Fourteen Scots progressed to the match-play stage of the 118th Women’s Amateur Championship at Kilmarnock (Barassie).
Iceland’s Ragnhildur Kristinsdóttir recorded the lowest round of the week to finish as the leading qualifier after signing for a seven-under-par 66, eight shots better than her opening round of one-over-par, to top the leaderboard on six-under-par total of 140.
From a starting field of almost 100 players aged from 13 to 58, the 23-year-old Icelandic talent leads the top 64 players into the match play stage.
Overnight leader Hannah Darling had a tougher day with a one-over-par 74 but managed to eagle the 11th hole for the second time this week to finish tied second on four under.
The Broomieknowe member is joined in the first round by Louise Duncan (West Kilbride), Chloe Goadby (St Regulus), Lorna McClymont (Milngavie) and Hazel MacGarvie (Royal Troon) who all qualified inside the top 25.
Carmen Griffiths, Shannon McWilliam (both Aboyne), Rachel Foster (Prestwick St Nicholas), Jennifer Rankine (Haggs Castle), Jasmine Mackintosh (Murcar Links), Grace Crawford (West Links Junior), Clara Young (North Berwick), Megan Ashley (Blairgowrie) and Luisa Gibson (Irvine) also progressed to the knockouts to ensure there will be plenty of Scottish representation in tomorrow’s first round matches.
Even a train doesn't stop the putts going in for @louiseeduncan 🚂
Follow her progress here 👉 https://t.co/3TboCvNsyx pic.twitter.com/IqwbNKOGml
— The R&A (@RandA) June 8, 2021
There are significant rewards for the champion with exemptions into the AIG Women’s Open and, traditionally, the US Women’s Open, The Evian Championship and Augusta National Women’s Amateur Championship.
Darling, who will face Gibson in an all-Scottish clash, said: “Today wasn’t as good as yesterday but I am proud of how I came back. I was leading and sometimes that can get in your head and it’s easy to push it a bit.
“Towards the end, I was a few over, but I stayed patient and said to myself if I could be one-under for the last four I would be fine and I was, so that is good.
“Now I need to just play each match as it comes, just play the course and not get to far ahead of myself. I am playing good, so who knows what this week can bring.”