NO DOUBTING THOMAS LEADS BY ONE FROM AMY BOULDEN

CHARLOTTE THOMAS, surprise halfway leader in a high-scoring championship. Image by Cal Carson Golf Agency.

SURREY-BORN CHARLOTTE COMES FROM

SINGAPORE TO MAKE SPARKLING DEBUT

IN BRITISH STROKE-PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
Surrey-born Charlotte Thomas, a comparatively unknown 18-year-old golfer who has lived the last five years in Singapore where her father works in advertising, celebrates her debut in the Ladies British open amateur stroke-play championship by leading the star-studded field at the halfway stage of the 72-hole tournament at Royal Ashdown Forest Golf Club, Sussex.
In the last threesome to finish in murky light after 7pm, Charlotte had the best round of par 72 on a day when a cross wind blew many balls into the heather and resulted in even higher scores generally. The CSS was 77 compared with 76 on Wednesday
Thomas had opened with a 76, to be four shots off the pace overnight, so now she occupies the pole position on four-over-par 148.
Charlotte's name might not mean anything in the Western Hemisphere but she is rated a rising star in the East - she won the Nick Faldo Series Qualifier in China and will return there for the Grand Final next year. She has also won junior events in the Singapore area.
It was generally thought that Royal Ashdown Forest could not present much tougher a challenge than it did on Wednesday. Think again. Today's wind added another degree of difficulty. Even some of the straighter drivers were being blown off line and into the punishing heather.
But Charlotte surged to two under par with birdies at the second and sixth before she dropped her first shot at the seventh were she came up short with a nine-iron and could not get up and down to save par.
That was quickly forgotten when she got a pitch-and-putt birdie 4 at the long eighth before turning in two-under-par 34.
Only one player - Sian Evans (Faversham) better that score for the front nine today. She was out in 33 ... but took 43 shots to come home and missed the cut.
Back to Charlotte Thomas and she covered the inward nine in 38 with eight pars and a double bogey 6 at the short 14th where she pulled a six-iron tee shot into the heather and lost the ball.
Amy Boulden, off at 11.43, shot a 76 to set the clubhouse target of five-over 149 which stood unchallenged until the last trio finished. The teenager Welsh star, a member of the GB and I Astor Trophy-winning team and also the squad for the Vagliano Trophy match against the Continent, had only one birdie - a 2 at the short ninth to be out in 38. She had bogeys at the first, second, fourth, 10th and 11th but was able to par the last seven holes of her round.
Amy was runner-up to Pamela Pretswell in this championship played in atrocious conditions at Tenby.
Five players share third place on 150: Joelie Vanbaarle (Belgium) (77-73), Silvia Banon Ibanez (Spain) (76-74), Charlotte Wild (The Mere) (74-76), 16-year-old Leona Maguire (Slieve Russell) (75-75) and 17-year-old Meghan MacLaren (Wellingborough) (73-77).
Charlotte Wild had only one birdie, at the 16th, in halves of 39-37. She was three over par after only six holes so did well to finish only four over.
Meghan MacLaren, whose father David is a European Tour director, has come on in leaps and bounds over the past year. A couple of weeks ago, the 17-year-old gained a well-deserved first cap for the title-winning England team in the girls' home internationals at Gullane, East Lothian.
Meghan is only two shots behind leader Thomas despite running up a triple bogey 6 at the short sixth and a double bogey 6 at the 16th in halves of 37 and 40.
Birdies at the third, fifth and ninth helped to offset the damage to the scorecard but the fact that her misfortunes did not get her down speaks volumes for her temperament.
Leona Maguire could squeeze only only one birdie - at the eighth - and she shed shots at the 10th, 11th and 15th.
Twin sister Lisa, who recently won the European women's individual amateur title in Holland (Leona was fourth), missed the cut with an 81 for 159. It's probably the first cut she has ever missed. Lisa turned in a respectable 37 but came home in 44 with a 7 at the long 12th. She parred only two of the inward holes.
Another Curtis Cup player to have a day to forget was former English champion Hannah Barwood (Knowle) who had an 88 (46-42) for 169.
Good to see the next generation of England stars, such as Charley Hull (74 for 153), Bronte Law (75 for 153) and Lauren Taylor (76 for 152), all surving.
Bronte reckons she's got her confidence back after the disappointment of losing to the eventual winner of the British girls championship at Gullane last week, Belgium's Margaux Vanmol, at the 20th in the quarter-finals after seeing her opponent lose a ball at the 18th and then get a birdie 3 with her second ball to escape with a half in 5.
Funny how the younger players seemed to have fared better over a Royal Ashdown Forest course that brought several better known players to their knees.

PAULA CARVER ACES 245yd HOLE 12th AT ROYAL ASHDALE FOREST

Shot of the day was a hole in one achieved at the longest par-3 on the course, the 245yd 12th, by Paula Carver, pictured left by Cal Carson Golf Agency, the current Worthing women's club champion and also a past Sussex county champion.

Paula used a three-wood to chalk up her fourth hole in one although she did not see the ball disappear down the hole. Her four aces have been spread out over the past four years.

She went round in 80 today but an aggregate of 162 left her out of Friday's action. A bottle of Ladies Golf Union wine - 2012 Curtis Cup vintage - will be Paula's prize at tomorrow's prizegiving.

YOUNGEST COMPETITOR ANNABEL DIMMOCK

(14) MISSES OUT  DESPITE A 76

Annabel Dimmock (Wentworth), the younger of the two 14-year-olds in the championship, did her best to beat the cut with a solid round of 76 but an aggregate of 160 was just a little bit too high.

Annabel has a handicap of one and is the Buckinghamshire girls champion. She was also runner-up in the England U15 girls' championship.

Annabel, pictured right by Cal Carson Golf Agency, has been playing golf since she was eight and has already played in places like the United States (Pinehurst), Scotland (Gullane), South Africa, Malaysia and Portugal.

"I drove the ball better today despite the wind and my approach shots were also better," said Annabel who hopes someday to be a tour pro. Remember the name!

Defending champion Pamela Pretswell is still in the mix, sharing 10th place on 152 with a pair of 76s. Pamela had a bad run either side of the turn - a double bogey 6 at the seventh and bogeys at the ninth and 11th, but she covered the last seven holes in level par with birdies at the 13th and 17th, offset by bogeys at the 14th and 18th.

But she is not the leading Scot among the four who survived the cut at 157 (13 over par). That honour belongs to Rachael Taylor, whose father is a golf club pro in Germany.

Rachael, joint overnight leader with fellow Scot Alyson McKechin (Elderslie) on the 72 mark, added a battling 79 for 151 to be only three shots off the pace with two rounds to go.

Young Hannah McCook (Grantown on Spey), about to enrol at Stirling University very shortly, had a 76 for 154 – a good effort by the teenager in conditions that saw Curtis Cup players Lisa Maguire and Hannah Barwood miss the cut.

The only other Scot to make it through to the last day action is Alyson McKechin who had an 84 for 156.