Jasmine Mackintosh wins play-off to make it back-to-back Scottish wins in Helen Holm event at Troon

After waiting more than 20 years for a tartan triumph, the Helen Holm Scottish Women’s Open at Troon has now fallen back-to-back to players flying the Saltire.

Murcar Links player Jasmine Mackintosh shows off the Helen Holm Scottish Women's Open Trophy after her win at Troon. Picture: Scottish Golf.

In the event’s 50th anniversary, Murcar Links member Jasmine Mackintosh beat Lorna McClymont of Milngavie in a play-off after the Scottish pair had ended up tied over 54 holes following the final circuit over Royal Troon.

Mackintosh, who’d led after an opening 69 over Troon Portland before slipping back after adding a 77 on the same layout, covered the last seven holes on The Open and AIG Women’s Open venue in two-under to sign off with a par-72 for a two-over total.

With six holes to play, joint-overnight leader McClymont stood two-under for the tournament before dropping shots at the 13th, 15th, 17th and 18th over the closing stretch as she ended up having to settle for a 74.

Scottish amateur legend Belle Robertson presented the trophies to Lorna McClymont, Jasmine Mackintosh and Jennifer Saxton after the trio joined forces to land Scotland the team prize in the 50th anniversary staging of the Helen Holm Scottish Women's Open at Troon. Picture: Scottish Golf.

The play-off was decided at the first extra hole, where Mackintosh rolled in a 12-foot birdie putt to secure by far the biggest win of her career in style and keep the trophy in home hands.

Heather Stirling, who achieved the feat in 2002, had been the last Scot to claim the coveted title before North Berwick’s Grace Crawford ended the home drought 12 months ago.

“That’s crazy,” said Mackintosh, a former Stephen Gallacher Foundation Vase winner, of the long drought being ended and now producing successive Scottish triumphs on the Ayrshire coast. “We’ve waited so long and now come two back-to-back. It’s great to represent Scotland and get the win.”

Two shots off the lead at the start of the day, Mackintosh didn’t look to have much chance of coming out on top after covering the first 11 holes in two over before picking up birdies at the 12rh, 15th and 17th.

“Pretty crazy,” she said of how her day eventually turned out. “To be honest, when I teed off this morning I was a bit disappointed from the previous round. But I just kind of thought I just had to keep going and it feels great.

“I felt much better today than yesterday. I felt much calmer, cooler and confident about my game, and I think that’s why I played well. In the play-off, you just have to try and ignore everything that is going on and just play the golf shot that is in front of you.”

McClymont covered the opening 12 holes in two under, having mixed birdies at the fourth, fifth, ninth holes with bogeys at the seventh and tenth. The Stirling University scholar looked to be in a two-horse race with Elin Pudas Remler before the Swede followed three straight birdies early on with eight bogeys in a row from the par-3 eighth.

“Obviously it sucks not to win,” admitted McClymont, who recently won the R&A Student Tour Series Order of Merit for the second year running, “but I did my best and you can’t really complain about losing to a birdie.”

Dunfermline’s Jen Saxton signed off with a 71 to finish joint-third on four-over, joining forces with Mackintosh and McClymont to land a team triumph for Scotland.