Kimberley Beveridge ‘shocked’ by Scottish Women’s win

Kimberley Beveridge said she was “shocked” after being crowned as Scottish women’s champion at the end of an event full of upsets at Kilmarnock (Barassie). Producing what she admitted was “the best shot of my life”, the 24-year-old from Aboyne drew a low 8-iron from 131 yards to three feet for a title-winning birdie at the last after losing the previous holes to birdies against Chloe Goadby from St Regulus in the final.
Kimberley Beveridge shows off the Scottish Womens Championship trophy after her win over Chloe Goabdy (St Regulus) in the 18-hole final at Kilmarnock (Barassie)Kimberley Beveridge shows off the Scottish Womens Championship trophy after her win over Chloe Goabdy (St Regulus) in the 18-hole final at Kilmarnock (Barassie)
Kimberley Beveridge shows off the Scottish Womens Championship trophy after her win over Chloe Goabdy (St Regulus) in the 18-hole final at Kilmarnock (Barassie)

“I am speechless speaking to you guys as I am not used to this,” admitted Beveridge of her title triumph, having defeated Minto’s Tara Mactaggart, conqueror of leading qualifier Jess Meek, in the morning semi-finals. “I won the Aberdeenshire Women’s Championship in April, but my game went downhill after that and I was struggling before this week.”

These are heady days for Aboyne on the women’s front. Shannon McWilliam, one of Beveridge’s clubmates, played in the Curtis Cup last year and was on Great Britain & Ireland duty again over the weekend in the Vagliano Trophy in Kent. Carmen Griffiths is another rising star at the club. “Shannon has definitely been a motivation for me,” admitted the new national champion.

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On a pleasant afternoon when a gentle breeze ensured a decent test, Beveridge looked edgy early on and, though she made a great up and down from 80 yards at the first for a half in birdie-4s, Goadby quickly got her nose in front by rolling in a 40-foot birdie putt at the second.

That advantage was given back as she then tugged her tee shot at the short fourth into the burn and eventually conceded that, but, after a birdie at the next then a bogey proving good enough at the sixth, the University of Stirling scholar looked to have taken the tie by the scruff of the neck.

However, a combination of Beveridge settling down and Goadby, who was enjoying a 50-yard advantage over her opponent off the tee, becoming a bit careless led to the tide turning in a match that was being watched by Beth Allen, the Edinburgh-based American who plays on the Ladies European Tour.

While Goadby still had her eye in as she rolled in a 30-footer for a birdie at the eighth to go two up again after losing the previous hole, her effort from the front of the ninth was well wide as Beveridge won that with a par before she then squared matters with a birdie from six feet following a lovely approach at the tenth.

After pushing her second at the 11th, Goadby showed a great touch to salvage a half in birdie-4s, but Beveridge did get her nose in front for the first time after displaying a growing confidence by knocking her tee shot at the short 12th to around two and a half feet for her third birdie in a row.

Continuing to find herself hitting first into greens, Beveridge once more found the heart of the putting surface at the next, putting pressure on Goadby, who went through the back and was unable to get up and down as she went from two up to two down in the space of five holes.

With Jack McDonald, a former Walker Cup player who plays his golf at Barassie, also now among the spectators, Goadby birdied both the 16th and 17th to head for the last tee feeling she had regained the momentum only to be left disappointed as Beveridge produced that brilliant approach to clinch victory in style.

“If you were to pick a way to lose, that would be it, but it doesn’t make it any nicer,” said the runner-up. “It’s been a long few days and, unfortunately, tiredness caught up with me for a few holes out there.”

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Beveridge, who works in the pro shop at Aboyne, praised her brother, Keil, a PGA professional who is based at Kippie Lodge, for helping her pull off the title triumph. “When he saw I was playing Chloe, he texted me to say that he knew she was a big-hitter and, therefore, I just needed to play my own game as I have always hit a short ball,” she said.

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