KELLY GOES TO CURTIS CUP AS NEW ENGLISH CHAMPION

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Lancashire’s Kelly Tidy won a sudden death play-off to be crowned English women’s amateur champion at her home club, Royal Birkdale.
Lancashire’s Kelly Tidy won a sudden death play-off to be crowned English women’s amateur champion at her home club, Royal Birkdale.
She defeated Dorset’s Georgia Hall with a birdie on the first play-off hole after the two golfers had tied at the end of regulation play on four-over par. “It’s very special to win here, it means more than anything,” said Kelly, whose supporters included a crowd of home club spectators.
She gave them some anxious moments before she clinched the title but, as she said afterwards: “I never give up. I always believe it’s not over until it’s over, until the last putt drops.” That attitude carried her through as the final round unfolded with compelling drama and the lead swung to and fro.
“It was almost like matchplay,” said Kelly. “I’ve been in matchplay finals and I know it can get scrappy and that you just have to hang in there to the end. That’s what happened.”
Kelly set the stage when she took the championship lead after this morning’s third round when she produced a near-flawless score of four-under par 71. It took her to two-under for the event and leapfrogged her over her playing partner, Georgia Hall (Remedy Oak), who had held the lead from the start and who had scored par this morning.
It meant there were three shots separating the pair as they teed off in what was to become a two-horse race. Their closest challengers were another six shots behind them and none could break into the battle being played out in the final pairing. Holly Clyburn (Woodhall Spa) came nearest, finishing three shots back, in third place.
Kelly maintained a healthy advantage over the opening holes and was four ahead after the fourth. But she was steadily pegged back and after a two-shot swing on the 10th, which Georgia birdied, the players were on level terms.
Georgia kept up the momentum, taking advantage of a temporary lapse in Kelly’s putting skills, and held a two shot advantage after 14 holes. But the battle was far from over: Georgia’s three-putt on 15 narrowed the gap to one and when Kelly birdied 16 they were again on level terms.
Georgia struck back with a birdie on the 17th to hold a one-shot lead as they played the last. Kelly, in turn, birdied the 18th - thanks to a superb putt of over 30 yards which finished within inches of the hole - to set up a play-off.
The deciding hole was the par five 15th where Kelly set up yet another birdie with a fine pitch to the pin – and the title was hers. Georgia, who parred the hole, said afterwards: “I’m disappointed, but Kelly produced two birdies to win and I can’t argue with that.”
Kelly’s next big date is the Curtis Cup match at Nairn in June: “I really hope we can win there. I love team golf and I’m very patriotic about playing for my country, it means a lot,” she said. The team also includes Holly Clyburn, who was third in the championship, while Georgia is a reserve.
The best scores of the final round were three-under 72, returned by England girl international Emily Taylor (Royal Lytham & St Annes) and British champion Lauren Taylor (Woburn). Hannah Barwood (Knowle), Charlotte Wild (Mere) and Melissa McMahon (Lyme Regis) all shot one-under 74.
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 300 (4x75)
304 Kelly Tidy (Royal Birkdale) 78 74 71 81, Georgia Hall (Remedy Oak) 77 74 75 78. Tidy won sudden death play-off at first extra hole.
307 Holly Clyburn (Woodhall Spa) 80 76 76 75
309 Kerry Smith (Waterlooville) 81 75 76 77
310 Emily Taylor (Royal Lytham and St Annes) 80 76 82 72
313 Lauren Taylor (Woburn) 84 79 78 72, Hannah Barwood (Knowle) 79 81 79 74
314 Gabriella Cowley (West Essex), 81 82 76 75, Charlotte Wild (Mere) 81 81 78 74, Ellie Robinson (Wilton) 79 79 79 77
315 Alexandra Peters (Notts Ladies) 79 81 78 77
316 Jessica Bradley (Tiverton) 80 77 79 80