Golf: Rachael Watton bound for Denver and US golf scholarship

The pair helped Scotland end a lengthy title drought when Lesley Nicholson's team won last year's event in Wales and remain among the top players in the country.

Turner's title challenge this week saw her get as far as yesterday's semi-finals while Watton reached the last eight - both losing to Fifer Louise Kenney.

But Watton won't be around when the Scotland side to defend that Home International side is picked for the four-cornered event at Hillside in September.

The Mortonhall 18-year-old is heading to the United States on a four-year golf scholarship at the University of Denver in Colorado.

"I need to be there early this year for my orientation but hopefully I'll be available for the Home Internationals during the rest of the time I'm there," she said.

Watton, one of the rising stars in Scottish women's golf, could also have gone to University of Tennessee, where Colette Murray, a Scot, is the coach. "I chose Denver because I've been there and everyone says the coach is awesome," she added.

Both Watton and Turner declared they were happy with their performances on the Kintyre peninsula despite falling just short in the battle for the title.

They were both quarter-finalists at Craigielaw 12 months ago, so Turner in particular was pleased after she managed to go one stage further.

"My performance against Louise was a big step up from the quarter-final," said the two-time British Universities' champion. "But the only putts I managed to hole were for saves rather than wins and, at the same time, Louise played very well."

Both Turner and Watton now turn their attention to the St Rule Trophy at St Andrews next weekend before heading for Northern Ireland to play in the British Women's Championship at Royal Portrush.

In today's final at Machrihanish, Kenney, the beaten finalist for the last two years, faced Kilmacolm 18-year-old Eilidh Briggs.