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Senior Sue Spencer extends her  championship lead   Staffordshire’s Sue Spencer takes a three-shot lead into tomorrow’s final round of the English senior women’s stroke- play championship at Burnham Beeches in Buckinghamshire. She was one ahead after the first round, when she carded one-under 72, and today she extended her lead with a solid 76 for a two-over total – despite the twin challenges of nerves and a long delay for lightning. Her closest rival is Yorkshire’s Karen Jobling (Richmond), who was runner up in the English senior women’s amateur in May and is right in contention again. One shot behind her is Hertfordshire’s Jackie Foster (Bishops Stortford), who scored level par 73 today and moved 14 spots up the leaderboard into third place. Spencer, from Whittington Heath (pictured above, image © Leaderboard Photography), has been playing in English senior events for just two years and was in uncharted territory today: “I’ve never been in this situation before and I was a bit nervous, but I started birdie, birdie, which settled me a bit,” she said. But in the early afternoon the players had to leave the course for almost 90 minutes as thunder and lightning passed over. Spencer was one over for the round and on the 14th when the hooters sounded, but when she returned to the course she bogeyed both that hole and the 15th. “I felt I lost a bit of rhythm, but having said that I finished par, par, par. I was very pleased with the round and how I handled it all,” she remarked. Jobling’s aim this week was simply to qualify for the final round, but having done that with ease, she will now be “going for it” tomorrow. Today she added 75 to her opening 76 for a five-over total, settling her nerves with a piece of good fortune on the first hole. “My first drive went in the rough but I ran a five iron through a gap on to the green and made par. That steadied me, then I birdied the next two and started to relax,” she said. After that, she kept playing steadily, making some important saves when required and finished with the bonus of a birdie on the last. Jackie Foster (pictured left) had the best round of the day with her level par 73 and is six-over for the championship. “I’m really chuffed,” she said after balancing three birdies with three dropped shots. “I hit the ball more where I wanted to and chipped and putted well.” (Image © Leaderboard Photography) Caroline Berry (Bromborough) and Katherine Russell (Royal Ashdown Forest) played in the same group today and are both sharing fourth place on eight-over after 36 holes, although they arrived there by rather different routes. “I was Steady Eddie, fairways and greens,” said Berry, who returned 76. “It took me six holes to get a par, shockingly inconsistent!” said Russell, who ended up with 77 which included four birdies. They are joined in fourth place by Cath Rawthore, the English senior women’s amateur champion, and by Lindsey Shaw (Chevin) who was one off the lead after the first round, but slipped back today after struggling on the greens on the outward half. Also in the top ten are former champion Chris Quinn (Hockley) who shares ninth place with Amanda Mayne (Saltford) and last year’s runner-up Aileen Greenfield (Pyecombe), who both scored two over 75 today. After today’s round the field was cut to the leading 45 player and ties who go forward to play tomorrow’s final round. A total of 46 players made the cut, which fell on 24-over par. Click here for full scores Lyndsey Hewison Press Officer England Golf pr@englandgolf.org 07825 752 193

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