Scotland’s Carly Booth won the Tipsport Czech Ladies Open – her first win in seven years – despite a rollercoaster last round. Picture by TRISTAN JONES

SCOTLAND’S Carly Booth ended a seven-year wait for her third Ladies European Tour title with victory in the Tipsport Czech Ladies Open.

Booth carded rounds of 68, 69 and 70 for a 54-hole total of 207, nine-under-par, to win by one at Golf Resort Karlštejn.

Booth won both of her previous titles in 2012, at the Scottish and Swiss Opens, and was overwhelmed with emotion when she realised that she had posted the winning total.

After completing her final round, she asked a photographer what the leading score was and then how many people were on it.

He said: “Just you – you’ve won,” and she burst into tears.

“It was probably just as well I didn’t know what the situation was,” Booth admitted afterwards.

“I’m a little bit flabbergasted by the whole day. I played good golf and I really had to dig deep in the final round. I’m overwhelmed with happiness.

“It’s been seven years, so it’s a bit of a shock. Not knowing what the winning score was, I didn’t know anything about the leaderboard and I made a really solid par in the end.

“It’s a country that I love to visit, I’ve had some great results here in the Czech Republic in pro-ams and to win the tournament means more than anything.

“After seven years, finally, to get another victory, it’s amazing.”

Booth’s topsy-turvy round included seven birdies and five bogeys, having begun the final round tied for the lead with Nuutinen on seven-under.

But a nervy start saw her first drive go right, out of bounds, and then dropped three shots in her first four holes.

However, she produced a gutsy fightback with brilliant birdies on the fifth, seventh and ninth holes, to make the turn in level par, regaining a share of the lead.

At the fifth, she made a birdie putt from eight feet and then on the par-five seventh, she holed a massive left to right breaking putt from 20 feet, before hitting a punch wedge in to five feet at the ninth and converting the putt.

She took the outright advantage after birdies on the 11^th and 13^th holes, playing a five-iron shot into within six feet of the flag on the 11^th and then chipping in on the long 13^th

Back-to-back bogeys, followed even though she made a great up-and-down from 54 yards on the 15^th.

Her game plan was to birdie each of the final three holes and Carly managed two further gains, on the 16^th and 17^th, before finishing with a par on the last.

At the end of the round the new champion asked her caddie, Andy Carter, the golf professional at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai: “Have I just played golf, or been at Alton Towers?

“I never want to go on a rollercoaster again.”

Booth, originally from Comrie in Perthshire, headed home to Manchester straight after the tournament to celebrate over the Bank Holiday with her friends.

The Scot finished a stroke ahead of Finland’s Sanna Nuutinen, France’s Anais Meysonnier and English pair Charlotte Thompson and Hayley Davis , in the dual-ranking event with the LET Access Series.

Germany’s Olivia Cowan ended in sixth place and amateur Patricie Mackova was the leading Czech player in a share of 12^th.

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MI JUNG Hur fired a five-under par 66 – the joint lowest round of the day – to earn a four-stroke victory in the Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open, at The Renaissance Club.

The 29-year-old South Korean, who led by two at the halfway stage of the tournament after a nine-under par 62, came from a stroke back entering the final round to win with a 20-under total in wet conditions at North Berwick.

Despite having set the tournament scoring record after two rounds, and having earned a runner-up finish in the event at Dundonald two years ago, Hur revealed she had never previously been a fan of links golf.

“Actually, I don’t like links courses, but after this week, I love them,” said Hur, whose neon yellow waterproofs were decorated with the slogan “Win at all costs.”

Hur claimed her first LPGA Tour victory as a rookie in 2009 and then another five years ago in 2014.

Five years had passed since her last title and it was her first victory after getting married last year.

Mi Jung thanked her Scottish caddie Gary Marshall for helping to keep her clubs and balls dry – and for encouragement throughout the severe and changeable conditions over the four days.

Hur revealed: “On the first day, I made a birdie and then two bogeys. Then Gary told me on the fourth hole, come on MJ, you can win this.

“He said that again today – again on the fourth tee after I’d just made a three-putt – so that helped a lot.”

