Cumbria pair win Ping Plate Final

 at windy Gainsborough

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE ENGLISH WOMEN'S GOLF ASSOCIATION
Cumbria golfers Linda Young and Ruth Coleby won the Plate final of the 2010 PING Fourball Better-ball Tournament on a day when strong winds brought a large branch crashing down beside the first tee at Gainsborough Golf Club, Lincolnshire.
Linda and Ruth were safely on the course at the time, but EWGA president Ann Irvin, a photographer and competitors had to run to safety as the branch fell across a path where they had been standing moments before.

Tracey Freedman and Louise Johnson of Portal Premier, Cheshire, had just teed off and were waiting for their opponents to hit when the branch crashed down.
“We heard this creak, creak, creak,” said Tracey. “Everything seemed to happen in slow motion, but then I saw the photographer run and I ran too.”
Jude Gannon of Chilwell Manor, Nottinghamshire, was standing nearby: “It was just like a firecracker going off,” she said. “It was a good job it made a noise because that’s what warned people.”
Play was suspended from the first tee for about 40 minutes before the competitors who were still due to start began their rounds from the third hole. They played holes one and two at the end of their rounds.
The PING tournament, which is run by the English Women’s Golf Association, attracted entries from almost 17,000 women this year. The best 60 pairs of club winners qualified for the Grand Final, which takes place tomorrow, while the next 72 pairs went through to today’s new Plate Final.
The winds swept the course throughout the Plate Final, becoming steadily stronger as the day wore on, but despite the conditions the scoring was good. Linda and Ruth, who play at Penrith Golf Club, scored the narrowest of victories with their 42 points, taking the title on countback from Melanie Lesser and Mariette Robbertse of Bury St Edmunds.

Two more pairs were just a point behind, with Julie Ward and Diana Wood of Edgbaston taking third place on countback from Janet Duckels and Dawn Potter of Wike Ridge, Yorkshire.

We are cock-a-hoop,” said Ruth. “We are always the bridesmaids, that’s our motto!”

Linda added: “We were fortunate to play a practice round yesterday when we thought the wind was bad – but today it was even stronger. We also had very good partners who kept us going over the back nine.”

She went on: “This is a great event and is very good for club golfers. Our club has always taken part but we shall go back and encourage even more women to join in.”

Melanie Lesser and Mariette Robbertes did all they could to win, including a chip-in and a birdie on the back nine – and they were philosophical afterwards. “We were pleased with how we played and didn’t feel we left anything out there,” said Melanie. “It’s the best result we’ve ever had considering 17,000 women initially entered this competition!”

Leading final scores
44 pts Ruth Coleby and Linda Young (Penrith) on countback from Melanie Lesser and Mariette Robbertse (Bury St. Edmunds)
41 Julie Ward and Diana Wood (Edgbaston) on countback from Janet Duckels and Dawn Potter (Wike Ridge)
40 Val Ward and Wendy Roberts (Holtye); Gill Ludkiewicz and Sue Mason (West Bradford); Marie Forey and Sandra Argyle (Wheatley);
39 G. Davison and A. Hope (Parklands)
38 Marie Rooks and Mandy Mole (Littlestone), Tina Tuckwell and Christine Cooper (Cretingham); Jude Reiz and Anne Leggate (Woodhall Spa); Michele Alvin and Elaine Tordoff (Northcliffe)
37 Sharon Fell and Gina Myatt (Redditch), Mary Hawkes and Julia Gaunt (Drayton Park); Marie Kent and Corrina Knowles (Exeter); Louise Coggin and Lynn Longbone (Hull); Jackie Barraclough and Doreen Naylor (East Bierley); Valerie Dickens and Harriet Swinerd (Mid Sussex); Christina Warr and Sue Hickman (College Pines); Heather Neale and Rachel Johnson (Shirley Park); Claire Village and Pat Brown (Chatsworth); Sarah Harper and Jenny Readman (Meon Valley).


Lyndsey Hewison
Press and  PR Officer
EWGA
Tel. 01603 507 416