Herts v Yorks in County

Finals title-decider


NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE ENGLISH WOMEN'S GOLF ASSOCIATION
Hertfordshire and Yorkshire will go head to head to decide the winner of the English Counties’ Championship in today’s finale at Kedleston Park, Derbyshire. The championship is supported by Virgin Atlantic.

Hertfordshire hold a slender half-point advantage, having won all four of their matches so far this week. They continued their winning record with an 6-3 victory over Dorset yesterday.

Yorkshire, who beat Northamptonshire 5½-3½, are unbeaten this week with three wins and one halved match.

In the day’s other match, Lincolnshire beat Sussex 5½- 3½.

The six 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.

Yorkshire have dominated this event in recent years, winning the title five consecutive times from 2004. They missed County Finals last year and they’ve come back determined to win. Captain Liz Haw said: “We will be going for it. It’s all to play for.”

Hertfordshire are equally determined. They’ve never won the championship, although they have been runners-up four times – and they’d dearly love to capture the title.

Team captain Jackie Foster said: “I think we have a really good opportunity to win tomorrow and the foursomes will be all-important, as they have been all week.

“The girls are really chuffed and I’m glad it’s in our own hands: we can go out there and win it, without depending on other teams’ results.”

In their match yesterday, Hertfordshire made that all-important start with 2½ points from the foursomes, which underpinned a solid singles performance.

Yorkshire, similarly, did well in the foursomes, with two wins, and they secured their point after singles wins from Naomi Edwards, Rebecca Wood and Emma Brown. Ellie Robinson managed to halve her match despite injuring her wrist while playing a bunker shot on the ninth.

Northamptonshire captain Pat Silburn praised her girls for the quality of their play. “They have played really well and for us to take some points from Yorkshire is fantastic. We are a tiny county and this has been a fabulous experience.”

Lincolnshire captain Julia Sales commented on her team’s win: “We had never come across Sussex before but we knew from their reputation that they were strong – and they were! I was absolutely delighted to get 2-1 up after the foursomes, especially as one of those games could have gone either way.”

Their singles successes included a 5/4 win for Helen Hewlett who was eight up after eight and four under par at the time.

Latest standings
4pts Hertfordshire
3.5 Yorkshire
2 Lincolnshire
1 Sussex, Dorset
0.5 Northamptonshire
FRIDAY'S MATCHES
Dorset v Sussex
Lincolnshire v Northamptonshire
Hertfordshire v Yorkshire


Click here for full scores


Lyndsey Hewison
Press and PR Officer
EWGA