Shannon bidding to be a groundbreaker

Aboyne Academy's Shannon McWilliam had an outstanding 2015, representing Great Britain and Ireland in the Junior Vagliano Trophy and topping the Scottish Golf Order of Merit.

Shannon McWilliams: Excited. Picture: Contributed

Tomorrow, she joins some of the best young golfers in Europe in a bid to become the first winner of the Scottish Girls’ Open Stroke Play Championship at Strathmore Golf Centre in Alyth.

The three-day, 54-hole event has a full international field of 102 players and 42 Scots will have a chance to make it a home win.

A year ago, Shannon finished runner-up to England’s Hollie Muse – who is also in this week’s field – in the Scottish Under-16 Girls Championship at Strathmore and she has already started the season strongly by winning the opening national Junior Tour event at Forrester Park last month.

“I’m very excited as it’s a new competition and it’s being played on my favourite course,” said Shannon. “I haven’t had too much chance to practise much over the winter due to flooding in Aboyne.”

Also among the Scots at Strathmore is Marr College’s Hazel MacGarvie, who also played in the Junior Vagliano.