Alice (15) is Dorset star in draw with Yorkshire

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE ENGLISH WOMEN'S GOLF ASSOCIATION
The young Dorset team held mighty Yorkshire to a draw on the third day of the finals of the English Counties’ Championship at Kedleston Park, Derbyshire. The championship is supported by Virgin Atlantic.
Meanwhile, Hertfordshire beat Lincolnshire 6-3 to move to the top of the points table with a 100 per cent record of three wins from three matches. Sussex put their first point on the board with a 5½-3½ win over Northamptonshire.
The teams each represent one of the regions of the English Women’s Golf Association and are battling it out in the round robin competition for the title of England’s champion county.
After three days the standings are: 3pts Hertfordshire, 2 pts Yorkshire, 1pt Dorset, Lincolnshire and Sussex, 0.5pt Northamptonshire.
Dorset’s star of the day was 15-year-old Alice Plumb of Yeovil who, on her first outing at County Finals, won the 18th to square her match and secure the halved result for her team.
Her fellow team-mates – whose average age is 17 – ran onto the green to congratulate her and celebrate their performance against a team which has dominated this championship in recent years. Yorkshire won the title for five consecutive years from 2004.
Dorset captain Liz Lloyd said: “This is just wonderful, the girls are so excited. Now we’re just looking forward to the rest of the week.”
Yorkshire took the early lead in the match, winning two of the three foursomes by comfortable margins. But Dorset were quick off the blocks in the afternoon with singles wins from English champion Hayley Davis, English U15 champion Georgia Hall and Melissa McMahon.
Yorkshire came straight back and, after wins by Naomi Edwards and Claire Smith, the two sides each had four points apiece and the outcome of the day depended on the last match on the course.
Alice Plumb was one down standing on the 18th tee and hit a tee shot straight down the middle and a four wood to just short of the putting surface. From there she chipped up to 3ft. Her opponent, Sophie Godley, found rough off the tee and also just missed the green. Her approach finished about 4ft from the hole but her putt for the win just missed. Alice slotted her ball into the hole amid screams of delight from her fellow team members.
Yorkshire captain Liz Haw said afterwards: “The match result turned out better than we thought it was going to and we are happy with a half. We did well in the foursomes but then lost three singles and the others were all very close – too close! But we didn’t lose.”
Hertfordshire moved into the lead with an overall result which appears comfortable – but which disguises a hard-fought battle, particularly in the foursomes.
Team captain Jackie Foster said: “All three foursomes could have gone either way, they all went to the 18th and we could easily have been three down – or any combination. To actually win 2½ points was a real plus.”
The singles started well with good wins from Lucy Williams and Steph McEvoy which gave the team an unbeatable 4½ points. But it was some time before Charlie Douglass secured the win with a great up and down from a greenside bunker on the 17th. Harriet Key followed up by winning the 18th, courtesy of a fine chip, to square her match.
“It seemed a long wait!” said Jackie. “You are always optimistic but the conditions were tricky again. It’s very windy and it was cold this morning.”
Sussex captain Jane Covey was delighted with her team’s win: “I am over the moon,” she said. “The course is playing really long and the conditions have been really nasty with wet and rain. Anyone who has won has certainly deserved their win.”
Her team were fired up with their success in the foursomes, when they won 2½ points, with a particularly gutsy performance from Katherine Russell and Chelsea Masters. They won the 16th and 17th with birdies before also taking the 18th to snatch a halved point. The pair both went on to win their singles, alongside Emma Carberry.
Today’s draw:
Yorkshire v Northamptonshire
Sussex v Lincolnshire
Dorset v Hertfordshire
Results
Hertfordshire 6 Lincolnshire 3
(Hertfordshire names first)
Foursomes
Charlie Douglass and Steph McEvoy bt Helen Hewlett and Holly Clyburn 1 hole.
Lucy Williams and Charlotte Field halved with Jess Wilcox and Sophie Beardsall
Alison Franklin and Harriet Key bt Emilee Taylor and Helen McDougall 1 hole.
Singles
Williams bt Hewlett 3 and 1.
Lucy Glyn lost to Clyburn 3 and 1.
Franklin lost to Wilcox 3 and 1.
McEvoy bt Beardsall 5 and 4.
Key halved with Taylor
Douglass bt Megan Illingworth 2 and 1.

Yorkshire 4½ Dorset 4½
(Yorkshire names first)
Foursomes
Emma Brown and  Rebecca Wood beat Kerry-Anne Haskell and Melissa McMahon 5and 4
Claire Smith and Ellie Robinson bt Hannah Bews and Sophie Keech 7 and 6.
Sophie Godley and  Megan Garland lost to Hayley Davis and Georgia Hall 3 and 2.
Singles
Sara Garbutt lost to Hall 1 hole.
Brown lost to Davis 4 and 3.
Wood lost to McMahon 1 hole.
Naomi Edwards bt Haskell 2 and 1.
Smith bt Bews 2 holes.
Godley halved with Alice Plumb

Northamptonshire 3½ Sussex 5½
(Northamptonshire names first)
Foursomes
Rebecca Gee and Meghan MacLaren lost to Stacey Rodger and Emma Carberry 3 and 2.
Roseann Youngman  and Rebecca Rowlands halved with Katherine Russell and Chelsea Masters
Sarah Carter and Mary MacLaren lost to Chloe Court and Paula Carver 3 and 1.
Singles
Meghan MacLaren bt Aileen Greenfield 1 hole
Charley Hull bt Karen Sykes 5 and 4.
Gee lost to Carberry 2 and 1.
Youngman lost to Masters 3 and 2.
Carter lost to Russell 4 and 3.
Rowlands bt Court 1 hole.

Lyndsey Hewison
Press and PR Officer
EWGA