NICOLA HAYNES SETS PACE WITH 67 IN ENGLISH GIRLS' CHAMPIONSHIP

Northumberland’s Nicola Haynes shot four-under par 67 to head an impressive leaderboard after the first round of the English girls’ championship at Oake Manor, Somerset. Nicola, the Northumberland ladies’ champion (image © Leaderboard Photography), is one ahead of Surrey’s Annabel Dimmock, while Emily Royer of Kent shot 69 and Dorset’s Sophie Keech returned a one-under 70. Gloucestershire’s Bethan Popel is the new South West ladies’ champion and continued her good form with a level par score, which was matched by Ashleigh Greenham of Essex. On the tightly packed leaderboard there are four players on one-over par: girl international and Helen Holm Scottish ladies’ open stroke play champion Olivia Winning (Rotherham), Dulcie Sverdloff (Garon Park), Lianna Bailey (Notts Ladies’) and Emily Slater (Woodhall Spa). Nicola Haynes, 17 (Gosforth Park Ladies) described her round as: “Just solid stuff, I didn’t make too many mistakes and I holed a couple of nice putts. “I put the ball in play and made my score from there. I’m very happy, it’s a good start - but there’s a long way to go,” she added. Nicola was three-under to the turn, helped by an eagle on the long fifth, and came home in one-under, with three birdies outweighing two bogeys. Annabel Dimmock (Wentworth) fashioned her 68 after travelling from Fife in Scotland, where she had played in Monday’s Final Qualifying for the Ricoh Women’s British Open. The 16-year-old suffered no ill effects from the journey and dropped shots on only one hole, the par five 15th, where she had a double bogey after finding a bad lie in a bunker and then visiting the water. She had the perfect answer, with birdies on the last three holes: “I just told myself I had to try and make the shots up.” First she put the ball within 6ft of the hole to set up a birdie on the par three 16th. Then she got up and down from a greenside bunker for a birdie on the par five 17th. Finally, despite driving into the trees on the right on the 18th, she holed a 15-footer for birdie on the last. Kent champion Emily Royer (Chart Hills) steered clear of the water and drove the ball well to set up her score. Her putter also served her well, holing a couple of putts of over 30ft for birdies on the outward nine and reliably converting more chances on the way home. “It’s put me in a good position – I just hope I can do the same tomorrow!” she remarked. Dorset’s Sophie Keech staged a remarkable comeback in her round, after she took a quadruple-bogey seven on the short sixth hole, where she was twice in the water. The 17-year-old from Parkstone refused to let it derail her round. “I knew it was horrendous but I told myself to just carry on playing steadily. I just kept on going for par and when I had birdie chances I tried to take them.” She was rewarded with six birdies and just one bogey in the remainder of the round, signing off with a grandstand finish with birdies on 15, 17 and 18. “I’ll take that any day!” said Sophie, who has recently won the South West girls’ and English schools’ championships, and was runner-up in the South West ladies. Curtis Cup player Bronte Law (Bramhall) withdrew from the championship after being involved in a late evening play-off at Kingsbarns, Fife at Monday’s final qualifying for the Ricoh Women’s British Open After Wednesday’s second round the leading 36 players and ties will qualify for the final 36 holes, to be played on Thursday. For full scores visit www.englandgolf.org/championships Lyndsey Hewison Press Officer England Golf pr@englandgolf.org 07825 752 193