British Open Amateur
Girls Championship:
Walker Averts Takeover
By Peter Donald
Electronic Telegraph

SOPHIE WALKER from Kenwick Park, who won the English girls' title last week, prevented a Continental monopoly at the top of the leader board in the British Open Amateur Girls' Championship at Blairgowrie yesterday.

Walker, 16, from Lincolnshire, who plays off a handicap of three, repeated her first round 73 for a two-under 36-hole total at the end of the qualifying stage. After a night and morning of steady rain the course played much longer than on the opening day and, with several pins placed towards the back of the greens, scoring was more difficult. Walker was a model of consistency, putting together 17 pars punctuated with a birdie at the ninth.

Rachel Bell from Ganton, a member of England's team of three, also lifted herself into a respectable qualifying position with a par 74 for a total of 150.

The day however was dominated by Tullia Calzavara, 16, from Venice ,who took over the top qualifying spot with a five-under 69. It was a record for the Rosemount Championship course and followed on the record 63 which she shot in competition at King's Links in Aberdeen last week.

Calzavara, the Italian under-21 champion who has turned down a trip to Montego Bay to play in the Belgian Junior Nations Cup, dropped a shot at the short third hole but more than compensated with six birdies.

Audrey Riguelle, of France, had to settle for third place with a 75 spoiled by an inward half during which she dropped three strokes in the space of five holes.

Olivia Briggs of Delamere Forest, a member of England's team, qualified safely on 151 but was less than happy with a 77. She was one under par with three to play but finished bogey, bogey, double bogey.

Welsh champion Kate Phillips won through to the matchplay stage which begins today with a second round one over par 75 for 153 but Louise Kenney, the Scottish titleholder failed to make the last place on a play-off. Only one Scot will feature in the matchplay stages, Laura Wells of Dumfries, who qualified on 153.

BRITISH GIRLS OPEN CH'SHIP (Rosemount course, Blairgowrie).- Qualifiers: 143-T Calzavara (Italy) 74, 69. 144-N Azam (Switzerland) 73, 71. 145-A Riguelle (France) 70, 75. 146-S Walker (Kenwick Park) 73, 73; A Vilatte (France) 76, 70; C Grignolo (Italy) 71, 75. 147-I Diaz Negrete (Spain) 75, 72; S Giquel (France) 72, 75; I Baon (Spain) 75, 72. 148-D-C Schreefel (Holland) 75, 73; M Bazin de Jessey (France) 76, 72; I de la Lama (Spain) 73, 75. 149-E Zoethout (Holland) 75, 74. 150-R Bell (Ganton) 76, 74; C Alonso (Spain) 75, 75; R Ruiz del Portal (Spain) 77, 73. 151-O Briggs (Delamere Forest) 74, 77; C Cervera (Spain) 73, 78; A Orholm (Denmark) 74, 77. 152-A Highgate (Cottrell Park) 75, 77; L Sibille (France) 77, 75; P Laisne (France) 78, 74. 153-D Masters (Rochester & Cobham) 78, 75; J Issler (Germany) 77, 76; K Phillips (Cardiff) 78, 75; L Wells (Dumfries & Co) 75, 78; M Dunne (Skerries) 74, 79; L Stahle (Sweden) 73, 80. 154-M Recasens (Spain) 77, 77; L Saether (Norway) 76, 78; L Soellner (Germany) 77, 77. 155-A Zwanck (Spain) 78, 77 (after play-off).

Draw: Calzavara v Zwanck, Orholm v Alonso, Giquel v Phillips, Issler v Baon, Walker v Stahle, Sibille v De la Lama, Zoethout v Laisne, Recansens v Vilatte, Riquelle v Soellner, Cervera v Ruiz del Portal, Schreefel v Highgate, Dunne v Grignolo, Diaz Negrete v Wells, Masters v Bazin de Jessey, Bell v Briggs, Saether v Azam.