KirkwoodGolf: SUE DYE LEADS ENGLISH SENIORS BY TWO AT SHIFNAL

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

SUE DYE LEADS ENGLISH SENIORS BY TWO AT SHIFNAL

NEWS RELEASE FROM ENGLAND GOLF
Past champion Sue Dye of Cheshire took the lead in the English senior women’s stroke play championship at Shifnal, Shropshire, after shooting two-over par 74 today.
Sue, who won this title in 2007, adds the score to her opening 76 and holds a two-shot lead going into tomorrow’s final round. The top 36 players and ties go forward to play the last round with a total of 37 competitors qualifying.
Sue’s closest challengers are Janet Melville of Nottinghamshire, also a past champion and senior international, together with Derbyshire’s Lindsey Shaw, who equalled the day’s low score with her 74.
Two shots further back are Amanda Mayne of Somerset, who was the joint first round leader, and Jackie Barraclough of Yorkshire.
The second round was played in ideal golfing conditions which produced a host of scores in the 70s, although players also recounted bad luck stories of tangling with the trees – costing one competitor two lost balls.
Sue had no such problems, but was well aware of the dangers: “This is a lovely course, but it’s not easy, if you tweak a shot you can be in the trees.
“I had a good round and I’ll take it - but I left three putts out there,” she added, as she reported missed birdie chances. However, Sue also enjoyed good fortune on the short 17th where she had a birdie two, avenging herself on yesterday’s four-putt. It was her second birdie of the day, following a four on the long sixth.
Lindsey Shaw, a multiple past winner of the Derbyshire county championship, moved herself into contention with her 74. She started slowly, with three bogeys in the first five holes, but played the remainder of the course in one-under par with 12 pars and a birdie on the ninth.
The three-handicapper, who began playing senior events after her 50th birthday last year, had never played the course before yesterday’s first round – and is enjoying the challenge. 
This is a very good course for this event, it’s long enough, but not too long, the greens are fairly testing and it demands you play a variety of shots. I’ve used every club in my bag today.”
She’s tied with Janet Melville, the 2008 champion, who was also three over after five holes but came back to fashion a 76. “It was a struggle, I was all over the place!” said the normally very steady player. “But I ended up with a 76 and if you’d offered me that after five holes I would have taken it.”
Among the day’s other low scorers was former English senior champion, Christine Watson of Buckinghamshire, who is returning to competitive golf after a three-year break to attend to family commitments.
She was delighted with her 75, which moves her into a share of ninth place. She describes her comeback as “enjoyable but tough” – and has already won the second flight at the English senior championship earlier this season.
Among the players who suffered misfortunes were Katharine Russell of Sussex who was on course for a very low score before knocking up a nine on the 18th – and still finished with a 78 in eighth place.
Meanwhile, first round co-leader Caron Harrison of Nottinghamshire, safely made the cut after adding an 86 to her opening round 74.
Two Shropshire players successfully qualified for the final round: county captain Ros Moor (Bridgnorth) and county senior champion Sue Pidgeon (Wrekin).

Qualifying scores
Par 72, CSS 74 74
150 Sue Dye (Delamere Forest) 76 74
152 Janet Melville (Sherwood Forest) 76 76, Lindsey Shaw (Chevin) 78 74
154 Amanda Mayne (Saltford) 74 80, Jackie Barraclough (East Bierley) 77 77
155 Gillian Mellor (Prestbury) 79 76, Jeannie O'Keeffe (Hankley Common) 79 76
156 Katherine Russell (Royal Ashdown Forest) 78 78
157 Christine Watson (Beaconsfield) 82 75, Carolyn Kirk (Ganton) 76 81, Barbara Woodham (Cobtree Manor Park) 76 81
158 Barbara Laird (Sandiway) 81 77, Felicity Christine (Woking Ladies') 77 81, Lulu Housman (Highgate) 83 75, Gill Snelson (Branston) 81 77
159 Ruth Lindley (Hartlepool) 77 82, Jo Rumsey (Rochford Hundred) 82 77
160 Caroline Berry (Bromborough) 81 79, Carol Cass (Broadstone) 80 80, Caron Harrison (Sherwood Forest) 74 86
161 Roz Adams (Addington Court Ladies') 77 84, Amanda Ryan (Caldy) 80 81, Pat West (Spalding), 78 83
162 Irene Brien (Wentworth) 82 80
163 Gillian Curley (Northamptonshire County) 83 80
164 Jo Ashmore (Barnham Broom) 84 80, Eppie Zandvoort (Eaton,Norwich)  80 84 165 Ros Moor (Bridgnorth) 84 81, Sue Pidgeon (Wrekin) 85 80
166 Olwen Simpson (Filton) 82 84, Liz Moverley (Copt Heath) 81 85, Cecilia Lyon (Prestbury) 80 86
167 Debbie Richards (Burhill) 85 82, Laraine Hague (Rotherham) 84 83, Andrea Stockdale (Mapperley Ladies’) 83 84, Angela Duck (Northamptonshire County) 84 83  Teresa Taylor (The Club at Mapledurham) 87 80

Lyndsey Hewison
Press Officer
England Golf
lyndsey.hewison@ntlworld.com
07825 752 193

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