Golf: Blip is the only blemish for Watton

MORTONHALL'S Rachael Watton had one "hiccup" but still did herself proud in yesterday's first round of the Helen Holm Scottish Ladies' Open Stroke Play Championsip at Troon.

Up against top amateurs from Britain and Ireland, the 17-year-old shot a level-par 75 on the Portland course to earn a share of 17th spot.

Watton, who helped Midlothian Girls win the Cuthbertson Cup for the fifth year running at Ratho Park last weekend, was one-under after ten before running up a triple-bogey 8 at the long 11th but recovered well from that setback to pick up two birdies over the closing stretch.

"I just had the one hiccup and it cost me," she reflected afterwards. "Apart from that, though, I played pretty solid and the fact I holed a six-footer on the hole after the 8 definitely helped settle me down again."

Watton, in her final year at Firrhill High School, is playing in the 54-hole event for only the second time. "I feel more comfortable this year and the hard work I've been doing on my putting over the winter definitely helped," she added.

Craigielaw's Jane Turner, fresh from her win in the British Universities Championship a few miles up the coast at Dundonald Links last week, opened with a one-under-par 74 while clubmate Gabrielle MacDonald, last year's Scottish Junior Masters winner, also gave a good account of herself with a 76. Lesley Atkins, now playing out of Gullane, had an 82.

• SCOTLAND'S Catriona Matthew and Krystle Caithness were lying in a tie for sixth, nine shots behind leaders Sweden, going into today's third round of the European Nations Cup near Alicante.