Dorset's Hayley Davis, 17, wins English championship

15 May 2010

Teenager Hayley Davis won the English amateur championship at her first attempt when she defeated Tara Watters 2/1 in the final at Broadstone, in her home county of Dorset.

Hayley, who celebrated her 17th birthday in February, is one of the youngest-ever champions. She is playing her first season of ladies’ golf and was making her debut in this event.

It’s a spectacular start and she said after the match: “It’s really good, I’m really happy.”

The excellent match enthralled the large crowd of spectators, many of them from Hayley’s club, Ferndown, and she added: “It’s special to win in my home county with everyone watching.” 

The result meant a second successive disappointment for Tara, who was also losing finalist last year. But she said: “Hayley deserved to win, she played superb golf.”

Tara won the first hole with a birdie and held a narrow lead over most of the opening holes. But Hayley made her move on the par five seventh, with two superb wood shots to the heart of the green and took the score back to all square.

She followed up with another fine tee shot on the 192-yard eighth and, when she won the hole, she was in front for the first time. She extended her lead with an excellent par four on the 10th, where she was bunkered off the tee, played out into the middle of the fairway and put her third stone dead. 

A birdie on the uphill par four 12th moved her three ahead and she got to four up on the 14th where a fine approach putt on the difficult green finished in tap-in range. Tara, who has a wonderful short game, uncharacteristically three-putted.

Both players struck great shots into the short 15th and Hayley had a putt for the title. But the green is tricky and her sloping, downhill stroke stayed out of the hole. “It wasn’t my favourite length putt!” she said afterwards.

Tara went on to reduce the deficit to two holes when she won the 16th with a birdie four. Hayley tangled with the rough, a tree and a bunker and did well to par the hole.

The 17th was the decider. Again both players hit the green in regulation and both two-putted, providing Hayley with the essential half for victory. But she confessed afterwards: “That was the only time I felt nervous, my second putt was only about 2½ft but I didn’t like it!” 

Hayley didn’t play ladies’ golf last year when she was taking her GCSEs but now she’s at college, studying for sport and golf qualifications, she’s able to spread her wings. She’s already been seventh this season in the Welsh open strokeplay. She has enjoyed a very good junior career and is an England girl international and a past winner of the Scottish U16 strokeplay championship.

One of the first to congratulate Hayley was three-times English champion and Curtis Cup player, Jean Bisgood of Parkstone, Dorset, who won this title in 1953, the first year it was run by the then English Ladies’ Golf Association.

Also in the crowd was Ferndown’s Sue Crabb, a past Dorset county captain, who was sporting the lucky panama hat which she wore when Hayley won the Dorset ladies’ championship last month.

Final result
Hayley Davis (Ferndown) beat Tara Watters (Muswell Hill) 2/1 

Hayley Davis plays Tara Watters in English championship final

14 May 2010

Dorset’s Hayley Davis delighted local supporters when she reached the final of the English amateur championship at Broadstone, in her home county. She plays Tara Watters of Middlesex who is in the final for the second successive year.

This is Hayley’s first appearance in the championship but she was confident she could make a good showing.

“I’ve been playing well and I felt I could reach the final. Now I shall give it my best shot,” said the 17-year-old, who is an England girl international and the Dorset champion.

She beat Gloucestershire’s Charlotte Ellis in a very tight match. Only one hole separated the two players for most of the round and the lead changed hands a number of times.

Hayley struck a crucial blow when she birdied the short 15th to go two up and after the next two holes were halved - in birdie, par – she was through to the final. “I look a little while to settle at the start of the match but I played well later on when I needed to,” she said.

Earlier in the day she beat Lancashire’s Nikki Foster in the quarter-finals.

Tara Watters enjoys this championship but she had to pinch herself to believe she was in the final again. “I can’t believe I’ve done it again, I thought the field was a lot stronger this year,” she said.

She claimed her place with a convincing 6/4 win over Curtis Cup player Hannah Barwood. Tara was on sparkling form, winning the first three holes of the match and reaching the turn in three-under par. Steady play – and her excellent short game – brought her victory on the 14th.

“The pressure was definitely off me,” said Tara. “I was the underdog while Hannah is the England international and Curtis Cup player. So I could just relax and try and play my normal game.

“But even when I had a good lead  I had to keep focused. I won a match yesterday after being four down at one stage – so I knew Hannah could come back at me. I had to keep going.

“I do like this championship and this course is fantastic. It’s my kind of course.”  

