KirkwoodGolf

Friday, August 15, 2008

Alex Bushby goes out in semi-finals of
English women's mid-am championship

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY ENGLISH WOMEN'S GOLF ASSOCIATION
Hertfordshire’s Lucy Williams and Warwickshire’s Charlotte Dalton will meet in the final of the English Women’s Open Mid-Amateur Championship at Wallasey.
It will be a first national final for both 19-year-old golfers and both are excited at the prospect. “I’m thrilled to bits,” said Charlotte, who plays at Ladbrook Park Golf Club and works part-time at Kings Norton.
“I hadn’t expected to do this well but I’ve played well all week and hit the ball nicely.”
Charlotte defeated Bedfordshire’s Holly Aitchison in the quarter-finals before beating Scotland’s Alex Bushby with a good display of steady play.
She got off to a quick start and was three up after four holes. But Alex, from the Strathmore Golf Centre, Alyth, pulled her back to all square after seven – helped by an eagle 2 on the 267yd sixth where the Scot drove the green and holed a four-footer.
Charlotte quickly regained the advantage and was two up at the turn. She extended her lead on the 12th with a par 3 and although she lost the 13th, she took the next two holes to close out her opponent 4 and 3.
Charlotte was a semi-finalist in the 2007 English girls’ championship and the runner-up in this season’s Warwickshire championship.
Lucy Williams won a low-scoring mach against Buckinghamshire’s Nicole Whitmore to reach the final. Both players drove beautifully in the swirling breeze. Each holed an impressively long putt and a number of holes changed hands with birdies.
“It was a really good game,” said Lucy, who plays at Mid-Herts and is a member of the English Women’s Golf Association Performance Squad.
She won the first hole in the match and never dropped behind, although Nicole battled tenaciously and twice managed to reduce the lead from two holes to one., notably on the 14th, which she birdied.
However, Lucy came straight back with solid pars on the 15th and 16th to win the match 3 and 2 and claim her place in the final.
“It’s exciting,” she said. Lucy, who is the Hertfordshire champion, has just finished her first year at Birmingham University where she is reading applied golf management studies. She is the only girl in her college golf team and helped the side win the 2008 British universities championship. Both Lucy and Charlotte have another national date this season. Hertfordshire and Warwickshire have both reached the final of the English counties championship which takes place next month.
Results
Quarter finals
Nicole Whitmore (Woburn) bt Natalie Lowe (Prestbury) 1 hole.
Lucy Williams (Mid-Herts) bt Hermione Fitzgerald (Links) 3 and 2.
Charlotte Dalton (Ladbrook Park) bt Holly Aitchison (Bedfordshire) 3 and 2.
Alex Bushby (Strathmore) bt Kate Whitmore (Sandiway) 1 hole.
Semi-finals
Williams bt Whitmore 3 and 2.
Dalton beat Bushby 4 and 3.

Lyndsey Hewison
Press & PR Officer

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