Durham’s Alex Stevenson has been crowned Scottish Girls Under 16 champion.
Playing at Mortonhall Golf Club in Edinburgh, the 16-year-old from Beamish Park was tied at the top of the leaderboard with English compatriot Thalia Kirby after the first round when both shot impressive level-par opening rounds in blustery conditions.
But Alex backed up her fine performance with a solid one over-par 74 on the second day to win by two and she was delighted to notch the biggest win of her career so far.
Kirby, from Harleyford in Buckinghamshire finished tied second with Ffion Tynan of Wales, who shot a two under-par 71 in the second round.
Alex, who has been in the England regional Under 16 squad, said: “In all honesty, I would have been very happy with a top-10 finish this week, with it being my first strokeplay competition of the season.
“It was not long after finishing my GCSEs and I’d only played in matchplay competitions. Being at the top of the leaderboard after day one is where you want to be, but it brings added pressure during the final round and I certainly felt that. I was very nervous the first three or four holes, especially on the first but I managed to settle down. As the round went on I began to feel more comfortable as my home course Beamish is very similar.
“This win has really boosted my confidence; winning a tournament like this has always been my dream, it’s given me the belief that I am a good golfer and I’m just so happy.”
