Cheshire pair win PING Grand Final

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY ENGLISH WOMEN'S GOLF ASSOCIATION
Cheshire golfers Cath Rawthore and Hilary Tarleton (pictured won the Grand Final of the 2010 PING Fourball Betterball Tournament of England by the narrowest of margins at Gainsborough Golf Club, Lincolnshire.
The Sale players scored 42 points and won on countback from teenage sisters Kirsty and Chloe Galbraith from Kent. Their victory also booked them a trip to Vale do Lobo in Portugal next month to play in the UK final of the Volvo Masters Amateur Tour.
“We are absolutely thrilled and overwhelmed,” said Hilary. “We’re excited and slightly shaky!
“We have had a fantastic day and it’s a real privilege to play in this event because everyone makes the players feel very special.”
The PING tournament, which is run by the English Women’s Golf Association, attracted entries from almost 17,000 women this year – and it’s hoped to make it even bigger in 2011. The best 60 pairs of club winners qualified for the Grand Final, while the next 72 pairs went through to the previous day’s Plate Final.
Every player at the Grand Final received a PING golf bag, a PING Collection fleece and a pair of ECCO shoes. The event is also supported by Volvo. In addition the top six pairs received prizes, with the winners’ prizes totalling £400 each.
The Grand Final was played in calm, sunny conditions after heavy overnight rain had softened the Thonock Park course. Julie Harvey and Leslie Burton from Kenwick Park, Lincolnshire, were out in the first group and set the early lead with 39 points. They were top of the leaderboard for hours before a string of better scores came in later in the day.
Cath, who plays off two, and Hilary, an eight-handicapper, had a gross betterball score of one-under par 71. Crucially, Cath two-putted from the front of the green on the last for a par which gave them 21 points on the back nine – and the edge on the Galbraith sisters.
The win capped a fantastic week for Cath and Hilary, who have been friends for almost 30 years. For the first time in 21 years their club has just won the Bell Cup, a prestigious event in Manchester and district, and also just qualified for the final of the East Cheshire League. “It’s all unbelievable, magical,” said Hilary.
The Galbraith sisters, Kirsty, 16, and Chloe, 14, put up a fantastic challenge for the title and were round in a betterball level par. The two girls, from Mid-Kent, took up golf together five years ago, play together whenever they can - and they rarely argue. They’ve both cut their handicaps this season and Kirsty plays off seven while Chloe is off 12.
“We’ve had a fantastic day – and the things we’ve been given are wonderful,” said Kirsty. Both girls put their old bags in the bin before leaving Gainsborough!
Leading final scores
42 pts Cath Rawthore and Hilary Tarleton (Sale) on countback from Kirsty Galbraith and Chloe Galbraith (Mid-Kent)