ENGLISH CLOSED AMATEUR STROKE-PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP

LAURA EASTWOOD WINS BY FIVE STROKES

Devon’s Laura Eastwood transformed her golfing fortunes when she stormed away from the field to win the English women's closed amateur stroke-play championship at St Annes Old Links today.
“This is huge for me. I am so chuffed with myself,” said the 21-year-old from Yelverton, who shot a four-under par 68 in the final round and finished with a one-under total of 287 for the 72 holes.
“I forgot to enter the British championship a few weeks ago. I didn’t get picked for the European team championship, which was disappointing. Then the other day I missed out on pre-qualifying for the Weetabix (Women’s British Open) by one shot. So I came here with something to prove," said Laura.
She let her clubs do the talking throughout the tournament. She was lying second at the halfway stage and moved into a share of the lead after the third round, when she returned a level par 72.
Her game plan for the final round was simple: “I just wanted to play my own game and try and get my score into red figures.”
Laura began as she meant to go on, almost holing her approach to the first green and following up with an eagle 3 on the fifth. She reached the turn at one-under par, after a couple of bogeys, and then played flawless golf.
She birdied the 13th before providing the spectators with a grandstand finish, with birdies on the 17th and 18th, which widened the gap between herself and the rest of the field.
Laura, the 2002 English girls’ champion, also becomes the Under-23 and Under-21 English closed stroke-play champion.
Her closest challenger in the tournament was 16-year-old Kiran Matharu (Cookridge Hall) who was runner-up on 292 and also won the Under-18 title. Kiran rocketed through the field after an opening 81, which included an 8 on the first hole of the tournament where she lost a ball.
Her reply was three rounds of sub-par golf: 71, 70, 70, with her third round concluding in spectacular style with scores of birdie, eagle, birdie.
Two shots behind her in joint third place were the long-time tournament leader, 17-year-old Natasha Podmore (Delamere Forest) and England international Lisa Ball (Matfen Hall). Natasha kept pace with Laura Eastwood until the last nine holes of the championship but her challenge fizzled out on the way home.
Lisa Ball had no problems with the closing holes. She covered the last nine in 32, four under par, helped by three birdies and an eagle on 18.
Karen Heywood (Crompton & Royton) broke 70 in competition for the first time when she shot a final round 67, the low score of the tournament, and soared up the leaderboard into a share of fifth place.
Also on 296 was international Julie Ross (Whitley Bay). Another international, Faye Sanderson (Heworth) shared seventh place on 297 with Anna Scott (Consett & District) and Ellie Givens (Blackwell Grange).
Defending champion Sian Reddick (Sene Valley) had a final round 74 and tied for 10th place with Alex Marshall (Burghley Park) on 299.
The final round provided the lowest scores of the tournament with Emma Brown (West Wilts) also breaking 70 with a three-under par 69.
The Under-23 county team trophy was won by Cheshire (Natasha Podmore & Emma McBride) with a score of 299. Devon (Laura Eastwood & Emma Tayler) were runners-up on 303. Leicestershire, Lincolnshire and Kent shared third place.