Arianna Virik pulled off an astonishing fightback to claim victory at the 2024 Scottish Girls’ Amateur Championship.

Fourteen-year-old Arianna Virik found herself three down with three to play against Freya Russell from Royal Troon in an epic 18-hole final at Forfar Golf Club.

Russell had stuck her approach to 10 feet on 16 and had one hand on the famous silver trophy.

However, Virik chipped in from off the green to win the hole, followed up with a 20-foot birdie putt on 17 and then capitalised on a Russell slip to win the 18th hole and take the match into extra time.

After both players made par at the first extra hole, Russell couldn’t get up and down from a tricky lie to the right of the second green and a two-putt par secured the win for Virik.

Virik can now add the Scottish Girls’ Amateur title to the U14 crown she won last year at Cardross Golf Club – another victory secured after a play-off.

Virik said: “It feels really good – it’s been a hard journey to get here. The chip-in on 16 really helped me and then I kept playing it hole-by-hole just trying to win even though Freya played so well. It was very hard to try and beat her.

“I was kind of calm in the play-off – I’d been in that position before playing in the Scottish Under 14s when I won. Going back on the first tee was like a replay of last time so I was able to settle down.

“It feels so good to become a national champion as I’m still only 14 – to win such a big event at a young age is great and I hope I can do more in the future.”

Virik was born in Stirling but moved south as an infant and now plays out of Coventry Hearsall Golf Club in the Midlands and looks destined to have a bright career ahead of her.

For Russell, moving to Florida State University next month, the defeat was hard to take especially as she hardly put a foot wrong in what was her final outing as a junior in Scotland.

Standing on the 18th tee, Russell was five-under-par for her round and yet she still couldn’t shake off her rival who displayed a rare touch around the greens for one so young.

The finale to the three-day event was in keeping with the standard of golf on display all week.

Stroke play qualifying stage

In the 36-hole stroke play qualifying staged in the sunshine on Wednesday, Carly McDonald from St Regulus Ladies Golf Club created headlines with her opening round.

McDonald posted a six-under-par round of 66 to break the course record from the yellow tee set (measuring 5764 yards) - an amazing feat at the age of 13.

That paved the way for the youngster to comfortably make the knockout phase.

At the end of a long day of qualifying it was Kaci Robertson from Nairn Dunbar who emerged as the top seed going into the match play. Two rounds of 71 allowed her to take medallist honours with a two-under par total.

Nine members of the Scotland Girls’ squad also made it through to the last 16 to set up a highly competitive final two day’s play in the heart of the Angus countryside.

McDonald’s run in the event was ended with defeat to Pollok’s Rosie Maguire in the quarter finals on Thursday afternoon while leading qualifier Robertson also had her hopes of victory taken away as Virik claimed a 6&4 win thanks to a 15-foot birdie putt on the 14th.

Virik, playing superbly, then booked a final place when Maguire had to pull out of her semi-final match after 12 holes through injury.

Abigail May, another golfer from the St Regulus Ladies’ Club in St Andrews, earned her place in the semi-finals with victory on the 20th hole against Louisa Hamilton before she was beaten by Russell.

Russell’s passage to the semi-finals was a little less stressful – the Royal Troon golfer ended the dreams of Asitha Ashok with a 5&4 triumph before defeating May. Only the redoubtable force of Virik stopped Russell bowing out as a junior with the title she most craved.

Stroke Play Results and Championship Match Play Results

Nett event at the Scottish Girls'

In addition to the main championship which featured the 16 top scratch qualifiers from the stroke play, a nett event for the next best 16 golfers based on nett scores also proved to be highly competitive.

In this event, there was another outstanding winner – 12-year-old Carla Burns representing Douglas Park Golf Club.

Up against the more experienced Reene Carroll from Bruntsfield Links Golfing Society in the final, Burns, the top seed, was able to take the title against the number three ranked player by a margin of 4&3.

Nett Match Play Results

The 2025 Scottish Girls’ Amateur Championship will be held at Kings Golf Club in Inverness from 18-20 July.