Tulley’s luck changes at Montrose

Maria Tulley from Eastbourne Downs made the long haul up to Scotland a trip to remember by chalking up her first victory as a professional in the fog-curtailed Ladies Tartan Tour event at Montrose Links.

She finished joint ninth last week in the Paul Lawrie Golf Centre Ladies Open at Murcar Links and now she has headed a field of 29 with a par-matching 71 at the Angus venue.

"My luck is changing at last," said Tulley whose rookie season last year was plagued by injuries and illness. She was laid low by food poisoning in Turkey, hurt her back in a LETAS tournament and then suffered a crick in her neck which ruled her out of a Morocco event.

Tulley won the PGA in Scotland women's pro event top prize of £1,575 with birdies at the fourth and sixth, limiting her number of bogeys to two - at the first and the 15^th in halves of 35-36.

Montrose Links, one of the oldest lay-outs in Scotland, can be a tough test, especially for erratic hitters, but Maria hit it straight and true all the way.

Would she still have won if fog had not forced the cancellation of Monday's first round? That's a matter of conjecture but Maria herself has no doubt about the answer, she is looking forward already to the next Ladies Tartan Tour event, at Deer Park Golf Club, Livingston on June 2 and 3.

Three players tied for second place, a stroke behind the winner on 72 - Jane Turner (West Linton), Lucy Goddard (Hanbury Manor) and Falkirk-based California-based American Beth Allen. They each earned £400.

Of the three Goddard had the most cause to look back in anger or regret that she let a first pro win slip out of her grasp.

After an eagle two at the fifth and birdies at the ninth, 13^th and 15^th, Goddard was at the head of the leaderboard but she bogeyed the short 16^th, then had a double bogey six at the 17^th.

Ellon's Michele Thomson, the winner at Murcar Links last week, tied for fifth place with a 73 and earned £109, in comparison to the £2,000+ in the Paul Lawrie GC tournament. Thomson birdied the fourth - and did not have another one as she covered the rest of her holes in three-over-par with bogeys at the 10^th, 11^th and 15^th.