JESSICA LEADS SOUTH WEST QUALIFIERS FOR ENGLAND GRAND MEDAL FINAL

Devon 14-year-old Jessica Francis booked her place in the 2013 England Golf Grand Medal Final when she scored a two-shot win in the South West Region qualifier at Sherborne, Dorset. Jessica, from Churston, had a net score of two-under 72 and leads 10 qualifiers for the Grand Final. She commented: “It’s amazing, I just can’t describe it.”  She will be joined at the Grand Medal Final at Northants County Golf Club on June 29 by: Sheelah Ayliffe (Bovey Tracey), Helen Kenworthy (Axe Cliff), Alison Hooper (Henbury), Jean Booth (Burnham&Berrow), Jane Southcombe (Lyme Regis), Donna Saunders (Yeovil), Lesley Pascoe (Stover), Abigail Turner (Okehampton) and Jenny Robins (Tidworth Garrison). The event was contested by the best women club medal players from six counties: Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire. All the regional finalists had returned the best four scores at their club in the England Golf Medals during 2012. Jessica’s round included a gross birdie three on the 17th and will help her cut her 13 handicap. The Brixham College pupil took up golf about four years ago, inspired by her brother who has a one-handicap. This season her target is to follow him into single figures. This was the second of six regional medal finals. The South regional final has already been held and the others are: East on 30 April at Gog Magog, Cambs & Hunts; Midlands South on 3 May at Hazlemere, Buckinghamshire; Midlands North on 22 May at Radcliffe-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire; North on 23 May at Eaton, Cheshire. Qualifying net scores Par 74 CSS 78 72 Jessica Francis (Churston) 74 Sheelah Ayliffe (Bovey Tracey) 75 Helen Kenworthy (Axe Cliff) 76 Alison Hooper (Henbury) 77 Jean Booth (Burnham & Berrow) 78 Jane Southcombe (Lyme Regis), Donna Saunders (Yeovil), Lesley Pascoe (Stover), Abigail Turner (Okehampton) 79 Jenny Robins (Tidworth Garrison) Full scores: www.englandgolf.org/championships   Lyndsey Hewison Press Officer England Golf pr@englandgolf.org