Golf: Turner and Young ease the pressure

Jane TURNER and Clara Young were under less pressure than the rest of the Lothians contingent as the Helen Holm Scottish women's open amateur stroke-play golf championship moved into its second round over the Troon Portland links in Ayrshire today.

At the end of it, only the leading 66 players and ties from a field of 99 will qualify to play Sunday's final 18 holes over the Royal Troon Golf Club's Open championship links.

On an almost perfect day for low scoring, Ireland's 16-year-old Curtis Cup twin Leona Maguire set the tone with a six-under-par round of 69 to lead by two shots. She must be favourite to repeat her title win of 2009 and complete a hat-trick of Irish winners (Danielle McVeigh, the title holder from Royal Co Down, had a 74).

A total of 31 players scored one-under-par 74 or better.

Craigielaw's Turner matched the par of 75 and she knew she should have done better. For a player of Jane's class and strength, most of the par 5s are easily reachable in two shots. North Berwick teenager Young, leading Scot in last week's SLGA Under-16s open championship at Strathmore, had a 76.

Turner and Young will qualify with ease if they can repeat these scores, especially with the weather forecast not so good for the Troon area today.

Rachael Watton (Mortonhall), like Turner a member of the winning Scotland team in last September's Home Internationals at Cardiff, had 78, one better than last year's Scottish girls champion Lesley Atkins (Gullane).

The Lothians and Borders players in the 80s for the first round will have their work cut out to beat the cut. Kate McIntosh (Broomieknowe) had an 81, Ailsa Bain (Peebles) an 82, while Gabrielle Macdonald (Craigielaw) and Tara MacTaggart (Minto) both had 85s.