Harper shares lead with Doak

Published on Thursday 15 May 2008 23:03

LEE Harper stayed on course for the biggest win of his career in the £45,000 Northern Open and insisted he will revel in the pressure of competing in the final pairing at Spey Valley today. The 26-year-old Archerfield assistant posted a three-under 69 yesterday for an eight-under aggregate of 208 to share top spot with the 2005 champion, Chris Doak, going into the closing round.

Harper, who had been five under for the day until dropped shots at 16 and 18 pushed him back, won the Scottish Boys' championship in 1999 and was a winner on the PGA EuroPro Tour last season.

Joint-leader Doak, the former Tartan Tour No 1, kept himself in the hunt for the 8,000 first prize with a 70 but it was Paul McKechnie who made the most telling move of the day with a six-under 66.

Vass passes test with great style

SAMMY Vass, 16, from Tain was in brilliant form yesterday in the 94th Scottish women's amateur golf championship at Lossiemouth. To round off a special day, Vass then sat her Higher English exam in the Moray clubhouse at 5pm.

Having squeezed into the 32 match-play qualifiers on Wednesday night by surviving a six-player play-off for the last two places, Vass started her day by toppling No 1 seed Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar). She then swept into the last eight at the first attempt by chalking up a 3 and 2 win over former Scottish universities champion Ann Ramsay from Kirriemuir.

"This has been the best day of my golfing life. I've never played so well over two rounds," said Vass.

Ochoa retains Sorenstam goals

ANNIKA Sorenstam's decision to retire from women's golf left Lorena Ochoa with mixed emotions and her own exit strategy still in place. "My plans are the same. I want to win tournaments, I want to break records this year," said the World No1, a day after Sorenstam announced this would be her last season. "Like she does, I want to finish No1, not only in the world ranking, but on the money list."