gemmadryburgh

Having ploughed a lone furrow on the biggest stage in women’s golf for the best part of a decade, Catriona Matthew is delighted she’ll have Gemma Dryburgh for company on the LPGA next season after the Aberdonian’s recent card success at the circuit’s Qualifying School. Dryburgh, a 24-year-old who is based in Buckinghamshire, passed the gruelling test at LPGA International at Daytona Beach in Florida with flying colours, finishing joint-13th in a battle among 165 players for 20 coveted spots on a circuit that will be worth a record $68.75 million in 2018.

Matthew, Scotland’s long-time No 1, has played most of her golf on the LPGA since 1995, winning four times, including the 2009 Ricoh Women’s British Open, and wasn’t alone in flying the Saltire on the US-based circuit in the early part of a glittering career. For a spell, in fact, four Scots were LPGA card holders, with Matthew joining Kathryn Imrie, who blazed a trail across the Atlantic in 1993, before the pair were backed up from 1998 onwards by Janice Moodie and Mhairi McKay. Imrie, who played under her married name of Marshall for a spell, won the Jamie Farr Toledo Classic in 1995; Moodie claimed the ShopRite LPGA Classic in 2000 and the Asahi Ryokuken International Championship two years later; while McKay triumphed in the 2003 Australian Women’s Open. “It has not been since Janice, Mhairi and Kathryn played that Scotland has had more than one representative on the LPGA with full cards – Vikki Laing had a conditional status on and off – so it will be nice finally to have two,” said Matthew of Dryburgh’s achievement. “Gemma has played very consistently all year and that’s what a Qualifying School is about. You need to be steady and avoid big numbers and just be patient. She showed a lot of ambition and drive to go through the whole qualifying process. “It is a also good thing to get your card this year as the qualification system all changes next year for the 2019 season. It is becoming like the [men’s] PGA Tour, so the only way you can get a card is via the Symetra Tour [the LPGA’s development circuit].” Wearing her Solheim Cup captain’s hat, Matthew was also pleased to see Georgia Hall earn her LPGA card for the first time, believing the tougher tests it provides can only help the promising young English player go from strength to strength after topping the LET Order of Merit this season. “Georgia has been playing well all year and it was really no surprise that she came through the Qualifying School,” added the North Berwick woman, speaking at an Aberdeen Standard Investments golf clinic. “It’s the natural next step for her to play with the best players week in, week out and she has the game and attitude to do well.

“It is amazing, really, that she has not yet won as a professional. Certainly how she played at the Solheim Cup this year, it looks as though she could be a great player. Hopefully she will come back and play in some LET events as well next season as I think the schedule, from what I’ve heard anyway, is going to be a lot better and hopefully that comes to fruition.”

Matthew recently paid her first visit to Gleneagles since being appointed as Annika Sorenstam’s successor in September and the 48-year-old is confident the 2019 Solheim Cup – the third staging of the event in the home of golf – will be every bit as successful at the five-star Perthshire resort as the Ryder Cup four years ago. “I just went up to have a look and it went really well,” she said. “With Gleneagles having already staged the Ryder Cup, they know what they are doing and will also have learned certain things they might do differently. “I played the course in May for the first time since it had not long opened and I thought it was a lot better following changes that had been made to it for the Ryder Cup. The run-offs that were introduced by Paul McGinley are really good. I enjoyed it and thought it was a good golf course.”

One of Matthew’s next tasks in preparation for the 2019 match will be picking her vice captains. “It’s a bit early,” she said when asked about that aspect of her job. “I’ve had a few thoughts about who I might ask, but it will be spring next year when we will announce a couple. I wouldn’t like to say just yet.”

By Martin Dempster

Aberdeen’s Gemma Dryburgh will start her fledgling career on the US Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour at the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic from January 25-28.

Gemma became the first Scot to clinch a full LPGA tour card since 1998, at the final qualifying school stage at Daytona Beach in Florida in December.

She will also play in the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open from February 15-18 and in two LET co-sanctioned tournaments in Australia in the two following weeks.

The 24-year-old carded rounds of 72, 73, 71 and 68 to finish tied for 13th place and secure one of the 20 spots on offer.

Gemma, who also retained her European Ladies Tour card, said: “I am so pleased with my performance to earn my full LPGA tour card.

“I felt very calm out there in the last round and I just let myself play.

