16-year-old plays two rounds of golf and then sits higher english exam in clubhouse
Tain teenager Vass turns giantkiller at Lossie
Published:
You couldn’t make up a better, little girl makes good story. But this one is true and it all enfolded on another day which ended in glorious sunshine at Lossiemouth.
Sixteen-year-old champion-ship debutante Sammy Vass, from Tain, had the kind of day in the Scottish women’s amateur golf tournament she will remember for the rest of her life.
Having squeezed into the 32 match-play qualifiers on Wednesday by surviving a six-player play-off for the last two places, she began her day of days by toppling her 17-year-old golfing buddy, Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) who just happened to be the number one seed.
In an amazing match of quality, played by two youngsters at almost breakneck speed by modern standards – 2hr 40min for 18 holes – MacDonald had seven birdies but lost by two holes to Vass, who had only four birdies but more winning par figures.
Then Vass, whose mother Magi was a Scottish junior international, went out again in the afternoon and played almost just as well. She reached the last eight at the first attempt by chalking up a 3 and 2 win over the former Scottish universities cham-pion Ann Ramsay, from Kirriemuir but now living and working in Paisley. Again the pace of the tie was bordering on sprinting – they completed the 16 holes in well under three hours.
This time Vass had six birdies against an eagle and three birdies from her opponent.
“This has been the best day of my golfing life. I’ve never played so well over two rounds. Pity I had to beat Kelsey because we’re good pals and she would beat me most days. She’s a +2 player and I’ve got a handicap of three,” said Vass.
Just to round off an eventful day, Vass, by special arrangement, sat her Higher English examination under strict supervision within the Moray clubhouse just after 5pm.
MacDonald and Samantha Leslie (Murcar Links) were two other teenagers in the field who sat Higher English during the day.
Michele Thomson (Ellon) reached the last eight by beating Scottish seniors champion Lorna Bennett (Ladybank) by one hole. Thomson’s Aberdeenshire rival Laura Murray, from Alford, had a 4 and 3 win over Kilmacolm teenager Megan Briggs.
