2021 TRUST GOLF WOMEN'S SCOTTISH OPEN WELCOME TO THE WEEKEND AT DUMBARNIE

WELCOME TO THE WEEKEND

4 ROUND ONE and TWO ACTION

8 LEADERBOARD

10 ROUND THREE TEE-TIMES

11 SCOTLAND’S FUTURE STARS

13 DELIGHTFUL DUMBARNIE

Jutanugarn experience key as she ascends to the top of the leaderboard at Dumbarnie Golf Links Former World Number One and 2018 Women’s Scottish Open Champion Ariya Jutanugarn will begin the third round with a three stroke lead after rounds of 69 and 66.

“I want to say my whole life, like my dream is I want to win on a links course because I won in Woburn, played British Open, but it’s not links.

I felt like one time in my life, I want to win on a links and I done it in 2018. Just bring back all the great memory I have here and you know, still lots of golf to go so we never know what going to happen.”

Ariya will play in the final group on Saturday alongside Emily Kristine Pedersen and Charley Hull at 12.40pm

Hull poised to challenge for title on the links ahead of the final Major of the year Charley Hull will play in the final group on Saturday alongside a former World Number One and the Ladies European Tour Number One from 2020, it is exactly the stage this outgoing, colourful star is born to play on.

Two rounds of 69 have put her firmly in the mix for victory on the Fife coast, and her form has been consistent without picking up victories, that may change this weekend at Dumbarnie.

Perhaps her relaxed attitude will help, Hull said she was playing better by thinking less about the golf and instead, concentrating on a upcoming trip she was planning with Solheim Cup teammate Georgia Hall - “Me and Georgia are going for a spa weekend the week we are back, going shopping in London. And I was saying to her, I’m planning what I’m going to buy. We’re just joking around. We’re just going to go to spa and then going to go shopping in all the nice places.”

Saso-far, so good for Yuka in Scottish Open US Open Champion Yuka Saso is in contention at the halfway point of the Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open at Dumbarnie Golf Links.

The 20-year-old Filipino could be one of the biggest stars to come out of the Philippines since the great Boxing icon Manny Pacquiao. Saso has enjoyed a rapid rise to stardom over the last 3 years, winning Gold at the 2018 Asian Games, turning pro in 2019, winning on the JLPGA twice in 2020 and then winning the US Women’s Open this summer.

Saso is an admirer of Rory McIlroy and the pair have similar swings, and she is in position to emulate her hero by winning on a links course here at Dumbarnie.

On her links debut Saso is 5-under through 36 holes and has adapted well to the conditions for one so young.

Another win here could set up a tilt for the title at Carnoustie, adding to the legend at such a young age.

Scottish challenge alive in Fife as Macdonald, Booth and Thomson make the cut at Dumbarnie Kelsey Macdonald will play in the penultimate group on Saturday after rounds of 68 and 71 put her in the collection of players at 5-under-par.

Macdonald has enjoyed the challenge of the windy links at Dumbarnie, saying “I think when the elements are so tough, you have to grind, it can eliminate half the field

straightaway just have to grind out.

You never know what’s going to happen. I do like when it’s tougher.”

Michele Thomson enjoyed contrasting rounds on the links over the first two days, opening with a 65 but limping into the weekend with an 80 on Friday.

Carly Booth made the cut by 1 after two consistent, if unspectacular rounds for the former Women’s Scottish Open Champion. Booth opened with a 72 before a 73 on Friday.

LEADERBOARD

SELECTED OTHERS

Ariya Jutanugarn -9 Bronte Law -1 Emily Kristine Pedersen -6 Carlota Ciganda -1 Charley Hull -6 Azahara Munoz -1 Atthaya Thitikul -6 Leona Maguire -1 Kelsey Macdonald -6 Laura Davies PAR Ryann O Toole -5 Patty Tavatanakit PAR Lydia Hall -5 Georgia Hall PAR Sarah Schmelzel -5 Carly Booth +1 Yuka Saso -5 Michele Thomson +1 Jeongeun Lee6 -5 Yealimi Noh -4 CUT +2 Marina Alex -4 Whitney Hillier -3 Missed Cut Celine Boutier -3 Anna Nordqvist -3 Brittany Lincicome +3 Ashleigh Buhai -3 Hannah Green +3 Ssu-Chia Cheng -3 Moriya Jutanugarn +3 Jasmine Suwannapura -3 Minjee Lee +6 Nanna Koerstz Madsen -3 Mel Reid -2 Jing Yan -2 Prima Thammaraks -2 Ally Ewing -2 A Lim Kim -2 Karolin Lampert -2 Becky Morgan -2 LIVE SCORING CAN BE FOUND AT Cheyenne Knight -2 LPGA.com Lydia Ko -2 LADIESEUROPEANTOUR.com

