TAYLOR SISTERS TEAM UP FOR LAUREN TO LEAD WITH TWO-UNDER 70

Issued 6th August, 2013 Lauren leads by one in English stroke play Sisterly support was to the fore when Lauren Taylor shot two-under par 70 and took the first-round lead in the English women’s open stroke play championship at Mannings Heath, Sussex. The 18-year-old international (Image © Leaderboard Photography) was accompanied by her sister, Charlotte, who took on caddy duties for the first time – and will be on the bag throughout the tournament. “She helped me quite a bit,” said Lauren, who was the youngest-ever British champion when she was 16. “She plays golf, she knows my game and knows what to say and when. I wouldn’t take it from anyone else!” The Woburn player is a stroke ahead of fellow international Hayley Davis (Ferndown) and Singapore-based Charlotte Thomas, whose grandparents live in West Sussex. A further shot back, on level par, is a group of four: England international Meghan MacLaren (Wellingborough); Curtis Cup player of Amy Boulden of Wales; Brogan Townend (Pleasington), who birdied three of the last four holes; and Jodie Peacock (Sherwood Forest), who played the back nine in two-under par. Lauren had just one bogey in her round and fashioned three birdies on a course where position is all-important and where many players found the greens challenging. “I putted really well today,” she said. “But there are some difficult pins on slopes and tiers and if you don’t get it right and miss in the wrong place you are going to shoot high numbers. “This is the start I wanted – but what matters is who wins after four rounds,” added Lauren, who won the Dutch girls’ open title last month, for the third year in a row. Hayley Davis, a past winner of the English women’s and girls’ championships,  played with great accuracy and hit all fairways except one. “I’ll take it for a first round,” she said. “The course is tough and it’s all about position, you have to keep it out of trouble,” Hayley added. “I played pretty good, but I had a lot of chances I didn’t take.” Joining her on one-under par is Charlotte Thomas, who is making her regular summer golfing trip to England. Her family is based in Singapore, while she has just completed her first successful year at the University of Washington in Seattle, where she has won on the US college circuit. Charlotte played to the turn in three-under and remarked: “I didn’t have any bogeys and three nice birdies – it was easy golf! On the back nine I just had a couple of loose irons and didn’t make as many birdies, but I’m very happy with it.” Meghan MacLaren (Wellingborough) certainly grabbed her chances, with a chip-in for birdie on the 13th and a pitch-in for an eagle three on the 15th. It helped her to a very satisfactory score of level par 72 for the day. “I’ll take that,” she said, as she reflected on the difficulty of the course. “There are so many different ways to get into trouble, it’s hard.” After tomorrow’s second round the field will be cut to the leading 36 competitors and ties, who will play the final 36 holes on Thursday. For full scores and images visit www.englandgolf.org/womensstrokeplay -: Lyndsey Hewison Press Officer England Golf pr@englandgolf.org 07825 752 193

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