Earlier, in the quarter-finals, Tara beat England international Kelly Tidy of Lancashire. Meanwhile Charlotte Ellis defeated Curtis Cup player Rachel Jennings, while Hannah Barwood beat Buckinghamshire’s Rachel Drummond.

Results

Quarter finals
Charlotte Ellis (Minchinhampton) beat Rachel Jennings (Izaak Walton) 4/3
Hayley Davis (Ferndown) beat Nikki Foster (Pleasington) 5/4
Hannah Barwood (Knowle)  beat Rachel Drummond (Beaconsfield) 1 up
Tara Watters (Muswell Hill) beat Kelly Tidy (Royal Birkdale) 1 up

Semi-finals
Davis beat Ellis 2/1
Watters beat Barwood 6/4

Dorset’s Hayley Davis in last eight at English championship

13 May 2010

Dorset’s Hayley Davis gave the local spectators plenty to cheer about when she powered her way into the quarter-finals of the English amateur championship at Broadstone, in her home county.

Hayley, 17, defeated a fellow Dorset player, Sophie Keech, in the first round and then went on to beat Northumberland’s Lisa Ball 8/7.

The England girl international, who is playing in this championship for the first time, was under par for the 11 holes she played. “I was pleased with the way I played and I’m looking forward to tomorrow,” she said.

Her quarter-final opponent is Lancashire’s Nikki Foster who knocked out Curtis Cup player Holly Clyburn. “I just tried to hit fairways and greens and it worked,” said the 18-year-old England international.

Nikki, whose father/caddy Trevor once led The Open championship for the first 11 holes, sealed her win with a birdie two on the 15th.

Fellow Lancashire player Kelly Tidy won a roller-coaster of a match when she beat English strokeplay champion Charlotte Wild on the 18th. Kelly was five up after seven but was pulled back after “I made some silly mistakes.”  However, she always stayed in front and reached the 18th tee one up. A fighting par later – which involved a five-iron punch out from trees – clinched her place in the final eight.

England’s two other Curtis Cup players made their way into the last eight. Gloucestershire’s Hannah Barwood – who was the 2008 champion – was four under par when she finished her match on the 11th. Staffordshire’s Rachel Jennings won both her day’s games by the margin of 2/1.

Gloucestershire’s Charlotte Ellis ended the reign of defending champion Charlie Douglass when she won a close battle on the 18th. “I knew it would  be a tough match,” she said.

Charlotte went ahead for the first time when she won the 15th but promptly lost the 16th to an unexpected birdie. Charlie’s  birdie putt had rolled past the cup but  the slope brought it back and into the hole.

Charlotte in turn birdied the 17th to go one up and held on to her advantage over the closing hole.

Buckinghamshire’s Rachel Drummond held off a determined challenge from Hampshire’s Raffi Dyer, who came back from three down to be all square on the 18th  tee. Rachel finally won through to the quarter-finals with a par on the last.

Tara Watters, who was last year’s losing finalist, was taken to the 19th by Dorset 14-year-old Georgia Hall, the English U13 champion. Tara won the 18th to take the match into extra time and on the 19th – the par five first hole -  she played two superb shots to within 10ft of the pin to close out the match.

Results

Round One
Rachel Jennings (Izaak Walton) beat Natalie Lowe (Prestbury) 2/1 Golf Club
Tilly Magil (Woburn) beat Melissa McMahon (Yeovil) 1up
Charlie Douglass (Brocket Hall) beat Jane Binning (Frilford Heath) 3/2
Charlotte Ellis (Minchinhampton) beat Kimberley Bradbury (Cavendish)3&2
Hayley Davis (Ferndown) beat Sophie Keech (Lyme Regis) 2/1
Lisa Ball (Matfen Hall) beat Julia Brook (Croham Hurst) 2&1
Holly Clyburn (Woodhall Spa) beat Daisy Dyer (Chigwell) 7&5
Nikki Foster (Pleasington) beat Hermione FitzGerald (Royal Worlington) 4&3
Rachel Drummond (Beaconsfield) beat Rachael Goodall (Heswall) 6/5
Raffi Dyer (Hayling) beat Charlotte Dalton (Ladbrook Park)  6&5
Danielle Gibb (Rochester & Cobham) beat Steph McEvoy (Old Manor Manor) 3/2
Hannah Barwood (Knowle) beat Kyra Horlock (Broadstone) 2&1
Tara Watters (Muswell Hill) beat Nikki Dunn (Harrogate) 1 up
Georgia Hall (Ferndown) beat Hannah Grant (Enmore Park) 1 up
Charlotte Wild (Mere) beat Lauren Blease (Coombe Hill) 1 up.
Kelly Tidy (Royal Birkdale) beat Harriet Key (South Herts) 5&3