TODAY’S KEY TEE-TIMES

1204 Marina Alex Yealimi Noh Jeongeun Lee6 1216 Yuka Saso Sarah Schmelzel Lydia Hall 1228 Ryann O Toole Kelsey Macdonald Atthaya Thitikul 1240 Ariya Jutanugarn

Emily Kristine Pedersen Charley Hull

LIVE COVERAGE OF ROUND THREE IS AVAILABLE

SKY SPORTS GOLF YOUTUBE FROM 1PM

St Andrews’ Women’s Scottish Amateur Champion Chloe Goadby joined 2019 St Rule Trophy Champion Hazel MacGarvie and 2021 Women’s Amateur Champion Louise Duncan in the pro-am on Wednesday

By Matt Hooper

Scottish Amateur stars join Ladies European Tour Number One for Wednesday pro-am at Dumbarnie Emily Kristine Pedersen had the pleasure of the company of three of Scotland’s finest amateurs on Wednesday, and the girls did not look out of place playing from the same tees as an elite professional. Chloe Goadby (St Regulus Ladies Golf Club), Hazel MacGarvie and Louise Duncan all enjoyed their experience as the Women’s Scottish Open afforded them the opportunity of representing Scottish Golf.

Louise Duncan will play at Carnoustie in next week’s AIG Women’s Open after her success at Kilmarnock Barassie in the Women’s Amateur Championship earlier this summer.

Chloe Goadby has enjoyed a sunshine spell winning the Scottish Women’s Amateur at Gullane in June, with a number of other high finishes. She has also bee enjoying her boyfriend (Laird Shepherd) winning The Amateur Championship, and making the cut in the Cazoo Classic this week on the European Tour.

Hazel MacGarvie has had a consistent summer and been part of Scotland’s teams at the European Championships and Home Internationals.

Dumbarnie Golf Links worthy of many huge events as the fun of golf returns on the Fife coast

With only 500 invited guests each day, and uncertainty over Covid19 regulations the tournament in 2021 isn’t really catering for the spectator, but make no mistake this venue could be one of the best spectator courses in the world.

Golf is a game and a game which should be enjoyable, as well as a challenge, and all can be found on this absolutely magnificent links course some 10 miles south of St Andrews.

Dumbarnie has the mix of holes, setting and space to host a Ryder Cup, or a Solheim Cup, should either of the two return to Scotland one day.

I photographed the course’s grand opening day last May, and then was fortunate enough to play the course for a full review which can be found in our annual print edition later this year. I can say the following: Having played Kingsbarns, Trump, the Castle Course, the Glashedy at Ballyliffin and both courses at the Fairmont, Dumbarnie Links is by far the finest new links course in Scotland, maybe the world.

A mix of challenging par fours, reachable par fives, driveable par fours and marvellous par three’s see this course provide everything you want from a top course.

Challenge and fun.

As a tournament venue it has two things going for it - space and elevation. I have heard rumblings that it isn’t a good spectator course - nonsense, it is, but this week it hasn’t been set up for that.

Dumbarnie should be the permanent home of the Women’s Scottish Open, to see the event and venue grow together. Players and fans alike would become familiar with the holes, and Dumbarnie would become a must-play destination across the world.

With the news that the Men’s Scottish Open is to become a co-sanctioned PGA Tour event what about removing Carnoustie from the Dunhill Links rota, making it a Scottish Open venue and adding Dumbarnie to Kingsbarns and the Old Course for an Autumn Classic in Fife?

The finish to the course is sure to provide drama this weekend with the Par 5 13th, Par 3 14th, Par 5 15th, Par 3 16th, risk-reward 17th and grand finale of the 18th.

Then just imagine the thousands of spectators on those dunes to the right of the 18th, it sends a shiver down the spine thinking of it. Dumbarnie is a superstar of a golf course playing host to the best in the world this week.