ENGLISH WOMEN'S AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
TEENAGER KIRAN IS NEW ENGLISH CHAMPION
Yorkshire teenager Kiran Matharu is the new English women's closed amateur champion.
She scored a comfortable 5 and 4 win over Naomi Edwards, also from Yorkshire, in the 18-hole final at West Lancashire Golf Club today.
"This is my first major win and I am so happy," said the 17-year-old international from Cookridge Hall. Her aim now is to win a place in the GB&I team of eight for the Curtis Cup match against the United States at Bandon Dunes, Oregon at the end of July.
Kiran had never before been past the first round of the English championship but this week she made no mistakes. The opponents she beat including the defending champion Felicity Johnson (Harborne).
In the final, played in windy, overcast conditions, Miss Matharu was three-under par at the end of the match. She was never behind and lost only one hole, the ninth, to reach the turn with a three-hole lead.
Kiran went further ahead on the short 12th where she holed a 30-footer for a birdie 2 and then sealed the title with another birdie on the long 14th.
"I hit my drive a bit right and had to go over the trees with a five-wood. It was bit risky but I went for it anyway, got it on the green and two-putted. Normally I'm quite a safe player - but I wasn't today."
Kiran was determined to win and prepared herself well for the challenge. The West Lancs green staff were astonished and impressed by the number of questions she asked about the course and the conditions.
She also knew the strength of her opposition. Naomi Edwards, 22, is a fellow Yorkshire player from Ganton and is the English mid-amateur and Welsh open stroke-play champion who will be defending the St Rule Trophy at St Andrews next week. "I have played with Naomi quite a lot and I know what she can do. I had a good idea of what I needed to do and I played really well," said Kiran.
In the past Kiran's strength has been stroke-play and in this event she concentrated on playing the course and achieving sub-par scores. It was a strategy which rewarded her well.
The result was also a pay-off for the hard work she's put in since the Helen Holm Scottish open stroke-play championship at Troon in April.
In the final, played in windy, overcast conditions, Miss Matharu was three-under par at the end of the match. She was never behind and lost only one hole, the ninth, to reach the turn with a three-hole lead.
Kiran went further ahead on the short 12th where she holed a 30-footer for a birdie 2 and then sealed the title with another birdie on the long 14th.
"I hit my drive a bit right and had to go over the trees with a five-wood. It was bit risky but I went for it anyway, got it on the green and two-putted. Normally I'm quite a safe player - but I wasn't today."
Kiran was determined to win and prepared herself well for the challenge. The West Lancs green staff were astonished and impressed by the number of questions she asked about the course and the conditions.
She also knew the strength of her opposition. Naomi Edwards, 22, is a fellow Yorkshire player from Ganton and is the English mid-amateur and Welsh open stroke-play champion who will be defending the St Rule Trophy at St Andrews next week. "I have played with Naomi quite a lot and I know what she can do. I had a good idea of what I needed to do and I played really well," said Kiran.
In the past Kiran's strength has been stroke-play and in this event she concentrated on playing the course and achieving sub-par scores. It was a strategy which rewarded her well.
The result was also a pay-off for the hard work she's put in since the Helen Holm Scottish open stroke-play championship at Troon in April.
"I was awful there," she said frankly "and I've been working hard with my coach since then."
Kiran progressed through the match-play stages of the tournament by beating Hannah Bews (Broadstone) 3 and 2, Rachel Jennings (Izaak Walton) 2 and 1, Clara Leathers (Ellesborough) 3 and 1, and, in the semi-final, Felicity Johnson (Harborne) 5 and 4.
Kiran progressed through the match-play stages of the tournament by beating Hannah Bews (Broadstone) 3 and 2, Rachel Jennings (Izaak Walton) 2 and 1, Clara Leathers (Ellesborough) 3 and 1, and, in the semi-final, Felicity Johnson (Harborne) 5 and 4.
posted by Colin |
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