Hannah is the Scottish champ at the age of just 13 years

Midlothian golfer Hannah Darling has become the youngest ever winner of the Scottish Girls' Amateur Championship at the age of just 13.
Scottish boys winner 2017 Greg Dalziel and girls winner Hannah DarlingScottish boys winner 2017 Greg Dalziel and girls winner Hannah Darling
Scottish boys winner 2017 Greg Dalziel and girls winner Hannah Darling

The Broomieknowe ace 
secured her first national 
title after a superb performance in the new-look six-day event after holding off a rousing comeback from Jillian 
Farrell at Scotscraig.

The Championship event was held concurrently with the Scottish Boys’ Amateur Championship for the first time.

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Hannah’s win has now eclipsed Jane Connachan as the youngest victor, after her win aged 14 in 1978.

In front of a healthy crowd, the three-handicapper stormed to a five-hole lead against Cardross golfer 
Farrell (17) after 27 holes 
only for her opponent to reel off five of the next six holes to draw level.

Both Scottish Golf Academy players halved the 32nd, before Darling birdied the short next and then brilliantly chipped in for an 
eagle at the 34th.

In a classy run of golf from both players, Farrell replied at the penultimate hole before Darling holed for another birdie to seal a two-hole triumph.

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Hannah, who is going into third year at Lasswade High School and coached by Ian Muir said of her win: “It’s a bit surreal at the moment, my WhatsApp is going crazy.

“It’s not sunk in yet to be honest. Jillian came back at me, she was making birdies, but chipping in twice was 
important at both the 
seventh and the 16th in the second round.”

The big tournaments keep coming for Hannah as earlier this week she was announced as one of six Scottish girls set to travel to the Solheim Cup in Iowa next month as part of ‘Project 19’.

‘Project19’, is a group which began as a way of girl golfers motivating each other to climb the amateur golf rankings and aim to qualify to represent Team Europe at the 2019 PING Junior Solheim Cup, which takes place at Gleneagles.

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On her selection for the squad, she added: “You have to believe you can do it, but I’m obviously one of the youngest here so it was just about trying to do my best and how I compare with 
older girls.

“I only got a handicap three years ago, but I’ve been hitting plastic clubs since I was like four, coming up through ClubGolf.”

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