LINDA BREAKS KATHLEEN MCNEIL'S CHAMPIONSHIP WINS OVER GREENOCK

Linda McDougall (Champion), Sandra Macdougall (Lady Captain) and Dorothy Fisher (Runner Up)

The Ladies Championship was played over Greenock Golf course yesterday (Saturday 1st August) in atrocious weather conditions. The rain was so heavy at times that squeegees were required on some greens to disperse the puddles.
Linda McDougall was defending her title - and this year her opponent was Dorothy Fisher, a past champion and regular finalist. The final had a particular edge this year as Linda was going all out to beat the record of 17 championships set by the late Kathleen McNeill, a past president of Renfrewshire Ladies County Golf Association, the Ladies Golf Union and Scottish Ladies Golf Association.
Both players played excellent golf on a day which saw heavy showers and gale force winds test both their skills and their concentration. Linda took control early on and was two up after two holes - but Dorothy played some excellent golf and pulled this back to one at the fourth hole. This was the pattern of the match until the 11th hole when Linda went three up and won the next hole to put pressure on her opponent.
Both players halved the 13th in pars but Linda's par at the 14th was enough to secure her an 18th championship, beating Kathleen's previous record set in 1969.

To remind you of Kathleen McNeil's life story -- CLICK HERE

Thanks go to Sandra Macdougall for the report and photograph