Hertfordshire are English champions

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE ENGLISH WOMEN'S GOLF ASSOCIATION
Hertfordshire are England’s champion county. They won the title for the first time amid scenes of great jubilation when they beat Yorkshire 5-4 on the last day of County Finals at Kedleston Park, Derbyshire. The championship is supported by Virgin Atlantic.
Hertfordshire won all five of their matches this week and as team captain Jackie Foster watched her celebrating players she commented: “They are just fantastic.”
After a tense afternoon’s play Hertfordshire’s hopes of victory depended on the last match on the course. Most of the team were on the 18th, where they’d watched Charlie Field secure a valuable half point, when the news came through that Charlie Douglass had won on the 16th.
They tore down the fairway, cheering and shrieking, as they made their way to meet the England international,
A quick team huddle was interrupted with cries of “How long have we waited for this!” “Go Herts, go Herts!” And, in a reference to the last two years, when they have been runners-up: “Third time lucky!”
Hertfordshire trailed 2-1 after the morning foursomes - and they were fortunate to win that point. Yorkshire had appeared to be in the driving seat when Emma Brown pitched up to within 2ft on the 18th, but Steph McEvoy chipped in to win the hole and the game.
From that time on Hertfordshire were unstoppable. They came out fighting in the singles and although they lost the top game they won three others and halved two.
Steph McEvoy was the first to put a singles point on the board, with a good win over Emma Brown. Lucy Williams halved, as did Charlie Field, who came back from one down with two to play. Harriet Key won on the 17th with a solid par and before long Charlie Douglass added her point after a low-scoring match peppered with birdies.
“I thought it was going to be difficult after we lost the foursomes but they all wanted to win so much and they all just played their hearts out. I am just so pleased for them and so pleased to be captain of the first Hertfordshire team to win County Finals,” said Jackie.
Yorkshire’s Liz Haw paid tribute to her players: “They have played their hearts out all week but they just couldn’t win on the last day. But it was 5-4, it wasn’t a disaster. I’m delighted with them all, they’re a great team, and they’ve got a great team spirit.”
Lincolnshire beat Northamptonshire 7-2 to take third place. “A very happy week for us,” said team captain Julia Sales.
In the day’s other match Sussex beat Dorset 5-4 and finished fourth.
The six teams contesting the championship each represent one of the regions of the English Women’s Golf Association: Hertfordshire from the East, Yorkshire from the North, Lincolnshire from Midlands North, Sussex from the South, Dorset from the South-West and Northamptonshire from Midlands South.
Final placings
5pts Hertfordshire
3.5pts Yorkshire
3pts Lincolnshire
2pts Sussex
1pt Dorset
0.5pt Northamptonshire


Results
Dorset 4, Sussex 5
(Dorset names first)
Foursomes
Hayley Davis and Georgia Hall bt Aileen Greenfield and Karen Sykes 3 and 3.
Hannah Bews and Francesca Young lost to Stacey Rodger and Emma Carberry 5 and 3.
Kerry-Anne Haskell and Alice Plumb lost to Chloe Court and Paula Carver 2 holes.
Singles
Davis lost to Carberry 6 and 5.
Hall bt Katherine Russell 7 and 6.
Melissa McMahon bt Chelsea Masters 6 and 4.
Sophie Keech lost to Greenfield 3 and 2.
Plumb lost to Court 6 and 5.
Haskell bt Carver 5 and 3.


Lincolnshire 7, Northamptonshire 2
(Lincolnshire names first)
Foursomes
Helen Hewlett and Holly Clyburn bt Rebecca Rowlands and Roseann Youngman 2 and 1.
Jess Wilcox and Megan Illingworth lost to Megan Liddington and Rachel Smith 3 and 1.
Emilee Taylor and Sophie Beardsall bt Rebecca Gee and Charley Hull 3 and 2.
Singles
Clyburn bt Hull 2 holes.
Taylor bt Meghan MacLaren 1 hole
Hewlett bt Sarah Carter 5 and 4.
Beardsall bt Liddington 5 and 4.
Helen McDougall bt Rowlands 4 and 3.
Wilcox lost to Youngman 3 and 2.


Hertfordshire 5, Yorkshire 4
(Hertfordshire names first)
Foursomes
Charlie Douglass and Steph McEvoy bt Emma Brown and Rebecca Wood 1 hole.
Alison Franklin & Harriet Key lost to Sophie Godley and Megan Garland 5 and 3.
Lucy Williams and Charlie Field lost to Ellie Robinson and Claire Smith 2 holes.
Singles
Franklin lost to Sara Garbutt 4 and 3.
Williams halved with Wood
McEvoy bt Brown 4 and 2.
Field halved with Godley
Key bt Garland 3 and 1
Douglass bt Smith 4 and 2. 

Lyndsey Hewison
Press and PR Officer
EWGA