Emma Hale and Hazel McGarvie bid for Open title

MARR College pair Hazel MacGarvie and Emma Hale will be among the top hopes to become the first home winner since Carly Booth in 2006 at the Scottish Ladies’ Golfing Association Under-16 Open Strokeplay Championship at Strathmore this week.

In its 15th year, the Championship has attracted 102 players from around Europe and the lowest handicapper is Germany’s Friederike Soph Nuetzmann. She plays off plus two.

Hazel and Emma will be playing in the team event for Scotland along with German-based Fiona Liddell. The second Scottish team is Emily Dalgetty (St David’s High Schol), Chloe Goadby (Madras College) and Claire Robertson (Carnoustie High School).

For 13-year-old Hazel, it is the perfect start to the season. “I’ve had a great winter training with the SLGA’s Foundation squad and making the Under-16 was one of my goals,” said the five handicapper.

Booth, the Aberdeen Asset Ladies’ Scottish Open Champion, is now a high flyer on the Ladies’ European Tour. Other previous home winners were Krystle Caithness, a back-to-back winner in 2004 and 2005, and Louise Kenney, who took the title in 1999.