Golf: Midlothian Ladies are pipped again

In the closing games, Midlothian beat Angus 7-2 while Renfrewshire were 5…-3… winners against Dumfriesshire.

Both teams finished on two-and-a-half points but Renfrewshire had a better 'goal' difference to claim the crown for the first time since 1987 .

"With Renfrewshire two games better than us, we knew we needed a big closing victory to win and it looked all over after we drew the foursomes 1…-1…," said team captain Tracy Laughland of yesterday's clash with Angus.

"However, we went out with all guns blazing in the singles and got ourselves back into it. Unfortunately, one halved game was the difference in the end."

Ultimately, Midlothian paid the price for their singles slip-up against Renfrewshire on the opening day. "We are all hurting at being second for the second year running but we'll be back next year," added Laughland.

CRAIGMILLAR Park's Karen Ballantyne was in today's semi-final line-up in the Scottish Veteran Ladies' Golf Association Championship at Blairgowrie. She beat Galloway's Jean Brydson in yesterday's quarter-finals to join Fiona De Vries (St Rule), May Hughes (Lanark) and Ann Ryan (Tain) in the last four.

MUSSELBURGH'S Vikki Laing is still in the top ten on the Henderson Money List after a top-30 finish in the Spanish Ladies' Open. She closed with a 71 to finish on 210, eight behind winner Laura Davies, at Flamingos Golf in Benahavs on the Costa del Sol.

LOTHIANS-BASED Jamie McLeary had to settle for fifth spot despite taking a two-stroke lead into the final round of the M2M Russian Challenge Cup outside Moscow. He shot a closing 74 for 281, four less than Lloyd Saltman after he signed off with a 69.

ANDREW OLDCORN (Kings Acre) finished in a tie for ninth in the Casa Serena Open in the Czech Republic, where a final-round 72 for 210 left him ten shots behind winner Gary Wolstenholme.