BARWOOD v PARKER ENGLISH FINAL

Hannah Barwood and Florentyna Parker reach English championship final

Teenagers Hannah Barwood from Gloucestershire and Florentyna Parker from Lancashire will meet in tomorrow's final of the English Women's Close Amateur Championship at Ganton, Yorkshire.

Hannah, 17, claimed her place after scoring a convincing win over Curtis Cup team member Liz Bennett and then defeating her county colleague Charlotte Ellis – with the help of a hole-in one. It was her fifth in competition and her second this season, following an ace in last month's Helen Holm Scottish open strokeplay championship.

This time, Hannah used a six-iron for her shot to the 144-yard 5th and watched as it took one bounce and vanished into the hole. It took her to 2up but she still had a fight on her hands.

Charlotte, who was suffering from a torn muscle, had pulled her back to all square by the eighth. The two players then fought a close battle on the back nine before Hannah made a decisive move, winning the 15th, 16th and 17th to reach the final on only her second appearance in the championship.

Hannah, who is the English schools champion and was the U21 winner at the recent Welsh strokeplay championship, said: "I am ecstatic. I just can't wait."

Earlier in the day she was three-under par when she defeated Liz Bennett. Now, in the final, she faces the challenge of playing another Curtis Cup team member.

Florentyna Parker, 18, claimed her place in the final with a one-up win over the Yorkshire favourite and two-times champion, Emma Brown (nee Duggleby) from nearby Malton & Norton.

"It was a very tight, good match," said Florentyna, who will also be playing in her first English final. "I am looking forward to the final."

She took a quick lead in her semi-final and was th ree up after four holes and never dropped behind in a match in which she scored three birdies. However, Emma fought hard and twice pulled her opponent back to all square.

Crucially Florentyna took a one-hole lead with a birdie on the 13th and she held on to that advantage as the players halved the remaining five holes of the round.

Florentyna was the 2007 French lady junior champion and a member of last year's winning European team in the junior Solheim Cup.

Emma's defeat ended Yorkshire's hopes of a home winner but she said: "What with one thing and another I haven't played much golf since the beginning of March. So, to get to the semi-finals here and in the Yorkshire championship last week isn't bad. We had a good match, especially on the back nine, and Florentyna played well."

Results
Quarter-finals:
Charlotte Ellis (Minchinhampton) beat Sarah Walton (Clitheroe) 4/2.
Hannah Barwood (Knowle) beat Liz Bennett (Brokenhurst Manor) 4/3
Emma Brown (Malton & Norton) beat Rachel Connor (Manchester) 6/5.
Florentyna Parker (Royal Birkdale) beat Jenny Pease (Braintree) 2/1.

Semi-finals:
Barwood beat Ellis 3/1.
Parker beat Brown 1 up.

Full details: www.englishwomensgolf.org

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JOCELYN CARTHEW BIDDING TO
COMPLETE LADYBANK DOUBLE
AFTER SUSAN'S VICTORY
IN CLARK ROSEBOWL FINAL

Jocelyn Carthew has put her home club Ladybank in the golfing spotlight by reaching Saturday morning's 18-hole final of the Scottish women's amateur championship over the Moray Golf Club Old Course links at Lossiemouth.
There was a trophy boost for a Ladybank club player when 18-year-old Susan Jackson beat Heather Anderson (Downfield) 4 and 3 in the final of the championship week's No2 competition, the Clark Rosebowl. Susan was three up after eight holes (Picture right of Susan Jackson with the Clark Rosebowl was taken by Gillian Kirkwood who retains the copyright).
Now Jocelyn or "Jo" - she doesn't mind which one you use - a 30-year-old Glasgwegian, who lives in Kirkcaldy and works in a stable-construction business in Cupar, will be pulling out all the stops to put her own name in the record books alongside legends like Jessie Valentine by beating 20-year-old Michele Thomson, a full-time amateur golfer from Ellon, Aberdeenshire and one of four Scots in the GB&I team to play the United States in the Curtis Cup match over the Old Course, St Andrews at the end of the month.
"I'm playing well. I just have to do it one more time. I was two or three under par in beating Kylie Walker in the semi-final, so that kind of form must give me a chance," said Jocelyn, who did not take up golf until the age of 16 even though her dad Oliver was professional at Crow Wood Golf Club.
Although Thomson had to claw her way back from four down after eight holes before prevailing over Aberdeenshire rival Laura Murray (Alford) at the 20th hole in the other semi-final, Michele will start the clear favourite for the title.
Thomson, who lost in the semi-finals last year, is the 10th seed and her opponent was 25th of the 32 qualifiers for the match-play stages at Lossiemouth
Long-hitting power player Michele has +1 of a handicap; Jocelyn, a more delicate touch player, has one of a handicap and has never got past the second round of the "Scottish" before. She has never won the Fife county championship and never been picked for Scotland. Michele is a seasoned international who has stepped up to Great Britain & Ireland level.
But Carthew is playing well above her expectations this week.
She started the penultimate day of the 94th national championship by winning 2 and 1 against 16-year-old Sammy Vass (Tain), who claimed the scalp of the No 1 seed, Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) in the first round.
Then Carthew beat the No 5 seed, Kylie Walker (Buchanan Castle) by 3 and 1 to reach the final for the first time.
Kylie Walker had to go to the 22nd hole in morning quarter-finals to take the measure of Craigielaw teenager Jane Turner.
Whether that sapped her energy or not, Kylie birdied the 10th to get back to all square with Jocelyn – and then sagged.
Walker lost the 11th, 12th and 13th and there was no way back for her after that.
Against Thomson, Robert Gordon University student Laura Murray had a fantastic start. She birdied the first five holes and seven of the first eight holes to be four up and firmly in the driving seat.
"Laura was playing brilliantly at that stage. I just had to make sure I kept my head up and play the best I could to turn the match my way," said Michele.
And turn her way it did. She won the ninth with a par, the 11th with a birdie, the 16th with a par and the 17th with a par. Murray's flow of birdies had dried up just when she needed some more.
But Laura did stage wonderful 40yd bunker shot under severe pressure to halve the 18th in bogeys but her luck ran out when she was in another bunker off the tee at the 20th and ran up a bogey 6 which ended her best ever run in the championship.
"Pity my father is in Dubai and can't make it time. He has helped me so much to get me where I am," said Michele.
"But there's still a hard match in the final to come. So I'm not counting my chickens yet."
Friday results:

CHAMPIONSHIP

QUARTER-FINALS

J Carthew (Ladybank) bt S Vass (Tain) 2 and 1.

K Walker (Buchanan Castle) bt J Turner (Mortonhall) at 22nd.

L Murray (Alford) bt C-M Carlton (Fereneze) 2 and 1.

M Thomson (McDonald Ellon) bt L Kenney (Pitreavie) 3 and 2.

SEMI-FINALS

Carthew bt Walker 3 and 1.

Thomson bt Murray at 20th.

CLARK ROSEBOWL
SEMI-FINALS

H Anderson (Downfield) bt B Murphy (Mortonhall) at 20^th.

S Jackson (Ladybank) bt T Laughland (Mortonhall) 2 holes.

FINAL

Jackson bt Anderson 4 and 3.

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

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Lyndsey Hewison
Press & PR Officer

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

Visit our web site at www.englishwomensgolf.org

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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.

KYLIE WALKER WINS AT 22nd HOLE

LATER NEWS FROM SCOTTISH WOMEN'S AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

 

Kylie Walker (Buchanan Castle) bt Jane Turner (Mortonhall) at 22nd hole.

 

CLARK ROSEBOWL RESULTS

SEMI-FINALS

H Anderson (Downfield) bt B Murphy (Mortonhall) at 20th.

S Jackson (Ladybank) bt T Laughland (Mortonhall) 2 holes.

Scottish women's amateur championship results

HOW THEY FARED IN QUARTER-FINALS

 

Match 1

JOCELYN CARTHEW (Ladybank) bt SAMMY VASS (Tain) 2 and 1.

Vass one up after 11 holes.

Carthew won the second, Vass the fourth. All square at turn. Vass won the 11th.

Carthew won the 12th and 13th with birdies to go one up.

Vass birdied 14tyh to be all square again.

Carthew won short 15th with 3 to go one one up.

Carthew won 17th with par 5 to win match 2 and 1.

 

 

March 2

KYLIE WALKER (Buchanan Castle) and JANE TURNER (Craigielaw) all square after 20 holes (playing on).

Kylie Walker and Jane Turner all square after 10 holes.

First six holes halved. Walker conceded seventh but won the eighth to square. Turner won the ninth with birdie to be one up at turn. Walker won 10th with birdie to be all square.

In the tightest of ties, the remaining eight holes on the inward half were halved, including birdies at the 14th and 17th.

Turner, putting for the match, lipped out with a birdie putt from about 8ft beyond the hole on the 18th green.

The first two extra holes were halved.

 

Match 3

LAURA MURRAY (Alford) bt CLARE-MARIE CARLTON (Fereneze) 3 and 1.

Murray one up at the turn3

Murray won the first and third to go two up. Carlton won back the fourrh but lost the sixth.Carlton won the eighth to be only one down.

Murray went two up with a par at the 10th but Carlton birdied the 11th to cut her deficit to one hole again.

Carlton lost a ball at the 13th to go down down and Murray went three up with a birdie 4 at the 14th.

Carlton fought back with a birdie at the 16th to be two down with two to play.

Murray clinched a 3 and 1 victory by winning the 17th.

 

Match 4

MICHELE THOMSON (McDonald Ellon) bt LOUISE KENNEY (Pitreavie) 3 and 2.

Thomson one up at the turn.

Thomson won first three holes but lost the fifth and sixth.

Thomson won the eighth to regain two-hole advantage but Kenney won the ninth.

Thomson birdied the 10th to go two up but lost to 11th to a birdie from Kenney.

Kenney conceded the 12th to go two down again.

Thomson birdied the 14th to go three up with four to play.

The 16th hole was halved to leave Thomson winner by 3 and 2.