser (Kingsknowe) 3 and 2.
Jessica Meek (Carnoustie Ladies) beat Linda Caine (Dunbar) at 19th.
Kirsten Blackwood (Craigmillar Park) beat Jill McNicoll (Glenbervie) at 20th.
Clara Young (North Berwick) beat Linda Dyball (Pitreavie) 2 and 1.
QUARTER-FINALS
Ailsa Summers beat Harrison 5 and 4.
Gabrielle MacDonald beat Wilson 5 and 4.
Jessica Meek beat Ailsa Bain 3 and 2.
Clara Young beat Blackwood 1 hole.
To read the full report go to the Gillian Kirkwood Website
