West Kilbride’s Louise Duncan has hailed ‘the best week of her life’ after triumphing in the Women’s Amateur Championship at Barassie.

The 21-year-old secured her place in the history books with the record margin of victory against Iceland’s Johanna Lea Ludviksdottir in a 36-hold showdown in the final.

Playing on home turf, the Stirling University student finished with a 9 and 8 win over her competitor, the largest margin in the competition’s 128-year history.

Following her win on Saturday, Louise, who is the 17th Scottish player to win the championship, was left speechless by what she had achieved.

She said: “I’m shocked and just completely over the moon, I actually can’t believe it, it’s just ridiculous.

“This is definitely the best week of my life, and to do it in Ayrshire it couldn’t have worked out any better.

“Hopefully I’ll have a few drinks, I need it to settle the nerves, I don’t know why I’m still nervous but I feel like it’s not even real.”

Louise admits she wasn’t expecting to get as far into the competition when she arrived in Barassie.

She said: “I definitely wasn’t quietly confident coming into the week. My first goal was to make the match-play stage and see what happened from there, but I didn’t think I’d get this far.”

Victory means that the West Kilbride native will join the best female confers in the world later this year.

Louise will gain major invitations to this season’s AIG Women’s Open at Carnoustie and the Evian Championship in France.

She will also play at next year’s US Women’s Open and the Augusta National Women’s Amateur Championship.

The talented golfer says she will need some extra practice before facing the world’s best golfers in a few months’ time.

She said: “I had better get practising a lot before I play up there at Carnoustie.

"I played there a lot of years ago so I don’t really remember it. It’s going to be some experience.”