Booth is just the ticket Published on Sunday 6 May 2012 02:07 GREAT things have been expected of Carly Booth ever since she earned a place in the history books when becoming the youngest ladies" club champion in Britain as she lifted the Dunblane New title at the age of 11. Her progress since then, especially since turning professional, has been steady rather than spectacular, but yesterday, on a glorious sunny day on the East Lothian coast, she certainly lived up to the hype. At 19, Booth became the youngest-ever Ladies Scottish Open winner - probably the youngest Scottish professional, male or female, to win a notable event in the modern era as well - after holding her nerve to claim a one-shot success in the £183,000 Aberdeen Asset Management-sponsored event. Relieved to see a two-foot par putt just topple into the hole at the last, the Comrie player signed off with a one-under-par 71 for a 54-hole total of 212, pipping Australian Frances Bondad (67) and England's Florentyna Parker (72) by the narrowest of margins. The success - her second in the space of a month after landing a lower-key success in a development event in France - earned Booth a £30,000 pay-day and a three-year exemption on the Ladies European Tour, where she started the current campaign with only a conditional card. "That's the longest two-foot putt I've ever had," she said after following compatriot Catriona Matthew on to the event's roll of honour. I think my heart stopped for a second when I thought it was coming up short. This win was worth ten times more than the one in France and also earned her spots in two of the biggest events on the women's calendar - the Evian Masters and the Women's British Open - later this year. "I'm still only 19 and have just won my first LET event - I can't tell you how happy I am," she added before rushing off to watch her beloved Liverpool face Chelsea in the FA Cup final. "That will really make my day if we win," she admitted. Booth, who was signed up by management giants IMG straight after joining the paid ranks three years ago, had started the day in a three-way share of the lead with Parker and South African Stacy Lee Bregman, the trio setting out for the final circuit in conditions that were significantly warmer than earlier in the week. While last year's ten-shot winner Matthew, five off the pace at the start, never looked like posting the 65 she was looking for to have a chance of hanging on to the title, playing partner Trish Johnson certainly had that in her sights at one point. The 46-year-old Englishwoman, a member of Europe's historic Solheim Cup-winning side at Dalmahoy 20 years ago, raced to the turn in 31, five-under, then added birdies at the tenth and 11th to hold the lead on five-under. What happened over the last five holes, however, left Johnson with steam coming out of her ears after signing for a 68. Dropped shots at the 14th, where she had to take a penalty drop from a gorse bush, and 16th were sore enough, but she was absolutely fizzing about a six at the last after being 30 yards from the green in two. "The last few holes were just beginner's stuff and the 18th was a pathetic effort," said the eight-time Solheim Cup player of duffing her third into the bunker and then needing two shots to escape from there. She eventually finished in a tie for fourth - the second time in three years she has just come up short here. Just as Johnson was finishing, Booth birdied the 11th to lead on her own for the first time all week and shortly afterwards Bondad, a 24-year-old who was born in Los Angles before moving to Australia, set the clubhouse target of three-under after she completed a flawless closing effort on the Fidra Links. With three to play, Booth and Parker, team-mates in the 2008 Curtis Cup at St Andrews, were locked together on four-under. The 16th, a short par-4 with a tricky raised green, proved decisive. There, Booth produced a great up and down to save par following a wayward drive while Parker three-putted after racing the first one ten feet past. After Parker holed from 12 feet for par at the next, Booth followed her in from four feet to retain her cushion before surviving that heart-stopping moment at the last. "In the easiest conditions of the week, today was the worst I played but I won and that's what matters," said the new champion.