Rachel picks up Scottish and Northern honours

Rachel Gourley produced a superb sub-par second round at the Loretto Golf Academy Scottish Girls’ U16 & U14 Open Championship to finish in second place, adding to her success at the Northern Region Close Championship.

Arcot Hall-based Rachel braved wet and windy conditions to post a two under-par second round to claim second place in the U14 event at Murrayfield Golf Club with a three over-par total.

She said: “The conditions were really tough in the first round and I struggled a little bit. In the second round I just relaxed and played with a lot more confidence. I managed to stay calm, play some really good golf and post a great score to finish second.”

Rachel also picked up two trophies at the Northern Region Close Championship at Wallasey. She posted a one under-par gross score to finish third overall in the championship while winning the Liverpool Society for the best gross in the U14 category, while her seven under-par nett score led the field in the Clement Bowl for best nett score over 36 holes.

Rachel added: “I’m really happy with how things have gone this season. I wanted to cut my handicap from four to two and I’ve managed to get down to 1.3. I also wanted to place well in the national events and I’m happy with my results at the Scottish girls’ and at Wallasey.

“Next year I want to compete in more national events and get into the top 10s in my first year in the U16s category.”