Thomson swoops to conquer Murray
07/04/2015
Ellon's Michele Thomson staged a last-round swoop with the tournament's only sub-par round, a one-under 70, to snatch the £2,250 first prize at the Paul Lawrie Golf Centre Ladies Open.
Thomson, the 2008 Scottish women's amateur champion and a GB and I Curtis Cup team player at St Andrews that same year, is maturing and improving after a slowish start to her pro career.
And she took the win from overnight leader and fellow North-east tour pro, Laura Murray in a dramatic climax to the £5,000 championship at Murcar Links Golf Club.
Her second-round 70 was an eight-shot improvement on her first round and her six-over-par aggregate of 148 saw her win by three shorts from Alford's Murray (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre), another former Scottish champion, who had rounds of 74 and 77 for 151 to gain the £1,000 runner-up prize.
It was Thomson's second win on the Ladies' Tartan Tour and she feels she is gaining a higher level of consistency through competing with and against players like former Solheim Cup star Trish Johnson, who was her playing partner throughout the 36 holes at Murcar Links. Johnson, from Wiltshire, collected the £650 third prize with scores of 78 and 74 for 152.
"There's no doubt that playing with Trish both days helped me tremendously. She was and still is a great player and she certainly spurred me on, said 27-year-old Thomson who’s shot of the round was a holed pitch from 35-yard range for a birdie at the 13th.
She had four birdies in all, making a flying start with a 3-3 start, followed by the gains at 11th and 13th. Her only bogeys came at the seventh, eighth and 10th in halves of 37.
"In contrast to the first round, I was never in any trouble," said Thomson.
Murray was philosophical about losing her overnight lead.
"Great that a North-east player still finished up winning the tournament," she said. "I still hit the ball well but holed nothing. I reckon I must have had 36 putts. I cannot remember single-putting any green.
Beth Allen, the American-born LET player who has made Falkirk her European base, finished fourth on 153 (77-76).
The Ladies Tartan Tour now moves on to Montrose Links.
