WHITMORE, DAVIS LEAD AT WEATHER-HIT WETHERBY

NEWS RELEASE FROM 
ENGLAND GOLF
The heavens opened, thunder rolled, play was suspended twice – and Nicole Whitmore came through it all to shoot three-under par 70 in the English women’s open mid-amateur championship at Wetherby, Yorkshire. The event is sponsored by Tourism Ireland.
Nicole’s score was matched by only one other player, England international Hayley Davis, and was compiled over a marathon round which lasted almost eight hours, starting at 8.20am and ending at 4.05pm.
Nicole, pictured by Cal Carson Golf Agency, took first place in qualifying for the matchplay stages of the championship after pipping Hayley on countback.
Charlotte Thomas (Singapore Island) and Jess Wilcox (Blankney) also beat par with scores of one-under 72. They had a long wait to start their round, but had only one interruption once they got underway. 
LONGEST ROUND
Nicole, meanwhile, spent almost all day on and off the course. “It’s probably the longest round of golf I have ever had,” said the Woburn player, who managed to play just a hole and a half before torrential rain flooded the greens and the players were called in.
Play re-started three hours later in hot sunshine, but before long the thunder rolled in and once again the players had to take refuge. Nicole took shelter in a greenkeeper’s shed and used the break to her advantage.
“I had missed a short birdie putt on 13 and hit a bad drive on 14 when the rain came and we were delayed again. So it was quite good to have half an hour to get it all together again.”
She certainly did that, with birdies on the 16th and 17th to get to three-under. “I was really pleased, it wasn’t a flukey round, I hit it very well and just tried to hit fairways and greens all the time. I’m very happy!”
Hayley Davis (Ferndown) came in with her score late in the day, having waited patiently for her long-delayed tee time, but probably enjoyed the best of the weather. 
She was two-over after four holes before starting a scoring spree with six birdies in the rest of her round. “It was good, I hit it nicely and putted nicely,” said the past winner of the English women’s and girls’ championships.
BETTER FOR GOLF IN USA 
She’s currently on her summer break after a successful first year at Baylor University in Texas and reckons the experience is helping her golf. “The weather and the facilities make practice so much easier,” she said.
Charlotte Thomas and Jess Wilcox had very similar rounds, each scoring two birdies and one bogey. 
 Jess, who enjoyed a last-hole bonus of getting up-and-down for par from 30 yards, was particularly pleased: “I have changed my whole swing,” she said. “I was really struggling so I’ve changed and it’s going really well. I’m chuffed.”
The weather disruptions meant the qualifying stage of the championship was reduced from 36 holes to 18, with the cut falling on six-over par 79. Seven players were tied on 79 for the last three places in the match-play draw and the result was decided on countback.
The qualifiers include two members of GB and I’s winning Curtis Cup team: English champion Kelly Tidy (Royal Birkdale) and Welsh champion Amy Boulden (Conwy). Yorkshire champion Ellie Robinson (Wilton) also made is safely through.
But defending champion Claire Smith, of Silsden in Yorkshire, missed out by a shot and will be counting the cost of a quintuple bogey nine on the 10th hole.

Qualifiers:
Par 73
70 Nicole Whitmore (Woburn), Hayley Davis (Ferndown)
72 Jess Wilcox (Blankney), Charlotte Thomas (Singapore Island)
73 Sophie Powell (Manchester), Alex Peters (Notts Ladies), Ellie Robinson (Wilton) 
5  Kirsty Rands (Burhill), Nicola Rawlinson (Royal Birkdale)
76 Jo Hodge (The Kendleshire), Ami Storey (Ponteland), Sarah-Jane Boyd (Truro),  Jessica Bradley (Tiverton), Emma Carberry (Highwoods, Bexhill), Daisy Dyer (Chigwell)
77 Kerry Smith (Waterlooville), Kirsty O’Connor (WAL), Raffi Dyer (Hayling), Emily Perry (NZL), Kelly Tidy (Royal Birkdale), Stacey Rodger (West Hove) Megan  Garland (The Oaks), Megan Briggs (SCO), Melissa Siviter (Enville)
78 Rosie Davies (Coombe Hill), Chelsea Masters (Highwoods, Bexhill), Emma Tayler (Saunton), Amy Boulden (WAL), Elizabeth Richards (Hagley)
79 Kimberley Bradbury (Cavendish), Charlotte Thompson (Channels), Natalie Lowe (Styal)

Match-play draw:
Nicole Whitmore v Natalie Lowe
Kirsty O’Connor v Kerry Smith
Nicola Rawlinson v Melissa Siviter
Rosie Davies v Kirsty Rands
Sophie Powell v Amy Boulden
Stacey Rodger v Sarah-Jane Boyd
Jessica Bradley v Kelly Tidy
Elizabeth Richards v Charlotte Thomas
Jess Wilcox v Kimberley Bradbury
Emily Perry v Emma Carberry
Ami Storey v Megan Garland
Emma Tayler v Alex Peters
Ellie Robinson v Chelsea Masters
Megan Briggs v Jo Hodge
Daisy Dyer v Raffi Dyer
Charlotte Thompson v Hayley Davis 


TO VIEW ALL THE QUALIFYING ROUND SCORES


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Lyndsey Hewison
Press Officer
England Golf
lyndsey.hewison@ntlworld.com
07825 752 193