Round Two
Jennings beat Magil 2/1
Ellis beat Douglass 1 up
Davis beat Ball 8/7
Foster beat Clyburn 4/3
Drummond beat Dyer 1 up
Barwood beat Gibb 8/7
Watters beat Hall at 19th
Tidy beat Wild 1 up

Quarter finals
Rachel Jennings v Charlotte Ellis
Hayley Davis v Nikki Foster
Rachel Drummond v Hannah Barwood
Tara Watters v Kelly Tidy

Full details: www.englishwomensgolf.org

Rachel Jennings leads qualifiers in English championship

12 May 2010

Curtis Cup player Rachel Jennings shot three-under 69 to lead the qualifiers for the matchplay stages of the English amateur championship at Broadstone, Dorset.

The top seed, from Staffordshire, was four-under par for the 36-hole strokeplay qualifying. She finished one stroke ahead of Lancashire’s Kelly Tidy who also returned 69 in the second round.

Rachel, 21, had four birdies and an eagle in her round and said: “I felt I was doing everything well. I’ve made a lot of changes with England coach Steve Robinson and my game is coming along.”

Kelly, who has also been working hard on her game, started with a birdie and reached the turn at three under. She dropped only one shot, on the 14th but quickly got it back on the 16th. “I putted really well and made it easy for myself on the greens,” she said.

Hayley Davis, the Dorset champion and England girl international from Ferndown, also beat par with two-under 70 and qualified in fifth place, just behind Rachel Drummond of Buckinghamshire and overnight leader, Nikki Foster of Lancashire.

Hayley is one of five local players to reach the knockout stages, alongside Melissa McMahon (Yeovil), English U13 champion Georgia Hall (Ferndown),  Wiltshire champion Kyra Horlock, who plays at Broadstone, and Sophie Keech (Lyme Regis) who celebrated her 14th birthday at the start of this month.

Tomorrow’s matchplay draw includes one all-Dorset match: Hayley Davis v Sophie Keech. Meanwhile, Kyra Horlock has drawn Curtis Cup player Hannah Barwood from Gloucestershire.

England’s third Curtis Cup player, Holly Clyburn, also made her way safely into the matchplay stages, as did defending champion Charlie Douglass and English strokeplay champion Charlotte Wild.

The leading 32 players qualified for the matchplay draw and three competitors had to play-off for the last two places. Natalie Lowe and Harriet Key successfully made it through on the third extra hole where Emma Sheffield was eliminated after tangling with a bunker.

Qualifying scores
Par 144 (2x 72) CSS 76
140 Rachel Jennings (Izaak Walton) 71 69
142 Kelly Tidy (Royal Birkdale) 73 69
145 Rachel Drummond (Beaconsfield) 73 72; Nikki Foster (Pleasington) 70 75
146 Hayley Davis (Ferndown) 76 70, Hannah Barwood (Knowle) 71 75
150 Tara Watters (Muswell Hill) 76 74
151 Charlotte Ellis (Minchinhampton) 78 73, Charlie Douglass (Brocket Hall)
152 Hannah Grant (Enmore Park) 78 74, Danielle Gibb (Rochester & Cobham Park)  77 75, Lisa Ball (Matfen Hall) 77 75, Daisy Dyer (Chigwell) 75 77,
153 Raffi Dyer (Hayling) 78 75, Lauren Blease (Coombe Hill) 77 7, Tilly Magil (Woburn) 74 79, Melissa McMahon (Yeovil) 72 81, Charlotte Wild (Mere) 72 81
154 Charlotte Dalton (Ladbrook Park) 79 75, Holly Clyburn (Woodhall Spa) 78 76
156 Julia Brook (Croham Hurst) 80 76, Steph McEvoy (Old Fold Manor) 78 78, Georgia Hall (Ferndown)  78 78
157 Jane Binning (Frilford Heath) 80 77, Kimberley Bradbury (Cavendish) 78 79, Nikki Dunn (Harrogate) 78 79
158 Kyra Horlock (Broadstone) 79 79
159 Sophie Keech (Lyme Regis) 82 77, Hermione FitzGerald (Royal Worlington) 78 81
160 Rachael Goodall (Heswall) 83 77
161 Harriet Key (South Herts) 85 76, Natalie Lowe (Prestbury) 82 79, Emma Sheffield (Newark). Emma Sheffield was eliminated in a three-way play-off for the last two matchplay places.