“It was a long week, having played four rounds already, and I did my best to stay patient.

“Now I am really looking forward to the 2018 season on the LPGA. I have been working towards this since I was about 15 and it’s nice to see the hard work pay off.

“I’m grateful to my parents, as I would not be anywhere without them, and I’d like to thank my coaches, sponsors and friends who have supported me and the SGU and LGU (now R&A) for all the opportunities they afforded me during my amateur career.

“I’m looking forward to having a full schedule on the LPGA and LET and to the additional commercial exposure it will give me.

“That should help me attract good sponsors, which I need to help me meet the additional costs in my early months on tour in the States.

“I would love to have a sponsor with a connection to Aberdeen or Scotland to help me.

“I also want to thank SSE, who are an energy supply company HQed in Perth. Their support this year was invaluable.

“After Australia, I will be at home for a couple of weeks before heading to the US west coast and Hawaii for a good run of tournaments.

“My aim is to win a spot at the first major of the year, the ANA Championship at Mission Hills GC by Palm Springs in late March. The name of the tournament has changed over the last few years but people will know it from the traditional winner’s jump into the famous Poppie’s Pond.

“I have good memories from playing over the ANA course at the Stage 1 LPGA Q School in 2015, when I graduated.

“I had six birdies in my final round and played really well.

“My next LET tournament after the Australian ones will be the Scottish Ladies, which is a joint LPGA/LET event at Gullane and I will be hoping to play in the British and Evian, which are also joint sanctioned events.

“Entry to those events will be prize-money dependent but both are LPGA events with a few LET spots, so it is much easier to qualify from the LPGA.

“I’ll also play in Dubai again in December. Ideally I’ll play in more events to maintain my LET card.

“I know I have a long way to go but I would love to establish myself this year and make a real push to be in Catriona Mathew’s Solheim team in Gleneagles.

“To play in a Solheim Cup on home soil would be magical and it’s a huge motivator to me.

“My game improved in all of the key target areas in 2017 thanks to my coach Lawrence Farmer and some others.

“My swing is now coming more inside through the hitting area.

“The result is I’m hitting the ball further from both tee and approach shots and, as a result of putting Callaway Epic fairway woods and hybrids in the bag I have removed much of the damaging spin from longer approach shots.

“My putting and green reading have also improved hugely with the help of Phil Kenyon’s number two, Mike Kanski.”

Gemma has also been working with the Chimp Management organisation (Chris Hoy and UK cycling’s mental coaches) on her mental game.

“I believe I am now much more in control on the course as a result of that work,” added Gemma.

“All of that work will continue through 2018 but I’ll give more priority to shot-making, including improving shots where I’m in between clubs, high soft landing cut shots and low shots into the wind and the like.

“Other key targets are to improve my accuracy in wedge-play from 50-100 yards and to continue to hone my finishing skills on the green.”

Former Curtis Cup player Gemma attended Elrick Primary School as a youngster before moving south to Beaconsfield with her family in her teens.

By Alan Brown

I cannot wait to get my 2018 season started this week in the Bahamas! Even though I played in two LPGA events in 2017, this is my first tournament as a full member of the LPGA. I have gained valuable experience over the past two years as a professional, but I am sure everything will be on a bigger scale than I have ever experienced before. Which is very exciting!

Playing on the LPGA has been a goal of mine since I was about 15 years old. So when I qualified through Q school in December, I was absolutely ecstatic! My parents were too, they have supported me throughout my career so seeing the hard work payoff is really rewarding.

Here are a couple of pictures of the three of us after the final round and later that evening celebrating with a very nice dinner and then a few drinks to follow! Or a few bevvies as we’d say in Scotland.

After Q school I flew straight to Dubai to play in the final LET event of the year. I flew from Orlando on the Monday and arrived Tuesday afternoon in Dubai. The tournament started on the Wednesday so it was a very quick turnaround. Despite the long flight and the jet lag, I was pleased with how I played.

One of the highlights of the tournament for me was getting to play with Dame Laura Davies in the third round. She is someone I have always admired and followed ever since I can remember. It was also a treat that she shot an amazing round of -6 with nine birdies to shoot up the leaderboard that day. I must admit I was nervous playing with her, but what a great experience and hopefully I get to play with her again soon.

In the end I finished T33 with a nice 68 to finish off my season. After the tournament I stayed on for a few more days with two close friends of mine who came to watch me play. It was a much needed break after a long season and a busy end to the year. We explored Dubai and also Abu Dhabi.

