Musselburgh’s Vikki Laing celebrated her debut appearance in a women’s major with a gutsy round of one over par 73 in the Ricoh Women’s British Open at a blustery Royal Lytham and St Annes.

The 28-year-old was just four shots off the top score of 69 set by German Sandra Gal and she was the top Briton in a tie for seventh.

She was in good company alongside the superstar of the women’s game, American teenager Michelle Wie.

North Berwick’s Catriona Matthew, the Scottish No.1, was also well in the mix on 74, although her round ended rather disappointingly with a lost ball and a double-bogey at the 17th and a five at the tricky par our 18th. 

Texan Angela Stanford and South Korean Song Hee Kim led on 70 with world No.1 Lorena Ochoa, the winner at St Andrews two years ago, back on 75.

Laing, a record four-time winner of the Scottish Girls’ Championship, has spent most of her six professional seasons in the golfing wilderness. 

She had a couple of tries as a non-exempt player on the LPGA Tour and then shifted to the less than lucrative US Futures Tour, where she showed her promise with a win in the 2007 Gettysburg International.

This year, the former Midlothian county star has joined the Ladies’ European Tour and she reckons it could be provide the perfect kick-start to her career. 

As an LET rookie, she has already had a string of top 30 finishes – the best was a tie for 25th in the German Open - and is currently ranked No. 52 on the Order of Merit. 

“I’m getting a lot more golf, and really enjoying being able to get home in between tournaments,” she said. “This is my first major, and I’m pretty happy with the score. I would have accepted one over before I went out.”

Playing in only her second tournament following a four month maternity break, mother-of-two Matthew was her consistent best with a birdie and an eagle at the seventh – a three wood second and a 20-foot putt – in an outward half of 33. The second nine of 41 was not really what she wanted.