KirkwoodGolf: Thrilling finish to Home Internationals at Wrexham

Friday, September 12, 2008

Thrilling finish to Home Internationals at Wrexham

The Wonder of Wales! Beaten
by England but title winners


Here's how the Wales v England title-decing match went at Wrexham:

Florentyna Parker of England won a titantic battle of Curtis Cup team-mates in the lead-off singles. She beat Wales' Breanne Loucks by one hole, thanks to a birdie 3 at the last.
Only two holes were exchanged in a so-tight outward half, Loucks winning the second and Parker the sixth.
The England player went one up at the ninth but Loucks squared it at the 12th. Parker edged ahead again with a birdie at the 14th but Loucks would not lie down. The 15th was halved oin birdies and then Loucks birdied the short 17th to square a top-quality match.
It was going to take a birdie to win it, and it was Parker who produced it on the home green.
England's second success in the singles came from Naomi Edwards who beat Hannah Jenkins by 2 and 1.
Edwards won the fifth, seventh and ninth to be two up at the turn.
The England player increased her advantage to three holes by winning the 12th but Jenkins won the 14th to cut her deficit to two. Halves at the 15th, 16th and 17th ended the match in Edwards' favour.
Wales got their first point of the singles when Sahra Hassan won a very good match against Kerry Smith by two holes. Hassan was quickly three up with wins at the third, foufrth and fifth but Smith won the eighth to be two down at the turn. The England player squared the contest with a par at the 13th and a birdie at the 14th.
But Hassan birdied the 15th to regain a one-hole lead and chalked up a two-hole victory with a par at the last.
Welsh girls champion Amy Boulden scored a second singles win for Wales by beating Rachel Jennings 3 and 1. Jennings squared the match by winning the 12th but Boulden retaliated with wins at the 14th and 15th (a birdie) to two up. After a half at the 16th, Jennings conceded the 17th and the match, making teenager Boulden a 3 and 1 winner.
Welsh left-hander Stephanie Evans beat English champion Hannah Barwood by one hole in another thrilling finish. Stephanie, who was two up after seventh, lost the 11th but won the 14th with a par to regain a two-hole lead. Barwood won the 17th with a par to be one down on the 18th tee. The last hole was halved, leaving Evans the narrow winner.
England's Elizabeth Bennett beat Tara Davies 2 and 1 in the last match to finish, giving England victory by 5 1/2- 3 1/2.
Bennett won the 10th, 11th and 12th to go two up after being two down after four holes and one down at the turn. The England player won the 15th to go three up, lost the 16th but a half at the next was good enough to finish the tie in her favour.

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