Here are a couple of pictures, the first one taken during the tournament with my two friends spectating in the background. The second one is us on a quad biking adventure through the sand dunes of the desert.

After staying a few extra days in Dubai, I came home and took two more weeks off from golf. It was a much needed break and also a good time to do it as the weather at home was not ideal for golf.

Since then I have been back to practice and enjoying getting ready for the 2018 season. Last week I practiced at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida to put in some final prep for this week. IMG was where I went to finish my high school years so it is always nice to go back as the facilities are fantastic.

Now I must go and continue my preparations for this week. I am extremely excited to get started and I know I will be nervous come the first round on Thursday, but I truly believe that if you learn to deal with nerves you can use them to your advantage. I also have in the back of my mind that at the end of the day whatever happens, I get to play golf for a living so life can never be too bad!

I’m also in the Bahamas… so that’s not too bad either!

Indian teenager Aditi Ashok earned her third Ladies European Tour title in 12 months after a tense finish to the Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open in Abu Dhabi. The 19-year-old from Bangalore began the final day at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club with a two-stroke lead and seemed to be in cruise control for most of the round. She made a nervy start with a bogey on the fifth hole, but bounced back with six birdies in her next 11 holes to open a four-stroke advantage with three holes to play. Then, from nowhere, she four-putted at the par-3 17th reducing her lead to just one stroke over Georgia Hall. She watched from the tee as the Englishwoman made a par four on the difficult 18th and then stepped up to make her own par under extreme pressure, playing a perfect approach shot up to the green over water on the closing hole. Explaining her aberration on the 17th, Aditi said: “It wasn’t really nerves, I think I just lapsed for a bit and made a four-putt. I was playing okay all day, but didn’t make as many birdie putts as I wanted to. I’m just glad I came out on top. I had my game plan and wasn’t too aggressive. I just kept giving myself birdie putts and that was the plan on 17 as well. I don’t know how I ended up four-putting and I did the same on 18, gave myself a birdie putt and it didn’t go in, so I guess that was the story of my putting today, but the birdies in the middle helped.” With rounds of 67, 66, 68 and 69, and a winning score of 18-under-par, the second-year professional golfer finished a stroke ahead of Hall and took home a first prize cheque for €70,788. Hall finished as the bridesmaid for the second successive year, her final round of 66 being the joint best score of the day. She said afterwards: “I’m a little bit disappointed because I thought I needed an eight-under today and I was ticking the shots off in my head. I hit the ball great all week, but I putted poorly and didn’t hole anything today. All my birdie chances were inside 10 feet. Aditi played great again and managed to get a par on the last, so well done to her. “I played one of the best long games I have played all year but the putts weren’t going in and I was in between clubs on the last hole and went for the longer one. Maybe a bit of adrenaline went through me and I hit it too long but I made a good up and down. As far as I knew, I thought Aditi was 20-under so I was three behind going down the last, so I didn’t think I had a chance. If I had known, then maybe things would have been different.” Camilla Lennarth, who had fellow Swede Sophie Gustafson on her bag for the first time, finished a stroke further back in outright third place on 16-under, having birdied three of the last four holes, with Cheyenne Woods of the United States in fourth and Linda Wessberg in fifth. Ellie Givens, who had played in the final group, tied for 11th place and Lee-Anne Pace, who had led for the first two rounds, shared 27th place. It was Aditi Ashok who was handed the trophy by the UAE’s Minister of State for Happiness, Ohood bint Khalfan Al Roumi and the rising Indian star was finally able to smile. It was her third LET title, following her previous back-to-back wins at the Hero Women’s Indian Open and Qatar Ladies Open in her rookie season in 2016. She will look to emulate that feat next week when she heads to her home country to begin her defence of the Hero Women’s Indian Open, starting on Friday at DLF Golf Club in Gurgaon.

Aberdeen’s Gemma Dryburgh finished joint sixth with scores of 70, 71, 68 and 67 for a total of 276.
Catriona Matthew finished T38 on 282 with scores of 71, 71, 70 and 70.
Kylie Henry, the only other Scot to make the cut, finished T47 on 286 (69-69-74-74)

Aberdeen’s Gemma Dryburgh, by finishing joint 15th in a big field at the LPGA Tour Q School Stage 2 event at Venice, Florida on Sunday, was the only Scot to gain a place at the LPGA Qualifying School’s Final Stage next month. Former Curtis Cup player Dryburgh had rounds of 74, 72, 70 and 69 for 285 – nine shots behind the winner, England’s Georgia Hall (71-68-69-68 for 12-under 276).

