Hannah Darling narrowly misses out in AIG Women's Open qualifier at North Berwick

Four Scots will be teeing up in the first AIG Women’s Open at Muirfield later this week after home hopefuls came up short in a final qualifier at North Berwick.

Broomieknowe's Hannah Darling on the 18th green at North Berwick in the AIG Women's Open final qualifier. Picture: R&A

Catriona Mattew, the 2009 winner, and fellow exempt trio Louise Duncan, Gemma Dryburgh and Michele Thomson will be flying the Saltire in the season’s final major on the East Lothian coast following the disappointment for a posse of their compatriots in the 18-hole shoot-out over the West Links.

Broomieknowe’s Hannah Darling, the top-ranked Scottish amateur player, came closest to being part of the historic occasion at the home of the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers.

The two-time Curtis Cup player, who narrowly missed out on an exemption through the World Amateur Golf Ranking, carded a one-under-par 71, which left her just one shot outside of a play-off for the final three spots, with a total of 12 being up for grabs.

Four other Scots - Gabrielle Macdonald, Hannah McCook, Kylie Henry and Laura Beveridge - signed for matching 73s.

England’s Liz Young secured top spot with a splendid seven-under-par 65, which left her a shot ahead of Swedish amateur Ingrid Lindblad and two clear of Dane Nicole Broch Estrup.

American Lauren Coughlin and India’s Diksha Dagar both progressed with 68s, as did four players - Finland’s Ursula Wikstrom, American duo Janie Jackson and Jennifer Chang and England’s Hayley Davis on 69.

That left six players on 70 fighting out for those last three spots and they went to Chinese Taipei’s Pei-yun Chien at the first extra hole then Frenchwoman Celine Herbin and another Indian player, Aditi Ashok, at the second one.