Final hole swing sees Charlotte Ellis clinch Helen Holm

England's Charlotte Ellis staged a sensational smash-and-grab charge over the last few holes to win the Helen Holm Scottish women's open amateur stroke-play championship over Royal Troon's Open championship links yesterday.

Trailing Leona Maguire, one half of the talented 16-year-old twins from Co Cavan, Ireland, by three strokes with six holes to play, the 25-year-old former English mid-amateur champion from Minchinhampton birdied the 13th, 15th and 16th holes to be one shot behind Maguire with two to play.

Both parred the short 17th and then Leona, who had made all the running from the start of the 54-hole tournament, ran up a double bogey 6 at the last, taking three shots to get on the green and a further three putts from six feet.

That left the door open for a two-shot swing at the home hole where Ellis had a cast-iron par 4.

Maguire finished with a 73 for 11-under par 214 - one shot behind Ellis who signed off with a 71 for 213.

"I'm speechless," said Ellis. "I had no thoughts of catching Leona, even though I was only one shot behind her at the start of the last round. When I bogeyed the ninth, I was only really playing for second or third place. But giving it a go instead of holding back, I started to birdie holes.

"Even when I holed out for a par on the last green, I really didn't think it was to win. It was only when Leona eventually missed a two-foot second putt, that I realised I had won. It's the biggest golf title I've ever won but I feel sorry for Leona."

Maguire, who won the tournament two years ago and landed the Portuguese Open title in January, had the consolation of the under-18s trophy yesterday but that will have felt like scant reward.

Another Curtis Cup team member from last year, Holly Clyburn (Woodhall Spa) and Dunfermline schoolteacher Louise Kenney (Pitreavie) finished joint third on 217. Kenney, who was also joint third in the event last year, covered the last ten holes in two-under par with birdies at the 11th and 15th.

Other Scots in the top ten were 17-year-old Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm) who finished fifth on 219, one shot ahead of British stroke-play champion Pamela Pretswell (Bothwell Castle) who found her form with a final-round 71.

Jane Turner (Craigielaw), 145 yards from the pin after her drive at the par-4 13th (377yd), holed a seven-iron from an awkward lie for an eagle 2. That helped her to finish with a 72 for joint 11th place on 222.