Michele Thomson from Ellon failed by one stroke to make the top 80 and ties who will advance to the Final Stage. After dismal rounds of 74, 78 and 76, the former Scottish champion and Curtis Cup player hit peak form with a final-round 68 for 296. She had four double bogeys in her second round.
Vikki Laing from Edinburgh had scores of 74, 71, 79 and 78 for 302. Glasgow’s Kylie Henry totalled 305 with rounds of 76, 74, 77 and 78. She finished a shot ahead of Comrie’s Carly Booth who scored 75, 75, 77 and 79 for 306.
Duke University final-year student Leona Maguire from Ireland tied for ninth on 281 (70-69-70-72) but won’t take up her place at the Final Stage.
Maguire, the world’s No. 1 amateur, said she’s committed to returning to Duke to finis her collegiate career but will turn pro next summer and take advantage of the Symetra Tour status she earned this week at Q-School’s second stage.
“My team always comes first,” Maguire said. “I’ve always wanted to get my Duke degree, and I have a plan of what I’m going to do: Come here this week, get Symetra status and then be ready to go in May after graduation.”

LPGA TOUR QUALIFYING SCHOOL STAGE 2
Venice, Florida.
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
par 288 (4×72)
276 G Hall (Eng) 71 68 69 68.
278 C Rozsa (Hun) 67 68 72 71
279 M Maclaren (Eng) 72 69 70 68, G Then (USA) 73 67 69 70.
SELECTED TOTALS
280 L Strom (Swe) (am) 70 74 68 68 (T5).
281 L Maguire (Ire) (am) 70 68 70 72 (T9)
285 G Dryburgh (Sco) 74 72 70 69 (T15)
290 L Hall (EWal) 73 71 74 72 (T40)
295 C Thomas (Eng) 71 71 76 77 (T80).

MISSED THE CUT
296 M Thomson (Sco) 74 78 76 68.
297 A Dimmock (Eng) 71 77 75 74
301 A Boulden (Wal) 76 76 80 69,
302 V Laing (Sco) 74 71 79 78.
303 A Knowles (Eng) 74 77 78 74.
305 K Henry (Sco) 76 74 77 78
306 C Booth (Sco) 75 75 77 79.

Ladies European Tour players Gemma Dryburgh and Kelsey MacDonald join Ross Kellett, Ewen Ferguson and Grant Forrest in adding their names to the list of players to have benefited from being part of Team SSE Scottish Hydro since its launch in 2011.

“However, it is now time to try and help the next generation of young Scottish professionals and we are delighted that five out of the six players receiving support this year are newcomers to Team SSE Scottish Hydro,” said Colin Banks, head of sponsorship & reward at SSE Scottish Hydro.

“Over the past six years, Team SSE Scottish Hydro players have won two Ladies European Tour events, four European Challenge Tour events and seven players have won their full European Tour card.

“We hope that, in some way, SSE has made a difference and helped them to achieve this. This is an exciting time for Scottish golf and we look forward to following this year’s players as they continue their development to the top tier of European golf.”

Aberdeen-born Dryburgh (above) is in her second season on the Ladies European Tour, finishing 60th on the money-list last year, when she also made it to the final of LPGA Qualifying School in Florida, while MacDonald enjoyed her best season so far on the LET last year, finishing 56th on the Order of Merit.

“I am really excited and honoured to be part of Team SSE Scottish Hydro this year,” said Dryburgh. “To be involved with some of the best up-and-coming Scottish golfers is very exciting and motivates me to keep improving my game.

“The help from SSE Scottish Hydro will be so valuable and I can’t thank them enough for their support in my second year as a professional.”

Kellett (above) and Law have both just started their fourth Challenge Tour campaigns, having claimed 48th and 72nd spots on last year’s Road to Oman, while Ferguson and Forrest are both in their first full seasons in the professional ranks and are also benefiting from a new initiative by Scottish Golf and three key stakeholders to ease the transition from amateur to professional.

