ENGLISH WOMEN'S AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
TOP SEED LAURA TOPPLED BY LEAH
First-time qualifier Leah Occleshaw staged a major upset when she defeated top seed Laura Eastwood in the second round of the English women’s amateur championship at Burnham & Berrow Golf Club, Somerset.
"It was amazing, absolutely amazing. It's a real dream," said 37-year-old Leah after her 2 and 1 victory which put her through to Friday’s quarter-finals and a match against 18-year-old Felicity Johnson (Harborne)..
The four-handicapper from Lansdown has been playing in the championship since 1997 but this is the first time she's reached the match-play stages.
Leah credits this and other recent successes to the work she's done on golf psychology. "I've always known I could do this, I've wanted it and worked for it for so long and now I'm actually letting it happen," she said.
She took early control of the match and was five up after 11 holes. But Laura fought back and was just one down after the 16 th . "I just started to get a bit ahead of myself, a bit fidgety, and Laura played some great shots," said Leah.
But, after watching Laura miss the green on the par-3 17th , the former Gloucestershire champion was determined to make no mistakes and secured her win with an accurate seven-iron shot.
"I thought I'm absolutely going to commit to this shot and I hit it out of the middle and into the centre of the green."
Another of the championship's early high-fliers was also beaten on Thursday. Kiran Matharu, the Yorkshire 16-year-old, led the first round of stroke-play qualifying with a three-under par 69, but her challenge ended in the first round of match-play.
She was beaten 4 and 2 by England international Julie Ross ( Whitley Bay ), who had played alongside Kiran as she compiled her 69. "She was impressive," said Julie. "But you need to be confident in your own game. I hit the fairways and made the most of it." She won again in the afternoon and now plays Naomi Edwards (Ganton).
Another prominent teenager, 15-year-old Henni Brockway (Yeovil) also bowed out. The Welsh open stroke-play champion was beaten 2 and 1 in the second round by England international Sophie Walker (Kenwick Park), who goes on to meet English girls' champion Melissa Reid, 17, (Chevin).
Defending champion Kerry Smith (Waterlooville) is safely through to the quarter-finals after defeating Sarah Attwood (Gog Magog) 3 and 2 and Lisa Ball (Matfen Hall) 5 and 4. Now, Kerry plays 18-year-old Joanne Hodge (Knowle) who had to go to the 19 th to beat Claire Aitken (Mid-Kent).
THURSDAY’S RESULTS
FIRST ROUND
L Eastwood bt C Smith 3 and 2.
L Occleshaw bt L Ahmed 1 hole.
H Ralph bt C Marron 3 and 2.
F Johnson bt C Starkie 4 and 3.
N Edwards bt F Parker 3 and 2.
S-J Eaves bt C Howells 3 and 1.
C Ellis bt K Heywood 4 and 2.
J Ross bt K Matharu 4 and 2.
K Smith bt S Attwood 3 and 2.
L Ball bt R Jennings 3 and 2.
J Hodge bt L Collin 3 and 1.
C Aitkin w o C Lee scr.
M Reid bt M Smith 8 and 7.
E Sheffield bt R Bell 2 and 1.
H Brockway bt H Grant 3 and 2.
S Walker bt K Holford 2 holes.
SECOND ROUND
Occleshaw bt Eastwood 2 and 1.
Johnson bt Ralph 4 and 2.
Edwards bt Eaves 2 holes.
Ross bt Ellis 3 and 2.
K Smith bt Ball 5 and 4.
Hodge bt Atkin at 19th.
Reid bt Sheffield 3 and 2.
Walker bt Brockway 2 and 1.
First-time qualifier Leah Occleshaw staged a major upset when she defeated top seed Laura Eastwood in the second round of the English women’s amateur championship at Burnham & Berrow Golf Club, Somerset.
"It was amazing, absolutely amazing. It's a real dream," said 37-year-old Leah after her 2 and 1 victory which put her through to Friday’s quarter-finals and a match against 18-year-old Felicity Johnson (Harborne)..
The four-handicapper from Lansdown has been playing in the championship since 1997 but this is the first time she's reached the match-play stages.
Leah credits this and other recent successes to the work she's done on golf psychology. "I've always known I could do this, I've wanted it and worked for it for so long and now I'm actually letting it happen," she said.
She took early control of the match and was five up after 11 holes. But Laura fought back and was just one down after the 16 th . "I just started to get a bit ahead of myself, a bit fidgety, and Laura played some great shots," said Leah.
But, after watching Laura miss the green on the par-3 17th , the former Gloucestershire champion was determined to make no mistakes and secured her win with an accurate seven-iron shot.
"I thought I'm absolutely going to commit to this shot and I hit it out of the middle and into the centre of the green."
Another of the championship's early high-fliers was also beaten on Thursday. Kiran Matharu, the Yorkshire 16-year-old, led the first round of stroke-play qualifying with a three-under par 69, but her challenge ended in the first round of match-play.
She was beaten 4 and 2 by England international Julie Ross ( Whitley Bay ), who had played alongside Kiran as she compiled her 69. "She was impressive," said Julie. "But you need to be confident in your own game. I hit the fairways and made the most of it." She won again in the afternoon and now plays Naomi Edwards (Ganton).
Another prominent teenager, 15-year-old Henni Brockway (Yeovil) also bowed out. The Welsh open stroke-play champion was beaten 2 and 1 in the second round by England international Sophie Walker (Kenwick Park), who goes on to meet English girls' champion Melissa Reid, 17, (Chevin).
Defending champion Kerry Smith (Waterlooville) is safely through to the quarter-finals after defeating Sarah Attwood (Gog Magog) 3 and 2 and Lisa Ball (Matfen Hall) 5 and 4. Now, Kerry plays 18-year-old Joanne Hodge (Knowle) who had to go to the 19 th to beat Claire Aitken (Mid-Kent).
THURSDAY’S RESULTS
FIRST ROUND
L Eastwood bt C Smith 3 and 2.
L Occleshaw bt L Ahmed 1 hole.
H Ralph bt C Marron 3 and 2.
F Johnson bt C Starkie 4 and 3.
N Edwards bt F Parker 3 and 2.
S-J Eaves bt C Howells 3 and 1.
C Ellis bt K Heywood 4 and 2.
J Ross bt K Matharu 4 and 2.
K Smith bt S Attwood 3 and 2.
L Ball bt R Jennings 3 and 2.
J Hodge bt L Collin 3 and 1.
C Aitkin w o C Lee scr.
M Reid bt M Smith 8 and 7.
E Sheffield bt R Bell 2 and 1.
H Brockway bt H Grant 3 and 2.
S Walker bt K Holford 2 holes.
SECOND ROUND
Occleshaw bt Eastwood 2 and 1.
Johnson bt Ralph 4 and 2.
Edwards bt Eaves 2 holes.
Ross bt Ellis 3 and 2.
K Smith bt Ball 5 and 4.
Hodge bt Atkin at 19th.
Reid bt Sheffield 3 and 2.
Walker bt Brockway 2 and 1.
posted by Colin |
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