Sammie’s birdie wins title in last-hole English title thriller Cornwall’s Sammie Giles holed a 15-foot birdie putt on the last hole to clinch a one-shot win in the English women’s open stroke play championship at St Annes Old Links in Lancashire.  She pipped Yorkshire’s Rochelle Morris who birdied the last two holes in a thrilling finale to the event – and who has now been runner-up in both English women’s championships this year.  Giles, 20, (image © Leaderboard Photography) and Morris shared the halfway lead and battled throughout 36 holes today to decide the destination of the trophy.  Giles shot one-under 71 and 73 for a one-over total, while Morris returned 73 72 and finished a stroke behind.  The win gives Giles her second national title, following her success in last year’s English mid-amateur championship. “That’s pretty cool!” she said. “The mid-amateur was really big for me, especially as I beat Sarah-Jane (Boyd, a fellow Cornwall player).  “But this is bigger, especially as my old coach, Laura Eastwood (now Hendrikson) won this event on this course 10 years ago – so it’s really special to win it here.”  When the two players set out this afternoon Giles held a two-shot lead over Morris and the last round turned into a match play situation. The momentum swung to and fro, but Giles was always in front and had a four shot lead after six holes.  But her lead was cut to one after she bogeyed nine and 10, which Morris birdied. Again Giles built up an advantage and crucially birdied the 14th to be three ahead. “I really needed that and I think it put a lot of pressure on Rochelle,” she said.  However, Morris kept working away at the deficit. She parred the 15th, which Giles bogeyed, and birdied the long 17th to be just one behind.  On the 18th,  a par five, both players were just short of the green in two. Giles slightly mis-hit her pitch and it pulled up 15ft short, while Morris played a lovely shot which finished about 3ft from the hole. The pressure was on, but Giles rose to the challenge and slotted home the putt: “I knew I had to get it right so I gave it a little extra time, I felt confident – and it went in! Rochelle played really well and finished birdie, birdie, it was a great effort.”  Third place was shared by Scotland’s Lauren Whyte and Elizabeth Stebbings (Formby Ladies’) on eight over par. One shot further back in fifth place were Lianna Bailey (Kirby Muxloe) and Bethany Garton (Royal Lytham & St Annes).  Click here for full scores Note: The image of Sammie Giles may be used with this press release provided it is credited to Leaderboard Photography. A high-resolution version is available on request.  -ENDS- For more information contact: Lyndsey Hewison Press Officer England Golf pr@englandgolf.org 07825 752 193 EDITORS’ NOTES England Golf is the governing body for amateur golf in England. It is one of the country’s largest sports governing bodies and looks after the interests of more than 1,900 golf clubs and 675,000 men, women, boy and girl club members. England Golf is at the heart of grassroots golf, inspiring people to have a lifelong involvement in the game.  Our development initiative ‘Get into golf’ introduces new golfers, juniors and adults, to start playing the game as well as increasing the interest and participation in golf.  Working with our partners we offer business support to clubs to encourage more golfers to enjoy the benefits of club membership and to help promote the game as being accessible, fun and family friendly. For competitive golfers, England Golf provides championships for all ages and abilities, both in individual and team events, hosted at some of the most prestigious courses across the country, some with qualifying events at any club.  England Golf identifies and develops the country’s most talented golfers through their amateur careers, many of whom go on to become the world’s leading professional golfers, such as Justin Rose, Lee Westwood, Charley Hull and Melissa Reid.

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