“I am delighted to be receiving support from Team SSE Scottish Hydro this year,” said Kellett. “They have been a huge supporter for golf in this country now for many years and continue to support not only Challenge Tour players but our own event on that circuit in Aviemore each year.

“The support has proven very worthwhile for many players over the years progressing to the main tour and I am excited to be part of this support for the 2017 season.”

Scotland will have a new face on the Ladies European Tour scene this year, one with ambitions to fulfil, namely Aberdeen native Gemma Dryburgh.

The 22-year-old joined Nairn’s Kelsey MacDonald in securing top-10 cards at the end-of-season Qualifying School in Morocco to quickly secure full LET playing rights.

Dryburgh, who only recently turned professional after graduating from Tulane University in New Orleans in May, was impressive in handling the heat in Marrakech. Now the former Curtis Cup player is looking forward to joining Pamela Pretswell, Kylie Walker, Sally Watson, Carly Booth and Vikki Laing as Scots regulars on the circuit this season. We caught up with her at the 19^th Hole…

Gemma, how pleased are you to have secured a LET card at the first attempt?

GD: “I’m very pleased, especially on my first attempt. It feels great to be on a main tour six months after graduating from University. This is what I have been working towards ever since I decided to do college golf in the US.”

Having missed out on a LPGA Tour card, it must have been a great relief?

GD: “Yes, it was. I was really happy with my overall performance in the LPGA Q School. It was really tough, but I gained so much experience from it. To follow the disappointment of the LPGA final stage with a seventh-place finish in Morocco was such a thrill.”

You must have been pleased to handle the pressure over the five rounds?

GD: “I was very pleased with how I handled it. There is no doubt that I gained so much confidence from doing the LPGA Q School. Just the experience of getting through Stage 1, Stage 2 and just missing out in Stage 3 gave me a lot of confidence to take forward to the LET final qualifier. The confidence I brought to Morocco really helped me keep calm during all five rounds.”

What are your ambitions now going forward?

GD: “One of my main goals is to win a tournament in 2016, and also to be Rookie of the Year.”

What Scots golfers have inspired you to succeed?

GD: “Catriona Mathew has been a major inspiration to me. She has given me great advice over the past year. I also love to watch her play, she keeps things very simple. She is also a fierce competitor, which I really admire.”

Is the Solheim Cup in 2019 at Gleneagles on your radar?

GD:  “Yes, it definitely is! When I heard that the 2019 Solheim Cup would be played at Gleneagles, I said to myself: ‘You’ve got to be there in that team.’ It would be amazing to play a Solheim Cup anywhere, but it would be extra special to play for Europe on Scottish soil.”

Explain your golf background and progression from a youth.

Dryburgh relishing exciting year ahead

GD: “I started hitting golf balls when I was about four years old. I used to go to the range with my Dad. I would also sometimes play when we went on holiday. I got my first handicap of 36 when I was 12 years old.

“I loved to play a lot of other sports as well, especially football. But eventually when I reached the age of 15 I decided to stop playing football and concentrate on my golf. That is when I moved to Bradenton, Florida to attend David Leadbetter’s Academy. After two-and-a-half years at the Academy, I went to Tulane University.”

How much have you benefitted from playing for Scotland and working with the Scottish Ladies’ Golfing Association (SLGA) in your amateur days?

GD: “Playing for Scotland while I was an amateur was an amazing experience. I got so many opportunities to play in top amateur tournaments around the world.

“Some notable ones I was lucky enough to play in were the World Amateur Championship in Japan, the Spirit International in Texas, and two South American Amateurs in Colombia and Peru. Playing in two European Team Championships were also major highlights. Without the help of the SLGA, I would not have gained all of that international experience.”

How much did college golf in the US help you?

GD: “Playing college golf for Tulane University was the best decision I ever made. I had so much fun playing in a team environment, and I learnt so much along the way. I was lucky enough to work with some amazing coaches while I was there, who helped me improve my game every year. Each season we were competing against some of the best amateurs in the world so that really helped to raise my game.”

What would be your advice for young Scots girls keen on getting into golf?

GD: “My advice would be to get out on the course and try to play in as many tournaments as you can. Playing tournaments and competing is the best part about golf. You will never know if you really love the game if you are just hitting balls on the range all of the time. Get out there and play with your friends, even if it isn’t a tournament. Compete against each other, that is always the best way to learn, and the fastest.”

World No. 1, Lydia Ko, is looking ahead to the ground-breaking Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open at Dundonald Links from the 27th – 30th July.

