ENGLISH WOMEN'S AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

In-form Foster KOs Curtis Cup

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selection Clyburn in Round 2

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE ENGLISH WOMEN'S GOLF ASSOCIATION
Dorset’s Hayley Davis gave the local spectators plenty to cheer about when she powered her way into the quarter-finals of the English amateur championship at Broadstone, in her home county today.

Hayley, 17, defeated a fellow Dorset player, Sophie Keech, in the first round and then went on to beat Northumberland’s Lisa Ball 8 and 7.

The England girl international, who is playing in this championship for the first time, was under par for the 11 holes she played.

“I was pleased with the way I played and I’m looking forward to tomorrow,” she said. Her quarter-final opponent is Lancashire’s Nikki Foster, runner-up in both the Scottish and Welsh open amateur stroke-play championships, who knocked out Curtis Cup player Holly Clyburn.

“I just tried to hit fairways and greens and it worked,” said the 18-year-old England international (pictured above by Cal Carson Golf Agency). Nikki, whose father-caddie Trevor once led The Open championship for the first 11 holes, sealed her win with a birdie 2 on the 15th.

Fellow Lancashire player Kelly Tidy won a roller-coaster of a match when she beat English stroke-play champion Charlotte Wild on the 18th. Kelly was five up after seven but was pulled back after “I made some silly mistakes.”

However, she always stayed in front and reached the 18th tee one up. A fighting par later – which involved a five-iron punch out from trees – clinched her place in the final eight.

England’s two other Curtis Cup selections made their way into the last eight. Gloucestershire’s Hannah Barwood – who was the 2008 champion – was four under par when she finished her match on the 11th. Staffordshire’s Rachel Jennings won both her day’s games by the margin of 2 and 1.

Gloucestershire’s Charlotte Ellis ended the reign of defending champion Charlie Douglass when she won a close battle on the 18th. “I knew it would be a tough match,” she said. Charlotte went ahead for the first time when she won the 15th but promptly lost the 16th to an unexpected birdie.

Charlie’s birdie putt had rolled past the cup but the slope brought it back and into the hole. Charlotte in turn birdied the 17th to go one up and held on to her advantage over the closing hole.

Buckinghamshire’s Rachel Drummond held off a determined challenge from Hampshire’s Raffi Dyer, who came back from three down to be all square on the 18th tee. Rachel finally won through to the quarter-finals with a par on the last.

Tara Watters, who was last year’s losing finalist, was taken to the 19th by Dorset 14-year-old Georgia Hall, the English U13 champion. Tara won the 18th to take the match into extra time and on the 19th – the par five first hole - she played two superb shots to within 10ft of the pin to close out the match.

MATCH-PLAY RESULTS

FIRST ROUND

Rachel Jennings (Izaak Walton) bt Natalie Lowe (Prestbury) 2 and 1.

Tilly Magil (Woburn) bt Melissa McMahon (Yeovil) 1 hole.

Charlie Douglass (Brocket Hall) bt Jane Binning (Frilford Heath) 3 and 2.

Charlotte Ellis (Minchinhampton) bt Kimberley Bradbury (Cavendish) 3 and 2.

Hayley Davis (Ferndown) bt Sophie Keech (Lyme Regis) 2 and 1.

Lisa Ball (Matfen Hall) bt Julia Brook (Croham Hurst) 2 and 1.

Holly Clyburn (Woodhall Spa) bt Daisy Dyer (Chigwell) 7 and 5.

Nikki Foster (Pleasington) bt Hermione FitzGerald (Royal Worlington) 4 and 3.

Rachel Drummond (Beaconsfield) bt Rachael Goodall (Heswall) 6 and 5.

Raffi Dyer (Hayling) beat Charlotte Dalton (Ladbrook Park) 6 and 5.

Danielle Gibb (Rochester & Cobham) beat Steph McEvoy (Old Manor Manor) 3 and 2.

Hannah Barwood (Knowle) bt Kyra Horlock (Broadstone) 2 and 1.

Tara Watters (Muswell Hill) bt Nikki Dunn (Harrogate) 1 hole.

Georgia Hall (Ferndown) bt Hannah Grant (Enmore Park) 1 hole.

Charlotte Wild (Mere) bt Lauren Blease (Coombe Hill) 1 hole.

Kelly Tidy (Royal Birkdale) bt Harriet Key (South Herts) 5 and 3.

SECOND ROUND

Jennings beat Magil 2 and 1.

Ellis bt Douglass 1 hole.

Davis bt Ball 8 and 7.

Foster bt Clyburn 4 and 3.

Drummond bt Dyer 1 hole.

Barwood bt Gibb 8 and 7.

Watters bt Hall at 19th.

Tidy bt Wild 1 hole.

FRIDAY'S QUARTER-FINALS LINE-UP

Rachel Jennings v Charlotte Ellis

Hayley Davis v Nikki Foster

Rachel Drummond v Hannah Barwood

Tara Watters v Kelly Tidy

Full details: www.englishwomensgolf.org

Lyndsey Hewison

Press & PR Officer