Nicholas finds cutting edge

Britain's Alison Nicholas overcame a powerful challenge from the Frenchwomen Patricia Meunier to win the Payne and Gunter Scottish Women's Open by one shot at Dalmahoy yesterday.

Nicholas fired a closing round of 69 for a 16-under-par total of 272 to edge out Meunier, with France's Marie- Laure de Lorenzi a further stroke behind in third.

However, Nicholas, who was one stroke ahead of Meunier at the start of the final round, had to pull out all the stops, after the Frenchwoman made a staggering six birdies to take a two-shot lead as she swept to the turn in 30.

Meunier went three ahead when Nicholas dropped a shot at the long 10th, but then opened the door for her rival by dropping shots at the 12th and 14th.

Nicholas had made birdies at the 11th and was level with five holes to play. She went ahead by saving her par from sand after both players had finished in the same bunker at the 16th hole, and maintained her advantage.

"It was fantastic," Nicholas said. "Patricia played marvellous golf over the front nine and I thought I was playing for second place."

The Curtis Cup player Janice Moodie was the leading amateur, when a closing 69 left her in seventh place in her first professional tournament.

Dottie Mochrie holed a 15 foot putt on the final hole to win the LPGA McCall's Classic by three strokes at the Stratton Mountain course in Vermont yesterday.

Mochrie, who started the day level with Pat Bradley at eight-under, had four birdies in a final round of 68 to finish on a course record of 204, 12-under par.

SCOTTISH WOMEN'S OPEN (Dalmahoy, Edinburgh) Final scores (GB or Irl unless stated): 272 A Nicholas 66 67 70 69. 273 P Meunier (Fr) 65 71 68 69. 274 M-L de Lorenzi (Fr) 66 70 70 68. 278 L Davies 72 71 68 67; C Dibnah (Aus) 69 69 72 68. 279 T Johnson 68 70 71 70. 281 *J Moodie 70 73 69 69. 282 K Marshall 72 71 71 68. 283 J Morley 72 70 68 73. 284 L Maritz-Atkins (SA) 74 72 70 68; E Orley (Swit) 69 72 69 74; S Prosser 70 71 69 74. 285 K Webb (Aus) 69 72 72 72. 286 E Knuth (Sp) 69 73 74 70; H Wadsworth 74 68 72 72. 287 K Orum (Den) 73 69 74 71; D Reid 76 68 71 72; M Landehag (Swe) 71 71 69 76. 288 W Doolan (Aus) 70 72 76 70; P Grice-Whittaker 75 70 73 70; A Rogers 70 73 74 71; J Forbes 73 69 73 73; J McGill (US) 69 73 71 75. 289 G Stewart 74 72 74 69; C Hall 70 71 77 71; N Moult 69 72 76 72; H Koch (Swe) 69 72 76 72; F Pike (Aus) 72 73 68 76. 290 S Waugh (Aus) 73 74 72 71; L Hackney 73 73 72 72; S Bennett 78 69 71 72; S Burnell 71 75 70 74; F Fehlauer (Ger) 72 74 70 74; D Barnard 68 71 76 75. 291 H Dobson 75 72 74 70; M Madill 75 72 73 71; S Hodge 70 75 74 72; F Descampe (Bel) 75 71 72 73; K Davies 73 71 73 74; R Hetherington (Aus) 72 72 73 74; J Furby 74 68 74 75; S Nicklin 71 73 71 76. 292 L Tadiotto (Bel) 76 71 73 72; B Pestana (SA) 75 72 68 77. 293 *J Ford 72 74 76 71; M Koch (Ger) 68 74 79 72; L Brooky (NZ) 73 73 75 72; D Dowling 76 71 70 76. 294 S Moon (US) 75 72 75 72; C Duffy 73 73 74 74; M de Boer (Neth) 71 76 73 74; M McKinlay 77 70 71 76; L Percival 73 74 70 77. 295 L Freund (Bel) 68 76 78 73; L Fairclough 75 72 74 74; S Gustafson (Swe) 71 75 71 78. 296 J Soulsby 76 71 74 75; L Jensen (US) 72 74 72 78. 298 L Navarro (Sp) 71 73 74 80. 299 K Speak 73 73 78 75; S Strudwick 72 75 76 76. 300 D Booker (Aus) 74 71 78 77. 303 M Adamson (SA) 72 75 76 80. *denotes amateur.