Murray and Turner meet in Tain final

IT was a case of third-time lucky for Laura Murray (Alford) and Craigielaw’s Jane Turner as they swept through the quarter-finals and semi-finals to take pride of place for the first time in today’s 18-hole final at the 98th Scottish Women’s Championship at Tain.

Both had failed at the semi-final stage twice before – Murray in 2008 and 2010, Turner in 2009 and 2011 – but if they had suffered from brink-of-final nerves in the past, they certainly did not third time round. Both were impressive winners morning and afternoon over a course which took a fair bit of rain until the skies cleared at lunchtime.

Turner, the No 1 seed from Penicuik, had to play only 26 holes as she beat Susan Wood (Drumpellier) 5 and 4 before chalking up a 7 and 6 semi-final win over Eilidh Watson (Muckhart), the 17-year-old who pulled off one a shock when she knocked out No 3 seed Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm) at the 19th in the morning.

Similarly, Murray had to play only 28 holes to clear the quarter and semi-final hurdles. She beat home hope Sammy Vass (Tain) by 5 and 4 in the morning and then had a surprisingly easy win by 6 and 4 over last year’s beaten finalist, Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm).