By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
REPORTING FROM ROYAL PORTRUSH
St Andrews hotelier Fiona De Vries was the best of the 10 Scots in the international-class field at the end of a long, wet and tiring first day in the Senior British Women's Open amateur stroke-play golf championship over the Royal Portrush links in Northern Ireland today.
Over a par-75 course playing very long because of recent rain - and with lots more rain falling during the round - only a handful of players broke 80 and the lead was snatched by Flying Finn Minna Kaaarnalahti who had six birdies in posting a late-in-the-day par 75 to take the lead.
But the Finn was the exception. For the majority of the field the Royal Portrush was too long and the conditions too tough.
So, with that in mind, full marks to Fiona De Vries for ending the first round in joint 10th place with an 82, despite a double bogey 7 at the long seventh in halves of 39-43.
Mary Smith from Tain is in joint 23rd place with an 85 (42-43).
Rookie senior Sheena Wood (Aberdeen Ladies) was up on the leaderboard with an outward half of 39 but the cold and the wet got to her over the second nine which cost her 47 blows for an 86.
But she is well placed to survive the halfway cut to the leading 40 and ties in this 54-hole event.
Also on 86 is Royal Montrose's Kathleen Sutherland with halves of 42-44
Alex Glennie (Kilmarnock Barassie) had an 87 (44-43) and Blairgowrie's Heather Anderson an 89 (45-44) and she had to birdie the long 18th to break 90!
May Hughes (Lanark) had a 90 (45-45) and on 91 were Anne Ryan (Tain), Pamela Williamson (Baberton) and Alison Bartlett (Royal Dornoch).
SENIOR BRITISH WOMEN'S OPEN AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
Royal Portrush GC, Northern Ireland.
FIRST ROUND LEADERBOARD
Par 75 SSS 76 CSS 79 (reduction only)
75 M Kaarnalahti (Fin)
76 S McElroy (Ire)
78 C Berry (Eng), A Lewis (Wal)
79 N Crookewit (Net).
80 R Adams (Addington Court), J Little (Can)
81 C Birke (Swe), A Mayne (Saltford).
82 H Jones (Royal Portrush), F De Vries (St Rule).
83 H Horwood (Can). E Wahlqvist-Levy (Swe)
84 K Russell (Royal Ashdown Forest), J Rees (Hendon), P Doran (Donabate), C Rawthore (Sale), D Williams, Can), A Murdoch (Can), K Pilkey (Can), F Christine (Woking), L Wabb (East Berkshire).
OTHER SCOTS' SCORES
85 M Smith (Tain)
85 S Wood (Aberdeen Ladies), K Sutherland (Royal Montrose)
87 A Glennie (Kilmarnock Barassie).
89 H Anderson (Blairgowrie)
90 M Hughes (Lanark)
91 A Ryan (Tain), P Williamson (Baberton), A Bartlett (Royal Dornoch).
