Nocera edges to victory in Open

CLOSING with a birdie for an ultimately unsteady round of 69, two-time Solheim Cup player Gwladys Nocera doubled her overnight lead of one shot and won the Scottish Ladies Open title over the Carrick course at Loch Lomond. The 32-year-old Frenchwoman finished on 208, five under par for the 54 holes and two shots clear of Sweden's Maria Boden. A cosmopolitan group containing Rebecca Hudson of England, Spain's Tania Elosegui and Austrian Nicole Gregely tied for third, three strokes back.

As many as four shots ahead with eight holes to play, Nocera stumbled slightly over the back nine with a brace of uncharacteristic bogeys, but no one was able to take advantage. Of those in with a serious chance of catching the leader, only Hudson, who came home in a sparkling 31 marred by three putts on the home green, played the closing nine holes under par. Still, when Nocera arrived on the 18th tee only one ahead, anything could have happened.

"It was hard to see all the good scores going up on the board," admitted the new champion, who took home ?30,000 for what was her sixth victory on the Ladies European Tour in only two years. "I hit a great drive at the last just when I needed it and it was lovely to see my putt go in for birdie."

Best placed of the six Scots were Clare Queen and Kathryn Imrie, who each finished in a tie for sixth on level par. Queen, whose attachment to the host club clearly did her no harm en route to a closing 70, matched the best finish of her three-year professional career.

Highlighted by a run of three birdies in four holes from the 8th, Queen's round was a consistent affair, her only blemishes coming at the short 2nd, where the former British Ladies Stroke-play champion missed the putting surface with her tee-shot, and the long 15th, where she three-putted. Not that she was unhappy with her week's work.

"I could have holed a few more putts, but I played really solidly," she said. "That I am slightly disappointed with a top-10 finish is a good sign. This is the first time I've had a real chance to win on the last day and I handled it well."

Less chuffed was Imrie, the former Solheim Cup player, travelling reserve, captain's assistant and television commentator – multi-tasking is apparently her thing – left frustrated by a round that promised much but ultimately failed to deliver. The root of her ultimate demise came at the 352-yard 4th hole, where two unscheduled visits to the pond left of fairway and green led to a disastrous triple-bogey made even more painful by the fact that the 40-year old from Monifeth had recorded two birdies in her first three holes and moved briefly into second place.

Thereafter, in fact, Imrie continued to play well but with little luck on the greens. Three successive birdie chances were spurned from the 5th before a spectacular pitch spun to a halt inches from the cup at the par-5 8th. One bogey and one birdie saw her home in 35, the three-footer she spilled at the last rather summing up her day. "I wish I could play the 4th hole again," she lamented.

"I should have hit a wee 9-iron rather than a big wedge for my approach. But the drive was really to blame. I struggled off the tee after that. Still, this is so far from where I've been with my golf recently. I was tired of hacking round in 76 and 77; that's no fun. But this, this is fun."

As for the most high profile member of the home contingent, Mhairi McKay found some late form with a closing 68 that hauled her into the lower reaches of the top-20. The former Solheim Cup player belatedly got things going on the greens, her four birdies more than making up for the lone shot she dropped at the long 15th.

"I finally felt like I got the putts rolling," she said. "That I had only 27 putts as compared with 34 in the second round says it all really."

The only US-based Scot to make the brief trip home, McKay then did the dutiful thing and thanked the tournament sponsors, Aberdeen Asset Management (whose name is coincidentally emblazoned on her clothing), for their support and expressed the hope that the event can find a spot on the schedule more suited to her compatriots Catriona Matthew and Janice Moodie.

"It's been a great week," she enthused. "We've had some great weather and the Carrick is a great track. It's been a nice way to kick off the season. I'll always come back for this event."

Memo to VisitScotland: sign this girl up immediately.