Speaking ahead of her second appearance at the Championship this summer, which will be played at the same venue as the Men’s Scottish open for the first time for an increased prize fund of US$1.5m Ko, said, “I’m really excited to be coming back to the Scotland, ‘The Home of Golf’ to compete against the best players from both the LPGA and LET and play at Dundonald Links. The course is extremely different to what we play week-in-week-out in the US and it’ll be interesting to see how the men play the course a few weeks before us. I’ll be keeping my eye on the coverage to see if I can learn anything from them.”

Looking back to her past links’ experience, 20-year-old Ko, added: “I love that you have to be creative at a links course and there’s so many factors that can affect your game. The last time that I played this event I went on to record my best finish in the Ricoh Women’s British Open so I’m hoping that it will help prepare me for this year’s Championship.”

Ko spoke to the media as part of a joint-promotion of the Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open and the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open, which will both be played at Dundonald over the coming weeks.

Joining her in support of the championship was second year Ladies European Tour player, Gemma Dryburgh, who grew up in Aberdeen. She is looking to qualify for her second appearance in the event and at the media day, former Open Champion Paul Lawrie joined her for a clinic with Scottish sports stars Steven Naismith and Eve Muirhead.

Talking about the co-sanctioning agreement between the LET and LPGA, Dryburgh said: “It’s amazing to have the chance to play such a big tournament in my home country and It’s exciting to have the opportunity to play against some of the best players in the world. I played my first Scottish Open here last year and had three steady rounds but I hope I can put on a good show for the locals and I’m up for the challenge.”

Dryburgh will be joined by confirmed global stars including world no. 2 Ariya Jutanugarn, Major champions Michelle Wie, Suzann Pettersen and Catriona Matthew, 2016 Ladies European Tour No. 1, Beth Allen, English sensation, Charley Hull and of course, the 2016 champion, Frenchwoman Isabelle Boineau, who looks to defend her title.

Taking place the week before the Ricoh Women’s British Open at Kingsbarns in 2017, the Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open will kick off a superb two weeks of women’s links golf in Scotland. The back-to-back stretch of events echoes the successful strategy employed by the Men’s Scottish Open taking place the week before The Open – an approach proven to be a competitive advantage for those players competing in both Championships. The Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open is also a key element of Scotland’s commitments to the staging of The 2019 Solheim Cup at Gleneagles.

Scotland’s Gemma Dryburgh opened with a four-under-par 68 to take a one stroke lead at the Lalla Meryem Cup in Rabat, Morocco.

The 23-year-old from Aberdeen had five birdies and one bogey on the Blue Course at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam and said that she would go to bed happy knowing that she was ahead of Suzann Pettersen, Nicole Garcia, Klára Spilková and Lydia Hall.

“It’s a very good feeling. I’ll be up early tomorrow and get the ball rolling,” said the second-year Ladies European Tour player. “I just have to do the same thing: play my game, stick to the game plan and one shot at a time. It’s obviously very early in the tournament so I’ll keep patient.”

She picked up birdies on the second, ninth, 11th, 12th and 14th holes, with just a single mistake on the par-4 13th and added: “I played really well and my putting was especially good. I only had 20 putts and I didn’t hit that many greens. I had a couple of up and downs. The greens are immaculate, they are rolling really well and if you hit it on the right line, they will go in.”

Scotswoman Gemma Dryburgh claimed her first professional title on Tuesday, shooting a superb second round five-under-par 68 to take the Oatlands Ladies Classic by one shot from Australia’s Rebecca Artis on the Australian Ladies Professional Golf Tour.

Dryburgh, who hails from Aberdeen, started the day two shots off the lead held by France’s Alex Bonetti and England’s Charlotte Thomas after an opening three-under-par 70 and played a flawless round of golf in the hot breezy conditions to clinch the title.

The 23-year-old sports fanatic was delighted with her win and said: “This is a big moment for me, winning my first professional tournament. It was my dad’s birthday yesterday and I would like to dedicate this win to him. They were drinking prosecco back in the UK before I played and they are probably celebrating with another for breakfast now they know I have won.”

Dryburgh completed a solid rookie year on the Ladies European Tour in 2016, finishing 60th on the Order of Merit after an impressive amateur career which included representing Great Britain and Ireland in the Curtis Cup and Scotland in the Espirito Santo Trophy.