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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EUROPEAN vice-captain Suzann Pettersen is gunning for a Solheim Cup pick and will tee up in this week’s Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open looking to impress captain Catriona Matthew.

Pettersen and Matthew played together in the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational three weeks ago, which was Pettersen’s first start in 20 months, following the birth of her first child, Herman.

Although the pair didn’t make the cut, Pettersen is out to prove herself worthy of one of Matthew’s four picks at The Renaissance Club when the action gets under way on Thursday.

“Obviously I would love to play. It’s the biggest and best stage in golf,” said Pettersen, when asked if she would like to play in her ninth Solheim Cup, taking place at Gleneagles, in Scotland, next month.

“I would love to play, if my game is up to it. It’s hard to really tell and that’s why I would love to play this week just to see – and we are picking the team in a week’s time,” Suzann added.

“I’m not the one who will pick the final four. I’ve told Beany (Matthew) I would love to, but I also need to show some signs of good form.

“Had you talked to me in April, I would have said, ‘No chance,’ but things have changed a bit.

“First of all, I’m a vice-captain, but if she wants me to play, I’ll be honoured and I’ll take that as a credit. Not even I know that.”

When Matthew was asked, at a press conference, about Pettersen’s chances – and whether a Scottish Open win might put her into the frame for selection – the captain replied: “I suppose you need to ask Suzann that…

“But it’s great to see her playing. I played with her and she was impressive and looked like she had not been away.

“She was perhaps a little unsure of how she might play with being out of the game for probably the year-and-a-half she was.

“I think just from talking to her, she’s kind of got that bug back in her system and is keen to start playing again.

“Obviously she’s got the experience there. I would say she’s looking good, actually. I think she’s looking confident.

“She putted well at the Dow. So it will be interesting to see how she does this week.”

The Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open is the final qualification event for the European Solheim Cup team.

It will provide a gripping subplot as the players try to catch Matthew’s eye or earn their place on the team.

Ladies European Tour members will be awarded points for top 10 finishes, with 70 points available for a win down to seven points for 10^th position in the ‘host event’.

The top three places on the team, currently occupied by Carlota Ciganda, Caroline Hedwall and Anne Van Dam, qualify from the European Solheim Cup points list, while the next five spots – currently held by Charley Hull, Georgia Hall, Azahara Muñoz, Caroline Masson and Anna Nordqvist – come via the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings.

The other players in the field, who are in the frame, include Yorkshire’s LPGA winner Bronte Law, Frenchwoman Celine Boutier, German rookie Esther Henseleit, Norwegian Marianne Skarpnord, English pair Mel Reid and Meghan MacLaren and Denmark’s Nicole Broch Larsen.

Matthew added: “If you look mathematically, there’s a lot of people who could still potentially play their way in.

“There’s still a big pool. I’m looking at a slightly smaller one, but you have to be ready for that unexpected result.

“Obviously I’ve got my eye on a few people and I think, as a player, you kind of know…

“Some of them haven’t had the results the last couple of weeks they would have liked and know they have to put in a big week this week. I think everyone kind of hopefully knows what they need to do.”

Matthew has been drawn with Reid and Hedwall, starting at 1.04pm on Thursday, while Pettersen has been drawn with Van Dam and Boutier, starting from the 10^th at 7.33am.

Fellow European Solheim Cup vice-captain Laura Davies has been drawn with Law and Broch Larsen, teeing off at 12.53pm.

The European team will be announced at a press conference at Gleneagles at 2pm on Monday, following the final round of the Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open.

The North Berwick tournament is the penultimate qualification event for the United States’ Solheim Cup side, led by captain Juli Inkster.

The USA team will be revealed following the CP Women’s Open in Canada, on August 25.

The fulll draw for the first round of the Ladies Scottish Open can be seen here

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