Round one draw
Rachel Jennings v Natalie Lowe
Melissa McMahon v Tilly Magil
Charlie Douglass v Jane Binning
Kimberley Bradbury v Charlotte Ellis
Hayley Davis v Sophie Keech
Julia Brook v Lisa Ball
Daisy Dyer v Holly Clyburn
Hermione FitzGerald v Nikki Foster
Rachel Drummond v Rachael Goodall
Charlotte Dalton v Raffi Dyer
Danielle Gibb v Steph McEvoy
Kyra Horlock v Hannah Barwood
Tara Watters v Nikki Dunn
Georgia Hall v Hannah Grant
Lauren Blease v Charlotte Wild
Harriet Key v Kelly Tidy

Full details and hole-by-hole scoring: www.englishwomensgolf.org

 

Lancashire’s Nikki Foster leads English championship

11 May 2010

Lancashire’s Nikki Foster – who is enjoying spectacular form – shot two-under par 70 to lead the field after the first round of strokeplay qualifying in the English amateur championship at Broadstone, Dorset.

The 18-year-old England international had six birdies in her round and declared herself satisfied with her day’s work. “I’m happy with that,” she said. “You can’t win the tournament on the first day, you have to qualify first.”

Nikki has been flying high recently as the runner-up in both the Helen Holm Scottish strokeplay championship, where she was eight under par, and the Welsh strokeplay, where she forced a title play-off with a final round 69. 

She’s clearly brought her form to Broadstone and is enjoying the course: “It’s very nice and the greens are really good, which helps.”

Nikki is a stroke ahead of two Curtis Cup players, Hannah Barwood of Gloucestershire and Rachel Jennings of Staffordshire. Both had four birdies during the day.

Meanwhile, Dorset golfers gave the local supporters plenty to cheer about.  Melissa McMahon (Yeovil) is high up the leaderboard after a level par 72 put her in a share of fourth place, alongside English strokeplay champion, Charlotte Wild of Cheshire.

Melissa, 17, is playing in this event for the first time and reaped the benefit of a putting lesson on Saturday. She collected six birdies in her round and said: “I holed a lot of one-putts which is unusual for me.”

Hayley Davis, the Dorset champion and England girl international from Ferndown, shot four over 76 and is well placed in a tie for 10th place. She’s in a group which includes defending champion, Charlie Douglass of Hertfordshire.

English U13 champion Georgia Hall, who also comes from Ferndown, positioned herself well with a score of 78, while Kyra Horlock, 14, a member at Broadstone and the new Wiltshire champion, is one shot further back. 

After tomorrow’s second round the top 32 players will qualify for the matchplay stages of the championship, which start on Thursday. The final will take place in Saturday morning. Spectators are welcome.

Leading scores:
Par 72 CSS 76
70 Nikki Foster (Pleasington)
71 Hannah Barwood (Knowle), Rachel Jennings (Izaak Walton)
72 Melissa McMahon (Yeovil), Charlotte Wild (Mere)
73 Rachel Drummond (Beaconsfield), Kelly Tidy (Royal Birkdale)
74 Tilly Magil (Woburn)
75 Daisy Dyer (Chigwell)
76 Tara Watters (Muswell Hill), Hayley Davis (Ferndown), Charlie Douglass (Brocket Hall),
77 Lauren Blease (Coombe Hill), Danielle Gibb (Rochester & Cobham Park), Lisa Ball (Matfen Hall)
78 Verity Scott (Moor Park), Steph McEvoy (Old Fold Manor), Jenna Birch (Royal Lytham & St Annes), Kimberley Bradbury (Cavendish), Georgia Hall (Ferndown), Nikki Dunn (Harrogate), Hannah Grant (Enmore Park), Hermione FitzGerald (Royal Worlington), Holly Clyburn (Woodhall Spa), Charlotte Ellis (Minchinhampton), Raffi Dyer (Hayling)
79 Kyra Horlock  (Broadstone), Charlotte Dalton (Ladbrook Park)
80 Daisy-May Kenny (Cuddington), Julia Brook (Croham Hurst), Jane Binning (Frilford Heath), Emma Sheffield (Newark)
81 Amber Ratcliffe (Royal Cromer), Hannah Turland (Tidworth Garrison)

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