Maureen Richmond top Scot in Senior British Championship

No East Vets magically materialised in the leading scores at West Kilbride. The best Scottish performance was by ex-Kilmacolm champion and Curtis Cup player, Maureen Richmond who has been a GP in England for some decades. Maureen was the overnight leader but her final round of 81, although a fine score in the conditions, was almost derisory in the wake of several wonderful scores in the seventies on Thursday - some almost beyond belief in a wind every bit as strong as had been on Tuesday, that day of portaloo-toppling force. The English lady, Bev New who lifted the championship, brought in an amazing birdie-strewn 73.

Next best Scottish performance was by Lorna Bennett of Ladybank, a member of the recent victorious Scottish team which won the European Team Championship. Although her opening score of 84 simply reflected the difficulties of the conditions on Tuesday, her scores of 79 and 78 on the two following days were the product of good steady golf, devoid of major tragedies.

This is an excellent championship, with great organisation going on behind closed doors. Everything was conducted with efficiency except of course in the LGU's complete ineptitude when it came to fixing the weather which quite separated the men from the boys, or in this case, the women from the girls. There is no getting away from the fact that some were luckier than others in their draw times, but it is accurate to say everyone will have had really foul weather at some time or another in their round - swings and roundabouts. The incredible hailstorm, seen coming over the water like a tsunami, was short sharp and quite destructive. Those on the first tee were forced out regardless when it was almost impossible to stand up in the face of it, not only from the sheer force behind it but also from the needle-like pain on the skin! One late group possibly thought they were going to complete their round dry when a flash flood just arrived halfway down the eighteenth. There was no time to struggle into waterproofs before being completely soaked. How galling to find that the minute they had replaced the flag on the green, and shaken corresponding dripping hands, the rain switched off and the sun had the nerve to come out. Just in time to witness the adding-up of a possibly ruined score or two!

An event like this allows friends from far and not-so-far to meet up. Certainly the clubhouse echoed with cheerful chatter but also many, many tales of woe, not only on the day when play was suspended for two and a quarter hours but at the usual gatherings socially of the Cocktail Evening and the Competitors Dinner. Lip-reading was a most useful skill as the noise level surely mirrored that of a football stadium rocking to the use of the vuvuzela.

Many thanks go, as already said to the efficient and pleasant LGU officials (with their constant supply of boilings and jelly babies), to the lost property department, and to the referees who seem much more compassionate when it comes to time faults or perhaps competitors see them coming and in sheer panic simply open up the throttle on their batteries. There are always characters. One who comes to mind was the ever cheerful starter Tommy (spelling?) who, having watched one poor lady drive her first ball straight out of bounds to the right, re-announced her with ---- "and on the tee for the second time -----".

Congratulations to all those lifting the honours. Wonderful golf. Congratulations to all those others for simply playing. You were a credit to yourselves.

Scottish results
239 Maureen Richmond (Royal Liverpool)78,80,81
241 Lorna Bennett (Ladybank) 84,79,78
244 Heather Anderson (Blairgowrie) 83,81,80
247 Mary Smith (Tain) 84,84,79, Fiona Anderson (Formby Ladies) 84,83,80
248 Fiona de Vries (St Rule) 84,83,81
250 Alex Glennie (Kilmarnock Barassie) (91,82,77), Jane Finnie (Troon Ladies)83,86,81
252 Alison Bartlett(Royal Dornoch)85,86,81
256 Noreen Fenton (Dunbar)86,87,83, Margaret Tough (Falkirk) 88,85,83
257 May Hughes (Lanark) 83,90,84, Catherine Garrett (W.Kilbride) 87,82,88

Non-qualifiers
174 Janice Patterson (Drumpellier) 89,85, Anne Ryan (Tain) 82,92
175 Anna Telfer (Milngavie) 90,85
176 Karen Ballantyne (Craigmillar Park) 92,84
177 Helen Faulds (Douglas Park) 94,83, Chris McAndrew (Nairn Dunbar) 93,84
178 Jennifer Mack (Haggs Casle) 90,88
183 Lorraine Campbell (Cardross) 93,90, Lynne Terry (Cruden Bay) 86,97
... Ruth Brown (Lothianburn) 98,NR
Withdrawn - Pamela Williamson (Baberton)