GWENT stars Eleanor Pilgrim and Jo Pritchard were both bundled out of the Welsh Women's Golf Championship in the sunshine over the Royal St David's links at Harlech yesterday.

Pritchard, who is struggling to find her form, having returned from university in America just a fortnight ago, did not really get going against Sara Mountford and went down by three and two.

She lost two of the first three holes and then Mountford, who is a very solid performer and has a dynamic short game, never looked like surrendering that early advantage.

"After I lost those two holes there seemed to be no way back. She is just so solid," said 19-year-old Pritchard from Tredegar Park.

Pilgrim, a member of the Great Britain and Ireland squad, hoping to gain a place in the Vigliano Trophy team to face the Continent of Europe in July, chalked up a first round victory over Kate Phillips and in doing so gained revenge for a reverse she suffered at her hands last year.

But 24-year-old Pilgrim met her waterloo in the afternoon when she came up against the long-hitting Glamorgan champion Anna Highgate.

St Pierre's Pilgrim went down by three and two and it was her putting - normally so accurate - that let her down.

She missed three crucial putts which gifted Highgate holes at important times in the middle of the round.

It was level after six holes but Pilgrim missed putts of five and six feet on the eighth and ninth and one of them no more than a yard at the eleventh and those lapses really cost her dearly.

Highgate however, could hardly put a foot wrong and deserved to make the semi-finals where she will now play Sarah Jones who put out defending champion Kathryn Evans. In the other semi Becky Brewerton plays Sara Mountford.