CHARLEY HULL (15) PLAYS LUCY WILLIAMS (21) IN ENGLISH FINAL

Charley Hull, finalist in the English women's championship at the age of 15 (image by Cal Carson Golf Agency)

FROM THE ENGLISH WOMEN'S GOLF ASSOCIATION WEBSITE
Remarkable 15-year-old Charley Hull has played her way into the final of the English women’s amateur championship at West Sussex and will face the No 2  seed Lucy Williams, pictured right by Cal Carson Golf Agency. The event is sponsored by Tourism Ireland.
It’s the first time either player has entered this championship and, with both bringing fine pedigree to the event, the final promises to be excellent.
Charley, from Woburn, is currently ranked 19th in the women’s amateur world rankings and has been making golfing headlines since she won a national competition at the age of nine.
Since then she’s been English U13 champion, made her debut as an England international aged 14, won on this season’s Orange Blossom Tour in Florida and, last weekend, became the Welsh open stroke-play champion.
Lucy, from Mid-Herts, is 21 and is having a year’s full-time golf after completing her degree at Birmingham University. Although her studies have shaped her golfing schedule she has notched up a string of successes.
She’s a past winner of the English mid-amateur championship and she tied for the Scottish U21 stroke-play, only to be pipped in a play-off (by Kelsey MacDonald). Lucy was a member of Hertfordshire’s winning team at last year’s English County Finals and she helped an all-woman university team win the World Student Match-play Championship.
Both are relishing the prospect of the final: “I am really happy, over the moon, to get to the final and I shall play as well as I can,” said Lucy.
Charley commented: “I am absolutely loving this. I played in last year’s English stroke-play and was leading with a round to go – perhaps I can go one better tomorrow!” Both players delighted spectators with their golf in the quarter and semi-finals. Charley came through an excellent match against Lisa Ball (Matfen Hall) to take on the in-form Charlotte Wild of Cheshire. Charlotte had reached the semis with her second win this week over a Curtis Cup player, defeating Holly Clyburn (Woodhall Spa).
Charlotte immediately went ahead on the first hole, where Charley played a wrong ball out of the heather. But the teenager got back to all square with a par on the difficult 196-yard sixth, where she hit a four-iron over the water and into the heart of the green. An eagle three followed on the seventh and she moved into the lead for the first time.
Charley, who demonstrated a superb short game with two impressive up and downs from difficult lies in bunkers, was three up after 10. She lost the 11th to a birdie four but went back to three up on the 13th.
Charlotte then struck back with back-to-back birdies and only one hole separated the players as they went down the 16th. Charley just missed a birdie putt on 16, but, after an immensely long drive, secured her birdie and the match on the par five 17th.
Lucy Williams started her day’s campaign with a very close match against Rachel Drummond (Beaconsfield). Lucy finally won on the 18th – the only time she was up – and said: “It was a fantastic match. Rachel played so well and it was so close.”
In the semi-final she took on Gloucestershire’s Charlotte Ellis, an experienced international and last month’s winner of the Helen Holm Scottish open stroke-play title at Troon. Charlotte had made short work of her quarter-final after starting with four birdies in the first five holes.
Charlotte started the semi-final in the same vein with a birdie on the first hole. Lucy answered with another birdie on the third to get back to all square and moved ahead when her opponent conceded the fourth. She moved steadily ahead and was three up after seven. She lost the 10th to a par, but restored her three-hole lead with a par on the 12th, one of the difficult short holes which are a feature of West Sussex.
Lucy moved further ahead on the 14th, where she managed a par after playing a flop shot over a bunker which she later described as “one of the best up and downs of my life.” She claimed the match on the short 15th where her shot found the centre of the green and Charlotte’s first finished in the water.
RESULTS 
Quarter-finals
Charlotte Wild (Mere) bt Holly Clyburn (Woodhall Spa) 3 and 2.
Charley Hull (Woburn) bt Lisa Hall (Matfen Hall) 3 and 2.
Charlotte Ellis (Minchinhampton) bt Jerry Lawrence (Rochester and Cobham Park) 6 and 5.
Lucy Williams (Mid-Herts) bt Rachel Drummond (Beaconsfield) 1 hole.
Semi-finals
Hull beat Wild 2 and 1.
Williams beat Ellis 5 and 3.