YORKSHIRE GIRL CHAMPION ALISON LEADS NORTH QUALIFIERS

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE ENGLISH WOMEN'S GOLF ASSOCIATION 

Yorkshire girls’ champion Alison Knowles shot a superb gross score of one-under par 72 in wind and rain at Kirby Lonsdale to lead the North qualifiers for the 2011 Volvo EWGA Grand Medal Final.

The top 10 players go forward to the Grand Medal Final at Droitwich Golf Club, Worcestershire, on June 25, where they will join qualifiers from EWGA’s other five regions to compete for the title of England’s champion medal player.

The successful North region qualifiers are:  

Alison Knowles (Hickleton), Laura Johnson (Bolton Old Links), Jessica Hall (Bishop Auckland), Neeve Fisher (Hebden Bridge), Phyllis Hall (Huddersfield), Joan Hughes (Haydock Park), Samantha Malone (Parklands), Grainne Pendlebury (Bolton), Emily Powell (Seascale), Jackie Barraclough (East Bierley).

Alison, 18, was on fine form. She was playing off three and her net score of 69 was two better than her closest challenger and, satisfyingly, her handicap will return to two.

She credited her success to good putting and a new driver: “I’ve only had it two weeks and this was its first major competition. I hit most of the fairways and that was important because the rough was quite long.”

Alison, who had never seen the course before, signed off her round with three consecutive birdies, bringing her total tally for the day to six. Her only regret was that she didn’t shave one more shot off her score and match the course record.

As well as winning the Yorkshire girls’ championship for the last two years, Alison has held the South Yorkshire schools’ title for the past four years. She also plays for the Yorkshire second team and, after she completes her sixth form studies this summer, will be taking up a golf scholarship at an American university. She’s also a footballer, playing for the successful Sheffield Wednesday ladies’ reserves.

Other North region qualifiers include 15-year-old Neeve Fisher of Hebden Bridge, Yorkshire, who has pulled off a remarkable feat of consistent success.

Each regional medal final is contested by the players who returned the four best medal scores at their club during the previous season. Neeve has now represented Hebden Bridge for two successive years and qualified for the grand final on both occasions – last year she was top regional qualifier, this year she was fourth. In the year between regional finals she has also cut her handicap to 23 to 15 – and now another reduction is on the way.

Qualifying net scores:

Par 73. SS 73. CSS 76 (reduction only)

69 Alison Knowles (Hickleton)

71 Laura Johnson (Bolton Old Links)

72 Jessica Hall (Bishop Auckland), Neeve Fisher (Hebden Bridge)

75 Phyllis Hall (Huddersfield), Joan Hughes (Haydock Park)

76 Samantha Malone (Parklands), Grainne Pendlebury (Bolton)

77 Emily Powell (Seascale), Jackie Barraclough (East Bierley)

Click here for full scores

Lyndsey Hewison

Press and PR Officer

EWGA

Tel. 01603 507 416

Email: lyndsey.hewison@ntlworld.co