AMELIA (13) MAKES HISTORY IN MOTHERS AND DAUGHTERS' EVENT

 Royal Mid Surrey Golf Club

By Jo Thesiger

Thirteen-year-old, Amelia Williamson, has become the youngest winner of the Mothers and Daughters’, 27-hole stroke-play open foursomes, first played in 1932.  Since 2008, two fourteen-year-olds have won the event which is played annually at Royal Mid Surrey golf club in Richmond. Alex Peters lifted the trophy 2008 and Charlotte Barrow in 2011, but the record now belongs to Amelia, a prodigious six-handicap England golfer, from Royal Cromer in Norfolk.

However, Amelia was helped by an outstanding partner - her mother, Tracey, a two-handicap and eight times Norfolk Champion!

After a disappointing, wayward morning round of 84, the Williamsons fought hard for victory.  Lying five shots behind the leaders, they produced a thrilling comeback over the remaining nine holes and started the afternoon with a birdie, followed by an eagle!!  Tracey, nearly reached the green with a majestic drive downwind on the 300 yard, par 4, 2^nd hole, which Amelia nonchalantly chipped in, putting them straight back in contention.  The Norfolk pair played on steadily until the penultimate hole, when Amelia’s misclubbed second shot, flew over the green into undergrowth resulting in a frustrating double bogey.  Although this was costly, they still finished the nine holes in level par.

Earlier in the day the contenders had looked very different and the leaders after eighteen holes came from opposite ends of the golfing spectrum. Seventeen-year-old, Charlotte Barrow and her mother, Elaine, scored 79, which was matched by Ann Laughland and Rosie Jenner, the 2003 winners from Rye.  Last year, the Rye pair’s brilliant score of five-over-par, 76, mirrored Ann’s age - an extraordinary feat which Ann described as “unrepeatable” but a year on, they nearly did it again! 

In the afternoon, as the wind picked up, the momentum swung in different directions. It was a challenging afternoon for the Barrows whose chances of repeating their 2011 victory faded.  The Rye pair continued to play steadily but their score wasn’t quite good enough to fulfil Ann Laughland’s hopes of becoming one of the oldest winners of Mothers and Daughters.

Suddenly the field was wide open and a number of pairings had their eye on the trophy.  Alison and Nicola Taylor from Walton Heath, runners up in 2012, lay only two shots behind the leaders after the morning round, despite a exasperating triple bogey on the 17^th hole.  As they teed off in the afternoon, Alison couldn’t help wondering whether this might be her year, having played in the event for 38 years with her mother and two of her daughters.  Nicola praised her mother’s golf but a heartbreaking three putt on the final green shattered their chances once again.  They finished in joint second place, by a single shot, with their Walton Heath club-mates, Christine and Charlotte Griffith, the winners in 2012.

This year the honours went to Tracey and Amelia Williamson and this immensely talented combination have so many years to come,  they could even emulate the extraordinary feat of Angela Uzielli, who won 22-times with her mother, Peggy Carrick, and once with her daughter, Caroline. Interestingly, Tracey, is already following closely in the footsteps of Peggy Carrick, who was also Norfolk champion, eleven times!

As the Williamsons glanced at the Mothers and Daughters honours board displaying all the past winners, they couldn’t help wondering!

127 Holes Scratch Top 20

Tracey Williamson (Royal Cromer) & Amelia Williamson (Royal Cromer) 119(84&35)

Alison Taylor (Walton Heath) & Nicola Taylor (Walton Heath) 120(81&39)

Chris Griffith (Walton Heath) & Charlotte Griffith (Walton Heath) 120(81&39)
Ann Laughland (Rye) & Rosie Jenner (Rye) 121(79&42)
Mona Watters (Muswell Hill) & Tara Watters (Muswell Hill) 128(82&46)
Rita Whitmore (Woburn) & Nicole Whitmore (Woburn) 128(86&42)
Anne O’Connor (Worplesdon) & Niamh O’Connor (Worplesdon) 128(84&44)
Elaine Barrow (Brockenhurst Manor) & Charlotte Barrow (Brockenhurst Manor) 128(79&49)
Sue Stradling (Worplesdon) & Annie Stradling (The Berkshire) 131(87&44)
Carolyn Battrick (Royal Wimbledon) & Amanda Battrick (Royal Wimbledon) 131(86&45)
Priscilla Petch (Sunningdale) & Sarah Knollys (Sunningdale) 132(89&43)
Elsie Provan (East Herts) & Sarah Saggers (Purdis) 133(90&43)
Jenny Kershaw (North Hants) & Molly Kershaw (North Hants) 134(89&45)
Judy Wise (Luffenham Heath) & Karen Haynes (Luffenham Heath) 136(93&43)
Sue Todd (Royal Ashdown Forest) & Hayley Todd (Royal Ashdown Forest) 136(92&44)
Susan Heeles (Royal Norwich) & Rebecca Heeles (Royal Norwich) 136(90&46)
Maureen McGowan (Coombe Wood) & Lisa McGowan (Worplesdon) 137(91&46)
Hannah Hubbard (The Berkshire) & KJ Carr (The Berkshire) 138(90&48)
Jill Thornhill (Walton Heath) & Caroline Weeks (Walton Heath) 138(92&46)
Sandi Stott (Parkstone) & Jessica Stott (Parkstone) 138(92&46)

127 Holes Handicap Top 20

Ann Laughland (Rye) & Rosie Jenner (Rye) 107.5(70&37.5)
Jane Bathurst (Hankley Common) & Alice Bathurst (Hankley Common) 110.5(75&35.5)
Maureen McGowan (Coombe Wood) & Lisa McGowan (Worplesdon) 110.75(73.5&37.25)
Mona Watters (Muswell Hill) & Tara Watters (Muswell Hill) 111.5(71&40.5)
Anne O’Connor (Worplesdon) & Niamh O’Connor (Worplesdon) 112.25(73.5&38.75)
Rita Whitmore (Woburn) & Nicole Whitmore (Woburn) 112.25(75.5&36.75)
Alison Taylor (Walton Heath) & Nicola Taylor (Walton Heath) 112.5(76&36.5)
Tracey Williamson (Royal Cromer) & Amelia Williamson (Royal Cromer) 113(80&33)
Carolyn Battrick (Royal Wimbledon) & Amanda Battrick (Royal Wimbledon) 113.75(74.5&39.25)
Chris Griffith (Walton Heath) & Charlotte Griffith (Walton Heath) 114.75(77.5&37.25)
Priscilla Petch (Sunningdale) & Sarah Knollys (Sunningdale) 115.5(78&37.5)
Alison Moss (RM-S) & Amanda Moss (RM-S) 115.5(78&37.5)
Angela Davis (Porters Park) & Jackie Foster (Bishops Stortford) 115.5(80&35.5)
Marilyn Conner (Handsworth) & Jasmin Pnaiser (Handsworth) 115.75(77.5&38.25)
Jenny Kershaw (North Hants) & Molly Kershaw (North Hants) 116.75(77.5&39.25)
Caren Oxlade (Chelmsford) & Gabriela Oxlade (Chelmsford) 116.75(78.5&38.25)
Hannah Hubbard (The Berkshire) & KJ Carr (The Berkshire) 117(76&41)
Sandi Stott (Parkstone) & Jessica Stott (Parkstone) 117(78&39)
Maureen Gray (RM-S) & Ros Gray (RM-S) 117(79&38)
Liz Downs (Ilkley) & Nicky Rose (Bamburgh Castle) 117(83&34)