Warwickshire’s Elizabeth Mallett wins English girls’ U15 championship

Press Release from EWGA

Warwickshire’s Elizabeth Mallett (pictured) came from two shots behind to win the English girls’ U15 championship at The Wiltshire.

“I can’t believe it, it’s wonderful,” she said after she returned a final round 78 in tricky winds to overtake three other players and claim the trophy.

The championship was disrupted by heavy rain and reduced to 54 holes but it produced excellent golf and a tightly contested competition. In the end, the first five players were separated by just two shots.

Wiltshire’s girl international Hannah Turland and Lancashire’s Emily Taylor, were a stroke behind the winner, and just ahead of first round leader Bronte Law of Cheshire and Warwickshire’s Ashley Cramond.

Elizabeth, 15, was among the players who had to return to the course at 8am this morning to finish their second round. She had five holes to complete and bogeyed each of them and remarked: “I thought oh dear...But later on I found out that I was only two shots off the lead and I felt a bit better about it.

“Then I heard that lots of players were bunched together and that it was anyone’s for the taking. Two shots over 18 holes is nothing in these windy conditions.”

She quickly staked her claim, reaching the turn in one-over par. Although she dropped some shots on the way in she handled the conditions well. “It was really blowing across the course in a tricky direction and the putting was quite difficult.”

This is Elizabeth’s second national title, following her win in the 2007 English schools U16 championship – just before her 13th birthday. It’s part of an impressive record which includes two second places in the English girls’ U13 championship and third place in last year’s U15s. She’s a Warwickshire county player and has helped her team to reach this year’s final of the English counties championship.

Hannah Turland was the other big mover in the final round with the best score of the day. She had a two-over par 74 to push up the leaderboard from sixth place.

Leading final scores

Par 216 (3x72)

234 Elizabeth Mallett (Sutton Coldfield Ladies’) 75 81 78
235 Hannah Turland (Tidworth Garrison) 85 76 74; Emily Taylor (Royal Lytham & St Annes) 76 79 80
236 Bronte Law (Bramhall) 74 80 82; Ashley Cramond (The Warwickshire) 76 78 82
240 Brogan Townend (Pleasington) 81 76 83
242 Olivia Winning (Rotherham) 81 80 81
244 Abigail Laker (Burford) 86 77 81
246 Elizabeth Stebbings (Wilpshire) 85 80 81
248 Meghan MacLaren (Wellingborough) 78 89 81

Full details: www.englishwomensgolf.org