Hur began her final round with a bogey on the third hole and trailed after eight holes.

But she made her first birdie of the day on the par-three ninth, sinking a putt from six feet, to enter a four-way tie for the lead.

After making her fourth straight birdie putt, from just inside 30 feet, on the par-five 12^th hole, the Texas-based professional felt she could win the tournament.

She made another great putt from five feet on the 16^th to grab a three-stroke advantage – and then polished off the round with her sixth birdie of the day on the 18th.

US Women’s Open champion Jeongeun Lee6, who shot a final round of 70, and third-round leader Moriya Jutanugarn (71) tied for second position on 16-under, with 2017 Scottish Open champion Mi Hyang Lee a stroke back in fourth place.

Thailand’s defending champion Ariya Jutanugarn was two shots further adrift in fifth.

With a tie for sixth, alongside Minjee Lee and Elizabeth Szokol, Holland’s Anne Van Dam moved up to second on the LET Solheim Cup points list.

The host nation’s hopes had rested on Carly Booth, who was tied for ninth and won the Douglas Lowe Memorial Trophy as the top performing Scot in the tournament, after a final round 71.

Open raises £9k for Dementia UK

DEMENTIA UK,  who provide specialist dementia support for families through its Admiral Nurse service, benefited to the tune of £9,050 as the Official Charity of the Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club this week.

Part of that figure came from a ‘birdie pledge’ initiative, backed by the title sponsors whereby every birdie and eagle made by the professionals resulted in £5 and £10 being contributed to the fundraising tally

The scheme raised £7,566, with 1,339 birdies and 43 eagles being made across the four tournament days.

An additional three-hole-in-ones – by Laura Davies, Cajsa Persson and Jacqui Concolino – contributed an additional £441 with £1 being donated for every yard of the tee shot holed.

The birdie pledge contribution combined with the sale of daily prize draw raffle tickets and donations for official draw sheets, contributed close to £1,500 to the total amount.

The remainder was raised through kind gestures made at Dementia UK’s exhibition stand in the tournament village.

Dementia UK’s director of fundraising Martin Bishop said: “We are extremely grateful to everyone at Aberdeen Standard Investments and everyone involved in the Ladies Scottish Open and the staff at The Renaissance Club for supporting Dementia UK and raising this great amount.

“The Ladies Scottish Open is a fantastic event with some spectacular golf on a superb course and the money raised through everyone’s passion and dedication is simply amazing.

“The funds raised will go a long way in helping families facing dementia through our specialist Admiral Nurse service and our national Dementia Helpline.”

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To mark International Women’s Day on Friday 8 March, Scottish Golf is pleased to announce that Scottish professional, Carly Booth, will support the national governing body as an ambassador for women and girls’ golf in Scotland.

Carly Booth is set to support Scottish Golf’s plans to grow the game among women and girls in the Home of Golf after it was announced on International Women’s Day that the former Scottish Girls’ Champion will partner the national governing body as an ambassador for women and girls’ golf.

A two-time winner on the Ladies European Tour, Booth has enjoyed success both at amateur and professional level and is looking forward to playing an active role in supporting Scottish Golf to deliver on its vision of making golf Scotland’s game for everyone.

Booth, who is currently in Australia for the Women’s New South Wales Open, will work with Scottish Golf in her new ambassadorial role to raise the profile of women and girls’ golf through a number of exciting initiatives in 2019.

Commenting on the news, Carly Booth said: “If there is one thing that I am passionate about, it’s encouraging girls and women into golf and sport. So, with that in mind, I am both ecstatic and honoured to have the opportunity to work with Scottish Golf to spread that message as wide as I possibly can. The game of golf has given me so much over the years and I’m very fortunate to be in the position to help support the many initiatives that Scottish Golf is planning.”

Speaking on today’s announcement, CEO at Scottish Golf, Andrew McKinlay said: “Carly is an extremely popular role model in golf, and we are delighted to be working with her to encourage more women and young girls to take up the game here in its home. Having had a fantastic career both as an amateur and as a professional, Carly’s commitment to be the best she can makes her an excellent role model for other women and girls in Scotland. We are looking forward to working with Carly through a number of exciting projects this year.”

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