SHOCKS IN ENGLISH WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP

Title-holder Naomi Edwards and top seed Rachel Jennings tumbled out of the English Women's Close Amateur Championship when they were both beaten in the first round.
But Florentyna Parker – who makes her Curtis Cup debut later this month – produced a magical shot to survive a marathon battle and move into the quarter finals.
The first upset of the day was provided by Lancashire's Sarah Walton (Clitheroe) who claimed the 32nd and final place for the matchplay only after a play-off.
Sarah, who won the British mid-amateur championship in 2003, defeated the top qualifier, Staffordshire's Rachel Jennings (Izaak Walton) on the final green. She had a simple attitude to the match: "I'm 31-years-old and I'm here for fun. I had nothing to lose and I just played steady golf," she said.
She went on to beat former England international Lisa Hall (Matfen Hall), again on the 18th.
Essex champion Jenny Pease (Braintree) claimed another big scalp when she defeated the defending champion and Ganton player, Naomi Edwards.
Jenny was up throughout the match and said afterwards: "I am chuffed to bits." Naomi commented on the end of her hopes of retaining her title: "It just wasn't meant to be."
However, Florentyna Parker (Royal Birkdale) staged a remarkable comeback against Yorkshire's talented 17-year-old, Ellie Robinson (Middlesborough).
Florentyna was five down after seven and three down with three to play. But experience, coupled with a magical chip, took her through to the quarter finals. She finally won on the 20th, where her approach to the green finished so close to a bunker that she had no stance and was forced to play the shot left-handed with a sand wedge. She managed a miraculous u p and down and revealed afterwards that she practises the technique.
Hampshire's Liz Bennett (Brokenhurst Manor), who will also play in the Curtis Cup team, moved into the quarter-finals with a confident performance against Bedfordshire's Holly Aitchison. "I thought I played well," said Holly "but Liz was just awesome, she kept making birdies and it was hard to keep up."
Liz was three-under par when the match finished and notably birdied the very long par fours, 7 and 15.
Now she meets Gloucestershire's Hannah Barwood who needed just 24 holes to dispose of her two opponents. The 17-year-old from Knowle won both her games by the margin of 7/6 and said afterwards: "I played steady golf. I plotted my way round the course and didn't make many mistakes."
Her Gloucestershire colleague, Charlotte Ellis (Minchinhampton), is also safely through – despite suffering from the effects of a torn muscle under her arm. She had comfortable wins against 14-year-old Jamie-Leigh Voss (Kirby Muxloe) and Ganton's Sara Garbutt and said afterwards: "It hurts when I breathe – so I just held my breath!".
Yorkshire's Emma Brown (Malton and Norton), who has twice held this title, won two tight matches on the 18th. She beat another former champion, Kerry Smith (Waterlooville) and then England girls international Charlie Douglass (Brocket Hall).
Results
First round
Sarah Walton (Clitheroe) beat Rachel Jennings (Izaak Walton) 1 up. Lisa Ball (Matfen Hall) beat Sarah Attwood (Gog Magog) 2/1. Sara Garbutt (Ganton) beat Lucinda Mileham (Aldwickbury Park) 1 up. Charlotte Ellis (Minchinhampton) beat Jamie-Leigh Voss (Kirby Muxloe) 4/3. Claire Aitken (Mid-Kent) beat Nikki Dunn (Harrogate) 3/2. Hannah Barwood (Knowle) beat Charlotte Dalton (Ladbrook Park) 7/6. Holly Aitchison (Bedfordshire) beat Kym Larratt (Kibworth) 3/2. Liz Bennett (Brokenhurst Manor) beat Tilly Hol der (Magnolia Park) 5/4. Rachel Connor (Manchester) beat Sian James (Bristol & Clifton) 3/2. Kate Whitmore (Sandiway) beat Hermione Fitzgerald (Links) 3/1. Emma Brown (Malton & Norton) beat Kerry Smith (Waterlooville) 1 up. Charlie Douglass (Brocket Hall) beat Charlotte Wild (Mere) 2/1. Florentyna Paker (Royal Birkdale) beat Ellis Keenan (Sunningdale) 3/2. Ellie Robinson (Middlesborough) beat Anne Wheble (Dartford) 4/2. Faye Sanderson (Heworth) beat Emilee Taylor (Gainsborough) 1 up. Jenny Pease (Braintree) beat Naomi Edwards (Ganton) 3/2.
Second round:
Walton beat Ball 2 up. Ellis beat Garbutt 5/4. Barwood beat Aitken 7/6. Bennett beat Aitchison 4/3. Connor beat Whitmore 2/1. Brown beat Douglass 1 up. Parker beat Robinson on 20th. Pease beat Sanderson 2/1.

Full scores: www.englishwomensgolf.org

---

Lyndsey Hewison
Press & PR Officer

Tel. 01603 507 416
Email: lyndsey.hewison@ntlworld.com

Visit our web site at www.englishwomensgolf.org

To unsubcribe from emails please visit our Unsubscribe Page

Editors Notes

On the 31 December 2007 the English Ladies' Golf Association, an unincorporated body, was dissolved and the property, contracts, assets (including intellectual property rights and goodwill) and liabilities of the Association were transferred to a Company Limited by Guarantee, registration number 6431498, known as the English Women's Golf
Association.

The English Women's Golf Association is the governing body for female amateur golf in England.

EWGA represents over 127,000 members in more than 1780 golf clubs, trains the country's elite golfers, runs a full rota of national championships as well as events for handicap golfers, and actively encourages new golfers.

EWGA has formed the England Golf Partnership with the English Golf Union and the Professionals Golfers' Association. Their Whole Sport Plan, supported by Sport England, aims to make England the world's leading golf nation by 2020.

The association also has a charity, The ELGA Trust, which supports schemes to introduce girls to golf and helps promising players.