LOCAL KNOWLEDGE PAYING OFF FOR JANET MELVILLE IN ENGLISH SENIORS

         JANET MELVILLE ... through to semi-finals

                  Picture by Cal Carson Golf Agency.

 
FROM THE ENGLAND GOLF WEBSITE
Nottinghamshire’s Janet Melville carries local hopes into the semi-finals of the English senior women’s championship at her home club, Sherwood Forest.
She won a high quality match against Lindsay Shaw of Derbyshire to take her place in the final four and will play Cheshire’s Cath Rawthore, who has reached the semis at her first attempt.
The other match is between defending champion Chris Quinn of Hampshire and Karen Lobb of Northamptonshire, who upset the odds to beat past winner Sue Dye on the 19th.
Janet Melville, the English senior stroke play champion, felt the pressure of playing at home during the qualifying rounds, but has relaxed into the matchplay and produced fine golf to win both her matches today.
Many of the holes were decided by birdies and honours were even at the turn.  Janet moved ahead on the homeward half, helped by another birdie on the 12th and generally steady play and good putting.
Karen Lobb (Northamptonshire County) produced the upset of the afternoon when she defeated former champion and senior international Sue Dye after an intensely close fight over the closing holes.
Karen was two down at the turn but took the lead when she won the short 15th with a birdie. She lost the next two holes, but squared the match with a par on the 18th and then won the 19th when she got up and down for par from a greenside bunker.
“It was an amazing game,” said Karen, who is playing in the championship flight for the first time.
Cath Rawthore (Sale) is a complete newcomer to senior golf and she, too, came through a close match to take her place in the semi-finals. Her opponent was senior international Roz Adams, who had a narrow advantage through much of second half – but Cath held doggedly on, holing good putts on 13, 14 and 15 to halve holes.
She was rewarded when they reached the 18th all square and she parred the hole for a one-hole victory. “It was a good match, a really good fight,” said Cath.
Sandra Paul of Huddersfield provided one of the morning upsets when she knocked out top seed Lulu Housman. But the double eluded her when she came up against defending champion Chris Quinn (Hockley).
Chris took her place in the quarter-final with a 5/4 win, which she sealed with a  superb four-iron to within 7ft of the pin on the 14th. “It was a lovely way to finish and tomorrow will be good,” she said.
The second flight semi-finalists are British senior champion Katherine Russell (Ryal Ashdown Forest), Denise Goodacre (Lambourne), Jeannie O’Keefe (Hankley Common) and Debbie Richards (Burhill).

Results

Championship flight
First round
Sandra Paul (Huddersfield) bt Lulu Housman (Highgate) at 20th
Chris Quinn (Hockley) bt Ruth Lindley (Hartlepool) 2/1
Sue Dye (Delamere Forest) bt Annie Gowing (Frilford Heath) 4/3
Karen Lobb (Northants Co) bt Caroline Berry (Bromborough) 3/2
Lindsay Shaw (Chevin) bt Caron Harrison (Sherwood Forest) 3/2
Janet Melville (Sherwood Forest) bt Felicity Christine (Woking) 1 hole.
Catherine Rawthore (Sale) bt Amanda Mayne (Saltford) 2/1
Roz Adams (Addington Court Ladies) bt Gillian Mellor (Prestbury) 2/1

Quarter finals
Quinn bt Paul 5 and 4.
Lobb bt Dye at 19th
Melville bt Shaw 2 and 1.
Rawthore bt Adams 1 hole
 
Semi-final draw:
Quinn v Lobb
Melville v Rawthore

Second flight
First round
Katherine Russell (Royal Ashdown Forest) bt Barbara Laird (Sandiway) 4/3
Joan Pullen (Basingstoke) bt Judy McCairns (Oxford Ladies) at 21st
Denise Goodacre (Lambourne) bt Sue Pendfold (Sherwood Forest) 5/4
Christine Watson (Beaconsfield) bt Sue Pidgeon (Wrekin) 2/1
Julie Wheeldon (Wakefield) bt Angela Jones (Belgium) at 20th
Jeannie O’Keeffe (Hankley Common) bt Jackie Barraclough (East Bierley) 3/1
Debbie Richards (Burhill) bt Carol Wild (Notts Ladies) 2/1
Julie Walter (St Ives, Hunts) bt Jo Ashmore (Barnham Broom) 2/1

Quarter finals
Russell beat Pullen 3/2
Goodacre beat Watson 2/1
O’Keeffe beat Wheeldon at 19th
Richards beat Walter 3/2

Semi-final draw:
Russell v Goodacre
O’Keeffe v Richards