Scotland’s Kylie Walker came through her first test of what could be a career-changing week when she won one of the last-gasp play-off places in the Ricoh Women’s British Open at Carnoustie.
The 24-year-old from Glasgow birdied the second play-off hole at final qualifying at Panmure Golf Club in the chill of the evening to swell Scotland’s representation at Carnoustie this week to four, alongside her mentor and former champion Catriona Matthew, Janice Moodie and Pamela Pretswell.
Kylie had tied with eight others after a par round of 71 on Monday, making for a nerve-wracking playoff for the last five spots in Thursday’s draw for the first round of championship.
She missed a 15-foot birdie putt to qualify at the first play-off hole, but a fine four-iron pin-high on the long second produced a comfortable birdie four to take her through to her first British Open.
“It’s going to be awesome and I’m really looking forward to it, it’s exactly where I want to be,” said Walker, the only one of six Scots to progress from the qualifying tournament.
“I played Carnoustie for the first time a few weeks back with Catriona.
“We have the same coach in Kevin Craggs and she was able to get me on.”
She added, “I actually really enjoyed the play-off and the excitement, and it was brilliant to get through.”Family formIrish amateur Stephanie Meadow, Americans Beth Allen and Jaclyn Sweeney and Irishwoman Rebecca Codd also came through the play-off test.
Leading qualifiers Kym Larratt and Lynette Brooky both had previous form, the Kiwi winning the final qualifying tournament for the second year in succession.
The 43-year-old, a four-time winner on the Ladies European Tour (LET), shot 67 to win at Hillside last year and a 68 was good enough to tie with the 23-year-old from Leicestershire.
The Larratt family have had success in these events before, but that was Kym’s dad Bob who won the 1983 Open Championship final qualifying, also at Hillside, and played his only Open that year at Royal Birkdale.
Bob remains an occasional player on the Senior European Tour but will be caddying for his daughter at Carnoustie.Youngsters disappointedThere was huge disappointment for two of Scotland’s youngest hopefuls in Carly Booth and Kelsey MacDonald Comrie teenager Booth missing by only a shot when she seemed set to make the big event with something to spare.
Booth, with only two cuts made in nine events on the LET this season but both within the last month, was perfectly placed at two-under with five to play but three successive bogeys from the 14th left her one short of the play-off, despite an excellent up and down at the final hole.
It was the 18-year-old’s two playing partners who ended up costing her as both England’s Felicity Johnson and Joanna Klatten of France shot one-under 70s to ensure those sweating on 72 would miss out.
Also on that unlucky number was former British Amateur champ Kelly Tidy, who birdied the first four holes but ended up a shot short, and 15-year-old Bronte Hall, who bogeyed the last to miss out.
Nairn Dunbar’s MacDonald suffered a double-bogey six at the 17th to miss out on the playoff by two, and will instead focus on a record fourth successive Scottish Under-21 title at Cardross later this week.