SUE ELLIS WINS SENIOR LADIES' ENGLISH
CLOSE CHAMPIONSHIP
Dorset’s Sue Ellis won the Senior Ladies’ English Close Championship at Delamere Forest where she beat Yorkshire’s Hilary Smyth 3 and 2 in the final.
“I’m exhilarated,” said the Ferndown player who has never before got past the first round of the championship. “I want to cry!”
She went on: “To be honest I had nothing to lose. I wanted to do a decent qualifying score and if I made the match-play it would be a bonus. Then I went on and on – and I realised I could do it. I am simply thrilled – and thrilled for my club.”
Sue is a former Dorset county player whose ultimate aim is to play for England seniors. The final brought her up against a player, Hilary Smyth of Pannal, who represented her country in the 2005 seniors’ home internationals.
Both golfers put on a fine show, demonstrating some excellent ball striking and they claimed two birdies apiece during the 16 holes they played.
The match was finely balanced, with only one hole separating the two players for much of the game. But Sue gained momentum when she holed a 30-footer from the fringe on the 13th. It gave her a par four and a half, when moments before she’d looked odds-on to lose the hole and go one down. “I think that was the turning point,” she remarked.
She birdied the 14th to go one up, parred the 15th to go two up and won her first national title when she parred the short 16th, where her five iron finished within 10ft of the hole.
The championship’s B Division title was won by Frances Lindley of Minchinhampton who was helped by a hole-in-one on the 139-yard 12th where she hit a five-iron into the wind. It was her fifth ace and it took her to three up against three-times titleholder Judy McCairns (Oxford Ladies’) and put her en route for a 2 and 1 victory.
“I’m on top of the world – this is the top-most thing I have ever done,” Frances said afterwards. “I’ve never got to these heights before.”
In the championship semi-finals Hilary Smith beat former hockey international Felicity Coulter (Banstead Downs) 1 hole, Sue Ellis beat Sue Stradling (Worplesdon) 4 and 3.
B Division semi-finals: Judy McCairns beat Deborah Backhouse (Aldeburgh) 5 and 4, Frances Lindley beat Christine Stokes (Clitheroe) at 19th.
Online scoring: www.englishladiesgolf.org
CLOSE CHAMPIONSHIP
Dorset’s Sue Ellis won the Senior Ladies’ English Close Championship at Delamere Forest where she beat Yorkshire’s Hilary Smyth 3 and 2 in the final.
“I’m exhilarated,” said the Ferndown player who has never before got past the first round of the championship. “I want to cry!”
She went on: “To be honest I had nothing to lose. I wanted to do a decent qualifying score and if I made the match-play it would be a bonus. Then I went on and on – and I realised I could do it. I am simply thrilled – and thrilled for my club.”
Sue is a former Dorset county player whose ultimate aim is to play for England seniors. The final brought her up against a player, Hilary Smyth of Pannal, who represented her country in the 2005 seniors’ home internationals.
Both golfers put on a fine show, demonstrating some excellent ball striking and they claimed two birdies apiece during the 16 holes they played.
The match was finely balanced, with only one hole separating the two players for much of the game. But Sue gained momentum when she holed a 30-footer from the fringe on the 13th. It gave her a par four and a half, when moments before she’d looked odds-on to lose the hole and go one down. “I think that was the turning point,” she remarked.
She birdied the 14th to go one up, parred the 15th to go two up and won her first national title when she parred the short 16th, where her five iron finished within 10ft of the hole.
The championship’s B Division title was won by Frances Lindley of Minchinhampton who was helped by a hole-in-one on the 139-yard 12th where she hit a five-iron into the wind. It was her fifth ace and it took her to three up against three-times titleholder Judy McCairns (Oxford Ladies’) and put her en route for a 2 and 1 victory.
“I’m on top of the world – this is the top-most thing I have ever done,” Frances said afterwards. “I’ve never got to these heights before.”
In the championship semi-finals Hilary Smith beat former hockey international Felicity Coulter (Banstead Downs) 1 hole, Sue Ellis beat Sue Stradling (Worplesdon) 4 and 3.
B Division semi-finals: Judy McCairns beat Deborah Backhouse (Aldeburgh) 5 and 4, Frances Lindley beat Christine Stokes (Clitheroe) at 19th.
Online scoring: www.englishladiesgolf.org
Labels: Amateur Ladies
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