Double bogey not enough to brind down Where Eagles Dare winner Gillian McGinlay

Aug 31 2008

GILLIAN McGINLAY set her sights on an incredible hat-trick after notching back-to-back eagles - only to be brought crashing down to earth with a double bogey.

The 39-year-old was on cloud nine after dazzling on the third and fourth holes at her local Cochrane Castle club.

And she was so full of confidence she started thinking about a THIRD eagle at the par-five fifth.

It was a bridge too far for Gillian but her stunning double whammy was more than enough to be voted our final weekly Where Eagles Dare winner. And that was the perfect pick-me-up for the Johnstone golfer.

She said: "I had hit a few eagles before but never two in a row.

"I pitched in from 20 yards for my first eagle.

"I was happy because I'd dropped two shots in the first two holes so that was me getting them back.

"Then at the fourth hole I hit a really long drive to put me in a good position.

"I followed it up with the best six iron shot of my life. It landed within two inches of the hole and I was left with a tap-in for eagle.

"I was on cloud nine at that stage. There are three par fives in a row at Cochrane Castle and at that stage I was dreaming of a third eagle.

"But I followed my two eagles up with a double bogey so you could say I was brought back down to earth. I suppose that's golf, really.

"I'm absolutely thrilled to be a Where Eagles Dare winner though.

"When you enter something like this it's more in hope than expectation.

"To be honest when I first received the call from MailSport I thought it was a friend winding me up."

As a reward for her amazing feat, Gillian scoops a fantastic custom-fitted Nicklaus DPT Draw Back driver courtesy of our partners at American Golf.

And she will also be at the five-star Fairmont St Andrews in October for our grand final - the last of 16 weekly winners.

The full line-up is: Stephen Begley, Cumbernauld, Tony Pietryga, Lochwinnoch, David Devenay, Port Glasgow, Keith Miller, Burntisland, Sammy McGivern, Ardrossan, Rod Johnston, Menstrie, David Daisley, Cumbernauld, Zoe Differ, Cumbernauld, Brian Middler, Glasgow, Pat McAleer, East Kilbride, Mike Currie, Macmerry, Derek Crombie, Stenhousemuir, Iain Butchart, Alyth, John Wright, Edinburgh, Leanne Johnston, Glasgow, Gillian McGinlay, Johnstone.