PAMELA WILLIAMSON HAS PLAYED IN 20 SENIOR WOMEN'S BRITISH OPENS

PAMELA WILLIAMSON ... played in 20 Senior Women's British Opens. Picture by Cal Carson Golf Agency.

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
Baberton's Pamela Williamson played her 20th Senior Women's British Open last week at Royal Portrush.
She is "not sure" about raising the total to 21 when the 54-hole championship for the over-50s is hosted by Royal Dornoch Golf Club from September 16 to 18 next year.
Hats off the Ladies Golf Union for getting the championship completed, albeit over 36 holes instead of three rounds in a week of horrendous weather at the Northern Ireland coastal venue.
The wind was possibly just as strong on the Thursday as it had been for Wednesday's second round, abandoned because balls were being blown around on the greens.
So what was the secret of keeping the balls stationary the following day?
Tournament Director Gillian Roy says:
"The greenkeeping preparations were modified after the first round. The forecast for Thursday was not as bad but we didn’t want to take any risks on a repeat of the previous day and run the risk of failing to reach a result."
Some players felt that because the wind, in their opinion, was just as strong on the final day and that a second 18 holes should not have been played.
But the wind in itself is not a determining factor in whether a tournament is halted ... it is whether or not the balls are remaining stationary on the greens.
Just the same as rain. Rain in itself does not stop play. It is if the rain causes flooding.

There is a difference.
So full marks to Gillian Roy, pictured right, and her championship committee for ensuring that there was enough grass on the greens for the tournament to be completed.
If the worst had come to the worst and only the first round had been completed, would that have been enough for the tournament to be recognised as a "championship?"
In other words, can you have a British championship over only 18 holes? No one has been able to tell me the answer to that question. 

Minna Kaarnalahti, the Finnish lady who led the Senior Women's British Open after 18 holes, did not take not up golf until she injured a knee playing her first love - football.
She was apparently a star player in Finnish women's football but that injury and a consequent knee operation ended her footballing days and she then took up golf.
Mrs Minna Kaarnalahti-Salakari, to give her her full name, is now pushing on 54 years of age. She does not walk with a limp but a late start to her golf career shows in her swing which is far from text book. 
She has what looks to be a natural, self-made swing which tends to be flat on the followthrough but it is not "how" but "how many?" as we all know. So Minna must get the clubhead square at the point of impact with the ball because she hits if fairly straight.

Pictured left, Minna is a dedicated competitor with good habits. Every day before she played at Royal Portrush, she spent at least an hour on the practice putting green. She has a handicap of +0.8.
She was disappointed that the championship was not decided over three rounds as scheduled because she fancied her chance of outstaying the opposition.
As it was she finished joint second with Ireland's Sheena McElroy (who pipped her for second prize with the better second round), one shot behind the winner, Ann Lewis, a 57-year-old scratch player from Harlech, Wales, who caught them both with a birdie at the very last hole.
Mrs Kaarnalahti - her husband caddies for her - will be one to watch out for at Royal Dornoch in next year's championship.