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Warwickshire’s Elizabeth Mallett wins English girls’ championship
29 July 2010
Warwickshire’s Elizabeth Mallett turned a six-shot deficit into a one-stroke victory with a superb display of sub-par golf in the English girls’ championship at Seacroft, Lincolnshire. The event was sponsored by the sports scholarship consultancy firstpointusa.com
At the start of the last day’s play, the 16-year-old from Sutton Coldfield Ladies was on level par and six shots behind the halfway leaders, Heidi Baek (Felixstowe Ferry) and Lauren Taylor (Woburn).
Over the next 36 holes Elizabeth had one eagle and 10 birdies – five of them in a row – as she compiled rounds of 70 and 69 to finish the championship on seven-under par.
It proved to be an unbeatable target. Heidi got to seven-under after 12 holes but dropped three shots on the way home. Lauren had birdie chances to get to seven-under – including one on the 18th to force a play-off – but the putts refused to drop and she finished runner-up.
Elizabeth completed her round a couple of holes ahead of her rivals and headed straight for the putting green. “Everyone was jumping around but I told them all to go away, I just wanted to calm down.” She stayed there until the final pair completed their round and the possibility of a play-off had disappeared.
When she finally learned she had won she said: “I can’t believe it, it feels amazing.”
Elizabeth, who was the 2009 English U15 champion, came to Seacroft determined to win. She prepared well, with several practice rounds, including one with a club member. “Since my exams finished on June 21 I’ve had time to work on my game and I’ve done a lot of practice and I’m swinging it the best ever,” she said.
She was also undeterred when Lauren and Heidi established their six-shot halfway lead. “Six shots is nothing,” she said. “If they make two bogeys and I make two birdies it’s all different.”
However, she had no idea how the others were scoring as she played her final round. “I just had the attitude that I would need to birdie the last to get into a play-off. I tried to stay as relaxed as I could and not to push it. I just let it happen.”
Last year, as well as winning the U15 title, Elizabeth was runner-up in the British girls’ championship. “That was the best week ever, but now this has topped it,” she said.
Nottinghamshire’s Alex Peters played her way into third place with two sub-par rounds on the final day. She shot 71, 70 to finish on four-under par and just pipped Heidi Baek on countback.
Lancashire’s Emily Taylor (Royal Lytham & St. Annes) was fifth on three-over par while Brogan Townend (Pleasington) shot a final round of two-under 71 to take sixth place.
Heidi and Lauren are runaway leaders in English girls’ championship
28 July 2010
Suffolk’s Heidi Baek and Woburn’s Lauren Taylor, who have both scored six-under par for 36 holes, are the runaway leaders of the English girls’ championship at Seacroft, Lincolnshire. The event is sponsored by sports scholarship consultancy, firstpointusa.com
The teenagers are six shots clear of the field and will be paired together for tomorrow’s final two rounds. The top 40 players and ties - a total of 42 girls - made the 36 hole cut, which fell at 161, 15-over par.
Heidi (Felixstowe Ferry) shot two-under 71 in the second round to catch Lauren, who added a level par 73 to her opening 67.
Conditions today were testing, with a tricky cross wind and Heidi remarked: “It was quite hard, especially on the back nine. The wind kept changing so you couldn’t get used to it but I just kept it going .”
Heidi, 16, who enjoys the scoring opportunities offered by the course, reached the turn at level par and was two-under on the back nine. She had two bogeys during the round and four birdies, including a consecutive run of three from the ninth.
The closest challenger to the leaders is Warwickshire’s Elizabeth Mallett (Sutton Coldfield Ladies'), who won last year’s English U15 title – and who celebrated her 16th birthday just eight days ago. She moved up the leaderboard into third place with a one-under par 72, but described her round as frustrating.
“I had a dodgy spell around the 10th and 11th, but I got it back with three birdies – and then I gave a shot back on the 17th. I felt I could have scored better, but I stuck in there and did the best I could,” said Elizabeth.
Hampshire’s Georgina Mundy (Dunwood Manor) and Northamptonshire’s Meghan MacLaren (Wellingborough) continued their steady progress and were joined in fourth place on one-over par by Alex Peters (Notts Ladies) who scored a second round 71. “I started and finished the back nine with bogeys but I also had four birdies in five holes. It was just a case of down the middle, on the green, sink the putt,” she said.
Lancashire’s Brogan Townend (Pleasington) also equalled the day’s low score with 71, helped by a purple patch on the 12th and 13th where she scored birdie, eagle. County colleague Emily Taylor (Royal Lytham & St Annes) was also on good form with a level par round, but was annoyed with herself for dropping three shots over the closing holes. Her playing partner Charlotte Thompson (Channels) could tell a similar story: she also returned a level par score, despite bogeys on 17 and 18.
Lauren Taylor's six-under 67 leads English girls’ championship
27 July 2010
Woburn’s Lauren Taylor shot a superb six-under par 67 to lead after the first round of the English girls’ championship at Seacroft, Lincolnshire. The championship is sponsored by sports scholarship consultancy firstpointusa.com
Lauren is two shots ahead of her playing partner and fellow girl international, Heidi Baek of Suffolk, who scored four-under par 69. “We were just bouncing off each other all day,” said Lauren.
Meanwhile Hampshire’s Georgina Mundy added to an impressive day’s scoring with a one-under round of 72.
Lauren, a past winner of the English U15 title, said: “I started bogey, birdie, bogey and I was a bit nervous really. I certainly didn’t expect this!”
However, she got her momentum going with an eagle on the long fifth, where she reached the green with a drive and a four-iron. Lauren birdied the ninth to be two-under at the turn and then had her second eagle of the day on the 12th, a short par four: “I was at the back of the green with my drive, miles away, and I just drained it!” she said.
“I was kind of trying to protecting my score at the end but the putts kept going in and I finished birdie, birdie, par.”
Heidi, meanwhile, arrived at the course today following a four-hour journey from Lancashire after playing in yesterday’s final qualifying event for the Ricoh Women’s British Open.
She quickly set aside her disappointment at failing to make it into the major championship and set about producing an immaculate round of golf, composed of four birdies and 14 pars. “It was a very enjoyable round, but I had a lot of other chances and didn’t sink the putts,” said Heidi (Felixstowe Ferry).
Georgina Mundy (Dunwood Manor) started in a torrential downpour but ignored the elements to reach the turn at level par. She twice got to two-under par on the back nine, but had to settle for a one-under score when her putt lipped out on the last.
Georgina, who is playing in the event for the first time, is the younger sister of Katie Mundy, who was an England girl international and the 2009 English mid-amateur champion. “I don’t try to beat Katie – but I do try to keep up with her,” said Georgina.
Northamptonshire’s Meghan MacLaren (Wellingborough) kept her run of impressive form going with a level par 73. She has recently won the English schools and the Midlands South ladies’ championship.
She’s one shot ahead of last year’s English U15 champion, Elizabeth Mallett (Sutton Coldfield Ladies). Three girls share sixth place on two-over 75: Lucy Evans (Wrekin), Charlotte Thompson (Channels) and Emily Taylor (Royal Lytham & St Annes).
